Category: Misc

Dampness: The Root cause of so many illnesses

Written by Twincitiesherbs.

Twincitiesherbs

According to Ancient Chinese Medicine, the root cause of so many health problems is Dampness and many of us especially in the Western industrial countries have it.

So what is Dampness in the body?

Dampness is a condition of having excess fluid like substance in the body. Dampness is considered one of the evils in Traditional Chinese Medicine, capable of disrupting the internal balance of our body. It can negatively impact the energy (Qi) flow (3).

Imagine a house where water is flowing through the inner pipes. You have access to the water only in the bathroom and the kitchen. You should not have water floating around anywhere in the house and the faucets should not be leaking. There should be no water seeping into the house from the outside either.

This same scenario is present in our body. Fluids should be in areas where they are supposed be and should be able to move without impedance. Fluids are important for our body to function properly. It moistens the digestive tract and the mucosa. However, when it is not flowing in its proper place, it can create Dampness (3).

When trapped, Dampness can turn into Phlegm, a more serious condition and can cause stagnation in the body. It may also lead to other more complex problems like tumors and cancer (3).

In our body, our Spleen is mainly in charge of moving this fluid. So if our Spleen is not healthy, we can see Dampness (3).

What can cause it?

  • Poor diet: Overeating, eating too much raw, cold, sweet, greasy, processed, poorly grown and sugary foods. Excess alcohol. Eating while distracted. Not chewing our food properly.
  • Food intolerance.
  • Stress, unresolved emotional problems.
  • Inactivity.
  • Constitutional weakness. Some people have genetic dispositions for dampness.
  • External damp environment. Humidity. Wet conditions.
  • Internal: Poor functioning spleen (2,3).

What are possible symptoms?

  • Feeling of heaviness of body and head
  • Digestive problems (bloating, diarrhea, constipation)
  • Poor appetite
  • Copious body secretions, sticky discharges
  • Feeling sluggish, tired
  • Urinary problems
  • Skin problems (thick and dirty fluids oozing out)
  • Overgrowth of yeasts, viruses, putrefactive bacteria, parasites
  • Joint problems
  • Brain fog
  • Weight problems (2).

So what can we do?

1. Strengthen digestion.

Use carminative herbs. Carminative herbs support our digestion. They are warming pungent and bitter plants that stimulate and excite secretion from the mouth on down the gastrointestinal canal (1). Cook with these plants on a regular basis. Carminative herbs are paprika, ginger, fennel, cumin, coriander, thyme, garlic, sage, mint, turmeric, rosemary, cinnamon, all spice, caraway seeds, anise seeds, fennel, cardamom, mustard seeds, oregano etc (2). In other words, these are the so called culinary spices. Ancient doctors have added them to our foods so we can have their benefits on a daily basis. Most of my recipes have one or more of these spices.

2. Eat nourishing foods.

According to Hippocrates, a physician who lived about 2000 years ago, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. This is a very powerful statement that sums it all up, our food can either heal us or can be a source of illness. Our food and our body are intimately related.

Nourishing our organs especially the Spleen is crucial to prevent dampness. In addition, according to Chinese Medicine, Phlegm is made in the Spleen and stored in the Lungs. So the health of the Lungs and its twin organ the Large Intestine are important too. Also, the Water element organs, the Kidneys and the Bladder can contribute to the accumulated moisture if they are not transforming the fluids (2). For more information, please check out my blog posts on the Earth, Metal and Water elements.

3. Emotions

Our emotions can negatively effect our organs and cause Dampness. Use stress relieving methods like meditation or flower essences (4).

4. Exercise

Keep moving. Exercise is good for our digestion, Lungs and keeps fluids moving. It is so good for the whole body in general and can prevent dampness (2).

5. Anti-dampness plants

There are many plants that can help with Dampness. Chicory root, Chamomile or Fennel seeds are great bitter herbs that help dry Dampness (2). Also, there are many excellent foods that we can incorporate into our daily diet. Beneficial foods to prevent Dampness include turnips, burdock, aduki beans, celery, barley, mung beans (2).

6. Keep calm!

Staying calm is a big theme in Natural Medicine. A calm body and mind are essential for health. A stressed body can lead to so many problems including Dampness. It also involves eating without distractions in a pleasant environment and properly chewing our food (3).

The plants mentioned in this post can be drying so use them in moderation or use them with other moistening substances. These include water, oil, small amount of salt. Of course, when served with a meal, this should not be a problem. For the records moistening foods include chard, tomatoes, spinach, barley, millet, pears, seaweed, almonds, eggs, pork, mussels, pine nuts. In addition, moistening herbs include Plantain, Marshmallow, Slippery Elm (2).

Summary

Dampness is one of the most important health problems today effecting a lot of people. It mainly involves our digestive system. Poor dietary habits and life style choices contribute to it. In addition, poorly functioning Lungs and the Kidneys can add to the problem. They can often be prevented with awareness toward what and how we eat and how we live. Of course, avoiding all the things that caused the problem is essential. No wonder people for thousands of years have put a big emphasis on the importance of diet and life style (3).

Note: I capitalized some words in the post. In Chinese Medicine, words that are associated with additional Chinese medicine theories/functions are capitalized to differentiate them from their Western meanings.

The information provided is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Consult your medical care provider before using herbal medicine, particularly if you have a known medical condition, are on any medication or if you are pregnant or nursing.

SOURCES

(1) Mathew Wood. The Practice of Traditional Western Herbalism.

(2) Paul Pitchfort. Healing with Whole Foods.

(3) Giovanni Maciocia. The Foundations of Chinese Medicine

(4) Pablo Noriega. Bach Flower Essences and Chinese Medicine

(5) artaobiherbs.substack.com/p/dampness-food-choice

Photo and text by Twincitiesherbs.

Dried orange peel

Orange peel can be used for cooking and baking especially in the winter. The aromatic sweet orange peel gives a hint of bitter flavor to desserts and savory dishes alike. It doesn’t shout, it is there to balance the dishes. I like to use all five flavors when I cook and orange peel can be used for the bitter flavor. I especially like to add it in my desserts when I need just a hint of the bitter flavor. They can also be used in cocktails and mulling spices.

It is very easy to make dried orange peel! I collect peels throughout the winter. After I eat the oranges, I dry them. Use this recipe so you can have some on hand when you need it. Most oranges will work. Just remove any wet, fleshy parts that might have stayed on the peel.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

peel from organic, untreated oranges (washed)- I use navel oranges.

METHOD

1. Carefully peel an orange. Remove any wet, fleshy parts that might have stayed on the peel. Place the peels on a paper towel in a single layer and put them in a dry place. The top of the cupboard is great. Don’t layer them as they can get soggy. Dry them for 1 month.

2. If you don’t want to wait for an entire month for the peels to dry, you can just dry them in the oven. The peels can be baked at 200 F for 90 minutes. They should be brittle and dry. If they are soft, continue baking them.

3. You can use the whole peels or grind the dried peels in a blender. Whole peels will last longer, finally powder will have a shorter shelf life.

4. Store in an airtight container in a cool place. They last for about 6-12 months depending how coarse you grind them.

Text and photos by Twincitiesherbs.

New Year’s Resolution: a non- convetional approach 

New Year’s Resolution 

-An astrological approach

A piece of paper with 'New Year’s Resolution' written on it, accompanied by a small bouquet of blue flowers, placed on a table with additional papers in the background.

Every year, many people make New Year’s resolutions on December 31st for the following year. It is an opportunity to set personal goals to make life style changes like losing weight, starting an exercise routine or eating healthier foods. However, a survey by the Journal of Substance Abuse reveals that most New Year’s resolutions fail by mid March. Why are so many people unsuccessful? 

Let’s look at this phenomena from a more unconventional perspective, astrology. I believe it is plausible that people fail to make these changes as they are not working with the energies of nature. If we worked with these energies, we could do things easier. Let’s look closer at what I mean.

Different cultures have been observing how nature effects human beings for thousands of years. One way to observe it is using astrology. Astrologists believe that the Universe is reflected inside our body. As above so below, we are the microcosm of the macrocosm meaning the Universe is reflected in every human being. Astrology offers us a road map for opportunity and growth. It observes 12 different signs throughout the year, each sign associated with a specific time period on Earth.

SO WHEN SHOULD WE START ?

From an astrological perspective, New Year’s resolutions could be more successful if people started after March 21st instead of starting on January 1st. The time period between January up until mid March is considered cold when we tend to want to curl up by a fire place and do more quite activities like reading a book. It is a time for deep internal movement.

However, there are some things we can do before March 21st to prepare for making big changes. I would like to briefly discuss things that we can do to transition more efficiently. These first few months could be used to nourish and rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit.     

It’s winter and according to Western Astrology, the new year doesn’t start until March 21st. Right now it is time to rest, slow down and nurture our body, mind and spirit!

There are three zodiac signs before March 21st, the Aries season starts. These three signs are Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Let’s discuss the seasons, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces and Aries.

CAPRICORN SEASON

It is early January and it is cold and gets dark early. However, we are in ambitious Capricorn season and can feel its relentless discipline. This sign invites us to set goals and build strong foundations. Capricorn season runs between December 21st and January 20th. This sign is associated with hard work and a strong drive for success, so it makes sense that people get excited and start working on their goals. Maybe this time would be a great opportunity to set goals, start something small and just try to get into a routine.

AQUARIUS SEASON

Then comes the rebellious Aquarius season between January 21st and February 18th. This is an intense energy! It is a great time for making plans that you might not have thought of doing before but not so much for actions. Aquarius is more about doing good for humanity instead for the self so most people will likely not follow their original plans. I honestly feel an intense energy stuck in my head during this time and do foolish things. Instead of forcing our plans to work, we should be grounding ourselves and restoring circulation – physically, mentally and emotionally. Lavender is a great remedy.

PISCES SEASON

The sign, the dreamy Pisces season starts on February 19th. Pisces is the last zodiac sign representing endings, emotional release and deep introspection. During these weeks unprocessed stress, subconscious patterns and stored emotions begin to surface. Many people might be just dreaming about their plans and might have given up all together by now.  I tend to feel tired during this time. However, I would like to point out that this could be a great time to start dealing with these stuck emotions or starting some sort of a spiritual practice like meditation.

ARIES SEASON

If you want to make successful life style changes, I’d suggest starting after March 20th and take an advantage of the Aries season. Energetic Aries is ready to get you started on anything and move you through obstacles. It is just its nature! I usually get my energy back as nature is waking up. During Aries season, the weather starts warming up and we naturally want to move more and lose weight. It’s time to shed the accumulated fats and toxins from winter. This can explain why so many people give up before March 21st. Just make sure you pace yourself.

SUMMARY

Simply put, work with nature instead of working against it! According to Astrology, we could be more successful starting your new endeavors during Aries seasons in March than early January. The period from January to mid-March is cold. During this time, we tend to want to curl up by a fire place and engage in quiet activities like reading a book. I suggest to rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit. This is also a good time to do a spiritual practice. Begin with baby steps that lead to attainable goals for the rest of the year. Then start your activity that you dreamed up after March 21st, just make sure you don’t burn yourself out with all this available energy.

Of course, these are general guidelines, and as always everybody’s situation is unique. For a more personalized plan please see an astrologist!

All the best for your endeavors! Hope this will help.

Photo and text by Twincitiesherbs.

Source

http://www.Serenthehealer.com

Twincitiesherbs is on Facebook!

I am thrilled to announce that Twincitiesherbs is on Facebook now! Please come and check out my page! I will be posting my old and new seasonal recipes and some other helpful information! This gives you a chance to see not just my new recipes but my old recipes from earlier years. It is a private group so you just need to request to join.

Please join!

Link to join – https://www.facebook.com/groups/1002646585294575

History of spiced heart honey cookies (no recipe)

Winter is not over yet, in fact we are still in the middle of it. To be a little more exact, we are half way between winter and spring on the northern hemisphere. I can usually feel the Earth’s energy starting to wake up but spring is not here yet. We can finally experience the promise of the light, fertility and growth.

Come celebrate this Winter Magic! In accordance to Pagan traditions, this occasion has been celebrated for thousands of years by Europeans. One special food they make is the honey cookies. So yes this celebration is similar to Valentine’s day. The cookies were gifted as a fertility token to girls by boys or given as good luck charm to little children. Heart was always a popular shape but sun or animal themes were often used as well.

There is so much folklore, legend and history behind these lovely spiced cookies! They are made to honor the old, wise women in their culture. In Ireland they call her Brighid, in Russia they are called Baba Yaga. These women are the Earth’s Goddesses. The cookies are not just beautiful but are packed with nourishing ingredients that grandma would use.

This is still the time to stay focused inward and get ready mentally for the year to come. Clean and clear the space you live in and invite love or universal love into your life. Set your intentions. Do things that your heart desires.

Another spectrum of love is hatred, anger and jealousy. When you invite love into your life, you might experience these feelings too. Don’t be afraid of them just acknowledge them. These emotions can be found in the Grimm story of Hansel and Gratel.

Traditionally, honey, rye flour and forest herbs were used to make these delicious cookies. Honey, the main ingredient has been used as medicine since ancient times. It is well known for its nutritious value and supposedly sweetens life as well. Oh and it is aphrodisiac! In addition to honey, our ancestors prepared the dough with rye flour but today people tend to use white flour. They also put foraged herbs and dried fruits in the cookies. Of course, these ingredients varied from country to country and region to region but often included fennel, lavender, rose petals, juniper berries, sumac etc. Since the exotic spices arrived from the East, people have been baking the cookies with these spices. These included a mixture of ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg etc.

Photo and Text by wordpress.com.

A Story of Santa (gift giving)

Often when you ask children what their favorite holiday is they say … Christmas! And then you ask why … because they get presents. I’m sure that is how I would have answered those questions back when I was a little girl. This is a very magical holiday for sure … but as we get older, we start thinking about giving too.

Many people enjoy giving treats at Christmas time. But where did the idea of Christmas gift giving come from? … and what about Santa and his rein deer?

Let’s go back in time. It is believed that it came from an old Pagan tradition. Giving gifts can strengthen the ‘family and well-being of others’, an important theme during this time of the year. This custom was part of the tradition of exchanging mushrooms as a gift at the time in the Northern part of Siberia. Mushrooms were special because of their connection to longevity. People delivered the wrapped carefully prepared dried mushrooms to people’s houses for celebrating the winter solstice. There was so much snow that they could not open the doors. The packages had to be dropped off through the holes on top of the yurts, where the smoke could escape. Also, these people used rein deer for transportation in the snow. And there is even more check this out … I need to mention that their traditional clothing is red and white … hence comes the story of Santa dressed in red and white, delivering presents through the chimney down the fire place with the help of some rein deer…


After so many years, we are still exchanging gifts. Giving home-made foods can be meaningful for both the giver and the receiver. If you are not sure what to give this year, maybe consider giving cookies. I’m presenting two different cookie recipes that can be gifted during the holidays. They are ‘Christmas’-y and mouth watering.

Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas!

COOKIE RECIPES

Please check out the following links for the recipes.

For the coffee lover: Chocolate espresso crinkle

For the gluten free or the nut lover person: Pecan meringue cookies

Source

https://www.shamanicevolution.org/writings/shaman-claus-the-shamanic-origins-of-christmas

Art, photos, text by twincitiesherbs.

Winter / Christmas dishes

December brings forth Winter Wonderland and the Holidays. When I think of Christmas dishes, warming and festive winter foods come to my mind. For me Christmas is a lot about cooking and baking … and of course music. I’m already looking forward to all the baking and cooking I will be doing and singing along my favorite Christmas music…

Happy Holidays!

Christmas dishes

Vegetarian festive strudel with cabbage and mushrooms

Marinated pork with prunes

Traditional Hungarian stuffed cabbage

Christmas Desserts

Flodni

Hungarian poppyseed roll

Poached pears

enjoy!

Nourishing the immune system during the pandemic (no recipes)

First, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to all the people whose loved ones have been effected by this virus. May God be with them.

People react to crisis differently. Some people start to hide, others worry about the stock market and then there are those who want to help others. So I’m in the third group and have been thinking to write about what to do during this pandemic. I’ve been contemplating to write this blog for at least a month so here I go finally. I know my blog is all about food in general but after all I don’t have a boss who tells me what I can do. I really would not want to offend anybody or push ideas on others but I’m hoping my writing will help someone.

We are experiencing something new, a game changer for sure these days. I feel it is quite uplifting that we are all doing the same thing. It is hard to believe that we are dealing with the same issues on the entire Earth but at the same time it is a bit eery that the whole world is in a lock down …

There has been an interesting phenomena since people have heard about the pandemic … the toilet paper shortage…  What is the deal with toilet paper especially that the virus does not necessary cause diarrhea? … and it is not just the Virgos who are doing it. This got the attention of many psychologists too. Here is my take on it …. People got so scared and wanted to do something, just anything to protect themselves. In fear, people started running to the stores buying toilet papers.

So I would like to write a blog on what people could do in addition to buying toilet papers and now this leads me back to the original mission of my blog …  using natural foods to stay well and be happy. I would like to take the opportunity to do a blog on what to do for the immune system at an energetic level. It is not an easy concept though in our culture. 

But before I do that, let’s talk about the nature of this virus quickly. From an energetic perspective, it is a cold virus that is capable of causing dampness that can lead to toxicity. So what does this mean? Natural Medicine differentiates conditions based on their nature: cold, hot, damp, dry. This is a cold disease that is capable of injuring the warm loving organs the lungs and the spleen. If they don’t work properly, fluids can accumulate so there can be wheezing, shortness of breath, digestion problems, loose stools, vomiting etc. In the third stage, accumulated fluids can start becoming toxic. So keeping the lungs and the digestion healthy would be crucial for a strong immune system. This is based on the reports of Chinese doctors who had treated people with the virus.

So let’s get back to the topic of this post, the immune system. What is the immune system? We can all agree that it is the body’s mechanism to defend against foreign bodies. But what do you do to keep it healthy? Just for the records, currently, modern medicine does not understand how to keep the immune system healthy. So let’s turn to ancient medicine to find out what we can do at the energetic level. According to Ancient Chinese Medicine, the defense system comprise of the lungs and the skin. They are the organs of first line defense that are in contact with the outside world.

In Natural Medicine everything is connected in our body. The lungs further work with the spleen to make this defensive energy so the food we eat is crucial. Of course, healthy kidneys support the lungs and are important to move energy. Then the healthy liver removes the toxins from the body. Of course, if our qi, the life force is not moving efficiently, things can stagnate. Our mental state can influence this entire process, too. A healthy body with a strong immune system is more capable to deal with foreign bodies.

So what can we do?

  1. Relax! Honestly the best thing to do is to stay calm. Try not to panic. If you are stressed, the body cannot work properly. Do things that you enjoy, reading, hiking, dancing etc. Of course, meditation is always great. Fear may effect our kidneys negatively. A fear ridden kidney will not be able to support the rest of the body and we will not be able to war off pathogens as well as a healthy body should. Not to mention that we do things that we later will regret.
  2. Exercise! Exercise makes your lungs work harder. The fresh oxygen is the greatest for the lungs. Try to go outside as much as you can. I see so many more people walking outside than before.
  3. Eat with the seasons! It seems like this virus has made a lot of people start cooking and eating healthy. Try to eat with the seasons and your constitution. Please, check my blogs on the lungs (Metal element) and the spleen (Earth element). Avoid greasy, toxic and over-processed foods. Limit dairy and sweets if you tend to have dampness issues like shortness of breath, cough with sputum, edema, gain weight easily. Remember we are in the spring season (wood element) and are trying to nourish our lungs and digestion. All the carminative kitchen spices for digestion (ginger, caraway seeds, rosemary, thyme, lovage, cumin, fennel) and pungent spices (horse radish, raw turnips, cinnamon, garlic, onions) are great. Foods that help drain, transport dampness are moong beans, asparagus and cranberry juice. Don’t forget the fermented foods to keep the digestive tracts healthy. All my recipes are supposed to nourish the immune system but the best foods for now would be the ones that I have posted in the past 6 weeks.
  4. Stay hydrated! Drink lots of water.
  5. Sleep! Make sure you get as much sleep as your body needs.
  6. Just like with any upper respiratory problem, nourishing the immune system is important. Taking immune system remedies is great but it is also important to deal with individual issues.
  7. Help people in need. This will give an immense boost to our hearts, like I said before, everything is connected in our body.

Of course, none of these recommendations will kill the virus but that is not the goal of Natural Medicine anyway. According to Chinese Medicine, nourishing the immune system in general is important for staying healthy. The ancient Chinese work called Shang Han Lun (around 200 AD) is of significant interest. It discusses cold diseases and is one of the greatest contributions to the world of Natural Medicine. It was composed by Zhang Zhong Jing (142-220 AD). He lost many members of his family during the great epidemics of the time. It was the first clinical manual to systematically describe the pathology of diseases. It also detailed the treatment of diseases caused by invasion of exterior pathogenic factors. In addition, the theories and the formulas extend beyond exterior invasions. They are applied every day for cases without an exterior invasion. Historically, Shang Han Lun’s principles resemble the work of the famous Greek physician, Hippocrates. I wanted to make this connection known.

Hippocrates (460-370 BC) is known today as the Father of Medicine. He lived through one of the worst epidemics of our humanity, the Plague of Athens (430-426 BC). He contributed a great deal to Natural Medicine as well. He observed how diseases progressed in different people. He concluded, “It is far more important to know what person has the disease than what disease the person has.” He recognized the crucial role the immune system played in recovery. People’s constitution was also vital during the epidemics. His great contribution to everyday diet was the addition of the valuable carminative (digestive) herbs that are today known as kitchen spices (garlic, onions, hot peppers, cinnamon, ginger, caraway seeds, oregano, rosemary, thyme, lovage, cumin, fennel). He saw that digestion is crucial for good health and wanted to make sure people would incorporate these herbs on a daily basis. 

DISCLAIMER. Please, note that these are recommendations for nourishing the immune system on an energetic level and are not a replacement for medical care from a physician. Also these recommendations are no way a guarantee so you can avoid getting the virus.

Stay healthy!

Sources:

Text, pictures by twincitiesherbs.com.