In traditional herbalism, we take our cues from nature. We consciously choose activity, food, drink, exercise, sleep patterns and even the company we keep with the intention of syncing up our individual rhythms with the larger cycles. This moves us toward greater health and harmony and as such, we feel ourselves as part of a larger whole.

In the winter season, the cold outside and the shorter duration of sunlight prompt us to bundle up, to stay in, to cozy up by the fire, to do less, to rest more. But, how often do we override our desire to shift our behavior? It’s easy to be tempted to fuel ourselves with caffeine, overcome the urge to rest and push ourselves to accomplish just a little bit more. I’ve caught myself looking at the clock to determine my bedtime rather than sensing within.  It takes an added level of awareness to observe how obtuse it really is to have all these electronic lights and gadgets glowing at us with ancient sunlight mined from the earth and piped in through electric currents.

Harvest is over. Those plants that will thrive again next Spring have all withdrawn their energy from the branches and directed it back down to the roots. We would be wise to do the same.

Stop. Rest. Don’t overdo. Reflect.

I made a nice tonic chai tea using Chinese herbs and warm, wintery spices that can be enjoyed plain or with milk. On a naughtier day, I might add some black tea, but it tastes just lovely without.

Astragalus, or Huang Qi, has a sweet, almost licorice flavor. Studies indicate that it may stimulates the immune system and help the body withstand stress and extreme temperatures. Codonopsis root, of Dang Shen, is a sweet tonic herb which boosts the lung and spleen systems in TCM. It’s considered by some to be like a cheaper, less potent ginseng, with a shorter duration of effects. Cinnamon brings warmth and nourishment and even antidepressant qualities to the heart while aiding digestion. Cardamom is a delicious herb with the special quality of helping humans digest cow’s milk.

Winter Tonic Chai

small handful astragalus
2-3 codonopsis root
1/2 stick of cinnamon
4-5 cardamom pods
1-2 quarter-size slices of ginger
a few peppercorns
pinch turmeric
water
milk
sweetener, optional

Rinse astragalus and codonopsis and soak in cool water for a few minutes and rinse then again (this helps remove pesticides or preservatives in case your herbs are coming from Chinatown and may not be organic). Make an herbal decoction of these herbs by simmer them plus cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and peppercorns in water in a small uncovered saucepan for 30 minutes or until it reduces by about half (longer to get more effect). Add about half the quantity of milk back to the infusion with a pinch of turmeric and bring up to heat. Strain and serve. Sweeten, if desired. Serves 4.

p.s. Jaggery is my favorite natural sweetener because it has lots of minerals which lend it a nutty, rich flavor, almost salty. Palm sugar or honey also work nicely.

p.p.s. Use common sense with these herbs. Ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and turmeric are common kitchen herbs that are effective and safe for daily use. Use caution with tonic herbs such as codonopsis and astragalus. Most people should be fine with them on a regular basis. However, if you are on immunosuppressant drugs or already fighting a cold or flu, these herbs may not be appropriate. Ask your doctor.

From the Traditional Cooking 101 series…

Description: Good broth is more than just simmering bones and some veggie scraps. Participants will learn cooking principles to reap maximum nutrients. Recipes will be given; variations and herbal add-ins will be discussed. Following the presentation, we will share a meal.

Why broth? Nutritive bone stock is the foundation of low-budget, health-conscious meals and complex, gourmet cuisine alike. We will discuss the difference between throwing some bones and veg in a pot with some water and creating a truly healthful cooking base or sipping side. In particular, we will discuss how to draw the nutritive gelatin, collagen, calcium, magnesium, potassium and minerals out of the bones effectively and create a refined, delicious final product.

Why jook? Jook (or rice porridge, or congee) is an easy and adaptable recipe that can be eaten anytime. This Chinese breakfast staple can be adapted endlessly. The addition of herbs can make jook a medicinal meal. Made with or without homemade broth, savory or sweet, jook is a delicious way to boost the health.

Demonstration:

How to Make Broth: Kombu/Bone Broth

How to Make Jook: Nutritive Jook with Chinese Herbs

Menu:

Chestnut & Apricot Kernel Soup with Lotus and Cress

Seasoned Mushrooms and Greens over Nutritive Jook with Chinese Herbs

Fee: $30

Date: Sunday, December 4th, 11am-1:30pm

Location: Berkeley, CA

Space is limited. Please pre-register. Call 415.938.7421 to register or click below to pay and register online.

Pregnant mamas, please come to get ready!

Postpartum mamas, bring your babe and learn some tricks to make it a bit easier!

The postpartum period is so much easier with a few tips and tricks up your sleeve! Class will include herbs and food cures that are easy to have on hand to self-treat.

Natural approaches to common concerns will be given: managing baby blues, natural pain relief, balancing appetite, toning the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor, lactation issues, prevention and home treatment of mastitis, strategies to maximize rest and minimize stress.

For new moms and moms-to-be. Bring your partner.

$35, but partners attend for FREE.

When:  November 20, 2011 12:30-3:00pm

Where: Berkeley Yoga Center

call 415.938.7421 to register or click below to pay online.

I am frequently approached for information about how to start infants with solid foods. While there are a variety of books about making your own baby foods and different food mills and devices and recipes available, I think keeping things as simple as possible is the best thing for a busy, young family.

Make it easy, keep it real (real foods, that is): this is the foundation to giving your child lifelong healthy tastes.

When our son was starting solids, we believed it was important not only to recognize the latest in research on allergies, but also focus on digestible food combinations, the same way that we ourselves do in consideration of Ayurvedic principles. I didn’t want to give the usual first foods that were offered to my generation, which were principally carby warm cereals like rice porridge; I didn’t want my child to develop a habit of reaching for the sweet taste too preferentially so early in life. After all, although breastmilk is quite sweet, it is balanced with protein and fat in a way that rice cereal is not.

The Traditional Signs

We first offered solids when our son showed the traditional signs:

• he was over 6 months old,
• had broken his first tooth,
• and showed interest in eating.

When I say “interest in eating,” I mean he would watch us eat intently and excitedly. His little eyes would follow the fork as I loaded it up and brought it to my mouth and back as if he were watching Agassi at the US Open. He would reach out and grab the utensils. He would teeth on a spoon. He would drool and hunger not just to eat, but to get involved with the fun and exciting mealtime ritual.

The first foods were mashed or pureed root vegetables. Not white potatoes (which are too vata-provoking and may cause gas). We stayed on the side of carrots, sweet potatoes, taro, parsnip, celery root, squash (which is obviously not a root, but still). Sometimes to add some protein, I would offer homemade bone broth separately or mix it into the mashed roots.

After a few weeks of this (really not long) we saw that he was doing fine with eating. Call me crazy, but I was already getting tired of separate meal prep. We have a rule in the house: no special interest eating groups. (I’m kidding. Sorta.) Besides, his bounding enthusiasm for inclusion in the social aspect of family mealtimes was an ongoing good sign. So, we gave him bits of our dinner, straight from–well, not exactly our plates, but our mouths. Actually, just mine. It is supposed to be from just the Mom’s, according to traditional lore.

The “Mama Bird” Method

I’m not sure how modern dentistry views this old approach*, but I first saw what I can only refer to as the “mama bird method” when I was out for dim sum when I was 6 months pregnant. We were sitting across from a new family who spoke only Chinese. The mother mimed that the baby boy in her lap was 6 months old. She would eat a little herself and then, offer baby some by basically taking a bite of veggies and meat and noodle and chewing it and the spitting it back on the chopsticks and giving it to the baby. A bite for her, then a bite for him. A very pleasant family outing. He looked like a little prince there in Mama’s lap, facing the table, pleased to be able to pretend to be grownup and do and eat and sit as the grownups did around him.

I did it and it worked very well. A dear friend who grew up in Romania says that they feed children the mama bird way in her homeland. Another friend of Mexican decent says that the Mamas and Grandmamas from Mexico fed babies this way, too.

Anyway, I checked in about it with Liu Ming, our favorite local Orthodox Daoist teacher in Oakland who is a specialist in the realm of nutritional, traditional eating, who gave me the huge thumbs up to being your child’s own food processor. To condense what he said, he basically thought that when parents ignore a child’s desire to grow up and eat real food, they do it a disservice.  He also okayed a wide variety of food relatively soon after introducing food. Obviously, he meant in proper combinations and real food forms (fresh, homecooked, warm, balanced, combined using the basic tenets of Ayurveda or TCM and some understanding of season and personal constitution). Oh, and the whole root veggies thing that we started with was partly what Dharmanidhi trained us about in the Ayurveda apprenticeship. So, basically, props to Ming, Dharmanidhi and Nam Singh–they are my inspiration and basis of my training in most food-as-medicine approaches. Since kids are people, too, the specifics for infants and children are really few.

The way I see it, this kind of approach is ideal for most normal, healthy kids. Obviously, if you are concerned about an allergy, you can introduce foods one at a time and even sticking to that food for some time (a cycle of several poops, for instance) so that you can easily trace any potential reaction directly to the food source. My nephew has extreme and life-threatening food allergies, so I’ve seen the horrors of food allergies and it is really no joke. There is definitely value in taking a progressive step-by-step introduction of food substances in cases like his. Still, in his case as in many like his, there were many signs of sensitivity long before he got a taste of solid food (usually seen on the skin if not also in the diaper, the behavior, etc.) that guide how you would offer solids. Listen if your doctor is concerned and use your intuition.  For our family, a one-by-one introduction of food substances was luckily not necessary.

I think the main benefit to our more old world approach (regardless of whether you will actually chew for your kid or not) is that the child learns to eat and accept and even like a wide variety if tastes (provided that you include them in your diet). Your kid WILL pick up your food habits.

We now have a 3.5 year old whose only food preference is not liking tomatoes. That’s it. And that preference only emerged a few months ago. Yes, there were mild food struggles here and there that we guided him through, and really most of those issues were really about him trying to use food to press our boundaries and see where he was with us. But, by and large the kid will chow on anything: sauerkraut, olives, bitter greens, all manner of veggie and meat. He eats unsweetened yogurt just fine. I don’t have to hide greens in a smoothie. I don’t have to beg him to eat or negotiate or bribe. His proper eating habits and varied tastes are absolutely natural, but every bit trained. It is convenient for me and also one of the best gifts for lifelong health that we could have given our child.

*Note: Ok, I fibbed. Actually, I have read something about what modern dentistry thinks about spit swapping with your kid, whether from mama bird feeding practices or whatever other reason your slobber might get mixed with theirs. I can’t find the research, so I hesitate with this, but basically what I remember is that babies end up with the bacteria present in mom’s mouths no matter what, but not dad’s. So, you want to limit the introduction of different strains of bacteria so as to prevent future gum disease later in life. Therefore, it is better for children to share a cup with mom, but not as much with dad and grandma, etc.

Traditional Cooking 101: Bone Broth and Jook

Nutritive bone broth is the foundation of cooking. It is the basis for simple, low-budget, health-conscious meals and complex, gourmet cuisine alike. In this workshop, we will discuss the benefits of bone broth and its uses.

Jook, or rice porridge, is an easy and adaptable recipe that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The addition of herbs can make jook a medicinal meal. Made with or without homemade broth, jook is a delicious way to boost the health.

Participants will learn simple principles to ensure that the maximum nutrients are reaped from ingredients. Recipes will be given; variations and herbal additions will be discussed.

Lesson:
Why broth? Why jook? A brief lecture will give a basic description of the place of broths and jooks in traditional healing. The discussion will include information about ingredients and their properties.

Demonstration:
How to Make Broth: Kombu/Bone Broth
How to Make Jook: Nutritive Jook with Chinese Herbs

Menu:
Seasoned Autumn Mushrooms and Greens
served over Nutritive Jook with Chinese Herbs
with a side of Chestnut & Apricot Kernel Soup with Lotus and Cress

Cost: $25.00 (plus splitting the cost for ingredients which are minimal for this kind of menu)

Location: Napa, CA
Date: Monday, November 16th
Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm

This class is offered in association with Blossom Chiropractic Studio. Space is limited. Reserve your space by using the contact page.

The “last dog days of summer” have their own steamy, sultry character. With the high temperatures we had over the weekend, it is hard to believe that fall is already knocking at the door.

Though the Qi Node has already switched over to fall energy, the hot weather just won’t quit. This means we need to continue to protect ourselves from the heat, but without getting our vata upset with a strong cold input.

Here is a simple tea we like to drink in the warm months to help cool and relax the Liver, harmonize digestion and decrease stress. It is great for students and workaholics or those who have a tendency to over-focus and may experience headaches, eye strain, tension or pain. It is especially helpful for insomnia and anxiety.

The herbs in this tea are sweet to neutral, safe and nourishing to Liver, Spleen and Heart. (Stomach and Lung, too, but I digress). My kid even likes it. He begs to eat the red dates right out of the jar. Truly, the sheer beauty of the ingredients as you watch them swirl and brew in the water will soothe your pitta before you even bring it to your lips!

Stay Cool Tea

Chrysanthemum Flowers (Ju Hua), a big handful
Longan Fruit (Long Yan Rou), a small handful
Red Dates (Da Zao), a small handful
Lycium Berries (Gou Qi Zi), a heaping spoonful
Fennel Seed, a spoonful

Soak or at least rinse herbs in fresh water. Longan, Red Dates and Lycium can be soaked for 4 hours or overnight. If organic, the flowers and fennel seeds do not need to be soaked. If not organic, at least soak the chrysanthemum for 10 minutes in fresh, cool water.

Place herbs in a large jar or other vessel. Pour hot water over them and allow to steep. Drink warm, even on a hot day.

Ingredients can be easily procured from your local Chinese herbalist’s shop or Asian food store. Use organic or responsibly grown sources when possible.

Last time, I discussed structuring mealtimes for optimal digestion and questioned our digestive capacity as humans to handle whole grains and beans. Today, we discuss soaking grains in the traditional manner to make our meals more digestible. This is so pertinent to Ayurveda in that our daily habits and daily dietary fare should always be nourishing and–in today’s world–as vata-reducing as possible.

Soaking and/or slightly fermenting grains and beans neutralizes the phytic acid, making whole grains and beans delicious and nutritious, without the gas and other health concerns associated with a vata-provoking diet. However, it has to be done right, especially if you have sensitive digestion or high vata. (See last week’s blog to learn more about phytic acid, or check out Amanda Rose’s free e-course on the subject.)

First, use warm water and something acidic. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon suggests the use of whey, yogurt, lime or lemon juice, or even vinegar. For one cup of beans, soak in water just below the simmering point to cover plus 1/4 cup of something acidic. For grains, 2 teaspoons of the acidic substance should be enough in the soaking water. The water should be hot, but you should be able to touch it. This ensures that the cultures in your yogurt will not be killed.

Next, give your beans and grains ample time. Let them sit out at least seven hours or overnight (longer for beans, if possible). I start my breakfast porridges soaking in the evening before I plan to eat them. I do the same with rices and other grains. However, I give my beans much more time. I start beans in the early morning the day before I cook them. For morning pancakes, muffins and breads, overnight should do. Make sure to use fresh flours as they are higher in the phytic acid-neutralizing enzyme phytase.

If the acidic addition gives an overly sour flavor to your food, it is acceptable to rinse them. However, there is no need to “rinse off” the grain. You are simply trying to neutralize the phytates, not extract them and wash them away. With beans, however, I recommend rinsing and discarding soaking liquid.

More on Beans

Since many people experience beans to be a major vata offender, a bit more information is applicable. Not only are we combatting phytic acid here, but also ogliosaccharides. What’s that? Let’s read from the Weston A. Price website:

“The harder beans, such as kidney beans, black beans or navy beans, require more careful treatment, as they contain certain oligosaccharides (large, complex sugars) that can completely confound digestion. Mammals do not produce the enzyme alpha-galactosidase in their digestive tracts, which is necessary to break down these sugars. When consumed, these oligosaccharides reach the lower intestine largely intact, and in the presence of anaerobic bacteria ferment and produce carbon dioxide and methane gases, as well as a good deal of discomfort, not to mention embarrassment in polite society. The solution has been to prepare the beans in a way to neutralize or otherwise get rid of these sugars in the resulting cooked beans, but as most of us know from experience, results can vary widely.”

Read the complete article here. Their website recommends much the same protocols as I’ve listed above, but here are some more pointers from my experience:

• First, many become concerned that their beans will cook up crunchy with the addition of something acidic to the soaking water. For those with very strong systems, a good, long soak with no added acid may suffice. Still, play around with the acid you use to find your flavor preference. Because I normally cook by beans with whole grains and these grains always have a slight crunch, I don’t worry about the crunch my beans might get. As I developed the recipe below, I tried vinegar, lime and also plain soaking water, noting the differences with each. (I never tried whey because I’ve met a few who don’t recommend it for beans.) So far, I’ve found that beans come out crunchy when a vinegar/water soak is used. Luckily, it doesn’t seem as crunchy with a lime juice/water soak. My guinea pigs are definitely happier with some kind of acid present in the soak than without. It tastes almost as good as without, but feels better in the belly.

• Second, even with a good long soak, cook your beans well. I usually cook beans for 2-3 hours on low heat in the pressure cooker.

• Lastly, use kombu. Throw a strip or two of kombu in for the soak. You can also cook with it and eat around it if it doesn’t match your flavorings. Alternatively, try cutting up soaked kombu and cooking it along with the beans to be served.

So, What’s for Dinner, Again?!

For me, the best inspiration for dinner is the beauty of a good soup. Our teacher, Dharmanidhi, has stressed the advantage that a light soup dinner gives the yogi for his practices, not to mention general health and happiness. This keeps the bulk of the animal protein at the midday meal. However, if it has been an especially active day (or if we have a vata deranged guest, or one who tends toward hypoglycemia, or a pitta-headed kind of guest with super-high agni), I bring in the bone broth to give the soup some oomph.

I must mention that we eat this soup for breakfast as often as for dinner. However, if you are a breakfast-food-only-kind-of-breakfast-eater, you might look at Kimi’s Nourishing Gourmet website for a great recipe for soaked oatmeal.

Below, find my basic whole grain soup and bean recipe. You’ll find that it is incredibly economical as many of the grains can be purchased in bulk and kept in glass jars in the pantry. (Try this! Place a bay leaf in the storage containers with your grains and beans to prevent worms or bugs from invading your pantry!) Tweak the grains for the season and the eater to shift the energetic to be more warming or cooling. As listed, the recipe is of neutral energy and nourishing.

Works nicely with homemade idli pancakes (soaked as described above) for breakfast or fresh, homemade tortillas at dinner, though we usually eat it alone and are satisfied.

Soaked Soup

2-4 Tablespoons split yellow beans,
2 Tablespoons of each: whole wheat berries, barley, Bhutanese red rice, brown rice (may also try rye berries, millet, brown rice, wild rice, etc.)
kombu
1/4 cup something acidic (I like lime)
soaking water

6 cups water
1 rib celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 yellow squash, diced
1 Tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
.5 Teaspoon turmeric
2 Teaspoons ground coriander
2-3 fresh curry leaves (or 1 bay leaf)
salt
4 Tablespoons ghee
1 Tablespoon whole cumin seed
tomato, chopped
lime

Pick over and wash beans and grains well, discarding stones or other debris and place in large bowl. Bring soaking water just below simmering point and pour over beans, grains and kombu to cover. Add something adic, such as lime. Cover with a kitchen towel and let soak at least 12-18 hours. (If you go longer, use your common sense and never eat anything that seems “off” or smells bad.)

Drain, discarding soaking solution. Optionally, chop up kombu to inlcude. Place beans in pressure cooker with water, celery, carrot, squash, tomato, ginger, turmeric, coriander, curry leaf and salt. Bring to low pressure and cook 2-3 hours. Utilize the “natural release method” of releasing pressure by turning off heat and letting pressure dissipate gradually.

Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, heat ghee. When hot, add cumin seeds and cook until cumin seeds begin to brown. Stir into soup with chopped tomato. Bring soup to medium heat, uncovered. Cook for a few minutes to breakdown tomato and allow seasonings to blend. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a lime squeeze.

Notes: *This recipe invariably tastes better the next day. I don’t know, the flavors meld overnight in the fridge?
*That tomato in the recipe has an important job! The vitamin C present in the fruit boosts your ability to reap minerals from high-phytate foods..
*Take the principles of this dish and use your favorite seasons. Bear in mind that Ayurvedic cooking doesn’t mean Indian flavors, but cooking for your dosha and the season. For instance, in the cold season, try adding garlic to warm the energetic of the dish, boost flavor and give anti-microbial medicinal properties. Every tradition has its own unique digestive herbs. Play!

In Russia, they say “Eat your breakfast yourself, share your lunch with your friend and give your dinner to your enemy .” This saying points to the importance of eating light and not sleeping on a full stomach. Ayurveda also warns us against overeating, especially eating after sundown. To follow this traditional wisdom allows us to truly make breakfast a time to “break fast”. In our family, we choose to make our midday meal our heaviest, when the sun is high and our agni is strong in its ability to transform our food to reap the nutritional max.

Then, What About Dinner?

I’ve been experimenting with my approach to dinner for a long time and one of the main things I’ve noticed is that a meal with lots of animal protein at night doesn’t suit. Instead, I tend to offer the big chunks of meat–the pork butt, the chicken thighs, the venison, the meaty stew, whatever–with the main midday meal. After all, meat might best be regarded as a high-nutrient condiment. In fact, Michael Tierra at East West School teaches that traditional cultures who regularly eat meat consume “no more than a pound a month on average” (East West Herb Course, 1981, 1999 rev).

I was never quite a “meat and potatoes” kind of cook. Still, I have to admit that without a beautiful cut of meat as flavor inspiration, and without even a small, succulent meatball mixed with all my special secret seasonings on the side to get my culinary creativity on board, I’ve had to search to figure out what to do with dinner. With meat redirected to lunchtime, I’ve had to confront my fear of beans and whole grains.

Now, if you know me, you know that only a year ago, I would have stopped reading at the first appearance of the word ‘bean’ and my mind would automatically have switched radio stations to play “Beans, beans: good for your heart…!” At Berkeley Ayurveda, we’d rather see clients eating white rice than the dreaded, improperly prepared brown rice which cause gas and other vata difficulties by straining the digestive tract. Same with other whole grains.

But, traditional cultures knew how to make these whole grains–and even beans!–digestible. How?

Are Whole Grains and Beans Appropriate for the Human GI tract?

When I studied Ayurveda with Dharmanidhi, he taught us that our bodies are structured to utilize animal proteins and vegetables best. He showed us that we are ill-equipped to digest whole grains and beans as we normally cook them. After all, cows have four stomachs and produce the enzyme phytase to be able to handle grains in their diet. Dharmanidhi pointed to recipes using all manner of animals meats in the Ashtanga Hrdayam and other classic Ayurvedic texts to remind us that Ayurveda is not a vegetarian medicine and that meat may be necessary to treat certain patterns of illness. With this inspiration, many in the kula have tried what he dubs the “Hunter Gatherer” diet of meat and veg alone (with certain guidelines not to be discussed here) and have had wonderful results. However, such a diet is impractical for many–many who wish to eat consciously if not so extremely. The human system may in fact be equipped to digest whole grains and beans well, but only if they are prepared properly.

When prepared improperly, whole grains and beans can be vata-provoking (read: gas–but, if you’re a newbie to Ayurveda, tuck in the back of your mind that there’s much more to it than just that). Despite the promising vitamin, mineral and even protein content listed on the labels for whole grains and beans, our bodies are not able to reap these nutrients unless we cook whole grains and beans in a traditional manner. Phytic acid in whole grains and beans binds with phosphorous and inhibits the proper absorption of many necessary nutrients, including calcium, magnesium and especially zinc. (Note: Overdose of these minerals can be problematic for some, so always bear in mind the importance of being intimate with your own health as pertains to your personal dietary needs.)

The result of phytates is gunk in our system, an overworked GI tract, poor absorption, assimilation and, of course, many common accompanying diagnoses seen today that point to a run-down or inefficient system, including fatigue, depression, etc. Sure, the healthfood craze of the 1970′s and 80′s was a timely reaction against the overly processed, white flours and bleached grains that had dominated our modern diets–as it does to this day–but those healthfood “pioneers” neglected to look at the practices across cultures that has made these whole grains and beans safe and digestible: soaking and fermenting.

From African injera bread to Mesoamerican nixtamalized masa to Indian idli cakes, soaking and/or fermented grains and legumes has been practiced around the world for thousands of years. These ancient culinary techniques neutralize phytic acid and make food more digestible and delicious. This means less vata in our food, and if we ferment carefully, we can also guard against excess pitta, too.

Next time, we’ll look at how to do this at home. Recipes to follow.

A mask? A spacesuit? A hermitage? Let’s re-evaluate.

The recent swine flu outbreaks are a wonderful reminder of the fragility and precious nature of life. Every day brings opportunities to honor the gift of life and the everpresence of death.

How? The answer is in our conduct. When we nurture ourselves with the appropriate daily habits in food, rest, exercise and relationships, we boost our life force and are able to relax more deeply into our natural place in the larger web of life. This is the best thing we can do to enhance our ojas, our immunity. Working from this place, what can we do with all of the hysteria surrounding the swine flu? We can commit, yet again, to our dinacharya–our daily health practices.

What Can I Take?*

Yes. Of course. Boost your immunity. Take natural, preventative measures.

Vitamin D has been shown in studies to prevent or at least minimize influenza in particular. I have seen recommended dosages ranging from 2,000 IU up to 10,000 IU.

Banyan Botanicals makes a nice formula called Immune Support, which can be taken on and off for two week periods. (Don’t stay on your immune boosting herbs constantly, but stagger them instead.) The Echinacea and Osha contained in this formula are excellent immune enhancing herbs. According the legendary herbalist Michael Moore, Osha was famous as a remedy throughout Northern California in treating the Spanish Flu during in the 1920′s.

Alternatively, use Astragalus and Echinacea together. Astragalus is another herb with antiviral properties and is found in the classic Chinese formula Jade Wind Screen which is easy to find in many herbal shops. Put that with Echinacea and you’ll have a pretty great combination.

Another good one is Yin Chiao Echinacea Complex, a nice formula by Planet Herbs. It has both Echinacea and Boneset (also antiviral) as well as Elecampane (to benefit lungs). Take this if you think you’re coming down with flu-like symptoms. This one and the Jade Screen can be taken together. In fact, I think Planet Herbs makes a Jade Screen that is glycerine-based that kids like.

As a more general recommendation, I can’t stress the importance of Vitamin C and Cod Liver Oil and probiotics for maintaining general balance in the body. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which is necessary for basic maintenance. Omega-3′s in Cod Liver Oil are necessary for the proper balance of fats, functioning of the nervous system, and lubrication of tissues. Probiotics help your gut efficiently and effectively digest, absorb and assimilate nutrients. Remember, according to Ayurveda, *all* disease originates in the digestive system so healthy GI flora is foundational to good general health.

What Can I Do?

With this as with any influenza, do your part to minimize the spread of the pathogen. Wash your hands. Cover your mouth with you cough or sneeze. I have seen that it is recommended to wear a mask if you are traveling. But, don’t forget that a ‘bug’ needs an imbalanced host in order to do its mischief. That means that if your channels are gunked up with ama, your mind is bogged down by stress, your bloodstream riddled with free-radicals, then your entire system is already under duress. Avoid congesting foods like cheese, alcohol and fried or processed foods. Do not depress your immune system with sweets.

Equally bear in mind the importance of reducing stress. Having good, home cooked food as well as the appropriate, rest and exercise for your dosha goes a long way to unwind subconscious tension. Pursue natural health care such as massage, acupuncture, Ayurveda and chiropractic care.

Meditate. Or pray. Or both.

But do this: eliminate fear. Follow your bliss. Find your niche and live it proudly. This is the main thing you can do to tonify your ojas.

*Please remember that these are all just suggestions and it is prudent to check with your doctor before embarking on any herbal course or change in lifestyle or diet.

Part of the Ayurvedic tradition is cooking so that all six tastes–sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent–are present in each meal. These tastes answer different needs in the body and mind. Therefore, the presence of all six in your bowl leads to a sense of satisfaction when eating and has a harmonizing effect to the body.

Recently in the Ayurveda clinic, I have had many requests for pickle recipes. In our tradition, the sour taste is considered to be a combination of Earth and Fire elements. It therefore generally lowers vata dosha while increasing digestion, absorption and assimilation of nutrients. Below is a simple pickle recipe for your use.

First, a few words about the sour taste. The Chinese traditions recommend having a small amount of a pickled something a bit before the main meal as a digestive aid. However, be sure not to overdo your pickle consumption! Though delicious, fermented foods such as pickles (as well as yogurt, miso, citrus fruits, rose hips, tamarind and vinegar, etc.)  have a tendency to increase pitta–heat!– in the body. It’s this heat that helps stoke the fire of digestion–or, agni–but, in excess can interrupt other functions in the body and disturb the mind. The sour taste stimulates salivation, promotes appetite and sharpens the mind. Sour foods are generally carminative and diaphoretic as well as rajasic in nature.

Pickles are quite easy to make at home. There are slow-cured pickles and fast ones, vinegar-based pickles and brine-based ones. No need to get out the canning gear to use homemade pickles! A handy tool for pickle preparation is a Japanese pickle press. Find them online or pick them up in Japantown in the city. However, no fancy equipment is necessary to get some delicious pickles going in your own kitchen. Any deep bowl with a plate that fits inside the opening on top will do.

Here is one of my favorite pickle recipes, inspired by our dear friend Valera, a macrobiotic enthusiast. I have tweaked it a bit to my taste.

Ume Vinegar Pickles

1 part ume plum vinegar
2-3 parts water (depending on personal preference)
Napa cabbage
Carrot
Fresh, young ginger

Let napa cabbage and carrot (or your favorite veggies) sit out on the counter 1-2 days, or until slightly limp. (Don’t let them start to rot!) Peel and thinly slice cabbage. Julienne carrot and ginger. Place vegetables in a non-reactive (not metal) pickle press or bowl. Cover with solution of ume plum vinegar and water. Place a plate or cover of some sort over vegetables to press them below the surface of the liquid. Use a weight of some kind to hold them down. Refrigerate.

Pickles will be ready for use in about a day and will keep for 2 weeks or more. If you are careful to keep veggies completely submerged, the life of your pickles will be greatly extended. If a white scum develops, that indicates that not enough vinegar was used or they are going off.

Note: Once submerged in the ume/water solution, the veggies will lose mass dramatically. If you had leftover cabbage or carrot during preparation that would not fit into the container, reserve it. In a day or two, it may easily fit into the jar!

One more thing! If you didn’t get the ratio quite right and your final result tastes a little too vinegary, simply rinse pickles before serving.

Enjoy!