Food for the Winter Solstice Qi Node

It is the winter solstice which, according to Chinese Medicine, is the time to nourish the Qi (Chi) node. This is the time when Yin energy rules.

At the Da Yuana Circle, I attended a lecture on "Nourishing Within" and these foods, along with the recipes and what they are used for, were shared.

The lunch menu included Fish Miso Soup, Boiled Burdock Root and Toasted Walnuts, and Tofu in Beijing Meat Sauce.

FISH HEAD MISO SOUP
Salmon head is wonderfully yang, nourishing, and easy to digest. The potato guards against toxins. The green freshens up the taste. This soup is good for recovering from surgery.

Stock
3 salmon heads, 1 head celery, 1 medium onion, 2 inch rinsed piece of kombu (kelp), sea salt, black sesame oil.

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400. Rinse fish with cold water. Rub heads with black sesame oil and sea salt. Place in hot oven and roast for 1520 min until very aromatic. Place heads in stockpot with vegetables and water to cover (10 cups)a and bring to boil (uncovered) and reduce by boiling to 8 cups (or pressure cook fro 20-30 minutes) then boil uncovered for 10 mins. Strain.

Ingredients
Fish head stock, peeled potatoes, baby red chard, miso, goji berries, and 2 bunches of green onions (greens only).

Preparation
Soak goji in warm water. Boil potatoes in stock until tender. Wash baby greens. Cut green onions into fine slices. Dilute miso with stock. In war bowl arrange raw greens and cooked potatoes. Add creamed miso. Cover in hot stock.

Serve
Garnish with Green onions and goji.

BOILED BURDOCK ROOT AND TOASTED WALNUTS
Burdock and walnut are very concentrated yang. Chew well and feel the Yang be replenished within.

Ingredients
2 c burdock root cut in matchstick style (julienne), 1 c. shelled walnuts, dressing: ½ tsp each: tamari soy sauce, rice vinegar, and black sesame seed oil

Preparation
Wash and cut burdock. Bring a deep pot of salted acidified water to a rapid boil. Add burdock and return to boil. Cook until tender (25-30 min). Drain burdock and set aside. Heat heavy skillet or fry pan. Wash nuts. Over medium heat, toast nuts in dry pan until aromatic. Chop nuts to fine dice. Mix dressing ingredients with a few drops of hot water. Toss burdock and nuts in dressing.

Serve
Serve room temperature as a side dish (1-2 oz).

TOFU IN BEIJING MEAT SAUCE
Ingredients
3 lbs ground pork, barley malt, thick (black) soy, 1 medium onions, 1/3 c. cooked black soy beans 1-2 squares of firm tofu, light sesame oil, green onion (whites only) fresh gingers.

Preparation
Peel and cut onion into fine dice. Heat pan add oil and sauté onions. Add pork and brown meat. Puree beans with stock or water to thick cream. Once meat is brown, add bean puree, malt, and soy sauce. Stir and let simmer 2-4 hours. Refrigerate over night and reheat. Taste for seasoning (should be a bit sweet). Slice green onions for garnish Cut tofu into cubes and heat up in the sauce. Grate ginger (need 1-2 TB grated ginger) and finish the dish with the juice (squeezed).

Serve
Serve hot or room temp. Garnish with fine slices of green onion whites.
Can serve over rice or noodles.

Food for the Winter Solstice Qi Node

When the Acupuncture Experience Changes

I have been having acupuncture treatments as a patient and in all of my treatments I have had some pretty amazing experiences, until today. I have been feeling rather healthy lately but am wrapping up the final series of treatments for my lungs. I lay on the table and Pat, the acupuncturist, placed some needs in my arms and legs as well as turned on an electrical current that was connected to what I call a plastic bag that stays nestled between my scapula's.

Pat left the room and I closed my eyes expecting some visuals to take over. They didn’t. Nothing happened. I just lay there with my eyes closed waiting for some sensations to come to life, or some colors to appear, or people to pop in. Nothing happened.

At the end of the treatment, Pat came in and asked about today’s experience. I related how nothing happened. Her response surprised me.

“Just as everything in nature has an ebb and a flow, or a wax and wane, or a yin and yang, it appears you are now in a time of calm. The drama and energy you experienced during your other treatments appears to now have a new look and experience; an opposite. It appears the energy within you is now expressing itself as rest and relaxation. I see this as a very healthy sign."

Her confidence quickly changed my outlook and I immediately concurred with her assessment. Having the experience change is not necessarily a bad thing. Based on Chinese Medicine and it's basis in nature, it is just part of the change in a cycle.

I love acupuncture!

When the Acupuncture Experience Changes

The Value of Sleep

One third of our life is spent in sleep. Many people try to limit their sleep. Many people use sleep aids to try to help them sleep and lots and lots of people are chronically tired.

Chinese Medicine is very much associated with the cycles of nature. The cycle of the seasons, the moon, and the hours in a day are all significant and contribute to how a person feels as well as their status of health. Because of the longer nights and shorter days during the winter season, there is an awareness of the energy changing not only around a person, but also the energy changes within a person. The Yang energy is lessening right now, and the Yin energy increases. In fact, the peak of Yin energy is at the Winter Solstice.

One of the affects on these changing seasons and change of our internal energy is how it affects our sleep. During this period of time of winter, when the days are shorter and the nights are longer, Chinese Medicine recommends we embrace rest and sleep. In fact, the recommendation would be to go to bed earlier, even as early as 8:00 or 9:00 PM. Why? Because if you allow yourself to give into the natural pull of rest and sleep, you will use that additional time to better regenerate yourself and prepare for what is coming down the road; Spring.

What is regeneration? It is the process of building Qi (or Chi) energy. It is the process of healing. It is the process that allows preparation for what can happen next.

There are 3 cycles of sleep

• 1st Cycle - the time when you leave and purge the day’s activities or plans for tomorrow
• 2nd Cycle - the actual sleep where regeneration occurs
• 3rd Cycle - the time to try and reconnect and wake up

Usually sleep between 1:00 AM – 3:00 AM is the time of actual and deep sleep. Deep sleep is when regeneration happens. You can’t come out of the 2nd cycle of sleep feeling refreshed ; you need to continue on to the 3rd cycle to obtain that feeling of refreshment.

At 3:00 AM, the Yang energy comes back and this is when the shift happens from the 2nd cycle of deep sleep and moves to the 3rd cycle. The 3rd cycle is the time when our cognitive starts to come back.

Many people who have trouble sleeping often rely on sleep aids. According to Chinese Medicine Practitioners, sleep aids (sleeping pills) keep a person in the first cycle of sleep and actually prevent a person from moving through to the 2nd cycle. Because of this, the process of regeneration can not and will not occur. The person taking the sleeping aids will continue to feel unrefreshed, continue to be tired, and may even develop chronic illnesses.

What is the recommendation if you are having trouble sleeping? What should you do?

One recommendation is to take time to focus just on sleep. That means, take some time off work and stay home. Be ready to go to sleep when ever you get tired. What this means is that when you feel tired during the day, you go and take a nap. You do this again and again. You do this for several days until you get refreshed.

What this process does is help you get to the point where you can finally get through to the 2nd and 3rd cycle in the sleep cycle process. By getting to these cycles, you can become refreshed. You finally have gone through the regeneration cycle where your needed energy gets rebuilt.

Why is this necessary? Because it takes energy to be even get to sleep. If you are lacking in that regenerative energy, you don't have energy to help you even transition to sleep. This type of process allows you to build up your energy so you can begin to start going to bed and sleeping normally.

Eventually over time (days or weeks) your body will adjust and your sleep rhythm should adjust to a more natural sleep cycle.

There is a reason why one third of your life is spent in sleep. To be honest, it is probably one of the most valuable parts of your day. Sleep is the time you process and purge your thoughts, which can be seen as a way of cleaning and clearing out the day. It is also the time you regenerate needed energy. It is this needed energy that gives you the power you will need to get through the following day.

This regenerated energy is vital to not only keep you healthy, but also to help you heal. You need this energy to keep you running. If you don't get regenerated, you won't be able to function, or at least not function for very long. Also, if you don't get regenerated, symptoms of chronic illness in other areas of your health will start to emerge.

Sleep is important. It is a natural part of our life. Sleep should not be cut short or discounted because you see it is as unproductive. It is probably one of the most valuable tools you have within you and can help you be in harmony and maintain balance in your life. Sleep helps keep you at your peak.

Sleep is a valuable marker of your overall health and is one of the key indicators in Chinese Medicine to evaluate and assess a persons overall health status.

The Value of Sleep