Many years ago, as I was reading books on Chinese Nutritional Therapy, which is a big part of Chinese Medicine, a "lightbulb" moment occurred. One book was about treating children's issues by Bob Flaws and how about 90 percent of the time children's ailments have to do with digestive/ nutritional issues. This by the way, in my experience with working with children over the years, is true. The author stated, and I may be paraphrasing it, that "cooking is the beginning of the digestive process." It sparked an awakening in my understanding of food and its transformation within our system. I had never thought about cooking as being food digestion before we ingest it inside us. 
 
In Malaysia, possibly most of Asia and many other parts of the world, food is more than just eating to get energy. It is culture, identity, a socially-binding force, the joy of life...the list of descriptions goes on and on. People in Malaysia talk, cook, eat, breathe and live food. Food is boiled, steamed, braised, stir-fried in a wok, deep-fried, baked in clay...you name it, it gets done. I was exposed to this creativity in cooking early on in life and I too enjoy cooking, as well as eating. But I had never thought of cooking as digestion. What a revelation! But it makes sense! Take rice for instance, if you just took raw grains of rice into your mouth and chewed it, it would be hard and arduous, probably crack your teeth, before you could even swallow a few grains. Would it even taste good and could our digestive system even be able to break it down for energy?
 
The process of cooking is not just a hobby, it is an essential part of life as a human being in order to survive. It goes even further when you look at the theories that have been suggested over the past few years. One such hypothesis was proposed by biological anthropologist and primatologist Dr.Richard Wrangham. He suggests that the human brain evolved to its current size as we began cooking our food. As heating/ cooking what we ate, whether meat, grains or tubers, breaks-down starches, denatures protein and helps kill pathogen, the human body began having more energy to develop other body parts, such as the brain. Through this evolution came other changes in human development and social structure. Crazy to think that something so normal and under- appreciated as cooking could have such an impact on a whole life species and also the whole of the living world since our brain development led us to create a more complex style of living. I watched a documentary on the evolution of the digestive system. Part of Dr. Wrangham's research is featured at the end of the documentary.
 
One of the trends that we have at the moment is the Smoothie/ Juicing trend. I hear and read of many who swear by these methods of obtaining nutrients. As with many things in life, what fits some may not fit others. In Chinese Medicine, we have the view that some individuals tend to have heat in their system and others cold; these individuals who tend to heat may benefit from smoothie/ juice drinking, as most fruit and vegetables that have not been cooked have a cooling nature. From the Chinese medical nutrition perspective, this time of year requires us to eat warm food; one aspect is to have food in a certain temperature that our bodies do not have to expand more energy to warm the food further in order to digest and another aspect is that we receive warmth that will help our bodies stay at the ideal temperature of ca. 37 degrees Celsius. This is not to say that we do not eat any fresh vegetables and fruit, but that our food should be predominately warm and then supplemented by raw produce in winter. This will change as the season changes and the temperature warms up. If we look at the nature surrounding us right now in Switzerland, we will notice that there are little to no fruits growing on trees. They have all been harvested before the end of autumn. What fruit we have that are still fresh here, such as apples and pears, are harvested and stored in special conditions to last through winter. Tropical fruits or citrus fruits that we get from the supermarket are imported from places that are still having warm/ temperate climates currently. Therefore, it is best to eat these sparingly, like 1 to 2 fruits a day. Too many will cool our systems down too much and we will either feel cold often or be unable to digest the fruit well, leading to loose stools or diarrhoea.
 
One of the most beloved food for the Chinese is Congee, Bái Zhōu in Mandarin, Jūk in Cantonese or just simply rice porridge. It's rice cooked in a lot of water over a longer period of time. When I was ill as a child, this was the food my mother cooked for me, as I do for my children. But we cook a hardier version with meat in regular life in winter. It is easy to digest, yet very nutritious, providing enough fluids and nutrients. I have fasted on just water and plain Congee over a span of a week, and felt that I could actually perform everyday activities, including working, without feeling drained. It is simple, wholesome and easy to incorporate into your diet, even and especially if you are not used to cooking regularly but want to begin. Be creative, use the classical recipe as a base and then modify the ingredients to create your own personal Congee. Try it and start enjoying the warming nourishment!

Congee Recipe as pdf in English  

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Image Chicken Congee by Maria & Elaine  

As we go through the seasons of the year and I observe the changes of the climate, it reminds me of the Wu Xing or 5-Elements or 5-Phases. This philosophy is not just a Chinese medical theory but one that was/ is observed in all areas of life, as with the Yin-Yang philosophy. The 5-Element philosophy is very old. Historical records display writings and observances of it since the start of the Han Dynasty in 206 BCE, but the ideas of this philosophy are much older.
 
I am impressed by how so many, if not all areas of our lives are influenced by the 5-Elements; whether it be seasons of the year, cooking food, making medicine, breathing techniques or making day-to-day objects/ crafts that we use in our lives. There are traditions all around East-Asia (i.e. China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea) where the 5-Element philosophy is part of normal, daily life. As I contemplate the element that we are experiencing at the moment, the Metal element, I can't help being reminded of the skilled Bladesmith, one who works with Metal to create tools/ weapons. The Japanese are famous for making the best knives and swords in the world. The Katana, the Japanese long sword, is most celebrated for its artistry as well as its sharpness and ferocity. It is a blade so fine and flexible but so resilient, in the hands of a skilled swordsman (or woman), you would be unaware of its cut until it is done. You can tell how many martial arts movies I have watched growing up in Asia. What fascinates me most is not the end product, the sword, itself but the process in which it is made; how the 5-Elements are present in the process to transform raw Metal into a tool, an art form. The Metal is put into Fire to be smelted, then comes the process of the forging, which involves more Fire, Water, Earth and of course to begin with there was Wood for Fire. In the process to create this tool, the 5 Elements were going through the generating and controlling cycles, all in movement towards a creation and transformation guided by the human hand/ mind.
 
I feel this often when I practice Qi Gong, Tai Ji Quan or Yoga. I sense the Elements in me, helping me transform my body, my mind, my being to connect/reconnect within and without. What then manifests outwardly is simply a product of the process, there is no product without the process. So if I perform a headstand, it is a coming together of the elements within and around me to find an inward balance, which then manifest as me balancing on my head in the physical realm. 
 
Another of the Breath practice that I have gathered on my journey is the 5-Element Breath Sounds. It is a practice that involves the exhalation as a sound. Many of us make sounds quite instinctively, in the form of a sigh or a groan. This practice is a conscious manifestation of Breath to balance the organs and elements. Practice the sounds like it is listed from above to below, as this is the generation cycle. You may notice that the Fire element comes twice. There are reasons for this that I won't get into in this post. Do try the breath sounds and sense how they affect you! 
 
 
 
 

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5-Element Breath Sounds

Element   WOOD 
Organ       Liver
Sound       Sheeee 
Element    FIRE                        
Organ       Heart                     
Sound       Haaaa                               
Element   EARTH
​Organ       Spleen
Sound       Hoooo
Element   METAL
​Organ       Lung
Sound       Tssss 
Element    WATER
​Organ        Kidneys
Sound        Huuuu
Element     FIRE
​Organ        Triple Burner
Sound        Heeee


Image Smith by Dirk Hoenes from Pixabay
Image 5-Element Sheng Cycle by Elaine

I grew up in Malaysia, in the suburbs of the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. Malaysians, who are of different cultural backgrounds like Chinese, Malay, Indian etc., come together for food. They might have many differences but what connects them is food and their love of it. One of my favorite is Dim Sum, a meal, often a brunch, where different types of food, vegetable, meat, bread, rice, which are steamed, fried, boiled, are served in small portions in bamboo-steamed baskets or plates. A little bit like Spanish Tapas but different. Dim Sum originates from the southern part of China, Hong Kong is very well-known for it. Often in a traditional Dim Sum restaurant, one would sit at the table with an order sheet, your pot of Chinese tea and carts with fresh-made food would be rolled around by servers, shouting the dish's name, and you would just have to call out, tell them how many portions you wanted, they would serve it to you and mark it on your order sheet. Then, the next server would come by and the process continues, until you decide that you've had enough. A very lively atmosphere. It brings people together: families, friends, business meetings, workers, anybody. The meaning of Dim Sum, which is in the Cantonese dialect, is "Touch the Heart." I find that incredible, a meal that touches the heart. So often we think of food as just for the stomach but this one is meant to touch the heart as it brings people together and guess what? In Chinese Medicine, the tongue is the orifice of the Heart. It is all starting to make sense, food that touches the heart by nourishing the receptors of the tongue and bringing people together. 
 
Since the whole quarantine process has been in effect, I have been home with the whole family. Our children have been home-schooling and we have had a lot of time to do things we normally don't get to do. We often cook most of our meals at home normally but now we can take more time, experimenting new recipes. We have made meat dumplings, gnocchi, cakes, smoothies, lemon meringue pie and raspberry tiramisu. It has actually been pleasant to have time. There is a popular American saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." In my case, lemon meringue pie. I may not agree or like the situation but it doesn't help if I grumble about it, so I am making the best of it. I am using this time to "touch the heart" of my family.
 
Another effect of the quarantine/ isolation is that we have been called to practice "social distancing," avoiding all physical contact with people, including shaking hands, hugging and definitely not kissing. We have been dictated to stay away from our elderly family and friends, as well as keep a 2-metre distance from everyone in public. 
 
Since I began studying Chinese Medicine, I have become aware what different body parts represent and how they affect our health. For instance, the shaking of hands, which is very prevalent in many places in the world is the connection of 2 points of the palm of the hands which are on the Heart and Pericardium Meridians, both of Fire element. So, when I shake your hand, I connect my heart with yours. Similarly, when I hug someone, I meet my heart with yours. In Malaysia, there is a tradition, especially among the ethnic Malays where they shake hands with both hands and place both their hands right after onto their chest, emphasizing the Heart connection. This I find beautiful. The lips are a little different from the Chinese Medicine and meridian view, they manifest the Spleen and Stomach, both of the Earth element. The cheeks also manifest the Stomach meridian. Of course, the Spleen and Stomach are organs of digestion but in Chinese Medicine, they produce Qi and Blood, the essentials for life. These are greetings with the touch of the skin and there are many more greetings that do not require touch. For instance, in India and in many places in Asia, they place their 2 palms together in front of the heart to greet each and/or they bow their heads to each other, both are as signs of respect and to honor. I am finding these to be very valuable at the current time.
 
So much of how we communicate with each other is the "touch of the heart." Real connection to each other is from the heart. Even if we aren't allowed to touch or be close to one another, we can still touch each other's heart in simple things like greeting and smiling at each other from afar. This current situation is challenging but it also gives us a chance to evaluate what really is important in our lives.   


Image Dim Sum by Alice Cheung from Pixabay

Since a few weeks it's officially Spring! Beautiful rays of sunlight, spring rains, blossoming trees and plants, sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes...If you experience Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis or Hay Fever, then you know what I am talking about. It can be frustrating to see the beautiful spring unfold and know that all this blossoming is going to make you sneeze. From the Western medical point of view, it is an inflammation of inner nose to an allergen. In Chinese Medicine, it is often viewed as a deficiency in the Lung and Kidney's Defensive Qi/Wei Qi, which then leads to the body's overreaction. In acute situations, this may produce a cold or heat condition with some invasion of what we call wind in the nose, leading to sneezing, or in the eyes, which leads to itching, reddening and irritation. If severe, it may move deeper into the body affecting breathing.
 
So, what is Wei Qi? In Chinese Medicine, there is the idea of Qi, sometimes translated as vital energy, that exists in all living things and there are different kinds of Qi in the human body. One of them is Wei Qi. Sometimes translated as Defensive or Protective Qi, as it circulates and protects the exterior of the body, such as on/in the skin, the muscles and sinews. It deals with the outer world and helps us adapt to external changes. So Wei Qi is responsible for protecting our bodies from colds, flus, pollen, climatic changes and even psycho-emotional stressors. Returning to the theme of Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis, it is then very important to tone and strengthen the Wei Qi. Often, the strategy is Wei Qi Strengthening in pre-allergy season, such as in autumn or in winter or early spring depending on when the acute symptoms begin. We do this with acupuncture, herbs and even self-massage techniques. Also, what you eat and getting enough sleep affects the Wei Qi.    
 
I personally am affected by Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis, which I have begun to call "Seasonal Irritation," and I have developed a personal strategy to cope with the issue over the years. I believe that words have power. If we attach ourselves to a particular "dis-ease," we will manifest the disease like a textbook. I have found that it's much easier to manage the symptoms and this phase of the year, which for me is about a month, since I began calling it Seasonal Irritation. I take my Chinese herbs pre-season and during the acute phase, do my acupuncture and limit exposure to the pollen. I do my Qi Gong exercises to stimulate the Wei Qi and my Yoga breathing techniques, which all help me cope. I have learned to adapt to the season, just as winter makes me put on a warm coat, spring urges me to take care of my Wei Qi.
 
We live in a time of extreme change, which maybe was always so since the beginning of time. What we do in the here and now, determines the future. I end this post with a quote from the book 'Ravens of Avalon' by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson, "What you cannot do is to keep things as they have been. All things transforming into another until the world itself is changed. Bend or break - it's up to you." 

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​Photo by Pixabay Peter Dargatz