On Wednesday, 8/12, Melissa shared with us some information about harnessing the medicinal properties in our spice cabinets. She described it this way: "This is the medicine of our ancestors, the daily healings our grandmothers have been serving for countless generations. This is true folk medicine - the medicine of the people. Remember, smelling and seeing your beautiful food is the first part of digestion; spices are one of the oldest and most useful allies humans have been utilizing for centuries."
Melissa shared with us a comprehensive list of herbs and spices and their medicinal qualities. She also had us sample some "cyclone cider." This is an energetic, restorative drink which helps boost the immune system and relieve sickness. It's a mix of the following: apple cider vinegar, cayenne, garlic, water, and lemon. This is common, simple recipe, and merely requires mixing and steeping the ingredients together and then straining. Here's what some of those ingredients do:
Cayenne: Most of all this strengthens the heart and is good for circulation. It's rich in vitamins A, C, iron, potassium, and calcium, contains vitamin G, magnesium, phosphorus, and sulphur, and also has some B-complex. It can also be applied to wounds to sop bleeding.
Garlic: Amazing! It's anti-bacterial, warming, helps move mucous out of the lungs, strengthens the heart, stimulates your immune response, is anti-microbial and promotes sweating. It also discourages parasites, decreases cholesterol, LDLs, blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and is high in diallyl suphide (DADs), which are believed to be anticarcinogenic. It also can relieve fatigue and maintain healthy liver function.
Apple cider vinegar: Anti-fungal, balances blood sugar and can be used as a wash for irritated skin and breakouts. It's also a great mentrum to infuse other medicinal herbs into, as in the cyclone cider example.
And overall, once again, Melissa encouraged us not just to seek out others' words regarding the properties of herbs and spices, but to also trust our own intuition to figure it out.
Body constitution
Next, Melissa shared some about ayurvedic body constitutions. Ayurveda is an ancient system of medicine from India. It identifies three main "doshas" that make up the energetic basis for people's bodies. This is the main idea:
Kapha: Earth + Water. This is a kind, gentle, sluggish and heavy body type. Has a slower, rhythmic pulse.
Pitta: Fire. This is an active, passionate, emotionally intense body type. Has a strong, forceful pulse.
Vatta; Air. This is a dry, light body type which can have an over-stressed nervous system. Has a fast, high-vibration pulse.
Everyone has these three doshas within them, but everyone tends to have one or two dominant. It can be helpful to know which type or types you are, so that you can choose the most appropriate foods, lifestyle choices, etc. for your constitution.
Some books for more information on the subjects from this day: Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss; Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford; The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amadea Morningstar.
For dinner I made an ayurvedic mung bean soup recipe that is meant to balance all three of the ayurvedic doshas. The unique spice mix used is able to clear stuck energy in the body, no matter what body-type you have. This recipe was shared with me by Dr. Steve Wechsler, a chiropractor and ayurvedic practitioner in my home town of Syracuse, NY. The recipe can be found here.
-Nick
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