Getting Spicy… (10/18/18)

October is underway and here is the spicy part…

Fall is a great time for the sport fan but also the great harvest of produce, Pumpkins, squash and other hearty vegetables.    According to Traditional Chinese Medicine  Fall is a time of consolidating and our foods tend to get richer, heartier and more fragrant in nature.  The fragrance stimulates the appetite through the nose (Lungs).  Many of the rich foods of fall have a consolidating effect in the body.  They tend to accumulate which has implications beyond helping us get through the winter.  One of my favorites is Pumpkin.  Pumpkin is cooling in nature; sweet and slightly bitter; It relieves damp conditions including dysentery, eczema and edema; It helps regulate blood sugar balance and benefits the pancreas.  It can be used for diabetes and hypoglycemia.  It promotes discharge of mucus from the lungs, bronchi and throat; regular use has been shown to benefit bronchial asthma.  Cooked pumpkin destroys intestinal worms, but not as effectively as the seeds…  Pumpkin pie can be hit or miss.  Some are so sweet they just aren’t to my liking.  My favorites are the ones were you can taste the spices.  Nutmeg, Ginger, Clove, all have expansive, drying and warming qualities which reinforce the expansive aspect of sweet foods while reducing their moistening effect.  Foods which generally digest better with these spices include yams, sweet potatoes winter squash as well as any other sweet fare (apples).  Add pinches of these spices to highly mucus forming foods- milk, yogurt, kiefer, sour cream and other dairy- to improve digestion, especially in the cold damp individual.

Here is a recipe for Pumpkin pie if you wish, and don’t have a source for your favorite, (like mom used to make…)

1 medium pumpkin

1/2 cup rice syrup

1/2 cake tofu

1 cup sprouted wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon each Cinnamon, Ginger and Cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 pie crusts

Prepare crusts

peel and cut pumpkin into small pieces

add rice syrup, cover and cook until tender add a little water if needed.

add tofu last 10 minutes of cooking

mix and puree all ingredients together 

pour into pie crusts and bake 1 hour at 300 degrees F

Makes two pies, one to share and one to eat…

{this information is not intended to treat anything but offered for informational/ educational purposes.  If you have issues or questions we are happy to discuss them with you and see if this would be appropriate or how we can help}