Creating Culture From the Inside Out!

Human beings, although we hold the deep-rooted belief that we are “separate” from one another and the world around us, are actually intimately connected. We are linked in such a profound way to our surroundings, that once you start to “see” it, any notion that you have of being separate will become laughable.
Step back with me just a minute to take this in… I, you, we, have a very long tube that starts with our month, and ends with our anus. This tube contacts in some way everything that you eat, drink and breathe. Microscopic nutrients, phytochemicals, and elements are then absorbed across delicate membranes into your blood stream. This happens in your lungs, stomach, and intestines. What is not excreted is then ultimately incorporated, for better of worse, into your being.
We like to think of ourselves as “individuals” who are “doing it on our own,” but we would actually cease to live if we lost our relationship with the billions of microorganisms that populate “our” body.
The more I learn about these microorganisms that we live in synergy with, the more I am in awe. They help in many life processes from immune modulation to absorption of nutrients. Much of the delicate internal balance, life itself, hinges on microorganisms; a community that is not visible to our naked eyes. This is profound metaphor for the Truth of our connectedness.

In the spirit of taking on this reality in a most profound way, I decided to host a "Cultured Foods Workshop." The goals were to cultivate community, and create culture... literally from the inside out. Cultivation of culture can be defined as integrating patterns of human knowledge, belief, and behavior based upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations. And ironically, the word "culture" also describes the process of growing living material, like microbes, in a nutrient source. How beautiful that we were able to participate in and create both at the same time... and literally culture our selves from the inside out, and outside in. We were learning techniques that have been used for thousands of generations to preserve food and make it more nutrient dense and beneficial.
The goal was to "culture" or ferment the veggies in such a way as to create billions of friendly microorganisms to make home in our bodies and help us to live and thrive. A healthy adult should have up to 3 pounds of friendly microbes in their gastrointestinal track. Most folks are sorely lacking in this department as these "probiotics" get killed off through natural life cycles, antibiotics, chlorinated water, chemical exposure and stress. This would not be a problem if we were to replenish them. And this is where regular eating of cultured foods comes in to save the day! Every other country that I am aware of has some type of cultured food that is customarily consumed as a staple (unless they have adopted a western diet). I think its high time we add some culture to our lives!
This is exactly what the 10 of us did on Saturday. We had fun chopping and shredding cabbage, carrots, burdock root, onions, collards, and all kinds of herbs and then packing our quart sized jars to create cultured delicacies. One group made kimche, another made red cabbage and juniper berries, another made carrot and ginger, and there is one that I can't wait to try.. cabbage, burdock root and collards (I think that was it). We also made kefir out of fresh, raw milk and my favorite... cultured coconut water.
In my clinical experience I have come to believe that the process of making and consuming life giving cultured foods is one of the best gifts that one could give themselves. And it could not be easier! I have put my basic, cultured veggie recipe on my website (just click on the "recipes tab." I am in the process of uploading many new recipes!). I hope that you'll give culturing a try. Have some friends over and start the process of creating culture from the inside out! If you wish to read more about cultured foods I suggest looking in The Body Ecology website and book. It is an excellent resource.
Here's to foods that heal!

Love,
Tif

Changing with the Seasons

These last few days have been a stunning example of pleasant, late summer weather in the Seattle area. But there is has no doubt been a shift into the season of fall. There is crispness in the air most days now, and on my walk yesterday I smiled at the sight of the first fall leaves on the ground.

I have noticed the shift in what my body needs: less raw foods and a little more quality, humanely raised meat. I have only been back from Italy for 1 month. While I was in Italy and for a couple of warm weeks here, I was eating lots of raw or fermented veggies, some sprouts (try sprouting mung beans), whole grains and a little fish... oh and "Coconut Bliss Frozen Dessert" :). But these last few days I can feel my body's digestive system slowing down with all of the cool and raw food. Its time to warm things up! I had several cups of hot tea today and it felt so soothing and nice going down. I made a batch of bison meatballs for the week. The bison is humanely raised and carried by PCC Natural Markets. They turned out wonderful. All I added was chopped onion, Annie's Naturals Maple BBQ Sauce, an egg and some seasoning. I baked them in a 375 degree oven for 35 minutes.
It is such a beautiful thing to see the changes in nature outside of us, and know that there are also changes going on in nature inside of us. I love that I can support this process by beginning to add in more warming foods, and using more aromatic and pungent foods and herbs like pepper, garlic, ginger, cardamon, and onion. These foods and spices direct qi flow towards the lungs helping to keep them moist, open, and disinfected (onion and especially garlic have powerful anti-microbial effects) during a season that is typified by dryness and increasing frequency of colds and flu. Just last night I felt under the weather a bit and so I ate a few cloves of raw garlic blended into a hummus dip (and took one oil of oregano capsule), I drank plenty of water and went to bed early. Today I felt great!
It just continues to blow my mind how truly healing the right foods and the right times can be!

Eating for Evolution!

Two weeks ago I was Italy; in the hills above Florence attending a 9 day retreat with spiritual teacher Andrew Cohen. It was a deeply profound retreat in which we delved into the ground of being during almost 4 days of silence, emerging only to experience a depth of awareness that was previously unknown to me (sustained depth of awareness that is). I was able to objectify the collective and personal ego, and then choose to act out of something different... To act, in the moment, in alignment with Authentic Self. It is hard to find words to describe what a big deal this is! It IS true liberation. The realization that we are part of a 14 billion year evolutionary process... that we are that process... takes human responsibility to a whole new level.

I was aware of my physiology literally changing in response to my increased awareness and increased time spent in meditation. Being the food minded person that I am, I was pondering what "eating for evolution" would be like, taste like, look like...

While at the retreat we ate vegetarian food. It was incredibly fresh, and stupendously simple. There was a lovely, buffet type spread of vegetables (raw and cooked), Tuscan white beans, polenta , bruschetta or pasta, various large blocks of unbelievable, locally made cheeses, basic soups, fresh fruit and various nuts served at most every meal (breakfasts were a bit smaller, but never-the-less incredible). It was the most perfectly supportive fare for what we were doing at the retreat.... conciously evolving!
I was reflecting on how much of the processed and heavy foods that are typical in the western diet actually impead this natural evolutionary tendency. They create inertia, they weigh down the body/mind and cause sluggishness.
I encourage my patients to eat as fresh as possible, local/reginal when possible, and in season. This is the only sound advice about eating that I feel applies to everyone. I have seen over the years of my clinical experience that beyond those sound words of advice, there is no one diet that applies to everyone. As we evolve and change, and move through different seasons in life, our bodies require different foods for optimal functioning.
I am really starting to look into what "eating for evolution" can mean. At this point in time... in my 33rd year of life, I'm spending more time in meditation and less time identified with my thoughts, fears and desires (and I have a long way to go! :)). I am finding that what my body needs (in regards to food) is quite different. I am moving towards simplicity; veggies, beans, whole, gluten free grains, some fruits and nuts, and little bits of high quality animal products a few times per month. I am falling more deeply in love with good, wholesome, fresh foods... and every cell in my body is thankful.
Here is a dish that I toyed around with recently... grilled figs with fresh goat cheese from the farmers market. I topped it with a bit of balsamic reduction. Yummmy!