Michael and Lesley Tierra's Blogs

Summer kicharee is not only great for detoxification, but it is also a light summer soup perfect for the hot months of year. It is balanced in protein and can include as many local vegetables as you wish. As well, you can easily cook up a big batch to eat over three days, or freeze for longer, so your time is spent in the garden or hiking, swimming and so on – you get the idea!

Some are surprised with the lightness of summer kicahree and yet how it fills and satisfies them. Many eat it just for breakfast, or for one other meal, while others eat it exclusively for several days or weeks to cool and clean toxins from their bodies. Have fun with it and explore! Your imagination is the limit here.

Here is a sample recipe to follow. You can make it as is, substitute what you have on hand, or change it to satisfy your tastebud desires. To keep it a summer kicharee suitable for this time of year, use only seasonal local vegetables and add light protein (if desired). I give several possibilities here.

Basic Summer Kicharee Recipe

Makes approximately 6 to 8 two-cup servings.

½ cup barley (rice or quinoa)

½ cup green split peas (aduki beans)

½ cup yellow split peas (mung dahl)

½ cup lentils (other dahls)

2 quarts chicken stock

2 tblsp ghee

1 tblsp cumin powder

1 large onion

4 stalks celery

2 big carrots

garnish with ½ lemon per serving of soup and season to taste

Directions:

(Optional but wise first step: Soak grain and beans in water for 12 hours. Strain.)

Place grain and beans in stock and simmer for 30 minutes. In meantime, brown cumin in ghee, then add vegetables one at a time and sauté. Add this mix to grain and beans after the first 30 minutes and simmer all together for another half hour. Eat as is, or add various garnishes, additional protein and so on. Ideas are given below.

Ingredient Descriptions:

Barley is used because it is cool and eliminates dampness, both perfect for the summer heat and balancing the Spleen and Stomach organs, which flourish and rule this season (July to mid-September).

Split peas and lentils are lighter to digest than heavier beans and actually need less soaking time. All are alkalinizing.

Ghee, or clarified butter, is a pure oil that sparks digestion without being too heating. It also doesn’t go rancid without refrigeration.

Cumin is neutral in energy and helps digestion.

Lemon is alkalinizing, cooling and helps digestion.

Substitution Possibilities:

GRAIN: Use brown rice or quinoa instead of barley. (Be sure to soak the brown rice for 12 – 24 hours first to eliminate its outer kernel and make it far more digestible.) Both are cooling and alkalinizing.

BEANS: Use aduki beans (adzuki beans), mung dahl or mung beans. Aduki beans assist kidney function; June through July is when Kidney energy is lowest (this is the opposite time of year from the Kidney/Urinary Bladder time of year, in winter). Mung dahl and mung beans are cooling and detoxifying.

STOCK: You may use a different stock or water instead of chicken stock. Chicken stock is lighter than other stocks and provides additional protein that is easily digestible.

OIL: Try coconut oil instead of ghee. It is light, reduces fat accumulation, is more water soluble and so breaks down more quickly and is immediately used by the liver for energy (see upcoming blog on this!).

SPICES: Try cumin seeds instead of the powder, or also add coriander seeds or power and turmeric. Try other spices according to your individual health needs such as the following (all of which promote good digestion): basil (cooling), fennel (warming, moves Qi), ginger (warming), garlic (warming, anti-parasitical), onions (warming), mustard seeds (warming).

VEGETABLES: Onions, celery and carrots are always a good way to add flavor to a soup pot, but feel free to substitute or add other vegetables as desired. Ideas include: summer squashes, red bell peppers, eggplant, string beans, artichoke hearts, potatoes and tomatoes.

GARNISHES: Try adding yogurt, cilantro, parsley and/or gomasio (sesame salt).

PROTEINS: If you need or desire to increase the protein of this soup and provide more warming energy to your body, add any of the following (all are lighter proteins and easier to digest for the summer months): hard-boiled eggs, sardines or other fish, chicken or pork pieces, chicken sausage, or buffalo (very low fat for a red meat).

We have just moved into time of year that corresponds to the Spleen and Stomach according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. This means that the energy of those organs flourishes now and is at its strongest – or should be. This time lasts from approximately July through mid-September, and while these organs' effects are most strongly felt at the end of the season, now is the time to protect these organs and keep them strong.

The Spleen and Stomach are partners in the Earth Element. This is the most
prevalent and influential element of all five (the others being Metal, Water, Wood and Fire). First of all, it encompasses the organs of digestion and good digestion is a major key to health. But secondly, the energy of the Spleen and Stomach surfaces at the end of all the other element seasons, so that the last two weeks of every season is a mixture of its native element's energy plus the Earth Element energies.

For example, we just finished the Heart and Small Intestine season that ran
from mid-April to near the end of June. For the last two weeks of this time, these Fire Element energies were influenced by the Earth Element energies as they surfaced at that time. This means that along with Fire signs of palpitations, for instance, indigestion signs may have been present as well.

The Earth Element influence and its organs are influential in many ways. The Spleen is responsible for the assimilation and transportation of nutrients
throughout the body (metabolism). As this occurs on all levels, Spleen Qi not
only controls food and fluid metabolism, but also cell respiration and other
similar metabolic functions.

The Spleen opens to the mouth and manifests on the lips. It rules the sense of taste, lymph and saliva along with muscle tone and development, the flesh and limbs. Spleen Qi is in charge of keeping the organs in place and the Blood in vessels. The flavor associated with the Spleen is sweet, meaning that a little sweet strengthens the Spleen while too much weakens it.

The Spleen hates to be damp (externally in the environment or internally in the
body), as this interferes with its ability to transform and transport food and fluids. As well, excessive sitting and the emotions of worry, melancholia, nostalgia and obsession target the Spleen. Conditions involving any of the above factors both indicate a Spleen/Stomach imbalance and can likewise cause one.

A weak Spleen causes poor digestion, low appetite, gas, bloatedness, acid
regurgitation, loose stools, undigested food in the stools, malnutrition, weakness
in arms and legs, fatigue, poor muscle development, edema of abdomen, hips
and thighs, blood spots under the skin, easy bruising, lack of sensation of taste,
prolapsed organs, frequent bleeding, abdominal distension, obsession, worry,
and anemia.

To tonify Spleen Qi, use herbs such as ginseng, astragalus and dioscorea
(Chinese wild yam). To tonify Spleen Yang, warm it with a heating herb such as dried or fresh ginger, give a yang tonic such as psoralea. To transform Spleen dampness, give herbs like agastache or cardamom.

The best way to treat and protect the Spleen and Stomach (digestion and
metabolism) is through diet. Foods that are cooked and warm in temperature
most closely match our own digestive fires and so metabolize and assimilate
easiest. This means that although it is hot outdoors, the intake of raw foods,
salads, juices and fruits should be limited and balanced with cardamom or fresh
ginger. Likewise, iced drinks and foods (ice cream, etc.) also need to be limited
and balanced with warming spices to protect the digestion. Doing so will promote
good digestion throughout the year and prevent those late season Earth Element
experiences of gaining weight without being able to lose it (one of the “delights”
of late summer for most!).

Now that I’m on to ginseng-like herbs, here’s another one that can be taken during the summer. Its real name is Panax notoginseng, known in Chinese pinyin as san qi, but is best known by its commercial name, Tien qi ginseng.

It is definitely in the ginseng family, but has quite different properties from the ones we usually associate with other ginsengs.

Rather than tonifying Qi, this herb moves and builds Blood. But even better, while it moves Blood it also stops bleeding. This makes it a perfect application for any trauma from falls, fractures, contusions, wounds, cuts or sprains (for this reason it is used extensively by martial artists) and to stop bleeding in vomit, urine or stool along with nosebleeds and hemorrhaging.  

In fact, it is used for any internal and external bleeding and should be taken frequently for this, both internally and externally placed on the wound in powder or liniment form. It is called Yunan Bai Yao in its patent form, which is widely used to stop bleeding, specifically from gunshot wounds.  

San qi also reduces swelling, alleviates pain and dissolves blood clots. I have seen it dissolve large blood clots and slow excessive menstrual bleeding and hemorrhage (high doses are needed for both).  It is used for chest, abdominal and joint pain and diabetic retinopathy. As well, it lowers blood pressure and increases coronary artery flow. Because of its tonic circulatory properties, it is one of the most popular of all herbs used by the Chinese. 

Image of San qi tubers from: ITM Online.

San Qi

Latin: Panax notoginseng, P. pseudoginseng

Family: Araliaceae

Part Used: root

Energy, taste and Organs affected: warm; sweet, slightly bitter; Liver, Stomach, Large Intestine

Actions: stops bleeding

Properties: hemostatic, cardiac tonic

Biochemical constituents: arasaponin A, arasaponin B, dencichine

Dose: 1-3 g powder; 3-9 g whole root, decoction; apply topically as needed

Precautions: pregnancy; Deficient Blood or Yin

Other: also known as pseudoginseng, notoginseng, tienchi, tien qi and tian qi

Indications: internal and external bleeding, nosebleed, blood in urine, vomit, mucus or stool, traumatic injury due to falls, fractures, contusions and sprains, chest and abdominal pain, angina, coronary heart diseases, joint pain, hemorrhage, injuries, wounds, excessive menstruation, diabetic retinopathy

Although not a ginseng at all, codonopsis has similar tastes, energies and tonifying properties as ginseng. As well, both herbs affect the Lung and Spleen organs and meridians. Yet, because it is milder in action and far less expensive, codonopsis is often called the “poor man’s ginseng.”

Because the body’s fires are rising up and out during the summertime, it’s important to switch from using ginseng to codonopsis. Its milder energy is more appropriate for hotter weather and so traditionally is substituted for ginseng in the summer. Partly this may be due to codonopsis not having the potential to stagnate energy as easily as does ginseng, but also because it lowers blood pressure while ginseng elevates it.

Excess heat in the body not only can congest energy, but it rises as well, just as steam rises from a fire. The strong tonifying action of ginseng more easily congests already stagnant energy, which is why it is most always given along with a qi-moving herb. And in the summer, higher outside temperatures can combine with our own inner fires rising upward and outward to create more inner heat if it is not naturally dispersed through activity, sweating and a cooler diet. Ingesting strong tonic herbs in the summer can congest that heat and lead to many unpleasant symptoms.

Some also believe that codonopsis tonifies blood as well as qi and promotes the production of body fluids, making it particularly useful for women. It is even beneficial for nursing mothers as it helps produce milk and its nutrients are especially nourishing to babies. Furthermore, it’s useful for teething babies, as its hard, sweet tasting root can be held like a stick.

When combined with astragalus, it builds immunity, helpful during the weather changes in Spring. It may be given along with exterior-releasing herbs (diaphoretics) for colds and flu in those who are weak.

Its mild action makes it acceptable for children to take as well, helping build muscle and strengthen the digestive, immune and respiratory systems.

According to Ron Teeguarden, “Codonopsis has been demonstrated to have radiation protection activity and can be effective in protecting cancer patients receiving radiation therapy from the side effects without diminishing its benefits. Codonopsis also has interferon-inducing activity that may be of importance in many immune deficiency conditions, including HIV infection.”

Include codonopsis in a weekly tonic soup or morning cereal as a general tonic.

Codonopsis pilosulae

Family: Campanulaceae

Pin yin: dang shen

Part Used: root

Energy, taste and Organs affected: neutral; sweet; Lungs, Spleen

Actions: tonifies Qi

Properties: energy tonic, demulcent, expectorant

Biochemical constituents: saponin, starch, sugar, inulin, alkaloids, sucrose, glucose

Dose: 9-30 g, decoct for 20-30 minutes; eat root after cooking

Precautions: do not use with veratri (li lu)

Other: codonopsis is frequently substituted for Chinese ginseng

Indications: lack of appetite, fatigue, tiredness, weakness, poor digestion, gas, weak arms and legs, bloatedness, diarrhea, vomiting, prolapse of uterus, stomach or rectum, chronic cough, shortness of breath, copious white to clear mucus

Uses: Codonopsis is a primary herb used to tonify Qi, particularly of digestion (the Spleen) and immunity (the Lungs). It is similar to Chinese ginseng, but milder in energy and actions (and cheaper, too!) and so is safe for long-term treatment, in all climates (it is typically given in summer rather than ginseng) and by both sexes. Codonopsis increases vital energy, strengthens digestion and assimilation and treats diabetes and hyperacidity. It is given in all diseases associated with weakness, debility after illness, tiredness, lack of strength, poor appetite and anemia. It also alleviates diarrhea, vomiting, gas, bloatedness, chronic cough and shortness of breath. 

We have now moved into the "Heart time" of the year. It runs from about mid-April through June and encompasses the traditional Chinese medical concept of the fire element and the organs of Heart and Small Intestine. At this time of year everything is surging upward and outward. This includes not only our own outdoor activities, but the body’s energy as well. The Heart time of year is represented by the energy of summer, even though it may not correspond to what we think of as summer calendar-wise.

Summer is the essence of life, growth, heat and activity. Not surprisingly, the fire element and its organs, Heart and Small Intestine, correlate with summer. With the sun at its zenith, nights are short and days are long. Our energy is expansive now, flowing outward to act on the plans and seeds sowed in spring. Similarly, the body’s heat, or “inner fire,” starts rising close to the surface, cooling us inside. We are motivated now to pursue sports, gardening, yard work, hiking or other outdoor activities. We feel compelled to get things done, work and socialize. With increased heat, circulation and joy (the Heart’s emotion), we generally feel more optimistic, find it easier to work on relationship issues, and experience increased sex drive.

General Lifestyle Suggestions for Summer Health

While the fiery energy of summer pulls us into activity, we need to guard against over-activity and over-excitement, as these injure the Heart and deplete our trust fund’s energy reserves and rob our bodies of their vital Essence needed for the rest of the year. If we experience low energy now, it’s often because we didn't rest sufficiently during winter, or we’re overly active. Tiredness, exhaustion and “burnout” result, particularly if we go from dawn to midnight, accomplishing many different tasks, socializing more, working out a lot, skipping meals and snacking instead, having more sex and fitting in vacations, house repairs and yard work with everything else.

Summer is actually the time to protect your energy, especially for those who already have low energy. Thus, rest during the hotter hours of the day (this is siesta time in many countries), pace yourself, delegate, prioritize, moderate activities and exercise, and eat three regular meals daily. Take Siberian ginseng to enhance endurance and immunity.

Dressing in summer seems easy - the fewer the clothes the better. Yet, regularly baring midriffs exposes the Kidneys and abdomen to Coldness, ultimately depleting Essence and metabolism respectively. Those who frequently feel cold should maintain body heat by covering up on cooler summer days. Air conditioning can lower immunity and cause colds or chills, especially if kept too high, or if indoor/outdoor temperatures differ extremely. If air conditioning is a must, keep it at a higher temperature to more closely match that of the outdoors, and wear a sweater.

Summer Ailments and Dietary Suggestions

Because our fires are closer to the surface, we can easily overheat through over-exposure to the sun, heated environments, or hot-natured foods. Lighter, easier to digest foods are appropriate now, such as fruit, salads, grains and legumes. Red meat and excess meat eating should be kept at a minimum, if eaten at all.

People with Excess Heat often feel worse in summer and are generally tired, sluggish and easily overexcited or impatient in hot environments. Many are easily prone to heat exhaustion, headaches, arthritis, colds, allergies, hypertension, chest pains and palpitations. Eating too many hot, spicy, greasy, fried foods, red meats, alcohol, sugar, or caffeine, or smoking tobacco, aggravates these symptoms. Instead, eat fresh vegetables, salads, fruits, legumes, white meats, mung beans, watermelon, soy bean sprouts and room temperature herbal teas.

Drinking excessive amounts of cold and iced drinks causes Stomach Heat (any season) with headaches across the forehead, bad breath, bleeding gums, ravenous hunger, extreme thirst (especially for cold drinks), constipation, nausea, vomiting, sour regurgitation, or mouth ulcers. In fact, iced drinks taken with fatty or fried foods causes cholesterol according to the Chinese because cold drinks “encapsulate” fat, making it indigestible and turning it into fatty deposits in the blood vessels. Although we like iced drinks in the West, they also ultimately create this Heat because the body has to increase metabolic warmth in order to digest them. People who live in hot climates mostly drink hot teas and eat spicy foods since these make the body sweat, ultimately cooling it.

Other people eat excessive amounts of cooling foods in summer, such as salads, raw foods, iced drinks/foods, juices, smoothies, melons, soymilk and too much fruit. Since these cool the digestive soup pot, they cause poor digestion and assimilation, also known as Spleen Qi deficiency, resulting in undigested food in the stools, gas, bloatedness, sleepiness after meals, low immunity, weakness, tiredness, nausea, loose stools, or diarrhea. Thus, if you tend to feel cold, even in summer, limit intake of cold foods, eat all cooked foods, add spices (such as ginger and cardamom), increase protein (such as red and white meats) and drink warm herbal teas. Balance fruit intake by eating its seeds (like watermelon), or a piece of its peel (these are ancient Asian secrets to “keep the doctor away”).

Summer Herbs for Balance

The cooling and drying qualities of the bitter taste strengthen the Heart and Small Intestines and eliminate excess fluid and cholesterol from the blood. Spicy herbs, such as those used in chilies and curries, open the pores and create perspiration to cool the body. Herbs such as mint, lemon balm, chrysanthemum, hibiscus, red clover, violet leaves, honeysuckle, borage, rosehips and green tea also cool the body and make refreshing summer drinks. Hawthorn and longan, because they nourish the Heart, are good now as well. Don’t take ginseng or other strong warming tonics during summer (unless you’re weak) because they’re too heating and stagnating now, potentially causing headaches, chest pains, stomachaches, or excessive thirst and sweating.

There is so much focus on what one should do in order to stay well that I sometimes find switching the tables helps people gain a different perspective of how their habits invite sickness into their lives.

Thus, I offer here the easiest ways to get sick. Have fun!

1. Eat all the ice cream, candy, pastries, desserts, caffeine and chocolate that you want, whenever you want.
2. Drink all the iced cold drinks that you desire.
3. Work all the time and definitely don’t stop to rest or eat. Or if you must eat, be sure to do so while working, doing business, at your desk, standing up, or on the run.
4. Drink caffeine to wake up in the morning and to keep you going throughout the day.
5. Drink alcohol to relax every night.
6. Don''t rest when you feel the need but use sugar, caffeine or chocolate to get through the day.
7. Don’t pay attention to your emotions, but assiduously ignore and stuff them.
8. Be sure not to laugh. Instead, feel resentful, bitter and critical. Definitely worry about everyone and everything.
9. Don’t follow your heart’s desires but follow your "shoulds." Avoid everything you really want to do and follow everyone else’s opinions and advice.
10. Avoid making any changes that would bring you greater health, happiness and joy.
11. Sit all day and only travel in vehicles. Whatever you do, don’t walk or exercise. Or if you must, exercise strenuously and to exhaustion.
12. Don’t accept yourself, who you are, your body''s unique health needs, or inner dreams.
13. Ignore any signs or symptoms indicating health imbalances. Wait until they are serious health issues before you seek help.
14. Work all the time and be productive. Don’t stop to eat, rest, play, sleep or creatively express, or if you must, only do so quickly and then immediately return to work.
15. Don’t follow your creative urges, but keep busy with work. There’s always time for it another day (or month, or year).

Horsetail

Equisetum spp.

Energies and flavors: Cool, astringent

Uses: Hemostatic, astringent, vulnerary

With the advent of Spring comes horsetail, a type of shave-grass that grows in watery places. I’ve been studying several stands of these interesting plants for a few weeks now, watching them pop through the earth, shoot upward and sprout into feathery and bottlebrush-like “leaves.” My walks take me past a stream where they love to flourish, offering me some interesting photo ops.

Horsetail’s fresh, barren stems have long been used medicinally. Older herbalists used it for consumption, dropsy and dysentery. Horsetail decoction has also been used as a vulnerary, stopping bleeding, healing wounds and reducing eyelid swelling when applied externally. High in silica, they are often included in mineral-rich formulas or herbal combinations for strengthening bones.

Horsetail’s main use, however, is as a diuretic to increase the flow of urine. Thus, is used for such urinary issues such as bladder, prostate, urethra and kidney infections. As well, it is used for frequent urination, which may seem contradictory. However, by increasing the flow of urine it empties the bladder so one doesn’t need to urinate as much.

Horsetail is also used as a lithotropic, helping to dissolve kidney and bladder stones. As an astringent, it can stop bleeding, internally and externally, and has particularly been used this way for nosebleeds. When calcined to ash, it supposedly helps alleviate acid indigestion.

When taken regularly, however, horsetail may irritate the kidneys and cause some toxic reactions. Thus treatment should last no more than six days. Another precaution to keep in mind is that a strong decoction of horsetail acts as an emmenogogue, which contraindicates it for pregnancy.

Students and clients often ask me, "When the best time is to take my herbs?" This is a very good question, and there are several different answers. (However, in truth, the best time to take herbs is when you remember to take them.)  

Often, when people try to follow rules, they invariably can’t comply, or they forget, or some other thing happens and then before you know it, the time has passed and the time to take the herbs was missed. Then it’s on to the next required time and if this is also missed, the day soon passes and the herbs are never taken at all.  

Taking herbs this way can be hit or miss. With such infrequent ingestion, they help very little or are entirely ineffective. This is why I say, take the herbs when you remember them! 

But if you want to know the real “rules” for taking herbs –- what will make them most effective in their use –- here they are (and they are given in Lesson 9 of the East West Herb Course). Keep in mind that these “rules” are not necessarily agreed upon by everyone, so you’ll find herbalists who have other ideas instead. But these are generally the ones most acceptable. 

In general, the time herbs are taken has to do with efficiently getting them to the part of the body they most affect. Thus:  

• Herbs treating the upper part of the body (heart/lungs/head) should be taken after meals so the food in the middle of the body slows their descent, and they stay in the upper part of the body longer.
• Herbs treating conditions in the middle part of the body  (spleen/pancreas/stomach/liver/gallbladder) should be taken just before or during the early part of meals, so they stay in the middle part of the body for a longer time, along with the food being digested.
• Herbal formulas targeted toward the lower part of the body (kidneys/bladder/intestines/genitals) should be taken between meals, when the stomach is empty, so they have a free passage to the lower part of the body.  

Of course, if the disease is urgent, herbs may –- and should –- be taken at any time and, in fact, they should generally be taken more frequently anyway. 

Further, if digestion is weak, herbs are best taken with meals, as this is when the digestive juices most strongly flow. 

If people continuously forget to take their herbs, even if told they can be taken anytime, help set a convenient location and schedule. Put the herbs in the kitchen by spice jars or some other obvious place, or put them in the bathroom by the toothbrush, or put them on the bedside table, wherever they will be easily seen at the appropriate times. 

Generally, when people are eating they can remember to take herbs. Most can take them with breakfast and dinner, but often miss lunch since they’re gone all day. If this happens, the third dose can be taken at bedtime.  

If none of this works, and the person (or you!) keeps forgetting to take the herbs, remember that the herbs can be taken anytime!