FEBRUARY 2007 RESONANCE ARTICLES

Vacuity / The Mind-Body Connection / Doing Foods / Beans And The Doctrine Of Signatures / Fruit And Winter / The Physiology Of Flavor / Exterior Resolvers

VACUITY
Vacuity is a term which is germane to the Kidneys. The terms Kidney Qi vacuity, Kidney Yin vacuity, and Kidney Yang vacuity, all describe a state of emptiness or depletion. Qi is vacuous when there is a lack of accumulation of it. Words such as “deficiency” and “weakness”, commonly used as translations in the West, convey a sense of qualitative fragility not implied by the Chinese term “xu”, meaning vacuity.

THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION
In the general field of alternative medicine today, the notion of a mind-body connection is a prevalent topic of discussion. Magazines run ads for mind-body institutes, doctors write books on mind-body medicine, news reports discuss research on the biochemistry of mind-body interaction, etc. Although this appears to be a holistic approach, the very notion that there is a connection between the mind and the body implies that there is a split in the first place. This is primarily a model of modern western culture. In Chinese medicine, there is literally no language for distinguishing between body and mind. Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of being are viewed on a continuum. They cannot, however, exist separately from one another.

DOING FOODS
I don’t do dairy. I do a lot of chicken and fish. I am not certain when people started “doing” food rather than eating it, but it has happened. It seems to be the logical sequel to “popping” pills. It is always fast, always aggressive, and always physical. It sounds like a sporting event. It’s not. It’s food. Pay attention and “eat” it.

BEANS AND THE DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES
The doctrine of signatures is an old principle which basically states that a substance can be used to treat that which it resembles. The example which will be used in this article is that beans are beneficial to the Kidneys because they look like kidneys. This might seem like a primitive and silly notion at first. However, this concept is at the root of almost all traditional systems of herbal medicine. The traditional uses of herbs are commonly validated by modern, scientific investigation. All that changes is the explanation as to how the herb works. In modern times we ascribe the function of an herb to a set of chemical compounds instead of to its appearance. I am not sure this makes a difference, as the end result is the same.

Beans benefit the Kidneys because they have resonance with them. There is a similar quality of energy which underlies the formation of each and gives rise to a similar structure. Beans are generally high in fiber, protein, and complex carbohydrates. They are, in my opinion, superfoods, and they are terribly overlooked. Beans produce strong, stable energy. They are good for draining excess fluid from the body, and they aid in the body’s ability to utilize protein more efficiently. They are particularly useful for regulating blood sugar levels. The smaller beans typically have more medicinal value. My personal favorites are black eyed peas, aduki beans, black beans, and mung beans.

Chinese medicine utilizes several beans as medicinal herbs. The most commonly used and familiar are mung beans (clear Summer Heat), aduki beans (treat swollen legs), and soybeans (fortify the Spleen).

FRUIT AND WINTER
It is generally believed in Chinese medicine that it is not appropriate to eat much fruit during the winter. Seen from a strictly biochemical perspective, this does not make much sense. But considered from an energetic perspective, it is a simple and logical idea. Most fruits are cooling in nature. They grow during the warm weather, in warm climates, and by nature act to balance the heat of the environment. It is appropriate to eat more fruit in the summer when a cooling effect is needed. Were it not for cold storage, we would not have fruit available in the winter. It is obviously true that our indoor climates are temperature controlled, but our bodies still know what season it is. Many fruit peels, by contrast, have a warming nature. They are often used, appropriately, in cooking and baking. Cooking and baking fruit will act to literally warm it, and therefore balance its cooling nature.

THE PHYSIOLOGY OF FLAVOR
This brief article is really an addendum to the article About Salt. Just as the salty flavor affects the Kidneys and salt metabolism, so does the sweet flavor affect the Spleen (pancreas in biomedicine) and sugar metabolism. The two tastes – salty and sweet – reflect the two basic substances of physiology. Our body contains salts and sugars. This is in contrast to the sour, bitter, and acrid tastes, which have no specific physiological correlation.

Each of the tastes does have correlation, or resonance, with a particular organ. This is according to Chinese five phase theory. Sour, bitter, sweet, acrid, and salty, correlate respectively with the Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lungs, and Kidneys. Strong preferences and cravings, and dislikes and aversions, can reflect imbalance in one or more organ system. This information is used to both diagnose as well as to treat using food and herbs in Chinese medicine.

EXTERIOR RESOLVERS
Exterior resolvers are acrid substances (foods or herbs) which relieve congestion at the surface of the body, expelling externally contracted pathogens such as wind heat and wind cold. The acrid, or pungent taste, moves and disperses. Exterior resolvers move the Qi by activating the Yang Qi of the Kidneys. In doing so, prolonged and inappropriate usage wastes the Jing. The most commonly used and familiar surface reliever is coffee. Even decaffeinated coffee (it should be clear by now that one chemical compound does not explain the entire nature of a substance) acts as a surface reliever, although caffeine itself does this as well. Regular use of coffee wastes the Jing, dries the Blood, and blocks the flow of Liver Qi. Its regular consumption produces more imbalance than any other food item I am aware of.