The topic of causality is, in my opinion, the number one most important issue in medicine. People ask more questions about it, spend more time stuck on it, and know the least about it, than any other issue I can think of. There are three concepts that need to be discussed – causality, mechanism, and interpretation.

By all rights, following the Five Element model of Chinese medicine, this issue of Resonance should deal with the Earth element. Since is not going to, I wish to say something about Earth and then use the information to rationalize my decision to deal with Earth at a later date.

It is unclear historically when the Five Element theory arose, but it does appear in the literature by about 500 BC. Initially, the Five Element theory (the term Five Agent theory is technically more correct, but Five Element has become more popular and familiar and so I use it here) was simply a grouping. Phenomena were grouped into five categories, with no relationship between items within a group or between the groups discussed. And, as is typically Chinese, there were many variations of these groupings. In the Huang Di nei jing su wen (Huang Di’s Inner Classic, Basic Questions; see Disposition in this same issue), there are 26 chapters which discuss 50 types of such groups. It is also historically unclear why in the company of groupings of three, four, and six, five survived and became the most prevalent. From an internal perspective of Chinese medicine, there is more clarity on this issue.

The practice of ascribing writings or teachings to mythological figures is a common Asian practice, and one worth saying something about. In my own studies of Chinese literature, I have noticed three patterns. One is the crediting of a body of knowledge to a mythological figure, which lived in some time before recorded or even actual history. The second is the crediting of a particular book to another respected person or teacher, who lived either around the same time or prior to the current author or authors. The third is the referencing of one’s own work to the teachings of another historical or even current person of high regard and stature. It appears to me that these have been a progression over time of the same tendencies.

Disposition - A natural or acquired habit or characteristic tendency in a person or thing.

The first thing I learned in school regarding herbal medicine had to do with the structure of the Shen Nong Ben Cao, the Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica. Written sometime around 150 AD, it is one of the oldest herbal medicine books in existence, and is the locus classicus for Chinese herbal medicine. The book is not organized by disease, or by complex theories. It is simply divided into three sections, according to the actions of the herbs, literally translated as Superior Class, Middle Class, and Inferior Class. They were taught to me as Destiny, Disposition, and Disease.

There is no such thing as a side-effect. Any medicinal, be it an herb, a pharmaceutical, a vitamin, a food, etc., has only a set of actions, or effects. Side-effects are just those effects we do not like, but there is nothing “side” about them. We discuss this in Chinese medicine as indications and contra- indications. If something about an herb is contra- indicated for a particular person, either it cannot be used or the formula in which it is given must be modified to account for this. Administering medicine that causes harm is poor medical treatment, and is prohibited in Chinese medicine.

The number one most important thing you can do to benefit your Lungs is to breathe. Most people breathe very shallowly, with little attention given to the process. Practicing proper breathing can have more health benefits than any other exercise you can perform. The following instructions are for abdominal breathing.

This exercise takes 5 minutes to perform. You should do it at least once per day, preferably in the morning before breakfast. If you have time, it can be done at night before bed also. This exercise causes the diaphragm to drop down, opening up the space in the chest. This allows more room for the heart and lungs to work. It increases oxygenation of the blood, acting to produce aerobic respiration and stimulate the metabolism. Moving the diaphragm massages the stomach, pancreas, liver, and large and small intestines. This increases peristalsis and improves elimination. In addition, the abdominal walls are stretched and exercised, providing increased flexibility and tone. Abdominal breathing also quiets the mind.

Sit comfortably on a chair in a quiet space. Your feet are flat on the floor, hands resting on your thighs, eyes closed and mouth closed with the tip of your tongue touching the roof of your mouth. Breathe gently in and out through your nose. Your breath should be slow, even, and not forced. Rather than breathing shallowly and having your chest expand, allow the breath to sink to the lower abdomen and expand your belly. When you breathe in your belly goes out, when you breathe out your belly goes in. The chest moves only slightly. With practice this motion becomes easy and comfortable. Practice for 5 minutes. Focus on your breathing, and try to allow any thoughts or distractions to just come and go.

It is a statement of fact in Chinese medicine that “too much sweet injures the Spleen.” With the holiday season coming soon, there are gong to be a lot of injured Spleens around. Chinese medicine is concerned primarily with the sweet flavor itself, regardless of the source. Even too much fruit can damage the Spleen.

Quality does matter, however. Eating sweets and desserts made from whole, unrefined foods can make a tremendous difference in the impact on the body. I personally escaped a sweet tooth for most of my life, until my wife decided to explore baking simply because it was an area she was not familiar with. There is one cookbook that stands out for good quality, whole foods baking – Simple Treats by Ellen Abraham. If you plan to do any baking at all this fall, I highly recommend this book. The recipes are more than just acceptable for natural foods baking. They are delicious, far better than any other baked goods I have ever had. All of the recipes use no refined flour, no refined sugar, no dairy, no eggs, no wheat, and are relatively low in fat. All of the things people believe you need to bake – you don’t need. You can also order some items directly from the website www.simpletreats.com. Ellen and her sister Jill run a bakery in Vermont, and will send freshly baked goods right to you. The recipe is used with permission from Ellen.

In case anyone decides to try any of the chocolate recipes in Simple Treats, or in any other recipe for that matter, I recommend trying WonderCocoa. Although it is not organic, it is caffeine free and is a very good product. It is available from The Mail Order Catalog for Healthy Eating. This is a catalog everyone should have. They publish (through their own company the Book Publishing Company) and carry a great selection of vegan cookbooks, including Simple Treats, as well as other foods and kitchen items.

I can remember 20 years ago when the word biotechnology was first coming into usage. One of the country’s first biotech centers was being built on my college campus, and no one really knew what was to come from it. Now we just skip the euphemism and call it what it is – genetic engineering.

With the escape of unapproved genetically modified rice into the environment, concerns regarding the future of our food supply have escalated. No matter what else we do, if we do not have good food available to us, we are not going to be well. Therefore, I have decided to list the website for the Organic Consumers Association. Their Organic Bytes newsletter is a good resource for keeping informed about some of the current issues relating to food production, including genetic engineering, pesticides, organic standards, and factory farming. They run a number of campaigns that you can participate in as well. There are many organizations that provide similar services, but this is one of my favorites for quick highlights on a variety of topics.