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A book I recommend: Healing with Whole Foods
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
I often get asked about my favorite health and healing books on
one subject or another and want to start sharing that information on this blog.
You see, I am skilled and capable at many things, however, I am
only officially certified at a few: I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in
East European and Soviet Studies and Russian and I am a certified Dragon's Way
and Breast Health Qigong instructor through the Traditional Chinese Medicine
World Foundation in New York City (I am sure the connection between the two is
obvious to everyone). In addition to the experience that comes from
being the mother of seven children, much of what I know comes from wonderful,
amazing books and the experts who write them.
As a young mother, non-fiction books became 'my thing' when I had
little time for anything but the facts. Through the years, I have become
so passionate about learning everything I could about health and healing that
my daughters, who love fiction, gave me an acclaimed fiction book for Christmas
in hopes of me "expanding my horizon". (I have to confess I have
started reading the book but haven't finished it but I have promised that I
will).
My dream is to go to graduate school to study natural healing. Perhaps when I do, one day I can become such
an expert. Until then, I will continue
reading exceptional books which greatly help me and my family like Paul
Pitchford's book Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions
and Modern Nutrition.
Paul Pitchford provides an excellent reference guide to the theory
and healing power of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM ) with his book Healing with
Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition. Today
we are bombarded with confusing and conflicting information about how and what
to eat. It is difficult to know what the best choices really are. I
like Pitchford’s clear explanations about nutrition from the TCM perspective while simultaneously taking
into consideration the modern nutritional model. He explains how our bodies
became imbalanced eating certain foods and how they can
become re-balanced once again by eating in a thoughtful, balanced
way.
I find the sections which focus on specific foods particularly
helpful. For example, knowing that celery has a cooling thermal nature is
helpful to the stomach, spleen & pancreas, calms an aggravated liver, helps
with eye inflammation, burning urine, blood in the urine, acne and canker sores
is extremely beneficial to those suffering with these conditions (p.
539). Celery is inexpensive and easily accessible at any grocery
store. No prescription required. The recipes and food preparation
tips are a welcome bonus. Food is often our most helpful ‘medicine’ and
most powerful healer. This is something we must not forget. I highly
recommend this book!
