Too much of a “muchness” is how my grandmother described things that were both excessive and decadent. Thanksgiving and the lazy days that follow qualify. Traditional Chinese Medicine defines health as a balance of yin and yang and the resulting free flow of chi. So we must beware of situations (feasts) that throw our systems off-kilter. These events allow pathologies, replete in nature, to set in and hinder our chi dynamic–frequently already under pressure given the stressors that may materialize this time of year. My advice is to abandon the diet of leftover stuffing, slivers of pie, and dollops of whipped cream as quickly as possible and return to foods that nurture and build chi rather than run roughshod over it. Think soups and stews and broth-based things.
I dredged up foods from my refrigerator–having not yet mustered the energy or appetite for another round of grocery shopping. It is a simple mix of roast vegetables, hearty greens, and a splash of homemade chicken stock. The dark-colored broth comes from the fact that I burnt the vegetables slightly while roasting–an unintended but delicious twist.
Frances Boswell is a licensed acupuncturist at her practice, Qi Sera Sera Acupuncture, in New York City. She focuses on a lesser-known branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which identifies poor diet as a common cause of disease. Traditional Chinese Medicine understands that the importance of food goes beyond ingredients' vitamins, mineral, nutrient and caloric content—food has its own energetic and spiritual role in our health. Frances' aim is to teach this ancient wisdom, apply it to everyday cooking, and work with patients to modify their diets, in addition to acupuncture, to help them live, eat, and be well. Contact Frances here.
From: eila | 12/1/11 at 10:13 am
love this post. while i loved our feast, this must explain why i was drawn to make homemade stock and two soups this week.
From: Angela | 12/1/11 at 2:31 pm
I loved this post also. It really makes sense and I would love to learn more about Chinese medicine. I think there's so much to be said for it.
Thank you for the post!
From: Karen Morse | 12/1/11 at 9:56 pm
Isn't it amazing what we can come up with by making the most of what remains in the fridge? This reminds me of another soup recipe that I discovered last year on Whole Living using vegetables & a rind from parmesean cheese instead of tossing it.
From: Peter Viviani | 12/7/11 at 1:54 pm
Missed thanksgiving this year as I've moved to an eco village in costa rica (http://ow.ly/7MOYG). We had an amazing healthy meal here, however, I still wonder what a full feast does for the soul as part of me really missed over eating and passing out on the couch afterwards. haha. maybe the grass is just always greener