Five Flavors Kitchen

Kumquat

Kumquats, January 2010

It's a rental cottage in Belize, a politically oriented folk band, some puppets that "rock Christmas" and a cupcake bakery in Brooklyn (the Kumquat Cupcakery). It's a citrus fruit with an identity problem. This is unfortunate because the kumquat is a great little fruit.

Energetically the kumquat is warming so it is a fruit that you can have with a wind cold condition - a runny nose or a cough where the phlegm is clear rather than thick and yellow. Kumquats help resolve dampness so they're a great snack for dieters. 100 grams of kumquats - about 9 or 10 are only 71 calories and have 6.5 grams of dietary fiber. They also contain vitamin C, potassium, calcium and lutein. For the complete breakdown click here. Kumquats are a sour sweet taste similar to oranges and lemons,  kind of. You eat the whole fruit so  you don't have to deal with any sticky mess.

The sweet and sour flavors combined are great for harmonizing things as the sour flavor stimulates the Liver while the sweet flavor benefits the Spleen. January stresses adversely impacting your digestive flow? Perhaps kumquats are the answer.

The 2010 Kumquat Festival in Dade City Florida is an January 30th. Maybe the folks at the Kumquat Cupcakery can come up with something suitable to celebrate. If you want to check out some kumquat recipes click here. So much citrus so little time. :)

Lemons

Nuff Said, January 2010

Ok We missed National Lemon Cupcake day (December 15th), but I am surprised to discover that there isn't a National Lemon Day or even National Lemon Month. I mean oatmeal has a month and even the "prune breakfast" has one - now in January!

Lemons should always be on hand. They are generally available and pretty inexpensive. Make sure you wash the non-organic ones well as they may have a waxy covering along with whatever else is there. Energetically lemons are on the cooling side and like other citrus have an affinity for the Lung, Spleen and Stomach. Peels of citrus generally regulate Qi and helps treat food stagnation. They help you digest proteins better. Lemons are sour and this taste promotes expectoration and helps open the chest. Lemon in honey is a traditional remedy for colds and cough. Unlike oranges, lemons are not very sugar loaded and so will not generate more dampness and phlegm, which if you're sick you probably have enough of. 

If you read my "Zest" post, you know I'm a citrus peel fan -  like you can even put it in the water of pasta as it's cooking to reduce the amount of salt for those on restricted salt diets. Lemon juice in water before breakfast is a common naturopathic remedy for everything from weight loss to indigestion. The thought is that it helps alkalize the body, thus reducing its inflammatory state. I always wondered about this. How could something acidic reduce acid? Finally someone explained it. The sour taste stimulates the gallbladder to produce bile which then neutralizes acid. By the way, it's a good idea to rinse you mouth after drinking lemon juice so that the acids don't affect tooth enamel.

If you don't use lemons frequently I suggest you freeze some lemon juice in ice cube trays and make a little package of the zest to freeze along with the cubes. If you get a cold you can quickly make a beverage with lemon and mint if you have a "hot" type of cold or lemon and ginger if you have a "cold" cold. Alcoholic additions are best with the "cold" cold if you are considering that.

I will not intone the phrase "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." From a culinary standpoint it's rather limiting and in general it's usually your whole refrigerator that goes, not just the little vegetable drawer. This then requires a whole range of food and drink.

National Citrus Month: The Grapefruit Diet

Diet Aids 2010

Yes, there is a National Citrus Month and we are in it. What better time to to rediscover the "Grapefruit Diet". Actually National Grapefruit Month is in February, but interest in dieting will be waning by then so better to seize the opportunity now.

The Grapefruit Diet originated in the 1930's but became especially popular during the 1970's and various versions still are popular today. The idea is that grapefruit contains a special enzyme that "burns fat". Most nutritionists dispute this, but research into a variety of compounds present in grapefruit has begun to support some weight loss claims via grapefruit's effect on insulin metabolism. Some claim that even the smell of grapefruit can reduce appetite.

The safest and probably simplest version of the diet goes like this and is said to allow a weight loss of 3-4 pounds in 7 days.

Days 1-3 eat 2 grapefruit in the morning or drink 16 oz. of grapefruit juice.

Days 3-7 eat three grapefruit daily (2 in the morning) or drink 3 8 oz. glasses of grapefruit juice.

Dieters are also advised to reduce sodium and not have any fatty foods including fatty meats or fatty fish or have spicy foods. (TCM view here is we don't want to overstimulate the Lung or the Liver/GB.) The last meal should be 7-8 hours before bed and caffeine should be limited to green tea.

Some say that people lose weight because they just get sick of eating grapefruit and just stop eating, but this is not the idea. There are lots of ways of preparing grapefruit including a "Grapefruit Pie" brought to us by  Texascooking.com. The recipe involves marshmallows and Cool Whip. I don't think it would be a good idea for weight loss or in general.  Investigate at your own risk.

From a TCM perspective this diet would benefit someone with accumulations in the Lung and Liver as evidenced by swelling in the front and sides of the tongue or other diagnostic means. It is, perhaps, via this moving mechanism rather than cold that grapefruit reduces inflammation and if we reduce inflammation we reduce the need to get rid of the inflammation via dampness. If we are less damp we lose weight.  If integrated into a balanced diet including other fruits, vegetables, lean protein and low level healthy fats, this version of the diet will not cause any harm. Grapefruit is low in calories, high in fiber and contains potassium, vitamin C and other bioflavonoids. As I said in my last post, though, grapefruit can react with many medications so check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting.

Grapefruit with its affinity for the Lung and the Liver is going to help boost Qi and get it moving - as good a way as any to start things.

(And quick before you miss it and start your diet - today is National Cream Puff Day!)

Grapefruit

Grapefruit, Basil and Orange Zest 

So here we are in January again. After Christmas clearance sales and self improvement articles crowd the media. It is the season of diets and detox. Fruit plays a starring role in many of these programs and one of the most prominent fruits among these is the grapefruit. The grapefruit diet has been around since the '30's (more on that next post) and grapefruit proponents still claim it's magical fat-burning powers on the pages of the Daily News.

The grapefruit is interesting, however. Some give the nature of the fruit as cold, some cool and some slightly warm. Since it does have the function of transforming phlegm I think it's more neutral to slightly warm, especially the peel, so you can eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice if you have a "wind cold" type of cold. A 2004 Scripps study  found that grapefruit may actually help with weight loss, though via an effect on insulin rather than "fat-burning".  It's also important to know that grapefruit interferes with the metabolism of many drugs due to its effect on the metabolism of these substances. Even 4 ounces of grapefruit juice can effect the available amount amount of a drug causing a possible overdose.

For most of us, though, grapefruit makes a great addition to our diet. It has a high water content, dietary fiber and low sugar. A 3.5 oz serving (100 grams) has 33.3 mg of vitamin C and 148 mg of potassium. The red and pink varieties also contain beta-carotene. It has an affinity for the Stomach, Lung and Liver/Gallbladder and is sweet and sour. The peel is also bitter. Besides it's phlegm resolving attributes, grapefruit also helps digestion.

We often think of grapefruit halved by it's lonesome, but grapefruit is a great team player. Try it mixed with fennel, avocado or other fruits. The addition of basil and orange zest boosts the digestive and phlegm resolving properties and is really simple to put together - a perfect combination for January. Happy New Year!