Monday, August 02, 2010

Spicy? Harmonious? Balanced?

We always have a choice what we eat and when we know how it affects us, then we can decide if that is appropriate for our condition. Nothing is categorically "good" or "bad". It just has an energetic effect. For example, we had several spices like curry powder, cardamom, cumin, coriander, and mustard seeds, in the Indian food class.

The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health says, "In a hot, humid climate, spices serve to cool the body, stimulate the mind and nervous system..." So this cooling and stimulating effect could be beneficial for some people since we live in Hawaii, and it's currently summer so that would be even more appropriate. We also talked about how it could create a lively party atmosphere when people eat spicy appetizers.

However, spices may also contribute to excitability, hyperactivity, cooling and weakening effects. A person might get emotionally upset or experience allergies. It all depends on our own particular health condition at the time. If you are feeling nervous already, and spices theoretically contribute to that, becoming mindful and asking yourself, "Self, even though I like this taste, is it going to benefit my current health condition if I eat this right now?" Of course, this is always a personal choice and it's never up to anyone else to say what is right for you or to judge you. Your body will tell you its answer.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Never realized all of this. I like the encouragement to be in tune with your senses and balance our choices. Thank You for this.