American Beauty

Studying Chinese medicine in the USA is not a very patriotic activity. In fact, I would say that most of those who choose to study TCM are in some way dissatisfied with American society. Many are frustrated with the materialism and superficiality of life in modern America and have looked outside for solace. A typical TCM student has found his/her way to Eastern philosophy through martial arts, meditation, travel or illness, and at one point decided to deepen their understanding of theory and method by training for a fulfilling and meaningful (if not all that lucrative) career.

Whatever the route, most students feel the US has become an unnatural place, where people have lost their connection to nature and forgotten how to listen to their bodies. Complaints are heard about cars, TV, malls and the other emblems of middle-class America. But possibly the biggest target of scorn is the food American's eat. Too fatty, too salty, too sweet and too many chemicals, there's not much good that can be heard spoken about the American diet in the nation's TCM schools. It even has a telling acronym SAD (Standard American Diet).

Not only is there fervent anti-Americanism at the schools, but the food eaten by foreign cultures is talked about with awe. The Chinese mastered the art of eating in accordance with the seasons, with cool mung bean soup in the heat of summer, and fiery goat skewers in the dead of winter; aromatic spices in the dishes of the humid south, and moistening dairy products in the deserts of the north. The Japanese have turned food combination into an art. Cold tofu is mitigated with shavings of warming ginger, steaks dripping with oil are topped with dispersing grated radish, and you'll never see a plate of cold raw fish without a warming shiso leaf or two (And shiso also treats seafood poisoning. Genius on top of genius!). The Mediterranean diet is balanced to avoid obesity, the poor of Latin America get abundant nourishment from the staples of beans and rice, even hunter-gatherer societies get props for living close to nature. But never is there anything good to say about American food.

I admit that I participated fully in the USA-bashing that went on at school. I also am one who is determined not to let middle-class America kill my soul. But now, a few years out of school, I've started to question the attitudes so prevalent at school. Were we a little too like new converts to a religion? Passionate and hungry, but maybe a little closed minded? I hesitate to speak for or judge others (there's nothing a TCM student hates more than being judged), but speaking for myself, I can answer "yes" to these questions. Living away from the cocoon of school and in the real world, I've begun to see things differently. I don't totally reject my past views, but they have become more nuanced.

As an example of how my views have changed, I'd like to illustrate a perfect gem of dietary balance in the American diet. One that, thinking about it now, I can't believe I missed for so long. But I guess it's true that the hardest things to see are sometimes those right before your eyes. (Or, as my mother would say, "If it was a lion, it would have eaten you.")

The combination of food and drink I wish to discuss is nearly perfect in its theoretical balance when looked at from yin and yang. If you haven't guessed by now, I am talking about coffee and donuts.

Coffee is bitter, acrid and slightly cold. It drains downward, promotes urination and awakens the mind. People who drink too much complain of things such as dehydration, mental agitation, insomnia and depending on coffee to have a bowel movement. In other words, coffee has a downward motion on the middle and lower burners, and an upward motion on the upper burner.

Donuts are sweet and slightly warm. Its abundant carbohydrates provide nourishment to the body, and its sweet flavor soothes stuck liver qi, calming irritation and frustration. People who eat too many may experience issues such as abdominal bloating, listlessness and a fuzzy head. In other words, donuts have a tendency to stay in the middle, keeping digestion from moving downward and the clear yang from ascending to the head.

In combination, these two food substances work in a harmony of mutual restriction that can only be compared to a symphony. I hope I have the words to describe it accurately.

Eating a doughnut, or two or three, can leave one feeling a bit sluggish and tired as the large amount of refined wheat and sugar struggles to be passed through the digestive tract. However, coffee's downward motion can help move this stagnant mass along, keeping the digestive tract moving properly. The donuts do their part by slowing down the coffee, helping to prevent an urgent need to urinate. In combination, coffee provides the downward pull that donuts lack, keeping food and drink moving through the intestines, but not too fast.

Likewise, drinking a cup of coffee, or two or three, can leave one feeling a bit scattered and anxious as the caffeine pushes too much yang up to the head. However, a couple donuts can help keep yang in the middle burner, but still allow enough up to the head to provide that feeling of clarity and alertness. The sweetness of donuts also give the liver a break. A tired, irritated person who drinks coffee will just be an awake, irritated person. Hardly an improvement. However, a tired, irritated person who drinks coffee and eats donuts will be a pleasantly alert person, a vast improvement.

For those who doubt that there could possibly be wisdom in the cuisine of the USA, I will simply point to Mister Donut, a major Japanese chain that celebrated its 40th year in business this year. Obviously the people who combined raw fish and shiso wouldn't adopt a thing if it wasn't in harmony with nature.

I hope my tidbit illustrating my awakening about the genius of the American diet has been interesting, and that it will spur others to take measures to challenge the prevailing attitudes of the group and seek wisdom by first-hand experience.