”Jack Sprat could eat no fat / His wife could eat no lean / And so betwixt the two of them / They licked the platter clean!”
Many of us have been eating more home cooked meals during the Holiday Season than we do during our regular workday schedule. Chances are there are lots of leftovers! And why is it that some foods seem to taste even better the next day? Well, they may taste better but in Ayurveda, the holistic medicine from India, leftovers are frowned upon because they lose their nutritional value and prana (life force energy). They are also said to create ama, a toxic byproduct which prevents food from being digested properly, clogs the channels of the body and contributes to many diseases. If your tongue coating is very thick first thing on a morning, your joints are stiff, you are constipated, or experience weight gain, then ama may be the cause of the problem. If you do have leftover food and can’t bear to throw it away, why not find a friend or neighbor to join you? Otherwise try and eat it at the next meal at the latest.
Although you might not want to get rid of any food you have so carefully prepared, do you feel the same way about the bits you cut off and discard? Probably not. TCM doctors say that the wasted parts of many vegetables and fruits, such as the seeds, roots, skins and stems, often have the most nutrition and recommend using the food in its complete form whenever possible. The parts that are normally thrown away can help adjust imbalances in the body. According to the theory of yin and yang, neither one nor the other energy is independent, and all foods contain both. It is the part that we eat that makes it predominantly yin or yang. If the food is eaten in its complete form however, it can help prevent a change of energy in the body and maintain balance, while eating parts separately is recommended for healing certain diseases. For example, ginger is yang in energy and promotes sweating; ginger peel is yin in energy and helps stop sweating. Eggs have a ”yin” white which strengthens energy and clears the mind; the ”yang” yolk helps nourish blood and calm nerves. Celery is known to reduce high blood pressure, but the root is much more beneficial than the leaves or stem.
If you do choose to make better use of carrot tops and the broccoli leaves and stalk next time you cook, remember to always buy organic!