By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
We are still in July and still on the theme “Kumain ng wasto at maging aktibo- Push natin ito!”. We are still on the first part of the theme “kumain ng wasto.” We started discussing this on the first Sunday of July. If you have been reading this column since we started about 10 years ago, you would have noticed that a lot of the topics are about food. And still we are discussing it now. And it is a favorite topic- food, I mean. And eating the most popular pastime nowadays. And still there’s a lot of confusing information on what is “kumain ng wasto.” What is proper eating? What is a balanced diet? Do we count the calories? Do we eat go, grow and glow? Or is there another way to categorize food? So here we go.
Let us backtrack a bit so we get a better picture of what is “kumain ng wasto”. In the first Sunday of July, we discussed the importance of eating unpolished rice. It is our main food (aka staple food) and if you ask how eat right, the first step is to eat unpolished rice. In the second Sunday of July, we discussed the importance of eating from the root to the fruit. Obviously, this refers to vegetables, as animals don’t have roots. And by fruit, we mean fruit vegetables. Please don’t confuse this with tree fruits. (Geez, we often get confused because of the terms or the language that we use.) What we mean is that aside from unpolished rice, we need to eat vegetables. Vegetables are also another staple food. But we need to eat the whole plant- not only sayote, mind you, as this is a fruit vegetable. If you eat the leaves as well then you have two organs that are nourished. In the analysis of ancient wise men, the different parts of the plant nourish the different parts of the body. Did you notice that the different parts of the plant come in a variety of shapes? Well, ancient scientists have discerned that the shape of the plant part gives a clue as to what organ of the body it nourishes. Please refer to last week’s issue for the details. So if we eat the whole plant everyday, then our whole body-mind-spirit is well nourished because our food is balanced. Next question. What are these whole plants?
Sa dami ng binigay ni Lord na plants, especially in these present times, how will we decide which plants to eat? Well, our God, by whatever name you call him, loves us so much that He also designed that our environment provide for our needs. So to further guide us what to choose from what nature gives us, eat five colors and five tastes. The five colors are green, red, yellow, black and white. These colors work in harmony with the five tastes.
The five tastes are: salty (or saltiness), sour, bitter, sweet and pungent/hot. Each taste has a corresponding color and the season when it is predominant. And each nourishes specific organs.
The five colors are blue (or greenish), red, yellow, white (or pale) and black (or dark). And the seasons are spring, summer, late summer, autumn and winter. We adapt the seasons to our tropical climate.
Let us start with SOUR taste. This is associated with spring and the color blue or greenish. Sour tasting food contracts or shrinks and gives quickening energy. It nourishes the liver and gallbladder. Safeng, bakkay, calamansi , lemon, organic vinegar are sour tastes.
BITTER taste is associated with summer and the color red or orange. It stimulates the heart and small intestine. We have ampalaya, masaprola leaves, dandelion, etc.
A SWEET taste corresponds with late summer and examples are whole grains like unpolished rice and millet, round vegetables like onions and squash. Yellow is the color. “Natural sweetness is a nourishing energy. It relaxes and centers the whole body, though it is especially soothing to the spleen, stomach and pancreas.” (Aveline Kushi, Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking).
PUNGENT or hot/spicy taste is correlated to autumn and the color white. It gives hot, dispersing energy, stimulating circulation and is beneficial to the lungs and large intestines. Examples are ginger, radish, peppers, lemon grass and scallions.
SALTY taste corresponds with wintertime and the color black. It is good for strengthening the kidneys and bladder. Examples are sea vegetables, miso, tengba, and beans.
So there you are, five colors and five tastes. Let us NOT solely rely on our taste to guide our food choices. Let us rely on our God who created the seasons and the variety of shapes, colors and tastes. God is an artist, too! Be careful with what the factory is providing because these usually tamper with nature so that all you have is cabbage and patatas, artificial colors and sweetened everything. By the way, do you realize that God provided more plants than animals? Well, science has shown that these various plants contain all the nutrients we need to live and be happy. Yes, everything! Science has also shown that the various parts of the plant contain nutrients in varying amounts, also that these varying nutrients or components give certain colors and tastes. But do wait for the laboratory to tell us what these are? I don’t know about you but I don’t need the laboratory to tell me. Because our gadgets are not that sophisticated to tell us everything that plants contain. You must have noticed that more and more nutrients are being identified by human science as the years go by, meaning human science is still discovering these wonders in nature. We just need to trust God that He knows what is best for us so He provided everything we need in nature in due season. May we all eat right and be well.***
“Keep on doing what is right, and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you.” 1Peter 4:19**
