Recent Posts

Its Spring time, at last, and short Winter days turn longer and brighter to start a new cycle of life. Spring began 2ist of March actually, if followed  by the Chinese calendar, which is based on energetics and cycles of planetary great movements , as well as the astrological natural, star driven yearly laws of change, that the Gregorian calandar is governed by. However climatic changes in recent years, particularly, has changed our perception of the seasons. Only now can we really see and feel the benefits of Spring time; especially in the garden.Mother nature ensures the treasures in the vegetable garden give rise to our needs physically and emotionally, of the season. Spring time in Chinese medicine is time to nourish the Wood energy, related to muscles and ligaments, digestion and our blood quality...

Creativity, growth, flexibility, change and future vision...yes, quite a menu! Thats Spring time. From the  creative cycle of the Five Elements, in Chinese medicine, the Wood element and Qi (energy) gives rise to all of this. Through our physical body and organs, Wood time is related to the Liver and Gallbladder Organs, and nourishing our relative emotional aspects of these two organs, that of the dynamic forces of anger, driven by frustation...and decision making ...and growth. Yes. Well you know , a baby cries with anger at birth! Big decision. The joy of birth! After Winters hibernation, the seeds of life shoot. In moderation, all aspects of our emotions are vital to life! Wood energy moves us forward into change and growth , and the cleansing of the Liver at this time, gives us a clear future vision, a focus of the new...the eyes very much a reflection of the Liver Qi (energy) and also the Heart Qi; the emotional aspect and expression of the heart, reflected as that of joy. In the garden we have a bountyfull salad life of green sproutings  and salad leaves galore, we grow five varieties; green is th colour of the wood element, and of the Heart Chakra. In the garden we also find beetroot: scientifically noted for lowering high blood pressure.

A study published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension has found that an extract from beetroot juice lowers high blood pressure significantly.

The researchers, from The Barts and The London Medical School in London, found that people with hypertension, who drank about eight ounces of beet juice daily had a decrease in blood pressure of about 10 mm Hg.

The researchers felt that the amount of juice from beetroots consumed contains 0.2g of dietary nitrate - that's about the same amount of nitrate that's found in a large bowl of lettuce or approximately two beets.

After consumption nitrate is converted into nitrite and then to the gas nitric oxide, which then widens blood vessels, aids blood flow and lowers blood pressure.

Lead researcher Amrita Ahluwalia explained:

"Our hope is that increasing one's intake of vegetables with a high dietary nitrate content, such as green leafy vegetables or beetroot, might be a lifestyle approach that one could easily employ to improve cardiovascular health."

http://newsroom.heart.org/news/drinking-cup-of-beetroot-juice-daily-may-help-lower-blood-pressure 

May joy and creativity lie before us!