Lecture 7: Metal Element

Question 1

What season does Metal correspond to? What is the general action of this season?

Answer 1

Autumn/Fall

This is the season of harvest, a time to pull inward and gather together on all levels, a time to store up fuel, food, and warm clothing, to study and plan for the approaching stillness of winter. Everything in nature contracts and moves its essence inward and downward.

Question 2

What should one consider when preparing food for autumn? (Think of characteristics of metal)

Answer 2

To prepare food that reflects the qualities of autumn, we must be aware of its abundant yet contracting nature. The fall is the time to organize the open and perhaps scattered patterns of the previous warmer seasons

Question 3

What are appropriate types of food in terms of flavour for autumn, in general?

Answer 3

Mildly acrid and energetically warm foods:

Question 4

What are strong acrid flavours good for?

Answer 4

For inner cold, shivering, and the beginning of a cold, the strong acrid flavours stimulate qi circulation and rapidly bring defensive energy to the surface.

Question 5

What foods should be used for external dampness? For dryness?

Answer 5

For external dampness, warm, dry foods should be used to support the middle burner and the lungs.

If dryness predominates, moistening foods should be utilized.

Question 6

What foods should be avoided in autumn (or with a metal imbalance)?

Answer 6

Fatty, oily foods, and cool or cold dairy products, which burden the spleen and cause dampness and phlegm disorders (bronchitis, sinusitis), especially during wet weather.

Question 7

What foods can be used to stimulate activity in the body, focus mentally and begin the process of contraction?

Answer 7

Add more sour flavoured foods; Aduki beans, cheese, grapefruit, leeks, lemons, limes, olives, pickles, sourdough bread, sauerkraut, sourdough bread, sour varieties of apples, plums, and grapes, rose hip tea, vinegar, yogurt.

Be cautious with extremely sour foods, because small amounts have a strong effect.

Question 8

What is a good method of cooking to internalize one’s focus?

Answer 8

Cook with less water and lower heat for longer periods of time

Question 9

As fall progresses into winter what should you change about flavour selection?

Answer 9

Choose bitter and salty flavours to move energy strongly inward and downward

Question 10

When a person has a dry condition what organ is it usually related to? What are some likely causes?

Answer 10

Lung

Possible causes:

• Imbalances in diet
• Excessive activity
• Adverse climate
• Organ malfunction

Question 11

Why is it helpful to nourish yin to treat dryness?

Answer 11

A dry condition is frequently a result of inadequate yin fluids in the body, and therefore many of the remedies for nourishing the yin also treat dryness

Question 12

What are some foods that moisten and therefore treat dryness in any season? (Dairy, Fruit, Fungus, Grains, Legumes, Meat, Nuts, Seafood, Sweeteners, Vegetable)

Answer 12

Dairy: Milk and most dairy, Eggs

Fruit: Apple, Loquat, Pear, Persimmon

Fungus: Black and white fungus

Grains: Barley, Millet

Legumes: Soybean products, including tofu, tempeh and soy milk

Meat: Pork

Nuts: Almond, Peanut, Pine nut, Sesame

Seafood: Clam, Crab, Oyster, Mussel, Herring, Seaweed

Sweeteners: Barley Malt, Honey (cooked), Rice Syrup

Vegetable: Spinach

Note: using a little salt in cooking also moistens dryness

Question 13

The Clean Fifteen and the Dirty Dozen are based on what?

Answer 13

The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies that protect global and individual health, produce the Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides in Produce. It is based on the results of 35,200 pesticide tests.

Question 14

What are the Clean Fifteen?

Which two are the best?

Answer 14

asparagus, avocado, banana, broccoli, cabbage, canteloupe, cauliflower, corn, eggplant, grapefruit, kiwi, mango, onion, pineapple, sweet peas (frozen)

Question 15

What are the Dirty Dozen?

Which two are the worst?

Answer 15

apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, grapes (imported), nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes

Question 16

How does non-organic meat stack up in terms of pesticides? Where are the highest concentrations of pesticides found?

Answer 16

It has a much higher concentration of pesticides than all of the fruits and vegetables.

Highest concentration of pesticides in non-organic butter.

Question 17

What is Grapefruit Seed Extract? What is it useful for?

Answer 17

Is an extremely potent natural antibiotic derived primarily from the seeds of grapefruit. It was developed after observing that citrus seeds do not readily decompose in nature from microbial action.

This extract has been found to inhibit members of several classes of microbes and parasites, among them: protozoa, amoebas, bacteria, viruses, and at least thirty different types of fungi, including the candida yeast like fungi.

Question 18

What are the most common internal uses of Grapefruit Seed Extract?

Answer 18

• Allergies including hay fever
• Candida overgrowth
• Diarrhea (take daily while traveling to prevent “traveler’s diarrhea”)
• Flu, Strep throat, Staph infections
• Giardia and most other parasites

Question 19

What are the most common external uses for Grapefruit Seed Extract?

Answer 19

• Athlete’s foot
• Dandruff and other scalp problems
• Ear infections
• Nail fungi
• Nasal and Sinus problems
• Poison oak
• Vaginal Yeast Infections (specific liquified formulaton)

Question 20

How can Grapefruit Seed Extract be used in the home for cleaning?

Answer 20

• Cleaning contaminated surfaces, kitchen utensils and cutting boards
• Sanitizing drinking, bathing, and swimming water of microbes
• Soak produce in water and a few drops to remove parasites and pesticides
• Sterilizing laundry (used this way in hospitals)

Question 21

What are some noteworthy folk remedies for the metal element?

Answer 21

Barley water

Cabbage

Celery

Flaxseed

Horseradish

Olives

Walnut

Question 22

Barley water uses

Answer 22

Eases dry, tickling coughs

Question 23

Cabbage

Answer 23

Juice - gargle for sore throat

Question 24

Celery

Answer 24

Grated, raw and applied as a poultice for swollen glands

Question 25

Flaxseed

Answer 25

tea - for relief of mild constipation

Question 26

Horseradish

Answer 26

Eaten fresh, mixed with a little lemon juice for relief of sinus infections and blocked nasal passages

Question 27

Olives

Answer 27

for relief of constipation

Question 28

Walnut

Answer 28

Oil, as laxative and to relieve discomfort of IBS

Question 29

Noteworthy herbs (Western and Chinese)

Answer 29

Astragalus

Chamomile

Codonopsis

Echinacea root

Thyme

Question 30

What is the Chinese name for Astragalus? What is it good for?

Answer 30

Huang qi

Helps to strengthen the immune system

Question 31

What is chamomile used for (metal element)?

Answer 31

Fevers and teething problems in children, most children’s complaints

Question 32

What is the Chinese name for Codonopsis?

What is it used for?

Answer 32

Dang Shen

Immune system booster

Question 33

Echinacea root uses

Answer 33

Antiseptic, boosts the immune system

Question 34

Thyme uses

Answer 34

Cough with tough phlegm

Whooping cough

Weak tea for nightmares

Question 35

What is Zong Qi? How is it formed?

Answer 35

Also known as pectoral qi, chest qi, gathering qi

The Spleen sends Gu Qi up to the Lungs, where (with the help of Yuan Qi and Kidney Qi) it combines with air and transforms into Zong Qi.

Question 36

What are the functions of Zong Qi?

Answer 36

1. Nourishes the Heart and Lungs and forms the basis for the involuntary functions of heartbeat and respiration.
2. Gathers in the throat and influences speech (which is under control of the Heart) and the strength of voice (under control of Lungs). Strength of Zong Qi can be determined from the health of Heart, Lungs, and from circulation and voice. Weak Zong Qi: Weak voice, weak circulation to hands.
3. Promotes blood circulation. Zong Qi assists the heart’s function of governing the Blood and Blood Vessels. If Zong Qi is weak, the extremities, especially the hands, will be weak or cold.

Question 37

How do Zong Qi and Yuan Qi interact?

Answer 37

Zong Qi and Yuan Qi mutually assist each other.

Zong Qi flows downward to aid the Kidneys.

Yuan Qi flows upward to aid in respiration (and the formation of Zong Qi).

Question 38

What is Yuan Qi?

Answer 38

Yuan Qi is said to be Essence that has been transformed into Qi, or Jing in motion.

Yuan Qi has it’s root in the Kidneys and spread throughout the body by the San Jiao (Triple Burner).

It is the dynamic force and foundation of all the Yin and Yang energies of the body. Yuan Qi, like Prenatal Jing, is hereditary, fixed in quantity, but nourished by Postnatal Jing.

Yuan Qi emerges and stays at the Yuan Source Points.

Question 39

What transformations does Yuan Qi assist with?

Answer 39

Yuan Qi acts as a catalyst to transfrom Gu Qi plus air into Zong Qi.

Yuan Qi helps transform Gu Qi into Blood.

Yuan Qi is also the spark that turns Zong Qi into Zhen Qi.

Question 40

What is Zhen Qi?

Answer 40

True Qi or “Normal Qi” is the final stage in transformation and refinement of Qi. It circulates in the channels and nourishes the organs.

It’s two forms are Wei Qi and Ying Qi.

Question 41

What is Ying Qi? What are it’s functions?

Answer 41

Ying Qi is Nutritive Qi

Ying Qi nourishes the internal organs and the whole body. It is closely related to Blood, and flows with Blood in the vessels as well in the channels.

It is the Qi that is activated by insertion of an acupuncture needle.

Ying Qi spends two hours in each channel, moving through all twelve channels in a twenty four hour period. During these periods, the specific organs are highly nourished and maintained by the Ying Qi.

Question 42

What is Wei Qi? What is it’s primary function? Where does it travel?

Answer 42

This is the bodies defensive qi.

It protects body from EPF’s (wind, cold, damp, heat, summer heat, dryness)

Wei Qi is fast, “slippery” and easily motivated.

Primarily on the Exterior (skin and muscles). Travels both inside and outside the channels. Flows primarily in the superficial layers of the body, especially in the Tendino-Muscular meridians.

Question 43

What are the other functions of Wei Qi? What organ controls Wei Qi?

Answer 43

1. To warm, moisten and aid in nourishing skin and muscles.
2. To adjust opening and closing of pores (thus regulating sweating and regulating the body temperature).

Wei Qi is controlled by the Lungs, which regulates its circulation to the skin. Lungs also disseminate fluids to moisten the skin and muscles. These fluids mix with Wei Qi. (Perspiration function depends on the Lungs ability to circulate Wei Qi and fluids to the exterior).

Question 44

How often does Wei Qi circulate through the body in 24 hours? What is a cardinal symptom of Wei Qi Xu?

Answer 44

Circulates 50 times in 24 hours.

• 25 times during the day in external body
• 25 times at night through internal organs

Wei Qi Deficiency create spontaneous daytime sweating.

Flow from interior to exterior emerges at internal corner of eye which opens eyes and wakes us up in the morning

Question 45

What is Zheng Qi?

Answer 45

Zheng qi is upright qi.

This term is used in reference to pathogenic factors and indicates our bodies resistance to exterior diseases. If it is strong we are able to resist EPF’s

A general term to describe the various forms of Qi that protect the body from exogenous pathogens. Usually only used when contrasting the strength of the body’s Qi with the strength of the invading pathogen.

Question 46

What is Zhong Qi?

Answer 46

Zhong – middle burner, sp/st in reference to prolapse, qi that keeps organs in place (usually sp qi sinking if there is prolapse)

This is the Qi that is derived from food by the Stomach and Spleen (Postnatal Essence). Central Qi is another way to define Stomach and Spleen Qi, i.e., the Qi of the Middle Jiao (the Center). It is often used to describe the pathological condition where the Spleen Qi is deficient and has caused organ prolapse (“Deficiency of Center Qi”).