Green tea too yin?

Hello
I have been Macrobiotic for about eleven months now. I really enjoy drinking five to six cups (Japanese size cups - 20 oz.) through out the day. I feel as though between meals, I take on more of a yin composition. I have difficulty staying focused. Could I possibly make my meals more yang to counter the effect of green tea? Maybe with useage of more sea salt? Any help would be much appreciated.
Thank You
Dak

[Klara]

Try putting a drop of shoyu in your tea.

Klara

Thanks

[Bruce Paine]

Or you could try switching to Bancha Twig tea and that would be a bit more yang to counterbalance all that liquid, Dak.

As you eat a more balanced macrobiotic diet, over time, you should require less quantities of supplemental beverages,

Does that help?

Thank you, very much.

Be well.

Bruce Paine

[lobbleton]

Thank you Bruce.
My account as dakonishi was no longer active. I had to start this new one as lob.

I was wondering if you happen get the pm I sent you.
For about a year since I've changed what I eat. I was going about this completely wrong. I only ate vegetables raw. I would boil rice and beans, but only for about 15 to 20 minutes on an electric stove. I did not pre-soak them either. I did, however, practice chewing enough to get the consistency of the food water-like. Needless to say this has been a very tough year. As a result, I have opted to invest in a portable butane stove and a pressure cooker. I was wondering what liter size might suit me best for use on a Iwatani Cassette-Feu 35FW. Do you think the burner might not be powerful enough for the 7 liter model?
Thanks again. I truly appreciate your time and advice.

Sincerely
lob

[Klara]

Hi Lob,

Seven Liters???????

How many people are you cooking for????

Don't remember which book I read it in, but person claimed he was eating everything right and just couldn't figure out why he wasn't getting better. Then it was discovered he was making a huge batch of soup to last him all week.

Huge mistake.

I believe 1/2 cup of rice is enough to make for one meal for one person, (tho that might have been 1/3 cup, not sure) so if you want to make for several meals, 1 1/2 is plenty. Not advisable to make too much and then eat leftovers. Fresh is always better. I have a two and a half liter pc that's perfect for me - I can cook up to 3 cups of rice, and I've never had a reason to cook more than that amount.

And beans I make even less of - so no need for bigger pc. I have a bigger pot that I use for cooking pasta but that's not a pc.

But if you're looking to have guests, let me know :>)

Klara

[lobbleton]

Hello Klara,

I am just cooking for myself. The only problem is that I work about 50 hours a week. I am rarely home. How long would you suggest I keep containered grain in the refrigerator?
Also at work, the only choice I have is to use a microwave or eat cold. What would you say my best option is?
Your guidance is much appreciated.

Sincerely,
lob

[Klara]

Lob,

All the power to you for everything you do that's on the right path!!!!

Let me start by saying everyone learns mb at different rates - I'm sure your work situation has a strong effect, but also there are other influences, like good teachers close by that can constantly guide you, your motivation, other things that you've tried, etc.

My answer to you may be just a drop in the bucket, and you may or may not be ready for it. Transitions are different for everyone!!!!

As far as the food for work - rice with an umeboshi pit in it can keep, so you can eat as is at room temperature, you don't have to worry about warming it up, or make into sushi or rice balls - but having said that, still be careful not to eat what smells spoiled. Is it hot where you are? I took some rice balls to the desert the other day and it didn't work for more than a few hours - by night time they were off. It was very hard for me to throw away such good (well, was good) food - so I also am learning to cook smaller amounts so that I don't get tempted to eat old food, which I will do if it's around.

Ideally, vegetables should be eaten as close to be cooked as possible, and preferably to have fresh each day (realistically, different for everyone - I've been "practicing" (which is what it's all about) mb for over 11 years and just recently have gotten to the stage where I hardly ever eat my vegetables from a previous day, but that's still not 100%). Grains can last a little longer, two days is ok, three maybe but just realize you are losing alot of food energy as the food gets older. Beans also can be two to three days. Be careful if either the beans or the rice have vegetables in them, that can affect their lasting power.

Miso soup preferably only cook enough to eat at that sitting (also just in the last few years I've actually measured my soup, cooking only one to one and a half cups of water, rather than filling up a pot and eating the soup all day long!)

Some goals take a longer time to get to so do NOT be discouraged, take it with baby steps - unless of course you have a serious condition, in which case get some support any way you can!!!!! to make the road easier and quicker.

Any way you can work less? if it makes keeping this way of life difficult

otoh, as you do it (cook macrobiotically) more, you'll get more and more efficient and it will become easier.

the best of luck to you

Klara

[lobbleton]

Thank you Klara from your help and encouragement.
When you say 1/2 cup for one meal. Is that 1/2 cup dry or cooked?

I did just get a new tea kettle and it is stainless steel but in the bottom encapsulated by the stainless steel is aluminum. Do you think this may effect the heat transfers? Should I opt for a cast iron kettle?

BTW, I live in San Diego, CA, USA and it has been quite hot lately.
Thanks again for your time and consideration.

[Klara]

Hi again,

Re-reading your response to me, I'm thinking 1/3 cup sounds more reasonable, but be flexible - I have no idea what your condition is, or how active you are or any of the other factors that counselors look at when they make their recommendations - in any case, that's UNCOOKED. Also, sometimes when I cook a bigger amount, some of it is sometimes used for dessert, like in rice pudding.

As far as my knowledge of aluminum, it's pretty frowned upon by the health world, but my thoughts are is it inside touching the food, or outside of the kettle. Different materials are also categorized in yin/yang ways so when you understand that, you take that into consideration - one way is not always a good way, depends again on lots of factors. So stainless steel is more yin than cast iron, so would be a better choice for the summer. Glass also is more conducive to summer weather.

Also as you eat more and more mb foods, you may find that you don't need to drink as much as you used to. Go by how thirsty you feel, not by any rules that you may have heard.

I get the image of San Diego as a great place to find other mb people. Have you tried? I remember ages ago reading some article in Macrobiotics Today and remember the author was from San Diego - it's always wonderful to learn by being with other people also practicing this way of life.

Klara

[lobbleton]

Hey Klara,

Thank you for your response. I am in very good health. I can see a great difference in my well being when I do not eat processed foods.
I am about 6'4" and very skinny. Sometimes I feel like a 1/2 cup is not enough. At dinner, I go for about 3/4 of a cup.
This may seem like an elementery question but when people say 90% rice 10% beans, thats weight not volume, correct?

The kettle is complete stainless stain. The aluminum is in the center surrounded by stainless stain. So the aluminum would not touch the water or the cooking surface.

[Bruce Paine]

Oy vey, lobbleton!

Have a cup or two of tea, if you want!

Mid-summer is approaching and it is hot outside!

If you are thirsty, drink!

I use a borosilicate infuser glass teapot to make my tea.

For instance you have the:

Catamount Glass infuser teapots out of Vermont

and then you have


Janaer Glas infuser teapots made in Germany

Read about teas including kukicha.

Thank you, very much.

Be well.

Bruce Paine

[Klara]

Hey Lob,

How's it going???

I apologize I hadn't answered your last post - I was starting to feel that there were so many qualifications, that if I gave you an answer that was too conplicated that that might have been worse than no answer.

The bottom line ALWAYS is how are you feeling? If something seems off in your life, then look at your food and play detective. If your "knowledge" of mb at this point in your path seems too limited, find someone close to you (I meant physically close, but it can also be someone who knows you well), who can help you probe - there are so many many factors to look at. I think what the books write is just a beginning (besides, as you read more books or talk to many counselors, you might see conflicting info). Balancing is an act that is forever, because life is always changing.

So having prefaced all that, yes I believe weight, which is why there's so much more vegetables on the plate as veggies usually weigh less. But where are you getting 90% grains??? That is usually ONLY for a very restricted rice diet, which is only for certain circumstances, and only for a limited time (usually not more than 10 days) - I do hope you're eating plenty of freshly cooked organic vegetables, including leafy greens!!!!

btw, do you also enjoy the beach which is nearby??? I used to go to school in Santa Barbara and was totally in love with walking on the beach first thing in the morning, before there were any other footprints..

Klara

[lobbleton]

Hi Klara,

I am feeling a lot better. I believe my meals may have been to yin for me. I have added 3-4 oz. of fish to my lunches and have stopped drinking green tea for a while. I feel much more coherent.

And yes the beach is right around the corner. I have taken this week off and spent about six hours at the beach yesterday. I got very sunburnt but it felt great to be in the sun. Thank you for your response.

Sincerely,
lob

[Bruce Paine]

Lob,

I also lived in both Santa Barbara (Isla Vista area 1963-65, Isla Vista 1968-1970) and San Diego (North Park 1985-1986).

Look up Mina Dobic, a macrobiotic teacher and counselor, there.

Attend her classes and hook up with the S.D. macro community.

Many macrobiotic people eat fish for dinner once or twice a week.

Be careful that you don't get too yang!

Many people who get too yang become attracted to very yin things like drugs, alcohol, sugar, etc.

It becomes more difficult to balance when one is doing extrme yin and yang.

Thank you, very much.

Be well.

Bruce Paine