This year as soon as 1^st November arrived – there was a change in the season brrrrr!

It was like someone had turned on a switch.  Winter had arrived.

We still got the odd day of warmish weather as the season moved from end of autumn to proper winter.  But there is no mistaking the cold damp that seeps into the bones, the nights drawing in and the desire to stay in bed for longer.

The Daoists have long recognised the need to pay attention to the changing of the seasons and so here are 5 Daoist ways to work with the natural changes and help maintain the balance of Yin and Yang this Winter.

1. 1. Invest in a cosy scarf
      According to Chinese Medicine it is important to protect yourself from pernicious influences such as cold and wind.The back of the neck is particularly vulnerable to wind as it can enter through the acupuncture points here.  This is especially important if you’ve done any exercise and you are sweaty.When your pores open up it increases the risk of Wind invasion if you do not wrap up warm. So make sure you have a good scarf and wear it even if you are hot from exercising.
   2. Make sure you have good quality boots (and slippers)
      TCM also warns against the cold damp entering through the feet. It is important to keep the feet warm with socks and shoes when outside.Even inside, beware of cold floors. A pair of cosy slippers will help prevent the body’s heat being leached out and the cold invading through the soles of your feet.If you suffer from poor circulation and cold feet during the winter months try soaking your feet in hot water before bed. In fact it is worth doing this even if your circulation is fine. Soaking the heat in through your feet helps keep your energy high.Winter is related to the water element and organs associated with this in particular are your Kidney and Bladder.  Warming your feet will help nourish your Kidney energy which is sensitive to the cold during this time.

3. 3. Cook up some warming foods
      As winter is a yin time of the year, it’s important to balance the external cold by eating “warming” yang foods to help activate the blood circulation and keep you well.So forget the cold salads and get some hot and warming stews and soups into you.  Add more root vegetables such as parsnips and sweet potatoes, garlic and ginger, and warming herbs such as rosemary as well as spices such as cinnamon in your cooking to boost your body’s yang.For some good Chang Ming Recipes check out our other blog posts or the Chang Ming Cookbook 
   4. Hibernate!
      As the nights draw in you may feel the urge to cosy up in bed and sleep for longer thank usual.  This is perfectly natural!Our ancestors would have lived their lives much more in accordance to the seasons than we do, due to the lack of artificial light.  Go to sleep earlier and rise with the sun.Sleeping earlier and longer in Winter is important to help nourish your yin, as winter is the season to conserve energy and build strength in the prelude to an active Spring.
   5. Stay active
      The best time to do Yang exercise such as the Lishi Hand of the Wind Kung Fu we teach is when the weather is colder.  These arts are wonderful to help condition and strengthen the body, improve and maintain your cardio-vascular system and boost your overall body temperature and resilience to the cold.Doing the Yang Arts will help boost your circulation and increase your body’s core temperature further supporting your lymphatic and immune system in the cold winter months.

CONTENTS

In Lishi we try to observe, live and work with the seasons. We are moving out of the Winter (a Yin introspective period where everything slows down and rests) and into Spring (a time for re-gathering of your ideas and energies).

Spring is characterised by upward movement and expansion a time for activity and creativity.

It’s an ideal time to try something new – or if you have already started Lishi why not try attending a weekend workshop to deepen your knowledge and skills of this ancient art.

Next beginners courses start the first week of June.
Choose from 7 locations across Leeds
Upcoming Weekend Workshop Dates
Come for a weekend of Lishi in Lyon

If you didn’t catch my recent appearance on Made In Leeds TV, you can catch it here

Would you be interested in learning how to create fight scenes for the cameras?

We’re in talks at the moment with a top hollywood stuntman and choreographer about Sunday 10th July as a possible date for a 1 day workshop in Leeds.

It will be suitable for accomplished Lishi practitioners, dancers, actors and martial artists.

You can express your interest in the event by going to the Action and Fight Choreography Workshop page. We will be adding videos and information soon but register your interest and we will contact you with all the details.

During the winter retreats we run in Tenerife each year, we took the opportunity to do some filming. If you’ve not watched the spectaular swordfight on the side of a mountain here’s another chance to see the action! 🙂

I recently found a fab website that’s full of great vegan recipes. Read my blog about it here and see my two latest recipes. Why not join the site and upload some of your own Chang Ming recipes?

Serves 1

Ingredients

3 bunched carrots

2 spring onions

1 clove of garlic

1cm root ginger

3 large Chard leaves ( or equivalent)

2 sticks dried Tofu

50g (20zs) Noodles

300mls (1/2pint) vegetable stock.

Instructions

Break up the tofu sticks and soak for 5 minutes

Peel and chop carrots

Remove stalks from chard and chop

Chop or grate garlic and ginger.

Drain the tofu.

Place in a pan with the carrots, chard stalks, garlic, ginger and stock

Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Chop the chard leaves and spring onions.

Add  to the pan with the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes.

Search my blog for more Chang Ming Recipes that I post regularly or buy The Basic Chang Ming Cookbook from Amazon

The Chang Ming diet goes hand in hand with the Lishi practice.  So here are 5 basic steps to help you follow the

1. Eat lots of veggies and wholegrains – yum!
2. Replace refined sugars with natural sugars
3. Cut out stimulants – byebye -coffees and chocolates – and then bye bye to mood swings, bad nerves and hello better quality of sleep
4. Don’t drink when you eat – wait until after your meal to drink.  This ensures better digestion and that you are not diluting your stomach acids.
5. Eat until you are 80% full – then stop….learn to listen to your body and stop before you are bloated.  It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register the signals from your stomach that you are full.  SO if you eat until you are full, then you are likely to feel too full

Search my blog for Chang Ming Recipes that I post regularly or buy The Basic Chang Ming Cookbook from Amazon

This currently has my number one spot for favourite meals.

At the moment I am 30 weeks pregnant and I my body craves Cabbage and Broccoli! (nope, not a pickled onion or piece of coal in sight!)

This recipe is super quick and easy. Plus once you’ve tried the Tahini and Miso sauce you won’t be able to get enough of it.

Serves: 2 adults / 2 Kids

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Half a head of Brocccoli

2/3 Carrots ( organic if possible, just because they taste so much better)

Half a Green Cabbage

But substitute with any seasonal vegetables that are hanging around in your fridge.

Sauce:

2 tablespoons of Tahini ( Light)

1 generous tablespoon of Brown Rice Miso

1 generous dollop of date syrup

1 dash of tamari

1 dash of toasted sesame oil

2 ladels of vegetable stock / water from the steamed veg

Instructions:

1. Wash and cut the carrots into large chunks
2. Place the carrots into the steamer and start steaming
3. Wash and cut the broccoli into chucky heads
4. Wash and dice the cabbage
5. Place the broccoli and cabbage into the steamer and add as another layer over the carrots. Steam for 5 mins.

While the veg are steaming, make the sauce.

Tahini and Miso Sauce

1. Place 2 heaped tablespoons of Tahini in a pan with a very low heat.
2. Add 1 dollop of date syrup, toasted sesame oil and tamari soya sauce
3. Add 2 ladles of the steamed vegetable water and stir
4. Once the sauce has mixed well, turn off the heat and add 1 tablespoon of brown rice miso and continue to stir in well.

Place the steamed veggies in a bowl and generously dress with the hot sauce and serve.

I try and follow lifestyle guidelines called Chang Ming (Long Life therapy).

This means plenty of seasonal veggies and I’ve also been cutting down on the amount of grains and carbs I’ve been eating lately.

However you can also serve this with a portion of short grain brown rice.  The nutty flavour of the brown rice is also delicious with this sauce.

Bon Appetite! 🙂

Calcium is an essential mineral for the good health of the body, teeth and bones.  I am sick of being told that the only source of calcium is from milk and dairy.

In actual fact calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and also abundant in a number of foods in equal or higher quantities than dairy.  It is estimated that 6 out of 10 people are not able to digest lactose.  Chee Soo describes it as “ cows milk is designed for baby calves not people” (sic)

For example only 33% of calcium from dairy products can be absorbed by the body.  We need around 300-400 mg of calcium a day. Other food sources such as leafy greens, vegetables and seeds are a much better source of absorbable calcium.

Over zelous PR from the dairy industry market calcium as an wonder mineral, however over comsumption of calcium has its problems.  Therefore to be safe it is better to consume calcium through natural food sources rather than supplements and fortified foods.  Natural food sources are the best way to consume calcium as to absorb this mineral, Vitamin D, K and Magnesium is also needed in the body, which are also naturally occurring in food sources.

Here is a quick list of 5 great non dairy alternatives to calcium

• Dark Leafy Greens: e.g. Pak Choi, Broccoli, Cabbage and Kale. In addition they are also a fanastic source of vitamins A, C, E and K and B vitamins.  If you make no other changes to your diet, if you have an extra helping of dark leafy greens, you will see positive results in your body.
• Sesame seeds: there are 90mg of calcium in a teaspoon. But foods such as tahini and halva are rich in sesame and therefore calcium as well as zinc, magnesium, selenium and iron.
• Beans:such as haricot or navy beans are high in calcium, fiber and iron.
• Black Strap Molasses: This is an excellent sweetener for teas and baked goods. High in multiple vitamins and minerals, one tablespoon of this thick, dark molasses will give you 172 mg of your daily calcium needs. Try it in your morning cup of organic tea or coffee.
• Quinoa: this is widely thought to be a grain, but is actually a seed. The delicious light nutty texture contains around 175mg of your daily RDA for calcium, as well as high levels of potassium, magnesium and zinc.

For more information on the Chang Ming Diet buy our Kindle book which includes sixty delicious Chang Ming Recipes