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The Hashimoto’s Protocol (2017) – Izabella Wentz
Briana has Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis – the most common form of hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) – and has benefited from author Izabella Wentz’s concepts in this new book. For years, Briana had trouble getting pregnant until we got to the bottom of her thyroid issues. Once we figured that out (in her case, cutting out gluten was critical) she was pregnant within two months. For a variety of reasons, from changes in human diets to exposure to more plastics, thyroid disorders are increasingly common – though, as this book explains, you can do a lot on your own to support healthy thyroid function.
The Spark in the Machine: How the Science of Acupuncture Explains the Mysteries of Western Medicine (2014) – Daniel Keown
Once in a while, a book on science comes out that is thoroughly engaging, even if you’re not an academic. Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything” was one such book and “The Spark in the Machine” is another. All too often, people see Eastern and Western medicine as having mutually exclusive philosophical foundations and no overlap. This book adeptly challenges that idea. It’s funny and fascinating, taking on topics such as how “quantum entanglement” joins the hearts of people in love, and why children can grow new fingertips but adults can’t.
The Blackthorn Key (2015) – Kevin Sands
We’re always looking for impressive or uncommon children’s books to read aloud to our nine year old daughter, and this one was enjoyable for all of us. Although there are some gristly parts (luckily, we’ve gotten good at on-the-fly censorship), the story is great and balanced overall. What’s unique about it is that it revolves around the lives of apothecaries (pharmacists) in London in the 1600s, and makes abundant references to the natural medicines and alchemical processes they utilized. The adventure relies on several alchemical “riddles” an apprentice must solve – utilizing the right chemicals at the right times – to get out of danger and save a secret library. Though it’s recommended for kids in grades four through six, we can think of many adults who would love it.
Love Warrior (2016) – Glennon Doyle Melton
Glennon is a sincere, witty, and emotionally intelligent writer who brings you on a journey of her own life to share wisdom that benefits us all. One of the reasons Briana loved this book was the message of being fully present in the challenges of life so that we don't lose the lesson. These challenges, the author shows, actually help us recognize and bring forth our deepest gifts.
Finally, we’ve both spent more time with our own book –
The Well Life – over the past several months than any other. It’s about creating a life of peace, balance, and happiness, and we use a language of three elements – structure, sweetness, and space – to teach this. We’ve done nearly a hundred interviews since the book came out, and we’re constantly being asked to elaborate on some passage or concept. But even when we’re not referencing it for a radio host, we keep finding ourselves rereading certain parts of it, becoming increasingly clear about what these ideas mean to us. We often have the feeling that we wrote the book as much for ourselves and our own evolution as for others. If this sounds intriguing and you like what you read in our newsletters, check it out.
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Bitterness is a taste most of us try to avoid. Expressions such as “bitter enemies” and “a bitter pill to swallow ” show how averse we are to this flavor. We greatly prefer the other three primary flavors – nearly everything Americans eat is a combination of sweet, salty, and sour. These are sometimes accented with spiciness or “piquancy” and the rich quality known as umami. (Umami is a harder taste experience to describe, but it’s often translated as a “savory” or mushroomy quality, and it is the specific enhancement imparted by MSG.)
Perhaps we dislike bitterness in part because it’s the flavor our taste buds are most sensitive to. Compared to our perception of saltiness, sweetness, and sourness, we can pick up an infinitesimal degree of bitterness in food or drink. This is probably a useful adaptation, since many poisons are bitter. But many medicines are also bitter, and there are certain medicinal qualities that many bitter substances have in common. I believe that consuming moderate amounts of bitter foods is a healthy thing. It also provides a vital balance to our relative overconsumption of the other flavors.
In the ancient healing systems of China and India the therapeutic properties of foods and herbs are thought to derive largely from the flavors they possess. The flavors themselves are considered to be energetic characteristics that affect the body far beyond our perception of them at the tongue. Textbooks of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda will often state that a certain herb has a certain therapeutic action because it has a certain flavor and an affinity for a certain part of the body.
Sweetness, for instance, is seen in TCM as having a nourishing and consolidating effect on our energy. This is why so many comfort foods are sweet, and most naturally sweet foods (like rice and bananas) tend to be easy on the digestion. But by the same token, too much consolidation can have a clogging effect. This makes us pack on the pounds – especially around our bellies – when we eat too much sugar, and it also makes us feel ill the day after Halloween.
Spiciness or pungency, by comparison, has an opening or expansive energy. It promotes movement, gets our blood flowing, warms us up. And it may even open our pores and sinuses – causing us to sweat and feel clearer in the head. Sourness has a moistening and astringent effect. This is why sour drinks often seem even more thirst quenching than water alone.
Bitterness has a descending or draining energy. Bitter herbs often help drain and clear excesses from our system. Many bitter herbs are detoxifying, and they often promote urination or bowel movement. Bitter herbs frequently act on the liver and gallbladder to promote bile production and secretion. Bile is essential for the digestion of fats, including the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Bile also stimulates the bowels and kills some bacteria that may be present in our food. These effects are especially useful after overconsumption of rich foods.
The stomach is understood in Chinese medicine as having a downward directionality. That is, it receives food from the esophagus above, and, after working on it with its gastric juices, should send it down to the intestines. When the stomach isn’t functioning properly, because of illness, overeating, stress, food sensitivity, or eating too fast, the stomach’s contents may fail to descend, or may even go upward instead. When it goes up, it’s called “stomach Qi [energy] counter-flow” or “stomach Qi rebellion.” Examples are acid reflux (heartburn), belching, nausea and vomiting, bloating, hiccups, dizziness, and just plain feeling yucky in the middle and upper body. Because of their descending and draining qualities and their action on bile production/secretion, bitter foods and herbs are often very helpful for these conditions.
There is just a small handful of bitter things an American is likely to encounter. Two of the most common are beer (in which the bitterness comes from hops flowers, which are used to offset the otherwise overly sweet taste of grain malt) and coffee (which we usually de-bitter by adding milk and/or sugar). Unfortunately, these are not the healthiest of bitter medicines, though I do believe they can have some benefits. Nearly all leafy greens have some degree of bitterness, especially arugula, endive (escarole), chicory, and young dandelion greens. These are excellent, though fairly mild, bitter medicines. Coffee (usually as espresso) and salad are often consumed after meals in Europe to stimulate digestion.
Stronger bitter herbs are usually encountered only in preparations made specifically to highlight their bitterness. These are used in alcoholic beverages and as after-meal digestifs. Gentian root is the classic bitter herb. It is used to produce Angostura bitters, originally prescribed for sea sickness and stomach problems, and now an ingredient in several mixed drinks. Herbalists of the European and American naturopathic traditions consider gentian and other bitter herbs to have the ability not just to stimulate gastric activity, but to improve the tone and function of the digestive system.
Rudolf Weiss, a famous German doctor and pioneer in herbal medicine, said of gentian, “A pure bitter (the bitter taste is detectable even at a dilution of 1 part in 20,000). Stimulates gastric secretions and motility and improves tone. It is active as soon as it is absorbed through the mouth’s mucus membranes.” The old school American herbalist, John Christopher, said gentian is “one of the most valuable bitter tonics and best strengtheners of the human system.” He called its effect “invigorating.” When used to invigorate the digestive system (as opposed to promoting digestion after a big meal), a squirt of gentian tincture is typically taken in water 20 to 60 minutes before eating.
Quinine, which comes from cinchona bark (a South American tree), is famous as the first effective treatment for malaria. It’s intensely bitter and it shares some medicinal properties with gentian and other bitters. The bitterness of quinine is the standard to which all other bitter substances are compared.
Quinine is most often encountered in tonic water, which goes very well with a wedge of lime and some good gin. Cinchona (AKA Peruvian bark) has attracted some attention recently because it’s the distant source of the contentious COVID treatment hydroxychloroquine. However, this herb and its derivatives all possess a certain degree of toxicity. The amount of quinine in tonic water is strictly regulated for this reason, and there have been a few unfortunate deaths from over-zealous users of the related substance chloroquine.
Citrus peel is a wonderful bitter agent. It can be used fresh, extracted in alcohol, or dried and aged and taken as a powder or tea. Fruity and floral tones make it more interesting and less of a pure bitter than gentian or quinine. Any citrus peel can be used. Common fruits used for bitters include lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, bitter orange, and grapefruit. A delicious example is the famous Italian limoncello, a liqueur made from Sorrento lemon peel (or whole lemons).
Other common bitters include barberry root bark, goldenseal root, rhubarb root, artichoke leaf, cascarilla bark, wormwood leaf, yarrow flowers, and more. Over 20 years ago, when I was a novice herbalist, I had a friend who had gradually developed nausea, bloating, and a poor appetite. Most foods made her feel worse. At the time, I was focused on barberry and suggested that she might try some. I didn’t speak to her for a while after that, but a few months later she reported, “I love barberry! It fixed me!” She had been taking it as a tea twice a day and not only were her digestive symptoms gone, she also felt strong and vital in way she hadn’t experienced since childhood.
A wide range of aromatic herbs may be combined with bitters to enhance their effect when used to soothe the digestive tract. Mint, anise, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, fennel, ginger, and thyme are some common ones. These bitters and aromatics are available in a vast array of commercial preparations, most of which originate in Europe. However, there has been a resurgence of interest in bitters in the United States, with boutique manufacturers popping up alongside thriving foodie cultures.
Consider broadening your taste horizons, or at least offsetting your sweet, sour, and salty consumption with a bit of bitter. See if you feel lighter than usual after dinner if you have something bitter. Even if your taste buds don’t love it, your body might.
Share with us about your experience with bitter foods and herbs in the comments section.
Be well,
Peter
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Years ago, a woman in her 70s came to see me with a long list of health problems. It seemed there was something wrong with almost every area of her life. As I listened to sound of defeat in her voice as she described the misery she was experiencing, I noticed myself think, “What a mess.” And I realized I was feeling her misery in myself, in my own body.
I also realized I was helping to perpetuate her situation. I know we’re crossing into woo-woo territory here, but hear me out. Built into virtually any longstanding pain or health problem is a secondary factor – one’s resistance to the experience. The resistance can both magnify the issue and cause it to become more firmly anchored in us. And even though she probably wasn’t conscious of it, I was validating that resistance by sending a subtle negative communication: “I resist your problems, too. I’m uncomfortable just imagining what your life is like. And just as you don’t accept this facet of your experience, neither do I.”
At the time I was studying a form of healing called Sat Nam Rasayan which entails the healer entering a meditative state wherein any sense of separation or resistance disappears. As one welcomes all perception, internal and external – thoughts, smells, sounds, feelings, tastes, images, etc. – an experience of equalization occurs. The “quiet” perceptions – a hidden thought, the air moving across one’s skin, a distant scent – come up in volume. And the “loud” perceptions – a prominent thought, a fire engine passing by, a sharp pain, a strongly scented detergent – come down in volume. All things meet in the middle, in an experience of deeply peaceful, neutral oneness, and there, healing happens.
So, when I noticed my resistance to this woman’s story, I relaxed. I accepted all of her and I accepted the feelings that arose in me as she spoke, and all the others in the room, from the sun streaming through the skylight to the ticking of the clock to the feeling of my clothes on my body, plus numerous other smells, thoughts, tastes, and feelings. I allowed it all to equalize into a sort of perceptual flatline, and I experienced a sense of expansion of the space within and around us.
And then she changed.
She stopped talking for a moment, blinked, and took a deep breath. Then her voice had a different, stronger quality to it as she said, “You know, I’m going to get healthy again. Tell me what to do.”
Usually I restrain myself from prescribing a total life overhaul because it’s simply too much for most people to implement at once. And if they dive in and then fail, it may hurt their ability to trust themselves and undermine future efforts toward healthy change. But in this case, I felt daring. I laid out all the things I thought she should change, from diet to sleep to her relationship with her adult children.
Months passed and she didn’t return. I wondered if my treatment didn’t work, or if I pushed her too hard, or if she had died. Hey, sometimes that’s just where your mind goes. Anyway, eventually, I saw her name in the appointment book and I was eager to hear what happened.
It was one of the most dramatic transformations I’ve ever seen in a patient. She was a new woman. Her eyes were clear and sharp, her voice was strong, she sat up straight and looked confident and youthful. I asked her, “Were you able to make any of the changes I recommended?”
“All of them,” she replied.
And that was pretty much that. I saw her a few more times for minor things, but she just didn’t need me. Of course, we can assume that her own actions were instrumental in her healing, but I tell you, everything shifted when I chose to hold her differently.
Since then, I try to avoid mirroring people’s resistance back to them. I feel the angst of their struggle with unwanted experiences and I work to accept the whole individual, allowing their state to equalize into the broader field of my awareness. I can’t say I always succeed at this or that the result is always miraculous when I do. In fact, I’ve found it’s best not to do it for the result. I just do it because there’s no point in resisting. And because I’d rather see people as I believe they really are – not victims of their circumstances, but powerful and perfect, and temporarily confused about who and what they really are.
So, let’s try some more equalization this week. Notice your resistance. Notice others’ resistance. As you perceive it, broaden your perception to include more and more of your total mental and multisensory experience, allowing the field to equalize. Allowing the subtle to come up and the noisy to settle down, everything evening into a still neutrality. Then share your experience here, if you feel like it.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
P.S. If you missed my first article on equalization last week, you can click here to read it.
P.P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about this and other approaches for resolving pain of all kinds, check out my new online course, Live Pain Free.
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The Hashimoto’s Protocol (2017) – Izabella Wentz
Briana has Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis – the most common form of hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) – and has benefited from author Izabella Wentz’s concepts in this new book. For years, Briana had trouble getting pregnant until we got to the bottom of her thyroid issues. Once we figured that out (in her case, cutting out gluten was critical) she was pregnant within two months. For a variety of reasons, from changes in human diets to exposure to more plastics, thyroid disorders are increasingly common – though, as this book explains, you can do a lot on your own to support healthy thyroid function.
The Spark in the Machine: How the Science of Acupuncture Explains the Mysteries of Western Medicine (2014) – Daniel Keown
Once in a while, a book on science comes out that is thoroughly engaging, even if you’re not an academic. Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything” was one such book and “The Spark in the Machine” is another. All too often, people see Eastern and Western medicine as having mutually exclusive philosophical foundations and no overlap. This book adeptly challenges that idea. It’s funny and fascinating, taking on topics such as how “quantum entanglement” joins the hearts of people in love, and why children can grow new fingertips but adults can’t.
The Blackthorn Key (2015) – Kevin Sands
We’re always looking for impressive or uncommon children’s books to read aloud to our nine year old daughter, and this one was enjoyable for all of us. Although there are some gristly parts (luckily, we’ve gotten good at on-the-fly censorship), the story is great and balanced overall. What’s unique about it is that it revolves around the lives of apothecaries (pharmacists) in London in the 1600s, and makes abundant references to the natural medicines and alchemical processes they utilized. The adventure relies on several alchemical “riddles” an apprentice must solve – utilizing the right chemicals at the right times – to get out of danger and save a secret library. Though it’s recommended for kids in grades four through six, we can think of many adults who would love it.
Love Warrior (2016) – Glennon Doyle Melton
Glennon is a sincere, witty, and emotionally intelligent writer who brings you on a journey of her own life to share wisdom that benefits us all. One of the reasons Briana loved this book was the message of being fully present in the challenges of life so that we don't lose the lesson. These challenges, the author shows, actually help us recognize and bring forth our deepest gifts.
Finally, we’ve both spent more time with our own book –
The Well Life – over the past several months than any other. It’s about creating a life of peace, balance, and happiness, and we use a language of three elements – structure, sweetness, and space – to teach this. We’ve done nearly a hundred interviews since the book came out, and we’re constantly being asked to elaborate on some passage or concept. But even when we’re not referencing it for a radio host, we keep finding ourselves rereading certain parts of it, becoming increasingly clear about what these ideas mean to us. We often have the feeling that we wrote the book as much for ourselves and our own evolution as for others. If this sounds intriguing and you like what you read in our newsletters, check it out.
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