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Saturday, June 2, 2012

If You've Got the Poison...

re • me • dy
(noun)  Middle English remedie.  The process by which a concoction of grated daikon radish becomes a bout of self-induced diarrhea.

When I began this lifestyle, I thought there was no WAY vegetables could have as powerful an effect on the body as prescription medication.

I had time to think about the potential holes in my logic after one too many Carrot-Daikon remedies.  There is remarkable clarity to be found in the bathroom at four in the morning.

My face is wrapped in a washcloth soaked in hot ginger water.
Beneath the cloth is a thick paste of grated fresh lotus root.
This is the scariest image you'll ever see on my blog.
There are several traditional Japanese and Chinese remedies regularly used in the macrobiotic diet and practice.  Some of them are external, like the Lotus Root Plaster (see haunting image to your right).

Others, like Carrot-Daikon Drink and Ume Sho Kuzu, are taken internally at specific times of day.  I do not recommend taking these remedies without the guidance of someone who knows what they're talking about, like a macrobiotic counselor, acupuncturist, or herbalist.  They can have a profound impact on the body, especially when taken over the course of a few weeks.

That being said, here is my quick and dirty guide to remedies.  If you have been told that you need them, this is how I'd do it...

Lotus Root Plaster

- 1 fresh lotus root, cleaned and dried
- 1 tbsp flour (whole wheat pastry or rice flour)
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger root (if your condition is sensitive, omit)
- Washcloth

Grate lotus root with fine metal or ceramic circle grater until it forms a smooth paste.
Add flour and juice from fresh ginger and mix with hands.
Put on ugly jammies.  This will jack up your good jammies.
Before bed, apply 1/2 inch-thick layer of paste on sinuses, chest, and swollen glands.  Wrap face in gauze or washcloth with air holes, and prepare to lay very, very still.


In the morning, remove what's left of the paste from your skin with a good, hot shower, and prepare for your eyes, nose, and lungs to start discharging infection.  This means that you need to start carrying tissue.


Follow up with another night of lotus root plaster or at the very least, body scrubs.


In the morning I'd recommend changing your sheets.  When this stuff falls off your face, it doesn't look good.


Carrot Daikon Drink
- 1 cup grated fresh carrot (fine grater)
- 1 cup grated fresh daikon (fresh grater)
- 1 1/2 cup water
- Dash shoyu/tamari
-1" square nori seaweed


I like to make this in the morning before breakfast.  Do not eat 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after Carrot Daikon Drink unless instructed to do so by your counselor.


Grate your carrots and daikon on your fine grater.  If using a ceramic circle grater, rotate your arm in the same direction.  This is a helpful meditation and keeps consistent energy in your dish.


Combine all ingredients in a small pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for ten minutes.  Drink while hot, and eat all the solid ingredients.  This makes a good amount of remedy, so don't try to finish it yourself if it doesn't feel natural.


The one thing I miss the most about the Kushi Institute is making remedies at night with my fellow cooks.  I can't tell you guys how cool it is to simmer black soybeans at midnight with a bunch of close friends.

It's the little things in life...

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