It’s a deep question: Why is food medicine? Food is sunlight; it is water and earth in condensed form. The sun, the moon, all the planets and stars—the elements of the universe come together to create food. So in the very highest sense, food is pure Universal medicine. We’re just not taught to look at it this way, from a spiritual perspective. Every food or herb that appears on this planet exists for a specific purpose. They grow from a tiny seed to the fullest peak of their energy. You can say that at this point they have fulfilled their destiny. They are ready and capable of transferring the message of Universal love to anyone who eats them. Chinese Barley Salad. Photo Courtesy of Nan Lu. We can connect to the spirit or essence of food because we come from the same source: Nature. In our genetic code, we all have the memory—passed to us through many, many generations—of how to use the foods and herbs in Nature to nourish our bodies and keep them healthy. Our bodies are so intelligent. They have the wisdom to recognize and process the loving energy of foods and apply them for healing purposes. Quantum physics confirms what Chinese medicine has known for millennia—everything is connected. There is an underlying inherent unity in this reality and being separate is an illusion. At this invisible level, our bodies know the unique language of food. And the energy or consciousness of food can help stimulate the memory of our own healing ability that lies within everyone’s body. Throughout time, this is the relationship humans have built up with natural foods and herbs. For thousands of years, Chinese medicine has used this special energy connection for healing by prescribing food as medicine. It has long understood that the spiritual aspect of food—the true healing “ingredient”—goes far beyond physical properties like nutrients, calories and vitamins. Each food has an energy essence that travels to and through specific meridians, or energy pathways in the body, to heal particular organs. Through their incredibly deep connection to Nature and high level of personal practice, ancient practitioners were able to perceive exactly how each food and herb moves in the body and “see” just how each one affects the body, mind and spirit. To give one simple example, watermelon, a popular summertime fruit in the West, has been used for very specific healing purposes in Chinese medicine for millennia. It has a cold essence that enters the Liver*, Heart, Bladder, and Stomach meridians, relieving thirst and decreasing internal heat. Watermelon also releases toxins from the body and is very beneficial in the treatment of diabetes, kidney infections, liver disease, and heart conditions, including high blood pressure. So you can see that it has capabilities that extend way beyond being just a refreshing fruit! Chinese medicine classifies two categories of healing foods: one includes foods that are typically part of our everyday diet: vegetables like broccoli, celery and carrots; fruits such as apples, pineapples and pears. The other category includes foods and herbs that are not eaten on a regular basis and are prescribed in certain amounts, often for specific periods of time: ginseng, goji berries and germinated or malted barley (sometimes called “Chinese barley”) are examples of these kinds of foods. © Stanislaff | Stock Free Images &Dreamstime Stock Photos One major principle of Chinese medicine is that we are part of the universe and always connected to Nature. The healing power within Nature is available to us as a great gift to use during our lives here on Earth. Its energy and changes impact us, as we impact it. If we are so deeply connected to this unlimited power source, why can’t we always make full use of this tremendous healing potential? Why do we get sick? How do we become overweight? The truth is that to get support from the universe our bodies must be in balance and function well; all the organs must work together in harmony. When things function in harmony there is a continual, unconscious exchange between them. This automatic energy transfer happens naturally within our bodies and between our body-mind-spirit and Nature. So if we want to maximize the healing potential within food, and be truly healthy, we must first be in a state of balance and harmony. We need to be open and able to receive from our side of this miraculous connection. From the Chinese medicine perspective, without a strong digestive system, no matter what you eat you will not be able to receive the maximum benefit. In other words, you will not be able to extract and then process even the physical nutrients needed for healing. And when Chinese medicine speaks about the digestive system, it means several organ systems that must work in harmony. The Stomach processes foods, and its partner organ, the Spleen, extracts the nutritive essence and sends it to the Lung, which in turn sends the essence to all the other organs. Many organs are involved in digestion and they themselves also depend on good digestion to gain the right amount of energy to function properly. If one organ is weak or out of balance, the entire process can become impaired. The organs are that interdependent in terms of function. How do we fall out of balance and harmony to begin with? The answer lies within each person who asks themselves this question. And the answer is always accessible—if you believe you can find it. Faith and perseverance also help find it. Many people have heard the expression, “You are what you eat.” This statement about food is true, yet there is another level operating that many people are unaware of: “You are what you think.” Sometimes we feed ourselves a steady diet of negative thoughts and emotions which we then associate with our body, our mind or spirit. It’s important to know that our thoughts feed our spirit; our emotions impact our body and health. We can ask ourselves how we really want to feel. And we can create what we want in our lives. Chinese medicine has many natural, safe and effective modalities that can address issues of the body, mind and spirit. Healing programs like Traditional Chinese Medicine’s long-running Dragon’s Way® Program teaches people how to apply in their daily lives ancient principles of Chinese medicine and natural law, to approach food from a spiritual perspective, and to use self-healing systems like Qigong to build energy, lose weight, manage stress and balance the body so that the body-mind-spirit connection can deepen. If we look at food from the spiritual point of view there is no need to force anything, to feel guilty about what we eat, to deny or ignore the important messages our bodies are trying to send us through symptoms or dis-ease. This approach to food changes our relationship to food— and to ourselves. We can use this kind of thinking as a special technique to gain maximum support from the universe for our own healing journey. Eating this way—eating for healing—creates many benefits, especially on the body-mind-spirit level. Food is medicine because it is Light, and ultimately comes from the source of all and the source of all true healing. * In Chinese medicine, when the names of organs are capitalized, they denote a broader definition of the organ, one that goes beyond solely physical characteristics to include spiritual, emotional and mental aspects. Nan Lu Nan Lu, OMD, LAc, is the founding director of TCM World Foundation and its sister organization, Tao of Healing, both based in New York City. He is clinical associate professor at the School of Social Welfare, State University of New York at Stony Brook. Dr. Lu holds a doctorate from Hubei College of TCM, China, and is a Lac. In New York State. Classically and university trained, he is a master herbalist as well as an internationally recognized Taiji expert and Qigong master, and is a best-selling author of three TCM books published by Harper Collins. Dr. Lu’s specialties include women’s health, cancer and immune system disorders and he frequently partners with doctors of Western medicine using a complementary approach. He advises and lectures extensively on TCM, preventive and integrative medicine and has been an invited speaker at major conferences, (www.tcmworld.org; www.tcmconference.org; www.breastcancer.com).

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Malaysia, November 4, 2011 Ingredients Filling (combined) 100g durian flesh 30g whipping cream Pinch of salt 1 tbsp icing sugar Dough 200g high protein flour 40g plain flour 10g custard powder 4g instant yeast 30g castor sugar 1/8 tsp salt 1 egg, lightly beaten 20g butter 130ml lukewarm water 1 tbsp UHT milk Method Put sifted flours, sugar, salt and yeast in a mixing bowl. Add egg, lukewarm water, milk and butter. Beat over low speed until a soft and smooth dough is formed. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave to rest for 45 minutes or until the dough has doubled in bulk. Divide dough into small, equal portions. Put a teaspoon of durian filling in each portion and wrap up neatly. Shape into small balls and place in paper cups. Arrange the prepared doughnuts on a cup cake baking tray. Cover with cling film, wrap and leave aside to proof until doubled in size. Using a pair of sharp scissors, snip the surface to create a durian thorn effect. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush the surface with a little milk immediately.

By Chef Foo Hai May Kuali, The Star Malaysia, September 7, 2011 Ingredients 1kg tapioca (cassava) 200g sugar 400g thick coconut milk 50g water 3g salt Method Peel tapioca, split and remove the fibrous core in the middle (do remember to remove as it will cause bitterness in your kuih). Finely grate the tapioca. Squeeze off the juice from the grated tapioca as it will cause the texture to be slightly dense and wet. Combine grated tapioca, sugar, coconut milk, water and salt into a saucepan and cook over low heat until it thickens. Then pour into greased 8in square cake pan and bake in a preheated 200 degrees Celcius oven for about 40 -45 minutes until golden brown. Cool thoroughly before cutting into slices. Read also: Mad about kuehs Kueh Talam recipe Kueh Lapis recipe

By Amy Beh Kuali, The Star, ANN Malaysia, September 17, 2011 Fried Otak-Otak Rolls recipe Preparation time: About 1 hour Cook less than half hour Ingredients 220g fish fillet, minced 70g shelled prawns, minced 1 tsp rice flour 2 kadok leaves, chopped 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced 1 egg Salt and pepper to taste Pinch of sugar or to taste 1 piece beancurd skin Spices 3 shallots 2 slices ginger 3 slices galangal 1 stalk lemon grass, finely sliced 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1 tbsp chilli powder Method Combine spices in a food processor. Blend to a fine paste. Remove and add in the egg. Stir in minced fish and prawns to mix. Add kadok leaves and kaffir lime leaves. Adjust with salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Mix in rice flour. Place beancurd skin on a tabletop. Spread the combined fish paste mixture on the beancurd skin. Roll up tightly to resemble a popiah roll. Using a sharp knife, cut the otak-otak roll into 1.5cm-thick slices. Hold on to the cut slices firmly and slowly place into medium-hot oil. Deep-fry until golden brown. Dish out and serve at once.

By Chef Foo Hai May Kuali, The Star Malaysia, October 6, 2011 Ingredients Pandan Sponge 5 egg yolks 40g sugar 60g water 60g melted butter/corn oil 1 tbsp concentrated pandan extract 1-2 drops green colouring 100g super fine flour 5 egg whites 100g sugar Pandan Coconut Filling 400g milk 400g water 150g sugar 3g salt 10g agar-agar powder 300g coconut milk 70g custard Powder 1 1/2 tbsp concentrated pandan extract 1-2 drops green colouring Method Grease 9in round mould with melted butter or corn oil and line the bottom with grease-proof paper. Combine the yolks, sugar, water, melted butter/corn oil, pandan extract, green colouring and flour in a bowl. Mix until the batter is smooth. In another clean mixing bowl, whisk the whites and 100g of sugar until medium peak. Fold the whites into the pandan batter and mix well. Do not over-mix as this will make the volume of the sponge to drop. Pour the light batter into the greased mould and bake at 180 degrees Celcius for 30 minutes. As for the Pandan Coconut Filling, combine milk, water, sugar, salt and agar-agar powder in a saucepan and bring to boil. In a separate bowl, dissolve the custard powder in the coconut milk. Stir in the coconut custard mix into the boiling milk and continue to cook till mixture boils and thickens. Add in the pandan extract and colouring last. Stir well and set aside. To assemble the cake, cut the pandan sponge into three horizontal layers. Place the first layer of sponge into a10in cake ring/ springfoam pan. Pour 1/3 of the pandan coconut filling onto the sponge and smoothen it. Top with the second layer of sponge and spread another half of the remaining filling. Top up with the last piece of sponge, spread and finish of the balance of the filling. Cool it down and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours to allow the custard to set thoroughly. Unmould, garnish as you wish. (You may also cover the side of the cake with whipped topping and coat with desiccated coconut). The cake is ready to be cut and served.

Homemade kaya recipe By Amy Beh Kuali, The Star Malaysia, October 3, 2011 Ingredients 3 eggs 2 egg yolks 150g castor sugar 250ml thick coconut milk, from grated white of 2 coconuts 3?4 screwpine leaves (pandan leaves), knotted Method Break eggs into a mixing bowl. Add in egg yolks and beat by hand until yolks and whites are well blended. Add sugar and keep on stirring continuously to dissolve the sugar. Slowly add thick coconut milk and continue to beat until sugar is fully dissolved and coconut milk is well blended. Strain mixture into a heatproof container. Place container into a double-boiler. Add screwpine leaves to the mixture and steam over gently boiling water, stirring with a wooden spoon for approximately 40-50 minutes non-stop or until mixture turns into a thick custard mixture. Discard the screwpine leaves.  The mixture should now be golden brown. If not, fry one or two tablespoons sugar separately and stir in the caramel. Add this to the kaya to achieve the golden colour. Cool, then bottle the kaya in jam jars.