(Episode 34) Welcoming Food with Andrew Sterman (Part 2 of 2)

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—how has this conversation shifted your perspective on simplifying food?

In the second part of our interview with Andrew Sterman, we delve deeper into how to cultivate health through Classical Chinese Dietary Therapy. 

Everything we consume is not necessarily absorbed or digested by our body so regardless of how healthy we’re eating, if our digestive system or overall health is suffering, we may never reap the nutritional value offered by the healthy food we consume.

Cold food and drinks, for example, can inhibit the Stomach’s ability to digest properly according to Chinese Medicine and is said to insult the Lungs and Stomach.
A simple switch to warm and appropriately cooked food can lead to better digestive health and improved energy levels.

Andrew believes providing tools along with sharing his teachings are the best way to guide people to make healthier choices. In the two volume series of his books Welcoming Food, Andrew Sterman provides a foundation on nutrition—which is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of health. Andrew Sterman hopes one’s intuition will eventually guide them towards healthier and more nutritious food. 

Diet as Medicine and Simplifying Food

Diet is medicine. We’ve all heard this before but what does that really entail?

Andrew Sterman suggests we look at the larger picture that often reveals a pattern of habits that accumulate with the potential to affect our health. With diet, we understand one slice of cake or a bowl of ice cream is not damaging unless you’re suffering from a health condition such as diabetes or otherwise.

When food is consumed often enough, it can potentially become medicinal and influence our health—for better or worse. This is what we need to keep in mind. If we want to support healing, we have to address and identify patterns and habits in our diet that can have a negative impact on our wellbeing. 

While food shortage and inequity in the access of food are prevalent around the world and should be rightfully acknowledged, affluent countries on the other hand have turned food into an entertainment industry with extravagant flavors and nuances emerging everyday to keep up with the demand. Andrew Sterman emphasizes that this is not necessary and simplification should be favored over overshadowing unnatural and indigestible food. When the ingredients are good, you would be surprised to learn how dramatically flavors are enhanced. 

We have to eat meals that we can personally digest or what Andrew Sterman calls clear meals. Meals should be prepared in a way that acknowledges the changes we experience in our lives and the diversity that exists in our digestive health. What may feel like a good meal to one individual may not feel like a good meal to another. 

Generally, Andrew Sterman recommends reconsidering how we think about food. For those who are healthy, for instance, switching fructose based sweets to maltose is a much healthier option for the liver. It soothes digestion and is traditionally used in Chinese Medicine.

Andrew Sterman asks that you also reconsider recipes, especially baking recipes that often call for two or more cups of sugar. Instead of completely eliminating foods that  you enjoy, look at ways to cut down the sugar and substitute it with healthier and delicious alternatives that balance your meal rather well. For instance, instead of using the two  cups of granulated sugar listed in the recipe, use one cup of barley malt and honey that expands the taste dimensions of the food and also nourishes your body. 

Sterman shares a wealth of knowledge in the two volumes of Welcoming Food, where he explains the energetics of food and also shares delicious and wholesome recipes.

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—how has this conversation shifted your perspective on simplifying food?

References:

Andrew Sterman’s website: https://www.andrewsterman.com/

Loved this episode?

Please subscribe and consider rating & reviewing our podcast on Apple Podcasts. Five star reviews help us reach & support more listeners like you. You can also follow us on Spotify to be the first to hear about new & bonus episodes!

(Episode 33) Welcoming Food with Andrew Sterman (Part 1 of 2)

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—which insight most provoked your interest from our conversation? 

About Andrew Sterman

Andrew Sterman is the author of Welcoming Food: Diet as Medicine for Home Cooks and Other Healers (Classical Wellness Press, 2020).  Book 1 explains Food Energetics and Healing from a Chinese medicine perspective, and book 2 is Recipes and Kitchen Practice, with each recipe decoded for energetics and strategy.  Based in New York City, Andrew works with clients in person and over video in the areas of dietary therapy, medical Qi Gong and meditation, and writes a regular column for the Golden Flower Chinese Herbs newsletter.  His inviting and intimate style of online teachings have a growing international popularity, drawing together home cooking, dietary therapy, healing through Qi Gong, meditation, and the idea that complex teachings can be made simple and put to use by everyone.  

Andrew first entered Chinese Medicine through Qi Gong and Tai chi in 1988. He began studying the healing potential of food at the same time by enrolling at the Natural Gourmet Cookery School. Seeking to deepen his understanding of food energetics, Andrew began formal study of Chinese herbal medicine, diagnostics, medical theory, and dietary therapy with Master Jeffrey Yuen in 2001.

Andrew’s parallel career as a professional musician enables him to travel extensively and learn from chefs of many cultures, further inspiring him to discover unique ways to incorporate food and healing into daily cooking routines.

At home, Andrew cooks for his wife, author and acupuncturist Ann Cecil-Sterman, and their two children.


Chinese Medicine and Dietetics 

Andrew Sterman found music at an early age, which has since remained an important part of his life as he continues to practice music professionally, but considers music a form of healing art as well—most recently helping artists navigate their health issues through Chinese Medicine.

In addition to training extensively in music, Andrew Sterman has been cultivating resources offered by Chinese Medicine in his formal studies and relaying them to his clients and also integrating them into his books by offering simple and manageable ways to incorporate healthy habits using Chinese Medicine. 

As a student of the 88th generation Daoist Master Dr. Jeffrey Yuen, Andrew Sterman looks for ways to extend the teachings of Dr. Yuen to his clients in an accessible way without belittling the vast and complex teachings of Chinese Medicine, especially regarding nutrition.

As an author whose work focuses on Food Energetics, Andrew Sterman says there is an overwhelming amount of force keeping us from changing our dietary practices for the better, often finding ourselves stuck in the same place without a clear understanding of how to move forward.

Sterman’s approach with clients struggling with health issues or those looking to embrace healthy eating includes keeping goals realistic in order to achieve progress, and encouraging clients to get creative when finding places to meditate or taking it slow when reducing sugar in their diet.

Since everything around us is constantly changing, Sterman emphasizes that we should embrace conscious evolution, where we take part in changes happening to us and those around us.

With diet being an important aspect of our health, a change in diet and healthy lifestyle may feel uncomfortable at first but it has a beautiful way of transforming how we think about nourishment and health.

Andrew Sterman also notices that he often introduces his clients to more food rather than placing restrictions on what they can eat. The misconception that healthy food is not tasty or very restrictive can also keep us from building a better relationship with food which often has the power to transform our health. 

Even those following a healthy diet and lifestyle can find themselves suffering from debilitating health conditions and Andrew Sterman often finds that a shift in perspective often helps ease or eliminate the suffering altogether. For example, Sterman encourages those consuming a lot of raw foods like salads and smoothies to instead cook and consume warm foods.

With balanced meals that incorporate western nutrient content while protecting digestion, Andrew Sterman has successfully helped clients struggling to conceive to those suffering from fatigue and digestive issues. 

Since food and diet are very personal, people can’t follow a single diet or regimen all the time. As we change, so should our diet. Although working with professionals specializing in nutrition from a Chinese Medicine perspective is ideal, a simple change you can start making today is avoiding cold foods and nourishing your body with warm soups and stews instead. 

Stay tuned for the second part of our interview with Andrew Sterman where we continue discussing self-healing with Chinese Medicine dietetics. 

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—which insight most provoked your interest from our conversation? 

References:

Andrew Sterman’s website: https://www.andrewsterman.com/

Loved this episode?

Please subscribe and consider rating & reviewing our podcast on Apple Podcasts. Five star reviews help us reach & support more listeners like you. You can also follow us on Spotify to be the first to hear about new & bonus episodes!

(Episode 28) Sexual Healing as a Path to Longevity with Dr. Willow Brown

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. & Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

Our guest today is Dr. Willow Brown, an internationally recognized teacher of Daoist sexologist and doctor of Chinese Medicine, who specializes in endocrinology. Her offerings provide a profound understanding of what it means to engage in sacred sexuality and live a sensual life. Dr. Brown has studied the human body and its correspondence with nature for the last two decades. Her style is a blend of many modalities—such as yoga, Qi Gong, acupuncture and cranio-sacral therapy.

Dr. Brown is also an international speaker and author. She has coached thousands of women, men and couples in creating a powerful connection, potent intimacy and prevailing unconditional love. It is her heartfelt desire to serve humanity out of shame, guilt and self-doubt that leads those in pain to her doorsteps. 

Dr. Brown’s path to the healing arts began after gaining a sense of self-empowerment that followed a deeply traumatic event she experienced as a teenager. She felt the need to reform sexual education after realizing the ambiguity and gap in sex knowledge prevalent around her.

After attending acupuncture school, she started teaching Daoist sexology to her patients and students. Dr. Brown learned a great deal about Jing Qi or sexual energy during her six month trip around Asia. Since Jing Qi was not covered in depth in her acupuncture school training, she expanded her knowledge on the topic by consulting books and using her own experience and intuition as a guide. 

The Ancient Wisdom Approach

Dr. Brown calls her treatment framework the Ancient Wisdom Approach, which is based on the four phases of the moon cycle and how they relate to the five Chinese elements (Fire, Wood, Metal, Earth and Water). 

Dr. Brown elaborates that every living being on Earth has a moon cycle as their water contents are being influenced by the moon’s gravitational pull.

The four phases of the moon cycle also relate to the seasons and as women menstruate, they experience fluctuations since the moon exerts its energy on us. It’s a lot of energy to navigate in a short amount of time but when we understand the Chinese elements as they relate to our physiology and the four phases of the moon cycle, we can learn to schedule and manage our life (including sex) much better. Dr. Brown believes the Ancient Wisdom Approach gives people—especially women in their fertile years—a lifeline so when they’re overwhelmed, a structured system exists to help guide them.

It is perfectly normal if a woman’s menstrual cycle doesn’t follow the moon cycle — you can still follow the transition of the seasons and tune into yourself and listen closely to your body and understand its natural rhythms. 

Becoming Sexually Empowered

Dr. Brown’s approach to treating people experiencing difficulty with hormonal changes—whether it’s menopause, perimenopause, postmenopause or andropause—is to trace the root of the problem and really understand if the adrenal glands are being nourished or depleted on a regular basis.

Once the endocrinological aspects of hormones are addressed— either through Chinese medicine, acupuncture, nutrition or just learning about the changes—our sexuality in turn will be much healthier and supported. 

Menopausal syndrome, for instance, is very common in high-stress societies and some of the most common symptoms are often attributed to being “normal”, when in fact they are not. Our essence, or Jing, is compromised when we’re constantly stressed and depleted so it’s crucial to slow down and tune into our body in order to allow it to come back to equilibrium. 

Sexual trauma is also an ever-growing problem in the world and it can have both physical and mental effects. Dr. Brown says it’s not uncommon for patients with past sexual trauma to come in with debilitating diseases, especially conditions that involve the reproductive system. 

Since our genes or curriculum are programmed during the gestational period, trauma can hinder our lower chakra, directly affecting our curriculum and keeping us from unfolding our destined life or keeping us from living a fulfilled life. 

What is Sexual Health & a Technique to Improve It

Sexual health is knowing what brings the most pleasure to you and allowing yourself to explore your natural sexual desires. When sexual health is neglected or out of balance, other realms of your life can suffer. A common problem is low libido. 

Since we’re all products of sexual energy, lack of libido can have a profoundly negative impact on our lives. When the underlying trauma or unexplored aspect of our lives are addressed properly, Dr. Brown finds that people often expand in more ways than they realize. 

Dr. Brown shares a simple but powerful practice that can improve our sexual health called Turtle Breathing. Turtle Breathing lays the foundation for all Daoist sexual practices and it can also tonify your adrenal glands. You can practice turtle breathing while standing or sitting.

Imagine you have a turtle shell on your lower back and as you inhale, you’ll push that imaginary shell toward the space behind you and as you exhale, allow the shell to come back toward your spine. In the beginning, you may find your abdomen more engaged but this will subside as you practice turtle breathing often.

Dr. Brown guides you through the turtle breathing practice at 50:39 of the podcast. 

Sexual energy or orgasmic energy can also be drawn in with a mindful practice like turtle breathing, improving your intimacy and sexual health!

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—on a scale of 1 to 10, how are you in relationship with your sexuality? What is inhibiting you from being at a 10?

References:

Dr. Willow Brown’s website: https://drwillowbrown.com/

Loved this episode?

Please subscribe and consider rating & reviewing our podcast on Apple Podcasts. Five star reviews help us reach & support more listeners like you. You can also follow us on Spotify to be the first to hear about new & bonus episodes!