So, what does a naturopath’s shopping list look like? Are white
chocolate Tim Tams at the top or bottom??? Shopping is an emotional experience
and supermarket chains know that. Having a good range of ingredients in your
kitchen makes cooking fun and easy, and since food is our most basic medicine,
this is an important expedition.
I’m going to start with what is never in my cart. Sugar is
number one. The Chinese recognise five flavours to balance in the diet and sweet
is one of them. But they differentiate between
‘empty’ and ‘full’ sweet. ‘Empty’ sweet doesn’t satisfy, it increases
the desire for sweet. For instance, lollies, candy, and pastries. ‘Full’ sweet
is satisfying, like raw almonds, whole grains, legumes and vegetables. In
ancient times, the sweet flavour was
very important, because it nourishes the body and also meant that the food
source was not likely to be a poison, which tends to be bitter. Concentrated
sources of pure carbohydrate, such as honey, were rare and one had to compete
with it to get it. Nowadays it is probably the dominant retail flavour. So,
no biscuits, chocolate, or pastry go in my cart. I like a good quality honey,
one that smells like the flower or tree that it came from. There are all sorts
of sweeteners available nowadays; have
you checked out agave syrup? Goji berries, strawberries, cherries, dates,
prunes and a good variety of raw nuts, fruit and vegetables, pearl barley,
buckwheat, tahini, tofu, tempe and soy milk (Vitasoy is the bomb) – in they go.
Celery and asparagus are favourites because they are high in fibre and cleanse
the bladder. In the sweet category there
are three canned products that I cannot do without – the small cans of coconut
milk, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots.
Bread doesn’t go in
my cart because Australian flour is too high in gluten; I get corn and rice
crackers instead and don’t consume them too regularly. Italian flour is lower
in gluten than our local flour, so in the pasta department I like the chunky Italian imports; a bit more
pricey but heaven on a plate.
The sour flavour is a great inspiration in cooking. Capers,
caper berries, pickled artichokes, lemons, limes, yoghurt, vinegars; life would
be too drab without them. I don’t know what category mayonnaise falls into but
the Norganic brand is not too sweetened and will always be welcome in my cart.
You can guess by my name that there is always a big tin of
Spanish, extra virgin olive oil on my list and I use it for and on everything,
and almost always raw. I fry in water, not oil, with a non-stick pan, and then
douse (not drizzle) my food with it. Try stir frying this way and adding the
oil after – you will never look back! To this end I keep a variety of oils,
such as sesame and macadamia, to add to my cooking.
The other dominant flavour in our modern world is salty.
While sodium and chloride are necessary for life, they are often too high in
our diets. Tamari and Soy sauce are my alternative choice to table salt. Cheeses
fall into this category. Boconcini and ricotta are soft textures to cook with
while parmesan and romano are the hard guys – finely grated and used sparingly.
Lately I’ve been experimenting with ‘beds’. By this I mean a
bed of rice, upon which something is placed. Rather than use grains, such as
rice, as a bed, I’ve gone in for alfalfa
sprouts or finely chopped parsley, basil or mint mixed with chopped walnuts and
chilli sauce – yeah baby!
OK, let’s get serious. Chocolate. Is it on or off the list? If I buy it, I’ll
eat it. So, no; chocolate I defy thee. Get thee hence. You shalt not enter my fridge. Except for
those chocolate orangey things cunningly crafted to look like oranges, and then
only at Christmas when all sense goes out the window!
Written by: Miguel Trapaga
Naturopath Calanna Pharmacy North Cairns
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