Metal Lung - Metal Fillings

Hello to you,

Welcome to August! Can you believe its back-to-school season already? Autumn brings the harvest of crops, shorter days, and the preparation for winter. Although we’re not yet quite in fall, I want to discuss Metal (lungs and large intestine), the last of the elements in our series of the 5 Elements. The Metal element and its supporting planet Venus, starts its cycle in the fall. From rough ore to dazzling gemstones, it symbolizes the process of refinement and its resulting products. A word to describe the metal person is: Minimalist. They are organized, clean, and contained. They may intuitively know that in this season it is time to make sure everything pure and necessary is used, and anything wasteful is eliminated.  Most metal is strong, and these personality types can be too! They can also be controlling, ambitious, determined, forceful, persistent, and set in their way. Self-reliant, they prefer to handle their problems on their own. The negative emotion associated with metal is grief, while the positive emotion is courage. Think about it, when we’re sad and in grief, we hang/slouch on our lungs so heavily we can hardly breathe. The opposite would be we’re in our power/courage- the chest pops out and hands are in the air. Think of that feeling you have when crossing the finish line or dancing like nobody’s watching! You might try a breathing meditation for the health of your lungs.

In keeping the Large Intestine healthy, it’s important to know that diet has an important effect.  Excessive consumption of cold and raw food (salads, fruits, ice cream and iced beverages) can cause Interior Cold (diarrhea, loose stools), while excessive greasy and hot foods can cause Damp-Heat in Large Intestine (foul gas and loose stool with burning). In the lineage of Chinese medicine and Ayurveda the body prefers cooked warm foods like porridge/congee, stews etc. to promote good digestion and elimination. Even cooked fruits are better: apple sauce, pies, tarts, crumbles and crisps.

Photo by Ryan Matthew Smith: Root Vegetables, from Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking (2011)

Foods for fall: brown rice for increased energy and stronger digestion. Navy beans, almonds, and pears support the lungs and eliminate phlegm. Mustard greens increase energy circulation and clear chest congestion. Root vegetables, whole grains and hearty food help clean out the intestines. Celery, apricot, banana, asparagus, and broccoli are all good, too.Fall spices include cinnamon, mint, rosemary, cloves, fennel, anise, dill, basil, and nutmeg. Add to your menu: tofu, rice, raw onions, garlic, radish, turnip, kohlrabi, scallions, and horseradish. These Metal foods promote energy/qi circulation and balance the inward, contracting nature of Metal. 

 Author Janice MacKenzie writes, in her bookDiscovering the Five Elements:  One Day at a Time(Wind Palace Publishing, 2002) “For example, both air and metal energies concern mental and spiritual activities, including the workings of the mind, the 
intellect and communication.” 

The process of writing about the elements has really helped me to see more of who I am, I hope it has been helpful for you, too! Making an effort to gain a bit more balance with the elements in your body can give big rewards in health and vitality.  So go ahead, go elemental!
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Speaking of metal, the metal mercury isn’t a good thing to have in your mouth! If you’ve been thinking about mercury amalgam fillings removal, Santa Barbara dentist, Dr. Cynthia Copeland is skilled at safe removal of toxic fillings.

Mercury Fillings video (click button below)

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