My new rice cooker

After 32 years cooking my brown rice in a stainless steel pot, I finally bought myself a rice cooker.
As I did not want a cooker with aluminium interior, I bought the Supor Elegant 50YC9 ( Supor is a French brand from the SEB group, the cooker is made in China), and this cooker has a ceramic interior.

It was on promotion for 1.990 thb and has a position for brown rice.
It has positions for rice, brown rice, congee, soup and steaming.

12th International Macrobiotic Summer Conference in Europe

12th International Macrobiotic
Summer Conference
including the Art of Life School Level I, II, III and IV
July 24 - August 5 2011.

For more information, please click here.

Cashewnaise

Image via WikipediaHere another delicious recipe to replace mayonnaise.

Cashewnaise:
1 cup cashews , soaked for 2 hours and drained
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/4 cup of sesame oil
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste
2 teaspoons of (brown) mustard
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process to a creamy consistency. If necessary, you can add some water, but not too much.
Store in refrigerator for up to a week.

Personal & Global Predictions for 2011 and 21th Century Including the 81 Year Cycle

January 28 - 30, 2011

2011 – Metal 7 Year
Whereas 2010 (a Soil 8 year) brought many, often drastic, changes in social, economic and financial areas, and on the personal level as well, 2011 (a Metal 7 year) will bring more pleasant influences with new friendships and personal fulfillment. 2011 is not a year for a leap in the dark, but will be an excellent time for achieving better health and putting energy into personal relationships. Persons born in a Soil 5, Metal 6, Soil 2 or Tree 4 year will experience more lightness and the potential to flourish. Persons born in a Tree 3, Soil 8 or Fire 9 year will be able to strengthen their energy. Water 1 persons will experience a strong desire to drastically change their life. For Metal 7 persons it is advisable to stay put, in order to go through potentially hectic times in a harmonious way.

Your Personal Predictions:
In 2011, each of us will move into a different 9-Star position. Discover exactly what influences the new year will bring to you – including which plans are likely to succeed, and which actions to avoid. Learn the most promising months for your relations, your health, travel, finances and career. This seminar will help prepare you on many levels for the year to come. A special class will be conducted on 9 Star Ki in a broader scope: the cycle of 81 years from 1955 till 2036.

Program

Friday January 28	17.00 – 18.00	Arrival and Registration
	18.00 – 19.00	Dinner
	19.30 – 21.00	Lecture – Introduction to Nine Star Ki Astrology
Saturday January 29	08.00 – 09.00	Do – in exercises
	09.00 – 09.30	Breakfast
	10.00 – 12.30	Lecture – Nine Star Ki in Relations
	12.30 – 13.30	Lunch
	14.30 – 18.00	Lecture – Personal Predictions 2011
	18.00 – 19.30	Dinner
Sunday January 30	08.00 – 09.00	Do – in exercises
	09.00 – 09.30	Breakfast
	10.00 – 12.30	Lecture – Global and Personal Predictions 2011
	12.30 – 13.30	Lunch
	14.00 – 17.30	Lecture – Global Predictions before and after 2036 ( 81 year cycle)

January 28 - 30, 2011
Friday 17.00h till Sunday 17.00h 
Place: The Kushi Institute of Europe, Amsterdam

Cost
€275 per weekend, 2nd person 20% discount
In combination with 2 or more of the 3 fascinating study weekends 20% discount.
Prices include classes, study material, warm macrobiotic meals, accommodation (limited) in 2-3 person bedroom. Your registration is final after receiving your non refundable down payment of Euro 50
Classes are English spoken

Registration 
Your registration is final after receiving your registration form and non refundable down payment of 50 Euro.

Refunds
In case of cancellation more than 2 weeks prior to a course, full refund is granted except for the non-refundable down payment. Less than two weeks prior to a course or if interrupting a course, no refund is possible.

The 9 Star Ki Chinese Astrology weekend is 1 of the 3 Fascinating Study Weekends with Adelbert and Wieke Nelissen.
Please, click here for the information on other weekend:

 The 5 Transformations – Compas for Every Day Life
April 22 - 25, 2011

 The Way to Health, Vitality & Strength– The Healing Power of Food
April 1 - 3, 2011

Each additional weekend you take will receive a 20% discount for you as well as a second person.

The Organ Clock

Every one of our 12 organs have a two hour peek period during the day, a period when just that organ is most active.
In "Healing with Whole foods", Paul Pitchford advises the correct time for eating, depending if you are a 3 meals, 2 meals or even a 1 meal-a-day person.
If the energy in an organ is out of balance, symptoms will be more noticeable during the organ's two-hour period e.g. if you regularly wake up around 2 am, blame your liver.
Organs who are 12 hours "away" from each other, influences each other too, so if the first has a lack of energy, the second will have too much energy and balance should be recreated.
Too much energy: the illness or problem occurs and gets bigger both when the body is at rest and in physical activity.
Lack of energy: the illness or problem only occurs or gets bigger during physical activity.
05.00-07.00 : large intestine
07.00-09.00 : stomach
09.00-11.00 : spleen
11.00-13.00 : heart
13.00-15.00 : small intestine
15.00-17.00 : bladder
17.00-19.00 : kidney
19.00-21.00 : pericardium
21.00-23.00 : sansho
23.00-01.00 : gall bladder
01.00-03.00 : liver
03.00-05.00 : lung
Sanso I explained already in a previous blog. Pericardium in TCM is not the same as in western medicine, it is more the function of circulation than the bag around the heart.
The pericardium governs blood, and houses the mind, both functions being the same as the Heart. As a TCM student you should know that the Pericardium meridian points have a powerful influence on the mind. It also has an effects on a persons relationships.

Between 05.00-07.00 we should drink water, or even better  Rejuvelac, to trigger bowel movements to eliminate the toxins / waste from the day before, and make place for the new day nutritients.
Between 07.00-09.00  3 meals-a-day people should eat the most important meal of the day, dont forget to eat from yang to yin in your day time, so no fruits in the morning, to optimize your food with the energies in your body.
Between 09.00-11.00, the spleen takes over from the stomach, the stomach passes its contents on. Enzymes from the pancreas continue the digestive process.
Between 11.00-13.00, the heart takes over and distributes the energies / nutritients from the food through the whole body.
Between 13.00-15.00, it is time that the small intestine becomes active, this mostly for the proteins in your meal, as they need longer time to digest.
Between 15.00-17.00, the bladder organizes the elimination of the liquid part of the meal.
Between 17.00-19.00, it is time for the kidneys: they filter the blood and maintains the proper chemical balance of blood based on nutritional intake of the day.
Between 19.00-21.00, the Pericardium transports what the kidneys decided to keep.
Between 21.00-23.00, the endocrine system adjusts the homeostasis of the body based on electrolyte and enzyme replenishment.
Between 23.00-01.00, the gall bladder takes over, in his function to clean all tissues, and also processes cholesterol and enhances the brain function.
Between 01.00-03.00, the liver cleanses the blood and processes the waist.
Between 03.00-05.00, the lungs become most active in the expulsion of waist gasses.

This is what our body and our organs do every day, should n't we be very gratefull for these wonderfull processes?

Sansho

Sansho, also called the triple heater is regarded as a "organ" in Chinese Traditional Medicine. Triple, as it has a superior, a middle and a lower source of heat, situated at the entry, the middle and the exit of the stomach, the places where we find the most ulcers.

The middle heater transfers food into energy, producing clear energy, that goes to the superior heater and later to the lungs, and unclear, liquid energy that goes to the lower heater. and later to the kidneys.

Poor fish