from : Better Nutrition magazine, June 1, 2007 By Nicole Brechka:
Chinese medicine expert Letha Hadady, D.Ac, has spent years traveling throughout Asia and studying the region’s unique approach to wellness. Her newest book, Feed Your Tiger, has an intriguing title-and a unique solution for America’s obesity epidemic. Read on to learn more about this Asian-inspired weight-loss plan and Hadady’s favorite healing remedies.
How is Feed Your Tiger different from other weight-loss books?
Feed Your Tiger encourages self-discovery. We each have a special relationship to food. Most people have an emotional attachment: They may eat dairy foods, meats or cookies in order to feel happy. Eventually, their shape, mood swings and eating habits may cause them to resemble “dragons,” “bears,” “tigers” or “cranes”—the four types of eaters outlined in my book, which addresses common addictions to foods in a non-judgmental way. For example, bear types crave sweets; dragons can’t get enough salty and fried foods; tigers like spices and stimulants, and (end to be nervous eaters; and those in the crane group live on junk foods, or become wrapped up in work and skip meals. Each type has advantages and disadvantages. With Feed Your Tiger, I show how to identify and enhance your true nature. If we fail to nourish ourselves properly, we inevitably fall into illness and depression.
What are your health secrets?
I love the sun. Ultraviolet rays enhance calcium absorption. In rainy weather, I do qigong postures for up to 10 minutes in front of a sunlamp (avoid if you have a history of skin cancer): I stand relaxed with feet straight in front of me, knees slightly bent and arms in front as though holding a beach ball. I breathe slowly and exhale downward, through my legs to the floor.
To enhance energy and immunity, I use and recommend the Asian herb Cordyceps sinensis, available at health food stores. A standard dosage is one to two 520mg capsules daily.
What foods keep you slim?
Cleansing is key for me, especially in the summer. J like mini-meals throughout the day, plus teas and diluted juices. For breakfast, I love fresh apple salad: I combine 1-2 peeled, sliced apples, diced celery, walnuts, olive oil and apple cider vinegar. For lunch and dinner, I eat green salads that include dandelion to help cleanse the liver and blood. I also lake chlorophyll capsules with meals because I can’t get enough greens.
What Chinese foods are you never without?
* Green lea: I love the clean, awake feeling it gives me.
* Cooked shiitake mushrooms or reishi mushroom extract to enhance energy and immunity.
* Seaweed: hijiki for calcium; kelp to perk metabolism and detoxify; and dulse for a potassium boost.
* Tibetan Goji berries to improve vision and ease muscle tension.
* Turmeric to ease pain and help protect against illness. I add a dash to soups and pasta dishes, or sprinkle it on air-popped popcorn.
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Called The best-known blonde in Chinatown by Newsday, Letha Hadady, D.Ac, is an acupuncturist who lives in Vermont and New York. She teaches, leads workshops, and is the author of natural health books, including Asian Health Secrets, Personal Renewal, Healthy Beauty and Feed Your Tiger.
Eat for Your Type
Feed Your Tiger discusses four main eating types. Here is a quick overview, followed by examples of healthful foods for each.
DRAGONS-characterized by a slow metabolism and water retention:
* Dulse seaweed, whole-grain crackers, tea
* Salmon steamed in pineapple juice with red onion and red pepper
BEARS-have a sweet tooth and a tummy:
* Sugarless apple pie (make with sliced apples, cardamom and 1 tsp. instant tapioca, baked in a whole-grain pie she
* Red bush tea sweetened with stevia
TIGERS-those who need to improve circulation, flexibility and joint health:
* Goat’s milk and black mission figs (soothing for arthritis)
CRANES-the junk food addicts:
* Chocolate hemp milk (high in good fats)
* A daily dose of homeopathic Nux vomica (3OC) to curb overeating, drinking, smoking or overworking
“Eventually, their shape, mood swings and eating habits may cause them to resemble “dragons,” “bears,” “tigers” or “cranes”—the four types of eaters outlined in my book, which addresses common addictions to foods in a non-judgmental way.” – This is an interesting theory behind our eating habits. Great read, thanks!