When it comes to traditional Chinese medicine, the heart is considered central to your body’s health. Ancient Chinese texts of the past, such as Huainanzi and Guanzi, Daoist classics, consider the heart “the ruler of the five organ networks”, also known as the “emperor of the human body”.

The Heart According to Traditional Chinese Medicine

The heart is known as one of the five Zang organs, together with the spleen, kidneys, lungs and liver. They are also known as the yin organs, as they produce, regulate and store the vital substances of the body, such as bodily fluids, blood and qi. The Zang organs are vital to the regulation of the body’s internal functions.

Each of the Zang organs is paired with a fu organ, also known as a yang organ. The yang organs include the small intestine, the gallbladder, stomach bladder and large intestine. They help you digest food, absorb its nutrients and get rid of bodily waste. The fu organs are busy with external functions.

If you keep your heart healthy, you can keep your body healthy as well. If you are taking good care of the organs that generate qi, then your heart will be protected and well-nourished.

How to Keep Your Heart Healthy

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death all around the world. Some of the risk factors surrounding it include inactivity and an unhealthy diet, as well smoking or inadequate amounts of sleep and stress. Each of these risks can be addressed, according to traditional Chinese medicine. You can stay motivated by following the examples below:

• The Risks of Inactivity

The solutions to this particular problem can be found with Tai Chi, Yoga or other activities that promote movement and flexibility. Set a regular schedule, stick to it and alternate activities together with friends or alone if need be.

• The Risks of Unhealthy Diets

According to traditional Chinese medicine, red foods help strengthen the heart by making up for the loss of the yang from the body, the fire energy. Some of the red foods in question are cherries, tomatoes, red beans, apples, watermelon, strawberries, beef and more.

• The Risks of Smoking

You should let people know you’re planning on quitting smoking, making it easier to stick to it by having people keeping you in check. YOu can also look for astragalus with your herbalist, which helps reduce the anxiety of quitting. If you feel withdrawal symptoms, you should look to friends and family for help. You can also join a support group for former smokers if you feel it’s necessary.

• The Risks of Inadequate Sleep

Poor sleep is caused by imbalances in your yin and yang energies. Depending on your type of problem, your herbalist might give you a customized formula that works for your specific needs. You need to practice good sleeping habits, such as having a specific bedtime schedule, turning off your electronic devices before bed and making the room comfortable for sleep, among other things. You need a way to remind yourself to stick to that habit, so set alarms and stick to your schedule.

• The Risks of Stress

You can find a solution by practising meditation, tai chi, qigong, whatever works to calm your nerves. Drinking calming teas recommended by your herbalist also helps, as well as practising deep breathing before stressful situations bring you down. You need to understand that stress is the body’s natural reflex to threats, real and perceived. Take a deep breath once the danger has passed and repeat a mantra that helps you shed the fear.

©The Acupuncturists Ltd

Lauki halwa | लौकी हलवा is an Indian desserts recipes. Lauki pak or Lauki ka halwa | लौकी हलवा is very simple to make with just 3 ingredients and flavouring agents. Try this Indian sweets recipe of Lauki halwa / Lauki pak which is easy to make and mouth watering delicious.

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Servings 700 Gms

Ingredients

500 Gms Bottle gourd | लौकी

200 Gms Sugar | चीनी

200 Gms Dry milk | मावा

10 Nos Raisins | किशमिश

20 Leaves Saffron| केसर

Instructions

Peel off the lauki

Grate the lauki with the help of grater

Mix lauki and sugar in a pan and put on low flame

Stir and cook till sugar syrup thickens

Add Dry milk to this and mix well

Add Raisins and saffron and other Rajasthani recipes dry fruits as per your taste halwa is ready to serve

Khaman recipe | खमण is a very popular Indian recipe for breakfast. This is easy vegetarian breakfast recipes and is very common in the state of Gujrat. Khaman Recipe | खमण - north Indian breakfast recipe is easy to make and light on stomach.

Khaman is also called as dhokla | ढोकला and these are interchangeably used. Dhokla is very similar to Khaman, however Dhokla is made of batter derived from rice gram and is white in color, whereas Khaman is typically made from Chickpeas gram and is yellow in color. The process to make both the dishes is similar as both are made with a fermented batter derived from rice and split chickpeas. Khaman or Dhokla can be eaten for breakfast,as a main course, as a side dish, or as a snack.

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Servings 20 Peice

Equipment

Steamer

Ingredients

200 Gms Gram flour | बेसन or 2 cups

2 Cups Water

2 Tsp Salt | नमक

1 Tsp Citric Acid / निम्बू का सत

2 Tbsp Cooking oil | तेल

2 Tsp Eno

2 Tbsp Cooking oil | तेल

2 Tsp Black mustard | राइ

5 Peice Green chilli | हरी मिर्च Split and cut

10 Peice Curry leaves / मीठा नीम

1 Cup Water

2 Tbsp Sesame seeds roasted / सेंका तिल

1 Tsp Salt / नमक

4 Tsp Sugar / शक्कर

Coriander / हरा धनिया For garnishing

Instructions

Take gram flour and 2 cups of water and mix well

Add salt, citric acid and vegetable oil in the batter and Traditional indian vegetarian recipes mix well

Pour in water in the steamer and put it on heat

Grease cake tin / plate with oil. Add eno to the batter and pour the batter to it

Close the steamer and steam for 15 minutes

Take a fry pan and bring cooking oil to heat

Fry Green chilli, Sesame seeds, Curry leaves, Black mustard and pour in 1 cup water

Add salt and sugar and take a boil

Take out khaman from the steamer and pour in the spice mix water on top of it

Cut Khaman peices as desired and it is ready to serve

Sabudana Khichdi | साबूदाना खिचड़ी

Sabudana Khichadi Recipe is a Indian vegetarian dish mainly used in fariyal. Sabudana Khichdi | साबूदाना खिचड़ी is a perfect Faryali snack. It has all the flavour of Sweet, Spice and sour and can be used in Vrat or upavas.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Resting time 4 hrs

Total Time 4 hrs 25 mins

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Servings 6 Plates

Equipment

Mixer

Ingredients

1 Cup Sabudana | साबूदाना

1 Cup Roasted peanuts / सिकी हुई मूंगफली

2 Qty Boiled potato / उबले हुए आलू

2 Tbsp Ghee | देशी घी

2 Tsp Cumin seeds | जीरा

3 Qty Green chilli | हरी मिर्च Chopped

1 Inch Ginger | अदरक Chopped

1 Tsp Black pepper / काली मिर्ची

2 Tsp Rock salt / सेंधा नमक

1 Qty Lemon / नींबू

2 Tsp Sugar | चीनी

Instructions

Soak the sabudana in water for 2 hours, drain the water and keep it for two hours |साबूदाने को पानी में २ घंटे भिगो के रखे, पानी निथार ले और २ घंटे के लिए छोड़ दे

Grind roughly the roasted peanuts | सीके हुए मूंगफली के दानो को दरदरा पीस ले

Boil the potato and cut into pieces | आलू को उबाल के टुकड़े काट easy vegetarian breakfast recipes ले

Take ghee in Kadhai | बघार के लिए कढ़ाई में घी लेवे

Add in cumin seed, green chili and ginger, add potato once these are roasted | इसमें जीरा हरी मिर्च एवं अदरक दाल के भुने, भुनने पर कटे हुए आलू मिलाये

Add black pepper, soaked sabudana, Rock salt, Lemon juice and peanut powder and switch off the flame | काली मिर्ची, साबूदाना, सेंधा नमक, निम्बू का रसएवं मूंगफली दाना मिलाये और गैस बंद कर दे

Take a pan and boil water in it, sabudana khichadi needs to be cooked for 10 mins on steam | एक बर्तन में पानी उबले और साबूदाना खिचड़ी की कढ़ाई इस के ऊपर रख दे, खिचड़ी तो 10 मिनट भाप पे पकाना हे

Add sugar, mix well and keep it for 2 mins | आखरी में शक्कर दाल के हिलाये और २ मिनट के लिए छोड़ दे

Garnish with pomegranate seeds and coriander | अनार दाना और धनिया पत्ती से सजाये और परोसे

For slower paced, traditional mysteries that are very skilfully written, you can't go wrong with Brother Cadfael.  When Peters created a crusader turned monk, she gave herself a large canvas on which to paint a variety of clever, interesting crimes.

The Leper of St. Giles takes place largely in and around St. Giles, the hospice for lepers that lies just outside Shrewsbury, but it's largely about the wedding of an 18 year old girl, sold off by her guardians for a large portion of her own inheritance, to a cold, unfeeling 60-something land baron who only bought her lands and is taking her on sufferance.  Of course she's fragile and innocent and lovely and of course his squire is around the bend in love with her and incandescent over the injustice of her treatment.  And of course the baron ends up murdered.

There's a plot twist in this book; a rather major one, but it's telegraphed early on, so that I knew long before it was revealed.  It's a good one, but if Peters hadn't split the difference, the early guess would have ruined the story.  As it is, Peters seems to have covered her bets and kept that reveal from being absolutely pivotal to the plot, making the ultimate solution a surprise, and a tragic one at that.

A few of the series characters readers enjoy aren't here in this book, but there are other characters that endear themselves to the reader.  There's a bit of humor here and there too, making this a much more enjoyable read than the last, St. Peters' Fair, which was a good story but dragged.  I'd be best pleased if we saw Bran and Joscelin again, though I'm not counting on it.