One of the most important rooms in your house is the kitchen. That is where you make the meals that bring you nutrition, which in turn, bring you years of quality health. Take these tips to make your kitchen the most nourishing space it can be.
Freshen Your Kitchen With Feng Shui
The ancient Chinese art of feng shui uses the science of energy alignment in your living space to help optimize health, wealth, and happiness in your life. I’ve had the good fortune to study with my father, a feng shui master who passed down to me thousands of years of wisdom about how to change people’s lives through environmental alignment with positive, constructive energy. Here are a few tips to start to bring positive energy into your kitchen:
• Decorate your kitchen in one or two cheerful colors. Yellow, for instance is an instant energy-booster.
• To keep the good energy flowing, cut back on clutter on surfaces and keep your kitchen clean from stains, mold, and dirt.
• Healthy growing things are a wonderful presence in the kitchen. Why not fill your kitchen with potted aromatic herbs for easy access while you cook?
• If your kitchen is long with a window at the end, energy is moving out of the room instead of accumulating to nourish the occupants. Try putting a blossoming flowerpot in front of the window to slow down the energy as it exits.
• If you are cooking with your back toward the kitchen door, it’s important to have a mirror or something reflective in front of you, so you can see people entering.
• A harmonious kitchen will bring positive energy to all the meals made in it!
How You Cook Matters
Though a microwave is convenient for our busy schedules, you might want to reconsider the microwave in your kitchen. Microwave ovens work by using non-ionizing radiation—waves of electrical and magnetic energy—to make molecules in the food rotate and move, producing heat. Not only has microwave use been linked to infertility in men, but one study found that microwave cooking destroys some important nutrients in foods. Microwaved broccoli lost over 75 percent of three cancer-protecting antioxidants as compared to steamed broccoli, which lost just over 10 percent of these compounds, respectively.
If you must, use the low setting to heat food, and only place in glassware, Corningware, ceramic or lead-free terra cotta bowls. But your best option is to use a small toaster oven or steam oven to warm your foods. Take the time to warm up your food in a safe and healthy way. Avoid Teflon, or plastic-coated pots and pans; the safest cookware is one made from porcelain-coated cast iron.
Eliminate Kitchen Toxins
Now that your kitchen has smoothly flowing energy, we can address some potential toxins in the kitchen.
Toss away the toxic cleaning products and go back to basics. Diluted vinegar is one natural and effective kitchen cleanser. Just mix 1 cup of distilled white vinegar with 1 cup of water and use as you would any cleaning product. Vinegar inhibits bacteria and mildew, too, which is another plus. Baking soda can be sprinkled on your stovetop, left for five minutes and then scoured with a scrubber. For the stubborn spots that refuse to be removed, try spraying this mixture onto the problem areas: dishwashing liquid, borax, and warm water. Let it sit for twenty minutes before scouring.
These days, there is an abundance of natural cleaning products on the market which are safe to use and will bring cleanliness to your kitchen without putting toxins in the environment. I recommend using the Ionator, which is a whole house cleaner that utilizes ionized water to kill bacteria. For more information visit or call The Wellness Living Store in Santa Monica.
I hope you receive the longevity rewards that come from making over your kitchen! May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
Dr. Mao Shing Ni, best known as Dr. Mao, is a bestselling author, doctor of Oriental Medicine and board certified anti-aging expert. He has appeared on Dr. Oz, the Doctors and EXTRA. Dr. Mao practices acupuncture, nutrition and Chinese medicine with his associates at the Tao of Wellness in Santa Monica and Newport Beach. Dr. Mao and his brother, Dr. Daoshing Ni founded Tao of Wellness over 25 years ago. In addition, he is the cofounder and Chancellor of Yo San University in Venice/Marina del Rey. To subscribe to a free newsletter please visit www.taoofwellness.com To make an appointment for evaluation and treatment please call 310.917.2200 or you can email Dr. Mao at contact@taoofwellness.com
