Dean wrote about the problem of giving up vinegar... I also noticed
this, and aside from the challenge of producing condiments made
without vinegar, I noticed I was craving something, acidic when I ate
beef or pork, less so when I ate chicken or fish. The problem seems
to rest in digestion of fats...I'm adjusting better, but still have
difficulties. Lemon juice, while undeniably acidic, doesn't seem to
produce the same benefits.

Since I have a history of treatment by traditional asian medicine, I
looked up vinegar in my favorite reference (Healing with Whole Foods:
Oriental Traditions and Modern Nutrition by Paul Pitchford, North
Atlantic Books, 1993).  A couple of relevant quotes:

"Vinegar is warming. It creates a temporary warming circulation of
energy (qi) in the body and removes stagnant blood [note: stagnant
blood is a precise term in asian medicine]. It can quickly alter
emotional stagnation as well, particularly in children - bad moods
will usually disappear a few moments after taking vinegar."

"The sour and bitter flavors of vinegar reduce accumulations in the
liver and abdomen resulting from a rich diet.  Lemon juice helps in
this manner to some extent but is a cooling and more moderate
remedy. People who feel toxic and sluggish ... can benefit from a
little vinegar or lemon. For this purpose use 1 teaspoon vinegar or a
quarter lemon squeezed in water."

"Lemon (and Lime) have a cooling thermal nature; very sour,
astringent flavor; and antiseptic. Perhaps the most valuable fruit
therapeutically for people who have (sic) eaten a high fat/protein
diet. Destroys putrefactive bacteria in both the intestines and
mouth; used to purify the breath. <snip>  Start with 1-3 lemons daily
for one week and increase according to need and desire."

So, if you pay attention to two things - the difference in vinegar as
warming vs lemon and lime as cooling (also specific terms in asian
medicine) and the difference in second taste, ie sour and bitter for
vinegar vs sour and astringent for lemon and lime... maybe this is
where a solution will be found.  I have been aware for many years
that I seem to crave a mild bitter taste, as in coffee!  I know this
may all seem very complicated, but this is the kind of thing I think
about, trying to make my body happy. I was flat on my back with CFIDS
(Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome) for about 5 years not
long ago, and it gave me a lot of motivation.

Food for thought - Almonds and cashews are "sweet", peanuts,
sunflower seeds and walnuts are "sweet/astringent", pumpkin seeds are
"sweet/bitter/astringent"!  I've been buying raw pumpkin seeds and
roasting them in olive oil - very satisfying as a snack, and I never
seem to eat very many before I'm happy.  Cinnamon is
"sweet/bitter/pungent" and when I remember to shake a little plain
cinnamon, or my favorite "meat-eaters" blend - equal parts of
cinnamon, allspice, dried basil and dried dill (leaves and/or seeds)
ground up together... I seem more satisfied.

The tastes are most thoroughly explored in Ayurvedic medicine... I
got this stuff mostly from a book called Dr. Abravanel's Anti-Craving
Weight Loss Diet, by Elliot D. Abravanel, MD. It's like the Zone in
that it gets close to low-carb, but can't seem to make the jump.
Lot's of other great info on the relationship of dietary variety and
cravings, meditation and neurochemistry (!)

Well, any comments welcome - this post has gotten long enough for
now...

Sla/n go fo/ill

Molly Ni/Da/na
[log in to unmask]
San Francisco, CA