Health And Fitness Fans: Cravings, Asian Pears, Chinese Medicine & Cinnamic Acid

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Cravings, Asian Pears, Chinese Medicine & Cinnamic Acid

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/artemislives/ZoFkcRov-AsianPear.jpg
I zipped in to the supermarket on the way home to grab cat food this morning and as soon as I saw the Asian pears sitting there, *I KNEW my body needed them*, and I wanted them. Wanted them bad.

I've just enjoyed two, big, yummy, juicy ones for brunch, and while I was crunching and munching, I did some reading; I'm *always* curious to know what my body is craving, and why. I freely confess to consulting Dr Google upwards of a dozen times per day - it just makes me settled, somehow, to understand. *Pyrus pyrifolia* is called หิมะลูกแพร์ in Thai - literally 'Snow Pear'. But it's also commonly known as an apple pear, Japanese pear, Korean pear, Nashi pear, Sand pear or Taiwan pear. Think super juicy, crunchy, slightly sweet with a hint of grittiness in the texture. I had guessed there would be a long Traditional Chinese Medicine history, and I was not disappointed. Their most common uses in Traditional Chinese Medicine are coughs, colds, and sore throats, and dark circles under the eyes. I had a snuffle and a slight cough the last 24 hours, and so some Asian Pears is exactly what my body needs. The dark circles under the eyes are symptoms of an under-performing liver, and yes, in Chinese medicine the Asian pear is categorized as cold in nature and used for detoxification. You frequently see them here in Thailand in traditional fruit-gift gift baskets, as they are a symbol of good health and good Feng Shui. If you want to read more about the Traditional Chinese Medicine approach to Asian Pears, I personally enjoy Dr Mao's site and consult it often. His Asian Pear link is [Here](http://www.askdrmao.com/natural-health-dictionary/asian-pear/). What I ***didn't know*** is that Asian Pears are a good source of both Vitamin K (think magic link in the bone health equation) and Copper (think healthy red blood, which makes everything WORK and collagen production to keep everything soft, smooth and flexible.) On that basis alone, they need to be a regular go-to. *But I actually learned more.* It's the SKIN of pears that is so exciting from a nutritional and natural medicine viewpoint. Pears in general contain as many as 14 specific anti-oxidant phyto-nutrients in their skins, and these have an important range of functions in your body from changing insulin response to reducing the risk of heart disease. One of the particular acids found in the skin of Asian Pears in Cinnamic Acid - a powerful antioxidant. Think of it as the industrial strength scavenger - antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. It is believed to be Cinnamic Acid which largely contributes to Asian Pears to be considered as a powerful anti-cancer food. *If you eat the skin.* So organic, if you can. If it's not organic, wash your fruit in a basin of water together with a tablespoon of Sodium Bicarbonate for 20 mins to break up any residual surface pesticides. This is all flaky, wishful, new-age mumbo-jumbo right? Actually, no. There are MANY scientific and clinical studies, worldwide, spanning decades, about pears being superior fruits nutritionally and having specific natural healing properties. Even Slovenia? Yup - [This Study](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22512578) is a great example of how widespread, and detailed, the research of Cinnamic Acid and its potential natural medical implication is. In a world where inflammation is becoming commonplace and triggers so many conditions and illnesses, it's IMPORTANT to know that Pears - Asian Pears and any pears, actually- are considered to be one of the least irritating or inflammation causing foods due to their low acid profile. They're an almost perfect food for sick people, people with allergies, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and people suffering from chronic, low level inflammation. Wanting to learn about Asian Pears in even more detail? [WH Foods](http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=28) has a ton of fascinating and useful information. It's astounding how our bodies actually ***ask*** for what they need, and how we can learn to hear the gentle whispers of our wise-inner-self asking for healing foods underneath the noisy static of carb, coffee and chocolate cravings. It's all about mindfulness and eating with attention. Listening to how our bodies *FEEL* before, during and after eating, and just learning more about the incredible natural abundance of Mother Earth. And me? Another Asian Pear, please. After that? I have saved the seeds and I will go to plant them with much gratitude, hopefully to grow some little trees that I can give away to nourish someone else.