My book-in-progress, The Hot Flash Diet, is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts, focusing on the need to maintain balance between Yin (cold, moist, & calm) and Yang (hot, dry, & active), especially during the menopause transition. As I learned more about Yang Excess and/or Yin Deficiency as the basis for developing hot flashes and night sweats, I couldn’t help but think about how our planet is experiencing similar Yang Excess symptoms although on a much grander scale. Yes, in a way, Mother Earth is also suffering from a climate “change of life” with warming, wicked hot flashes (forest fires), and night sweats (tropical cyclones).
Forests are often described as the lungs of the earth, and the loss of trees from fire, clearcutting for lumber, and removal to create pastures or farmland is similar to the loss of pulmonary air sacs with emphysema from smoking. Like plants, algae such as kelp and other seaweeds absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) and produces oxygen during photosynthesis. Due to their sheer numbers, they have as much or more impact on carbon dioxide reduction than trees. Unlike trees, however, they are more easily regrown once cut back. Thick stands of kelp with frond lengths of up to 30 meters are referred to as undersea forests which have their own complex marine ecosystems.
Perimenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes will be interested to know that one of the most “cooling” food groups is that of sea vegetables, or seaweed. All members—dulse, hijiki, kelp, kombu, laver, nori, sea lettuce, and wakame—are “cool” to “cold.” Nori, the dark green wrapper for sushi, is one of the most used sea vegetables, as is wakame seaweed salad, also on the menu at Japanese restaurants. Dried seaweed snacks are widely available, and furikake, a Japanese seaweed-based seasoning, can be found in Asian markets. Kombu (dried kelp) is an essential ingredient in miso soup and its glutamates add umami flavor to many other Asian dishes.
Seaweed is consumed by many coastal populations, especially in the North Pacific nations of Japan, Korea, and China. Seaweed farming began in these countries centuries ago and requires only sunlight, seawater, and either a rocky base for kelp holdfasts or a stable area to place poles with monofilament lines for seaweed attachment. No fresh water nor fertilizer is needed, and overall, seaweed cultivation is a carbon negative venture.
While living in Maine where sugar kelp and other seaweeds are ocean farmed, our family routinely found these sea-raised goods in health food stores and local coastal markets. We have bought dried and pickled seaweeds as well as seaweed seasoning blends and I recently noticed frozen cubed kelp with fruit to add to smoothies. We also tried kelp burgers found online and they were quite delicious. You can use kelp and other seaweeds in soups, stews, noodles, and rice dishes. Small amounts provide quite a bit of flavor that is not fishy, but tastes of the sea.
As with any food, seaweed should be consumed in moderation. If you are not a fish eater, seaweed is a great source of iodine, a necessary mineral; however, too much can interfere with thyroid function. If you take thyroid medication or need to be treated with radioactive iodide for thyroid cancer, ask your doctor before consuming seaweed products. Both sugar kelp and kombu contain high iodine levels, hijiki has moderate levels, and nori, wakame, dulse, sea lettuce, and laver contain much lower amounts of iodine. Boiling or soaking kelp and kombu and discarding the water can reduce the iodine content of these macroalgae. Sugar kelp also contains mannitol (a sweet FODMAP polyol), which may bother some people’s digestion, especially if large amounts are consumed.
Some seaweeds have been used as cattle feed additives since they not only provide micronutrients but have also been found to reduce the methane content of cows’ gaseous output. Adding some kombu to bean dishes apparently improves the digestibility of beans and decreases the amount of gas produced by humans, too! Seaweed has long been harvested to amend farmland soil. It provides trace elements and holds onto water which is slowly released back to the ground during dry periods, a good example of Yin.
Seaweed provides food and habitats for marine life and kelp forests buffer coastal areas from waves. Washed ashore, it also supports other species such as turtles, crustaceans and insects as well as prevents beach erosion. There are natural phases of growth and death of seaweeds, with the older parts breaking off and falling to the bottom of the ocean where they provide food and undisturbed, sequester carbon. Unfortunately, agricultural run-off of nitrogenous waste and phosphates in fertilizers can cause overgrowth of seaweed (Yang in action), suffocation, and die-offs with large masses of it floating as “blooms” that wash up on beaches. Much of it is raked from popular tourist beaches and ends up in landfills, although some municipalities are starting to compost it.
In short, responsible seaweed farming can provide “cooling” foods advantageous to those suffering with hot flashes as well as help lower CO2 in the environment, perhaps reducing Mother Earth’s climate “change of life” symptoms. If you are interested, the following small business sites share some good recipes and provide more information about their products and where to purchase them.
Maine Coast Sea Vegetables www.seaveg.com
Maine Seaweed www.theseaweedman.com
Atlantic Sea Farms www.atlanticseafarms.com
Akua www.akua.co @lifeAKUA
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