Ms. Lee Says - ACCHS Chemistry

The conversation exploring the relationship between the colors of our chakras and the foods we eat was very intriguing,  The weather is increasing in temperature and my appetite is expanding as well. I crave foods with the colors purple, red, green, tan, and yellow. The most desired of all the colors is red and purple which are the root and the crown chakra. There functions are I understand and survival. hahaha I believe those directly relate to where I am in the world and in the process of learning TCM. I find myself constantly attempting to understand what I cannot and find stability through it. In class we didn't discuss what colors are calling to us, but I think its probable we all have a few things in common.

The kitchen is my adorned rainbow of color. There is purple in the beets and plums, oranges, green in the plethora of cruciferous veggies, red in the apples and radish,  yellow in the condiments and peppers, oranges, and other colors such as: black, blue, beige, green, white, and brown. Although there is a variety of color, there is not a high quantity of color. The large majority is green, beige, and red/purple. In the end I like there to be two items of each color rather than only one. Currently blueberries solely represent blue in my fridge and I need to do some research on other blue foods. Sometimes the lack of diversity in our kitchens is economic and other times it is educational. In my case its based on what I do and don't know. At this moment I can't think of another fruit or veggie that is blue, but I will look it up and expand my palette.

I applaud the efforts of green chemists and think their work is priceless and necessary for the survival of our planet with us humans living on it. I think it’s a little discouraging to see there are chemists and organizations with the sole focus of creating a greener future and I don’t see their efforts when I walk outside. I see solar panels and recycling bins, but I’ve quickly learned our Earth requires more than that. All countries are not the same, but my surroundings in Oakland Ca say we need to do more. I recently started following an Instagram account called @reducewastenow. I learned there are alternatives to foil and plastic to preserve food, toothpaste without single use plastics, and greener initiatives in other countries. The most interesting initiative is Milan’s. According to US Nees and World Report Milan has an ambitious objective to plant 3 million trees within the next 12 years. Since Milan is a Mecca for fashion and trendsetting, I am hoping it’s green initiative wi...

The transitional metal of the week is Zinc (Zn). It is atomic #30 and in group 12 on the periodic table.  Zinc valence shell has 2 electrons and this means it’s a metal that can easily give or share electrons with other elements. Biologically zinc is an important component in most living things. It’s most widely used purpose in everyday appliances, tools, and materials is as a coating. Zinc is used as a covering ,galvanized, to prevent or delay the process of rusting on other metals. For example zinc is used to cover some roofing materials as a means to elongate the life of the materials. To personify Zinc is to call it the self sacrificing protector of metals. It will rust and die before it allows the metals it’s protecting to tarnish.