Paulchens FoodBlog?!

St Hildegard of Bingen

This is the first post of a series about the teachings of St. Hildegard of Bingen as noted in her books of visions Physics and Causa et Curae where she talks about the healing powers and practical application of tinctures, herbs, and precious stones.

Over the past years I have read many books about her visions about healing and balanced diets. Back in 2007 I already started to write about her findings, back then it was all in German so I will catch up with this thought and translate the first few posts I’ve already written and then continue with new articles.

There is a lot to say about this amazing woman and her thoughts and tho she wrote them down in medieval age a lot of her thoughts are still true in our modern time (some of them even proved by modern medicine, some of them not of course).

I – personally – found that living with her guidance and let her guide my daily nutrition and my thoughts about food improved my wellbeing.

Before I start to go into detail I want to share my sources with you: my sources are, among others – mainly, and if not otherwise stated – the books:

• The dietetic treatment of Hildegard von Bingen, Wighard Strehlow
• Hildegard medicine from A-Z, Wighard Strehlow
• Wikipedia under de.wikipedia.org and en.wikipedia.org

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So who is that woman I am talking about?

Blessed Hildegard of Bingen (German: Hildegard von Bingen; Latin: Hildegardis Bingensis) (1098 – 17 September 1179), also known as Saint Hildegard, and Sibyl of the Rhine, was a writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, German Benedictine abbess, visionary, and polymath. Elected a magistra by her fellow nuns in 1136, she founded the monasteries of Rupertsberg in 1150 and Eibingen in 1165. One of her works as a composer, the Ordo Virtutum, is an early example of liturgical drama.

She wrote theological, botanical and medicinal texts, as well as letters, liturgical songs, poems, and arguably the oldest surviving morality play, while supervising brilliant miniature Illuminations.

Hildegard has also become a figure of reverence within the contemporary New Age movement, mostly due to her holistic and natural view of healing, as well as her status as a mystic. She was the inspiration for Dr. Gottfried Hertzka’s “Hildegard-Medicine”, and is the namesake for June Boyce-Tillman’s Hildegard Network, a healing center that focuses on a holistic approach to wellness and brings together people interested in exploring the links between spirituality, the arts, and healing,

source: wikipedia.org

I am not a huge fan of the Roman Catholic Church so I am not interested in her theological or liturgical works but am really fascinated in her medicinal and botanical works. This is what I will be talking about here.

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Cooking with Hildegard

Spelt is the base of cooking after Hildegard followed by fruits and vegetables and modest use of meat, game, fish, milk and milk products, herbs, spices and drinks. Hildegard did not rate the food according to it’s calories but according to their medicinal values​​. She says all healthy foods are nutrition and remedies for the body at the same time if you consider the body as a whole.

The first step into a proper diet therefore is a selection of ingredients out of the following food groups:

• Spelt - contains almost everything a person needs to live. It has carbohydrates, protein, a little fat but enough to keep us going and 45 minerals and trace elements.
• Fruit and vegetables - as a source of important vitamins, minerals, herbal substances and secondary fiber. You should however always use it  boiled, steamed or pickled (never raw – she was very negative minded about raw food)
• Milk and milk products - as a source of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.
• Meat and meat products - as a source of protein. especially recommended are poultry, fish, beef, lamb, goat and deer.

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What Hildegard said about kitchen toxins, stimulants (legal drugs) and raw food

German version of the following information.

Note: text in quotes is what Hildegard said translated from her books. I will add personal notes here and there or even try to clarify where modern findings contradict with her thoughts.

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“kitchen toxins” according to Hildegard

.

fresh garden strawberries

Strawberries

Hildegard says that strawberries
[...] lead to congestion and have no healing powers [...] because they grow close to the ground and even in (mushroom), foul air. [...]

In fact one can note that, especially during the strawberry rich season (May / June), allergies, skin rashes, ear infections and appendicitis occur more than in other times. In addition, it was observed that they congest the organism and are a strain to the respiratory system.

modern medicine nows that [...] strawberries are high in anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory catechins which are known to bind heavy metals in the body. Strawberries also contain much vitamin C so that 150gr of them cover the daily needed dosis of an adult. [...] (source wikipedia.org)

However I know tho I am a dedicated strawberry lover that if I do not watch my strawberry consumption I indeed do tend to cough more and my respiratory system seems to be more strained. My personal thoughts here are: strawberries are not entirely bad but if you have a sensible respiratory system you should watch the amount of strawberries you eat.

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Peaches

peaches

Hildegard said that peaches
[...] destroy the good juice mixture and mucilaginous stomach. If you still want to eat peaches remove the shell and the core and put it in wine, some pepper and salt. It does not hurt, but have also lost their flavor. [...]

Peaches have a similar mode of action as strawberries. In contrast, however, she recommends: “the unripe fruit, including seeds, leaves, root,resin and bark for external use for watering eyes, headaches and gout”

Peach allergy or intolerance is a relatively common form of hypersensitivity to proteins contained in peaches and related fruit (like almonds). Symptoms range from local symptoms (e.g. oral allergy syndrome, contact urticaria) to systemic symptoms, including anaphylaxis (e.g. urticaria, angioedema, gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms). Adverse reactions are related to the “freshness” of the fruit: peeled or canned fruit may be tolerated.

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Plums

plums

Hildegard says that plums
[...] symbolize the anger. [...] the black bile is increased through them  and even bitter acid increases, which causes all kinds of diseases.
The plum is as dangerous as eating poisonous plants. A healthy person may if he insists on eating but only moderately  [...]

Plums multiplies melanch, which consists of the black bile substance bilirubin and bile acid. This substance is released during stress, anger, rage and anger but also with nutritional deficiencies of the liver.

This acid stresses   the intestinal flora  and attacks mineral reserves in our blood. Within the development of almost all diseases bile acid is involved. Each acidification might result in inflammation and auto-aggression.

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Leek

leek

Hildegard says about leek
[...] is raw as dangerous as a poisonous plant because it attacks the blood and juices, so that the blood can not regenerate properly, and not clean the organism. [...]

Those who want leek should pickle it in salted wine or vinegar so it’s bad influences would be milder. Healthy people might eat the so prepared leek but better raw than cooked.

Sick or not as healthy people should not eat it at all!

today we know: “[...] leek contains vitamin C, vitamin K and folic acid and traceelements potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese. The antioxidant andantibacterial sulfur compound allicin, which is formed from alliin and the enzymecatalyzing allinase causes the strong smell and flavor of leeks. [...] ” (source: wikipedia.org)

So eaten moderately leek will not harm you.

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Stimulants

coffee beans

Coffee and caffeinated drinks are stimulants and have negative effects on health:

• unwanted irritation of the gastric mucosa with heartburn
• adverse health effects on the heart with tachycardia
• stimulates the nervous system to exhaustion
• makes you addictive, dependent, and nervous.

Also other caffeine-containing and / or cola beverages cause additional chronic stress.
Spelt coffee, however, has a great effect on the digestion and increases the vitality.

Snacks between meals can have a positive influence, Hildegard recommends you eat:

• apples, apple compote,
• fresh fruit, desserts,
• whole grains,
• yogurt, fruit juices,
• Energy biscuits (made after her recipe)
• Quendel (an older form of thyme) biscuits (made after her recipe)
• Quince

Rarely, if ever, you should eat:
Pastries, cakes and pies, salted peanuts, potato chips, candies, chocolate, coladrinks.

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Raw food

raw food

Hildegard says about raw food:
[...] if the person has eaten raw apples or pears or raw vegetables or other uncooked food, which are not prepared with either fire or with any spice, they cannot digested in his stomach, because they previously have not been prepared properly.

Thus, the poor saps which were supposed [...] be prepared properly on the fire or with any spice so their bad influences are neutralized [...] get off the dishes into the human system and harm the body.

The natural intestinal flora is damaged by raw food and results even in fungal infections, which effects especially the immune system.

Hildegard says that the cooking of all foods - including the preparation of the salad by pickling with vinegar, salt and oil – is a necessary prerequisite for good digestion. Although you will not fall over dead right away when you eat raw food, but you do well to avoid eating raw food too often.

Food poisoning is a health risk for all people eating raw foods, and increased demand for raw foods is associated with greater incidence of foodborne illness, especially for raw meat, fish, and shellfish. Outbreaks of gastroenteritis among consumers of raw and undercooked animal products (including smoked, pickled or dried animal products) are well-documented, and include raw meat, raw organ meat, raw fish (whether ocean-going or freshwater), shellfish, raw milk and products made from raw milk, and raw eggs.

Food poisoning attributed to contaminated raw produce has risen tenfold since the 1970s. Salad, lettuce, juice, melon, sprouts, and berries were most frequently implicated in outbreaks.

Many raw plant foods have been contaminated by dangerous and even deadly microorganisms, including jalapeño and serrano peppers, alfalfa sprouts and other sprouted seeds, green onions, spinach, lettuce, orange juice, apple juice and other unpasteurized fruit juices.

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Next time I will talk about various types of grain. Stay tuned!

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