Southern Folk Medicine

by Phyllis D. Light

  When food is scarce, as was often true in times past, the alpha cells in the pancreas produced another protein hormone, glucagon, to stimulate the liver and muscles to break down stored glycogen found there. Your body uses both insulin and glucagon in a carefully choreographed dance to maintain balanced levels of glucose in the blood and to fuel body processes.

  According to Southern Folk Medicine tradition, fresh blood has a sweet taste because sugar is always in the blood. And depending on the health of the individual, there may also be undertones of iron in fresh blood. Because all blood is sweet, it is the degree of sweetness that becomes the issue. Excessively sweet blood is known as high sugar, high blood sugar, sugar in the blood and, in more recent times, diabetes. Modern medicine categorizes these disorders as insulin resistance syndrome, which is also called metabolic syndrome or syndrome X, or pre-diabetes. When the body has slowed its production of insulin or can’t uptake what is made, this is known as type 2 diabetes. And when the body is no longer making insulin, this is known as type 1 diabetes.

  Excessively sweet blood can have many causes. Traditionally, it was thought that high sugar came from eating too many sweets. For my relatives in the South, sweet blood came from a high-calorie diet filled with simple carbohydrates, high fat, and low protein: the diet of poor whites and blacks who worked the cotton fields and needed energy. Biscuit and gravy for breakfast; peas and cornbread for supper. This diet fueled immediate energy needs but left little for storage and provided no antioxidants and little protein. Some garden vegetables in season provided a definite benefit for health when it was possible to grow them. In some ways, the current standard American diet isn’t much different from the diet of the cotton field workers and slaves. Too many simple carbohydrates, too much fat, too much salt, too much processed sugar, poor-quality protein, and lack of antioxidants from fresh fruits and vegetables.

  Our sweet taste buds are generally satisfied with natural sweets found in root vegetables like winter squash, beets and sweet potatoes, sweet herbs, and fruits. Give these foods a try. They also contain natural antioxidants along with fiber to move the colon and improve elimination, and prevent the buildup of black bile.

  Think about the nature of earth, sugar, and insulin as we discuss the traits of earth people. Both glucose and vitamin C follow insulin into a cell. All tissue production falls under the domain of earth and requires vitamin C for production. Earth is the element that affects all the others in some fashion. Fire burns on earth and may change organic material into its constituent components, but it doesn’t destroy the solid earth. Water covers earth and causes stagnation, but doesn’t destroy it. And air moves earth but doesn’t destroy it. Earth is immobile, fixed, and steadfast.

  Earth Traits

  Earth people build. They might build a business, a garden, a house, or a relationship. They are prone to building great works of art. Whatever they choose to build, it will be done to the best of their ability—a true masterpiece. People with dominant earth love to understand and follow the steps within a process, while at the same time looking for ways to make the process more practical or work better. Whatever else, earth folks like things to be practical and useful.

  Earth folk are survivalists in the true sense of the word. They’ll follow the rules of society, believing that the rules are there for a reason and need to be enforced. When earth folk perceive that this is no longer true, they make preparations for the rules to be broken, but don’t generally lead the charge to break the rules themselves, unless they are personally threatened. In that scenario, earth folks are also good at changing an unfair or unjust component of their cultural structure that is no longer working.

  People with a dominant earth element are hardworking, stable, and generally grounded in reality. Common sense is their virtue. They have a calm and easy-going aspect to their personality and are seldom riled. These folks are methodical and understand that pacing is important.

  Earth folks make loyal and steadfast friends. They don’t make friends easily or quickly, and tend to cherish each friend or relationship they have. If the relationship turns sour, these folks will hold on and try to work it out instead of immediately giving up. They have tenacity and are reliable. They can be a bit predictable. which is both comforting and, occasionally, a bit boring.

  Folks with dominant earth are cautious, and security is important to them. They need to feel secure emotionally, financially, and physically in order to do their best work. Earth people are concerned with amassing and gathering the things they need to feel secure. They are frugal with their money and like to keep some assets in savings or plan ahead financially for the future.

  Earth folks innately understand structure, whether we are speaking of socioeconomic structure, corporate structure, or the structure of the legal system. For this reason, they make good business people, lawyers, judges, and builders.

  Earth is a fertile element, and whatever seed is planted, whether plant or human, tends to grow strong and straight. They also make excellent gardeners, landscape architects, groundskeepers, and forest rangers.

  In addition to being good builders, Earth folk make good architects, engineers, mechanics, plumbers, and tradespeople of all professions. They like using their hands and can take delight in the outcome of their physical labor.

  Earth is solid and immoveable, and earth people can also be quite stubborn and immovable once they’ve made up their minds. And once they’ve made up their minds, earth people are generally not open to hearing new information on the topic. It might take an earth person weeks to investigate and research something before making a decision, especially on major purchases.

  Earth people are very aware of class structure and understand the importance of status within their culture. They are adept at moving up the social and economic ladder, whether it’s within a corporate structure or a social structure.

  Earth people can be very creative, especially as writers of fiction, poets, and painters. They have the innate ability to complete their projects, an excellent trait that is sometimes missing in fire and air elements. As authors, they do well writing a series of books building on a theme, or world-building. Earth folks work at their craft or their art and only get better with age. These are the old masters who create masterpieces, as opposed to the shooting stars who are here and gone.

  They are physically strong and very sturdy, with wide and strong bones. Earth people need to move to be healthy. Without movement, they don’t burn excess carbohydrates and tend to accumulate belly fat. People with a strong earth element tend to gravitate toward lifting weights, but a cardiovascular component in their exercise program is very important to their overall health. Alternately, earth people do well in professions that are physically demanding such as construction and landscaping, which allow their fairly constant movement throughout the day.

  Earth people are prone to depression and seasonal affective disorder, and regular exercise also helps them maintain a good mood and avoid the winter blues. These are the folks that find that a little serotonin really boosts their mood. For this reason, they often do well during times of stress or during the winter with St. John’s wort.

  Earth people must be especially diligent in the avoidance of too many simple carbohydrates and not enough complex carbohydrates. It’s quite easy for an earth person to be drawn to eating processed grains in white breads, cakes, pies, cookies, cobblers, pasta, crackers, and white rice. These foods provide earth people with quick energy when their own daily allotment is running low. It becomes a vicious cycle: eat, feel more energetic, feel tired; eat, feel more energetic, feel tired.

  Earth people have a limited amount of energy to fuel their day’s activities even when eating healthy. The day is over, their work is done, and they are ready for rest and recreation, and with good reason—they need it. A good night’s sleep will replenish their energy levels, and they will be ready for a new day of work. Even though earth folks like to socialize, sometimes they are just too tired but sho
uld make the effort. Remember the adage, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

  Fire people have will, water people believe, air people think, and earth people analyze.

  Excess Earth

  Excess earth can present in the personality as hoarding, which is fueled by fear of some kind: fear of losing a job, fear that the government will fail, fear that there won’t be enough for old age, or fear that they can’t support the family structure. In excess earth, hoarding goes to the extreme, and people hoard articles like cardboard boxes, straws, plastic utensils, or newspapers and magazines. They start hoarding items with limited uses. This can become a psychological illness.

  Earth people are very concerned with security and having all the “things” they need to be safe and secure. When earth is out of balance to the excess, enough is never enough. There is never enough food in storage or guns in the cabinet. Life becomes about having enough money, food, tools, computers, cars, and televisions. It is the having of physical possessions that becomes an unhealthy drive. The packrat becomes the hoarder.

  People with excess earth may also become jealous, possessive, and insecure of their possessions and their relationships. At the extreme excess, they will destroy what they love to keep anyone else from having it. In excess, earth can move into extreme conservatism and feel threatened at every turn. Normally, earth people follow rules and regulations to the letter and will not bend or break them, but excess earth will break the rules in the name of survival. They also become very tight-fisted, miserly, and stingy. In excess, earth people withhold donations from charities, as well as family and friends.

  Physically, excess earth can present as thick and sweet blood or diabetes. There is a tendency toward metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, and diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. There is fatigue and loss of energy and enthusiasm—the perfect couch potato. Parasites may become a problem due to unhealthy eating habits, sweet blood, and lack of movement or exercise. Depression, insecurity, and isolation may become an issue. There is a tendency to self-medicate with sweets and other simple carbohydrates and to snack between meals. Excess earth may also present with thyroid issues, lymph stagnation, fibroid tumors, fibrocystic breasts, and cancerous tumors. Too much earth may also present as bursitis, stiffness in the joints, tight muscles, and arthritic conditions.

  Herbs to help bring excess earth back into balance include American ginseng, dandelion, sarsaparilla, sumac, huckleberry leaves, hawthorn, hibiscus, juniper or cedar berries, blueberry leaves, and holy basil.

  Deficient Earth

  People with Deficient Earth may appear to have a touch of air element. They may be a little jittery, self-centered, and overly confident. Deficient earth may take on a veneer of self-importance and overindulge in purchases such as clothes, furniture, and electronics, buying the best and most expensive instead of only what they need. Their normal frugality goes out the window because their awareness of status is heightened. They don’t really need it but buy it anyway. In deficient earth, folks become concerned about wearing the latest fashions, how many computers they own, or what type of vehicle they drive. But this behavior can’t last, and once the credit card is filled, a major adjustment is needed.

  Their earthy common sense is replaced by foolishness and impracticality. For example, in the area of romance, deficient earth may start stalking the object of their affection. Their insecurity may drive them to make false accusations against their partners that have no basis in truth. Being deficient in earth, the fear of losing something precious, actually causes them to push away those they love with their behavior. Deficient earth people can also make hateful, hasty, and nasty comments to those they love the most.

  Deficient earth is prone to low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. In addition, there is a tendency for digestive problems, especially in the colon. Constipation, slow or incomplete evacuation, and a bloated small intestinal area may be present. Deficient earth folks may appear nervous and anxious in normal situations. The liver and spleen may also be deficient in function.

  People with deficient earth may also have a tendency toward sciatica, lumbago, and tingling in the hands and feet. There may also be muscle spasms, tics, and Tourette’s syndrome.

  Foods high in good complex carbohydrates are good choices—root vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. These same foods work well for excess earth also.

  Herbs that can help bring balance to deficient earth are American ginseng, sarsaparilla, angelica, cornsilk, fennel, fenugreek, honeysuckle, red clover, alfalfa, oatstraw, peach leaf, Solomon’s seal, skullcap, and passionflower.

  Chapter Thirteen

  What’s Your Constitutional Makeup?

  Here is a short questionnaire to help determine your constitutional makeup. Please remember that we are a combination of all four elements, though we might have one element that is dominant. There are many combinations of your elemental makeup that can occur. No combination is right and no combination is wrong. You are what you are, a unique and vital human being.

  After you have finished the quiz, reread the sections on the constitutions that are most applicable to your unique makeup.

  Directions

  Please answer each question to the best of your ability, thinking about how you are feeling now, the circumstance of today. Don’t think about how you were ten years ago or in your childhood. It’s about now.

  Number a piece of paper from 1 to 20.

  Write the letter—A, B, C, D in answer to the question.

  When finished, add up the number of As, Bs, Cs, and Ds.

  Check the answer key at the end of the questionnaire to understand your constitution.

  Questions

  Which of the following best describes your facial features? (It’s OK to look in a mirror or ask a friend.) Broad forehead, sparkly eyes, narrow or square jaw and chin

  Rounded forehead and face, small mouth and straight teeth, rounded chin

  Heart-shaped face, forehead narrowing at top, small mouth, crowded teeth, pointed chin

  Oval or square face, high forehead, open eyes, wide, even teeth and mouth, broad chin

  Which of the following best describes your basic skeletal structure? (It’s OK to ask a friend if unsure.) Medium build and boned, athletic, well-defined muscles

  Medium build and boned, strong, but less-defined muscles

  Narrow build, long-limbed, fine-boned, long muscles

  Wide build, solid, thick-boned, may carry a few pounds

  Where do you notice weight changes first? Abdomen, midriff, upper arms, butt

  Mostly all over, but especially breasts and stomach area

  Stomach area, upper thighs, waist, abdomen

  All over but especially face, arms, thighs, calves

  What happens when you get really angry? Becomes controlling, shows temper, gets physical, then cries

  Cry, pout, complain, get emotional, and raise voice

  Say ugly words, throw things, blame, stomp off, slam doors, isolate

  Walk away, deny the situation, sulk, withdraw, and then later accuse, blame

  Which do you do when you get good news? Want to share excitement, get others excited, plan big things

  Exclaim, laugh, want to be with close family and friends, but no celebration

  Want to be with people, throw a party and be the center of attention

  Want to celebrate, go out to eat with family and friends, get a burst of creative energy

  What happens when someone you don’t know says something nasty to you? Lose temper and say something childish back, can become physical

  Have hurt feelings and tear up

  Either respond with sarcasm and smart attitude or feel shocked and nervous

  No immediate response, then stew on it later

  What snack food do you grab during times of stress? Salty or greasy foods such as chips, nuts, dried meat

  Ice cream, yogurt, cheese, fruit, or whatever is left over in the fridge

  Sandwiches, soup, or j
unk food

  Cookies, cake, bread, sugary desserts

  What is your favorite type of exercise? Competitive sports and activities; like to be the trainer or group leader

  Group activity as participant or noncompetitive activities like hiking or dance

  Walking, jogging, yoga but likes freedom to create own program

  Needs variety to stay engaged, needs structure, weight lifting, endurance training

  What is your favorite method of learning? Learn by watching others or using pictures or images

  Learn by using sound or music; learn in groups

  Learn by teaching others; learn by using words

  Learn by hands-on practice; learn by doing

  What is your preferred language of showing love to others? Physical touch

  Acts of service and devotion

  Words of love and affirmation

  Gift-giving; spending quality time together

  What would be the characteristics of your ideal occupation? Managing a team, leading an organization, working on a project

  Helping people, service work, care professions

  Academics, researcher, communications, writer

  Building, agriculture, creating a masterpiece

  Which of the following is your idea of success? A project well done, contributing to your profession, being all that you can be

  Good relationships, rewarding family life, active community or church member