Cooking Class - Group Consultation/Q&A/discussion session
Next session:
Cooking Class: August 4th, 4 pm - 5:30 pm EDT
Group Consultation/Q&A/Discussion Session: August 25th, 4 pm - 5:30 pm EDT
Live on ZOOM - All sessions are recorded for your convenience.
Menu: Cooking Class August 4th*:
• Blueberry Scones
• Pressed Salad with Dried Daikon
• Fried Rice Balls
Menu Highlight
Cooking Class Spotlight:
Traditional Medicine Wisdom and Western Nutritional Perspective:
August Culinary Medicine Cooking Class : Turning Poison into Medicine
How everyday foods can transform inflammation into vitality
Modern life constantly exposes us to what Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) would call internal "poisons"—stress, processed foods, excess sugar, environmental chemicals, overeating, rushed eating, digestive weakness, and chronic inflammation. Rather than focusing on restriction, Culinary Medicine teaches us how simple, seasonal foods can gradually restore balance and help the body remember how to heal itself.
In this class we'll prepare three delicous dishes that nourish digestion, support healthy circulation, strengthen the microbiome, and gently detoxify the body according to both Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern nutritional science.
Blueberry (or Raisin) Scones
These are not your typical bakery scones loaded with butter, refined sugar, and white flour. Instead, they provide slow, steady energy and satisfy the desire for something sweet without overwhelming the body.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Whole wheat and oats
strengthen the Spleen and Stomach
build Qi
provide sustained energy
gently moisten dryness
The apple juice and maple syrup offer a mild natural sweetness that nourishes without creating as much mucus as refined sugar when eaten in moderation.
Blueberries
nourish Yin
support the Kidneys
gently build Blood
benefit the eyes
provide cooling antioxidants that are particularly helpful during the heat of summer.
Raisins (if used)
nourish Liver Blood
moisten dryness
gently support constipation
replenish fluids after heat or overwork.
Western Nutrition
Whole grains provide
fiber for a healthy microbiome
B vitamins
magnesium
steady blood sugar compared with refined flour products.
Blueberries are among the richest food sources of
anthocyanins
polyphenols
vitamin C
antioxidants that help reduce oxidative stress associated with aging, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline.
Sesame oil contributes healthy unsaturated fats while oats contain beta-glucans that support healthy cholesterol levels and immune function.
Pressed Salad with Dried Daikon
This simple pressed salad is one of the great treasures of traditional Japanese cooking.
Pressing vegetables softens their fibers, making them easier to digest while preserving their fresh vitality.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
This dish gently
moves stagnant Liver Qi
transforms mucus and phlegm
clears summer Heat
supports Lung and Large Intestine function
stimulates digestion before the meal.
Daikon
is famous throughout East Asia for helping digest rich or greasy foods and transforming Phlegm.
Cabbage
supports digestion while gently strengthening Qi.
Carrots
tonify the Spleen and support Blood.
Scallions
move stagnant Qi and warm digestion without excessive heat.
Brown rice vinegar stimulates digestive secretions while awakening the appetite.
Western Nutrition
This colorful salad provides
prebiotic fiber
vitamin C
beta-carotene
potassium
sulfur-containing compounds from cabbage that support the body's natural detoxification pathways.
Daikon contains digestive enzymes that assist with the breakdown of starches and fats.
The very beginning stages of fermentation from pressing encourages beneficial microbial activity while preserving crisp texture.
Fried Rice Balls with Umeboshi
Perhaps no food better represents the philosophy of Culinary Medicine than the humble rice ball.
For centuries, rice and umeboshi have traveled together as food, medicine, and portable nourishment.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Brown rice
strengthens Spleen Qi
stabilizes blood sugar
builds endurance
nourishes the center.
Umeboshi plum
One of the classic medicinal foods in Japanese tradition.
It is traditionally used to
support digestion
reduce nausea
generate body fluids
help resolve food stagnation
restore mineral balance after heat and sweating
help create an alkaline internal environment despite its sour taste.
Nori
softens hardness
supports mineral balance
benefits Kidney energy
nourishes Blood.
Fresh ginger
warms digestion
disperses Cold
helps prevent bloating
harmonizes the Stomach.
Western Nutrition
Brown rice provides
complex carbohydrates
fiber
manganese
magnesium
B vitamins.
Nori contributes
iodine
trace minerals
antioxidants
plant compounds that support thyroid function
Umeboshi contains
organic acids
polyphenols
minerals
compounds that may support digestion and stimulate saliva and digestive secretions.
The small amount of sesame oil contributes healthy fats and fat-soluble antioxidants.
Turning Poison into Medicine
One of the most beautiful teachings of Traditional Chinese Medicine is that healing is not found in isolated superfoods or miracle supplements.
Healing happens through countless daily choices.
Every meal becomes an opportunity to transform:
excess into balance
inflammation into nourishment
stagnation into movement
deficiency into vitality
stress into calm
poison into medicine.
When we choose whole foods prepared with awareness and eat in harmony with the seasons, our kitchen becomes our first pharmacy and every meal becomes an act of healing.
As Hippocrates wisely observed over two thousand years ago,
"Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food."
Today, modern nutritional science is increasingly confirming what ancient healing traditions have taught for centuries: the foods we choose every day profoundly influence inflammation, the gut microbiome, immune function, metabolism, brain health, and even gene expression.
Medicine doesn't begin in the medicine cabinet. It begins in the kitchen. Every ingredient carries information. Every meal sends a message to our cells. Together we'll discover how simple, seasonal foods can help transform everyday challenges into opportunities for healing—one delicious bite at a time.
Every ingredient carries a story.
Every recipe carries wisdom.
Every meal is an opportunity to transform poison into medicine.
Join Now: Send money $70 via
• VENMO: @Bettina-Zumdick
• ZELLE (bettinazumdick@gmail.com (413) 429-5610)
• CHECK made out to Bettina Zumdick to 210 Prospect Street, Lee, MA 01238
Monthly Self Investment: $70 - sliding scale fee available
Self invest in your health and stay committed to your authenticity and goals by joining the monthly sessions.
Rejuvenate and learn how to achieve longevity amidst this changing landscape of our world.
Do you suddenly find yourself with unusual symptoms and you don’t know what to do?
Stay centered or become centered in your own inner axis.
Deepen your knowledge and understanding of foods, home remedies, alternative approaches to wellbeing and more.
Feel supported by a community with like-hearted people.
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INCLUDED:
90-minute Cooking Classes scheduled once a month on Tuesdays at 4 pm Eastern Time.
Next dates: Cooking Classes: 6/2 - 7/7 - 8/4 - 9/1/2026 *subject to change
90 - 120-minute Group Consultations/Question & Answer sessions scheduled once a month on Tuesdays at 4 pm Eastern Time
Next dates: Group Consultation/Q & A sessions: 6/16 - 7/21 - 8/25 - 9/15/2025 *subject to change
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All sessions are recorded for your convenience.
Send me a check or use venmo, zelle! $70
What do other people say?
"Thank you for your inspiration. I enjoyed the cooking demonstration and was really pleased to hear your comments on solar system temperature increase and networks and the solar ray feed at the moment. Really brilliant." M.M.
“Easy recipes you can’t wait to taste!” R. W.
“Bettina’s online group consultations are a generous helping of her vast knowledge and intuitive experience of natural healing modalities for your own personal renewal.” R. W.
"Comfortable, informative and a sense of community found on zoom during questions and answers with Bettina Zumdick!" W.S.
The group consultations/discussion sessions are held in a private session.
