Healthy Eating for Vitality and Longevity

Tao is an ancient Chinese “doctrine” meaning the way or path and can be roughly stated to be the force that flows through the universe, or the force behind the natural order, equating it with the influence that keeps the universe balanced. This is often expressed through the yin and yang point of view, where every act creates a counter-act as a normal, inevitable movement inside the way of the Tao. “Go with the flow” is an adequate description of Taoism’s principle teachings. Taoism is one of the great “religions” of the world, although, Taoists do not pray to a God as Catholics do, but seek answers to life's problems through inner meditation and external observation. The belief is that Tao surrounds everyone and everyone must listen to find it. They strongly promote health and vitality, therefore, their diet is extremely important to the physical, mental and spiritual being. Two common principles of Taoism: To increase Qi, the vital life force energy flowing through the body and strive to keep balanced in the awareness of the surrounding ecosystem. The Taoist diet is not to lose weight … but to keep harmonized within your body and what you put into your body has a lot to do with how you feel.

Here are some simple rules:
1) Eat only food, not un-natural non-foods (heavily processed foods that the body cannot process, artificial additives, drugs etc. that contain little or no nutritional value (white flour, sugar etc.)

2) Avoid foods that are hard to digest (dairy products, red meats, and anything acidic which upsets the delicate balance of the stomach – like citrus fruits)

3) Opt to eat the food nature intended us to eat – opt for locally grown whenever possible and choose organic 100% USDA certified, as they contain no artificial chemicals, or pesticides and causes less harm to the environment.

Ayurveda … ayur (life) veda (science), is the knowledge concerning the maintenance of a long and healthy life. An integral part of this science is to use the body, mind and soul to service the real you (your cosmic spirit). The ideas and teachings encourage people to follow a wholesome lifestyle, one that gives fulfillment, clarity and peace of mind in return. Ayurvedic cuisine is about cooking and eating for better balance, well-being and happiness. The cuisine is one of the major components of Ayurveda. There are no “bad” foods, only the idea of balance - and the principal goal of these practices is to cleanse the body of substances/toxins that can cause disease, thus helping to re-establish harmony and balance.

Qi is an Asian eatery inspired by the Taoist diet and Ayurvedic cooking.

At Qi, two Asian philosophies come together melodiously in their tantalizing dishes that are filled with natural health benefits of traditional Asian ingredients. Some examples are tumeric, curcumin, lemongrass, ginger … that all help maintain energy flow keep the balance within our bodies and also act as a buffer for when we want to indulge. Ayurveda describes six major tastes by which all foods can be categorized and to maintain perfect balance and be completely satisfied and nourished; we should ideally have these six tastes at every meal: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. These are all represented at Qi.
Upon entering, you will notice the high ceilings and model sail ships hanging, alongside burnt orange colored panels that run across the ceiling in a wave-like manner. The walls are partially adorned with abacuses and gongs. The seating is communal and the seats are giant “cubes”, that initially look apprehensive as to how comfortable they are, but to be completely honest, they cradle your backside and align your back ergonomically – go figure. An educated guess would be they incorporated Feng Shuipractice in the décor of Qi, since the five elements/phases fire, metal, wood, water and earth are represented. There is Asian art visible through a glass cube in the center of the space that will definitely impress you, and last but not least, the dimly lit rest rooms are a religious, even a spiritual, experience with museum-like Asian statues and a waterfall sink that is a giant ceramic urn.

Qi is great for big groups; the portions are quite generous and all beautifully presented. The food is Asian, Asian fusion, Thai, Malaysian and Chinese influenced and literally explodes with the flavors like curry, coconut milk infused with aromatic, exotic Asian herbs and spices. Let’s not forget the health benefits from the cocktails with ingredients from matcha green tea to ginger, ginseng and lotus root. The medicinal properties will just about rival the alcoholic strength you will feel, as the drinks can be a bit heavy-handed. Stop in for Happy Hour from 4-7 and sample a specialty cocktail at $6. You will find the menu complete with appetizers to wonderful specials with prices ranging from $3.50 to $19.00, plus they are Vegan-friendly. Qi is highly recommended, and an acceptable word for you Scrabble enthusiasts out there.
What a fabulous eating journey...to be revisited over and over again. Namaste!

Qi
(212) 929-9917
31 West 14th Street
New York, NY 10011