It’s that time of year again! That time where EVERYONE seems to be getting sick with the common cold, flu and worse. Conventional medicine has few options to treat these maladies and we all suffer through the runny nose, sneezing, fatigue and sore throat. But you don’t have to!
No one really has the time to get sick. For me, the thought of getting a cold is like striking a raw nerve. So, I want to share my tricks to avoiding and beating our winter-time illnesses.
Here are some remedies that I have found to be helpful (for me): [Read more…]
Reproductive and Integrative Medicines – the perfect match!
Over the last 20 years, we have become more aware of the many challenges couples face in getting pregnant. Individuals are marrying later in age and couples are waiting longer to have children.
In addition, environmental toxins and our own diet can directly impact our health and trying to conceive. From a Western medical viewpoint, advanced age and ovulatory dysfunction, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), thyroid issues and male fertility can all play a part in having difficulty conceiving.
During these times, many couples turn to integrative medicine as an alternative or in complement with western medicine. There are many ways to take care of our bodies and support a successful pregnancy. Here’s a brief overview. [Read more…]
Eating for Emotional Support
Although not everyone falls victim to emotional eating, so many of us do! And more often than not, it tends to be foods that are NOT healthy. Chinese medicine tells us that our body tends to crave certain tastes depending on which energies are out of balance. For example, the spleen craves sweets, the liver craves sour and the kidney craves salty. Therefore, when we find ourselves craving something, there’s a reason why it’s happening.
For so many of us, emotional eating is the result of worry. The spleen’s energy is affected by excess worry, which can lead to sweet cravings. Also, frustration and anger affects the liver’s energy, which craves sour. These are emotions that touch so many of us on a daily basis.
Have a look at our delicious recipe that can help to soothe the liver and spleen.
Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatballs
TCM tool for better health!
What is a TCM tool that anyone can apply for better health?
There are many guidelines for healthy living within the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. One of my personal favorites is eating right for the season and eating right for our body type.
In TCM each food has an energetic property that affects the body as a whole and a particular organ system. It is important to consider eating foods that support the season and our bodies! Some foods are warming (such as peppers, spicy foods) are better digested when it is cool outside. Other foods that are cooling (such as raw vegetables, ice water) are better assimilated when it is warm outside. Inherently, we find ourselves attracted to foods that support the season. In the winter we like to eat more warming foods such as soup, stews, sautés, etc. [Read more…]
Ask the Acupuncturist – Inflammation and Heat
When we think of inflammation, we often think of localized pain somewhere in the body. An injury, for example, can elicit an acute inflammatory response. In addition, inflammation may be systemic and manifest in various parts of the body. As Jennifer Pillow-White wrote in her blog (Ask the CST) , inflammation is an necessary part of healing. Inflammation can be a good thing!
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture has its own unique way of viewing inflammation. 
TCM is a very literal medicine. We look at symptoms (of a health condition) vs. a label (such as inflammation) to diagnosis and differentiate illness and disease. A patient may come to our office with inflammation and the acupuncturist asks – “what are the symptoms associate with the inflammation?”
Don’t throw away those bones!
Much has been written about Bone Broth lately. In major cities such as New York and Chicago, bone broth restaurants have surfaced. In some neighborhoods, bones at local butchers are hard to come by – becoming a “hot commodity” as residents travel near and far to get the “best bones” for their broth.
Bone Broth is incredibly nutritious and touts many health benefits!
First off, bone broth is made with – well, BONES! A wide range of animal bones can be used to make bone broth – including, chicken, beef, pork, lamb and fish. Unlike meat broths, which take 2-4 hours, bone broths are simmered over low heat for a long period of times. Purchasing bones from grass-fed animals is desirable. Many times, the bones are roasted before making the soup. [Read more…]
Spring Liver Support
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on the theory of “Qi Energy”. Qi energy is what guides all functions in our body – breath, movement, reproduction, digestion are all functions of qi. In TCM, every organ has Qi energy and each organ’s qi oversees different functions of the body. Every organ has a season in which the functions of that organ are “in the spotlight”. The organ (and qi) associated with the spring is the Liver.
Spring is a good time for rejuvenation and change. It is a also good time to think about supporting the Liver. In TCM, the Liver Qi regulates the flow of qi throughout the whole body. There are over 20 kinds of qi that the Liver QI keeps flowing smoothly. Stress in our life tends to effect the Liver qi. When this happens, the Liver qi does not flow 
smoothly, and it gets stagnant. Headaches, PMS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Depression, Irritability are all thought to be associated with Liver Qi stagnation. There are many ways we can support the Liver and assist it in its job. [Read more…]
Beet Soup Recipe
The principals of Chinese medical diet always emphasizes the importance of warm foods and cooked vegetables. Especially during the winter months, this principal has never been so important! I acquired the following beet recipe from a friend in acupuncture school. Over time, I’ve made a few modifications but its one of our favorite soups in our house! [Read more…]
Functional Nutrition
I recently attending the Center for Mind/Body Medicine’s conference entitled “Food As Medicine”. The conference was inspiring, to say the least. It made me think about diet in general and how it affects our health. According to the many speakers, diet can be the difference between living a long, healthy life or not. One speaker asserts that by eating a healthy diet can affect the expression of genetics, specifically in the case of cancer! No matter the presenter’s background, all agree that our diet and food choices are ultimately our best medicine or worst poison. If you want to talk about preventative medicine, diet cannot be ignored. After 4 days of lectures, the amount of information can be overwhelming but I have come up with a few dietary basics that are good “food for thought” as we prepare our next meal. [Read more…]
The Magic of Midlife – Body Balance for women in their prime!
As women, we are pressured to keep our figures intact and the world around us supports our desire to be thin and svelte. At the same time, we are watching our bodies change – most of which is beyond our control. Midlife hormonal changes take precedent to our old ways of eating what we want and being able to exercise a few times and “work it off”. Our mind and body are in conflict and there is no sense of balance between the two. In addition, the images we see in the media feed our desire to keep youthful and fight creating a healthy state of balance.
For the past 10 years I have been working in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine. TCM looks at our body (and our world) from a viewpoint of balance. It is the goal of TCM to support our body in achieving a healthy state of balance. Balance does not mean perfection. We are conditioned to think of the perfect body as the images that we see in the media. In TCM, balance means a harmonious way of feeling, being and thinking. Everybody (and body) has their own natural state of balance and every body’s balance is different. My balance is different than your balance. I remember once, in my early days of acupuncture school, some of the senior students telling me that, after learning about TCM, I would “never look at my body the same way”. And they were right. [Read more…]