food choices

Eating for Emotional Support

February 20, 2018 By Julie Shindler-Cohen Leave a Comment

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

[Read more…]

Don’t throw away those bones!

September 24, 2015 By Julie Silver Leave a Comment

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…]

Modern Guidelines for a Healthy Diet

July 11, 2012 By Julie Shindler-Cohen 1 Comment

What is healthy eating? What does a healthy diet look like to you? Eating right for your blood type? Paleo-diet? Vegetarian? Vegan? The truth is that there is no absolute right or wrong way to eat; we each must find a diet that works best for us as individuals. However no matter which diet you follow, there are a few basic guidelines that everyone can agree upon:

Get plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables
Drink plenty of water
Avoid or completely eliminate processed foods
EVERYTHING in moderation [Read more…]

Ayurveda and Chinese medical Seminar for Women’s Health

November 2, 2011 By Julie Shindler-Cohen Leave a Comment

Come join Julie Shindler-Cohen at Karma Yoga to learn about Women’s health and Chinese medicine. Julie will discuss general Chinese medical theory and will explore women’s health and prevention in more detail. Attendees will gain a greater understanding of how Chinese medicine treats the body’s natural energetic balance as a means of preventing and treating an array of symptoms that arise throughout a woman’s lifecycle.

DATE: Tuesday November 22

TIME: 2-3:15PM

PLACE: Karma Yoga 3683 W. Maple Road (At Lahser Road)

COST: $20 at the door/$75 for the series

Julie will be offering one course in a series entitled “Soma & Agni”, which offers information about women’s self care and lunar cycles from an Ayurvedic perspective. The course will be each Tuesday in the month of November from 2-3:15 at Karma Yoga. Please look at the Karma’s website for more details about the seminar!

http://www.karma-yoga.net/soma-agni

Black Bean Burger Recipe

July 27, 2011 By Julie Shindler-Cohen Leave a Comment

Beans are an excellent source of vegetarian protein. The proteins from beans (legumes) can help regulate water and sugar metabolism and should be eaten as part of a healthy diet. Some people are afraid of eating beans due to flatulence or digestive upset, however these symptoms are usually due to improper preparation and cooking techniques. Make sure to soak your beans overnight in cold water before cooking. [Read more…]

Chinese Medicine 101: What is it?

July 20, 2011 By Julie Shindler-Cohen Leave a Comment

The practice of traditional Chinese medicine (CM) is very complex. People often ask “how does acupuncture work?” or “what types of conditions can acupuncture treat?” The answers to such questions are much more involved than a simple list of ailments. Simply put, and CM is an ancient, energetic, holistic medicine that takes into account all aspects of a person’s lifestyle and symptoms in order to make a diagnosis and treatment strategy. Let’s break this down more clearly. [Read more…]

Diet: A Chinese Medical Perspective

June 15, 2011 By Julie Shindler-Cohen Leave a Comment

Diet is just as important as acupuncture and herbs when it comes to treating the body from a traditional Chinese medical perspective. Making appropriate food choices is key in maintaing good balance. Individual foods, like Chinese herbs, have specific healing properties and this is the basis of Eastern nutritional theory. For example, certain foods have warming properties and should therefore be eaten more frequently during the winter months. These foods include cinnamon, clove, ginger and lamb. Likewise, there are foods that have more cooling properties such as cucumber, watermelon, lettuce and cabbage. [Read more…]

Food Choices

January 10, 2011 By Julie Shindler-Cohen Leave a Comment

As we begin the new year, many people are hoping to make dietary changes. I have found a lot of confusion among people as to which dietary path to choose: Vegetarian? Organic? More grains? Less grains?

Whenever I find myself confused about dietary choices, I always think of the basic TCM dietary principals:

Especially at this time of year, its always best to have warm, cooked foods. Instead of choosing salad, have soup instead. When food is already warm, your body does not have to expend as much qi to digest the food properly. This concept also applies to fruit. In general, fruits should be limited (relative to vegetables) at this time of the year but when eaten, fruits should be at least at room temperature.

When it comes to grains, whole grains is the only way to go. During the winter months, more warming and nourishing grains are preferable. These grains include basmati rice, wheat, oats, quinoa and well-cooked barley.

Finally, Chinese medicine supports the consumption of animal protein. (In moderation, of course). This category emphasizes the consumption of eggs, chicken, pork and fish. Consumption of beef and lamb are also acceptable. (Dairy should be limited or completely avoided, as it creates dampness within the body)

Remember, it’s all about balance! Make sure to eat a variety of different grains, vegetables, fruits and protein. Finally, listen to your body! If you find that eating a certain food causes digestive upset or discomfort, please avoid that food.

Bon Appetit!