Self Care - Do only 70%!

I know.. It has been quiet around here in terms of blogging, tweeting, writing, and sharing my thoughts on acupuncture/TCM. I've been feeling exhausted and on the verge of burn-out - as anyone knows who is starting a business from the ground up. It is always on your mind and you work tirelessly and enthusiastically at 200% day in and day out.

Lately however I've been looking at my to-do lists (yes, multiple lists) and then choosing to do something else instead such as watching TV, taking a nap, cooking soup or looking at random blogs. I manage to get my priorities done but anything else has been scrapped and pushed back to the following week. Over the last few weeks I've been beating myself up over my sudden loss of motivation however I realized that in the midst of all my list making, I hadn't added to my list "Rest". I've been so busy I've neglected exercising and reveling in down time.

According to Chinese Medicine you are only suppose to do only 70% of any one thing. Eat until only 70% full. Exercise only 70% of what you feel is maxing out. It's a great philosophy and the antithesis of Americans view of giving EVERYTHING 110%. Eating too much, exercising too much, working too much. Once you can wrap your head around this idea, you'll find that you DO have time to take care of yourself, spend time with family, catch up with old friends, read that book for book club...

My goal for the last week of June/first week of July is going to adopt this concept and watch how things change for the positive.

Jenn

Vino e Espresso

Wine & Coffee - My two favorite vices!

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a strong affinity towards both! There is nothing better than a strong cup of coffee in the morning when you're just waking up. And, there is nothing sweeter than ending your week with a rich and delicious glass of wine.

After studying Chinese Medicine for many years, you come to believe that both these lovely liquids consumed regularly lead to health issues. I had a hard time reconciling this because both play such a prominently role in my life and as I figured, in the lives of most Europeans! How could the French or the Italians go without their cafe au laits or cappuccinos or without their Bordeauxs or Barolos. Generally they lived healthy productive lives. They may not live as long as the Japanese but boy did they really enjoy every day, every meal.

Well I've recently come across some great research making these luxuries in life seem healthy (in moderation of course!)

You can lower your risk of dying from heart disease by 25% if you drink 2-3 cups of caffeinated coffee a day (Annals of Internal Medicine)

Women who drink wine are less like to develop dementia than those who don't imbibe. (Amer. Journal of Epidemiology)

Enjoy.

Feel Good Favas

Fava Beans are in season.

Although I've eaten them only in restaurants in the past, this year I've decided to learn how to cook them at home.

First off - a bit about fava beans

aka: Broad Beans

Part of the pea family, they debut in late spring

They pack a huge protein punch (20-40%)

High in fiber, iron, and contain L-dopa (amino acid that produces dopamine)

Dopamine as you may know produces the "feel good" response in the brain.

Chinese Medicine:

Their nature is neutral and sweet.

Digestive system energy tonic*

Eliminates edema.

Eating broad beans frequently can help to lower blood pressure.

To cure sores and abscess in the early stage, crush broad beans into paste and apply on the affected area.

Applying ground dry broad beans into powder on the face after cleansing can help to smoothen the skin.

How to eat them:

After a quick query on epicuious.com and food.com, I found I whole host of recipe ideas from soups, pasta, mashes to salads, crostinis and more.

I once had fava bean hummus. It was wonderfully delicious so I'm going to substitute my trusty garbanzo beans for favas next time and taste the results.

Enjoy!

______________________________

*Spleen deficiency (not the literal spleen but the energy of the digestive system)

in Chinese Medicine includes the following symptoms:

• Fatigue

• Weakness in the arms and legs

• Bloating

• Edema

• Sallow complexion

• Loose stools

• Low appetite

Hangover.. How to get over it and fast!

With the holiday weekend upon us - many of us will over-indulge on Margaritas, Sangria, Beer and Wine.

But what do you do to ward off that dreaded hangover?

Some natural remedies I've come across to try out yourself:

1. Honey. Studies have shown that it can speed the body's metabolism of alcohol.

2. Lime & Sugar Water. Ayurvedic cure to help stabilize blood sugar surges.

3. Pear juice + green tea

4. Daikon (radish) juice.

5. Watermelon Juice - alcohol is very warm and watermelon juice has a cooling quality that tames that tummy fire.

6. Grapefruit - cooling food

Additional Remedies:

WATER WATER WATER (before, during and esp after!)

Vitamin B supplement (before and after)

Sleep - sure fire way to get through it.

*Never take Tylenol when drinking... it is shown to cause serious liver damage.

What is your hangover cure? I love folk remedies and learning from other people's experiences.

Have a safe and festive 4th of July.

Jenn

Fantastic Breakfast Option

Hello dear friends.

When it comes to breakfast it is so easy to grab the old stand-bys. Foods you don't have to think about as you are running out the door or those items that are easy and affordable to buy at your local Starbucks. The usual suspects: bagels, fruit and yogurt, instant oatmeal, scones... the doughy, sweet list goes on. However, with the smallest time invested on a Sunday or Monday night you can have a delicious and filling breakfast that will power you through the whole morning.

In fact I had this breakfast yesterday and shockingly made it through until nearly 4pm with little hint of hunger (very unlike me.. I don't miss a meal).

If you haven't used quinoa before it is an AMAZING grain. Gluten-free, super high in protein (most in its class), quick to cook and similarly to couscous can me made into anything. You can find it in most stores these days including the bulk foods section.

And if you been following my entries about Dampness .. you can guess this is a great breakfast option to drain that excess Dampness right out of your body.

Quinoa Porridge

serves 4

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups of water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of allspice (or nutmeg)

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

1 cup of unsweetened almond or rice milk

1 apple diced

1/2 cup or blueberries

1/2 cup of strawberries

1/2 cup of pecans or walnuts

honey (optional)

1. Add quinoa, water, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to small pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed.

2. Add milk and simmer uncovered for an additional 10 minutes, stir occasionally. Stir in apples, berries and nuts and remove from heat.

3. Let sit covered for 10 minutes while the porridge thickens. Drizzle with honey before serving if desired.

Nutrition per serving : 307 calories/14g fat/8g protein/40g carbs/6g fiber/159mg sodium

Original recipe courtesy of Natural Solutions, April 2010. Modifications courtesy of Me.

Superb Soup

A few weeks back I talked about 'dampness' and how that can lead to excess fat. Let me also tell you that dampness can lead to a whole host of other health concerns - small (allergies, acne) and if long-term, big problems (abnormal growths, cancer). By no means do I want to scare you nor does it mean that a propensity towards dampness now will inevitably lead to serious diseases later in life. But a bit of prevention today can keep you healthy now and later in life.

I want to share with you one of my favorite recipes. Not only is it super yummy but it helps tame that dampness and actually clears the skin and brightens the eyes!

I discovered this recipe years ago when reading Susan Ciminelli's book: "The Ciminelli Solution: 7 days to better skin and better health".

I've altered it through the years to produce the following. ENJOY!

Adzuki Bean Soup

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium size white/yellow onions (chopped)

3 carrots (chopped)

3 stalks of celery (chopped)

6 cloves of garlic (minced)

2 teaspoons of cumin

2 teaspoons of tumeric

6 tablespoon of fresh ginger (minced)

Sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

2 cartons of low-sodium chicken stock (+ 1 cup of water)

3 cans of adzuki beans (drain/rinse)

Fresh lime juice

Fresh cilantro

Directions

In a stockpot or large pan, heat oil over medium heat.

Add onions, carrots, celery, ½ of the garlic.

After 2 minutes, add tumeric and cumin, rest of garlic and ginger

Cook another 10 minutes

Add beans and stock.

Add salt and pepper.

Cook for additional 20 minutes on medium/low heat.

Add the juice of ½ a lime and some fresh chopped cilantro.

Serve either by itself or over brown rice.

-Jenn

Cle Acupuncture - http://www.cleacupuncture.com/news

Adrenals? Who knew I had to take care of them too!

Taking care of yourself sounds easy enough but often we put our health on the back burner . We're inundated at every angle and turn by stimulation - cell phones, internet, Facebook, TV, twitter, iPods, iPads, blackberries... let alone family and work obligations. We're just plain burned out and it's taking a huge toll on our health.

When we're under consistent, persistent stress, our adrenals take a beating. Through constant stimulation (ie stress!) the adrenals overproduce the hormone cortisol. Overtime they are unable to keep pace with all the demands of being perpetually in a "flight or fight" state. As a result, the hormones that make you feel good are not being produced as before. Some people call it "chronic fatigue lite", others in the medical field discount it altogether. Problems arise such as: light headedness upon standing, trouble fighting off infections/colds, sleep disturbances, low sex drive, irritability and, of course, fatigue.

Foods that beat up your adrenals:

-coffee/black tea

-juice

-sugar

-alcohol

-deep fried foods

-rancid oils, seeds, nuts

-sodas (incl. diet)

-processed meats/cheeses

-textured soy protein

-chocolate

-white flour

-cows milk

-artificial sweetners

-fast food, junk food

-white rice.

Now, I'm not saying you have to forego your chocolate and red wine. But my humble take is that you need to be mindful of just how much and how frequently you're reaching for that bottle of Merlot. If you nixed most of the obvious culprits in that list, you're generally well on your way to good health. Now on what you can add to your diet to keep those adrenals in tip-top shape.

Foods to fight off Adrenal Fatigue

+licorice tea

+seaweed

+naturally fermented miso (w/o MSG)

+sprouts

+carob

+ginger

+sea salt

+beans with whole grains

+organic meats like lamb (wild meats)

+Arctic cod

+Alaskan salmon

+bone broth with acidic wine/vinegar

+red/orange veges

+almond oil

Other Tools:

*Refresh: Rejuvenate either by taking a leisurely walk, taking a long bath, or quietly reading.

*Exercise: It doesn't need to be a hard core spin class. Just move your body.

*Meditate: I know it isn't easy but there are great tools out there that can guide you through.

*Nap: Take a 5-10 nap when you feel overwhelmed/stressed. It's the ultimate "reboot" button.

*Spend time with friends: Without interruption or technology distractions.

*Jot in a journal: Note the good, the bad and the ugly of your day.

*Take a class: Take a class in something you're interested in that you never make time for. Calligraphy, knitting, kickboxing, playing the guitar.

*Visit your Acupuncturist: Acupuncture has been shown time and time again to relieve stress and the symptoms associated with it. You don't have to see them forever, but one or two visits when the pressure is on will help you manage through.

*Herbs: Your acupuncturist can also recommend a customize formula that can help you naturally get through the rough patches.

*Take your vitamins: Vitamin B complex has been shown to help the body cope with stress.

*Fish Oils: Either from the real deal or in a supplement form.

*Avoid/limit "Stress-ies": Limit time you spend with people who are overly stressed out. Stress is contagious and often others will rile up the calmer crowd so they're not alone.

Cle Acupuncture - http://www.cleacupuncture.com/news