Season of Fall

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It’s Hotpot Season Again

October 17, 2011 in Chinese Nutritional Therapy, Recipes, Season of Fall, Season of Winter | No comments

 

When the temperatures drop and the air gets crisp and Uwajimaya has it’s annual 15%-off-everything-sale, we have hotpot. I’ve written about this before, but I thought it would be nice to do so again, since it is such an autumn tradition for us. We pull out the Danube (Japanese clay pot) and our table-top cook stove. We get meat cut very thin by the talented butchers at Uwa who do it specifically for this and for the related dish, Sukiyaki. We pull together veggies, usually Napa cabbage, chrysanthemum leaves (sweet and delish!), several varieties of mushrooms (especially shitaki, enoki, maitake and oyster) carrots, tofu and daikon. Adding rice noodles is a nice touch, especially loved by kids. The broth is a simple 2 hour infusion with kombu, or sea kelp. The dried noodles soak for about an hour to soften them. Everything is put into the broth to quickly cook similar to a Swiss meat/veggie fondu. We prefer to make Japanese-style hotpots, which use broth and are a bit lighter than the Chinese versions which use oil in the cooking pot. Veggies, noodles and meat can be taken from the pot and put into each bowl and individuals can add as little or much garlic-chili paste and shredded daikon as desired. My daughters add none, I add enough to get a medium heat, and my husband makes his pretty hot. It was delicious and fun as usual. As you can see from the photo, this meal is a big hit with my 3 year old!!!

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Kids and Coughs

January 16, 2010 in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Season of Fall, Season of Spring, Season of Winter, Topics in Colds Flus Allergies, Topics in Pediatrics | No comments

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This time of year I hear a lot of patients talking about how their kids are coughing constantly. When children catch colds, they often get coughs, sometimes dry, sometimes phlegmy, and especially at night. These episodes are miserable for everyone. Western cough syrups are very strong drugs and many parents don’t want to use them but resort to them so that everyone can get some sleep.

There is a wonderful Chinese Medicine alternative. Blue Poppy Herbs makes a pediatric formula called Lung Qi Jr. that works wonders on those pesky coughing fits. I have been giving it to my children since they were infants whenever they had colds with coughs. Not only does it help to calm the coughing, it has several herbs in it that fight the infection at the source of the cough. It is one of those formulas that I think anyone with kids should have in the medicine cabinet. It comes in a liquid form and contains vegetable glycerin to sweeten it up so that it is more palateable to young tongues. I squirt it directly into my children’s mouths, but it can also be added to juice, milk, yogurt, or anything else.

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What to do with squash

November 2, 2009 in Chinese Nutritional Therapy, Recipes, Season of Fall | No comments

squash

 

In Chinese Nutritional Medicine, squash is warm and sweet and enters the Spleen and Stomach meridians. This, and the fact that they are in season, makes squash a perfect fall food. As the weather turns cold we turn to warm foods to help our bodies cope. Sweet foods tonify the Spleen, and in late summer the Spleen is the dominant organ. Nourishing the Spleen at this time will help our bodies make more qi and blood. There are so many varieties of squash, and thousands of ways to prepare them. I recently came across a nice page on one of my favorite food websites, Culinate, that describes and depicts some of the more common squash varieties with links to recipes for each one. I encourage you to experiement with squash this season. There are many options, from as simple as cutting them in half and roasting them in the oven, to complicated homemade stuffed pastas.

http://www.culinate.com/articles/culinate8/winter_squash_glossary

Below is a recipe for butternut squash which is remarkably simple and anything but boring. I make it on a regular basis in the fall to eat as is, or to use as a stuffing for ravioli. It comes from Jamie Oliver’s book The Naked Chef.

Spicy Roasted Squash

serves 6

1 butternut squash (2-3lbs)

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 small dried red chilies (or to taste)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash the squash, then cut it in half with a large sharp knife. With a large spoon, remove the seeds from the squash (try roasting these with a little touch of oil and some sea salt and have them with drinks, life peanuts). Cut the squash lengthways into quarters and then cut the quarters in half – you should have approximately 1 inch thick, boat-shaped wedges of squash. Put them into a bowl.

Put all the dried herbs and spices into a mortar and pestle and pound them up with the salt and pepper to make a fine powder. Once you’ve done this, add the garlic clvoe and pound it into the spices. Scrape out the contents into the bowl and add 1 Tb of olive oil. Toss the squash thoroughly in this herb and spice mixture, making sure that all the pieces are well coated.

Place the squash pieces in a line, skin side down, on a baking tray. Roast them for about 30 minutes, or until tender. The spicy flavor will cook into the squash, and the squash will crisp slightly, the skin becoming caramelized and chewy.

 

 

http://www.culinate.com/articles/culinate8/winter_squash_glossary

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10% off Cold Remedies

October 31, 2009 in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Season of Fall, Season of Spring, Season of Winter, Topics in Colds Flus Allergies | No comments

Postcard front fall 2009

Until January 31, 2010 I am offering 10% off cough syrups, Yin Chiao, Yin Chiao Jr., and Gan Mao Ling to current patients and to new patients who make an appointment for acupuncture.

Don’t forget that acupuncture increases immune function and that these and many other formulas can be used preventatively during this cold & flu season. I have a pharmacy full of herbal remedies to stop colds and flus in their tracks, and at the very least, shorten their duration and the intensity of many symptoms including cough, chills, fever, nasal congestion, headache and fatigue.

edibleSEATTLE

October 24, 2009 in Chinese Nutritional Therapy, Season of Fall | No comments

edibleseattle 041

I was very excited to find this magazine full of local flare. It is a simple publication centered on healthy growing, harvesting, preparing and eating. What I like about it is that the focus is on HOW we interact with food. So often when we think about healthy eating we focus on WHAT foods we “should” be eating. I think it’s valuable to spend some time thinking about how our food is grown, how it is prepared and how we eat it. As Americans we are often rushed in all aspects of food. To spend some time being present with our food as we prepare it infuses it with more qi. To savor and enjoy our food with family and friends helps our Spleen energy get the most from the food we eat. Autumn is a wonderful time to practice this as many of the foods, like squash and root vegetables, require slower, longer cooking. I encourage anyone in Seattle to check out this magazine for ideas and inspiration on how to think about food. The “edible” series is also available in other cities and can be found at www.ediblecommunities.com

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Ways to Increase Immune Function and Protect Oneself During Flu Season

July 16, 2009 in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Chinese Medicine Theory, Season of Fall, Season of Spring, Season of Winter, The Principle: Wind, Topics in Colds Flus Allergies | No comments

huangqi
There many things we can do to help support our body’s natural immune function. Certainly getting enough rest, fluids, and quality fresh food is essential. Acupuncture is also a good option, since one of the proven effects of this therapy is increased immunity, even when this isn’t the focus of treatment. Regular acupuncture helps bring our bodies back into balance, and a body in balance has the ability to fight foreign contaminants such as bacteria and viruses. In Chinese Medicine terms “expel uninvited guests” such as wind cold, wind heat, wind damp, etc.


Aside from acupuncture, many Chinese herbs, including mushrooms, have been proven to increase immune function in several ways. There are herbs that are simply antibacterial and antiviral, helping our bodies to stave off infection when we come in contact with these agents. There are also herbs which increase the number of Killer T and Natural Killer white blood cells which attack microbes preventing us from getting sick, and helping us to recover from illness.

One of the key immune enhancing herbs in Chinese Medicine is Huang Qi, or Astragalus. The root of this plant tonifies the qi and blood of the entire body, especially the Spleen and increases the Wei, or Protective Qi. There are several classic herbal formulas that contain Huang Qi which can be used to prevent illness. There are also formulas, which when taken at the early stages of illness help the body recover quickly and decrease the severity of an illness. These formulas are important to have on hand in order to provide a quick means of protection. That way if you find yourself around people sick people, or if you will be traveling on airplanes, or simply have a tendency towards decreased immune function, you can give your body as much support as possible to keep from getting sick.

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Medicinal Mushrooms Are Immune Enhancing Herbs

July 16, 2009 in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Season of Fall, Season of Spring, Season of Winter, Topics in Colds Flus Allergies | No comments

stamets_7_extractMedicinal mushrooms have been a part of the Chinese Materia Medica for several thousand years. These mushrooms, including reishi, oyster, maitake, shitake, and many more, have a strong effect on increasing immune function.  For instance, Ling Zhi, or the reishi mushroom, has been studied for its immune enhancing effect, and has been found to increase T cell function. Classically, it is said that Ling Zhi tonifies Lung qi, transforms phlegm, and stops cough and wheeze. Additionally, it has been found to have a carcinostatic effect, meaning that it stops the growth of cancer cells. Nutritionally, mushrooms provide fiber while being low in fat and contain several groups of vitamins, particularly thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, ascorbic acid and Vitamin D.

Eating raw mushrooms is not advised, since some are toxic uncooked, and most do not break down enough in our digestive systems to offer much benefit this way. Mushrooms should always be cooked when used as food. A stronger concentrated extract (either capsule or liquid) will give you the most benefit for immunity.

Fungi Perfecti is a locally based producer of medicinal mushrooms and is considered the best source of organic, high quality mushroom extracts by most experts, including Bastyr University and Dr. Andrew Weil. Fungi Perfecti has a number of extract combinations that address a number of immune issues. A popular, general immune tonic is their Stamets 7 formula.

fungi perfecti

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Childhood Ear Infections

July 16, 2009 in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Chinese Medicine Theory, Season of Fall, Season of Spring, Season of Winter, Topics in Colds Flus Allergies, Topics in Pediatrics | No comments

ears

Several years ago Jake Fratkin, OMD (Oriental Medicine Doctor), made waves throughout the pediatric community by declaring on a radio show that the cause of ear infections was antibiotics. Since that time, several studies have been done which indicate that he was right. The likelihood of a recurrent ear infection during the first six weeks after taking antibiotics is significant. Not only is a child more likely to get another ear infection within six weeks if they are given antibiotics, but the recovery time from an infection is the same whether antibiotics are given or not. Even the Washington State Department of Health has issued a statement that most ear infections clear on their own and that overuse of antibiotics leads to drug resistant bacteria. So why are medical doctors still giving antibiotics to children with ear infections? In some cases, they no longer are. More and more doctors and medical institutions are reserving antibiotic administration for extreme cases of infection as a last resort. Here in Seattle, Dr. David Springer of Wallingford Pediatrics received an award from Premera Blue Cross for his use of “evidence-based best practices” in avoiding and limiting antibiotic use for ear infections.

 

So if antibiotics aren’t the answer, what do we do for ear infections? Chinese Herbal Medicine is an excellent choice for the prevention and treatment of ear infections. There are two key formulas which, when administered correctly, can alleviate pain within hours and eliminate the infection within only a couple of days. They are safe, they are effective, and they are easy to administer. Several companies have created liquid extracts of these classic Chinese formulas adding a touch of glycerin or stevia to mask the bitter flavor of the herbs so that they are more palatable to children. I have used them with my own children and have avoided any antibiotic use so far. In addition to Chinese formulas, I have used garlic ear drops, which kill microbes and dry fluid when placed directly into the ear canal, and probiotics which help the immune system fight the infection. All three can be combined and your Chinese Medicine practitioner can help you determine the best course of treatment so you can avoid unnecessary, and potential harmful antibiotic overuse in your children.

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Protect Your Windgate

July 16, 2009 in Chinese Medicine Theory, Season of Fall, Season of Spring, Season of Winter, The Principle: Wind, Topics in Colds Flus Allergies | No comments

windgate

While the name “wind gate” refers specifically to a point on the Bladder channel of the upper back, we often use this term to talk about the entire back of the neck and upper back. This area is particularly vulnerable to invasion by wind leading to symptoms of colds and flus such as chills, body aches, nasal congestion, and cough. In the Springtime when the weather starts to turn warm we can be too quick to pull off the winter layers. Exposing the back of the neck and upper back to the elements, particularly the wind, we increase the likelihood of falling ill. Protect your “wind gate” by wearing a scarf, a high collar, or a turtle neck, and you will increase your chances of making it through the spring in good health.

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More About Moxibustion

July 16, 2009 in Acupuncture Techniques, Season of Fall, Season of Winter | No comments

moxa

Moxibustion is a wonderful wintertime therapy as it disperses cold, eliminates damp and warms yang. It is one of the best methods for general health and well-being in the Chinese Medicine repertoire. Moxa used daily on the point ZuSanLi is said to prevent all illness and promote longevity. The sensation is generally one of warmth and relaxation, and very popular among patients of Chinese Medicine.

Moxibustion is a form of therapy that developed independently of acupuncture, and may actually pre-date it. There are areas in the northern, colder regions of China in which practitioners use moxibustion in lieu of acupuncture.

The moxa is made from the herb Ai Ye, or Mugwort, which is harvested and laid in the sun to dry. It is then crushed and passed through a sieve repeatedly until it maintains a fine, downy texture. In this form it is referred to as “moxa punk” and is formed into small cones.

The practitioner then places the cone on top of an acupuncture needle or directly onto the skin. The moxa is lit with a stick of incense and the warming and moving properties of the Ai Ye plant enter the point. A slice of ginger or garlic can also be placed between the moxa and the point, infusing the properties of these herbs into the body as well.

Moxa punk can also be made into rolls or small sticks which are placed in a metal tool called a Tiger Warmer. This tool is then moved along the course of a meridian, allowing the moxa to enter the body.

“When a disease cannot be treated by needling it should be treated with moxa.” – Ling Shu

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