I just found this great local magazine full of ideas about sustainable living and eating. There are recipes, ideas about foraging, food co-ops, farmer’s markets and other bits of local food culture. I think one of the best things we can do for our health is to pay more attention to our food and eating. More important than counting calories or elimination “diets” is just paying attention while we shop, prepare food, and eat. Intention is so important to the qi of our food. When food is appreciated and cared for before it is eaten, when food is grown or bought and prepared with enjoyment, it provides us with so much more. It’s less about WHAT you eat, and more about HOW you eat. Check out the magazine, I think you’ll enjoy it!

If you’re not local to Seattle, see if your city is a member www.ediblecommunities.com

Blood deficiency is more prevalent in women than in men due to the menstrual cycle, but some men suffer from this as well. It arises from a number of conditions, including, but not limited to: heavy menstrual cycle, a history of hemorrhage, amenorrhea, or long term vegetarianism. Blood deficiency can underlie a number of physical symptoms including dizziness, pallor, fatigue, scanty or absent menstrual cycle, some types of numbness or skin rashes, dry skin and hair, brittle nails, chronic muscle spasms, slow to heal tendonitis and injuries, heart palpitations and specific types of insomnia. It is very important to stay well hydrated if you are blood deficient. 6-8 glasses of water are essential, as well as introducing fluids that have electrolytes in them. Organic chicken broth is another way to help hydrate the body while providing easy to assimilate nutrients.

If your practitioner has diagnosed you with Blood Deficiency, there are some simple foods and supplements that you can incorporate into your diet that will help your body to build more and stronger Blood. Be sure to check with your Naturopath or physician before starting supplementation to be sure the supplement is appropriate for your particular situation.

1) Certified Organic beef

2) Green leafy vegetables such as kale and chard

3) Black strap molasses

4) Dark colored fruits and vegetables like red grapes, raisins, berries, beets, etc.

5) Slow-cooked soups, stews and braised meats which are the best methods for extracting essential nutrients from bones, meats and vegetables

6) Seaweeds (be sure to use quality brands that ensure purity standards)

7) Organic Royal Jelly which is a wonderful tonic that is naturally high in amino acids, vitamins and enzymes

8) Iron supplements such as “Floradix” which is a gentle liquid tonic that helps support the blood.

9) Chlorophyll Supplements particularly barley grass (avoid spirulina as it tends to be too warming)

It is certianly late to be celebrating the chinese new year, but on looking back at the posts for this year, we discovered we neglected to talk about the year of the ox. It’s not too late to apply a little knowledge about the ox to your goals for this year.

The ox is said to be a loyal, dependable friend, especially to the rat, the animal of last year. The ox is associated with hard work and dependability. On a day to day basis the ox’s work may go unnoticed, but in time, projects are completed and goals are realized under the ox’s steady determination and tireless persistence. Similarly, this is a good year to apply hard work and constant care towards personal and professional goals. Maintaining steady discipline and unwavering determination will yield tangible benefits in the long run. In addition, it is an excellent time to be very practical and conservative in assessing situations before taking action. This will allow one to side step arguments and mishaps, conserving strength and energy that will be needed to endure upcoming hardships.

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.

Medicinal 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

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. Two of the practitioners at Queen Anne Natural Health, Clarissa and Terri, have used them with their own children and have avoided any antibiotic use in these children. In addition to Chinese formulas, these practitioners 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.

Season: Spring

Direction: East

Climate: Wind

Yin Organ: Liver

Yang Organ: Gallbladder

Emotion: Anger

Sound: Shouting

Color: Green

Flavor: Sour

Movement: Upward

Tissue: Tendons

Virture: Kindness

In Chinese Herbal Medicine, the small fruit of the Burdock plant is used. The root, however, is used in both Chinese Nutritional Therapy and Western Herbalism and this part of the plant can be used in cooking. Western Herbalists use Burdock root to treat skin conditions that are dry, such as dry eczema, psoriasis and dandruff. This root can be found in many asian grocery stores. It needs to be peeled, and soaked in a solution of vinegar or lemon juice to prevent discoloration (1 tea white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup water). Use this root chopped in stir frys, soups, or roasted with other root vegetables.

Stir-Fried Burdock and Carrot

from the book The Japanese Kitchen by Hiroko Shimbo

makes 4-6 servings as a side dish

2-3 Tb veggie oil

5 1/2 oz burdock, peeled, julienned in 2 1/2-in lengths (about 2 cups) and soaked in 1 c water and 1 tea vinegar

2 oz carrots, julienned in 2 1/2-in lengths (about 2/3 cups)

2 Tb sake (rice wine)

1 Tb mirin (sweet cooking wine)

1 Tb sugar

1 Tb shoyu (soy sauce)

1 tea tamari

2 Tb white sesame seeds, toasted

1/3 tea shichimi togarashi (seven spice powder) or red chili flakes

In a wok or skillet, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Drain the burdock, and cook it, stirring, until it is well coated with oil. Add the carrot and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 3 Tb water, the sake, mirin, and sugar. Cook the mixture until almost all the liquid is absorbed, stirring all the time. Add the shoyu, and cook for 30 seconds. Season the mixture to taste with tamari. Add 1 Tb of the sesame seeds, add the seven-spice powder or red chili flakes, and give several large stirs. Transfer the vegetables to a platter, and let them cool to room temperature. The dish tastes better after a few hours, and can be kept in the refrigerator, covered, for a day. Serve at room temperature or chilled, with the remaining 1 Tb white sesame seeds.

When the afternoon rolls around many of us feel that we need something to pick us up in order to finish the day. Often times we will head out for a coffee, knowing this will accomplish the task. While a little coffee is not a bad thing, it can give us an immediate burst of energy, but it will deplete us in the long run. In Chinese Medicine, coffee acts as a vigorous qi-mover. Strongly moving the qi in a body that is already in need of supplementation can waste the qi and blood and leave us more tired in the long run. This leads to the daily ritual of afternoon coffee and thus the cycle continues.

For many of us a nice alternative is tea, especially white or green tea. The caffeine content is much lower, and in addition, tea has benefit of being an antioxident.

There are many types of green tea available. A nice one to try is a Japanese green that is combined with roasted brown rice. Sometimes the rice pops in the roasting process giving the tea the appearance of being combined with tiny kernals of popcorn. Attractive, healthy, and tasty, give Genmaicha a try!

It is important to note that some people find tea, even green tea, to cause dryness or to raise the energy in the body causing palpitations and anxiety. Especially in the spring, when energy is already rising, it is important to pay attention to what is happening in your body. If your constitution is toward blood deficiency or dryness, or you have symptoms of yang rising, such as palpitations or dizziness, even green tea can be contraindicated. In this case, white tea may work better, or elimination of all caffeinated beverages may be necessary.

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.