Quinoa Salad with Radicchio, Chicken and Pine Nuts

A nutrient-dense, filling winter salad, quinoa combines with faintly bitter radicchio, chicken and salty feta cheese. Read more at nourishedkitchen.com:

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked quinoa, chilled
• 1 small head radicchio, chopped
• 1 cup cooked chicken, cut in bit-sized pieces
• ½ cup cubed feta cheese
• 1 small red onion, chopped fine
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• Olive oil and vinegar dressing, to serve

1. Toss cooked quinoa, chopped radicchio, cooked chicken, cubed feta cheese, chopped red onion, pine nuts and parsley together until all ingredients are well distributed.
2. Dress the salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar

YIELD: Serves 4

TIME: 5 minutes

Study: Acupuncture Lessens Depression Symptoms During Pregnancy

A great alternative for pregnant women who feel depressed. A Stanford study shows that acupuncture lessens depression symptoms:

Acupuncture appears to be an effective way to reduce depression symptoms during pregnancy, according to a first-of-its-kind study from Stanford University School of Medicine researchers.

The study authors, led by Rachel Manbar, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, said they hope the results will raise awareness of the problem of depression during pregnancy and provide patients and physicians an alternative to antidepressants. “This standardized acupuncture protocol could be a viable treatment option for depression during pregnancy,” they wrote in a paper that appears in the March issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology... Read More

Study: Acupuncture May Change the Way the Brain Perceives Pain

Check out this Time Magazine article on recent research showing how acupuncture works:

The idea of pricking your body with needles in order to relieve pain seems nothing if not counterintuitive, but thousands of acupuncture patients swear the treatments are effective in addressing pain of all kinds.

But how does it work? How much of the relief is due to the placebo effect — the mere perception that the needles are actually dulling pain — as opposed to a real biological change in the way nerves signal the brain to pain? ... Read more

Foods for Fertility

Looking to get pregnant with the next year? Start now to boost your fertility with nutritious foods. This article is great! Foods For Fertility: Read more at: nourishedkitchen.com

Treating Seasonal Depression with Traditional Chinese Medicine

Clinically referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the winter blues can weigh you down during the dark months of the year. An estimated ten million Americans (two-thirds of them women) suffer every year. Symptoms include depression, irritability, headaches, fatigue and lethargy, increased appetite, carbohydrate cravings, difficulty concentrating, and decreased libido.

In the Western world, it is thought that because people have less exposure to sunlight, they experience a decrease in melatonin levels in the brain. Genetics, hormones, stress and other factors may dictate how one is affected by SAD. Western medicine practitioners often to turn to light therapy, and, in some cases, antidepressants to alleviate symptoms. The Traditional Chinese Medicine approach explains this SAD as the result of a yin-yang imbalance. While yin, the feminine energy, relates to nourishment, it is also associated with cold and darkness. Yang, by contrast, is the male energy, associated with heat and light. Around this time of year, it is natural to feel an increase in yin-related tendencies such as isolation and sadness.

As the coldness of Fall and Winter months profoundly challenge our core energy, it is not surprising that many of us find ourselves craving quick-fix, high-calorie energy sources. This extra energy can be stored as fat in order to help keep the body warm. We use a lot of energy in Winter fending off the cold, which can make us feel drained, and we may notice ourselves become more emotionally and physically sensitive to our own surroundings. Stress, poor diet, and lack of sleep many of us are too familiar with due to hectic schedules (not to mention drafty apartments and overzealous radiators) further deplete energy, leading to both a depressed immunity and mood.

While a few individuals may require psychotherapy or medication, there are many other ways to treat SAD. Make sure you have proper nourishment and rest as well as a comfortable living environment.

• Stock your kitchen with vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables (try dark leafy greens and baked root vegetables) as well as "warming" foods like whole grains, nuts and seaweed to use in soups and other hearty dishes.

• Give yourself time, space to rest and to be reflective, a natural inclination we experience in the winter months.
  

• Make sure your thermostat (if you have one) is set to a comfortable temperature. Invest in a space heater or humidifier if necessary.
  

• Try to go to bed early and wake up early.
  

• Work by a window if possible, in order to get some direct sunlight.

• Moderate exercise can also boost one's mood. Stretching, yoga, and tai chi can do wonders to boost the immunity. It is important to stay active without overstraining the mind or body.
  

• Acupuncture, especially when combined with heat therapy and yang-fortifying (or "warming") herbs can be very effective in treating SAD symptoms. It helps guide the body back to balance and regulate the neurological and endocrine systems. Marie and I can prescribe the herbs that will best complete your personal treatment.

Taking these simple steps can help you stay well all winter. A strong mind and body are your best bet for braving the elements.

Adapted from Qi Mail

Creating a Calm Mind Workshop

Creating a Calm Mind: Holistic Workshop to Reduce Anxiety Using Acupuncture, Yoga & Talk Therapy

Dear all, As a follow up to the stress reduction workshops I led in May, I am pleased to announce that this fall, I am again teaming up with mind-body psychotherapist, Susan Lambert, and Iyengar-influenced yoga instructor, Robin Simmonds, to offer a collaborative workshop aimed at helping us develop tools to reduce anxiety. As New Yorkers, we are accustomed to high levels of anxiety-provoking stimulus around usat all times. And as the holidays approach, for many of us, these levels can sometimes go through the roof. Whether it's anticipating or dealing with family stress, coordinating holiday plans, balancing work life and home life, or worrying about our health or the health of our loved ones, sometimes our concerns and worries can get the best of us. But we do not have to let our feelings of anxiety overcome us. This workshop employs a mind-body approach to help us identify the root of our anxieties and come up with creative and healthy ways to release ourselves from these, at times, all-encompassing and debilitating feelings. We will explore ways to handle anxiety both in the intensity of the moment as well as how to incorporate tools into our daily lives to help us reduce generalized anxiety and develop a calmer mind. This unique workshop will rely on the combined strengths of three modalities: acupuncture, yoga and psychotherapy to offer energetic, psycho-emotional, and physical inlets to addressing our response to anxiety-provoking stressors. This workshop is well suited for those who have always wanted to try one or more of these healing modalities, to deepen their experience in any one of them, or discover the powerful effect of these therapies when brought together in unison. And please feel free to pass this along to friends and family who may benefit from this workshop. Warmly, Sharon

Saturday, December 11th, 2010 1:00-4:00pm Pine Tree Spa: 101 W17th Street (and 6th Ave), 2nd Fl. New York, NY 10011 Fee: $60 (payable in check or cash) Contact: info@fiveseasonshealing.com, 917-538-5755 Limited number of spaces. Reserve today. No prior experience in yoga required. Please wear clothing you can move in.