More Tips for Late Summer

During this last burst of Indian Summer – heat and dampness are prominent. These elements can easily damage the heart and spleen function. You may find yourself feeling sticky and clammy, sweating, poor appetite, heavy limbs, fatigue.

Tip #2: Drink plenty of fluids to prevent body fluid deficiency.

The organ systems associated with the season of Late Summer are the Stomach and the Spleen-Pancreas. These systems are responsible for the digestion of nutrients. Though the spleen is often overlooked in Western medicine, in TCM, the spleen represents the primary organ of digestion. If the spleen is in disharmony, then you may develop deficiencies in qi or blood, or poor digestion.

The spleen is also the source of motivation and creativity. When the spleen-pancreas energy is balanced, we feel calm and settled and compassionate. We experience anxiety and worry when the spleen-pancreas energy is not balanced.

Tip # 3: Eat foods that nourish the spleen-pancreas: The damp heat of this season can put stress on digestion. Eat cooked foods for easier digestion. Don't combine too many ingredients, use minimal seasoning, and keep cooking temperature and time moderate. For example, try steaming vegetables instead of grilling them.

Since this season is associated with the color yellow and the sweet flavor, try golden and orange-colored foods that are mildly sweet. To get your body in tune with this season, try: amaranth, apricots, cantaloupe, chestnuts, corn, garbanzo beans, millet, peas, potatoes, soybeans, squash, string beans, sweet potatoes, tofu and yams.

Late Summer: The Fifth Season

Late Summer is the fifth season in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). While it is a short season, it is, in many ways, the most important, as it represents the transition from the energetic yang energy of Spring and Summer to the quieter yin energy of Fall and Winter. This is the point at which all seasons converge. As Paul Pitchford writes in Healing with Whole Foods, Late Summer represents "the instant where the pendulum reverses its swing." This season is the point of clarity between Summer and Fall, when we can pause and figure out what we need to do to prepare for winter.

Grounding and centering are key during this transition. We must protect the immune system for autumn by preparing our bodies and minds. In the following few posts, I will provide tips to prepare ourselves for this change of seasons. If you read my recent newsletter, some of this will be duplicative.

Tip #1

As the weather cools and the wind picks up, it's important to keep our neck warm. When our defenses are down, we are more susceptible and vulnerable to pathogens such as colds and flus. In TCM, we believe that “wind carries a thousand diseases” and we are moving into that time now. So remember your scarf before heading out the door!

Acupuncture and Reproductive Health

Current statistics state that one in five couples over the age of 30 have difficulty conceiving after one year of trying. Many of these couples are turning to acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for a safe, effective and natural solution to have a healthy baby.

TCM has a long history when it comes to enhancing fertility for both men and women. In fact, evidence that acupuncture and herbal medicine have been used to aid fertility can be found in early medical literature dating back to 3AD.

Fertility treatments were first recorded by Zhang Zhong Jing, a famous physician from the Han Dynasty, in his discussion of diseases in women in the Jin Gui Yao Lue or Essentials of the Golden Cabinet.

How Acupuncture Can Enhance Fertility

According to the principles of TCM, a person's health is determined by the quality of Qi, the vital life energy, and blood circulating through the body. When Qi and blood are circulating properly, the body is properly nourished and functioning optimally which, in turn, enhances fertility.

Researchers have confirmed TCM is beneficial in the following areas:

1. Regulate menstrual cycle.

2. Improve sperm count and motility.

3. Reduce stress and anxiety associated with infertility.

4. Normalize hormone and endocrine systems.

5. Improve blood flow in the uterus.

6. Decrease chance of miscarriage.

7. Increase the chance of pregnancy for women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Fertility treatments vary from person to person, but are usually scheduled for at least three consecutive cycles (twelve weeks). Treatments can include acupuncture, customized herbal therapy, stress reduction and dietary counseling. Treatments work alone but are an excellent addition to any Western intervention.

Please call for more information of to schedule a consultation!

Source: Qi Mail

Stir-Fried Rice Stick Noodles With Bok Choy and Cherry Tomatoes

Rice noodles are delicate and light, and especially welcome to those who are gluten-intolerant. You might find it easier to use tongs for this once you’ve added the noodles to the pan. Bok choy is a member of the cabbage family and has all those antioxidant-rich phytonutrients that the brassicas are known for.

7 ounces thin rice stick noodles (1/2 of a 14-ounce package)

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon soy sauce (low-sodium if desired)

1 tablespoon Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 to 2 teaspoons minced jalapeño

2 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 pound (2 medium) baby bok choy, trimmed, washed and dried, cut in 1-inch lengths

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

Salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro (can include stems), plus additional sprigs for garnish

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1. Place the noodles in a large bowl and cover with warm water. Soak for at least 20 minutes, until soft. Drain in a colander and, using kitchen scissors, cut into 6-inch lengths. Set aside within reach of your wok or pan. Combine the broth, soy sauce, and rice wine or sherry in a small bowl. Combine the garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes or minced jalapeño in another bowl. Have everything within reach of your wok or pan.

2. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a 12-inch skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in 2 teaspoons of the oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and swirling the pan. Make sure that the bottom of the wok or pan is coated with oil and add the eggs, swirling the pan so that the eggs form a thin pancake. Cook 30 seconds to a minute, until set. Using a spatula, turn the pancake over and cook for 5 to 10 more seconds, until thoroughly set, then transfer to a plate or cutting board. Season to taste. Allow to cool, then roll up and cut into strips 1/4 inch wide. Place near the wok.

3. Swirl the remaining oil into the wok or pan and add the garlic, ginger and chili. Stir-fry no more than 10 seconds, until fragrant, and add the bok choy. Stir-fry for 1 minute, until it is bright green and the leaves are wilted, and add the broth mixture, the drained noodles, and the tomatoes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, until the noodles are just tender and the tomatoes are beginning to soften. Add the cilantro and egg shreds, and the salt and sugar, and stir-fry another 30 seconds to a minute, until well combined. Add the sesame oil, stir together, and serve, garnished with cilantro sprigs if desired.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Nutritional information per serving (four servings): 340 calories; 12 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 106 milligrams cholesterol; 49 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 381 milligrams sodium (253 milligrams if using low-sodium soy sauce; does not include salt added during cooking); 8 grams protein

Nutritional information per serving (six servings): 227 calories; 8 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 71 milligrams cholesterol; 33 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 254 milligrams sodium (168 milligrams if using low-sodium soy sauce; does not include salt added during cooking); 6 grams protein

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN in NY Times

Golden Tomato Sauce Recipe

This is the season for tomatoes! The Farmer's Market is bursting with Heirlooms of all colors and sizes. Here is a recipe for the multicolored tomatoes you find.

I don't bother peeling the tomatoes here, but you certainly could. You can also do a double or triple batch. The sauce will keep refrigerated for about a week. Also, the color of your tomatoes will dramatically impact the color of your sauce. I like to choose tomatoes that are bright yellow in color, like you see here. Alternatively, yellow tomatoes with a hint of orange make a striking sauce as well.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds or 24 oz ripe yellow (or multi-colored) tomatoes, cored and halved

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Run your finger along the inside of each tomato to remove and discard the seeds. Chop the tomatoes into 1/4-inch chunks, reserve any juice, and set aside.

Combine the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper flakes in a cold medium sauce pan. Now, heat the ingredients, stirring occasionally, until the garlic begins to sizzle and take on a bit of color. Stir in the tomatoes and reserved juices, and bring to a simmer. Cook for just a couple minutes, long enough for the tomatoes to start breaking down a bit. Remove from heat, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Makes 2 cups of sauce.

From 101cookbooks.com

Chrysanthemum flowers for Eye Health

I've written about Chrysanthemum flowers before but wanted to include another recipe for Chrysanthemum tea (Ju Hua) where the flowers are boiled to make a popular cooling tea to drink in the warm weather or to use topically on the eye. Chrysanthemum tea has many medicinal uses. Used for at least 2,000 years, this herb was first listed by the physician Shen Nong who suggested that continued use would "slow aging and prolong life".

The boiled flowers or tea bags may be kept in the fridge and used as eye masks to ease tired eyes, reduce heavy eye bags and get rid of redness, pain or dryness of the eyes.

Cold Chrysanthemum Tea

Ingredients

* 60 - 80 White Chrysanthemum Flowers
* 3 teaspoons of Jasmine Green Tea
* Rock sugar or honey
* 4 liters (1 Gallon) of water

Instructions:

1. Wash the chrysanthemums.
2. Put chrysanthemum and tea into a cooking pot.
3. Pour in water and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add rock sugar or honey.
6. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
7. Strain and put into the refrigerator.
8. Serve chilled and enjoy!

Source: Qi Mail

Seven Essential Nutrients for Eye Health

Support your eye health by incorporating these seven essential nutrients into your diet:

Lutein and Zeaxanthin - carotenoid compounds found in the lens and retina of the eyes. These antioxidants protect eyes from free radicals and A diet high in these compounds may protect the eyes from macular degeneration and cataracts. Carotenoid compounds are found in yellow and orange fruits & vegetables, dark green, leafy vegetables and egg yolks.

Vitamin A - helps prevent night blindness, stop the formation of cataracts, and may prevent blindness from macular degeneration. Deficiency can cause dry eyes, corneal ulcers, swollen eyelids and, if not corrected, blindness.

Vitamin C - can help reduce the risk of cataracts. It may also play a role in delaying macular degeneration and preventing and relieving glaucoma.

Vitamin E - a powerful antioxidant shown to prevent cataracts and helps prevent macular degeneration.

Bioflavonoids - give certain foods their color and often work as antioxidants. Any food that contains these nutrients also contains vitamin C. Citrus, red and purple fruits are excellent for the eyes.

Omega 3's - These essential fatty acids convert into prostaglandins that regulate intraocular pressure, help the eye drain and may help protect against dry eye syndrome. Connected with eyesight development, deficiencies of essential fatty acids may lead to impaired vision, retinal or macular damage. The best source of Omega 3's is cold water fish such as Salmon.

Essential Minerals - Zinc, Selenium, and Copper are all essential for healthy eyesight. Zinc helps the body absorb vitamin A which is required for normal eye function and adapting to the dark. Zinc has been used for the specific purpose of reducing age related macular degeneration and a deficiency may lead to cataracts. Selenium helps the body to absorb vitamin E to . Copper helps reduce the development of age related macular degeneration.

source: Qi Mail