Bone broth in Chinese medicine is a very important component of the diet. More than just a stock, bone broth is slowly simmered for 24-72 hours. Made with (organic) beef, pork, or chicken bones (pescatarians can also use fish bones), the process of slow cooking the broth leeches all of the important minerals and fats from the bones, marrow, and gelatin. Consuming bone broth helps reduce inflammation and helps heal the gut microvilli for improved digestion; the gut in Chinese medicine is the source of all blood formation, which makes it imperative in reproductive medicine. Healthy gut equals healthy body!
Read MoreWe love congee in our office. If you haven't heard of it, it's the slow-cooked rice porridge that we often recommend to patients because it's easily digestible nutrition that boosts metabolism to help build blood for the body to use.
Read MoreSeveral weeks ago, my friend handed me a large tupperware container filled halfway with a strongly vinager-scented liquid and a floating jellyfish-like culture. It was my first kombucha mother or SCOBY, an acronym for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast. Sounds tasty, right?
This particular SCOBY was one that I had tasted the product of before. During a holiday party, my friend handed a glass of the freshly harvested kombucha to me. I took a whiff of it, and, trying to keep a neutral face, said that I would happily share it with my boyfriend. He took a whiff of it, and poured it into the large mug of hot tea he was holding, hoping to make it palatable. Unfortunately, it mostly just increased the quantity that we had to drink and compliment.
I get a lot of interesting looks when I'm drinking my green smoothie. Some people seem weirded out, but most people seem curious as to what it is and why I'm drinking it. So here's my two cents on why green smoothies rock:
Read MoreCongee is traditionally a rice porridge popular in Asian countries and goes back thousands of years to the first recorded congee (made of millet) eaten by Emperor Huang Di. It is more about the process of cooking rather than the grain that is used. Long cooking times break down the grain until it is literally mush. This renders it almost completely pre-digested so your body doesn’t have to work in order to absorb the nutrients from it. This is ideal for those with digestive problems who lack the ability to break down foods enough to get the nutrients they need from it.
Read MoreSpring is here! For many of us it’s a time we think about renewal and growth. It’s a wonderful time for clearing out old stuff that’s accumulated; both emotional and material junk. Letting go of old grudges is just as important as clearing out the pantry and tossing expired medications. Small shifts can be very rewarding.
A little knowledge and a few basic items at home can help you be prepared to nip a cold or flu in the bud, and help speed it on its way out of your body. As soon as you start feeling something coming on, that’s the time to take quick action, and make some tea. Treating it early is key for the best results.
What kind of tea? That depends on whether the bug is giving you symptoms of “cold” or “heat.”