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Summer, sunshine and roses. What a delight they are to have in the garden with the variety of colors, blossom shapes and fragrances. Long a symbol of love, war, politics and beauty, roses have worked their way into our hearts and into our cuisine.
A little history first. Fossil evidence date roses back nearly 35 million years, with cultivation beginning nearly 5,000 years ago–likely in China. Now there are 100-150 estimated species of Rosa growing wild or cultivated on nearly every continent. The Romans and Middle Eastern cultures used roses for medicinal purposes, celebrations, perfume, as confetti at celebrations or to honor royalty. Well, who doesn’t want to walk on a path sprinkled with roses?
Rose oil and water was considered legal tender for trade and payments during the 7th and 8th centuries–not quite as crazed a trend as the Dutch tulips bulbs. And there was the famous “War of the Roses” in the 15th century– the red rose symbolized Lancaster and the white rose was the symbol of York.
In the early 1800′s botanically illustrator Pierre Joseph Redoute’s completed “Les Rose,” a collection of watercolor paintings from the roses in Napoleon and Josephine’s gardens at Chateau de Malmaison. This work is still considered one of the finest botanical records of roses.
Personally, roses hold a dear place in my heart. My grandfather was a master gardener and cared for several public rose gardens as well as his own. Grandma would harvest the petals for potpourri and jellies. And my parents kept a very neat rose garden right outside the front door. Pretty magical to be able to loose yourself under an enormous Austrian Copper rose bush for a nap, to fill vases with roses, to be able to identify each rose just by fragrance.
Enough history and sentimentality…
Western nutritional highlights
From a western nutritional perspective, roses don’t hold significant levels of minerals and vitamins except for vitamin c, which is most abundant in rose hips rather than the petals. Where roses shine is in their energetics.
Rose’s Eastern nutritional energetics and highlights.
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Clears heat, cools the blood and stops bleeding
Rose has a very clearing, cooling and calm nature. Patterns of blood heat include rashes, fever, nose bleeds. Doesn’t matter which organ has the heat (liver fire=constipation, stomach fire=mouth sores, etc) rose will help cool heat patterns. |
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Harmonizes menstruation, strengthens and harmonizes reproductive qi
That’s right, roses are wonderful for treating reproductive disharmonies including: irregular or painful menses, PMS, low self-esteem, excessive bleeding, impotence, infertility and low libido. But don’t just keep it to the ladies. Roses help to increase sperm count and resolve sperm incontinence. |
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Clears Liver qi congestion and promotes bile flow
Liver qi stagnation? In Chinese medicine the Liver is responsible for ‘free and easy flow’–meaning the qi, blood and fluids in the body are moving easily. Liver qi stagnation appears as depression, mood swings, mid back pain, pms, constipation, flank pain, nausea and headaches. If you have angst, anger, irritability or frustration you have some liver qi stagnation. |
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Nourishes the Heart, settles Shen and lifts depression
Very simply put, Shen is the spirit that is housed in the Heart. When the Heart’s Blood and Qi are harmonious, Shen is nourished and we responds appropriately to the environment. We can build meaningful relationships and can experience joy and laughter. When it is not nourished or unsettled we see patterns of insomnia, anxiety, palpitations, and inappropriate relationships (too close or too far). In extreme conditions we can see hysteria, irrational behavior and delirium. |
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Clears toxins, reduces swellings and inflammation
Think boils, furuncles, carbuncles, abscesses and shingles. It clears toxic damp heat in the colon that causes painful diarrhea too. |
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Heals and repairs the skin
Use it internally and/or externally, rose is useful for eczema, ulcers, sprains, red irritated skin, wrinkles and spider veins. |
Seven ways to use roses
- A cup of tea– There are several varieties of rose tea available at local stores, or simply get some dried organic rose blossoms and petals and have make your own. I often mix my with other flavors–last night raspberry leaf, nettle, and rose. To further cool the day down, I dropped in a few frozen blackberries.
- Eat rose petals–dash them over salads, top berries or cakes with them.
- Use as rose water or rose oil–use the water to flavor teas or as a refreshing facial rinse. Drop oil into a calming bath or use as an essential oil…a few drops a day under the tongue can go a long way. Rose water.
- Make up a vinegar–use for everything from sun burns and bug bites to an unusual salad dressing. Rose vinegar.
Be well!
April
reposted with permission from aprilcrowell.com
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Rhubarb has a long medicinal history. Its use spans Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine to Galenic and Islamic medicine. Indeed this powerful little purgative (meaning it moves the bowels) is not an herb that is likely to disappear. Today, rhubarb’s rhizome (root) or Da Huang (big yellow) is still used extensively in classical and newer Chinese formulas to move the bowels and release excess heat and damp conditions in the liver.
But enough of the roots, we going to talk about the stalk or stem.
Though rhubarb’s broad leaves are toxic, the stem offers a surprising array of vitamins and minerals. The stems vary in color from deep red, pink, white to green and have a similar shape to celery stalks. Like celery, rhubarb is a vegetable despite the fact that it ends up in many desserts. Let’s take a closer look at what rhubarb has to offer besides a very tart flavor.
Calcium–Rhubarb is loaded with silicon an important component in the absorption of calcium. And it’s packed with calcium itself, boasting about 30-35% of the RDA based on a 2,000 calorie diet–wonderful for your bones, teeth and heart without building up a bunch of phlegm.
Vitamin K, A, C & E-Vitamin K is essential to helping blood clot and aids your body in the absorption of vitamin D and many other nutrients. Rhubarb rocks nearly 60% of your RDA of K in a single cup. It also sports a healthy amount of vitamins A, C and E–the antioxidants that clear the body of disease and free radicals. Sounds kind of liver oriented, doesn’t it Chinese medicine practitioners?
The B-Vitamins- Small amounts of the B’s are present in rhubarb, but its enough to take note of these include thiamine, riboflavin and folate, niacin, vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid.
Other nutrients and trace minerals-A single cup of rhubarb provides small amounts of magnesium which plays a role in utilizing calcium, vitamin D and potassium. Potassium in rhubarb helps to balance out fluid and minerals–out with gout. And the phosphorus helps to keep teeth and bones strong. Rhubarb offers some iron, supporting blood health. And trace amounts of copper, slenium, manganese and zinc appear as well.
Now that we’ve fractionalized the poor rhubarb–let’s look at it from a whole, Chinese energetic perspective.
Rhubarb is cold energetically, it drains downward and removes excess heat and damp from the Liver, Stomach, Heart and Intestines and promotes bowel movements. The sour flavor specifically enters the Liver, moving out congestion and dampness.
Shall I simplify?
Heat in the Liver- What this looks like is liver qi congestion, anger, frustration, digestive stagnation, pms, ringing in the ears, –check out Liver yang rising. Patterns like Hep C, mono and high cholesterol are damp heat in the liver and gall bladder.
Heat in the Stomach-We see burning sensation in the stomach, acid reflux, GERD, bleeding gums, excessive thirst and bad breath. This can also be a component in constipation caused by heat. Yep, there is more than one pattern that can cause constipation.
Heat in the Heart-Anxiety, palpitations, nervousness, thirst, anxious and excessive speech and dream disturbed sleep. You might actually have a burning sensation on the very tip of your tongue.
Heat in the Intestine-Heat anywhere will dry up the fluids in the system, making you thirsty. With lack of fluids in the intestines the body cannot properly move the bowels aka, constipation.
Wonderful– Put this all together and rhubarb is a fantastic food to help purge out excess heat from the system, especially if you indulge in too many animal proteins which are hot! Great for spring cleaning. But before you go noshing on your plant, there are a few contraindications.
A note of caution–rhubarb is a laxative, avoid use if you are nursing, have diarrhea, loose stools, or are very deficient.
Be well,
April
reposted with permission from aprilcrowell.com
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Life is a heat process.
From a strictly chemical view point, almost all reactions in the body are heat driven, from the formation of proteins and ATP (the fuel that runs the body), to the ability of your lungs to absorb oxygen from the air. Without heat, many processes slow, or outright stop.
 From a psycho-spiritual perspective, when we think of various descriptors that have been applied to people throughout time we see reflections of the understanding of how important heat is. Sayings like ‘they’re cold hearted’, or calling someone ‘frigid’, or referring to an action as ‘cold’ are all examples of acknowledging a lack of warmth in someone. Conversely, we describe people as ‘warm’ to express their caring nature, or an action giving you the ‘warm fuzzies’, or even ‘hot’ to express sexual desire. When our ability to generate warmth declines, we can begin to feel separated from those around us. Our ability to acknowledge the warmth of another can diminish proportionally to our own diminishing warmth.
Physically, warmth is most prevalent in the digestive system, where a lack of heat will lead to a decrease in our ability to derive nourishment from our food and, because the body tends to store what it cannot use, an increase in body mass. A lack of heat in the digestive system can lead to difficulty taking in new ideas and information. Also, as heat is necessary to move the bowels, it can make it harder to let go, physically, mentally, or emotionally.
Ironically, because heat is generated by both the breakdown of food and the use of those nutrients by the muscles, our diet has a major influence on our overall temperature.
In Chinese Medicine, the primary organs of digestion are the Stomach and Spleen. If you think of the Stomach as the cook pot that the body breaks food down in, the Spleen is the fire under the pot. While the Spleen provides the heat to cook the ingested food, the food after being broken down provides fuel for fire for the next time we eat. So if we eat lots of food that take extra energy for the Stomach to break down, like rich heavy foods, or raw and/or chilled foods, we derive less energy from the food and have less energy for our next meal. We can offset some of this loss through movement and exercise, but keep in mind that the energy fueling the Spleen’s fire is also what is driving the muscles. Too much activity without proper nourishment will also deplete the body’s heat reserves.
The body can become too warm. Spicy foods, excessive intake of beverages like coffee and alcohol, and long term exposure to hot environments can over heat the body. This improper heat can cause the energy in the body to become agitated and reckless, drying up bodily fluids and in extreme instances, “burning” the flesh off the bones. In keeping with one of the principles of Yin/Yang anything in extreme will turn into its opposite. Thus excess heat can rapidly change into cold as our ability to physically hold onto warmth diminishes.
So how do we maintain warmth?
The easiest way to keep the body warm is to dress appropriately for the weather. If the body is chilled from the outside we have to use extra energy to maintain internal warmth. In the winter, the extremities are most susceptible to becoming cold, especially feet and knees, forearms and hands, and the head. Keeping the feet warm and dry, and ensuring that the knees are covered keeps cold from invading the lower body, while long sleeved shirts under coats with good gloves will keep the arms and hands warm, and of course any one of all the fun winter hats available will keep the head warm. Dressing in layers can be both fashionable and allow for accommodating interior and exterior temperatures.
Because our ability to generate warmth is directly linked to the food we consume it is important to avoid foods that cool the body. Because the body has to warm everything we eat to body temperature, any cold beverages, raw fruits or vegetables, or chilled food of any sort should be limited if not outright avoided in cold weather. Warming teas like Chai or cinnamon are excellent for warming digestion, while slow cooked soups and stews, casseroles, and crock pot meals are perfect in the winter time as the long cooking times help gently warm the body.
For other ways to stay warm, and or build warmth, contact a practitioner at Pulse today.
Here’s to warm fuzzies!
Nathan Mandigo
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Autumn and early winter are the peak harvest times for nuts. Nature’s little powerhouses, nuts possess all the energy, nutrients and materials to create a towering, strong tree, making them one of the richest foods available for humans to eat.
One short blog isn’t enough space to tackle all 300 edible types of nuts, but it is more than adequate to get a brief overview of the nutritional benefits and energetics of nuts along with safe handling, storage and some ideas of how to incorporate nuts into your diet.
Western nutritional highlights
Although nuts will vary in their content of protein, oils, vitamins and minerals we can look at them overall and get the general idea of what they have to offer.
- Protein– All nuts are high in protein. A 1/3 cup serving of cashews contains 21 grams. However that same serving gives you 260 calories–something to consider if you are calorie counting. These amino acids are pretty well balanced but lack the methionine and tryptophan found in animal proteins. However, mixed with grains, as many traditional cultures do, you can easily balance the meal.
- Fats–Don’t let the word scare you. We need healthy fats to maintain healthy hormones, immunity, and nervous system. It’s fats that give nuts their delicious flavor that satiate us. Luckily, most nuts are high in unsaturated fats (happy fats), and many of them have been shown to successfully help lower blood lipid levels (high cholesterol) and aid in the treatment of heart disease. In fact, nearly all nuts have appeared in studies and are shown to be beneficial in lowering cholesterol and protecting the heart. Nut’s fat content varies from about 50% (found in peanuts and almonds) to the nearly 70% (found in macadamias and pecans). Remember, a little goes a long way. Keep your servings to about a handful a day.
- Fiber–1/4 cup of almond provides about 4 grams of fiber. Fiber is essential for maintaining healthy bowel movements, weight balance, hormones and colon health. Need more info on Fiber?
- Vitamins and Minerals–Here again, nuts vary but many contain iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamin E and zinc–to name just a few.
The Chinese energetics of nuts
As a group nuts build and strengthen the body. They add on weight and fight deficiencies. Yin building (fluids and fats) and warming nuts are good for thin, weak and frail types but should be avoided if there is excess dampness, phlegm or yeast. Too many nuts can scatter the energy making a person feel ungrounded or unfocused.
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Almonds
Almonds have a fairly high fat content (60%). They are high in vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc. From a Chinese medicine perspective almonds are sweet and have a slightly warming nature. They benefit the Lungs and Colon by relieving cough and moving out phlegm, making them useful in chronic asthma and constipation conditions. Raw almonds are very beneficial in fighting heart disease and lowering blood lipids and the treatment of colon cancer. |
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Cashews
Kidney shaped cashews benefit the–you guessed it–the Kidneys and the Heart. Lower in carbohydrates than other nuts they offer vital minerals including copper, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc. Most of the fat in cashews is in the form of oleic acid know for protecting against cancers and heart disease. |
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Chestnuts
Chestnuts are one of the oldest nut varieties. They have been a staple for many cultures in Europe, Asia and America and there are hundreds of varieties grown throughout the world. Chestnuts hold the honor of being the only low-fat nut. They contain a mere 1 gram of fat for 1/3 cup serving and about 70 calories. Chestnuts contain vitamins B1, B2, B6, and folic acid. They are the only nut that contains vitamin C–providing nearly 1/2 the RDA dosage in a single 3 oz serving. The offer up fair amounts of manganese, copper and magnesium. They have a sweet, warming and grounding nature. Chestnut soup anyone? |
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Hazelnuts or Filberts
Hazelnuts have been eaten by the Chinese for at least 5000 years and they have a long history throughout Europe. Commonly appearing in candies and sweets filberts are the nut used to make Frangelica, a sweet liqueur. A 1/3 cup serving provides nearly 500 calories and 12 grams of protein, and 48 grams of fat–but nearly all of that fat is monousaturated fat. They are high in many of the B vitamins, vitamin E, copper and zinc. Hazelnuts have been shown to help high cholesterol levels. |
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Peanuts
Not truly a nut, but a legume. Peanuts hold the honor of being one of the most allergenic foods. They are also susceptible to a carcinogenic fungus that is more potent than DDT. Does this mean they are bad for you? No–peanuts are shown to protect the heart and help balance LDL and HDL levels. They are high in B1 & B3 and trace minerals. Just remember to buy organic, high quality and use a variety of nuts, not just one type. |
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Pecans
Pecans were a staple in the Native American diet, and praised by Spanish and French explorers. Pecans are very high in fat–nearly 71% of their content, most of which is heart healthy oleic acid. Pecans have high levels of B1, B3, B5, B6, copper, magnesium, manganese and vitamin E. Pecan’s have been the star in multiple studies (including several by the American Heart Association). |
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Pinenuts
Dozens of pine trees throughout the world produce edible seeds. Pinenuts are high in protein, low in fat and high in potassium and magnesium–another bonus for heart health. They are high in iron–great for blood building. Famously used in Mediterranean cuisine, pinenuts are one of the most expensive nuts and one of the most unstable nuts. They become rancid quickly, so be sure to buy from a good source and store in the freezer. |
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Pistachios
Another ancient, heart healthy nut pistachios are stars when it comes to vitamins and minerals including; B1, B3, B6, copper, manganese, magnesium, zinc, selenium, calcium and potassium. Another nut shown to help lower blood cholesterol, pistachios also have the ability to reduce inflammatory dermatitis. In Chinese Medicine terms, they enter the Liver and Gallbladder and treat jaundice. |
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Walnuts
Walnuts look like little brains…and that is exactly where they benefit–the brain. Dating back to 7000 BCE, walnuts likely the oldest tree food eaten by man. Their are two main species. Black walnuts are smaller and little more bitter than the English walnut which has a larger, sweeter, white meat. Again, walnuts have a significant ability to lower cholesterol. Unlike other nuts, however, walnuts are high in arginine, which allows the bloove vessels to relax. They also possess ellagic acid, a cancer fighting antioxidant. In Chinese medicine terms, walnuts benefit the Heart, the Kidneys, the spine and the brain. |
Preparing and storing nuts
Nuts are high in fats. Once these fats are exposed to air, the oil becomes unstable and starts to oxidize, becoming rancid, which can cause problems with allergies, asthma, joint and nerve problems, itching and burning in the mouth or lips. Whenever possible buy nuts still in their shell, which will keep for a year in a cool, dry place. Once shelled nuts can be stored for up to a year in the freezer or a 4 months in the fridge.
How to prepare nuts
- Soaking nuts–I recommend soaking shelled nuts for 2 hours to overnight before using. Soaking starts the sprouting process, making the nutrients of the nuts more digestible. In bitter nuts, like walnuts, the tannins float away in the rinse -water making their flavor. All nuts become softer, sweeter and have a more butter like texture.
- Oven drying nuts–Once nuts are soaked, drain them and spread them out on a cooking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 20-40 minutes stirring occasionally. Nuts should be fragrant. Scrape nuts from hot pan onto a cooling surface or pan. Use immediately or cool them thoroughly before storing in the fridge or freezer.
- Toasting nuts–In a heavy ungreased skillet, toast nuts over medium heat until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Pour nuts onto into a cooling pan or surface to stop the cooking.
A few ways to include nuts in your diet
- Homemade granola– Make up a large batch of granola and freeze it. Because granola has nuts, seeds and grains, all of which have oils in them, it can become rancid quickly. Store prepped granola in the freezer and pull it out to toss on yogurt, serve with warm almond milk, pack in hiking bags or stuff into baked apples.
- Make nut milk–Easy to make and use. Nut milks have unique flavors. Make a thicker cream to pour over hot baked apples or make thinner to add to smoothies. They make wonderful hot chocolate too!
- Toss them onto a salad.
- Add them to rice or whole grain dishes.
- Candy them–Drizzle a little honey or maple syrup over nuts and roast with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Toast until fragrant. Or, if you prefer savory, roast them with sage, rosemary and thyme. Great for gifts.
- Just leave them out on the counter–If there is a bowl of nuts (shelled or unshelled) hanging out, somebody starts munching on them. I never leave out large bowls of unshelled because of the unstable oil–but usually the bowl is emptied before they can go rancid.
- Toss them onto hot cereals–Livens up oatmeal, teff, quinoa or whatever your morning porridge is.
- Make a crust–Use the left over nut pulp to make a crust for meats or fish.
Be well!
April
reprinted with permission from www.aprilcrowell.com
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 So it’s smoky and hazy from all the wild fires, but why do I have this headache and watery eyes? Why can’t I focus? Why am I dropping things and tripping over stuff? Why do I feel depressed all of a sudden?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), all of these questions have one common root, the Lungs.
Many people experience similar symptoms at certain times of year when their least favorite plants bloom and they endure all of the classical symptoms of allergies. Wildfire smoke is much more pervasive and very few people are unaffected by it during heavy fire seasons.
Why do the Lungs control these symptoms?
TCM defines certain functions for the Lungs that, when out of balance, cause varying symptoms of dis-ease. For example, the Lungs open to the nose and sinuses, when the Lungs are weakened they do not have the ability to keep the sinuses clear and we can experience a stuffy head, runny nose, and sore throat. Pressure from the sinuses can cause headaches and give us that “stuffy headed” feeling that makes it so difficult to focus.
The Lungs are also the communication route between the mind and body. They allow us to know where we are and how we are moving relative to the world around us. When the Lungs are weakened, our sense of self in space, also known as proprioception, becomes confused and we become clumsy.
Not only do the Lungs give us a sense of where our body is, they can affect our perceptions of our body mentally and change how we perceive ourselves. This change, though often subtle, can make us feel less sure of ourselves and our abilities, lowering our self esteem and bringing on mild symptoms of depression.
What can you do to help the Lungs?
The biggest and most important thing we can do when the outside air is hazy and smoky is to stay out of it. This may not always be possible as many people work outside. The following is a short list of other simple things to help the Lungs.
- Stay hydrated – the Lungs want to be moist for optimal function, smoke can dry them out
- Take your ACEZ – vitamins A, C, E, and Zinc are all very good for the Lungs and help the body cleanse itself of exterior pathogenic factors
- Netti Pot – cleaning out the sinuses daily, especially when the air is bad, will help strengthen the Lungs
For other ways to help build your Lungs, schedule and appointment with you Amma Therapist or Acupuncturist today.
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Reprinted with permission from Aprilcrowell.com
The sun is out!
Idaho is blessed with long, sunny days, wonderful mountains, rivers, forests and deserts. A playground for those who love to be outside. However, with Idaho’s dry climate and high elevation, it’s easy to get a bit scorched. Getting sun is good, it’s the best source of vitamin D–so get out there, just start in small steps and be aware that you can still burn in little time even on overcast days.
Having a fair skinned, freckled daughter who loves to be outside has helped me become even more aware of the sun’s power and how quickly it can damage us.
Here are a few tips.
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Use a quality sunscreen
The EWG (Enviromental Working Group) puts together a fabulous database covering most sunscreens. Easy way to find out what products are toxin free and environmentally friendly or if it’s safer to just leave the stuff off your skin. |
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Stay hydrated
Drink plenty of water. Room temperature or cool water is easier for the system to absorb. I know–ice is nice–but it makes the body work hard (creating heat) to warm it enough to absorb it. You will quench your thirst faster, without freezing your throat, with room temperature. Try and keep iced and frozen drinks to a minimum. Add slices of lemon, cucumber and mint to water to replenish electrolytes lost through sweat. |
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Aloe Gel and Juice
It’s a lovely plant, with many uses from burns to cuts and bee stings. I highly recommend getting one. Even people without green thumbs can grow them. Aloe gel or juice applied to sunburns or sun damaged skin regenerates and re-hydrates the tissue while easing pain. |
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Lavender and chamomile spritzer
Lavender and chamomile both protect and heal the skin. Combine 1 cup of aloe juice with 10 drops each of lavender, chamomile, and rosemary essential oil. Keep chilled and spritz onto sunburned areas to sooth and relieve inflammation. |
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Vinegar
Add a 1 1/2-2 cups apple cider vinegar to a cool bath to ease over-worked muscles or sun-tired skin. Soak for about 20 minutes. |
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Time for a Spot of Tea
Black pekoe tea is wonderful when applied directly to burnt skin. Don’t use hot–ouch. Use a cool or cold tea bag and apply directly to the burn use as often as needed. If your burnt all over, make up a large batch and use gauze to distribute the tea. |
© April Crowell 2012
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It seems that ‘allergy season’ comes earlier every year. Although it may be true that certain seasons have a propensity to bombard us with excess pollen, there isn’t really one season for allergies. Some people only suffer during a particular season while others may suffer all year long. Some people are allergic to only one thing, while others suffer from a multitude or combination of allergens. Whatever the individual pattern, it is estimated that nearly 50 million Americans suffer from allergies.
From a Chinese medicine (CM) perspective allergies appear when our Wei qi (defensive qi) is very weak or the pathogen is immensely strong in comparison. This is very similar to how colds and flus invade the system. How does this happen? One of the 6 pernicious influences (cold, dry, damp, hot, summer heat and wind) invades. Your body’s natural defensive system (the wei qi) should rally to fight and hopefully expel the pathogen. However it may succumb if the system is too weak, the pathogen too strong, or our actions allow the pathogen to perpetuate. Treatment and prevention of allergies are focused on the individual, treating both the acute (sniffling, sneezing, etc.) and focusing on building the system to prevent and reduce reoccurrence.
What can you do?
Allergies can be particularly tenacious and difficult to treat, especially if they are severe or chronic–but they can be treated, you just need to be tenacious. Here are some ideas.
Know thyself
Half of the battle is knowing your constitution and your pattern. For example, if you have a history of colds or Lung qi weakness, treatment will focus on rebuilding that energy in times when allergies aren’t acute. If you have a lot of phlegm, treatment will focus on draining phlegm even in times when the allergies aren’t flaring up. Be aware of other situations that trigger your allergies. Is it in the spring? When you are around cats? When you walk down the detergent aisle in a store? Once patterns are identified then lifestyle habits, nutrition and herbs can be clearly focused to treat.
Wage war on phlegm and dampness
Excess dampness and mucus congest the lung, sinuses and respiratory system. Dampness bogs us down, making you feel muzzy headed, slow and heavy. If dampness perpetuates it congeals into phlegm which is even heavier and slows down the immune system stifling the Wei qi. The presence of excess dampness and phlegm are often a huge component in allergies as well as other diseases including candida, diabetes, some forms of arthritis and even cancers. Foods that perpetuate dampness include: dairy, processed and refined grains, yeasted foods, sugar, tomatoes, pork, oils and fats–time to cut out the cheese covered pasta. Foods that help to cut damp and phlegm include: squash, onions, turnips, radishes, and dark leafy greens. Pungent spices such as; rosemary, thyme, basil, clove, cinnamon and mints are helpful too.
Improve your diet
Foods can benefit or hinder any condition in the body. If you are actively trying to treat a pattern such as allergies caused by wind damp, then including foods that both drain dampness and eliminate wind are the perfect match. Add them into your diet while eliminating foods that cause dampness or wind. Ask your practitioner for examples.
Build in the ‘off season’
When you are not suffering acutely it is the ideal time to build the system. As we build, we become less sensitive and will not react as strongly–if at all– to the pathogen. This again means being tenacious and working towards prevention not just treating acute symptoms.
Exercise
Proper exercise increases circulation, respiratory function, immunity–it goes on. Let’s face it, proper exercise is imperative for vitality. There isn’t one perfect exercise–the key is find the exercise that you enjoy that is matched to your needs (we can help you with that, too).
Be prepared and act
Stock your cupboards with the teas, herbs and foods before the season lands on you. If you start to feel a little congested, maybe because you indulged in too much ice cream, use a steam to clear your sinuses and pull your diet back to more clearing foods. The benefits of instilling preventative habits are amazing–they just require you making a new habit. “Oh, I feel phlegmy? I will opt for the onion soup rather than the cream of mushroom.”
Watch out for wind
One of the 6 pernicious influences, wind is often present in colds, flu and allergies. To understand wind you simply need to see how it moves. In the body, wind invades in the upper regions, through the sinuses, back of the neck and ears. It moves quickly and transforms rapidly. It sends chills down the spine and makes us sniffle, twitch, have a scratchy throat, headache or watery eyes–and wind often carries in cold or heat with it. Wind rises in the spring, just as we are shedding our heavy clothes leaving us vulnerable and open. Wear scarves and hats to protect from wind invasion. People with Liver pathologies are vulnerable to wind. Quick test—do you like the wind? If you just cringed and crunched up the back of your neck and said ‘no, I hate it,’ you are likely susceptible to Liver CM patterns.
Be well, wear beautiful scarves.
April
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 There’s a buzzing of excitement in the air and in our bodies. It’s spring, the season of the wood element and the energy is up and outward in powerful surges. It’s a time of change and growth. Our bodies want to move more, we have more energy within us and we want to ‘Get Up and Go!’
Our bodies feel seasonal changes, when we are in harmony with these shifts we can delight in the blessings of the season–being able to plan, see options, grow and be flexible–our energy is sparked and we have come to life.
In disharmony, we resist the changes and encounter difficulties. During the spring this can result in agitation, angst, restlessness, feelings of being stuck in a situation and the inability to see any solutions. From a Chinese medicine perspective we see a lot of Liver Yang Rising (energy moving up too quickly) causing high pitched ringing in the ears, headaches, bursts of anger and angst. Wind is also a culprit in the spring and can appear as tearing of the eyes, twitches, allergies, Bell’s palsy, tick and even strokes. If you suffer from some of these patterns the best thing to do is act now to prevent flare-ups.
Here are a few tips.
Clear out the past
The more debris left on the ground (our minds or body) it takes longer for the crocus and other bulbs to push through. Nutritionally this is a good time to do a gentle cleansing or fasting, with raw vegetables and fruit juices. Check with your practitioner to see if this is an option for you. Fasting isn’t for everyone, and can do more harm than good if you aren’t prepared well.
Include a few raw foods
It’s the season for greens, sprouts, salads and fruits, while decreasing heavier foods such as dairy, meats and fats.
Avoid foods that aggravate the Liver
In Chinese Medicine the Liver is responsible for ‘free and easy flow’ of qi and blood. It is easily affected by wind and the spring season. Foods that particularly burden the Liver include fried and processed foods, alcohol, caffeine and other drugs.
Meditate
This allows the mind to be open increasing the ability to focus and to make clear decisions.
Move your body
Physical activity will encourage the movement of qi through the body. It is extremely important to add stretching to our exercise routine and gives us flexibility in our bodies and mind.
Spring is a wonderful time to make powerful surges forward with grace and flexibility.
Contributed by April Crowell
Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Instructor and Amma Therapist.
Check out Awakening to Spring. A workshop being offered by April this coming March 10th.
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by April Crowell
Dipl. ABT(NCCAOM), Certified Instructor (AOBTA), Certified Holistic Nutritionist
 The Five Element Theory of Chinese Medicine (CM) carefully observed the natural phenomenon and flow of the seasons. Each of the five (yes–five) seasons were assigned an element, organ system, quality, temperature, direction, sound, taste and emotion–just to name a few. For example: Spring is represented by wood, the Liver and Gall bladder organs, birth and new growth. Summer is fire, and coorelates to Heart, Small Intestines, Pericardium and Triple burner. It reflects the peak of growth and activity. Autumn is metal and corresponds to the Lung and Colon, it is the stage of decline. Late summer is earth and represents the transition of seasons (equinox and solstices) it ireflects in the Spleen and Stomach and is the center force. Winter is water and represents the Kidney and Bladder, cold and the final decline before spring’s growth. These correlations became guidelines for everything from when to go war to identifying disease patterns in the physical body.
Winter’s chilly darkness often makes us want to slow down– or hibernate. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In Chinese medicine winter is a time of reflection and introspection, a time when we should rest and conserve our Qi (energy within the body). It is a chance to rebuild our strength for spring’s rapid burst of new life. Classically, the Chinese (and other cultures) believed that we should live in harmony with the seasons. This was especially relevant in times when human’s lives were dominated by the elements—simply catching a cold could be life threatening. Today, those of us living in the industrialized world suffer little from the extremes of nature yet learning to harmonize with each season can make a huge impact on our health and well-being.
Ruled by the Water element, winter governs the Kidneys, Bladder and adrenal glands. Called the ‘Root of Sealed storage’ one of the Kidney’s many functions is protect our Jing (essence). This essence is used a little everyday to nourish us, but extreme lifestyles or severe illness can deplete it rapidly. This essence cannot be rebuilt in quantity, but activities such as meditation, proper rest and nourishment will guard it from depleteing too quickly. Deficiency of essence appears as early greying of hair, problems with bones and teeth, poor development and early aging. The Kidneys also rule our will power and drive, they help fuel the fire that warms the other organs allowing them to transform food into energy (Qi). A deficiency here may appear as exhaustion, cold body, lack of sex drive and the will to move forward in life. But don’t worry, you can positivitely influence any condition of mind or body with a little direction. By learning to shift with the ebbs and flows of the season we can move through life with greater ease and winter is a wonderful time to learn how to replenish and rebuild your storage.
Winter can be an excellent time to replenish your deep reserves.
Below are some great ideas to help you rebuild during the cold months.
 Meditate
The benefits of meditation are innumerable and it is truly one of the most profound ways to help strengthen the Kidneys and overall well being.
Nourish yourself
Eat more seasonally appropriate foods like warm hearty soups, root vegetables, winter squash, whole grains, and roasted nuts, all help to warm the body’s core. Foods that specifically benefit the Kidneys include: kidney beans, seaweeds, and micro-algae.
Rest
Try to get to bed a little earlier to rest well. Studies now also link weight gain around the middle to excess stress combined with less than 7 hours of sleep.
Get moderate exercise
Movement lifts the spirits. If you don’t exercise much, bundle up and go for a walk. If you exercise excessively, slow down a little to conserve your Qi.
Brighten your space
Whether or not you celebrate the holidays, refresh your home or workspace with cheerful colors or seasonal décor. Holly’s bright berries, pine’s uplifting scent and a few splashes of red will add warmth to your home and enliven your spirit.
Get Acupuncture or Amma
A little rebalancing can go along way.
Laugh–Laughter is the sound associated with the fire element. The water and fire elements share a deep connection of mutual support and exchange. Laughter during the dark months can help warm the connection between Kidney and Heart and lift your spirit. “One’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time–pills or stairs.”
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As Autumn gives way to Winter’s chilly darkness, we should feel an urge to slow down. Winter is a time of reflection and introspection, a time to rest and conserve your Qi, rebuilding our strength for Spring’s rapid burst of new life.
Classically, the Chinese (and other cultures) believed that we should live in harmony with the seasons. This was out of necessity in ages where life was dominated by the elements—simply catching a cold could be life threatening. Today, those of us living in the industrialized world suffer little from the extremes of nature yet learning to harmonize with each season can make a huge impact on our health and well being.
The Five Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) carefully observed the natural phenomenon and flow of the seasons. Each season was assigned an element, organ system, quality, sound, taste and emotion (to name a few categories). These correlations became guidelines for everything from when to go to war to identifying disease patterns in the physical body.
Winter is ruled by the Water element, which is associated with the kidneys, bladder and adrenal glands. In TCM, the kidneys are the source of Qi and store all energy or “Qi” within the body. These storehouses of Qi are dipped into to heal, prevent illness, and age gracefully. If we lead lifestyles that overly deplete the stores, the body depletes and withers.
During the winter months it is important to nurture and nourish our kidney Qi. It is the time when this energy can be most easily depleted. Our bodies are instinctively expressing the fundamental principles of winter – rest, reflection, conservation and storage.
Many of us find ourselves increasingly busy during winter. Holidays and parties can be stressful; many people battle with depression during the colder months. The current economic situation plays a role, as many people fear for their savings and reserves—a characteristic of the water element.
Below are a few simple tips to help you embrace the winter season. By recognizing the potential value within each seasonal element we can move through our lives with greater ease.
- Nourish yourself — eating warm hearty soups, root vegetables, winter squash, whole grains, and roasted nuts help to warm the body’s core.
- Rest appropriately — sleep early, rest well, stay warm, and expend a minimum quantity of energy.
- Get moderate exercise — movement helps lift the spirits. Keep with the energy of the season. If you don’t exercise much, bundle up and go for a walk. If you exercise excessively, slow down a little to conserve your Qi.
- Brighten your space — whether or not you celebrate the holidays, refresh your home or workspace with cheerful colors or seasonal décor. Hollies bright berries, pine’s uplifting scent and a few splashes of red can add warmth to your space.
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contributed by
April Crowell, Dipl.ABT
The sun and warmth of summer allow for nature’s growth and maturation. Plants thrive and begin sharing their abundance with us. Longer, warmer days encourage us to be more active, spending greater time outdoors. This is a season of joy, health, vitality. A time when we are receptive and expansive like the earth around us.
The most ‘yang’ of all the seasons, summer relates to the fire element and the Heart, Small Intestine, Pericardium and the Triple Heater organ systems of the body. To harmonize with the season, enjoy the glorious array of fresh vegetables, greens and fruits that are available. Eat bright colors and quickly cooked foods. Raw foods are more appropriate this season–if your digestion is strong. Avoid heavy, greasy, fried foods that will burden the body during the heat of summer.
With the rising temperatures and our increased fervor, comes the possibility of invasion of Summer Heat (heat stroke, in western terms). Signs of Summer Heat include: sudden high fever with profuse or no sweat, nausea, headache, extreme thirst, shortness of breath, dizziness, irritability, anger and aversion to heat.
Fortunately, nature provides us with foods that help to counter or prevent the effects of Summer Heat. Use pungent herbs such as cayenne, mustard, cinnamon and pepper to help disperse excess heat from the body by promoting sweat. Hibiscus, chamomile and mint teas help replenish fluids and cool the body. Foods that specifically reduce Summer Heat include: zucchini, cucumber, pineapple, coconut, lemon, lime and seaweeds.
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Winter is here, bringing holidays, parties and feasts.
Ah, yes, food–
Nothing in life is more fundamental than the food we eat. Every day the choices we make about how we nourish ourselves, and it is these choices that can have a profound effect on our well-being.
Traditionally, a great deal of time went in to selecting and preparing meals. Ingredients were whole, minimally processed foods, and largely made up of cereal grains (whole rice, millet, etc) and vegetables. People stopped what they were doing to gather with friends and family, to eat, replenish and show appreciation. Today the trend in industrial portions of the world has moved from these traditions. Modern diets include increased animal products, processed and refined foods, additives and preservatives with little (if any) whole grains or vegetables. Many of us have taken to eating meals in a frenzied manner, barely even tasting the food we ingest. At the same time we have seen a tremendous rise in degenerative diseases, cancer, nervous disorders, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, irritable bowel and Attention Deficit Disorder –to name a few.
For many, the relationship to food has become a tainted chore. Poor eating habits like eating to fulfill emotional needs, skipping meals or binging are common, creating a myriad of other health problems.
Understanding proper nutritional habits can be some of the simplest, most profound changes that one can make in taking responsibility for our health and the well-being of the planet.
Holistic Nutrition incorporates the energetic principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and detailed, cutting-edge western information. Steeped in tenants of whole food wisdom, Holistic Nutrition focuses on whole, local, organic and seasonal foods that offer the best choice for optimum health for our bodies and our planet.
The fundamental aim is to create awareness in ourselves, matching the diet to each individual while reestablishing or creating a healthy relationship to food.
The key is moderation. There is no ‘perfect’ diet and our needs change: shifting with seasons, life stages and times of illness. It is not just choosing the freshest food that matters—it is also how and with whom we eat that nourishes our entire being.
Over thousands of years the Chinese have evolved a system of medicine that has stood the test of time. Its adaptability and application is even used in nutrition! All foods can be identified by their energetic quality—do they warm the body? Cool it? Descend the energy? (good for those who are “ungrounded”), eliminate excess or counter deficiency? By understanding these qualities, one can choose foods to specifically treat patterns. Someone who is always cold, would want to increase foods that are cooked (warmer than raw) and choose foods that impart energetic warmth when eaten, such as, winter squash and cinnamon. By eating seasonally appropriate foods we can also aid our bodies in adapting to the seasonal change and build our immunity.
Besides energetics, flavors play a role. Each of the 5 flavors enter a particular organ system. By either increasing or decreasing a flavor you can address specific disharmonies. For example, a runner with very tight tendons would want to avoid excess sour that enters the Liver and overly astringes the tendons. But for someone with very loose muscle tone, that need to be tightened, the sour flavor may be appropriate.
From a western perspective foods are most often viewed by their nutrition quantity. How much vitamin C? Iron? Carbohydrates? By understanding these concepts and the role proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals play, one can identify how to improve the diet for over-all health. For example, iron deficiency (called blood deficiency in Chinese medicine) is common in many vegetarians. Utilizing concepts from both an eastern and western perspective, foods can be selected that are both blood building and high in iron, thereby possibly avoiding the need for additional supplementation.
Everyone can benefit from improved nutrition. From the young to old, sick to healthy. Foods can reduce symptoms, heal and strengthen.
Above all, the food we eat should be enjoyed—and provide nourishment for mind, body and spirit.
At Pulse we work closely with our clients to educate and inspire and understanding of nutrition and foods that will help them towards better health and vitality!
Be Well!
Contributed by April Crowell, Dipl. ABT, CHN, AOBTA CI
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Qi gong is an excellent exercise that all of us can do during the winter in order to keep our physical and mental stamina in shape. It doesn’t matter what our current level of activity is, we can improve our function with a consistent practice of Qi gong. On a very basic level, Qi gong affects the cardiovascular system, respiratory, immune system, and circulation. Qi gong improves posture (musculoskeletal), brain function, mental health and longevity. Studies have proven that a steady practice of Qi gong benefits the cardiovascular system by stabilizing heart activity and blood pressure. It also improves the circulation of blood (great for those chilly feet at night), as well as enhances the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange. That alone would be an incredible reason for doing Qi gong, but wait there’s more!
By improving the circulation of blood and oxygen, the respiratory system benefits too! Our respiration rate slows down and recovery time improves after physical exertion. This is great for those that suffer from asthma, bronchitis, recurring pneumonia, colds and/or flu. More oxygen in the body means more for the brain, improving our thinking ability and memory. This is imperative for people who have experienced injury from stroke, seizure or other disorders involving the brain. The enhanced function of the brain can calm the emotions and curb reactionary responses toward various stimuli. The emotions are more balanced, our response toward stress is improved, even anxiety and depression can be alleviated with the practice of Qi gong.
Qi gong forms range from simple breathing exercises to more complicated versions that synchronize the breath with specific movements. Getting started is extremely easy. The best way to learn a form is with a Qi gong instructor. There are several instructors in the Boise area. The Wellspring School for Healing Arts offers on going Qi gong classes. Videos are helpful, but for the more complex Qi gong forms, it can be difficult to follow. Here are a few books that you may want to look over:
A Complete Guide to Chi-Cung – Daniel Reid
Beginning Qi gong – Steven Kuie & Stephen Crane
Chi Kung – Ives Requena
Way of Qigong – Kenneth Cohen
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