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Nobodyās favorite bodily function--phlegm. In the West we tend to think of mucus and phlegm as something our body produces only during certain times such as when we have the flu or a cold or when allergies cause us to have a post-nasal drip.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), identifying the reason your body is producing phlegm is a much broader and deeper issue than a seasonal cold or flu. TCM treats the spleen-originating phlegm, stored in the lungs, that affects the joints and the muscles and creates overall feelings of not being well.
Learn more about this topic in our latest blog article.
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Happy New Year of the Rabbit! |
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Weāre celebrating the Lunar New Year on January 22nd, with the new moon. In Chinese astrology we will transition from the Year of the Water Tiger to the Year of the Water Rabbit. This year is symbolized by longevity, peace, and prosperity. 2023 may provide more opportunity for rest and reflection than the more dynamic Tiger year. And the Rabbit is a symbol of good luck in China. In fact, this is the luckiest of all the twelve animals!
This yearās Rabbit is in the water element and relates to the kidneys, where our vital energy is stored. The water element also rules the bladder, bones, nerves, and teeth.
Balancing the water element and reducing spleen dampness will help us to recover from the indulgence of the holidays and keep us healthy all year long. Focus on eating warm, cooked foods such as soups, stews, and broths, while avoiding over-consumption of cold foods such as ice cream, raw vegetables and cool beverages. Add warming spices to your food, including ginger, cinnamon, mustard, cayenne, garlic and turmeric.ļ»æ
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Iām volunteering with this incredible Jacksonville-based nonprofit, Rethreaded, for their upcoming fundraiser. This organization works with survivors of human trafficking, and they could use your help. Weāre accepting donations for the silent auction event to raise funds to directly help survivors with employment, counseling, and career development.
If you, your business, or your employer would like to support this cause, please donate new or unique items for the silent auction. We have gift cards, experiences such as golf outings, and specialty items such as art, and weād love to add more of these along with items for men, vacation stays, and hotel packages.
Interested in donating? Reach out to Andrea at acupuncturejacksonville@gmail.com or muktiauction@rethreaded.com with questions about items youād like to donate and to make arrangements to get them to us (we're happy to pick up items at your chosen location). All donations must be received by the first week in February.
Thank you for supporting this great cause!
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Okay, we love soup. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) loves soup. Soup is not only good, it is really good for you! As weāve shared in past newsletters, most soups are very easy to prepare, and packed with nutrients. Soups and broths that are made from bones are particularly beneficial to our health. If you have had prolonged sickness or disease and your body is in a weakened state, or if you are post-child birth, TCM recommends regularly consuming soup for several reasons: it is easy to digest, taking less energy away from the recovery process; it is nutrient dense and nutritious; it is warming, boosting energy, improving circulation and fending off cold. Additionally, many of the spices called for in soup recipes such as ginger and garlic, are also considered healing herbs and are prescribed for a variety of ailments.
Thereās no time like a brisk winter day to start a pot of soup. This beef bone recipe is amazing! If you can get marrow filled bones, youāll have a more robustly flavored and incredibly healing soup. Marrow is an outgrowth of the kidneys and is densely tonifying and nourishing. You can choose from a variety of bones, use the type available to you. At my supermarket oxtail was a little pricey, so I chose beef neck bones. After all, I was making this soup for a friend with neck-bone pain and weakness. In TCM ālike treats likeā, so the body part of the animal used to make the soup will be helpful to the body part in the people enjoying it. I love this concept and knowing that what is in and around us is connected, and that what helps our health and wellbeing mirrors us.
Soup is the main character in one of my all-time favorite stories, Stone Soup, a story about sharing in a time of scarcity. Many great thinkers and holy people remind us of the importance of letting go and trusting. The tighter we hold onto things, the more elusive they become. When we open up and share, be it emotions or food, we begin to see the humanity in people. The hope of abundance wipes away the fear of scarcity and teaches us that there will always be enough. This story gives us hope.
Please enjoy your beef bone broth and this timeless tale. If you feel the call to add some rocks to your recipe, go for it!
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Find Your Heart, Find Your Way |
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The greatest wisdom is in simplicity. Love, respect, tolerance, sharing, gratitude, forgiveness. It's not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge is free. It's encoded in your DNA. All you need is within you. Great teachers have said that from the beginning. Find your heart, and you will find your way. ā Carlos Barrios
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