Traditional Chinese Medicine

Hemp Maca Power Smoothie

Genevieve 2 Comments

When I don’t have time to make breakfast or I am just wanting something a little lighter so I can go to yoga class and not feel like I have a brick in my stomach I like to make this power smoothie. It is really simple and gives me lots of great energy throughout the day.

Hemp Maca Power SmoothieHere is the recipe:

  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1 tablespoon maca powder
  • 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
  • 1 apple
  • 1 banana
  • 2 cups water

Just place all ingredients in blender and blend to desired consistency. Since maca has a slightly bitter flavor you can even add some dates for sweetness. I love using maca since it is warming in nature and helps to tonify the yang (hot and energizing part of our constitution). It is also considered an adaptogenic herb meaning it regulates your nervous system to maintain homeostasis in the body.

Hope you enjoy this smoothie as much as I do!

Yummy Smoothie Time!!

Yummy Smoothie Time!!

 

 

Hawthorne Berry a Holiday Favorite

Genevieve Leave a comment

hawthorne berries close 6 Jan 12

Hawthorne Berry or Shan Zha is an herb that is extremely popular is both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine alike. In Chinese Medicine we use this herb to alleviate food stagnation by assisting in digesting meats and greasy foods and to nourish the heart and improve circulation. In Western Medicine hawthorne berry is used to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and help maintain a healthy weight. Since the most gluttonous of all holidays is quickly approaching (Thanksgiving) I thought it would be a great herb to focus on this month.

It was Thanksgiving 23 years ago that I decided to go vegetarian, and then subsequently vegan and more recently gluten free. When I was 12 I had my first pet, Buddy, a parakeet. This little bird really made me think twice about the turkey focused holiday and I decided I could not eat my beloved Buddy’s relative the turkey. So I am thankful for Buddy for laying the groundwork for many positive changes that I have come to make. I am also very thankful for my amazing and supportive family. Okay now back to the topic at hand… hawthorne berries!!!

Since we tend to eat lots of high fat foods during the holidays hawthorne berries are a perfect herb to help us digest our favorite holiday foods. Hawthorne berries are available in tea, tincture, powdered and capsule form. Making tea is a great way to enjoy this herbal medicine and you can have it with your meals to help you digest your food.

Hawthorne Berry Tea

  • 1-2 teaspoons dried berries
  • 1 cup water

Boil water and pour over berries. Let steep covered for 8-10 minutes. Strain out the berries and enjoy! Can also add some sweetener and or lemon juice to taste. A sprinkle of cinnamon is good too.

Formulas for Improving Digestion

There are many great Traditional Chinese Medicine formulas for eliminating food stagnation and helping to aid digestion of our heavy holiday meals.

Bao He Wan- Contains hawthorne and other herbs like Shen Qu* (fermented massa) to digest all types of foods. *Shen Qu is a fermented product, but sometimes contains gluten.

Curing Pills (Kang Ning Wan)- is another great formula for reducing food stagnation, but again contains Shen Qu (gluten).

Mu Xiang Shen Qi Wan- aids in digestion and is even supportive for digestive issues from a stomach flu. Gluten Free!!!

Even though there are great formulas and herbs to improve digestion the best way to feel good over the holidays is to eat healthy foods, eat slowly and chew your food!!!

Here is a great blog for more fun things to do with Hawthorne Berry. Have fun!

 

 

Finally it is Fall in the Pacific Northwest

Genevieve 1 Comment

leaves

Well we finally moved back to Portland, Oregon after living at the coast for the past 5 years. This has not changed my passion for all things vegan and gluten free. Especially since my daughter was born almost 2 years ago. With her arrival I have been on the quest to not only do vegan and GF, but also as many super densely packed nutritious meals with minimal ingredients.

As all of you Portlanders know we have had an amazingly beautiful spring, summer and fall! Very dry in fact. At times a little too dry with the surrounding droughts. But alas the rains have finally come and mother nature has indicated that Fall is here.

Fall in Chinese Medicine

In Traditional Chinese Medicine Fall is a time of the Lungs, which belong to the Metal Element. This is traditionally a time when dryness and wind have a factor in our health. The Lungs are associated with the exterior of our body and when we catch a cold (or wind-cold in Chinese Medicine) the Lungs have been compromised. This is evident by the chills, fever, body aches, sniffles, and cough that may be productive or dry.

What can we do in Chinese Medicine to treat a cold/flu?

First and foremost there are many common herbs you probably already have in your kitchen that are great for those beginning stages of a cold; ginger, green onion, mint, garlic.

Make a really strong ginger tea with a 2-3 inches chopped fresh ginger root in 6 cups water. Boil the ginger and let simmer for 15 minutes and add some maple syrup or honey to cut the super pungent flavor (optional). Let the tea cool slightly and drink throughout the day.

Go see your acupuncturist or get one!! They will have some great formulas on hand like, Yin Qiao San, Gan Mao Ling or Chuan Xin Lian. These are all great formulas to have on hand for the cold and flu season, but you want to make sure to get them from a trusted source. Also acupuncture can cut the time you are sick in half and who doesn’t want to feel better now.

How we can strengthen our immune system to prevent getting a cold/flu

The best way to strengthen our immune system is to eat a whole foods diet that has lots of veggies!!! This is probably redundant to many of you who would be reading a health blog. But still eat lots of veggies!!!

In TCM we look at things a little differently, our immune system has a direct link to the Lungs (remember they govern the exterior of the body to protect us).

Some simple foods to support or tonify  the lungs are: nourishing soups (recipe below), pears, pumpkin, apple, brown rice, porridges, and mushrooms.

Foods that can help get phlegm out of the lungs are: garlic, fresh ginger, fennel, and seaweeds.

Foods for a dry cough (meaning the Lungs need to be moistened) are: microalgaes, pears, string beans, herbs like lily bulbs, marshmallow root, and licorice tea.

Miso Ingredients

Time for Fall Soup (Nourishes the Lungs)

  • 2-3 stalks green onions
  • 3 cloves garlic (double with a cold)
  • 1-2 inches fresh ginger (double with a cold)
  • 2 astragalus roots (optional for extra immune boosting)
  • 4-5 mushrooms (I prefer shiitake)
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1/2 package tempeh
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/4-1/3 cup miso

Chop the green onions, mushrooms, carrot, celery, and tempeh (the garlic and ginger can be grated ro finely chopped). Add the 2 astragalus roots whole (so you can remove them before eating the soup). Add all ingredients to the water and boil for 8-10 minutes. After all veggies are tender turn OFF heat and add sesame oil and miso. A tip for the miso is to whisk up with 1/2 cup water before adding to soup so it will be uniform in texture. Also we add miso at the end after heat is turned off to preserve all the healthy probiotics.

This soup has nourishing ingredients (astragalus, carrots, mushrooms, celery, tempeh and miso) to boost the immune system. And it has Lung opening and phlegm reducing herbs (green onions, garlic, and ginger).

Also by boiling the ingredients we preserve the nutritional elements in the soup broth and this method of cooking is seen as very neutral in Chinese Medicine. Meaning that it is great for all constitutions so enjoy!!!

Miso Soup

My Ideal Day… Yoga, Buckwheat Pancakes, Green Smoothies and More!!!

Genevieve Leave a comment

Today started out by going to Yoga… there is a lovely yoga studio in town called Cannon Beach Yoga Arts. You can check out their schedule here. Anyway I took a Vinyasa yoga class to start off my day. All I had before class was some peppermint tea to help me hydrate and detox (ie. sweat more) in the class. In Chinese Medicine we use peppermint to release the exterior and it is slightly cooling in nature. Releasing the exterior typically means promote sweating, but it is also helpful in the first stages of a cold or flu. Western herbalism uses peppermint in a different way; to regulate peristalsis in the intestines and soothe an upset stomach. The essential oil is also helpful for headaches and clearing the sinuses too.

Okay enough on the properties of peppermint. Here is how my day was ideal… tea, yoga, and then on my bicycle ride back home it was slightly cool so I wanted something warm for breakfast. We had just gone to Bob’s Red Mill in Portland and had a ton of raw buckwheat, so I decided on buckwheat pancakes. We had the buckwheat in it’s whole form, so I blended it up dry in the vitamix for only 10-20 seconds and used the flour/meal to make delicious blueberry pancakes. After enjoying the pancakes I made a green smoothie and off to work I went. The pancake recipe is a small one so you may want to double it.

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

  • 1 cup raw buckwheat (ground=1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • sprinkle of cinnamon (I almost always add cinnamon to blueberries or lemon zest)
  • dash of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • enough water to get the pancake batter consistency

Mix dry ingredients first and then mix in wet. The consistency you are looking for is like a runny oatmeal. Start with adding just a little water and then slowly add just enough for the right consistency. Use a large pan or skillet on medium heat and put some coconut oil in the pan to coat the bottom. Coconut can tolerate medium to high heat so it’s great for making pancakes. Flip the cakes when one side is browned to your liking and enjoy!!! I love maple syrup and sometimes I will take a small pan and heat up the blueberries and a little maple syrup to make blueberry syrup and it’s delicious!

Pear, Mango and Spinach Green Smoothie

Pear, Mango and Spinach Green Smoothie

Pear Mango Spinach Smoothie

  • 2 ripe pears
  • 1/2 ripe mango
  • 2 cups spinach packed (or other greens)

Place all ingredients in blender and add 1-2 cups of water, just enough to blend to a uniform consistency. This is my favorite smoothie to date since it tastes so much like pear, and I LOVE pears!!! It made 6 cups of smoothie, enough to have a couple cups in the morning and take a big jar to work for my lunch. After work I am going to make my favorite meal ever!!! Portobello mushroom steaks, yams, and greens… recipe to be posted soon.

Sautéed Vegetables with Fresh Turmeric and Ginger to reduce Inflammation

Genevieve 1 Comment
Anti-Inflammatory Vegetables

Anti-Inflammatory Dinner (Mixed Vegetables with Quinoa)

Both ginger and turmeric are powerful anti-inflammatory herbs. They are very versatile since they can be used in flavoring foods or just made into a tea to promote circulation, reduce pain, and improve digestion.

In Chinese Medicine we use ginger to tonify the Stomach and Spleen. Its nature is warming, which aids the digestive fire and its energy is said to be descending. This is helpful when there is digestive upset, nausea, dizziness or even motion sickness. Western Medicine has recently shown support of ginger’s anti-inflammatory nature (see study). There are even studies showing the effectiveness of ginger for motion-sickness and preventing nausea from chemotherapy (see study).

Turmeric is used in Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda to aid digestion, to promote circulation and alleviate pain and to reduce swelling in the body (this is for reducing swelling with trauma and from tumors/cancer). Its nature is also warming since it promotes blood circulation and aids digestion. Western medicine shows much positive research with turmeric for arthritis (both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis), Alzheimer’s and cancer. Dr. Andrew Weil has a great article outlining this (see this article).

Essentially what the research is saying about these herbs is that they have naturally occurring COX-2 inhibitors, which reduce the inflammatory pathways in the body to alleviate pain. What I am saying about these herbs is that they taste good and Traditional Medicine has used them effectively for thousands of years, so eat up!!

Sautéed Vegetables with Fresh Turmeric and Ginger (serves 4)

  • 1 small onion
  • 1 head of broccoli
  • 1/2 head of cabbage
  • 2 inches grated fresh ginger root
  • 2 inches grated fresh turmeric root
  • 1/2 block of tempeh
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 TBS liquid aminos (soy or coconut) or salt to taste
  • 2-3 TBS nutritional yeast
  • 2-3 cups cooked rice or quinoa

Steam saute the onion and cabbage first for a couple minutes (just add a little water to the bottom of the pan to lightly steam while you are cooking… this avoids needing to use oil). Then add broccoli (florets and stalk). Steam saute for another couple minutes and then add remaining vegetables: peas, corn, carrots… whatever you have on hand. Add the ginger, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and turmeric the last couple minutes of steam sauteing. Make sure to add more water if needed to make a nice broth to pour over cooked rice or quinoa.

Warm and Happy this Winter

Genevieve 5 Comments
Lookout at Ecola Park

Lookout at Ecola Park

It seeems that winter is finally here with all the rain, snow and wind. With all the dark stormy days sometimes it is easy to feel the wintertime blues. There are many things we can do to stay warm and happy in the wintertime. The best thing is movement and mobility. Try going to a yoga or exercise class. This will help maintain flexability and strength, while getting you moving to stay warm. Yoga and other forms of meditation like qi gong and tai chi are important because during meditation your brain enters an alpha and theta state. This is helpful for elevating mood and balancing neurotransmittors.

In Chinese Medicine Winter is Associated with the Kidneys:
The Kidneys are seen as the original form of energy that we inherit from our parents. It is imoportant to conserve this energy by taking time to get in touch with the slower, darker months and get more sleep, meditate more and even foods can be cooked slower. Foods that are great for this time of year are stews, soups, steamed vegetables, and warming herbs (such as: cinnamon, ginger, garlic, and onion). Make sure not to have too many hot, spicy foods though because too hot can burn up the Kidney energy. When having spicy foods, it is good to balance them with astringent and sour foods (such as: vinegars, saurkraut, cherries, cranberries and sour plums).

Herbs and Supplements to Keep the Winter Blues Away:
Schisandra Berry- This is a unique herb in that it has all five flavors: sour, pungent, neutral, bitter, and sweet. The Chinese name for this herb is “wu wei zi,” meaning five flavor seed. This is a great resorative herb for the kidneys.
Vitamin D- Anyone who lives in the Northwest, especially here at the coast knows we don’t get enough sunshine to synthesize vitamin D production. It is a good idea to take vitamin D to keep our mood and immune system up this time of year.
**Mushrooms are also a great source of vitamin D**

BODYWORK to Elevate Mood and Increase Circulation
Acupuncture and Massage are great ways to uplift the spirit and keep
positive through the darker months.

Acupuncture has been shown to release serotonin and stimulate your
parasympathetic nervous system ie. rest and digest mode. Most
anti-depressants are SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), which raise the levels of serotonin in the body. Acupuncture creates a similar effect without the detrimental side effects and can treat so much more!!

Massage releases endorphins in the body to reduce chronic or acute pain that is physical, mental, and spiritual in origin. Have you ever noticed how your posture and body mechanics change with feeling depressed? Bodywork can help to create structural support. Energizing techniques are used to aliven and awaken your well-being.

Getting Ready for Bali!

Genevieve Leave a comment

Going on my honeymoon in less than 2 weeks! I cannot wait!!! Especially now that winter is finally here at the coast with all the rain and even some snow. In preparation for visiting Indonesia I have themed this month’s cooking class accordingly. Pictured above are: ginger, garlic, green onion, lime and hot peppers… All that is missing is the coconut, but don’t worry we have plenty of that too!  For January’s cooking class we made Indonesian themed food: lime and coconut soup, spring rolls with peanut sauce and mango pineapple sorbet. I even made a bonus hot sauce that I am calling “orange death” surprisingly it was very popular in both classes. The recipe is a simple one: 1/2 of a carrot, 2 Habanero peppers, and 1 garlic clove. Blend all ingredients in food processor with enough apple cider vinegar to make a thick sauce. It only takes about 1/4 teaspoon of this stuff to make a bowl of soup pretty spicy, so use cautiously. Our cute little Habanaros are ranked high at 100,000 on the Scoville scale, while jalapenos are typically around 7-10,000. Here are the other recipes we went over in class: Indonesian Vegan and Gluten-Free RECIPES.

Since we will be on our honeymoon next month (February), March will be when the next cooking classes are offered. Hopefully I will come back with some Balinese inspired recipes.

And like always… all the Creative Healthy Cooking Classes are vegan and gluten-free!