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For years I have tried to find the perfect granola to satisfy a snack or morning meal – not too sweet, not too bland, not artificial, not with gluten, not with soy… I never even once considered making the crunchy treat myself. I though it would be too cumbersome or tedious, and not worth the effort. How untrue! With this recipe I found on foodnetwork (doctored up a bit to boost health benefits), we now have fresh-made granola whenever we want at my house.
Coffee is a highly controversial substance among the health community, but I will be the first to admit the pleasurable taste (and effects) of a nice warm cup of joe. So I’ll begin with editorial disclosure, follow up with the research and conclude with what Chinese medicine has to say. Join me in the pursuit of the healthy bean after the jump.
Acupuncture, Fertility, Fire, Health & Fitness, Herbs, New York, Nutrition, Uncategorized, Winter, Women's Health
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"Erin Hessel", Acupuncture, Borbay, Caffeine, Chinese Medicine, Coffee, Dunn Bros, Energetics of Coffee, Food Therapy, Health Effects of Caffeine, Heart Disease, Insomnia, My Coffee Face, Nutrition, Qi, Tony Black
Last night’s Wellness Event, hosted by PURE Yoga East was a huge success and loads of fun. Many thanks to all the wonderful folks who turned out, and to PURE for hosting such a holistic event in their serene space. A truly inspiring group! See a photo recap after the jump.
I’d like to formally invite you to a Wellness Event hosted by PURE Yoga East tomorrow evening, Wednesday, February 24th 6:30-8:30pm. I will have a table at this event, offering complimentary herbal snacks, tongue and pulse readings, and ear acu-pressure for stress relief. Please stop by to learn more! If you already know the wonderful benefits of Chinese medicine, then come by to see the beautiful studio space PURE has to offer and meet other health practitioners. Yoga is a wonderful way to enhance the healing benefits of Chinese medicine, and I particularly endorse PURE for their variety and quantity of classes (over 100 classes per week, featuring 21 different styles of yoga).
This event is complimentary to both members and non-members alike, so please take advantage of this wonderful evening of health. For more information about taking a class at PURE, contact Shaun – one of PURE’s experienced Yoga Advisers (shaun.Bradley@pureyoga.com).
To RSVP for this event, please call 212.360. 1888. To read more about this event, click here.
Hope to see you there!
Namaste,
Erin
PS: New Clinic Information for ESEMA Healing Arts at the Berkley Center Coming Soon!
Kung Hei Fat Choy!
The Western calendar date of February 14th 2010 marked the Chinese New Year 4708: The year of the Metal Tiger. The Tiger represents the third year in the 12 year cycle of the Chinese Zodiac – preceded by the Ox and followed by the Rabbit – and has many auspicious things in store for people born under all signs of the Chinese zodiac. This year is also represented by the Metal element, which can be ascribed to gold or money, a sign that the year may be important in generating wealth and fortune.
In the spirit of Valentine’s day (a simultaneous celebration), Jason and I spent the day together enjoying different aspects of the city and our day began at the famous Canal Street - the heart of New York’s own Chinatown. There is no doubt of the importance of this holiday as the streets were packed with people. Vendors selling fresh oranges, New Years dragons and noisemakers; bakeries stocked with traditional Mooncake pastries; and music off in the distance ensured that festivities and performances were all around.
Symbolism of The Tiger
The tiger is one of the most dynamic signs of the Chinese zodiac, known for their dependability, unpredictability, fearlessness, and immense capaicty for love and tenderness. While Tiger’s in general keep to themselves, they are also known to quickly make bold changes and take big risks that one might not have seen coming. The stripes of a tiger symbolize the balanced forces of yin and yang, an important notable fact. Although the year of the Tiger holds a year of great importance to all signs, it is said that those born under the year of the Tiger (and compatible signs) will enjoy particular good fortune this year: 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 and 2010.
The Year of the Tiger
Traditionally, the year of the tiger is associated with massive changes and social upheaval. Therefore, it is likely that the year of the Tiger will be volatile both on the world scene and on a personal level. But, this is not meant to be alarming. With extreme change comes an enormous opportunity for growth and transformation. The results may yield a circumstance that was once thought unimaginable or even impossible. Those born under the year of the Tiger, Dragon and Horse will find the erratic circumstances ahead particularly inspiring and successful. For the rest of us, it is time to exercise our “flexibility muscles”, to stay nimble and open through the strong wind of change. In Chinese Medicine, we can look to the properties of bamboo for help: during strong winds or torrential storms, bamboo bends through it all – rarely breaking and never standing solidly erect against the natural forces. Yet, within its pliable nature, it continues to grow forward – reaching to the sky and fulfilling its destiny. Bamboo dances in the face of change, and so can we.
May the year of the Tiger, and 2010, bring you health, happiness, luck, and the resources needed to make all your dreams come true.
As a licensed acupuncturist, and blogger on the subject, I probably should have publicly answered this question some time ago. It has recently come to my attention that while many people enjoy the profound benefits of acupuncture in blissful ignorance of its how’s and why’s, there is another camp with rising curiosity on what it all means. As my Danish host-mother always used to say in reference to my consistently belated holiday cards: “Bedre sent end aldrig!” (Better late than never).
Depression affects the quality of life for many individuals year-round, but has a significant increase in the winter months. As the sunlight reduces, the weather gets colder, and the sky gets gloomier – we, too, experience these changes in our bodies and state-of mind. There are many natural things we can do to boost our moods and elevate seasonal depression (commonly known as “SAD,” or Seasonal Affective Disorder). However, as those of you who have experienced even slight depression know, the motivation to implement such changes can be difficult, if non-existent once the blues have hit.
Choose Your Support
So, what to do? First off, find the resources around you and seek help. Consulting with a health care professional is an important catalyst in transforming your blues into bliss. It can also help combat the isolation that often accompanies mood changes. It is my experience that with chronic or severe emotional distress, there is no “one” help and calling on a variety of resources yields stronger, more lasting results. Here are some tools you may want to try:
How Acupuncture Can Help
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), does not treat “depression” per say, but rather the person who is experiencing depression. Different individuals can experience the discomforts of depression from a variety of causes – or, as we call them, patterns. In treating depression, your acupuncturist first must find your unique pattern diagnosis and from there, begin to strengthen your system and ease discomfort. Acupuncture can help to greatly reduce emotional and physical stress and the somatic pain that often accompanies emotional upset. Best of all, it will not interfere negatively with any other therapy or prescriptions you may be receiving, but complement them by tapping into the root of your constitutional nature.
Herbal remedies may also be a good option for occasional slumps or mood swings. Unlike acupuncture, which must be administered by a licensed professional and usually done only 1-2 times per week, an herbal formula can follow you home and become a daily treatment. When prescribed by a licensed practitioner, herbal formulas are completely safe, and can help the body harmonize from the inside out.
For more information on how to incorporate the benefits of acupuncture into your emotional wellness plan, please contact us.
Reduce Cravings
Improve Energy
Alleviate Joint Pain
Reduce Muscle Fatigue
Regulate Blood Sugar Levels
Jump Start Your Metabolism
Regulate Hormone Function
Detoxify the System
Reduce Stress
It is that time of year again…for making those promises to ourselves that we have been putting off through the busy holidays. One of the most common New Years Resolutions is to lose weight, and it is also the least kept. Why? The culprit may be coming from a constitutional level. There are many factors that can cause excessive weight gain and an inability to lose weight such as undetected food allergies, stress, anxiety, depression, unstable glucose levels, or inflammatory responses such as arthritis, chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal medicine offer time-tested remedies to help strengthen your individual system at the root level so that you can lose weight efficiently, and keep it off for good. Reducing cravings, improving energy, alleviating joint pain and muscle fatigue, regulating metabolism and reducing stress are just some of the added benefits of incorporating acupuncture and herbal formulas into your weight loss resolution.
A Winter Wonderland From My Home in Minnesota
Dad & Me Toasting the Season with a Holiday Sambuca
The Newlyweds! My Sister Kelsey & her Husband Jason
Mom & Me: Ready for our Traditional Potato Soup Christmas Eve Dinner
Grandpa Jo & Grandma Cheryl Celebrating with Chocolate
Our NYC Apartment Tree 2009
Cookies: A Christmas Favorite
Jason & I Warming Up Inside on a Snowy Day
A gift from our good friend Justin
In good health,
Erin
It is official, winter has begun in New York City. With a snowstorm leaving several inches of white powder on the city streets this morning, it reminds me of the wonder of this sometimes chilling season. Growing up in Minnesota, snow and cold temperature are no news to me. But still, the first snowfall of the year leaves me feeling full of awe and wonder…it is a magical experience.
Winter, Water, Kidneys & You
In Chinese medicine, winter applies to the Water Element in 5-element theory. Although it comes in the form of snow and ice, water is truly an abundant part of the winter landscape. When transcribed to the human body, the kidneys and urinary bladder are responsible for water metabolism (both energetically and physically) and are a pivotal part of the Water element. Yin and Yang are interdependent forces prevalent in all aspects of life, but winter is rooted in a strong sense of yin. In this regard, yin can be understood through the cool and still nature of the season. A teacher of mine once explained the water element as the bottom bedrock on the ocean floor – the deep, dark, solid root of something so powerful and majestic. I like to translate this metaphor to the body, with representation to the powerful root to within each of us – our individual potential.
Aside from the physiologic function we know from Western medicine, the kidneys represent our root essence (genetic makeup) and the urinary bladder has relevance to the nervous system. Memory, brain function, reproductive function, bone growth, and systemic development are also important aspects of kidney energy in the body. The emotion of fear or fright is ascribed to the Water element, and is often a relative factor in someone with constitutional tendencies toward this element. The winter is a perfect time to strengthen and nourish these energetic organs.
Nourishing the Kidneys and Urinary Bladder
Nature gives us the tools we need for nourishing the ascribed element and organ systems, and the number one way to do this in the winter months is to hibernate. Rest, warmth, sleep. This is the time to slow down, and nature forces us to do that with the gifts of cold and snow. The weather change literally forces us to move inward – into our homes, into the warmth, into ourselves. It is a time for introspection, meditation, and conservation of resources.
During winter, the land is frozen and there is no growth or harvest. That which is leftover from the fall becomes nourishment for the winter. Canned vegetables, sauced apples, gourds, squashes and meats for hearty stews are important for building the root aspect in ourselves. There are plenty of herbs and teas for nourishing the kidneys during this time, and depending on individual constitution will depend on the formula focus. Even if you are feeling healthy, the beginning of winter can be a great to time for visiting your acupuncturist to help guide your body into the energetics of the season and promote tonification.
Enjoy the beautiful season of winter. Take a moment to listen to the quietude outside and reflect into the depths of yourself. Use the space provided to cultivate that which satisfies and nourishes you, regenerating the resources necessary for the coming spring and summer.
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