Making your own broth is a really easy and inexpensive way to nurture yourself during the coming months of cold and darkness. You can make any type of soup or cook any type of bean in this homemade stock to lend the dish extra nutrition. It can be used in almost any dish that calls for liquid. Bone soup is great for your bones and connective tissue (ligaments & tendons love it!).
As you might have guessed from the subtitle, you will need some bones! This recipe works great with any type of bones. I like to separate mine into chicken and other, with other being beef, lamb, and pork bones. You can add any veggie scraps that you accumulate as well, provided they don’t have a really strong flavor which will take over your stock. You can also save up just your veggies and use this recipe to make vegetarian stock which, although tasty, will not have the same tissue-nurturing effect of the bone stock.
The size of your biggest soup pot will affect the amount you can make; you need enough bones to loosely fill the pot with several inches left at the top. I use an 8 quart soup pot and save up my bones in the freezer until I have about 2 gallon-sized Ziploc baggies’ worth (which is 3-4 chicken carcasses). You can also ask your butcher for bones for soup stock. Fill the pot with water, leaving about an inch at the top. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar (this helps leach the minerals out of the bones). Use less vinegar if you’re making a smaller batch. Cover the pot, bring the liquid to a boil, and then cook at a low boil, covered, for about 6-10 hours. I like to do mine in the evening and leave it overnight. Strain out your bones and enjoy! If there was a bit of meat left clinging to the bones, you might want to chill the stock and skim off the fat before using it. This method will make for a very gelatinous texture when chilled so don’t mistake it all for fat, which will float at the top. I usually make a large batch and package it into small containers and freeze it for future use (I like empty large yogurt containers best. They hold about 3 cups of stock). There’s nothing better than homemade stock when you don’t feel well, conveniently stored in your freezer.
Got a crock pot? You can slow-cook your stock instead. For a 5 quart crock pot, use about 1 gallon-sized Ziploc baggie’s worth of bones. Set to high and cook for several hours at a boil (bearing in mind that it will take a while to come up to a boil if the bones are frozen), then set to low and let cook overnight or throughout the day. Strain and store as above.
Now that you’ve got this fabulous broth, you can use it to cook any type of bean, grain, or soup to make it even more nourishing. Some of my favorites are listed below:
Why are Natural Fibers Better for Both Your Family and the Environment?
Much attention has been given to organic, sustainable agriculture and the Slow Food movement. A bit less has been given to natural fibers. So what is it about plant fibers like cotton, hemp, bamboo, coconut, flax, jute and sisal, especially when farmed organically and sustainably, that is so great? Not to mention natural wool from sheep, alpacas, rabbits and camels? They can cost more, be harder to find, and might not look as fashionable as items produced from more commercially-available fabrics.
Natural fibers are better for the environment, producing less waste and toxicity than their conventional counterparts and can even help return nutrients to the soil, especially when organic and, even better, unbleached. Don’t fear, there are some great natural dyes out there for those of us who love bright colors.
Natural fibers also produce less allergic reactions. Babies and those of us with sensitive skin fare better when less has been added to our clothing. Think about reading the labels on your food products. Conventional fabrics often go through chemical processing, just like conventional foods. If you wouldn’t eat that way, why dress that way? If you think you’re allergic to wool, try some that has not been treated commercially and you might find that it’s an additive or artificial processing to which you’ve been reacting.
Natural fibers are more breathable than synthetics and can do a great job at insulating your body. Think about the intense warmth of a down comforter. Wool is also an amazing insulator; it keeps you warm when you’re cold and cool when you’re hot, and is great not only for clothing items but for bedding. It also absorbs moisture naturally, like all those high-tech fabrics we buy at sporting goods stores, but without all the processing and chemicals being released into the environment. It also naturally reduces odor, so makes a great layer for exercising. You can use wool diaper covers (also called “soakers” or “longies”) for about a week w/o washing them, as long as you give them some time to air out, thus lowering your environmental impact even more (cloth diapering may keep our babies from contributing to landfills, but there is still the water and energy impact of washing your nappies and covers). When using wool for waterproofing purposes, you will occasionally have to re-lanolinize it, but this is as simple as washing the item in a detergent such as Eucalan.
There is also an energetic component to wearing natural fibers. They interfere less with your body’s energetics and allow you more access to your own groundedness. Those who practice yoga, martial arts, and other meditation practices can testify to this. It sounds a bit esoteric if you haven’t experienced it yet for yourself. Try it the next time you meditate or need to do some deep thinking: wear all natural fibers and sit on something made of them too, like a cotton or sheepskin rug. At the very least, you can rest assured that you’ve made a more conscious, sustainable choice that supports both responsible economy and environment.
As you move through the weeks of pregnancy, you are likely to find yourself suffering from insomnia. While it’s true that soon you will be waking up with your baby throughout the night, it’s nice to get sleep while you still can. Difficulty sleeping can be addressed with acupuncture and herbal medicine but there are also some simple things you can do for yourself to help address this issue. Remember, if you are going to take herbs during pregnancy, make sure to consult with a knowledgeable practitioner first.
Proper sleep posture can do a lot to alleviate sleeplessness and body pain. As your pregnancy progresses, sleeping on your back can cause your growing uterus to compress your blood vessels, interfering with blood flow and leaving you with a feeling of breathlessness or vague discomfort. Since sleeping on your belly is out for obvious reasons, getting comfortable on your side is important. You can use a couple of regular pillows or one long body pillow for support. Place one of the pillows between your knees and hug the other pillow. You can also sleep with your bottom leg straightened out and place the first pillow under the bent knee of your top leg. Switch sides throughout the night to avoid compressing your bottom hip. You might also find it helpful to wedge a folded towel under your growing belly as you get further along.
Make sure to keep yourself well-fed. Eat healthy foods at regular intervals. Have a snack close to bedtime or when you find yourself awake late at night. Something light, like cereal, can often help you fall back to sleep. Remember that your calorie requirements are higher in pregnancy and that you may be happier eating multiple small meals through the day. It’s not unusual for your body to wake you at night up for a snack. It could even help allay morning sickness–one of the tricks to fighting nausea in pregnancy is to keep your stomach from ever being completely empty.
Go to bed at the same time every night. Give yourself some time to unwind. Turn off all electronic equipment, especially the TV and computer, about a half hour to an hour before bedtime. Try meditation, yoga, tai chi or qi gong to practice relaxation. Make sure to get plenty of exercise. The optimal time for these activities varies per person, so try doing them at different times of the day if you’re experiencing sleep difficulties.
Remember that you’re not the only pregnant woman out there who can’t sleep. Combined with the fatigue of early and late (and for some of us middle too!) pregnancy, this can affect other areas of your life. If you find yourself struggling to cope, or if you’d like to treat yourself to some rejuvenating relaxation, go see your acupuncturist.
Check out the short video below for tips on how to change your diet this season for better health! Susan Scott and I discuss some simple ways to avoid this fall’s colds and flus.
Fresh Ginger Tea is a simple solution for mild digestive issues, including nausea, infrequent vomiting of clear fluid, stomachache, and indigestion. It’s easy to make, has no side effects, and works naturally with your body to soothe your belly. Ginger Tea is non-toxic and safe for both pregnancy and breastfeeding. It even has an anti-toxin property and has been used in East Asian Medicine for thousands of years to help detoxify other herbs.
Shēng Jiāng 生姜
Fresh Ginger Tea is best for stomach conditions that come from cold. How can you tell?
Does your stomach feel better with the application of warmth (from your hands, a heating pad, a hot water bottle, etc)?
Does your stomach feel better when you gently press your hands over it?
Cold conditions improve with heat and often with pressure as well. How does one end up with a cold condition? Over-consumption of cold, raw foods and drinks is the main culprit, according to East Asian Medicine. One might also have had a prolonged exposure to cold or a draft which resulted in cold invading the interior of the body.
How to brew Fresh Ginger Tea:
Slice up fresh ginger root, about 2 inches’ worth of root the diameter of your thumb.
Add to 3 cups of cold water.
Bring the water to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve warm, with honey if sweetener is desired. Store leftover tea in the fridge and reheat to serve.
You can adjust the strength and spiciness of the tea by increasing or decreasing the amount of ginger root. You can also cook with fresh ginger root if you have chronic digestive issues. It is traditionally used in many East Asian cultures as a spice as well as a medicinal to improve overall digestion, not to mention flavor.
If you are experiencing severe symptoms of abdominal pain or vomiting, please contact a healthcare professional. Here’s to your digestive health!
Many people have heard of using acupressure on the muscle located between the thumb and index finger to treat headaches. This point is known as Large Intestine 4 (LI 4) or Hegu (Chinese for “Joining Valley,” referring to the mound that muscle forms when you squeeze your thumb in towards your hand). A few other really useful points which acupuncturists often needle are located on the feet. One of my teachers at school would often repeat “feet help the head” to help us remember that points far away from a condition’s location are often the best ones to use. Next time you have a headache, try rubbing your feet–or, if you’re lucky, get someone else to do it! Pay particular attention to the tops of your feet, especially the areas about 1/2″ proximal to the webs between your toes. Feel for tender points, on one side or both, and apply gentle pressure until your headache dissipates.
The point between the big toe and 2nd toe is Liver 2 (Xingjian–Moving Between). The two next points are both St 44 (Neiting–Inner Courtyard), the traditional location and an alternate location. There is also a point located between the 4th and 5th metatarsal bones, just distal to where they meet, called Gallbladder 41 (Zulinqi–Foot Governor of Tears). This last point could prove especially useful for migraines or one-sided headaches, and not always on the same side of the headache–check both feet and rub the side that proves to be more tender.
These simple ideas can work well, but more individualized care (through Tuina massage, acupuncture, and herbs) will often yield better, more immediate results. Schedule an appointment or contact me for a free consultation.
Everybody poops. But not everybody poops every day, or even every other day. If this applies to you, you may be familiar with some of the accompanying symptoms of irregular bowel movements: gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort or downright pain, a sensation of incomplete voiding, or dry and hard stools that can be difficult to pass.
Luckily, there are some very quick and easy solutions you can try at home. You have easy access to the simplest herbs for lubricating your intestines; in fact, your most likely have at least one in your kitchen right now: nuts and honey.
First thing in the morning, have a mug of hot water with about a tablespoon of honey. You can also add lemon to the water for flavor. Wait 10-15 minutes before eating breakfast so your stomach has some time to absorb the honey.
Nuts can be eaten at any point throughout the day. About a handful of any type of nuts will do: walnuts, pecans, almonds, or seeds like hempseeds and flaxseeds. All of these are great in hot cereals like oatmeal. Make sure to add them after cooking, as raw nuts contain more nutrients. Sweeten with a touch of honey and you’ve got an easy recipe for smoother bowel movements. It’s fine to eat nuts alone or in combination with other foods, though simpler is better. Both of these easy remedies have great side benefits: honey is anti-microbial, making it great for cold and flu season. It is also soothing to the throat and a healthy way to satisfy a little sweet tooth. Nuts are full of protein, healthy fats, and micronutrients (Vitamin E, B Vitamins, niacin and calcium, to name a few).
Also make sure you’re getting enough water. It’s winter in Seattle and we all love to hit the coffee. Remember that coffee doesn’t count as a hydrating substance. For every cup of coffee, you should drink 6-8 oz of water. In general, drink to thirst. This includes any clear liquid—water, herbal teas, diluted fruit juice.
Still feeling a bit stuck? Make an appointment to discuss your individual needs.
Feeling stressed, anxious, or a little bit down? A really simple, tasty, warming way to lower your stress and anxiety levels is to drink a cup of tea. Rosebud tea is perfect for this. Its gentle, aromatic flavor will uplift and relax you. In East Asian Medicine, rosebuds (méi guï huä) are used to help release constrained liver qi, which is caused by stress. The liver is the organ responsible for the orderly movement of qi. When we experience stress, it strongly affects the liver. The liver becomes constrained and fails to order the qi to move smoothly. Picture a general ordering his or her troops around a battlefield—that’s your liver ordering your qi around your body as you battle stress. The more stressed you become, the more difficult it is for your liver to do its job. Herbs like méi guï huä help open up the flow of qi by calming the liver, enabling it to once more take up its job of moving qi in an orderly fashion. Just like us, our livers enjoy a bit of r&r. So help yours out today by taking 8-10 rosebuds and steeping them in a cup of hot water for about 5 minutes, covered if possible so it stays warm. You can keep the same cup of rosebuds on your desk all day, adding hot water as desired. The first cup will be the strongest. Méi guï huä tea is also good for abdominal distention and bloating, a sensation of stifling in the chest, poor appetite, irregular menstruation and premenstrual breast tenderness.
Look for large, unopened, unbroken purplish flowers. Add honey if you like a little sweetener and enjoy the side benefit of lubricating your intestines. Being a bit stuck can add even more stress and discomfort to your day, so if you have a tendency to this, try a bit of honey. This works best if you take a tablespoon in your tea or warm water first thing in the morning, before eating.
For a customized herbal formula that addresses your individual needs or some acupuncture to accompany your rosebud tea and aid you in your campaign against stress, schedule an appointment today.
The size of your biggest soup pot will affect the amount you can make; you need enough bones to loosely fill the pot with several inches left at the top. I use an 8 quart soup pot and save up my bones in the freezer until I have about 2 gallon-sized Ziploc baggies’ worth (which is 3-4 chicken carcasses). You can also ask your butcher for bones for soup stock. Fill the pot with water, leaving about an inch at the top. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar (this helps leach the minerals out of the bones). Use less vinegar if you’re making a smaller batch. Cover the pot, bring the liquid to a boil, and then cook at a low boil, covered, for about 6-10 hours. I like to do mine in the evening and leave it overnight. Strain out your bones and enjoy! If there was a bit of meat left clinging to the bones, you might want to chill the stock and skim off the fat before using it. This method will make for a very gelatinous texture when chilled so don’t mistake it all for fat, which will float at the top. I usually make a large batch and package it into small containers and freeze it for future use (I like empty large yogurt containers best. They hold about 3 cups of stock). There’s nothing better than homemade stock when you don’t feel well, conveniently stored in your freezer.
Got a crock pot? You can slow-cook your stock instead. For a 5 quart crock pot, use about 1 gallon-sized Ziploc baggie’s worth of bones. Set to high and cook for several hours at a boil (bearing in mind that it will take a while to come up to a boil if the bones are frozen), then set to low and let cook overnight or throughout the day. Strain and store as above.
Many people have heard of using acupressure on the muscle located between the thumb and index finger to treat headaches. This point is known as Large Intestine 4 (LI 4) or Hegu (Chinese for “Joining Valley,” referring to the mound that muscle forms when you squeeze your thumb in towards your hand). A few other really useful points which acupuncturists often needle are located on the feet. One of my teachers at school would often repeat “feet help the head” to help us remember that points far away from a condition’s location are often the best ones to use. Next time you have a headache, try rubbing your feet–or, if you’re lucky, get someone else to do it! Pay particular attention to the tops of your feet, especially the areas about 1/2″ proximal to the webs between your toes. Feel for tender points, on one side or both, and apply gentle pressure until your headache dissipates.
First thing in the morning, have a mug of hot water with about a tablespoon of honey. You can also add lemon to the water for flavor. Wait 10-15 minutes before eating breakfast so your stomach has some time to absorb the honey.
Nuts can be eaten at any point throughout the day. About a handful of any type of nuts will do: walnuts, pecans, almonds, or seeds like hempseeds and flaxseeds. All of these are great in hot cereals like oatmeal. Make sure to add them after cooking, as raw nuts contain more nutrients. Sweeten with a touch of honey and you’ve got an easy recipe for smoother bowel movements. It’s fine to eat nuts alone or in combination with other foods, though simpler is better. Both of these easy remedies have great side benefits: honey is anti-microbial, making it great for cold and flu season. It is also soothing to the throat and a healthy way to satisfy a little sweet tooth. Nuts are full of protein, healthy fats, and micronutrients (Vitamin E, B Vitamins, niacin and calcium, to name a few).
Look for large, unopened, unbroken purplish flowers. Add honey if you like a little sweetener and enjoy the side benefit of lubricating your intestines. Being a bit stuck can add even more stress and discomfort to your day, so if you have a tendency to this, try a bit of honey. This works best if you take a tablespoon in your tea or warm water first thing in the morning, before eating.
