Summer is a yang season and is associated with the Heart, Pericardium (“the Heart wrapper”), Small Intestine and the Triple Burner (a Chinese organ that closely resembles the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th chakras). Summer is a period of luxurious growth. To be in harmony with the atmosphere of summer, awaken early in the morning and reach to the sun for nourishment. Summer offers abundant variety and the diet should reflect this. Minerals and oils are sweated out of the body, and their loss can cause weakness if they are not replaced by a varied diet. To be more comfortable, drink hot liquids and take warm showers to induce sudden sweating and to cool the body. Summer heat combined with too much cold food (Ex. salads and raw fruits, remember moderation!) can weaken the digestive organs, coldness causes contraction and interferes with digestion. Iced drinks and ice cream actually contract the stomach and stop digestion.

Use plenty of brightly colored summer fruits and vegetables. Cook lightly and regularly add a LITTLE spicy, pungent, or even fiery flavor, but not too much! When sautéing, use high heat for a very short time and keep in mind, olive oil is an unstable oil and under high heat can cause free radicals, try some new stable oils, like coconut (great for the thyroid and detoxifying the blood), canola and rice bran oil (GREAT oil, found only at Rainbow Grocery in the San Francisco). Also, steam and simmer foods as quickly as possible. Use little salt and more water. Cooling fresh foods for summer are salads, sprouts (mung, soy and alfalfa), fruit, cucumber, tofu (not too much if you have estrogen dominance!), flower and leaf teas (mint, chrysanthemum and chamomile), watermelon, lemons and limes.

The hot flavored spices are also considered appropriate in the warmest weather, at first their effect is to bring warmth, but ultimately they bring body heat out to the surface to be dispersed. With heat on the surface, one’s body mirrors the summer climate and therefore will be less affected by it. Red and green hot peppers, cayenne red pepper, fresh ginger, horseradish, black pepper are all idea for this purpose, but if you are allergic to nightshades, do not use peppers. However, if too many dispersing foods are taken, then weakness and loss of yang will result, and the ability to stay warm and vital in the cooler seasons is lost.

CALMING AND FOCUSING THE MIND…

The Fire element rules the Heart in Chinese Medicine. This, not only, includes the organ itself but also the concept of the Heart as a mental/emotional center. Those with healthy hearts are friendly and humble. Clarity is a central attribute, they seem to see effortlessly through problems to arrive at brilliant solutions. Symptoms of a heart imbalance are: scattered and confused mind, excess or no laughter, confused speech, depression, loss of memory, poor circulation, insomnia, headache, irritability, palpitations/irregular heartbeat or excessive dreams.

We of the ‘information age’ tend to have mental hyperactivity. Energy from excessive thought and worry races through the head while the heart is impoverished. A simple diet with occasional light fasting goes a long way. Avoid VERY spicy foods, refined sugar, alcohol, coffee, late night eating and large evening meals.

The following reduce nervousness, treat insomnia and improve mental focus:

Oyster Shell (Oyster shell calcium), whole wheat, brown rice, oats, mushrooms (esp. Reishi), oatstraw tea, cucumber, celery, lettuce, quality cow and goat milk, ghee (clarified butter), mulberries, lemons, Chia seeds, dill, basil, chamomile, catnip, skullcap and valerian.

Of course, for insomnia, the classic remedy…drinking a cup of milk warm before bed works wonders.

INSPIRATION!

Our newsletter this month is about INSPIRATION! We challenge you to do one anonymous act of kindness, each day. It is easy and does not require a lot of effort.

Ideas…

Volunteer on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day! The Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels, Little Brothers (Friends of the Elderly) and Soup Kitchens are always looking for volunteers!

Sponsor a Tibetan monk or nun, in return you’ll receive many prayers from the individual and good karma. Internet search for Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu, they always need sponsors.

Feed someone’s meter.

Pick up garbage you see on the street.

Call or send a card to a shelter or food bank to let them know how much you appreciate what they propecia hair do.

Buy a flower or several flowers and leave them as little gifts on people’s cars, in a mailbox, whatever. Who wouldn’t mind?

Anonymous donations to your favorite charity.

One of my favorites, throw some $1 bills out your car window, the people that need it the most will find them! I’ve seen people stop their cars in the middle of the street, jumping up and down for joy! Such a sight!

Bring food or monetary donations to Tao to Wellness for our food drive for the Alameda Food Bank.

It’s a new beginning, the time of year to rise early with the sun.

In Chinese medicine, Spring is the season when the Liver and Gallbladder work to their optimal level.

Therefore, we should naturally eat less and even fast to cleanse the body of the fats and heavy foods of winter. Your diet should be the lightest of the year and contain foods that emphasize Yang and the ascending, expansive qualities of spring. Cook food for a shorter period of time, but at higher temperatures. If cooking with oil, use rice bran or coconut oil. If cooking with water, light steaming or minimal simmering.

Sweet and pungent flavors are appropriate as a means of creating a personal spring from within.

Pungent cooking herbs are: basil, fennel, marjoram, rosemary, caraway, dill, bay leaf, turmeric, cardamom, cumin, ginger, black pepper, horseradish, mints, and lemon balm, garlic and all members of the onion family.

Foods to eat during this time are: legumes, seeds or grains that are sweet and can be sprouted such as: amaranth, quinoa, rye, millet, alfalfa and mung beans; young beets, carrots and other sweet starchy vegetables, mustard greens, watercress, taro root cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, romaine lettuce, asparagus, radish leaves, citrus peel, celery, seaweeds, lettuce, cucumber, tofu, mushrooms, radishes, chestnuts, pine nuts, cabbage, turnip, kohlrabi, strawberries, peaches, cherries, blackberries, huckleberries, raspberries, dark grapes and plums.

Switch from refined sugars to sweeteners like honey, stevia, unrefined cane juice granules, whole sugar cane, licorice root, barley malt, date sugar, molasses and rice syrup.

Chlorophyll rich foods accelerate Liver rejuvenation; wheat or barley grass, wild blue green algae, parsley, kale, watercress, alfalfa, and collard greens. Spirulina is also a great supplement if you were never breastfed. Those who were not breastfed are more likely to develop immune deficiencies, allergies, difficulty with weight management, digestive disorders and asthma. It supplies the body with Omega 3’s and GLA.

Eat less and eliminate foods high in saturated fats (with the exception of coconut oil), hydrogenated or poor quality fats, excesses of nuts and seeds, chemicals in food and water, drugs (including prescription), intoxicants and highly processed and refined foods.

One Day Liver and Gallbladder Flush: If the Liver is consistently stagnate, sediment often settles out of the bile and forms accumulations in the Gall Bladder. Since the Gall Bladder is a reservoir for bile, it becomes less efficient when clogged. A great one day cleanse of the Gall Bladder is to eat at least 4-5 green apples, and drink lots of water, green teas and apple juice starting in the morning and continuing throughout the day. At bedtime, warm up (low hea2/3 cup of Virgin Olive Oil to body temperature and mix with 2/3 cup of fresh lemon juice. Sip the mixture and immediately go to bed lying on the right side with your right leg drawn up. In the morning, sediment and stones, if any, should pass through the stool.

If you have a Liver imbalance, don’t eat late at night. Eating late can inhibit regeneration of the Liver and Gall Bladder during their peak hours, which are 11-3AM.

Happy Spring!

Christina

Today CNN.com did an article on IVF and Acupuncture. Most of you know, I work with many infertility patients and I can assure you Acupuncture definitely increases their chances of conception! The article states that in some studies Acupuncture has helped anywhere from 45-65%. When your paying $12,000 for one IVF cycle, it makes sense to do everything you can to contribute to the process.

The article says ‘the jury is still out’ on Acupuncture, but that’s alright with me, at least we’re getting noticed.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/02/08/acupuncture.fertility.ap/index.html