The other morning, my 5 year old son woke up with a sore throat. He didn’t want anything to eat because his throat was so sore. The night before, we had ordered Japanese food and we had left over miso soup. I heated it up and offered it to him and to my surprise, he at the whole thing! He said, “Mommy, the Chinese cheese (aka tofu) is helping my tummy.” He drank all of the liquid and afterwards asked for more.
A Comparison: Asian and American Approaches to Diet Done by Cornell-Oxford-China
There are lots of new diets emerging, but I think it’s important to look at a diet that has a long standing history with evidence on positive health effects. For example, we don’t really know if during the Paleolithic period people didn’t die of cancer and heart disease. However, I do love the Paleo movement because it’s made people more aware of eating more vegetables, nuts, and seeds. It has also kept people off of processed foods because they usually contain processed grains. The Paleo diet also substitutes grains with vegetables, which is what a lot of Asian dishes are centered around.
During these cold winter months in New England, the cold, wind and snow can take it’s toll on your skin. What’s better than to give yourself a weekly mask and daily facial massage to make sure your skin stays hydrated and firm. Also, it’s so nice to use an organic mask that you can make fresh from ingredients in your own kitchen!
If you’ve had a busy holiday, I’m sure you’re ready for a detox. I am! And since it’s the first day of the new year, there’s no better time to think about your mind and your energy. They say your gut is your second brain, and if your gut is cluttered with sugar, processed foods, and alcohol, your brain may be foggy too. To achieve your new year’s resolutions, meditating on your goals can be easier if your gut is clean and healthy.
If you were to go to Europe or Asia, you would see most people drinking room temperature water and eating room temperature foods. In America, however, we are saturated with cold and frozen drinks from frappuccinos to smoothies and cold and frozen foods, from ice cream to salads. Even though some of the ingredients in these cold foods can be healthy, the temperature is not ideal.
Kale and spinach balls recipe
These tasty and savory bites are gobbled up at my house by my kids and husband. I feel so good knowing that they are getting kale and spinach in every bite! I love making these when going on playdates because this snack can take care of the vegetable portion of their dinner!
Recently I read an article in the New York Times Well section called “The Anti-depressant Generation.[1]” The article, written by Dr. Iarvovici, a Psychiatrist who works at Duke University, reflects on the emerging rise in anti-depressant use in young adults between the ages of 18-29. This is the age when people find their identity, shedding what doesn’t work for them and replacing old behaviors with learned new behaviors. Growing up is an experiment that should be colored with black and white and everything in between. Without the lows in life and the feeling of failure and sadness, how can anyone actually learn to make themselves happy and grow?
Working at St. Vincent’s Cancer Hospital heightens my awareness of how one appointment to the doctor’s office can change the whole course of your life. Recently, Joan Rivers died of a complication after a routine endoscopy. Endoscopies are important because they check for diseases like gastrointestinal cancer and Barrett’s esophagus, which can lead to esophageal adenocarcinoma, a cancer that can often be fatal. [1] How often, though, do these types of investigative procedures lead to worse outcomes than the actual disease itself? In Joan River’s case, she may have opted for the alternative, a longer life!
The father of western medicine said it himself, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Since the great Greek doctor Hippocrates, I haven’t heard many doctors say it again, until I heard about Dr. Terry Wahls. Dr. Wahls was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and her health was rapidly declining. She eventually needed two canes to walk. She decided that her medicines weren’t working the way she wanted them to and after taking a course in Functional Medicine, she changed her diet and within 6 months, she was walking again without a cane and within a year, she was biking again.
The common cold to most moms must be what the paparazzi are like to celebrities. Around every public corner, there lurks the potential of being attacked by an opportunist. Children, especially toddlers, are constantly being bombarded with new germs that can cause something as simple as a common cold to something more serious like RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus). Moms know all too well that the personality of a cold is different for every child and different at every age. Until a child is six years of age, the ear canal has not matured, leaving children more susceptible to ear infections, which translates to antibiotics and potentially, chronic ear infections.
I have been practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 10 years. I love helping people and work closely with my patients to help guide them to wellness through Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy and holistic remedies.
