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To Quote the Bulgarians…
January 19, 2011 — wstedeford“Nature, time and patience are the three great physicians.”
Bulgarian Proverb
Are You Nuts?!
January 11, 2011 — wstedeford
Oh wonderful almond!
So handy, so versatile, so delicious! Eat them raw or cooked. Use them as milk or flour; with the sweet or savory. They can’t be beat. They’re chock-full of nutrients too. Almonds are excellent sources of magnesium and manganese. They are very low in cholesterol and have a zero rating for their glycemic load. They provide good amounts of 8 out of 9 essential amino acids. They are also strongly anti-inflammatory. Approximately one ounce gives you 3 grams of fiber out of the recommended 25-ish needed for a healthy diet.
In Chinese medicine we prescribe food as medicine often. Almonds are known to increase qi and blood. They lubricate the lungs, alleviate coughing and relieve phlegm. Think of almonds the next time you reach for a snack. Eating them raw is always a good choice but if you want the swanky kind, the Marcona almonds with rosemary from Trader Joe’s are always an excellent choice!
The 5 Element View Of Winter
January 5, 2011 — wstedeford
Happy 2011! Let’s start off the year celebrating winter too. In the past, we’ve written about how the 5 element philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine makes sense of fall and spring. Now let’s take a look at winter. If you aren’t familiar with 5 element thinking, check out the two earlier posts here and here for a better idea.
Winter is the water element.
The water element concerns the kidneys and urinary bladder.
Color-black or deep blue
Sense organ-ears
Water element is responsible for-bones, teeth, marrow and nerves
Part of the eye-pupil
Tongue location- the root
body fluid- urine
Emotion- fear
Water element’s odor-putrid/rotten
Flavor-salty
Strained by- standing
Sound emitted with emotion-groan
Sound emitted with illness-yawning
Direction-north
Climate-cold and wet
Stage of development-death
How do all of these make sense to you? Do any seem to play a significant roll in your life for better or for worse? Have fun thinking about it!
Wendy Stedeford's Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine Blog 