Blog #3 Bone Broth

Bone Broth: a tasty healthful soup and easily digested medicinal food

Winter is an ideal time to make nourishing soups and a good base to start with is making your own bone broth. To make this broth involves prolong cooking of bones and cartilage of which most meats can be used, including poultry ,beef ,lamb or fish. The prolong cooking of bones in water will result in a broth rich in nutritional constituents that promote strength ,nourishment in times of sickness and rehabilitation , help to tonify blood and prevent bone and connective tissue disorders.

The broth is easy to make with the main drawback that it takes time to cook. Once made, it can be consumed as a snack or quick meal, or used as a base for more complex soup by adding steamed or sautéed vegetables, meat, and or beans.

Jan’s Bone Broth

2 onions,halved

4 inch nub of ginger,halved lengthwise

5-6 lbs of good bones,preferably leg and knuckle

6 quarts of water

3 garlic cloves,peeled

1 tsp. black peppercorn

2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 packet of Pho Spices(1 cinnamon stick,1tblsp coriander seeds, 1 tblsp fennel seeds,5 star anise,1 cardamom pod,6 whole cloves- in mesh bag)

1. Preheat oven to 400*F
2. Rinse bones that are ideally 2-3 inches long with the fat and most of the meat removed placed on a foil-lined tray.
3. Roast bones, uncovered,until brown on all sides,turning every 20 minutes.
4. Add bones to stockpot with enough cold water to cover the bones.
5. Parboil the bones vigorously for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse the bones and rinse out the pot. Refill pot with bones and 6 quarts of water. Bring to boil over high heat and lower to a simmer. Using a ladle to remove any scum that rises to the top.
6. For extra flavor I char my onions and ginger. Place ginger and onions on baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Broil on high until ginger and onions begin to char.
7. Once onions and ginger are charred, add to the stock along with peppercorns,garlic,Pho spices and 2-3 talblespoons of balsamic vinegar
8. Cook half-covered for 4+hours. Add more boiling water if necessary when simmering, in order to keep bones covered.
9. Skim surface to remove scum and impurities- do not stir!
10. Cool the broth removing any fat that comes to the surface. At this point you can reheat the broth and add 2 carrots, 2 celery, 2 tomatoes and potatoes and simmer for an additional hour. This adds more flavor and depth to the broth.

Adding Chinese herbs to broth

Chinese herbs such as Astragalus and Codonopsis may be added to increase the medicinal properties ie. Increase energy,support digestion, and strengthen immune function of the broth. Theses herbs not only enhance the nutritional status of the broth, but are flavorful and add to the sweet taste. 

  

Blog #2 - Staying Healthy with the Seasons

To all of my clients and friends:

"Autumn is a season of gathering nature’s gifts before winter’s rest. It also marks the beginning of a cycle of personal turning within when the night’s darkness finally equals the length of the day. This transition may be difficult for some but if you choose to adapt yourself to the changes that come with the season; you will maintain health.

In Chinese Medicine, the organs associated with Autumn are the Lung and Large Intestine. Some of the associations with these organs are the breath and the ability to let go. Our bodies are kept alive by the breath we take, supplying us with vital oxygen. But what many of us don’t realize is that the manner in which we take in those breaths has the power to alter our conscious and affect our emotional well-being. Slow and conscious breathing benefits not only our physical selves such as activating the lymphatic system to help us flush toxins but also our mental and spiritual sides. Deep breathing promotes relaxation and awareness that can help facilitate the release of negative emotions.

The following are a list of different breathing exercises you can try:

Wu Breathing: This Chinese technique can be used in the morning and at night

1. Lie down in a relaxed position with your head on a small pillow and your arms resting at your sides. Your feet should be a bit more than hip-width apart.
2. Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, resting it just behind the front teeth and the gums.
3. Begin to breathe naturally through the nose. Imagine the breath coming through the nose to the top of the head and then down to the center of the belly.
4. Continue breathing and visualizing in this manner for 20 to 30 minutes. Concentrate on the breath coming in through your head.

The 20-cycle Breath

1.Take four short, continuous breaths. Do not pause between the inhalation and exhalation.

2. Follow with one extended long breath.

3.Repeat this process five times.

Pulse Breathing: This exercise combines diaphragmatic breathing and a pulsed, hard exhalation to remove carbon dioxide. Perform this exercise anytime you find yourself under stress.

1.Take a deep breath and exhale.

2.Inhale and exhale forcefully.(This is a pulse breath)

3.Take two deep-breathing cycles and a pulse breath.

4.Take three deep-breathing cycles and a pulse breath.

5.Take four deep-breathing cycles and a pulse breath.

6.Take five deep-breathing cycles and a pulse breath.

Blog #1 - Restoration

Our body already knows how to restore itself. We Just have to provide the tools it needs for repair. By giving our bodies & minds the tools to maintain health, we nurture what’s good rather than destroying what’s bad. David Servan-Schreiber,M.D., Ph.D., author of the bestselling: Anticancer: A New Way of Life states, “My conviction is that healing is less about battling illness and more about nourishing life.” Nuturing the body’s innate healing abilities through life-style choices has long been a cornerstone of disciplines such as Traditional Chinese Medicine. One of the many beauties of Chinese Medicine is the belief of the mind-body link in maintaining health.

Once considered a radical idea in Western medicine, the mind’s power over the body has garnered considerable respect over the past decade thanks to a growing body of neurological research and technologies such as MRI’s. Researchers have established that biochemical released from the brain during various moods affect how well the body repairs itself. Negative feelings such as anxiety, fear and loneliness have been shown to trigger stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine, which inhibit the immune system,while positive feelings like happiness, love and peacefulness can boost our healing ability through neurotransmitters such as dopamine and oxytocin.

The great news about maintaining health is that our minds and bodies know intrinsically how to do it. Remember that it’s the cumulative effect of many stressor on the body, mind and spirit that wears you down and make you vulnerable to becoming ill.

Here are a few ways to help you boost healing:

1) Ease Stress with Pleasure: Relaxation and pleasure are healing states of mind. Seek out stimulation by admiring a work of art, listening to music, making love or tending a garden. All these help the brain in releasing those feel good hormones.

2) Find Something to Believe In: Research indicates that people who have a spiritual faith of some kind are better equipped to deal with illness. Being spiritual can range from having a sense of peace, faith in God, or having a compassionate view of others. I see a link between spirituality and health through the social support we get from being part of a spiritual community. 

3) Talk It Out: Hostility is bad for your health. Studies show it can raise levels of cytokines, behavior-regulating proteins in the immune system that are associated with arthritis, osteoporosis and other conditions. Learn conflict resolution skills through a counselor or at least find a spot to let yourself go to complain in a constructive manner. Complain to a wall, chair, or a tree stump. Give a voice to your dejected, sarcastic, nasty, bratty self. Yell or whine as long as you want and end the session by thanking whatever you complained to and then go do something really fun.

4) Get to Bed: Sleep and immune health are inextricably linked. It’s the time your body restores itself: Tissue repair, muscle growth, protein synthesis all are happening. Studies have linked sleep deprivation with lowered immune ability, increased obesity and inflammation. Things to do: Create a pleasurable bedtime ritual such as a hot bath. Try some breathing exercises to induce relaxation. Lying in bed, breathe in through the nose for a count of 4, then hold the breath for 7 and slowly exhale through the mouth for 8. Repeat 3 times. Say OM A regular daily yoga practice have shown a 22% improvement in sleep quality.

Acupuncture also helps with stress reduction and sleep induction. There are also herbal formulas that your acupuncturist can customized to you in helping your body de-stress and sleep better.

5) Eat Plenty of Healing Foods: Create an inner healing environment by feeding your body nutrients that boost immune function and lower inflammation. Try a range of colorful fruits and veggies such as apples, oranges, tomatoes, berries and dark leafy greens. Enhance your immunity with the building blocks of lean protein such as salmon, turkey and chicken. For vegetarian options include beans and legumes (lentils, chickeas, kidney beans), nuts and seeds (sunflower and pumpkin). Opt for foods low in sugar because sugar can lead to inflammation. Have a high ration of fiber to sugar such as artichokes, oatmeal and brown rice.

Get enough good bugs by eating fermented foods to promote the beneficial bacteria or probiotics. Remember the GI tract plays a critical role in the immune response because of its large surface area always comes in contact with so many microorganisms and potential pathogens. So crowd out those bad bugs with yogurt, kefir, miso, tempeh, unpasteruized pickles and sauerkraut.

6) Move & Groove: It’s hard to overstate the benefits of being physically active. Regular moderate exercise promotes circulation, strengthens heart function, and delivers nutrients and oxygen to the cells. In Chinese Medicine, exercise is considered an activation of Qi or energy flow. Try tai chi or qigong which are ancient Chinese practices that combine slow, controlled movements and breathing exercises to encourage the flow of Qi. A recent study found that those who practice qigong have a lower inflammation level and improved mood, both of which are factors in healing.

 Jan