The Summer Cold

We have learned very well to be proactive and prepared for winter colds, but when it comes to summer colds, we often let our guard down or don’t realize we need to be doing anything preventative at all to avoid sickness. It’s the warmest season of the year! It’s all about high energy, letting loose and being carefree! That’s why it almost always comes as a shock to the system to catch a summer cold… you were having so much fun until your plans are suddenly ruined. It seems like the summer cold is going around in full force this year as we get back to life in public and enter more crowded places with other humans again for the first time in… a long time. In TCM, it’s not necessarily the viruses or bacteria that we need to worry about most when it comes to our immune health - although powerful, new coronaviruses do warrant a next-level vigilance like mask-wearing, for extra protection, of course. But since we don’t have control over what pathogens are out there, we want to concern ourselves more with how our own constitution will react and whether it has the strength to ward off pathogens in a healthy way when we do come into contact with these bugs, and we most certainly will. When we habitually protect our Qi and keep our constitution strong, we are able to deal with unexpected pathogens much more easily and quickly. Here are few tips to do just that during the summer months, when our activity is high and our mind is more set on catching rays than catching colds.

1. Maintain abundant Qi / Don’t Exhaust Yourself: When temps are over 100 and you’re outside chasing kids or swimming or running errands in the heat, remember to recharge and protect your Qi by doing some breath work, qi gong, having an afternoon rest, hydrating well, or grounding yourself through a gentle meditation or quiet time. With so much Yang activity in the summer, we need this Yin to stay balanced.

2. Cover your upper back and neck area: A light scarf, wrap, or t-shirt is a necessity when moving from hot to cold environments, especially when wet. The many important acupuncture points for our immune and respiratory function are on our upper back and neck area (over the back of the lungs), and are very susceptible to changes in temperature and exposure to the elements like wind & water. Yo-yoing temperatures can weaken our immune function and make us more vulnerable to pathogens. If you feel yourself catch a chill going into the AC from the pool, cover up immediately. A summer cover-up is just as important as a winter scarf!

3. Protect your Digestion: Nothing screams summer more than snow cones, giant watermelons, frozen margaritas, ice cold lemonades, ice cream sandwiches, & red-white-and-blue popsicles. This combo is unfortunately an assault on our digestion which cannot stand so many frozen and cold things so frequently, no matter how hot it is outside. Our gut is the foundation for our immunity, so go gentle on it during these excitable months of summer. Minimize the sugary treats (especially the frozen ones) and when you see it get out of hand, reign it in the next week or introduce some simple foods like soups, oats, steamed vegetables and whole grains to warm up your belly a bit and ease the burden of over-indulgence on the Stomach, Spleen and Pancreas.

4. For Acute Colds: Ginger or Mint hot tea, chicken soups, daikon radish to clear mucus and phlegm, Neti pot to flush the nasal passages, Biocidin throat spray for anti-viral and anti-bacterial action, or Bee Propolis sprays to help with throat pain/coughing, Fritillaria & Pinellia cough syrup for phlegmy coughs (yellow mucus), cupping to break up congestion in the lungs, avoidance of all sugar, dairy, and ice / cold food and drinks. Hydration, Hydration, Hydration :)

Greens Oshitashi

Steamed. Boiled. Sauteed. Raw. There are many ways to eat your greens, but it still seems like I’m always wanting new ideas for cooking these staples. Dark leafy greens are so important for our overall health, whether we are trying to build blood, support the Liver & GB and reduce inflammation, get in more nutrients and minerals, help eliminate well, or improve general digestion. Their slight bitterness helps descend food down the digestive pathway, and this combined with their fiber helps optimize elimination. Cooking and eating greens should be easy as they are essential for a wholesome diet, so having no-fuss ways to prepare them is key. This is one of my new favorite ways to prepare greens that I learned from Andrew Sterman, TCM and Qigong teacher & author of Welcoming Food. I use mostly kale or spinach for this method, but chard could also work nicely. It’s so simple, easy and really really delicious. This is traditionally a Japanese method, and I find it really satisfying on many levels - in aesthetics, taste, ease of prep, & versatility - which is why it’s been in constant rotation at my house for months now :) I hope you make some & enjoy.

Greens Oshitashi /

1 bunch organic spinach or dino kale

1 Tbsp shoyu or tamari

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 Tsp Mirin

Sesame seeds (black or white)

Wash your greens thoroughly but leave them whole. Get a large pot of water boiling, salt it well. Submerge greens into water and let blanch for about 30-60 seconds (spinach), or 60-120 seconds (kale). Remove with tongs and place in a colander and rinse well under cold water to halt the cooking process completely. They should be bright & vibrant green, and not overcooked. When cool, separate the greens into 3 relatively even bundles lengthwise, and squeeze as much water from them as possible, then lay each bundle flat on a cutting board. Cut each section evenly into 3 portions (see the photos above). Lay these portions into a glass storage container in a neat row however they will fit. Make your sauce combining the 3 liquid ingredients and mix together. Pour sauce evenly over greens and sprinkle with sesame seeds of choice. Let sit in the fridge to rest for an hour or more if possible (also totally ok to eat immediately, this just lets them soak up flavor a bit more), and they are even better the next couple days. Wonderful as prep for breakfast greens or lunch/dinner side during the week.

Boiled Chicken and Chard Soup

You all know I love a healing chicken soup. It’s classic TCM food therapy. This soup is so easy and economical and I wanted to share how special the flavor is, too. The broth turns out a beautiful, rose-tinted color from the rainbow chard added at the end, and slow-cooking the whole chicken gives much mineral content to the broth as well - which is so important for our immune health right now. The chicken goes in whole, but you will be able to break it apart with tongs and remove it easily in parts after it’s done, avoiding the mess of cutting your chicken into parts while it’s raw, or even after it’s roasted. And it basically shreds itself it’s so tender. You can keep the bones of this chicken to then create another broth later on, and the gift keeps on giving. So minimalist, refined, and delicious. Here’s the recipe - it will make about 6+ servings depending on your appetite. This is also an ideal postpartum recipe to build blood with chicken meat, dark leafy greens and mineral rich broth, adding some red dates to the mix while cooking would even enhance this action.

Boiled Chicken & Chard Soup //

1 whole chicken, about 3.5 lbs + Salt

veggie scraps, garlic, ginger, peppercorns

a few large leaves of rainbow/red chard

Let the chicken rest and pat dry, then salt it inside and out. I salt very generously & use about 1/4 - 1/3 C of salt for this chicken, rubbing it in well and thoroughly.

Then gather any veggie scraps you have for the broth. I used some celery tops, chunks of yellow onion, a few ginger slices, a few fennel tops, some chard stems (white stems), some black peppercorns, a few smashed garlic cloves. Place these in a large pot, then add your chicken and cover the whole thing with water almost to the top. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cover the pot (I leave a little crack for some steam to escape). Simmer this on low for about 2 hours (it will technically be done sooner than that, if you’re in a rush, so check it). If your chicken is sticking up out of the water a bit, you may want to get tongs and a wooden spoon and gently turn it over so that it cooks evenly top to bottom when you’re about half way through. Remove the chicken and let it cool for a few minutes in a pan, it will come out in very tender pieces with your tongs. Shred it up - it basically shreds itself. Strain the broth and return it to the pot, composting the veggies. Add back in shredded chicken and reheat, then roughly chop your chard and add it in, cooking just until the greens are tender. You can serve it with some dulse flakes, cilantro, lime and avocado if you want to get into toppings, but it doesn’t need it.

Garlic & Ginger Infused Honey

I’ve been baking, cooking, parenting, and doing a lot of hiking and walking in the wake of the mandated social distancing we are all experiencing with the coronavirus. My friends at Nimbo Alto asked me to contribute to their See/Make/Do newsletter and I decided to make something in the kitchen that would act as a gentle anti-viral and anti-microbial helper for our current times. This recipe for infused honey is so easy and I love it as a vehicle for loads of garlic. Raw Honey has anti-microbial properties of its own, and when you combine it with the warming spice of ginger - a wonderful herb for aiding digestion - and garlic, which also has major anti-microbial action, you have a powerful immune concoction on your counter. Garlic acts effectively upon bacteria, viruses, and parasites. The volatile oil is largely excreted through the lungs - which makes it especially useful in infections of the respiratory system (hello covid-19!). Garlic is a hot-natured food, so if you have a big problem with acid reflux, indigestion, or leaky guy it could be too irritating for your GI tract to handle when eaten whole. The good thing about this honey is that the garlic is only infused into it, making it easier for most people to consume without issue, and still retain the anti-viral benefits of this powerful herb. Our digestion is a pre-cursor to our immunity, and the sweet taste of honey activates the Earth element (realm of digestive organs), while ginger helps to keep that digestive fire burning. I use this honey by the spoonful as an immune tonic - mixed into a cup of warm water with lemon is the easiest option. A Garlic Ginger Lemonade recipe is also included here, which is especially soothing for stomach bugs or food poisoning - but is adaptable for many immune situations. I find comfort in these small ways of supporting our bodies during stressful times.

Ginger & Garlic Infused Honey //

1 C raw honey (a runnier raw honey is best here, rather than a very thick one)

5 garlic cloves, peeled

1.5” piece of ginger root, sliced into thin strips (about 6 slices)

Place ginger and garlic into a sealable jar like a canning jar, and cover completely with the honey. Close the jar and place the honey mixture in a shady spot on your counter. Leave it there for at least 6-7 days (up to 2 weeks), shaking the jar daily, whenever you see it. Strain out the herbs and keep the honey in the pantry as usual. Honey is naturally preservative and this mix will stay good for a long time (some say indefinitely).

Garlic Ginger Lemonade by the glass //

Combine 1 TBSP of the infused honey with 1/2 C hot water into a measuring cup, stir to combine well until the honey dissolves. Add juice of 1 whole lemon. Add more filtered water (another 1/2 C or so, room temp or cold) into the cup and stir well again. Pour over ice into a large glass and serve immediately. Some fresh ginger juice is also really nice for an extra kick - grate 1” of a ginger knob and then, with your hand, squeeze the juice from the grated ginger root straight into your glass.

Extra immune add-in:

1 tsp Astragalus powder (to the warm water step, stir until dissolved) - Astragalus is an adaptogenic herb good for stress, but especially for how stress affects our immune system. Astragalus is only recommended to use preventatively - not for acute illness - but that being said, is a powerful herb to build qi and blood and prevent respiratory illness.

Take care out there!

Reishi, Shiitake + Astragalus Chai

There are so many Chinese herbs that you can easily use in your home kitchen. Astragalus is an all-time favorite of mine for use in home cooking because of its relative mellow flavor and broad function to nourish qi & blood, while also being an adaptogenic herb with special skills in building immunity. If you feel like you get run down from life or stress and the first thing to come up is a cough, cold, or immune issue - this is a great herb for you! It comes in powdered, sliced, or cut and sifted forms. I mainly use the cut slices for cooking myself, since they’re so easy to add to teas and broths, which I highlight in this recipe.

Reishi + shiitake mushrooms are also powerful allies for our immune system, and very useful for building strength and resilience in our respiratory system. Reishi, the non-edible medicinal mushroom known as Ling Zhi, is considered a deep immune activator as well as adaptogen. Shiitake has been studied for its benefits in fighting cancer cells and has antimicrobial uses as well. The warming spices of cinnamon, ginger, and star anise keep our digestive qi moving and help the body retain heat during cooler months. Remember that good immunity always begins in the gut. This herbal “chai” tea blend utilizes these medicinal herbs and gives us a slightly earthly, slightly sweet, spiced herbal tea to drink throughout the season for winter immunity. A tea I love to make and store in jars in the refrigerator for easy access for a couple weeks at a time. Where to buy these specialty herbs if you’re not a licensed practitioner? Mountain Rose Herbs online is a great resource.

Reishi, Shiitake, Astragalus Chai Tea //

3 slices dried reishi mushroom

4 dried shiitake mushroom caps

3 long slices dried astragalus root (if you have the shorter slices, about 10-15g total)

3 Chinese red dates (da zao)

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

1 tsp dried ginger root

6 C filtered water

Bring all ingredients to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for about 45 minutes. Strain and drink warm by the cup, sweetening with raw or manuka honey to taste. Store extra tea in glass jars in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and reheat as desired.

Metal: The Alchemist

We all carry each of the Five Elements of TCM (also known as the Five Phases) inside us, and we each have gifts and ways of being in the world that correspond to them. Often, we resonant with one phase far beyond the others. Within each of us there is a particular phase around which the others spin, the source from which our deepest impulses come forth. This could be considered our Type. I love getting at least a loose assessment of someone's type as it helps to reveal their true nature and inform us about our strengths and weaknesses. It helps to know what to pursue more of and what to avoid in the quest for more balance and self-growth. It's also fun. The fundamental archetypes of the phases are:

Fire -- The Wizard
Earth -- The Peacemaker
Metal -- The Alchemist
Water -- The Philosopher
Wood -- The Pioneer

(from Between Heaven and Earth, by Harriet Beinfield, LAc and Efrem Korngold, LAc)

Autumn is Metal season, so I wanted to go more in depth into the Metal archetype for you to learn more about this beautiful phase. The Metal archetype persona is refined, serene, tidy, meticulous, inspired, principled, and reveres beauty and ritual. She can bring together many elements with ease and turn them into something beautiful and extraordinary. The Alchemists are gifted at bringing the magical to the mundane. She is observant, efficient, organized, and holds herself and others to high standards. She seeks the perfection of form and function. Many designers, artists, religious and spiritual leaders, systems engineers, managers, architects and healers are Metal types at their core. Metal tends to love helping people. They love sharing order, knowledge, structure and the “right” way to do something, and they can be highly disciplined and focused as well. Sometimes, when Metal is imbalanced, we can be judgmental, highly opinionated, rigid, self-righteous, overly analytical, or emotionally distant and detached. There could be a challenge with releasing control or emotions with ease. To balance an abundance of Metal there needs to be social involvement, passion, spontaneity and a little bit of letting loose. All of this will help the Metal type relax and connect more deeply with people in their lives.

The Lungs and Large Intestine are organs associated with Metal, and the emotion is grief or melancholy. Breath work, earthing and time spent in nature, good elimination of the bowels, and emotional releasing are all wonderful ways to nourish Metal and keep the energy of these organs healthy. Flexibility - of the mental and physical kind - can also be key in helping Metal types stay grounded and balanced.

Fall Workshop

I’m so excited to launch this class series I’ve been working on called Evenings with the Elements. The first class will be held November 6th, 2019 at 6:30PM at The Commune, a truly beautiful event space. Tickets are available HERE. I’ll be sharing on the topic of healing foods for fall wellness - focusing on immunity and respiratory health which is connected to the season. We will also learn some relevant breath work, herbal remedies, and acupressure that will help you through this fall. Andrea Cortez from Mind Body Music will be joining us with her harp as I lead you through a gentle meditation to align with the season. I can’t wait - come join me!

Earth-Centered Eating

It’s hard being a sensitive human in the world today. There is so much going on politically and environmentally these days it can be overwhelming, especially when adding our own personal struggles into the mix. It’s easy to feel stressed out about these things and we have good reason to stress - but let’s not let that stress sink in and affect us physiologically, if we can help it. Self-care practices are essential, time to think, process, and rest are required for many of us (both yin responses, relatively), while action and activism are equally important tools in balancing how we deal with this kind of stress (the yang of it). One way we tend to deal with stress can be over-eating, eating our “stress food” of choice, going too long without eating and over-working, or doing too much thinking while we are trying to eat and nourish ourselves / digest. All of these common practices can lead to stagnation in the gut or other organs, digestive deficiency, or chronic depletion. What if we all adopted a new way of “stress eating”? One that worked towards balancing our already over-burdened bodies and allowed for more space, ease, and ability to function at our highest potential when we truly need it most. This type of eating is what I call Earth-Centered eating, and I love teaching people the reasons why it works so well and how it aims to restore and aid digestive function, nourish qi and blood, and support us in our most trying times.

Earth-Centered eating is based on Chinese medicine dietary therapy and some simple rules of food energetics. When we are stressed out, our bodies are working on dealing with that stress in many biological and hormonal ways - none of which are geared towards digesting food well. Our rest/ digest state and our stress state are two very different places to reside. A stress state could be due to challenging parenting phases, periods of no sleep, a stressful job that requires much of your time on and off the clock. relationship crises, illness recovery, family dramas, shocking political events, etc (and perhaps a combination of several of these, as is normally the case). We carry these tensions with us as they happen, sometimes deep within us, and it’s hard to let them go, especially if they are ongoing or chronic in nature. When so many of our resources are being used to survive stressful situations, to endure that fight, flight, or freeze mode, we have minimal resources left for digestive function and optimal nutrient absorption. If we have less energy going towards digestion and the transformation of food into energy - the worse we feel, and our stress grows even more! With this in mind, what can we do to help our digestion when we find ourselves in a situation where we can’t really drop our stress easily? I promise that eating that pint of ice cream at night is not the answer - although, I feel you. Our digestion falls under the phase of Earth in Chinese medicine 5 Element Theory. Earth phase is about nourishment, grounding, centering, return, stability, care of self and others. You can easily see how eating and the digestion of food belongs to this phase in the scope of all that. To boost the qi of our Earth organs (the spleen and stomach), we can eat foods that require less energy to digest, that are warm, pre-cooked, moist, and slightly warming in nature. Think of our digestion like a boiling cauldron pot, with each food we put in, we have to cook that food in the pot before we can digest and transform it into energy. If we put raw, cold, or frozen foods in - the pot will get much weaker as it works to bring it back up to cooking temperature. This slows down our entire metabolic process and requires much more work from our bodies. If we put in foods that have already been pre-cooked - steamed, blanched, or sauteed - our cauldron stays boiling as it breaks down these components and quickly whips them into usable energy for our cells. We can help our digestive function in this way, especially when we know we have limited resources to begin with. One of the main foundations of Earth-Centered eating is to eat mostly cooked, warm foods, to enable your digestion to stay as active as possible. Soups are a great way to start. I look forward to sharing more on Earth-Centered eating and how to apply it to your life here on the blog, as I see this becoming more and more important to people across the board. Meanwhile, here is one of my favorite recipes for an Earth-Centered chicken soup that I return to over and over again when we are in big transitions, need a reset, or just having a stressful week:

Green Chicken Soup with Rainbow Carrots

2 organic chicken breasts

8 C water

Olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

4 stalks celery, chopped and leafy tops reserved

1 bunch green onions, chopped and ends reserved

2-3 rainbow carrots, chopped and tops reserved

1 C white or brown jasmine rice (can sub cauliflower rice, if desired, at 2-3 C)

1 large handful parsley, chopped

1 large handful cilantro, chopped

Kosher salt

In a large pot or dutch oven, bring 8 C salted water to a boil and place chicken breasts, celery tops, onion ends, and carrot tops inside. Boil about 25 minutes until cooked through and tender. Remove chicken from pot and set aside, strain & save all broth. On medium heat, saute garlic, green onions (save about 1/8 - 1/4 C of these for garnishing at the end), and celery in a few glugs of olive oil in the same pot for a few minutes, then add chopped carrots. Saute a few minutes more, then add the rice, stirring it all together well. Add back in the reserved chicken broth you made earlier, cover and cook for another 20-25 minutes until rice is cooked completely. While this starts cooking, shred the chicken and add back into the pot, giving it enough time to cook along with the soup for awhile. Once the soup is almost done, add in most of the herbs - chopped parsley and cilantro - and give it a whirl. Taste and add more salt, if needed. When you are ready to serve, add more fresh herbs and green onions on top for garnish.

• Shortcut — Shred an organic / hormone and antibiotic-free rotisserie chicken and skip the homemade chicken broth step. Start with cooking your garlic and veggies in oil and just add in 6 C of store bought organic chicken broth (that’s 1 48 oz box) + another 1-2 C water, in place of the homemade broth. Saves a lot of time and makes this meal super easy to prepare. I do it this way 50% of the time!

A Spring Cleanse

Spring is an optimal time for some gentle cleansing. In our lives, we naturally tend to clean, reorganize, lighten up our loads during the spring season and applying these actions to our internal health is also appropriate and encouraged. This is where dietary cleansing comes in. In the picture above are some of my favorite foods to use for Liver and Gall Bladder cleansing during the spring. Both the liver and gall bladder are the organs paired with Spring in the TCM Five Phase Theory, so focusing on this organ system makes sense now - especially as it is so connected to detoxification (cleaning and lightening) and the breaking down of heavier, fatty foods (hello, winter meals from last season). Over the colder months, we tend to eat heavier, hearty meals, and the liver / gall bladder can get a little bogged down from this, accumulating bile sediment or even gall stones over time (depending on the diet and person) as they try to break down these foods so frequently. Too much fat, chemicals, processed foods, intoxicants, and stress all disrupt the many nuanced biochemical processes of the liver and gall bladder. These Wood element organs of spring are often the most congested of all organs in the modern person, in fact! Radishes are one the best foods to aide the gall bladder in cleansing out these deposits and restoring optimal function to this system. Beets and beet greens are also useful, as is flax oil, flax seed, chamomile, cleavers, milk thistle, apples, pears, seaweeds, turmeric, and lemon/lime/grapefruit.

A Spring Cleanse (Adapted from Healing with Whole Foods) //

You can simply eat 1-2 radishes per day (in between meals) to gradually cleanse the gall bladder over the course of 3 weeks, or you can make a beet and radish slaw to eat daily for a few weeks if you want to get fancy. My recipe for liver/GB slaw is included here, which I hope you will try, as it makes this ritual pretty tasty. While doing this spring cleaning, lighten up the liver and gall bladder’s load by removing heavy meats, alcohol, dairy, eggs, and most nuts from your diet for a few weeks. These foods are highest in saturated fats and cholesterol which are hardest to break down for most of us (even though they carry lots of nutritional value - except alcohol, which is excluded to enable the liver to function without burden). Focus on vegetables of any kind (including those foods listed above), greens, unrefined grains, legumes, vegetarian soups, sprouts, fruits, some seeds, lean meats like fish or poultry. Drink plenty of water and 2-3 C of chamomile, cleavers, or milk thistle tea per day. These herbal teas support the liver and lymphatic system in detoxification, clear blockages and heat, and help your body get back into flow after being more stagnant over the winter. Finally, drizzle 3-5 tsp of flax oil on your food per day. This cleansing method is largely effective for gradually reducing bile sediment and cleansing the gall bladder of deposits and small stones. With a gradual cleanse like this, better movement and flow is restored, you will feel lighter, and your body will be primed for better energy and function throughout the year. A deficient or excess type person can try this cleanse as you are eating full meals each day vs. fasting. I personally love this gradual method of cleansing as it doesn’t act harshly on the body like the “gall bladder flush” you may have heard of. That purging method is best approved by your health practitioner, especially if you have never tried it before.

Beet & Radish Slaw with Preserved Lemon

1 large golden beet, sliced paper thin on a mandolin

3 large radishes, also cut on mandolin (preserve some radish greens for garnish)

1 Tbsp (or more) of finely chopped preserved lemon

1/2 large lemon, juiced (or whole small lemon)

Sea salt

3 Tbsp flax or olive oil

Prep the root veggies and add to mixing bowl. In a separate small bowl mix together dressing ingredients of lemon, lemon juice, salt, and oil. Adjust to your liking with additional salt or oil. Pour dressing over beet and radish mixture (you may have some left over and not need to use it all - save it, if so, for the next batch). Add a few pinches of finely chopped radish greens for garnish and stir to fully coat. Eat 1-2 spoonfuls of this mixture per day, in between meals, for a few weeks during your gradual spring cleanse. You can alternate this slaw with plain radishes for that purpose as well. Or make this anytime to give your liver and gall bladder some extra support.

Five Flavors, Six Tastes

In systems of Eastern medicine food therapy, food is classified into 5 flavors (the Chinese medicine way) or 6 tastes (the Ayurvedic way). The sixth taste in Ayurveda is something called Astringent, which is also fully recognized in Chinese medicine (especially with herbs) although since it has more to do with lingering sensation, it is not counted as a “flavor” in TCM. The 5 Flavors of TCM food dietetics are sweet, pungent, salty, sour, and bitter.

Why does the concept of 5 flavors matter? What does it have to do with our healing process and physiology? Each flavor is representative of something bigger in TCM, and carries the potential to activate and nourish different organs and functions in our bodies. This is why it’s so important to eat a diverse selection of foods in your diet, incorporating all 5 flavors into your meals. If you go too heavy on one flavor, like eating too many sweets regularly, you will find your body leaning towards imbalance - like too much weight is on one side of the scale. Finding balance is always key in Eastern medicine. I wanted to share the most basic ways to incorporate all 5 food flavors into your diet and how they will benefit you overall.

Sweet

Rice & wheat, corn, oats, carrot, sweet potato, cabbage, squash, beans, ripe fruit, fruit juices, sweeteners, whole milk, cream, most nuts, butter, beef, chicken, eggs.

The sweet flavor enters the spleen and is the most prevalent flavor in our food, harmonizing all other flavors and acting as the center of our diet. This sweet flavor does not translate to the sweet taste of refined sugar or candy - which is totally excessive and exaggerated form of sweetness, but the natural sweetness of the whole foods listed above. Excessive sweet taste can cause phlegm and dampness, contributing to weight gain, hormonal imbalance and cravings.

Pungent

Garlic, onion, scallion, ginger, chiles, pepper, mustard seed, radish, horseradish. Most cooking spices are pungent to some degree, and could be combined as pungent-sweet (like cinnamon), pungent-sour (coriander), etc.

Pungent foods enter the lungs and are great at dispersing stagnation, circulating qi, and helping to break down heavier, damp foods. They tend to lift energy up and if they are consumed too much have potential to exhaust and over-stimulate the body.

Salty

Sea salt, rock salt and any salt, seaweeds, miso, tamari.

Salty enters the kidneys and and tends to move energy down and inward towards the root of the body (where the kidneys reside). It can regulate moisture in the body and is essential for the nervous system to stay grounded.

Sour

Citrus fruits, tomato and tomato sauce, fermented foods, yogurt and some cheeses, vinegar, umeboshi plum, pickles, olives.

The sour taste is associated with the liver and helps to break down fats and prevent stagnation from sluggish digestion. Sour will stimulate secretions from the gall bladder to aid in digestion. Sour foods are generally cleansing but if over-eaten can lead to too much contraction and astringency that will actually worsen stagnation instead of help it. Moderation is key here.

Bitter

Dark leafy greens and wild greens - collards, dandelion, chicory, endive, kale, some sprouts, chard, coffee, rhubarb.

Bitterness will enter the heart and generally help cool the body down and reduce dampness and fluid accumulation. Bitter can also balance sweetness (help reduce sweet cravings) and help the body digest by guiding energy down and drying excessive moisture from sweet foods.

Astringent - this is a sensation of dryness or chalkiness that lingers in the mouth. Some foods that have an astringent nature are green & black tea, artichokes, asparagus, sprouts, cranberry. Astringent foods tend to dry, contract, or hold-on to tissue. We say that astringent herbs “stabilize and bind” in TCM, and the lightness of these foods are said to purify the body.

Happy eating :)

Tribeza Magazine: February Wellness Issue 2019

I was overjoyed to contribute to the first ever Tribeza Wellness issue this month - and shocked to be on the cover of the issue as well! Pick up a copy of this local Austin gem and read my Inside Out piece, written along with my incredible friend, holistic esthetician Elizabeth Bentley of Neu Skin Austin. We talk all about the healing properties of aloe vera and how you can utilize this medicinal plant for the most healing benefit at home. You’ll find a recipe for a Pear & Aloe Gut tonic drink as well as a DIY Aloe face mist, too!

Dark Cacao + Collagen Seed Bark

To me, there is no better sweet combo than simple fruit and chocolate. I am known to make chocolate covered fresh and/or dried fruits at any time of the year and it is often my favorite dessert for any special occasion. Sometimes I marvel at how our bodies can give us insight into how we naturally feel healthiest - this is one small example. This dessert is naturally gluten, dairy & refined sugar free - an ideal combo for me! I just feel good eating it, so much more than other types of sweets or cakes. Intuitive eating can be so helpful when trying to determine what makes our bodies tick. It’s also important to have indulgences that support us instead of hurt us. This is a big part of learning how to care for yourself!

I started making variations of this “bark” recently for my chocolate fix - a very thin layer of chocolate drizzled over a flat sheet of finely chopped fillings. I added collagen powder & cinnamon to the melted chocolate to level it up this week - you can add any superfood or herbal / adaptogenic powder to your chocolate mix after it has melted. Spirulina, ashwaganda, maca root powder, ground ginger, astragalus… plenty of options will work.

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I loved the mixture here - puffed quinoa (just gradually heat 1/4 C quinoa in a skillet with lid, like popcorn, until you hear it start popping up), chia seeds, sunflower seeds, toasted sliced almonds, finely chopped pecans, hemp hearts, dried goji berries. Lay it all flat on parchment paper so that it all touches each other but is not more than one layer thick. Then, pour on the chocolate. I also like to add a bit of Maldon sea salt flakes to the top before it sets in the fridge.

This will be our Valentine’s treat - with broken bark leftovers going into a tupperware to store in the fridge. It’s so simple and good, endlessly versatile. Hope you enjoy.

Dark Cacao + Collagen Seed Bark /

1/2 C coconut oil

1/4 C maple syrup, or a bit less even

1/2 C raw cacao powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp collagen powder (or other level-up ingredients)

2 dashes ground cinnamon

Maldon finishing salt

Crushed and finely chopped “fillings” for the bark - chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp hearts, nuts of your preference, goji berries, sunflower seeds, puffed quinoa or puffed rice, dried orange peel, tart cherries or apricots - all finely chopped…

Heat the oil over medium-low heat until fully melted, add maple syrup and whisk together until combined. Take off the heat & add cacao + vanilla and whisk until totally smooth. Add your collagen + additional superfood / level-up powders & spices and whisk again. Arrange your seed mixture in a flat layer on parchment paper in a sheet pan. Lightly pour the chocolate sauce over the seed mixture very evenly in a thin layer. Use a fork to spread the mixture around evenly if needed. Sprinkle Maldon sea salt flakes on top evenly to your liking. Refrigerate. This must be kept cold during storage so as not to melt. Once it has set solid (2-4 hrs), break into pieces and store in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer for even longer duration. Serve with berries, mint, edible flowers…