I’ve been mostly removed from this space the past couple weeks, but looking back at these 2018 posts I feel so grateful for new & old friends, my boys, my man, my family + all of you here who reach out to me and stay interested in learning about Chinese medicine & nutrition therapy and how to use this body of wisdom at home. I have a hot/cold relationship with instagram like many of you, I’m sure, so thank you for following along with me here and I hope to give you more useful and inspiring health tips for mind/body/spirit in 2019! Happy almost new year. 🥳🥰Xoxo.
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#wellnessthatworks #medicinekitchen #chinesemedicine #holistichealth #nutritiontherapy #foodenergetics #intuitiveeating #eatgoodfeelgood #healthathome #goodqi #topnine2018 #mindfulness #mindbodyspirit #healthnut (at Austin, Texas)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsCMIvyluOI/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=6329qtt9ykej
Talking about packing nutritious food + health aides for travel in stories today. 👆🏻👆🏻Getting vacation ready. 😎.
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#medicinekitchen #herbalmedicine #travelbag #travelsnacks #healthathome #healthytravels #immunesupport #digestivehealth #wellnesstips #healthykidsfood #packyourlunch #lunchbots #foodforflight (at Austin, Texas)
Go over some organic, non-toxic, healthy skin care products in stories today… a sort of Medicine Kitchen for your bathroom segment if you’re interested! ❤️👆🏻
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#medicinekitchen #organicskincare #healthyskincare #cleanskinmatters #cleanskin #skinfood #skincareroutine #selfcaresunday #primaryelements #rmsbeauty #herbivorebotanicals #guasha #healthathome
Spring Break dinner turned lunch today with this easy, warm quinoa- roasted veg- herb salad with a tart + sweet beet root yogurt apple cider dressing. So good as leftovers! I can feel spring in the kitchen. 🌱🌷.
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Naturally sweet root vegetables, nuts, & whole grains are grounding to our Earth phase and nervous system. Needing these meals to get me through the week of so much Yang energy with the boys!
#fiveelements #fivephases #springmeals #beetroot #earthelement #woodelement #chinesemedicine #healthathome #intuitiveeating #plantbasedmeals #foodtherapy #healingfoods #balancedmeal
FACIAL CUPPING // So, besides the many kick ass benefits for your head and skin, this feels so good y’all! Even with these at-home facial cupping sets you can buy online you can really feel and see great results from 5-10 minutes of this practice. This video is crazy fast but you can see how rosy my cheeks get and your skin starts to glow after just a few minutes. ☺️. Some pointers on DIY facial cupping: ◻️Pay attention to the direction in which I’m gliding the cups - always up towards the hairline to create lift in the face. ◻️Pinch then place for that negative pressure to pull your skin up to create suction. ◻️Keep the cup moving/gliding so as not to leave lasting marks on your pretty face. (The facial cups you buy from amazon are mostly pretty gentle / weak so there is less risk of bruising with these little guys anyway.)◻️Use the small sizes for delicate eye and lip area. View my IG story for a more in depth look at using these cups at home and how they can improve your skin radiance, allergies, headaches & more. ✌🏼. .
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#cuppingtherapy #cupping #chinesemedicine #selfcare #healthathome #beautytips #holistichealth #holisticskincare #naturalglow #allnaturalbeauty #skincareroutine #beautyroutine #sinuspressure #headaches #lymphatichealth #collagenbooster
Looking back on this last day of the year! I’m not big on making hard resolutions for the new year - but I do like to reflect on the lessons learned in the current year and carry them into the next. This was a big transitional year for me with some big events - not always easy - and some lessons I encountered are that you are never alone in any struggle. The more energy you put into the world, the more you will receive back. Don’t be afraid of asking and putting yourself out there! Don’t be afraid of change, growth + transformation equal change. But with more things you say yes to in a full life, be mindful that you are not unintentionally saying no to something else you really need instead - like rest, or slowness, or self care. Hoping these lessons serve me well in 2018. Would love to hear some of what you all learned this year too! I think it was a big one for many of us. 🙌 (Also, inevitable photo-op when your new leggings match your new kitchen😉💁♀️). Happy NYE!
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#medicinekitchen #foodismedicine #healingfoods #plantmedicine #homeremedies #holistichealth #healthathome #austintx #wellness #selfcare #nye2017 #mindfulness #gratitude #outdoorvoices #healthyeating #balancedlife #followyourheart #foodtherapy #chinesemedicine #nutrition
Going on pasta tonight and topping a soup tomorrow: HOLY BASIL PESTO. Holy Basil (Aka Tulsi) is an adaptogenic herb that can reduce cortisol levels and help with anxiety and hormone imbalance, among other things. It is widely regarded as one of the most useful broad-spectrum anti-stress adaptogenic herbs. It does beautifully in culinary uses - which is why you see it in so many teas. Made a fresh basil / lemon / garlic / pine nut pesto and simply added 3 tsp dried holy basil to it while in the food processor to level it up. 🌱🌱
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#foodismedicine #healingfoods #superfoods #holybasil #tulsi #herbalmedicine #plantmedicine #homeremedies #onthetable #medicinekitchen #folkmedicine #healthathome #herbs #eatclean #eatyourgreens #levelup #mindfuleating #stressrelief #adaptogens #balancedmeal
Front and center. It’s where I like to keep the herbs. I could put them into the pantry I guess but they’re so pretty - and I find I use them more when they are out and I see them each day. It’s like vitamins - they need to be within arm’s reach or it’s not happening. (Is that just me?) They are a reminder to eat with intention, create new things, and always get back on track when things fall away. Currently on the shelf// Dried ginger, wild rose, lavender, goji berries, lemon balm, chamomile flowers, dried astragalus, rehmannia. 💫.
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#herbalmedicine #folkmedicine #homeremedies #herbs #healthathome #medicinekitchen #adaptogens #chineseherbs #plantmedicine #healingfoods #foodtherapy #superfoods #mountainroseherbs #teatime #startsomewhere
Oh how I love Gua Sha. It’s an ancient Chinese scraping technique used to increase blood flow & lymphatic drainage & relieve pain. It was also widely used for Chinese royal women as an anti-aging treatment to maintain their beautiful skin. Here’s a short and very fast video of my at-home facial gua sha routine! (Promise I’ll get better at these videos soon!) I’m now doing Facial Gua Sha add-ons to your acupuncture session upon request.❣️.
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#chinesemedicine #guasha #glowingskin #getthatglow #naturalbeauty #holisticskincare #beautyiswellness #easternmedicine #acupuncture #holistichealth #wellness #selfcare #facial #healthathome
•Grain Free Nut Muffins•
I’ve made these nut flour muffins many times and this time may have been my favorite. Got the process up as a story currently. They are made entirely of nuts as a base so you don’t get the fluffy airy texture of a normal muffin- but I actually like the texture and the flavor so much we eat them up in hours usually - the kids devour them for snack and/or breakfast. Great for low-carb eating and gluten-free folks. Here’s the super simple recipe //
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1 ½ C raw nuts - here a combo of mostly almonds, with hazelnuts and pecans.
3 free-range eggs
¼ C pure maple syrup
¼ tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Ground nuts in a Vitamix (or food processor would work probably) until you achieve a coarse flour.
Add all other ingredients & mix until a smooth batter is formed.
Pour into greased or buttered muffin tins and bake at 375 for ~14-15 minutes. Made about 8 muffins for me. Slather with grass-fed butter & believe me I think this step is essential. ❤️
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#grainfree #lowcarb #glutenfree #wellness #medicinekitchen #eatclean #foodismedicine #momlife #unitedinmotherhood #nourishyourself #healthykids #healthyeating #naturalhealth #wholefoods #forkyeah #holisticnutrition #healthyfats #healthathome #grassfed
Natural Skincare for the Win
I’ve had some interest and inquiry lately into my own skincare routine. I often help clients with skin issues like acne, dryness, or eczema, so I’m sharing some of my favorite products here today! I like to keep things simple & honestly don’t use many fancy products for my own skin. I have to give thanks to a local Austin apothecary, Sabia, for carrying such an amazing selection of natural skincare & introducing me to some of these gems:
Thayer’s Witch Hazel with Rose / Weleda Rose Day Cream:
- Rose can treat redness and inflammation. It has been transformative for my own skin to use rose-infused products. These two grocery-store bought items are always in my cabinet and make my skin feel super soft, soothed, and calm.
Environmental Cleanser by Inventive Eco-Organics:
- This cleanser was a big tool for me in achieving problem-free skin. It has grapefruit seed and oregano oil, MSM, aloe juice, rose hip oil and lavender water… these agents fight bacteria, reduce inflammation, hydrate, help collagen synthesis, and it smells divine. As I’m relatively minimal with my products- this is my splurge and I buy it at Sabia here in Austin www.sabia.com. I massage my cleanser into my skin for at least a full minute or even more to really circulate and the move the blood/qi through my whole face. I’m certain this is a crucial part of the “cleansing” step for your skin. Thanks to my friend Elizabeth, the gifted aesthetician at Neu Skin Austin, for teaching me this lesson!
Jojoba oil / Fig and Yarrow Face Serum:
- Jojoba oil has done wonders for my skin. Jojoba oil stimulates collagen synthesis, acts similar to our own sebum and can balance dry skin OR oily skin. It can help with wound healing and acne and is a great natural makeup remover. So many uses for jojoba - even to help stimulate hair growth and use on dry scalps.
RMS Beauty products:
- RMS Organics is the only makeup brand I currently use on my skin - with their Uncoverup Concealer and Lip2Cheek color pot. I even mix a tiny bit of concealer with 2 drops of jojoba oil to thin it out & make my face feel hydrated and dewy all day. This makes your product last forever too! RMS is coconut oil based and feels extremely nourishing on your skin. My favorite beauty line by far.
Gua Sha for Face:
- And what is that jade stone tool up there at the top? That’s my gua sha face tool! Gua Sha is a scraping technique similar to massage that we use in Chinese medicine to stimulate blood and lymph circulation, move qi & blood, and dispel toxins and stagnation from the body. Gua Sha can be used on your face for anti-aging beauty purposes! I love the glow & revitalizing feeling it gives to my face. Hoping to make a Gua Sha for face video soon so all of you can start this simple practice at home. ♡
Whoa. It’s been a doozy at my house the past 2 days with stomach virus. None of us escaped it! Hydration is sometimes your only & best strategy for these times. I made a garlic-ginger-lemonade for us all this morning - something soothing and healing to drink that will gently combat pathogens. The kids and I will drink this cup by little cup until our appetites come home. Making a garlic infusion like this is great for viral or bacterial bugs - whether it be respiratory or digestive. 💛
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Garlic- Ginger- Lemonade: Mince 2 large cloves of fresh garlic and place them in pitcher. Add 5 slices fresh ginger. Fill the vessel with boiling water and cover for 30 minutes. Strain out the garlic & ginger, and to the liquid add the juice of 1 ½ whole lemons. Sweeten to taste with honey (~ 1 tbsp more or less to taste). Serve warm and offer as much to the “patient” as they will drink. :)
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#healingfoods #nourish #wholefoods #herbs #medicinekitchen #sick #antiviral #homeremedies #folkmedicine #foodtherapy #pediatrics #ginger #garlic #infusion #healthathome #naturalhealth #wellness #healing