Finer Points

From Darkness to Dawn: Adjusting to Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 03:09:00 +0000

Just when it seems as though the darkness and cold are all I can bear, something wonderful happens: the light changes. Suddenly, but almost imperceptively, February brings the morning light of pink and gold...no longer the crisp white and blue light of deep winter. I am not the only one to notice, you know. With the change of light the birds begin to sing again. You are smiling because you have noticed it as well. This year it felt as though Spring might come early...but again, snow has returned. A Spring snow.

A few weeks' back, I did notice the change outside and also many changes inside myself. First, I began to feel "excited". Spring always does this to me. Not just regular 'excited', but the 'I can't focus because I am excited' kind. This was my first indicator. Next, I began to feel a bit "out of whack" -- but if you are experiencing this as well, you will know what I mean.

In Traditional Asian Medicine, we characterize the first week of February (around the time of the Asian New Year) as "The Waking of Insects". Indeed, that first week I bet you did have one day, wherever you may live in this hemisphere, where it seemed as though the insects had returned. It was pretty cold here most of that week...but one very, VERY sunny day...and we saw flies. Strange but true.

With "The Waking of Insects" comes the beginning of the rise of the Spring "energy"...and you know you felt it and can understand what I mean. The apex of the Spring is March 21, with the equinox, but the actual rise of the "Wood" energy begins six weeks' previous. Thus, the singing of the birds and the changing of the light....as well as any 'internal' differences you may feel.

The rising of this "Wood" energy (in terms of Asian Medicine language), mostly affects the Liver and Gallbladder -- and their concomitant systems in the body. Common "Spring/Wood" symptoms which begin at this time include: sinus difficulties, migraine or other headaches, eye problems/infections, ear problems/infections. Sometimes dermatitis of the scalp can worsen during this time as well. We can feel especially irritable and/or depressed ironically with the return of Spring because of the Liver channel involvement and/or very excited, very angry...for the same reason. You can experience sleep disturbance or feel like napping constantly. The one thing that people do not feel in the Springtime is: stable.

Springtime -- the Wood Energy -- is associated with expansion. Opening up to a big wide new world. The Liver, it is said, houses the "Hun", the Creative Soul. Creativity, ambition, productivity are all on the rise in Spring. No wonder we can't think straight!

So...what can we do....what can we eat to help our bodies to better adjust to this season...so that the transition is not such a wild ride?

Normally, we say that the Liver and Gallbladder like sour food. They also like it when we eat green foods...things that move upwards in the world...like a little plant breaking through the soil. So...beginning in February, continuing through now...until around mid-April when you will begin making Summer adjustments, we eat for Spring.

Some Spring Eating Tips:

1. GreensGreensGreens.
Sauteed, blanched, raw in salads. Kale, Dandelion Greens, Napa cabbage, round cabbage, mustard greens, lettuce, arrugula, baby or big bok choy. At least two servings/day.

2. GrannySmithApples.
Yes, they are green. True. They are also sour. Wonderful! Juice them, grate them and eat them for a snack. One per day.

3. Lemon.
Put in your room-temperature water. Add to tea.

4. Back off on Bread.
Baked flour is not your friend. Cookies, crusty bread, cereal and crackers. They can all 'stagnate' your Wood Energy, especially as it flourishes in Spring. You will feel better and you will thank me.

5. Green Juice.
If you have a juicer, try this at least a few times a week, every day if you can: one granny smith apple, one cucumber (peel if not organic), one cup mung bean sprouts, four ribs of celery, one-quarter of a nappa cabbage. Lovely!

6. Mung Beans
Those teeny little green beans....make them into soup, salad, whatever. This is their season.

7. Mushrooms
Legal and edible ones. Eat them.

8. Salads/Sautes
Use lighter cooking styles....raw salads, sautes, blanching, As the weather warms, bake less.

9. Dream
You will notice that your body does need more time to daydream. Allow yourself a few minutes per day to do this.

10. Outside
Thirty minutes per day. It doesn't have to be to run a marathon...but nature is inviting you to its party. You need the fresh air and frankly, it is impolite not to show up!

Crazy Beautiful Day, Crazy Good Fries

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:42:00 +0000

Gorgeous October Afternoon, Capitol Square, Madison, Wisconsin

This is a tale told true. This is the story....of a snack.

But not just any snack.

This is the story of the most amazing

Truffle Sweet Potato Fries.

My life was good. Of course, it had its ups and downs, but I am basically happy, so all was well.

Then...a few years ago (I have told very few people about this) I was seduced. I was in Vienna -- across the water for the first time -- and for dinner, I ordered a pumpkin truffle soup. It was really my first time. I had been, in a matter of speaking, a Truffle Virgin. But, I barely remember the dinner conversation because every single bite was...ooooooooooooooohhhhhhh...............

Now, fast forward to now. It is a spectacular late October day. Although we have had significant chill, the air is sharp and amazing. It seems as though every single vegetable is yellow or gold or orange, clearly delineating what we should be eating.

Of course, it is Autumn so we should be eating roots. Burdock, Carrots, Parsnips, Turnips, Onions, Sweet Potatoes....I could go on and on (and I usually do). But it is time to marry the practical with the orgasmic (I certainly have done that as well).

It is time to have Truffle Sweet Potatoes.

Making your own "frittes/fries" is easier than you think, less trouble than you think and healthier than you know. Yes, we use oil but it is fresh and high-quality...not rancid. The taste is -- unlike anything you have tasted.

So....grab a couple of sweet potatoes and cut into long thick fries. Fill a large bowl with ice water mixed with two pinches of salt. Soak the potatoes for one hour. This pulls a bit more of the starch out of them, helping to make them more digestible. After one hour, drain on a towel, pat the top to dry all surfaces.

Sweet Potato Wedges After Soaking!

In the meantime, you will need a bottle of Safflower Oil ("high heat") which you can purchase from some large grocery stores ("healthy ones") as their store brand. It is a pretty good price and you will be able to re-use the oil. (I always re-use the oil for frying vegetables until it changes color and then it is time to toss. I don't save the oil from frying fish.) Heat the oil, about 1" deep, in a cast-iron pan. When the oil is good and hot, put about 8-10 wedges in and fry until soft or crispy, depending on your preference. Remove from oil with a slotted or mesh spoon, pausing to let oil drip off into the pot before draining on paper toweling or newspaper.

Here they are frying...

Next comes the most exciting part. Now we talk about why roots are important. (fooled ya!)

According to my training in Traditional Asian Dietary Medicine (and basic common sense), roots sustain us. It is, in the plant, the root which contains the stamina for that plant: its resources, its potential, its fuel. When we eat roots, we become stronger. It is especially important to begin eating roots in Autumn and to eat them through Winter. They keep our fire stoked.

And yes, even THAT fire.

The little bit of oil used to fry these gives our body energy for large tasks. This is a fantastic "go out and play football on Thanksgiving morning" snack or a "go out and cut and stack firewood" snack or a "shovel/snowblow the walkway" snack. Or...it is a perfect snack for a gorgeous day like today.

Here is the secret ingredient: I bet you are thinking it is Truffle Oil. Well, yes....and no. After the Sweet Potatoes have drained, you DO drizzle them with Truffle Oil (basically truffle-infused olive oil). But then, (and here is the thrill.....), sprinkle with Umeboshi Vinegar. You can get this pink vinegar in the Asian-food section of your store, or health-food store, or Asian market. In addition to being just the right flavor for this dish, Ume Vinegar helps us to digest those already-healthy lipids in the Safflower Oil. (and, by the way, we need lipids to make our brains work. Capische?)

[Backstory: In my house, Benjamin is known as the SuperTaster. He has an amazing set of tastebuds. (which of course he inherited....). If he doesn't cook at some point in his life it will be a terrible shame and a loss to mouths everywhere.]

At the end of this tale, there is no dragon, no knight, no princess (well, okay...me...). There is only the snack. The modest, golden, aromatic, Truffle (and Ume) Sweet Potato Fry.

Benjamin put one of these babies into his mouth and said "oh...oh.....OH....!!!"

These are Crazy Good.

The bowl was full just three minutes ago....

A Fine Romance

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 13:37:00 +0000

It is (I hope finally) the last of winter chill. Green is coming up, daffodils are open, tulips and magnolias are flirting with disaster. It is, at last, the growing season.

And I am in love.

I am in love with the early morning breeze. I am in love with the watercolor look to the sky in the early, early morning, pale yellow almost opalescent. I am in love with Spring.

I am having an early-morning love affair with my farmer's market. Before my house is awake, I sneak out with my bag, empty except full of promise for what lies ahead. My heart is beating fast. I am completely smitten. I start the car and head uptown to the capitol...the longest six minutes of my life. I park, breathless. I turn the corner and....

There it is.

In the bluster, wearing hats and gloves and cautious smiles, the merchants at the Dane County Farmer's Market on the square are not aware that my blood quickens for them. Money in my pocket waits, waits for the right glance, the furtive look, the brief moment when something fresh will be all mine.

I walked past the cheese, the beef sticks, the bread and the begonias. Today...today was the day for things that are freshly grown. I desire something to make my mouth and my heart soar with excitement. Today is the day for pure imagination. Garlic Ramps, Watercress, Arugula, Oyster Mushrooms, Baby Beets, Four Small Basil Plants, Rhubarb. This is how I spent my twenty dollars.

Today I did not buy flowers. (I did meet a woman who was walking around with, quite literally, ARMFULS of parrot tulips.)

I had a brief infatuation with Fiber Optic Grass....but I need to go home and see if this was a momentary passion or a relationship that can last.

My Ramps and Mushrooms will be happily sauteed with olive oil and basil (basil added at the last minute) and tossed with Framboni's linguine (so carefully wrapped in white paper like fresh daisies).

Wonderful Watercress will be steamed.

Beets will be cooked in water with a small piece of kombu to bring out flavor and to add minerals. I will cool them, dice them and mix with white horseradish. This is my favorite beet salad. Sweet and pungent....a wonderful affair.

Arugula will add just a bit of spice as salad -- because, as you may know, all romances need something fresh and something spicy.

Rhubarb will be cooked low with strawberries, a small bit of apple juice, cinnamon and rice syrup for dessert.

Deep dark flavors. Mmmm.

Not just in my heart and not just at my market and not just in your garden....now is the growing season inside each of us. The season of Spring which brings up the energy and makes all things green reach for the sky -- the Wood energy -- also makes our energy rise, our hearts soar and our spirits climb.

In Asian Medicine, this is the season of the Liver and the Gallbladder.

These organs, like the world outside begin to experience this similar rise in energy. For example, people who have had winter depression begin to lift. Symptoms in the upper part of the body -- sinus problems, allergies, headaches, eye complaints, neck and shoulder problems -- are also 'on the rise'.

This season is the time of opening. This is time to eat things that are fresh and green to open the Liver and to keep it unstuck.

This is time to let go of past disappointments, heartache and that 'little bit extra' which has crept onto our bodies in the winter....so we steam watercress to help us to lose weight.

The Liver, according to Asian Medicine, also houses the "Hun", the Creative Soul. This season encourages us all to be creative, to let those juices flow as well. Blocking that part of ourselves can lead to a whole host of physical symptoms....some of which as listed above.

So....go with that flow. Grow.

You can read more on the Spring from my blog here.

Spring is the time to get outside, to move. Feel yourself in the breeze. Grow with the flowers. Grow with the fields. Open your hearts. Cook good, inspiring food.

Enjoy it all. Fall in love.

Aunt Yula's Wicked Good Hamantaschen - Vegan!

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:00:00 +0000

This is my Aunt Yula. We loved her bunches and bunches.

It is almost Purim, a holiday commemorating courage, pride, wickedness, sex (really!) and shame.

It is with courage, with pride, with wickedness, with beauty (not really with sex, on this recipe anyway....) and with not a smack of shame that I present you with my adaptation of Aunt Yula's Hamantaschen, little triangle-shaped cookies/pastries, reminiscent of the tricorn hat worn by the evil, self-possessed Haman of Shushan.

Instead of sugar, eggs and flour, I have adapted it to suit my taste, to my health and yours. Purim is the holiday where you are supposed to drink so much that you can no longer differentiate between the heroine of the Purim story, Esther -- and the villain, Haman.

Enjoy the Hamantashen with a little wine, a little schnapps or a little sake (or a lot).

Chag Sameach!

Aunt Yula's Wicked Good Hamantaschen - Vegan!

6 cups spelt flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
2 pinches of sea salt
2 tablespoons of grated tangerine zest
1 cup canola oil
1 cup maple syrup
1 package/box mori-nu tofu
juice of 3 small tangerines
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon orange extract

Filling ingredients: fruit-only jam - apricot (or other), poppy seeds, rice malt or rice syrup.
(mix poppy seeds with malt or syrup to make poppy seed jam)

Combine all wet ingredients, including tofu, in a blender or food processor until creamy and smooth in a large bowl, combine dry ingredients in another. Slowly add the creamy to the dry and mix well. Separate the dough into two or three balls, wrap in parchment and refrigerate for at least three hours or until firm.

Take dough out of the refrigerator, let sit a few minutes, and roll out, relatively thin and cut into 3-1/2 inch circles. Place a small spoonful of filling in the center of each of the circles. With your finger or a small brush, place three dots, in a triangle, at the edge of the circle, forming the points of the hamantaschen and pinch carefully into small triangle pastry. Continue the same process until all the hamantaschen are made.

Place onto parchment-coated baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees 10-15 (plus or minus) minutes until firm.

Cool before eating...if you can wait that long....

True Boo: Without Moo or Eew!

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:17:00 +0000

Yes, the October winds are blowing. Yes, the weather is changing. Yes, I need to talk about transitioning your body into winter,...

But (hello!), it is almost Halloween! As far as I am concerned, the only thing scary about this celebration is: sugar.

I cringe every time I go to buy food. Bright and shiny packages of confection stare at me, beckoningly. I will not succumb. I will not succumb. I will not succumb.

I hope.

The best way that I can assure myself that an entire bag of orange-wrapped peanut butter cups will not mysteriously find its way into my handbag -- or drawer -- or freezer -- is to make sure that I have prepared appropriate sweets ahead of time and have them on-hand so I can indulge as desired.

The truth about sweets is this: we need sweets. We need the sweet flavor in our diet as well as we need salty, sour, bitter and spicy. Sweet flavor stimulates digestion, which is why, traditionally, it is taken in the form of "dessert" after a meal. When we are stressed or sad or tense, sweet flavor relaxes our body.

We really need sweet.

You can't and shan't remove sweets from your diet, nor shall you or should you remove sweetness from your life.

The question is: how to take them? Of course, instead of sugar, it is better to use brown rice syrup or barley malt, more digestible and easier on the pancreas. Other moderate dietary sources of sweetness include (and are not limited to) hard squashes, carrots, onions (sauteed/carmelized) and cabbage -- as well as most other round vegetables.

By ingesting sweet vegetables which nourish our pancreas, we are less likely to have those "sweet cravings" which many dread. For more on curbing sweet cravings, read Margo's Fantastic Sugar Addiction.

It may seem to you that when you are craving s'mores, my suggestion of carrot juice as a replacement just does not fit the bill. You may be right. So...let's get right down to the fudge of it all.

If I am craving those peanut butter cups, why oh why would I eat artificial peanut butter filled with sugar and not-quite-good chocolate. I somehow must have been influenced by those romantic chocolate/peanut butter television ads when I was a child. Nevertheless, I want them.

I have a recipe to share for Peanut Butter Cups made with REAL chocolate and REAL peanut butter and NO sugar or dairy.

The Boo Without the Moo or the Eew. The True Boo.

It is inspired by Jessica Porter's recipe. In her version she suggests painting the inside of the cup with the chocolate to create a vessel to hold the peanut butter. My chocolate is more of a ganache and today I don't have the patience...so mine are "freeform!"

Don't eat too many of these on a regular basis. Save them for "special occasions". Peanuts are not fantastic for your liver if eaten regularly. Chocolate, I am also sorry to report, is for special occasions.

Enjoy the Sweetness --in your life.

TRUE BOO CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

One box Mori-Nu silken Tofu

4 Tablespoons Organic creamy peanut butter

1/4 t sea salt

1/4 cup brown rice syrup or maple brown rice syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Refrigerate in a covered container at least an hour.

Then combine 1 bag Sunspire Grain-Sweetened Chocolate Chips (no dairy and sweetened with barley malt) with 1 cup Edenblend rice/soy milk in a double boiler. Consistency should be slightly more liquid than molten chocolate -- and a little "fluffy".

Spoon a tiny amount of chocolate into foil or wax paper confection "cups". Spoon peanut butter filling on top and drizzle or spoon another bit of chocolate on top of all.

Refrigerate or freeze and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cups - Freeform!

From Fall to Winter to Hope

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:13:00 +0000

This morning I was asked when I might begin blogging again. My answer: "now".

Here, in my new life, approximately 800 miles from my former one, I am enjoying the morning chill. Pictured is my friend Caruso (he calls with a remarkable voice), a gull on Lake Mendota. Across the lake -- as well as behind us -- are the trees. They are the ease of green becoming the yellow of hope becoming the red of joy...and yet, Fall is upon us.

Caruso is resting on the dock. At any point he can fly away -- and yet he rests. When will he feel ready to lift himself up?

That is the mystery.

In my new life I can walk. I rode a bicycle to my meeting with Caruso early this morning. Because I spent so much time "inside" in my former life, I have to rebuild my strength here, now. Like Summer, riding down the hills to the lake is easy, joyful. The breeze rushes quickly by.

The joy gone too quickly.

Returning home is more difficult. Summer's end reminds of what lies ahead...we have to pedal a little harder. Even shifting the gears down, I am working very hard. Plus, because (embarrassingly) I have not done this in a number of years, when the hill gets steep I am walking the bicycle up the hill. Walking with my burden.

The burden is quite heavy. Summer into Fall into Winter.

In Fall the chill returns. We begin to look inward, prepare for Winter, letting go of the old, the well-used, our regrets. Fall is the time when our outer selves fall away as the leaves rain from the trees.

Fall is the time of letting go and of Grief. The burden -- is heavy. And yet, we somehow shore up for Winter.

Two days ago my friend's husband died suddenly. Grief, unimaginable at best, weakens us. It turns us upside down and shakes us to the core. Life will never be the same for her, for her children. For those of us who knew him, it feels not only as though the leaves have fallen, but that a great tree has crashed to the ground.

Leaving a space. A hole. A void.

While we can never make it better for ourselves or those we love -- and while we can comfort those who have lost dear ones -- we can strengthen them to help them through.

As I said, Grief weakens us.

Grief is the emotion in Traditional Asian Medicine which is associated with the Lungs and with the Fall season.

In Fall, people will feel melancholy, may begin to cough. Very often those who are in mourning will develop upper (or lower) respiratory infections within a short span of time after their love one's death. They will feel weak, "used up" not "like themselves".

No surprise there, they have been shaken permanently.

When one of my patients has lost a loved one, I give them herbs to strengthen their Lungs. These herbs strengthen the Yin of the Lungs, moistening them, shoring them up. Although it does not seem to make logical sense, this herb formula seems to lighten their experience of Grief. The burden does seem to lift a little.

This formula, Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang, contains the roots of Glehnia, Ginseng, Rehmanniae, Platycodi and Chinese licorice as well as the tubers of Chinese asparagus, Lily bulb and others. It moistens the skin, the Lungs -- and is said to improve our communication with Heaven.

If you are lucky enough to not be in mourning, Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang is a wonderful seasonal formula to help your body to adjust to Fall's dryness, to the melancholy which follows.

Eating Pears, Lotus Root are also excellent tonic for the Lungs.

In Fall as well, we prepare our body for Winter...which energetically is only a few weeks' away. During Fall, we eat more soups, more teas, more warm and nourishing things -- preparing for what lies ahead.

Below is the recipe for a nourishing Fish Soup which can be taken when you are going through a difficult time, when you are recovering from surgery or medical procedure, in preparing for Winter and all Winter long. It is made brothy in this season -- and as the weather becomes very cold, it is made denser.

For my dear friend, as well as for all who are going through such a difficult time, we are wishing you strength. The hill is very, very steep and the burden is so heavy. But I hope, after a very long Winter, just as Caruso will be able to lift himself up -- that your grief will lighten just a bit...

And for you...as in the world...Spring will follow the rain.

Fish Soup

2 Quarts water

1 large carrot, sliced thinly on the diagonal

2 parsnips, sliced thinly on the diagonal

1 onion sliced thinly into "half moons"

1 cup chopped parsley

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 ribs celery, sliced thin
1/4 cup lotus root, thinly sliced and quartered (for lungs/grief especially)
3 oz udon noodles for fall, 3 oz soba noodles for winter/grief/recovery

2 lbs cod or other white meat, moderately flavored fish

Combine all ingredients and cover. Cook on medium heat until fish softens and is able to "flake", about 40 minutes.

Season with sea salt to taste and garnish with parsley.

This soup feeds your friend, your family or yourself for three days, taken often.

Treating Smithsonian Stomachache

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:30:00 +0000

One of my heros...sitting in his favorite chair.

I bet you have never been sick of museums. Personally, I have not...but my girls, my girls.....

I had the fantastic opportunity to chaperone my daughter's middle school music department trip to Washington, D.C. last week. Not only was it exhilarating to be there (I'm a real patriot -- and easily moved) -- but I thoroughly enjoyed having 7-10 girls at any one time -- 11 and 12 years old -- to redirect, inspire, observe, corral, keep safe, get on and off the metro, supervise, put to bed, manage money for, etc. etc.

The girls were a real joy...but because they were childen, they did things that children do (i.e. sliding down the wall in front off the Treasury building, giggling and talking to the Presidential squirrels in front of the White House). Some of the things that children do, in addition, are (1) get overexcited, (2) eat too much junk (3) eat too fast.

Most of my girls did all of this -- regularly.

Beginning after we saw the Hope Diamond, after we ooo-ed and aa-ed in the Ocean exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History and while we were sitting on the stairs of the museum waiting for another group, this is what I heard: "Mrs. Coff, does gelato have milk in it?" I did everything I could not to burst out laughing. Of course gelato has milk. It is ice cream. I said to this girl "why do you ask"?

"Well," she said, "you know that I am lactose intolerant, right?" I nodded my head. "Well," she went on, "Gabby told me that gelato doesn't have milk so I had it for lunch and now my stomach hurts".

Oh man, I thought, the teacher who is supposed to handle all medical problems was way across town listening to the school band play at the Pentagon. I had two choices....one of them required gathering girls and scrambling across town...and the other would take about thirty seconds and might obliterate the need for the first choice.

I asked this girl if I could maybe touch her leg in one little place just three inches below her knee. I told her that in the work that I did, it might be able to help her situation. She agreed to try.

I took my middle finger, applied it to the point Zu San Li, Stomach 26 ("leg three measures") and pushed just a little bit...applying about five grams of pressure. After about ten seconds I asked her how she felt...and again after twenty seconds....

After thirty seconds the pain was gone. She was up and about again.

Of course she told the other girls in the group. I tried to act as cool as a cucumber...and oh so detached about it.

Wonder of wonders, two hours later, on the train -- the next child began to look green. Ok, here we go again. I told this child that I would be happy to help her stomach pain in the same way, by touching the same place on her leg as I did for her friend -- and she agreed.

Over the course of two more days we had five more stomachaches in my group -- and five more quick acupressure "cures".

Soon the girls were calling me "Mrs. Magic Hands".

But frankly, I am not magic (ok, I might be, wink wink) -- it is just that Chinese Medicine rocks.

The Sweetest Sour: Leslie's Birthday Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:54:00 +0000

Well, folks -- welcome to Early Spring.

Where I live, it is cold and chilly -- tomorrow we are expecting rain with snow...but the light has changed.

The neutral light of winter has given way to the pale yellow of Early Spring. Even this morning, I noticed the sunrise was yellow and ivory and peach...a sure sign that the season is changing.

In my next post, I will detail many ways you can care for your body in Spring in order to have a healthier transition to the next season...but for now, we are going to talk about...

Dessert.

As it turns out, yesterday was my birthday...and because my birthday has always been this time of year (imagine that!)...and because Sour flavor is just the thing to eat during the Spring for your Liver (more on this in the next post...), Lemon Cake has always been my favorite birthday cake.

This one is absolutely fantastic!

As such, I am sharing my recipe with you. As you can see, we garnished with fresh pansies...also seasonal...and edible! This cake is vegan and uses brown rice syrup which is much better for your health than other sweeteners. It is what I recommend for my patients.

Leslie's Lemon-Poppy Birthday Cake

2-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups all purpose flour
1 box mori nu silken tofu
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup Edenblend (rice/soy blend)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup safflower oil
1-2/3 cup brown rice syrup
2 tablespoons lemon extract
3 tablespoons poppy seeds

Lemon Glaze: 1 cup brown rice syrup
   1 cup fresh lemon juice
   4 teaspoons kuzu powder (health food grocery)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil pans. Combine all dry ingredients and set aside.
Combine wet ingredients, including silken tofu, in a separate bowl and whisk or mix until well- blended. Add wet to dry ingredients and mix well.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Cook until top springs back when pressed -- in a standard cake pan around 40-50 minutes. If you are making cupcakes or mini-loafs it will be about 15-18 minutes. Cool cake(s) completely in the pans on a baking rack before taking out or glazing.

  Lemon Glaze: Combine brown rice syrup and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Dilute kuzu in a small amount of cold water. Add kuzu mixture to saucepan when lemon syrup is hot, stirring until glaze begins to thicken and boil. Let cool and drizzle over cooled cake.

Enjoy!

Rocking and Rolling - A Case Study of Mal de Debarquement

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:44:00 +0000

I love Rock and Roll. Who doesn't? But for some people, Rocking and Rolling represents their ability to be ill constantly, to not be able to see straight and to not get anything done.

Ok, I am not talking about Keith Moon.

I am talking about a condition called "Mal de Debarquement", "Disembarkment Syndrome" -- a syndrome characterized by the constant sensation of rocking and rolling and movement...as though one is at sea.

This condition, actually thought of as an inner ear disturbance, remarkable abates during movement, in a car, plane, boat, walking, etc. It is only when one is still when one has difficulty.

Symptoms from Wikipedia:

"a persistent sensation of motion usually described as rocking, swaying, or bobbing; difficulty maintaining balance; extreme fatigue; and difficulty concentrating ("brain fog"). Other common symptoms include dizziness, visual disturbances (such as seeing motion, inability to focus etc.), headaches and/or migraine headaches, confusion, and anxiety. Many patients also describe ear symptoms such as hyperacusis, tinnitus, "fullness", pain, or even decreased hearing. Cognitive impairment ("brain fog") includes an inability to recall words, short term memory loss, and an inability to multi-task."

Two months ago a 15-year old young woman came to my office. She had the constant sensation of rocking, rocking and rolling, as though she were at sea. It had been going on almost two years, sometimes accompanied by nausea and sometimes by dizziness...but every time she was still, the experienced the rocking and rolling. She could not concentrate even to do her schoolwork -- and she was beginning to look towards college.

She had not traveled recently and her neurologist (and her parents) were unable to draw a link between any past travel and the onset of her symptoms. Her neurologist pronounced "spontaneous onset".

Her mom asked me if I could help. I told her "yes".

Upon evaluation, I noted that she was deficient in the pulses corresponding with the Yin of the Kidney channel. I also noted from pulse and tongue diagnosis that her Heart Yin was deficient.

Acupuncture was administered to strengthen the Kidneys, the Yin, and to settle the heat of the Heart.

She saw me weekly for five weeks, then a few weeks off...then two more weekly treatments.

After the second treatment, she reported that she was 10% improved. After one month she had longer periods when she was able to read and focus in school.

She began to smile.

This morning she reported that she has no major rocking and rolling to speak of this week.

Except of course --

Whatever it is that 15-year olds listen to these days.

Adventure Tales: Desert Yin & Middle Eastern Food

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:26:00 +0000

The world -- our world -- is divided into and balanced as yin and yang.

Yin is the shady side of the slope, the moist, the feminine, the moon, the stream, the rain. Yang is the sunny side of the slope: the brightness, the active, the hot, the masculine and the desert.

We were so lucky to have an early morning rainbow -- supreme Yin -- over the arid Yang of the (Machdesh) Ramon Crater in the Negev. Everything in life, everywhere you see, Yin and Yang find a way to balance themselves.

This is especially apparent in food -- my favorite subject -- and in the way that nature makes exactly those foods available to us that we need at especially the correct time of year -- and for the correct climate.

In the place where we were visiting, the environment is rugged, tough. Dry. Hot, direct sun. Of course with all those Yang conditions a person would need to eat foods very Yin in nature to help their body to be able to weather those conditions -- i.e. how watermelon, which has the medicinal quality of cooling the body is available really only in the hottest part of the summer.

In my Chinese herbal pharmacy there is an herb which is called Fu Zi (Aconite Root). This herb warms the body on a very deep level...and it is said that it grows on the top of the highest mountains in China...in a very cold environment. This cold environment causes the plant to build up "interior warming" qualities which then apply themselves to our bodies when boiled into tea for certain conditions.

While on our adventure, I was not surprised to find the that the foods most abundant in this region were those which were very, very Yin in nature: tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, avocadoes. These vegetables are so Yin, in fact, that in normal circumstances I don't recommend that people eat them year-round....and certainly for patients with "cold" and "damp" conditions these are almost never suggested.

According to Traditional Chinese dietary medicine, Yin foods such as tomatoes and cucumbers would never be eaten in the cold of winter or with a weak spleen....and yet in the dryness of the desert...and to my appetite...these felt like the exact correct foods to eat.

Plus, olive oil, normally not consumed in my family in large volume, disappeared under our hands (and our pitas) by the pint in the desert. When faced with Yang conditions, we needed Yin. We craved it.

Chickpeas fried into falafel were also perfect to eat under these conditions.

For a few days, we ventured up into the mountains...where it was cold, cold, cold and damp...and suddenly cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers were served but did not feel right.

We had plenty of hot cocoa...which fit the bill, I can tell you. And Bedouin Tea of course (see January 20th post). The Dan River trout was the perfect and nourishing Yang food to eat in this Yin climate.

Then back to the desert...and fountains of Yin and oil. Okay, not really "fountains"...but you get the picture.

As we learn the medicinal qualities of food and how they can balance our environment -- and our conditions -- we can keep ourselves healthy. Our overall health -- and our long term health really does depend on our ability to keep our bodies in season with our environments, on balancing Yin and Yang, on our hopeful attitudes --

--and on having a few adventures along the way.

Adventure Tales: The Bitter and the Sweet

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:43:00 +0000

I had the most amazing adventure -- and on my adventure I learned a thing or two about life, about bitterness, about sweetness and about coffee.

Coffee was traditionally thought of as a medicine in India and in Arabia. Its medicinal actions included increasing mental acuity (big surprise there) and reflexes. It was also thought of as a help in malaria, dropsy, hysteria, infant cholera and menstrual cramps. It was widely thought of as an aphrodesiac among the Turkish peoples.

This is not a surprise, by the way. In Traditional Chinese medicine the "bitter" flavor corresponds directly with the Heart channel...and therefore with the emotion of love.

As part of my adventure, I spent some time learning about the welcome rituals of the Middle Eastern Bedouin people -- and about their coffee.

In the beginning...when you enter an Bedouin tent -- by invitation -- you take a seat in front of the host.

Before a word is spoken, the guest is offered three small cups, "finjans" of dark, bitter and strong coffee. This coffee is symbolic of the bitterness of life...and of the bitterness of the journey and effort it took for you to come to your host's tent.

(Hey, I get this...it took us five days' longer to travel than it should have to get there).

After this coffee is consumed then business and conversation can begin.

This coffee is absolutely fantastic....different not only than grocery store coffee...but also, despite its strength, much different than "drive-through or sit-down famous-brand coffee-house coffee". Those especially famous brands, for example, roast their beans in ovens until they are quite dark, almost burned. The Bedouins do something totally -- different.

A Bedouin will reach deep into his pouch of green coffee beans and will remove a handful. He will put them into an open pan and will pan-toast them over his open fire. By pan-toasting the beans over a fire, he is in a very basic way, bringing out the flavor of the beans, opening up their energy and bringing out their richness. This is pretty basic dietary medicine stuff. The Bedouin way represents the optimal way to make coffee not just for flavor but for health.

(Those companies who oven roast and burn the beans only succeed in creating beans which are "under pressure" and "overdone" which medicinally speaking have a very different effect on our bodies. Oven-roasting makes us more tense, pan-toasting opens us up.)

After a Bedouin host has dark pan-toasted beans, he will put them in a fantastic grinder, consisting of a bowl and a staff. Through an unbelievably entertaining ritual of grinding and percussion the beans will be ready to add to a pot of water, where they will be boiled only a few minutes.

So much care is put into the making of the coffee. So much more the respect given to the guest to which it is offered.

So three cups are offered. Three are consumed. Conversation and business are conducted.
After a satisfactory period of time, a wonderful tea of sage and honey (sometimes roses, ginger or cinnamon are added) is offered...representing that life can be sweet as well.

Of course, the sage grows throughout the desert. It has many medicinal qualities as well...ranging from the treatment of rheumatism, blood sugar disorders, foggy thinking and gastritis.

Most striking to me, aside from the stunning flavors of the coffee and the tea...was the intention and detail in these Bedouin rituals. So much beauty. So much care. First bitter coffee and then sweet tea.

Bitter...then sweet.

Like life.

Holidays and "Frantic" Are Not Synonymous: Presents & Presence

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:01:00 +0000

Where I live, the traffic has already gotten worse.

It starts so early. Even before Thankgiving the roads became congested. Now all day long they are full.  Every year I wonder: "where are they all going"? What could possibly be so important that more and more people are rushing around, trying to get "it" all done...
Whatever "it" is.

Perhaps they are short ingredients for their baking, a few lights for their tree, a gift for their secretary, stamps for their cards...rushing, rushing and rushing.

Of course we don't want to leave anyone out. After all, this is the season of "giving". We want others to feel appreciated. We leave a card for the mail carrier...with a little money....a bottle of wine perhaps for the UPS delivery person and cookies for the bank tellers who always serve with a smile. Plus, we don't want our loved ones to feel "less than".

But why the compulsion to gift so much?

I suppose what I am really trying to say is: "why does it have to be so perfect -- and why do we put so much pressure on ourselves to make it that way?"

An earnest look, a strong hug, an good-old-fashioned pat on the back...an "I appreciate you", an "I love you" regularly...if we do not do this then does that mean that you have to "make up for it all" once a year?

I talked to someone recently who told me that all she really wants for christmas is for her husband to pick up his socks, help with dinner and dishes. To listen.

To be "present".

Deep down, all any of us really wants is each other.

What if we were "present" for each other, attentive to each others' needs. What if we 'showed up' for the people in our lives -- would their expectations of "once a year gifting" be lower?

Would we have to be so frantic? The state of "being frantic", I am sure you know, is not good for your health. When we are tense, we sleep less, we drink more, we eat more. Come January 1st, we think "oh my, what have I done?" and we run to the gym to undo the damage, the sequelae of "being frantic".

To change this cycle is quite novel. People -- as it turns out -- are more important than things.   You do not need to "rush around". Step off the carousel.   Sit in one place.   Count your blessings. Bless the people around you. Show up for them.

Be there for them.

Of course, others' expectations may still be high (thanks to our marketing industry) but if we can retrain ourselves to pay closer attention to the people in our lives...then perhaps we can all enjoy a warmer holiday.

Perhaps our hearts will open a bit wider and perhaps, by honoring our health, by honoring each other, by being grateful --

We will finally understand that the very best present is presence.

Autumn Into Winter: Nourishing Yourself in the Cold

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:30:00 +0000

...And the first of the holidays has passed.

Some of us have already had snow, most of us have had the cold descend. The way we care for ourselves as the seasons change from Autumn to Winter...well, that determines how well we will fare in Winter...as well as in Spring.

In the Chinese classic texts my predecessors wrote that if you did not care for yourself properly in one season, then that would result in illness in the next. For example, too much icy food in Summer can result in Autumn cold; too much raw food in Autumn can result in Winter fever, etc.

Seasonal health, adjusting our lifestyle with the change in our environment is essential to our daily health as well as our longevity.

In the Autumn, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is the Lungs and Large Intestine which are the most stressed; in Winter we must focus on strengthening the Kidneys and Urinary Bladder.

Kidneys strongly dislike cold. You might notice that when you are cold or have been outside in the cold, your body needs to urinate more to because of the cold's effect on the Kidneys. You also may notice that you really do feel like resting a bit more, slowing down and conserving your energy. That is what you are supposed to do...which nature needs us to do in the same way that a tree's sap moves into the center of the tree -- and as bees stay in their hives, nourishing themselves on the honey which they have collected since last Spring's nectar flow.

In Japan, people wear an extra garment around their torsos to keep their Kidneys warm. It is similar to a "cami" or a "tube top". When you protect your Kidneys you protect your Longevity. Wearing socks -- that helps as well.

In terms of food, when the weather turns you need more deep and nourishing, longer-cooked stews, less raw food, no icy food, less liquid in fact.

More spices such a cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger should be used more generously.
These have the medicinal qualities of warming the body and increasing the circulation -- especially during cold weather.

Do go outside, but cover your neck from the cold to prevent what we refer to as "wind cold attack". Enjoy the beauty of the season's change.

The truth is that our lifestyle plays more into our longevity than we realize.

Health is not just a given. It is something that we earn every single day: every single meal, every single night that we sleep...or not sleep. Each choice that we make is a forward or backward step in longevity.

Health is the earned result of small, consistent behaviors which add up to years of vibrance.

Specifically, for Kidney strength, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, these things count:

- Get enough rest at night. To bed before midnight, consistently.

- Avoid cold and icy foods. They deplete Kidney energy.

- Avoid dairy. Milk products impede Kidney function over time.

- Eat fish and fish soups. They strengthen the Kidneys.

- Eat beans: kidney beans, azuki beans, pinto beans, lentils, great northern, navy beans,

cannelini beans, garbanzos/chickpeas, black turtle beans, black soybeans.

(black soybeans are especially valued for reproduction, azukis and kidney beans for

stamina and Kidney function)

- Include sea vegetables, such as nori, kombu, arame, hijiki and dulse.

(Use according to your condition. They are a well-kept secret which I am now sharing!)

- Do not avoid salt altogether, but use with care, according to your condition. Sea salt is
preferred.

- Keep feet and Kidneys warm. Wear extra undershirts, camisoles over the Kidney areas.
Wear socks.

- When under pressure & stress, have hot showers or baths before bed to relax.

- Too much coffee will drain the Kidney energy over time.

The best way to spend this transition from Autumn to Winter is to gaze out the window and to dream. Put down the newspaper ads and let someone else support our economy.

You are too busy nourishing your body and your soul, preparing for Winter...

...and a long and healthy life.

Oh My, Pumpkin Pie!

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:38:00 +0000

You may or may not love pumpkin pie...but your body is nuts about it!

Pumpkin pie is one of those seasonal foods -- you know, nature has grown just the thing at that time of year which your body needs -- at that time of year.

Pumpkin -- and all hard edible squashes (Kabocha, Butternut and Buttercup) are excellent for strengthening our blood and nourishing our pancreas and spleen (balancing blood sugar, stimulating erythropoiesis in the spleen -- growing new blood cells). In fact, it is thought that eating the skin of these squashes nourishes the lining of the pancreas as well.

Below I have provided my favorite recipe for pumpkin pie -- and although all of the ingredients are not familiar to you, they should be. The sweeteners used do not spike the blood sugar in the same way that sugar does -- therefore further lightening the burden on the pancreas. The spices, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, warm the body and stimulate digestion.

Walnuts nourish what we refer to as the "yang" of the kidneys. Symptoms such as weak and low back and knees, fatigue, frequent urination or incontinence, involuntary seminal emission and other difficulties with urinary/seminal control as well as cold hands/feet are all symptoms of deficiency of the "kidney yang". About two ounces per day of lightly pan-toasted walnuts are helpful as a food "medicine".

As you are feeding yourself, you are nourishing your body...be sure to read the Thanksgiving food post as well: Feeding Your Soul.

Enjoy the recipe below. Feel free to comment below or email me with questions here.

Pumpkin Pie

Prepared Whole Wheat Pie Crust (from freezer section - prick bottom with a fork a few times) (or use favorite pie crust!)
2 Cups canned pumpkin (or steamed kabocha, butternut or buttercup squash)
1/3 cup barley malt
2 T corn oil
1/2 cup walnuts minced
Pinch Sea Salt
2/3 cup Brown Rice Syrup
1 t pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg)
1/2 t ground ginger
1 cup amasake or Eden Rice and Soy Blend
4 T kuzu or arrowroot dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water.
4 T kanten flakes/agar agar (1 T per cup of liquid)

Preheat over to 400 degrees for pie crust; then prebake the pie crust at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Combine barley malt and corn oil in a saucepan and cook until foamy. Immediately stir in walnuts and spread evenly across pie shell; set aside to cool.
Combine rice syrup, spices, amasake/Edenblend and Kanten flakes with canned squash in a heavy pot. Cook 15 minutes, stirring, until Kanten dissolves. Stir in Kuzu/Arrowroot dissolved in cold water and cook 3-4 minutes. Pour filling into pie shell. Let cool.

Pan-toast a few extra walnuts and garnish!

Honoring Our Veterans: Battlefield Acupuncture and Post-Traumatic Stress

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:11:00 +0000

Having never served in the armed services myself, there is no way that I can begin to understand the overwhelming trauma and stress associated with having served -- especially in combat.

There is some pretty interesting stuff going on...some wonderful ways that veterans are being helped.

I wish to share them.

It turns out, not surprisingly, that acupuncture has emerged as an effective remedy for soldiers dealing with the immense stressors and psychological impact of war -- especially considering the impact on families upon the return of their fatigued and stressed, deployed loved ones, our own American troops.

Diana Fried, Exective Director of Acupuncturists Without Borders, reports "History has shown us that the long-term impact of war takes a tremendous toll for decades. By providing...acupuncture treatments to soldiers returning from war and their families, we can play a part in preventing history from repeating itself, and by providing treatments to veterans from past wars and conflicts; we can take part in helping to mend the psychological wounds of the past."

Acupuncturists Without Borders is one group who are providing stress relief for soldiers in Iraq. Troops receiving treatment report feeling calmer with decreased anxiety. They report that they are able to sleep more restfully and longer, without nightmares or flashbacks. They also report feeling less "edgy".

In fact, the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) has teamed up with Acupuncturists Without Borders to promote the benefits of acupuncture for mental health issues faced by soldiers and veterans.

This is one of many critical issues facing our military personnel.

Another one is pain.

One man, Colonel Richard Niemtzow, works in the Air Force Acupuncture Clinic (the military's only!), training physicians from the Air Force, the Navy and the Army to take acupuncture to the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan, to use as part of emergency care in combat and in front-line hospitals. Back home, physicians at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington are recommending acupuncture treatment to help with pain.

Colonel Arnyce Pock, medical director for the Air Force Medical Corps, said that acupuncture comes without the side effects common after taking traditional painkillers. It also quickly relieves pain.

The bottom line: if you are a veteran -- or know one....please pass this information on. There is help on the way. People can find an acupuncturist in their own area by using the "find a practitioner" tab on www.nccaom.org. They can also email me at Lcoff@springhopehealth.com. Make sure that you let me know that these are issues you are facing.

I offer a very heartfelt thank you to all our soldiers...and all our veterans...for the time that you have taken from your own lives...

...to give us ours.

The Great Pretender: True Cold False Heat

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:41:00 +0000

It happens to the best of us. We push and push and push. We think we are fine. We think we are more than fine. We think we are strong. We look strong. We act strong. We are "doing it all". We have boundless energy...

Then, one day, the bottom falls out. We collapse, we burn out, we break down, we get scary diagnoses. Everything falls apart.

On the surface, we look solid, we feel solid. But we are, in many ways, like an Easter Egg or one of those hollow chocolate bunnies: bright and shiny and solid on the outside. Inside, totally empty.

In truth, we don't see it coming. We feel untouchable. We get arrogant. It's really not our fault. We can't see the future. And yet...

In Traditional Chinese Medicine there is an excellent description for this pattern...which describes perhaps yourself and many people you know.

We call it "True Cold, False Heat".

When we say "true cold..." we mean that what is below the surface...that which is not readily apparent in our energy, is depletion, exhaustion. It is how we feel very early in the morning, when we are lying in bed. No one but us really know the truth about ourselves -- and we would never let on, because most of us have a great deal of ego invested in our ability to "get it done", "be productive", "appear seamless, perfect". We don't rest...we stop at Starbucks for yet another Skinny Latte or Green Tea Frappuccino or Caramel Macchiato...whatever we can get to prop ourselves up.

Sounds familiar, eh?

We seem to have some sort of vested interest in "appearing" fantastic...when we really belong in bed. So...False Heat...."False Heat" refers to the image we project...the one we work very hard to project, in fact, that we are vivacious, a busy bee, productive, fantastic, "professional". It is a fabulous facade. It serves our purposes, helps us to "get our life done".

We are standing -- on quicksand. We are running on empty.

One of my students once said that, like little children, we as adults don't realize how wound up we are -- until we finally let down. This is absolutely true. Also like little children, we get the most wound up when we are very tired. Do you remember how little children get crazy-wound-up when they are overtired, just before they fall asleep? Well, my friends, that is all of us.

The more fatigued we get...and we don't even realize it...the busier we get. Our minds zoom and zoom like little engines...engaging us in more and more activities, projects. But we are headed for brick walls.

We are Great Pretenders. Of course acupuncture and Chinese herbs can rescue you. We, in my field, have helped many Pretenders. But is more than that.

I am sorry to say that if you keep on doing what you have always done...then you will always get what you have always gotten. Start by turning down the cell phone. Let it vibrate all it wants...and you can pick up the messages when you are good and ready. Close your office door...close your eyes for fifteen minutes. Close the laptop and give yourself a break.

Walk outside and look at a tree for five minutes. Then the next day, increase by another five minutes...and so on. You should have 30 minutes per day with nature. You don't need to be a marathon runner...you just need to connect.

Go to bed one hour earlier and get up thirty minutes later. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" can certainly wait until the weekend. Eat more nourishing foods...like cooked foods and stews, especially in winter..and fewer "light" foods like frozen yogurt/ice cream, icy drinks, raw salads.

You will find that as soon as you "take your life back" that your mind will begin to slow down. Your stamina will begin to improve. You will not need so much coffee, so many stimulants. But most importantly, you will begin to fill up that vessel...that ridiculously empty vessel...that you have become.

All this is true.

Longevity, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, is what happens when you nourish yourself daily, when you live your life in measured amounts. Energy is like money. If you spend all you have and save nothing, then you will have nothing.

Health is the result of small, consistent behaviors which build up over time. Nourishing yourself with good food, balancing your life, resting, saying "no" to set limits on your energy.

In this economy...you should save -- your energy.

You should save yourself.

Feeding Your Soul

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:18:00 +0000

I am making my list and checking it twice...

...my grocery list, of course. I have nineteen days until Thanksgiving and I am planning ahead. This is one of the most important days of my year...and not just because of gratitude...

But also because of The Food.

Who among us doesn't love this holiday? Who doesn't look forward to a moment alone in the kitchen to steal a morsel off a serving tray? We have food rituals and we have family rituals. We have our usual litany of complaints, quips and calls to cut the turkey.

Thanksgiving is a time of laughing and of eating. It is a time to assemble with family and/or friends to toast good health to be able to sit at a table, good fortune to have food to eat, counting our blessings -- but not counting calories.

Above all, Thanksgiving is a time to savor food. So --what are you eating?

Thanksgiving foods are endemic to American Folk History. Our predecessors ate these foods because these ingredients were what was available to them in the Late Autumn. It is not at all coincidental that the foods we eat for Thanksgiving nourish our bodies to prepare for winter.

In fact, much of folk medicine history views food as medicine as well (dietary medicine, my passion!). Foods have medicinal qualities -- just as watermelon is available in the heat of summer...it cools the body and can be eaten for high fever. The very Thanksgiving dishes you eat for this ceremonial meal nourish your blood, warm your body, aid in digestion -- and basically prepared you for a season of cold -- and in years past, hardship.

Those in colder climates know that winter feels as though it ages us. We can care for our bodies by feeding our bodies with the foods which can be medicine for what ails us. Thanksgiving dinner is just the meal to strengthen our bodies and souls against winter's cold winds.

Most people know all about turkey...so I will focus on the side dishes. Starting with the stuffing: we mostly make our stuffings from bread -- wheat bread. Wheat has the quality to nourish the heart, strengthen the blood and to calm us.

Yams, although truthfully they were never my favorite, do work to strengthen the lungs, the digestion and the blood. It is also thought in Traditional Chinese Medicine that yams strengthen the semen. (Hey, it's a long winter....)

Hard squashes (butternut, kambocha) are fantastic!!! They nourish our pancreas, balancing our blood sugar. It is not necessary to garnish with honey or brown sugar...they are already so sweet. Sprinkle with cinnamon, which warms the muscles and strengthens us against pathogens -- or cumin, which activates blood circulation.

Cranberries have the unusual medicinal quality of helping your body to digest fats (think turkey and butter!) Plus, when grated together with orange peel they provide a very strong digestant to protect against bloating. (Have you ever noticed that they serve orange slices after the meal in a Chinese restaurant?)

The pumpkin pie...my favorite, strengthens the blood, the lungs, the spleen and pancreas. Eating pumpkin, in fact, helps to treat bronchial asthma.

Last but not least, hot spiced apple juice, made with cinnamon (mentioned above) and nutmeg (activates blood circulation, can relax you, especially when Aunt Gertrude starts on one of her tirades. Apples in fact, can also relieve mental depression, aid the appetite, nourish the lungs and strengthen the blood.

For all you who cook...this is the ultimate way to nourish your family. Cook with intent and with love.

I toast your good health.

Raking It In: Oh, My Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:36:00 +0000

The trees in my yard are old friends of mine.

Through their grace, I can keep my perspective. Their shade protects us from the summer heat and their vivid colors warm us when the chilly winds of Autumn begin to blow. The ensuing blanket of leaves hide the remains of the tulip beds.

When it's time to pull the rake -- or leaf blower -- from the garage, I know my time spent in the yard will be futile. I can already see the next wave of leaves ready to fall from their branches.

My back begins to hurt just by looking at the leaves.

Most people live with their mild lower, middle or upper-back tension, but in the fall when they begin to deal with the onslaught of leaves they develop more serious pain.

I like to call this "Raking Back Pain".

Ah yes, the wonderful memories we have of bright blue skies, sugar maples in golden splendor, children jumping and laughing (and messing up!) in our leaf piles -- and Monday morning stiffness and pain following a Sunday afternoon Leaf Raking/Blowing Marathon.

Of course it's easy to choke down a few Advil, a breakfast on the run, off to work and hope for the best. But sometimes this type of back pain can point to real injury and ignoring such can cause increased muscle spasms.

Let's talk about avoiding this problem and different ways to solve it.

First: prevention. A great way to keep yourself pain-free is to stretch before you even exert yourself. If the weather is chilly, muscles can easily get cold and vulnerable muscle groups will spasm in cold environments. Stretch well and slowly and with deep breaths. As you stretch, focus on the tightness in the muscles and imagine them opening up. Dress yourself warmly, especially in the neck and the lower back -- and feet.

For lower back pain, slowly and gently bend forward at the waist as you are able...lean over into the side wall of your house with your hands. To stretch the middle back, stretch from the side (arm over your ear -- keep your torso in line without leaning forward or back). Make sure you stretch after exertion as well.

If it is too late (!!!!!!!!!!) and you are already in pain, climb into a hot bath, replete with a box of Kosher Salt...which can be had at your local grocery store and is a stronger mineral than Epsom Salt. It does relax muscle spasm, especially from working in the cold outdoors. You may also apply pressure to tight muscles with gentle and circular motion -- and keep warm!

You may drink Cinnamon Tea which warms the muscles -- the channels and collaterals (as we say in Asian Dietary Medicine).

If your pain persists, get yourself to see someone (an Acupuncturist can help!).

Most Raking Back Pain, however, can be prevented by handing the rake and/or leaf blower -- to your teenager.

While you sit on the porch drinking Hot Cider.

Autumn's Melancholy

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:52:00 +0000

This morning a patient mentioned that she has been feeling a bit melancholy the past few weeks. I asked her if her depression had returned...and she told me that it was not as serious as all that...but that she had been a bit withdrawn.

I told her that for Autumn, this is totally normal.

Whereas for Spring and for Summer, the energy all around us is that of expansion, growth, excitement (think of plants pushing enthusiastically upward through the darkness of soil, reaching toward the skies, flowers bursting into color) -- in Autumn, we turn inward, we contract and withdraw. When the weather chills, the trees don't die, their sap merely withdraws into the center of the trunk, to conserve energy through the winter, to regenerate in order to be prepared for Spring's enthusiastic rebirth.

Similarly, we withdraw, contract, slow a bit in Autumn. We internalize more, we prepare for winter. We guard our energy (or we should!). We need to rest a bit more, nourish ourselves a bit more.

No matter where we live, we need to wear socks, keep our necks and lower backs warm. (That is why scarves and turtlenecks were invented, people!) We need to eat fewer salads, cold, icy and raw foods and fruits and more longer-cooked stews, cooked fruits (fresh hot applesauce!), cooked vegetables and grains and warm drinks.

If we are a wee bit melancholy (appropriately so), more contracted and withdrawn, we can enjoy a healthy but still Winter (more to come on that!) -- so that we then have the energy for a brighter Spring.

There is a story about when God wanted to create the world, there was a little problem. You see, God filled up all the space in the universe and there was nowhere to put the new world. So...God had to make some room. Thus God contracted a bit, to make space so the world could come to be. There is a word for this contraction....it is called "tsimtsum".

In our lives, it is okay to withdraw ourselves, to contract a bit in time of transition, not only in Autumn, but always...to make room for the regeneration of Spring, for new creation, for change. To practice tsimtsum.

Not only is it okay, it is essential for our health, our well-being, our bursting, our flowering...

...and our vibrance.

Of Certain Age

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:45:00 +0000

Don't you just hate when you go to your health care professional with symptoms and they tell you "well, that's just what it feels like to be (fill in age here: "30", "40", "50", "60", "70", "80")?

I have one patient, a woman in her eighties, who insists that she will be running in a marathon when she is 100.

I would like to be there to see it.

Now that I've said that....there are symptoms which women, "of a certain age", tend to develop....symptoms that are famous for the word which describes them: a word which begins with "M".

Okay, I don't mean Moonlight, Mississippi, Merlot, Mascarpone or Mamba...but I will take any of those in any combination -- even together sounds good!

I mean Menopause.

Menopause...the time in a woman's life when she doesn't know up from down, doesn't recognize herself. She cannot regulate her own body temperature (hot hot hot!), cannot sleep well, cannot feel "even".

A brief but torrent storm. Yet there is shelter.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is WONDERFUL for helping women "of certain age" through a period such as this. Symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, insomnia, mood swings...can all be helped with acupuncture and herbs. Many, many women have had relief...have felt like themselves again. Not just in my practice...but over 5000 years.

Imagine a stormy sea settling into the peaceful cove pictured above. You can be peaceful. You can be the cove. You can look back on this time of your life as....not a big deal.

It isn't as though you "shouldn't" feel this way "at your age".

But let's run marathons when we're 100 -- too.

Linking to Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:03:00 +0000

I had a patient come into my office today in terrible shape.

His thirty-seven year old son died suddenly four days ago. I was amazed that he came for his appointment…but also knew that because he was there that I could help him.

Of course, there was no way that I could bring his son back…but I could help him to deal with the grief from his loss.

I was not surprised that he had just come down with a cold…because grief damages the Lungs.

Ah, the Lungs, the Lungs. Our link to heaven.

They are also the seat of our grief, of our loss and of letting go.

There is a story in Traditional Chinese Medicine about the Lungs. The Lungs are thought to be these very beautiful and sparkling, porous membranes, the uppermost of our organs and therefore those which communicate most closely with heaven. It is believed that when the Lungs are moist and healthy, then all the treasures of heaven can rain upon us.

What it feels like to have this experience is – magic. When it feels like we have our inspiration and our magic…as if everything we touch “turns to gold”…then we know that the link to heaven is clear.

When we feel worn out, uninspired, sad & disconnected -- it is time to treat the Lungs.

So, when this man had his acupuncture this morning….many of the points I used were to strengthen his Lungs, to release grief, to lighten the burden of the grief, to moisten the Lungs. I sent him home with an herb formula which included Lily Bulb, Astragalus and Ophiopogonis to strengthen the Qi and Yin of his Lungs….to aid in his difficult process.

I asked him to please share the formula with his wife, who surely needed it as well.

The Lungs, interestingly, are also considered to be the “Metal” element, and are the most impacted in the Autumn…which would be -- now. During September, October and November the air gets quite dry and many people develop symptoms of Lung dryness…which of course makes them more vulnerable to invasion of external pathogens.

(So please consider, in addition to hand-washing, that nourishing your Lungs might also be indicated as part of self-care.)

Moreover, the whole concept of “everything you touch turns to gold” links directly to the concept of the Lungs as the most precious Metal element. The Lungs also link us with our ancestors, with “ghosts”, with our fathers and with our whole spiritual side – namely prayer.

The Lungs are also expressed in the condition of the skin…so when the skin is dry, the Lung Yin is exhausted.

Foods which nourish the Lungs include Lily Bulb, Pears (especially Asian Pears) and Lotus Root.

Here’s my Lotus Root obsession: it is extremely cool stuff because it has the dual medicinal quality of nourishing/moistening the Lungs while concurrently gathering and expelling mucous.

It is prized and special. In asian art and culture, you often see the Lotus represented in an inspired way – because it so strongly affects the Lungs – it is therefore thought of as our link to heaven.

It is a devastating thing when we lose someone we love to death. It is so painful to lose someone due to a breakup, a divorce. But we should remember…in a very small way, that there is help for us. There is a way to find our way back, a way to lighten our grief.

We again can have a beautiful and sparkling connection to heaven; we can get our magic back, we can gain perspective.

By caring for our Lungs, we can keep on living.

Finally the Acupuncture on the Radio Video!

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:23:00 +0000

This morning I had the opportunity to perform acupuncture on Cindy and Spoon on Atlanta's Star 94 FM "The Cindy & Ray Show" .

It was great fun...made me miss my radio show. I look busy in the video. (Ignore my busy face and imagine a peaceful face in its place).

MANY THANKS to the folks at STAR 94!!!

Here is the video they took during the show:

A View of Alzheimer's

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:11:00 +0000

Imagine waking in the morning every day and not knowing where you are. Imagine not knowing if you have family -- or friends. Imagine that every single day is fresh devastating grief as you are reminded that loved ones you expected to find next to you -- have died years before.

...and of course feeling the shame which comes from forgetting and forgetting.

If you can imagine all this then you are only beginning to touch the very edge of the world of Alzheimer's disease. Thousands and thousands of people in this country suffer from this disease directly and thousands more suffer because it is their loved one who is stricken.

What Alzheimer's disease feels like to an individual -- to a family -- is a loss of control. And interestingly, physical losses of control, including incontinence (both types) are symptoms as well.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the system which we attribute to the Kidneys, is responsible for such a heartbreak.

The Kidney channel rules not only growth and reproduction and immune function and teeth and bone health -- but also leads cognitive health and brain function. By strengthening the Kidney channel we can help memory, cognitive difficulty, even incontinence.

Health care workers who help Alzheimer's patients and their families will report that when a person who has Alzheimer's develops a bladder infection, it will seem as though they make a huge cognitive drop and no one knows why. Yet within the framework of Traditional Chinese Medicine, understanding that the Kidney channel is responsible for all of this, it makes perfect sense.

Plus, the Kidney energy is more exhausted at the end of the day, which explains the syndrome of "sundowning" -- which describes how Alzheimer's patients make cognitive drops as the day closes.

For more reading on the Kidneys and the care of the Kidneys, you can click here to link to my post: The Kidney Freak http://springhopehealth.blogspot.com/2009/03/kidney-freak.html

My prayers go out to all families and individuals who have been touched by this illness.

Anxiety and Depression -- and Paper Mache Chickens

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:11:00 +0000

Anxiety and depression are everywhere these days...almost everyone I know suffers from some degree of these. Most of these issues, however, stem from our unrealistic expectations that we will be perfect and that life will be perfect. This is a great quote which pretty much describes how hard we can be on ourselves -- and how we can help this:

"I was having trouble finishing my novel -- typical writer's block. So I sidetracked myself into making silly creative projects -- papier-mache chickens, masks made out of junk mail, collages incorporating bottle caps and dryer lint. I can't say any of it is 'art,' but I feel creative again and my house is full of colorful stuff I whipped up myself. If you wait to be perfect, I concluded, you'll never make anything. I tried something I knew I'd be bad at, so failure didn't matter. Now I'm branching out with my inadequacy -- not waiting for Mr. Perfect but having a beer with Joe Flawed, forgetting to be right all the time, admitting that I haven't a clue. I've become smilingly, brilliantly dumb."

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Anxiety is usually linked with the Heart channel and Depression is usually associated with the Liver channel. When we are under stress, the effect of this stress on our bodies creates a "deficiency" in the way blood circulates to both the Heart and Liver (according to Chinese Medicine Theory), therefore resulting in Anxiety and Depression.

In short, the more pressure we put on ourselves, the more tense we become -- and the more difficult becomes the circulation -- so the more Anxiety and Depression we experience. The more Anxiety and Depression we experience, the harder we are on ourselves....and the whole cycle repeats itself. Plus, it is said in Traditional Chinese Medicine that when the organs are empty, the Mind and the Heart are in Chaos...but when the organs are full, the Mind and the Heart are Calm and Content.

It is thought that by nourishing the blood of the Heart and Liver, through acupuncture and herbs, that one can break the cycle and be kind to ourselves again -- and light -- and balanced.

Moreover, as described in the quote above, when you have a chance to do so, nourish thyself with a creative activity...it is a way of opening yourself up, nourishing the Hun of the Liver, the blood -- and bringing joy into your life.

'Tis the Season!

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie Coff) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:09:00 +0000

Yes, it is truly the season!

It is the season of blinking lights and candles and gift-buying and cooking -- and ad campaigns and Tylenol and thermometers and Kleenex -- and flu shots. And yes...everybody and their brother are posting online cold and flu information.

And so am I!

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, colds and flu are differentiated by temperature and intensity.

Colds are called "Wind Cold Attack" and are characterized by acute onset of achiness, chilliness and or feverishness (low grade), stiff neck or shoulders, scratchy throat, feeling run-down, sneezing...and are generally thought of as a "cold wind penetrating the body's defenses". The treatment of a cold, in its initial stages (just as you are feeling a bit run-down...like you are "fighting something") is to "chase out the wind".

A plethora of herbs in my pharmacy can do just that!

If you wait too long to treat a cold...then Chinese herbs addressing nasal and/or chest congestion, cough, sore throat and or infection, can be used according to signs and symptoms.

Ah, the flu! We are hearing a lot about influenzas these days...some have animal names, some have alphabet names....but in Chinese medicine we just say "Attack of Wind Heat"....once again, acute onset (it can feel like you have been hit by a freight train), more severe sore throat, sometimes cough, high or higher fever, extreme achiness, extreme fatigue. Herbs are given here to clear the heat, chase out the wind, secure the "Wei Qi" -- immunity.

It is interesting because nobody knows that Traditional Chinese Medicine treats colds and flu very, VERY effectively.

So, now you know.

Although you really should take to bed when you are sick, have a friend or family member give a call to me -- or any other friendly neighborhood Chinese herbalist -- and get some immediate help.

Happy HealthyDays!