Acupuncture Stories: Regrowth

Acupuncture Stories

Regrowth

     It is fun to come to work and see miricles every day, giving people the tools they need to heal and standing back to watch their bodies do amazing things. One of the most astounding cases I have seen was the patient who accidentally chopped off the end of his finger, just above the last joint. Part of it had been reattached, though from below the nail up it was gone. But the part that was reattached turned black. The doctors informed him the the whole finger would have to be removed. 
       As an alternative we tried Acupuncture, every other day, and Chinese herbal formulas. The finger regained its color and the doctors decided that he could keep it. But, they informed him, he wouldn't have feeling in the tip for over a year. In a month he had feeling in the tip. Then the bone started growing so fast they had to do an operation to put a flap of skin over the tip. Well, that was unusual, his doctors said, but the nail wouldn't grow back. It did! 
      Now you would have to look close to see that the finger one the one hand was any different than the other. The body can do miraculous things, given the tools to heal.
       
                                                   Health & Happiness,
                                                             Nancy Burton, L.Ac.
                                                                   534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR  97520
                                                                                   For Appointments Call:  541-646-0134   



  
      
      

Cranberry Relish

Cranberry Relish

    Made with fresh cranberries and nuts, this is my healthier version of one of our holiday,  family favorites.

1-2 pints fresh organic cranberries

3/4 cup walnuts

1/2 cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pure organic vanilla extract

juice of 1 orange

pure, grade B, organic maple syrup, to taste, about 1 cup

  

Cover bottom of sauce pan with water. Place cranberries, and walnuts, in sauce pan. Cook until soft. Stir in remaining ingredients. Add maple syrup to taste. Cool. Can make ahead of time and refrigerate.   Enjoy!

                                                            Health & Happiness, 
                                                                Nancy Burton, L.Ac.
                                                                     534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR 97520
                                                                     For Appointments Call:  541-646-0134

Ginger, Coconut Yams

Ginger, Coconut Yams

     Coconut milk is considered to be a 'damp' food in TCM, one that has a lot of oil, or fat, or causes fat in the body. Damp foods also cause phlegm. Ginger dries dampness and phlegm, clears the lungs and aids digestion. Coconut and ginger are therefore a good combination, for flavor, and for health. 

     When I skim the coconut fat from the top of the can, to mix and refrigerate for Coconut Cream, (turns into the same consistency as whipped cream, to be used as an alternative) this is one way I use the left over coconut milk.  

 1 - 2       yams or sweet potatoes, sliced

 1 can    organic coconut milk, (Thai Kitchen is a good brand)

 1 Tablespoon dried, shredded organic coconut, for each yam or sweet potato

          for a stronger coconut flavor, toast coconut in dry frying pan

1 Tablespoon minced ginger for each yam or sweet potato

Steam yams and ginger. When soft mash. Add just enough coconut milk for the consistency of mashed potatoes. Sprinkle top with dried coconut. Can make ahead and warm up before serving in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

                                                            Health & Happiness,        
                                                                  Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                                           534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR   97520

                                                                           For Appointments Call:  541-646-0134  

'Candied' Yams

'Candied' Yams

      A healthier version of a holiday favorite, this can be made with sweet potatoes or yams.  In TCM they say yellow vegetables, like sweet potatoes, or yams, tonify (strengthen) the energetic function of the Spleen, which has to do with digestion. A little bit of sweet, like naturally sweet vegetables or fruits, benefit the Spleen, too much sweet impairs it. This recipe would be too much except for an occasional 'Feast Day' food.      

Yams or Sweet Potatoes

Brown Rice Syrup 

Organic, Grade B Pure Maple Syrup

Grape Seed Oil

Peal and chop yams, into bite sized pieces. Steam, bake or boil until soft. Place in baking dish, lightly coated with Grape seed oil.  Drizzle with brown rice syrup, then maple syrup. Sprinkle with chopped pecans or walnuts. Can make a day ahead of time and toast in oven, At 350 degrees, to warm, before serving, about 15 minutes.   Enjoy!

                                                     Health & Happiness.        
                                                          Nancy Burton,L.Ac.
                                                                 534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR   97520
                                                                 For Appointments Call:   541-646-0134 

  

                                  

Pear & Ginger Vegetable Smoothie

Pear & Ginger Vegetable Smoothie

      

This is a variation of the vegetable smoothie recipe that appeared earier in the blog. The addition of ginger makes it more appropriate for colder weather. Ginger warms the whole body, expelling phlegm and aiding digestion. It therefore helps counteract the raw food in the smoothie, which is considered cold, in Chinese nutritional therapy. 

1 pear

3 slices of raw ginger, chopped

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

piece of a beet

handful of parsley

Place is strong blender. Cover vegetables and fruit with warm water.  Blend.  Enjoy!

Very Moist Chocolate Raspberry Cake

This is a dairy free chocolate cake.

2 medium beets  ( though the cake doesn’t taste like beets, the result is rich and moist)

2 cups white spelt flour

1 ½  cups palm sugar

½ cup unsweetened organic cocoa powder

1 1/2  teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs

¼ cup warm water

¼ cup grape seed oil

1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom of two 9” round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease paper and sides of pans with grape seed oil. Chop and cook beets until soft and puree. Set aside 1 ¼ cups for cake. Mix dry ingredients together. Mix in eggs, water, oil, vanilla and 1 ¼ cup beets. Bake until toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes.  Let cool on wire rack for 20 minutes.

Spread center of layers with raspberry glaze. Pour on top and down sides. Or, slice each layer in two, horizontally. Spread each layer and top with raspberry glaze. 

Raspberry Glaze

1 lb fresh or frozen raspberries

1 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cocoa powder

3 tablespoons arrowroot powder

1/8 cup water

Optional, can add palm sugar or additional maple syrup for sweeter sauce.  

  Mix arrow root powder and water until powder is dissolved. Set aside. Mix remaining ingredients in sauce pan. Simmer until liquefied. Bring to boil. Stir in arrow root mixture. Stir constantly until sauce starts to thicken. (it will coat a spoon). Let cool before spreading on cake.

Chinese Tea Eggs

            A high protein snack in China, for taking on hikes, offered in tea houses, by street vendors, and made at home. After boiling, shells are cracked for a marbled effect, then simmered and steeped in black tea, soy sauce and spices. One of my favorites!

            Eggs have gotten a bad rap in the US.The studies about how bad they are for health  came out about the same time corporations were trying to convince people that cereal, from a box, was a healthy breakfast. Eggs are one of nature’s wonder foods, easy to digest, a great source of protein, vitamin D, and good fats. Eggs supply the kind of fats that promotes the HDLs (good fats) as opposed to the LDLs (bad fats). Though not to be eaten every day, as they are a damp food (foods that contain or create oils or fat in the body), they are a wise choice to include in a healthy diet, as long as they are organic”.

6-8 Organic Eggs, hard boiled

2 Black Tea Bags

2 teaspoons Palm Sugar

½  cup Tamari Soy Sauce, or Braggs Amino Acid

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

Sat Anise  4 pieces

2 Tablespoons Five Spice Mix (available in most Health Food and and grocery stores)

Mirin  dash ( a rice cooking wine available in Asian section of grocery stores)

Boil eggs 10 minutes. Pour out water. Let eggs cool. Crack shells with back of knife or spoon, cracking shell of entire egg. This needs to be done with enough force that the shell and membrane underneath are cracked, for a marbled effect.  Fill pan with enough water to cover eggs. Add all ingredients, mix, then add eggs. Simmer for 1 hour, then let cool and steep in mixture overnight, in refrigerator. Enjoy!

                                                                                 

                                                                                 Health & Happiness,

                                                                                                Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

Quick & Easy Vegetable Stew

    Vegetable stew, or soup, is a great thing to make when there are a lot of vegetables that need using. Any vegetables can be used. Served with a fresh salad and it is a lovely meal. 

1 onion, chopped

1 scallion, if desired, chopped

1 yellow summer squash, chopped

1 handful of okra, if desired   (Okra  is great for the mucosal lining of the digestive  system)                     

1 zucchini, chopped                                                   

1 handful of green beans

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1-2 cans of organic Great Northern Beans  (or any beans)

1 box Imagine Chicken Broth    (Imagine brand is the only one I have found without Cane Juice in it)

1 14.5 oz can of organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes

1 Tablespoon of olive or grape seed oil       (my 2 favorite cooking oils)

In large cooking pot, cook onions and scallions in oil, until soft. Add rest of ingredients and simmer until vegetables are soft. 

This is about 6 servings. When cooking I always try to make extra for quick meals later in the week. This also makes a fast breakfast, or is good taken for lunch. I use a glass bowl with a plastic lid, put it in a thermal, soft lunch box and eat it at room temperature. Extra is also good for freezing for quick meals on down the line. 

Keep in mind, though this dish has lots of vegetables, they are cooked enough to destroy many of the nutrients, and live enzymes. It is best to eat with either a salad, or throw some additional vegetables in at the end of  cooking or when heating up. When vegetables are still crunchy and colorful they still have the nutrients and live enzymes needed for health and energy.    Enjoy!

                                  

                                                     Health & Happiness,

                                                                      Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

  

Stories: The Grocery Store

      Rarely do I enter grocery stores, since I shop mostly at Health Food stores and local farmers markets, but once found myself waiting in line at one of the larger chains. The woman in front of me was unloading her cart, sugar covered cereal, chips, sodas, packaged pastries, processed frozen and boxed dinners. No vegetables, no fruits, no protein that didn't come from a box. "So," I commented, " bet you have kids."  "How could you tell? " she laughed. " Bet they're always sick." I continued. Her jaw dropped. " How did you know?" 

      We are what we eat, literally. If we eat crap we are going to feel like crap. Eating a diet of processed foods that contain chemical preservatives, pesticides, hydrogenated oils, corn syrup/sugar, antibiotics, hormones, GMO's, and synthetic vitamins, people are starving to death as they get fatter, depressed, fatigued, and sick.
      Our bodies and brains need real food to function, to heal, to stay healthy and feel great. Fast food, junk food and 'convenience' foods rob us of our energy and our health. The food we eat today determines how we feel tomorrow. The food we eat in the next few years helps determine how many years we have, and if we spend those years healthy or with chronic illness and disease. Heres to Healthy Choices!

                                                    Health & Happiness, 

                                                             Nancy Burton, L.Ac.