Beverages: Teeccino

Beverages :  Teeccino

Teeccino is a delicious, full bodied, caffeine free, non acidic beverage. Brewed like coffee, (though now also available in 'tea bags'), it can be made strong and mixed with alternative milks for a cafe au lait effect. For those who love coffee, but not the caffeine or digestive problems coffee can cause, Teeccino is a delightful option, with a number of flavors.

Though you can use any coffee maker, I use a french press, and just add boiling water, for a quick and easy cup. Vanilla Nut is my favorite flavor so far, mixed half and half with hot hazelnut, or vanilla hemp milk (the kind sweetened with brown rice syrup) or a combination of the two.

      
Sometimes I add spices to the Teeccino, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamon, occasionally adding organic coco powder to the mix. 

      
For mocha, mix Teeccino with chocolate hazelnut or chocolate hemp milk.  

      
Finding healthier versions of warming winter drinks, that people really enjoy, is an wonderful way to keep warm, and enjoy the colder months. 

                                         Health & Happiness,

                                                   Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                         534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR   97520

                                                         For Appointments Call:   541-646-0134

  

      

      

  

Soft Drinks

Soft Drinks

      
I was amazed, when attending holiday parties, how many people offered soft drinks, and even more amazed at how many people were drinking them. Aside from enormous amounts of sugar or high fructose corn syrup, or worse, artificial sweeteners, and other chemicals, most soft drinks contain phosphoric acid. This can throw off the calcium to phosphorus ratio in the blood making the body think there is not enough calcium in the body, so it 'borrows' calcium from the bones, to be distributed, by the blood, to the rest of the body. Think Robin Hood, swiping from a source that has more to take care of places in need. 
       
There are studies showing a correlation between soft drink consumption and bone density depletion. Calcium is also necessary to relax muscles, and for emotional relaxation, during the day and when trying to sleep. A very occasional soft drink isn't going to kill anyone, but regular consumption can lead to any number of health problems. 
      
Alternative to soft drinks, that most people really enjoy, include soft drinks made with carbonated water and fruit juice sweetened, sparkling water, and sparkling (fruit juice sweetened) fruit juice. I use a soda maker to make my own sparkling water, which also eliminates the waste of bottles, and the resources used for distribution. 
    
So read labels and avoid soft drinks, made with phosphoric acid, for strong bones and teeth. 

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


      

Inflammation and Sugar

Inflammation & Sugar

      Sugar consumption can have a huge impact on aches, pains and inflammation in the body.  White sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, molasses, agave, high frutose corn syrup, frutose, corn sugar, cane juice, raw sugar, turbinado, are all difficupt to digest. (Agave, the same plant used to make tequila, was an excellent sweetener until it got popular. Now they use a different, more abundant part of the plant but it has to be much more highly processed.) Looking at live blood after consumption of sweets show the white blood cells digesting the sugar, just like any foreign entity, or pathogen, that has made its way into the blood stream. When white blood cells are called in to rush to a sight and handle any pathogen, including sugar, it activates a histamine reaction, or inflammation. This is a protective reaction which slows down the pathogens so they are not as widely distributed throughout the body, before the white blood cells can rush to the sight to do their job.  

      Initially, this histamine reaction to the sugar can happen the day after consuming sweets but the body remembers ingesting foods that hurt it. After an initial reaction the results can become instantaneous, since molecules from food go directly into the blood stream from the veins under the tongue, the closest veins to the surface in the body. With reactions that can happen any time from immediately to the next day, it is often difficult to determine just what is causing the reaction. More so because sugar has become so intrenched in so many people's daily routine, with sweets for breakfast, or sweetened coffee, or drinks through out the day, processed or fast foods, gum and mints, candy, and desserts. Even Health Food items, like alternative milks, granola and organic spaghetti sauce, often contain cane juice, raw sugar or cane sugar in some form. Read the list of ingredients of what ever you buy. Even small amounts, but accumulated throughout the day can cause problems.                              

      So if aches and pains are a problem, get off the sugar, on a daily basis, with exceptions for the occasional treat,  and see how you feel.

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

                                                                  

After the Holidays: Getting Back on Track

Post Holiday

Getting Back on Track

      
Along with Holidays comes the tendency to over indulge, in sugar, dairy, and rich foods. Comfort foods bring long ago holidays to mind, and loved no longer with us who made or shared holiday fare. Holidays are an excuse to indulge, and not feel guilty about it. Occasional 'Feast Day Foods' are a good thing, important for gatherings and celebrations. But with Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years so close together, and the ongoing parties in between, moderation can easily become excess. Excess can tax the body, mind and spirit. Though I was never one for New Years resolutions I like the idea of a new year, new beginnings, and the perfect opportunity to get back on track.
      
Getting back on track, food wise, means eliminating sugar, minimizing starches, and making sure that each meal has a good source of clean protein, and assorted vegetables. Getting back on track means more energy, mental acuity, and better moods.  
       
This morning I started off the day with organic chicken sausage and a vegetable smoothie. For lunch I brought turkey and a salad. Tonight red meat for dinner! I am a blood type O, so red meat makes me feel great, mentally and physically, and helps remove extra holiday pounds. Red meat and assorted steamed vegetables, will help me kick off the New Year, on a good note. I plan to cook a roast, so I have rare roast beef though out the week. My husband, being a type A, doesn't digest red meat well, so I cook extra turkey, chicken or fish that he can eat when I am enjoying my red meat.         
      
With the Holidays behind it is also a good time to get exercise back on track. By coming up with a good daily exercise, and weight bearing, arobic and stretching routine, that can be done every morning, any additional trips to the gym or other exercise is a plus, with the basics out of the way. 
      
Pumping blood through the muscles , ligaments and tendons, by stretching and moving, keeps people from getting stiff, keeps people toned, so their bones don't get out of alignment and cause pain, and helps people retain good balance, preventing falls. 
       
So, with the coming of the New Year, embrace the opportunity to get back on track, with food, and exercise, and make the resolution to feel great.   

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

Insurance and Acupuncture

Insurance & Acupuncture

      At this point most insurance companies provide coverage for Acupuncture, though it depends on the policy whether an individual is covered or not. If not, it is often a minimal fee to remedy. And the majority of Acupuncturists, including myself, are now in the provider network for most major insurance companies. 

      Insurance companies have learned that Acupuncture (TCM) cuts health care costs. In a study in Florida, a few years ago, Medicare patients, with back pain, had a 26% reduction in overall medical cost over a 6 month period, when receiving Acupuncture and taking Chinese  Herbal Formulas. The group that used strictly western medicine had a 26% increase in cost. That is over a 50% savings. What doesn't make sense is with these kinds of results Medicare does not pay for Acupuncture treatments. What also doesn't make sense is that major companies, like UPS, don't include Acupuncture in their health care plan for their employees. 

       As awareness about this type of medicine grows, there is more demand for coverage. The more people speak up if they aren't covered, the more Acupuncture (TCM) will become a standard for health care coverage, and the more we can lower medical costs nation wide.   

                                                 Health & Happiness,

                                                         Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                               534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR 97520

                                                                              For Appointments Call:   541-646-0134

Cheese and Crackers

Cheese & Crackers

So many holiday dishes include dairy, the dampest food there is. And cheese is a main stay of holiday appetizers. In days before central heat and extra layer of fat meant heat. In days gone by poor people were skinny, and rich people were plump. Being plump was equated with health since skinny people often didn't make it through the winter. Winter and especially holiday foods, which were expensive and time consuming to make, contained fat or helped to fatten people, up as a matter of survival. 

     
Now holiday foods are cheap, easily obtained, and we have central heat and fleece to keep us warm. People are living longer. As we age digestion can decline, and fattening foods along with much more sedate life styles, far from helping us survive harsh winters, are causing health problems.  

      
Keep in mind, when occasionally indulging in damp foods, a drying food, like rice, helps to counteract its effects. So when serving cheese and crackers, various types and flavors of rice crackers would be a good choice. When serving duck, an elegant rice dish helps prevent phlegm and other health issues related to dampness. If indulging in too much rich food or alcohol, some rice crackers, or a toasted rice tortilla before bed can insure a more comfortable morning.   

      
It is best to minimize damp foods in general, but feast days are an important part of any culture. Holiday foods, that we have grown up with are an important part of celebrating with family and friends. Digestive enzymes are often advisable to include with holiday feasting. And live enzymes, fresh fruits and vegetables, help us digest the food that has had the enzymes cooked out of it.

      Enjoy the Holidays!

                                                Health & Happiness,

                                                         Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                               534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR   97520

                                                               For Appointments Call:  541-646-0134

  

Spiced Cream of Rice

Spiced Cream of Rice

    Over indulging in sweets, dairy, or alcohol for the Holidays can leave one a bit off in the morning. A good breakfast to settle the stomach and the head is a rice dish. Rice is drying, ginger warms the whole body but also dries dampness, dissipates phlegm, settles the stomach, aids digestion, and helps clear the lungs, cardamon and cinnamon move energy, warm the body, elevates pain, aid digestion. Cinnamon also warms the extremities. A little bit of sweet, the dash of vanilla and maple syrup, aid digestion. Too much sweet impairs digestion, so don't over do.

I have a coffee grinder I use just for grinding up grains. They are an inexpensive tool for the kitchen. 

1/4 cup organic brown rice, ground fine

3 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon dried ginger or 1/4 teaspoon fresh minced ginger

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg      

1/8 teaspoon cardamon

2 organic eggs

1/8 cup favorite milk substitute ( unsweetened almond, or hazelnut, hemp, rice... sweetened          with brown rice syrup)

1/8 cup organic maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

The spices can be altered to taste. Pour water into sauce pan, add salt and bring to boil. Slowly pour in ground rice, stirring constantly. Turn heat to low and cook 45 minutes. Beat eggs and 'milk' together, until completely blended. Slowly our into cooked rice, stirring constantly. Stir in spices, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Put lid on sauce pan and let cook another 5 minutes.  

For an additional shot at warming spices that settles the stomach and clear pain in the head try Slightly Sweet Oregon Chai, mixed half and half with milk substitute. My favorite is half Chia, 1/4 hemp milk, for the creaminess, and 1/4 hazel nut milk. The Oregon Chai has some cane juice but for an occasional treat it is delightful.      

Make a vegetable smoothie to have later in the morning, with warm water, some apple or pear and plenty of minced ginger, to improve energy and detoxify.   Enjoy!

                                                       Health & Happiness,

                                                           Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                                  534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR  97520

                                                                   For Appointments Call:  541-646-0134