Traditional Chinese medicine has long approached the body as a garden to be tended, nurtured through good habits, including a diet of a variety of wholesome foods and promotion of good digestion. In this week's New York Times Magazine, Michael Pollan writes about the host of microorganisms that live on us and in us, reaching a similar conclusion--eat wholesome foods and pay attention to their effects on the flora responsible for our digestion. As has long been the folk wisdom in the East, the article also points to fermented foods such as miso and kimchi as particularly beneficial in this regard.
For the full version of this thought-provoking article, see http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/magazine/say-hello-to-the-100-trillion-bacteria-that-make-up-your-microbiome.html?src=me&_r=0
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013
Happy New Year!
We followed the Japanese tradition of eating mochi (rice cakes made of pounded sticky rice) to bring in the New Year. Roasted in the oven for eight minutes at 450 degrees, our mochi pieces puffed up and became crispy and golden on the outside, and gooey and sweet on the inside. We use a dipping sauce of soy sauce and maple syrup mixed in about equal parts.
This year, we decided to try brown rice mochi. Somewhat unexpectedly, they were a huge hit. The whole grain provided a slight nutty flavor and a more robust texture to the treat. Many of the mochi pieces didn't even make it to the dipping sauce before being devoured!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Yuan to Speak at Pacific Symposium
Yuan Wang is a featured speaker at this week's Pacific Symposium 2012. Her talk, titled "Practical Facial Rejuvenation using Tradition Chinese Medicine Methods," will be held on Thursday, November 8, from 2 to 5 PM.
"Today, more and more people are looking for natural anti-aging methods," she says. "Chinese medicine has a history of using natural ingredients to keep one healthy while combining Eastern traditions with a Western lifestyle. This course will introduce and explore practical information, focusing on TCM facial skin-care and common facial disease treatments."
The Pacific Symposium is held at The Catamaran Resort Hotel, 3999 Mission Blvd., San Diego, CA. For more information, see www.pacificsymposium.org.
Yuan will also be giving a talk on "Practical Skin Care with TCM Herb & Food Therapy," on Sunday, November 18, from 10 AM to 4:30 PM. Sponsored by the San Diego chapter of the California Alliance of Acupuncture Medicine (CAAM), the seminar will be held at the Rancho Bernardo Swim and Tennis Club, 16955 Bernardo Oaks Drive, San Diego, CA. The single seminar fee for the CAAM talk is $85 ($50 for students) and includes lunch; practitioners receive 6 continuing education units.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Guest Blog: Incorporating Proper Nutrition into Your Cancer Treatment
We are pleased to post a guest blog from Jillian McKee, blogger and outreach coordinator for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. Jillian emphasizes the importance of eating natural foods for healing and preventing disease--a message we embrace wholeheartedly. Remember, also, to keep balance in mind when approaching your diet!
If you have been recently diagnosed with cancer, you may be trying to change your life for the better. Changing your diet and the way that you eat is one of the best things that you can do. Proper nutrition can help anyone's health, whether it be someone with cancer or someone who is trying to prevent it. There are several things you will need to know about proper nutrition and the benefits that you will notice once you change your diet. These benefits will improve your well being so that you can feel better each and every day.
It is important to remember that proper nutrition is not a cure for cancer. What does come from changing to a healthy diet is more energy and better recovery from cancer treatments. You will find that having more energy is a much-needed benefit because after treatments, such as those treatments for mesothelioma, you may feel very drained. You will find that a healthy diet is one of the best things you can do for yourself during these rough times.
The diet you should be following is one that is rich in vitamins and nutrients. As a cancer patient, weight loss is a major issue that you are going to face. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables will help you to maintain a higher caloric intake while ensuring that you are getting all of the vitamins that you need. Vitamins are essential for helping the body to repair itself and protect against illness. You will find that many natural and wholesome foods contain a variety of vitamins that your body is more than likely craving.
As with any diet change, it is essential that you speak with your doctor before just going and changing the way that you eat. Only your doctor knows your individual health history and will be able to advise you on what you should or shouldn't be eating. Many doctors will establish a diet plan for you so that you can get enough calories in the day to prevent weight loss. Discussing healthy options with your doctor may be a good idea to help you on the journey to recovery.
Proper nutrition is one of the best things you can incorporate into your daily life. Whether you are currently diagnosed with cancer, trying to prevent it, or are in remission, the right diet will help your body to be healthier overall. You cannot simply live off of processed junk food and assume that these empty calories are going to help your body to heal and thrive. Vegetables and fruits that are organic and packed with vitamins are a far healthier choice for you to be making. Be sure to incorporate a healthy diet with your cancer treatment so that you can improve overall well being.
(Photo by mhaller1979 [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
If you have been recently diagnosed with cancer, you may be trying to change your life for the better. Changing your diet and the way that you eat is one of the best things that you can do. Proper nutrition can help anyone's health, whether it be someone with cancer or someone who is trying to prevent it. There are several things you will need to know about proper nutrition and the benefits that you will notice once you change your diet. These benefits will improve your well being so that you can feel better each and every day.
It is important to remember that proper nutrition is not a cure for cancer. What does come from changing to a healthy diet is more energy and better recovery from cancer treatments. You will find that having more energy is a much-needed benefit because after treatments, such as those treatments for mesothelioma, you may feel very drained. You will find that a healthy diet is one of the best things you can do for yourself during these rough times.
The diet you should be following is one that is rich in vitamins and nutrients. As a cancer patient, weight loss is a major issue that you are going to face. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables will help you to maintain a higher caloric intake while ensuring that you are getting all of the vitamins that you need. Vitamins are essential for helping the body to repair itself and protect against illness. You will find that many natural and wholesome foods contain a variety of vitamins that your body is more than likely craving.
As with any diet change, it is essential that you speak with your doctor before just going and changing the way that you eat. Only your doctor knows your individual health history and will be able to advise you on what you should or shouldn't be eating. Many doctors will establish a diet plan for you so that you can get enough calories in the day to prevent weight loss. Discussing healthy options with your doctor may be a good idea to help you on the journey to recovery.
Proper nutrition is one of the best things you can incorporate into your daily life. Whether you are currently diagnosed with cancer, trying to prevent it, or are in remission, the right diet will help your body to be healthier overall. You cannot simply live off of processed junk food and assume that these empty calories are going to help your body to heal and thrive. Vegetables and fruits that are organic and packed with vitamins are a far healthier choice for you to be making. Be sure to incorporate a healthy diet with your cancer treatment so that you can improve overall well being.
(Photo by mhaller1979 [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Yuan featured in Pacific College video
A video of Yuan presenting various therapeutic teas to her Eastern Nutrition class has been featured in Pacific College's blog, "Essence & Qi." Check it out!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Quinoa Salad with an Asian Twist
One of my go-to recipes over the years (including the period when my daughter was allergic to wheat) has been a tasty gluten-free quinoa salad described in "The New Basics Cookbook" by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. We've adapted the dish to include Chinese herbs—goji berries and walnuts—in addition to mint, raisins, and green onions, also used in Asia for their healing properties. I usually double the recipe because the dish disappears so fast!
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup goji berries and/or raisins
1/4 cup sesame oil
3 green onions, white bulb and 3 inches of green, sliced
1/2 cup walnuts and/or peanuts, unsalted
1/2 cup fresh orange, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons grated orange zest (optional)
Salt, to taste
Directions
1. Combine the quinoa and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add the goji berries and/or raisins and continue cooking until the liquid has disappeared, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove the quinoa-goji berry mixture from the heat and spread it on baking sheet or dinner plates to cool completely.
4. In a large bowl, toss the quinoa-goji berry mixture with the sesame oil, green onions, walnuts/peanuts, orange pieces, mint leaves, and orange zest. Salt to taste, if desired.
About Goji Berries
Goji berries have been used in Chinese cooking and herbal medicine for thousands of years. Similar to raisins, goji berries can be cooked, eaten raw, or brewed into a tea. Goji berries are now widely available not only at Asian markets, but also at natural food stores and even the health food aisles of some regular supermarkets. The fruit is rich in nutrients, such as beta-carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, and vitamin C, as well as other vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and amino acids. Studies have suggested that an element of goji berries can prevent macular degeneration, deter tumors, enhance the immune system, and protect the liver. In traditional Chinese medicine, this herb, which is considered sweet in taste and neutral in temperature, nourishes the Blood and the yin, increases the essence, and improves vision.
About Walnuts
Walnuts have a host of health benefits, according to both the Eastern and Western perspectives. Walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and are now being studied in the West for their potential for reducing the damage of unhealthy fats and for counteracting Alzheimer’s disease. The Chinese call walnuts “longevity fruit” (chang cheng guo 长生果), both because walnut trees live hundreds of years and because walnuts impart health to those who eat them. According to traditional East Asian medicine, these sweet, warm nuts enter the Lungs and Kidneys to ease coughing and wheezing, counteract fatigue, increase sexual potency in men, and treat frequent urination; they also moisten the Intestines to relieve constipation.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Yuan's Class Cooks
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
