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Nutrition

How to Combat the Humidity

Nobody loves humidity, but many people are more perturbed by it than others, determinable of course by what the humidity is encountering at their surface—that is, what it is physically triggering for them.

Humidity is “damp heat,” so if you already suffer from an excess of systemic damp heat type inflammation at the surface of the body, pouring more of the same on top of that will surely feel awful. What can we do about it?

Nutritionally the ideal foods to combat the damp heat of summer are unfortunately not very fun or exciting, but let’s try to all be grown-ups.

Bitter foods like dandelion greens are great for clearing inflammatory heat, while bland foods, such as unseasoned (or very mildly seasoned) potatoes, barley or barley tea, and plain, steamed vegetables are ideal for leaching damp fluid retention. If this sounds too inconceivable for you, I’d recommend entertaining such discipline just once a day.

Additionally, the bitterness of a good quality, hot green tea and its diuretic effect an aid in draining dampness. Then again, if green tea is unsettling for your stomach you are probably too “cold” for it internally, which unfortunately is not mutually exclusive to having damp heat externally. The former refers to pancreatic and gastrointestinal hypofunction, whereas the latter is part of the inflammation as its logical outcome. See also, eczema due to food allergy.

Instead of over-complicating, over-analyzing, and arguably over-prescribing, all of which I have been more than prone to, for this time of year I recommend at the least “dui yao” (dway-yow) teas, or pairings of 2 simple herbs to drink daily to combat the humidity we’re experiencing, mitigate our unique genetic responses to it, and ensure as productive digestion as possible for the upcoming transition to Fall, when we need our immune system firing on all cylinders!

Examples: Pearl barley and raw ginger if you have a weak stomach, Pearl barley and red dates if you get heart palpitations or dizziness or are on your cycle, Pearl barley and tangerine peel for lack of appetite, or pearl barley and adzuki bean for hemorrhoids, sweaty feet and groin. Are you seeing a trend? This is barley season!

What are everyone’s favorite cinematic depictions of gut-wrenching NYC summer humidity? I vote Do the Right Thing and Weekend at Bernie’s

What Should We Be Drinking?

How much water should we be drinking? Is cold water okay? Is coffee healthy or not, already? What about decaf? What about green tea? Green juices? Prune juices? Sparkling water??? Please tell me sparkling water is OK! It’s all I’ve got…

Across the generations (and mediums) there have been many hydration gurus, and I suppose in this blog I’m throwing my hat into the ring, albeit really as just a hopefully qualified echo of Chinese medicine’s biological perspective.

Sparkling water is OK, but can irritate the bladder—should be kept to 1/day.

Room temp water is best, ideally half of our weight in ounces each day. Cold drinks can impair digestion, but again, once a day outside the context of a meal is no big deal, imo.

Juice is worse than people think—green juice not quite as good as people think. Green juices, without the sugars of fruit inside them, are fine, but should not replace real meals where salivary amylase is generated, we actually eat, and chew whole (green) vegetables.

One coffee/day should be fine for most people, but obviously has an excitatory and diuretic effect, so if one suffers with a lot of heat or dryness symptoms, should be minimized. These can include everything from insomnia and irritability to bloating or lack of appetite (dryness of digestive enzymes).

Green tea is preferable in people with “heat patterns,” and/or after a night of eating red meat, which can generate heat in the intestines. Again, because of its bitterness, people who tend to nausea, diarrhea, or lack of appetite should steer clear of green tea, and reach instead for…

PU-ERH TEA! Probably the healthiest thing one can drink besides clean, room temperature water, pu-erh is a black tea known for its naturally occurring pre and probiotics that enhance digestive and gut barrier function, the latter of which gets compromised by stress, medications, or alcohol. And I don’t know anyone who doesn’t check off at least one of these. Best taken hot.

I try to limit myself to 2 caffeinated beverages/day (I think no one should have more than 3), which are routinely a cup of Purity black coffee, followed by a cup of pu-erh, from either ARBOR or YUNNAN SOURCING, both of which offer organic and fair trade, high quality products. Highly recommend!

Acupuncture for Stomach Pain

We have all experienced stomach pain. Either we ate something wrong, a medication we took had side effects, it might related to one’s menstrual cycle, and/or be simply chronic digestive issues that have some genetic component. How do we treat this with acupuncture and Chinese medicine?

First, per usual, we must identify the correct pattern.

If someone suffers from chronic constipation and bloating, we can assume the pattern is one of “food stagnation,” which can be corroborated by a dense sensation in the middle finger position of the right radial artery—also by palpating the epigastric region for tenderness. These patients tend to feel overheated, they might experience excessive thirst, insomnia, or irritability, all as a result of the intestinal inflammation. Whether or not there is distention alters the diagnosis.

We can needle points along the stomach and large intestine vessels to move gases out and downward. Depending on the rest of the pattern, we might also use the pancreas or even lung vessels to transfer mitochondria to the former organ vessels, the way one might money from their savings to their checking account, as needed. Herbal formulas indicated tend to revolve around rhubarb root, possibly lily-turf, gypsum stone, or white peony, the latter of which can be especially adept at treating all forms of cramping in the body.

From a western medical perspective, these are patients who might benefit from intermittent fasting and/or a magnesium supplement.

More commonly, stomach pain has to do with our blood. Either it is not moving or not arriving to the local area, leaving the smooth muscles of the organs dehydrated, sent into spasm in search of fluids, but we experience it as, Ouch. My tummy hurts.

In a pattern of “blood stagnation,” acupuncture works exceptionally well. We can use points along the pancreatic or liver vessels to encourage healthy blood movement. We might also use local points around the abdomen—where everyone always wants us to put it—to encourage local vasodilation and the dissolution of amenable masses. Useful herbal families might revolve again around white peony or rhubarb, but also apricot kernel, corydalis, or safflower. Generally, the veins beneath the patient’s tongue will be distended and purple enough to corroborate diagnosis.

Lastly, is blood deficiency, which might be slightly less amenable to acupuncture—more so to moxibustion, herbal medicine, the consumption of red meat, and healthy sleep hygiene. Moxibustion is often more effective at generating mitochondria and healthy fluids than acupuncture. Herbs we might consider are rehmannia, angelica, or even red dates, the latter of which has the added benefit to settle heart palpitations and anxiety.

Since 2 of the 3 physiological patterns for stomach pain pertain to the blood, it is quite common to be menstrual and/or hormonal related. Some patients for whom it is impractical to come every single week can benefit from coming at least just twice a month, the week before and after their cycle begins.

Tryptophan Foods & its Benefits

 

The ancient Chinese stressed the importance of eating foods that are “rich in qi and blood,” which upon scientific reflection, was in many cases referring to foods that are dense in the amino acid, tryptophan. Why?

The amino acid, tryptophan, is the precursor to the neurotransmitter, serotonin, which in turn regulates sleep and emotions, also digestive function, blood clotting, bone, and cardiovascular health. Circling back to Chinese medical terms, when your acupuncturist says that your gut is reliant upon strong and healthy “qi” to produce strong and healthy blood, this is what they mean. We need amino acids to produce not only literal blood, but also the neurotransmitters whose functions are synonymous with that of “the blood,” from a Chinese medical perspective.

Most people think of tryptophan around Thanksgiving and its effects of making us tired after the enormous holiday meal, but that fatigue is actually more likely due to the profound overconsumption of carbs and calories.

Other sources of tryptophan besides turkey are as follows, complete with warnings of their potential side effects and how to mitigate them:

  • Chicken
    • Is mass produced, so be sure to always consume in good, organic quality. Also can overstimulate the liver vessel, so ideal to consume with sour foods, such as lemon or sauerkraut to offset this effect. Unfortunately, the worst way to consume chicken is with hot sauce or spicy foods, which potentiates this effect.
  • Beef
    • Can generate excessive heat in the intestines, so should be consumed alongside bitter greens. Again, sad news: the worst way to consume is alongside alcohol, which can potentiate the heat effect. Eat plenty of bitters to counteract!
  • Fish
    • Beware of high mercury fish, as my wife always reminds me! Other than that, as the many centenarians of Okinawa and the Mediterranean know, there are little side effects to wild fish
  • Eggs
    • They’re just too expensive these days, and the inorganic variety are a problem. Other than that, eggs are nearly as perfect as fish 🙂
  • Dairy
    • Dairy has health benefits, but it is very cold and damp in its physiological behavior in the body. If you tend to low appetite, brain fog, diarrhea, bloating, or skin conditions you should avoid as much as possible.
  • Soy
    • Soy is also cold and damp and should be cooked alongside plenty of spices, onions, garlic, ginger, and even hot peppers, to offset its effect.

Besides tryptophan, another Thanksgiving cliche that benefits qi and blood is gratitude 🙂

The Benefits of Eating for the Seasons

The Benefits of Eating for the Seasons

Restaurants that have revolving seasonal menus have gained in popularity in recent years. The concept of seasonal eating has deep roots. Before the advent of modern agriculture and global trade, people naturally consumed foods that were locally available during specific times of the year. But today, the convenience of supermarkets allows us to eat almost any fruit or vegetable year-round. While this accessibility is convenient, it disconnects us from the natural cycles of food and may not always be the healthiest or most sustainable choice. Let’s delve into the benefits of eating for the seasons and how it can transform your health, environment, and culinary experience. continue reading »

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