Digest one thing at a time

A simple trick to improve digestion and sooth your mind.

In Chinese Medicine our bodies organ systems are split into five elements.  Today we will look at the Earth element and the organs Spleen and Stomach. (It is important to note that the words Spleen and Stomach do not necessarily correlate to the western definition of spleen and stomach and so will be referred to in capitalized words to differentiate)

The organ in Chinese medicine responsible for our digestion, the Spleen, is also responsible for our thought processing-it ‘digests’ the information we receive from our environment.  The emotion that the Spleen tends towards when imbalanced is over-thinking.  In this day and age with smart phones and facebook people are rarely without stimulation of some kind.  Many people spend their lunch breaks catching up on work on the computer while eating a sandwich or having dinner with their family in front of the television.

Because the Spleen is responsible for both digesting the food you are eating and processing the information you are taking in from the computer or television, the Spleen is given a heavy burden when we try to do both at once.

One simple thing we can do to improve our digestion and calm our busy minds is to eat  without distraction.  Try eating at the kitchen table with your family or friends – without radio or television playing.  Try taking your lunch break outside in the sunshine or away from the computer; truly take a break from your work and simply eat.  By letting the Spleen focus on one job at a time, simply enjoying the food on our plates without thinking about other things we can improve how we digest and process  our food and more effectively nourish ourselves.  Also, by taking some time away from computers, phones, internet, television and constant stimuli we give our minds and spirits time to process and reflect on our day instead of constantly taking in new information.

Anatomy for bellydancers class

the SEEDs students!

Last week I had a wonderful time teaching a workshop for the SEEDs program called “Anatomy for Bellydancers”.

The SEEDs program is an after school program for women aged 14-18.  It stands for Self Esteem and Education through Dance.  This is a wonderful program that functions nationally. The Portland branch is run by Sofia Onstad and Dana Launius at Euphoria Studios. http://www.facebook.com/pages/SEEDS-of-Euphoria/113131680760

The students learn tribal style bellydance and are given opportunities to learn and perform as a troupe.  They also take classes and workshops in a variety of life skills from balancing a checkbook to talking about career goals. The winter quarter is focused on health and wellness and for the past two years I have been a guest speaker for this inspiring group of young women!

As a licensed acupuncturist and a member of the middle eastern music and dance community in Portland I provide acupuncture and shiatsu massage to many belly dancers.  I am often asked about anatomy by dancers seeking to enhance their understanding of their body mechanics during their dance practice.   And was recently asked to teach this class.

For the purpose of this class we focused our attention on the pelvis and the muscles used to create movements of the pelvis since pelvic isolations are highly developed in belly dance.

We started the class by talking about how muscles work .  Then we addressed how to figure out what they do by looking at where the origin and insertion of the muscle are, and what parts of the body structure will be brought closer together when the muscle contracts.  If a student can understand that principle it will be possible for them to figure out what the muscle’s action is for themselves.

We learned to identify the major muscles of the abdomen, hips, pelvis, and the leg by looking at pictures and then finding them on our selves.  We then described the action of each of these muscles; specifically noticing how their location in the body effects their function, and demonstrated  what each action looks like in a moving body.

Then we made it all practical to bellydancing by learning what movements each of these muscles is responsible for in the pelvis; and then translating each of those movements into commonly used bellydance moves.  For example hip drops, shimmies, twists, figure 8′s, hip ups, pelvic locks etc.

I had a great time with these amazing young women!  It was wonderful to see the surprise on their faces as they realized what their piriformis is,  where it is located, felt it contract as they performed it’s action and declared: “I have a piriformis?!?”

They also learned some important postural and alignment tips that dancers can use everyday and incorporate into their dance practice to keep dancing strong and  pain free for the rest of their lives.

“Spicy Aphrodite”chai blend for Valentine’s Day!

I am pleased to announce I will have my luscious aphrodisiac chai blend “Spicy Aphrodite” available at my clinic for purchase in time for Valentine’s Day.

Spicy Aphrodite is a sumptuous blend of chai spices with kava root to sooth anxieties, hawthorne berries for the heart, damiana as an herbal aphrodesiac,  and rose petals for the goddess aphrodite.    Warms the heart and soothes the mind.  Caffeine free,  organic or ethically wildcrafted whenever possible.   Add a heaping teaspoon to hot water and let steep for 5-7 minutes, add honey and enjoy!  The perfect drink to share with friends or loved ones!

Email me if you would like to pick some up at my clinic in SE Portland on Mon/Weds/Fri or I can ship it to your home!

heather.ellsworth@yahoo.com

The tea is packaged with the beautiful spicy aphrodite logo in bags sized:                  2 oz. for $4        4 oz  for $8         6 oz. for $12

Helpful tip for spider bites

The following is a wonderful tip for treating spider bites that is simple and can be done in the comfort of your own home!

Wet a small amount of bentonite clay with a tincture of Echinacea spp.  mix it until it is a smooth consistency and apply it to the spider bite.  Let the clay mixture dry then rinse it off.  Continue to reapply the bentonite clay and Echinacea tincture mixture regularly throughout the day.

The bentonite clay will pull the poison and excess inflammatory exudites out of  the bite.  The Echinacea tincture, when used topically, slows the tissue necrosis (cell death) around the bite.

Caution:  If you are feeling feverish, the redness is spreading quickly or there are red streaks traveling from the ‘bite’ you may not be dealing with a spider bite or it may be infected and require further treatment; in that case make sure to seek medical advice from a professional.

Honoring Wintertime

December 21st marked winter solstice, the shortest and also the most yin day of the year.   Yin time is a time for quiet and rest.  If you find yourself feeling tired after the busyness of the holidays you may want to make space in your life to honor the yin of winter.

What is yin?  Yin and yang are an important philosophy in Chinese medicine.  One analogy for yin and yang is a mountain.  At sunrise one side of the mountain has the sun on it’s face and the other side of the mountain is in shade.  The sunny side of the mountain is more yang; it is bright, warm, dry and the plants are actively photosynthesizing.  The shady side of the mountain is more yin; it is dark, cold, damp with dew and the activity of the plant life is slower.  As the sun moves over the mountain the yang side will become more yin as it is gradually left in shade and the yin side becomes more yang as the sun begins to shine on that side.  It is a dynamic and changing balance and each side cannot exist without the other.

The same can be said of the seasons.  Winter is the most yin season and summer the most yang.  Winter solstice, as the darkest day of the year is the day where our activities should be the most yin, in harmony with the season.  From now until about Chinese New Year (this year on February 14th) we should let our lives reflect the balance of yin and yang around us, by doing so we will create and conserve more energy for ourselves and avoid illness.  This means we should allow space in our busy holiday schedules for more yin activities.  Sleep more than you would in the summer.  Perhaps start your work day a little later than usual, or end it earlier.  Take time during the day for restful relaxation like reading or napping and stick to gentle exercise like walking or slow yoga.  This is a time for restful dreaming and planning so that when we get closer to spring, and yang becomes more prominent, we can begin manifesting our dreams and putting our plans into action.

Good nutrition is also vital for well-being.  During this time of year we should eat foods that are more yang to balance the yin of the season.  Because the weather is cold and sometimes damp we want to nourish ourselves with foods that are warm, easy to digest and sometimes spicy.  It is best to eat soups, stews, and stir-fries that are warm and wholesome and avoid salads, raw foods, and cold drinks.  Cooking with warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, fennel, garlic and cayenne will aid digestion, increase circulation to keep you warmer and help you avoid the common cold.

It is hard sometimes with the pressures of our society to allow space for ourselves to make these kind of changes.  However, it is important to remember that no one can perform at top speed all the time.  By taking time to rest and rejuvenate we can be more productive overall while achieving greater health and longevity.   I am including a recipe for warm and nourishing soup that requires amazingly little preparation time and is tasty to boot.- Enjoy!

Mom’s split pea soup:

Ingredients:

one medium white onion, chopped

two cloves of garlic, chopped

two cups of split peas

one cup rice

10-12 cups water to desired consistency

2 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large soup pot saute the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until the onion is slightly translucent.  Add the split peas and rice and keep stirring so they don’t stick to the pan but they are coated with the oil and onions.  Add the water and turn heat to high until the water comes to a bubble, then turn the heat down to a simmer and continue simmering the soup for approximately 45 minutes or until the peas are soft.  If it is too thick just add a little more water.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Takes about ten minutes to prepare and you can do other things while it cooks!

Note:  as a variation you can add a can of tomatoes and two tablespoons of curry powder and you have Indian dahl!

Herbal Chicken soup for flu season

During cold and flu season many people are looking for ways to avoid getting sick by taking herbs.  There are many great ways to do this but a simple combination I like is to use Huang Qi, also known as Astragalus; with Gou Qi Zi, also called GoJi, or Lycii berries.

Astragalus/Huang Qi: In Chinese medicine Huang Qi is used to tonify Spleen and Lung qi and raise the yang qi.   This means it can be used in people who get frequent colds or to avoid becoming sick because it strengthens the body’s immune system.  In Western herbalism it is referred to as an adaptogen, an herb that strengthens the bodies ability to deal with stress.  It is a great herb to take to boost your immune system to avoid getting sick, but if you actually are sick it is time to change tactics and look to some new herbal allies.

Gou Qi Zi: In Chinese medicine it nourishes the yin of the Lung and Kidneys.  It can be used to treat dry coughs and together with Huang Qi strengthen the immune system.

Both can be made into a tea and drunk every day to give the immune system some support or you can try this recipe for a chicken soup with herbs from the great website:

www.homemade-chinese-soups.com

This is cooked slowly over a long period of time using a chinese double-boiling jar.

Try to use kampong chicken or free range chicken if possible as chicken raised in a battery tend to have too much growth hormones.

If you don’t have a double-boiling jar, you can still make this soup in a slow cooker or soup pot over the stove. It requires gentle low heat. Add the ingredients to cold water and bring everything to a boil and reduce the heat to low.

For over the stove cooking, you will need to use a bit more water to compensate for evaporation.

Ingredients
1 chicken thigh
4 slices of astragalus (in Chinese Huang Qi)
8 red dates (Da Zao)
1 tbsp chinese wolfberries (Gou Qi Zi or Lycii berries)
500ml water (only a gauge, amount of water depends on your soup pot)
salt

Directions

1. Cut chicken thigh into pieces
2. Parboil, wash and trim excess fats. Remove the skin
3. Wash and drain the chinese herbs (astragalus, red dates and goji fruits)
4. Core the red dates. Cut into halves
5. Place all ingredients in the double-boiling jar and add the water
6. Bring another big pot of water to boil, place the jar in it and steam for 1 hour
7. Add salt before serving

Recipe source: <a href=”http://www.homemade-chinese-soups.com/healthy-chicken-soup.html”>Healthy chicken soup</a>

Note on buying herbs in Portland: Huang Qi, Gou Qi Zi, and Da Zao are all available at Wing Ming Herbs on 82nd St. just south of Division, or at FuBon Asian grocery just down the street from that.  Limbo’s- next to Trader Joe’s at Holgate and 39th also carries these herbs but not Da Zao.  Have fun!