Nutrition Archives - Mend Acupuncture

What’s the Deal with Food Cravings?
Gallery
What’s the Deal with Food Cravings?

Nutrition

What’s the Deal with Food Cravings?

By JaimeRoslyn|2024-04-17T08:46:51-04:00April 10th, 2024|Categories: Nutrition|Tags: 5 Element Theory, bitter, flavors, food cravings, organs, salty, sour, spicy, sweet|

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views the body as a complex system of energies and organs, each with its specific functions and elements. Food cravings are often interpreted as signals from the body indicating imbalances or needs within this system. In fact, food cravings can be seen as a way of self-medicating. In Five Element Theory, there are 5 flavors: Sweet, Spicy/Pungent, Salty, Sour, and Bitter. Each flavor is associated with an organ system, as well as an element, emotion and predominant function or energetic effect. To better understand your food cravings, it can be helpful to understand each flavor, [...]

Comments Off

Nutrition for Spring
Gallery
Nutrition for Spring

Nutrition, Seasonal Changes

Nutrition for Spring

By Alexandra|2024-04-09T12:51:50-04:00March 17th, 2023|Categories: Nutrition, Seasonal Changes|Tags: green, liver, nutrition, sour, spring|

Photo by Cup of Couple from Pexels As we transition from the chilly depths of winter to the blossoming warmth of spring, our diets change to reflect this huge seasonal shift. In the yin of winter, Chinese Medicine prescribes a diet full of warm foods that are more heavily cooked. In spring, as we move towards the yang of summer, we want to eat foods that are both lighter, and more lightly cooked. Consider steaming your vegetables, instead of boiling or roasting them. The LIVER is the organ associated with springtime. The Liver is associated with regulating the smooth [...]

Comments Off

Sleep Nutrition: What You Eat Can Affect Your Sleep
Gallery
Sleep Nutrition: What You Eat Can Affect Your Sleep

Nutrition, Sleep

Sleep Nutrition: What You Eat Can Affect Your Sleep

By JaimeRoslyn|2023-03-08T08:24:52-05:00March 15th, 2022|Categories: Nutrition, Sleep|Tags: insomnia, nutrition, sleep, tips|

For many of us, sleep can be an alluding venture. Whether it's falling asleep or staying asleep, it can be tough. To help, sleep experts recommend regular exercise, establishing a bedtime routine and cutting back on screen time and social media. However, a growing body of research suggests that our diets also come into play, with the food we eat affecting how well we sleep and our sleep affecting our dietary choices. Researchers have found that eating a diet that is high in sugar, saturated fat and processed carbohydrates can disrupt sleep. On the other hand, eating more plants, fiber [...]

Comments Off

Warmth and Vitality in a Bowl
Gallery
Warmth and Vitality in a Bowl

Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Wellness

Warmth and Vitality in a Bowl

By BrianD|2022-11-15T14:05:17-05:00January 4th, 2022|Categories: Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Wellness|Tags: bone broth, Chinese medicine, congee, winter|

Photo by Louise Hagger Winter is upon us. As we withdraw to the warmth of our houses, we should keep in mind that the weather isn't the only thing that we should adjust during this season. Just as the Sun goes to bed earlier in Winter, so to speak, and gets up later, so too do we need more rest in Winter than the rest of the year. What we eat should also reflect this most inward-focused season of the year. One of the best things to eat year-round, but especially in Winter is a beef bone broth congee (porridge). [...]

Comments Off

Fall Ritual and Recipe
Gallery
Fall Ritual and Recipe

Nutrition, Seasonal Changes

Fall Ritual and Recipe

By sarahhumpal|2023-09-10T14:03:20-04:00October 11th, 2021|Categories: Nutrition, Seasonal Changes|Tags: fall, Fire Cider, Ritual|

One of the many gifts I’ve received as a student and practitioner of East Asian medicine is connecting to the cycles of seasons. I have a deeper understanding that nature is not something out there, but that I am nature and can feel the movement of seasons within me. As we transition from the season of Late Summer with its abundant harvest to the cooler crisper Autumn, I know some people have been craving this change, while others are dreading it. With the seasonal shift from the relatively more yang outward energy of outdoor gatherings and summer BBQs, to the [...]

Comments Off

Gentian Root
Gallery
Gentian Root

Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Wellness

Gentian Root

By marissa|2022-11-15T14:05:35-05:00August 9th, 2021|Categories: Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Wellness|Tags: bitters, gentian root, herbs, Late Summer, nutrition, recipe, summer|

Gentian Root...AKA cocktail bitters. A plant that encompasses many different species grown in all parts of the world, this root has a very long history in herbal medicine. As a liver tonic and digestive aid, Gentian has been used for literally millennia. Some of the most effective heat clearing formulas in the Materia Medica list this plant as a primary ingredient. During the hot damp heat of a Baltimore summer, common complaints can include headaches, digestive upset, red eyes, afternoon sore throats, nausea and hot/itchy rashes. All could potentially benefit from a bit of Gentian root. Now, bear in [...]

Comments Off

Nourishing Ourselves in Late Summer
Gallery
Nourishing Ourselves in Late Summer

Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Wellness

Nourishing Ourselves in Late Summer

By Kim|2022-11-15T14:05:35-05:00August 9th, 2021|Categories: Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Wellness|Tags: doyo, Late Summer, recipe|

The quality of the bright summer light is just starting to change from pale yellow to a richer, creamier yellow; the evening light is waning a little sooner; the robin’s last brood of the season has hatched. We’re entering the fifth and shortest season of the year called Late Summer in Five Element theory. It’s a time of transition from yang to yin, a phase between the expansive growth of summer and the inward pull toward autumn. This season correlates to Earth which serves to both feed us and ground us. According to Dr. Elliott Haas, “In the Chinese [...]

Comments Off

Summer Foods (Do’s and Don’ts)
Gallery
Summer Foods (Do’s and Don’ts)

Nutrition, Seasonal Changes

Summer Foods (Do’s and Don’ts)

By aubreylewis|2022-11-15T14:05:37-05:00June 28th, 2021|Categories: Nutrition, Seasonal Changes|Tags: do's and don'ts, recipe, summer foods, watermelon salad|

Natural rhythms inform us on how to eat seasonally, and it is no surprise that during the hot days of summer, Nature provides ultra hydrating fruits and vegetables in great abundance! We tend to crave light, cooling fruits and vegetables on hot days, intuitively balancing the yang (hot) environment with yin (cooling) foods. Summer: Fire Element The Heart and Small Intestine are ruled by the Fire element and responsible for circulation and heating the body. During the summer, it is especially beneficial to cut back on animal fats (especially red meat), dairy, and other fatty foods in order to [...]

Comments Off

Products We Love: Blume Superfood Blends
Gallery
Products We Love: Blume Superfood Blends

Nutrition, Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness

Products We Love: Blume Superfood Blends

By allysonschurtz|2022-11-15T14:06:01-05:00April 19th, 2021|Categories: Nutrition, Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness|Tags: beetroot, blume, Chinese medicine, nutrition, reishi, TCM, turmeric|

Meet our newest obsession: Blume. Our staff is loving these easy-to-use superfood blends. Just mix 1 tsp of Blume powder with a splash of hot water then top with your favorite milk or milk alternative (we love oat milk!). Drink hot or iced for a quick pick-me-up. These "superfood lattes" are nutritionally dense, hosting a wide variety of health benefits. Next time you’re in to see us, ask your acupuncturist which one they recommend for you. Beetroot Powder Beetroot is a great blood tonic and it supports the Liver. Packed with essential nutrients, beetroots are a [...]

Comments Off

Foods to Focus on During Spring
Gallery
Foods to Focus on During Spring

Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Wellness

Foods to Focus on During Spring

By JaimeRoslyn|2024-04-10T12:28:05-04:00April 13th, 2021|Categories: Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, foods, sour, spring, sweet, TCM|

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), spring is associated with the Wood element and corresponds to the Liver and Gallbladder organs. According to TCM principles, spring is a time of renewal, growth, and regeneration, mirroring the awakening of nature. During this season, it's believed that the Liver qi (vital energy) tends to be particularly active, and it's important to support its functions through proper nutrition to maintain balance and harmony within the body.Nature as our Guide What was true centuries ago, still holds true today – our best lifestyle cues come from living in harmony [...]

Comments Off