nutrition Archives - Mend Acupuncture

Nutrition for Spring
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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 [...]

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Sleep Nutrition: What You Eat Can Affect Your Sleep
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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 [...]

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Gentian Root
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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 [...]

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Products We Love: Blume Superfood Blends
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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 [...]

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Jammed Yams
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Jammed Yams

Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Jammed Yams

By maryshock|2022-11-15T14:06:18-05:00January 22nd, 2021|Categories: Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, jammed yam, nourish, nutrition, recipe, sweet potato, TCM, winter, yin|

Jammed Yam is a staple in my cooking rotation. One of my housemates said “I would eat this as often as every other week.” High praise. The recipe is below, but basically Jammed Yam is a baked sweet potato served with warm black beans and pineapple salsa. It’s a rip off of Mom’s Organic Market’s Jammed Yam, which they serve in their Naked Lunch cafe. I love this dish because it is: Delicious Inexpensive Easy Vegan A good vehicle for toppings - avocado, cilantro, and more! Eating this meal just feels warm and nourishing. April Crowell, a Holistic Nutritionist, [...]

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Themes of Winter: Rest & Nourish
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Themes of Winter: Rest & Nourish

coronavirus, Mood, Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Themes of Winter: Rest & Nourish

By allysonschurtz|2022-11-15T14:06:18-05:00January 22nd, 2021|Categories: coronavirus, Mood, Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: bladder, Chinese medicine, emotion, fear, kidney, nourish, nutrition, rest, TCM, water, winter, yin|

Photo by Annie Spratt Lately in the treatment room, patients are reporting feeling extreme fatigue, lack of motivation, and depression. This admission is typically followed by the question, “what’s wrong with me?” Nothing is wrong! For many of us, our nervous systems have been under stress for a long period of time and this can have a significant impact on our health. The remedy is to lean into the wisdom of the season and allow ourselves the space to rest. This year, it’s more important than ever. Rest According to TCM, much like many animals in nature, Winter is [...]

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NO MORE SMOOTHIES!
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NO MORE SMOOTHIES!

Digestion, Nutrition, Organ, Seasonal Changes, Wellness

NO MORE SMOOTHIES!

By Alexandra McElwee|2022-11-15T14:06:22-05:00October 26th, 2020|Categories: Digestion, Nutrition, Organ, Seasonal Changes, Wellness|Tags: Chinese medicine, fall, nutrition, smoothies, spleen, stomach, TCM|

Now that I have your attention, let me explain (and perhaps, just maybe, dial it back a tad).... In Chinese Medicine, the Spleen and Stomach are the major organs for digestion, in charge of transporting & transforming all that you eat and drink into energy and blood. The Spleen in particular, dislikes things that are cold, raw and damp because they are much more difficult for your body to process. There is a ‘digestive fire’ in each of us that needs to stay lit to provide the warmth necessary for digestion to work smoothly. When we ingest things that [...]

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Summer in the time of Covid
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Summer in the time of Covid

Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Summer in the time of Covid

By JaimeRoslyn|2022-11-15T14:06:43-05:00July 9th, 2020|Categories: Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: Baltimore, cornavirus, covid, joy, nutrition, seasons, summer|

Summer is filled with abundant energy, long days and sunshine. As the most yang time of year, this season is about expansion, growth, activity and creativity. We all know what it’s like to endure a “Baltimore summer.” Hot and humid days remedied by secret swimming holes. But this is no ordinary summer. Get to know Summer in the time of Covid to better understand yourself and others. Summer: a season of joy. Summer is a time to nurture our creative energies and enjoy the abundance that surrounds us, as well as “the fruits of our labor.” The extra hours of [...]

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(Ease the) Sufferin’ Succotash
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(Ease the) Sufferin’ Succotash

Acupuncturists, Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Wellness

(Ease the) Sufferin’ Succotash

By sarahhumpal|2022-11-15T14:08:00-05:00August 20th, 2019|Categories: Acupuncturists, Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Wellness|Tags: Late Summer, Mend fellow, nutrition, recipe, worry|

Photograph by Irina Iriser In a recent blog about Late Summer, there is a description of a number of symptoms of imbalance that are “damp” in Chinese Medicine. And, right now, I have every one of them. I’m feeling sluggish in my body, don’t want to move, wake feeling kind of phlegmy in my throat and sinuses. My brain is foggy, it’s hard to get my thoughts together, I find myself worrying more than usual, and my digestion and bowels are weird (TMI? #sorrynotsorry. Even though not everyone is used to talking about it, information about bowels are useful [...]

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Nothing Beets Nourishing Your Heart
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Nothing Beets Nourishing Your Heart

Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Nothing Beets Nourishing Your Heart

By sarahhumpal|2022-11-15T14:08:01-05:00July 8th, 2019|Categories: Nutrition, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: beets, Mend fellow, nutrition, summer|

Image and recipe from My New Roots. The Treatment of the Month for July is the Summer Reset which aims to ease heat-related symptoms that are common in summer – i.e., foggy brain, lack of focus, exhaustion, headaches, over-stimulation, anxiety, and/or the summer blues. From a Chinese Medicine perspective, this acupuncture treatment works to settle the Heart, which also corresponds with the Mind and emotions. (There is more information about this connection and lifestyle tips on our blog about summer anxiety.) We can also nourish the Heart and cool summer heat through food, which includes not just what [...]

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