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WHY EAT GINGER ?

Study shows Ginger may be better for pain than drugs!

Ginger which is one of the most commonly used Chinese herbs is compared favorably to cortisone and ibuprofen for the treatment of oesteo and rheumatoid arthritis amounts.

Ginger extract was found to be as effective as anti-inflammatory drugs but without all the side effects such as weight gain, muscle weakness, depression, high blood pressure, anxiety, acne, headaches, breathing and vision problems.

Where as the positive effects of eating ginger could be a wonderful stir fry, or curry and Delia ginger cake. How bad is that remedy?

In one study, Dr. Srivastava gave arthritic patients small amounts of ginger daily for three months. The majority of people had significant improvements in pain, swelling, and morning stiffness by eating ginger daily. Ginger has been used medicinally for thousands of years in Chinese and Indian medicine as a natural anti-inflammatory food.

Dr. Srivastava also found that ginger was superior to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which only work on one level: to block the formation of inflammatory compounds. Ginger, on the other hand, blocks the formation of the inflammatory compounds–prostaglandins and leukotrienes–and also has antioxidant effects that break down existing inflammation and acidity in the fluid within the joints.

Further research in the Journal of Pain also report that ginger is an effective natural anti-inflammatory that helps reduce pain and inflammation. Both raw ginger and heated ginger were used in the study with similar effectiveness. The scientists specifically explored ginger’s effects on muscle pain.

How to Reap the Anti-Pain Benefits of Ginger
-Add chopped, fresh ginger to soups, stews, stir-fries, cakes and other recipes. Ginger is delicious in many savory and sweet dishes alike.

What’s your excuse for eating ginger cake?

(Thanks to Michelle Schoffro Cook )

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DO YOU SUFFER HEADACHES?

Headaches and Traditional Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been on the BBC news again today as doctors admit that taking painkillers for persistent headaches may be doing more harm than good.
Doctors now believe that the painkillers are so over prescribed that they indeed may be the cause of the headaches.

The BBC news continued to say that according to a NICE report Traditional Acupuncture may be MORE effective at treating persistent tension type headaches and there are no serious side effects to the treatment.

Adverts showing busy people pill popping for headaches, but those painkillers may well be causing the headache in the first place!

Traditional Acupuncture understands that headaches are the bodies way of telling us something is wrong.

Each of us is unique so acupuncture uses different treatment for each person depending on the exact details of the headache. Lots of questions will be asked regarding the details of the headache
Where on the head is it, front or back, one sided or both?
Is it asharp or dull pain?
Is it worse am or pm?
Worse for rest or exercise?
Worse for eating or fasting?
Stress related or exhaustion?

Each detail tells your practitioner information. There are over 200 documented types of different headaches in Traditional Acupuncture and a detailed diagnosis will lead your practitioner to the correct treatment plan.

Even as a young person I wondered why friends kept taking painkillers for headaches and I would ask them ‘why not try to find out what caused the headache instead of trying to just blot it out.’

If a warning light comes on in your car you wouldn’t cover it over with a plaster would you?

If you have a symptom there is a reason. If a symptom keeps reoccurring then it needs attention, your body is speaking to you, it wants to be heard and understood, it will not go away until the cause is addressed.

Also new recommendation from NICE: Acupuncture PROVEN to treat tension-type headaches and migraine

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DAMP WEATHER GETTING YOU DOWN?

Think about Traditional Acupuncture to help you feel better!

Did you know that in Traditional Chinese Medicine there is a condition known as ‘Dampness’ and it is considered to be an external and internal cause of disease?

Heavy-limbed, feeling as if you are wading through water, finding it difficult to concentrate, feeling lethargic and a bit ‘down ‘ or depressed on damp days you may well be experiencing the effects of what is known in Chinese medicine as ‘’Dampness.’’

Basically, it is a disruption in the transportation of our bodily fluids, damp causes it to become sluggish, fluids are heavy and they weigh you down.

Chinese medicine understands how the universe we live in affects us and I think many of us also know that the weather changes the way we feel on a daily basis.
‘It really does affect our health and mood, the heaviness of the rain, the darkness of the sky all brings our energy DOWN.

It is a very common problem in the UK and one I see in practise daily, especially at the moment as those vulnerable to damp are really suffering. It’s not just living in a damp climate that causes injury by damp, living in a damp house, staying by or on water, remaining in wet clothes. Sometimes a diet rich in ‘comfort foods’ is enough to cause this condition.

”Like wading through water dressed in a fat suit with heavy weights attached”

AM I SUSCEPTABLE TO RETAINING DAMP?

• Do you feel worse in damp weather? / better in dry?
• Do you feel muzzy and heavy headed, making it difficult to concentrate?
• Do your limbs / muscles feel heavy as if wading through water?
• Do you easily bloat up in your abdomen?
• Do you suffer with oedema and swollen limbs?
• Do you feel low in energy and lethargic?
• Do you often just want to lie down?
• Other symptoms may include loose bowels and discharges from all over the body?

If you answered yes to more than 3 of these questions you may well be prone to damp.

Acupuncturists often use acupuncture points on the spleen meridian to clear damp, I recently treated a pregnant lady with a famous acupuncture point by the side of her knee and she felt the heaviness in her legs subside.

Some people are more prone to damp than others and once established it requires some effort to move it as it is known for its lingering qualities.

Ways to protect yourself from ‘damp’ may sound like old wives tales but are steeped in truth. They include living in a dry environment, keep your body dry, and drying hair straight away, make sure clothes are dry and aired.

’Why stand when you can sit? Why sit when you can lay down?’’

Don’t bother to go to your local doctor complaining of damp because it is not a condition recognised by the medical profession and neither is it treated by them, but I know that most of my days in my Traditional Acupuncture clinic are spent with people trying to make sense of their symptoms because they suffer with the above conditions.

Talk to your practitioner if this is affecting you

Chinese medicine understands how the universe we live in affects us and I think many of us also know that the weather affects the way we feel on a daily basis.
‘It really does affect our health and mood, the heaviness of the rain, the darkness of the sky all brings our energy DOWN, so lets hope for some sunshine so the warmth can dry us out and lighten our load!

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Stinging Nettle Soup

STINGING NETTLE SOUP……… Well why wouldn’t you?

Spring has such an amazing effect on our energy, today I was out in the garden as excited as ever looking to see what I could plant.

I am the same every year starting a new season of growth.
Today as I cleared a raised bed, I came across some fresh young stinging nettles, so that was it. Stinging nettle soup it is!

This is so good for our kidney energy and full of wonderful iron and vitamins. Yeah

RECIPE for stinging nettle soup
• ½ carrier bag full of the tops of nettles
• 55g butter or olive oil
• I large onion
• I large carrot
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 large clove of garlic crushed
• 1 ltr chicken stock or veg ( see previous recipe for good stock making)
• A pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons of cooked rice or potato cubed and cooked
• 2 tablespoons crème fresh or yoghourt
• Salt and black pepper

Method
 Wash nettles
 Melt butter in pan, add onions, celery, carrots, garlic.
 Sweat them until they are soft but not brown
 Add stock and nettles
 Boil and simmer for 10 minutes
 Season with grated nutmeg and salt and pepper
 Liquidise with the rice or potato
 Add crème fresh and serve hot.

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The White Stuff

The cold weather, affects us all, I did not go out up to Londaon tonight for my usual Qigong class, the fear of being stranded in at a cold railway station is just too much.
I will miss it of course.

After Xmas is that time known to be quite depressing, so its good to keep busy, Chinese New Year is always a favorite time for me as its another excuse to eat lots of yummy chinese food.

I dont wait for my clients to cancel any more when it snows, I phone and ask if they would like to resedule their appointment if they are not confident to drive in the snow. I wouldnt drive in it so I cant expect anyone else to.

So here I am playing with the laptop and catching up on my reading ‘The Snowman’ by Jo Nesbo which is scarey, with red blood on white snow!!, then I read The Acupuncturist magazine which is where i found the recipe below

This was published in the autumn Acupuncturist magazine by Di Shimell
This is a good warming soup that warms and nourishes. It is excellent food for those struggling with
the cold weather.

Warming Squash and ginger soup

Ingredients
I onion
1 Squash, peeled seeded and roughly chopped, any type will do
I litre vegetable stock*
I heaped tablespoon of fresh ginger(grated)
125ml coconut milk
Method
Soften onion in teaspoon of olive oil
Add squash, ginger, and stock
Cook on a low heat until the quash is cooked through
Blend the soup, add coconut milk and serve straight away.

 

*Some of us…….. use a cheat called a ‘cube’

Some of us………. ‘think’ we make home made stock

Some of us…………… make magic
The magic of gaining health benefits from real meat stock is by adding wine!

In fact without the wine you can’t extract the goodness from the BONES
Follow the basic rules below and you can be enjoying health benefits beyond your wildest dreams.

Scroll down for recipes

This is where science backs up ancient herbal wisdom because it confirms that we need the acidity of the wine to extract the collagen out of the bones, this forms gelatin !

It is the collagen/Gelatin that gives us the health benefits and the flavor
Ancient Chinese doctors and many others since have used stock as a medicine. It is tragic that this art has been lost but it may actually explain a lot about the nation’s health.
Chinese medicine understands that;

• Gelatin is a nourishing tonic
• Stock is used to slow the ageing process
• Nourishes the blood: good for tiredness, dizziness, sallow complexion etc
• Stops bleeding: excessive menstrual bleeding, coughing blood
• Helps repair and support of collagen and elastic soft connective tissue which maintains bounce and movement between joints
• Slow joint degeneration
• Helps the fingernails and hair to grow well and strong
• Source of protein
• Feeds us many minerals and trace minerals in a digestible form
• Aids digestion
• Strengthens the immune system

How did we forget how easily a stock is made and how essential it is to make this low-cost, highly nutritive food a regular part of the family diet?
Add home made stock to most meals, soups (even canned ones), risottos, spag bog, stews, and casseroles. I am so lazy I add chicken stock to all types of meat dishes.

As the stock simmers – minerals and other nutrients leak from the bones into the water making it rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and other trace minerals. The minerals in stock are easily absorbed by the body. The bones even contains glucosamine and chondroiton – which some people prefer to buy as mineral supplements.

Gillian’s basic recipe for stock

 Ask your butcher for raw bones ( more collegen and clearer better looking stock or
 Or use the bones from Sunday roast.
 Cold Water to cover
 Wine 250ml, (cider vinegar or for alcohol fee version use tomatoes for the acid)
 No need to peel just clean. Onion, Leeks, Celery, Carrots, Potato
 Bay leaves break the spine
 Whole pepper corns
 Dried or fresh oriental mushroom, coryceps, porcini, shitake, ganoderma. (Check out the anti- cancer and immune enhancing properties of these)
Simmer (hours below) and then seive and bag up for the freezer

CHICKEN STOCK up to 6 hours
Add these for more flavour Giblets Tarragon, Lemons
Dried or fresh mushroom, porcini, shitake, ganoderma. Check out the anti- cancer and immune enhancing properties of these mushrooms

PORK STOCK up to 24 hours
Add these for more flavour Juniper berries, Mace

FISH up to 4 hours
Add these for more flavour Star anise, Dill, Fennel thyme

VEGETABLE STOCK Up to 3 hours
Add these for more flavour Parsnips Asparagus, Ginger, Rosemary and others herbs for flavour (AVOID cabbage)

BEEF STOCK up to 72 hours
Add these for more flavour
Rosemary Horseradish Adjust to your own taste

Heat and simmer. Do not boil
Add parsley in the last hour
Do not add salt to the stock, it may be added during cooking if necessary
Sieve and freeze in cup size bags

Thank you to
Kelly the Kitchen Kop
Sally Fallon Morell
Inspired by Stefan Chmelik
Materia medica Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble