It’s that time of year!

Here at the YinOva Center, for the past six years, we have celebrated the transition into Spring with our annual YinOva Cleanse. Every spring we shake off the sluggishness of winter and get in shape for an active summer with a month-long cleanse that targets specific organs in a systematic way, using a combination of cleansing foods and wild-crafted herbs. The herbs come in an easy to follow kit and can be bought from our center at a discount or direct from the manufacturer Blessed Herbs.

This year most of our staff are onboard and dozens of our patients will be joining us as we drop some unhealthy habits and pick up some healthy ones. We’ll be blogging recipes and tips all month and we hope you can join us as we support each other. We’re here if you need advice either in person or on this blog.

This year we are offering three different versions of the cleanse which vary in intensity so feel free to chose the one that will suit you best. Here at the YinOva Center we think people should only juice-fast for a very limited time, so for most of the month we’ll focus on the cleansing diet outlined below which prioritizes foods that are easy to digest, support your internal organs and minimize inflammation in the body.

28 Day Cleanse

Our most intense cleanse lasts one month and detoxifies specific organs in a logical order. All the herbs are available as a kit from our center. The kit contains over 90 different herbs in 13 separate formulas designed to support your body as it cleanses, reduce unwanted para-organisms and restore healthy flora in the intestines.

We follow a liquid diet (soups and juice) for the first week only and then the cleansing diet below for the following three weeks.

• Week One – The Colon Cleanse
• Week Two – The Liver and Gallbladder Cleanse
• Week Three – The Kidney Bladder and Lung Cleanse
• Week Four – The Blood, Skin and Lymph Cleanse

Kits needed: Blessed Herbs Colon Cleanse and Blessed Herbs Internal Cleanse

21 Day Cleanse

There’s no liquid diet on this 3 week cleanse. Instead we follow the cleansing diet below for the duration of the cleanse. Again you take cleansing herbs available from our center in a specific order that supports comprehensive internal cleansing.

• Week One – An abbreviated Colon Cleanse followed by the Liver and Gallbladder Cleanse
• Week Two – The Kidney Bladder and Lung Cleanse
• Week Three – The Blood, Skin and Lymph Cleanse

Kit needed: Blessed Herbs Internal Cleanse

This is a simple colon cleanse using bentonite clay and herbs to sweep the intestines and a digestive stimulator to move the clay and herbs through the GI system. You can choose how intensely you follow this cleanse by either following a liquid diet or instead following the cleansing diet below. Again the kit for this cleanse is available at our center.

Kit needed: Blessed Herbs Colon Cleanse

The Cleansing Diet

To paraphrase an old Chinese saying, “protein is for strength, carbohydrates are for energy and vegetables are for cleansing”. A healthy diet is composed of all of these elements but for this month we’ll be focussing on detoxification by prioritizing vegetables. Remember that this diet is only for cleansing and is temporary. We’re not recommending that you follow it for longer than a month because it is too restrictive. Unless you are following the initial liquid cleanse we recommend that you restrict foods that are hard to digest or cause mucus production or inflammation.

For the cleansing period we eat predominantly fruits and vegetables with some lean protein (fish or poultry) and some whole grains. Remember to drink plenty of water. If weight loss is a goal you should restrict but not eliminate carbohydrates. Otherwise choose organic whole grains such as brown rice or quinoa.

Cut the following out completely if you can:

• Meat and shellfish
• Wheat/gluten
• Dairy products
• Fried foods
• Refined sugars
• Processed foods
• Coffee
• Alcohol

RECOMMENDATIONS TO SUPPORT YOUR CLEANSE

• Start each day with a cup of hot water with lemon in it.
• Except during the juice-fast, eat three small meals and two snacks a day.
• Take some time each day to do deep breathing, meditation, gentle stretching or yoga.
• Get at least 8 hours sleep each night.
• In the shower brush your skin with a loofah, skin brush or Japanese skin cloth.
• Drink one 8 oz glass of water or cup of herbal tea an hour. Explore a variety of herbal teas. Green tea is nice first thing in the morning and chamomile tea is relaxing before bed.
• Eat small portions and stop eating when you are satisfied.
• Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly.
• Have a weekly acupuncture treatment to encourage detoxification and to deal with any symptoms that may arise.
• Once a week place a castor oil pack over your liver. Rub castor oil over your liver on your right side of your upper abdomen from the mid-line out under your ribcage. Place an old towel over the caster oil and put a hot pack over the area and leave it there for 30 – 40 minutes whilst you relax.
• Try to walk for at least 30 minutes a day.

Good luck! We’d love to know how you are doing and would be especially interested in any healthy detox recipes you’d like to share. Starting next week we’ll be blogging healthy recipes, cleansing tips and supportive exercises. So please comment on the blog and share your ideas and experiences with our YinOva Community. You can find the YinOva Cleanse Section of our blog easily by bookmarking this link.

All herbs in our YinOva Cleanse are supplied by Blessed Herbs. We sell the kits at The YinOva Center (with a discount for our patients) or you can buy them directly from the manufacturer.

Please check with your doctor or health care provider to make sure that you are healthy enough to spend a month on a restricted diet. Do not take herbs, vitamins, recreational drugs or over the counter medication whilst you are cleansing. If you are taking prescribed medications please ask your prescribing physician for advice about combining them with this cleanse. The instruction book that accompanies your kit has information about the way in which the cleansing herbs can interact with certain prescribed medications.

Do NOT cleanse :

• If you are pregnant (if you discover you are pregnant whilst cleansing, please discontinue with the cleanse)
• If you have an active, acute infection
• If you are weak or debilitated
• If you are about to undergo or are recovering from surgery
• If you are suffering from the following GI problems – diarrhea, vomiting, intestinal infection, bowel obstruction, inflammation of the GI tract, abnormal narrowing of the esophagus or intestines, difficulty swallowing.

Why do some people seem to age quicker than others?

Is it just a matter of genetics or are there things we can do to slow down the aging process?

How much does lifestyle and diet contribute to aging?

Don’t we all age? Shouldn’t we just accept it?

These are some of the questions my patients ask me. The women I treat want to look and feel good as they get older and, because feeling well is as important to them as looking younger, they’re looking for natural ways to increase vitality. Personally, I feel fine about aging but I do want to live as long as possible and be healthy into old age and yes, call it vain, but I want to look as good as I can. This is where Chinese medicine may be able to help. The Chinese have a tradition of longevity practices that go back thousands of years and involve a system of diet, exercise, sexual practices and herbal formulas all of which can slow down the aging process and contribute to an active and healthy old age.

Even thousands of years ago, the ancient Taoists saw aging in remarkably modern terms. They believed that people are born with a finite amount of qi and that this depends on their parents. In modern science this corresponds to your genes. They then discussed how to supplement this qi by eating well, exercising and getting sufficient rest. All this good advice is now part of an emerging field called epigenetics, which is the study of how your environment and your choices can influence your genetic code.

We can’t do much about the genes we inherit but we can adapt our lifestyle and habits to give us the best chance of aging well.

The first step is to identify the habits that are aging us prematurely. These include:-

• Stress. This includes work stress, unsupportive relationships and poor work/life balance

• Eating foods that are not nutritious. This includes foods that create inflammation such as alcohol, coffee and, for some people, wheat. The additives in processed foods have been shown to accelerate aging in mice, so to keep your body feeling young, limit foods made in a factory and instead stock up on whole unprocessed foods.

• Not eating enough nutritious foods. Busy people on the run sometimes don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. If I could give you one anti-aging tip it would be to eat as many fruits and veggies as you can in a broad range of colors.

• Lack of sleep. There are plenty of studies that show that poor sleep habits affect many of the body’s systems. A 1999 study conducted by the University of Chicago and published in the Lancet found that cutting down from 8 hours of sleep a night to 4 hours produced significant hormonal changes and had an effect on glucose tolerance. ”We found that the metabolic and endocrine changes resulting from a significant sleep debt mimic many of the hallmarks of aging,” said Eve Van Cauter, Ph.D., professor of medicine at the University of Chicago and director of the study.

• Lack of exercise. Regular exercise can slow down the effects of aging on many of your body’s systems. It’s most important effect is on the heart where it slows down resting heart rate and increases pumping capacity. It also lowers blood pressure and makes the heart muscle and blood vessels less stiff. On top of that exercise increases red blood cells and decreases the blood’s viscosity. A regular exercise regimen can also lower cholesterol, boost your metabolism, increase your glucose tolerance, and regulate your hormones. Oh, and it’s a good stress reliever too!

• Environmental toxins. Many of the chemicals found in household cleaners, soaps, shampoos, deodorants and cosmetics have been found to be endocrine disruptors and can contribute to premature aging. How ironic that the cream we buy to reduce our wrinkles may well contain additives that are making us age from the inside out. My advice is to pick natural alternatives where possible.

Herbal Adaptogens

Many of the oldest and best known herbs protect the body from degeneration and fall into a category called adaptogens. Adaptogens are so called because they help our body adapt to the strains of daily living and normalize the body’s functions in the face of stressors, restoring homeostasis. Some have a systemic effect whilst others benefit specific systems. Many of them also regulate cell metabolism and support the immune system. Chinese soldiers used to take adaptogens before a battle and Tibetan monks used them so that they could survive with very little food.

10 of the best herbal adaptogens for anti-aging

1. Ginseng – In Chinese herbology Ginseng is a qi tonic so it has long been priced for giving energy and increasing vitality. It seems to offset the effects of stress on the body and there is good scientific evidence that ginseng improves the immune system.
2. Cordyceps – High in anti-oxidents, Cordyceps has been used for thousands of years in China where it is revered for it’s immune boosting properties and it’s ability to enhance energy. Recent research has shown that coryceps can reverse some of the effects of aging in mice.
3. Rhodiola – Widely used by Russian athletes and cosmonauts to improve energy and performance, rhodiola helps your body manage stress. It is calming and plays a role in normalizing heart rate after stress or exercise.
4. Ashwagandha – High in anti-oxidents and used in Ayurvedic medicine for its infection fighting properties, ashwagandha is also used to address depression and reduce the effects of stress.
5. Holy Basil – Another ayurvedic herb, holy basil supports the cardiovascular system, balances insulin and even improves the moisture level of the skin. It helps to reduce the effects of stress by lowering cortisol levels.
6. Turmeric – used in both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric has been shown to protect against alzheimer’s disease when paired with vitamin D. It also promotes circulation, relieves aches and pains, reduces inflammation, can prevent certain cancers and protects the liver.
7. Fo-ti -This Chinese herb is also known as he shou wu which translates as ”black-haired Mr. He”. This name refers to a famous folk story of an ool mad called Mr. He who took fo-ti and restored his black hair, youthful appearance and vitality.  Fo-ti is used for fatigue, immune dysfunction and to treat premature aging, particularly premature grey hair.
8. Ginko Biloba – Like turmeric ginko improves circulation and can be used to protect against alzheimer’s and other conditions that affect memory and cognition. It can also be used to prevent heart disease and macular degeneration,
9. Royal Jelly - This creamy substance produced by young nurse worker bees is used as a nutrient-rich food for the queen bee. It is these nutrients that have given it a reputation as a longevity tonic. High in antioxidants, royal jelly is used to strengthen the immune system and priced for its ability to reduce inflammation.
10. Green Tea – Studies have shown that tea polyphenols have a protective effect against free radicals, cardiovascular damage, some cancers and infections. There has been some positive research that has looked at how drinking green tea can protect the skin from sun damage and so reduce wrinkles.

It’s important to consult a herbalist before taking herbs such as the ones outlined above. It’s beyond the scope of a short blog article to explain each herb fully but there are contraindications and drug herb interactions which should be considered before taking any herb or supplement. Fo-ti, for example, has mild estrogenic properties and so should be avoided by women with a history of breast cancer. Turmeric is wonderful for circulation but has blood thinning properties and so should not be combined with blood thinning drugs such as warfarin. There are many different types of ginseng and some are more suitable for certain conditions than others. Feel free to come into the YinOva Center and meet with one of our herbalists if you would like an anti-aging herbal formula created specially for you.

“Beneath the light, the river and hills are beautiful,

The spring breeze bears the fragrance of flowers and grass.

The mud has thawed, and swallows fly around.

On the warm sand, mandarin ducks are sleeping.”

Du Fu (Classical Chinese Poet of the Tang Dynasty 712–770 AD)

Spring has sprung, as they say, and today’s equinox is officially the first day of Spring, in the northern hemisphere, and the end of winter. Chinese medicine draws its wisdom from the natural world, so the ancient Taoist doctors regarded the transition from winter to spring as an important time of renewal, not just in nature, but also in our bodies.

The element associated with the spring is the wood element, which is known for its strength and flexibility and is linked with the color green. The wood element represents growth and I’m reminded of this when I see the little green shoots appearing all over my garden. Like the new plants pushing through the earth, the energy of the wood element is strident and forceful. In human beings this energy can be frustrated when unbalanced, but when channeled properly it’s also associated with altruism and helping others. The direction of the wood element is east and so, appropriately, at the spring equinox the sun rises directly in the east. When it comes to weather the wood element is associated with the wind which reflects the movement and change of the season and the ability to burst through and overcome obstacles.

From a spiritual perspective the wood element is said to house the “hun” which is the part of the spirit that goes on after we die. For me the “hun” represents the wood element’s ability to transform life into it’s next stage and so I use this time to reflect on where I’m going and what aspects of my current life I’m choosing the leave behind.  The emotion associated with the wood element is anger which can cause stagnation and a pent-up feeling, but anger expressed healthily can be the impetus for transformation and change. This purposefulness is why the the wood element has a reputation for being able to get things done and, after the hibernation of winter, it feels energetically appropriate to do more and reach further during the spring.

The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine (an ancient Chinese medical text) advocated cleansing the body during the spring and here at the YinOva Center many of our staff and patients choose this season to follow a gentle and supportive cleanse together. You can read about past YinOva Cleanses here. The liver and gall bladder are the organs associated with the wood element and supporting these organs of detoxification in the spring can help them work better. Many of us suffer from sludgy, sluggish livers and the spring is a great time to gently cleanse and detoxify them.

So let’s celebrate the spring equinox together by embracing the wood element and it’s values. Here are some ideas of ways you can mark this transition.

• Let go! Leave behind any resentments or frustrations and make a plan to start anew.

• Make some noise! Anger is the emotion of the wood element and when channelled appropriately can be a force for change and transformation

• Grow! Plant some seeds to feel connected to nature’s cycles. Check out this YinOva Blog article about how to grow a vegetable garden from seed.

• Choose! Make a plan and begin it. The wood element has strong creative energy so paths chosen at this time are more likely to manifest.

• Drop a bad habit (or two)! Make some dietary changes to support your liver, the wood element’s organ. After the heavy foods of winter start to eat more leafy green vegetables and drink less coffee and alcohol.

• Cleanse! Join us at the YinOva Center as we all cleanse together. We’re starting on April 16th after Easter, Passover and Tax Day!

• Stretch! The ligaments and tendons are said to be the tissue of the wood element and now’s the time to emerge from your winter cocoon and exercise them. Feel free to book a Pilates appointment with Sarah if you would like our support.

• Heal! An acupuncture treatment is a great way of moving stagnation both physically and emotionally, so come on in and let the YinOva Team take care of you as you start a new healing regimen, detox or work on a new plan.

• Get up! It’s time to get off the sofa and move, make changes and get out and about.

• Give! Channel the energy of spring outwards and help give someone else a fresh start. Join our team on KIva and make micro loans to people in developing countries.

• Have fun! We have wood-element-themed spring macarons for sale in our center. Made for us exclusively by Bisou Ciao, our YinOva macarons are dairy and gluten-free and contain spirulina, mint and citrus all of which are used in Chinese medicine to benefit the liver. So go ahead…..have some fun and allow yourself a healthy (ish) treat.

On behalf of all of us here at the YinOva Center, we wish you a very happy, productive and healthy spring.

May you use the strength and flexibility of the wood element to create your dreams.

“How would your life be if you lived with a heart fully open and free and you knew that your story mattered? Think about this for a moment as you come and sit down with me. Imagine we’re sitting under an olive tree on a midsummer afternoon, sharing a Greek picnic of olives, feta cheese, fresh garden tomatoes, home-baked bread, a wonderful chilled Greek wine, some watermelon and some grapes, and sharing the joy of simply being alive. While the breeze wafts away our worries, I offer you my stories, from my open heart to yours.”

From Unbinding the Heart: A Dose of Greek Wisdom, Generosity, and Unconditional Love
by Agapi Stassinopoulos

Agapi Stassinopoulos and I were introduced by a mutual friend who thought I would like her latest book, Unbinding the Heart: A Dose of Greek Wisdom, Generosity, and Unconditional Love. Agapi was kind enough to send me an advanced copy of the book and my friend was right, I loved it. What’s more, as I got to know Agapi, I began to realize that her life’s journey has led to her “unbinding” her own heart, making her one of the most delightful, warm and wise women.

The book begins in Greece where Agapi shared a childhood with her sister, Ariana, in a family that had been profoundly impacted by the Nazi invasion during World War 2. Agapi’s father had been imprisoned in a concentration camp, as a punishment for publishing an underground newspaper, and her mother, Elli, had risked her life working for the Red Cross. Elli was, by all accounts, a remarkable mother and the wisdom she passed on to her daughters runs like a brightly colored ribbon through the book weaving Agapi’s stories together. Elli’s determination for her daughters led Ariana to study at Cambridge and then to a career as a writer and political commentator. She is now the president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post. Agapi, meanwhile, studied at RADA and became an actress, producer and writer. She has published three books and is now a motivational speaker and a regular contributor to her sister’s website.

As Agapi’s stories unfold she takes the reader with her as she gently explores the lessons she’s learned. She describes her disappointment as her acting career failed to live up to its early promise and how she used these feelings to find her path. She tells of being double-crossed when producing her first movie and how the pain of betrayal made her feel quite stuck, telling her story over and over again, until her mother simply says, “turn the channel, dear” and she realizes that moving forward, after being hurt, is a choice.

Unbinding the Heart follows Agapi’s life as she moves from Greece to England and then both coasts of the USA but it is no accident that the book ends, like Odysseus’s journey, back in Greece on the island of Ithaca. Ithaca is a magical place that is very close to my own heart. The picture of Greek food at the top of this page and the pictures below of toes on a rocky beach and a view from a window are mine, taken in Ithaca during a particularly trying time in my own life when I too was coming to terms with betrayal. I wish I’d read Agapi’s wonderful life-affirming book then, because if I had I may have learned to “turn the channel” sooner.

Agapi was kind enough to answer some questions for our YinOva community.

Jill: Agapi, Welcome to the YinOva Center!

Your mother Elli plays an important role in this book and the reader learns a lot from the wisdom she passed on to you. I was struck by how she was ambitious for you and your sister, Ariana, and willing to take extraordinary steps to help you both succeed but that her ambition did not stray into controlling your paths. Instead she validated each of you as individuals. As a mother myself, I’m interested in how she gave you both wings so can you talk a little about how she encouraged your individuality and helped you both fulfill your destinies?

Agapi: My mother was masterful at seeing the unique gifts that her daughters had and not comparing us to each other, but reinforcing our strengths and seeing what each child had to express.  It was obvious.  I was more artistic, loved to dance and loved theater.  Arianna loved math and economics and excelled in those fields.  Instead of trying to push me to be good at something I had no interest at, she gave me opportunities to express and opened doors for us to enhance our gift, develop it and find ways to express what we were good at.  She didn’t do this only with us, but with many people she came in contact with and helped give people permission to go for what they were good at and permission to forget struggling for what they were not good at.

Jill: What a wonderful gift she gave you!

Also from a young age you were taught to trust that life would support you and as you say in the book your mother used to tell you, “Don’t go into the world wanting. Go thinking about what you can give. And you will get what you want, because you won’t be going in as a beggar or a miser or starting from a position of lack.” How has this affected you?

Agapi: There’s a great relief to set your mind in the course of thinking, “what can I contribute to life?” Because it starts activating your offering and participating in a way that makes you feel good about yourself.  I’ve learned that bringing my full energy to something can be a contribution.  It’s the ultimate notion of giving of yourself and we all have it.

Jill: Not everything you have brought energy too has worked out as planned, however. For instance, I know that you came to the United States as a RADA trained actress to pursue a movie career and that you spent years working to fulfill that dream. I’m interested in the lessons you learned when that didn’t pan out as you had expected. A lot of people that I meet here in my clinic have hit a wall and are paralyzed by disappointment so I think it would help them to hear how you managed to continue to pursue your dreams whilst taking into account your reality.

Agapi: In chapter 8 called St. Joan on the bus I describe the epiphany that I had after years of struggling to get the parts and not getting them and how sharing my monologue with one passenger made me realize that I was waiting for someone to say, “Lights, camera, action, Ms. Agapi, we’re waiting for your close up.”  But, no one was saying that. I had to cast myself as the leading role in my own story and choose my own supporting cast and give myself a wide shot.  It was a turning point in my life.  What I would say to all those people you mention Jill is, if something hasn’t worked with relationships, career, find the Yes in you and start connecting with your spark no matter what it is.  What makes you feel alive?  Don’t ever lose your aliveness because something didn’t work out.  Because a man didn’t marry you, because a project didn’t work out, now matter what-  don’t lose your spark.  Find people who believe you.  If you’re hitting a wall, put yourself in reverse and look to see the window of opportunity if you shift your perception from how you think things should have been.  So often, the things that go “wrong” in our lives are the things that lead us to the things that go “right.”

Jill: Thank you for that, Agapi. I’m hoping that many people in our YinOva community will be inspired by your experiences and use your stories to find peace and inspiration when they “hit a wall” in their own lives. Your book starts in Greece, in Athens and ends, like Odysseus’s journey, on the Greek island of Ithaca. By coincidence, Ithaca plays an important role in my life and Greek culture has had a huge influence on me. I’m English and you talk a little in the book about the culture shock of moving from Athens to London. I feel as if spending time in Greece and living in America has helped me shake off some of my British reserve and open up my heart so I wonder if you would mind sharing what being Greek means to you and how it informs who you are.

Agapi: I love being Greek.  I love the language.  I love the culture and I love feta cheese and kalamata olives. I love the way people touch, hug and are physical with each other. I remember so many times when I call my Greek friends and the way they express the Greek language, they immediately bond with you through their warmth and that’s always with me.  I think it’s also the sunshine and the climate that makes the Greeks so warm.  I strive to bring that to my life here and to everybody that I meet.  I love when I am in New York and I run into a Greek taxi driver and the next thing we are chatting in Greek and when we arrive at the destination and I ask how much it is and he says, “nothing for you my beautiful girl.”  As you know, I wrote two books about the Gods and Goddesses and I did a documentary on the Greek temples which ended in Ithaka.  There is something about the soul of Greece that meets you in the islands, in the sunsets, in the horizon of the Aegean and in the whole temperament that completely resonates in my soul and I think it resonates with everyone.  People say to me over and over again, “I fell in love with Greece and the Greek people. “  The Greek philosopher Thales said, “I think we’re all Greek” and I think that’s true.

On behalf of all of us here at the YinOva Center, I’d like to thank you, Agapi. Not just for spending time with us but also for writing such an inspiring book. Unbinding the Heart touched me so much that I bought a copy for my 21-year-old daughter, hoping that she would be encouraged by your stories to keep her heart open and to live “full on” through life’s inevitable ups and downs.

You can read more about Agapi’s book on her website.

New York has a reputation for sleeplessness. Based in the heart of downtown in a city that never sleeps, here at the YinOva Center, we know a thing or two about insomnia and it probably won’t surprise you to hear that we treat large numbers of sleepless New Yorkers. Many of them come to us having tried a variety of over-the-counter remedies and one that is particularly popular is melatonin. People assume melatonin is safe because they can buy it in a health food store and patients often describe it to me as “natural” and “herbal”. However melatonin is not an herbal supplement and my patients are surprised when I tell them that it’s a hormone.

Like any hormone replacement therapy, melatonin can be useful but it also carries with it risks and side effects. If you take melatonin regularly, you send your body a message to down-regulate and produce less melatonin by itself, which in turn creates a need to supplement and sets up a vicious cycle where it’s hard to get to sleep without taking melatonin.

For this reason I never suggest that our patients take this supplement on a regular basis. The only exception I make is the temporary use of melatonin when traveling to avoid jet leg. It works well to reset your body clock and using melatonin once in a while, in this way, is safe and effective. We have more hints for avoiding jet lag here.

So what’s a sleepless New Yorker to do?

When I’m treating insomnia, I usually divide my treatment strategy into two parts – treating the root and the branch. The root is the underlying reason why you can’t sleep and the branch is the insomnia itself. Most of the pharmaceutical sleep aids, that doctors prescribe, treat the branch, meaning they help to knock you out but don’t solve the problem. If you stop taking them you will usually still have insomnia. What our patients want, however, is a treatment that gets to the root so that, in time, they can stop taking sleep aids altogether. Here at the YinOva Center we take a two pronged approach. First we prescribe a mild herbal sleep aid to help you get to sleep. Then we prescribe a more complex herbal formula that addresses the reasons why you can’t sleep in the first place. This method takes a bit longer than popping a melatonin but within 6 weeks most of our patients are sleeping on their own without needing to take any supplements at all.

In a city as sleep deprived as New York, that can be quite a relief.

Birds do it… bees do it…. sometimes my patients feel as if the only person who isn’t doing it is them. Time and time again women confide in me that they rarely feel in the mood for sex. They miss the connection that sex gives them and feel guilty that they have let this part of their life go, but they also feel tired and unmotivated about their sex lives.

In Chinese medicine sex, in the context of a supportive relationship, is important. The old Taoist sages would say that having sex connects us energetically to our partners. This is known as He Qi which literally means “joining energy” and refers to the way, in a good sexual relationship, both partners contribute energy to each other. By doing this the Taoists believed that it was possible to use sex to increase lifespan and heal the body. I believe that it’s vital for the emotional and physical health of our relationships that we connect with our partners in this way.

Chinese medicine has a long tradition of using acupuncture, herbs and nutrition to enhance libido. Our YinOva Center patients are pleasantly surprised to find that six sessions of weekly acupuncture can make a tangible difference to both sexual desire and responsiveness. This is because lack of desire in Chinese medicine can be caused by two things. Firstly, stagnation of qi leading to poor flow of energy and blood which mutes sexual response and secondly, lack of qi which means that we are too depleted to be able to get in the mood for sex. A combination of herbs that boost qi along with acupuncture to help qi and blood flow is a great way to get your mojo back. In this article from Cookie Magazine a journalist who came to our center to work on her flagging libido describes how acupuncture affected her sex drive.

Issues that inhibit sex drive can vary. Some people are too tired to have sex and some are bored with their sex lives. Some women find that medications that they are taking make them less sexually responsive and some women feel bad about their bodies. Some of my patients have unhealed psychological wounds around the subject of sex either from abuse or from negative experiences in the past. Some of our patients have medical conditions that make them feel less inclined to be sexual. Whatever the cause, a reduced sex drive is a warning that all is not well and I always advise my patients to seek the advice of their medical doctor as well as coming in to our center for Chinese medical treatment.

Here are some of the tips we give our patients to help them revive a flagging libido -

1. Come and see us for regular acupuncture.

Acupuncture moves qi in the channels around the genitals and so can help with issues related to orgasm. Acupuncture can also gently balance hormones and can increase desire and arousal.

2. Exercise.

Regular exercise moves qi in Chinese medicine and so alleviates the qi stagnation associated with poor sexual response. Exercise also reduces stress and improves your body image, both of which will help you feel sexier. A study of women ages 45 to 55 found that sexual satisfaction is directly linked to fitness. According to the study author Judith Gerber, a psychologist at the University of Vermont College of Medicine “The less exercise they got, the lower their desire and sexual satisfaction”. Because exercise makes the blood flow and the nervous system fire women often tell me that they have more energy for sex immediately after exercising. Bearing this in mind it makes sense to do half an hour of yoga or qi gong before bed time to give your sexual energy a boost.

3. Relax and be mindful.

Feeling sexual requires focus. Many of my patients have described to me how their minds wander during sex. If we are busy thinking about our work, the bills or our shopping list it’s hard to be in the moment and enjoy sex. Meditation can be a great way of training your mind to stay present. Personally, I find yoga to be very meditational and it has the added bonus of being great exercise and increasing flexibility, all of which make it easier to enjoy sex. This article from the Mayo Clinic has some great suggestions about ways to relax.

4. Strengthen your pelvic muscles.

Pelvic floor exercises called Kegel exercises can help you become more aware of which muscles give you sexual pleasure. To perform these exercises, tighten your pelvic muscles as if you’re stopping a stream of urine. Hold for a count of five, relax and repeat. Do this several times a day.

5. Don’t over-complicate sex.

Many of my patients are relieved when I instruct them to go home and have low key sex. Movies, the internet and books all show us sexual images that may seem unattainable and make us feel inferior. Remember that sex is first and foremost about energetic connection. Although sometimes it’s great to swing from the rafters, quiet gentle sexual connection can be just as rewarding and less daunting. While we’re on the subject it’s good to bear in mind that sex doesn’t have to be a marathon. Researchers at Pennsylvania State University found that most couples found lovemaking sessions of between 7 to 13 minutes to be optimal.

6. Chinese herbs can help if properly prescribed.

A specially tailored herbal formula can be really helpful. Many of our patients have reported great success from taking Chinese herbs for their particular condition. Chinese medicine has a long tradition of using safe, gentle aphrodisiacs such as ginseng which may be all you need to get your sex life back on track.

7. Consult your doctor.

There can be structural and hormonal issues affecting your libido and your doctor will be able to help with these. Your doctor can also tell you if any of the medicine you are taking is lowering your libido and may be able to suggest alternatives. She can also check for undiagnosed medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and hypothyroid – all of which can affect your sexual response.

8. Nutritional supplements that may help.

L-Arginine often works for both men and women. It boosts blood flow through the genitals. For men this increased blood flow can enhance erection, while for the woman it can lead to heightened stimulation. Men can take L-Arginine in pill form, while many women report the best results are achieved by applying a cream directly on the genitals. We always advise our patients to take a good multivitamin because low libido can sometimes be associated with nutritional deficiencies. Low levels of iron or folate can make you too tired for sex whilst low levels of vitamin E can lead to hormone imbalances which also affect sex drive.

9. The importance of touch.

Skin on skin contact stimulates the release of a hormone called oxytocin which in turn results in a desire to touch and be touched. The release of oxytocin makes us feel good about the person who caused the hormone to be released so allowing your partner to massage or gently stroke your skin creates an emotional and hormonal connection. Oxytocin has been shown to increase both sexual desire and sexual response and thus receiving and giving touch throughout the day is a great way to increase levels of this hormone and in turn makes you more likely top want to be sexual. Sex itself increases oxytocin levels and thus makes libido stronger which leads us to our final bit of advice.

10. Have sex.

Even if you don’t feel completely in the mood. Just do it. Having sex creates energetic connection, bonds you to your partner and causes hormones to be released which in turn make it more likely that you’ll want to have more sex. So as the saying goes “fake it till you make it”. Have sex even if you don’t feel in the mood, stay present, enjoy the connection, relax and don’t have too many expectations. Before you know it your body will be back in the groove and you’ll find your desire creeping back.

Do you prefer soft floating fabrics or something more structured and formal?

Do you love being by water or prefer walking in the country?

Are you quick to anger or someone who keeps things bottled up?

Are you naturally lean and muscular or is your body more curvy and rounded?

Do you come alive in the summer sun or are you someone who loves to cocoon all winter?

Are you a night owl or up with the lark?

Do you crave sweets or is it the salty taste that has you rifling through your fridge late at night?

The ancient Chinese philosophers looked to the natural world to find a way of describing how we are similar and yet unique. They discovered that pretty much anything in the world could be broken down into five energy types, which they called the Five Elements.

Wood

Fire

Earth

Metal

Water

These elements play a pivotal role in many forms of Eastern thought.

• In Feng Shui they are used to achieve balance so a space heals and nurtures or one element is emphasized to attract a specific energy.
• In Macrobiotics they help a cook create a balanced meal that supports health and reduces cravings or to prioritize one specific element to heal a health problem.
• In Chinese medicine they are used to diagnose disease and the resulting treatment plan will either emphasize a weak element or sedate an excessive element to restore balance and order in the body.
• In Chinese astrology they play a role in understanding a person’s constitution.

There’s a little bit of all five elements in each of us, but we all have a dominant element and this is said to be our Five Element Type. Our type is something we’re born with and has gifts as well as challenges associated with it. My patients find it helpful to understand their element and many have told me that it comes as a relief to know why they are the way they are. They find that it helps them be more accepting of their “faults” when they see them as part of a package. A Wood Type, for instance, can have a bit of a temper but is also very direct and productive.

Personally, when I realized I was an Earth Type I stopped being so hard on myself. Earth types have softer, rounder bodies and for years I tried to diet against my type to no avail. Once I understood my type, I was grateful for the gifts that come along with it. Earth Types are empathetic and good listeners, which helps me be good at my job. I’m never going to be skinny but with the right diet, I’m healthy and proud of my curves.

What Type Are You?

The descriptions below should give you a clue. I’ve kept them brief but there’s much more to say and I encourage you to read more if you’re interested. There’s plenty of good information on the internet. One concept that I’d like to touch on is that each element relates to the other four elements in such a way that it can be used to heal and balance them. This is way the elements are used therapeutically in Chinese medicine. So for instance water element foods tend to moisten and cool the body so they are particularly helpful for Fire Types who tend to be dry and overheated.

The Wood Type

To understand the wood type you only have to imagine a tree. Trees tend to compete aggressively with the other trees around them when growing and become steadfast and solid. Likewise Wood Types are determined, Type A people who seek out challenges and do well under pressure. Competitive and adventurous they love novelty and movement. Spring is the season of the Wood type who is drawn this season’s new starts, growth and possibilities.

Wood Types tend to have thin, lean bodies and move with grace. Their faces tend to be long and thin with a long nose, a broad high forehead and slender cheeks.

They have a strong sense of purpose but can become driven and stressed when out of balance. This means that Wood Types can be irritable, frustrated and impatient and suffer health problems such as PMS, high blood pressure, tight muscles and headaches. Being wound up sometimes makes the Wood Type crave alcohol or other unhealthy ways to relieve stress.

Jill’s advice for Wood Types

• Balance your strength by noticing when you get stubborn and learning to be flexible
• Take time to play and “smell the roses” and find a healthy stress relieving activity such as tai chi.
• The organ most associated with the wood type is the liver so wood types should avoid alcohol and include sour foods in your diet to stimulate the liver.

The Fire Type

Imagine a roaring fire and you will have some idea of what kind of person is a Fire Type.  They are energetic, passionate, dramatic and have a tendency to be emotionally volatile. Fire types love to talk and are known for being eloquent and expressive although they can sometimes talk too much or too quickly. They are energetic, charismatic people who approach life with an enthusiasm that is infectious. They make great leaders because of their ability to “fire up” other people.

Willowy and well-proportioned with delicate hands and feet, fire people may have ruddy complexions and prominent cheek bones. They sometimes have red hair and freckles.

The season associated with the Fire Element is summer with all it’s fun and excitement. Like the summer, the emotion most associated with the Fire Type, when in balance, is joy and they create intimacy and connection easily. However when out of balance the Fire Type can get anxious and suffer from insomnia and palpitations. They’re prone to overheating and can suffer acne and skin rashes. Because the heart is the organ most associated with the fire element, they are also prone to circulatory problems.

Jill’s Advice for Fire Types

• Balance your sociable nature by taking time to be alone each day.
• Writing in a journal or meditating helps balance you when you feel frenetic.
• It’s important that Fire Types guard against becoming too scattered and so try to plan ahead and prioritize what’s important.
• Fire types respond well to regularity and that includes regular small meals.
• You should avoid foods that are too spicy and over-heating and include in your diet bitter foods, such as leafy greens and cooling foods such as pears, cucumber and yogurt.

The Earth Type

Think of a vegetable garden and you’ll have some idea of who the Earth Type is. They are nurturing, grounded and practical people who enjoy nourishing others and are known for their reliability. Earth Types are drawn to harmony and like to feel connected to other people. They are compassionate and empathetic and often go into caring professions or use their skills to arbitrate disputes or negotiate agreements.

The season of the Earth Type is late summer with its harvest and bounty and they are often enthusiastic gardeners who love to grow their own food. They also enjoy home crafts such as cooking, knitting or quilting. Likewise they may express their love of nature by being environmentalists or working in conservation.

Earth people often have square faces with strong jaws and sallow complexions. Their features can be large, especially the mouth. Their bodies are often thick set or curvy.

Earth types are thoughtful but when out of balance these thoughts can become obsessive and intrusive and can cause them to worry unnecessarily. Also their wish to be needed sometimes leads Earth Types into codependent relationships or makes them give too much and become depleted. The organs associated with the Earth Element are the digestive organs so if they get run down they may have digestive problems, loose stools, fatigue and food allergies. They can also crave carbohydrates and put on weight easily.

Jill’s Advice for Earth Types

• Work on developing good boundaries and being able to say “no”.
• Make time to be in nature because this will refuel you.
• Earth Types should work at staying present and not allowing their mind to stray into the future and worry too much about things that may ever happen.
• Avoid sweets and replace them with sweet vegetables such as yams or carrots.

The Metal Type

When I think of Metal Types I imagine a knight with a shiny sword. Metal Types are righteous, faithful, brave and gallant. They’re intellectually sharp and this, combined with their tendency for self-discipline, can make them very successful. They like structure and tend to be organized and methodical.

Perfectionists in everything they do, Metal Types are highly creative and detail orientated. With their ability to “cut to the chase’, Metal Types are good at solving problems and make good lawyers, teachers or counselors.

Metal types have strong muscular bodies and broad shoulders and tend to have oval faces with widely set cheekbones and pale complexions. They often have straight hair. They are known for their fast metabolism and rarely have problems with their weight.

The Metal Element is associated with the lungs and skin and so when out of balance Metal Types are prone to respiratory problems such as asthma and skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis.

The season of the Metal Element is the Fall and the emotion associated with this type is grief. The Fall is when we all start to slow down after the excitement of summer and Metal Types can seem insular, preferring a small group of close friends as opposed to being part of a large crowd. When out of balance the Metal Type can allow grief and past hurts to damage their present relationships. This can make it hard for them to form bonds with other people and they may end up replacing intimacy with material things.

Jill’s Advice for Metal Types.

• Regular aerobic exercise will strengthen your lungs and benefit the Metal Type.
• Seeking help with letting go of the past can really support the Metal Type to form good relationships.
• Watch for a tendency to self –righteousness which is one of the ways the Metal Type protects herself from pain.
• Breathing deeply is important for Metal Types so a meditative technique that involves focusing on the breath can be helpful.
• Metal Types should avoid junk food and opt for foods high in minerals especially leafy greens vegetables.
• White foods such as mushrooms are also particularly nourishing for the Metal Element.

The Water Type

Think of a river carving it’s course through a valley and you’ll understand the Water Element. Water Types are able to go with the flow but they also have a strong will and get things done. They are known for their determination and are often described as self-contained or self-sufficient. Unlike the Wood Types, who get things done by force, the Water Types are more adaptable and achieve their aims by determining the best path through a situation.

Water Types enjoy anonymity and are often introspective making them somewhat enigmatic. As the old adage goes, “still waters run deep” and these people may seem to be wise beyond their years or quietly philosophical. The season of the Water Element is winter when quietness and stillness reign and the Water Types reflect this by seeking out solitude and tranquility.

Water types often have round faces and soft rounded bodies. They have large soft eyes and often have dark hair. If they are out of balance they are prone to dark rings under the eyes.

The organs associated with the Water type are the Kidney and Bladder and if they are prone to urinary tract infections and water metabolism issues leading to swelling and edema. The Water element also governs the bones so Water Types can have sore joints and back problems. The emotion associated with water is fear and when out of balance the water type can be fearful, timid and indecisive.

Jill’s Advice for Water Types.

• Guard against becoming too isolated by consciously prioritizing your social life.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Be aware that fear is a sign that you have become imbalanced and take steps to overcome timidity.
• Soups and stews support the Water Element and are particularly important in winter when the Water Type should avoid cold foods and salads.
• Seaweed is particularly nourishing for the Water Type and should be included in the diet wherever possible.

For most of us the New Year is a time to think about the changes we want to make in our lives. Many of us resolve to drop some bad habits or pick up some good ones. Here at The YinOva Center we often hear from people who are trying to give up smoking especially at this time of year. We understand that quitting smoking can be really tough and we want to support you in whatever way we can.

So can acupuncture help? The answer according to clinical research is mixed. This study compared acupuncture to sham acupuncture in a group of smokers who wanted to quit and found that acupuncture increased the likelihood they would be successful. Some other research studies were less conclusive.

The mixed results in clinical trials reflect our experience here at The YinOva Center. Many, but not all, of our patients find acupuncture very helpful in that it gives them the extra boost they need to finally kick the habit once and for all. They find it takes the edge off their nicotine cravings and gives them enough support to resist temptation. Other patients enjoy their relaxing treatment but find it isn’t enough on it’s own to stop them from smoking. I always tell my patients that when it comes to stopping smoking, acupuncture can be supportive but it isn’t the whole story. It can help you with cravings but it won’t replace will power.

So if you’ve made up your mind to stop smoking and want some extra support we’d love to see you here at the YinOva Center. We have found that 2 treatments a week for three weeks seems to work best. We focus on points that calm cravings as well as those that calm anxiety. We also address any symptoms that come up. For example many smokers who quit to protect their lungs are disappointed to find that initially they develop a cough as their lungs expel years of accumulated gunk.

Here is the advice we give our YinOva patients who come to us for help as they give up cigarettes:-

• We love these people who run a 1/2 day stop smoking course in New York City and all over the world. Founded in the UK they use a combination of cognitive and behavioral therapy and hypnosis and have great success rates. They also have an online course that many of our patients have found really helpful.

• From the same people comes a book, The Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Join the Millions Who Have Become Non-Smokers Using Allen Carr’s Easyway Method. Both Ashton Kutcher and Ellen DeGeneres claim to have quit smoking having read the book. One of my patients skimmed through the book standing up in Barnes and Noble and quit there and then!

• In our experience the best way to quit is cold turkey. Patients who try to cut down their cigarette consumption usually find that it creeps up again.

• Quitting to make someone else happy almost never works. You need to find a reason to do this for you. Talk to us and let us help you get in touch with all the reasons why you are worth taking care of.

• Note that cravings last only a few minutes so ignoring them uses less will power than you think. Distract yourself for a couple of minutes and you should feel much better. We asked some of our patients what they did when they were experiencing a craving and here are some of their suggestions. Chew gum, eat a carrot, light a candle, focus on taking 10 full breaths, wash your hands or have a shower.

• The worst cravings only last a week. Take it one day at a time and know that by the time you have reached day 7 you are over the worst.

• Many of our patients have found that drinking alcohol weakens their resolve. In fact in studies 50% of relapse is related to alcohol use. Its best to avoid situations where you are drinking and other people are smoking, especially for the first few weeks.

• Find ways to calm your mind. Take up yoga, adopt a regular meditation practice, have an acupuncture treatment or go for a run.

• Don’t skip meals. When you were smoking you may have replaced a meal with a cigarette. It allowed you to avoid the feelings associated with low blood sugar. Now if you miss a meal you may feel irritable and unable to concentrate and your mind may trick you into having a cigarette to make you feel better.

• Convince yourself that there is no excuse for a relapse. Nicotine never makes anything any better so no matter what life throws at you don’t use it as an excuse to start smoking again.

• Acupuncture, whilst not replacing your own will power, can help you manage cravings so feel free to come in and see us for a course of 6 treatments.

• If you do slip up and have a cigarette, simply start again. Don’t beat yourself up or decide it’s impossible. Just get back on track. Many of our patients who have successfully given up smoking made several attempts before they finally quit for good.

Good luck!

Like many of you, I’m increasingly worried about the amount of chemicals we are exposed to.  From talking to our YinOva patients, I  am clear that many of us want to take sensible steps towards a less toxic lifestyle. Personally, I’ve changed my diet, eliminated toxic household cleaners, made different make-up choices and even found a natural deodorant that works (Dr. Hauschka).

In the past I’ve eyed organic tampons in the health food store and dismissed them as too expensive. However, as a someone who specializes in the care of women, I know that the membranes inside the vagina are thin, sensitive and more porous than our skin. The average woman uses about 11,000 tampons or sanitary towels in a lifetime, so it makes sense to look closely at what these products are made of. When I researched the chemicals in most commercial sanitary products I knew that this was another change I needed to make.

Dioxins

In our book, Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility, Dr David and I discussed the adverse effect of dioxins on fertility and you can find out more about them here on the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website. As you can see from the link the EPA has confirmed that dioxins are known to cause cancer in animals and are suspected of contributing to human cancers too.

Tampons are made of cotton and rayon which are bleached because we, the consumers, associate white cotton with purity and cleanliness. This bleaching process produces dioxins, although the FDA assures us that they are present in tampons in very minute levels and are therefore safe.  However the risk from dioxins increases with repeated exposure because dioxins have a long half-life. What this means is that the dioxins stay active in the body and don’t break down for many years.  In fact it may take 50 years or more for them to be completely eliminated from the body. Dioxins therefore build up over time, and each exposure increases the amount of the chemical in the body. According to the EPA, there really is no “acceptable” level of exposure to dioxins. The real danger lies in repeated contact and I think we’d all agree that using about 5 tampons a day, 5-7 days a month, for about 40 years means we definitely have repeated contact with this dangerous chemical even though the levels are very low.

Pesticides

Did you know that cotton is one of the crops that is most heavily sprayed with pesticides? I didn’t either. Not until I started to look at the research and found out that 10% of the all world’s pesticides and 22.5% of insecticides are used to grow non organic cotton. Five of the top nine pesticides used on cotton in the U.S. are known to be carcinogenic and all nine of them are classified by the EPA as Category I and II chemicals, meaning the most dangerous and likely to cause harm. Again the residues in tampons are small but given the repeated exposure are they small enough to be harmless? We don’t know and personally I’m no longer willing to take the risk.

Fragrances

Fragrances are a new addition to feminine hygiene products. We’re supposed to want them in order to smell better “down there”, but I consider them a marketing tool that preys on our insecurities to sell us something we don’t need. These fragrances are considered to be trade secrets so tampon manufacturers do not have to tell us what chemicals they use. They are simply required to list them as “fragrance”. However among these hidden chemicals we may be being exposed to phthalates which are a class of chemicals known to disrupt hormones and affect fertility. Why take the risk?

So what’s a girl to do?

Tampons

There are plenty of organic tampons for sale in health food stores and online. They’re more expensive than ordinary tampons and it is cheaper to use reusable pads or a cup, however they’re convenient and if you can afford to make the switch they may be a good option. Trusted brands include Seventh Generation and Natracare.

Disposable pads

Look for sanitary towels that are made with organic cotton and are not bleached with chlorine. Both Natracare and Seventh Generation make pads that are widely available.

Reusable pads

Our granny’s generation used reusable pads which involved belts and safety pins. Thankfully the modern versions of these pads are much less cumbersome. Check out the ones made by Lunapads, which are convenient to use and well designed.

Cups

Menstrual cups are a type of barrier worn inside the vagina, just below the cervix, to collect menstrual fluid. I like these! I didn’t think I would, but whilst doing my research, I tested the Diva Cup and found it to be a comfortable alternative to tampons. It’s made of medical grade silicon and contains no chlorine, dyes or additives. It does require access to a clean water supply to cleanse the cup and the manufacturers recommend using a mild, unscented soap to clean it regularly. Diva cup sell a cleanser for just this purpose.

So are tampons toxic?

The answer is we’re not sure. Some of the more extreme internet myths (such as the one where tampons have been found to contain asbestos) have been discredited. The chemicals in tampons seem to be low level but they are known carcinogens and hormone disrupters. Given the vulnerability of vaginal tissue and the repeated, regular exposure feminine hygiene products require, it seems sensible to limit our exposure to these chemicals by switching to natural brands of tampon or the many alternatives that are now on the market.

That’s what I’ve decided to do and it’s the advice I’ll be giving my daughter.

I love the rhythms of the country and the way the passage of time is marked by the fruits and vegetables we grow and the foods we eat. I look forward to each crop from the early summer peas and beans to the autumn pumpkins and squashes. However, nothing generates more excitement in our house than the apple harvest and recently Noah and I took advantage of a sunny fall day to pick enough apples and pears to last us through the winter.

In Chinese medicine both apples and pears are considered to be cooling and moistening and are used medicinally to treat inflammation and dryness. Modern scientific research seems to agree with the old adage that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” because various studies have shown that apples can protect women from osteoporosis and breast cancer whilst also preventing asthma and lowering cholesterol. Pears meanwhile can treat a sore throat, reduce inflammation, boost the immune system and lower blood pressure.

We spent a happy afternoon picking the fruit and arrived home tired and in the mood for an apple crumble and some home-made pear juice. Suitably fortified, we set about preserving the rest of the fruit for later use. We canned the pears in spiced red wine  and the apples in syrup to be used as pie filling and talked about how happy we will be to open these jars during a freezing New York winter and briefly recapture the autumn sunshine.

Canning is daunting the first time you do it, but it’s actually very simple and it makes economic sense to use fruits when they are plentiful and cheap and preserve them to eat the rest of the year. Our grandmas did this because they had to and I’m happy to carry on the tradition and even pass it on to the next generation. My daughter Emma has inherited a passion for preserving and is an enthusiastic jam maker. You can read her favorite jam recipe here.

Apple or Pear Crumble

Ingredients:

Topping
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped nuts eg. walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds (or a mixture of all three)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (or 1/3 cup of date sugar, if you are avoiding processed sugars)
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour (or gluten free bake mix, if you are avoiding gluten)

Filling
5 tablespoons canola oil
3 1/2 pounds ripe pears or apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
2 tablespoons cornflour
2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Prepare the topping by combining the oats, nuts, brown sugar and flour (or gluten free bake mix) in a medium bowl.
• Stir in the oil and mix until all the topping ingredients are moist.
• Prepare the filling by combining the pears, maple syrup, cardamom, raisins (or dried cranberries), cornflour and lemon juice into a large pie dish. Mix well.
• Sprinkle the topping over the pears.
• Bake the crumble for 45 minutes. The pears should be soft, the juices should be bubbling and the crumble topping should be golden and crisp.
• Take the crumble out of the oven. Ideally it should stand for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to develop but this never happens in our household where everyone digs in the minute the crumble is ready.

I’m hooked on this roasted seaweed snack made with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Gluten-free and vegan, it has a delicious salty, crunchy quality which satisfies the same kind of craving that tempts me to binge on potato chips or pretzels.

A pack contains 5 large sheets which is rather a lot to eat at one sitting (although I have been known to!). Each sheet has only 10 calories in it and is packed with healthy phyto-nutrients so this is the nearest thing possible to a guilt-free snack.

Seaweed is highly nutritious because it absorbs so many minerals from the ocean. Long used to support the thyroid because of it’s concentration of iodine, seaweed is also used in herbal medicine as a libido booster and weight loss aid.

You can get them from your local health food store or as a 4 pack online

This is barely a recipe. In fact I almost didn’t share it with you because it’s so simple. However it tasted good, looked pretty and is cheap and nutritious. It’s also an ideal soup to make as the season changes because it’s light enough to evoke the taste of summer and warming enough to serve as the autumn weather sets in.

This is really a very adaptable recipe and I often make it to use up the contents of the vegetable drawer in my fridge. I called this version End of Summer Soup because I used some of the summer vegetables that are still growing in our garden and combined them with some of the winter root vegetables that we are just starting to harvest. I’m giving you a list of ingredients so you can see what I used this time but really it’s just a guideline so please adapt it to suit what you have on hand. I’ve also given amounts but don’t bother to measure anything because this is not the kind of soup that need precision.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

Approx. 1 cup of anything in the allium family, chopped – (I used a combination of onions, leeks and garlic)

3 tbsp mixed fresh herbs, chopped or 3/4 tbsp of dried herbs (I used sage, thyme and tarragon)

4 sticks of celery, chopped

4 mushrooms, chopped

Approx. 2 cups of root vegetables, chopped (I used sweet potato, carrots and turnips)

Approx. 1 1/2 cups softer vegetables, chopped (I used summer squash and red pepper)

1 can of beans, drained and rinsed (I used garbanzo)

5 medium sized tomatoes, chopped

Vegetable broth to cover (about 8 cups)

Approx. 1/2 cup parsley and chives, chopped

Salt and pepper

Instructions

In a large soup pot saute the onions, leeks and garlic in the olive oil over a gentle heat for 5 – 8 minutes, until the onion is transparent. Then add the chopped herbs (except parsley and chives which go in at the end). Add the root vegetables and cover the pot. Sweat the vegetables over a low heat for 5 minutes to extract some of their juices. Then pour on the stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the soft vegetables and the beans and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for a further three minutes (the idea is to use the tomatoes to give the soup some sweetness but cook them briefly so they don’t break up and make the broth taste too much of tomato). Add the parsley and chives, adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper if necessary and serve.

Serves 6

Kathy was a patient I hadn’t seen for many years. She’d originally come to me to manage her back pain and once she was better we had lost touch. However a new set of symptoms had brought her back to the YinOva Center in the hope that Chinese medicine could help.

A month prior she’d had a worrying episode. Out of the blue she suddenly felt a pain in her chest. This was accompanied by a sour stomach and pain down her left arm. Naturally Kathy feared she was having a heart attack and, quite sensibly, had gone to the ER in the middle of the night. There she was tested and pronounced fine. The ER doctor prescribed some antacids and suggested she see a GI specialist. Since then Kathy had been taking antacids regularly but found they didn’t help much. The GI doctor suggested an endoscopy and had found that Kathy had a hiatal hernia. He too prescribed antacids and a special diet but Kathy was finding her symptoms to be increasingly unpleasant.

“Is there anything else I can do apart from taking the antacids”, Kathy asked me. Actually there was much Kathy could do to help herself and we set about coming up with a treatment plan.

What is a hiatal hernia?

Your esophagus passes through a small hole (a hiatus) in the diaphragm to connect with your stomach. Sometimes the stomach can push up through this hole and that is what’s known as a hiatal hernia. It’s a very common condition and many people who have a hiatal hernia have no idea it’s there because they have few symptoms.

Other people, like Kathy, do have symptoms including acid reflux, nausea, belching and chest pain. Some of my patients also feel that their hiatal hernia’s give them more systemic symptoms such as fatigue and body aches. I’ve even seen some patients who’s hiatal hernia was irritating their vagus nerve and causing an irregular heart beat.

Many doctors dismiss these broader symptoms but to me, as a practitioner of Chinese medicine, a hiatal hernia is not just a local phenomenon but a symptom of a weak digestive system or weak earth element as it is know in Chinese medicine. Weak earth can lead to fatigue and muscle aches. Kathy’s full diagnosis was Wood overacting on Earth which is a way of expressing how stress affects the liver and weakens digestion. A sludgy, stagnant liver can cause gastric inflammation and is often overlooked in many conventional treatments for this condition.

So Kathy and I set about treating her whole body and her digestive system in particular.

Why does it happen?

First we looked at what had caused Kathy’s hernia. The causes of hiatal hernia can vary but these are the main ones.

• Mechanical causes – Anything from improper lifting, bouts of coughing, repeated vomiting, a sharp blow to the abdomen, to tight clothing and poor posture can cause a hernia

• Dietary causes – Overeating, eating a large meal and then lying down, eating rich fatty foods and excessive alcohol consumption can all cause a hernia.

• A backed up GI system – Many people who have a hiatal hernia also have an inflamed ileocecal valve lower down in their digestive tract causing gas to build up and creating pressure higher up in the digestive system. I’ve noticed that many of my hiatal hernia patient have a long history of constipation causing their GI tract to flow poorly.

• Emotional causes – In Chinese medicine the wood element can become excessive when the patient represses anger. It’s almost as if they “can’t stomach” a situation and anger causes them to tighten up and suck their breath upwards. If this anger doesn’t get released it can lead to pressure in the stomach and a hernia.

As Kathy and I talked she realized that she had put her body through a few of these challenges. She had recently been through a difficult divorce where she had been very angry but had tried not to show resentment in front of her children. She’d also started dating again and, worried about an extra few pounds on her tummy, had taken to wearing high waisted control underwear which gave her a nice figure but pushed her stomach upwards. She also confided that she had been bulimic in the past although not recently and that when she was going through her divorce she had got into the habit of having a couple of large glasses of wine after the kids had gone to bed.

Solutions

After Kathy and I had worked all of this out we set about making a plan. She agreed to stop wearing the control underwear and to follow a diet aimed at calming her acidic stomach. We talked about various ways of releasing anger and Kathy told me she had tried talk therapy in the past and found it wasn’t for her, so I suggested several sessions with our YinOva Massage therapist who has training in therapeutic abdominal massage.

Next we used acupuncture to treat both the root and the the symptoms of the hiatal hernia and I prescribed a Chinese formula that supported her liver, cleared heat and inflammation from the GI tract, promoted healthy digestive function and relieved emotional anxiety.

I also taught Kathy the following maneuver which I’m happy to pass on to you. This exercise helps get the stomach back down through the hole in the diaphragm. Many of my patients with hiatal hernias have found it really helpful.

Exercise to reverse a hiatal hernia

First thing in the morning drink a cup of warm water (not tea or juice – just warm water!)

Then, while standing, bring your arms straight out to your sides and then bend your elbows so that your hands are touching your chest. Stand up on your toes as high as possible and then drop, you should feel a jolt. Drop down about 10 times in a row. Then, while standing with the arms up, pant short quick breathes for about 10-15 seconds.

That’s it!

How does it work? The water acts as a weight and the fact that it’s warm relaxes the stomach. Raising your arms and bending your elbows stretches the diaphragm and opens up the hiatus. The jolt as you drop down pulls the stomach out of the hiatus and the panting tightens up the diaphragm and helps the hiatus to close up.

Other advice we give YinOva patients with a hiatal hernia

• Do the maneuver above every morning. After you feel better keep going for a further three weeks every day to strengthen the area and stop a recurrence.
• A massage therapist skilled in abdominal massage will know massage techniques that can help bring the stomach back through the hiatus. Our own Nicole Kruck is especially skilled at this.
• Eat regular small meals – “little and often” should be your mantra
• Don’t eat right before you go to bed. Sit up and allow your digestive system to do it’s job.
• Acupuncture can be used to treat both the symptoms and the cause of a hiatal hernia
• A specially tailored Chinese herbal formula can be very helpful and can be designed to fit your particular pattern
• Avoid alcohol
• Limit fatty foods
• Lose weight if you need to
• Find a way to relieve stress (acupuncture and massage may be helpful here too)

Kathy followed the plan we’d created together and was particularly diligent about doing the special exercise every day. Within two weeks she was feeling much better. After 4 weeks we stopped the herbal formula and after 6 weeks she didn’t need the acupuncture anymore either. We decided she’d carry on doing the massage once a month to relax the area and follow the guidelines above. Before I wrote this article I rang Kathy to check in on her and ask her permission to write about her case (with names changed). She told me she’s been symptom-free for 8 months and hadn’t needed an antacid in all that time. She’s even been able to have the occasional rich meal and some wine here and there without a problem.

It’s that time of year again!

Our children are heading back to school. We Moms often have some mixed feelings around this. Most of our YinOva Moms tell me they feel a bit wistful that summer is over whilst at the same time breathing a giant sigh of relief as everyone gets back into routine. At this time of year patients usually tell me that they want to get off on the right foot and ask advice about putting some healthy habits in place. So here’s some back to school advice gleaned from our YinOva Moms (both staff and patients) as we wish you all a healthy transition into fall.

Get a healthy start

We’re all familiar with the morning rush but making time for a proper breakfast is an essential start to the day. It’ll help your children arrive at school alert and able to concentrate.

Unfortunately many quick and easy breakfasts are full of sugar and empty calories. As a general rule it’s best for children to start the day with some protein such as eggs, nut butter, milk or yogurt and some high fiber carbohydrates such as grains, wholegrain tortillas, whole wheat bread or healthy cereals. You can round this our with some fruit – bananas go particularly well with nut butter and whole wheat bread for example.

Check out this blog from our archive which has plenty of healthy and kid-friendly breakfast ideas.

Nutritious Packed Lunches

We’ve talked about packed lunches before on the YinOva Blog so for some good ideas and helpful advice check out this blog from our archive.

If you’re having trouble planning your child’s lunches ask them for some input. Sit down with your kids and talk to them about which foods are healthy and which foods won’t help their body as much. Get their agreement about which foods to eat regularly, which to only eat occasionally and which to avoid altogether. Then make a list of things they want to eat. Help them understand balance by getting them to pick proteins they like as well as grains and fruit and vegetables and get their ideas about how to combine these.

As important as what you put in a healthy lunchbox is what you leave out, so give the following a miss:-

• High fructose corn syrup
• Fruit juice from concentrate
• Artificial sweeteners
• Partially-hydrogenated oils
• Trans-fats
• Nitrites
• White or bleached flour products

Some ideas from our own YinOva acupuncturists include:-

• Leftover grains (eg Brown Rice) with leftover steamed veggies and low sodium tomato sauce
• Hummus or other bean dip with whole grain crackers and veggies to dip into it and a banana for desert.
• Greek yogurt with veggie chips to dip into it and a small bag of trail mix.
• A whole grain, rice, or corn pita, no nitrate lunch meat, lettuce, sliced tomato and hummus.
• Wholewheat pasta salad with tuna and veggies and some veganaise and apple sauce on the side.
• A whole grain, rice, or corn tortilla with mashed avocado, beans and rice.
• Rice crackers with nut butter and a bag of cut veggies and some seedless grapes.

We’d love to hear your own ideas for packed lunches so please share in the comments.

Exercise

When I was young we did PE every day but these days many schools have had to cut their PE programs and academic pressure means that children get less exercise than they used to. Children’s lives have also become more sedentary with TV and computer games replacing outdoor play. Staying fit is important for mental health and concentration as well as physical health and well being. Make sure your kids get some kind of exercise everyday, either by encouraging them to participate in organized sports or by letting them ride their bikes or run around in the park.

Herbs and Supplements

Being in a stuffy classroom with lots of other kids means that our children are particularly susceptible to colds and flu. Support their immune systems by adopting some of the healthy habits above and also by making sure that they take some useful supplements. This blog from our archive looks at how some of the supplements and herbs we stock here at the YinOva Center can be used to support your kids.

My own personal Mom trick is to give them a probiotic which will not only support good digestion by promoting beneficial intestinal flora but has been shown to boost the immune system and help them fight infectious diseases.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a great way to address many childhood ailments and disorders. Check out this blog article by a YinOva Mom who came to our center for acupuncture and Chinese herbs which successfully treated her child’s eczema.  We use acupuncture to treat kids for weak immunity, repeated ear infections, digestive problems, asthma and behavioral problems.

Mom’s who are new to acupuncture worry that their kids will be upset by the needles but this is rarely the case. This video shows me treating some of our YinOva kids and should reassure you that fer from being scary, acupuncture can be fun.

Few things are more comforting than a boiled egg with toast soldiers, a sandwich on crusty bread or a cake with afternoon tea. But for the millions of people who suffer from gluten intolerance these pleasures are denied.

At the YinOva Center we’re familiar with the territory. Quite a number of our patients are allergic to gluten and suffer from inflammation when they eat wheat. Some of these people have full blown Celiac Disease, which is a common autoimmune disorder that affects the small intestine, and some are just mildly gluten intolerant. These patients feel better if they avoid wheat, barley and rye which used to mean missing out on some favorite foods. These days, however, there are such great gluten-free alternatives that no one need feel deprived.

I made this gluten-free summer squash bread to use up an over-abundance of patty pan squash from our garden and make a tasty treat for a friend with a wheat allergy. Using Pamela’s Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix I was able to accommodate my friend’s allergy without sacrificing taste and by using agave nectar I managed to avoid processed sugar too. The result was a moist loaf that wasn’t too sweet.

A word of warning about baking with agave nectar: When I first made this loaf I used 1 cup of sugar instead of 1/4 cup of agave nectar. This gave a a sweet loaf with a cake-like texture. For health reasons I wanted to make the cake less sweet, less high calorie and without processed sugar so chose I chose to substitute a small amount of agave nectar for the cup of sugar. This gave a loaf that was more moist and less sweet. More like a tea bread. We loved it but if you like a sweeter cake and don’t mind using sugar, feel free to use it instead. One more word of warning a loaf baked with agave nectar will seem rather too moist when it first comes out of the oven but does dry out as it cools.

Ingredients

2 cups Pamela’s Ultimate Baking & Pancake Mix
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamon
3/4 tsp salt
pinch of ground nutmeg
2 cups grated summer squash
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Grease a loaf pan
• Grate the summer squash and put it in a colander over the sink to drain off some of it’s moisture.
• In a large mixing bowl mix together the baking mix, ground flax seed, ground cardamon, ground nutmeg, lemon zest and salt
• In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, agave nectar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together until combined
• Fold in the grated summer squash and almonds
• Bake for 50 – 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean

Enjoy!