We’re enjoying beautiful crisp autumn weather in upstate New York this weekend. The sky is clear and blue, the sun is shining but there’s a slight chill in the air which makes me think of cooking nourishing food after a long walk with the dog. Our vegetable garden has lost most of it’s summer abundance [...]
Anne had been a strict dieter since college. Maggie is a yoga teacher and considers herself a healthy eater. Sherrie prides herself on her macrobiotic diet and low body fat. All of these women have something in common. All of them came to the YinOva Center because they were having trouble getting pregnant. Each of [...]
Some risk factors for breast cancer are out of our hands. I, like many women, am at an increased risk because my mother died of breast cancer. Women with dense breast tissue have a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer as do women with certain benign breast diseases. There is nothing we can do [...]
Today’s Blog is by YinOva massage therapist, Nicole Kruck LMT. “In the old days we couldn’t just up and run to the doctor for every little ache and pain” my grandma Viola used to say. “There weren’t hospitals or doctors near enough”. So what did they do back then? In this day and age when [...]
Overnight one of my patients “facebooked” me to let me know she’d had her baby – a happy reminder of all the reasons I love my job. Helping couples to conceive is rewarding and interesting work. When a patient first consults me I ask lots of questions, some of which may seem off-topic, but together [...]
Whilst studying Chinese medicine I was introduced to the the idea that our bodies are in tune with nature and that we can and should adapt our behavior in response to nature. At the time this was news to me but over the years I have appreciated the wisdom of taking my cues from the [...]
A few weeks ago I posted a recipe for Summer Borscht which prompted one of my Facebook friends to ask for more beet recipes. I’m happy to oblige because I love beets mostly for their sweet taste but also because they contain powerful nutrients that help to fight against anemia, heart disease, liver disorders, gallbladder [...]
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s is a much loved British TV chef and cook book author who writes about gardening, farming, cooking and eating at his home River Cottage. His wonderful book The River Cottage Cookbook covers everything from planting a vegetable garden to butchering a pig. It earned him the nick name Hugh Fearlessly-Eatsitall in the British [...]
Everyone feels anxious sometimes but if you find yourself feeling anxious a lot of the time or are generally anxious without reason you may find it helpful to tell your doctor and enlist the help of an acupuncturist. The NIH (National Institute of Health) has supported acupuncture as a treatment for anxiety since 1997 and [...]
I love Greece. I love the people. I love the beautiful islands and most of all I love the food. Noah and I recently returned from a happy week in the Ionian where we ate heartily, reveling in the beautiful, fresh produce, prepared simply with lots of heart-healthy olive oil. We saw first-hand why the [...]
“It started with a few extra strands on my hair brush and before I knew it there were patches so thin you could see my scalp” Diana is a beautiful woman in her mid-thirties who was understandably devastated when her hair began to fall out. She had tried a variety of medicines before coming to [...]
I love our food co-op here in Chatham, NY and am especially fond of it on a Friday night when local farmers set up stalls outside to display their wares and Magdalena makes and sells delicious Mexican food. Last Friday Noah and I sat in the sun sipping homemade lemonade and eating Magdalene’s wonderful empanadas [...]
“Peace begins with a smile” – Mother Theresa The ancient Taoists, who were the founding fathers of Chinese medicine, understood the healing nature of a smile. In fact they developed a meditation practice whereby you hold a smile on your face and direct that energy inwards to your internal organs. It’s one of my favorite [...]
Years ago doctors used to tell their patients to take extra B vitamins when using oral contraceptives. Like many pieces of medical wisdom this advice has fallen by the wayside and women often don’t know that their birth control pills can be causing vitamin B depletion. At the YinOva Center we advise all our patients [...]
We love eggs in our household and we’re lucky enough to get plenty of fresh laid ones thanks to our neighbors here in upstate New York who keep chickens and are happy to trade eggs for health advice. Our fridge is usually full of the freshest eggs possible but every now and then I like [...]
This is the time of year when our YinOva Center patients ask us about jet lag. We all tend to travel more in the summer and as a result our patients are looking for safe, natural ways of limiting jet lag or desynchronosis to give it it’s proper medical name. A long flight on a [...]
Growing your own vegetables is easier than people think. You don’t need a special green thumb or lots of experience and although it takes a small amount of effort you will be amply rewarded by lots of cheap, organic and nutritious produce throughout the summer and into the autumn. Noah and I started out as [...]
Too busy to go to the supermarket? Cupboards almost bare? I’m always looking out for speedy snacks that I can whip together from what’s available in my kitchen. Sometimes they turn out well and sometimes they don’t but today I made a chickpea spread that I liked a lot. Less like hummus and more like [...]
Ah menopause! It’s a touchy subject for those of us in our mid forties who are heading towards this transition. There seems to be so much to dread… hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings, headaches, fatigue and weight gain. Clearly this doesn’t sound like fun but I have some good news. Here at the YinOva Center [...]
For many years I practiced acupuncture in a hospital setting so I was interested to see this research from Duke University Medical Center that using acupuncture during surgery alongside conventional anesthesia can speed recovery and decrease discomfort for patients. You can watch a video about this ground breaking program here Anesthesiologist Dr. T.J. Gan, prompted [...]
This week’s blog is written by New York massage therapist Nicole Kruck. Nicole specializes in fertility massage as well as pre and postnatal massage. We often get asked questions about prenatal massage and decided to put some of these questions to Nicole. Below are her answers. You can book an appointment with Nicole online by clicking here.
Many women dread the last week of every cycle because of how irritable and miserable they feel. Chinese medicine has been treating premenstrual symptoms for thousands of years and here at the YinOva Center we have drawn on this traditional wisdom to help modern New Yorkers address their PMS simply and effectively. Many of our patients are surprised and thrilled to find out that PMS can be solved and that they don’t have to put up with feeling moody and uncomfortable every month.
Men make new sperm every day and those sperm come to fruition withing 72 days. This is good news for men who want to give their fertility a boost, because it means that within three months they can make a big difference to the reproductive health. For more detailed information it is worth checking out [...]
Thank you to all who took part in our Help for Haiti Month. Mark is still tallying up the votes but a percentage of each treatment will be given to three great charities. Doctors without Borders Care Friends of the Orphans A special shout out goes to our YinOva patient Amelia. Amelia, who is 13, [...]
