It's Time to Lose the Fear About Fat!

I cannot preach this any louder! 🗣 Please rethink your fat consumption and read these awesome fat facts. The conventional "normal" levels on a lipid test are...well...BS!

P.S. From a Functional Medicine lens, a healthy cholesterol level is anywhere between 180-220 🥰
FAT FEAR (no more)...very important repost from @realfoodology about FAT and losing your fear of consuming high quality fats in personal moderation...

Check it out:👇⁠
- The low fat movement was one of the worst fads humanity has ever participated in.⁠
- Your brain is made up of fat & runs on fat. It needs fat to function at optimal levels!⁠
- Alzheimer’s is on the rise and many experts believe this is a result of fat deprivation and higher consumption of sugar from the 80’s/ 90’s food trend.⁠
- When you take fat from food it makes food bland, so fat free foods was are pumped full of sugar to make up for the taste loss.⁠
- More fat, less sugar for a healthy brain!!

Problems Associated with Reduced Cholesterol:
- 200% increase in cerebrovascular accidents
- 300% increase in liver cancer
- 200% increase in lung disease
- 200% increase in depression and suicides
- 200% increase in addictive behavior
- Reduced cholesterol levels are associated with poor steroid hormone production (e.g. cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone)
- Studies consistently show higher levels of cholesterol (between 180-220) are very protective for hormone support.

Ok...getting off my soap box now 🤗

Photo cred @kitchenwitchbroth

Red Cabbage + Your Health

I'm very proud of our first cabbage harvest! ☀️ This is the first year we've grown cabbage and it did not disappoint! Not only is cabbage a fave for many of my summertime recipes, but I'm definitely going to turn this baby into some juicy kraut! So please prepare yourself for spamming of kraut updates as the process continues. Oh and did I mention the amazing health benefits of the glorious purple cabbage?

💜 Packed with nutrients! Vit B6 and Folate to help with energy metabolism; Antioxidants and Vit C to fight free radicals; The rich deep color of this vegetable is due to a high concentration of anthocyanin polyphenols (strong dietary antioxidants, possessing anti-inflammatory properties).

💜Red cabbage contains powerful compounds called anthocyanins. In a study including 93,600 women, researchers found that those with a higher intake of anthocyanin-rich foods had a much lower risk of a heart attack.

💜High in Potassium which helps excrete excess sodium through urine. It also relaxes blood vessel walls, which lowers blood pressure.

💜Cabbage and other brassicas help your liver flush toxins and in Chinese Medicine the Liver LOVES the sour taste which makes sauerkraut a perfect side dish on your BBQ plate!

⭐️☀️🌻

#rootandstem #functionalmedicine #easternmedicine #acupuncture #acupunctureworks #labanalysis #foodasmedicine #harvest #summertime #food #garden #grow #eastmeetswest #labwork #topratedacupuncture #womenshealth #chineseherbs #herbalmedicine #6weekstoglow #health #wellness #eatwell #feelbetter #naturalglow #healthtips #bestofoakland

Taking Care of Your Lungs + Skin This Fall/Winter

written by Erin Langely, LAC, MSOM, Dipl OM

It’s autumn, and in Chinese Medicine it’s the season to take good care of your lungs.
 

Given the recent fires in the North Bay, this organ needs extra attention as we head into cold and flu season. 

Autumn is a time of withering, of decelerating momentum and growth. We may experience a natural “come-down” from the buzz of Spring and Summer. This transition can register as melancholy. In Chinese Medicine, the lung is associated with grief. Treating the lung can help process grief and give the lungs the strength they need to do their many jobs.

The lungs have several functions, including filtering clean energy from dirty energy, governing our voice, skin, and body hair, regulating water passages like sweat and urine, and working closely with the heart to circulate the body’s energy. The lungs blur the boundary between us and our environment. The air connects us all. At the same time, the lungs provide a healthy buffer, called wei qi, between us and disease. 

Autumn is not a good time to cleanse or sweat heavily. Purgative treatments further deplete our bodies, which are already winding down toward the stillness and storage of winter. The Chinese classic Neijing states, “Do not disperse your energies, and the lung qi will be clear. This is the way of nourishing life in accordance with the nourishing and constricting qi of the autumnal harvest season. Going against these principles will harm the lung network, eventually causing diarrhea in winter, when things should really be in a state of storage rather than leakage.”

So, taking care of our lungs now will serve us in winter, too!

One way to check the status of your lungs is to examine the tip of your (or your child’s) tongue. If it appears to be pinker than the rest of the tongue body, the lungs may be storing excess heat, which we can address in a session. 

Here are some tips for ways to help promote lung and skin health this time of year:

• Get Acupuncture! Book your appointment for fall now.
• Do dry brushing at home to improve circulation, and lymphatic drainage throughout the entire body.
• Eat radishes, white mushrooms and any white colored foods.
• Try cupping. Kids also love this form of bodywork - it is a good way to address cough and colds (easily remove the phlegm/mucus). 
• Schizandra tea or lemon water (sour flavors) work well in autumn because they astringe the energy of the lung to help you retain your vitality throughout fall and winter. 
• Facial acupuncture works wonders to restore and beautify dry skin.
   

Wishing you health this season, and see you soon!