Help! I’m getting sick…

Everyone knows that awful feeling… Those first twinges of a sore throat or difficulty swallowing. Maybe it’s the slight headache with some tightness in the shoulders, or a unusual chill or extra sneeze… Whatever your first symptoms are, there’s something you can try to prevent illness.

The first line of defense is to go see your acupuncturist. They can help properly diagnose what’s going on in your body and help boost your immune system to fight off the invasion. Think of the cost-savings of NOT missing work, times however many people live in your house, plus the doctor copays and prescriptions… It’s well worth the visit.

But if you can’t do that, it’s okay. I have a FOOD THERAPY recipe for you that my kids even love! Take green onions/scallions and chop them into small pieces all the way down to almost the white-haired roots, at least a 1/2 cup. Combine this with a small container of organic tofu broken into small pieces in a frying pan with the oil of your choice, and stir fry them until the tofu is warm and the scallions are softened.

One addition to the recipe my family enjoys is scrambling an egg in the pan as well. It helps with the “new” tofu texture and adds a familiar flavor.

If you eat a plateful of this, your pores will open, and you’ll sweat a little, clearing your “defensive” energy channel along the spine and stimulating your immune system. And hopefully, you can avoid missing workdays, piles of used tissues, and feeling bad for days or weeks. (By the way, I keep my fridge stocked with scallions and tofu just in case–the earlier you intervene, the better the result.)

There are also acupressure points that can be massaged, but that is a discussion for another day…

Fall: Bye Bye Fork & Hello Spoon!

Fall is a season of changes. In most areas of the country, fall is a transition between the hot, humid summer days and the cold winter ones. Even in tropical South FL, the average temps decrease as well as humidity. These changes can trigger health problems if your body doesn’t adapt. You can help your body adapt by making wise food choices.

No, I’m not talking about the regular idea of healthy eating, but the idea of eating for your health. As cooler temperatures of Fall arrive, it doesn’t make sense to keep eating summer foods like watermelon and salads. Raw foods are cold in their nature, which is great for summertime to keep our interior body temperature cool despite the hot temps. But pumpkin spice drinks and foods, so popular in the fall, are popular for good reason: they have warmer natures. Think about cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg: all the spices of fall. They have a little kick to them, a little “fire”; eat or drink them, and you feel a warm sensation in your stomach. A similar effect occurs in the food temperatures we eat. Instead of salad, make a stir fry or a nice pot of vegetable soup. If cold-natured or cold-temperature summer foods are eaten out of season, they can cause indigestion, bloating, water retention, excess congestion or phlegm, and even diarrhea–as well as weaken your immune system. Instead, eat healthy, warm foods that help your body prevent disease from the inside out.

As your body begins the transition to winter, help it by choosing warmer foods. Your body will be more balanced and healthy to fight the cold and flu season, too. So, put down that salad fork and pick up your soup spoon!

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