Spring is the perfect time to focus on liver cleansing foods and detoxification after hibernating during the winter months. According to Chinese medicine spring is associated with the functions of the liver — spreading Qi (energy) smoothly throughout the body, storing and releasing blood as needed to the muscles and tendons in increased physical activity, as well as for the purposes of menstruation.
During the spring, when most people begin to spend more time outside, and generally increase their levels of physical activity, the liver can benefit from additional support in order to optimize its functions. Foods such as dark leafy greens, beets, and small amounts of citrus and olive oil help to move liver Qi. Raw and sprouted foods mirror the renewal happening in the external environment. Read More »
By Cyndi Gilbert, ND
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Posted in Recipes, Traditional Chinese Medicine on March 25, 2013 – 11:58
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Tagged apple, detoxification, kale, liver, raw, recipe, spring, TCM
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Fever is one of the most common childhood complaints seen by pediatricians and other healthcare providers. Fever, however, isn’t the real problem. Fever is just part of our natural, and actually quite helpful, physiological response to an infection. Rather than causing harm, fever actually benefits us by slowing the growth and reproduction of viruses and bacteria while increasing the production and circulation of white blood cells. (1,2,3) In generally healthy children (and adults too!), fever stimulates a stronger, more effective immune response. Research shows that fever actually helps the body recover faster, and may result in fewer complications with certain types of infections. (1,3) Read More »
This recipe has always been a hit in our house. The vegan version, pictured here, can be adapted for those who eat dairy to include a dollop of sour cream, crumbled queso fresco, or shredded cheese of any kind. I’m not a big supporter of “hiding” vegetables in food (I believe that kids and adults should learn to love the flavour of vegetables in their own right), but this soup can be used that way because it is blended smooth.
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
8–10 mushrooms, sliced (button, cremini or mini bellas all work)
3–4 stalks celery, chopped
2 small zucchinis, quartered lengthwise then sliced
1/2 cup chopped spinach
2 cans of Eden black beans, drained and rinsed
2–3 cups of water or soup stock
1 tsp each cumin powder, paprika, and oregano
1/2 tsp coriander powder
salt and pepper to taste
juice from 1 lime
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
garnish: sliced avocado, queso fresco or grated cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro
Directions:
In a sauce pan or soup pot, sauté onions over medium heat until they become translucent. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently for another 3 minutes. Add celery and zucchini, and cook another 5 minutes. Add spinach, black beans, and enough water or soup stock to completely cover the vegetables in the pot. Add spices and stir well. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in lime juice and chopped cilantro. Remove from heat and blend in a food processor or blender until completely smooth. Add more water as necessary to achieve desired consistency. Serve, topped with sliced avocado, more chopped cilantro, sour cream and/or cheese. Enjoy!
Knowing that there is virtually no sugar in my house, parents often ask me what I do with my kids at Hallowe’en. I confess to lying to my kids for the first couple of years. I told them that Hallowe’en was a holiday where people paraded up and down the street in costume and visited their neighbours. They were completely satisfied with my explanation. That is, until the other kids at school told them about the candy. Since then, we do go out trick or treating though we also employ several strategies for handling the vast amounts of high fructose corn syrup pouring into our house.
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The days are getting colder out there, and cold and flu season has officially started. In fact, just last week I was home (and still trying to get some work done) with two kids sick with viral, croupy coughs. Thankfully, there are lots of great strategies for preventing colds and flus as well as naturopathic treatments that you can do at home to help shorten the course of an illness once you are sick.
So why did my kids get sick and I didn’t? Read More »
This recipe, very slightly adapted from Vij’s: Elegant & Inspired Indian Cuisine, one of two excellent cookbooks courtesy of Vij’s restaurant in Vancouver, is a staple in our house. It is also a great way to incorporate tofu into your diet, as this recipe capitalizes on tofu’s ability to absorb other flavours.
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Last spring, with the landscaping prowess of Small Spade Gardening, I transformed my front yard into a stunning display of medicinal plants indigenous to Ontario. Once everything was planned and planted, I realized I had forgotten to include one of my favourite native botanicals, jewelweed. A relative of the popular impatiens commonly found in annual flower beds, Impatiens capensis has a smaller more delicate flower on long succulent translucent stems.
A couple of months later, as I was weeding and admiring the garden, I noticed my old friend jewelweed had found its place in my yard, filling in the spaces between the eastern hemlock bushes. Although it wasn’t the first time that I’ve invited a plant into my environment only to have it magically appear, it was still a welcome surprise. Read More »
By Cyndi Gilbert, ND
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Posted in Home Treatments, In My Garden, Kids on August 18, 2012 – 10:35
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Tagged backyard medicine, herbal, impatiens capensis, indigenous plants, poison ivy, poison oak, rash, stinging nettle, touch me not
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The word neuroplasticity sounds like your brain on playdough. In a sense, it is. Neuroscience has documented how our brains are constantly changing and responding to our environments and lived experiences, changing both anatomically and physiologically. The mantra “neurons that fire together, wire together” has been used in educational and neuroscience circles since the 1990s but how does this relate to mindbody techniques such as meditation, visualizations, and affirmations in the context of general health?
Conscious of it or not, we are constantly sending messages to ourselves, to our bodies. This internal dialogue may be related to physical sensations, feeling, moods, addictions, or ways of being in the world. The things we say to ourselves may be loving and self-affirming; or, they may be critical and hurtful. Read More »
Swamp milkweed, or Asclepias incarnata, is hugely popular with my kids for both its beauty and its playfulness. Gentle pink flowers cluster together like a choir of amazing singers and butterflies flock to drink the sweet nectar hidden inside.
The seed pods however, are the parts that bring the most intense joy to the hearts of children and adults alike.
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The skin is the largest organ in the body, with an estimated size of 18 square feet. Along with the liver, kidneys, lungs, lymphatic system, colon, and blood, the skin works to remove built up toxins and waste from your system, maintaining optimal health. Up to two pounds of waste products are discharged through the skin every day!
Toxins from everyday soaps, cleansers, antiperspirants / deodorants, lotions, and cosmetics can gather beneath the skin’s surface and prevent the skin from breathing, which can contribute to a variety of skin problems and conditions. If the skin becomes inactive because its pores are clogged with dead cells and chemical residues, impurities will remain in the body. Then, other organs of elimination, will become overworked, which eventually creates disease. Likewise, if the other organs of elimination are overworked, the body will rid itself of toxins by excreting them through the skin.
Dry skin brushing is a great way to support healthy elimination of toxins through the skin. It is great for acne, eczema, cellulite, oily skin, dry skin, stretch marks, or just as part of your regular self-care routine. Besides, your skin will look and feel healthier and more resilient! Read More »
Spring is the perfect time to focus on liver cleansing foods and detoxification after hibernating during the winter months. According to Chinese medicine spring is associated with the functions of the liver — spreading Qi (energy) smoothly throughout the body, storing and releasing blood as needed to the muscles and tendons in increased physical activity, as well as for the purposes of menstruation. 
