Fall is a terrific time to warm up with soups and stews. Not only are the nourishing, but they taste great and are easy on your digestive system. Many of my patients have been asking me for recipes, so I am posting a few of my favorites. Enjoy!!
Bone Broth Chicken Stock Chicken - You can use a whole chicken uncooked or the bones from a roasted chicken that you’ve already eaten. (Sometimes I use thighs or breasts if I am making a soup where I want to use the chicken as an ingredient.) 1 large onion 4-6 stalks celery 4 large or 6 medium carrots 1 large potato (optional) 1 can of diced tomatoes (optional) You can also add any root vegetable to your stock. Place items in a large pot and fill with water. Cook covered on low heat for 3-4 hours or overnight in a slow cooker. Yellow Pepper Soup 4 cups chicken broth 2 large yellow (or orange) peppers 1 large potato, peeled 1 cup carrots 3 leeks 1 medium onion Dash of cayenne pepper Chop all vegetables and add to broth. Boil for 30 minutes and purée. Can be served hot or cold. Tortilla Soup 6 cups chicken broth Shredded chicken meat left over from making broth (from 4 thighs) 1 cup black beans ½ cup corn ½ cup salsa (tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, salt, pepper, amounts all to taste) Cook on medium heat for 30 min. Garnish with avocado and crushed tortilla chips
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One of my favorite sayings in Chinese medicine is, “Wind is the carrier of 1000 diseases.” I love the imagery it conjures and the elemental nature of the phrase. When I say this to my patients we end up having a conversation about what it means.
Now that the weather has changed and it is getting colder and windy, cold and flu season is upon us. In Chinese medicine that means that we take steps to avoid becoming sick by minimizing our exposure to wind. That means hats and scarves and being dressed properly when we go outside. At home it means eating warm nourishing foods like soups, congee or stews while sipping ginger tea. It also means paying attention to nature and going to bed earlier with the darkness that comes with the time change. For people battling seasonal colds, it is a great time to check in with your Chinese medicine practitioner for treatment and some immune boosting herbs. In 2015 there was a study done at Yale University that showed that when core body temperature inside the nose falls by five degrees the immune system does not work as well to fight the cold virus. This supports the idea that we need to take extra care of ourselves during the colder months. |
AuthorHi, I'm Beth Hooper and I will be posting my blog to this site. Stay tuned. Archives
February 2022
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