Lana Farson, M.S., L.Ac., Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist

Lana's Thoughts on Health and Healing…

Take care of yourself with sustainable, natural medicine. Good for you. Good for the earth.

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Asian Grocery Store: Unlock the mysteries

July 18, 2010 – 9:22 am

There are many exotic fruits, vegetables, spices and herbs that have tremendous healing benefits.  By getting to know them, you can increase the ways that you take care of your health.   I’ll use this list when working on blogposts, and write a little about each one in its own post, so that you can get more details about their benefits.  When you’re at the main blog page, you can use the ’search’ box to look for any of the following to see if I’ve written about them yet.

fennel - resized

Fennel Seed

Fennel ‘xiao hui xiang’

Anise ‘da hui xiang’

Ginger ‘sheng jiang’

Tumeric  ‘jiang huang’

Lemongrass

Galanga root

Cardamon ‘sha ren’

Albizzia Flower ‘Happy Flower’ ‘He Huan Hua’

Barley tea ‘gu ya’

Rose flowers ‘mei gui hua’

Goji berries ‘gou qi zi’

mimosa flower

Mimosa Flower

Dried yam ‘shan yao’

Red dates ‘da zao’

Reishi mushroom ‘ling zhi’

Licorice ‘gan cao’

Seaweeds ‘hai zao’

Lily bulb ‘bai he’

Pearl powder ‘zhen zhu mu’

Pu Er Tea

Shao Xing cooking wine

Dried cuttlefish – related to’sang piao xiao’

Vegetables & legumes:

Okra

Water caltrops

Shao Xing Jiu

Shao Xing Wine

Burdock root ‘niu bang gen’

Bitter melon or bitter gourd

Cassava or yuka or tapioca

Taro Root

Daikon radish

Luffah vegetable

Lotus root and seeds ‘lian zi’

Edamame soybeans

Wintermelon or winter gourd

Flax seeds ‘ya ma ren’

Walnuts ‘hu tao ren’

Goji berries ‘gou qi zi’

dried shan zha 247

Dried Hawthorn Berries

Mulberries ‘sang shen’

Sesame ‘hei zhi ma’

Hawthorn ‘shan zha’

Mung beans ‘lu dou’

Asian yam ‘shan yao’

Wood ear mushrooms ‘Bai Mu Er’ & ‘Hei Mu Er’

Aduki beans ‘chi xiao dou’

Job’s tears ‘yi yi ren’

Bamboo shoots

Spring onion ‘cong bai’

Flavored olives

Fruits:

Loquat fruits

Durian

Rambutan Fruit

Rambutan Fruit

Rambutan

Jackfruit

Lychee fruits

Buddha’s hand ‘fou shou’

Pomegranate ‘shi liu’

By Lana •• Posted in Miscellaneous •• Comments (1)

Loquat Chutney

July 16, 2010 – 12:29 am

Recipe

1.5 pounds loquats (remove seeds and skin)jar of loquat chutney
1 pound sliced onion
1/2 pound chopped apple
1 pound sugar (rock sugar works well)
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons salt
1 tsp ground cardamon
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon molasses or maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon dried ginger
1 pint vinegar
2 cups water
1/4 cup raisins (dark and golden)

IMG_1906Wash, stone and cut up loquats into small pieces.

Prepare apples and onions.

Put all ingredients in a pot and boil gently until soft and a good color.

Pour into hot jars and seal.

You can substitute other fruits for the loquats. Try substituting this with half plums and half pears.

When I made this recipe with family recently, I added a handful of dried mulberries, dried goji berries, dried red dates and slivered almonds.  I also added other spices to increase the flavor (freshly grated orange peel, chili powder, saffron, and pepper).  The result was delicious, with lots of health benefits.  We also learned (after the fact) that it is best to peel and de-seed the loquats while wearing thin gloves due to the yellow stain of the fruit.  There’s always a next time!

By Lana •• Posted in Miscellaneous •• Comments (1)

Hidden names of MSG – be informed!

July 5, 2010 – 1:24 pm

MSG is a neurotoxin and excitotoxin that over excites the cells in the brain so that food tastes better.  Due to MSG, the cells die off from overexcitation. Some people get reactions after eating the food ingredient monosodium glutamate (MSG) – reactions that include migraine headaches, upset stomach, fuzzy thinking, diarrhea, heart irregularities, asthma, and/or mood swings.  Even if you don’t get a reaction, the MSG neurotoxin is still unhealthy for the body.  MSG is also implicated in weight gain because it alters the body’s adipose tissue.  Scientists purposefully feed MSG to lab specimens to cause the to become overweight in order to study obesity.  This is known as MSG-induced obesity.

More than 40 different ingredients contain the chemical in monosodium glutamate (processed free glutamic acid).   Many of the hidden names listed below will surprise you.

Ingredients that ALWAYS contain processed free glutamic acid:

Glutamic acid (E 620),

Glutamate (E 620)

Monosodium glutamate (E 621)

Monopotassium glutamate (E 622)

Calcium glutamate (E 623)

Monoammonium glutamate (E 624)

Magnesium glutamate (E 625)

Natrium glutamate

Yeast extract

Anything “hydrolyzed’

Any “hydrolyzed protein”

Calcium caseinate

Sodium caseinate

Yeast food

Yeast nutrient

Autolyzed yeast

Gelatin

Textured protein

Vetsin

Ajinomoto

Ingredients that OFTEN contain or produce processed free glutamic acid

(may or may not be a problem) :

Carrageenan (E 407)

Bouillon and broth stock

Whey protein concentrate

Whey protein isolate

Any “flavors” or “flavoring”

Maltodextrin

Citric acid (E 330)

Anything “ultra-pasteurized”

Barley malt

Pectin (E 440)

Protease

Anything “enzyme modified”

Anything containing”enzymes”

Malt extract

Soy sauce

Soy sauce extract

Soy protein

Soy protein concentrate

Soy protein isolate

Anything “protein fortified”

Anything “fermented”

Seasonings

Ingredients that  work  synergistically  with  MSG  to  enhance  flavor.    If  they  are  present  for  flavoring   purposes,  so  is  MSG.

Disodium 5-­guanylate  (E  627)

Disodium 5-­inosinate  (E-­‐631)

Disodium  5′-­ribonucleotides  (E  635)

Ingredients  that are suspected  of  containing  or  creating sufficient  processed  free  glutamic  acid  to  serve   as  MSG-­reaction triggers, only in  HIGHLY  SENSITIVE  people:

Corn  starch

Corn  syrup

Modified  food  starch

Lipolyzed  butter  fat

Dextrose

Rice  syrup

brown  rice  syrup

Milk  powder

Reduced  fat  milk  (e.g..,  skim  milk;  1%  milk;  2%  milk)

most  things  low  fat  or  no  fat

anything  Enriched  or  Vitamin  enriched

Last updated June, 2010 from Truth in Labeling Campaign (www.truthinlabeling.org.)

By Lana •• Posted in Foods, Drinks, Recipes, Healthy Lifestyle •• Comments (0)

St. Johns Wort treats depression

July 1, 2010 – 8:36 pm

St. John’s Wort extract is effective as an antidepressant in the management of depression.  Works without the long term side effects of western pharmaceuticals.

See research here.

Note of Caution: St. John’s Wort increases photosensitivity

By Lana •• Posted in All About Herbs, Specific Conditions •• Comments (0)

Loquat Fruits – healthy exotics

June 28, 2010 – 1:18 pm

Loquat fruits look and taste a bit like apricots.  They are slightly exotic with many health benefits and they loquat fruit - resizedare up and coming in the fruit world.

Health Benefits

Loquat fruits taste sweet and sour.  Sweet foods strengthen or increase the body’s resources.  Sour foods astringe, hold in or protect the body’s fluids.  Together, sweet and sour make ‘yin’ or moisture in the body.  In the case of loquat fruits, it is the resource of ‘yin’ or healthy body moisture that is increased.  Sour foods also sometimes affect the flow of energy or ‘qi’ in the body because sour tastes can stimulate digestive and other enzymes.

Loquat fruits have a neutral or balanced energetic temperature effect on the body (not warm or cold).  Their balanced nature makes them easy to use for people who have both hot and cold conditions.

Loquat fruit has the following functions:

  1. lubricates dryness (due to sweet and sour flavor)
    -for dry throat, thirst, constipation, general yin deficiency or lack of moisture in the body
  2. stops cough (due to sweet and sour flavor)
    -especially dry cough or cough with scanty & sticky sputum
  3. harmonizes the stomach (due to sour flavor)
    -nausea, unsettled belly, sluggish metabolism
  4. descends rebellious qi (due to sour flavor)
    -this is for lung and digestive energy going upward – cough, hiccups, chronic bronchitis, nausea
  5. calms the liver (due to sour flavor)
    -irritability, restlessness

In terms of western nutrition, the loquat is low in saturated fat and sodium, and is high in vitamin A, dietary fiber, potassium, and manganese.

I just made a delicious loquat chutney with the help of my sister, my kids and several of their friends.  Having a group of 6 of us to peel off the skin and remove the seeds was a blessing because that work of obtaining the fruit is a bit time consuming.  I started with a base of rice vinegar, rock sugar and maple syrup.  Then I added dried mulberry fruits, dried red dates, raisons, sliced apples and a melange of delicious spices (freshly grated orange peel, cardamon, ginger, curry, chili powder, saffron, salt and pepper).  The result was a delicious chutney that stimulates the digestive system, moistens dryness, aid the lung and liver.  Here’s the basic recipe.

By Lana •• Posted in Miscellaneous •• Comments (1)

Almond Milk – tastes better when you make it yourself!

June 8, 2010 – 3:23 pm

Making Nut Milks

pouring milk resizedYou can make some delicious milks by whirling soaked nuts with water in a blender.  You can make the mixture delicate and thin or thick and creamy.  Soak raw almonds or raw cashews to make almond or cashew milk.  Nut milks are healing and are a great alternative for folks who have allergies to other types of milk.  You can either strain the blended mixture (in a nut bag or with many layers of cheesecloth) or drink it as is.  If you choose to strain the mixture, you can save the almond meal to use as flour for baking or for making a facial mask.  Thanks to Marie for sharing her “chai-spiced” version with me and my Herbal Medicine class at AIMC.  Really delicious!

Basic recipe

1 cups raw nuts (can use a little more for a really creamy drink)

4 cups water

1 TBS Honey

1/4 cup medjool datessoaked nuts resized

Optional spices to make a ‘chai-spiced’ milk

1/4 tsp clove

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 TBS cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

1 tsp ginger powder (or to taste)

1/4 tsp sea salt

straining milk resized

Make the basic recipe first.  Soak 1 cup nuts, preferably over night, and try to change the water when possible so that the nuts are soaking in fresh water every 3-12 hours.  At the very least, you should soak the nuts several hours.  When soaking is complete, you have the option to either leave the skin on or to remove it which is easy to do in water when the soaking has been long enough and the nuts are soft.  Next, put soaked nuts in blender and cover with about an inch of water over the top.  Blend until the mixture is smooth (may need to add a little more water to thin it out).  Strain through layered cheesecloth or a nut milk bag.  Put liquid back in blender and add the rest of the ingredients and enough water to bring the mixture up to 4 cups of liquid.  You can blend with heated water for a warmer drink.

Why soak nuts?

Soaking makes nuts easier to digest, since this process neutralizes the part of the nut that is problematic (the enzyme inhibitor).  When you pour off the water, you remove the enzyme inhibitor.

pour from blender resized

Fruit and Nut Milk Shake:

When the almond milk is prepared, try whizzing up a peeled banana or other fresh fruits (raspberries, strawberries, etc) along with the nutmilk.  This is a great way to get a protein filled dessert that contains only natural sugars.  It’s the new smoothie!

By Lana •• Posted in Foods, Drinks, Recipes, Healthy Lifestyle •• Comments (0)

What is acupuncture like and how does it work?

June 1, 2010 – 9:54 am

acup - vicki

Here’s a link to an interesting article and video by The Wall Street Journal about acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.  It’s pretty well done and gives some good information.  Acupuncture is growing as a real solution to health issues, without the use of western pharmaceuticals.  Check it out!

By Lana •• Posted in Acupuncture, Healthy Lifestyle •• Comments (0)

Hawthorn Berry Health

May 18, 2010 – 10:41 am

dried shan zha 247

Properties of Hawthorn Berries

Cardio-tonic (strengthens the heart muscle)

Diuretic (promotes urination)

Astringent (solidifies loose stool)

Hypotensive (lowers blood pressure)

Physical Effects

Heart and cardiovascular tonic

Relaxes and dilates blood vessels

Lowers blood pressure

Improves general circulation and blood flow

Strengthens damaged or weak heart muscles (increasing the heart’s efficiency)

Exerts a scrubbing action on plaque inside the blood vessels.

Click here for research on using hawthorn for hyperlipidemia and prevention of atherosclerosis.

fresh Shan Zha 246For men:

Hawthorne is also useful as a tonic for men because it balances and enhances the adrogenic (male) hormones in general.  Hawthorn berries also have the ability to relax and dilate blood vessels, which is helpful for erectile problems.

Cautions:

Hawthorn may interact with vasodilating medications and may potentiate or inhibit the actions of drugs used for heart failure, hypertension, angina, and arrhythmias.  Do not use hawthorn with blood thinners such as Warfarin.

Large amounts may cause a drop in blood pressure and possibility of fainting. Generally considered safe for long-term use, do not exceed recommended dosage. Consult your health care professional for assistance with heart problems.

By Lana •• Posted in All About Herbs, Dietary Supplements, Foods, Drinks, Recipes, Men's health, Specific Conditions •• Comments (1)

Laptops & male fertility

May 17, 2010 – 12:07 pm

Laptop computer use does effect fertility for men, particularly when they are place on the lap for long periods of time.  Click here for some details of a study about increased body temperature from the warmth of the computer:
laptop fertility research.

Having a computer near the torso (organs and glands) for long periods of time, has various negative effects.   This is true for males, females and even animals who might lounge near computer equipment often in search of extra warmth.

Solutions:
Keep the computer on a desk or table when using it.
Avoid working on couches, beds or chairs where having the computer on your lap is necessary.

Question:
Do portable computer laptop desks (used while working in bed) reduce the problem?  Are the materials in these portable desks able to reduce the transfer of heat, or do some of them contain metals that would actually intensify it?

By Lana •• Posted in Healthy Lifestyle, Men's health, Specific Conditions •• Comments (0)

Walnut & Hawthorn Berry Dessert

May 5, 2010 – 10:58 am

50 grams Hawthorn fruit ‘Shan Zha’shan zha, hu tao ren dessert 3

150 grams Walnuts ‘Hu Tao Ren’

sufficient water for soaking and boiling

6 TBS honey or ¼ cup sugar

Soak the walnuts overnight or at least ½ hour.  Rinse well and moisten with new water.  Grind this walnut and water mixture into a thick liquid.  Add more water to dilute if necessary to make it smooth and even.

Wash the hawthorn fruit in a strainer and then place in a Asian herb pot or other suitable pot.  Add water to cover fruits by about 1 inch.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a medium fire and cook 20 minutes.  Strain and reserve the liquid in a mason jar.  Add more water to the pan of hawthorn and repeat the boiling and straining process one or two more times.  Discard the dregs and save the liquid.  The remaining liquid should total roughly 1000ml.  Combine the hawthorn fruit liquid and the honey or sugar and stir and heat over a soft heat.  When the honey or sugar has melted, slowly add the thick walnut liquid, stirring continually while pouring.   Cook this mixture until it starts to boil slightly.  Then pour into a bowl.  Top with fresh mint leaves or other colorful bits of fresh fruit.

Therapeutic effects of this recipe

Supplement the lungs and kidneys

Nourishes yin fluids in the body

walnut hawthorne dessertIndications:

Chronic, weak lung cough & shortness of breath

High blood pressure and/or high cholesterol

Kidney deficient impotence

Low back pain

Chronic thirst

Dry stool (because the nuts have moistening oils)

Slow digestion with abdominal distention (especially of fatty foods)

Cautions:

Hawthorn may interact with vasodilating medications and may potentiate or inhibit the actions of drugs used for heart failure, hypertension, angina, and arrhythmias.  Do not use hawthorn with blood thinners such as Warfarin.

Large amounts may cause a drop in blood pressure and possibility of fainting. Generally considered safe for long-term use, do not exceed recommended dosage. Consult your health care professional for assistance with heart problems.

By Lana •• Posted in All About Herbs, Foods, Drinks, Recipes, Specific Conditions •• Comments (0)