Lentil Sweet Potato Chili To Warm These Cold Winter Days

It's snowing again! And soooo cold out. I want to share with you one of my favorite recipes ever, though in the winter it somehow soars even higher than usual. Lentil Sweet Potato Chili. I make this recipe at least once a week. 

The original recipe is from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine's 21 Day Kickstart, which I can't recommend enough. Fantastic whole food plant based meal plans and recipes which come to you for 21 days, starting the first of the month.

Yum, look at that sweet potato! Full of beta carotene and vitamin C, plus lots of other minerals and vitamins. In Chinese medicine, its sweet taste and rich orange color let you know it's beneficial to the Spleen/Pancreas and Stomach - Earth element - and excellent for digestion and to boost energy (qi).

Here is how I make this delicious vegan chili:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3-5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 2-3 handfuls of baby spinach (it shrinks!) or lots of chopped kale or other chopped greens to add at end
• 1/2 -1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp paprika
• red pepper flakes, optional
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6-8 cups water (or you can use broth or veggie broth cubes or whatever, I just use water)
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes or 14 oz tomato sauce or small jar tomato paste, whatever you have around

Directions:

* Because I don't use oil in cooking and because I like to make things as easy as possible, I just put everything into a pot without sauteing things first, so...

1. Into 6 cups of water (or broth) as it comes to boiling, add:

• both kinds of rinsed lentils
• onion
• celery
• garlic
• sweet potatoes
• spices

2. Let that come to a boil, then cover and simmer until the lentils are cooked through, about 25 minutes, adding water and stirring as necessary so it doesn't burn.

3. Then add the tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, let it come back up to boil again.

4. Finally add the greens at the very end, and cook until wilted. 

5. Taste to adjust seasonings and enjoy!

I love to eat this chili with hot sauce.

If you don't have (or don't like) sweet potatoes, it is delicious with regular potatoes as well. 

Enjoy!

~ Melissa

5 Flavor Coleslaw

This delicious coleslaw is a great way to end cravings and balance health and emotions by balancing all five flavors (bitter, sweet, pungent/spicy, salty and sour) in your diet. Certainly you don't always have to eat a balance of flavors in every single dish, but here is one that balances all five flavors beautifully (especially with the apples added at the end!)

The dressing was made in the vitamix:

• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (sour)
• 2 Tbsp gluten-free tamari (salty)
• 1 Tbsp brown or deli style mustard (pungent, salty, bitter)
• 1/2 inch nub of ginger (pungent)
• 2 small cloves garlic (pungent)
• handful raw cashews (sweet)
• mustard (pungent, sour)
• water (enough to cover cashews, you can adjust water depending on how thick or thin you'd like the dressing.)

The salad consisted of:

• cabbage (bitter, pungent, sweet)
• beets (bitter, sweet)
• carrots (sweet)

Sliced apples (sweet) were added at the end.

Delicious!

In Health and Wellness,
~ Melissa and Dave Sokulski
Licensed Acupuncturists


Read these articles by Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac. in Natural News for more information:

• Cinnamon, Ginger, and Onions Strongly Protect Us From Cold and Flu

• Easy To Make Fermented Vegetables Boost Immunity and Improve Health 

• Keep Kidneys Strong All Winter Long With Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Rejuvenate Your Liver This Spring With Dandelions

Heart Healthy Sweet Treats with Nuts and Dates

Chocolate treats don't have to be bad for you. And if you don't like cocoa/cacao, simply leave it out...these treats are no worse for it! (In fact, they taste even sweeter, because the cacao adds a bitterness that is eliminated when it is.)

They don't have to be hard to make, either. These took a few minutes (literally!) and no cooking or baking was involved.

 I took heart healthy whole ingredients: walnuts, cashews and dates, blended them in a food processor, and molded them into hearts with cookie molds. You could also simply roll them in balls. They store well in the refrigerator and will be gone before you know it!

 Walnuts are full of omega 3 fatty acids (like those in salmon and flax), anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories. Walnuts are protective against metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular problems, and type 2 diabetes. Cashews are good for the heart, good for the teeth, and eating whole raw nuts can actually aid in weight loss. Dates are an incredibly sweet whole fruit that easily takes the place of any added sugar, honey or syrup in any recipe. Dates contain fiber, nourish the muscles by containing high amounts of calcium, iron, and magnesium (among many other minerals and vitamins.) Dates are great for the intestines, preventing constipation while also protecting against diarrhea (high potassium content.)

Heart Healthy Sweet Treats:

•  1/2 cup raw walnuts
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup medjool dates, pitted
• 2 Tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, or *raw cacao (optional)
• pinch sea salt
• pinch pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves)

Blend in food processor. Mold into shape or roll into balls. Eat immediately or refrigerate to preserve.

Looking at our 5 taste chart, we can see this is a balanced food that will satisfy and reduce cravings.

The sweetness is produced by the dates, cashews and coconut.
Bitter is provided by walnuts and cacao (or cocoa.)
Sour is given by walnuts.
Salty: I added a pinch of sea salt.
Pungent: I added some pumpkin pie spice, which has ginger and cinnamon.


Love to all,
~ Melissa and Dave


Read these articles by Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac. in Natural News for more information:

• Cinnamon, Ginger, and Onions Strongly Protect Us From Cold and Flu

• Keep Kidneys Strong All Winter Long With Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Rejuvenate Your Liver This Spring With Dandelions 

Menu Monday: Apples, Nettles, Soups and Pumpkin Latte

We're trying out a new feature here at Birch Center: Menu Monday, in which we post some menu ideas for the upcoming week. Based on fresh, seasonal (and sometimes wild) ingredients, there will also be some energetic explanation on the food choices based on Chinese medicine. Though it is hard to go wrong (energetically) when you are eating fresh, local foods!

nettles

This week we are incorporating foods from our garden:

• kale
• beets
• arugula

from farmer's markets:

• apples
• squash/pumpkins (my favorite is delicata squash)
• cabbage
• broccoli
• carrots
• onions
• potatoes

from the grocery store:

• cucumbers
• celery

chicken mushroom

from the wild:

• nettles
• chicken mushroom
• burdock root
• dandelion root

and from my pantry:

• brown rice
• beans, canned: black and kidney
• red lentils
• raw cashews
• jar of Indian Curry (vegan)
• tofu (refrigerated)

I like to start the day with fresh juice. Even though the season is getting colder and juice has a cold energy, it is detoxifying to the body and helps rid the body of excess (such excess weight, which can lead to excess heat which may show up as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, headaches, etc.)

juice ingredients with burdock root

This week's juices:

• apple, carrot, beet
• cucumber, celery, kale, apple
• burdock root, apple, ginger, lemon

I may add ginger root to warm up the energy a bit, and I will water the juice down to cut the concentrated sugars.

red lentil, potato, nettle soup

Fall is a perfect season for soups! The soups I'll be making this week are:

• Borscht: Recipe from Moosewood Cookbook, which uses beets, cabbage and potatoes
• Red lentil, potatoes, nettles soup
• Bean Chili with Chicken Mushroom (I dry sauteed the chicken mushroom earlier this fall, it is in my freezer) - the linked recipe uses fresh Hen of the Woods mushroom, I will just substitute the chicken mushroom 

A couple rice dishes include:

• Tofu, Brown Rice, kale, broccoli and onions, tossed with a jar of vegan Indian Curry (I picked this up at the supermarket)
• Stuffed Delicata Squash - baked squash (don't forget to save and roast the seeds!) stuffed with rice, celery, onions, mushrooms

Simple salads to complement the meals:

• Romaine lettuce
• "Garden salad" - using kale and arugula from my garden!
• Coleslaw (cabbage and carrots)
• Cucumber and onions

 Finally, as a yummy treat, this Pumpkin Latte, which is vegan and caffeine free!

 Dandelion Coffee:

• Dig dandelion roots
• Clean well, chop into small pieces and roast in oven at 350 degrees until dry and brown, about an hour
• Add a couple Tablespoons of the roasted roots to 4 cups water, simmer 20 minutes.

Cashew Milk:

•  1/2 cup raw cashews (dry or soaked)
• 2 dates, pitted (you can omit dates entirely, or substitute with a couple tablespoons honey, agave or maple syrup)
• 4 cups water

Blend well in a high speed blender such as a vitamix. If you don't have a strong blender, soak the cashews first for at least 1/2 hour to soften. Then blend well. You shouldn't need to strain this milk because cashews are so soft and will blend entirely. 

To make latte, to blender:

• Add equal amounts of dandelion coffee (hot) and cashew milk to blender. 
• Add a tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon)
• Add a couple scoops of baked squash or baked pumpkin
• Optional: agave nectar, honey, maple syrup or dates to sweeten (it may be sweet enough if your cashew milk is sweet)

Blend well and enjoy.

I hope this menu gives you some great ideas for healthy seasonal foods this week.

~ Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac.

Smoothie Smackdown: 6 Steps to Elixir Nirvana

smoothie made from wild paw paws

Smoothies have gone mainstream. So mainstream that McDonalds sells them. And even if you go to a juice and smoothie bar, how healthy is a smoothie that's sweetened with frozen yogurt and pasteurized juice...even if you "boost it" with spirulina? Hmmmmmm.... Have no fear. Stay home and make your own delicious smoothie. Of course add your favorite fresh and/or frozen fruits and maybe even some veggies like cucumber or carrot. But don't try to imitate the chains. We're going to skip the fro yo and frozen juice concentrate (or store-bought juice) Here are six ways to turn a not-so-great-for-you smoothie into a delicious health elixir!!

1. Junk the store-bought juice or juice concentrate. Why do that to yourself? At best it is just sugar water, at worst it may contain corn syrup from genetically modified corn and other additives or preservatives. But even when you get 100% organic juice, it has been pasteurized, destroying any life-giving enzymes, and greatly reducing if not also destroying all the vitamins and minerals. Plus...who knows what is really in those 100% organic juices? It wasn't long ago when it came out that those organic apple juices were found to be laced with arsenic. Alternatives? Sure!
• Water - add good old fashioned water to your delicious smoothie! Maybe it doesn't need the extra sweetness. (and if it does, add a squirt of honey, maple syrup, agave or even stevia at the end.)
• Coconut Water - from a young Thai coconut. Crack one of these open and pour that delicious clear sweet nectar right in. While you're at it, scrape out the pulp and add that to your smoothie as well. (Google "opening Thai coconuts" for more info.)
• Fresh veggie or fruit juice that you juice yourself, in your juicer! Mmmmm.
• Freshly made nut milk...or just add a few nuts and water to your smoothie and it will automatically blend up into a "milk" base. To make nut milk just add 1/2 cup soaked nuts (almonds, cashews) and 4 cups of water to your blender with a pinch of sea salt and a little vanilla (those are optional.) Blend 'til nice and white. If using cashews you won't even have to strain it!
• Herb tea. Maybe you've even harvested and dried your own nettles, or raspberry leaf. Steep it into tea and use that as the base for your smoothie.
• Mushroom tea, from reishi, maitake, shiitake. I know...not as inviting. But mushroom tea is an ultimate health elixir: boosting immunity and even fighting cancer. Add some to your smoothie as a base, you can always add a squirt of honey, maple syrup or agave nectar (or stevia) if you need a little extra sweetness.
2. Drop Kick the Dairy. You don't need it. Skip the fro yo, non-frozen yogurt, milk or ice cream. Dairy causes congestion and dampness in the body. It may even be full of hormones and corn syrup. Yuck. There are plenty of other, healthier, ways to get calcium (see greens, below.) Leave the dairy to the cows.
3. Pitch the Protein Powder. Again, you probably don't need it. We are fed quite a line about needing X amount of protein, and as vegetarians or especially vegans we are often asked about getting enough protein. It's very likely we do, but if we do end up needing a protein boost skip the protein powders: Consumer Reports did a very thorough study and found most protein powders are contaminated with heavy metals: Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, and Arsenic. Some have quite a lot of all those things. In our country protein deficiency is not a big problem, even in athletes, though heavy metal toxicity is. But if you need a boost of protein consider adding this instead:
   • Whole hemp seeds - they will blend right up in your smoothie and are not only full of protein but omega fatty acids as well
   • Chia seeds (my latest YUM!) also chock full of omega fatty acids.
   • GREENS (see below) have surprisingly high amounts of protein and of course are low in fat.
   • Algae like spirulina and blue-green algae are also high in protein.
   • Quinoa, which is actually a seed rather than a grain. You can add it sprouted or cooked, it will blend splendidly and is high in protein.
4. Grab some Greens - Yes, say it loud say it proud! Adding leafy greens like spinach, kale, collards, and swiss chard will add protein, calcium, vitamins, enzymes, iron, and so much else! Start with a handful of spinach...I promise you won't even taste it. Then you can add more and more and begin expanding to other greens.
5. Go Wild - For the ultimate elixir experience, add wild plants to your smoothie. Wild greens like nettles, violet greens, and chickweed. Flowers like black locust flower, dandelion and clover blossoms. Wild berries: mulberry, blueberry, huckleberry, blackberry. Wild plants trump even organically grown produce for their vitamin and mineral content, to say nothing of their wildly off the charts life force. Learn about one local wild edible and start with that. Make sure you are 100% sure you know what it is before adding it to your drink and never add wild carrot greens (Queen Anne's Lace) because although they are edible they can too easily be mistaken for the deadly poison hemlock. You want more info on wild plants? Pictures, identification, recipes?? 
6. Presence, Joy, Gratitude. Look what you have in your hand! An amazing, delicious, totally healthy smoothie - nay, elixir - that you made yourself. You can smell the blended freshness. Take your time, enjoy everything. Visualize your cells being nourished with every sip. Cheers!

Here is a simple elixir smoothie recipe that you can play with: Green Smoothie with Nettles 2 bananas 1 cup frozen mangoes 1/2 cup mulberries (or blueberries, fresh or frozen) handful (a careful handful…don’t get stung!) fresh wild nettles 2 cups water (can add coconut water, herb tea, etc.) Blend well. Nettles lose their sting when blended. This makes 2 - 4 servings, depending on how much you want. In health, ~ Melissa and David Sokulski, L.Acs. 

Eat More Greens - Make Delicious Dressings

One of the keys to good health is eating lots of greens. Greens like romaine (and other) lettuce, spinach, arugula, kale, collards and mustard greens are rich in vitamins like C and A and minerals like calcium, iron and magnesium. They are full of vitamins, minerals, enymes, fiber and even protein, but are very low in calories. A key to eating lots of greens is in making yummy healthy salad dressings. I bring my own dressing when I go out; dressings at restaurants are often full of strange gums and unhealthy things like corn syrup. Next time you go to a "healthy" sandwich shop ask to see their ingredient binder: I think you'll be surprised at how many things there (all the dressings for sure) have high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient! It's the same with dressings everywhere...don't be fooled into thinking a restaurant's "honey mustard" dressing is really made with honey! It may have a drop of honey in there, but really it's sugar and corn syrup just like everything else. Here are recipes for two of my favorite easy and super delicious salad dressings that I always have on hand (and if I don't, they just take a few minutes to make) and I take with me to restaurants. Both dressings are gluten-free and dairy-free. The honey can be replaced by agave nectar for vegan versions. Real Honey Mustard Dressing This only makes enough for a couple servings. It's so easy to make I just make it every couple times I have salad...the extra I store in the fridge.

• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1 Tbsp Mustard (brown mustard is better as it usually contains no added sugar, make sure you check the ingredients of the mustards you keep in your fridge and consider a natural sugar free brand.)
• Juice from one Lemon, about 2 Tbsp (you can use vinegar, but I love the light refreshing taste the dressing has when I squeeze a lemon myself)
• 2 Tbsp Olive oil (can be eliminated for a fat-free dressing, just add some water instead)
• 1/2 tsp Wheat-free tamari (or sea salt)
• Optional spices: pepper, dried thyme, dried basil

Whisk all ingredients together. Spoon over salad. Dairy-free Creamy Cashew Green Goddess Dressing I made this for a gathering of women and called it a Goddess dressing, in honor of the gathering. It was a big hit. I use raw unsalted cashews because they are a very soft nut, which blends easily into a creamy consistency. I use a vitamix, but if you don't have a high speed blender simply soak the nuts in water for at least 30 minutes first, which will soften them even more. They will then blend smoothly in any blender.

• 3/4 cup raw unsalted cashews (soaking them first will soften them, see above)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp honey
• Juice of 1 lemon (you can substitute apple cider vinegar)
• handful fresh basil
• 1 Tbsp wheat-free tamari (or sea salt)
• 1 Tbsp mustard (brown is best, usually has no added sugar)
• water to cover

Blend well (using a blender.) Taste, adjust seasonings...add honey if it needs to be sweeter, salt/tamari if salt is necessary. This dressing is so good you will literally be making salads just so you can have more. And isn't eating more greens what this is all about? Win, win! In health, David and Melissa Sokulski, L.Acs. 

Healthy Holidays

The holidays are upon us! And while many of us are trying to eat healthier...often cutting out sugar, wheat, dairy, meat, even cooked food (!) for health purposes, sometimes our friends and family, who we love to gather with at this time of year, are not. While it can be difficult to be around for many reasons: we may crave our old foods, or we may have given up something that we feel *everyone* should give up, I find it best to take a non-confrontation and non-judgmental attitude over the holidays, both with ourselves and our friends and family around us. Over the years I have discovered some things that help: 1. Not making a big deal about different ways I eat. I find that even if I don't make a big deal about it, other people usually do. I just (try to) smile. This is not (necessarily) the time to convert others to my lifestyle! 2. Help in food preparation. It is nice to offer to make a vegetarian gravy, for instance, and vegetarian gravies can easily be made gluten-free by subbing potato starch for flour as a thickener. 3. Offer to make or just bring a dish or two that I know I can eat. Squash stuffed with rice and veggies looks beautiful, tastes delicious, and is often a hit with vegetarians and traditional eaters. 4. A big salad is often a healthy addition to a holiday feast, and not so very unusual (though sometimes lacking) so make and bring one! The picture above is of a Raw Food Cranberry Sauce, which is delicious. It is gorgeous served in orange halves (the photo doesn't do it justice, it really is gorgeous!) Cranberries are extremely high in vitamin C and A, and full of phytonutrients. When we do not cook them all their nutrition is preserved. To make the sauce above, I simply: Juiced 3 oranges, saving the juice to add to the sauce and saving the orange halves to put the sauce in. In a high speed blender (I use my vitamix), put

• A package of fresh cranberries (washed)
• Juice from the 3 oranges
• 6-8 dates, pitted
• 1-2 Tbsp raw honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Blend and fill the orange cups. They are topped with Candied Pecans, which is simply chopped raw pecans mixed with maple syrup (not raw) and pumpkin pie spice. You can also use walnuts or even wild black walnuts if you have those around. (Here is a video of how we crack our black walnuts.) I bet everyone at the holiday table will enjoy these!! Happy Holidays! In health, David and Melissa Sokulski, L.Acs. 

Warning: Protein Powders Contain High Levels of Heavy Metals

The latest issue of Consumer Reports (July, 2010) published a study in which they tested 15 popular brands of protein powders or ready-made protein drinks and found detectable (and sometimes very high!) levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead and/or mercury in every single one!

Solgar had the lowest, with just a detectable amount of just one metal. Muscle Milk Chocolate was the highest, with significant levels of all four metals. Here is my full article, originally published in Natural News:

Many common brands of protein powders and protein drinks contain high levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury according to the most recent issue of Consumer Reports magazine. All fifteen different powders and drinks tested contained measurable amounts, some quite high. Consumer Reports also argued that most people in the United States including athletes get ample protein in their diets. Heavy metal toxicity and excess protein consumption are both dangerous for one's health.

Proteins, whether from plants or animals, are broken down by the body into amino acids which are then used to form our cells and tissues. In the United States it is almost impossible to get too little protein.

Protein requirements set out by the World Health Organization range from a minimum of 0.45 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight to 0.8 grams protein per kilogram. It may increase 1 gram for endurance athletes. One pound equals 0.45 kilograms, so a 150 pound person would weigh about 68 kilograms. Excess protein can cause severe health issues such as dehydration and kidney failure.

Good vegetarian sources of protein include beans, grains such as quinoa, eggs, seeds such as hemp seeds, and even leafy green vegetables; they can give substantial amounts of protein when eaten in high enough amounts. One cup of cooked quinoa contains about 14 grams of protein. One egg contains about 6 grams of protein and one cup of raw spinach contains 1 gram of protein.

Whereas protein deficiency is not a common problem in this country, lead and other heavy metal poisoning is. Heavy metals get into tissues including the brain, heart and kidneys and are extremely difficult for the body to eliminate. Children are especially prone to heavy metal poisoning but everyone is at risk. Symptoms of heavy metal toxicity include fatigue, nausea, depression, decreased thyroid and adrenal function, and even seizures.

Blending hemp seeds, green leafy vegetables or cooked grains like quinoa into a home-made smoothie of fresh and frozen fruit and water is a much healthier way to get protein than supplementing with questionable store-bought powders and drinks.

For more specifics, browse through the July 2010 issue Consumer Reports, which is available at bookstores and libraries. It has a chart with all the findings. You can also visit Consumer Reports and find a detailed summary.

An alternative (and safer) way to get good vegetarian protein supplementation is Hemp Seeds. We make Hemp Seed Milk (recipe below), and add hemp seeds to smoothies, sprinkle on salads and other dishes. We use Nutiva Shelled Hempseed, which is 30% protein and 9% Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acid. We buy whole hemp seeds, not hemp protein powder. You can find this at a health food store, or online at iherb (where we often get ours.)

We found iherb to have great selection and great prices. They also have free shipping on orders of $40 or more. To get $5 off your first order with iherb, use code MEL526 at checkout.

Vanilla Cinnamon Hemp Seed Milk

1 cup raw hemp seeds
4 cups water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon powder
1-2 Tbsp maple syrup (or agave nectar, or about 5 pitted dates)

Blend well. You don't need to strain this nutmilk; the hemp seeds are soft and will be pulverized completely.

Enjoy!

Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac.

Licensed Acupuncturist
The Birch Center for Health
(412) 381-0116

Please sign up for our monthly newsletter! We have raw recipes, information about Acupuncture and Chinese medicine, and overall wellness information. Sign up today and receive your free gift: 10 Ways to Improve Your Health Right Now. We'd love to stay in touch. Thank you!

Boost Health and Vitality with Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juices

With fresh fruit and vegetable juices, you are able to start the new year rejuvenated and full of energy. Making juices yourself at home enables you to concentrate vitamins and minerals from heaps of produce into a refreshing drink.

While fiber is excellent for your health in general,juicing actually removes the fiber, allowing the vitamins and minerals to enter your bloodstream fast. The sugars enter quickly, too. I like to water down all my juices (which are usually a combination of fruits and vegetables) so they are not too sweet.

The Center for Disease Control recently updated it's recommendation of "Five Fruits and Vegetable Servings a Day" in recognition that we all have different body types and needs. However, fresh fruits and vegetables are vital in all of our diets, and the CDC now often recommends more than five, based on age, gender, and level of activity. Juicing is a great addition to any diet, allowing you to easily get your servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

Some people even embark on juice fasts (or juice feasts), in which they drink only fresh fruit and vegetable juice for a given time: I've completed one for 42 days! When only drinking juices for a long period of time, it's important to drink a lot of vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables, which contain a lot of minerals and protein. Having celery in juice is important, too, as it contains natural sodium which allows your nervous system and brain to continue to function at it's best.

Juices can be made at home in a variety of ways. First, you can purchase a juicer such as a Jack Lelane or the more expensive Champion or Green Star. Or you can use a blender and then strain it to remove the pulp (fiber). The ingredients should be very well blended, I usually add a bit of water to help things blend better. Then strain through a jelly bag, cheese cloth, or even a paint straining bag, which can be picked up at a hardware store for just a couple dollars.

Here are a few of my favorite juice recipes which have come from my juice feast and beyond:

Winter Warmer

• 3 Apples
• 5 Carrots
• 1 cup fresh Cranberries
• 1 inch knob of Ginger

Wild Earthy Juice

I love to harvest wild edible plants, and the following juice contains burdock root, which can be harvested anytime the ground isn't frozen, as long as the plant leaves are green and hasn't shot up a flower stalk (or is dead and brown with burrs.) But it's also sold at health food stores
and Asian markets (where it is sometimes known by it's Japanese name, Gobo)

• 3 inch piece of burdock root
• 3 apples
• half lemon, (with peel if organic)
• 1 inch ginger

Tabouli Juice

When I was on my long term juice feast, I craved savory juices, and so made juices based on my favorite dishes, which is how I came up with this one:

• 2 Tomatoes
• 4 stalks Celery
• 1/2 Cucumber
• handful fresh mint leaves
• handful Parsley
• 1/2 Lemon (with peel if organic)

Love,
Melissa and David Sokulski
Licensed Acupuncturists
The Birch Center for Health
(412) 381-0116

Please sign up for our monthly newsletter! We have raw recipes, information about Acupuncture and Chinese medicine, and overall wellness information. Sign up today and receive your free gift: 10 Ways to Improve Your Health Right Now. We'd love to stay in touch. Thank you!

Keep Your Heart Healthy and Strong with Traditional Chinese Medicine

At the Birch Center for Health, we offer Traditional Chinese Medicine to keep the Heart healthy and strong, even when a person does not have typical symptoms of heart disease.

Heart health is fundamental to whole body health. Many people have a family history of heart disease, high cholesterol and/or high blood pressure. The standard American diet contributes to high rates of heart disease in this country. Some people have symptoms correlating to heart conditions: heart palpitations, heart pain, shortness of breath, fatigue after light exertion. Hypothyroid conditions can also put us at risk for heart disease.

Yet many people do not know if they have heart weakness. With Chinese Medicine, one does not need to already have symptoms of heart disease for heart weakness to be detected and corrected.

Historically physicians in China were paid to keep people well; when someone became sick it meant the physician did not do their job.

At The Birch Center, we consider all symptoms: sometimes even insomnia or anxiety can be indicative of a weakness of heart energy. They also look at the tongue (the heart reflects at the tip, and the color of the tongue indicates the state of the blood in the body), and feel the pulse: the first position on the left side reflects heart energy. When a weakness is felt in any meridian, needles are placed to help the body balance the energy and correct the weakness.

There are also powerful Chinese herbal formulas which can help the energy and blood of the heart meridian and whole body. We carry these formulas at The Birch Center, and can help choose the correct formula:

• Si Wu Wan: to boost the body's blood
  
• Ba Zhen Tang: to help the whole body's qi(energy) and blood
  
• Gui Pi Tang, when the energy and blood of the Heart and Spleen are effected
  
• An Mian Tang: when the Heart weakness shows up as insomnia
  

Other remedies can also help the heart. Hawthorne Tea and CoQ10 are two important supplements to take. We often purchase supplements such as these at www.iherb.com. With coupon code MEL526 you will receive $5 off your first order.

Leafy green vegetables also play an important role in heart health. Chlorophyll, found in dark green leafy vegetables (the pigment which gives plants their green color), is excellent to build our blood.

The molecule of chlorophyll is almost identical to a molecule of hemoglobin, except instead of iron at its center, chlorophyll has Magnesium, which is highly beneficial to the heart.

Swiss chard, collard greens, and kale are high in chlorophyll, as are wild edibles such as dandelion greens and lambs quarters. As winter approaches, we also like to use green powders, such as Vitamineral Green, an amazing raw food powder by Healthforce Nutritionals which we are pleased to now carry at The Birch Center for Health.

Ways to get greens more greens into your diet include:

• Salads
  
• Green Smoothies
  
• Green Juices
  
• Blended Salads or Energy Soups
  

Recipe for Green Juice:

Feed the following vegetables and fruits through a juicer for a delicious, green, heart-healthy juice:

• 3 stalks celery
  
• 1 small cucumber
  
• 1 handful parsley
  
• 1 large apple
  
• 1/4 organic lemon, with peel
  

We hope you enjoy the information we provide on our blog and newsletters. If you have other questions, especially specific questions about your own condition or health, or would like an appointment, please contact us online or by calling (412) 381-0116.

Thanks again,
Melissa and David Sokulski
Licensed Acupuncturists
The Birch Center for Health
(412) 381-0116

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Swine Flu Part 4: Building Immunity With Fermented Vegetables

Here is the final part in our 4-part series on Swine (and other) flu and Chinese Medicine.

In Part 1, we discussed flu prevention.
Part 2, we discussed what to do to recover from the flu quickly.
Part 3 was Chinese Herbal Medicine and Remedies
And now we have Part 4: Building Immunity with Fermented Vegetables.

Our body's immunity is enhanced by having the proper intestinal flora. Often, if we have taken antibiotics or have otherwise compromised our bowel health (balance), yeast has overgrown and we suffer symptoms such as poor immunity.

We have many dietary tools at our disposal to help remedy the problem:

• drastically reduce our sugar intake; sugar causes yeast to flourish and impedes our immunity more,
  
• take probiotics to restore the “good bacteria” in our intestine,
  
• eat cultured or fermented products, which are filled with live cultures which are beneficial to our intestinal flora and our health.
  

Some products which contain live cultures include

• unpasteurized miso (and when you make miso soup, do not boil the miso or the live cultures will be killed, see part 2 for a miso soup recipe)
  
• raw sauerkraut (often called cultured vegetables)
  
• raw pickles
  
• raw kim chi
  
• yogurt
  
• kefir
  
• kombu
  
• rejuvelac (a fermented beverage made by soaking sprouted wheatberries in water overnight.)
  

These live foods restore balance to our bodies and greatly enhance our immunity.

Many of these foods are eaten in the East, and are a staple in Macrobiotic cooking – a healing style of diet which has its roots in Japan. Kim chi is a hugely popular spicy Korean style of fermented vegetable, and pickles are very common in the East and West, though many of the ones you buy in the store are made with cooked cucumbers and then pasteurized, so there is actually no live culture in them.

Real pickles are simple to make. I prefer using the pickling cucumbers and cutting them into fourths lengthwise.



I put them in a canning jar and fill the jar with filtered water. I also add two peeled and crushed garlic cloves and about a Tbsp of dill seeds. I've also read that adding a grape leaf (if you have one on hand, which we do have growing in our garden) will keep the pickles crispier. Finally, I add a couple Tablespoons of sea salt, and check it for taste.



I usually cover with the regular canning top, but the next day I will open the jar and taste one of the cucumbers to test for saltiness: usually I add more salt at this point. I taste them every day and in only a day or two more you have delicious live dill pickles, better than you will find at any store!

Coming up I will share a step by step pictorial of how to make cultured vegetables and kim chi: equally as simple, healthy and delicious as the pickles were to make. I'll also post a book review of my favorite book on the subject: Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz, which we now carry at the Birch Center, along with canning jars (and sometimes we even have extra SCOBYs for making kombucha!)

Thank you for tuning in to our series on Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Swine Flu. I hope you feel more empowered to take control of your health this season, and know the healthier you are the less you have to fear about what goes around.

If there is any topic you'd like to see us cover on the blog, please comment below or send us and email to BirchCenter@gmail.com. Also, if you'd like to make an appointment for a health consultation or an acupuncture treatment, please call us at (412) 381-0116. We look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,
Melissa and David Sokulski
Licensed Acupuncturists
The Birch Center for Health
(412) 381-0116

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Swine Flu and Traditional Chinese Medicine: Part 2: Recovery

Welcome to Part 2 of our 4-part series on Swine Flu. Yesterday we discussed ways to prevent the flu and keep our immune system strong and healthy. Today, we are going to discuss what to do if you happen to find yourself with the flu.

Symptoms of flu include sore throat, fever, chills, fatigue, body aches, headache, and digestive upset. In terms of Traditional Chinese Medicine, these are symptoms of an "external pathogen invading the body." The symptoms you feel are signs of your body fighting to expel it.

Steps you can take to help yourself get better, faster include:.

• Rest, but allow yourself fresh air, consider opening windows to air out a room
  
  
• Miso soup with ginger, garlic, onions/scallions (recipe below)
  
  
• Acupuncture: to help the body release the external invasion.
  
  There are excellent points such as TW 5 (on the forearm) and LI 4 (on the hand) which can help the body expel the pathogen. We also typically include points such as Sp 6 and St 36 (both on the legs), which strengthen the immune system and settle digestion. At the Birch Center we also include local points and manual treatments such as moxabustion (heating of an herb on or above the skin or on acupuncture needles), cupping, gwa sha and massage to help your body expel the pathogen, symptoms diminish and energy increase.
  
  To schedule an acupuncture appointment, or come in for a free 20-minute consultation (with no obligation) please call (412)381-0116, or email BirchCenter@gmail.com.
  
  
  
• Chinese Herbal Formulas such as Yin Qiao and Gan Mao Ling (both available at the Birch Center).
  
  Yin Qiao is often taken at first signs of the flu, especially when a sore throat is present, and Gan Mao can be taken if the flu has settled in, causing cough, stuffiness, and eye symptoms. We can help you choose depending on symptoms and how long you've had the flu.
  

Recipe for Miso Soup

Soup is always comforting when we are sick. Miso soup is beneficial on many levels, including the addition of unpasteurized miso (can be picked up at Health Food Stores), which contain live cultures full of beneficial bacteria which help strengthen our body's immune systems. It's important not to boil the miso, as this will kill the bacteria.

In addition to the miso:

• sea vegetables such as wakame (purchased at Asian food stores or natural food stores) are also extremely strengthening to the system
  
• onions, garlic and ginger all help expel external pathogens
  

Directions:

Heat 4 cups of water in a pot to just above body temperature: from 105 to 115 degrees. It should feel hot to you, but you should not burn your finger when testing the water.

To this heated water, add:

• 3 Tbsp chopped scallions
  
• 1 clove crushed or chopped garlic
  
• 2 tsp dried wakame seaweed (if not already in small pieces, cut the dried seaweed into tiny pieces with a scissors before adding it to the water. It will expand greatly and soften once it's in the water)
  

In a bowl, take a heaping Tbsp of miso and mix with some of the warmed water until it's a thin paste, then add it into the pot of soup. Taste and season with dried ginger and sea salt, if necessary.

Enjoy.

Tune in tomorrow when we discuss in more detail the herbal remedies and supplements that can help you prevent and recover from colds and the flu.

If you have any questions or would like to set up an appointment, please call The Birch Center at (412) 381-0116, or email BirchCenter@gmail.com.

Thank you!

~ Melissa and David Sokulski, L.Acs
The Birch Center for Health
(412) 381-0116

Nuisance, Nourishment or Natural Healer: Burdock

My article on Burdock is now out on Natural News!

Here's an exerpt:

(NaturalNews) Much maligned for the burrs that cover children's clothing and get caught in dogs' fur, this misunderstood weed is actually a highly valued plant for both food and medicine.

Burdock (Arctium lappa and Arctium minor) is easily recognizable...

Read the whole article here! (You'll also find a recipe for Fermented Veggies with Burdock at the end of it!)

We will surely see burdock on our south side walk, scheduled for April 26...we hope to see you there! Check out our complete walk schedule, which is now posted on the right hand side of this blog, and also on our website.

We hope to see you soon!

Love to all,

Melissa Sokulski

Please sign up for our monthly newsletters! We now have two to choose from (or you can get both):

• All Points to Health: The newsletter about acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, and all goings-on at the Birch Center, including specials, walks, workshops and talks.
  
• Thrive!: our newsletter devoted entirely to Wild Edibles!
  

Thank you!

www.BirchCenter.com

Mmm...Monday: Garlic Mustard Pesto

A Tutorial on Garlic Mustard
written by me: Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac and herbalist of The Birch Center for Health

Garlic mustard (Alliaria officinalis or Alliaria petiolata) is one of the first wild edibles...and it's already up in Western Pa! It grows along shaded roadsides, woody paths, and other shady areas. It is actually an invasive weed and is easy to find in most places (more on that later.) Garlic Mustard is a biennial plant in the mustard family (Brassicareae.)

Garlic Mustard leaves first appear as heart-shaped coarsely-toothed and veined leaves close to the ground. They taste and smell (when crushed) strongly of garlic. Soon the second year plants will send up their flower stalk; the leaves will alternate along the flower stalk and become thinner, and white four-petaled flowers will appear at the top.

According to field guides, there are no poisonous look alikes and all parts of this plant are edible.

The leaves become bitter as the weather gets hot, so they are best collected in early spring and summer. They can be collected either from the ground rosettes or from the stalk.

Flowers and chopped leaves can be added to salads for a nice pungeant garlic flavor.

The roots can be collected in early spring and again in late fall, when no flower stalks are present. These are very spicy and taste like horseradish. The root can be chopped and steeped in apple cider vinegar for a spicy condiment.

In the fall the seeds, which have a mustard flavor, can be collected and eaten.

Garlic Mustard was brought to North America in the 1860's as a culinary herb and has become quite invasive, threatening both native plants and animals. Certain butterflies mistake the flowers of garlic mustard for Toothwort flowers, and lay their eggs on the garlic mustard, which is toxic to their larvae. The National Park Service recommends various management techniques such as hand removal to toxic herbicides to fire control. So when you see garlic mustard, now you have another excuse to sample and use this delicious wild edible plant.

Raw Garlic Mustard Pesto

1 1/2 cups garlic mustard leaves
1 1/2 cups spinach leaves
juice of 1/2 - 1 lemon (to taste)
1 clove garlic (or more to taste)
1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
salt or tamari to taste

Blend above ingredients in food processor or blender and enjoy over pasta, zucchini noodles, on a cracker or on zucchini or sweet potato rounds.

Caution: If you are unsure of a wild plant, please do not eat! Many wild plants are poisonous!

Please join us for our first Wild Edible Walk of the Year!

Place: Frick Nature Center - Earth Day Celebration
Day: Saturday, April 18, 2009
Time: 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Price: Free! (The city's picking up the tab for this one!)

For more information visit Frick's website, or visit our events page.

Much love,
Melissa Sokulski

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www.BirchCenter.com

Mmm...Monday - Delicious Juice!

Dave made me the most delicious fresh juice this morning!

Here is what it was:

In our lovely Jack Lalane juicer, he juiced:

• 3 peeled oranges
  
• about 6 carrots
  
• handful cilantro
  
• handful parsley
  

Too bad that Dave does not like cilantro...but my four year old and I drank a quart of juice between us (and she had quite a bit herself!) That's how yummy it was. If you have a juicer, definitely try this one. (It's excellent without the parsley and cilantro by the way...I've been drinking just orange/carrot juice for weeks, but I decided to try to "green it up" a bit this morning.) I couldn't believe how much Ella drank!

With love and orange and green good-ness,
~ Melissa

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Mmm...Monday: Nori Wraps with Enoki Mushrooms

These wraps are so delicious! Thanks to my friend Jill for showing me how to roll the nori into those little cones...perfect for stuffing full of delicious vegetables!

I'll try to explain it:

• cut the nori sheet into fourths.
  
• Start at one corner and moisten one side going down, and one side going across (starting from the same corner - I wet my finger with a little water to moisten the sides.)
  
• Take the two opposite corners (where the moistening ended) and fold them towards each other, sticking the moistened edges together, and viola!
  

Those alien-looking white things are enoki mushrooms...my new favorite thing! I first had them at the last raw food meetup (at Trish's.) I was lucky enough to spend the day with Trish preparing food for the meetup, and she introduced me to this delicious delicacy!



I think they have them at the natural food stores, but Trish's tip was to pick them up at an Asian market: here in Pittsburgh there are a couple in the Strip.

As you can see, after I rolled the nori into a cone, I placed some enoki mushrooms in, then added sprouts, grated daikon, grated carrots and avocado.

The dipping sauce: Tamari with a splash of raw apple cider vinegar and a shake of ginger powder. Yum! (The little salad in the picture is the leftover grated carrots and daikon.)

Enjoy!

Much love,
~ Melissa

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www.BirchCenter.com

Added Wednesday, Feb 4, 2009:

An alert reader of the blog let me know that there was recently a recall on Enoki Mushrooms! Here is all the information, so if you went out and bought the delicious enokimaki nori rolls from Monday's post, please check to make sure your package was not recalled.

Thank you!

Treatment Tuesday: Acupuncture to treat Colds and Flus

Tonight I'm giving a talk at Gilda's Club called "Staying Healthy Through the Winter." It is based on an article I wrote by the same name that was published in our November, 2008 email newsletter. (If you don't get our monthly e-newsletter yet, you can sign up here.)

Also, if you haven't heard of Gilda's Club yet, but you or someone you love has or has had cancer, you can check them out on their website here.

One thing I mention in the article and talk is how helpful acupuncture can be, both in preventing becoming sick, but also to speed recovery if you do find yourself with a cold or flu.

According to Chinese Medicine, when we catch a cold or the flu, an external pathogen has entered the body, like a foreign invader entering a country. We must mount our own defense and try to push them back out. The symptoms we feel: aches, headache, stuffy nose, sore throat - are evidence of the battle going on.

Acupuncture treatment helps in two ways:

1. It strengthens the body to help it mount the immune response
   
2. It helps to release the pathogen.
   

Instead of using the terms bacteria or virus, in Chinese Medicine we use the terms: Wind, Cold, and Heat. Usually Wind-cold enters the body, causing the classic cold and flu symptoms: headache, runny nose, aches, fatigue. If it turns to heat in the body, you will feel a sore throat and may have more of a fever as well. We use special herbal formulas depending on the symptoms: classically Yin Qiao for the Wind-Heat type, and Pe Min Gan Wan for the Wind Cold. If the symptoms linger in the sinuses or a sinus infection is present, we may also use Bi Yan Wan. These formulas are groups of many herbs which are specific to those symptoms.

At the Birch Center, during acupuncture we tend to use points such as:

• Spleen 6 and Stomach 36 (on the lower legs) to support the energy, giving strength to the body to be able to fight the infection
  
• Large Intestine 4, (on the hand) especially if headache is present
  
• Triple Warmer 5 (on the forearm), to help release the pathogen, especially useful if there is fever alternating with chills
  
• Lung 7, (wrist) to stimulate the "Protective Qi" of the body, which is controlled by the Lungs
  
• Large Intestine 11 (forearm, near elbow crease) which is an immune point, according to Japanese Acupuncturist Kiiko Matsumodo
  
• We may use points on the head and face, especially if headache or sinus symptoms are present
  
• Gall Bladder 20 (where the back of the head meets the neck) to release the external pathogen
  
• Bladder 12 and 13: to clear sinuses, and stimulate the Lung energy
  
• Bladder 20: to help support the body's energy and digestion
  

We also frequently use a technique called sliding cups along the Bladder meridians of the back. This gentle treatment feels great, and also powerfully released Wind (Cold or Heat) that is trapped in the body, especially causing achiness and other symptoms.

Things you can do at home include:

• using plenty of garlic, onions and ginger
  
• making a tea by simmering pieces of fresh ginger and cinnamon sticks (you can add honey before drinking. Recipe below.)
  

All the above foods and spices are also considered herbs in Chinese medicine. They help release Wind and Cold from the body. They are also slightly warming, and the ginger cinnamon tea is great this time of year!

Ginger Cinnamon Tea

Fresh Ginger
Dried Cinnamon Sticks

• Cut 3-5 slices from the ginger and put in pot with 4 cups of water.
  
• Add a cinnamon stick and bring to boil.
  
• Turn heat down and simmer for about 20 minutes.
  
• Pour liquid into a mug, add honey to taste and enjoy.
  

*If you like a stronger tasting tea, add more ginger and/or cinnamon, or simmer longer.

For more information or to set up an appointment you can give us a call: (412) 381-0116.

Love to all,
~ Melissa and Dave

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Mmmm....Monday: Melissa's tastiest "fries"

These delicious fries are not fried at all. In fact, they are raw daikons! (A daikon is a kind of long white Asian radish, very mild in taste.)

This is one of my new most delicious (and quick) things to eat. All you need is:

• daikon (you can use a turnip, carrots, sweet potato, or jicama instead. I like daikon best for its crisp juiciness!)
  
  
• juice of 1/2 lemon
  
  
• 1 Tbsp tamari
  
  
• 1 clove garlic - chopped small or pressed
  
  
• 1 Tbsp chili powder (I don't use the very spicy kind!)
  
  
• a drizzle of olive oil
  

Just peel and chop the daikon (or turnip) into fry shapes, kind of like "julienne" chopping, if you're familiar with the term.

Then toss with the juice of 1/2 lemon, tamari, garlic, olive oil and chili powder.

That's it! And it's soooo good.

Love to all,
~ Melissa

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Mmm...Monday: Mint-Chocolate Mylk Shake

Ella and I created the most delicious mylk-shake on Monday!

We blended:

1/2 cup cashews
3 1/2 cups water

to make the mylk.

Then we added:

2 bananas
1+Tbsp cacao
1+Tbsp honey
ice
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp mint extract

and blended again.

It was so delicious!

I'm going to make it again soon and this time TAKE A PICTURE!!! (I'll post it when I do.)

I thought about also adding a bit of spirulina...for a greener (minty colored) shake.

Love to all,
~ Melissa

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Raw Latkes!

Above: my amazing raw latkes with raw applesauce.

We still have a three more nights of Chanukah, enough time to make and enjoy these amazing sweet potato latkes (potato pancakes) I came up with!

You do need a dehydrator for this recipe (unless you have an oven that can bake on a very low temp....)

I wish I thought to take a picture before I was eating the very last one (isn't that strange that the thought occurred to me, literally, halfway through the last latke?)

But I will make them again tomorrow, so I'll take a picture then. (picture posted above.)

Here is the recipe:

1 large sweet potato (the orange kind), grated
3/4 large onion, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp tamari
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup ground flax seed (to hold it all together.)
chili powder and/or paprika and/or black pepper (I used chili and paprika because we don't have black pepper, but I think black pepper would be nice.)

Mix ingredients together, and adjust seasoning.

Form into latke shapes (potato pancakes - round and flattened) and dehydrate on 105 degrees for 10 - 12 hours (although I started eating them much sooner...they are so good and they really taste just like potato pancakes!)

Serve with apple sauce (I made raw by putting peeled, chopped apples in a blender.)

An easy raw sour cream would go something like this:

In vitamix or other strong blender, blend:

cashews (if you soak them, they'll be softer - a good idea if you have a regular blender)
lemon juice
tamari
water (add slowly, until the right consistency.)

Or, if you have the time and inclination, try something with probiotics and a few days of culturing, like this recipe from www.goneraw.com.

I didn't make the sour cream, though.

Just the latkes and apple sauce were heavenly!

With Joy and Love,
~ Melissa

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