Two Cooling Drink Recipes for the Summer Time

What do you reach for on a hot summer day to quench your thirst?  Ice water, iced tea, iced or frozen something?  If you said yes, you are in good company.  We’ve been brought up to believe that iced beverages are the best thing to cool our bodies in the summer heat.

But let’s look at what actually happens to our bodies when we ingest cold/frozen liquids or foods:

• Normally your body ingests food/fluids and begins the process of extracting nutrition from them, which is, long story short, how we get the energy to live our lives.  All of this needs to happen at approximately 98.6 degrees for the myriad of digestive processes to occur in a healthy manner.

• When you drink cold liquids, your body’s first response is to expend energy to bring the cold liquid up to a useable temperature (i.e. body temperature.)  After your body has warmed things back up, then it can begin the digestion process. This extra energy that is expended to warm up our drinks means our digestive system has to work harder, and that’s rarely a good thing.  So, while drinking ice water can make you feel refreshed in the short term, it actually serves to drain energy in the long run.

• Drinking cold beverages/eating frozen foods causes your blood vessels to shrink (cold temperature causes contraction), limiting blood circulation and leading to cramps and overall body discomfort.

• Drinking cold liquids during or after a meal creates excess mucus in your body, which can lead to a decrease in immune system function, making it easier to catch a cold or other illness.  Just as a cold winter's day can give you a runny nose and block up your sinuses, iced liquids creates the same bodily response.

Some folks are of the opinion that drinking ice water is beneficial because it burns more calories. Chinese medicine argues that we do not want to make our digestive system work harder; instead we should make things as easy as possible for our gut!  When our digestive system works efficiently, our body has extra energy to keep all our systems functioning optimally.

Drinking room temperature or warm liquids/food:

• Leads to faster and increased hydration.

• Natural digestive enzymes are stimulated and therefore your digestion is enhanced.

• Food breaks down more easily.

• Your bowel movements are better (warm water with lemon in the morning is great for this).

• Warm liquids help to purify your blood and increases your body’s natural detoxification processes via your skin, kidneys, and lymphatic system.

• Switching to warm water has been found to reduce sugar cravings, helping you maintain a healthy weight.

But, you may ask, how in the world can I stay cool in the heat without ice or a cold drink? Chinese medicine has some great tools to help!

Chinese food therapy recognizes that certain foods have an overall cooling effect on our bodies, while other foods have a warming effect. Believe it or not, these cooling foods will have a cooling effect when they are eaten warm or room temperature. It is common in China during the steamy days of summer to see people drinking hot soup (I know!) made with winter melon, white radish, mung beans, and other cooling ingredients. They know that despite eating something which is hot in temperature, it will be energetically cooling to their entire system.

Here are two delicious drinks, made with cooling vegetables and fruits which will provide cooling energy to your body, replenish electrolytes, and quench your thirst. It is best to drink them at room temperature to receive the full cooling benefits.

Cooling Cucumber Elixir

Refreshing cucumber is the star of this drink. We make this the whole summer long and drink about 3-5 cups of it a day!

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber
1 lemon
2 tbsp goji berries
6 stalks celery
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint (peppermint or spearmint) leaves and/or 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves
8-12 c water
Optional: ½ tsp chia seeds

Instructions:

1. Cut cucumber and lemon into round slices (DO NOT PEEL, and make sure to wash before cutting!)  

2. Chop the celery.  

3. Add 8-12 cups of freshly filtered water to a pitcher or jar.  Add cucumber, lemon, goji berries, and celery to water.

4. After chopping the sage and/or mint leaves, bruise the leaves (rub the leaves back and forth in palms of your hands for 10 seconds) to release the essential oils, then add to the water.

5. Let sit, covered, on counter top for 6-8 hours, or overnight.  Strain and compost the vegetable matter.

6. Refrigerate the liquid.  Each morning, pour out the amount you will want to consume for the day and let it warm up to room temperature.  Add chia seeds to your daily drink if you’d like an additional cooling boost!

7. Note that nothing in this recipe needs to be exact.  Use as much or as little water as you like. If you feel like adding more or less cucumber or anything else, go ahead!

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Watermelon Sports Drink

So delicious and much healthier than sports drinks that have artificial colors, flavors, and tons of sugar.

Ingredients:

3 large slices of ripe watermelon (seeded or seedless), or enough to produce 1 1/2 c juice
1 lemon
1/4 tsp sea salt (I like pink Himalayan sea salt because it contains a variety of naturally found minerals.)
1 1/2 c filtered water

Instructions:

1. Cut the watermelon and discard the peel. Don't worry about removing the seeds at this point!

2. Place the watermelon chunks in a blender and blend at the lowest speed. The point is to liquefy the watermelon, but leave the seeds intact so that they can be separated using a strainer.

3. Pour the watermelon juice through a mesh strainer and into a liquid measuring cup. I used about 1 1/2 c juice for my drink. Discard the seeds and pulp that is strained out.

4. Add the salt and juice of 1 lemon.

5. Stir thoroughly and add to a 20 oz water bottle. Fill remaining space with filtered water and consume.

Stay cool, and enjoy your summer!

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*The information provided on this site is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.

Eat beets for a healthy liver

As the days get a little longer and the sun shines a bit brighter, signs of spring are popping up all around us (well, aside from that pesky snowstorm the other day). Little green shoots of plant-life are peeking up and out from the earth, awakening from their long winter slumber, and starting to stretch their leaves to the sky.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), springtime is ruled by the wood element.

Think of the wood element as new signs of life. The energy of the world is rising up and out, ready for a fresh start – a rebirth if you will. This energy is reflected in all of us this time of year – that undeniable urge to go outside and get your hands dirty in the garden, start a new project, or get the dust-rag out for some spring-cleaning.

While all that rising energy is great when you have a to-do list the length of your arm, it can sometimes rise too quickly and lead to trouble. Typical signs of an over controlling wood element are:

• perpetual irritability or anger

• migraines

• insomnia

• red, painful eyes

On the other hand, if the wood element in a person isn’t strong enough, they might exhibit any of these signs:

• mild dizziness

• blurred vision

• muscle twitches

• light menstrual flow

The wood element is energetically related to the liver. The liver not only rids our body of toxins we ingest and inhale, but according to TCM, the liver also does the heavy lifting of detoxifying our emotions--what a powerhouse! Wanna know one of my favorite ways to balance the wood element and give my liver the help it so truly deserves?

Eating beets!

All foods have different energetic properties that help categorize them into one of the five elements. Have you ever noticed the beautiful pattern of rings in a cut beet? The similarities between the cross-sections of beets and tree trunks are astonishing. Beets are practically shouting their association with the wood element from the rooftop!

To help keep your wood element in balance this spring, Lucia and I are sharing with you three delicious and nutritious recipes using the grandmother of all wood element foods: the mighty beet. The following is a beautiful recipe developed as an easy, simple and refreshing way to incorporate more raw beets into your spring-eating!

Beet carpaccio with grapefruit vinaigrette

(This recipe was originally co-created with Lucia from Essential Omnivore.)

Salad ingredients:
1 medium beet
1 grapefruit
2-3 ounces fresh goat cheese
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1 tablespoon green onions
freshly cracked black or white pepper

Dressing ingredients:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh dill, roughly chopped

Instructions:
After washing and peeling your beet, use a mandolin to very, very thinly slice the beet into delicate wafers. Set aside slices. Now, cut both ends off the grapefruit and sit the grapefruit upright. Using your knife, cut away all the rind and white pith. With care, you will now supreme the grapefruit, cutting along the side of each segment until all have been released from the core. Squeeze the remaining grapefruit innards into a bowl--this will be for your vinaigrette. Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed (this will depend on the sweetness and acidity of your grapefruit). On a large plate, begin arranging your beet slices, topping with the grapefruit segments. Drop dollops of the goat cheese on top, drizzle the vinaigrette and scissor or chop some fresh dill tops and green onions over as well. Finish with a crack or two of fresh black pepper.

Enjoy!

Tips to Know Before Doing A Liver Detox

Acupuncturist Amy here, with some not-so-popular thoughts to share. Want to know what's all the rage again now that spring has sprung? Liver and gallbladder detoxes!

This might be an unpopular opinion - but hey! I'm full of unpopular opinions. So here's my mic drop:

I hate detoxes.

I know that hate is a pretty strong word, but I strongly dislike the trendy idea that our bodies are toxic and need to be starved clean. (Our bodies have some pretty amazing systems in place to make sure we don't become toxic to ourselves.)

I strongly dislike how so many cleanses and detoxes limit food and are purely focused on juicing. (Can you say blood sugar roller-coaster much?!)

I strongly dislike the misconception that our liver is just a dirty filter that needs to be rinsed out. (FYI it's not. The liver doesn't store toxins, it transforms unsafe molecules into safe molecules that can be more easily removed from the body.)

While I'm not the biggest fan of juices cleanses or fasting detoxes, I do understand why focusing on liver health is always so popular during spring: In Chinese medicine, every season is associated with one of the five elements. And every element has a color, sound, taste, emotion, and yes, organ system that is affiliated with it too. Spring's organs? No surprise, the liver and gallbladder.

So, even though I cry a little bit on the inside every time someone I know starts the master cleanse or another green juice fast, I too use the spring season to focus on my liver health.

I tend to re-commit to dietary changes like:

• Increasing my water intake (and add a squeeze of lemon to support bile movement)

• Focusing more on veggies of all types (but especially cruciferous veggies like cauliflower and broccoli) and healthy fats

• Cutting way back on my sugar and alcohol consumption because they both stress the liver

The link between springtime and the liver makes this a great time to focus on eating foods to support detoxification pathways.

Here are three ways to help your liver work more smarter, not harder this spring.

Move Your Qi Using Acupuncture and Exercise

In Chinese medicine, the liver is in charge of the free flow of qi (energy). When your qi doesn't move smoothly, it accumulates in the channels (think of those as the rivers and streams that carry the qi throughout the body). Those accumulations create pain, disease, and emotional stress so it's super important to keep the qi moving smoothly. Acupuncture and exercise are my two favorite ways to keep the qi moving.

Do Some Grounding Meditations

The energy of the liver likes to rise up. Think of all the plant life shooting up from the ground in the springtime, ready to grow tall to the sky. This energy is exciting, new, and exuberant!! But it can also be explosive - leading to symptoms like red, itchy eyes, headaches/migraines, and irritability or anger. Grounding visualizations and meditations can help anchor this energy to the earth - keeping it from blowing it's cool on the way up. If it’s warm enough where you are, you could even spend sometime barefoot on the earth - the ultimate way to ground into the Earth!

Thin Bile Using Food

Bile is created in your liver, stored in the gallbladder, and used to digest fat. When the bile is thick and murky, it creates gallstones and can get stuck in the bile duct. Eating certain foods can thin the bile and help prevent that stagnation of qi I talked about in the last tip.

A couple of my favorite bile thinning foods are lemon and beets. Starting your day off with warm water and lemon is a great way to incorporate more lemon juice into your daily diet. And if you're scared of cooking beets but looking for a great recipe, we’ve got one for you right here.

Not into lemons or beets? Ask us about other Chinese medicine based food therapy recommendations for springtime liver health during your next appointment!

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*The information provided on this site is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.

*Heads up! This post may contain some affiliate links. If you buy something through one of those links you won't pay a single cent more, but I'll get a small commission that helps keep the content flowing. P.S. I only recommend products I use in my own daily life!