Wisdom From the East

By Molly Hutto, LAc

Meadow Hill Wellness

More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles

Wisdom From the East

Though beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, marketing would have you believe otherwise. Culturally, we have a very defined set of standards for what constitutes beauty, and for most of us, this results in a never-ending chase to keep up with these trends. It can lead to financial stress, but worse, it can lead to emotional discouragement and poor self-image.

However, what if we began to grasp the idea that each of us intrinsically emanates our own brand of beauty, and that any stress and poor self-esteem are what dampens its prominence?

There are in fact some time-tested tactics that you can incorporate into your everyday life that are easy, have a great effect on your health and appearance, and in some cases, even delicious.

If your nutrition is kept in-check, theoretically your susceptibility to illness is greatly decreased, and thus so is your need for medications. Naturally, appropriately avoiding illness will leave you looking and feeling younger and more beautiful.

Furthermore, despite what the constant bombardment of marketing would have you believe, you do not need to add any products to your life in order to be beautiful; your beauty is already inherently yours. Better diet and more relaxation will merely enhance what may be covered up from your daily runaround.

Following the nutritional guidelines of traditional Chinese Medicine is actually quite easy, and the benefits are endless, from clearer skin, clearer mind and more stable mood. Try the following seasonally appropriate recipe; it is not only delicious and easy to make, but it is also a great example of how you can address health concerns and feel radiant without the financial stress and side effects of medications.

Furthermore, Chinese nutrition innately encourages a healthy weight, so rather than dieting, you can maintain a healthy weight and reduce inflammation simply by using the ingredients your body is asking for.

A congee is basically a medicinal soup. Congees include any variety of ingredients, but all ingredients address your ailment. It is best to use organic ingredients. Most of these ingredients are considered to warm the body, and the barley is said to help with extra moisture in the body, such as excess mucus. The ginger and scallions will aid in opening your pours to expel any recently entered pathogens and toxins. Garlic is a natural antibiotic and will also aid in fighting off infections. This soup will warm your soul and is naturally low fat and nutritious.

Congee For a Rainy, Autumn Day

Recipe Courtesy of Molly Hutto, LAc
Meadow Hill Wellness

Ingredients

1 tbs toasted sesame oil

1 clove of garlic, diced, 2 cloves sliced

1/2 an onion, diced

1/2 lb any cut of chicken, bone-in

4 cups water

1 tsp fresh ginger root sliced

1/4 cup barley

2 scallions sliced

Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse and presoak your barley.
2. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet. Remove any skin from the chicken. Dice one clove of garlic and simmer in oil until very lightly browned. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the chicken to the oil, garlic and onion. Cook about 5-7 minutes, until cooked through.
3. While the chicken is cooking, bring your water to a boil.
4. Add the sliced ginger root and garlic to your water. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Move your chicken to a separate plate and set aside. The diced garlic and onion should remain in your skillet. Using a colander to catch the boiled ginger and garlic, pour the water into the skillet. Reduce the heat so that it merely simmers.
6. Add the barley.
7. Using two forks, pull apart your chicken. Immediately put the chicken bones back into the water and barley. Once the barley is almost fully cooked (about 35-40 minutes), add the chicken meat, salt and scallions and cook another 5-10 minutes. Turn off heat and serve once slightly cooled down to a warm temperature. Enjoy!