Practice Updates, Thoughts, and What to Eat

Practice Updates, Thoughts, and What to Eat

It has been an interesting time to be a business owner and a practitioner of Chinese Medicine. Deciding to stop seeing patients in person was a very difficult decision. My business is considered an “essential business,” however the definition of an “essential health visit” is a bit more gray and is interpreted differently by different people.  It has been difficult to not be fully available for my patients when I know so many are suffering, but at the same time it does not feel right to meet in person yet. I anxiously await accurate, ample testing and further guidance on when and how to reopen for acupuncture treatments. Thank you to all who have reached out with support. 

In the meantime, I’ve had time to reflect upon my practice. The virtual herb consultations have been going really well, and I see an opportunity to encourage this aspect of my practice further.  As many of you know, I study Chinese herbs quite passionately, currently with my teacher Sharon Weizenbaum. Sharon is on a committee of practitioners treating Covid-19 cases applying Classical Chinese theory to diagnose and treat with herbal formulas. These patients tend to have mild to moderate (not in the hospital) symptoms with very great results so far. It’s interesting to consider if any of these patients would have progressed to more severe illness without the herbal medicine intervention. The treatment strategies are being collected and recorded.

In addition to herbs for acute and chronic health conditions, the topic of nutrition has been discussed frequently on the video consultations. I have been curious about the choices people are making at home. While a frozen meal or chips and salsa may make for a convenient dinner after a grueling day of parenting and teleworking, I wonder about the long-term effects of the foods we are choosing to eat now.

Back when I was in acupuncture school, I met with a nutritionist out of sheer confusion over what to eat. She asked me, “What makes you feel like the best version of you every time you eat it?” My answer came quickly and was obvious: My mother’s/(grandmother’s) brisket. This revelation made sense to me. My ancestors were likely eating brisket for many generations, and I grew up eating it at holidays with my family. It makes me feel satiated and satisfied, not full or uncomfortable. Eating leftovers after holidays makes me very happy too. Perhaps brisket does not carry the fame of kale or turmeric or bone broth. But for me, it feels healing. Even though my grandmother is no longer with us, my mother continues the tradition. She once froze a brisket and had it overnighted to me when I lived in California. I was not home for delivery and spent an entire afternoon tracking it down! When I heated up the brisket on my stove, my apartment began to smell like my grandmother’s home which also made me feel loved.

Close your eyes and ask: What dish makes me feel better when I am sick? What holiday recipe makes me feel fully satisfied, but not uncomfortable?  What makes me feel like a great version of me when I eat it? The answers to these questions are my prescription for you. For one patient this was a whole roasted chicken with roasted potatoes. For another patient, it was chicken noodle soup. I would love to hear what comes to your mind!

While we might not be ill or celebrating a holiday, it is a tender time. I hope you enjoy some nourishing, supportive meals.

In good health,

~Molly

Advertisement