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Greek Cucumber Salad

7/25/2016

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Greek Cucumber Salad Recipe
Chinese nutrition classifies food according to its energetic qualities of temperature, taste, and ability to moisten and strengthen the body.  In general, it favors foods with warm properties which ease the digestive process by allowing the system to relax and more easily break down food. 

Summer however, is fire time, making it the the perfect season to introduce some cool, yin foods into your diet. Food with cool and cold properties can clear heat, reduce toxins, and generate body fluids.  Bring on the melons, cucumbers, tomatoes and tofu!   Enjoy this cooling salad!

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Green Tea with Blueberry

7/22/2016

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Green tea with Blueberry
Here is a refreshing summer drink perfect or picnics or enjoying with a book.  

Green tea is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that have powerful effects on the body, including improved brain function, fat loss, a lower risk of cancer and many other incredible benefits.

​In the rainbow of foods, purple is the one most often overlooked. Purple foods, like blueberries, are super-rich in antioxidants - essential to optimizing health by helping to combat the free radicals that can damage cellular structures as well as DNA. 

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Summertime & The Chinese Medical Model

6/29/2016

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Summertime and the Chinese Medical Model
Thanks to https://www.flickr.com/photos/maxruckman/ for sharing this photo.
Summertime is Fire time in TCM
​Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) explains that we experience “FIRE”, one of the elemental powers, most fully in the summer. 

The young energy that expressed itself in the spring arises to its full potential and if is not used can lead to excessive HEAT.

This heat is a common marker of inflammation, making summer an important time pay extra attention to the inflammatory response.


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Is Inflammation at the Root of All Disease?

6/29/2016

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Inflammation and Fire
Thanks to https://www.flickr.com/photos/jparise/ for sharing .
Inflammation.  That itchy swelling of redness and warmth around a wound as it starts to heal.  No big deal, right? WRONG!  Many scientists now believe that most, or even all chronic disease may have chronic inflammation as a trigger.  This fiery process has been linked to multiple ailments including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and more.

​What is Inflammation?

​Whether you scrape your knee, twist your ankle, or succumb to strep throat, the body's reaction is the same: The immune system sends in an army of white blood cells to destroy bacteria and repair the tissue. This healing process, called the inflammatory response, is one of the body's most basic survival instincts. ​Inflammation is a reaction to stress, whether that stress stems from 

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Vitamin D - Getting your Optimal Amount

6/16/2016

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All of this information was taken directly from www.VitaminDCouncil.org.  It is a fabulous resource and we highly recommend visiting to learn more, and donating towards their mission!
Getting enough vitamin d
Thanks to flickr.com/photos/funkyah/ for use of this image.

​The most natural way to get vitamin D is by exposing your bare skin to sunlight (ultraviolet B rays). This can happen very quickly, particularly in the summer. You don’t need to tan or burn your skin to get vitamin D. You only need to expose your skin for around half the time it takes for your skin to turn pink and begin to burn.

The amount of vitamin D you get from exposing your bare skin to the sun depends on:

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Go Inside to Fight the Winter Blues

12/23/2015

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Fight the Winter Blues - vitality757.com
​Let’s face it. Winter is a tough season for  most people. The weather is uncooperative and cold. The sun has gone to bed before the average work day ends. Cold and flu viruses are rampant, testing immune systems at every turn. Social and familial pressures during the holiday season can get downright ridiculous. Even the bears are hibernating and the birds are flying south to avoid dealing with it all.
 
It’s an easy time to be stressed, irritable, mournful of loved ones who have passed,  and sometimes downright miserable. Often the push of “happy, happy, happy holidays!!” can intensify the downturn. But, is this true “depression”?
Depression is defined as six months of  prolonged mental despondency, accompanied by lack of energy and difficulty maintaining concentration or interest in life. Everyone has these feelings at times – our culture is quick to slap a band-aid where it doesn’t always belong. Before turning to that additional glass of wine, or anti-depressant prescription,  consider if these feelings truly are depression, or if you may be instead fighting your natural reaction to the season.
 
In Chinese medicine, winter is the time to turn inward, focus on emotional introspection, rest, and conserve strength. All of the natural environmental cues are telling us to do this. It’s cold and dark, trees are bare of leaves, animals are hibernating – time to go inside. Not simply indoors, but INSIDE of yourself. Quiet the mind, embrace your inner world of feeling.  Contesting our part in this natural equation can intensify the feelings of seasonal sadness.
 
“Going inside” and facing / embracing ourselves can be a terrifying prospect for some. We are literally addicted to the constant noise, chaos, and distraction of the outside world. A heavy reliance on external stimulus allows us to avoid ourselves, especially at those vital moments where introspection allows for self healing.
 
Easy ways to embrace introspection:
 
Nutrition.  Or as I like to call it, eating great food! It’s time for those warming, comfort foods we all love. It doesn’t have to be all mac and cheese either – see end of article for a great recipe for healing, comforting miso soup. (Which also boosts the immune system!)
 
Sleep. Carve out the time for adequate rest. You can make it happen, and you will be amazed at the improvement in your well being. Watch and pay attention to your dream language.
 
Balance the Nervous System. This is exactly what a chiropractic adjustment does for you. Acupuncture, the Migun massage bed, and yoga are other great resources.
 
Meditation / Deep Relaxation / Prayer.   Start with just 3 minutes a day of complete     silence and relaxation of your mind. As it becomes easier, spend a little more time each day. Those of you that currently practice – keep it up!
 
Mother Nature’s intelligence and wisdom is in all of us, we often simply forget to align with it. Fight the winter blues this season and heal naturally by embracing your inner self.
 
Recommended Reading:
Martha Nussbaum’s letter: Do Not Despise Your Inner World
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain


​Miso Soup

Miso Soup - VITALITY757.com
  • 3 ounces dried soba noodles
  • 2 - 4 tablespoons miso paste (to taste)
  • 2 - 3 ounces firm tofu (2 handfuls), chopped into 1/3-inch cubes
  • a handful of watercress or spinach, well washed and stems trimmed
  • 2 green onions, tops removed thinly sliced
  • a small handful of cilantro
  • a pinch of red pepper flakes
 
(Soba noodles are available in most grocery stores in the “international” section, miso paste can be found in the refrigerated section at The Heritage, Whole Foods, and many grocery stores) 
 
Cook the soba noodles in salted water, drain, run cold water over the noodles to stop them from cooking, shake off any excess water and set aside.
 
In a medium sauce pan bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and remove from heat. Pour a bit of the hot water into a small bowl and whisk in the miso paste - so it thins out a bit (this step is to avoid clumping). Stir this back into the pot. Taste, and then add more (the same way) a bit at a time until it is to your liking. Also, some miso pastes are less-salty than others, so you may need to add a bit of salt here. Add the tofu, remove from the heat, and let it sit for just a minute or so.
 
Split the noodles between two (or three) bowls, and pour the miso broth and tofu over them. Add some watercress, green onions, cilantro, and red pepper flakes to each bowl and enjoy.
 
Serves 2 - 3.  Source:  http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/miso-soup-recipe.html
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Wind Invasion

9/24/2015

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Wind Invasion - Chinese Medical Concepts : VITALITY757.COM
Do you feel like you get sick around the changes of the seasons?  Chances are you do, and there are steps you can take to avoid it!

Wind Invasion

One of the most familiar images in autumn that comes to mind is the beautiful leaves changing color, then falling and swirling in the wind.  As part of nature, we also react to the change in 

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We are proud to provide quality health care to our neighbors in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth,
​and the surrounding Hampton Roads area.  Dr. Janine Lex's specialty in intertwining her skills with functional medicine, nutrition, chiropractic care and acupuncture to best suit each individual patient allows for maximum pain relief and optimal healing.  ©2017 Vitality! Functional Medicine