greetings from bitter melon.
Our wonderful Bitter Melon Acupuncture staff took a much-needed January retreat weekend in Tomales. We hiked, cooked, petted goats and chickens, and played some heated games of mahjong. On our last night, led by resident herbalist Elokin (https://www.shootingstarbotanicals.org/), and with herbal oils crafted by Sapho from plants in their yard, we had a great time making batches of pain relieving salves. We hope that you have also set aside time in 2024 for restoration and relaxation!
honoring lunar new year: year of the wood dragon.
Lunar New Year is around the corner (Feb 10) and is celebrated by 2 billion people around the world. This will be the year of the Wood Dragon, symbolizing strength and new beginnings. The Dragon is associated with strong Yang Qi - great vitality and ambition. And the Wood element embodies growth and adaptability - imagine a tree maturing. This is a great year to start new projects, including those that require more physical activity. It’s also a time to balance the vibrant Yang energy, which can lead us to push ourselves too much, and notice when to slow down. Otherwise, the added stress can impact our liver and gallbladder channels, causing health challenges. So spend more time outside, especially amongst the trees and ground ourselves whenever possible - through meditation, prayer, tai qi, deep breathing, mindful parenting, napping… whatever works for you!
february is heart health month.
The root causes of heart disease can vary widely between individuals so there is no one size fits all approach from an Eastern Medicine perspective (which is a main tenet of our medicine). However, we can highlight a few herbs that can address a few of these underlying causes.
Difficulty processing foods rich in saturated fats:
Shan Zha (Hawthorn) - a delicious sour berry of the hawthorn tree, this is made into “flakes” that can be eaten to help process a heavy meal.
Huang Lian (Coptis Rhizome) - this herb can really help those who have rich diets and develop “heat” from it. Think reddish face, swollen gums, acid reflux, dry stools. Beware - it is very bitter, but worth it.
Improves circulation and cardiovascular health:
Hibiscus (Fu Rong Hua) - this flower makes a delicious tea, which I’ve recommended to all patients with long-COVID symptoms. It’s great for lowering blood pressure.
Dan Shen (Red Sage) - my go-to as a single herb for those with family history of heart disease, and for those with high cholesterol, it increases microcirculation in the body, and can be steeped into tea as a single herb.
Pictured: Hawthorn Berry
recipe to strengthen kidney yang during winter.
We are thrilled to share our colleague Mamie Chow's delicious recipe, "Shanghainese Red-Braised Stew with Chicken" which nourishes blood, calms spirit and enhances mental focus. Adding nutrient rich meals to your diet this winter is a great way to boost your kidney yang during the coldest and wettest months of the year.
This recipe, along with many others are featured in Mamie Chow's "Everyday Food as Medicine: Easy, Delicious & Nourishing Recipes" which is available for purchase via Mamie's website.
Purchase for $25 via Venmo or Zelle using: 510-326-8853.
Learn More at MAMIECHOWLAC.COM
turning the spotlight to friends we love.
This month, we are honored to turn the spotlight to a local, Black owned business that we love: SoulFlow Oakland. Offering yoga, movement & dance classes in Oakland, Pinole and online, SoulFlow Oakland also hosts various retreats and workshops throughout the year.
SoulFlow founder, Satya deLa Paz offers Yoga as a means of collective and personal liberation and decolonization: accessing our innate healing capacity through therapeutics and compassion, meeting media-driven body shame through mindfulness and affirmation, freeing the heart of resentment and blame, and healing the mind of ableist and hierarchical ways of moving and acting.
Learn More at SOULFLOWOAKLAND.COM
and now for some business.
We are currently accepting new patients at our El Cerrito Clinic, located at 708 El Cerrito Plaza. The clinic offers free parking within El Cerrito Plaza and is less than 1/4 mile from El Cerrito BART.
Patients interested in visiting our Oakland or Pinole clinics, please anticipate a 3-4 week booking period / wait time.
Thank You for choosing us.
Until Next Time,
Bitter Melon Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine
your healing lifts up the ocean of existence. when you heal, we all heal. - yung pueblo