This year Chinese New Year falls on February 14th when we will be saying goodbye to the Year of the Ox and welcoming in the Year of the Tiger. More next week about what the Year of the Tiger has in store for us, but today I thought I’d celebrate by baking Chinese Almond Cookies. These are said to look like coins and symbolize prosperity and so we bake them at this time to wish our loved ones a prosperous new year.

For my version I swapped butter for almond butter and olive oil and replaced the sugar with maple syrup. So here is my recipe for whole grain, dairy free new year cookies to wish you all a healthy and prosperous new year.

Happy New Year! Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Vegan Almond Cookies

I cup whole wheat pastry flour

½ cup spelt flour

½ cup almond flour

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp ground cardamom

1 cup almond butter

1 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tsp almond extract

½ cup slivered almonds

Preheat the 350 degrees

Method: -

Mix the dry ingredients together. This includes the whole wheat flour, spelt flour, almond flour, baking soda, cardamom and salt.

In a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients. This includes the almond butter, maple syrup, olive oil and almond extract.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix lightly until just combined.

Put into the refrigerator for half an hour to firm up.

Drop heaping tablespoons full of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet

Press down with a fork to make little ridges

Press the slivered almonds into the cookies to decorate

Bake for 10 minutes being careful not to overcook because without the usual butter and eggs these cookies are much healthier but can get dry.

Welcome to the third week of our YinOva Cleanse. I have loved hearing from you all by email and it’s fun to think that so many of us are doing this at the same time. Last week we took herbs that clean and protect the liver and gallbladder as well as herbs that kill parasites and probiotics to replenish intestinal flora. Every year I find week two to be the hardest of the cleanse. How was it for you?

This week we will be taking herbs that cleanse and tonify the lungs, kidneys and bladder.

Our kidneys, though small, work incredibly hard. Every day the equivalent of 250 gallons of blood pass through our kidneys, which extract toxins and excess water. The kidneys contain tiny tubes called nephrons which over time can become mucusy and congested. Our aim this week is to help clean these tubes so that they kidneys can function better. Sluggish kidney function can make you feel lackluster and tired so you can expect to have more energy as your kidneys cleanse. In Chinese medicine the kidney is also associated with willpower and poor kidney function is linked to fear, lack of motivation and insecurity. Hopefully the work we do this week will help us to be bolder and more motivated.

Our lungs take in oxygen which is absorbed into the blood to support every process in the body. They also get rid of carbon dioxide which is a by-product of the body’s energy production. However, over time the pollution we breathe makes the bronchial tubes in the lungs constrict and produce mucus. This impairs our lung function, causing us to take in less oxygen and thus making us tired and sluggish. In Chinese medicine poor lung function is associated with grief and sadness. So the work we do this week should help us to feel more positive and joyful.

We will be continuing to eat in a way that causes the minimum of stress to our bodies so that our energy can be directed to healing and cleansing.

Avoid :

• Dairy products
• Red Meat
• Alcohol
• Coffee
• Processed foods (Emma and I have cheated a bit by using some processed foods from the health food store such as rice crackers, rice bread and oatcakes – I’m fine with this)
• Wheat
• Processed sugars
• Shellfish
• Optional: Nightshade vegetables

Have you noticed that you are less hungry and have fewer cravings? I have found that eating consciously has made me want smaller portions and so far I have lost 6lbs. Like many of you I am also noticing that my skin looks better and I have more energy.

Here is a recipe for baked tofu with gravy which I ate  for dinner last night with broccoli and roasted sweet potato.

Baked Tofu

1 12 oz block of Tofu
1/4 cup tamari
2 tbs of sesame oil

• Press tofu block between two plates, weighted down with a cast iron pan, large bowl of water, or heavy cans, for about 30 minutes
• To make marinade, simply whisk together the ingredients in a bowl
• After tofu is pressed, cut the block into slices 1/2 ” thick
• Place pieces of tofu into baking dish, and cover with the marinade
• The tofu can sit overnight in the marinade but should sit for at least 1 hour
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Bake tofu about 35-45 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.
• Serve with Veggie Gravy

Veggie Gravy

1 Pint Veggie Stock
3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
4 level tbsp Brown Rice Flour
1 tsp Marjoram
2 fl oz sunflower oil
1 1/2 tsp Earth Balance (or other vegan spread)
2 tbsp tamari
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1 clove garlic

• Put the nutritional yeast, brown rice flour, marjoram and mustard powder in a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the ingredients become fragrant
• Add the oil and earth balance and continue to cook over a low heat stirring for 3 minutes
• Add the stock and bring to a boil stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
• Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally
• Add tamari and garlic and continue to simmer for a further 3 minutes before serving.

Welcome to week two of the YinOva Cleanse.

Last week was all about cleansing our colons. How did you do? Emma and I had a couple of hungry days mid-week but we’re now feeling pretty good. This week we will be cleansing the liver and gall bladder. You can read more about the herbs involved here.

In our house we followed a more restricted diet during the colon cleanse so Emma and I are delighted to be eating more solid food and a broader range of foods. We’re still abiding by the following restrictions but I must say we’re getting used to eating this way.

Avoid :

• Dairy products
• Red Meat
• Alcohol
• Coffee
• Processed foods (Emma and I have cheated a bit by using some processed foods from the health food store such as rice crackers, rice bread and oatcakes – I’m fine with this)
• Wheat
• Processed sugars
• Shellfish
• Optional: Nightshade vegetables

Last night, as we settled down to watch the Golden Globes, I made two detox friendly patés for us to spread on rice crackers. Both are adapted from and inspired by  The Angelica Home Kitchen: Recipes and Rabble Rousings from an Organic Vegan Restaurant. Angelica’s Kitchen is a great place to eat when you’re detoxing and I’m really glad it’s just down the road from my office.

Lentil Walnut Paté

Adapted from the Angelica Home Kitchen. (Changed a bit to accommodate what I had in my kitchen.)
2/3 cup green lentils
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cups diced onions
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tbsp mirin
1 1/2 tbsp umeboshi paste (you can use red wine vinegar instead, if necessary, and add extra salt)
1 1/2 tbsp miso
1 tbsp dried marjoram

• Rinse lentils, place in a saucepan, cover with water (about 2″ above the lentils) bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes
• In the meantime roast the walnuts on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees F for 8 minutes
• Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil over a gentle heat for 10 minutes
• Drain the lentils and put them in a blender of food processor with the onions, walnuts and all the other ingredients.
• Blend until smooth and serve with tofu sour cream dribbled over the top and wheat free crackers.

Beet and Butternut Paté

Adapted from the Angelica Home Kitchen. (Originally a recipe for pumpkin pate but changed quite a bit to accommodate what I had in my kitchen.)

1/2 a cup of sun dried tomatoes (dry packed)
3/4 pound of onions diced
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb of beets and winter squash peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 tbsp marjoram
salt and pepper to taste

• Boil 2 cups of water, take off the heat and leave the sun dried tomatoes in the hot water to rehydrate for 20 minutes
• Toast the sunflower seeds in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes
• Steam the beets and squash for 20 minutes
• Sautes the onions and garlic in the olive oil until soft
• Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
• Serve with tofu sour cream drizzled on top and wheat free crackers.

Tofu Sour Cream

From The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter’s 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds (I love this book)

1 pack of Silken Tofu
1/3 cup soy milk
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp nutritional yeast

• Blend all ingredients together in a blender or food processor until smooth.
• Cover and chill for at least an hour to allow the flavors to blend

It’s that time of year again. Did you eat and drink a bit too much over the holidays? I know I did and at this time of year I always feel ready to shed a few pounds and clean up my diet. Here at the YinOva Center January is always “cleanse month” where some staff and many of our patients welcome the new year by eating healthily and taking herbs that clean the colon and detoxify various systems.

I’m not a fan of fasting and worry about the metabolic effect of living on water and lemon juice for any length of time and so over the years I have developed what I hope is a sensible detox. We use a product made by a wonderful company, Blessed Herbs, which comes in two stages. First a 7 day colon cleanse and then a 21 day internal cleanse that includes herbs that effect the liver and gallbladder, as well as anti-parasitic herbs and probiotics. Then come herbs that help the bladder and kidneys followed by herbs that effect the lymph, blood and skin. Every year I am amazed by how much better I feel when I reach the end of the month.

As for food, we usually recommend the following.

For the duration of the cleanse avoid:

• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Processed foods
• Fried foods
• Dairy Products
• Wheat
• Red meat
• Shellfish
• Some people also avoid nightshade vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant (it’s up to you)

Week one starts with a pre-cleanse and then a 5 day colon cleanse which I described in great detail on the blog last year. So feel free to click here for more information.

My daughter, Emma and I started our cleanse yesterday along with several of our patients. Many of you have emailed me to tell me what you have been eating and I’m grateful for the inspiration. Here, to give you some ideas, was our schedule. I always start with a bit more food during the pre-cleanse and reduce the quantity as we go through the first week so we don’t feel like we’re starving.

7am (or upon rising): Glass of room temperature lemon water
8am: Green Tea
10am (breakfast): Oatmeal made with rice dream with some sunflower seeds and frozen raspberries scattered on it
11:30am: (Snack) Green juice made with kale, apples and carrots
1:30pm (lunch): Miso soup. I used Gwyneth Paltrow’s miso recipe which is particularly delicious. An apple.
4pm (snack): A small handful of almonds
5.30pm (herbs): Digestive stimulator from the colon cleanse kit
6pm (dinner): Steamed salmon with a sesame and soy dressing served with sweet potatoes, broccoli and pear and lettuce salad. Chia Pudding
8pm (snack): Chamomile tea
9pm (herbs): Toxin absorber from the colon cleanse kit

So consider this an invitation to join us. You can buy the herbal cleanse either at our center or direct from Blessed Herbs. Both Emma and I will blog about what we’re eating and how we’re feeling and some of the patients have volunteered to share their experience too.

Let’s all clean up our acts together as we begin what I hope will be a great year……

Emma says:

“I’ve watched my Mom and her friends do this cleanse every year but this is the first time I’ve decided to join in. I’ve just finished my first term at college which has involved way too many ramen noodles and late night pizzas. That combined with a Christmas trip home to England means that I’m feeling like a bit of a slug. Today was our first day and to be honest I was hungry. I’m a bit of a sugar addict and oatmeal and rice dream doesn’t quite cut it. My Mom made up a bowl of chia seed pudding which she say helps stabilize blood sugar but it looks like frog spawn and I haven’t dared dip into it yet. I’m a reluctant cleanser today.”

Our YinOva friend Sue emailed me to let me know what she ate (if you are joining us please share your recipe ideas – it really helps to inspire the rest of us)
7am (or upon rising): Water with lemon
8am: Green Tea
10am (breakfast): Irish 30 minute oatmeal with flax seeds, and almond milk ( a sprinkle of raisins)
11:30am: (Snack) Water with lemon 1:30pm (lunch): MUNG BEAN STEW

Recipe: Soak mung beans and green lentils overnight. In a large soup pot combine organic vegatable stock with 1 cup of  small green lentils and 1 cup of mung beans. Add 1 large yellow onion, 3 cloves of garlic, lots and lots of fresh ginger, diced carrots, diced butternut squash (peeled), parsley, tbsp tumeric and sea salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2.5 hours….Delicious!

4pm (snack): Lemon water
5.30pm (herbs): Digestive stimulator from the colon cleanse kit
6pm (dinner): Ginger tumeric and paprika Chicken with apples and grilled Kale

In a crock pot, put in a layer of ginger and apples, put in whole chicken, cover chicken with rice vinegar and then add tumeric and lots of papikra. Came out great! I had a small portion of the chicken and lots of kale.

8pm (snack): Chamomile tea
9pm (herbs): Toxin absorber from the colon cleanse kit. Mud shake that I have to drink and gag but it’s cleaning out my colon. Yahooo!

Last week we held our annual staff holiday party which was a lot of fun and proved that we at the YinOva Center are not immune to the excesses of the season. However we do have a few tricks up our sleeves when it comes to combating a hangover.

What is a hangover? Alcohol is a diuretic so most of the symptoms associated with overindulging are related to dehydration. Over time the alcohol we consume breaks down into acetaldehyde, which our bodies find toxic. It’s normal for your body to try to get rid of this toxin, hence the nausea. In response to the toxins the liver swells, reducing blood flow and stopping its normal functions which include processing hormones and expelling toxins hence the aching and malaise. Finally, alcohol stops our bodies from processing glutamate, one of the body’s stimulants. At first this makes us feel sedated which is part of the fun, but as the alcohol wears off, our bodies realize that they are lacking in glutamine and so produce more of it. This excess glutamine inhibits sleep and is the reason we wake up in a sweat after drinking.

However help is at hand in the form of an age old Chinese herbal formula called Bao He Wan which is available at our clinic or from any herb store in Chinatown. It can be used either to treat a hangover or as a preventative if you take it before you start to drink. It’s particularly useful for treating the digestive problems associated with a hangover and when combined with lots of water or fruit juice, it can be a great way of treating a fragile system after too much holiday indulgence. The ingredients include hawthorn fruit and radish seed which get your digestive system flowing again combined with tangerine peel, melia, pinellia, and ginger which treat nausea and headache. White peony helps your liver to function normally and poria harmonizes the relationship between your liver and your digestive system. Coptis and forsythia clear heat and help treat that clammy feeling after one drink too many.

A hearty breakfast the morning after may be the last thing you feel like but it can help. Carbohydrates help to stabilize your blood sugar and can reduce stomach acid and the cysteine in egg yolks binds to the acetaldehyde and neutralizes it. Avoid caffeine, however. A cup of coffee may be what you’re craving but it’s a diuretic and will only exacerbate your dehydration. Likewise exercise may not be the first thing you feel like doing but going for a brisk walk increases circulation, helping your body to expel toxins and getting blood and oxygen to your brain.

Of course the best advice is to take steps to prevent a hangover during this holiday season. Don’t drink on an empty stomach and alternate each alcoholic drink with a soft drink or glass of water.

For hundreds of years chicken soup has been a traditional remedy for a cold. Our grandmothers swore by it and each culture has a version of this healing recipe. These days Western scientists have begun study chicken soup and have found that it has healing properties because it contains natural chemicals similar to those in modern cold medicines. For example, an amino acid released from chicken during cooking, chemically resembles the drug acetylcysteine, prescribed for bronchitis and other respiratory problems. At the University of Nebraska, Dr. Stephen Renard has conducted research into chicken soup and found that it contains a number of anti-inflammatory substances, that could ease the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections. The soup, he says, controls inflammatory white blood cells (neutrophils). Cold symptoms are often caused by inflammation produced when neutrophils congregate in the bronchial tubes. You can read more about his research and find his chicken soup recipe here.

A good healing soup should contain some of the following ingredients : -

Chicken

In Chinese medicine chicken is said to be yang, which means that it is warming and warming foods can give you the energy to fight off a pathogen. It’s important to have plenty of protein when you’re sick, but not too much fat which can make mucus accumulation worse. That means that a lean poultry, like chicken, is an ideal soup ingredient. It contains iron which is important to a healthy immune system and zinc which helps you body battle infection by activating white blood cells.

Broccoli

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that packs a powerful nutritional punch. It is high in anti-oxidants and in glucosinolates which stimulate the body’s immune system and along with red bell peppers it’s a good way of adding vitamin C to your soup.

Onions and Garlic

This study published in the journal Advances In Therapy found that taking a garlic supplement could help prevent colds as well as shorten their duration. In Chinese medicine green onions are a key ingredient in a famous cold-fighting soup. Much of the immune-boosting properties of garlic and onions come from their sulfur-containing compounds, which also give them their distinctive smell. One particular compound called allicin has been shown to be effective against bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections.

Sweet Potatoes, Carrots and Pumpkins

These orange vegetables are high in beta-carotene, which your body uses to make vitamin A a key immune boosting nutrient. In Chinese medicine they are said to nourish the spleen which aids digestion and so helps your body produce qi.

Ginger

Ginger is used in Chinese medicine for it’s anti-inflammatory properties and because it can help calm an upset stomach. It is a warming food that can make you sweat a little which can help your body release a pathogen.

Hot Peppers

High in vitamin C, hot peppers contain capsaicin which can thin mucus, clearing your sinuses and helping you to breathe better which in turn allows your nasal passages to get rid of germs. In Chinese medicine chili peppers can help you to sweat a little and release the pathogen.

Chinese Herbs

If you live near Chinatown or have access to Chinese herbs the following can be added to your soup in small quantities.

Ju hua (Chrysanthamum Flowers) – These are sold dried and as tea bags in Chinese herb stores. A cooling food, Chrysanthemum is also used in soup, as it is said to be good for ridding the body of fevers. It is particularly soothing if you have a headache or sore eyes.

Yu Jin (Tumeric) – This root is sold as dried slices in Chinese herbs stores but feel free to add a pinch of culinary tumeric to your soup. The golden yellow color is the result of curcumin, a polyphenol with strong cold and flu-fighting properties.

Huang qi (Astragalus) – This qi tonic is sold as little woody sticks in Chinese herbs stores. Add them to the soup for their immune boosting properties and then take the sticks out before you eat the soup. In studies astragalus has been shown to increase anti-bodies and stimulate natural killer cells.

So here is a YinOva Center recipe for a delicious, immune boosting chicken soup.

Healing Chinese Chicken Soup

Serves 4

• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 red chilies, finely sliced, OR substitute 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. dried crushed chili
• 2 ” of ginger root, finely chopped
• 1/2 lb of boneless, skinless chicken, chopped into 1/2″ slices
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• A pinch of Tumeric
• 1/2 cup of sweet potato, cut into 1/4″ dice
• A head of broccoli, separated into florets
• 3 green onions, chopped finely
• Any of the Chinese herbs mentioned above

Heat the sesame oil in a pan and fry the garlic, chili peppers and ginger over a low heat until they become soft and fragrant. Be careful not to burn them.

Add the chicken pieces and stir as you seal the outside of the meat.

Add in the stock, soy sauce, tumeric and sweet potato and bring to the boil. Add any Chinese herbs if you are using them.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add broccoli and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Add chopped green onions and serve.