Category: Nutrition

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Liver Onions and Vinegar

Liver is a superfood with many important nutrients. If eating liver seems a little bit too much, don’t worry, this recipe makes it healthier, easier and more enjoyable than you think.

INGREDIENTS

  • 500 grams of fresh calf’s (or Pork) liver
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons butter, as desired
  • 2 large Spanish onions, sliced lengthwise into thin strips
  • Salt and pepper, as desired
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar, (Black, Balsamic, Apple Cider)
  • Flour for dredging, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons clarified butter for frying
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

PREPARATION

  • Trim liver of veins and membranes. Cut on the diagonal into wide,  slices.
  • Melt the butter in a large skillet. Fry the onions in the butter over medium heat, stirring often, until nicely browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and vinegar. Set aside.
  • Dredge liver pieces with seasoned flour, and shake off excess. In a second large skillet, melt the clarified butter over high heat, and when very hot, drop in the liver pieces, a few at a time.
  • Fry 30 seconds or so on each side. Remove to a serving dish. Liver should still be raw in the center.
  • When all liver pieces have been fried, place the onions in the skillet containing the liver juices and reheat the onions thoroughly, stirring often. Add the liver to the onions, toss briefly to heat through, and turn out onto the serving dish.
  • Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Benefits of Liver

In addition to a high concentration of vitamin A, the liver is high in calcium, phosphorus, selenium, the vitamin B complex, and iron. The liver is a storage organ for many important nutrients (vitamins A, D, E, K, B12 and folic acid, and minerals such as copper and iron).

Liver according to Traditional Chinese Medicine.

According to the Doctrine of Signatures, we should eat liver to nourish our own liver. According to TCM, eating liver greatly nourishes Liver Blood (TCM blood), which is closely associated with the menstrual cycle and helps to rebalance any hormonal imbalance. In this recipe we also use vinegar which is sour in nature and helps to promote the smooth flow of Liver Qi, when it is blocked or stagnating.

Regarding toxins! The liver’s function is to neutralize toxins (such as drugs, poisons, and chemical agents), it does not store these toxins. Toxins that the body cannot eliminate are likely to accumulate, elsewhere in the body’s fatty tissues and nervous systems.

I recommend only buying liver from reliable sources, where the animal is organic or grass fed.

James O'Sullivan - that's me, a people friendly practitioner and lecturer of Integrated Medicine, serving my patients, my students and the public with the positive benefits of both Conventional Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
It's a wonderful life
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or assess. The information provided is not to be considered a substitute for consultation with a qualified health care practitioner.
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Cleansing Nettle Soup

Nettles are an amazingly healing plant! Are a wild and free super-healthy food that grows abundantly during its season.  Considered the “seaweed of the land,” because of its high mineral content, calcium, magnesium, iron, silica, iodine, and potassium.

Ingredients:

  • ½ colander of nettles. (When picking nettles, only select fresh healthy young leaves and tops)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stick, chopped
  • 1 medium potato, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed (optional)
  • Chicken, or vegetable stock (fresh is best, but stock cubes/powder are ok too)
  • 1 tbsp thick cream (optional)

Instructions:

To take the sting out of the nettles, place them in a heatproof bowl or a pot. Boil some water in the kettle, then pour it over the nettles. Allow them to sit for 30 seconds, then drain, allow to cool slightly and discard any stems.

Place the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and potato in a pan with enough stock to cover. Simmer until potato is soft. Add nettles to the pan and cook for another 5-10 mins until nettles are tender (add more stock if necessary). Blend with a hand blender or food processor until smooth. Add more stock if desired to reach the desired consistency. Season, and stir in cream if using just before serving.

Be careful not to overcook the soup or the vegetables will discolour and also lose their flavour.

In Chinese Medicine: Nettle helps build Essence (Jing) (a deep energy in your body which is responsible for growth and reproduction and life expectancy). Tonifies Yin, Blood and clears toxins from the body.

Caution: Do not eat raw nettles!

Fresh nettles are best picked between february and April, when the nettles are young. Other than this time it is best to pick only the young sprouts in the heads of the mature plant.

James O'Sullivan - that's me, a people friendly practitioner and lecturer of Integrated Medicine, serving my patients, my students and the public with the positive benefits of both Conventional Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine. It's a wonderful life
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or assess. The information provided is not to be considered a substitute for consultation with a qualified health care practitioner.
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Ginger Soup

Ingredients:

  • Clump of fresh ginger as in picture
  • 2 litres of water
  • Rock sugar or honey (to sweeten)

Simple Instructions:

Release all its natural strength of your ginger by grating or you can break fibres of ginger with a kitchen mallet or rolling pin. Place in a medium saucepan, with the 2 litres of water. Bring to boil and allow to simmer until liquid is reduced to half. Use a yogurt strainer or coffee filter to strain the ginger-infused soup. Add a small amount of water if the stock has reduced very much.

Drink 1 cup at a time as required until soup is finished (approx 1 day).

Add rock sugar or honey to taste.

Repeat as often as you need.

James O'Sullivan - that's me, a people friendly practitioner and lecturer of Integrated Medicine, serving my patients, my students and the public with the positive benefits of both Conventional Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
It's a wonderful life
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or assess. The information provided is not to be considered a substitute for consultation with a qualified health care practitioner.
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The Three Brothers

I love this story as it exemplifies how we should view traditional Chinese medicine and the part it plays in the healthcare of oriental peoples for over 4,000 years.

There was a famous Chinese doctor, who lived some 4,000 years ago. He was celebrated for his skills and knowledge of medicine and his ability to heal even the most fatal disease. He cured the emperor’s son who was believed dead, in a miraculous exhibition of his skills. The emperor asked why he was so much better than is two brothers, who were also doctors.

He replied, my first brother heals sickness before it even develops, so his methods and skills appear unseen and he is known only within our village. His practice involves giving advice on food, exercise and lifestyle to keep his patients well. My second brother deals with illnesses while they are chronic or minor, preventing sickness from getting worse and returning the body to health. He cares for his patients through acupuncture and herbs to rebalance them back to good health when they become ill. I treat diseases when they threaten to destroy the person. This requires several medicines, skill and knowledge in their use. For this reason my name has become famous throughout the kingdom, yet I am simply a surgeon who is called upon when all else fails. My first brother has the knowledge to deal with illness before they arise and my second brother is able to treat them at an early stage and prevent them getting worse. Though my fame has spread throughout the land, their knowledge is greater.

The first two brothers is how traditional Chinese medicine works with preventative dietary and lifestyle advice, acupuncture and herbs. The third brother who was the surgeon is how modern western medicine works. Today we need to have all disciplines available to holistically treat the various health disharmonies in people’s lives. Keeping healthy is surely one of the most important elements of a happy life. Before a person becomes ill, we need to treat with appropriate diet, exercise and lifestyle. When a person becomes ill, we need to treat with acupuncture and herbs first and only when these methods are not enough, we should use western medicine which includes surgery and powerful drugs with their equally powerful and harmful side effects.

James O'Sullivan - that's me, a people friendly practitioner and lecturer of Integrated Medicine, serving my patients, my students and the public with the positive benefits of both Conventional Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
It's a wonderful life
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or assess. The information provided is not to be considered a substitute for consultation with a qualified health care practitioner.
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Health Benefits of Ginger

Ginger!!!

My students would have heard me advocating the benefits of “Ginger Soup” during a cold or flu, especially when it’s at that stage of the itchy throat before it have had time to penetrate deeper into the body. It’s not my recipe but I’m passing on here as so many people have benefited from it.

Ginger is a medical herb used for centuries as a spice and also for its therapeutic qualities. The underground stem, the rhizome, can be used fresh, powdered, dried, or as an oil or juice. Ginger is part of the Zingiberaceae family, as are cardamom, turmeric and galangal.
What are the therapeutic benefits of ginger?
Below are examples of some scientific studies on ginger and its current or potential uses in medical treatment.

Inflammation of the colon or large intestine

Ginger Root Supplement administered to volunteer participants reduced inflammation in the colon within a month. This was the findings of a study carried out at the University of Michigan Medical School. Experts say that inflammation of the colon is a precursor to colon cancer.

Muscle pain caused by exercise

Ginger has excellent anti-inflammatory properties and can bring relief to those sore muscles post exercise. Float some ginger essential oil into your bath to help aching muscles and joints. A study by Patrick O’Connor, a professor at University of Georgia published in The Journal of Pain that ginger benefited muscle pain when those muscles were subjected to strenuous exercise.

Nausea caused by chemotherapy

Dr Julie Ryan, lead researcher at the University of Rochester Medical Center presented a study findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Orlando, Florida, in 2009 that ginger supplements administered alongside anti-vomiting medications can reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea symptoms by 40%. Dr. Ryan said “By taking the ginger prior to chemotherapy treatment, the National Cancer Institute-funded study suggests its earlier absorption into the body may have anti-inflammatory properties.”

Ovarian cancer

Researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center found that ovarian cancer cells, when exposed to a solution of ginger powder resulted in their death in every single test as reported at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting in Washington D.C., 2006.

Asthma

Researchers at Columbia University found that certain components of ginger can alleviate symptoms of asthma as reported at the American Thoracic Society International Conference 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Liver damage

Liver damage is associated with certain popular painkillers such as Acetaminophen or “Tylenol” or “paracetamol”. Researchers from the National Research Centre in Egypt reported “Our results demonstrated that ginger can prevent hepatic injuries, alleviating oxidative stress in a manner comparable to that of vitamin E. Combination therapy of ginger and acetaminophen is recommended especially in cases with hepatic (liver) disorders or when high doses of acetaminophen are required.”

High blood pressure

Researchers from Chiang Mai University in Thailand found that cassumunar ginger extract was more effective than prazosin hydrochloride in reducing blood pressure in hypertensive laboratory rats.

Dysmenorrhoea (painful menstruation)

researchers from the Islamic Azad University in Iran found that Ginger can help reduce the symptoms of pain in primary dysmenorrhoea (period pains). The researchers found that the 82.85% of the women taking the ginger capsules reported improvements in pain symptoms compared to 47.05% of those on placebo.

Migraines

Researchers from VALI-e-ASR Hospital in Iran found that ginger powder is as effective in treating common migraine symptoms as many pain killers that are common for treating migraine.

Appetiser

Poor appetite or Spleen Qi Deficiency (TCM). Eating fresh ginger about one hour before lunch has been shown to improve a poor appetite and help us get those essential nutrients for everyday life. Its also good at helping to reduce flatulence!

Optimum Absorption of Essential Nutrients

Ginger improves the absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients in the body.

Post Surgery Nausea

Eating a piece of raw ginger dipped in honey helps to overcome nausea after energy saping surgery.

Nose and throat congestion

Drink some ginger tea to release congestion from these areas and the ginger will also keep you warm during times when there’s a nip in the air. Ginger clears the ‘micro-circulatory channels’ of the body, including the sinuses that tend to flare up at certain times.

Aphrodisiac

In Ayurvedic texts ginger is considered the perfect herb when you want to induce a little zest in the bedroom. Add some ginger root to a bowl of soup to spice up your lovelife.

Side Effects are rare but they need to be mentioned here.

  • Diarrhea
  • Heartburn
  • Stomach upset
  • Mouth irritation

Recipes:

James O'Sullivan - that's me, a people friendly practitioner and lecturer of Integrated Medicine, serving my patients, my students and the public with the positive benefits of both Conventional Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
It's a wonderful life
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or assess. The information provided is not to be considered a substitute for consultation with a qualified health care practitioner.
Please share! Help the word get out. Pin the graphic too.