Laura's Favorite OTC Remedies for Cold Season

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Laura's Favorite OTC Remedies for Cold Season

Let’s face it, in spite of our best efforts we all get sick sometimes. Many of us would prefer a “natural” option to a pharmaceutical one, but the health aisle in the grocery store can be overwhelming. Since the FDA doesn’t regulate herbal medicine, there are a lot of products out there making claims about what they can do. So where you do start? As a trained herbalist, I want to share with you my favorite over-the-counter (OTC) remedies for cold season. Please know that none of these are sponsored, they’re just my personal go-tos

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Equinox Cleanse: Reset Your Body for the Season

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Equinox Cleanse: Reset Your Body for the Season

Asian medicine treats the body in alignment with the natural world. When you come to see me for treatment, I not only look at you and your chief concern today, I also look at the weather outside, the season, the time of day, and more. When taking the reins on your own health care, aligning your body with seasonal energetics is a wonderful starting point. The spring and autumn equinoxes are of particular importance as they mark a shift between yin and yang energies, the two energies at the core of Asian medical theory. This makes the start of spring and fall an optimal time to make a shift within your own body. My favorite way to shift? A whole foods-based reset, or cleanse.

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Sweet Potato Salmon Cakes: a Quick Weeknight Meal

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Sweet Potato Salmon Cakes: a Quick Weeknight Meal

I love to cook, but that doesn't mean I love cooking elaborate meals every night. When I come home late from a full day of treating patients, the last thing I want to do is wait another 2 hours for dinner to be ready. Good thing is, making healthy food doesn't mean you have to spend hours prepping and cooking. These Sweet Potato Salmon Cakes are one of my go-to weeknight meals when I want healthy protein and fat, and I want them fast.

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Sweat into Spring: Spicy Mung Bean Soup Recipe

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Sweat into Spring: Spicy Mung Bean Soup Recipe

Many of you know that I am a huge advocate of soups. Cooking food low and slow has a "pre-digestive" effect that eases the stress on your GI tract, allowing maximum absorption of nutrients and smoother elimination. This spicy mung bean bowl of yum is extra special because it takes only about an hour to make. Bonus: the leftovers taste even better than the first bowl.

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Boosting Immunity with Elderberry Syrup

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Boosting Immunity with Elderberry Syrup

Elderberry is a wonderful herb to help stabilize the immune system, and can be used to prevent and treat common colds. Elderberries are high in vitamins A and C, and chock-full of an antioxidant called quercitin. They are also anti-inflammatory and, according to herbal theory, possess antiviral properties. Instead of rushing to your favorite health food store to purchase all things elderberry, try this easy recipe from Mountain Rose Herbs to make your own elderberry syrup at home!

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Autumn Energetics: Fall and Your Body

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Autumn Energetics: Fall and Your Body

Chinese medical theory is rooted in the cyclical passage of time and its effect on our bodies. As seasons wax and wane, external shifts in the environment pull our innate energy like the moon pulls the tide. Fall in particular marks a stark time of transition in the body: we move from the expansive energy of summer to the contractile energy of winter.

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