Making Soup As Medicine

Posted on March 9, 2010 by eresko

Photo by Matthew Hamilton on Unsplash

Turns out medicinal soup can be good tasting as well as good for you!  I am missing school again today… thought I’d kicked my little stomach bug over the weekend, but it’s back again.  It might seem like I’m trying to miss as much school as I can right before finals start…. but lets just hope I kick this thing in the next day, or it’s gonna be a tough next two weeks!  At first I thought I was just over-exhausted; which is highly possible and probably the reason that I got this thing in the first place, but I’ve managed to stay right on the cusp of giving fulling in to this fun little virus… let’s hope it stays that way, it doesn’t sound fun otherwise.

As I am sure you really want to hear me rant about my sickness, the real reason for my post is that I just concocted a delicious soup with Chinese and Western herbs to calm my stomach and it’s actually quite delicious as well as easy to get down and keep down.

Here are my ingredients:

  • Chicken Stock
  • Homemade elk sausage, which was harvested with a bow and arrow by my boyfriend:  Just a little for the protein
  • Cauliflower:  Just another cruciferous vegetable & has been shown to reduce the severity of prostate cancers… though this doesn’t help me out much today in terms of the prostate or the cancer, but I figure if it works for that, its got to do something good for my body so why not!
  • Sweet Potato:  Just for some sustenance, plus they have a low glycemic index
  • Chard:  Is packed with Vitamin K, which promotes healthy bone re-mineralization; which from a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) viewpoint, is directly associated with the Kidney energy and therefore any boost to that system will essentially help kick the body into gear.  From another point of view, promoting bone re-mineralization directly relates to the bone marrow and thus by improving marrow development; immune cell growth and function benefits as well!
  • Mushrooms:  An immune system boosting vegetable in more ways than one!
  • Lot’s of Garlic:  Stimulates the immune function via macrophage & lymphocyte activity.
  • Chunks of Ginger Sheng Jiang:  For nausea and vomiting
  • Elderberry:  For its anti-viral properties and has been researched and proven to be effective in the treatment of the flu virus.
  • Orange Peel Chen Pi: To calm my upset stomach
  • Olive Leaf Extract:  Anti-viral & has been shown to increase the number of white blood cells, macrophages and lymphocytes.
  • Astragalus Huang Qi:  To boost immunity, & build the Wei Qi (basically the chinese way of saying boost immunity), also has some anti-cancer effects and good for general fatigue as well as stress management.

So far so good, it was absolutely delicious and I found all the ingredients at Limbo in the “aisle of herbs” (my favorite!)

Now along with some rest and relaxation, lots of teas and water & some Acupuncture I will (hopefully) be back on my feet in no time!

~till next time, be well~

Erin

Sources:

Bruno, G. (2004). Building immunity & promoting wellness with botanicals and antioxidants. Literature Education Series on Dietary Supplements, Retrieved from http://www.hchs.edu/literature/Immunity%20Wellness.pdf

Lamm, D.L., & Riggs, D.R. (2001). Enhanced immunocompetence by garlic: role in bladder cancer and other malignancies. Journal of Nutrition, 131. Retrieved from http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/131/3/1067S

Overview of the Health Benefits of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption for the Dietetics Professional Selected Literature
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 100, Issue 12, Pages 1511-1521

Sisson, M. (2009). Smart Fuel: Swiss Chard. Marks daily apple. Retrieved (2010, March 8) from http://www.marksdailyapple.com/smart-fuel-swiss-chard/

 

 

About eresko

I am a licensed Acupuncturist and NCCAOM Board certified Diplomat of Oriental Medicine. I live in Hailey, Idaho, where I have an Acupuncture practice, Erin Hill Acupuncture as well as a type of Integrative Wellness Care practice, Tune Up. I am also a Level I & II certified Kettlebell Instructor and teach private classes in the Wood River Valley, Idaho. I have been very active in sports and athletics since I can remember. I received my BS in Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado @ Boulder. In my practice I utilize all modalities to help get you where you want to be, whether with Acupuncture, Nutrition, or Kettlebell training. I am well versed in treating Sports specific conditions; pain, injuries, strains & sprains and use my knowledge of the body both from a Chinese Medical standpoint and a traditional Western one; a concept that most of my patients are familiar with. In addition, I incorporate my knowledge of the physical body & how we move, where restrictions, pain, or tightness may reside and how that, in turn, affects the internal organs or vice versa. For each individual that walks through my door, I am able to assess what each person needs as far as therapy to achieve their goals. Each person is different, inside and out and treatments should reflect that. Among my modalities, I use Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, Tuina (a type of Chinese bodywork), Japanese style Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Nutrition, and Lifestyle coaching as well as my Kettlebell training for rehab and for improving one's fitness level.
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