Liver is a super-food. Liver contains significantly more vitamin A, all the Bs, iron and other minerals than any other food. Pate is my preferred way to eat liver. It’s so good – and you don’t need to eat a lot to get the nutritional value. If you’ve got a turkey liver – you’ve got to try this recipe.
Thanksgiving 2023 we are roasting a wild turkey. It’s a bit smaller than a farmed turkey and the liver was a quarter pound, so I halved the recipe.
Ingredients:
1 turkey liver (about a half pound)
1/3 stick of good quality butter or ghee
1 medium onion, minced (or 2-3 shallots)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T each: rosemary, sage, parsley, thyme
¼ t allspice
¾ t sea salt
¼ t pepper
1-2 T cream or half and half
1-2 T sherry or cognac (optional)
Small handful of cranberries (not too much or the pate will be tart – alternatively try a spoonful of cranberry sauce)
Equipment: non-cast iron pan, food processor
Trim away any membranes on the liver, slice or chop, and soak in salted water – at least 30 minutes but ideally for a few hours or even overnight.
In a stainless steel (or any non-cast iron) heat butter on medium and add onion and sauté for 10 minutes until lightly caramelized.
Chop garlic and herbs and add to pan with onions. Add allspice, salt and pepper. Once you can smell the aromatics (about 2-3 minutes)…
Add liver and cook until browned on outside but still pink inside (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat.
Once the onion and liver mixture has cooled a bit, add to food processor along with cream, cranberries and sherry or cognac (if using). Blend until smooth.
Spoon pate into small jars or other container and refrigerate to cool – later you can put some in the freezer for longer storage. Refrigerated pate lasts about 7-10 days.
I’m thinking of you, hoping you are enjoying this glorious fall.
I want to share with you my favorite combination of natural remedies that I like to have on hand for the cold and flu season. Early treatment boosts your body’s ability to fight the pathogenic invasion (virus), so symptoms resolve more quickly.
Here are my Recommendations for the Cold Season Medicine Cabinet:
Vitamin D3 – prophylactically to increase your vitamin D stores. In the summer we get vitamin D from the sun… bye bye sun, hello Vermont winter. Now’s the time to start.
Zinc – key to reducing viral replication.
Vitamin C – another key nutrient to boosting immunity to help your body fight off colds, flues, coronaviruses Vitamin C is essential to virtually all systems in the body including heart, eyes, brain, bones, ligaments, skin and tissues.
Cinnamon Twig Formula (Gui Zhi Tang) – best formula for early onset of colds for many people. It boosts the body’s natural defenses against invading pathogens, especially again cold wind. If you tend to be averse to cold wind, it is likely that this is the formula for your pattern. If you find it is easy to catch a cold after being exposed to cold, try this, it is pretty yummy with honey or mixed into your oatmeal. This it the main formula I recommend for people tending toward this pattern to have in the medicine cabinet.
I have Cinnamon Twig Formula in my office in powders or pills, and it is available as a box of single serving packets (plenty for the whole extended family to have some) from TCM brand from FullScript.
Herbal Cold Care Tea (previously known as Gypsy Cold Care) is available at my office or at City Market or other stores. Yarrow, elderflower, hyssop and mint are the main herbs that help boost the respiratory immune response. I like it with a small spoonful of honey.
Honey is great medicine; it is anti-microbial and wonderful for an irritated throat. Buy raw local honey for best results.
Quercetin – supports immune system and respiratory function. Quercetin has been shown to offer strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, along with anti-hypertensive, anti-coagulant and anti-hyperglycemic properties.
As an early treatment, 250 mg 2x daily. Vit C helps the body absorb Quercetin more effectively.
NAC – has anti-oxidant and detoxifying effects, supports immune function and promotes lung and sinus health.
Xlear Nasal Spray – strong natural antimicrobial with grapefruit seed extract – great for occasional use for exposure or for sinusitis.
Gargling with anti-microbial mouthwash is another helpful way to deal with exposure. There are many options for what to gargle. Check out what I wrote about Gargling and think about what works best for you. I prefer my mouthwash to be free of artificial ingredients dyes, and have been using Listerine Naturals, but it has been recently discontinued. Let me know what natural mouthwash you like.
Bi Yan Pian – a Chinese herbal formula for sinus congestion, is good to have around if you are prone to sinus issues. Ask me to recommend one for you, I have several versions of the formula in stock.
Olbas Nasal Inhaler – is awesome to open the nasal passages using essential oils.
Gan Mao Ling Chinese herbal formula – used for sore throat, especially a strongly sore throat with redness, this Chinese herbal formula focuses on killing viruses in the throat. The throat connects to the ears and sinuses, so those areas can be affected as well. I do not recommend this formula to be taken preventatively, but only for treatment of a sore throat. If it is a mild sore throat, I would generally start with Cinnamon Twig formula. If it progresses, I would add Gan Mao Ling. This fall sore throat has been a common symptom, and if you are someone who feels like they nearly always get a sore throat when they get sick, this is a good one for the medicine cabinet.
Huo Xiong Zheng Qi Tang (aka Ease Digestion or Quiet Digestion). This formula is good for harmonizing the digestion and also gently releasing or venting the exterior. It appears that in some cases the main symptoms are digestive upset, such as loose stools, possibly along with a headache and fatigue. It is great to have on hand also for food poisoning or any Stomach bug.
While I don’t recommend taking too many supplements, I do recommend high quality ones which are more easily assimilated by your body and not just peed or pooped out. I’m partnering with FullScript to help provide top quality supplements, delivered directly to your home. Everything in the FullScript catalog is professional grade natural. Pick and choose what makes sense for you and your family and friends.
I am offering a 10% discount for my patients. Standard shipping is free for orders above $50 and there is a promotion for free delivery for the first 10 patient orders. You can see more recommendations in my Favorites section. (Catalog > Favorites > Cold Season Medicine Cabinet), or search the entire catalog.
Ask me about customized Chinese herbal formulas for your constitution.
A 25-hour professional, hands-on, body-mind therapy training
with Michele Doucette DC
ZB II November 17 – 20, 2022
ZB I March 17-20, 2023
Zero Balancingis a unique, hands-on, bodywork system of healing. It combines the Western view of medicine and science from the field of osteopathy with Eastern concepts of energy and healing from the field of acupuncture. ZB affects the whole person (body, mind, and spirit) by providing both structural therapy and energy medicine simultaneously.
Practitioners learn to engage, evaluate, and balance the deepest currents of movement through bones, joints, ligaments, and other soft tissue. Through touch we learn to access the body’s “interoceptive” mechanism of conscious awareness, self-referencing, and physical, as well as psycho-emotional, resilience. ZB facilitates deep relaxation that relieves musculoskeletal tension patterns caused by stress, injury, illness, suboptimal posture, etc.
ZB offers the opportunity to work with expanded states of consciousness and to address imbalances in energy fields that precede pathology (illness). It promotes an expansive meditative state that is grounded in the body and often allows clients to experience greater self-awareness, mindfulness, and insight into their personal health and wellness. ZB is effective for pain relief, improved joint function, and ease of movement. Side effects may include peace, happiness, clarity, and personal growth as ZB brings a person closer to his or her true nature.
It changes lives.
ZB I is approved for 25 hrs. Continuing Education credit (through VT Board of Chiropractic, NCBTMB, NCCAOM, PT/OT boards and agencies and 30.5 hrs. for RN, NP, by American Holistic Nurses Assoc.
To register contact Dr. Doucette at 802-464-2361 bones@sover.net or register online at www.zerobalancing.com Course Fee: $595 If pd 2 mo. Advance, $695 if pd 1 mo. advance, $795 thereafter Read testimonials from students at www.drmicheledoucette.com
I heard this report on NPR – newly researched – everyone needs different amounts of water! Chinese medical practitioners have been saying this for a few millennia. Drink to thirst is the main rule of thumb – we are not all the same and we don’t all need the same amount of water. In some cases, over drinking can be detrimental. Others need to drink above thirst to prevent symptoms.
A 25-hour professional, hands-on, body-mind therapy training
with Michele Doucette DC
May 13-15 Burlington VT or
June 2-5 Wilmington, VT
Zero Balancingis a unique, hands-on, bodywork system of healing. It combines the Western view of medicine and science from the field of osteopathy with Eastern concepts of energy and healing from the field of acupuncture. ZB affects the whole person (body, mind, and spirit) by providing both structural therapy and energy medicine simultaneously.
Practitioners learn to engage, evaluate, and balance the deepest currents of movement through bones, joints, ligaments, and other soft tissue. Through touch we learn to access the body’s “interoceptive” mechanism of conscious awareness, self-referencing, and physical, as well as psycho-emotional, resilience. ZB facilitates deep relaxation that relieves musculoskeletal tension patterns caused by stress, injury, illness, suboptimal posture, etc.
ZB offers the opportunity to work with expanded states of consciousness and to address imbalances in energy fields that precede pathology (illness). It promotes an expansive meditative state that is grounded in the body and often allows clients to experience greater self-awareness, mindfulness, and insight into their personal health and wellness. ZB is effective for pain relief, improved joint function, and ease of movement. Side effects may include peace, happiness, clarity, and personal growth as ZB brings a person closer to his or her true nature.
It changes lives.
ZB I is approved for 25 hrs. Continuing Education credit (through VT Board of Chiropractic, NCBTMB, NCCAOM, PT/OT boards and agencies and 30.5 hrs. for RN, NP, by American Holistic Nurses Assoc.
To register contact Dr. Doucette at 802-464-2361 bones@sover.net or register online at www.zerobalancing.com Course Fee: $595 If pd 2 mo. Advance, $695 if pd 1 mo. advance, $795 thereafter Read testimonials from students at www.drmicheledoucette.com
Mini ZB + Acu + cupping or moxa or gua sha / tui na bodywork
Book online – via email at kelly@VTacupuncture.com – or phone 802-951-8815.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Assessment for prescribing customized Chinese herbal formulas is included with acupuncture series of 3 or more sessions. Herbal formulas are extra and are typically $25-35 per week.
Feel good hormones or Love hormones – oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin – help ward off anxiety and depression, as well as support your immune system. They have the opposite effect of the fight, flight, freeze response.
Fear, anxiety and worry increase cortisol, stress the adrenal gland and decrease immune function. Stress, overwhelm, fight or flight, trauma. Our fearful, isolated, stressed-out society is not helpful. Stress hormones are high, which is not helpful for our immune function.
Get some Physical and Social Contact
Positive social connection, socializing, laughing, meaningful conversations. Trust, sharing and gift giving. Hugs, cuddles, making love. Self-care, massage, acupuncture. All of these things release feel-good hormones, which aren’t just helping you feel better, but be healthier, too.
Not only in women related to labor and lactation, but also the love hormones help the male reproductive system by supporting the production of testosterone.
Regular physical activity can kick stress hormones to the curb and increase the love hormones.
Cardio like walking, running, hiking, biking, aerobic classes. Muscle building exercise is especially good for the over-40 crowd.
Yoga, meditation, deep breathing and mindfulness training. Obviously, great for reducing stress. Start small. Short and frequent meditation, or moving meditation, like walking meditation or Tqi Chi, is an alternate to sitting or lying down meditation.
Laughter lowers stress hormones. Jokes lower cortisol levels! Make movie night all about the comedies.
Music Listening to music you love lowers cortisol levels and increases happiness. Do you have an instrument collecting dust? Play it. It is good for your brain.
Acupuncture can help as well. I’ve been helping relieve the trauma on our bodies and minds that has come with the pandemic. Some feel it in their gut and it shows up as digestive issues. Others have anxiety and panic, depression, fatigue, body aches or irritability. Depending upon where we have deficiency or stagnation, we will see the effects in different areas.
Spring is a great time to get acupuncture, as this time of year it is easy for Qi to get stuck.
Check out my added session combo options.
I had COVID last month and I’m glad that I’m over that hump.
My whole family had COVID last month. We are grateful that it was so mild. Also grateful that I had many treatment options at my fingertips. I have been keeping up with what medical doctors and NDs have been doing to treat COVID, as well as continuing to study Chinese medicine, so I felt pretty ready when it hit. Here are some of the things we did.
When my son was sick (testing positive for COVID 2 days later, when he was feeling better) I started doing nasal rinsing and gargling to reduce the viral load. We had all been taking Vit C, D and zinc regularly but upped the dose. We also took Quercetin and NAC and, of course, Chinese herbal medicine.
So speaking of fear… I’m hoping to relieve a little fear, if you were worried about coming to see me. Having recently had COVID is the best booster out there. Natural immunity, at this point, is certainly better than a booster based on a 2 year old variant. The chances are slim that once you’ve had it that you can catch it again, at least until it mutates a few times. Some do get it again, but it is rare, and more common in people with deficient constitutions.
Not that I want you all to get it, but if you do, I hope you got the mild version like we did (headache, fever, fatigue, dry throat). And let me know if you would like some support with supplements and herbs. Telehealth appointments are an option.
Happy Chinese New Year. Today is the first day of the lunar new year – it’s the year of the Yang Water Tiger.
The Tiger is known for her power and courage, and is a natural leader who is careful and direct.
The Yang Tiger energy is especially active, forward-moving, and brings momentum that can help us accomplish the goals we have set for ourselves in the past couple of years. Hard work will pay off this year.
Working hard doesn’t mean working all the time. Make sure to balance work with relaxation, family time, exercise, hobbies, and self-care – when it is time to work be productive, put away the distractions and give it all of your attention. Like a tiger waiting for the right moment to pounce, relax until it is time for action, then give it your all.
This is the year for completing what we started, bringing our efforts to fruition. Think about what you want your life to look like in the coming years or decade – it is time to grow and move forward in our chosen direction.
Chinese New Year marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Winter is the season of the water element; fear is the emotion associated with the water element and winter.
Manage fear and anxiety by connecting to the earth and bringing grounding qi into daily life. Flow beyond fear. Get outside and walk amongst trees, breathing deeply, leaving the ear buds at home. In the five element cycle, earth controls water.
Over activity, over use of stimulants, and lack of sleep depletes the kidney qi, which is associated with the water element. Move forward with gusto this yang tiger year, but also in a balanced way, including rest and sleep – and eating well. Rest and sleep are the best way to replenish the kidney qi. As we age, our kidney energy naturally declines. Take naps, ideally lying flat, to give the most energy back to your kidneys.
Foods that support the water element are bone broth, soups and stews, beef, chicken, eggs, seafood, and root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, squash, shiitake mushrooms, berries and walnuts.
Spring is associated with the wood element, the liver, and the emotion of anger and frustration.
Avoid letting your energy stagnate this spring, or frustration can build and one may become irritable and argumentative. Bottling up anger can contribute to physical ailments that are due to qi stagnation such as body pain, headaches, digestive issues, or menstrual/menopausal irregularities.
