Saturday, February 14, 2009

Mother Gaia's Healing Chicken Soup

I have been seeing a lot of patients with GI viral illnesses lately, so it seems a good time to share my recipe for Healing Chicken Soup.

In recent years, there have been some studies that have examined the properties of chicken soup as a healing modality for viral illnesses, and there is some science showing the effects of hot soup on white blood cell activity in the body, among other things.

My recipe makes use of body/mind medicine as well as herbal medicine.

The body/mind part of the recipe comes from preparing the soup with a healing, loving, and nurturing intention. Can you imagine how comforted you would feel if your loved one brewed up a big pot of soup just for you? Do not under-estimate the healing power of such a nurturing gesture!

The herbal medicine comes from the use of several herbs known for their antiseptic properties - lemon, oregano, onion and the queen of herbs - GARLIC!

Ingredient list:
  • 3-4 pieces of chicken (with bone and skin) or a whole chicken

  • 8 cloves fresh garlic (or more if you like...) chopped

  • 1 medium onion chopped

  • zest and juice of 2-3 lemons

  • 3-4 TBS dried oregano

  • Water

  • 2-3 carrots chopped (may substitute parsnips, turnip or any other veg that you prefer)

  • 2-3 ribs of celery chopped

  • Other optional additions include rice or noodles

Put the chicken into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 1hour.

While the chicken is cooking, peel and chop the garlic and set aside. Letting the chopped garlic rest for 20-30 minutes before adding it, helps to bring out the potency of the anti-viral and anti-bacterial effects.



Remove chicken and let cool. When cool enough to handle, seperate meat from bone and skin and chop coarsely, and return to pot.



Add chopped onion, lemon zest, oregano, garlic and veggies, and rice or noodles if using and lower heat to simmer. Cook for another 30 minutes, and add lemon juice at the end.

It is now ready to serve!

The soup freezes well. I often make a double batch to put some up in the freezer for when I really need it!

Friday, February 06, 2009

Healing Properties of Belly Dance


There are many of us who have known for a long time that practicing belly dance can be very healing to body, mind and spirit. For myself, learning and practicing it, and now teaching belly dance, has been a wonderful healer of my body image, my sense of self, my confidence, my mood and my femininity...

Recently, in an on-line radio program which aired on Voice of America, Christy Cuellar-Wentz of Mommy-Muse, focused on this assertion. The program was developed in part to promote the Christy's new eBook "The Belly Dance Prescription: Shake your Hips and Depression".

Among the experts interviewed for the program were my good friend Michelle Maniaci of Nurturing Moves. Also included in the program were Delilah of Visionary Dance Productions, and Lisa Sarasohn - author of "The Woman's Belly Book". What a great line-up of guests, each who thoughtfully shared her wisdom about the benefits of belly dance.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

The quickening

Imbolc has been one of my favorite sabbats for a long time now. It holds so much promise for the return of spring and warmth and the re-greening of the earth.

Persephone is making ready for her return from the underworld, and her mother Demeter is stirring from her long winter's sleep.

It reminds me of the quickening - the time in a pregnancy when a woman feels the fluttery movements of her baby for the first time - usually between 16 - 18 weeks gestation. Long ago, this was thought to be the time when the baby came to life. We now know, via ultrasound, that the baby has been moving for many weeks before that movement is percieved by the mother.

Even though the earth is still covered with thick layers of snow (and more coming today) here in the northeast USA, things are beginning to stir and awaken deep in the earth. If you look closely, you might find some of the trees are already forming their buds...