The Intersection of Diet and Happiness: Serotonin, Dopamine, and Cortisol The pursuit of happiness is an enduring human endeavor, one often entwined with our biochemical processes. Within the frameworks of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western nutritional science, the role of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and cortisol is crucial. While there is no magical…

As we journey through life, the body’s needs change, prompting us to seek foods that nourish, protect, and rejuvenate. Among the vast array of natural ingredients celebrated in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Goji berries and blueberries stand out for their profound benefits, especially for middle-aged to older individuals. These fruits are highly regarded not only…

Cause, consequences and the foods that help If you ever had an open sore in your throat, stomach, or upper digestive tract, you understand the pain and the debilitating facts of this blog. From acid burns in your esophagus to burning center-chest stomach flares and agonizing soreness when eating and drinking, inflammation of your gastrointestinal (G.I.) system will upend…

Placement Agencies often fail to represent culinary employment correctly. Over the last twenty years, especially with the expansion of the internet, social media and online opportunities have enabled a slew of self-acclaimed recruitment agencies to interact with HNWI (high-network individuals) – a term I despise. Their advertisement methods and some of these “recruitment announcements” are…

We often think that the foremost cause of internal inflammation is directly linked to bad lifestyle choices, undesirable food intake, or the result of toxicity. Most of these impressions are wrong. Inflammation is part of the body’s defense mechanism. It is the process by which the immune system recognizes and removes harmful and foreign stimuli…

I can design a nutritional chart by understanding the endogenous and exogenous factors of a client’s body/lifestyle. I can manipulate the interior behavior (endogenous) cellular biochemical reactions, your digestive maintenance, boost cell proliferation, encourage cancer cell death (apoptosis), and reduce cellular respiration. We can balance our exterior influences (exogenous reality) like pollution, smoking, drugs, alcohol, sun…

Today, CNN aired a story on Alzheimer’s and had Sanjay Gupta (a hero of mine) confirming what I have been eluted to for the last twenty years: hyper-processed foods (HPF) are the trigger that starts dementia and the onslaught of Alzheimer’s (AH). Add to the processed foods the consumption of artificial sweeteners, ALL of the…

Here is a collection of fun observations & suggestions from my perspective as a TCM chef. I stood in line at the coffee shop last week, listening to the order in front of me: “Can I have one of your Macchiatos with a dash of Cardamom?”I’m like: “what…?” Coffee Addiction: In traditional Chinese medicine, one…

This title should be:   Much about an organ you’ve never learned about… Kidney stones are formed when water, salt, and other substances are imbalanced in the urine. Understanding the role of the two bean-shaped organs located just below the rib cage is crucial.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the kidneys play a vital role in mental…