September 2024

Hello!

Happy Fall Equinox! We've officially made it to Fall, and it feels like fall weather has finally started this week! I am enjoying all the tea and coziness I can while the temperature is a bit cooler.

This summer was a bit of a struggle for me, but a highlight was visiting Washington State for the first time at the end of August. We spent a few days in Olympic National Park, which was stunning! The mossy green rainforests were my favorite part. I took the picture above in the Hoh Rainforest, where the forest floor had small rolling hills made of decaying nurse logs, covered in moss, ferns, mushrooms, new trees, and hosting all sorts of new plant life. Lichen was hanging from tree branches and would catch the sun and almost seemed like it was glowing! (You can see more pictures here!) Olympic National Park also has beautiful mountain views and beaches - it's an amazing place to visit! I included a picture of the ocean below, too. What was your favorite part of this summer? (Reply and let me know! I'd love to hear about it. Send a picture, too, if you'd like 😊)

Keep reading for more information on:

• Schedule updates (More evening hours! New patient appointment openings!)
• Upcoming events
• Apothecary updates (& sale on chai!)
• Fall information, including foods & flavors

A bit of an admin note: I am planning to write emails slightly more often (2-3 times per month) starting in October, but each email will be shorter. This way, I can share information in a bit more manageable size - I know these emails are long!

Take care,

Kate Thomas, LAc

P.S. If you've been to the clinic recently, I'd really appreciate it if you took a few minutes to leave a Google review! Google reviews make a huge difference for small businesses - it helps businesses show up when someone searches. If you've already left a review, thank you so much!

Clinic Updates

Fall & Metal Season

In Chinese medicine, each season has corresponding aspects. These aspects are said to "resonate" more with the season, which is a beautiful way to describe it.

Fall, or Metal season, resonates with these aspects:

Associated organs: Lung, Large Intestine
​Color: white
​Emotions: grief, melancholy
​Sense: smell
​Flavor: pungent
​Body areas: nose, skin
​Themes: letting go, longing, returning to Earth, spaciousness, acceptance, self-worth, inspiration, sorting through what is of value

Each element also has a lesson for us to consider. Metal's lesson is "That which has the most value is least substantial." Navigating Metal often involves balancing knowing when to hold on to things of value and when to let go; of course, to be able to do this, we first we need to identify what is of value. This can include many things: physical objects, memories, relationships, stories we've told ourselves, jobs, commitments, and more. When Metal is imbalanced, we may experience Lung or Large Intestine conditions, but we may also struggle with letting go or holding on too much.

Food Therapy for Dryness

The foods below help with dryness in the Lung or Large Intestine, leading to symptoms like constipation, dry cough, dry skin, etc. - all things more common during Metal season. In the next newsletter, I'll talk a bit more about food therapy for the opposite problem - too much damp or fluid, leading to symptoms like diarrhea, excess phlegm or mucus, etc. When in doubt, stick with "white" foods - they generally correspond to Metal season!

• Grains: barley, glutinous rice (either whole grain or as mochi), oats
• Fruits: apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, figs, kumquats, pears, persimmon, pomegranate
• Vegetables: daikon radish, eggplant, garlic, onions, parsnips, radishes, spinach, turnips
• Mushrooms: oyster and cremini mushrooms
• Nuts & seeds: almonds, brazil nuts, peanuts, pine nuts, walnuts, hemp seeds (for constipation due to dryness)
• Condiments: honey, molasses
• Drinks: oolong and black teas (green and white teas to a lesser extent), rooibos tea
• Seasonings & spices: basil, cilantro, rosemary, warming spices such as cardamom, black pepper, fresh ginger, etc. (particularly if you run cold)
• Herbs: Solomon’s seal (for lung dryness), cordyceps (for lung health), Milky Oats (extracted in alcohol or glycerine, for overall dryness, as well as feeling a bit "crispy" and burnt out)
• Focus on cooked, warm foods! Switch to hot drinks like hot tea and coffee! Adding a bit of honey to your tea is a perfect way to complement the season.
• If you have a lot of dryness, avoiding bitter or warming foods (including spicy foods!) can be very helpful.

Autumn can also be a time when we experience more grief and melancholy, and navigating it can often feel overwhelming! A few herbs to help with grief include hawthorn berries, rose, tulsi, motherwort, and reishi. One tincture that blends several of these herbs is Lionheart Blend, which you can find in the apothecary!

That's it! Take good care of yourself. As always, feel free to email me back with any questions.

Kate