Our bodies are hard wired to perceive an array of flavor profiles (sour, bitter etc). In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), each flavor has specific actions on the body—moistening, draining, astringing etc. This is one reason food is considered medicine and can be used to treat a variety of ailments.

The history of auricular acupuncture in the United States is deeply tied not just to medicine, but to activism, especially within Black and Latino liberation movements during the 1970s. The Black Panther Party and the Young Lords were instrumental in bringing auricular acupuncture into community-based healthcare, particularly in the treatment of heroin addiction in underserved communities. 

Weight loss can be a sensitive topic, and rightfully so. Our culture has a history of fat phobic messaging, from “fat free” foods, to extreme weight loss programs and unrealistic advertisements. For decades, we've been told that our bodies are supposed to look a certain way, and that the only way to achieve that ideal was through extreme measures like severe calorie restriction and intense exercise. These things can certainly lead to weight loss, but often not for the long term.

Sleep issues can have many potential causes, including stress, medication side effects, and hormone dysregulation. While I always aim to address the root cause, I first recommend starting with these sleep hygiene tips to help improve sleep quality.

Did you know your body is always detoxing? Your liver and kidneys—along with other organs like your intestines and skin—are constantly working to filter hormones, chemicals, nutrients, and more from your body. Here’s the catch, these organs, and in particular your liver, can get overwhelmed.

PPIs reduce important gastric secretions, and often folks take them daily for years to help with digestive distress. PPIs however, don’t address the root cause of digestive upset, and as such keep you reliant on them for relief.