As Winter energetically recedes, Spring’s energy increases and we enter into the morning of the year. The energy of the season is rising. If we take, for a moment, the idea of a seed that has waited quietly for the right time to begin to sprout, we have the feeling for the beginning of Spring coming forth from our restorative Winter.

In our body, the liver is the organ responsible for breaking down estrogen and helping to eliminate excess estrogen from the body. If you have an overactive or sluggish liver, and its ability to metabolize estrogen is compromised, this will lead to a buildup of excess estrogen in the body, and symptoms such as:

As I’m learning nutrition and metabolism in my Anatomy and Physiology class, I realize that I have many misconceptions about nutrition. It’s quite easy to decide what to eat and what not to eat based on personal taste preference or popular opinions and trends. It’s another to know the science behind it.

Many years ago I had a diet high in glycemic-index, and I didn’t know it. In college I lived on croissants, sweet baked goods and coffee. This combo comforted me through many stressful exams.

Wikipedia lists over 50 types of diets. And it humbly calls it “an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness.” In broad categories, the list includes belief-based diets, vegetarian diets, weight control diets, detox diets, fad diets, diets followed for medical reasons, and “other diets.”

When you treat a woman like a goddess, she’ll rise to the occasion. And a woman’s body is the temple where the goddess resides.

Every Chinese woman knows that one of the biggest secrets to health and beauty is well-nourished blood. When our blood is strong, we tend to have radiant skin, normal menstruation, and vital energy. And when our blood is deficient, we may experience dizziness, blurred vision, fatigue, scanty periods, a delayed period, anemia or even premature aging.

Occasionally I get nice compliments on my skin complexion. When I do I often respond with a coy smile, “Thank you. It’s a Chinese secret.” For thousands of years Chinese women have been developing techniques to nourish their skin and cultivate their beauty. The focus has never been so much on cosmetics, but on the glow and suppleness that radiate from within.

I am flying to China tonight to see my family and celebrate the Chinese New Year. With a civilization spanning some 5,000 years, my Chinese heritage has taught me a few things. One of the most important is a healthy and balanced diet based on the laws of nature.

In Italy, I was inspired by its history and art, but I was just as inspired by its food. Italian meals are juicy, sensational, sensual, delightful, fulfilling, engaging... I just can’t use enough adjectives to explain my experience. It’s taken my relationship with food to a whole new level. And while Italian foods are certainly rich and tasty, they’re also refreshing and nourishing. What’s their secret? Here are a couple of my thoughts: