The holiday season is among us! This week was Native American Heritage Day & the first real snow in the Midwest. I must say that I needed and thoroughly enjoyed the brief break we had. I had a chance to catch up with friends & family and reflect on my academic journey here at NUHS, and of course ate some yummy food.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), foods are evaluated beyond their proteins and calories, they are assessed for their flavor, energy, temperature, and what meridians they enter (plus a few others). Over the weekend I enjoyed one of my favorite fruits: pineapples. Pineapples or Bōluó can help clear heat from the body, nourish yin, regulate water, and disperse dampness¹. Pineapples enter the Stomach, Spleen and Urinary Bladder channels and the temperature is considered neutral. Pineapples are also loaded with great vitamins (A, B6, C, E, K), minerals & antioxidants (bromelain). Bromelain is great for reducing pain, swelling, and is often used to reduce inflammation within the body². Most importantly, pineapples are delicious! I started propagating in water, the top of a pineapple I previously finished, once enough roots are established, I can transfer it into soil. As always, make sure to speak with your healthcare providers before adding any new supplements, tinctures, or herbs to your medication routine.

1. http://chinesenutrition.org/view_image.asp?pid=458
2. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/bromelain#:~:text=Bromelain%20is%20promoted%20as%20a,digestive%20problems%2C%20and%20muscle%20soreness