Kim Kakebe Acupuncture

17/05/2019

The health of our bodies and our minds are of equal importance.

Personally I find great satisfaction in supporting people who are getting emotional help through counselling and come for acupuncture to balance out the body and calm the nervous system. A great way to feel your best both inside and out.

If you’re in the greater Bristol area contact me to learn more about how acupuncture can help improve your mood: 07840 265903

As we near the end of it’s good to get the message out there that having and for our well being is as normal as paracetamol for our headaches.

31/10/2018

Celebrating pumpkins with an outstanding soup recipe

Growing up in America, Halloween was a big part of my life as a child. I have to admit it – I ate tons of sweets and always felt pretty miserable after. Now as an adult, I still like my pumpkins but generally in a different form to my childhood Jack o’lanterns (I loved carving these and some years still do).

In Chinese medicine nutrition, pumpkins are seen to benefit those who suffer from damp conditions including eczema and oedema. It’s also good for those with blood-sugar imbalances such as hypoglycaemia and diabetes. This can also be useful to encourage discharge of mucous from the lungs and throat.

One of my favourite ways to enjoy pumpkin is in this delicious soup recipe which combines it with sweet potatoes and a fabulous trio of spices.

Spicy pumpkin and sweet potato soup
(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:
1.3-1.5 kg cooking pumpkin
4 medium-sized sweet potatoes
1 large onion
1-2 garlic cloves
1 Tbs coriander seeds
1 Tbs fennel seeds
2 Tsp cumin seeds
2 Tsp dried oregano
1/2 Tsp dried chilli flakes
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
2 Tbs olive oil
1.2-1.5l chicken stock or veg stock

To serve: creme fraiche or greek yoghurt; a bit of bacon allumettes and some shredded basil leaves all go well here.

1. Heat oven to 200C
2. Use a pestle to grind coriander, fennel, cumin, oregano, chilli and peppercorns and salt into a coarse powder. To this add the clove of garlic and 1 Tbs of olive oil to mash into a coarse paste.
3. Wash pumpkin skin, deseed and slice into wedges roughly 6 cm across. Peel potatoes and slice lengthways into six wedges. Smear vegetables with paste and put in roasting dish and put into the oven.
4. Roast for 30-40 minutes until tender and just blackening at the tips. Ten minutes before end of roasting time add bacon on a separate piece of tin foil and roast until brown.
5. Meanwhile fry off onion in olive oil in a saucepan large enough for the soup.
6. Coarsely chop roasted vegetables and use a wand mixer or put into a food processor for an extra-smooth consistency. Blend using some stock to make pureeing easier. Definitely make sure you scrape all the spicy bits from he bottom of the roasting tin and use stock if necessary to loosen (there’s lots of flavour here!) and add it to the blended mixture.
7. Add liquid to pan along with stock to achieve your desired consistency. Simmer for ten minutes and season to taste.
8. Serve with the garnishes above and enjoy!

21/10/2018

We have had some gorgeous autumn days this October with mild temperatures, lots of sunshine and also some rain. Mushroom season is a bit late this year but I thought I'd take this moment just to highlight how important these foods are for us.

In Asia they are eaten very regularly and are prized for their sweet and sort of meaty taste as well as for their outstanding health-giving properties. In fact some of the most frequently prescribed medications today have as their active ingredient synthesized versions of mushroom derivatives. They are often used in Chinese medicine for a wide variety of ailments.

In terms of cooking at home, one of the most popular varieties in Asia and is increasingly common on the supermarket shelves here is the Sh*take mushroom. They are said to be beneficial for the stomach and are even a natural source of interferon which is a protein that appears to bring about an immune response against viral diseases and even cancer. It can also help with fat and cholesterol levels in the blood.

Even the common Button variety of mushrooms help with fat levels in the blood and can help decrease excess mucus in the respiratory system. They are also able to boost white blood cell count and help the immune system and have some antibiotic properties.

While mushrooms you purchase at the shops are always safe, it is not a good idea to forage your own in the wild unless you have expert knowledge in the area and are willing to do a lot of research as the wrong kind can have dire consequences.

But next time you are shopping for your next meal pick up some mushrooms and enjoy them regularly to do you a world of good.

For more information on the medicinal use of mushrooms or about acupuncture please visit my page and contact me for further information.

11/10/2018

Around the world people are raising awareness about mental health to try to remove the stigma that is often associated with this topic. An excellent and simple first step can be to take a few moments and create a space to let yourself acknowledge your feelings rather than run away from them.

In my acupuncture practice I often encounter people who are overwhelmed by their thoughts and feelings. During the treatment we may talk about some of what is bothering them as it will have an influence on their health. In doing so we are beginning to unravel the knots that we have tied that can lead to imbalance in the body. I love that acupuncture can help on so many levels.

If this post speaks to you and you are interested in learning more please like my page and get in contact :)

19/07/2018

I love this video of Ernie the penguin receiving acupuncture. It can come as a surprise that traditional acupuncture has been used on animals for ages which goes to show that this system is more than a simple placebo.
https://youtu.be/g8KAOcP5Bcc

Happily you don't need to be a penguin to benefit from acupuncture :)
Contact me to learn how you can naturally feel better with some treatment.

"We've been doing acupuncture on Ernie to help him feel better. And the results are just nothing short of astonishing."

08/07/2018

This is a challenging year for those suffering from hay fever. Acupuncture treatments can greatly help manage symptoms or prevent them altogether. If you know someone who isn't enjoying the beautiful summer we're having this year due to hay fever, please share this article with them.

Tom Laverick suffered years of misery from hay fever until he tried acupuncture. Catherine Scott reports.