plum, pear, apple, quince
fall 2025, vol. 1
Dearest reader,
Welcome to the fall season’s first edition of Venus and the Pearl.
I have returned to the page after a few busy/stressful months that involved moving into a bigger home, training for a half marathon, becoming Canadian (yay!), and handling four productive fruit trees (plum, pear, apple, quince), all while living in a world that feels like an active dumpster fire (boo!).
In pursuit of a “less is more” approach, I paired my practice down to one location - Opal Wellness - and condensed my schedule to three days instead of four. This gives me the opportunity to be full-on dedicated to patients for half of the week, and full-on engaged with my home life for the other half. So far, it’s been ideal.
Recently, I’ve treated patients for fertility issues, menstrual cramps, back pain, sciatica, migraines, night sweats, anxiety, acne, concussion recovery, stress management, and cosmetic concerns. There have been two pregnancies, one birth, patients discharged after healing their low back pain, sciatica, and tinnitus, dozens pampered with the Venus Delight acupuncture spa facial, and countless nervous systems regulated thanks to the power of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
I integrated a medical-grade Celluma Pro LED light therapy device (FDA + Health Canada Approved) with three different modes - red (wrinkles), blue (acne), and infrared (pain), and I’ve been layering light therapy over needles for patients who want to build collagen, reduce rosacea, treat acne, and address aches and pains.
If you’d like to come in for a treatment at Opal, it’s a good idea to book in sooner rather than later because the clinic gets busy with patients using up their extended benefits before they expire at the end of the year.
I’ve also been bringing the magic of acupuncture and 24kt gold ear seeds out into the community, participating in two Sweat & Social events and a staff wellness event at Broadmead Care. On November 2nd, I will be applying ear seeds at Esti Studios’ open house at their new brick and mortar nail salon.
Community-style acupuncture has always been one of my favourite ways to take this medicine out of the clinical setting and into the world. If you or your workplace wants to bring acupuncture and ear seeds to an event in Victoria, reach out.
In this newsletter, I talk about the recent glimmers, accidental homesteading, pear medicine, the RVM gear and supplements you didn’t see on IG, my preferred race day breakfast, and the energetics of the Year of the Snake (I’m late, I know). Thank you for your readership and patronship, I appreciate you being here despite my prolonged absence. If there’s anything you’d like to read about in future editions, let me know in the comments!
Warmth and care,
Andrea Penagos, R.TCM.P., L.Ac.
Registered TCM Practitioner (British Columbia)
Licensed Acupuncturist (California)
glimmers
Recently, the concept of “glimmers” has been swimming in my consciousness. A "glimmer" is a small, positive moment or experience evoking feelings of joy, safety, or connection.
Here are a few recent glimmers that come to mind:
Running. I ran the Royal Victoria half marathon over Thanksgiving weekend (Canadian TG), and completed my first 10km race in April - TC10K. For most of my life, I hated running but I’m leaning into the joy of building endurance, hitting new personal records, running farther and faster, and proving to myself that I’m more athletic than I ever thought I could be. Read on for more about my RVM experience.
Breakfast. Waking up to a glass full of Cherry Rose Overnight Oats before a run or an early morning workout satiates me, calms my nervous system, and helps me hit my protein goals for the day. Read on for my exact recipe.
Walks along the Gorge. Taking a walk along the Gorge Waterway with my dog while listening to a podcast (or not) make me so happy to be alive. The Gorge is beautiful year-round, but it’s especially delightful in autumn when the air is crisp and the leaves turn red, orange, and gold. Living in this neighbourhood is truly a dream come true.
Couch rotting. I have much more difficulty sitting still these days, so binge watching my favourite shows like Only Murders in the Building, Nobody Wants This, and The Diplomat with my partner and our rescue pup Archer helps me wind down and co-regulate.
Audio books. I read A House of My Own by Sandra Cisneros while on a solo trip to Japan eight years ago and recently rediscovered it as an audio book. The autobiographical series of short stories recounts Cisneros’ lived experiences as a Mexican American writer, her faraway travels, and the many homes she’s inhabited, including a highly controversial purple house in San Antonio, Texas.
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS by Bad Bunny. This album is a cultural work of art and a master class in authenticity. Truly, it saved me from seasonal depression last winter, lit up my summer, and will likely continue uplifting me for seasons to come.
accidental homesteading
One of the unexpected reasons I stopped writing this newsletter is that my partner and I accidentally became homesteaders over the summer. The 1940s house we moved into has four productive fruit trees on the property: plum, pear, apple, and quince. Turns out, our neighbourhood - formerly an orchard - is currently experiencing one of its most productive years in recent history.
First, it was the plums right as we moved in at the end of July. Bowl after bowl of plums from our yard and the neighbour’s urban farm. We learned to make jam, what kind of pectin to buy, how to can, and the basics of making a fruit crumble, all while unpacking and furnishing a space that is much larger than our former 1-bedroom basement suite.
Now we’re in the midst of the pear and apple harvest, fully ignoring hundreds of quinces we have no idea what to do with (jelly, we’ve heard). Recently, we learned from a couple of good friends that we can take our fruit to a local winery to get cider made, and I think that’s what we’re going to do with the rest of our quinces and apples. Will report back later re: the cider!
As of now, we’ve made countless batches of apple and pear sauce, butter (a thicker version of sauce), crumbles, pies, galettes, and stuffed our Canadian Thanksgiving turkey with apples and pears. We’ve given away baskets and gift bags of fruit to neighbours and friends, and have found many a person in our driveway helping themselves (very endearing and also kinda bold lol).
Keeping up with the fruit trees has become a mandatory activity every weekend, and it’s fun but also a bit exhausting! How do real homesteaders do it?!
Our apple tree lost an entire branch a week after we moved in, breaking under the weight of its own fruit. What a metaphor! When the harvest comes, may we all be blessed with the capacity, time, and energy to handle it, and if we don’t, may we be blessed with community, friends, and family to share it with.
pears, pears, pears
In traditional Chinese medicine, pears are considered a sweet, cooling, and moistening fruit with a strong affinity for the lungs. The fall season is both the season of the lungs and of dryness, making pears especially valuable at this time. Steamed pears with honey or rock sugar is a classic TCM home remedy for dry cough and sore throat. Fresh pear juice can be taken to cool and moisten the body after a fever or during dry weather.
Since we have so many pears, we collect, peel, and cut them, and either freeze or slow-cook the fruit in a Crock Pot overnight with a splash of lemon juice and warming spices like cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, clove, and allspice. In the morning, I either enjoy the cooked pears over a bowl of yogurt, or use a slotted spoon to transfer the pears to the blender to make pear butter. The remaining liquid makes a sweet, delicious cider that can be sipped hot.
Do you have any favourite pear recipes? Share them in the comments, I need ideas!
the RVM half: what you saw and didn’t see
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I ran the Royal Victoria Marathon half marathon, logging in the most kilometres I’ve ever run at one time - 21.1 kms. To read more about my process, check out my IG post here.
Here I’d like to share some of what you didn’t see on Instagram - the gear, fuel, supplements, and playlists that made running this race possible (while on my period).
what you saw:
Asics Gel-Kayano 32s: Arguably the most important piece of running gear you’ll invest in is your shoes. I’m a pronator (my feet roll inwards) with flat feet and a tendency towards developing joint pain so I decided to go with a stability shoe to reduce the likelihood of injury. Previously, I owned a pair of Saucony Hurricane 24s that admittedly were huge and looked like big, ugly boats but I NEVER got hurt while running. I used the Hurricanes so much they started to fall apart, so I purchased the Asics Gel-Kayano 32s and proceeded to break them in on an 18km long run (rookie mistake). I woke up with a swollen knee the next morning and I’m still nursing a bit of knee pain weeks after the race. I will likely purchase another pair of Saucony Hurricane 25s and stick to this shoe for most of my runs in future.
Salomon Adv Skin 5: Nothing makes you feel like a runner more than a vest. I’m a fairly high-maintenance runner who needs access to water, food, and my phone at all times, so upgrading to a vest was a game-changer and it makes me feel safe/taken care of on longer runs.
Garmin Forerrunner 265S: My birthday gift from my partner this year was a Garmin watch. I previously had a FitBit Charge 6 and the Garmin is next level as a wearable fitness tracker, no comparison. I can track useful stats like my sleep quality, stress levels, VO2 Max, and heart rate variability, and it makes me feel like a legit athlete.
OpenRun Pro Mini by Shokz: I lost my Pixel Buds at the RVM last year and replaced them with a pair of bone conduction headphones. The OpenRun Pro is designed to send sound vibrations directly to your inner ear, leaving your ears free to hear your environment, which is a much safer alternative (think cars, bikes, scary randos). The only downside is that they vibrate at high volumes, so if this bothers you I recommend listening at lower volumes or checking out the latest model OpenRun Pro 2 which doesn’t vibrate at all but is a bit pricier (my partner has these).
Nutrition: Never have I appreciated the value of carbohydrates more than I do now. While running, you’re burning a high amount of calories per hour and quick-absorbing fuel (aka: sugar/carbs) is necessary to endure long distances. I took an energy gel every 30 minutes during the half marathon, alternating between Precision Fuel 30gm Carb + Caffeine and GU Roctane Cherry Lime, plus Ener-IV electrolytes in one flask and filtered water in the other. To avoid digestive discomfort, I tested the gels on long runs and they never gave me any issues so I stuck with them. Arguably, there are better quality gels on the market (GUs are not considered high quality), but my opinion is that the best fuel is the one that works for you and your digestive tract. Some people also use honey packs or even eat candy while running. So much can be said about the topic of sports nutrition, so please do your own research and find out what works for you.
what you didn’t see:
Revol Cares: I got my period the day before the half marathon, which means I had to run the longest run of my life on the heaviest day of my period (awesome!). After having a teeny tiny menty b, I got in strategy mode and hopped on Reddit to see what people had to say about running on their period. Many mentioned the possibility of chafing from pads or tampon strings and I immediately thought, “Not today, Satan!” I purchased two pairs of leak-proof period underwear by Revol Cares at London Drugs (one for the race and one for after the race), and they did not let me down. 10/10 recommend period underwear for this kind of scenario.
Body Glide: Ya girl has thick thighs. Thigh gap? Literally have never met her. Body Glide made good on its promise, because my inner thighs were marked safe after 21 kms. I also applied it to other areas like where my sports bra meets my underarm and on my upper back where the running vest hits my neck, and I had zero chafing. Pro Tip: Body Glide also keeps fly-aways down, so you can use it to slick back your pony tail!
Supplements: I developed a few new aches and pains while training for this half marathon, so I’ve been taking PURICA’s Effervescent Magnesium Bisglycinate (300mg) to relax my muscles, PURICA’s Extra Strength Curcumin BDM50 (turmeric) to address joint pain and inflammation, and Organika’s Creatine Monohydrate to maintain muscle mass. I popped an extra strength Advil before and during the race to make sure I didn’t feel any pain or menstrual cramps, and applied Q-Topix medical grade CBD balm to my knees and lower belly to numb pain (shout out to my cousin who owns this company in LA - this product works). Miraculously, I was able to run with little to no pain.
Playlists: Recently, I have been running without music (like a psycho), but I knew that I had to have all resources on deck if I wanted to successfully run this race. At km 15, I finally switched on my Electric Feels playlist, then at km 19 when my calves starting cramping, I fired up my SOS playlist - a playlist designed to carry me through the worst. Thanks to Florence and the Machine and Coldplay, I got to the finish line at 2:27 - perhaps unimpressive to most, but bordering on miraculous to me.
cherry rose chia seed pudding
Cherry rose chia seed pudding is my go-to overnight breakfast, especially before a hard workout, a long run, or a race day. This recipe is quick to prepare, satiating, protein-rich, delicious, and easy to digest. Here’s the exact recipe I use and the macronutrient breakdown (the platform I use to calculate macros is Cronometer).
Ingredients:
1 scoop of French Vanilla New Zealand Whey Protein Isolate by Schinoussa Super Foods (this probiotic-rich whey protein isolate is my protein powder of choice)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
4 tablespoons quick rolled oats
3/4 cups of Eden Soy Unsweetened soy milk
1/2 cup frozen cherries
5gm creatine monohydrate
1 capful of edible rose water
Instructions: Mix all ingredients in a glass and refrigerate or leave on the counter overnight. Enjoy in the morning!
Macronutrient Info: Protein: 39.2 grams, Carbohydrates: 34.6 grams, Fats: 9.2 grams, Calories: 372 calories
year of the snake
I know I’m ridiculously late with this, but better late than never! As you read about the year of the snake, reflect on this year to see what resonates, what doesn’t, and how you can best maximize the dynamic energy of the Snake Year.
On January 29th we shifted into the year of the Yin Wood Snake, promising growth, drive, transformation, and forward momentum. Acupuncturist and astrologer CT Holman describes the energy of this year as being similar to the month of May where the Yang is on an upwards trajectory, symbolized by the shoots and blooms of springtime. This energy is vibrant, joyful, new, and aggressive, similar to adolescence/puberty when young adults begin to awaken with curiosity and come into their own.
In the year of the Snake we are bursting with life and energy, moving in the direction of our goals with power and tenacity. Move your body regularly to combat the tendency towards stagnation, anger, frustration, and anxiety that can come with uprising Wood energy.
Spiritually, we expand our consciousness, cultivate wisdom, and fine-tune our intuition to align with opportunities, people, and manifestations that authentically resonate with our essence.
Snakes rest until it’s time to strike, reminding us to prioritize downtime so we have ample energy to show up powerfully when we need to. There’s a tendency this year to adrenalize, overdo, and burn out, so I invite us all to be mindful about our energy expenditure and always keep some in the tank for later.
This year, we allow ourselves to transform by shedding our skin/identities to step into a new timeline, allowing our highest selves to emerge in the process. The age-old Zen Buddhist saying “No mud, no lotus,” encourages to build physical and mental resilience as we push through the remains of our former self into the new blossom that is to be.
Thank you for your readership, and stay tuned for the next instalment of Venus and the Pearl.
The information provided in this newsletter is for general informational purposes only and not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider before starting any new diet, exercise program, or supplement/herbal regimen, and reach out to your doctor about any questions you may have regarding medical conditions.