FALL IS TUNE UP TIME
Autumn is the cough, common cold and flu season. It's a good time to strengthen
your respiratory system with an acupuncture tune-up. Each time you get an acupuncture treatment, it supports and balances
the entire body at the same time that it treats your specific symptoms.
Acupuncture works well for the
joint aches and stiffness that arrive with cold, damp weather. It is also effective for sports injuries, seasonal affective
disorder (SAD), anxiety, weight issues, and low energy. It can be used to help with these and other conditions that occur
during autumn.
Autumn Foods:
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, there
are certain food groups that help support respiratory health. Pungent foods, such as garlic, ginger, and daikon radish help
to disperse lung mucus. Dark green and golden-orange vegetables such as carrot, winter squash, pumpkin, broccoli, kale, parsley
and mustard greens, provide a protective effect for the mucous membranes of the body because of their betacarotine / Vitamin
A content. Choose a variety of seasonal foods from these
groups to fortify lung function during autumn.
Autumn
Acupressure Points:
Lung 9 - On the
inside wrist crease, below the thumb, you can feel a pulse. This point
strengthens the lungs.
Lung 10 - Located on the fleshy pad on the palm just below the base of the thumb,
this point relieves sore throat.
NATURAL
MEDICINE FOR THE NEW YEAR
January is the perfect time of year to renew healthy habits,
lose weight and improve personal appearance.
You can use acupuncture to
enhance your weight loss program. It can help reduce food cravings, and help digestion to work more efficiently. Acupuncture
can also help you to feel more energized and less stressed during the dark days of winter.
Lack
of exercise over the holidays, winter stress and exhaustion can create a dull, puffy facial complexion. This is the perfect
time to revitalize your facial appearance with a series of Microcurrent Facial Rejuvenation treatments. Each session takes
about one hour, and no acupuncture needles are necessary. This special service may be the nicest thing you have done for yourself
all year. It makes a great holiday or birthday gift for a loved one or good friend.
Call for a complementary health consultation
to find out how acupuncture can help keep you in great health for the New Year.
WINTER CHINESE HERBS
Chinese herbal formulas are very effective for fighting sinus
congestion, sore throats and colds. There are several useful patent formulas to keep in your medicine cabinet for the fall
and winter months. One of my favorite patent formulas is Bi Yan Pian for nasal congestion or rhinitis. It opens the
nasal passages and clears sinus congestion and nasal discharge. Yin Qiao San is a formula that you can take at the
first sign of a sore throat. It keeps a cold from taking a strong hold in the body. Herbs in Gan Mao Ling have strong
antiviral properties. This patent formula is used for treating the common cold with flu-like symptoms: swollen glands, fever,
and sinus congestion or discharge.
To build up your resistance to colds and flu, keep the formula,
Jade Windscreen, on hand. It's is a great
formula made up of three herbs that strengthen the immune system during the change of seasons.
For those who experience indigestion from overeating during the holiday months, the formula,
Bao He Wan, can ease digestive discomfort. It can also be used to prevent stomach upset from eating unfamiliar foods
while you're traveling abroad.
WINTERTIME
FOODS
Miso Soup
with Green Onions is a Chinese herbal remedy for the early onset of the common cold, when you just begin to feel a stuffy
nose, slight fever or headache.
Miso Soup with Green Onions
Ingredients:
6 cups water
3-4 Tablespoons miso or soy bean paste
3 green onion stalks, chopped
Directions:
Dissolve miso in a small amount of very hot water.
Bring water to a boil, let it cool to a simmer, then add the miso.
Top with green onions and
serve.
You can add more ingredients
if you like, such as tofu, very fine ginger slices, minced garlic, shredded carrots, sliced snow peas, or cooked rice noodles.
Did you know that cooked pears help to relieve dry coughs?
Pear Soup for Dry Coughs:
Ingredients:
5 ripe pears
8 cups water
honey
fresh mint leaves
Directions:
Cut pears in half and remove seeds and stems.
Chop into small pieces and place in water. Bring to a boil, cover, simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add honey and
mint to taste. Drink 1-2 cups daily to strengthen lung function and help relieve dry coughs.
SPRING - THE SEASON
OF RENEWAL
Take
advantage of the regenerative energy of early spring to cleanse and rejuvenate. Eat lightly steamed fresh vegetables. Include
more young leafy greens and sprouts with meals. Add a pinch of sour food, such as a slice of dill pickle,
a small amount of sauerkraut, or a sprinkle of lemon juice.
In traditional Chinese medicine, spring time is associated with the liver organ, which regulates
a balanced flow of qi or energy throughout the body. When the liver is functioning optimally, one's physical body and
emotions work well together. If the liver qi flow becomes obstructed, the tendons of the body can feel stiff and tight, and
the emotions tend toward feelings of frustration and anger.
To stay in good health in spring, stretch and move your body. Get outdoors and enjoy
the fresh spring air while you exercise. Try yoga to increase physical flexibility and emotional calmness.
Use acupuncture for a spring time tuneup.
It benefits liver health and relieves the irritability and stress that are signs of liver qi imbalance.
Here are two acupressure points that you can press for about a
minute each, to help balance qi flow and relieve emotional tension:
Liver 3 - Located on the top of the foot, in the depression just past the junction
of the first and second metatarsal bones. (DO NOT USE DURING PREGNANCY.)
Large Intestine 4 - Located on the back of the hand in the fleshy area between
the index finger and the thumb. (DO NOT USE DURING PREGNANCY.)
SUMMERTIME AND TRADITIONAL
CHINESE MEDICINE
The summer season is the most active time of year when yang characteristics prevail: heat, expansion, brightness, lightness, and outward activity. In traditional Chinese medicine,
summer is associated with the fire element, which influences the heart, mind and spirit. Focus on balancing the fire element
by keeping the heart healthy, and by calming the mind and spirit.
When the fire element is balanced, a person
will be friendly and mentally clear. An unbalanced fire element may be experienced as a lack of joy (depression) or too much
joy (mania). Other signs of fire element imbalance may include agitation, insomnia, poor memory, speech difficulties (such
as talking excessively), or poor circulation.
Here are two acupressure points that can be pressed for about a minute
to calm the heart and spirit:
Pericardium 6 - Located on the inside of the wrist, two thumb
widths above the transverse wrist crease, between the tendons of the palmaris longus and flexor radialis. In addition to calming
the heart and settling the spirit, this point helps to relieve nausea.
Yintang -
Located midway between the eyebrows, Yintang is sometimes called "the third eye". This point helps
to calm the mind and emotions, enhance mental focus, promote sleep, and relieve depression.
Two exercise
sequences that promote mental clarity and emotional balance are:
Tai Chi Chuan, a practice which
improves mental concentration, emotional calmness, coordination, balance and circulation through a series of gentle flowing
movements.
Qi Gong, a practice which cultivates vital energy and strengthens body and mind, through
a series of meditative movements, done in coordination with the breath.
Summertime Foods:
Eat
light and non-greasy meals during summer. Eat in moderation to avoid indigestion and sluggishness.
On hot days, serve cooling fresh foods such as salads (including lettuce, cucumber, watercress, sprouts, asparagus)
and fruit (including watermelon, cantaloupe, lemon, lime, peach, apple, orange).
Stay hydrated and cool by drinking throughout the day from a pitcher containing water, lemon slices and cucumber
or fresh mint leaves.
It is best to avoid very cold foods which hinder digestion,
such as iced beverages and ice cream.
