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.
Wintertime and 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 Kitchen Medicine
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.
