Spring – Rebirth, Growth and Abundance of New Life

By Juanita | Published April 28, 2013

Spring – Rebirth, Growth & Abundance of New Life

New Life - Spring brings in the vibrancy of new growth, activity and warmth. The seeds are sprouting, flowers bloom and the sun warms the earth. The body is freed from the work of keeping warm against the cold of winter and can now express new beginnings and bring them forth into the world. Spring is the ideal time for cleansing, rejuvenation and increased activity. The body and it’s Qi need to move to be in alignment with the energy of the spring. At higher elevations there is a slower movement into spring so cleansing is best in the late spring, early summer and caution is still necessary against the waves of chilly weather.

Element – Spring is ruled by the wood element which is associated with the liver and gallbladder. According to Chinese Medicine, the liver is responsible for the smooth flow of Qi (energy) throughout the body. So, for optimum health this spring, move your Qi. When the Qi stagnates the liver easily brings forth anger and irritability. If there are areas in your life which are stagnating then spring is the time of year when these issues come to the forefront and the vibrancy of the spring energy can provide the momentum to move forward.

Food – You can now start adding more cooling foods like mung beans, celery, seaweeds (kelp is very helpful for liver stagnation), lettuce, cucumber, watercress, tofu, and millet. Green is the color of the liver and of springtime. Eating young plants, fresh leafy greens, sprouts and immature cereal grasses can improve the liver’s function and aid in the movement of Qi. The flavor of the wood element and the liver is sour; ways to get the sour flavor include putting lemon or lime slices in your drinking water, using vinegar and olive oil/flax oil salad dressing and garnishing with dill pickle.

Cleansing – Cleansing is appropriate in the spring & early summer, if you are interested in an individually guided cleanse this year then click the button to the right.  It is rare in Chinese medicine to recommend intense “cleanses” as they maybe to depleting for many constitutions. Since the liver processes many toxins, a gentle cleanse can be beneficial. Brown rice and vegetable soup for 2 days can suffice for those with low energy or who get cold easily, while salads with leafy greens including dandelion would be appropriate for those who are always hot. Milk thistle tea helps the liver cleanse itself. It is the time to do more outdoor activities; the outside air invigorates the body and moves the liver Qi, and is a good way to move out of irritability.

Acupuncture & Herbs- One of the primary functions of acupuncture is to move liver Qi, which enhances a person’s feeling of wellbeing and their capacity to move forward into the vibrancy of spring. Many herbs in the Chinese Materia Medica assist liver function, harmonize organ systems and move Qi.

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Coping with Stress – How Acupuncture Can Help

By Juanita | Published April 20, 2013

 

Coping with Stress – How Acupuncture Can Help

Stressors come in many forms in our modern society, how we are impacted by them can greatly affect our health. Stress is a natural nonspecific response of the body to the various demands placed upon it. Healthy stressors such as physical exercise, learning new things both physically and mentally, when done in a balanced way, keep us alert and motivated, and support our body’s strength and vitality, thus stimulating healthy stress responses. Unhealthy stressors such as overexertion, poor eating habits, lack of sleep, negative thinking, pollutants and toxins, all challenge the balances in the body and overtime cause decline in the body’s health and wellbeing.

We also have our fight or flight stress response which through a sequence of changes in the internal functioning of the body brings forth the energy and strength to preserve life in the face of danger.

Some of the responses include

  • directing blood flow away from digestion and directing towards the muscles,
  • movement of food through the digestive tract slows,
  • the release of adrenaline to increase strength and speed, and
  • the nervous systems moves into the sympathetic mode of high alert.

These changes are powerful and effective in the short term but if they continue to be engaged then the body’s health starts to decline. Unfortunately aspects of modern day life such as primetime news, road rage, terrorism talk, long work weeks, the frenzy of getting everything done, the pressure to do it right and meet everyone’s including self’s expectations, and financial concerns, can trigger this fight and flight response. These aspects of modern life are ongoing not short term, so now there is potential for aspects of the fight and flight system to be engaged long term thus depleting and damaging the body. Medical studies have shown that with increased and consistent stress, our white blood cells, which defend us against viruses and bacteria, decrease. Everybody responds to these stressors differently some engage your fight and flight and some do not.

So how do we live in this modern world and stay healthy, as most of us are not moving to a cave in the Himalayas or an ashram in India. We can make some lifestyle choices that minimize exposure to our major stressors, learn different way of responding to our stressors by changing our thoughts and emotional responses, use movement and meditation practices that calm the nervous system, and provide the body with healthy stressors such as moderate exercise and healthy eating habits (big ones here to get the maximum bang for your effort is to minimize processed and refined food, eliminate fast food, moderate caffeine as it engages the sympathetic system to give you that shot of energy thus depleting your resources).

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine assist the body in disengaging the sympathetic mode allowing the parasympathetic system to regain command. When the parasympathetic system is in command, normal functioning of the body is restored, food is digested properly and repairs are made helping to control inflammation. The movement of the nervous system into a sympathetic mode is the initiator of the cascade of changes due to fight and flight, so turning it off is key to returning balance. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine also supports and helps restore the integrity of the various organ systems that have been affected and depleted.

Signs and Symptoms of an overactive fight and flight response and too many unhealthy stressor.

  • Anger
  • Anxiety
  • Asthma
  • Depression
  • Depressed immune system (catching coughs & colds easily, slow healing, easy bruising)
  • Digestive issues
  • Headaches
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Joint pain
  • Weight problems
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Steps of Care

By Juanita | Published March 28, 2013

Steps of Care

Steps towards health and vitality with acupuncture care.

Feeling healthy goes beyond the absence of acute or chronic illness. Often, we don’t acknowledge our health until it is compromised. Most patients begin acupuncture treatment to receive quick relief from pain, discomfort or other symptoms. This is Relief Care. Each visit builds on the previous, paving the way to addressing the initial compliant. Frequent visits over a few weeks or months maybe needed to further reduce your symptoms. Your condition, age, lifestyle and the quality and quantity of your energy (Qi) are all factors in your frequency of treatment.

Relief Care:

  • Obvious symptoms
  • Visits are frequent to promote quick recovery

The next phase is Corrective Care. Signs and symptoms have been reduced and visits are less frequent. This phase maintains and supports the changes you have achieved and provides a foundation for deeper healing. Even though you may not be experiencing symptoms, it is important to continue to strengthen and support your body.

Corrective Care:

  • Symptoms disappear
  • Visits are less frequent and you begin to feel better

Maintenance and Wellness Care is the next phase. This type of care preserves all the progress you have made. Visits maybe monthly, every other month, at a rhythm your body feels is appropriate for you to maintain health and vitality. Little problems may be caught before they become major concerns. Also at the season changes are important times to receive care and support for the body.

Maintenance & Wellness Care:

  • Life is amazing, you feel great
  • “Tune-ups” help maintain health & vitality

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine along with guidance and support around lifestyle choices can keep you looking, feeling and performing at your best.

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Acupuncture & Colds & Flu

By Juanita | Published March 5, 2013

Acupuncture & Colds & Flu

Clinical studies have suggested that using acupuncture to treat colds and flu can reduce the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections and shorten the length of the illness. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine work by rebalancing the body’s systems, regulating the body’s healing energies and enhancing the immune system.

Even though germs, bacteria, and viruses are everywhere, they can only lead to illness when our bodies are weakened and unbalanced, then a hospitable environment is available for them to thrive leading to a cold or flu. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine through its balancing and strengthening of the body’s systems is a good preventative approach to illness.

One of the main theories supporting acupuncture and its treatment of colds and the flu is the concept of Wei Qi. Wei Qi is similar to the Western concept of the immune system. It functions as a barrier protecting and defending the body against foreign substances, which can cause illness and disease. When Wei Qi is strong and abundant, we remain healthy. When the supply becomes inadequate, health is compromised and we become vulnerable to outside invaders.

Throughout our lives, a variety of factors affect our health and well-being. Although most of the time we recover quickly and regain our health, when these factors are numerous, our internal mechanisms become compromised and weakened, our Wei Qi becomes depleted and we get sick. By the time illness occurs, the body’s self-regulating, self balancing and healing systems have already been affected

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine support and strengthen the systems of the body that are involved in the production of Wei Qi, and can help rebalance and support the immune system and stimulate Wei Qi energy. By building the supply of Wei Qi, and facilitating the smooth and free flow of it throughout the body, the body’s organs and meridian system become strong, enhancing their ability to effectively fight off illness and disease.

Tips for Staying Healthy:

  • Consume 8-10 glasses of filtered water daily
  • Exercise regularly to support the immune system
  • Eat a healthy, organic diet, including foods with beta carotene (carrots, broccoli, sweet potato, garlic and tomatoes)
  • Limit sugar intake. Sugar taxes the immune system, especially when feeling under the weather
  • Take vitamin C and herbs to support the immune system, especially in the “cold and flu” season
  • Get plenty of rest
  • Enjoy fun and relaxing activities
  • Stimulate specific acupuncture points that support Wei Qi
  • Enjoy regular acupuncture treatments to support the body’s self-regulating, self-balancing and healing systems
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Allergies and Oriental Medicine

By Juanita | Published May 17, 2011

Allergies and Oriental Medicine

By Juanita McLaughlin L.Ac.

According to Chinese (Oriental) Medical theory, the symptoms and signs that indicate a Western diagnosis of allergies relate to imbalances in the meridian and organ systems of the body. These imbalances may stem from a variety of causes including; stress, poor diet, constitutional weakness, pollutants and environmental toxins.

Overtime, if imbalances remain within the body, they will affect the functioning of the organ systems and the production of Wei Qi. The correct quantity and quality of Wei Qi circulating in the body is necessary for staying healthy. Wei Qi is similar to the Western concept of the immune system. It functions to protect and defend the body against foreign substances, that if not caught can lead to illness or allergies. When Wei Qi is strong and abundant we remain healthy. If it is compromised then we become vulnerable to foreign invaders such as dust, mold, animal dander, bacteria, viruses and pollen.

Oriental Medicine, which includes acupuncture and herbs, supports and strengthens the systems of the body involved in the production of Wei Qi. By strengthen the Wei Qi and facilitating the smooth flow of it throughout the body, symptoms and signs related to allergies could be greatly reduced or eliminated.

Foods: Adding citrus foods like oranges, tangerines and grapefruit to your diet can help clear sinus passages. Cooking with coriander can help boost the immune system during allergy season. Remember to avoid dairy and rich oily foods.

Tips: Pressuring two common acupuncture points for 30 sec can help alleviate some allergy symptoms. Start with Large Intestine 20 located on both sides of your nostrils in the groove that forms when you smile, it relieves congestion. Then Gallbladder 20 located at the base of your skull either side of the spine in the natural indentation, it helps with headache. For symptom relief the herbal formula Bi Yan Pian can help nasal congestion. A neti pot can be helpful in keeping sinus passage clear and flushing out airborne allergens. Many Yoga poses boost the immune system; an especially useful pose is Garudasana, the eagle pose. It compresses the lymph nodes in the armpits and groin enhancing drainage through the lymph system of the body which supports the removal of allergens and toxins.

Instructions:

1. From standing shift your weight onto the right leg.

2. Bring the left leg up and cross the left thigh over the right.

3. Hook the left foot around the right calf.

4. Bring the arms out in front.

5. Cross the right arm over the left and bring the palms to touch.

6. Lift the elbows while keeping the shoulders sliding down the back.

7. Hold 5-10 breaths.

8. Repeat on the other side.

Beginners: If you have trouble with the balance, rest your backside on a wall. If you can’t hook the left foot around the right calf, put a block under the left foot instead.

During allergy season Oriental Medicine can help alleviate headaches, stuffy     nose, itchy eyes & throat and other symptoms, helping you to enjoy life during the warmer months of the year.

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Winter – the season to retreat & reflect

By Juanita | Published December 20, 2010

Winter – the season to retreat & reflect

Retreat & Reflect – With the winter solstice we will officially enter the winter season, and put the shortest day behind us. We need to bundle up, eat nice warm food, and cuddle up next to a fire. The tradition of Oriental medicine regards winter as a time to retreat, reflect, and restore. This is the season we direct our energies inward and consolidate it in preparation for anew start in spring.

Element- Winter is ruled by the water element, which is associated with the Kidneys, Bladder, and Adrenal Glands. The Kidneys are considered the source of all energy (Qi) within the body. It stores our reserves to be used in times of stress and change, or to heal and prevent illness, and to age gracefully. During winter it is important to nourish our Kidney Qi, instinctively our bodies know this. We desire to rest and sleep longer hours and seek out warm moist foods and sheltered warm environments. We are conserving our body’s warmth and moisture in the face of the cold and dry climate.

Food- Eating warm hearty soups, whole grains, and roasted nuts helps warm the body’s core and keep us nourished. The kidneys are associated with water so drink ample water, at room temperature or warmer, throughout the day. Include kidney shaped foods such as black beans and kidney beans as these help to nourish and benefit the kidneys. The colors that correspond with the water element and hence the kidney are blue and black so include black sesame seeds, and blueberries. Walnuts and chestnuts have been found to increase the Kidney Qi. Veggies such as dark leafy greens, asparagus, cucumbers and celery boost Kidney Qi. Tonifying meats such as beef, lamb and bone marrow help warm and strengthen the body.

Acupuncture – Seasonal acupuncture treatments in winter serve to nourish Kidney Qi which can greatly enhance the body’s ability to thrive, aid in healing, prevent illness and increase vitality.

Other Tips – Strengthen the lower part of the body – feet, legs, pelvis, and low back. Avoid cold food, raw food and ice cold drinks as these all challenge the body in staying warm and cause an expenditure of energy. Keep your feet warm as cold easily enters the body through the feet as the Kidney meridian starts on the sole of the feet. Keep your low back and pelvis warm, and avoid drafty spaces. Connect with others in the sharing food and in warm cozy gatherings. Spend time with yourself in reflection, gather from the year that is passing and contemplate beliefs and philosophies. Avoid extreme physical over-exertion, yet keep the body moving and strong. Avoid cleanses and detoxification programs as these cool the body and drain its energy reserves.

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Tips for Staying Healthy in the Fall

By Juanita | Published October 5, 2010

Tips for Staying Healthy in the Fall

Foods – Eat more cooked and fewer raw foods. Sour, astringent foods like lemon, lime, pickle, vitamin C, seaweed, and sourdough bread can all benefit your health. Enjoy spicy/pungent foods like onion, garlic, radish, horseradish, and cabbage. Hearty concentrated foods like root vegetables, soy products and barley are also foods for the Fall. Pumpkin, winter squash , and sweet potato are all great choices. Almonds, apples, and pears (especially Asian apple pears) are beneficial to the respiratory system.

Herbs – Astragalus is an herb that is often used to boost immunity and aid resistance to illness by increasing phagocytosis and your white blood cell count. Chinese research has shown it to have a protective effect against the common cold when taken consistently for two to eight weeks. Astragalus works best as a long-term preventive measure. It is best to take it as a tea through the cold and flu season to enhance immunity and prevent illness.

Boost the Immune System Soup

1 Whole Chicken               10oz shitake mushrooms

2 pints of water                  1 tsp chopped giner

3 slices of Astragalus     4 chopped garlic cloves

1tsp olive oil

  • · Place chicken and astragalus in water. Bring to boil, simmer 1 hour.
  • · Add shitake, giner, garlic and oil.
  • · Simmer 45 minutes longer.

Protect – As the weather changes, it is easy to catch colds and flus. Protect the back of your neck from the winds with a scarf or collar. Be mindful that the temperature can change quickly, keep warmer cloths with you to prevent getting chilled.

Aromatherapy – Eucalyptus is good for preventing colds especially if exposure is high to someone with a cold or flu, as it is antiseptic in nature. Rub onto the glands under the jaw and inhale the vapor deeply this targets the areas where the bug could take up residence. It is also good at opening the nasal passages if a cold does strike.

Acupuncture – Supports and strengthen the immune systems and the production of Wei Qi, which is the energy of the body which defends us against invaders. By building the supply of Wei Qi, and facilitating the smooth and free flow of it throughout the body, the body’s organs and meridian system become strong, enhancing their ability to effectively fight off illness and disease.  Acupuncture treatments especially around the season change helps the body transition through the change, and stay healthy.

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Navigating Through the Myriad of Dietary Recommendations

By Juanita | Published October 5, 2010

Navigating Through the Myriad of Dietary Recommendations

Daily we are exposed to various messages telling us what we should eat; often one message conflicts with the other. Oriental Medicine offers the guidance of looking for balance; overeating in any one direction often causes imbalances. Overeating fatty fried foods causes a reaction in the body, as does overeating raw foods. For each person what defines overeating varies; our bodies have different sensitivities to different foods.

The Chinese perspective also seeks to balance the body within the context of its environment including climatic factors. Warm soups and cooked foods are more dominate in winter, while fruits and salads are consumed in the spring and summer, which naturally corresponds to when nature produces these foods.

Guidelines

Moderation – extremes in anyone direction tend to cause difficulties for the body, eg no saturated fat (eg butter) removes from the body an important resource in building strong cell walls and making hormones. Often low fat foods came with high sugar to make them taste good so a good balance is not achieved.

Eat according to the season – if the weather is cold then provide the body with warm hearty foods that allow the body to warm and fuel itself.

Honor your body’s sensitivities – if it doesn’t do well on raw food then eat cooked food, if it doesn’t do well on certain fats or meats then use other options. If your body doesn’t do well without meat then include meats in your diet. Experiment a little as what you were raised eating may not suit you.

Make choices based on your constitution and health concerns – if your cholesterol is high then moderate oils and fats, if you tend to run hot then more cooling foods help.

Minimize processed food – processed foods have evolved for convenience and profit margins as the less real food in a product and the longer it lasts on the shelve reduces cost to the manufacturer. It does the opposite to the human body which has not evolve to digest these new ingredients, we tend to digest this food poorly creating byproducts with unknown cost and detriment to the body.

Include a variety of foods – this assists the body in finding all the fats, proteins, sugars, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and bacteria it needs to function smoothly and maintain health.

These are not rigid rules; most important is to listen to your body’s needs, what is good for one person may not be the best thing for another.

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Acupuncture: What’s All The Buzz About?

By Juanita | Published October 5, 2010

Acupuncture: What’s All The Buzz About?

It is only one component of this health care system; this medicine also incorporates herbal supplementation, bodywork, nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle. Because of its prevalence in countries such as Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, it is now called Oriental Medicine in the west to cover the wide variety of influences within the medicine.

Oriental Medicine is based on yin and yang, the ancient Daoist principle of balance. A disease or injury is viewed as a loss of this balance between yin and yang in the body. The imbalance creates symptoms of illness in the patient. The Oriental Medicine practitioner seeks to return balance to the body’s functions. It works by stimulating organ function, encouraging circulation and regulating endocrine secretions. Oriental Medicine is a safe and effective treatment option that can work on its own or in conjunction with other medical treatments.

Does Acupuncture Hurt? Acupuncture needles are far different to the hypodermic needle used to give injections. They are usually painless upon insertion, with a feeling of numbness, heaviness, aching or tingling sensation in the area of the needle. The sensation usually lasts only a moment. For those who dislike needles or are particularly sensitive then the practitioner will use acupressure (finger pressure).

Fall Health Tip – Wear a Scarf. In the fall season, coughs, colds and flu’s are all about us. According to Oriental Medical Theory, wind penetrates the back of the neck, bringing with it external pathogens which can lead to illness. So cover up with a scarf, hat and jacket. If a bug does get through, Oriental Medicine can assist in a faster recovery, moderate the symptoms and prevent more severe illness developing.

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The Art and Ritual of Chinese Tea

By Juanita | Published October 4, 2010

The Art and Ritual of Chinese Tea

Traditionally called Cha Dao, or the Dao of Tea, it is the harmony of tea, water, utensils, preparation, environment and conversation to create the perfect moment – a moment that can last for hours. A skilled pourer of tea creates the moment without standing in the middle of it. The moment belongs to the fragrance and taste of the tea, the atmosphere of Cha You, or ‘tea friends’ coming together, a moment outside the hecticness of daily life.

However, the art of soaking tea in china is not primary about creating that moment. It is about the tea itself. Good tea sparks spontaneous joy and conversation, a lightheartedness that separates it from the Japanese tea ritual. In Japan, the tea is a way to attaining a certain state; for the Chinese that state is simply part of the experience of tea, it is allowed to flow into the ritual but is not directly sought after.

Over its almost 2,000 known years of history, the ways of preparing and drinking tea have undergone great changes, just as some types of tea have waxed and waned in popularity. There are many varieties of tea bushes, each unique in their own flavors. Today, most tea is loose-leaf tea, separated into three main categories, which are green, wulong (or oolong, literally means black dragon) and red (known as black tea in the west). These three categories represent how the tea is processed, not the tea leaf itself. Green means the leaf has only been slightly fermented; wulong means it is semi-fermented; and red means the leaf is fully fermented. Thus, any freshly picked tea leaf can be made into green tea, a wulong tea, or red tea. However, certain varieties of leaf lend themselves to one preparation method or another.

While green tea is certainly the most famous of all teas, red tea is probably has the largest global market share and wulongs have the highest quality. The greatest wulongs are grown in the mountains of Taiwan, where the mists, sun and elevation combine to create the perfect climate for semi-fermented tea. The leaves are cared for by generations of tea farmers for whom growing tea is more a way of life than a livelihood. Today, it is around wulong tea that the greatest efforts are made in the Art & Ritual of Chinese Tea.

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