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Here’s what you can do to boost your immune system in fighting a cold, flu, or virus!
With this year's extreme cold winter we have had in Toronto, you may have turned up the heat on full blast just to keep temperatures moderate indoors. As a result, you may have noticed drier skin. You might even be waking with a dry mouth and nose.
The worst part is your hands and feet are like a desert! No amount of lotion or Vaseline seems to keep them from drying up again.
In this blog I'm going to share with you a few simple solutions to re-hydrate your body from the inside out. In doing so, you won't have to apply as much lotion continuously, and your mouth and nose should not be as dry when you wake up in the mornings.
First let's dive into why this is happening. With dryness, there's actually 2 factors going on. 1. External dryness, 2. Internal heat. Dryness can be moistened with foods that help generate more fluid in the body. Here's a few that can help:
1. Honey
Honey has so many healing properties. Moistening dryness is just one!
2. Kiwis & Bananas
Great for relieving thirst. Bananas also have moistening properties that are good for regular bowel movements and help dry skin.
3. Oatmeal
Any kind of porridge is good for restoring fluids. In asian culture congee is one made with rice and water in a ratio of 1:6.
Heat on the other hand doesn't disappear by moistening it. You actually have to clear it out of your system.
But where is this heat coming from? It's the middle of winter, so if it's not externally generated, it must be coming from within.
"What generates heat internally though?" you might wonder. And the answer is stress.
That could be tight deadlines, or having to multi-task non-stop. You can think about a computer overheating, when it has too much to process, or hasn't been shut off in a while. Our brains need the same "TIME OFF". Otherwise, we crash and burn.
Add more meditation, or go for a weekend getaway. This is great for bringing down stress levels. In addition, here are some foods you can add to your diet to clear the heat/inflammation from your body:
1. Peppermint
Great for clearing heat, emotional frustration, and ‘chilling you out’.
2. Pears
Pears are a 2-in-1 combo. Not only do they clear heat, but they also moisten dryness. This is the go-to for feelings of thirst, especially if you have been eating spicy lately, or fried foods. The heat clearing properties will get you feeling refreshed and thirst quenched.
3. Watermelon
Great for clearing heat from your system. In fact watermelon is something we typically crave during the intense summer heat. However, due to its cooling nature, it should be eaten in moderation.
I hope you enjoyed these tips. Feel free to book an acupuncture & food therapy session to dive deeper into your health concerns.
As you attempt to adapt to the changing seasons, life can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. Learn how to manage your resources, or better yet, improve your health to better able to handle the ups and downs of life using acupuncture & food therapy.
Acupuncture works by stimulating points on the body that reduce inflammation. Where the inflammation appears in your body determines which acupuncture points we select to clear it out.
Do you feel tired, even if you get a full 8 hours of sleep? Coffee doesn’t seem to be as effective anymore does it? It’s year end, and your lack of energy is making you drop the ball when it matters MOST! You want to end the year with a bang! but it’s feeling like it might end with a thunk.
You could be suffering from burnout.
You’ve worked hard all year long, and now’s the time to finally crush those year end goals whether they are business goals, projects around the house, or even starting 2018 a few pounds lighter. If you’re like most people in Toronto, the demands of your daily life are as high as ever, but you’re lacking an inner resourcefulness to energetically complete everything. The holidays are an added stress, especially when all you want to do is sit on the couch, turn on Netflix and pass out for a couple of hours.
Don’t worry, I have a special recipe for bouncing out of burnout I’m going to share with you. But first, let’s understand what is burnout?
When burnout sets in, most people turn to drinking more and more coffee. Coffee taps into your adrenal glands which give you the adrenaline rush you think you need to push through, feel awake, and keep chugging along throughout the day. Too much coffee, and the adrenal glands begin to run out of resources - which means, you actually burn out FASTER.
The adrenal glands sit atop the kidneys, and in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) symptoms of overwork or exhaustion can be corrected by boosting your body’s powerhouse - The Kidneys. Here I’m going to share with you a personal favourite for restoring your kidneys so you can accomplish those year end goals, get back to feeling 100% again, and hopefully give you that extra boost you need to HAVE FUN and enjoy this holiday season!
Goji Walnut Energy Ball
For the past few months, I’ve been putting together my favorite healing recipes. If you’re struggling with back pain, digestive issues, low energy, or cold hands and feet, there is a whole-food nourishing recipe in this cookbook for YOU! Heal your body from the inside out….and enjoy some tasty morsels while you do it! Nourish your body and soul with Mindful Kitchen. Right now I’m offering an end-of-year special. Save 40% by clicking here. Right now Mindful Kitchen is only $5.99!
Grab it today and start feeling better.
SPRING is a time of GROWTH as new plants sprout up from the earth. This season relates to the Liver in Chinese medicine - whose job is to filter toxins from blood (western perspective). Here are some foods to help support your liver's detoxing functions:
Food Therapy:
Kale
Spinach
Bok choi
Lettuce
Cilantro
Celery
Watercress
Peppermint tea
Chrysanthemum tea
Peppermint and chrysanthemum are great for relieving stress and frustration. Avoid alcohol, or greasy and fried foods, as these can weigh you down making you feel sluggish, and irritated.
LIFESTYLE CHOICES
Emotionally and physically spring sparks within us the need for change, exploration, and movement - expressions of a healthy Liver in Chinese medicine. Failing to do so can leave us feeling frustrated, stressed, and depressed. Now is the time to travel - satisfying our need to explore. That doesn't have to be somewhere far, and expensive, but just someplace different than what you're used to. A change of environment helps to inspire us, and spark creativity when we're stuck.
Spring also marks a time of growth. Putting your energy towards personal goals, or projects is optimal this season. Spring gives the Liver more energy to perform its role of having a clear vision, setting goals, and planning ahead. Remember to plan with the resources you currently have. Overcommitting yourself to many goals can lead to many incomplete tasks, and possibly depression.
EXERCISES
Now that the weather is getting warmer, enjoy a walk in the park. This combines movement with reconnecting to nature. The Liver also enjoys stretching, which can help ease frustration and stress. The Liver Channel runs through the inner thighs, and calves. Make sure to spend more time stretching these muscles and ligaments before and after workouts.
If you're looking for a quick tune-up this Spring, feel free to book an acupuncture appointment to nourish & awaken your body.
1. Slow down & Enjoy the moment
A fall tree begins to lose its leaves and change colour, reflecting a time to slow down as energy becomes scarce during this season. Likewise, we should do the same. Focus more on slow exercises that calm the mind like yoga, tai chi, and meditation. These exercises are great as they build up our internal energies. Intense sport activities, excess work, stress, and anxiety should be reduced during this time of year as they over consume us. Remember, life is all about balance, without building up our internal energy, how can we meet the demands of life?
2. Refine Yourself
Knowing that you have less energy during this time of year, it is important to become more efficient in the things you do. Fall is a season that resonates in nature with "Metal" - refined rocks, diamonds, gems, etc. Like a gem, through the process of refinement, one can bring out the best qualities in themselves. Learn to refine your processes at work, or at home so that they become less draining on you. Let go of things that aren't working or have a low return on investment. Metal also reflects structure, prioritize your list of things to do based on importance, not urgency. By becoming organized and efficient with your time spent, you conserve energy, life becomes clearer, and you become your best self.
3. Tidy Up
One of the organs associated with Fall is the large intestine - whose job is to eliminate waste, or let go of the unnecessary. When there's clutter in your home, this represents clutter in your mind, that you live with day in and day out. By tidying up your desk, closet, or home, you go through the process of eliminating waste. This will make you feel like you have more space, and can finally breathe again! Breathing is the main function of the Lungs - the other organ associated with fall, responsible for bringing in clean pure air into our bodies. Once you let go of the old, and eliminate waste, this gives your body the opportunity to bring in something new, and positive into your life.
If you find it difficult to accomplish these tasks, acupuncture can re-balance the body physically to make way for an improved mindset. Feel free to book an acupuncture session today!
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Looking for ways to stay balanced this fall? Listed below are four recipes that taste great AND boost your body's immune system during this cool & dry season
Summer is the season of joy, movement, energy, and activity! Staying in harmony with the seasons is an age old tradition according to Chinese Medicine. Follow these tips to stay balanced this summer.
1. Get Outdoors
Enjoy this nice weather while we have it. For those of us that tend to spend all day in an office, hidden from the sun, it's important we get outdoors when we can to stay balanced this season. The sun offers us a good dose of vitamin D, which is important to prevent depression, and ensure good kidney function. If you're the type of person that feels cold all the time, getting more sun is one of the easiest and most natural ways to warm your body up. Just set a reminder on your phone every 2 hours to go outside and get some fresh air. It will not only keep you balanced this summer, but you may find you're more productive too!
2. Socialize
For many of us this can can be as simple as enjoying drinks with friends, camping, having a BBQ, or a day at the beach. The one thing these activities all have in common is - more time spent with the people you love. The season of summer resonates with Fire, the elemental nature of the Heart organ, which is nurtured by the emotion of Joy in Chinese Medicine. During the summer, you will want to nourish your Heart by socializing, and experiencing more joy with the people you love. Camping is great for this, because we tend to gather in groups around a campfire - indirectly nourishing your Heart and Fire element.
3. Eat Fruit
Fruit is naturally "in-season" during the summer months. Of course in North America we can get fruit all year around but Summer offers fruit which has been picked ripe, and grown locally, improving the health of the fruit and its benefits to our bodies. Summer in general is the season when the amount of energy we receive from the sun is strongest, warming our bodies up, and boosting our energy as we experience more daytime. Given this increase in warmth in our bodies, this makes eating raw fruit a viable option as our bodies have more warming "Yang" energy to transform the raw fruit into vital nutrients. It's also a great way to stay hydrated if you're spending much of your time outdoors. BBQ tends to create toxic heat in the body. You may experience more nose bleeds this time of the year, mild afternoon fever, sweating more easily, or a desire for cold drinks. These are all signs that there could be excess heat in the body. Good fruit options for clearing heat are pears, cantaloupe, watermelon, and bananas. Caution to those who are pregnant, and individuals who feel cold all the time, or have a weak digestive system as these foods may be contraindicated.
4. Exercise
It's important that we exercise throughout the year, but Summer is the season we should be most active according to Chinese Medicine. If you're finding it difficult to exercise at the end of a long day, try waking up earlier to go for a quick run. The sun rises earlier this time of year, which shortens our natural sleeping patterns, and makes it easier to be an early bird.
5. Realize Your Potential
Summer being the most expansive, and energetic of all, is the season when our goals, visions, and dreams should be realized. Whatever dreams you've been holding onto for the past year, or visions you have for your life's potential, don't hold them back anymore, put them into action. The joy and satisfaction from making your vision or dream a reality, will boost your spirit and nourish your Heart. Ultimately, making you realize that any dream you have, big or small, can come true. Summer is the season to live your life with joy, happiness, and love. Go out, and do that which satisfies you deep within your heart. Make your dreams a reality this summer.
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