Eliminate Dry Eyes With Acupuncture

Do your eyes feel like a DESERT at times? You may have noticed them especially at the end of a workday - after staring at a computer screen for hours. Hopefully your boss doesn’t need you to do overtime because your dry eyes will likely be screaming “NO MORE!”. The worst are evening events. You always know you’ll be feeling the urge to switch into glasses mid-way through the night. Party pooper.

Wouldn’t it be great if your eyes could just self regulate? Wouldn’t it be great if they felt adequately moist, and not dry or stingy at all? Well, did you know that acupuncture is great for treating dry eyes? Not only does acupuncture help with alleviating dry eyes, but acupuncture also treats the underlying causes leading to dryness of the eyes. Don’t worry, the needles don’t go anywhere near your actual eyes.

You may have been told that this is just a sign of aging, that you have a higher level of inflammation in your eyes, or that your eyes just don’t produce enough tears. You may have also been told that you would likely have to live with this condition for the rest of your life. Although valid points, at AcuSoul we believe your body has the ability to change. By looking at your health from a different perspective, we can find alternative solutions to dry eyes that western science may have missed.

The liver in Chinese Medicine is related to hypochondriac pain, tendons, healthy nails, and last but not least your eyes. According to western medicine the liver is an organ that filters toxins from your blood. Many things can lead to an accumulation of toxins in the liver, such as: alcohol, pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides, fried foods, and junk food.

At AcuSoul we also take into consideration your mental-emotional health. Emotions like frustration, anger, or constantly feeling under pressure can cause the liver’s performance to decline. An overworked or toxic liver can lead to inflammation - manifesting as DRYNESS OF THE EYES.

So how does acupuncture for dry eyes work?

With the above condition, we would use acupoints on the liver meridian to help detox the organ and eliminate dry eyes. The Liver meridian is an energetic channel that connects to the organ, with accessible points along your legs and feet.

You might also be wondering how many acupuncture treatments it would take to eliminate the dry eyes? Everybody heals at a different rate, but typically we recommend starting with 8-10 treatments. Over the course of these treatments you can see for yourself the progress we are making after each acupuncture session.

If you’ve never tried acupuncture before, we use an extremely gentle technique with thinner needles, leading to a pain-free experience. We usually target leg, abdomen, or back points, so nothing actually near the eyes. We also provide dietary recommendations so your body can continue detoxifying the liver in between treatments. So, if you’re in Toronto, and looking to get rid of irritating dry eyes with acupuncture, book a session today - You won’t regret it!

'Tis the season to restore, rejuvenate ... & avoid burnout

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.

5 Ways to Warm Up!

As the cold winter approaches, it's important we understand how to stay balanced during this season. Winter is the time our energy hides in the deeper layers of our body, making us more susceptible to catching colds. For those who have poor circulation, cold temperatures can slows things down even more, reducing blood flow to your extremities. You may experience cold hands and feet, or become more prone to pain in your body as blood stagnation occurs. Here's what you can do to offset these imbalances.

1. Add Some Spice

Star anise, fennel, and cloves not only spice up your meals, but have very strong warming properties that can tonify your Yang (warming) energy according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Add them to soup, or marinate meat with these warming spices. 

2. Eat Venison/Lamb

This brings me to my next point. Meat can have a negative connotation in our modern society especially with factory farming practices. Sometimes we forget the beneficial properties of meat. I always recommend eating organic when possible, and consuming meat in moderation. Lamb and venison can warm the body up, relieving your from cold extremities, feeling cold all the time, or even low libido as these meats strengthen the Kidneys as well. They are often marinated with rosemary - another warming herb that can help you stay balanced during the cold, frigid winter months.

3. Drink Alcohol

You're probably are starting to question this article - but believe it or not, moderate alcohol consumption was recommended during the Ming Dynasty to help regulate blood flow, improve circulation, and warm the body. All good things in moderation.

4. Acupuncture

Acupuncture

TCM is all about balancing Yin and Yang. For those with a deficiency in Yang, they tend to feel cold more often, lack energy, and may even experience low libido, or loose stools. Yang represents warmth, and along the back of your spine lies the Du Channel "Sea of Yang". By choosing points along this channel, acupuncture can boost the body's warming energy to relieve the sensation of cold. If you haven't tried it yet, book your session today at www.acusoul.com.

5. Sit By The Fire

This time of year it is quite difficult to get more sun, but there are other options. Layer up at the office, plug in a portable heater, or sit by a fire if you get the chance. External heat is just as important as warming the body up from the inside out. As you plan your holiday season, try to spend some time near a fire, whether that's at home as you cozy up next to the fireplace, at a cabin resort, or the inside of a chalet.

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5 Reasons To Try Acupuncture

1. Reconnect With Yourself

Acupuncture is a way for you to take time out of your busy life, and tend to your body's needs, which may or may not have been neglected for weeks, months, or years. By taking an hour out of your day to re-balance the body through acupuncture, this allows you to leave your anxiety, stress, and tension behind and really focus on you. Bringing you back into the present moment and reconnecting your mind and body.

2. Get To The Root Cause

Acupuncture gets right down to the root of your health imbalances. By inspecting the tongue, and palpating the wrist pulse, your practitioner can see and feel any imbalances in your life, whether chronic or acute. The tongue's qualities such as colour, moisture, and size reveal the overall health of each organ. Using a system of points which are mapped out throughout your body, acupuncturists are able to promote healing from the root.

3. Experience Positive Side Effects

The side effects of acupuncture are many, yet all positive. After an acupuncture treatment you may notice an overall improvement in your sleep, digestion, and stress levels.

4. Find Out Your Imbalances

Many of us visit the doctor only to find that there's "nothing wrong". We may not be dieing of a chronic disease, however, many of us still feel something is "off". These are the types of problems you want to bring to your acupuncturist. They specialize in taking into consideration all aspects of your health history, including current signs and symptoms you may be experiencing, and are able to explain to you what they all mean from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective.

5. Tried, Tested & True

Acupuncture has been around for over 2000 years. It is one of the oldest forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine and in fact predates the use of herbal medicine. If it were not an effective form of treatment, why has it continued to survive throughout the ages? The clinical experience of patients and practitioners over thousands of years offers clear evidence that acupuncture works.

For a list of illnesses acupuncture has been proven to treat according to the World Health Organization(WHO) click here.

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