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Traditional Chinese Medicine
What Should I Eat to be Healthy
What to eat and what not to Eat: The Chinese Medicine Way to Healthy, Enjoyable Eating.
What should I eat to be healthy? That is a question I believe a lot of people are asking these days. If you are noticing signs of aging, are overweight, are considered obese, underweight, have diabetes, heart disease, auto-immune disorder, cancer, or you just plain want to stay healthy, you might be wondering which diet therapy is best for you.
I believe that a whole foods diet based mostly on plants, while taking into account individual needs, without all the processed foods, is the way to go. This is not a new way of eating, rather it is based on ancient Chinese Medical philosophy. The ancient way to eat for modern people.
In addition, mindfulness while eating plays an important part. One should eat in a calm and relaxed manner without rushing. Avoid stressful interactions during a meal, including television and reading. Be sure to always chew food thoroughly. Avoid overeating, or excessive fasting.
Foods to avoid are excessive raw, cold foods, iced drinks, excessive dairy, oily, greasy, fried foods, refined sugar, processed white flour products, excessive meat consumption, and excessive alcohol intake.
The process of digestion, and general nutritional requirements are the same, thus there are general guidelines to follow for a healthy spleen-Qi (chi)-digestive system. However, some people may have slightly different needs depending on their body type, lifestyle, climate, culture, or pattern of disharmony.
The general guidelines for a healthy spleen-Qi digestion will be explained in the next post. Stay tuned…
Valentine’s Day, TCM and Heart Health
Every February men all over the world flock to the local flower shops and jewelry stores in search of the perfect bouquet or piece of jewelry to express their undying love to their significant other. Why? Nobody knows for certain, but there are at least a couple of theories.
One theory is a Catholic priest, Valentine, was imprisoned for helping Christians escape Roman prisons. While he imprisoned himself, Valentine fell in love with a young girl who visited him. Allegedly, before his death, Valentine wrote a letter and signed it, “From your Valentine.” Thus, the first Valentine’s Day card was created, or so it is reported. continue reading
Going Deeper: The Kidneys
The organs in Chinese medicine are more than just a physical representation. The organs include not only their physiological function, but also mental, emotional, spiritual and elemental qualities that align with nature and the seasons. Let’s explore the kidneys.
The kidney element in Chinese medicine governs water and is associated with the season of winter, where the energies are turning from the hotter yang months to the more yin of winter. Each organ has an element associated with it: liver and wood, stomach and earth, kidney and water, for example. There is also an emotion, a color and flavor associated with the organ system. For the kidneys, the emotion is fear, the color is dark or black and the flavor is salty. It also opens to the ear, has the direction of north and is paired with the bladder. The kidney element houses willpower and manifests in the teeth and luster of the hair. continue reading
Why am I so TIRED…and how to fix
A very common complaint that acupuncturists hear from our patients is that they constantly feel tired. Sometimes this fatigue is related to lack of sleep, but sometimes no amount of rest seems to alleviate the sleepiness.
From an acupuncture and Chinese Medicine perspective, there are numerous imbalances in our bodies that can cause the constant fatigue. Here are some of the most common imbalances that can lead to fatigue, lethargy, lack of energy and motivation, and tiredness. continue reading
Alternative Treatment Options For Allergies and Asthma
Do you suffer from allergies or asthma? It’s a little-known fact that these two conditions are directly linked to each other. Asthma, which affects roughly one in 12 people according to the CDC, is characterized by spasms of the small airways and inflammation. Furthermore, about 90% of children under the age of 16 with asthma have allergies, while 70% of people between the ages of 16 and 30 have allergies, and 50% of adults over the age of 40 have allergies. continue reading