Chinese medical saying, “Where there’s stagnation, there will be pain. Remove the stagnation, and you remove the pain.” In this case stagnation means “stuck” QI, blood, lymph, phlegm or essential fluids. When any of these substances is no longer free flowing the result is pain. So first and foremost the goal of cupping is to help remove this stagnation or obstruction.
Read MoreLet's talk about probiotics vs prebiotic. How are they different and is one more important than the other?
Let's start with prebiotics. I feel as though prebiotics are probably the lesser known of the two. Probiotics have been talked a lot about in the media and probably by even mentioned by your doctor but prebiotics are just as important.
Read MoreWhat exactly is ear acupuncture and what the heck is it good for?
The body never ceases to amaze and every day we continue to discover this in more and more detail. We also continue to reaffirm that the whole body is connected. We also confirming that in order to have the best healing outcomes we need to address the whole and not just the parts.
Read MoreMost simply put seed cycling is incorporating different types of seeds into your diet at different phases of your menstrual cycle to support hormone heath and cycle health. As many of us know food is medicine and in this case different seeds support different hormones and thus the different phases of our cycles.
Read MoreI wanted to do another recipe share. Its the first day of autumn and its time to start changing our diets so match the season. Todays recipe embraces the beauty of the autumn root veggies. This recipe comes from a wonderful book by Ellen Goldsmith and Maya Klein called Nutritional Healing with Chinese Medicine.
Read MoreMost of us are familiar with the term Glycemic index but I am not sure if as many are familiar with the term Glycemic load. I had never heard this term myself until I came across it in some reading I was doing about the microbiome. So I thought that it was time for some research and sharing.
Read MoreRecently a friend of my called me distressed because her 9 year old daughter was showing the signs of starting her period. Her mom was obviously concerned because 9 years old is very young to be starting your menstrual cycle and in addition there are studies showing that early puberty is linked to other health conditions later in life. She was further puzzled because her daughter isn’t exposed to or meet most of the risk factors that are often attributed to early menses in girls. She isn’t obese, she isn’t exposed to a lot of environmental toxins, she isn’t impoverished or malnourished, she has a nutritious, well balanced diet…..so what could it be?
Read MoreGua Sha is a “scraping” technique that is really just glossed over in school but turns out is an amazingly useful treatment for a wide variety of conditions. Gua means ‘to rub’ or ‘press or stroke.’ Sha describes the red “rash” or congested blood that comes to the surface of the skin.
Read MoreI don’t know about you but I often find myself getting bored with breakfast so I think I will share this recipe that I like to use as a breakfast alternative. Mushroom, Buckwheat, Egg Bowls.
Read MoreChen pi is in a category of herbs that regulate the Qi. This means that it helps to move energy more smoothly and in the correct direction overall but Chen pi can do this more specifically in our digestive systems as well.
Read MoreDid you know bad moods, stress, depression, or anxiety could be linked directly with how happy your gut is? Is your digestion just as unhappy and stressed as your mind? They just might be linked!
There is a lot of new, amazing research out in the world connecting our brains and our gut health. It is wild to think that what is going on in your belly can be directly affecting your mental health.
Read MoreWomen’s bodies are amazing works of art and are capable of the most miraculous feats of strength and complexity. With that beauty comes the natural seasons of change that are most often looked at as burdens or diseases when they should be celebrated.
Read MoreOne of the most common question that comes up during treatment is, “How many treatments is this going to take?” Although everyone is different and every person’s situations, concerns, cases and lifestyles are different there are some general rule of thumb when considering the number of treatments that are recommended. You can think of this like medicine. We need the right dose, for you to take it at the right times and for the correct length of time to see the best results.
Read MoreThe BBT chart (basil body temperature chart) can be such a wonderful , interesting and insightful tool when it comes to a woman’s cycle and fertility. The real conundrum is why don’t women and health care providers use it more. One reason my simple be that many women don’t know how to chart their temperatures and then what to do with that information once we have it.
Read MoreHi all! I wanted to do a recipe share as a follow up to the three part sleep blog series. If you haven’t read it yet click the link and take a read to part 3 at least. I just wanted to do a quick share of a recipe that I often recommend to my clients who are having difficulty with with sleep
Read MoreI recently had a really wonderful discussion with one of my clients about his progress and transformation since he has started acupuncture. He shared with me about how a huge piece of his progress has been a very positive and subtle change in his mental health.
Read MoreThe western medical views of insomnia and sleep difficulty is very different from the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Western medicine pretty much has two avenues eliminate a physical reason and then its usually labeled as stress, anxiety or depression and is treated with sleeping pills and antidepressants. TCM it is much more then that and the reasons aren’t categorized that easily because each person is unique and individual.
Read MoreI think it is safe to say that we are all a little interested in looking younger and feeling our best. One of the first signs of aging is our skin. We start to notice those little fine lines, some wrinkles here and there, the texture and luster of our skin may change. But what can we do to slow the hands of time? We can change our diets, drink more water and adopt skin care routines, all of which are very important for taking care of bodies largest organ, but what are our options for treating those areas that have already shown up?
Read MorePart II in our three part series on insomnia and how it is viewed in both western and eastern medicine and how it is treated. This post looks at how western medicine approaches sleep difficulty outside of medication.
Read MoreSleep is a topic that hits close to home for me. I have struggled with insomnia and sleep issues for many many years. I know I am not alone either. Thousands and thousands of people have complaints about sleep. It may be difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, sleep quality or quantity.
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