According to five element theory, during the summer the organ that receives extra energy is the heart. When the seasons change so do the organs we should focus on in the body. You should focus on the heart during summer. Feed the heart heart-nourishing foods and make sure to remain active so the heart receives positive energy.

When summertime and the summer solstice arrives it is very important and integral to your body to remain active. An activity such as swimming can be very beneficial. Swimming allows you to move within the cool yin of water and this can assist in balancing the hot Qi that comes with the onset of summer. Make sure to keep your circulation moving to avoid debilitating conditions to your body.

Even though you should make sure to get plenty of exercise during the summer, you should also make sure to limit your midday sun, especially during the solstice. If you expose your body to too much sun it can turn out to be very bad for you.

When the summer solstice comes around you will be thriving if you eat heart healthy, stay heart and overall health conscious, exercise plenty and avoid too much excess sun.

Follow these tips in order to have a nourishing summer season for your body and to prepare for the upcoming fall and winter seasons.

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Let’s explore the heart.

The heart season is summer, and heart is considered the most yang: hot, bountiful and abundant. Yang is what is bright, moving, outward, hot and loud. Yin is what is more inward, still, dark and cooler. The color the heart is associated with is red, the climate is heat, the flavor is bitter and it’s paired organ is the small intestine (many urinary issues are due to ‘heart fire’ heat descending). The sense-organ aligned with heart is the tongue, and the tissues associated with heart are the blood and vessels. The heart sound is laughing, and the emotion is joy. The heart houses what is known as the shen, which is the mind and spirit. You can see a person’s shen in a healthy complexion and radiant eyes that are clear and bright. The heart is in charge of circulation and keeps the tissues well nourished. It is also associated with mental clarity, memory and strength. The motion of this fire element is upward, like a flame. Many who have this element dominant in their personality have red hair that is curly or spikes upward. The heart is also connected to speech. An imbalance in heart energy can result in stuttering, speaking excitedly or talking excessively.

A healthy heart-energy exudes a sense of joy, fun, enthusiasm, action, warmth, charisma and fun. These people are the ‘life of the party’, and love to have a good time with friends and to be the center of attention. When the heart is balanced, sleep is sound and one is well rested.

On the other hand, when there is an overabundance of fire this can result in restlessness, anxiety, sweating, excitability and symptoms such as palpitations, irregular heartbeat, insomnia, disturbing dreams, mouth sores, thirst, red face, constipation and dryness. This person might shrink if not in the limelight and would constantly seek attention and need activities that produce a lot of excitement. He or she might have trouble being introspective and could not be alone. ‘Overjoy’ is an imbalance of heart energy and is likened to manic behavior. A dominant fire may also be extremely sensitive to heat. A lack of the fire element, on the other hand, can result in a lusterless complexion, low energy, inertia, depression, feeling cold, low libido and the personality may lack warmth. This type may seem cold, frigid, lack drive and may be prone to addictions.

How to help your heart stay in balance? Red foods have been shown to help the heart biochemically; foods such as hawthorn berries, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, tomatoes, watermelon, peppers and goji berries keep your heart happy with lycopene and anthocyanin, antioxidants and beneficial vitamins. Other helpful foods include garlic, cayenne, cilantro, basil, magnesium (found in leafy greens and nuts) and green tea (it is best not to self-diagnose, so see your healthcare provider to determine which foods are right for you). Calming activities such as walking, tai qi, or qi gong help calm the shen.

As a Chinese medical specialist, I can give you a proper diagnosis as far as the Five Element theory goes to see which element is dominant in you, and then treat your condition with acupuncture and supplements, and offer advice for beneficial changes in diet and lifestyle.

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The flu, also known as influenza, is a highly contagious respiratory infection that is caused by a number of viruses. To date, there are approximately 26 to 30 different known strains of the flu virus. This is one of the reasons the flu vaccine has only mild efficacy. The flu vaccine itself typically only covers five to seven strains of the flu.  Symptoms of the flu include fever, coughing, a sore throat, fatigue, muscle aches, runny nose and watery eyes.

The good news is we can avoid the flu by implementing healthy habits and taking care of ourselves throughout the year. Of course, the best way to treat a disease is to try and avoid it!

Chinese medicine is a great tool to have in the toolbox for preventing the flu. Utilizing acupuncture treatments can be very beneficial in keeping the flu at bay.

Regular acupuncture treatments help boost immunity, while balancing and regulating the body’s energy or Qi (pronounced “chee”). Several studies have shown acupuncture can reduce the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections and shorten the length of time that somebody is ill.

Along with acupuncture, there are other things we can do to avoid catching the flu; regular exercise, ample sleep and a proper healthy diet are three of the best things anybody can follow to stay disease-free. Exercising enough to break a sweat without overdoing it has been shown to reduce the incidence of the flu. Incorporating practices like tai chi, qi gong and yoga can actually reduce physical and emotional stress, while strengthening the immune system and preventing disease.

Eating a healthy diet is essential for preventing any disease, not just the flu. This includes eating a very balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Foods that contain beta-carotene are especially helpful at boosting the immune system.  Carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes and garlic are good examples of beta-carotene rich foods. Also drinking at least 64 ounces of water on a daily basis is highly recommended; ample fluid intake helps the body flush out invaders and toxins, while keeping the mucus membranes and upper respiratory tract moist and healthy enough to fight off the virus.   I always tell my patients, “No SUGAR, DAIRY, or WHEAT”…..these can be mucus-forming and can lower your immune system, making symptoms worse if you are already sick.

Taking advantage of what Chinese medicine has to offer, while incorporating healthy daily habits, will ensure this upcoming flu season passes by without wreaking havoc on any of us!

The post Fighting Flu Season with Acupuncture appeared first on Tybee Acupuncture.

As the school year kicks back into gear so should the healthy habits that you and your children have practiced prior to the school break. Notice how I said “practiced,” because we all know during the summer-vacation months we tend to indulge a little. Maybe you have had one too many backyard barbecues, or three too many trips to the favorite ice cream shop down the street. Whatever your summer vice may have been, don’t worry about it… you can regain those healthy habits from before and reintroduce them into your children’s lives!

1. Exercise. Exercise. Exercise.

Get everyone in the family moving; don’t just emphasize the idea of being active to your children without participating in the activities yourself. In addition to making it fun for the whole family, exercising as a unit will allow you to interact with your child and help them stay healthy and active.

2. Eat a Variety of Foods.

Don’t just stick to the same food regimen. Make sure you try a vast array of different nutrient-rich foods to boost the health of yourself and your children. There are many different vitamins and minerals out there, and if you just stick to the same old mac n’ cheese menu with the occasional lasagna, you are missing out on an abundance of healthy nutrients for your children!

3. Limit the Screen time.

It is no stranger that we live in a world constantly absorbed by some type of technology. From work to leisure time, technology is present in our life in one shape or another almost 24/7. It is, however, best to try and limit these habits. They promote a lifestyle with less movement and activity, and it has been shown to lead to increased obesity and cardiovascular disease. So try and limit your child’s time behind the screen and get them moving.

4. The Most Important Meal of the Day: Breakfast.

Fuel up! Before you send the kids off to school and bring yourself into your favorite place aka work, make sure to create a nutritious breakfast; it’s a great way to regain all the energy lost from the previous day.

5. Choose Creative Rewards for Your Kids.

Sometimes parents tend to reward a job well done or the completion of chores with a trip to the ice cream shop, some candy or a new video game. Change the types of rewards and incentives you present to your children; maybe take them on an excursion to their favorite park, or another outdoor adventure. Whatever you decide, make sure it is creative and helps to influence healthy habits in your children.

6. Eat Fruits and Vegetables with Every Meal!

We have already emphasized the importance of eating healthy, but there should also be a frame of reference for what this means. One way to encourage healthy eating is to increase the intake of fruits and vegetables into your child’s diet. A neat way to do this is to have fruits and vegetables as a snack, and available during every meal period.

7. Be the Best Role Model.

Your children tend to emulate and copy they way they see you behave, so why not exhibit healthy habits that they can catch on to and then practice themselves. Be the best role model possible for your children and work together as the both of you craft and practice healthy habits for the new school year and beyond.

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Quit the tobacco, and don’t start if you haven’t already

It should be common sense now that smoking or chewing tobacco can lead to multiple types of cancer. If you are trying to quit, you are not alone. Try joining a support group or making a plan for yourself to set goals for quitting. Facing addiction is hard, but not using tobacco can save years of your life.

Healthy diet

A healthy, well-rounded diet can do wonders for lowering your risk of cancer and overall wellbeing.  Cut out processed sugar and instead focus on whole foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Salmon is full of omega-3 fatty acids that have been shown to help fight cancer. Other fish that can help reduce the risk of endometrial cancer in women include halibut, sardines and tuna.

Exercise

According to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, women who are active have about a 30 percent lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who do not exercise as much. Even walking 25 minutes a day can make a difference in preventing cancer. Studies have also shown that walking 4 hours a week can lower the risk of pancreatic cancer by half.

Sun protection

Protection from the sun should be another no brainer. Although sun exposure is necessary to get adequate amounts of Vitamin D, too much sun can be harmful. Make sure to wear sunscreen if you know you will be in direct sunlight for a long period of time. If you have any suspicious moles or have fair skin, make sure to check in with your doctor to ensure early detection if you think you might be at risk of melanoma.

Green tea

Green tea, in some ways, can be a miracle-working drink. According to the National Cancer Institute, there have been more than 50 studies that have shown a connection between the tea and lowering the risk of cancer. Green tea contains a chemical called EGCG that is packed with antioxidants, making it a strong cancer-fighting compound.

Sources:
http://bit.ly/1Tmk1vW, http://bit.ly/1Tmk0rR

The post 5 Daily Habits to Lower Your Risk of Cancer appeared first on Tybee Acupuncture.

A recent study into the efficacy of acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has shown promising results. Researchers investigated the effects of acupuncture in adjunct to normal treatment approaches and the results showed significant improvement. Studies in the past have shown that veterans with PTSD are wary of seeking treatment for PTSD as many do not believe that mental healthcare can be effective. Researchers hope that with the increased efficacy of the adjunctive acupuncture treatment, veterans will be less reticent towards seeking treatment for PTSD.

The acupuncture treatment also saw secondary benefits for those treated as many reported a decrease in depression and pain as well as a general improvement in mental and physical well-being. PTSD can be debilitating and even more so with little or no treatment.

The Military Stress Recovery Project (MSRP) is a unique program that provides free community acupuncture to veterans and active duty soldiers with PTSD and their family members.

Treatment in a MSRP clinic is unique for several reasons.  Patients are treated in a group setting, sitting in comfortable chairs.  There is an environment of calm and support. The patients are treated using the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) protocol, a series of 5 needles placed in one ear. The program is designed to address all the needs of people with PTSD.

The MSRP clinics have been very successful.  Patients report stress reduction, improved mental clarity, improved energy, enhanced performance, better sleep, fewer bad dreams and headaches, less anxiety and depression, reduced anger and pain, improved general health and better relationships.

Those suffering from PTSD should consult a doctor about treatment and discuss the option of acupuncture as well because it has been proven to help.

Sources

http://bit.ly/1Os0ndF

http://bit.ly/1rSwjDe

The post Acupuncture and PTSD appeared first on Tybee Acupuncture.

Exercise

For those with arthritis, exercise, no matter how little you do, is one of the best natural treatments. For those with severe arthritis, even the smallest amount of walking can make a difference. Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise for those with arthritis because it puts the least amount of impact on the joints. Strengthening exercises are also recommended to keep muscles and joints strong.

Acupuncture

One of the most common reasons people seek out acupuncture is for arthritis relief. Acupuncture can help relieve pain from arthritis and increase blood flow and circulation, reducing inflammation. Through the specific placement of needles on acupuncture points on the body, acupuncture realigns the body back to balance.

Capsaicin Cream

Made from the chemical that gives chili peppers their heat, Capsaicin cream has been known to relieve arthritis pain. The cream works by decreasing the body’s pain receptors and as a result, lessening the overall pain caused by arthritis. The cream can be bought without a prescription at your local drug store.

Fish Oil

Fish oil is beneficial for numerous reasons, one of them being its anti-inflammatory properties. Because it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, trials have found that the oil can reduce morning stiffness and the need for pain medication for those with arthritis. Fish oil is a supplement that is safe and recommended to take every day for the most beneficial effects. Consult your health care professional for brand suggestions and dosages.

Mind-Body

Mind-body techniques like meditation, relaxation and tai chi have been seen to improve overall quality of life for those with arthritis. Tai Chi is a form of martial arts that involves slow, easy movements along with deep breathing. This exercise can improve the body’s motion and physical fitness without being too demanding on the joints and muscles. Meditation and relaxation have been found to improve mood and health in arthritis patients dealing with chronic pain.

Diet

Studies have shown that some patients benefit from changes in their diet by eliminating food that may contribute to their arthritis pain and inflammation. By removing allergens from the diet, overall inflammation can be reduced. Common diets that have been seen to be beneficial include a Mediterranean diet rich in nuts, fish, vegetables, fruit and olive oil. Foods that are not recommended include red meat and dairy, as those can cause inflammatory reactions.

Sources:

http://bit.ly/1YtHTib

The post 6 Alternative Treatments to Help with Arthritis appeared first on Tybee Acupuncture.

Believe it or not, when you’re exercising your body, you’re exercising your mind as well. Aerobic exercise gets your blood pumping, which increases the oxygen going to your brain and lowers your risk of disorders such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease that can lead to memory loss. If you can, start with some exercise in the morning. This can clear your head right off the bat to stay focused and alert during the day. Exercises that require coordination are especially helpful for keeping the mind active such as simply throwing a ball back and forth.

Make sure you’re sleeping

Sleep is one of the best ways to make sure your brain and memory are in tip-top shape on a daily basis. To get the most out of your sleep, aim for 7.5-9 hours every night. Make sure to shut off the electronics at least an hour before bed to help the mind shut off as well. Try to limit your caffeine and alcohol intake earlier in the day. Both can result in a shallow sleep.

Keep your brain stimulated

Research has shown that keeping mental stimulation as we age is very important for lowering the risk of dementia. Stay social, interact with others, learn new skills, play mind-exercise games like crossword puzzles or Sudoku. Interacting with others and continuing to learn is vital for keeping the brain healthy at any age.

Be aware of your stress

Chronic stress can not only make someone miserable, but also cause serious long term effects. Stress over time has been shown to destroy brain cells and damage the area of the brain that creates new memories and recalls past ones. To avoid memory loss, minimize your stress. Don’t take on too many tasks if they overwhelm you, sometimes it is ok to say no. Make sure you have outlets to relieve stress whether it is physical exercise, acupuncture or talking with someone about your frustrations.

Don’t forget about your superfoods

Certain superfoods have shown to be significant in preventing memory loss. Make sure to get your fruit and vegetable servings in; many are filled with antioxidants that help protect your brain cells. Eat more foods with omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, tuna and foods cooked with olive oil. Green tea is another option that has powerful antioxidants to protect from brain damage.

Your memory is important at any age. Start incorporating these healthy habits to keep a strong memory for years to come.

Sources
http://bit.ly/1SzWG6s
http://bit.ly/20BNwg4

The post Ways to Keep Your Memory Sharp appeared first on Tybee Acupuncture.

Autoimmune diseases result when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues. Immune deficiency is more common than most people think; according to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, around 20 percent of the population suffers from some form of an autoimmune disorder.

Although symptoms vary greatly depending on the specific disease, commons symptoms include chronic fatigue, joint pain, muscle weakness, weight loss, dry eyes and abdominal pain.

Autoimmune diseases are not always easily treated, as they are a chronic illnesses with no known cure. However, there are natural ways, such as acupuncture treatment, to ease and reduce symptoms.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is believed that immune deficiencies come from an imbalance in the body. When there is stagnation in the body’s natural energy flow, called Qi, the body becomes out of balance, whether it is from a deficiency or excess of yin or yang.

Acupuncture works by addressing the body as a whole. By using specific acupuncture points on the body, the treatment is able to release any blockages and return the body back to its natural balance.

Research has shown that acupuncture can affect the release of hormones, proteins and chemicals in the body, which can affect blood pressure and the immune system.

Although there is no cure, immune deficiencies can be managed properly to have the best quality of life possible. Acupuncture has also been shown to help boost mood and lower stress and anxiety, which can be triggers for increased symptoms.

If you think you may have an autoimmune disease and are not getting a diagnosis, don’t give up — immune deficiencies are hard to diagnose because of the wide range of symptoms; it may take multiple doctors to get a correct diagnosis.

At Tybee Acupuncture, I treat many patients who have been diagnosed with a variety of autoimmune diseases. In my experience, I find that acupuncture is a safe treatment option that can decrease symptoms and improve overall well being.

Sources:

https://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/Detail/Treating+Autoimmune+Disorders+with+Acupuncture+and+Oriental+Medicine+

http://www.aarda.org/autoimmune-information/questions-and-answers/

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The NADA protocol differs slightly from other acupuncture treatments. The treatment usually involves needling in both of the patient’s ears for about 30 minutes. The treatment is done in a group setting for support, for those being treated as they recover from addiction.

The NADA protocol is about more than just acupuncture; it’s really about being a step in a sometimes long road to recovery.

Patients are treated in a quiet, peaceful room. Each patient gets the exact same treatment. Often group treatment is emphasized, to address feelings of denial and create an open, safe environment.

Those in recovery from addiction commonly report feelings of an improved sense of purpose and well being after treatment. Acupuncture is known for its relaxing benefits, which is especially helpful for those in recovery. Patients are able to de-stress in their treatment process to help them continue to make progress.

Most common effects of the NADA protocol include:

• Improved retention of rehabilitation programs
• Improved mood and outlook
• Lowered anxiety
• Lowered cravings
• Improved sleep
• Reduced need for prescription medication

There are a lot of factors that come to play in addiction treatment: along with counseling, support groups and/or 12-step programs, the NADA protocol can help make recovery easier and more successful.

I am trained by NADA, and use it in my detox-program here at Tybee Acupuncture; contact me for more information about how acupuncture can be used safely and successfully to help you detox.

For more information about NADA go to:

http://www.acudetox.com/

http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/abc/nadaprotocol.php

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