It's mealtime, you're hungry, and you want to make a healthy food choice. You decide to have a hearty salad chock full of nutritious vegetables. Day after day, week after week you make this choice at least one time per day because you want to be healthy and fit. If a salad is your idea of a delicious, nutritious meal, what I'm about to say may shock you. Your daily salad may actually be contributing to many of your health problems:

Ever wish you could just bottle up that wonderful feeling of pure relaxation and euphoria you experience after receiving an acupuncture treatment?  Never had acupuncture, but keep reading about all the stress-relieving benefits? Then, acupressure may be right up your alley. By learning about a few simple acupuncture points and their locations, you can give yourself a relaxing acupressure session to better manage stress. 

Spring Is The Season Of The Liver

It's that time of year again. Spring is just around the corner, and this is the absolute BEST time of the year to cleanse and support your liver and gallbladder. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, certain organ pairs are linked to the seasons. During an organ's particular season it's always the most ideal time to support that organ. Springtime is Liver-Gallbladder time. 

What Are Some Signs Of Liver-Gallbladder Issues?

• Allergies 
• Skin Conditions
• Digestion problems such as bloating, poor appetite, gastritis
• Pain/stiffness in the body
• Cholesterol Issues
• Hormone Imbalances such as hot flashes
• Menstrual issues (cramps, irregular periods, painful periods, PMS)
• Headaches
• Anxiety
• Tendency toward anger, irritability
• Eye issues (red, itchy, dry)

In my previous post I briefly touched on a few basic things I feel are absolutely fundamental to your well being: nutrition, movement, sleep. Over the next few weeks I'll delve a little deeper into each subject giving some info from both a Western AND Eastern perspective.

While I love the effectiveness of acupuncture and herbal medicine, I know that if you're truly trying to create significant change in your health, you simply CANNOT IGNORE the fundamentals. The food choices we make truly do set the foundation for our health, and while most people make the connection between food and their digestive issues (acid reflux, gas, bloating, constipation), it can sometimes be difficult to make the connection between dietary choices and other health issues. Beyond digestive disorder, poor food choices can set the stage for issues such as chronic inflammation and pain, hormone imbalances, allergies, skin conditions, and much more.

Happy 2015!! Many people are extremely motivated to get healthy this time of year, and if you are one of those people, I say strike while the iron is hot. However, you don't necessarily need to look at this shift in health as a 'resolution'. As most of us know from previous years (ummm...my younger self included) people come charging out the gate ready to change EVERYTHING about their health come January 1st, and a few months (or weeks) later they are tapped out. 

Why Resolutions Often Fail

EXTREMES. Yes, we've all been there, and many people do this every year. We decide to lose weight and pick an extreme workout and meal plan to lose those 10lbs. Only to either quit after 1 month because we are miserable OR we lose the 10lbs and then go right back to our old ways. 

While it's wonderful to set tangible goals such as losing weight, it's also key to focus on making changes to the FUNDAMENTALS of health.

Nobody wants to be sick during the holidays or throughout the winter months. This holiday season I want to share some my favorite immune boosters with you. These tend to be my 'go to' boosters of choice because they work really well for me, my family, and many of my patients. At my house we keep our medicine cabinet stocked with these items. I'm extremely grateful that I've had the opportunity to learn about these natural remedies because they actually do work when it comes to boosting immune function and fighting infections.

The holidays are a wonderful time to enjoy being around loved ones. However, the hustle and bustle leading up to the holidays can also result in stress, lowered immunity, and illness. Want to stay healthy and stress-free this holiday season? Here are a few simple tips:

Breathing. It should be a rather simple task, but if you suffer from lung issues such as asthma, bronchitis, or any type of chronic congestion you know this is not always the case. As I was traveling this past week for the Thanksgiving holiday I noticed many of my fellow travelers were suffering from coughing and congestion. The ability to take a full, expansive breath is extremely important to your overall health, and unfortunately, many people spend weeks (if not months) dealing with breathing issues not realizing acupuncture and herbs can help. 

Autumn is in full swing. Those of us living in Southern California may not experience the more drastic changes occurring in other parts of the country, but the leaves continue to change, days shorten,  temperatures drop, and the air often becomes drier. As we leave the heat of summer and prepare to enter the cold of winter, it becomes important to adjust our lifestyles in order to maintain optimal health. 

While most people typically turn toward acupuncture for pain relief, they don't often realize Traditional Oriental Medicine has a vast amount of information and tools to keep the body healthy all year round. In Oriental Medicine, each of the 4 seasons is associated with an organ pair. Autumn is considered to be the time of the lungs and the large intestine. This season often impacts the respiratory system leading to cough, bronchitis, and asthma. People may also notice skin dryness and constipation if they fail to nourish their bodies properly. Here are a few simple tips to stay healthy this autumn.

Women's health is a topic I'm extremely passionate about because so many women suffer from ailments that acupuncture and herbal medicine are very effective at treating. It never ceases to amaze me how many women have issues with their menstrual cycle. I've continually witnessed patients, friends, and family members needlessly suffer from imbalances in their cycles. What concerns me the most is that many women are at a loss when it comes to knowing what to do about their symptoms.They often feel hormone therapy (eg. the birth control pill) or 'just living with it' are their only options.

I'm here to tell you there are natural remedies available to you. If you are skipping periods, having painful periods, heavy periods, or experiencing severe emotional/physical changes linked to your period, acupuncture and herbal medicine can help you. 

STRESS. Unfortunately, most people are very familiar with this word. Not a day goes by without patients telling me about the impact of stress on their lives. Symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, neck/back tension, and jaw clenching are all very common manifestations of stress. Managing stress is essential to maintaining optimal health and wellness.

Can acupuncture really help with stress? Yes, both acupuncture and herbs can help manage the mental and physical aspects of stress, but before I get into how Oriental Medicine can help you, lets explore a little about why stress can be so detrimental to your health.

Why should we really care about chronic stress?

It's that time of year again. Kids are heading back to school and the seasons are changing. Unfortunately, for many people this is also the time of year the common cold attacks. Luckily, there are a few simple things you can do to help boost your immunity.

As I've opened the doors to my new clinic this past month, I've been fortunate to speak with many new people about acupuncture. During these conversations I've been reminded that while many people have heard of acupuncture and herbal medicine, they aren't really sure why they would benefit from treatment. Plus, most people really don't know too much about acupuncture in general.

So, I've decided to put together a few fun facts to help you get better acquainted with acupuncture and herbal medicine.  In the future I will use this blog to not only provide more facts about acupuncture and herbal medicine, but to also provide health information and tips you can use to better improve your well being.