Blogs

Spring has finally arrived and I could not be more excited! But, wait. Why am I irritated? Having digestive issues? Catching a spring cold? Hmmmm. Well, it's because even though spring is an awesome season replete with flowers, outdoor activities and baby animals, it is still a season like any other. And, all seasons have the potential for causing disharmony in our bodies if we are not prepared. In Chinese Medicine, every season is governed by one of the yin energetic organs and spring is governed by the Liver. Oh, the Liver.

“Beauty Should Be Good For You.” by Lydia Nadeau

This phrase stopped me in my tracks while in the midst of a secondary fertility journey. I had always been fairly conscientious of the foods I ate and aired on the side of “natural” when it came to personal care products. But then I took a closer look. And I realized that many products I was putting on my skin, OUR LARGEST ORGAN, day after day--was full of both questionable ingredients and full out known hormone disruptors. The real clincher was discovering that my mascara contained formaldehyde. (!)

As a fertility acupuncturist, and as an adolescent who suffered from painful periods as I can tell you that they don’t have to be painful, all consuming or something to dread. Periods can be just a time of the month. Really! Isn’t that so exciting??

Celery juice- everyone is all hyped up about…in Chinese medicine we use celery leaves as a food therapy to help lower blood pressure but it’s really a pretty mild herb overall and does have slight health benefits.

The answer is simple: Healthy Egg + Healthy Sperm = Healthy Baby! According to three papers published in April 2018 in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet, the health of both men and women before they conceive can have profound impacts on the health of their offspring, such as birth weight and brain development. Factors such as stress, poor diet, endocrine disruptors, weight, and lifestyle choices can all not only affect the ability to conceive but also the quality of your pregnancy and the health of your baby.

I admit that I am late to the party but, MATCHA?! There are so many health benefits to super beverage. One of the reasons it is superior to ordinary green tea is that matcha is the whole tea leaf ground into a powder. The fact that it is the entire leaf means it has a higher concentration of EGCG, which is a powerful antioxidant.

As we enter the hottest months of the year, something that tends to be at the forefront of the mind is how to keep cool. Obviously, we want to enjoy these warm months of abundant sunshine, but we need to make a conscious effort to stay hydrated and healthy so we aren’t quick to succumb to Fall and Winter illness. One thing I recommend to patients is easy to incorporate, as we all need to eat- food therapy. Even Hippocrates was aware of diet’s importance in healthy living: “Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food”.

Do you have a headache right now? Perhaps you have been having trouble sleeping, or your stomach has been upset. If these symptoms seem like a typical day to you, you may be chronically stressed. People deal with this stress in different ways.
Some may overeat, drink more alcohol or stop exercising. Most people don’t make healthy choices when their bodies are stressed out.

Since summer is here in full force there are specific seasonal trends that we see frequently in the clinic. Heart, Small Intestine, Pericardium and San Jiao (3 jiaos being chest, digestion and lower abdomen & the movement of the energy between them.) are the organs of summer.

I am reading an amazing book The Prime by
Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary's revolutionary book will smarten your gut, flush out deeply-lodged toxins and calm inflammation.
Since The Prime goes to the source of the problem, it can help with:
• Excess weight
• Headaches and migraines
• Fatigue
• Brain fog
• Concentration
• Body and joint pain
• Sleep problems
• Depression and anxiety
• Gas, bloating and indigestion