Mar 15

Alternative medicine gaining popularity

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Alternative medicine is finding a place in many traditional practices in United States, this means more options for individuals who want more choices in healthcare delivery system.

Jan Lucht always has been sensitive to medications. As a result, the Appleton woman leaned more toward herbal remedies, meditation and other practices that allowed her to calm down without dosing up.

“I went through a time period where I was quite sick myself so then I needed to explore even more of those avenues, and it was very interesting to me and actually a very good experience and growing period for me,” Lucht said. “I can’t really say I’m glad it happened, but I’m glad it happened.”

Those experiences led her to become a certified holistic health practitioner. Simplicity Healthworks is her home-based business. Although she offers services such as raindrop therapy and reflexology, her special focus is on reiki (ray-key), a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing.

Reiki is one of many forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) recognized by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. CAM is defined as a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine.

In December 2008, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the National Center for Health Statistics released findings on Americans’ use of CAM, based on information from 23,393 adults 18 and older and 9,417 children 17 and younger. According to the study, about 38 percent of adults and 12 percent of children are using some form of CAM.

The medical community also has embraced the integrated approach to treating patients.

“Not every patient falls neatly into a category that can be fixed with traditional medicine,” said Dr. Amber Post, obstetrician/gynecologist at Women’s Care of Wisconsin with locations in Neenah and Oshkosh. “Utilizing techniques that can give a patient more comfort without additional medications can minimize side effects and medication interactions.”

Mar 06

Restore your energy and vitality

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A prominent New York City doctor offers advice on how to live a more balanced life full with energy and Chinese medicine should be part of that balanced life!

HuffPost Living’s Sleep Challenge 2010 gave us a lot of great insights as to the importance of sleep, tips on how to experience better quality and quantity of sleep, and the challenges and obstacles that we face when trying to improve our sleep. Many commenters revealed how they experience high stress and low energy throughout the day, as well as having difficulty getting quality sleep at night.

Speaking of low energy, lucky winner of HuffPost Living’s Total Energy Makeover, Marissa Campise, has a whole team of health experts helping her to restore her lost energy. Frank Lipman, M.D., an integrative physician, is the ideal medical component of Marissa’s team.

Dr. Lipman has a special interest in helping the exhausted regain their vitality. In fact, he wrote a book about it called Revive: Stop Feeling Spent and Start Living Again (previously known as Spent). In his bestselling book, Dr. Lipman offers readers 42 ways to put spring back into their step.

Originally from South Africa, Dr. Lipman now practices in New York City, where he is the Director of the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center. In his Manhattan practice, he often works with exhausted New Yorkers. Dr. Lipman is a physician with over 30 years of experience, who incorporates nutrition, functional medicine, and Eastern modalities such as acupuncture and Chinese herbs. In a recent interview, Dr. Lipman shared some of his insights that have helped his patients improve their energy and vitality.

PF: Where did you get the inspiration for the book Revive: Stop Feeling Spent and Start Living?

FL: I see so many people who are exhausted and running on empty, feeling completely “spent.” They often come in seeking a cure for their tennis elbow or headaches or menopausal symptoms or irritable bowel syndrome or some other condition, but what I noticed was that many of these people were simply exhausted. Some would mention it, but most didn’t say anything, thinking it was just normal to feel that way in New York.

I wanted to share my many years of clinical experience, what I had seen work in my practice with a larger audience. So I wrote the book and divided it into 42 daily beats, basically 42 different tips that anyone can start incorporating into their lives and feel better. With each daily beat, I incorporated a sleep beat or sleep tip because so many people have sleep issues.

PF: Your dedication in the book begins with: “To all those out of rhythm who are trying to find their beat.” How did you get interested in people’s rhythms?

FL: When I started thinking about why there was this epidemic of exhaustion, I realized that the only time in my 30 years as a physician that I never saw patients who were exhausted was when I worked in a rural tribal area in South Africa. I was seeing diseases symptomatic of poverty and malnutrition, but not the same types of problems I see today in New York City or when I worked in urban areas in South Africa. It was the only time I could remember where patients did not come in complaining of fatigue, insomnia, depression, migraines or various aches and pains. There was no electricity, indoor heating, or refrigeration in those rural areas 29 years ago when I worked there. They went to bed when it got dark, they arose with the sun, they ate whatever foods were available in season. They lived in accordance with the cycles and rhythms of nature…they had to.

Then I thought about what I had learned in Chinese Medicine that we humans are microcosms of nature, a smaller universe per se and are affected by its cycles. So I looked to see if there was any scientific research on health and rhythms and lo and behold I discovered Chronobiology (the study of circadian rhythms and internal body clocks). A circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle in the physiological processes of most life on Earth, including humans (reflecting the amount of time it takes for the Earth to complete a rotation). For instance, our digestion and hormones are two physiological processes that have circadian rhythms.

Then I discovered a fantastic book, Making Waves by Roger Lewin, about the work of medical maverick Dr. Irving Dardick. Dr. Dardick worked with Olympic athletes – but he got ostracized back in the 1990s when claiming that he could cure diseases with intervals. When I read that book, everything started falling into place. I realized how nobody’s talking about rhythm – people talk about stress and diet, but not rhythm. It was so obvious as we live with day and night, the main rhythm we are exposed to, and just take it for granted. Over time, I weaved this philosophy of rhythm of health into what I do in my practice.

Feb 27

Traditional Chinese medicine-new kind of care

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As the need for alternative therapies continue to increase, Traditional Chinese medicine is a growing field that many are looking to as a fulfilling career.

Traditional Chinese medicine looks at the body holistically. It encompasses five modalities: acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, tui na or medical massage, dietary therapy, and medical Qigong, a kind of “energy work”.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the professionally sanctioned traditional medicine of China. “It is a structured system, with standards and a professional curriculum,” explains John Walters, a licensed acupuncturist and owner of HealthPoint Oriental Medicine in St. Paul.

TCM has been extensively researched in China, and European and American researchers, including scientists at the National Institutes of Health, are now studying it from a Western scientific perspective.

Another Perspective

“Both Western medicine and TCM are robust, elegant systems with definite strengths,” Walters says. “Western medicine is good at describing pathology at the cellular level. TCM tends to view things from a holistic, contextual perspective – that is, it takes into account all symptoms a person may be experiencing, instead of looking for one causative factor.”

TCM encompasses five modalities: acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, tui na or medical massage, dietary therapy, and medical Qigong, a kind of “energy work” that integrates postures, movement, breathing techniques and focused intention.

Education And Outlook

Practitioners of TCM complete a master’s degree at an accredited school. The three-year program – which includes about 600 hours of clinical practice – prepares students for a national certifying exam. In Minnesota, national certification is required for licensure in acupuncture.

Because TCM is a new profession in the United States, career paths are still poorly defined. Most practitioners go into private practice, and many work part-time. But a serious, full-time practitioner with an established, well-developed patient base can earn up to $70,000 per year.

The current reimbursement system remains a barrier to the widespread use of TCM. But the public is becoming more attracted to it, and physicians are beginning to collaborate with TCM practitioners. “Younger doctors tend to be more comfortable with having their patients seen by us,” Walters says. “And a few physicians even come to us for treatment.”

Feb 23

Chinese medicine and peripheral neuropathy

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Chinese medicine has been identified as a viable treatment option for those who have suffered damage to the peripheral nervous system.

Peripheral neuropathy refers to damage to the nerves of the peripheral nervous system. A common symptom is numbness and pain in the hands and feet, often described as a tingling or burning sensation and a lack of feeling similar to wearing a thin stocking or glove. Peripheral neuropathy can affect many different nerves, from sensory nerves that register heat, pain or touch, to motor nerves that control how your muscles move, or autonomic nerves that control blood pressure, heart rate, digestion and bladder function.

Specific symptoms vary, depending on the types of nerves affected. There may be gradual onset of numbness and tingling in the feet or hands which may spread upward into the legs and arms, burning pain, a sharp or electrical pain, extreme sensitivity to touch, lack of coordination, muscle weakness or paralysis if motor nerves are affected, and bowel or bladder problems if autonomic nerves are affected.

Peripheral neuropathy can result from traumatic injuries, infections, vitamin deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, metabolic problems and exposure to toxins. One of the most common causes is diabetes. Treatment in western medicine depends on the cause. In many cases, peripheral neuropathy symptoms improve with time when the underlying condition that is causing it gets treated. In order to manage the painful symptoms, a number of medications are often used.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, pain and dysfunction as a result of peripheral neuropathy are caused by a blockage of qi-energy and blood. If qi and blood don’t flow properly, it prevents cells from receiving nourishment and can lead to pain and functional problems. In addition, depending on the symptoms experienced, there may be specific meridians that are also affected by the condition. Acupuncture treatment typically will involve both local points to treat the meridians affected and the symptoms experienced, combined with points for strengthening and building up the body to augment qi-energy and blood. In this way, acupuncture can help to relieve many of the symptoms experienced, as well as help to strengthen the body and improve health to improve the functioning of the nerves and the body as a whole.

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Feb 12

Five activities for long life

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Use of Chinese herbs can be a contributor to longevity as well as other activities. This article details the secrets of how to live a long and prosperous life.

A recent study in the Journal Nature Genetics showed some people are genetically predisposed to age more rapidly than others. The authors proposed that certain age-associated diseases such as heart disease and certain types of cancers are more closely related to biological rather than chronological age. So can we take that to mean that if your recent ancestors lived to a ripe old age then you’d have a good chance of following in their foot steps, regardless of what your diet, lifestyle or activities levels may be?

Does that also mean that those whose parents or grandparents died early with certain genetically predisposing diseases are destined to the same fate? Are we merely a helpless, ticking biological bomb waiting to explode into our genetic destiny? I think not and hope not for all of our sakes. The good news is that there is plenty of evidence that shows the need for triggers to activate genetic expression–meaning if you avoid certain habits or substance you may very well keep you bad genes from showing up. Conversely, if you develop health-promoting habits like exercise and laughing daily, you may be able to keep your body humming for years to come.

Having personally interviewed and studied over one hundred centenarians of China and compared their family histories, I can say that nature and nurture play equally important roles in aging, and in many cases nurture actually played a more vital role. Some of the centenarians were peasants and laborers and were not well off in their lives and suffered from poor health early on. Often their parents or grandparents died young. Perhaps due to their disadvantaged youth they learned to care for themselves better. For example, many of them practiced tai chi–a slow, meditative exercise traditionally practiced in China to strengthen vitality and improve health. Others used Chinese herbs for health and longevity as part of their diet. Most of the centenarians were nonsmokers, and did not drink alcohol nor were they obese.

At the Tao of Wellness my associates and I have helped many patients design lifestyles that promote health, wellness and longevity. Here I list the top five activities we recommend to our patients culminated from my study of the centenarians of China.

Laugh out loud! We know from research that laughter and joy boost immune functions, especially the production of the natural killer cells that help protect the body from illness and cancer. Laughter also increases the release of endorphins, compounds that give you a sense of well-being, in your brain. Without a doubt, joyful people live longer and healthier lives.

Drink it up–tea, that is. Besides being anti-cancerous and cholesterol lowering, the antioxidant-rich tea leaves also protect your brain from free-radical damage, strengthen your bones against osteoporosis and according to studies published in the Journal of American Medical Association, lowers risks of death from all forms of cardiovascular diseases. So drink tea to your heart’s content!

Unwind with meditation. Stress is the root cause of most of the diseases that shorten our life span. In our modern society stress will continue to increase – unless you find techniques to manage it. Meditation is the best way to release tension and revitalize your being. It also quiets your mind, lowers your stress hormones, and teaches self-discipline, which is a necessary attribute to achieving your health and longevity goals.

Try this simple meditation: Sit comfortably on a chair or the floor. Breathe naturally and close your eyes. Each time a thought appears, put it inside a balloon and let it fly up into the sky and disappear. Do this until the thoughts are exhausted. After a bit, your body will feel very light, and your mind will become still. The first few times it may take a while, but it will get easier and faster with practice. Check out my easy-to-learn Stress Release Meditation CD.

Activate your circulation with massage. Many of our patients will tell you that they cannot live without massage. Those who get regular bodywork will probably agree. It’s not that you can’t get by without it but because countless studies have shown benefits of massage to include relieve pain and stiffness, boost immunity, reduce anxiety and depression, lower stress and blood pressure, and increase circulation that you wouldn’t want to skip out on a good thing.

Many styles of massage exist, some for feel-good while others are more therapeutic. Tuina is a medical massage within Chinese medicine that is offered as a treatment modality for many conditions ranging from pain relief and fertility enhancement to lymphatic activation and detoxification. Experience it for yourself and get your circulation moving. Find a tuina practitioner.

Climb the stairs instead of using elevator. The health benefits of a daily exercise program cannot be stressed enough. Regular exercise can help promote physiological well-being, strengthen the immune system, maintain joint mobility, increase energy – and the list goes on. Look for opportunities all through your day to work in physical activity. Power-walk, run, or ride your bike instead of driving. Begin a daily tai chi practice at your local gym or health club or learn from my instructional DVD at home.

Feb 02

Natural ways to fight off the cold and the flu

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Traditional Chinese medicine offer a variety of ways to keep you healthy and strong as well as to fight off the cold and the flu.

It’s February and we are still seeing patients come in for the common cold and the flu. Besides the respiratory viruses that were prevalent earlier in the winter season our healthcare team at the Tao of Wellness has seen more stomach virus cases since the beginning of the year. This has been true with other healthcare groups I’ve spoken to around the country. These viruses are highly contagious often affecting every member of a family and cause stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and with or without fever.

Each year, one in three Americans suffers from the common cold or the flu. In past blogs I have suggested natural ways to support the healthy functions of your immune system in raising your resistance against the common cold. Common sense practices include washing your hands frequently with soap, and wash your face at least twice a day. Refrain from touching your nose and face with your hands except with tissues. Also, protect your upper back and neck area when it’s cold or windy by using a scarf, because this is where most of the colds will attack the body leading to stiff and achy neck and head. Here are six more natural strategies to avoid the common cold and the flu.

1. Rest up to restore your immunity. Studies show that your immune system function drops by an average of 60% after just three nights of poor sleep, so be sure you are getting plenty of quality rest, at least eight hours each night. Can’t fall asleep or stay asleep? Try taking a hot bath at night before bedtime or soak your feet in Epsom salt bath for 15 minutes. It will help relax your mind and body in preparation for your sleep.

2. Eat sweet potatoes and mushrooms. These foods help optimize your body’s immunity function. Sweet potatoes contain higher amounts of vitamin C and beta-carotene than carrots, as well as being rich in plant source DHEA, a potent immunity booster. Certain types of mushrooms, like shitake, maitake and reishi, contain polysaccharides, sterols, coumarin, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that have been found to increase immune functions and activities.

3. Garlic keeps more than vampires away. Throughout human history garlic has been loved as well as loathed. Loved by those who enjoy its intense aroma and pungent flavors and loathed by those who are repelled by its odor. The strong odor of garlic actually comes from a sulfur-compound called allicin that studies have found to be a powerful antibacterial and antiviral agent. Not only has it been shown to be effective against colds, flu, stomach virus and candida yeast, it has also been shown to be effective against antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria such as MRSA. Besides repelling microbes, apparently even vampires don’t like it either.

4. Vitamin C to your rescue. The late Nobel laureate Linus Pauling did pioneering research on the benefits of vitamin C. It is regarded as the safest and most effective nutrient. A recent look at over 100 studies on vitamin C in the last 10 years revealed many conclusive benefits of vitamin. Not the least is its well-known property of supporting immune functions especially when the immune system is suppressed by stress. It may not prevent the common cold or the flu but it can reduce the risk of complications like pneumonia and lung infections. One can safely take up to 2,000 mg of vitamin C daily.

Feb 01

Get more sleep

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Many of us are suffering from lack of sleep, this article explains how traditional Chinese medicine can help have a more restful evening.

This month HuffPost Living has featured an abundance of great articles on the importance of sleep, with excellent tips on how to enhance your slumber from experts in a variety of fields.

An approach that can also aid in the quest for a good night’s sleep is that of Chinese Medicine. This ancient healing system has offered relief to the sleep challenged for thousands of years. While new to many, Chinese Medicine is mainstream in China, and it is used today for a wide range of conditions by an estimated one-fourth of the world’s population.

The Roots of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Chinese Medicine is considered the oldest, most continuously practiced, professional, literate medicine in the world. Written records date back over 2000 years, although the medicine is believed to go back even further. Some experts believe Chinese Medicine is at least 5000 years old.

Chinese Medicine employs acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutritional therapy, tuina (pronounced “twee nah”) massage, acupressure, and qigong.

The Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon) is considered the Bible of Chinese Medicine, emphasizing medical theory and acupuncture. Some scholars estimate that it dates back to the first century B.C. In addition, The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (The Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica Classic) details the medicinal uses of 365 herbs and is believed to have been compiled around 200 A.D. Many of the protocols mentioned in these ancient texts are still used today.

Chinese Medicine and the West

The development of East-West relations has promoted the use and interest of Chinese Medicine in the United States. During the past 30 years, the practice of Chinese Medicine has dramatically increased here. The National Institutes of Health (N.I.H.) has reported that visits to Chinese Medicine practitioners in the U.S. tripled from 1997 to 2007.

At the same time, the United States is seeing an increase in the practice of integrative medicine. University centers and hospitals are offering Chinese Medicine. Integration has been common in China, where Chinese Medicine is often practiced side-by-side with Western Medicine.

The Chinese Medicine Approach to Sleep

Insomnia comes in various forms, such as trouble falling sleep, difficulty staying asleep, and having dream-disturbed sleep. When a Chinese Medicine practitioner is gathering information to put together a treatment plan, the pattern of the sleep disturbance as well as health and lifestyle issues will be taken into consideration.

A Chinese Medicine practitioner might use the term “calm the shen” when describing a treatment principle. “Shen” is best translated as the spirit of the person in a nonreligious sense. When evaluating Shen, the Chinese Medicine practitioner is looking for the emotional state and presence (or lack) of radiance, calm, and balance. Often with sleep disturbances, the patient will be experiencing patterns of stress, anxiety, or agitation. Chinese Medicine would call this “disturbed shen.”

Treatment for insomnia from a Chinese Medicine practitioner could include one or more of the following therapies: acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutritional counseling, Chinese massage (acupressure/tuina), and qigong.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the insertion of needles into specific points of the body to reduce pain, to promote relaxation, and to treat various health concerns. Insomnia and sleep disorders are common reasons why people visit an acupuncturist.

The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) lists insomnia as a condition for which the therapeutic effect of acupuncture has been shown. Continuous research is underway to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture for sleep issues. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published a review of randomized controlled trials of acupuncture treatment for insomnia. After looking at 46 randomized trials, the conclusion was that acupuncture appears to be effective in the treatment of insomnia, and larger, rigorously designed trials are warranted.

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Jan 31

TCM can help keep you healthy

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How traditional Chinese medicine could prevent you from becoming ill.

EVEN though traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is gradually catching on, especially among younger people, there are still cynics out there who question the effectiveness of its methods in preventing and treating illnesses. But physician Zhou Yan from the Eu Yan Sang Specialist TCM Centre says there are no doubts about its efficacy.

TCM – a science that was developed centuries ago through constant experimentation and real-life experiences – is the real deal, she said. “The successes are accumulated, researched upon and passed down from generation to generation.

The fact that TCM is still surviving and has not been extinguished by medical advances is because it has proven to be useful,” said the 45-year-old in Mandarin.

The TCM physician and acupuncturist with about 20 years of clinical experience has seen more than 160,000 patients in her career.

She said TCM can be extremely effective – with almost a 100 per cent success rate – in treating illnesses, provided the physician makes an accurate diagnosis.

Treatments – such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, therapeutic massage (or tui na) and cupping – can be very complex and vary substantially depending on the illness and a client’s constitution, as well as factors such as the climate, the client’s physical environment and whether he or she cooperates, she said.

“A physician needs to look at all these things holistically and consider each individual’s situation before deciding on treatment,” she added.

In a talk on Saturday, Ms Zhou will be focusing on issues surrounding “sub-health”, a state between wellness and illness where there are frequent onsets of unhealthy symptoms but where no definite disease or illness can be diagnosed.

According to a global survey by the World Health Organization, only 5 per cent of the world population enjoy good health; 20 per cent are diagnosed as being ill and up to 75 per cent are in the sub-health category.

Using TCM methods is best for people who are at the sub-health stage, because the treatment does not produce any side effects and can bring balance to your body and prevent illnesses before they strike, said Ms Zhou.

my paper posed the physician some burning questions from readers.

Jan 29

Traditional Chinese medicine changes with the times

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Although the art and science of TCM has been around for thousands of years, it’s not necessarily stuck in the past. Ways of treating patients and manufacturing medicines are always evolving.

TCM has its own history which can be traced back 3,000 years. It is the second most ancient medicine, while ayurvedic is the oldest with 5,000 years of history.

In the past, when people thought about TCM, they imagined a long-bearded doctor doing pulse diagnosis and prescribing foul tasting concoctions. It was difficult for a modern person to take the image seriously

But today, Chinese herbs can be administered in far more palatable ways – in powders, medicated liquors, teas, granules, tablets, syrups, crystallised herbal extracts or even injected.

In China today there are hundreds of patented ready-to-use drugs which can be bought over the counter under supervision of pharmacists. And it is fascinating to realise these drugs were described in TCM text books 2,000 years ago.

TCM has its own theory very different from Western medicine. While Western medicine focuses on physical and chemical bases, TCM is philosophical.

Man and Cosmos are unified, is the basic philosophy of TCM. Whenever we and nature are in balance, we are healthy. Being unbalanced leads to disease.

Our body has yin and yang compositions. It is also vitalised by the movement of qi and blood. Yin and yang should be balanced. Yang excess or yin deficiency may cause a hot feeling.

On the other hand, yin excess or yang deficiency may cause a cold feeling.

Deficiency of qi and blood may also cause some specific symptoms.

Chinese doctors usually observe the patient’s five senses, along with a pulse and tongue diagnosis.

They will then differentiate illnesses into two groups. One is a deficiency of qi, yin, yang and blood. The second is an excess syndrome which comprises blood congestion, qi congestion and accumulation of heat and dampness.

Each syndrome has its own character. They are not so difficult to differentiate if a health-oriented person pays close attention to self-observation. He could do the diagnosis himself.

Qi deficiency leads to sweating, catching colds or developing allergies, a lack of energy, heaviness of the body and limbs, a low appetite, swollen extremities and loose stools. The tongue will be quite pale with tooth marks on the side.

Yang deficiency leads to a cold sensation, cold extremities, frequent urination, loose stools, a pale face, an urge to take hot drinks and infertility. The tongue is very pale or even light purple with more tooth marks.

People who suffer a prolonged illness usually pass from the stage of qi deficiency into a stage of yang deficiency.

A large number of people who are diagnosed as having so-called chronic fatigue or “syndrome X” in the West show these types of symptoms.

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Jan 29

Take time this winter to boost your energy

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The cold, dark winter months may make us feel like hibernating. Take this time to build up and replenish your energy using some principles of Chinese medicine:

Feeling tired and drained? You’re not alone.

“Lack of energy” is one of the top five complaints doctors hear.

According to Oriental medicine, the cold months are the perfect time to recharge and generate vital energy – Qi – in order to live, look and feel better.

The ancient Chinese believed human should live in harmony with the natural cycles of their environment. The cold and darkness of winter urge us to slow down. This is the time of year to reflect on health, replenish energy and conserve strength.

Winter is ruled by the water element, which is associated with the kidneys, bladder and adrenal glands. The kidneys are considered the source of all energy or “Qi” within the body. They store all of the reserve Qi in the body so that it can be used in ties of stress and change, or to heal, prevent illness, and age gracefully. During the winter months it is important to nurture and nourish the kidney Qi. It is the time where this energy can be most easily depleted.

The Nei Ching, an ancient Chinese classic, advises people to go to sleep early and rise late, after the sun’s rays have warmed the atmosphere a bit.

Eating warm hearty soups, whole grains, and roasted nuts help to warm the body’s core and to keep it nourished. Sleep early, rest well, stay warm and expend a minimum quantity of energy.

Seasonal acupuncture treatments in winter serve to nurture and nourish kidney Qi which can greatly enhance the body’s ability to thrive in times of stress, aid in healing, prevent illness and increase vitality.

Here are some dietary suggestions that can lead to an increase in vitality and radiant health.

Drink ample water. Eat kidney-shaped foods such as black beans and kidney beans. Eat blue and black foods, blueberries, blackberries, mulberry and black beans. Eat seeds. flax, pumpkin, sunflower and black sesame along with nuts, especially walnuts and chestnuts which have been found especially effective for increasing kidney Qi. Eat dark, leafy green vegetables along with asparagus, cucumbers and celery.

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