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This week I'd like to highlight a recent entry from one of my favorite sites. As many patients at Health On Point know, my mom is a food blogger - and is passionate about her work. Earlier in the month she shared a story and recipe for one of my favorite wintertime treats - Ginger Brew.
As we've talked about this season, tis the season for colds and flu. While this often worsens during late autumn, excitement - and stress - of the holidays often leave us with lingering sniffling and coughing (and too many used Kleenex!). I have a dear friend who served in the PeaceCorps in Africa, and this was a recipe from her time there.
Ginger has been used for centuries for its healing properties – it warms the stomach for digestion and rids the body of throat and nasal congestion.
This recipe may be doubled or tripled if you want a more substantial amount of the concentrate. Basically, just combine the ingredients for this recipe, let it steep a bit at room temp or warmer in the sun. Then store in the refrigerator. Pour about two ounces in a large tea mug and fill it with seven ounces of boiling water. Believe me, this stops nagging coughs and congestion!
If you make this in the summer, it can be diluted with ice water, or added to sparkling water or even juice. It is heavy on the ginger flavor (translate as “peppery” or spicy) so if you aren’t a ginger lover, use less concentrate.
Ginger Brew Ingredients
Yield: 2 cups of concentrate which makes about 8 glasses of tea or cold brew
Ingredients:
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3 Tbsp fresh grated ginger (I don’t peel it)
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 7 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick (2 ½ inches long)
• 1 lime, squeezed (use the juice only)
• ½ juice orange, squeezed (use the juice only)
• 1 cup cold water
Instructions:
Pour boiling water over the grated ginger, sugar, cloves and cinnamon Stir, cover and keep in a glass bowl or measuring cup and place in a warm place covered for an hour. If it is sunny, put it on the window sill. This time of year I keep it in a warm oven (90 degrees).
After the hour, strain the liquid through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. Add the lime juice, orange juice and cold water. Again, keep the mix in a glass container and cover it, then keep it in a warm place for another hour. Strain the liquid and don’t pour the sediment at the bottom of the container through the strainer-discard it. The mix should be pretty clear.
Store covered in the refrigerator. This will keep for 7-10 days. Freeze for longer storage.
At last! The final installation of our top 13 in 2013. We would love to hear from you - what do you hope to gain from acupuncture this year?
9. It will help you embrace change.
Conventional medicine requires us to think in absolutes, to label things good or bad, black or white. We're either sick or we're healthy. Our numbers are too high or too low. We're happy or we're depressed. Yet in between these extremes, subtle yet significant shifts occur. Acupuncture works in this gray area and teaches us to reflect on the small changes happening within and around us all the time. In acupuncture, this is progress.
Unwillingness to accept change is a huge source of stress and anxiety for many people. Through reframing change as a marker of progress rather than something to be scared of, you will learn to love it.
10. It will give you something to talk about at parties.
Acupuncture is a crowd pleaser! Next time you're feeling awkward or bored at a social gathering, mention that you recently had acupuncture. You'll be an instant sensation. People love learning about acupuncture.Did it hurt? Did she stick them in your eyes? People also love sharing their own acupuncture experiences, so it's a quick way find common ground and make friends.
11. It will make you more patient.
We loooove technology. Whether it's the latest product from Apple or a cutting-edge MRI, we lust after shiny tools that promise to make us better. Technology, while awesome, acclimates us to quick fixes and perpetuates an "I want it now" mentality. This creates chronic impatience.
Acupuncture, because it works but rarely overnight, can help us combat this. Acupuncture is an ongoing process that requires an investment of time and a willingness to let go of our desire for instant gratification. It will make you a more patient person.
12. It will make you tough.
It's not always easy to embrace acupuncture. Most doctors, as well as some family, friends and colleagues, regard mainstream medicine as the only acceptable form of health care. The constant barrage of pharmaceutical advertising is hard to ignore. It takes courage to go against the grain.
Acupuncture, although becoming more popular, is still not the norm. It requires a conscious commitment to understanding ourselves in a way that the majority shuns. This is the harder path toward health but ultimately the most rewarding.
13. It will make you believe in yourself.
The driving idea behind acupuncture is that we're already in possession of everything we need to be well. Acupuncture does not add or subtract anything. Rather, it prompts the body to do what it already knows how to do. It reminds you that you have the power to heal yourself.
This does not mean that external interventions such as pharmaceuticals or surgery should always be shunned -- in many cases, these are life-saving measures. But it does mean that becoming healthier, whatever that means to you, is within your control. When it comes to improving our physical and emotional health, most of us are capable of a lot more than we think. By using a therapy like acupuncture, which embraces rather than ignores our innate healing capacity, you're making a statement that you believe in yourself.
Wishing you a transformative 2013!
Last week, we began to discuss how acupuncture helps us see the world differently. Today we will continue to highlight five more ways that acupuncture may benefit YOU in 2013.
4. It can help give you more energy.
Although it's common to find yourself in "acu land" -- a somewhat dazed, blissfully-relaxed state -- immediately following acupuncture treatment, the after effect is usually increased energy. Many people report having more energy in the hours, days and even weeks after acupuncture treatment. You may notice that you're avoiding that post-lunch coma, feeling more motivated to hit the gym, or just sensing a little extra spring in your step.
5. It will clear your head.
In addition to the surge of physical energy that follows emerging from acu land, many people notice improved mental clarity after acupuncture. They're able to make decisions faster with greater confidence. They feel more motivated and resolute about tackling items that have been lingering for months on their to-do lists. It's as if the mental cobwebs have been cleared out. Suddenly, you will be out of your own way.
6. It will allow you to give yourself a break.
Acupuncture looks at how root imbalances affect the whole system. This means that when one thing is out of whack, it can affect you in multiple ways. Many of us are quick to beat ourselves up when we can't muster energy for something that used to come easy, or when we fail to accomplish all the things we "should" be doing.
By thinking of yourself as a complex, interconnected system, it becomes easier to understand why you might be feeling incomplete or depleted. Acupuncture broadens your awareness of the things that can potentially influence your physical and emotional health. This, hopefully, will help you be a little kinder to yourself.
7. It can help you sleep.
Insomnia is one of the most common complaints seen by acupuncturists, and acupuncture can be highly effective at helping it. But even in people who do not recognize or mention sleep as a problem, acupuncture has a tendency to produce more restful nights. This often goes unnoticed until asked about on a follow-up visit. Many acupuncturists hear this refrain multiple times a day: "You know, now that you mention it, I have been sleeping a lot better since I started coming for acupuncture."
 8. It will get you thinking differently about food.
Whether you're Paleo, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, or free of any restrictions, acupuncture will lend some interesting perspective to your food choices. In acupuncture, foods often are thought about in terms of temperature. Some people, because of their constitutions or root imbalances, need warming foods while others need foods that cool. And this can change significantly based on the seasons. Everyone is different. Acupuncture dietary theory sheds light on why some people can eat certain foods and feel unaffected while others can't even look in their direction.
We're excited at Health On Point to start 2013 explaining how acupuncture works and sharing acupuncture-inspired tips for leading a healthier, simpler, more meaningful life. Acupuncture helps us see the world differently -- with more hope, openness, intention, gratitude, compassion, patience and clarity. In doing so, it changes us.
Here are 13 specific ways that acupuncture can change your life in 2013.
1. It will open your mind.
Acupuncture requires us to think about health in entirely new ways. Despite noble efforts by many to find one, there is no biomedical equivalent for qi or meridians. Acupuncture turns mainstream medical tenets on their head. It will remind you that there are multiple ways of seeing the world.
2. It can help make you less stressed.
Acupuncture takes the edge off. It removes you from the perpetual state of sympathetic dominance in which so many of us find ourselves. By mellowing out the nervous system, acupuncture can help you feel less affected by and better equipped to manage the stressful aspects of life.
3. It will inspire you to get outside more.
In acupuncture theory, humans are viewed as microcosms of the natural world that surrounds them. Things like weather and seasonal shifts factor significantly into acupuncture diagnoses and treatment plans. When you start thinking about health in this way, realizing the intimate relationship that humans have with nature, it inspires a desire to get outside and commune with your natural habitat.
Look to the next few weeks as we reveal ten more ways you can benefit from acupuncture....
Today is our first snow fall - and tomorrow is winter solstice!
As the weather gets colder, it is a wise choice to take some time for yourself to restore your energy. Don't resist the urge to nestle into your snug home. It turns out that the law of nature requires you to slow down in the winter. Here are five secrets that will preserve your energy, bringing you health - and tranquility.
Winter: the sleep of nature
Winter season is when nature sleeps, and everything experiences the slowing of natural processes -- even our bodies. Humans stopped hibernating like their ancestral cousins long ago, but our bodies still experience the natural inclination to slow down in winter. The winter is a time to come back to quietness and rebuild your energy reserves. According to Chinese medicine, the winter season is linked to kidneys, the adrenal glands, and the bladder. When these bodily systems are out of balance, energy becomes depleted and this can pave the way to illness. During the cold months of winter, people are more prone to colds, flu, poor circulation, low Vitality, and seasonal mood disorders.
To stay healthy, happy, and vital, follow the wise winter advice of the Yellow Emperor:
1. Early to bed, rise when the sun is up
Go to sleep early and wait to let the sun bathe the house before rising from bed. Get your zzz's in -- at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Try taking a 20- to 30-minute easy walk one hour before you go to bed to improve the quality of your sleep.
2. Be content
The Yellow Emperor advises us to avoid experiencing excessive emotions in the winter because they drain your energy reserves.
- Follow your bliss. Use the cold dark days of winter to stay in and cuddle up with a book, or pick up a new indoor hobby
- Beat the winter blues with light therapy. Studies show that exposure to sunlight stimulates the pineal gland, which affects the production of other brain chemicals such as serotonin, the neurotransmitter sometimes called the "mood chemical." It can also boost your immune system, waking up the activities of the natural killer cells that patrol our borders looking for intruders and cancer cells. If weather permits, get outdoors daily and let the sun bathe you with its life-giving and spirit-lifting properties. Even in the winter, avoid overexposure with sunscreen if out in the sun between 10 am - 3 pm.
3. Nurture energy storage
The three months of winter are when all living things should return home and be conserved. Engage in activities that are in harmony with the energies of winter.
- Avoid energy-depleting activities. Don't try to do too much in one day. Try making only one or two items a priority every day. And be sure you give yourself some personal time, not just from other people, but also from our modern amenities that claim ever more of our personal space, such as TV, computers, and smart phones. Try this: pick one day a week to perform your own "system restore." Turn off the TV. Don't watch the news. Limit your email time. These are the ways to maintain your energy and lessen stress.
4. Eat for the season: no raw, cold foods
To keep your health and energy up in the cold months of winter, the Yellow Emperor recommends avoiding cold and raw foods, reducing salt to protect your kidneys, and increasing bitter flavors (like kale, for instance.) So steer clear of raw vegetables, cold salads, and icy cold foods and beverages. Instead your diet should follow nature's menu for the seasons.
In winter, you'll tend toward a warming diet including leeks, onions, and turnips. Also, iron-rich foods can help warm you up: try spinach, broccoli, dried plums, oats, quinoa, sunflower and sesame seeds, walnuts, yams, squash, kale, garlic, scallions, and parsley. Hearty soups are good for you during the winter months. Drink only warm or hot water.
5. Avoid coldness and linger around warmth
- Dress warmly, paying special attention to your middle. In Chinese medicine, the abdomen is considered the storehouse of the body's energy. Keeping your abdomen warm and protected from weather extremes has immense immunity benefits. A good way to replenish your energy bank is to regularly place a heat pack on your middle.
- Drink warming tea to keep your Vitality fired up. At Health on Point, we have several organic bulk tea options.
- Chinese herbs can protect your energy reserves and boost your immunity. Astragalus and ginseng are considered to be adaptogens -- natural substances that improve the body's resistance to physical and environmental stress, thereby enhancing the immune system.
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| Local, handmade lavender eye masks - perfect for winter |
I hope this advice gives you the steps for a healthy, happy winter. I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.
Keep in mind, we will have limited office hours through the first of the year, so if you need to stop by for teas, herbs, or some newly created lavender eye masks - do call first!
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
- Rachel and Sarah
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A large glass of water w/ Herbal Resistance Formula
aides in de-stressing AND boosts your immune system! |
Acupuncture is well known for its potential ability to lower stress. Many people use acupuncture for stress reduction. And in my experience, even those who don't admit to or notice stress in their lives commonly report a greater sense of lightness and evenness to their moods after having acupuncture.
During the holiday season, many of us would benefit from the stress-reduction benefits of acupuncture. Too often though, we find it impossible to take the time for ourselves.
If you can swing going for acupuncture this time of year, all the better -- regular acupuncture treatments are, in my opinion, the best way to stay healthy and mentally balanced during high-stress times. But if you, like many people, are on a tighter schedule and budget for the coming month, we've got the next-best thing.
I asked acupuncturists and colleagues to share one piece of acupuncture-inspired advice for reducing holiday stress. I've simplified their suggestions for self-care tips that can be applied anytime, anywhere, and for next to nothing. This week and next week, we will share these ideas - and will offer related discounts both in clinic and as posted exclusively for fans on Facebook.
Appreciate Water
In acupuncture, each season has an associated natural element. Winter's is water. As the holidays cue our wintery instincts, we can use water literally and metaphorically as a natural holiday de-stressor.
I recommend starting every day with a large glass of lukewarm water. Fill your favorite glass with water and drink it slowly (even better if you add a few drops of Herbal Resistance Liquid), followed by taking some deep breaths into your abdomen. This morning ritual helps keep your body hydrated and relaxed at a time when more-than-usual amounts of alcohol and caffeine (both dehydrators) meet higher-than-usual stress levels.
Metaphorically, water serves as a model for coping with holiday stress. When stress starts to mount, close your eyes and imagine yourself as strong, yet fluid and flexible. You are easily able to adjust around whatever gets in your way. To truly live this experience, fill your tub with hot water and some bath salts. A variety of salts, including epsom - as well as essential oils - is an incredible treat.
For more information about Herbal Resistance or our special formulated bath soak 'Relax', contact us directly or find discounts for Facebook fans here.
 Do you have a hard time catching the zzzzz’s you need? Six to eight hours of quality sleep every night is necessary for your immune system, digestion, energy, and mental health. It’s vital to recharge your body so you can conquer the day ahead! Here are some nutritional tips to help you settle down for the night:
Keep your caffeine to a minimum, and only in the morning.
Every body breaks down caffeine differently, but its effects always last longer than the initial buzz you feel. It can take anywhere from 5-11 hours for your body to metabolize caffeine completely. Limit your caffeine to less than 150mg per day (about one 8 oz coffee), and stick to drinking it in the morning. For the caffeine content of different beverages, check out this page from the Mayo Clinic.
No meals or snacks within 2 hours of bedtime.
While your body does require some restful time for digesting, the whole process does require quite a bit of energy. It can be hard to get to sleep when your digestive organs are still hard at work! Additionally, meals close to bedtime can result in weight gain and heartburn.
Make sure you’ve got magnesium in your diet.
Magnesium is necessary for relaxation in a number of different ways. Good sources of magnesium include seeds (like sunflower or flax) and dark leafy greens. If you find your digestion is irregular in addition to being wound up at bedtime, a magnesium supplement may be an excellent option to get things moving. At Health On Point we carry a product that patients and practitioners alike swear by. Stop in for a free sample!
Calm down with some herbal tea.
Our Super Sleep herbal tea is compounded to help your body prepare for sleep. Take a few minutes away from the computer, television, or other distractions to clear your mind and help you settle down.
This week's article courtesy of Daily Dose Wellness.
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