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Lifestyle
Healthy Eating for Summer
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a medical system that is thousands of years old and incorporates many different modalities. TCM theory emphasizes that Mother Nature provides the right kind of food for the right kind of environment. For instance, if the weather is cold, then warming, nutrient-dense foods are best for the body. Likewise, when summer rolls around, it is best to partake of cooling foods and foods that are abundant during this season.
Summer is a time of great abundance. Or as the Chinese refer to it, the time of utmost yang. The days are longer and warmer. And everything and everybody seems to be more active. The warmth of the summer sun encourages growth and maturation. In TCM, summer relates to the element of fire and the heart and small intestine energetic pathways or meridians. Because summer is a time of growth, many fruits and vegetables become abundant during the season. And because the season tends to be the warmest, it is important to stay cool and hydrated.
The body is thought to contain a substance the Chinese call Qi (pronounced “chee”). This Qi is frequently translated into the term energy in English. When a person’s Qi is low, then a deficiency develops. Conversely, when there is an excess of Qi, problems may arise indicative of this. Sweat is the fluid of the heart. When a person sweats excessively, the Qi of the heart becomes scattered and weak. This can weaken the mind and cause symptoms like depression, restlessness, insomnia and irritability. But this can be countered by eating foods salty and sour in nature. This includes foods such as miso, pickles, lemons, limes and sour plums.
The summer months are generally hot and therefore the body needs to be kept cool. This is the perfect time to eat more raw foods that clear heat. But as with anything, don’t overdo it. Too much cold or raw foods can wreak havoc on the digestive tract causing spasms, tightness and contractions. This will make the body work harder to warm the food being eaten, which can then deplete the Qi of the spleen and stomach meridians. Therefore cooked foods and even soups are still recommended during the warm summer months. They are usually made with seasonally-available foods or eaten at room temperature to avoid any digestive conflict.
It is best to avoid heavy, greasy and fried foods during the summer months, as they can clog up the digestive system. They can also create excess phlegm in the lungs leading to respiratory problems. And when cooking during the season of summer, it is best to create meals quickly and simply by grilling or stir frying.
Examples of foods beneficial for the summer months include peppers, eggplant, cabbage, kale, broccoli, spinach, melons of all kinds, beets, berries, pineapple, cucumbers, grapefruit and mushrooms. If you need more help understanding or designing a proper seasonal-eating plan, contact your local acupuncturist or TCM practitioner. They will definitely be able to help you identify what plan works best for you.
Below is a organized PDF grocery list to help make shopping easier!
Why You Should Get Regular Acupuncture Treatments
Everybody knows you should see your family physician at least once a year and your dentist at least twice a year. But not everybody knows about acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine and the many benefits it can provide for you. If you start incorporating acupuncture into your health and wellness regime, you may not have to rely on the family physician so much for those minor little issues. Let’s look at how getting regular acupuncture treatments can help you stay happy and healthy. continue reading
Research Update: Acupuncture and Sports Injuries
In a study conducted by researchers from the Physical Education Institute at Zhengzhou University, Traditional Chinese Medicine was investigated to see how it affected athletes suffering from motor impairment due to injury. Participants in the study suffered from limited range of motion in a number of joints, including the neck, upper and lower limbs. The researchers administered acupuncture and herbs, alone or in combination, to their different groups. The participants reported increased range of motion and decreased soreness after receiving treatment. Those who received herbs and acupuncture reported greater healing and relief, with a total effectiveness rate of 84.4 percent overall. This study shows the combination of acupuncture and herbs is highly effective for the treatment of physical mobility impairment caused by participating in sports.
Sports injuries occur frequently from participating in organized sports, competitions or even backyard games. These injuries can range from minor to severe and they can occur for a multitude of reasons.
Sports injuries are typically categorized as acute or chronic. An acute sports injury is usually one that involves a single blow or application of force, like being tackled. Chronic sports injuries occur when an area is overused or abused for long periods of time. This can happen with sports like tennis, weight lifting, running, etc. Sprains and strains around joints tend to be the most common types of sports related injuries.
Most people who suffer from sports related injuries implement the use of R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) almost immediately after the injury occurs. And while all of these may be necessary in the beginning, using ice long-term is actually detrimental to the tissue because it impedes blood flow. This is where acupuncture can be very beneficial for treating sports injuries.
Many athletes, professional and amateur, are now utilizing acupuncture and some of the other modalities associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to help them heal more quickly. Acupuncture has a very successful history of treating sports related injuries and many professional teams now have licensed acupuncturists on staff. Using acupuncture to treat injuries has been around for centuries. It began with martial arts and it is still one of the primary means of healing used.
Acupuncture can help reduce swelling, decrease pain, decrease inflammation and increase blood flow to the injured area. Recent studies, like the one above, show that acupuncture is very effective at treating sprains, strains, aches, pains, swollen muscles and even shin splints. And as an added bonus, regular acupuncture treatments can improve performance and give athletes a competitive edge.
Acupuncture of sports related knee and wrist strains
Photos taken by Integral Alternative Medicine
The Paradox of Our Smartphones
How much do we REALLY use our cell phones?
Remember the days of using landline telephones and dial-up internet? It wasn’t too long ago. Cell phones began gaining popularity almost two decades ago and during that time it was a supplementary device to the landline telephone. Oh, how times have changed!
In this day and age, it seems impossible to get by without the use of a cell phone. It’s a device that can literally do it all. Roughly nine out of ten Americans own a cell phone and an estimated 43% of adults live in a cell-phone-only household. It holds a direct connection to friends, family, and coworkers. It also connects us to the world by way of unlimited news, Google searches, music, social media, and not to mention an always ready camera available at our fingertips.
Cell Phone Science
Cell phones give off a form of energy known as radio-frequency (RF) waves. It can be argued that the direct contact of cell phones to the head and neck region allows for the body to absorb more RF waves. Therefore, scientists and physicians are conducting research studies to identify a direct correlation with the absorption of these RF waves and incidence of head and neck tumors.
There have been a number of large-scale studies that have been analyzed by the American Cancer Society showing mixed results. However, one particular Swedish group has studied this topic extensively and concluded that with ten or more years of cell phone use, there is an increased risk of head and neck tumors specifically to the side of the head– where cell phones are held. In another study by the same group, they used the Swedish cancer register to find increased rates of unknown tumors of the head and neck region in the age group of 20-39. This may suggest a higher risk of these tumors in subjects that have used a cell phone device before the age of 20.
Limitations
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is part of the World Health Organization (WHO). Its major goal is to identify causes of cancer and classifies RF fields as ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans,’ based on limited evidence of a possible increase in risk for brain tumors among cell phone users, and inadequate evidence for other types of cancer.
There are many limitations of these studies to consider, such as what type of cell phone and how often it is being used. Additionally, it is impossible to know what type of pre-existing environmental and genetic risks individuals have for developing tumors. Finally, many of these studies have used subjects with cell phone habits from 10 years ago. The culture of cell phone use is changing rapidly. Now, 94% of smartphone owners carry their phone with them and 82% say they never or rarely turn their phones off. There need to be updated studies on the subject with these new cell phone habits.
So what is the message?
It is no secret that our society is continuing to be driven by technology. Therefore, that would mean we are constantly surrounded by RF waves. It takes decades for tumors to form after exposure to a carcinogen, and considering the widespread use of cell phones has only been around for 20 years, one can argue that RF exposure from the cell phone can still be a source of detrimental health effects. Given the mixed results and limitations of these studies, what should we do?
Like all good things in life, everything should be enjoyed in moderation. It is a good idea to be aware of how much we are using our cell phones. We can take easy steps to limit exposure by using speaker mode, texting, and using Bluetooth headphones which are known to emit virtually no RF waves. It’s not a bad idea to take preventative action to protect ourselves from any potential harm caused by cell phone RF waves until there are more refined studies on this subject.
What do you think?
“Good health and good sense are two of life’s greatest blessings.” — Publilius Syrus