How to Alkalize for Great Health – Part II

Part I of this topic was written many years ago and recently reposted because of the interest in this topic by Marie Claire Australia.

I thought I would take the opportunity of the coming festive season indulgences to expand upon the idea of how you could start the new year feeling fantastic.   The bottom line is that it  is important for your body to be in an alkaline state. In Chinese medicine we say there are only two places from which you can get energy  “the food that you eat and the air that you breathe”. When your body is alkaline you are better able to absorb nutrients from the food you eat and your blood is more highly oxygenated so you will have boundless energy, your immune system will be stronger and you will feel happier within yourself.

Christmas tends to be a time when we over indulge in party food. Eating like this affects the pH of your body because this food tends to be rather  acidic, it is usually highly processed and filled with chemicals, flavours and preservatives as well as being full of sugar or artificial sweeteners… read more

Fear and Winter

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The winter solstice is coming up on June 21^st in the southern hemisphere, this is the shortest day of the year after which the days once again grow slowly longer.

Arriving at the solstice can be like coming to the dark night of the soul where we reach our darkest point and from there we can awaken into new meanings in our lives, a creative process that underlies all things and comes from our centre, our still point.  To reach our still point we need to slow down and the 3 months of winter are the perfect time to go within, to spend time in quiet contemplation and self reflection in order to get to know ourselves better. Aristotle has been credited with saying that “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” and wisdom is one of the virtues of the water element, the element that corresponds with winter and with the Kidney and Bladder organs in Chinese Medicine.

Winter is a great time to shore up your Kidney energy with Acupuncture and Chinese herbs as your Kidney energy is your foundational energy, a reservoir for tremendous physical power and will power. Have you ever sat at the beach when the ocean was rough and noticed just how frightening the power of the ocean can be? Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet, theologian, and Sufi mystic once said. “You are not adrop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” If you want to harness that power then it is important for you to look after your kidney energy, especially as you age, and regular acupuncture treatments are a great way to do that.

The water element corresponds also with the emotion of fear and as many physical conditions tend to have an emotional component to them then fear is the emotion that will affect aspects of our health that relate to the kidney energy.

Do you know people who get kidney stones regularly who also tend to be stuck in their fears? Cystitis used to be called honeymooners disease at a time when people got married after only a short courtship when there was probably a fair bit of insecurity within the relationship. Have you noticed people with chronic lower back problems that tend to worry constantly about money? As these, and other kidney related conditions, are treated fears will often subside and as we address our fears any kidney conditions will improve.  “The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance” – N Branden (psychotherapist).

The water element is about moving forward in life, going with the flow (change, aging) and the flow stops when we are feeling afraid or insecure. Fear, however, stops you not to immobilize you but to give you the time you need to gather yourself and your resources. Fear makes energy descend which is why it can be hard to think clearly when there is no energy in your head and you feel as though your very foundation has been rocked. If, however, you can allow the energy of ‘fear’ to flow freely you may find that you become more focused and are better able to tune into your instincts and intuition, ask yourself what action should be taken next, and hear the answer.

If you are feeling confused then try to see confusion as a messenger rather than a problem as it is only a mask for fear. It arises to trip you up when your behavior or your motivations aren’t compatible with your life purpose. This is the perfect time to ask yourself “what is my intention?” as intention can end ambiguity and allow you to take action.

Worry and anxiety arise when your fear has become trapped. There are two types of worry and anxiety the first is that constant sense of nervousness that arises when we are clogged with rejected and dishonored fears, the second is our response to fears of the unknown. To work with these fears it is important to ground yourself so this is the perfect time make contact with nature, with the earth. Give yourself rest, nutrition and practice your deep belly breathing and calming exercises as these will help you switch off your fight and flight adrenal mode which will then give your Kidney energy a chance to rest and recuperate. Your Kidney energy actually plays a role in breathing, in receiving the qi, this is why you find it hard to breathe when your adrenals are overloaded.

The Kidneys also rule the ears so try this listening exercise:

Get into a quiet space

Take a deep breath and drop your shoulders out of your ears as you breathe out

Relax your jaw to create more space around your ears

Lean forward a little and try to hear the quietest sound in your area, really tune in and try to locate it

Can you feel the sound?

Observe how focused you are at this time.  Healthy free flowing fear is simply your instincts, intuition and focus. Winter is the time for gestation, the quiet growth beneath the surface, before the birth of spring. So this is the best time to make space to be able to hear your inner voice and increase your ability to respond appropriately to new and changing situations rather than simply react to them.

 

Boost your immunity

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With cold and flu season soon upon us my thoughts now turn to how to help you stay well through winter. We are constantly being exposed to infectious agents and yet, in most cases, we are able to resist these infections. Exposure alone to viruses and bacteria does not always lead to illness, it is a weak immune system together with the exposure that is more likely to do so.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is able to boost your immune system naturally through acupuncture and Chinese herbs. Studies have found that acupuncture increases white blood cell production and enhances Natural Killer Cells and Lymphocytes which leads to increased immune response and decreased risk of infection. So the next time you feel too sick to make an acupuncture appointment or feel like cancelling one because you are sick  think again as a treatment or two can lessen the severity of your signs and symptoms as well as shorten the duration of your cold or flu.

In Chinese medicine, immunity comes from Qi, or energy, which gives us the power and energy to do things including fight off viruses and bacteria. Generally we consider two types of energy within your body: (1) constitutional or Prenatal Qi is the energy we are born with, that we inherit, and (2) Acquired or Postnatal Qi is the energy we acquire from the air we breathe, the food we eat and the lifestyle we choose. Included within the category of Postnatal Qi is both Ying Qi, or Nutritive Qi, and Wei Qi, or Defensive Qi. The combination of Nutritive and Defensive Qi describes the body’s natural resistance against diseases and its ability to repair itself as your energy flows freely around your body. So nourishing your Qi and ensuring its smooth flow is one of the keys to boosting your immunity. It is interesting to note that similarly within our immune system we also consider two types of immunity: (1) the innate, non-specific or inherited immune system, our first line of defense against invading organisms and (2) the adaptive, specific or acquired immune system that acts as a second line of defense and also affords protection against re-exposure to the same pathogen.

Your immune system responds to signals from many of the systems within your body, particularly the nervous system and the endocrine system. As a consequence, environmental events such as the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the lifestyle we choose elicits responses from our nervous and endocrine systems which then affect our immune system.

Let us start with the air we breathe. Each day you inhale thousands of germs (bacteria and viruses) that are floating in the air. Your immune system generally deals with them without a problem. A cold or flu is a sign that your immune system failed to stop the germ, however, the fact that you get over the cold or flu is a sign that your immune system was able to eliminate the invader after learning about it.

Another aspect of breathing, however, is its amazing ability to shift us between our Sympathetic Nervous system (our flight and fight response which usually has us breathing short, shallow breaths) and our Parasympathetic Nervous system (our rest and digest response which we can activate by breathing with long, deep belly breaths). Psychologists in the field of psychoneuroimmunology have shown that your state of mind affects your state of health so using your breath to help you release stress and relax can improve your immunity.

It is your immune system’s ability to regulate inflammation that predicts who will develop a cold. When you are under stress your immune cells are unable to respond to hormonal control and as such produce levels of inflammation that promotes disease. With the common cold, symptoms are not caused by the virus or bacteria but by your inflammatory response that is triggered as part of your body’s effort to fight infection.

Secondly, the lifestyle you choose. If you find yourself using unhealthy behavioral coping strategies to reduce your stress, such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, poor diet, lack of exercise, and lack of sleep then this will also affect your immunity. So finding constructive ways to manage stress, especially chronic or long-term stress (even if it’s not intense), may help you do everything from combating the common cold to speeding up healing after surgery. Regular acupuncture treatments are a great way to manage your stress and during treatments we also focus on encouraging good health behaviors such as eating, sleeping and exercising well.

Finally, the food you eat, or more importantly how well you absorb the nutrients you require for your immunity to function optimally. Your stress response affects your digestive system. During stress your digestion is inhibited and absorption is minimal after stress your digestive activity returns. Stress produces an increase in blood cholesterol levels, through the action of adrenaline and nor-adrenaline on the release of free fatty acids. And the chronic inflammation that we have already discussed as linked to many diseases may also be linked to dysfunctional gut microbiota.

Our digestive system plays a huge role in immune function. Our intestines contain more immune cells than the entire rest of our body. In a healthy person, the microbes in the gut stimulate the immune system as needed. Unfortunately there is an increasing disruption of these microbes from our modern lifestyle, diet, overuse of antibiotics and other issues. Problems ranging from autoimmune disease to clinical depression and simple obesity may in fact be linked to immune dysfunction that begins in your digestive system and it could be as simple as rebalancing it with prebiotics and probiotics and fermented foods as well as using Chinese herbs and acupuncture to help restore good digestive function.

So if you want to be well this winter then it will be important for you to breathe deeply, eat well and manage your stress. Some regular acupuncture treatments would be of great benefit too.

 

Autumn and your Lungs

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This year the Autumn Equinox falls on March 21^st.  This is the date on which there are an equal number of hours of daylight and darkness. After this the nights will start to get longer until we reach the longest night on the Winter solstice.

As the nights become longer issues with sleep can become highlighted for some people.  World Sleep Day is held annually on the third Friday in March.  In 2014 it is all about ‘Restful Sleep, Easy Breathing, and Healthy Body’. This slogan is quite apt for this time of year as in Chinese medicine autumn corresponds with your Lung energy.  When you are breathing easily and deeply you switch off your fight and flight response to life and  can relax enough to sleep deeply.  When you have a restful night’s sleep you replenish the energy you need to face the day, your immune system will be strong and you will have a healthy body. If you have trouble with any of these areas, then consider a course of acupuncture to help put you back on track.

A common occurrence I often see in clinic in autumn is the 4am wake up. This tends to occur due to the fact that not only do the lungs correspond with autumn in Chinese medicine but they also correspond with the time period of 3am – 5am.  To stay asleep at this time means we need to have nourished our yin, our spiritual side as much as our yang, our mental and physical side.  If you do find yourself waking up too early then connect with your breath in meditation and start the day in your body rather than in your head. Then book yourself in for some acupuncture to help you sleep more peacefully.

Autumn not only corresponds with the Lungs but also with the Large intestine in Chinese medicine, both are important organs of elimination.  At this time nature is transforming from the lush greens of summer to the beautiful reds and golds of autumn, and the trees are losing their leaves.  So as we synchronise ourselves to the flow of nature it is timely for us to spend more time indoors and to turn within to determine what it is we now need to let go of, physically and emotionally, in order to create space for new ideas that can then germinate through winter and blossom in spring.

Deep, rhythmic belly breathing is a great way of letting things go.  Make time each morning to inhale the crisp, fresh autumn air and feel yourself inspired and purified, ready to breathe in whatever exciting future you can envision.  Make time equally to exhale the old, the negative and any impurity and pain from your body, mind and spirit as you accept and let go of the past.  Our breath is the best way we have to regulate our autonomic nervous system which controls the conditions inside our bodies. When we are breathing deeply into our bellies we activate the parasympathetic nervous system or the rest and digest system. However, when we are in a state of flight and fight, the sympathetic nervous system, we tend to breath with short shallow breaths. By changing the rhythm and nature of your breath your can move out of flight and fight and relax into the flow of life.

To support the energy of letting go this is a perfect time to go through your cupboards, desk, garage, or any cluttered area, and throw out, donate or sell what you no longer need. This is also a perfect time to go within and have a look at your attitudes, perspectives, prejudices or resentments and attempt to resolve your old issues and let them go too.

Autumn is the season, in Chinese medicine, when we focus on strengthening your lung energy.  This helps to boost your immune system so you can more easily let go of any colds and flu that come your way.   When your lung energy is strong you will have more energy to embrace change and can more easily live in the now. When lung energy declines your immunity breaks down, you become tired and short of breath. Remember that short shallow breaths put us into as state of flight and flight and in this state we tend to live in the past and fear the future.  You can help nourish your lungs with deep conscious breaths, swimming and skin brushing (as the lungs rule the skin).  While the emotions of sadness, grief and disappointment tend to drain the lung energy values such as integrity and righteousness replenish the lungs, it’s all about being fully present and that is where the importance of the breath once again comes in to play. As the weather cools down you can also nourish yourself by warming up your diet.

New Year, New You

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New Year’s Eve is often a time for reflecting on our past, deciding where we want to head in the coming year and then making resolutions in order to achieve these goals.  Without a direction we often wander aimlessly through the year and then wonder why we haven’t accomplished anything as the year draws to a close.

The top resolutions that people often adopt, and then quickly abandon, include Lose weight; Get Fit; Cut back on alcohol; Quit smoking; Get more sleep; Enjoy life more; Spend time with family and friends; Learn something new; Volunteer; Travel and Get organized. Apparently less than half of those who make resolutions are still on target by mid year so here are some tips to help you stay on track this year including how acupuncture and my workshops (Detox to great health; Think well, feel well; Eat well, be well; and Flow well, stress less) can help you achieve many of these goals and more.

You make resolutions for a reason; if you didn’t think you would benefit from them then you wouldn’t be resolving to attempt them. All of these resolutions are interrelated, as is all of life. If you start with one you may just find that you’ll be accomplishing them all. Book into my workshops today and you can not only show your commitment to your resolutions but you can also tick off your resolution to Learn something new.

Having spent most of December and January indulging in festivities detoxing is a great way to begin cleaning out the old and making room for the new. My first workshop of the year, Detox to great health (Feb 22, 2014), is all about cleansing your mind, body and spirit. It is about healthy eating, healthy thinking and healthy action and it is a great first step to addressing a number of your top resolutions.

Let us have a closer look at your resolution to Lose weight.  First of all the word “Diet” is based on the Latin word ‘Diaeta’ meaning “a manner of living; a way of life” so if you really want to lose weight then it might be a good idea to review all aspects of your lifestyle in addition to what you are eating because there really is no such thing as a quick fix that won’t quickly undo. Working sustainably and setting reasonable goals is the best way to attain and maintain your optimal weight. Acupuncture can help you lose weight by improving your digestion and your metabolism and my Eat Well, Be Well workshop (April 26, 2014) will help untangle a lot of the confusion around healthy eating as well as revealing other lifestyle changes, like getting more sleep, that will help you get to your optimal weight more easily. A lack of sleep has been linked to a greater risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.  Sleep really is more beneficial to your health than you might realize. If you have trouble with sleep then acupuncture can be of great benefit as it has a long tradition of treating insomnia successfully.

Losing weight will require that you cut back on alcohol, it is packed with calories and when mixed with other drinks, such as soft drinks, the calories can really add up. There may be some health benefits to drinking small amounts of alcohol but the definition of small can vary widely.  Drinking in excess affects the brain’s neurotransmitters and can increase the risk of depression, memory loss, or even seizures. Chronic heavy drinking boosts your risk of liver and heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and mental deterioration, and even cancers of the mouth, throat, liver, and breast. So taper off on the drinking once the festive season draws to a close and then follow with a course of acupuncture to help your liver recuperate.

Losing weight will also require that you add exercise into your lifestyle which will help you get fit.  Regular exercise has been associated with so many health benefits, in addition to helping achieve and maintain weight loss it increases longevity, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better.

While you are losing weight, getting fit and cutting back on alcohol you might just find that your resolution to quit smoking starts to kick into action.  Many people are social smokers so if you are drinking less you will you able to smoke less. As you start to get fit you will notice the impact that smoking is having on your lungs which will further motivate you to quit. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good. You can use acupuncture to help reduce cravings and alleviate withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, anxiety and difficulty concentrating. There are enormous health benefits to quitting and you will save money so start enjoying the rest of your smoke-free life today!

So far we have covered 5 resolutions, all working together, that you can now integrated into your lifestyle – Lose weight, Get fit, Cut back on alcohol, Quit smoking and Get more sleep.

While you are Getting more sleep to lose weight (having learned in Flow well, stress less (May 24, 2014) to go to bed around 10.30pm and wake 8 hours later at 6.30am for optimal rest and recuperation) you will find that your energy levels are improving so it will be easier to Enjoy life more and that will give you less reason to Smoke and Drink which will then help you Get fit and Lose weight. See how it is all fitting together?

Chronic stress can increase your risk of, or even worsen, insomnia, depression, obesity, heart disease, and more.  Given our hectic, stressful lifestyles of long working hours, little sleep, no exercise, poor diet, and not spending enough time with family and friends is it any wonder that “enjoying life more” has become a popular resolution. It’s an important step to a happier and healthier you! Regular acupuncture treatments are a great way to bring balance back to your body, mind and soul.  Think Well, Feel Well (March 29, 2014) is a great way to discover how your thoughts, feelings and beliefs impact your health and well being at a physical level and how to heal your body by making friends with your emotions. After all, attitude really does matter.

Enjoying life will probably see you spending more time with family and friends, going for walks, playing tennis, swimming at the beach and getting fit. Research suggests people with strong social ties live longer than those who don’t.  In fact, a lack of social bonds can damage your health as much as alcohol abuse and smoking, and even more than obesity and lack of exercise, a 2010 study in the journal PLoS Medicine suggests.  With all that extra energy you may even consider Volunteering to help out those less fortunate. We tend to think our own bliss relies on bettering ourselves, but our happiness also increases when we help others.

Sometimes it is hard to break a habit while you are in the routine of the rat race so Travelling, even if just heading to the mountains or along the coast for the weekend (chose a destination in nature rather than a big city), will help you tap into life as an adventure, and that is a great time to make changes in your life without having to do anything too bold or dramatic.

Getting organized is about reducing the clutter in your life, both internally and externally, so you can find peace.  Book into all 4 workshops (get 10% off) and buy yourself a course of 10 acupuncture treatments (buy 9 and get 1 free) and you will be organized for a year of following through on your resolutions, relaxing, re energizing, relieving pain and living a fabulous year.

Happy New Year everyone!

Warming foods to nourish your Kidneys

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In Chinese Medicine winter corresponds with the energy of our Kidneys, our most important storehouse of energy. They are the root of all yin (cooling energy) and yang (warming energy) within the body and our foundation for a healthy, vital life and for graceful longevity.  Your Kidney energy is particularly vulnerable to exhaustion or adrenal fatigue.  Factors such as a fast paced lifestyle including overwork, excessive exercise, poor food and fluid intake, multiple pregnancies, chronic illness, stress, insufficient sleep, excessive use of drugs, alcohol and caffeine will deplete your kidney essence before its time.  As we grow older our kidney energy also naturally declines and this begins to impact on our health. Maintaining a balanced lifestyle with healthy food, plenty of sleep and good stress management will preserve your kidney essence.

Whether we are in early winter, late winter or right in the midst of it all, when the weather is cold our bodies need warm foods so it is best to bake, roast, stew, and slow-cook foods in the winter.  Nourishing soups and stews made from vegetables and rich stocks with animal bones help nourish our Kidney energy and prepare our bodies for the coming of spring. Warming spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom are wonderful additions to winter recipes. In Chinese Medicine we don’t recommend very hot spicy food in the winter because these foods create sweating, which is actually a cooling process. However, a small pinch of hot spice helps increase circulation, which can be beneficial.

By getting yourself in sync with the seasons, you can avoid illness and promote great health. Therefore, during winter it is a good time to focus on strengthening your Kidneys. Specific foods to nourish and warm the Kidneys include black beans, kidney beans, bone broths, walnuts, chestnuts, black sesame seeds, and dark leafy greens. A small amount of unrefined Celtic sea salt added to home-cooked foods is also helpful since the taste associated with the Kidney organ is “salty.”

The best foods to eat during winter are the ones that naturally grow during this season in your local area. With so much imported food available these days it is often hard to tell what is seasonally appropriate.  Here is a great guide put out by Sydney markets that lets you know all the wonderful foods appropriate each month.

Bon appétit.