When you go to an acupuncturist, have you noticed that the way they describe your illness is different than the way your doctor describes it?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) looks for patterns of imbalance. Identifying these patterns allows your acupuncturist to form a TCM diagnosis and leads to your treatment. Because of this, illnesses that western medicine considers unrelated may be considered similar by your acupuncturist.

There are several systems for viewing these patterns. One of them is called the Eight Principles. In this system, four sets of qualities help define your illness.

• Interior/Exterior. Your acupuncturist will look at your illness and determine if it is located in an interior organ or if it is caused by an exterior pathogen.
• Hot/Cold. Your acupuncturist will determine if your imbalance is hot (like a fever) or cold (like chilliness).
• Full (excess)/Empty (deficiency). Your acupuncturist checks the strength of your Qi and whether there is a pathogen present.
• Yin/Yang. Your acupuncturist determines if your condition is primarily yin or yang in nature.

How can the Eight Principles Help You?

If you’re not familiar with TCM, getting a diagnosis of “excess heat in the interior” won’t mean anything to you. But remember, the Eight Principles are patterns of imbalance.

Ask your acupuncturist what your diagnosis means. Then ask what symptoms point to that diagnosis.

Start observing your everyday complaints, aches, pains and health challenges. Notice if you regularly have symptoms that point to the diagnosis. It’s likely that you will start to see patterns in your symptoms, even if western medicine doesn’t understand the links between them.

Once you know your constitutional tendencies, you can begin a long term plan to balance your body and prevent illness.

Winter is the season for the kidneys & bladder.

In Western medicine, kidneys are the organs that filter and purify blood.  They maintain pH, mineral and electrolyte balance by removing excess water and salts to create urine.  The urine is then stored in the bladder until you pee.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the kidneys and bladder are seen as an energetic system, bigger than just the physiological function of the organs themselves.  To TCM, the kidneys govern reproduction, produce bone marrow, influence growth and development and control sexual energy.

From a TCM perspective, there are several kidney functions that differ from a Western perspective.

Like in Western medicine, the kidneys are responsible for water metabolism.  However, instead of understanding water and salts from a bio-chemical perspective, TCM describes fluid as clear or turbid.  Clear fluid is lighter and the kidneys send it upward to moisten the lungs.  Turbid fluids are heavier and they are sent downward to be released through the bladder.

One of the kidneys’ primary roles is storing the vital essence called Jing Qi.  Jing is the essence of Qi and is responsible for reproduction and regeneration. There are two types of Jing—the Jing inherited from your parents and forming your basic constitution, and the Jing acquired from the food, water and air of your daily life. The kidneys store and control Jing, and this process influences growth and development, sexual maturation, reproduction and aging.

The kidneys are also in charge of “Zhi”—mental drive and courage.  Zhi is the will to live and provides determination and focus to accomplish your goals and realize your dreams.

It’s important to provide care and nourishment to your kidneys.  Eat warming foods, and avoid raw foods and cold drinks.  While a green salad is OK now and again, winter is not the season to be salad-crazy.  Eat soups and stews.  Add extra root vegetables, squash, beans, miso and seaweed to your diet.  Use garlic and ginger for flavor.  If you want fruit, eat blueberries or blackberries.

And keep your kidneys warm.  Wear long shirts and sweaters that come down to your hips. Better yet, make a haramaki (see sidebar) and wear it every day.

Winter is a time to stop, pause and reflect.  Your body and soul need a break from to-do lists, urgent priorities and busyness.  It’s important.

But finding time is difficult.  The whole reason you need a break from busyness is because you are so busy.

Making time to relax doesn’t have to be hard.  Follow this simple 4 step plan and you’ll discover time you didn’t know you had. continue reading »

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), all of life is influenced by seasonal cycles.  You are probably familiar with this in acupuncture, but did you know that these cycles also affect your home?

The practice of making a home “healthy” is called Feng Shui.  By directing the flow of Qi through your home in a balanced way, you can create an environment that promotes health and happiness to everyone who lives in it.  Feng Shui gives rules to harmonize yourself with your home.

There are many ways that Qi is balanced in a home.  Choosing harmonious colors, shapes and symbols, placing furniture auspiciously or strategically hanging wind chimes or mirrors are all typical Feng Shui practices. continue reading »

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), late summer is a separate season.

But from a Western perspective, it doesn’t make sense.  First of all, it’s a short season—from around the third week in August to the September equinox.  And usually there’s nothing distinctive about late summer weather that makes it different from summer or fall.

Why have a fifth season?

Nature gives us the answer.

TCM is governed by the 5 elements, which represent the cycles of nature.  Every plant and animal goes through the cycle of birth, growth, maturation, harvest and storage.  Late summer corresponds to the “mature” part of the cycle.  Plants are at their peak—fully mature with ripe fruits.  It’s not quite harvest time, but it’s past the peak growing season.

One important quality of late summer is its transition from yang energy (active, hot and extraverted) to yin (reflective, cool and introverted).  This pattern happens naturally.  School resumes.  People refocus on their routines.  It’s a great time to reconnect with home and family.  Even if you don’t identify late summer as a separate season, you probably make this transition anyway.

The earth element guides late summer.  Its organs are the stomach, spleen, pancreas and muscles.  Its color is yellow/orange and its taste is sweet.

Digestion is especially important in late summer.  Pumpkin, squash, sweet potato, peaches, dates, apples, cherries, millet, almonds and coconut are all recommended late summer foods.  While these foods have sweet flavors, remember that too much sweetness is not healthy.  A big bowl of ice cream is still not a health food—even in late summer.

Earth guides our ability to think clearly.  An imbalance in earth can lead to worry or obsession, but balance in earth gives a sense of calm, clarity and adaptability.  Late summer is an excellent time to start or recommit to a meditative practice.  By taking time quiet time, your daily activities will be more productive.

The emotions of earth are sympathy, compassion and nurturing.  If you have considered volunteering, late summer is a good season to make that intention real.

Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups

Ingredients

• 2 ½  – 3 cups ripe or slightly over-ripe fruit, peeled and diced

• Sweetener to taste: honey, sugar, agave, etc.

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to lowest temperature,
usually 140° – 200°F

Puree the fruit in a food processor until smooth.  Taste and add the sweetener.  Remember—the flavor will concentrate as the leather dries, so be sparing.  Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap or a silicone baking mat (don’t use foil, parchment, or waxed paper).  Spread evenly so it is 1/8” thick.  Bake for 6-8 hours until the center is not tacky.  Remove from oven and peel off plastic wrap or baking sheet.  Cut into strips.  Store in airtight container
or freeze.

Tips:

• Suggested fruits:  plums, peaches, nectarines, apples, strawberries, raspberries, grapes,
or mangos.

• The addition of sugar or honey enhances the texture and makes the fruit roll-ups chewier.

• If using plastic wrap, it will shrink a little as the fruit dries, so leave a little extra around the edges.

From OurBestBites.com