Did you know there is a Vitamin D Deficiency Epidemic in North America? Is it estimated that over 70% of all North Americans are deficient in Vitamin D.

Though I couldn’t find any Canadian studies, it is likely that the the numbers are higher in Canada, simply because we are further from the Equator and the healing magic of the sun.

Insufficient amounts of vitamin D have been linked to:

• Suppressed Immune System
• Increased risk of disease (heart disease and certain types of Cancer)
• Heightened inflammation (fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis)
• Increased levels of pain

What Can You Do?

Sunbathing: Get 30 minutes of sun a day.  Your skin needs to be exposed to direct sunlight (no windows in between).  Walk, run, sit on a picnic bench in your shorts and sleeveless T-shirt.  During the summer months this will give you all the Vitamin D you need. During the winter you will want to take Vitamin D supplements.

Vitamin D supplements: Vitamin D is critical to the absorption of Calcium, so you will often see them packaged together.  During our Vancouver winters you may also want to take extra daily doses.

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Spring is the season of renewal. All things in nature are busy reproducing and growing. The earth comes to life.

Spring is associated with the element wood. This element is associated with people who have clear vision and goals and are able to plan and bring these things to pass. An imbalance in this element can cause a person to become either indecisive and unable to express anger when the wood Qi is weak, or over controlling and arrogant and aggressive, when the wood Qi is too high.

The element wood is associated with the Yin and Yang organs of the liver and gall bladder as well as the sense organ for sight, the eyes and the tendons. It is said that wind strengthens the liver. If the liver is strengthened too much the person may experience an excess of frustration and irritation. Other symptoms of liver imbalance can include migraines, eye problems and sinus as well as rashes around the genital area.

It is important to help your body keep the elements and organs in balance. Here are a few things that you can do to keep your liver and the wood element in balance within your body. The key concept behind all of these tips is the movement of Qi since the liver is responsible for the movement of Qi.

Exercise and stretch

Since the liver and the wood element are connected quite strongly to the tendons of the body it is important that you stretch and do some gentle exercise on a daily basis. The liver stores blood during the winter time, a time of rest, and then releases that blood during spring, the time of renewal and rejuvenation.

Read

The eyes are also connected to the liver and wood element of spring. Reading is a way to exercise the eyes. Do not overdo it though as you do not want to move too much Qi through your eyes and create an imbalance in another direction.

Add green and sour to your diet

Since green is the colour of spring it is important that you eat as many green foods as possible. some of the common foods to include in your diet are celery and sprouts like beans and mung. The taste that is associated with spring is sour so take this time to indulge in adding some sour tastes to your food. You can add lemon to your water and use vinegar in your salad dressing, make sure it is a green salad!

If you are feeling angry and unable to release your frustration you may want to get some acupuncture treatments to release any blockages that you may have in your system. The acupuncture can help you get rid of your internal and external dragons and release the spirit points that you need released.

Give me a call to book your spring acupuncture treatment.

Wendy
604-839-9789

Elements

Spring is the time of year that is associated with wind and the wood element. The wood element is very closely connected to the liver and gall bladder. The liver is very sensitive to wind. Thus, during spring the liver is at its most sensitive and volatile.

Wind can occur both inside and outside the body. Internal wind would manifest in dizziness, cramps, tinnitus, tremors, intermittent pain, migraines, manic depression and nervousness.

You can limit the effects of the wind by changing your diet appropriately. You will need to find out if you are more yin or yang though as this has an effect on what will help you most. You should definitely avoid crab, eggs and buckwheat though.

Organs

Since spring is associated with the wood element the organs of spring are the liver and gall bladder. The liver is the organ that promotes the flow of Qi or energy throughout the body. If the liver has been compromised as a result of too much wind, either internally or externally, you may feel irritable and restless. You will have trouble expressing your anger and be generally edgy.

If you do not undergo some balancing you may find that this unbalance of your liver will lead to depression. If the yin facet of the liver is too weak you will have problems with dizziness, dry and brittle nails, dry eyes and tinnitus. If this is the case then you need to add some soybean and liver to your diet. The more common situation is that the yang facet of the liver is too active in spring. Although the yang facet is good in that it provides energy to accomplish tasks too much leads to excess anger. You can calm your liver by eating sweet foods.

Taste

The taste for spring is sour. The sour taste, such as the taste of lemon and vinegar, strengthens the liver and helps it to overcome the effects of wind. It is important not to take in too many sour items in your diet as this can make your liver too strong and have a negative effect on the other organs in the body. If your liver is too string then you need to partake of pungent foods to clear the wind and lower the strength of the liver.

Colour

The colour of spring is green. This means that it is important to make sure that you add a range of green leafy vegetables to your diet. Adding things like celery, kelp and spring onions will calm your liver and are good for you.

The five elements view of spring is quite an intricate relationship between all the aspects of spring. You cannot treat just one, you have to take care of them all to avoid an imbalance. If you are struggling to correct an imbalance then you should consider some acupuncture treatments to release your internal and external dragons and to promote the flow of the correct spirit points.

Give me a call to book your spring acupuncture treatment.

Wendy
604-839-9789

The five elements are fire, earth, metal, wood and water. Each of the elements has a corresponding internal organ. Each element is also associated with a different season.

They each also have both direct and indirect interactions. Something that affects one element and therefore a specific organ will have an effect on other organs and elements within the body. The point of traditional Chinese medicine is to achieve a balance within the body.

Spring is the season associated with wood. This element is the one that is associated with the liver and gall bladder. Since the wind has a tendency to blow in spring and wind strengthens the liver the spleen will also be affected. This can cause a disharmony which can present with problems like stomach pain, acid regurgitation, stomach distension and diarrhea. If the imbalance also affects the lungs then you will find that you suffer from all the classic signs of allergies.

If you are suffering from these kinds of problems in the spring then you can turn to the traditional Chinese medicinal disciplines of acupuncture and herbal medicine to help you get your body back into balance.

Herbal medicine and diet

In spring it is considered important to eat green leafy vegetables. These vegetables cleanse and freshen the body. It is recommended that you eat things like dandelion as a cleanser and drink juices from citrus fruits, pear and apple as well as celery and carrot. You can also add some sprouts to your diet, this would include things like beans, mung and radish sprouts.

Acupuncture

The first thing that has to be done when undergoing an acupuncture treatment is to identify and release any blockages in your system. The main blocks will be internal and external blockages, aggressive energy and entry exit blocks. It is the entry and exit blocks that relate directly to the organs affected by the elements.

Once the blocks have been cleared the next step is to plan what spirit points to open to help the patient to recover and rediscover their joy in life. The last step would be to treat the problem or imbalance directly through the use of command points. The command points are all directly related to the five elements. Thus in spring the most commonly treated command points would be the wood points.

As you can see, traditional Chinese medicine and spring, and the other seasons, are intricately related. The treatment that you receive will depend on the season and how that season is affecting your body and the balance within your body.

Many of my patients come in for seasonal treatments to enhance and optimize good health and to keep their immune systems strong.

Wendy
604-839-9789

I have been certified at the first level of Auricular Medicine, a discipline that is being practiced by only about 150 people in Canada. You may remember that  Blue Jays pitcher, Jeremy Accardo,  underwent this type of acupuncture to treat a level 2 Groin Sprain, and was able to regain his full range of motion after only one treatment! He was injured on June 21 and with the help of Auricular Medicine, he was back pitching 5 days later.

The good news is that if you are afraid of needles I can use my laser prob and get just as effective results!

I have also undertaken advanced studies in the Five Elements Theory. It was great to see physicians, neurologists, psychiatrists, and other health practitioners in the course (I was the only acupuncturist)! More and more main-stream health practitioners are looking more and more to alternative healing tools offered by TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).

Despite my obvious bias, kudos to them for striving to offer their patients more than just a prescription!

The five elements are water, metal, earth, fire and wood. Each and every single one of these elements has its own properties and characteristics.
According to the elements theory, all of the 5 elements are usually seen in a circular motion, which shows the connection from one element to another, and together, the 5 elements make up as a connected, combined whole. The traditional Chinese medicine uses the power of the elements and it is use to either generate, promote or control the cycle, if there is anything wrong with it.
According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, each organ of the body is assigned an element. For example, the Liver is assigned with Wood element, the heart is assigned with Fire element, the spleen is assigned with Earth element, the lungs are associated with metal element, and the kidneys are associated with the water element.

The Water Element

When your water element is in balance you ooze the aura of calmness which will cause everyone around you to be calm as well. You think fluidly and deeply, and you remain constant and resilient. With the water element in balance, you are high in integrity. The theory here is that the water element has a lot to do with intelligence.

If the water element is out of balance, you may lack all of the qualities above, and if the imbalance is bad, the qualities may reverse. Traditional Chinese medicine theory believes that you cannot separate the mind and the body, and you need to treat the kidney (balance the water element) in order for you to be healthy emotionally and physically.

Some diseases and conditions caused by water element imbalance:

• phobias
• fear
• anxiety attacks
• panic attacks
• lower back pain
•  knee pain
• adrenal exhaustion
• ringing in the ears
• heel pain
• premature graying
• hypothyroidism
• impotence
• infertility
• hair thinning or loss
• hormonal imbalances
• lack of libido
• dark circles under the eyes
• urinary tract problems,
• fatigue and exhaustion
• pain
• and most obviously, kidney diseases

Seasonal acupuncture treatments will keep ALL five elements in balance
and have a positive affect on your body, mind and spirit.  

Give me a call to book your appointment now!
Wendy  604-839-9789

The average adult loses 2.5 liters of water per day just through breathing, sweat, and waste removal. This increases with exercise.

Even in the colder weather, we need to be aware of how much water we need drink. The colder weather, the drier air and more wind, hydrating even more important. WE will be drawn to hot drinks and even more alcoholic drinks in the colder weather to “steam our bones” for warmth. However, we still need lots of water.

AVOID COLDS AND THE FLU

Water helps keep your body in balance and strengths your immune system. A strong immune system will help you fight off any germs or viruses.

AVOID BACK AND NECK PAIN WITH HYDRATION

We all know our spine holds up our entire upper body weight. But did you know, 75% of this support comes from the water within the small spinal discs that sit between each vertebrae?

When dehydrated, the discs contain less water, are smaller in size, and less capable of providing the support. The result is increase risk of nerve impingement, additional strain on musculature that supports the spine, and increased risk of disc herniation. All of these are sources of back and neck pain. Hydration helps support our back and keep it strong.

STRESS AND HYDRATION

With the fast pace we place in our lives, stress has become one of the most common causes of poor health. This results in many health issues.

Emotional stress is an obvious and significant factor to this, which few people realize. Internal physiological stress plays a large role as well. The body translates dehydration as a state of emergency ie. the fight or flight stress response. If evoked often enough, this stress will physically wear down the body and destroy your health. Hydration keeps unnecessary stresses at bay. We deliver enough stress to our selves just living our daily lives.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND HYDRATION

Water represents a large portion of our blood volume. It only stands to reason that when we are low in our hydration, our volume of blood will decrease as well. When our volume of blood decreases, so does the size of our blood vessels as they must accommodate the smaller volume of blood. This constriction of our blood vessels can lead to an elevated reading in our blood pressure.

HYDRATION is a simple way for us to help our bodies stay healthy and strong. To avoid putting our bodies in a state of emergency and the unnecessary stresses we place upon it, just drink water.
How simple is that????

The following table is another look at the Five Elements, showing the interconnections of each element. This model has been used by medical practitioners for tens of thousands of years.

Some people love winter.  They stay active and keep a busy social calendar.  Others hate the cold, damp air, rain and soggy snow. The seemingly endless days of gloom have them cocooning in front of a fire or the TV.  They hibernate, are inactive and avoid human contact.

At the extreme are those who plunge into a world of depression.

This is avoidable …

TCM and Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM offers a way to reduce depression without the use of over the counter and prescription drugs.

Depression is linked to the blockage of chi energy in the body. It will cause an imbalance in your physical, mental, and emotional health. If not treated, this imbalance will cause various illnesses, including depression.  In TCM, depression is known to be a symptom of stagnation of the life force of chi. This stagnation can eventually cause the dysfunction of the major organs such as the liver, the kidneys, the spleen, and the heart. If left untreated, this will result to a vicious cycle. The stagnation will cause the depression and the depression will cause more stagnation.

When a person is depressed, there is a need to regulate the imbalanced chi. The life force or chi energy should be brought to its original state in which it flows freely.

Treatment can take place with the traditional acupuncture needles or a laser treatment device. In essence, the needles (or laser beam) are inserted and manipulated in  key points of the body to unblock the Chi energy.

As the blockages are cleared away, and the flow of chi is restored both the physical body as well as the mental and emotional energies return to normal.

If you are affected by seasonal depression, please give me a call to discuss treatment options.  604-839-9789

TCM teachings tell us that  is important to eat different foods in the different seasons because foods have specific energies or forces. During the cold winter season,  our bodies should get warmth from the food we eat.

As the winter season cools the body’s temperature, the food we eat should have the properties to warm it. Below are two simple tips that will definitely help you manage your body’s health and nutrition.

Say No to Cold Foods

During the winter, the body begins to burn more calories and fats to counter-balance the cold. This means that the body is spending more energy than usual because it needs power to burn fuel and produce energy. TCM teaches that we should avoid cold food because cold food takes the body’s temperature lower and does not help in what the body is trying to achieve.

The body will benefit a lot from hot foods such as stew and fruits or vegetables that are naturally produced during the winter season such as lentils, beans, oranges, and lemons. Lamb is a great meat choice during the winter because it has healthy fats that the body can burn, unlike beef and pork that are both rich in fats that the body cannot use, both of which end up as cholesterol, clogging the heart’s arteries.

If lamb is not easily available to you, you can eat fish like tuna and salmon. They have high omega-3 fatty acids and can provide your body’s need for protein, an essential building block of nutrition that repairs damaged cells.

Say Yes to Warm Beverages

In the same principle of balancing the yin and yang, warm beverages during the winter will do wonders for the body by reducing the cold and increasing overall warmth. Drink warm water instead of drinking it from the refrigerator. Do not put ice in your drinks. Hot apple toddies, teas and hot chocolate are perfect choices.

Drink lots of hot, green tea. The hot tea also enriches the cells with antioxidants that help fight cancer. Tea has long been proven to have high contents of chemicals that reduce the number of free radicals in the body that rips cells apart, thus causing cancer.

Fruit juices are another great choice –  grapefruit or lemon juice help aid your digestive process. The acidity if the juice will help increase your metabolism. Wine is also a common recommendation by TCM, but only in small quantities.