In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) seasonal changes also signal changes in both your physical and mental health.

The ancient Chinese believed that every living thing is sustained by a balance of two opposing forces of energy — Yin and Yang. Together,these energy forces make up your life essence, or Qi.  Your life energy is affected by the food you eat, your state of mind as well as your living conditions including weather and the seasons.

As the seasons change, so should your diet.  Your diet needs to supply the essential nutrients necessary to enable a health balance of Yin and Yang

Autumn foods are white in color and pungent in flavour.  Choosing white foods will help relieve cough, nourish skin, and relieve constipation through moistening and promoting body fluid production.  Move away from eating the summer fruits and vegetables into eating more fall produce.

Autumn foods include:

• turnips
• almonds
• potatoes
• cauliflower
• yams
• soybean milk
• garlic
• onion
• apples
• pears
• mushrooms
• cabbage
• kale
• brussel sprouts
• carrots
• leeks

If you are thinking soups and veggie laden stews you’re going in the right direction.  See tomorrows post for some great recipe ideas.

If you feel run down or the start of a cold, book an Acupuncture appointment to give your immune system a boost.  My needleless acupuncture treatments are perfect if you are afraid or even shy of needles.  Give yourself a boost and avoid the fall and winter “cold” season.
Call for an appointment now.  604-839-9789

Facial Rejuvenation, or Cosmetic Acupuncture is tremendously popular among movie stars, models and other “players” in the entertainment industry. Madonna and Cher, who have regular Acupuncture treatments, look decades younger than their calendar age. Sandra Bullock is one of the newest additions to the ever growing list of Stars going for Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture.

So, why are the Stars crazy about this natural therapy? There are several simple reasons — the foremost is because they can look and feel younger than their actual age, without having to resort to surgery or potentially harmful drugs.

Facial rejuvenation acupuncture is not only less risky; it has very little (or no) recovery time as well. And though the treatments are less costly than plastic surgery, I’m sure that looking younger and staying healthy is not a cost most of the Stars are prepared to quibble about!

In addition to being helpful in reducing aging effects, acupuncture also helps to improve your overall health at the same time. You will feel less stressed and more energetic.

Cosmetic Acupuncture gives your skin a natural glow. This is done by invigorating the blood circulation, which is also helpful in balancing skin tone and discolorations. The treatments help tighten your skin and give you a supple and natural appearance. It treats the core constituents of your facial skin and provides you with a natural anti-aging effect.

Curious?  Come in and talk to us about what a Facial Rejuvenation Series of treatments can do for you.

I am so pleased to be one of the first clinics in Canada to introduce a new acupuncture therapy sans needles! Biostimulation is a low-level laser therapy (LLLT) that stimulates acupuncture points so that needle penetration is unnecessary. Immune boosts, weight loss, smoking cessation, injuries, aches and pains, digestion problems, skin aliments, and allergies can all be treated successfully with this laser. Most importantly, this German technology is safe and effective.

For patients, biostimulation also means shorter treatment periods with all of the positive end results of traditional acupuncture.
Some treatment plans will always require the use of a few needles including facial rejuvenation and other situations of deficiency. I am a big believer in the magic of acupuncture needles, but I am well aware that many people are squeamish around needles. Despite my best efforts, some people still picture vaccination needles rather than hair-thin ones when they hear about acupuncture! With biostimulation, I can share the benefits of acupuncture therapy and of Traditional Chinese Medicine with everyone! Biostimulation combines the wisdom and effectiveness of a 6000 year-old therapy with modern laser technology.

Laser therapy, in fact, is not new to acupuncture, but we’ve never had such advanced technology as we do with the RJ Laser machine used in my clinic. This technology is fully approved in Canada.

How does it work?
The laser beam produces a low-heat and is an electromagnetic wave which can stimulate the acupuncture points of the human body. It also puts energy into the body to excite the channels, regulate the function of organs, and increase metabolism. This oscillating energy field makes it very suitable and effective for acupuncture and the meridian system as a whole. One of the major benefits of biostimulation is the ability to treat injuries and promote the healing of tissue.

For you, this means an effective holistic therapy with faster treatment periods and no need for needles. It’s the best of both worlds I say!

Here’s to a wonderful 2010!

Wendy