Monday, December 30, 2013

Wishing you a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season

Feeling less energetic? Getting tired earlier in the evening? It might be just the energy of the season. Many animals hibernate this time of year. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this time of year is governed by Yin energy, which is dark, cold, slow, and composed of inward energy.

Yin energy in the winter months give life to the Yang energy of summer, which is light, hot, quick, and has more outward qualities. Hence, Yang energy encourages people to go out and be active.

Winter’s energy encourages us to look inward; it is a great time for meditation, yoga and T’ai Chi practices. In order to live according to the season, TCM teaches us that the foods in winter enrich yin and subdue yang. Look for foods that naturally grow in this season, such as squashes, potatoes, root vegetables, winter greens, mushrooms, apples, pears, and citrus fruits.

Most importantly, in the winter, our bodies need warming foods like soups made with hearty vegetables. Rich stocks cooked with animal bones are best. Use your leftover turkey bones to make a nutritious and warming soup, such as a turkey noodle soup. Other foods that are especially good for the winter months are black beans, kidney beans, lamb, chicken, walnuts, chestnuts, black sesame seeds, and dark leafy greens.

If you are feeling run down, take the time to rest and replenish. Nature tells us that this is the time of year to take good care of our entire body: physically, mentally and spiritually.

So, enjoy your bowl of turkey noodle soup!

Points of Wellness would like to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!

Remember: give the gift of health, gift certificates are available.


 


 

Friday, November 29, 2013

Thanksgiving 2013

Ah, Thanksgiving! I’m not sure about your home, but mine is filled with an abundance of food: from the turkey and ham, to the mash potatoes, to the plethora of desserts. Time with family and friends to share an amazing meal, and then a long nap afterwards – what more can you ask for?

Food is such an integral part of our celebrations in life. And, food nutrition is an integral part of Chinese Medicine. Chinese Medicine categorizes foods by temperature, flavor, and therapeutic action. Your body’s underlying constitution, such as core body temperature and digestive health, determines which foods are most suitable for you.

In order to choose the appropriate foods, you need to identify where you are imbalanced in regards to your health. For example, a person who is always hot would benefit from eating foods that are cooling. On the other hand, someone who tends to have cold extremities should eat more foods that promote qicirculation. Come by the clinic and we can help you identify your body’s needs.

Below is a list of common Thanksgiving foods and spices, and their properties. 

Turkey is warm, sweet, and tonifies qi.
Spinach is cool, sweet, tonifies blood and yinandcounteracts heat.
Apple is cooling, sweet and sour, tonifies yin and qi, counteracts heat, and removes toxins.
Cranberries are cold, sweet and sour, and counteract damp heat.
Carrot is neutral, sweet, tonifies qi, promotes qi circulation, counteracts heat and damp heat, and clears toxins.
Pumpkin is warm, sweet, tonifies qi, promotes blood circulation, counteracts cold and dampnessand resolves phlegm.
Potato is neutral, sweet, tonifies qi and yin, andcounteracts heat.
Sweet potato is neutral, sweet, tonifies qi, blood and yin, as well as removes toxins.
String beans are neutral, sweet, and tonify yin.
Pepper helps warm the interior.
Nutmeg is warm, pungent, tonifies yang, counteracts cold, and promotes qi and blood circulation.

Points of Wellness wishes everyone a healthy Thanksgiving. We are thankful for each and every one of you! 

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Tricks and Treats


Where has 2013 gone? Halloween is just around the corner, and soon following will be Thanksgiving and Christmas. For those of us who are sweet lovers; it is a hard time of year. Candies, pastries, and all sorts of treats can be found all around us. Though we are surrounded by temptation, we can still make this time of year a healthy holiday season.
Follow the information below to learn how to do that.

Are you carving pumpkins? Remember to save the seeds and roast them! A half-cup of toasted pumpkin seeds provides 92 percent of your daily magnesium needs. Pumpkin seeds have a high content of iron, protein, and fiber. They also contain most of the B vitamins, folate, and vitamins A and C. Pumpkins themselves are a healthy, low-calorie food
(just 49 calories per cup). Their orange coloring reflects that they are full of beta-carotene, which helps reduce cell damage and improve immunity. Interestingly, pumpkins have also been shown to increase good cholesterol and improve prostate health.

Another tasty treat that can be relatively healthy are caramel apples. A medium apple contains 14% of your daily Vitamin C needs, which can boost your immunity. Apples are also high in phytonutrients, which help regulate blood sugar. You can also cover the apple with peanut butter, instead of caramel. Peanut butter adds protein and healthy fats
to the apple.

Another possible healthy treat are popcorn balls. My niece loves popcorn. Popcorn CAN be healthy, when it isn’t doused in butter. Popcorn boosts heart health and aids in weight management due to its high fiber content. For a sweet, savory snack, make popcorn balls with honey, peanut butter, dried fruit, and nuts.

A great drink at this time of year is apple cider. Now, do not confuse cider with apple juice. Apple cider includes high-fiber pulp and sediment. Thus, improving digestion, as well as lowering cholesterol. Also, spicing your apple cider with cinnamon sticks is great for blood sugar control.

Finally, chocolate! Chocolate can be healthy, but it has to be the dark kind. Dark chocolate is high in disease-fighting antioxidants and flavonoids, which have been linked to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. When shopping for dark chocolate, look for the higher numbers of cacao because the higher the percentage of cacao, the higher the amount of
flavanols. Beware of cacao that was “processed with alkali”; it contains less flavanols. So, instead of milk chocolate, drop dark chocolate into trick-or-treat bags.

Below is nutritional information for a few of the most common Halloween candy:

Tootsie Rolls six pieces (40 g) 140 calories 20 g of sugar
Brach's Candy Corn 22 pieces (40 g) 140 calories 28 g of sugar
Kit Kat one package (43 g) 210 calories 22 g of sugar
Milky Way one bar (58.12 g) 260 calories 35 g of sugar
Butterfinger one bar (60 g) 270 calories 29 g of sugar
Snickers* one bar (58.7 g) 280 calories 30 g of sugar
Hershey's Milk Chocolate Kisses nine pieces (41 g) 230 calories 21 g of sugar
M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies small bag (47.9 g) 240 calories 31 g of sugar
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups one package (51 g) 280calories 26 g of sugar

Notes:

• Above nutritional information came from http://www.familydoctormag.com/nutrition/1497-halloween-candy-nutrition-calories-fat-and-good-news.html

• * Opt for the Fun Size, where sugar, calories and saturated fat drop by two-thirds.)
Happy Haunting!

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Changes at Points of Wellness


Fall is almost upon us! With the change in season coming, we want to update you on some changes at Points of Wellness.

First and foremost, the construction surrounding the parking lot at our Long Grove office is FINALLY complete. You may now enter at Robert Parker Coffin Rd, which is connected to the Sunset Foods Plaza. The Sunset Foods entrance allows easy access from either the north or south. You can still enter and exit through the original entrance, heading north on route 83.

Points of Wellness now offers Laser Acupuncture. It is a safe and effective form of treatment, especially for children, the elderly, and those with a fear of needles. Laser Acupuncture uses low-powered laser light from a hand-held device to stimulate acupuncture points. Research studies have indicated Laser Therapy benefits include: acceleration of natural healing time for wounds, pain reduction, improved blood circulation, and decreased tissue swelling.

Some other uses for Laser Therapy are:

  • ·      Post-operative Nausea
  • ·      Pain Control
  • ·      Dental pain
  • ·      Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • ·      Dry eyes


There are many other uses for Laser Therapy beyond those listed above. Please call us to discuss the best option for you.



Sunday, February 10, 2013

Happy New Year


It’s already February; where did those 31 days of January go? I haven’t even made my 2013 resolutions yet! Luckily, being of Asian/Chinese decent, I get a second chance to celebrate a New Year. Chinese (Lunar) New Year is on Feb 10th this year. Now, I really have to buckle down and get started on 2013! I invite each of you to think and act on your 2013 goals and dreams.

The snake is the 6th animal sign of the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle. People born in the year of the Snake are seen as wise, logical, intuitive, introspective, and dedicated. 2013 is the year of the black water Snake; it is going to be an exciting year for many. Hence, most of you will not want to be rushed or stressed this year. Peace, tranquility, and rest will provide strength in the Year of the Snake. This is a good year to explore adding a relaxing activity to your wellness program, such as mediation, Tai Chi, or a stress-relieving acupuncture session. 

In Chinese culture, the Snake is often seen as the healer of the physical body, and represents a shift to a more spiritual path. The Chinese zodiac repeats every 12 years; however, the specific combination of animal and element occurs only every 60 years. So, I invite each of you to take advantage of this energy and go within yourselves and think about shedding the bad of years past and start anew in 2013.

Happy New Year!