Happy Lunar New Year

“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” ~ Socrates

In the last few years, I have been on a journey to simplify my life. It’s been a continual work in progress.  With the Lunar New Year approaching, I want to focus this coming year on the concept of less.  

I hear from many of my patients, especially the ones I’m treating for stress or anxiety, that they want to simplify their life. YET, at the same time, they tell me about the new things they are addingto their schedules.  Of course, we all want to take the “chores” out of our lives and only do the fun and leisurely things. While that is a nice thought, it’s not realistic. 

There will always be chores, tasks, and responsibilities that are not fun or pleasant, but we have to do them. Most of us, including myself, keep adding more to our hectic schedules to convince ourselves we can have and do it “all.” In fact, the only thing we seem to be removing from our schedules is time for rest and sleep.

As a society, we glorify busy.  We have a knack of making even enjoyable events seem stressful because we are so overwhelmed.The following are some goals I’m setting for myself in 2015 to help me enjoy life with “less.”  

• I want to take an event off my schedule and NOT replace it with something else.  

• I want to have more moderation in my life, especially in terms of food. I’d like to have a more balanced intake of food, especially sugar.

• I want to stop practicing “retail therapy” when I’m stressed.

What are your “less” goals for the year? I hope this year of less will lead to a lifetime of more happiness.

Points of Wellness would like to wish everyone a Happy Lunar New Year! Let’s welcome in the year of the Green Sheep. The sheep is seen as a symbol of peace, balance, harmony and calmness. Come and visit us if you are looking for balance and calmness in the New Year!

Feeling jolly this holiday season!

Holiday season is upon us. Our calendars are filling up with holiday dinners and parties, where many of us will gorge on a bountiful of food and drinks.

The tips below will keep you feeling jolly through this time of year.

·         Drink too much? Counteract the effects by drinking a large amount of green tea as soon as possible. Researchers have found that antioxidants (called catechins) found in green tea inhibit absorption of alcohol in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to less of an inflammatory response and faster elimination.

·         Stuffed from eating too much? Oolong tea helps settle an upset stomach, improves digestion, and prevents acid reflux.

·         Feeling under the weather?

o   Senna tea is a natural laxative, preventing constipation and relieves the discomfort caused by food that builds up in the colon.

o   Apply pressure to the following acupressure point: In the middle of your inner wrist, two-and-one-half finger widths below the wrist crease. As you press down on the point, take a deep breath and release your breath slowly. This point relieves stomachaches, indigestion, nausea, and anxiety.

o   Apply White Flower oil to your belly and rub your stomach clockwise for about 2 minutes. This helps with constipation and stomachaches.

Finally, eat mindfully. Enjoy and savor every single bite; take in the moment; and be thankful for the experience!

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

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.

 

 

The gift of acupuncture!

Are you looking for a unique and special gift this is holiday season? How about giving the gift of acupuncture? Acupuncture is a special gift that can make a real difference to the lives of the ones you love. Points of Wellness Acupuncture provides care to people throughout the year, and during the holiday season, we help our clients reduce stress and improve their well-being.

From backaches and headaches caused by long to-do lists to holiday dinner fears to over-spending insomnia, the holiday season is a stressful time for many of us. One of the most negative outcomes of stress is a breakdown in your immune system, leaving you at risk to colds and illness. Eating fattening foods, exercising less and stressful family situations can truly take a toll on your health.

Acupuncture helps you cope with these demands and enables you to function at a high level of wellness. Stress, anger, or any intense emotion creates a traffic jam in your body, blocking the free flow of energy. For example, people who are stressed tend to experience upper back, shoulder and neck pain. This is because stress stops the flow of Qi (energy) passing through channels in your body to these areas resulting in pain, tension, stiffness, and sometimes, headaches as well.

Acupuncture removes these energy blockers allowing energy to flow smoothly, which not only alleviates the symptoms of stress and anxiety, but also the underlying stress and anxiety itself. Additionally, acupuncture improves blood circulation throughout the body. The calming nature of acupuncture decreases your heart rate, lowers blood pressure and relaxes the muscles. Acupuncture also helps relieve many aliments, such as headaches, and improves overall health.

In addition to acupuncture treatments, here are some other basic tips for staying healthy during the holiday season, or any season for that matter:

Quality sleep between 10pm and 2am regenerates the adrenal glands, which controls a large portion of the body’s hormonal system.

Exercise has many good points. It is a natural stress and pain reliever, as well as an immune system booster. If you do not have time for a 30-minute exercise session, then at the very least, do some stretching or a few yoga poses to keep your circulation up.

The old saying, “You are what you eat,” is very true. Sugar and processed foods increase inflammation in the body and damages your immune system.

Eat plenty of colorful vegetables, leafy greens, and choose organic when possible.

Remember the best shopping areas in a grocery store is the perimeter!

Soups are great for this season. You can use leftovers, such as turkey, turkey bones, beef bones, and vegetables, to make a yummy and nutritious broth.

Research shows that if you want to feel good, do something for those less fortunate. You can volunteer or donate to a local food pantry, or buy Christmas gifts for a
less fortunate child.

And, with these last few tips, I wish you and your families a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!