I have a post for you today with some information that pretty much blew my mind when I first learned it. Eating and drinking too many cold/frozen things can seriously impact your health in a negative way. Yes, too many salads, cold smoothies, cold juices, and iced beverages can actually be bad for you. I'm not just talking about digestive disorders, I'm talking about your entire body on a systemic level. Here are some things that can be affected:
Digestion
Pain levels
Inability to lose weight
All things uterus related (cramps, endometriosis, fibroids, cysts, fertility, etc.)
Obviously, what I'm saying is based on Eastern Medicine. Please do not walk into your doctor's office tomorrow and tell her that the cold salad and iced tea you had last night for dinner are the cause of all your ailments. However, please hear me out. Thousands of years of Chinese Medicine observation, theory, and treatment have to count for something, right?
Why Is Coldness A Potential Problem?
Coldness slows things down and it also constricts. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) we find that if the too much internal coldness impacts the circulation of blood and fluids *think slow moving iceberg or imagine trying to drink a frozen slushie through a straw*. Things just aren't moving as fast or as smoothly as they should. In TCM we often talk about 'blood stasis' resulting from too much coldness in the body. This simply means that your blood is not circulating at its optimal potential. Again, this is from an Eastern perspective. This does not mean that you are losing all blood flow to your body parts. However, too much stagnation in women can manifest as endometriosis, fibroids, cysts, menstrual clots/cramps, fertility issues, etc.
Spring is just around the corner, and this is the absolute BEST time of the year to cleanse and support your liver and gallbladder. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, certain organ pairs are linked to the seasons. During an organ's particular season it's always the most ideal time to support that organ--Springtime is Liver-Gallbladder time.
What Are Some Signs Of Liver-Gallbladder Issues?
- Allergies
- Skin Conditions
- Digestion problems such as bloating, poor appetite, gastritis
- Pain/stiffness in the body
- Cholesterol Issues
- Hormone Imbalances such as hot flashes
- Menstrual issues (cramps, irregular periods, painful periods, PMS)
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Tendency toward anger, irritability
- Eye issues (red, itchy, dry)
The liver acts as the powerhouse filter for the body. It filters blood so toxins do not accumulate. The liver also produces bile which is then stored in the gallbladder. Bile helps the body digest and absorb fats, but it also aids in the removal of certain waste products. Even excess cholesterol is excreted through bile. Thus, a healthy bile flow can help balance cholesterol levels. Bile also helps destroy pathogenic organisms in the body and regulates the bacteria in the intestines. The liver and gallbladder also play a prominent role in the regulation of hormones such as estrogen which are metabolized in the liver and excreted through the intestines with the aid of bile.
When the liver and gallbladder are sluggish, guess what happens? They don't do their job efficiently which means toxins and excess hormones can accumulate in the body. You can think of the liver the same way you'd think about the filter in your car. If you never clean the filter, your car will eventually suffer for it. Likewise, failing to clean and support our liver-gallbladder can often result in health consequences.
My month on the Whole 30 Program (no gluten, sugar, soy, corn, alcohol, grains, legumes, or additives) has come to an end. I'm excited to share some of the tricks I learned to help make clean eating easier.
I'm hoping the tips in this post will help guide you through any version of eating cleaner: Gluten-Free. Dairy-Free. Sugar-Free. Whatever it may be, you can definitely do it.
- It's not as difficult (or boring) as you think. First things first. Get your mindset in the right space. You. Can. Do. It. I know the idea of changing up your diet can create anxiety, annoyance, and even fear. I'm here to tell you it really does not have to be complicated, and your meals do not have to be boring. When someone decides to remove something from the diet such as grains, dairy and/or sugar, the first question is 'What can I eat?' Visions of salads all day every day begin to haunt them. Trust me, I didn't eat all of those things mentioned above (dairy, grains, sugar, etc.) for 1 month and I found plenty of delicious things to eat. However, it does take a little planning ahead to not fall into the salad rut.
As Valentine's Day draw nears I'm thinking of you. Why? Because while this holiday reminds us all to think about those we hold dear to our hearts, it should also serve as a reminder to give ourselves a little love.
A Little Self Care & Love = More Love To Share With Others
Of course, it is important to love and care for your significant other, family members, and friends, but caring for yourself should also be a top priority. When you take a moment out of your day to focus on your physical and mental well being, you can be so much more happy and present in your day to day life.
Today I just wanted to share a few things I personally do to take care of myself. Hopefully these tips can help you feel the love this Valentine's Day and beyond.
As promised, I'm bringing you an update now that I've reached the halfway point of my Whole 30 program. I also want to share some little gems (healthy items and recipes) I've picked up along the way. For those who didn't read my previous post on the what/why of the program, be sure to check it out 'Whole 30: An Acupuncturist's Journey'. Just to summarize, this program removes the following things from the diet for a 30 day period:
- Grains: Yes, that means breads, muffins, pasta, pancakes, tortillas, and even rice
- Legumes ( including soy)
- Corn
- Sugar (but of course I can have fruit)
- Dairy
- Alcohol
- Additives such as MSG
Yes, for the past 15 days I have removed all of these things, and guess what? I'm still alive. I haven't withered away from lack of nourishment or from food boredom :-) But seriously, while this has been challenging in certain regards, it's actually not as impossible as it sounds. Plus, it's not meant to last at this extreme level forever. At the end of the 30 days, foods will be reintroduced back into my diet bit by bit. The idea is that by removing these things for at least 30 days, then reintroducing them (one at a time), you begin to see the impact certain foods have on your overall health.
Trust me when I say that if you are thinking of making changes to your diet in order to improve your health, you can do it, and your meals don't have to be boring.
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine are all about balance. So, it may seem a little odd that I have embarked on a Whole 30 Journey due to the fact that this program takes a pretty extreme stance on the do's and don'ts of eating. For those of you not familiar with Whole 30, it's a program based on the Paleo Diet. The following things are removed from the diet for 30 days:
- Grains: Yes, that means breads, muffins, pasta, pancakes, tortillas, and even rice
- Legumes ( including soy)
- Corn
- Sugar (but of course you can have fruit)
- Dairy
- Alcohol
- Additives such as MSG
Thanksgiving is a few days away. While we prepare our homes and our kitchens to embrace this time with our loved ones, we often neglect to prepare our body to handle the onslaught of deliciousness headed its way. Taking a few simple steps to support your digestion during the holidays will help you to stay healthy overall. The reality is that those holiday treats often mean extra sugar which can lower your immune system and make you more prone to getting sick. Also, changing up the diet with rich, heavy meals can lead to bloating and digestive discomfort.
Before you make that assumption that your digestion is working just fine ask your self these questions:
- Do you get bloated after meals?
- Do you get sinus congestion or excess phlegm during and/or after meals?
- Do you have acid reflux?
- Do certain foods affect your bowel movements?
- Does stress impact your bowel movements?
- Have you used antibiotics?
Vegetables are healthy, but eating them in their raw state is not necessarily the healthiest way to consume them. Raw vegetables can actually be very hard on the digestive system, and for certain body types, can really impact overall health in a negative way. Ironically, many people eat an abundance of salads because they want to lose weight, but for certain body types too many damp foods actually cause the body to retain dampness which make it MORE difficult to lose weight.
Ever wish you could just bottle up that wonderful feeling of pure relaxation and euphoria you experience after receiving an acupuncture treatment? Never had acupuncture, but keep reading about all the stress-relieving benefits? Then, acupressure may be right up your alley. By learning about a few simple acupuncture points and their locations, you can give yourself a relaxing acupressure session to better manage stress.
Spring is officially upon us, and it is a wonderful time for cleansing and renewal. Spring is associated with the wood element, which governs the liver and the gallbladder. This is the best time of year to focusing on balancing and cleansing the liver/gallbladder through acupuncture, herbs, and diet.
