When the seasons change you have to be ready for a change in mood, especially as we move from fall into winter. Although it may not seem as drastic of a shift as you think, it matters more to our mental and physical states than you may know. Seasonal affective disorder is estimated to affect around 10 million Americans a year, and this isn’t even the full number of reported cases. continue reading
How to Prepare For Seasonal Affective Disorder
Posted in Acupuncture, Depression
Tagged exercise, SAD, seasonal affective disorder, sleep
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7 Reasons to Seek Out Acupuncture
Do you ever feel your life’s a ride that won’t ever stop? How many nights do you wait for Mr. Sandman to magically appear? How often do you truly take time for yourself? Do you have aches and pains almost daily? Are over-the-counter or prescription medications controlling your life? When was the last time you actually felt at peace? If any of these questions resonate with you, then it might be time to look at Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture for an answer. People in Asian countries have known the magnificence of acupuncture for thousands of years. Traditional Chinese Medicine is growing in popularity in the United States and here are some reasons why you might want to consider utilizing it also. continue reading
Posted in Acupuncture, Allergies, Anxiety, Depression, Migraines, Pain
Tagged allergies, anxiety, depression, medicine, menstruation, pain
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Nutrition for Heart Health OM Nutrition & Hypertension
Oriental medicine (OM) nutrition combines ancient wisdom with modern science. OM nutrition is a holistic approach, which aims to balance all five flavors within most meals with one or two flavors being emphasized for therapeutic purposes. OM nutrition for a hypertension emphasizes bitter flavors, sour flavors and energetically-cooling foods.
OM theory states the bitter flavor benefits the heart in moderation but an excess is harmful as it has a drying effect; for example, coffee is bitter. In moderation coffee acts as vasodilator increasing circulation but in excess it can raise blood pressure and has a diuretic effect. Modern scientific research has discovered while the human genome has 25 bitter taste receptors 12 of these are expressed in the human heart. continue reading
7 Ways to Communicate Healthy Habits to Your Kids
As the school year kicks back into gear so should the healthy habits that you and your children have before practiced. Notice how I said “practiced,” because we all know during the summer-vacation months we tend to indulge a little. Maybe you have had one too many backyard barbecues, or three too many trips to the favorite ice cream shop down the street. Whatever your summer vice may be don’t worry about it, you can regain those healthy habits from before and introduce them into your children’s lives! continue reading
What is Liver Qi Stagnation?
Written by Kalina Shannon, AP, DOM
Have you ever dropped something harmless such as keys or a piece of paper on the floor and angrily sighed or growled in irritation? Have you ever experienced stress and tension, irritability, dull body pain, tense shoulders, grinding teeth, easy to anger, PMS, menstrual cramps or possibly digestive or eye issues? You may have Liver Qi Stagnation!
In Chinese Medicine, we see the Liver as responsible for the free flow of Qi or energy in the body and when stress, toxins, Liver disease, hormonal imbalances or poor nutrition stagnate it, then the body’s functions and emotional balance may suffer.
What are some things that you can do to alleviate Liver Qi Stagnation?
- Breathe deeply… Oxygen alkalizes, relaxes, brings us out of ‘fight or flight’, and brings us into our NOW moment!
- Exercise… Do something you love to do and get both your Qi and your endorphins flowing. The Liver loves Tai Qi, aerobic exercise, weight-lifting, in fact, any exercise.
- Express your anger in a healthy way. Quit holding it in. Quit raging it out.K
- Keep a journal or find a therapist, close friend or partner who is present and available for you to both vent and process the stressful issues in your life, as well as find dynamic solutions.
- Eat healthy, fresh foods… Some foods that help the Liver Qi and/or nourish the blood are: mung bean sprouts, celery, spirulina, dark leafy greens, beets, berries, and Goji berries.
- Go green… as in bare feet on the green grass, look at nature, lean back against a tree with arms outstretched, do some gardening, walk or sit and reconnect with the rhythms of nature. Put a green plant next to your computer screen. Rest your eyes. Turn off your phones, tvs, and wi-fi when you go to sleep, give your body a rest from the electronic static and overwhelm of modern society.
- Make plans and follow through on them or recommit to a different outcome. In Chinese medicine, our Liver is all about our Visions, Goals, and Decision-Making. Honor that part of yourself and make some dynamic realities come true. If your plans change, chill, be flexible and grow in a different direction to make a new plan with minimal or no frustration!
- See a great Acupuncturist or Herbalist. You may receive dietary, herbal or lifestyle advice along with treatments that could smooth your path, refresh and recharge you on all levels.
Bless your Livers, may they flow smoothly! namaste
To contact Dr. Shannon or schedule a FREE 30 minute consultation call 941-301-8485 or schedule online at https://www.goodlifehealing.com/schedule-online/
Posted in Good Life Healing Blog
Tagged Liver Qi Stagnation
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What is acupuncture good for?
This is the most frequent question I am asked by those considering treatment in my clinic. The short and simple answer to this million dollar question is “Acupuncture is good for everything!”
The long and thoughtful answer takes into account that, with acupuncture, some conditions respond quickly and some get better slowly over time. Also, each condition and person varies in how much initial and then maintenance treatment is needed. Sometimes, herbal medicine plus acupuncture together are a better solution and sometimes other techniques like deep tissue laser therapy, chiropractic adjustment and yes even modern antibiotics are in your best interest.
Chinese Acupuncture and Herbal medicine are the oldest continuously practiced forms of medicine that exist. Acupuncture has been actively used for 2500 years and herbal medicine for as long as 4500 years. They were developed and practiced separately until the mid 1900s — acupuncture in northern China where the climate was cool and plant life limited, and Herbal medicine in the south where the weather supports diverse and abundant plant life much of the year. Consequently, each form of medicine is a complete, comprehensive modality that was practiced as a stand-alone form of healthcare in its respective geography.
No matter what your ailment, if you lived in northern China you would be treated with acupuncture techniques that had been developed and used for your problem for hundreds or even thousands of years.
The best questions for you as a potential patient to ask your practitioner about acupuncture for your condition are: How much will it help? How fast will it help? And how much will it cost now and down the road? These questions can only be answered after the practitioner learns more about you and the details of your condition. Good medicine is always customized for your individual needs. That is why an important part of my practice is the free initial consultation I offer to every new patient, at my Bradenton (LWR) and St. Petersburg offices.
Posted in Good Life Healing Blog
Tagged acupuncture for pain, acupuncture in bradenton, acupuncture in LWR, acupuncture in St. Pete, treating illness with acupuncture
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What supplements should I take?
While there is more than a little disagreement on the subject of dietary supplements, the majority of information is that we should all be taking a few important supplements every day. This is true for everyone, from the chronically ill to the healthiest person, and from the fast food junky to the most health conscious. Our lifestyle choices, the diminishing quality of our soil and food supply and the ongoing pollution of our environment, make it nearly impossible to get everything we need to be optimally healthy.
To build a solid nutritional foundation choose the following three supplements.
First, the most important part of your daily regimen should be a high-potency, high quality multi-vitamin. No, that one-a-day you get at the grocery store isn’t going to cut it. It is simply impossible to fit everything you need into one pill. This multi must contain sufficient vitamin D, B-vitamins, calcium and magnesium.
Second, a toxin-free source of Omega-3 fatty acids – fish oil as it is commonly called. This can be in the form of purified oil from salmon, sardines, anchovies or krill.
Finally, include a solid antioxidant supplement. Antioxidants have been in the news a lot in last few years. You have probably heard about acai, resveratrol, astaxanthin, curcumin or the natural antioxidant properties of fresh fruit and vegetables.
As I mentioned before these three supplements form the foundation of good nutrition. “Foundation” is truly the key word here. If you have health issues of any kind you may well need additional amounts of a specific nutrient(s). For instance, many women and those who are gluten intolerant may need additional iron and/or B-vitamins. Also, some people are getting too much of a given nutrient. Men, for instance, infrequently need iron supplementation and can be harmed by products containing a lot of this essential mineral.
I recommend consulting your physician or other primary healthcare professional for help choosing the supplements that are best for your personal needs.
In future posts I will share with you my product choices for each of these three important supplements or if you would like my help with this process I am currently available at my Bradenton (LWR) and St. Petersburg offices.
To schedule a free 30 minute consultation click here.
Posted in Good Life Healing Blog
Tagged acupuncture bradenton, dietary therapy, do i really need to take vitamins, holistic health bradenton, supplements for optimum health, what vitamins should i take
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What can acupuncturists treat?
Acupuncture is recognized by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to be effective in the treatment of a wide variety of medical problems. Below are some of the health concerns that acupuncture can effectively treat:
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How are acupuncturists educated?
Today, acupuncturists undertake three to four years of extensive and comprehensive graduate training at nationally certified schools. All acupuncturists must pass a national exam and meet strict guidelines to practice in every state.
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How safe is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is extremely safe. It is an all-natural, drug-free therapy, yielding no side effects just feelings of relaxation and well-being. There is little danger of infection from acupuncture needles because they are sterile, used once, and then discarded.
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