Marcie S. Falco, Acupuncture Physician

Happy First Day of Summer! Please read the article below for tips on how to assist in making this season a healthy one!

This is an article taken from American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine from June 19, 2018. It addresses our body's changing needs during the summer season.

Staying Healthy in Summer According to Chinese Medicine

Summer Tips from Traditional Chinese Medicine

Summer solstice on June 21 marks the beginning of the season of abundance. Through the lens of Chinese Medicine, it is the most yang day of the year–the apex of summer. It’s time to enjoy crisp watermelon slices, barley tea, and other foods to soothe and aid in cooling the body. With the many hours of daylight, the energy and bounty of summer is the ideal time for socializing, nurturing creative projects, and making time for exercise outside.

Observing the cycles of nature can provide a dynamic reflection of our own health. Engaging with the environment’s seasonal transitions is an insightful way to get in tune with ourselves and the world. Chinese Medicine believes that when treating disharmonies in the body, there is greater benefit in a seasonal approach and treatments may vary based on time of year because the body is affected by, and a reflection of, the environment around us.

The Season of the Heart and the Fire Element

Organ: the organ associated with summer is the Heart. The Heart is the emperor of the human body, it governs blood and is responsible for the Shen (Mind)
Element: Fire
Emotion: Joy
Taste: Bitter
Opens to: Tongue
Color: Red

Holistic Treatments

Summer is a great time to continue or start Chinese medicine treatments that are uplifting or tonifying for yang, qi, and blood. It is also a time when heat and fire patterns can be suffered in a more pointed or aggressive presentation. When the Heart is in balance, it is a kind leader but out of balance, people may experience:

Insomnia
Palpitations
Red complexion
Excessive sweating
Irritability, anxiety, restlessness
Depression (too little joy) or mania (excess joy)
Speech problems: Excessive talking, inappropriate laughter, rapid speech, aphasia, stuttering

Summer Nutrition
As an age old health model, Chinese medicine is generally not supportive of fad diets and health trends. Luckily for the foodies, it’s a medicine (and culture) that loves food and regular eating habits.

According to Joerg Kastner in his book Chinese Nutrition Therapy, the heat of summer “feeds on body fluids and harms yin. It is recommended to take in predominantly cooling, yin foods to disperse heat and build up body fluids. The bitter flavor corresponds to the fire phase, and mostly bitter–cool as well as bitter–cold foods in moderation should be consumed during the hot season.” In general, choose lighter foods to avoid indigestion (per the Heart’s relationship to the Small Intestine). Diet suggestions for summer include:

*Fruit: Apple, lemon, kiwi, watermelon, orange, pear, pineapple, tangerine
Cooling foods: Cucumber, Belgian endive hearts, spinach, tomato, salads, yogurt, wheat, barley, fish, rabbit, mint, dill, cilantro
*Drinks: Lots of water, watermelon juice, green tea (“it disperses summer heat and can expel toxins, cool the heart fire, calm the mind, remove heat from liver and gallbladder, and relieve stomach and lung.”)
*Combos: Mint and Chrysanthemum both aid in cooling the body and skin and also mildly supports liver function. If you are feeling adventurous, you could combine these as a tea and add a pinch of honeysuckle to create a wonderful floral tea to keep you cool.
*Avoid: Hot and dry foods such as coffee, excessively spicy foods, ice cold foods like ice cream since they cause the digestive system to slow down

Summer Self Care Practices

To optimize your health during the next three months, remember that this is a time for growth and expansion.

*Allow yourself to stay out a little later, socialize with people who bring you joy, make time to play, experience life and go on an adventure or two but be sure to balance it with plenty of water, downtime, and relaxation.
*Wake up earlier in the morning
*Rest at midday
*Go to bed later
*Seek water to balance the Fire element: cool baths and showers, swimming
*Seek activities that bring you joy and put you in a state of flow
*Nourish creative projects
*Find time to play like you did as a child

Gut Health is of utmost importance in promoting the health of the entire body including your brain!

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Foods such as spinach, tomato, salads, yogurt, cucumber, watermelon and pineapples are all great foods to eat during the summer months!

What's your favorite summer food?

😋

Great information on Protein from Yuka.

Yuka provides a fantastic App for checking out foods and products we use in and on our bodies. It rates them and gives information regarding the health risks or benefits related to the products.

The Best Protein Sources - Yuka Learn more about the different types of protein and how to better manage their consumption to feel good throughout the day and be healthy.

"Give up waiting as a state of mind. When you catch yourself slipping into waiting, snap out of it. Come into the present moment. Just be and enjoy being." - Eckhart Tolle

Great tips for boosting your ability to fight the flu!

Grand Master Lu's Tips to Prevent the Flu In this video, Grand Master Lu shares simple tips for preventing the flu and staying healthy. Prevention is the best medicine!

There are appointment times available. You can schedule on line at floridamedicalthermography.com/schedule

Think of socializing as a Wellness practice

Evil Bone Water is a great formula that can help everyone suffering from inflammation to bug bites!

It is a powerful liniment that has topical analgesic properties, promotes circulation, reduces inflammation and strengthens connective tissue to repair injury.
Sprayed directly onto the affected area, Evil Bone Water is deeply penetrating with rapid healing results.

*Evil Bone Water has no animal products. Furthermore, non-GMO, gluten-free, cruelty-free, pesticide-free, contaminant free.

Happy New Year everyone!
We are grateful for a peaceful holiday season and eager to start 2023 on a positive note!

As we say goodbye to 2022, take a moment to reflect on the positive and how to bring the positive to 2023! Happy New Years everyone!

Happy Friday everyone! Here's a delicious congee recipe to try this weekend:

This Ancient Recipe Is The Best Way To Quickly Reset Your Gut During The Holidays It's also a great make-ahead lunch or dinner.

Any of your favorite fruits and vegetables makes the list?!

Today we want to share a few TCM Winter eating tips:
Healthy Fats - We all have winter cravings with all the goodie being made around us. Instead of fried or process foods, try adding whole fat organic ingredients. Such as: coconut milk, organic butter, olive oil, and coconut oil. These are all stable fats you can include in your diet. These healthy fats can help moisten the body and also supplement blood and qi.
Sugar Cravings - Having occasional sweets during the winter months is common. Sweet flavor food items are said to help the spleen, if consumed in excess, it can slow down the spleens qi. Try having some backed apples or pairs with cinnamon as a treat! Grape, raspberries, figs and red wine are also great for those sugar cravings.
Warming Foods - We tend to eat lots of soups and broths in the winter months. According to TCM, warming cooking methods help aid in yang within the meal. Try makings foods by baking, smoking, roasting or grilling to help the yang in your body too. Eggs, toasted bread, soups and broths are ideal for the winter months.
Slow down - Winter is known for slowing us down in life. Winter is also a great time to make great meals that cook slowly over a length of time. The heat that is cooked into the meal, transfers and helps lock in moisture to the body.
Fermented Vegetables - To help digest fats, try adding sauerkraut, kimchi or kombucha with your meals. Fermented foods help add probiotics for gut health, they also aid in digestion of rich foods. Leafy greens also help aid in digestion of heavier foods.

Chinese Medicine and Winter Season
"The ancient Chinese believed that human beings should live in harmony with the natural cycles of their environment. The cold and darkness of winter urges us to slow down. This is the time of year to reflect on our health, replenish our energy, and conserve our strength.

Winter is Yin in nature; it is inactive, cold, and damp. Remain introspective, restful, and consolidate your Qi through the season and prepare for the outburst of new life and energy in the spring."

Great article on Acupuncture and the winter season:

Chinese Medicine and Winter Season - Acufinder.com Winter is Yin in nature; it is inactive, cold, and damp. Remain introspective, restful, and consolidate your Qi through the season and prepare for the

If you want to know more about how TCM and Acupuncture can help keep your body moving throughout these winter months, ask us!

To those who celebrate today, we wish you a Kwanza filled with joy and prosperity!

To all those who celebrate today, Merry Christmas! Wishing you a day full of joy and love.

Santa loved his acupuncture session before the big day! He also wanted us to share this delicious chestnut recipe: https://mydaolabs.com/blogs/the-way/a-chinese-medicine-christmas-recipe-roasted-chestnuts

Each Season bring changes in the world around us, and from within. We will be sharing how your body is likely to change as we transition into the winter months over the next few weeks!

Thank you Debbie Lundberg for our adorable Santa hats and for spreading holiday cheer!

Happy first day of Winter!

Peanuts:
In TCM, peanuts are considered neutral and sweet. Peanuts help the spleen, stomach and lungs. They strengthen the spleen and stomach while moisturizing the lungs and help dissolve phlegm. In TCM, peanuts are best used for strengthening the spleen and relieving dry cough!

Walnuts:
In TCM, walnuts are warm in nature and sweet. Walnuts help aid the kidney and lung in functioning. More specifically, they help strengthen the kidney and warm the lungs. Walnuts are best used for back and knee pain, as well as, reducing the frequency of urination during sleep time.