Acupuncture and Health Fall Newsletter 2018

“Summer is already better, but the best is autumn. It is mature, reasonable and serious, it glows moderately and not frivolously… It cools down, clears up, makes you reasonable…”
-Valentin (Finnish writer)

Most people rarely think of a season correlating with the cycles of the human body. Yet, it is believed that energy is transferred both physiologically and psychological particularly when seasons change. It is a seasonal energy that is steeped in thousands of years of Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM) but still has science scratching its head.

This fall, tune into your mind and body before life takes you in another busy direction and you lose the chance altogether. Tap that inner flow you may not even know is there and challenge yourself to fuel your life with empowerment and optimal health through naturopathic medicine and acupuncture.

Calm Your Spirit with the System of Correspondence

As fall opens its seasonal gate, checking in to your spirit or underlying life force could be advantageous in perpetuating optimal health. Acupuncture has been shown to rebalance the spirit which many practitioners believe is the first step to systemic enhancement.

Acupuncture is not just random needles placed throughout the body in the hopes of healing various conditions. It follows specific correlations between body and mind to adjust energy for enriched health through the manipulation of specific meridians (pathways). Some acupuncturists follow what is called the ‘System of Correspondence’ aka ‘Five Element Acupuncture.’

Rooted in Taoism over 2000 years ago, the Five Element acupuncture system is described here,

“In today’s culture, with its emphasis on striving for material wealth, as well as the overwhelming mental stimulation, there is little to nurture the spirit. This has led to the clinical finding that many individuals today have the origin of their health problems on the spirit level. The Tao Te Ching discusses protecting the spirit through the state of desire-lessness (wu wei). The knowledge that addressing the spirit is critical is also found in the earliest writings in Chinese medicine, the Nei Ching Su Wen “the first method of acupuncture is to cure the spirit, the second was to give knowledge of how to restore the body. In order to make acupuncture effective one must first cure the spirit.”

Each person displays associations with the five elements Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. However, it is one or two of these elements that a person can be most prominent in. Using the system of correspondence, a practitioner can assess the best methods to re-balance these five elements which, when successful, has shown to quell symptoms. This is particularly helpful when applied to seasonal allergies as well as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD has been linked to depression, fatigue and overall malaise due to the seasonal depletion of natural light.

This diagram is one of many reference charts a practitioner may use to generate systemic activity. For example, if you are dominant in the fire element you may be “melting” your metal element and need your water element to calm your fire element thus relieving stress on metal which is the dominant element during the fall season.

Although it may seem simple in this example, working with five element acupuncture requires a full assessment of the individual and several sessions for a beneficial result. However, in due time when the individual begins improving, acupuncture sessions can become a maintenance tool rather than a constant application. This is wholly optimal during seasonal change when earth and body energy are in flux.

Clear Lungs, Clear Grief

The emotion associated with fall is grief and sadness. This doesn’t mean that you will be depressed all season, it is a gauge to remind you to tap into clearing these stagnant, energy depleting emotions. However, ignoring or tamping them down is not recommended but rather dealing with them head on will almost always clear your body and mind to make room for healthy progress. This can be seen in the dominant organ for fall which is the lungs.

When grief and sadness takeover the mind, the lungs are the first affected. Some practitioners believe that when the lungs are compromised through emotion, respiratory symptoms could ensue. This may be why we see more asthma and allergies during the fall than possibly other seasons. Yes, of course, there are other players involved such as excessive germ exposure due to more indoor activity as well as natural release of pollens, molds, etc. However, Chinese medicine understands these factors but still looks to the root cause rather the surrounding atmosphere. Try clearing your lungs to unload your inner grief (there is always some lingering there, even if you do not feel it).

These are some ways you can plug into purging grief and sadness from your system during the fall season.

Meditate

This may sound like a chore but it is actually a very easy practice that will take little time out of your day. It can help open your mind and purge negative feelings plus it just may reduce systemic inflammation.

According to David Creswell of Carnegie Mellon University, lead author of a study published in Biological Psychiatry and associate professor of psychology in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences,

“We think that these brain changes provide a neurobiological marker for improved executive control and stress resilience, such that mindfulness meditation training improves your brain’s ability to help you manage stress, and these changes improve a broad range of stress-related health outcomes, such as your inflammatory health,”

If you can’t sit alone or in a meditation class, some meditation apps such as Heasdspace, Ohm, and Calm may help you get started with just 5 minute sessions.

Reconcile and Forgive

Clearing your system of stagnant grief could lift your health and spirit beyond your imagination. Holding on to emotional, often ego driven trauma cements you into an entrenchment which could or may have already stopped your life from progressing.

This fall, take the opportunity to clear your grief and sadness by reconciling with the cause. Whether it is a face to face with a person in your life or making peace with someone deceased, reconciling these emotions will fuel your power and catapult you onto a better path.

Lewis B. Smedes wrote: “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.”

Let Go

Sometimes, if reconciliation is completely impossible then let go. Let go of the anger, sadness, frustration and long list of ego driven responses to grief that has kept you prisoner way too long.

These are some ways to embrace letting go and getting on with your life during the optimal time of the season of fall:

• Help Others In Need
• Commit to Moving On
• Concentrate on the Present
• Embrace All That Is Positive In Your Life

Advice regarding how to navigate autumn from the ancient text, ‘The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine’ (the Neijing Suwen) ~240 B.C.

“Just as the weather in Fall turns harsh, so does the emotional climate. It is therefore important to remain calm and peaceful, refraining from excess sadness so that one can make the transition to Winter smoothly. This is the time to gather one’s sprit and energy, be more focused, and not allow desires to run wild. One must keep the Lung energy full, clean, and quiet. This means practicing breathing exercises to enhance Lung qi. Also, one should refrain from grief, the emotion of the Lung. This will prevent Kidney or digestive problems in the Winter.”

Leap Through Autumn with Energizing Foods

Living in such a rapid moving society has pushed aside the importance of seasonal eating. Seasonal eating supports local farmers and helps the environment. However, eating specific foods as your body begins to sense the climate changing into an autumn pattern, could be a highly advantageous move.

Foods to support and correlate with your qi (chee) aka ‘life force’ during the fall season are:

• Squash
• Root vegetable
• Nuts and seeds
• Pears and apples
• Pungent herbs and spices
• Members of the alum family (garlic and onions)

Integrating these foods into your fall recipes can be easy and very tasty. It supports the fall organ associations of lung, large intestines and skin as well as sustains the balanced fall element of metal.

These are two recipes to get you started:

Autumn Pot Pie

There is nothing like eating the fall comfort food feeling of a steaming pot pie.

• Peel and chop your favorite root vegetables into one inch cubes (about 2 cups worth).
• Chop onions, garlic cloves, rosemary, parsley, oregano, thyme or any other herb you like.
• Toss all with enough olive oil to lightly coat.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Bake covered in pre-heated 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Uncover to brown the last 10 minutes.
• Add to pie shell.
• Bake until shell is lightly brown (about 15-20 mins, but keep checking!)
• Remove, cool, serve.

Honey Sesame and Walnut Spice Balls

A slightly sweet dessert always satisfies the palate. Make a fall treat to complete your delectable feat with honey and walnut spice balls.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) roasted black sesame seeds
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) chopped walnut pieces
• 3-4 tablespoons raw honey
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• 1/4 tsp cardamom

Directions:

In a food processor, add sesame seeds, walnuts, 3 tablespoons of the honey, until mixed well.

Roll into balls. (If the balls don’t stick, add a little more honey and re-mix)

Cool in refrigerator and serve.  Source: Dr Samantha

News and Noteworthy

Acupuncture and naturopathic medicine continue to prove as beneficial, non-toxic, effective remedy choices. As a result, news, clinical studies and notable citations continue to emerge. These are a few news and noteworthy current mentions:

Tonics Fight Inflammation

Recently reported by Healthline, certain unexpected concoctions sipped daily may help fight inflammation. The tonics cited are:

Baking Soda and Water – According to a study published in the Journal of Immunology, it was concluded,  “Our data indicate that oral NaHCO3 [baking soda]activates a splenic anti-inflammatory pathway…” Note: Do not exceed two weeks of baking soda intake in a row.

Parsley and Ginger Juice – Parsley’s active ingredient, carnosol, targets inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Ginger prevents the production of inflammatory molecules like prostaglandin and leukotriene, as well pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Lemon and Turmeric – The active ingredient in turmeric called curcumin is linked to many studies show a high anti-inflammatory response (best absorbed when mixed with black pepper). Lemon aids in reducing digestive inflammation.

Back to School Survival Tips

The Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC) recommends various tips on how to natural keep your child out of harm’s way during the school year. These are a few of a three part series that may help prevent late night pain and conventional doctor visits.

For a Low Grade Fever:

• Remove sugar and dairy – It may be tempting to seek out comfort foods if you are not feeling your best, however foods high in sugar and low in nutrients may make it even harder for your immune system to fight off your symptoms. In some people dairy may lead to increased mucus production, which may add to the misery.
• Prepare an immune boosting soup
• Supplements – Garlic can help fight off illness while Vitamin Cmay help speed up the recovery process.
• Sleep – Your body needs extra rest to fight off infection.
• Warming socks or other contrast hydrotherapy

Stress Management:

• Talking – Keep lines of communication open by LISTENING not advising or reprimanding.
• Reading – Look for books you or your child can read to address stress.
• Music – Jazz, classical and new age music have helped with calming as well as study.
• Mindfulness – Do yoga or medication with your child
• Physical activity – Getting outdoors and moving around always helps stress.
• Write it down – Journaling for both child and parent can be a form of therapeutic release.
• Animals – Any connection to animals lowers stressful, hormonal cortisol levels.

At Integrative Med Solutions, we will design an acupuncture and naturopathic treatment program that works for you. In many cases, insurance covers portions of the acupuncture treatment. Allow us to support you to achieve optimal health.  To make an appointment or find out more about how acupuncture and naturopathic medicine can benefit you, please call our office at 914.337.2980 or Click Here to schedule an online appointment.

*Please Click Here to see a current list of Insurance Companies that commonly carry acupuncture benefits for its members. Please call 914.337.2980 or securely email.