Fall Newsletter 2022
“As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas, and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see.” ~Vincent Van Gogh
It is time to celebrate the fall season of 2022 and in the Northeast it is a rainbow of deep reds, oranges, browns, purples, and yellows that can mesmerize and energize all at the same time. Along with the clear, brisk air, and earlier evenings comes a season meant to let go of unnecessary anchors. This could be anything from a lingering yard project to stepping away from a toxic relationship. Fall is a time to re-organize, re-evaluate, and re-balance so one can walk into winter with a clear mind and fine-tuned body ready to spring into Spring. Like a farmer might jar fruits and vegetables, salt and smoke meats, as well as stockpile wood for fuel, adapting within the transference of summer into fall through naturopathic medicine and acupuncture could significantly empower the body and mind.
This season is the perfect time to:
- Take control and re-organize
- Re-set clear boundaries of relationships and career paths
- Set limits for any excessive or out of control behavior
- Prepare for any future change
- Refill energy reserves to be utilized in the spring
It is also a time to become bright and illuminated.
According to Classical Chinese Medicine as translated from the ancient text The Neijing, the Inner Canon of The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine,
“It is also advisable to engage in the following exercise right after waking up in the morning: close your eyes, click your teeth twenty-one times, swallow your saliva, rub your hands together and let the heat from your palms penetrate into your eyeballs. Rub your hands and cup your eyeballs repeatedly. If one practices this exercise regularly during the three months of autumn, the eyes will become bright and illuminated.”
Try not to treat this season of fall as just another season, as time just passing by, as the SSDD attitude (same “stuff” different day), but instead take peek at some ways to take advantage of the powerful energy autumn has to offer.
Autumn Acupuncture
Sliding out of summer, into autumn and hovering over a deep winter reign is a process that makes the carefree of summer feel so sweet. Yet, it is three transitions that give us an opportunity to rebalance and recharge. It is also, rarely, if ever, considered by a conventional healing approach. Most mainstream medical health care practitioners do not ask how your mind and body feel as summer ends, fall begins, and fall ends. Autumn acupuncture is a real thing that addresses issues most would never be informed of.
Working with a Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM) philosophy behind expert meridian tsubo point needle manipulation, one could be pleasantly primed for the upcoming fall and hibernation of winter. Following the association of the elements connected to the fall season, CCM guided autumn acupuncture can hone in on the most optimal application for as close to a perfect balance (homeostasis) as possible.
The associated constitutions for fall are:
- Yin Organ – Lungs
- Yang Organ – Large Intestine
- Emotion – Grief / Sadness
- Stage of Development – Harvest
- Flavor – Pungent
- Element – Metal
- Color – White
- Direction – West (considered the direction of dreams and wisdom)
These associations do not necessarily mean you need more or less of each in your life, it is a focus on how these things make you feel, in the moment, which is often affected by each season and its many levels of change. For fall, a licensed acupuncturist can assess your pathways (meridians) to determine the best course of “energy manipulation” that can be applied.
Autumn acupuncture is also excellent to quell allergies often related to tree mold and other allergens from degenerating flora. In a randomized controlled trial conducted by researchers from Berlin, Germany and published in the open access SAGE journals,
“Acupuncture appeared to significantly reduce the number of days of antihistamine use while improving RQoL [rhinitis specific quality of life] and SAR [seasonal allergic rhinitis] symptoms; it can therefore be considered a valuable, additional treatment option for patients with SAR.”
Fall allergies can be addressed with acupuncture while at the same time being guided by a naturopathic doctor through a botanical medicine, homeopathic, and clinical nutrition protocol.
Prime Poses
Priming the meridians associated with fall through yoga may help optimize the effects of acupuncture. Some easy yoga poses that can be done in your own space, applied daily, helps maintain optimal qi (“chee” – life energy force) until your next acupuncture session. These poses, courtesy of Chopra, include:
Downward Facing Dog
- Start in tabletop position.
- Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor and push your hips back.
- Extend your heels toward the floor and your fingers actively into the floor, straightening your arms and keeping a slight bend in the knees.
- Allow your head to be weightless, gaze toward the back of the room.
- Take five slow and mindful breaths to bring great harmony to your mind and body.
Warrior II
- Start standing up with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- On your exhale, step your left foot back and turn it to about a 45-degree angle. Your left foot should be firmly planted on the ground.
- Bend your right knee over the right ankle, so that your shin is perpendicular to the floor. Bring your right thigh parallel with the floor and encourage your left hip to face forward.
- Raise your arms above your head and reach your fingers toward the sky.
- Hold for 5 to 10 breaths.
- Repeat on the other side
Tree Pose
- Standing on one foot, place the other foot on the inside of the standing leg.
- Hold this pose for 5 to 10 breaths.
Seated Forward Bend
- Extend your legs in front of you and ground down through both sitting bones. If your low back is particularly tight, consider sitting up on a folded blanket so your pelvis can tip forward.
- As you bow over your legs, aim to initiate the fold from the pelvis/hips, as opposed to the mid back.
- Keep the lumbar spine long, and then round over with the thoracic and cervical spine.
- Take slow and deep breaths as you surrender to the stretch and connect to the inner quietude.
Corpse Pose
- Lie flat on your back and release any tension or breath control.
- When you come out of the pose, roll to the left side (which is associated with the moon, and therefore, cooling in nature), and press up to your seat.
- Take a few deep breaths.
Fall Foraging
Sometimes, deep heat emanates in-between the changing of summer to fall. Some call this an “Indian Summer” which is believed to describe a good omen for Indigenous people (of what became America) being able to hunt longer. As the fall ebbs and flows into winter, eating seasonal foods continues the “priming” process similar to yoga poses for acupuncture.
The best fall foods to consume for optimal systemic functioning include:
- Sweet potatoes
- Golden beets
- Squash
- Mushrooms
- Whole grains: rice, millet, brown rice, barley, quinoa, oats
- Carrots
- Pears
- Onions
- Garlic
- Scallions
- Apples
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Pungent herbs and spices
Try these fall recipes to hit-the-ground-running right into this golden season.
Eggs in a Nest
(serves 4)
2 cups uncooked brown rice
Cook rice with 4 cups water in a covered pot for 50 mins or a rice cooker while preparing other ingredients.
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped, and minced garlic to taste
*Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil in a wide skillet until lightly golden.
3 carrots, chopped
1 cup dried tomatoes
Instructions:
Add and sauté for a few more minutes, adding just enough water to rehydrate the tomatoes.
1 really large bunch of kale, coarsely chopped
Mix with other vegetables and cover pan for a few minutes. Uncover, stir well, then use the back of a spoon to make depressions in the cooked leaves, circling the pan like numbers on a clock.
8 eggs
Break an egg into each depression, being careful to keep yolks whole. Cover pan again and allow eggs to poach for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve over rice.
*Recipe courtesy of Juliette Aiyana
Thai Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger root, minced
1/2 tsp black peppercorn, cracked
1 stalk lemongrass; trimmed, smashed and cut lengthwise
1/2 Tbsp cumin, ground
3 cups broth, vegetable or chicken
4 cups pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp Thai red curry paste
Zest and juice of 1/2 lime
Instructions:
Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic until soft, ~ 3 minutes. Add spices and stir additional 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup broth and then transfer to crockpot.
Add remaining broth and squash/ pumpkin to crockpot. Cook 6 hrs on low or 3 hrs on high.
Thoroughly mix coconut milk and curry paste. Add to crockpot with lime zest and lime juice. Stir to combine and allow to cook additional 20 minutes.
Discard lemongrass and enjoy.
*Recipe courtesy of Emerge
News & Noteworthy
Acupuncture for Fibromyalgia
Acupuncture relieves fibromyalgia pain in a bibliometrics analysis (statistical analysis of books, articles, or other publications) mapping acupuncture from 1990-2022. In this study, published by Dove Press, it was concluded that,
“Acupuncture can effectively relieve pain in patients with fibromyalgia and improve accompanying symptoms such as anxiety and depression.”
Vitamin D Supplementation May Help Reduce Depressive Symptoms, Study Finds
According to a report by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians,
“The researchers found that vitamin D supplementation equal to or exceeding 2,000 individual units (IUs) per day may help reduce depressive symptoms,”
Tuomas Mikola, a doctoral researcher at the Institute of Clinical Medicine at the University of Eastern Finland and lead author of the study, commented:
“Depression has been associated with low-grade inflammation in the form of elevated cytokine levels. The body’s innate and adaptive immune responses have been shown to be partially dependent on circulating vitamin D levels. Hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) and hypersecretion of the stress hormone cortisol are common physiological abnormalities in patients with depression. Vitamin D may regulate the secretion of cytokines in the immune system and normalize the secretion of cortisol.”
Natural Chronic Pain Relief Through Electrical Stimulation
Science Daily reported that, ‘Study finds that sound plus electrical body stimulation has potential to treat chronic pain’ stating that,
“A University of Minnesota Twin Cities-led team has found that electrical stimulation of the body combined with sound activates the brain’s somatosensory or “tactile” cortex, increasing the potential for using the technique to treat chronic pain and other sensory disorders. The researchers tested the non-invasive technique on animals and are planning clinical trials on humans in the near future.”
At Integrative Med Solutions, we will design a fall health treatment program that works for you, applied either in person or through digital, telemedicine communication. In many cases, insurance covers portions of the 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. For more info, please call 914-337-2980 or securely email us at info@intmedsolutions.com.
Best in health from Integrative Med Solutions.
Sources:
https://classicalchinesemedicine.org/promoting-health-and-relaxation-during-the-four-seasons/
http://healthystuffu.com/autumn-health-beginning-a-transformation-into-yin/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1136/acupmed-2017-011382
https://emergenaturalhealth.com/soup-season-thai-pumpkin-soup/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/08/220811083335.htm