Weight Management Part 1: It’s all subconsious!
Weight Management Part 1: it’s all subconscious! I know, I know. Our weight and body image are such loaded topics. They’ve got so much “heat” attached to them…I’m almost too afraid to write this blog post. But, in the hopes of helping you and in turn, helping myself feel good for being brave, honest and vulnerable, I’m going to [...]
Vibrate for Health!
Patients and friends have been excited about all the anti-aging and weight loss research I’ve been doing and all of the products that I’ve found. A lot of you are like me and want to use natural methods as long as possible. Enter vibration plates! This is not necessarily what you’d expect to be anti-aging but it is! It's pro-health [...]
Anti-Aging with LED/Red Light Therapy
Happy Friday, beautiful souls! It’s been so long since I’ve been inspired to post and I am so happy to be back! I want to share with you my new anti-aging device, the Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro Masque LED. A patient came in whom I hadn’t seen since before COVID-19. Her skin looked amazing and healthy [...]
Baby Crazy: 5 Wardrobe Essentials for New Moms
In the first few months of motherhood, you will be doing a lot of things for the first time, especially if you are a new mom. You will want to keep everything else simple, easy and as comfortable as possible. If you are also feeling the purse string pinch, I have some great and cheap options to simplify motherhood from [...]
What is Aromatherapy? And why you need it in your life!
Aromatherapy has been utilized for centuries, particularly in the ancient cultures of China, India and Egypt. In the west, it has been mostly associated with ‘hippies’, but it should be given some more mainstream love… and that is exactly what I intend to do! I use aromatherapy and just love it, so I want to give some kudos and [...]
The Chinese Method for Maintaining Your Skin Over Winter…
With Winter upon us, it can be hard to keep your skin looking its best… but I have some ancient Chinese Medicine tips to make it easy. These tips focus on the Chinese philosophy of cultivating beauty - inside and out. By making the most of them throughout winter, your insides will rejoice and your skin will shine! 5 [...]
Book Review! The Happiest Toddler on the Block
It’s November and we’ve officially made it to Thanksgiving! This is when family time is ramped up and we may be asked to bring a side dish, or if you’re like me, the rolls! Ha! What is more likely is that you might have to enter into interesting or difficult conversations. I’ve been reading a lot about these in [...]
Tips for Staying Healthy with Chinese Medicine
In Chinese medicine, if we harmonize our behavior with the transitions in the seasons we will experience optimum health. But in our fast-paced, globalized world, many of us have lost the ability to be flexible with what nature gives us. For example; in the past, we would only have seasonal produce available. Nature would tell us the right foods [...]
Step by Step to the Ultimate Facial…
A good facial is healing, beautifying and extremely relaxing. You end up glowing and your skin feels amazing, what is it that makes up an excellent facial? What are the steps that make a facial stand out above the rest? Shelly Hopple is an esthetician who I believe may be one of the best in the business, I took [...]
Beat the Heat this Summer With Cooling Fruits!
Did you know that some of the most ancient and respected healing modalities place an importance on the heating or cooling qualities of certain foods? And it doesn’t relate to the temperature in which you serve it. In Chinese Medicine, each food is categorised into 5 sensations that relate to the effect it has on your body. For example, [...]
I had a “gut feeling.”
We can all relate to how emotions affect our bodies. Just think about the last job interview you had and the pit you felt in the bottom of your stomach or the sweat collecting on your forehead. You weren’t exercising; you were anxious. Or think about the time when you decided not to buy those jeans because the deal [...]
Just Breathe!
The Chinese sages considered the nutrition provided by air through breathing even more vital to health and longevity than that provided by food and water through digestion. We can (although I don’t recommend it), survive for weeks without food, but only minutes without air. Want to try breathing correctly? Let’s do this fun exercise. Go ahead and find a [...]
Schedule your daily life according to the seasons
Schedule your daily life according to the seasons for the best health. Just listen to the legendary and world-renowned Chinese philosopher, Sun Si Miao: “One who is good at preserving life gets up and goes to bed at a timetable adjusted to different seasons, and maintains a strict regimen in daily life.” 581-682 AD. I’m not saying that you [...]
I don’t have a gender-bias
I was not a “cool” kid in school. I didn’t sit at the popular table. Yes, I played varsity sports but I was also in school plays, Key Club, Mock Trial, and Speech Team. I didn’t have an Acura Integra (the car of choice at my high school) and I definitely didn’t get invited to parties. Which is why [...]
Different foods for different seasons
How do you eat for the seasons? Why should I try? Well, the Chinese philosophy is that human beings are part of nature and just like nature is affected by the changes that occur with the seasons (plants turn to seeds, bears hibernate, etc), humans are also affected by changes in nature. So, for optimal health, the theory is [...]
Tea is not just a drink
In Chinese culture, it is also used as an herbal medicine. The ancient texts describe the healthiest seasonal drinking habits: “In summer drink green tea, winter black tea and in Spring and Autumn, flower teas.” You can think of it this way: in the Summer, the weather is generally hot and green tea is cooling in nature. In the [...]
There’s a food for “that”!
In Chinese philosophy, all foods have a particular action on the body. I kid with my patients that there is usually a point, an herb, or a food for “that.” (Just like the joke, “there’s an app for that.”) Anyway, with this belief, the Chinese have been able to utilize food as medicine for thousands of years! In fact, [...]
Don’t Let Motion Sickness Ruin Your Vacation!
This is the season when you can start planning your vacations! Hopefully, you’re checking your calendar to see when you can get away for some rest and relaxation. Before you go, make sure that you are familiar with this point for nausea: Nei Guan, Inner Gate, Pericardium 6, or PC 6. Several studies support the use of acupressure on [...]
Digestion feeling “off”?
What do you do if your digestion just feels “off?” Maybe you’ve had too much cold water or you went a little frozen-yogurt happy at the new self-serve joint. Or maybe you have a sniffle and cough that won’t go away or you’ve been a little too friendly with the latrine of late. Think about ginger. Ginger, known in [...]
Got a crick in your neck?
Have you ever woken up with a stiff neck or a “crick in your neck?” All you can think of is, “I must have slept wrong!” Well, even though this type of pain is usually short-lived, there is something that you can do to loosen those neck muscles. Luo Zhen to the rescue! This wonderful point literally means “Stiff [...]
FED UP WITH HAVING HEADACHES AND MIGRAINES?
Headaches and Migraines: I have been a long-time sufferer of both and I am up to “here” (pointing to my head) with them! So, what do you do if you have a headache coming on or feel the aura of a migraine? Think: Acupressure! First of all, recognize that you are having a headache or migraine. The early stages [...]
BEAT EARLY GRAY HAIR!
Gou Qi Zi (go chee zuh), also known as the Wolf Berry, Lycium berry, or Goji berry, this fruit has been gaining world-wide attention for its antioxidant properties. However, it has been used for thousands of years by the Chinese for its anti-aging attributes. It Nourishes the Liver and the Kidney Yin and the Liver Blood while also Replenishing the [...]
HAPPY YEAR OF THE GREEN WOOD HORSE!
In Chinese philosophy, everything has meaning. Some patients will sheepishly ask, “For the past 6 years, I’ve woken up at 3am. What does that mean? Or other patients will say, “I have eczema, asthma, and digestive issues. Does that make sense?” It’s almost as if I’m a walking commercial for acupuncture. Instead of saying, “There’s an app for that” [...]
FLOWERS COME TO THE EYES RESCUE!
Did you know that flowers aren’t just beautiful to look at? They are actually good for the health of your eyes as well! Chrysanthemum flower, Ju Hua in Mandarin, has cooling and nourishing effects on the eyes. Drinking chrysanthemum tea can help to relieve headaches, fevers, and the common cold (with sore throat and fever). Chrysanthemum is also used [...]
SHAKE IT OUT!
You may look and feel silly, but bouncing and shaking actually helps to reset your central nervous system and increases the circulation of the feel-good neurotransmitter, serotonin. Just think about it: what does a dog do after experiencing a stressful situation? He shakes and then he is able to move on with his life! We have an exercise in [...]