Here’s a copy of the info sheet created for the upcoming Active Living Fair!
If you’re already a client with me, you may be familiar with some of these suggestions and reminders. If you’re new and we haven’t met, I’ll try to elaborate a little bit below, so you can become a little more familiar with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) approach.
1. Eat Warm, Cooked Food.
Do you notice a bloating sensation after a meal or always feel fatigued??
Food is Medicine – your ingested food becomes your available energy. Cooked foods are easier to digest and absorbed because the cooking process has started to break down the food. Also, majority of us fail to chew more than 30 times per bite – yes, you’ve read that right! Chewing is the mechanical method to break down our food, however, we tend to be in a rush and not macerate or savour our food, properly.
Another reason is that cold, raw foods can “cool” down our Digestive Fire. No one has referred to our digestion as, the digestive freezer!
Let me ask you,… What happens if you put ice cubes on an open fire?
2. Stay Warm
Are your hands and/or feet feeling cold?
What happens when you go outside in the cold without a jacket? We tighten up. We contract. The constriction causes stagnation over time, affects the circulation of our blood and body fluids. In TCM, pain is due to the lack of free flow.
There are 2 very important acupuncture points in our extremities:
Kidney 1 – Yongquan (Gushing Spring) is located on the bottom of our feet. This is the first point of the Kidney meridian.
Spleen 6 – Sanyinjiao (Three Yin Intersection) is located 4 fingers width above our ankle bone on the inside of our legs. It is the intersection of 3 meridians; the Spleen, the Kidney, and the Liver.
It is in our BEST interest, to keep the lower third of our legs and feet toasty warm. This way, we can feel warmer, calmer and more grounded. If wearing socks or slippers are not enough, a nice warm foot bath for 10 to 20 minutes can be helpful. It just might help you fall asleep faster tonight!
3. Stay Hydrated
Do you have dry skin? Constipation? Acne? Bad breath? Frequent headaches?
It cannot be emphasized enough, we need to drink sufficient amounts of water on a daily basis for multiple reasons. We are about 60% water.
And before you say, doesn’t coffee and tea and sodas count? Unfortunately, caffeine is a diuretic, which means it increases the production of urine. Therefore, coffee, tea and sodas causes dehydration.
To allow for faster or easier absorption of water when you’re dehydrated, try drinking warm or room temperature water. Cold or ice water causes the digestive system to constrict or become sluggish – similar effects as eating cold foods.
Give it a try for a few days. Think of it as a scientific experiment.
