When you overwork, eat poorly, think negative thoughts, think about things obsessively, can’t sleep and any number of negative stressors, your body’s energy, or Qi, slows or gets blocked. Over time, symptoms develop, such as pain, cough or disease.
Acupuncture can alleviate the signs and symptoms associated with stress, treating the root cause of the problem. We can’t avoid stress. It’s a part of life. However, there is positive stress and negative stress. Like everything in life, the key is finding a balance. In this case, the balance is increasing the positive stressors (without overexerting) and decreasing the negative stressors.
Here are some positive ways to help you get some relief today:
Feel good. Even if you wake up on the wrong side of the bed (whatever that means for you), think of something that makes you feel good. Allow your energy to shift to the positive and know that you don’t have to carry those “wrong” feelings with you all day.
Smile and laugh … a lot.
Spend time with people who you feel good with. People who boost your spirit, make you laugh, support even your “oddest” ideas. Spend time with people who really care about you and want the best for you.
Sleep at least seven to eight hours a night.
Do one fun thing a day, at least. No matter how busy you are, find even just a few minutes to do at least one thing YOU love or enjoy or makes you laugh. Just do it!
Check in with yourself. Take a few moments to be still and feel your body. Do you hurt anywhere? Are you tired? Are you hot or cold? Do you feel angry or frustrated? Are you excited about the day ahead? Just check in with yourself once in awhile, be aware of how you’re feeling, and work on taking care of yourself in the moment.
Eat smaller meals throughout the day rather than 1, 2, or 3 large ones. Big meals are harder to digest. If your body is tied up with digesting big meals, it has less energy to do all the things you want to do in a day. Try it. You’ll have more energy if you only eat until you’re about 75% full.
Exercise. Choose something you enjoy, and work up a sweat 3-4 times a week. Your body, mind and spirit will thank you for it.
Be grateful for what you have. Stop worrying about what you don’t have.
Open your mind to life’s infinite possibilities. If you feel stuck, take a moment to sit down and comfort yourself. Imagine that you’re not stuck. Imagine what you would be doing if you were right where you wanted to be. Feel it. Do this for just a couple minutes each day, then forget about it. Know that it’s your life, you CAN change it, and it’s OK to ask for help.
One more thing you can do to prevent illness and feel good is see your acupuncturist regularly. “Regularly” depends on your current level of health and the level of health you wish to achieve and/or maintain.
When you’re ready, call us at the Advanced Wellness Center and learn more about how we can help you heal and reach even greater heights with your health.
It’s true! Recent studies are indicating that vinegar can actually help decrease blood sugar levels. According to an article in the New York Times Health and Science section, several studies have been conducted on the effects of vinegar on blood sugar.
One study done by Italian researchers tested participant’s blood sugar prior to eating and then again 95 minutes after their meals. The results showed that when healthy subjects consumed about four teaspoons of white vinegar as a salad dressing with a meal that included carbohydrates (sugars), there was a 30% reduction in their glycemic response compared with subjects who had salad with a dressing made with neutralized vinegar (a placebo).
In 2004, a study published in Diabetes Care, a journal of the American Diabetes Association, found similar results in people with diabetes who consumed a vinegar solution vs. a placebo before a carb-heavy meal.
These studies suggest that adding vinegar to a meal may reduce the meal’s impact on blood sugar. In other words, when carbohydrates (sugars) are consumed, vinegar appears to be keeping the blood sugar more stable. When blood sugar is stabilized, your body is more apt to use fat as a source of fuel. For information on other natural ways to improve your health, make an appointment with one of the professionals at the Advanced Wellness Center.
Healing Tip of the Week
Add a little white vinegar as a dressing on your salad, especially if you’re eating bread or other sugars with it. It aids digestion, and studies are showing that it can help keep your blood sugar more stable.
