Everything is energy. The source of everything you think, do and feel is energy. So, how are you using yours? Are you putting energy into things, people, practices that are draining you? Or, are these efforts sustaining you? Are you aware of what drains your energy vs. what gives you more? How you’re allocating your energy is directly related to how you feel each day and how you’re going to feel in the future.
When you’re injured, sick, depressed, stressed, whatever, it’s a direct result of how much energy you’re expending vs. how much energy you actually have. Most of us believe we have an abundance of energy, and it will last forever. Or, at least, most of us live as if that’s the case. Work hard, play hard, spend time trying to make everyone happy, worry about every little detail of life; spend, spend, spend your energy. But, where is the time for building and sustaining energy? Where is the time for taking care of you? It’s important to have balance. The “secret” to a longer, higher quality of life is to build and maintain more energy than you expend. It’s a balancing act, and the balance is different for each person. Learning how to build your energy level naturally and how to use it efficiently is the key to preventing illness, injury, etc.
You already know how to expend energy. So, how can you build it? It’s simple.
Consider balance and moderation in everything you do. Eat healthy food in moderate amounts. Exercise moderately. Take time to connect with nature, the people and things you enjoy. Take time to nurture yourself. Be flexible – adapt to change as it occurs. Feel the feelings, but flow with the change. Laugh and smile a lot. Spend time with people who love and support you.
We also build energy by paying attention to internal growth through such things as relaxation, meditation, tai chi and qi gong, as well as yoga.
Here are three simple questions you can ask yourself to gain more clarity on how you use energy and what areas possibly need more balance:
What makes you laugh and smile and feel good deep in the core of your being?
What makes you feel tired, depressed, lonely, and void of energy?
How can you redirect and balance those aspects of your lifestyle to build more energy then you’re expending?
If you find that the answers to these questions reveal that you are stuck or that there is no way to change your situation, the acupuncturists at the Advanced Wellness Center are here to help. The foundation of Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine is to move energy, or Qi, that is stuck or blocked. Moving energy creates change, which helps the body, mind and spirit build energy.
Healing Tip of the Week
We are dynamic, always changing, vibrant beings. Be willing to believe that this dynamic quality opens the door for the unlikely and the impossible to occur. Time is the vehicle of change. Today, practice patience, tolerance, and compassion for yourself as you allow time for change.
Yes, it does! A single night of poor sleep leads to insulin resistance, according to a study accepted for publication by the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. The study measured the insulin sensitivity of healthy people after a night of eight hours of sleep against the same people only getting four hours of sleep. Insulin resistance, which is common among overweight people and is one of the precursors of Type 2 Diabetes, was increased after the night of only four hours of sleep. Most of us already know that chronic lack of sleep can alter metabolism and contribute to obesity, but now we know that only one night of poor sleep can negatively affect your weight.
Healing Tip of the Week
For many, getting enough sleep only requires a simple goal of getting to sleep earlier. Going to bed around 10 p.m. would give an average sleeper 8 hours of sleep. For these folks, it’s also a good idea to turn off the TV, radio, and end stimulating readings or conversations about 30 minutes prior to bed. I like to call it “down-shifting”. For more serious sleep problems, one effective remedy is acupuncture. Regulating your energy with this time-tested therapy often helps regulate sleep cycles.
In our modern world, where American children spend an average of almost 8 hours per day in front of some form media, such as TV, video games, computers and cell phones, we often wonder what these “weapons of mass distraction” are doing to our health and wellness.
In his excellent book, The Blue Zones, Dan Buettner examines the four areas of the world that have the highest density of people living to be 100 years or older. In these very different cultures, he finds common traits that hold true for all four of them. One of these traits is the emphasis on maintaining a social circle all throughout life. Buettner concludes that if you want to live a long, fruitful life, you need a strong social support system.
The Journal of the American Medical Association recently validated this conclusion. In a recent study, several hundred volunteers were exposed to a cold virus. The volunteers with the most socially diverse networks were the most disease resistant.
One would think that with the advent of cell phones and social networking sites, like Facebook, those relationships would be even easier to strengthen and maintain. We can now reach virtually anyone we know instantly 24 hours per day. In many cases, however, this media has actually robbed us of our communities, leaving us more isolated than ever. My grandfather’s generation spent their evenings playing cards, roughhousing in the yard with their kids, telling jokes, or going dancing. We now spend our evenings surfing the internet, relentlessly updating Facebook, or zoning out on TV. We have “signed off” on reality in favor of reality TV.
Fortunately, technology does have an upside. We have infinite opportunities for forming and strengthening personal relationships. The internet is a great tool for finding activities to do with your family and friends. And if you lack a social circle, the internet has sites to find like-minded people.
The only thing missing in your life is what you’re not willing to give. If you feel lonely, reach out to someone who is lonely. If you feel disconnected to your family, turn off the TV and reconnect. The health of our society depends on each one of us working diligently to improve our interconnections and strengthen our social networks.
Healing Tip of the Week
There are several great websites for families to find activities to do and for individuals to make new friends. Meetup.com is a site that holds gatherings, such as hikes or get-togethers based on similar interest. Me and my sister have used this site very successfully when relocating to new areas. Yelp.com is good for finding hikes, restaurants, parks, playgrounds etc. Taking a class at a community college also works like a charm!
Flatulence may be a laughing matter for some, but it’s still socially inappropriate in most settings. So why do some people have it more than others, and what can you do to save yourself the embarrassment of excess gas and “letting one go” accidentally?
Excess gas is commonly caused by the body’s inability to digest certain carbohydrates (for example, beans and legumes, sugars, starches and fiber). When the body doesn’t have the right enzyme to digest the food, it ferments in the large intestine where it gets broken down by beneficial bacteria. This process produces hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane. This gas produced in the colon needs to exit! Hence, flatulence occurs.
If excessive gas becomes a problem for you, your healthcare practitioner can offer effective treatment. You may be asked to provide a food journal to review your food and drink intake and decipher which food may be the culprit. Certain digestive herbs or supplements may be recommended to help resolve the issue.
Want to get to the bottom of your gas? Write us a question or comment, and we’ll offer suggestions and/or let you know how we can help!
Healing Tip of the Week
Some of the healthiest people eat simply and chew food thoroughly, as do many children, who are more in touch with their instincts. This makes it easier for the body to manufacture the enzymes to properly digest food.
I came across the following quote by author Daisaku Ikeda: “No matter how strong the hostility another person may feel towards you, if you approach them in an attitude of sincerity and truth, they will invariably abandon their ill will and respond with friendliness. A sense of sincerity is the one thing that somehow, in a very subtle way, gets across to others. Human beings perhaps possess some deep inner power that allows them to sense sincerity instinctively. Whatever the case, the degree to which they can do so is almost frightening.”
When I read this quote, the first thing that came to mind is that sincerity is one quality you get from the doctors at the Advanced Wellness Center. They are all motivated by the sincere desire to help their patients achieve a healthier life.
Healing Tip of the Week
Approach everyone with an attitude of sincerity and truth and see if you receive different responses or feel differently each day.
Most people will say they’re healthy, because they don’t have any “dis-ease” limiting their daily lives. Does this mean we should sit back and wait for disease to happen? No way! Take a moment and ask yourself the following questions:
What level of health do you really desire?
You may be feeling OK, but are you waking up full of energy and maintaining any amount of that energy as you work through your day? If your answer is no, but it sounds like a pretty good way to feel, then raise your standard of health to include a sense of quality of life. This means you not only pass all of the tests on your physical exams, but you also have enough vitality and energy throughout the day. It means your emotions, or spirit, are lifted and stable, which you can use to live in a meaningful and rich way.
How do we get to that point if we’re not already there?
Only YOU can achieve health for yourself. No one can do it for you. There is so much we can do to increase our quality of health and life. Eating well, exercising regularly and getting enough rest are the basics to having good health. To increase your health to a higher level, do whatever helps to keep the vast majority of the trillions of cells in your body working properly. Oriental medicine is one great way of working with the energy systems and treating on that cellular level. Everything from reproduction to infections to repairing broken bones happens on a cellular level. Chiropractic treatments, meditation/prayer and all forms of massage can also help keep us in tip-top shape. That’s one reason the Advanced Wellness Center has a variety of treatment options. When you’re ready to include overall quality of life and vitality in your definition of good health, we’re here to support you in your growth!
Healing Tip of the Week
Spend some time answering the following questions for yourself: What is my definition of good health? Am I feeling as good as I want to? If not, what do I need to add or subtract from my health regimen to achieve my desired level of health?
The holidays are soon approaching, but it’s also the season for colds and flu. Traditional Chinese Medicine has its own classification system of these viral infections and categorizes them as “Wind Attacks” based on presentation of symptoms. Wind Attacks are characterized into two basic categories: Wind-Cold and Wind-Heat.Symptoms can include chills, fever, headache, sore throat, body-aches, runny nose, nasal congestion, cough, general fatigue/weakness and phlegm.
The treatment principles for these manifestations of Wind Attack are to expel the wind, eliminate other pathogens, and strengthen the patient’s constitutional energy (Qi or Chi). Cupping is one method used during a cold or flu to draw the pathogen to the surface to be released, thereby shortening the length of a cold.
Several studies have demonstrated that herbal medicine and acupuncture reduce the incidence of upper respiratory infection and shorten the course of disease. It’s highly beneficial to get treated at the onset of your symptoms, so don’t wait a week for symptoms to get worse. Your acupuncturist can show you how you can protect yourself from catching colds and determine what methods will be most effective for you based on your needs.
