by Andy Wong | Apr 2, 2018 | Chinese Medicine
According to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, digestive function is of vital importance when it comes to managing our overall health and wellbeing.
In Western society, digestive problems and deficiencies are a leading cause of poor nutrition as many people are unable to absorb the vitamins and minerals from the food they are consuming. This is due to a weakened digestive tract which is present in most individuals nowadays, generally stemming from poor eating habits and lifestyle choices. In order to restore your gut health, here are a few tips to try.
Eat at appropriate times
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, your digestive energy is at its peak between early and mid-morning, and it is at this point that you should consume breakfast. Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners recommend avoiding large meals at the common dinner time of approximately 8pm, as it is at this point that your digestive energy is believed to weaken.
Many Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors also recommend abstaining from consuming any beverages for up to 2 hours following a meal. Drinking soon after a meal is considered detrimental towards your digestive strength and is believed to be counterproductive if you are trying to heal any digestive issues.
Avoid antibiotics
Traditional Chinese Medicine states that even one small dosage of antibiotics can majorly disrupt the digestive tract and eliminate a significant amount of beneficial bacteria. As pharmaceutical antibiotics are generically designed, they will destroy all types of intestinal bacteria, booth good and bad. While antibiotics may minimise symptoms for a small period of time, digestive problems may soon arise given the opportunity for harmful pathogens to grow.
Rather than using pharmaceutical antibiotics, it is considered to be far more effective to utilise natural antibiotic medicines that destroy disease-causing bacteria, though maintain essential and positive bacteria. Traditional Chinese Medicine suggests colloidal silver and the oil of wild oregano to be the most superior alternatives.
Try acupuncture
Traditional Chinese Medicine specialists believe your digestive system is composed of the “earth elements”, otherwise known as your spleen and stomach. As the stomach begins the digestive process, the spleen will separate nutrients from waste and pass these through the body respectively. In order for the digestive system to operate at a functional level, both the stomach and spleen must be in good health.
Acupuncture has been known to address a wide variety of digestive symptoms and diseases for a number of years now. Acupuncture works by utilising a needle to stimulate the acupoints within the body to promote the circulation of “Qi” and to restore the balance of the body. The main goal of acupuncture with digestive health is to bring an individual’s “middle” back to harmony in order to optimise gastrointestinal function.
by Andy Wong | Mar 18, 2018 | Chinese Medicine
The use of Traditional Chinese Medicine to increase a woman’s chances of conceiving is on the rise as more and more couples are seeking more natural methods to assist them to start a family.
When considering the use of Traditional Chinese Medicine to support your fertility goals, we recommend three proven tips help you along the way.
Check your hormones
If your hormones are out of balance, conception often becomes a very difficult process. Stress is usually the biggest culprit towards a woman’s off-balance hormones, potentially causing them to impede their chances of naturally conceiving.
Aside from cutting down your stress and promoting relaxation and wellbeing, be sure to implement a healthy diet and exercise to boost your natural balance.
Improve your emotional wellbeing
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, emotional wellbeing is strongly linked to both physical ailment and reproductive difficulties. The organ systems most closely associated with fertility are the lungs and the liver, believed to correlate with stress and frustration.
Such negative emotions link to what is known as Liver Qi stagnation, causing organ imbalance and significant stress on body functions. Liver Qi stagnation can be overcome by implementing holistic methods such as acupuncture, yoga, meditation or natural herbs.
Optimise blood flow to your reproductive organs
Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that a demanding lifestyle will decrease your chances of conceiving naturally due to the stress placed on the body’s organs and blood flow.
Stress will cause your blood flow will lose its strength where it is needed most, your reproductive organs. In order to assist your blood flow to restructure its course and assist your fertility, try acupuncture as a method to naturally increase circulation.
Additionally, massage, yoga and meditation are fantastic ways to optimise your blood flow and minimise any added stress on your body.
by Andy Wong | Dec 17, 2017 | Chinese Medicine
With Christmas just around the corner, December can be one of the busiest times of the year. Finalising projects at work whilst simultaneously organising gifts and annual holiday plans can cause an accumulation of stress that sits heavy on the body and mind. Navigating this stress can be difficult, but Traditional Chinese Medicine can help you unwind, relax and find inner balance and harmony.
Acupuncture and cupping
Stress tightens your muscles and leaves you feeling wound up and stiff. Whilst a massage is a good way to relieve stress, acupuncture and cupping methods apply much more pressure to knots and overworked muscles.
Traditional Chinese Medicine targets and stimulates areas of tension, oxygenating body tissue and increasing blood circulation. This helps to release endorphins, keep cortisol (the stress hormone) at bay, and loosen taut muscles – all of which aids in relieving stress.
Chinese herbal medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine treats the body as a single organism which can occasionally fall out of balance. That’s why herbal therapy is used to support and supplement inner remedial processes and restore equilibrium by removing stress, or ‘calming the spirit’. They can also stabilise your mood and help with weight loss.
Custom herb blends are accessible as capsules, granules, liquid extracts, powders, and teas. Chinese herbal medicine offers a wide spectrum of herbal formulas that treat specific symptoms of stress, such as the ‘Relaxed Wanderer’, which treats irritability, agitation, and body tension. A qualified herbal medicine practitioner can help you take the right herbal formula that’s tailored to your specific lifestyle and needs.
Be mindful of your diet
A good diet is central to good health and a strong energy flow. In periods of festival celebration such as Christmas, it’s common to indulge in unhealthy foods, which increases physical stress. You can prevent this by following Traditional Chinese Medicine’s dietary principles, which encourages maintaining a healthy, balanced diet in conjunction with herbal formulas, exercise, and acupuncture therapy.
A balanced meal is inextricably tied to inner balance. It’s recommended to consume fruits and vegetables that are rich in colour, and low-oil meals that contain a small portion of meat. Vitamin rich foods can also help reduce stress.
by Andy Wong | Dec 13, 2017 | Chinese Medicine
The fast arrival of the summer has swept many of us off our feet this year, and while most people are excited for warm days and balmy nights, the drastic increase in temperature can often make it more challenging to manage our health.
The principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine affirm the importance of living in harmony with the changing seasons, and as such we would like to share our top tips to stay healthy throughout this summer season.
Eat more fruits and vegetables
Incorporating more seasonal summer fruits and vegetables into your diet allows you to fuel your body with extra vitamins and minerals. By nourishing your body with healthy foods like watermelon, berries, cucumber and leafy greens, you can help curb temptation and ensure optimal health throughout the festive season.
Swap strenuous exercise for yoga
Strenuous exercise can be risky in the warmer weather, and heatstroke is a common result that should be taken very seriously. We recommend trying something lighter and less intense on those very hot days, like a gentle and relaxing yoga session.
Don’t sit too close to the air conditioner
The cool breeze from your air conditioner can be a welcome relief, but we must recommend not sitting too close. By spending too long in front of the air conditioner you can cause your muscles to tighten and contract, and the recycled air can also cause illness and spread bacteria. Sit a sensible distance from the air conditioner, and if possible, aim the air flow away from your direction.
Ensure you are getting enough rest
Many of us struggle to sleep on those extremely hot nights, however we must still aim for those ever-important 8 hours. If you are having difficulties resting due to the heat, consider the use a herbal remedy such as reishi, known for its effective relaxation properties.
Stay hydrated
As the temperature rises, it is crucial to aim for a minimum intake of 2-3 litres of water per day. It is important to maintain the fluid that your body sweats to avoid dehydration, whilst simultaneously fighting infection and eliminating toxins from the body. However, be careful not to drink too much water in a short period of time. Doing so may result in water intoxication or hyperhydration – which can be fatal. With healthy kidneys, stick to no more than 1 lire of water per hour.
by Andy Wong | Nov 13, 2017 | Chinese Medicine
Anyone who has lived with chronic pain knows that it can be a harrowing experience, and it is often thought that high dosage pain medication is the only option for relief. However, Traditional Chinese Medicine may be just the thing to help ease pain and discomfort, in a completely drug-free environment.
Traditional Chinese Medicine offers a variety of natural pain relief options that may assist you to regain your quality of life, and get back to doing the things you love.
Taditional Chinese Medicine looks at the underlying causes as well as the symptoms, and unlike many Western pain relief medications, the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine have a strong focus minimising harmful and unpleasant side effects.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is becoming increasingly popular among those who suffer from chronic pain, and is believed to help stimulate endorphins which counteract the pain, and promote neuroplasticity for more long-lasting effects.
In fact, there are even some top medical doctors in Australia who are now opting to use acupuncture in emergency departments to relieve acute pain.
Cupping and Gua Sha
Cupping is commonly used to treat pain in the back and shoulders, while Gua Sha works to alleviate chronic and acute pain by tracing the energy paths where the pain points are located.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal Medicine practitioners take a holistic approach, and make recommend a combination of therapies based on your individual needs.
Make an appointment to see one of our highly skilled practitioners to find out more about how Luciferous Traditional Chinese Medicine may be able to help you to manage your chronic pain
by Andy Wong | Oct 11, 2017 | Chinese Medicine
As we head into the warmer months, many of us are feeling the effects of the extra calories we have consumed over winter. If you’re keen to shed a few kilos in time for summer, consider these 3 ways that Traditional Chinese Medicine can help you lose the winter weight.
Cleanse the body
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, spring is associated with the liver, and just as we spring clean our homes, we also need to spring clean our body.
A simple diet of fresh fruit and vegetables is an excellent way to detoxify your digestive system and start you on your way to losing weight. Try to include vitamin rich greens like alfalfa, asparagus, broccoli, lettuces, celery, fennel, cucumber and collard and reduce your consumption of coffee, alcohol, starches and sugar.
Herbal medicine
Chinese herbal medicine can be incredibly helpful to aid in weight loss. Herbal medicines are tailored to your individual needs, and different combinations of herbs can influence different factors.
Herbal medicines are intended help promote balance and better health, however they may help to stabilise hunger, improve your energy, and enhance your immune system – all important to be mindful of when losing weight.
Acupuncture
In conjunction with healthy diet and exercise, acupuncture can be a great addition to your weight loss plan.
For many people who experience difficulty losing weight, excessive hunger can be one of the biggest challenges. Acupuncture therapy can used to stimulate the hypothalamus, the part of the brain which regulates hormones and balances hunger levels.
Acupuncture has also been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, which can put an end to stress eating. Less stress can also work to control the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone which is responsible for stubborn fat deposits predominantly stored around the abdominal area.
For further guidance on how Traditional Chinese Medicine can assist you to lose weight, please contact us today.
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