Essence & Qi

OM in the news this week! Check it out!

• 4 Things to Know Before Your Acupuncture Appointment - from FitSugar.com. Check out these tips, plus see our exclusive Q & A with Dr. J on First Time Acupuncture Treatments.
• Benefits of Massage Therapy - from the Swazi Observer. Increased blood circulation, released muscle tension, and stress relief, are just some of the benefits of massage.
• 3 Reasons Pregnant Women Should Try Acupuncture - from babycenter.com. Morning sickness is one of them…check it out for more reasons!
• Is Acupuncture an “Essential Health Benefit”? - from the Washington Post Blog. It remains a question up to each individual state. Read on to see where each state is erring on the issue of acupuncture.
• How to Use Tea as Medicine - from MindBodyGreen.com. Tea can do wonders for your body. Check out what each variety can do for you!
• Look Younger with Natural Remedies - from Fox News. Natural Ways to beat dark circles, stretch marks, and wrinkles. Check it out!

Women’s Health & Fitness Day is the nation’s largest annual health promotion event for women of all ages. Be active today and go on a walk with your co-workers at lunch time or try a yoga class! Local organizations across the country will be hosting events for the public throughout the day. Click HERE to find out more.

OM in the news this week! Check it out!

• The Truth Behind Tinnitus and Treatments - from Real Health magazine. Pacific College Faculty Member Dr. Javaherian discusses the Chinese medicine method for treating this ear ringing condition.
• Hospitals Embracing Massage - from MassageToday.com. True integration is coming about more each day with hospitals embracing forms of East Asian medicine such as massage.
• Acupuncture Can Ease Kids’ Pain - from McCrearyRecord.com. Needles and children are not thought of as a happy pair, but in this case they are! Check out this personal child’s story about how acupuncture helped her.
• Massage Therapy as an Alternative to Surgery for Heart Patients? - Health.India.com. An alternative to having a bypass, enhanced external counter pulsation (EECP) offers similar benefits and feels like a massage.
• Legal Updates for Acupuncturists - from the California State Oriental Medical Association. A new bill has been signed into effect, regulating the use of doctoral titles by acupuncturists.

Well….if you’re consuming your pumpkin spice in latte form, it’s probably not so nice because of all the added sugar. BUT, you might be surprised to see how these fall flavors are celebrated in Chinese medicine and can be good for your health.

Take pumpkin for instance. Now, we’re talking real pumpkin here (not just the flavor), but pumpkin has some real health benefits and may be prescribed even by Chinese medicine doctors for certain health conditions including diabetes. Pumpkin is a good source of beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin B, C, and E, iron, and potassium. Sounds pretty good right? There is also scientific research to show that pumpkin intake can improve insulin levels and lower blood sugar, which is what makes it a good recommendation for a diabetic or pre-diabetic patient.

Another key ingredient that goes along with pumpkin in pumpkin spice, is of course the cinnamon. Cinnamon can also help control blood sugar, making it useful in the management of diabetes. In Chinese medicine, it is often used to increase vitality, treat abdominal pain, reduced appetite, diarrhea, and to alleviate other pain as well.

Check out recipes using pumpkin, cinnamon, and more in Pacific College of Oriental Medicine Faculty Member Yuan Wang’s book titled: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen.

OM in the news this week! Check it out!

• Chinese Medicinal Mushroom Could Help Fight Cancer - from Examiner.com. New research shows this mushroom has had positive results in battling cancer. Check out the study.
• Acupuncture Relieves Pain in Largest Study Treatment - from BusinessWeek.com. About 3 million Americans get acupuncture every year, mostly for chronic pain, and these mega studies are backing up the validity of acupuncture as treatment.
• 10 Healthy Herbs and How to Use Them - from EverydayHealth.com. Work these everyday herbs into your diet for some amazing health benefits.
• Why Therapeutic Massage Works - from The Augusta Chronicle. Regardless of what your profession is, everyone can benefit from a massage. See why…
• Natural Treatment’s for ‘Back to School’ Ailments - from Fox News. Natural ways to combat common childhood issues like lice, pink eye, and more.

OM in the news this week! Check it out!

• 10 Tips to Reduce Stress with TCM - from MindBodyGreen.com. Try some of these non-invasive methods to combat every day stresses.
• Acupuncture to Treat Depression - from DailyHerald.com. Over the past 20 years, the percent of Americans taking antidepressants has doubled…could there be another treatment solution?
• Acupuncture as ‘Essential Healthcare’? California Weighs the Question - from The Washington Post. “States are in the middle of answering one of the health law’s most important unknowns: What health benefits should every insurance plan be required to cover? In California, the answer is coming together quickly  — and, if all goes as planned, acupuncture will be on the list.”
• Easing Pregnancy Discomforts With Acupuncture - from The Gleaner. Everything from morning sickness to a threatened miscarriage, acupuncture uses points to help.

Kale Chi

ps!

Kale is one of the best sources of beta-carotene, one of the antioxidants believed by many nutrition experts to be great for fighting against cancer, heart disease and certain age-related chronic diseases.

You can buy them or make them yourself and it’s super easy to do. You just need: kale, olive oil, and seasoned salt. Follow this easy 10-minute recipe if you want to make your own crunchy study snack:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes, and your study snack is ready! Click here to watch the video demo from AllRecipes.com.

It’s been a relaxing summer, but now it’s back to school time…so what do you need? That’s right! Free yoga! September is also National Yoga Appreciation Month and in recognition, thousands of yoga studios across the country are offering 1 week of free unlimited yoga to new students. Sounds like a pretty great back to school present, right? Check it out here . Sign up for your free week and then put in your zip code to find participating yoga studios near you. Going back to school never felt so good!

All that hard work deserves a rest, so find a hammock and just relax…after all, it’s back to school tomorrow!