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Wellness
Interesting Ways to Help Your Kids Exercise in Winter
It’s cold and dark outside.
You come home with the kids and all you want to do is snuggle on the couch.
Snuggling in winter may be fun (and I’m not going to say you shouldn’t snuggle) but your kids need something more. In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), kids need at least 1 hour of physical activity—every day. And depending on your children’s school program and sports activities, they may not even get close.
There are many benefits. Exercise helps kids feel less stressed, have higher self-esteem, focus at school, sleep better and maintain a healthy weight. You’ve probably noticed that parenting children who get enough exercise is also easier than parenting those who don’t.
Winter is a time for yin activities. It’s healthy to be introspective and quiet. However, children need physical activity—even in the winter.
But on a cold, dark day, how do you get your kids to exercise? continue reading
The Holiday Survival Toolkit: How to Not Drink at Parties (And Still Have Fun)
The holiday season is upon us and we all know what that means—parties.
Parties at work, parties at church, parties at school, fundraiser parties, caroling parties, Secret Santa parties…
It’s the season of so many parties that we long for a weekend night with nothing scheduled.
All the parties can lead to excess, but the biggest party of the season, New Year’s Eve, can be the topper. Many people drink so much that it can take days to feel healthy again. And even if you don’t drink to drunkenness, your extra alcohol intake in the month of December can take its toll.
I think it’s great to celebrate and enjoy the company of your loved ones, but I don’t want to see you sick. Find out how to not drink (or at least drink less) this party season. continue reading
6 Facts to Know When Using Acupuncture to Quit Smoking
Smoking is a strong, complicated addiction. Quitting smoking is no small task and you will need lots of support to be successful. You need the best tools to help with the physical and emotional symptoms, and acupuncture is a great resource to help you succeed.
Here are the 6 things you should know about using acupuncture to quit smoking. continue reading
More than Needles: 3 Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapies You Can Do at Home
If you asked the average person how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) keeps you healthy, they would probably answer that it uses acupuncture needles.
That is a good start.
TCM is a complex understanding of how Qi, or life force, affects your health. Qi flows through meridians passing through points which can be used to regulate and control that flow. When the flow of Qi increases, decreases or its quality changes, your health is affected. The most common way to manage the flow of Qi is with acupuncture needles.
But TCM is much more than needles.
In the second part of our two-part series “More than Needles,” you will learn three ways to keep yourself healthy using Traditional Chinese Medicine principles at home. By using these techniques in your daily life, you will be in charge of your health. continue reading
The Surprising Truth about Migraine Triggers
How much do you really know about controlling your migraines?
New research suggests you may not know as much as you think.
According to Timothy T. Houle, Ph.D and co-author Dana P. Turner, M.S.P.H., both of the Wake Forest Baptist anesthesiology department, migraine sufferers make inaccurate conclusions about what triggers their migraines. Houle and Turner conducted a 3-month study of 9 women who suffered from migraines. They tracked the women’s hormone levels, their stress levels and the weather. The women kept daily diaries. At the end of the study, the scientists could not accurately predict which triggers would cause a migraine.
Their conclusion—most people can’t isolate the many complex variables in everyday life to accurately determine their migraine triggers.
So what can you do? Can you start eating anything you want? Do you give up managing your migraines?
9 Ways to Rid Your Home of Endocrine Disruptors
Can a shower curtain be bad for your health?
It can if it contains phthalates.
Phthalates are just some of over 800 chemicals that are labeled as endocrine disruptors. These chemicals are toxic for a number of reasons. They may mimic estrogen, androgen or thyroid hormones and cause your body to respond to them inappropriately. Or they may block, stimulate or inhibit these hormones. By interfering in your hormone system, there is growing evidence that these chemicals are responsible for a wide range of health problems.
Endocrine disruptors are found in many products. Sandwich bags, air fresheners, dryer sheets, perfumes, sunscreens, cleaning products, laundry detergents, flame retardants, pesticides, cosmetics, shampoo, conditioners and vinyl shower curtains can all be suspect.
One widely known endocrine disruptor is bisphenol-A or BPA. This chemical is found in plastics and is the reason many people choose glass water bottles over plastic.
In February 2013, the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) released a new report: State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals 2012. According to this study, endocrine disruptors are linked to high rates of endocrine-related cancers, such as breast, ovarian, prostate, testicular and thyroid cancers; low semen quality; genital malfunctions such as non-descended testes; adverse pregnancy outcomes; obesity; and Type 2 diabetes.
But the effects don’t stop with humans. The report also finds reproductive defects, infertility and antler malformations in some Alaskan deer populations and population decline in some species of otters and sea lions.
Clearly, it’s a good idea to minimize your exposure to these chemicals.
More than Needles: 6 TCM Therapies You May Never Have Heard of
Most people know that one way to feel better is with acupuncture needles. You go to your acupuncturist feeling bad. I put in a few needles. You leave feeling lighter, energized, more pain-free.
Using acupuncture needles to heal is part of a broader medical system called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). By observing body systems and the links between symptoms, TCM developed a medical philosophy about the flow of Qi, or life force. When Qi is balanced, you feel healthy. When it is disrupted, blocked or unbalanced, poor health is the result.
In acupuncture, needles are placed at specific points along the meridians to balance the Qi.
But did you know that needles are just one way to balance Qi?
TCM is a flexible system. The principles can be applied in many ways and to many different therapies to achieve the same results.
In the following 2 part series, we will look at the many ways you can balance Qi. This first part of the series describes the TCM therapies that require the help of a practitioner.
6 Ways to Relieve Allergies Without Drugs, Shots or Needles
Summer finally arrives.
The sun comes out. The flowers bloom.
Most people grab their sunscreen and head outside. But what do you do?
You close the windows, grab your antihistamines and hide in the house.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could enjoy being outdoors?
Allergies are widespread. According to WebMD, 20% of the population suffers from allergies or asthma, and 55% of the population tests positive for one or more allergens. Allergies are the 5th leading chronic disease in the US and cost the US health care system $7.9 billion annually.
If you can’t live with your runny nose, congestion or watery eyes, but you don’t want to take antihistamines or get allergy shots, what can you do to relieve your symptoms?
7 Healthy Tips for Coping with Financial Stress
If you feel stressed just living your life, you’re not alone.
Americans lead stressful lives. Jobs, relationships, health, family obligations, community responsibilities—they all take their toll.
In “Stress in America 2012,” an annual survey by the American Psychology Association, 1 in 5 respondents reported an extreme stress level of 8, 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale. In that same group 69% of respondents reported physical or non-physical symptoms of stress, including irritability or anger, fatigue, feeling overwhelmed or changes in their sleep.
The top source of stress according to 69% of the respondents is–money. continue reading
How Traditional Chinese Diabetic Treatments Bring New Hope for an Old Disease
Diabetes is a worldwide concern. Millions of people suffer or die from it and its complications. The rate at which it is increasing in the population is staggering.
According to the World Health Organization about 347 million people worldwide have diabetes. Deaths from diabetes will rise 50% in the next 10 years and by 2030 diabetes is expected to be the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. continue reading