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COVID-19: Immunity and Our Community
Dear patients and our community,
As you already know, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is very real and it is everyone’s responsibility to help keep our community safe from the rapid spread of Coronavirus. To help slow the spread of this virus, it is now more important than ever to take an abundance of caution to help protect you, your family, our community and our healthcare system.
Because there are many unknowns about Coronavirus and things can change rapidly, we believe using common sense is the best measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. continue reading
How to Stay Healthy As Winter Changes to Spring
For most people, the change of seasons from winter to spring is something to look forward to. But it also means a time when people tend to get sick or seasonal allergies start to flare up. This can make things miserable for a lot of people. As the weather fluctuates between freezing cold and warmer, sunnier days, it also wreaks havoc on our immune system and our sleep. Frequently, our bodies can’t keep up with the constant changes and we get physically run down. But there are some things everybody can do to help during the time of transition from one season to the next.
One of the most common things we hear during this transition time is to stay warm. This may seem like common sense, but so many people who are sun worshippers just waiting for the warmer days to return, forget this bit of advice as soon as the days start to warm a little. By wearing less clothing or clothing that is not as heavy and warm, we make ourselves susceptible to illness. Even if it’s warm out, you still need to dress appropriately. Save the shorts for a little later in the season.
Another way to stay healthy during the changing seasons is to make sure that you’re getting enough sleep. This is another common sense statement, but with longer hours of daylight, many people’s sleep cycles become disrupted. This can cause the immune system to become compromised, making it easier to get sick or for seasonal allergies to flare up.
A study from the National Institute of Health showed that dry winter air allows cold and flu viruses to survive longer and transmit more easily once everything starts to warm up. With this being said, hydration is important. If dry air makes it more convenient for germs to remain dormant, then flushing them out by keeping your body hydrated is a great way to avoid an infection.
Eating according to the seasons is very important too. As the weather gets warmer, most people gravitate towards healthier food options in an effort to lose some of the winter weight. For spring, eating lighter, more natural foods will actually give the liver a chance to repair itself and that alone can help us feel more energetic and improve our clarity of thought. The immune system also functions better when excess sugar and dairy are removed.
Acupuncture is another great tool that can help make the transition from winter to spring easier. Acupuncture can balance the body as it reacts to the changes in the weather and activity levels. Regular acupuncture treatments have also been shown to boost immunity. Spring can also cause flare ups associated with seasonal allergies and acupuncture treatments can help with the inflammation, sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes that accompany the allergic reactions.
5 Ways Getting a Massage Can Help With Allergies
Allergies affect millions of people all over the world and for most, the spring and fall seasons tend to be when allergies flare up the most which can be a miserable experience. The term allergy is used to describe a reaction produced by the body when it encounters something foreign. The body may respond to these foreign entities by producing antibodies or releasing specific chemicals known as histamines. The histamines trigger an allergic reaction or inflammatory response.
When allergies occur, many people reach for over-the-counter remedies. And while they can be beneficial, they are not meant to be taken long term and over time, they can have some adverse effects. But there is something that can be done that most people don’t consider when it comes to allergies…massage therapy.
Massage therapy has a lot of benefits. And here are five ways that massage therapy can help you deal with your allergies.
- Massage can reduce stress – In today’s society and high paced world, there is more stress and anxiety than ever before. In fact, almost 40 million Americans suffer from some form of anxiety. And many studies show that increased stress levels can be linked to higher levels of histamines in the body. Regular massages can decrease stress hormones like cortisol and histamines, while significantly reducing the anxiety that we feel daily.
- Massage relieves muscle tension – The most common reason that people seek out a massage therapist is because of muscle aches and pains. And during allergy season it can be even worse because every cough or sneeze puts added tension on the muscles, leading to more achiness. When the massage therapist starts alleviating the muscle tension, the sinuses will open up and drain, helping to alleviate allergy symptoms.
- Massage improves circulation – Massage can increase circulation for many hours and even days after receiving the treatment. Massage facilitates circulation because the pressure created actually moves blood through congested areas. The release of the pressure also causes freshly oxygenated blood to rush into the area being treated. The squeezing and pulling actions also flush lactic acid out of the tissues, thus improving the circulation of blood and lymphatic fluid.
- Massage improves your immune system – Studies show that people who receive regular massage also have increased numbers of lymphocytes in their bodies. Lymphocytes are white blood cells and they are major players in the body’s defense system. With increased lymphocytes, there is less chance that your body will be unable to handle an allergic attack.
- Massage can combat insomnia and improve sleep – Sleep studies have shown a strong correlation between weekly massage and fewer bouts of insomnia. This is because massage relaxes the body and decreases stress, which leads to improved sleep. When allergies are in high gear, sleep is vital for the body to heal itself. Massage can help with that.
This is a short list of how massage can help you fight your allergies. So find a licensed massage therapist and ask them if they can help. It might lead to the easiest allergy season you’ve ever experienced.
The Importance of Drinking Water
Everywhere you go these days, you see people carrying bottled water. And because of the emphasis that has been placed on drinking water, it is now the second most popular drink in the United States. This is really important because every cell in our bodies depends upon water to function. And with every hour that passes, our bodies lose water. Unless we replace that, we literally can shrivel up and die.
Water intake is important for so many reasons. Water helps maintain the balance of bodily fluids. Every time we breathe, eat, urinate, defecate or sweat, we are using water in some way. There are also ways that we use water that we don’t see, like the circulation of our blood and lymphatic fluids, the transportation of nutrients in our bodies and the regulation of our body temperature. For all these processes to occur, water is needed. This is the number one reason that drinking water is so important.
Drinking water also helps us control our caloric intake. For many people, weight loss is a big deal and not necessarily an easy battle. But drinking water with every meal instead of some other beverage that is full of calories is always the best option. Not only do you avoid ingesting unwanted calories that can possibly turn into unwanted pounds, but you can also feel fuller faster. This makes it less likely that you will eat as much and this can help keep the waistline slim.
As mentioned before, every cell in our bodies needs water to function and the muscles are no different. In fact, drinking water actually helps to energize the muscles. Muscle fatigue is frequently caused by a lack of water in the cells themselves. And while we’re discussing the muscles, the elephant in the room needs to be addressed. Many people believe that drinking water after a massage helps flush toxins out of the muscles. This is actually not true and science has proven it. In fact, the process of massaging the muscles actually creates a slightly toxic effect within the muscles known as rhabdomyolysis. And no amount of water will change that because rhabdomyolysis is an unavoidable side effect of massage that occurs just like after an intense workout.
Another reason to drink water is an obvious one. Water helps to keep your body regular. This includes urination and defecation. But on an even deeper level, when we are properly hydrated, our kidneys and intestines can function properly and help remove waste products from the body. A buildup of waste products can lead to illness and death.
Lastly, staying hydrated keeps your skin looking healthy and vibrant. Dehydration makes the skin look dry and wrinkled. But this doesn’t mean that overhydrating will reverse those wrinkles completely. Getting enough water can definitely help, but once the body is fully hydrated, the kidneys will get rid of the excess fluid.
Any of these are great reasons to drink water, but do you really need a reason? When people are properly hydrated, they look and feel better. So pick up that glass of water and take a big gulp. Your body will appreciate the attention and continue to support you in return.
Food Color And Nutrition
In Chinese medical theory, food is considered medicine. Food has qualities and functions biochemically and energetically that target specific organs. Not only that, but the action a particular food takes to benefit that organ in terms of taste, color and temperature is what is included in Five Element theory. Food has a relationship to both the natural elements as well as the organs in the body and balances the elements of fire, earth, metal, water and wood to healthy, generating cycles.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) everything is thought of in terms of yin and yang theory. Yin is often dark, cooling, moist, still, and internal where are Yang is bright, hot, moving, dry, and outward; Our bodies are constantly trying to achieve a balance between these two forces. There are even some foods that are considered a force of yin and some food is considered more yang. Depending on one’s constitution, some foods might exacerbate a hotter constitution while others would promote a cooling effect. Each person realistically needs a unique approach to food intake, as not all foods deemed “healthy” are good for everyone across the board. It is not recommended to self-diagnose, so see your Chinese medical provider to get a proper diagnosis of your particular constitution and advice on foods that may be right for you according to this theory.
Color is one way to determine which organ a food will target. Ideally, one eats what is in season and includes a wide variety of flavors and colors. Colors in vegetables have beneficial antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents as well as phytonutrients:
Green: Green goes to the liver channel, a wood element. Foods that are green are spinach, lettuce, green beans, broccoli and avocado. Generally, these foods are more cooling and contain sulforaphane, an anti-cancer compound, as well as important vitamins like beta-carotene, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B complex, vitamins C, A and K.
Red: Red food tends to benefit the heart, a fire element. Red foods include tomatoes, carrots, strawberries, peppers and apples. Hawthorne berries and goji berries have been shown to benefit the heart and prevent heart disease, and vegetables with red color often have lycopene, a substance shown to help prevent cancer. Orange vegetables like carrots have carotenoids and lutein, powerful phytonutrients.
Yellow: Yellow benefits the spleen/stomach, the earth element, involved with digestion. Yellow foods include soy, barley, egg yolks, yellow peppers, lemons, summer squash and cantaloupe. Yellow foods boost your mood and contain bioflavonoids, carotenoids and
vitamin C.
White: White benefits the lungs, a metal element. These foods moisten the lung and include white beans, radish, wild rice, garlic, cauliflower, potatoes, mushrooms and jicama. These are packed with potassium, magnesium, fiber, and antioxidants. Garlic contains allicin, which when crushed or chopped is anti-fungal and an antibiotic.
Black: Black benefits the kidneys, the water element. Examples of these beneficial foods are seaweed, black beans, black sesame seeds, kelp and black rice. These foods are loaded with vitamins and minerals that strengthen bones, benefit the thyroid, and promote longevity.
The next time you create your meal, include a combination of colors and flavors to not only delight your palate but also to keep your organs happy and balanced. Eat what’s in season, cook your vegetables, as cold, raw vegetables are harder to digest, eat slowly and include some kind of exercise during the day.