Oh poor neglected blog!! It has been such a long time since posting!

Fall is rapidly approaching... and the first day after Labour day always feels like the start of the new year, doesn't it?
When the days start to become shorter and the need for cozy layers and warming foods become more apparent.

In Chinese medicine, Autumn is the time of year to slow down the busy pace that was Summer and to look forward to a quieter, more introspective time. A time when that crazy Yang energy starts to shift to more nurturing Yin energy. A time to start thinking of conserving that energy for winter and stay warm!

The best way to do this is to shift from eating cold, raw, foods (like salads and sushi); to cooked or lightly steamed local, seasonal foods (soups and stews). Utilizing warming herbs and spices like ginger and cinnamon with meals.. I prefer Vietnamese cinnamon, which almost has a sweeter flavour. One recipe I love for Fall is a simple apple sauce or compote which can be heated as a part of breakfast or simple snack.
Apple Sauce
6-8 medium size apples (Mcintosh, Braeburn, Fuji or a mix)
1/2 spoon of Vietnamese cinnamon

Slice apples into a medium size sauce pan and fill half way up to the apples with water. Cook on medium heat just until apples soften. Add the cinnamon and stir. Perfect for chilly mornings!

As Autumn correlates with the Lung energy, it is a perfect time to schedule an acupuncture treatment to help ward off cold and flu season and give the immune system a boost. The emotion associated with the lung is grief/sadness. Acupuncture treatments can help improve mood, lift depression, and help with Seasonal affective disorder.

Book a treatment today and help prepare your body for the changing season!

Are you ready for Cold & Flu Season?

Fall is a great time of year, the leaves change color, the sun sets earlier and the air gets a little cooler. Fall is a time when our bodies become more introverted or 'Yin' in nature--as we tend to spend more time indoors, making soups and stews, preparing for a cold (or wet!) winter. It is typically in Fall, that are bodies may be more susceptible to illness and our immune systems weaken as we adapt to colder temperatures. In chinese medicine, external pathogenic factors are responsible for invading the body when the immune system is down and make us more susceptible to viruses and influenza.

This is a perfect time to come in for an acupuncture treatment. A treatment can help build up the body's natural defense mechanisms, expel pathogens and help relieve that 'run-down' feeling. In chinese medicine, the Common cold is often seen as 'Wind- Cold invasion'. Symptoms of fever and/or chills, sneezing, white sputum, aches and pains usually arise. When this developes further to influenza -- this is often catagorized as 'Wind-Heat invasion' accompanied by symptoms of fever, sweating, flu, yellow sputum, sore throat and cough. Not only is it beneficial to come in prior to illness setting in but by coming in as soon as symptoms set in can also help expel it out of your system, alot faster.

Acupuncture, moxabustion, guasha and cupping are all techniques used to make one feel healthier, as well as Chinese herbs like; Yin Chiao (Honeysuckle and Forsythia Clean Toxin Pill) or Blue Poppy's 'Cold Quell' both are well-known cold formulas to help people get back on their feet. For more questions, ask your Registered Acupuncturist.