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HolliBalance
617-344-1441
60 State Street
Boston, MA
530 VFW Pkwy
Boston, MA
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Rest,
Restore, Revitalize: Staying Healthy in the
Winter
In nature, winter is the season where all
living things slow down, conserve their energy
and prepare for the outburst of new life and
energy in the spring. Our bodies are
instinctively expressing the fundamental
principles of winter - rest, restoration and
revitalization.
The Nei Ching, one of the earliest surviving
medical books on acupuncture, advises:
"During the winter months one should
refrain from overusing energy. Retire early
and get up with the sunrise, which is later in
winter. Desires and mental activity should be
kept quiet and subdued, as if keeping a happy
secret."
Eating warm hearty soups, dressing warmly, and
refraining from cold and raw foods is also
recommended.
Element: Water
Nature: Yin
Organs: Kidney, Urinary Bladder, Adrenal
Glands, Ears and Hair
Emotion: Fear and Depression
Flavor: Salty
Seasonal acupuncture treatments in winter
serve to nurture and nourish kidney Qi (the
organ associated with winter) which can
greatly enhance the body's ability to thrive
in times of stress and aid in healing,
preventing illness, and increase vitality.
Call now for more information or to schedule
your seasonal tune-up.
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Did
you know that Miso Soup with Scallions is
actually an ancient herbal remedy for colds?
The soup is indicated for the onset of a
cold when a person is just beginning to feel
a headache, stuffy nose and a slight fever.
So, the next time you feel a cold coming on,
be sure to have your miso!
Miso Soup (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
* 6 cups water
* 3-4 Tablespoons Aka Miso or red soy bean
paste (usually sold in the refrigerated
section)
* 3-5 green onions stalks, chopped
Directions:
* Dissolve the miso in a little bit of
boiling water (about 2 tsp.)
* Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and
add the miso & scallions.
* Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
* Remove from heat top with green onions and
serve.
Variations: you can add various other
ingredients to make a more substantial soup,
such as tofu, seaweed, fresh mushrooms,
cooked shrimp, snow pea sprouts, cooked rice
noodles, or paper-thin slices of fresh
ginger.
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Oftentimes the winter season brings
with it a struggle to keep our bodies
healthy and strong. There are many
ways to prevent illness and preserve
and cultivate the energy that is
deeper in our bodies during this time.
Read below about helpful hints for how
to remain healthy through the cold
season. Certain foods, exercises, and
practices will help your body fight
off illness and keep you stress-free.
We even included an easy-to-make Miso
Soup recipe that can be used as a
remedy for the common cold while also
being a delicious meal.
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Stress-
Busting Foods
 The
foods that you eat play a crucial role
in your overall well-being as well as
your ability to handle stress.
Here are three
foods that can replenish your supply
of important nutrients and enhance
your ability to manage stress this
winter:
Cauliflower
- Cauliflower and other
cruciferous vegetables, such as
broccoli, cabbage, and kale are chock
full of stress-relieving B vitamins.
Cauliflower is also one of the very
best sources of vitamin B5 or
pantothenic acid.
Pantothenic acid helps turn
carbohydrates and fats into usable
energy and improves your ability to
respond to stress by supporting your
adrenal glands. Fatigue, listlessness,
numbness and tingling or burning pain
in the feet are all indications that
you may need more vitamin B5 in your
diet.
Salmon -
Salmon is a healthy and delicious way
to get your dose of B vitamins and
omega-3 fatty acids. Vitamin B12
supports production of red blood
cells, allows nerve cells to develop
properly and is essential to the
synthesis of the "happy"
brain chemical serotonin.
Among the many benefits of omega-3
fatty acids, a 2003 study published in
Diabetes & Metabolism found that a
diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids
significantly reduced the stress
response and kept the stress hormones
cortisol and epinephrine in check.
Blackberries
- Blackberries are jam
packed with Vitamin C, calcium and
magnesium. Vitamin C has shown to be a
powerful stress reducer that can lower
blood pressure and return cortisol
levels to normal faster when taken
during periods of stress.
Magnesium and calcium act together to
help regulate the body's nerves and
muscle tone. When there is too little
magnesium in your diet, nerve cells
can become over activated and can
trigger muscle tension, muscle
soreness, muscle spasms, muscle
cramps, and muscle fatigue.
Blackberries have more than double the
amounts of vitamin C, calcium and
magnesium than their popular cousin,
the blueberry.
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TAI
CHI AND YOUR HEALTH
New Class Offerings!
Get involved and
feel great while preventing illness
Tai
Chi is a unique way to maintain youth
and health, as well as prevent
illness. It is becoming increasingly
popular because of its power to enhance
cirulation, and bring relaxation to
the mind and body.
While
Tai Chi can be very beneficial for
people with hypertension,
osteoporosis, depression,
cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and
cancer, among others, many people
do not realize that Tai Chi is a a fun
and healthy way to PREVENT these
illnesses and stay healthy and
youthful.
Many symptoms of aging are caused by a
decline in circulation. Reducing
stress and increasing circulation
through Tai Chi can actually boost
your immune system to fight off
disease and prevent the symptoms of
aging.
We
are now offering beginning Tai Chi
classes at HolliBalance
Well-being center. Our first class is
already full! Please call for
more information as we will be adding
more classes to the schedule. Both
private and group classes are
available.
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De-Stress
with Acupuncture
While optimal
health and well-being in the winter
season calls for rest, energy
conservation and the revitalization of
body and spirit, your holiday
activities may have a different
agenda. This year can be filled with a
mad scramble of visitors, family
get-togethers and frantic shopping
trips. Compound the usual seasonal
pressures with the constant barrage of
bad economic news and you may find
this to be one of the most stressful
times of the year.
Stress, frustration and unresolved
anger can cause a disruption in the
flow of qi or energy through the body.
These energetic imbalances can throw
off the immune system or cause
symptoms of pain, sleep disturbances,
mood changes, abnormal digestion,
headaches, and menstrual
irregularities, and, over time, more
serious illnesses can develop.
Acupuncture treatments can correct
these imbalances and directly effect
the way you manage stress.
Studies on
Acupuncture and Stress
Numerous studies have demonstrated the
substantial benefits of acupuncture in
the treatment of stress.
A 2008 study published in Anesthesia
& Analgesia found that acupuncture
point alleviated preoperative anxiety
in children while a 2003 study
conducted at Yale University showed
that ear acupuncture significantly
lowered the stress level of the
mothers of children that were
scheduled for surgery.
A German study published in
Circulation found that acupuncture
significantly lowers both systolic and
diastolic blood pressure. The extent
of the blood pressure reductions by
acupuncture treatments was comparable
to those seen with antihypertensive
medication or aggressive lifestyle
changes, including radical salt
restrictions.
Another study from the University of
New Mexico measured the affects of
acupuncture on 73 men and women with
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The researchers found the acupuncture
treatments to be as helpful as the
standard treatment of cognitive
behavioral therapy.
Needless to say, if the stress in your
life is throwing you off balance,
consider acupuncture therapy to regain
peace of mind, regulate your immune
system and stay healthy.
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Sincerely,
Dr. Yi Song
HolliBalance Well-being Center
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