Favorite Raw Reads

There are books you read, and then there are books that can change your life. When it comes to finding books that will help you make changes to the way you eat, one of the key "ingredients" to being successful with your new effort, is to build a collection of recipes that you enjoy making, eating and sharing. This is especially true if you wanted to start integrating more live and raw foods into your diet.  

Below are a just few books that I find myself turning to over and over for great recipes, new ideas, loads of resources or just for the fun of reading!  

What are some of your favorite raw books?

                   

My Morning Pick-me-up Juice

Are you a morning juice drinker? Growing up, I always thought “morning juice” referred to small glass of orange juice or perhaps cranberry or apple. I remember spending the night at my friend’s home and drinking freshly squeezed orange juice. But now as an adult, I have an entirely new perspective of what a “morning juice” can be.

Now, let me preface this by saying that I don't hold any disdain for fruit juice. I use it in marinades, dressings, and baked goods. But when it comes to a tall glass for breakfast, I’d rather have a tall glass of freshly blended veggies as my morning pick-me-up juice any day. 

Here’s one of my favorites:


Morning Pick-me-Up Juice (Makes 1 quart)

• 1 English cucumber 
• 1/2 head of celery 
• 2 limes peeled 
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper with seeds removed 
• 1granny smith apple 
• Handful of cilantro
• Beet greens from one bunch of beets 

Run through the juicer and enjoy!

Acupuncture Points for Good Summertime Health

Did you know that energy circulation can be increased by rubbing acupuncture points with your finger? All you need is 30-60 seconds. 

Here are 3 acupuncture points you can gently massage to help you stay healthy this summer:

·         Small intestine 17- This is the indentation below the ear lobe and behind the jawbone. This can relieve hives, improve skin’s luster, and balance the thyroid, as well as relieve facial spasms, itching ears, swollen throat, and nausea.

·         Small intestine 15 -This can alleviate asthma, coughing, back pain, chills, and fever.

·         Heart 3-  Between the elbow crease and the inside of the humorous bone, stimulation of this point can alleviate poor memory, depression, anxiety, red eyes, arm tremors, and elbow pain.

 Interested in learning more about acupuncture? Visit www.debifarley.com

Summer is Ruled by Fire

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there is a healing methodology related to the seasons and the Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.  

Summer is ruled by the Fire element and is associated with the heart, small intestine and tongue.  It is also a period of maximum activity or greatest yang, which means that there’s increased heat, extroversion, and moving outward in nature and in our lives.

According to TCM, the Heart houses the Shen, which is the mind, memory, consciousness, and spirit.  While these activities are attributed to the brain in Western medicine, we tend to intuitively know that the Heart is also an organ of feeling or spirituality.  In fact much of our language refers to the heart as an organ of feeling.  Phrases such as someone “knowing things in your heart” or having a “broken heart” are speaking to an emotional organ rather than simply a muscle that pumps blood.  Of course, the heart does move blood throughout your entire body, but in TCM that function is secondary to its job of housing the Shen.  So, your heart can be said to impact your physical health, mind and spiritual growth and awareness.

During the summer season, be aware of how Fire is affecting you.  An imbalance may be evident in you physically, emotionally and/or spiritually.

Emotionally, if you have an imbalance, you may find that you’re either lacking joy (depression), or experiencing an excess of joy (maniac condition).

Physically, you may be experiencing palpitations, profuse sweating, hypertension, agitation, insomnia or sores on the mouth and tongue. 

It’s important to think about protecting your heart in multiple levels or layers.  Maintaining a peaceful and balanced Heart helps ensure the health of your entire being.

A Simple TCM Heart Exercise:  Smiling from Your Heart

This ancient exercise is one of the most powerful things you can do for the health of your Heart: Stand or sit facing a mirror. Now smile at yourself—really smile at yourself—directly from your heart. That's it! How simple and yet how difficult this practice is for most people. Judgmental thoughts often enter our mind and prevent us from experiencing healing. True smiling from the heart, not just a fake smile, actually has a profound physiological effect.  Once you've mastered this exercise, then try smiling at others from your heart.

Nourish your heart and small intestine by balancing your sun exposure with shade, drinking plenty of water, and eating light, cooling foods.


©2012 Debi Farley | www.debifarley.com  


Debi Farley is a licensed acupuncturist, naturopath and owner of the Acupuncture Clinic of Richmond, in Richmond, Virginia. To create optimal mind/body wellness, you need specialized information, expertise and experienced teachers. Debi works with and helps individuals achieve optimal health through her private practice and educational workshops.

Improving Athletic Performance with Acupuncture

Athletes are often searching for ways to improve performance and gain a competitive edge. By following the principles of Oriental medicine, an acupuncture treatment can put you in the best possible position to give you just that.

Acupuncture can strengthen your body function, improve the flow of blood to specific areas of the body and helps to restore the internal harmony that takes place when you hear about athletes "getting in the zone." You need all of your body systems working harmoniously together and at a very high level. I'm reading more and more about professional sports teams and top athletes who regularly have an acupuncturist on staff. In fact, some of the best Olympic athletes are incorporating acupuncture into their wellness programs. China's 7 foot 6 inch basketball center, Yao Ming, used acupuncture and Oriental medicine to help him recover after undergoing surgery on his ankle in April, 2007

In what other ways can acupuncture help?

Acupuncture is also effective in alleviating pain, promoting healing and decreasing inflammation, swelling, and spasms. Because of its broad range of applications, acupuncture can be used during any of the phases of injury. Acupuncture focuses not only on treating the injury but also on treating the underlying conditions that may make someone more susceptible to injuries.

Some Commonly Treated Sports Injuries:

·         Muscle Pull

·         Neck Pain

·         Shoulder Impingement

·         Tennis Elbow

·         Lower Back Strain

·         Groin Pull

·         Hamstring Strain

·         Runner's Knee

·         Shin Splints

·         Ankle Sprain

·         Achilles Tendonitis

·         Arch Pain

Sports injuries are most often caused by trauma (from a fall or blow) or overuse/misuse of certain muscles and the neighboring structures.   If you have a preexisting or new sports injury that’s preventing your training or recreational goals, acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help.  Don’t let sports injuries keep you from enjoying life!

For more information, visit www.debifarley.com or call 804.288.3927.

©Debi Farley 2012, Debi Farley is a licensed acupuncturist, naturopath and owner of the Acupuncture Clinic of Richmond, in Richmond, Virginia. To create optimal mind/body wellness, you need specialized information, expertise and experienced teachers. Debi works with and helps individuals achieve optimal health through her private practice and educational workshops.

Remedies for Autoimmune Disorders

The immune system normally protects the body from infections and disease.  But when an autoimmune disease develops, the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys its own tissues and organs.

Autoimmune diseases predominantly affect women, frequently during their childbearing years. These diseases often tend to be hereditary, and certain environmental factors may also contribute to a weakened immune system.  There are natural anti-inflammatory remedies that offer an alternative to conventional treatments.  Not only can they soothe the over-active and misguided immune system, but natural anti-inflammatories often also help to restore the body’s self-healing abilities.  Consider adding the following into your diet to support immune function and reduce inflammation:

1. Bioflavinoids, a class of plant chemicals, has been found to greatly reduce inflammation and improve autoimmune disorder- related symptoms.

2. Flavenoids, catechins, and theaflavins found in both green and black tea are beneficial to autoimmune disease.

3. Apples contain the flavanoid quercetin that can decrease inflammation and reduce allergic reactions and. Quercetin also occurs in berries, red grapes, red onions, and black tea.

4. Carotenoids, plant pigments that include beta-carotene, are naturally found in apricots, carrots, butternut squash, and collard greens, pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach, and kale.

5. Ginger-Studies have shown that ginger reduces inflammation and helps patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

6. Omega-3: Omega-3 essential fatty acids counteract chemicals that cause inflammation. Natural sources include salmon and flaxseed oil.

7. Fiber: A healthy and active colon is healthy for your immune system. Increase the fiber in your diet for maximum autoimmune health.

To learn more about natural treatment therapies, including Chinese medicine and stress-reducing recommendations, make an appointment by calling 804.288.3927.