Staying healthy means something different for everybody. For most, it means getting proper rest, eating a balanced healthy diet and exercising regularly. Here are some secrets that I incorporate into my regimen.
Wearing Scarves
Most people wear scarves during the fall and winter months, but Acupuncturists will wear scarves almost year round to protect their necks from drafts. In Traditional Chinese medicine, the back of the neck is where cold pathogens are thought to enter the body. Even sitting in an air-conditioned building all day during warm months of the year can cause people to get sick.
Green Tea
Green Tea is known to be very healthy in comparison to its other tea cousins. I drink it to boost Immunity as well as increase the amount of Antioxidants in my body. Antioxidants fight off free radicals, which age the body and can lead to disease.
Herbs
Ingesting Herbs for their numerous health benefits has been a practice for thousands of years. Some of the favorites for Acupuncturists include Licorice Root (gan cao), Chinese Goji wolfberry (gou qi zi), Cinnamon Twigs (gui zhi), Ginseng Root (ren shen) and Mugwort Leaves (ai ye).
Licorice root (gan cao) boosts the Spleen-meridian energy, which helps with Digestion and muscle tissue condition.
Chinese wolfberry (gou qi zi) increases Liver, Lung and Kidney meridian energies. This herb can help with sore back and leg muscles, as well as eye-muscle strain.
Cinnamon twigs (gui zhi) are a warming herb that boost Heart-meridian energy. It is used frequently to help fight off colds.
Ginseng root (ren shen) also increases Spleen-meridian energy, which helps with Digestion and improves Immune responses.
Mugwort leaves (ai ye) are another warming herb that targets the Spleen, Liver and Kidney energetic meridians. I often use ai ye to stop pain and disperse cold that is attacking the body. This herb, however, is usually ground up and burned over certain Acupuncture points when you come in for a treatment, instead of taken internally.
Harimake
When our body core becomes cold, it can wreak havoc on all of our internal organs and this can then drain our energy and cause illness. One secret weapon used to keep the body core heated is something called a harimake. Harimakes are Japanese in origin, very simple and very effective. Harimakes are usually made from flannel or soft wool. They are wide bands of cloth that cover the abdomen from just above the waist to about six inches below the waist and they are worn under your clothes. Harimakes are used to conserve body warmth and energy, thus protecting your body from stress, exhaustion and illness.
These are just a few of the health secrets Acupuncturists use. Even more important than these, though, is getting proper sleep, eating well, avoiding excess stress and getting regular Acupuncture treatments.
Call me today to schedule a Seasonal Wellness Tune-Up!
Dr. Mindy Boxer is a holistic practitioner who has grown into her specialties in an organic way. Understanding a range of disciplines allows her to integrate the wisdom of Ancient healing in combination with the most recent innovations in Scientific research. This dynamic blend has enabled Dr. Boxer to help patients in the prevention and treatment of disease for over 25 years.
Dr. Boxer has a particularly keen understanding of Women’s Health issues including Gynecological irregularity, PMS, Fertility, IUI & UVF support, Healthy Pregnancy & Delivery, and Menopausal issues. Her interest in the human body as a dynamic system has given her the understanding to deal with such problems as improper Digestion and elimination, Cancer Support, Allergies, back pain, tight neck and shoulders, carpal tunnel syndrome, respiratory distress, chronic fatigue, Insomnia, Stress, Anxiety and Depression.
She has also studied the art and science of Homeopathy, earning her Diplomate in Homeopathy from the Hahnemann College of Homeopathy in 1995. This allows her to treat the whole person — physically, mentally, emotionally.
Proper Nutrition, Herbs, Acupuncture, and Homeopathic remedies are the tools Dr. Boxer utilizes to allow the body to heal itself and find its way back to balance. She is dedicated to helping her patients find “Radiant Health and Well-Being.”
3301 Ocean Park Blvd.
Suite 201
Santa Monica, CA 90405