by admin | Feb 20, 2018 | AgeLess SPA information, General Medical, Natural Remedies, Stress, Traditional Chinese Medicine
Please note: This post is from the archives of Samantha Schamel’s newsletter from 2016 and was edited slightly for AgeLess SPA.
It almost feels as though it should be a holiday to do something good for yourself, right? So go for it! Maybe it’s that skinny latte or massage you’ve been meaning to get.
Onward to our organ system!
This article is all about the lungs or the metal element. In Chinese medicine it is said that the lung ‘open’ to the nose (hello, sinuses and bronchitis), the health of your lungs is reflected in your skin, grief/sadness is the emotion, and white is the color. If there is phlegm -due to poor diet or too much dairy- in the body the lungs are the receptical. Two diseases of the lungs that are most common are dryness and phlegm.
Lung Dryness due to yin (substance) deficiency: dry chronic cough to the point of coughing up blood, shortness of breath, sore throat, dry skin, hot palms and soles, frequent thirst, flushed cheeks, periodic fever and could be due to chronic infection or inflammation of the lungs.
Foods to nourish the lungs: PEARS 🍐! Particularly steamed Asian pears with a little honey. This works so well with anyone who has a dry cough! Also, oranges, peaches, tofu, tempeh, flaxseed, butter and other dairy, eggs, oysters, clams and pork.
Phlegm in the lungs (typically a repletion that is possibly due to a deficiency: I mean think phlegm, thick or thin, productive to unproductive coughs, wheezing, asthma, shortness of breath if you have thick greasy tongue coating – you got phlegm!
Food to help transform phlegm: fennel, fenugreek, cayenne, watercress, horseradish, garlic, fresh ginger, radish, and herb base the mullein leaf. Typically avoiding foods such as dairy, meats, tofu, tempeh, soy and all sweeteners.
Another fun fact is the lungs and the large intestine are closely connected. So the next time you are bound up, try giving your nose a blow and see what happens!
Peace, love and a bear hug,
Samantha
by admin | Feb 20, 2018 | AgeLess SPA information, General Medical, Natural Remedies, Stress, Traditional Chinese Medicine
Please note: This post is from the archives of Samantha Schamel’s newsletter from 2016 and was edited slightly for AgeLess SPA.
Hey y’all! I am officially done with school and fully excited about the next big journey before me. I can finally say I am an acupuncturist and a herbalist. I have been practicing part-time with AgeLess Integrative Medical Spa in Horseheads and have been overwhelmed by the response in the community and so excited to be growing into a full-time gig.
However, I am here to tell you the wonderful things about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) where acupuncture and herbal medicine are only two parts to this 5 part health system. Yes, acupuncture can treat a lot, from digestive issues to your everyday aches and pains, the acute situations to the chronic, common colds, flu, headaches, arthritis, dermatology (i.e. eczema, psoriasis, acne), labor preparation to anxiety and stress. Herbal medicine is great for all those things too and does a better job of nourishing and strengthening the body as well as battling some evils you have going on inside. Also, as a TCM practitioner, we also deal with diets, Qi Gong (I prefer my yoga), and bodywork.
TCM was originally developed to be a preventative medicine and in the classics, they say a person with no disease should have acupuncture four times a year when the seasons change so your body can remain healthy. Typically patients come to see me for pain or when a disease has set in the body and then my job is to create balance within the disharmony – and at times that is challenging depending on how long the patient has suffered with it.
If you have never tried acupuncture or afraid of looking like a porcupine, I promise it’s not bad at all! Many of my patients fall asleep on the warm bed and don’t even realize the needles are in. So if you have been curious or wanting to give it a shot, give the medical side of AgeLess SPA a call (607.846.3962).
As always, peace, love and a giant bear hug,
Samantha
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