You come home with the kids and all you want to do is snuggle on the couch.
Snuggling in winter may be fun (and I’m not going to say you shouldn’t snuggle) but your kids need something more. In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), kids need at least 1 hour of physical activity—every day. And depending on your children’s school program and sports activities, they may not even get close.
There are many benefits. Exercise helps kids feel less stressed, have higher self-esteem, focus at school, sleep better and maintain a healthy weight. You’ve probably noticed that parenting children who get enough exercise is also easier than parenting those who don’t.
Winter is a time for yin activities. It’s healthy to be introspective and quiet. However, children need physical activity—even in the winter.
But on a cold, dark day, how do you get your kids to exercise? continue reading »
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The holiday season is upon us and we all know what that means—parties.
Parties at work, parties at church, parties at school, fundraiser parties, caroling parties, Secret Santa parties…
It’s the season of so many parties that we long for a weekend night with nothing scheduled.
All the parties can lead to excess, but the biggest party of the season, New Year’s Eve, can be the topper. Many people drink so much that it can take days to feel healthy again. And even if you don’t drink to drunkenness, your extra alcohol intake in the month of December can take its toll.
I think it’s great to celebrate and enjoy the company of your loved ones, but I don’t want to see you sick. Find out how to not drink (or at least drink less) this party season. continue reading »
Thanksgiving is a great meal. Friends and family come together to give thanks and celebrate the harvest season–
…and to overeat.
All of us know the feeling of eating too much, too heavy, too rich. When we should be enjoying our time with loved ones, we are uncomfortable. We exasperate our health conditions and catch a cold. We put on weight and feel lethargic.
I’m not going to tell you to make dramatic changes to your Thanksgiving meal. Usually that doesn’t work—and besides, it’s no fun.
Instead I suggest you just make small choices. Pick one food instead of the other. Make little positive choices and they’ll add up to a healthier, more enjoyable meal. continue reading »
Smoking is a strong, complicated addiction. Quitting smoking is no small task and you will need lots of support to be successful. You need the best tools to help with the physical and emotional symptoms, and acupuncture is a great resource to help you succeed.
Here are the 6 things you should know about using acupuncture to quit smoking. continue reading »
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Unfortunately, false nutrition information has spread widely into public knowledge over recent decades, and most of the conventional wisdom regarding nutrition in the USA is wrong. An informative article in the Business Insider describes just 13 of the nutrition mis-facts that are commonly believed to be facts. Here is my summary of the article:
EGGS are among the most healthy foods for humans. Eggs raise your “good” cholesterol and do not promote heart disease. The fat content of eggs promotes weight loss. Eggs are unique in that they contain plenty of healthy fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are a good source of choline which is needed by the brain. Eating eggs for breakfast can eliminate the craving for sweet sugary food in the afternoon and evening.
COFFEE is a very healthy substance. It’s loaded with more antioxidants than fruits and vegetables combined. Caffeine boosts metabolism and improves brain function including memory, reaction time, and mood, Coffee greatly lowers the risk of Type II diabetes, liver disease, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
WHOLE WHEAT is the greatest source of gluten in the American diet. In many people, gluten causes gas, bloating, abdominal pain, and fatigue. It can damage the lining of your intestines. Gluten can also contribute to autism and schizophrenia.
SODIUM does not lead to heart disease. Restricting sodium in your diet does not reduce your risk for heart disease. Too little sodium in your diet can lead to high “bad” LDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, insulin resistance, and Type II diabetes,
LOW-FAT, HIGH-CARB diet does not cause you to lose weight, and it can be harmful in people who are overweight or have diabetes.
HIGH-FAT, LOW-CARB diet promotes weight loss.
LOW-CARB diet is very beneficial. It lowers blood pressure, raises “good” HDL cholesterol, and lowers triglycerides. A low carb diet (which is much easier to maintain than a low fat diet) can greatly lower blood sugar and reduce the need for medication in Type II diabetes patients. Low carb diet can prevent obesity, metabolic syndrome, and Type II diabetes.
FATS do not make you fat. Context is key. A diet that is high in both fats and carbs can cause weight gain but it is not from the fats. A diet too low in fats can cause overeating and can cause degenerative diseases. It is best to eat healthy fats everyday. Healthy fats are polyunsaturated essential fatty acids (EFA) found in foods such as salmon, halibut, trout, sardines, flax, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and grass-fed meat. EFAs are a major source of energy, they promote healthy skin and hair, reduce inflammation, prevent arthritis, cancer and heart disease. They lower triglycerides and “bad” cholesterol to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
SATURATED FATS do not contribute to heart disease. They are completely unrelated to heart disease. They reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol and raise “good” HDL cholesterol
CALORIES are not created equally. Different types of food are broken down and absorbed via different metabolic pathways in the body. A calorie of protein will boost metabolism and muscle mass and reduce appetite much more that a calorie of carbs or fat would. Calories of fructose (cane SUGAR often added to foods) will increase your appetite, causing you to eat more food and gain weight rapidly. It sets you up for metabolic disease. Excess fructose leads to high cholesterol, high triglycerides, insulin resistance, and obesity in as little as 10 weeks. It causes heart disease, Type II diabetes, and cancer, Thus, sugar is not “empty calories”. Conversely, the same amount of calories of glucose (natural sugar found in fruit) lowers your appetite, helping you to feel full and eat less.
PROTEIN increases bone density to lower your risk of broken bones in your older years. In healthy people, protein increases your muscle mass, reduces body fat, lowers your risk for heart disease and diabetes,
Don’t you love how great you feel when you work out regularly?
You’re alert, you sleep better, and it’s easier to stay calm and optimistic. Once you get in the routine of working out and keeping a healthy routine, it’s fun.
But there’s always something that stops you. For most of us, it’s either time or money. We don’t have time, and gym memberships are too expensive.
Let’s imagine a dream solution. You want the fitness tools you find in a gym but you want to do it at home so it’s convenient. You want aerobics, strength and stretching so you have a good holistic workout.
And most importantly, you don’t want to spend more than $50 on any piece of equipment.
You’ve seen the strained look on her face. She’s far away. She doesn’t sleep well and sits around all day doing nothing. She’s always tired. You’ve invited her to the things she loves doing, but she never feels like doing them anymore. Sometimes she yells a lot—really overreacts. But when you ask her what’s wrong, she denies any problems.
You’re happy she is back from Iraq, but you thought it would be different. You thought you could get back to normal.
You thought that having her home safe would make both of you happy again. She’s not at war anymore—why is she acting this way?
Your loved one may have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Many veterans suffer from PTSD. The Veterans Administration (VA) reports that as many as 11-20% of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have it. Common war traumas include having been shot at, having seen someone shot or having seen death, but another cause of PTSD in veterans is military sexual trauma (MST). According to the VA, 23% of women in the military report sexual assault.
Normally I use this blog to tell you a little about my favorite topics, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupuncture and natural health. But today I want to do something different.
I want to learn more about you.
Today I want to know what your concerns and questions are.
Ask me anything, basic or complicated. Ask about TCM, acupuncture or general health. Ask about injuries, illness or disease. Whatever is on your mind, ask the question.
Contact me here, and I’ll reply to your questions as soon as I can.
Children are very responsive to the acupuncture needles and often show great improvement after a treatment. Acupuncture is fantastic for many childhood illnesses like coughs, fevers, ear infections, bed wetting, digestive issues, colic, allergies, ADD and ADHD. And more and more research proves that acupuncture is safe for kids.
But many parents worry that their kids will hate the needles. They want to avoid a treatment that is traumatic and difficult.
How do you give a child a treatment which they may not like?
Posted in Acupuncture | Tagged acupuncture, children | Comments Off on The Secrets of Acupuncture for Children: Getting Kids to Love Acupuncture Needles
How much do you really know about controlling your migraines?
New research suggests you may not know as much as you think.
According to Timothy T. Houle, Ph.D and co-author Dana P. Turner, M.S.P.H., both of the Wake Forest Baptist anesthesiology department, migraine sufferers make inaccurate conclusions about what triggers their migraines. Houle and Turner conducted a 3-month study of 9 women who suffered from migraines. They tracked the women’s hormone levels, their stress levels and the weather. The women kept daily diaries. At the end of the study, the scientists could not accurately predict which triggers would cause a migraine.
Their conclusion—most people can’t isolate the many complex variables in everyday life to accurately determine their migraine triggers.
So what can you do? Can you start eating anything you want? Do you give up managing your migraines?
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Testimonials
I had always been afraid of needles, but a friend’s astounding success with acupuncture treatments following knee replacement surgery provided the encouragement I needed to try it for chronic sinusitis and relief from foot and hip pain that ended my four-days-per week dancing activities several years ago. Within a few weeks of receiving treatments from Linda Phelps my sinusitis was gone, as in, healed. In addition, my foot pain is nearly gone, my hip pain is greatly reduced, and I
When I began treatments with Linda at Purple Dragon, I had been dealing with a very stiff neck for about 2 months. I was able to turn it only slightly either to the left or right and was afraid of the cumulative effects on my 66 year old body. I had tried chiropractic, hot packs and stretches without much change. All Linda said was “I can help you with that. It will take a while. It’s not instant.” I came 2x/week for the first two... Read more »
My family feels very fortunate to have found Linda Phelps and Purple Dragon Healing Arts. My father suffered a massive stroke while visiting Seattle. After reading how beneficial acupuncture can be in the stroke setting, we began our search. Linda graciously traveled to the skilled nursing facility several days a week to perform treatments on our father. The acupuncture aided our father in regaining his ability to swallow and regaining motor movements that were lost due to left sided paralysis.
I just discovered I have been (for the past 2 years plus) at twice the safe recommended daily dose of Dilaudid (80 X stronger than Morphine). 2 acupuncture treatments from Linda, and I am now at the lowest pain level in 16 years! I will be a slave to narcotics NO MORE!
– R.M., Seattle, WA
Linda Phelps, LAc, has helped subside my Achilles tendonitis and Plantar fasciitis with acupuncture treatments. The pain in my heels was completely eliminated for several days after treatment, and inflammation went down as well in my Achilles so by body could heal itself. After a few more treatments I am nearly symptom free. I recommend acupuncture treatment with Linda! She is very knowledgeable, calming and gentle in her work of healing
– S.T. , Seattle, WA
Linda has such a soothing bedside manner. She is very open, asks questions and really listens to what you have to say. It is easy to relax because you just feel so comfortable around her. With the main thing I asked her to focus on, I felt an immediate change, and it stayed with me for quite awhile.
– M.C., New York, NY
I have a history of suffering severe motion sickness. Thanks to Linda’s treatment, I was able to comfortably attend a family wedding aboard a rented yacht. I even took a few turns around the dance floor without any nausea or dizziness. It was amazing!
– J.G., Richardson, TX
While helping lift a piano onto a stage, I suffered severe back pain and was taking pain medication. After acupuncture treatments by Linda, I did not have any pain and have not taken pain killers since. I would never have believed that acupuncture could work so well and so fast.
-N.E., Sacramento, CA
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It’s cold and dark outside.
The holiday season is upon us and we all know what that means—parties.
Thanksgiving is a great meal. Friends and family come together to give thanks and celebrate the harvest season–
Smoking is a strong, complicated addiction. Quitting smoking is no small task and you will need lots of support to be successful. You need the best tools to help with the physical and emotional symptoms, and acupuncture is a great resource to help you succeed.
Don’t you love how great you feel when you work out regularly?
You’ve seen the strained look on her face. She’s far away. She doesn’t sleep well and sits around all day doing nothing. She’s always tired. You’ve invited her to the things she loves doing, but she never feels like doing them anymore. Sometimes she yells a lot—really overreacts. But when you ask her what’s wrong, she denies any problems.
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Acupuncture is great for children.
How much do you really know about controlling your migraines?
