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Reprinted with permission from Aprilcrowell.com
The sun is out!
Idaho is blessed with long, sunny days, wonderful mountains, rivers, forests and deserts. A playground for those who love to be outside. However, with Idaho’s dry climate and high elevation, it’s easy to get a bit scorched. Getting sun is good, it’s the best source of vitamin D–so get out there, just start in small steps and be aware that you can still burn in little time even on overcast days.
Having a fair skinned, freckled daughter who loves to be outside has helped me become even more aware of the sun’s power and how quickly it can damage us.
Here are a few tips.
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Use a quality sunscreen
The EWG (Enviromental Working Group) puts together a fabulous database covering most sunscreens. Easy way to find out what products are toxin free and environmentally friendly or if it’s safer to just leave the stuff off your skin. |
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Stay hydrated
Drink plenty of water. Room temperature or cool water is easier for the system to absorb. I know–ice is nice–but it makes the body work hard (creating heat) to warm it enough to absorb it. You will quench your thirst faster, without freezing your throat, with room temperature. Try and keep iced and frozen drinks to a minimum. Add slices of lemon, cucumber and mint to water to replenish electrolytes lost through sweat. |
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Aloe Gel and Juice
It’s a lovely plant, with many uses from burns to cuts and bee stings. I highly recommend getting one. Even people without green thumbs can grow them. Aloe gel or juice applied to sunburns or sun damaged skin regenerates and re-hydrates the tissue while easing pain. |
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Lavender and chamomile spritzer
Lavender and chamomile both protect and heal the skin. Combine 1 cup of aloe juice with 10 drops each of lavender, chamomile, and rosemary essential oil. Keep chilled and spritz onto sunburned areas to sooth and relieve inflammation. |
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Vinegar
Add a 1 1/2-2 cups apple cider vinegar to a cool bath to ease over-worked muscles or sun-tired skin. Soak for about 20 minutes. |
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Time for a Spot of Tea
Black pekoe tea is wonderful when applied directly to burnt skin. Don’t use hot–ouch. Use a cool or cold tea bag and apply directly to the burn use as often as needed. If your burnt all over, make up a large batch and use gauze to distribute the tea. |
© April Crowell 2012
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It seems that ‘allergy season’ comes earlier every year. Although it may be true that certain seasons have a propensity to bombard us with excess pollen, there isn’t really one season for allergies. Some people only suffer during a particular season while others may suffer all year long. Some people are allergic to only one thing, while others suffer from a multitude or combination of allergens. Whatever the individual pattern, it is estimated that nearly 50 million Americans suffer from allergies.
From a Chinese medicine (CM) perspective allergies appear when our Wei qi (defensive qi) is very weak or the pathogen is immensely strong in comparison. This is very similar to how colds and flus invade the system. How does this happen? One of the 6 pernicious influences (cold, dry, damp, hot, summer heat and wind) invades. Your body’s natural defensive system (the wei qi) should rally to fight and hopefully expel the pathogen. However it may succumb if the system is too weak, the pathogen too strong, or our actions allow the pathogen to perpetuate. Treatment and prevention of allergies are focused on the individual, treating both the acute (sniffling, sneezing, etc.) and focusing on building the system to prevent and reduce reoccurrence.
What can you do?
Allergies can be particularly tenacious and difficult to treat, especially if they are severe or chronic–but they can be treated, you just need to be tenacious. Here are some ideas.
Know thyself
Half of the battle is knowing your constitution and your pattern. For example, if you have a history of colds or Lung qi weakness, treatment will focus on rebuilding that energy in times when allergies aren’t acute. If you have a lot of phlegm, treatment will focus on draining phlegm even in times when the allergies aren’t flaring up. Be aware of other situations that trigger your allergies. Is it in the spring? When you are around cats? When you walk down the detergent aisle in a store? Once patterns are identified then lifestyle habits, nutrition and herbs can be clearly focused to treat.
Wage war on phlegm and dampness
Excess dampness and mucus congest the lung, sinuses and respiratory system. Dampness bogs us down, making you feel muzzy headed, slow and heavy. If dampness perpetuates it congeals into phlegm which is even heavier and slows down the immune system stifling the Wei qi. The presence of excess dampness and phlegm are often a huge component in allergies as well as other diseases including candida, diabetes, some forms of arthritis and even cancers. Foods that perpetuate dampness include: dairy, processed and refined grains, yeasted foods, sugar, tomatoes, pork, oils and fats–time to cut out the cheese covered pasta. Foods that help to cut damp and phlegm include: squash, onions, turnips, radishes, and dark leafy greens. Pungent spices such as; rosemary, thyme, basil, clove, cinnamon and mints are helpful too.
Improve your diet
Foods can benefit or hinder any condition in the body. If you are actively trying to treat a pattern such as allergies caused by wind damp, then including foods that both drain dampness and eliminate wind are the perfect match. Add them into your diet while eliminating foods that cause dampness or wind. Ask your practitioner for examples.
Build in the ‘off season’
When you are not suffering acutely it is the ideal time to build the system. As we build, we become less sensitive and will not react as strongly–if at all– to the pathogen. This again means being tenacious and working towards prevention not just treating acute symptoms.
Exercise
Proper exercise increases circulation, respiratory function, immunity–it goes on. Let’s face it, proper exercise is imperative for vitality. There isn’t one perfect exercise–the key is find the exercise that you enjoy that is matched to your needs (we can help you with that, too).
Be prepared and act
Stock your cupboards with the teas, herbs and foods before the season lands on you. If you start to feel a little congested, maybe because you indulged in too much ice cream, use a steam to clear your sinuses and pull your diet back to more clearing foods. The benefits of instilling preventative habits are amazing–they just require you making a new habit. “Oh, I feel phlegmy? I will opt for the onion soup rather than the cream of mushroom.”
Watch out for wind
One of the 6 pernicious influences, wind is often present in colds, flu and allergies. To understand wind you simply need to see how it moves. In the body, wind invades in the upper regions, through the sinuses, back of the neck and ears. It moves quickly and transforms rapidly. It sends chills down the spine and makes us sniffle, twitch, have a scratchy throat, headache or watery eyes–and wind often carries in cold or heat with it. Wind rises in the spring, just as we are shedding our heavy clothes leaving us vulnerable and open. Wear scarves and hats to protect from wind invasion. People with Liver pathologies are vulnerable to wind. Quick test—do you like the wind? If you just cringed and crunched up the back of your neck and said ‘no, I hate it,’ you are likely susceptible to Liver CM patterns.
Be well, wear beautiful scarves.
April
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 There’s a buzzing of excitement in the air and in our bodies. It’s spring, the season of the wood element and the energy is up and outward in powerful surges. It’s a time of change and growth. Our bodies want to move more, we have more energy within us and we want to ‘Get Up and Go!’
Our bodies feel seasonal changes, when we are in harmony with these shifts we can delight in the blessings of the season–being able to plan, see options, grow and be flexible–our energy is sparked and we have come to life.
In disharmony, we resist the changes and encounter difficulties. During the spring this can result in agitation, angst, restlessness, feelings of being stuck in a situation and the inability to see any solutions. From a Chinese medicine perspective we see a lot of Liver Yang Rising (energy moving up too quickly) causing high pitched ringing in the ears, headaches, bursts of anger and angst. Wind is also a culprit in the spring and can appear as tearing of the eyes, twitches, allergies, Bell’s palsy, tick and even strokes. If you suffer from some of these patterns the best thing to do is act now to prevent flare-ups.
Here are a few tips.
Clear out the past
The more debris left on the ground (our minds or body) it takes longer for the crocus and other bulbs to push through. Nutritionally this is a good time to do a gentle cleansing or fasting, with raw vegetables and fruit juices. Check with your practitioner to see if this is an option for you. Fasting isn’t for everyone, and can do more harm than good if you aren’t prepared well.
Include a few raw foods
It’s the season for greens, sprouts, salads and fruits, while decreasing heavier foods such as dairy, meats and fats.
Avoid foods that aggravate the Liver
In Chinese Medicine the Liver is responsible for ‘free and easy flow’ of qi and blood. It is easily affected by wind and the spring season. Foods that particularly burden the Liver include fried and processed foods, alcohol, caffeine and other drugs.
Meditate
This allows the mind to be open increasing the ability to focus and to make clear decisions.
Move your body
Physical activity will encourage the movement of qi through the body. It is extremely important to add stretching to our exercise routine and gives us flexibility in our bodies and mind.
Spring is a wonderful time to make powerful surges forward with grace and flexibility.
Contributed by April Crowell
Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Instructor and Amma Therapist.
Check out Awakening to Spring. A workshop being offered by April this coming March 10th.
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by April Crowell
Dipl. ABT(NCCAOM), Certified Instructor (AOBTA), Certified Holistic Nutritionist
 The Five Element Theory of Chinese Medicine (CM) carefully observed the natural phenomenon and flow of the seasons. Each of the five (yes–five) seasons were assigned an element, organ system, quality, temperature, direction, sound, taste and emotion–just to name a few. For example: Spring is represented by wood, the Liver and Gall bladder organs, birth and new growth. Summer is fire, and coorelates to Heart, Small Intestines, Pericardium and Triple burner. It reflects the peak of growth and activity. Autumn is metal and corresponds to the Lung and Colon, it is the stage of decline. Late summer is earth and represents the transition of seasons (equinox and solstices) it ireflects in the Spleen and Stomach and is the center force. Winter is water and represents the Kidney and Bladder, cold and the final decline before spring’s growth. These correlations became guidelines for everything from when to go war to identifying disease patterns in the physical body.
Winter’s chilly darkness often makes us want to slow down– or hibernate. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In Chinese medicine winter is a time of reflection and introspection, a time when we should rest and conserve our Qi (energy within the body). It is a chance to rebuild our strength for spring’s rapid burst of new life. Classically, the Chinese (and other cultures) believed that we should live in harmony with the seasons. This was especially relevant in times when human’s lives were dominated by the elements—simply catching a cold could be life threatening. Today, those of us living in the industrialized world suffer little from the extremes of nature yet learning to harmonize with each season can make a huge impact on our health and well-being.
Ruled by the Water element, winter governs the Kidneys, Bladder and adrenal glands. Called the ‘Root of Sealed storage’ one of the Kidney’s many functions is protect our Jing (essence). This essence is used a little everyday to nourish us, but extreme lifestyles or severe illness can deplete it rapidly. This essence cannot be rebuilt in quantity, but activities such as meditation, proper rest and nourishment will guard it from depleteing too quickly. Deficiency of essence appears as early greying of hair, problems with bones and teeth, poor development and early aging. The Kidneys also rule our will power and drive, they help fuel the fire that warms the other organs allowing them to transform food into energy (Qi). A deficiency here may appear as exhaustion, cold body, lack of sex drive and the will to move forward in life. But don’t worry, you can positivitely influence any condition of mind or body with a little direction. By learning to shift with the ebbs and flows of the season we can move through life with greater ease and winter is a wonderful time to learn how to replenish and rebuild your storage.
Winter can be an excellent time to replenish your deep reserves.
Below are some great ideas to help you rebuild during the cold months.
 Meditate
The benefits of meditation are innumerable and it is truly one of the most profound ways to help strengthen the Kidneys and overall well being.
Nourish yourself
Eat more seasonally appropriate foods like warm hearty soups, root vegetables, winter squash, whole grains, and roasted nuts, all help to warm the body’s core. Foods that specifically benefit the Kidneys include: kidney beans, seaweeds, and micro-algae.
Rest
Try to get to bed a little earlier to rest well. Studies now also link weight gain around the middle to excess stress combined with less than 7 hours of sleep.
Get moderate exercise
Movement lifts the spirits. If you don’t exercise much, bundle up and go for a walk. If you exercise excessively, slow down a little to conserve your Qi.
Brighten your space
Whether or not you celebrate the holidays, refresh your home or workspace with cheerful colors or seasonal décor. Holly’s bright berries, pine’s uplifting scent and a few splashes of red will add warmth to your home and enliven your spirit.
Get Acupuncture or Amma
A little rebalancing can go along way.
Laugh–Laughter is the sound associated with the fire element. The water and fire elements share a deep connection of mutual support and exchange. Laughter during the dark months can help warm the connection between Kidney and Heart and lift your spirit. “One’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time–pills or stairs.”
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As Autumn gives way to Winter’s chilly darkness, we should feel an urge to slow down. Winter is a time of reflection and introspection, a time to rest and conserve your Qi, rebuilding our strength for Spring’s rapid burst of new life.
Classically, the Chinese (and other cultures) believed that we should live in harmony with the seasons. This was out of necessity in ages where life was dominated by the elements—simply catching a cold could be life threatening. Today, those of us living in the industrialized world suffer little from the extremes of nature yet learning to harmonize with each season can make a huge impact on our health and well being.
The Five Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) carefully observed the natural phenomenon and flow of the seasons. Each season was assigned an element, organ system, quality, sound, taste and emotion (to name a few categories). These correlations became guidelines for everything from when to go to war to identifying disease patterns in the physical body.
Winter is ruled by the Water element, which is associated with the kidneys, bladder and adrenal glands. In TCM, the kidneys are the source of Qi and store all energy or “Qi” within the body. These storehouses of Qi are dipped into to heal, prevent illness, and age gracefully. If we lead lifestyles that overly deplete the stores, the body depletes and withers.
During the winter months it is important to nurture and nourish our kidney Qi. It is the time when this energy can be most easily depleted. Our bodies are instinctively expressing the fundamental principles of winter – rest, reflection, conservation and storage.
Many of us find ourselves increasingly busy during winter. Holidays and parties can be stressful; many people battle with depression during the colder months. The current economic situation plays a role, as many people fear for their savings and reserves—a characteristic of the water element.
Below are a few simple tips to help you embrace the winter season. By recognizing the potential value within each seasonal element we can move through our lives with greater ease.
- Nourish yourself — eating warm hearty soups, root vegetables, winter squash, whole grains, and roasted nuts help to warm the body’s core.
- Rest appropriately — sleep early, rest well, stay warm, and expend a minimum quantity of energy.
- Get moderate exercise — movement helps lift the spirits. Keep with the energy of the season. If you don’t exercise much, bundle up and go for a walk. If you exercise excessively, slow down a little to conserve your Qi.
- Brighten your space — whether or not you celebrate the holidays, refresh your home or workspace with cheerful colors or seasonal décor. Hollies bright berries, pine’s uplifting scent and a few splashes of red can add warmth to your space.
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contributed by
April Crowell, Dipl.ABT
The sun and warmth of summer allow for nature’s growth and maturation. Plants thrive and begin sharing their abundance with us. Longer, warmer days encourage us to be more active, spending greater time outdoors. This is a season of joy, health, vitality. A time when we are receptive and expansive like the earth around us.
The most ‘yang’ of all the seasons, summer relates to the fire element and the Heart, Small Intestine, Pericardium and the Triple Heater organ systems of the body. To harmonize with the season, enjoy the glorious array of fresh vegetables, greens and fruits that are available. Eat bright colors and quickly cooked foods. Raw foods are more appropriate this season–if your digestion is strong. Avoid heavy, greasy, fried foods that will burden the body during the heat of summer.
With the rising temperatures and our increased fervor, comes the possibility of invasion of Summer Heat (heat stroke, in western terms). Signs of Summer Heat include: sudden high fever with profuse or no sweat, nausea, headache, extreme thirst, shortness of breath, dizziness, irritability, anger and aversion to heat.
Fortunately, nature provides us with foods that help to counter or prevent the effects of Summer Heat. Use pungent herbs such as cayenne, mustard, cinnamon and pepper to help disperse excess heat from the body by promoting sweat. Hibiscus, chamomile and mint teas help replenish fluids and cool the body. Foods that specifically reduce Summer Heat include: zucchini, cucumber, pineapple, coconut, lemon, lime and seaweeds.
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Winter is here, bringing holidays, parties and feasts.
Ah, yes, food–
Nothing in life is more fundamental than the food we eat. Every day the choices we make about how we nourish ourselves, and it is these choices that can have a profound effect on our well-being.
Traditionally, a great deal of time went in to selecting and preparing meals. Ingredients were whole, minimally processed foods, and largely made up of cereal grains (whole rice, millet, etc) and vegetables. People stopped what they were doing to gather with friends and family, to eat, replenish and show appreciation. Today the trend in industrial portions of the world has moved from these traditions. Modern diets include increased animal products, processed and refined foods, additives and preservatives with little (if any) whole grains or vegetables. Many of us have taken to eating meals in a frenzied manner, barely even tasting the food we ingest. At the same time we have seen a tremendous rise in degenerative diseases, cancer, nervous disorders, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, irritable bowel and Attention Deficit Disorder –to name a few.
For many, the relationship to food has become a tainted chore. Poor eating habits like eating to fulfill emotional needs, skipping meals or binging are common, creating a myriad of other health problems.
Understanding proper nutritional habits can be some of the simplest, most profound changes that one can make in taking responsibility for our health and the well-being of the planet.
Holistic Nutrition incorporates the energetic principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and detailed, cutting-edge western information. Steeped in tenants of whole food wisdom, Holistic Nutrition focuses on whole, local, organic and seasonal foods that offer the best choice for optimum health for our bodies and our planet.
The fundamental aim is to create awareness in ourselves, matching the diet to each individual while reestablishing or creating a healthy relationship to food.
The key is moderation. There is no ‘perfect’ diet and our needs change: shifting with seasons, life stages and times of illness. It is not just choosing the freshest food that matters—it is also how and with whom we eat that nourishes our entire being.
Over thousands of years the Chinese have evolved a system of medicine that has stood the test of time. Its adaptability and application is even used in nutrition! All foods can be identified by their energetic quality—do they warm the body? Cool it? Descend the energy? (good for those who are “ungrounded”), eliminate excess or counter deficiency? By understanding these qualities, one can choose foods to specifically treat patterns. Someone who is always cold, would want to increase foods that are cooked (warmer than raw) and choose foods that impart energetic warmth when eaten, such as, winter squash and cinnamon. By eating seasonally appropriate foods we can also aid our bodies in adapting to the seasonal change and build our immunity.
Besides energetics, flavors play a role. Each of the 5 flavors enter a particular organ system. By either increasing or decreasing a flavor you can address specific disharmonies. For example, a runner with very tight tendons would want to avoid excess sour that enters the Liver and overly astringes the tendons. But for someone with very loose muscle tone, that need to be tightened, the sour flavor may be appropriate.
From a western perspective foods are most often viewed by their nutrition quantity. How much vitamin C? Iron? Carbohydrates? By understanding these concepts and the role proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals play, one can identify how to improve the diet for over-all health. For example, iron deficiency (called blood deficiency in Chinese medicine) is common in many vegetarians. Utilizing concepts from both an eastern and western perspective, foods can be selected that are both blood building and high in iron, thereby possibly avoiding the need for additional supplementation.
Everyone can benefit from improved nutrition. From the young to old, sick to healthy. Foods can reduce symptoms, heal and strengthen.
Above all, the food we eat should be enjoyed—and provide nourishment for mind, body and spirit.
At Pulse we work closely with our clients to educate and inspire and understanding of nutrition and foods that will help them towards better health and vitality!
Be Well!
Contributed by April Crowell, Dipl. ABT, CHN, AOBTA CI
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Qi gong is an excellent exercise that all of us can do during the winter in order to keep our physical and mental stamina in shape. It doesn’t matter what our current level of activity is, we can improve our function with a consistent practice of Qi gong. On a very basic level, Qi gong affects the cardiovascular system, respiratory, immune system, and circulation. Qi gong improves posture (musculoskeletal), brain function, mental health and longevity. Studies have proven that a steady practice of Qi gong benefits the cardiovascular system by stabilizing heart activity and blood pressure. It also improves the circulation of blood (great for those chilly feet at night), as well as enhances the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange. That alone would be an incredible reason for doing Qi gong, but wait there’s more!
By improving the circulation of blood and oxygen, the respiratory system benefits too! Our respiration rate slows down and recovery time improves after physical exertion. This is great for those that suffer from asthma, bronchitis, recurring pneumonia, colds and/or flu. More oxygen in the body means more for the brain, improving our thinking ability and memory. This is imperative for people who have experienced injury from stroke, seizure or other disorders involving the brain. The enhanced function of the brain can calm the emotions and curb reactionary responses toward various stimuli. The emotions are more balanced, our response toward stress is improved, even anxiety and depression can be alleviated with the practice of Qi gong.
Qi gong forms range from simple breathing exercises to more complicated versions that synchronize the breath with specific movements. Getting started is extremely easy. The best way to learn a form is with a Qi gong instructor. There are several instructors in the Boise area. The Wellspring School for Healing Arts offers on going Qi gong classes. Videos are helpful, but for the more complex Qi gong forms, it can be difficult to follow. Here are a few books that you may want to look over:
A Complete Guide to Chi-Cung – Daniel Reid
Beginning Qi gong – Steven Kuie & Stephen Crane
Chi Kung – Ives Requena
Way of Qigong – Kenneth Cohen
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