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Qi Mail™
The Acupuncture Newsletter
Summer and Chinese Medicine
According
to Chinese medicine's five element theory, summer is ruled by the fire
element. The fire element corresponds to the heart and small intestine,
the southerly direction, the climatic condition of heat, the color red,
the emotion of happiness or joy, the sound of laughter, the taste of
bitterness, and the odor of burning. Fire controls the blood vessels
and is reflected in the face and complexion.
Element: Fire
Nature: Yang
Organs: Heart, Small Intestine, Tongue and Complexion
Emotion: Joy
Fire
is symbolic of maximum activity or greatest yang, which means that it
is a time of heat, outgoingness, and moving outward in nature and in
our lives. This is the season to nourish and pacify our spirits while
maximizing our potential as we find joy in the hot summer days and warm
summer nights.
Signs
that the fire element is in balance include a strong and healthy heart,
a calm mind and the ability to sleep soundly. When the fire element is
imbalanced, we may either lack joy (depression) or have an excess of
joy (mania). Indicators of an imbalance in the fire element also
include agitation, nervousness, heartburn, and insomnia.
This is a great time to schedule your acupuncture seasonal tune up! Call us for more information.
Tongue Diagnosis
Tongue
diagnosis is an important part of the Chinese medical assessment.
During an examination, the overall tongue coating, shape, and color is
taken into account.
The
tongue reflects the health of the internal organs and blood
circulation. Changes in the tongue color usually reflect chronic
illness. As your health changes, the condition of your tongue changes
as well.
A normal tongue is pink in color, medium thickness, has no cracks, ulcers, or teeth marks and has a light white coat on it.
A Red Tipped Tongue
Different
areas of the tongue are believed to reflect the health of the different
organ systems. If there is an unusual color, coating, and/or shape in a
certain area, special attention is paid to the corresponding organ
system.
The tip of
the tongue is related to the heart and fire element. When the tip of
the tongue is red, it is an indication that emotional distress is
causing an imbalance. Today’s fast paced lifestyle has created an
epidemic of stress and anxiety. It is very common to see red tipped
tongues in our culture.
In addition to a red tipped tongue,
other symptoms of a heart imbalance can include insomnia or frequent
nightmares, restlessness, agitation, mouth ulcers, heat sensation in
the chest, palpitations with anxiety, dry mouth and a rapid pulse.
As
with any assessment method, acupuncturists never rely on tongue
diagnosis alone, but use it to provide a complete picture of a person's
health.
Tongue
diagnosis can be a subtle art. To try it yourself, observe the
variations of your tongue's shape, color, size, and coating and compare
it to that of friends or family members. After you have looked at a few
tongues, you will see that they differ widely, and with a little study
can tell you a lot about the overall health of a person.
Study: Blood Pressure Lowered by Acupuncture
A German study published in the June 2007 issue of Circulation found
that acupuncture significantly lowers both systolic and diastolic blood
pressure. The extent of the blood pressure reductions by acupuncture
treatments was comparable to those seen with antihypertensive
medication or aggressive lifestyle changes, including radical salt
restrictions.
For the study, 160 outpatients with uncomplicated,
mild to moderate hypertension were randomized to six weeks of
acupuncture performed by Chinese medicine practitioners or to a sham
procedure. Patients underwent 22 sessions, each 30 minutes in length.
By the end of the six weeks, 24-hour ambulatory systolic and diastolic
blood pressures were significantly reduced from baseline in the
acupuncture-treated patients (5.4 mm Hg and 3.0 mm Hg, respectively).
No significant changes were seen in the sham acupuncture group.
After
six months the blood-pressure reductions disappeared, leading
investigators to conclude that ongoing acupuncture treatments would be
required to maintain the blood-pressure reductions.
Source: Circulation, June 2007
Words of Wisdom
Do
not race your heart like a horse, or you will exhaust its energy. Do
not fly your heart like a bird, or you will injure its wings. Never
frantically move things around just for the sake of seeing what will
happen. If you move things around you dislocate them from their proper
place. If you will be calm and patient, everything will come to you by
itself. - Guanzi (Writings of Master Guan) circa 26 BCE
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In This Issue
- Summer and Chinese Medicine
- Tongue Diagnosis
- Study: Blood Pressure Lowered by Acupuncture
- Words of Wisdom
- Watermelon (Xi Gua)
- Watermelon Gazpacho
Watermelon (Xi Gua)
In
ancient Egypt, watermelon juice and its seeds were traditionally
offered to quench the thirst of travelers. If you are looking for a
healthy choice to quench your thirst this summer, make it a delicious
and refreshing watermelon!
Chinese Medicine uses the fruit (Xi
Gua) and the seeds (Xi Gua Ren) for dehydration and summer heat
symptoms, which include thirst without desire to drink, a band-like
headache, nausea, irritability, low appetite, heavy, weighted body
sensation, low motivation, sluggish digestion, increased body
temperature and sticky sweat.
Because
of watermelon’s cooling nature it is often recommended to reduce your
body’s inflammatory response. Research indicated that the effects of
chronic, low-grade inflammation can contribute to conditions such as
arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes and certain forms of
cancer.
Watermelon is also an excellent source of vitamins C, A, B6, B1, magnesium, thiamine and potassium.
Watermelon Gazpacho
The
delicate flavors of cucumber and watermelon go hand in hand to create
this sweet-and-savory chilled soup, perfect as a first course or as an
appetizer on a hot summer night.
INGREDIENTS
8 cups 1/4-inch-diced watermelon
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Mix
ingredients in a large bowl. Puree about half of the mixture in a
blender or food processor to the desired smoothness. Stir in the
remaining diced mixture.
Chill for at least one hour, to allow flavors to combine, and stir well before serving.
Serve chilled and enjoy!
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