Top 3 Chinese diet foods for Summer Solstice 夏至养生食谱 Rational Health Care Tips for Summer

In Summer Solstice, due to strong heat absorption by ground and air convection, thunder showers that come and go quickly occur a lot between noon and dusk. Because rainfalls during this period are limited to a low range, people usually call them "raining within one field."
A famous poet of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Liu Yuxi(刘禹锡), described this kind of weather in one of his poems  "the eastern sky is sunny while the western is rainy; it is thought to be rainy but the sun is still in the sky." 
 After summer solstice, most areas enter into midsummer and hot whether comes frequently sometimes reaching about 40°. As the saying is "First Yin occurs at summer solstice"(夏至一阴生), that is to say, in this solar term, Yin grows although it is hot, and makes people weak and vulnerable to disease processes. Therefore in this solar term, rational health care is very important. Ji Kang (Chinese嵇康; 223–262) wrote in Health Care Theory: "It is more important to do prana yama and meditation as if it is full of ice and snow in heart; scorching heat can be reduced by my peaceful mood. Never regard the heat as heat or it will generate more heat. "That tells people to adjust their breath and practice Qigong to make a peaceful and easy mood, imaging there is ice and snow in the heart that you will never feel hot any more; you should never be disturbed by the hot whether that would make you feel hotter.
 In midsummer, most people suffer from hypodynamia, headache and light head; more seriously, it will affect daily life and work. Firstly, this is because high temperature makes people eliminate heat by perspiration which cause a lot of water loss in the body. If no timely water replenishing is applied, blood volume would reduce and brain will suffer from lack of blood that causes headache. Secondly, the periphery vein expands, and more blood flows to periphery whose reallocation will lower down the blood pressure and cause headache. Someone who has poor sleep, weak spleen and stomach, or poor appetite will also suffer from headache. Those who like to drink cold water will suffer from so-called cold-drink headache. The patient with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular or urinary system diseases should pay attention to strengthening health care.
Moreover, it is an excellent chance to treat the winter diseases (such as chronic tracheitis, bronchitis, etc.) in summer. These patients should take active in treatment to achieve maximum results with little effort. Feel free to call Oriental Acupuncture Clinic at 416-800-3978 for free consultation.

At the end you will find out the top 3 Chinese foods for the summer healthy diet, especially for those who has poor appetite , weak spleen and stomach. So go through all these Chinese ancient poems about the summer solstice first...^-^


“昼晷已云极,宵漏自此长……”一看到唐朝诗人韦应物这篇“夏至避暑北池”,相信大家马上知道是什么节气了。

  是的,今日夏至。《恪遵宪度抄本》曰:“日北至,日长之至,日影短至,故曰夏至。至者,极也。”夏至这天,太阳直射地面的位置到达一年的最北端,几乎直射北回归线,是北半球全年白昼最长的一天。从今天之后,白天渐短,宵漏越来越长,对于不喜寒冷的人来说,有点伤感对不对。
  《礼记》记载:“夏至到,鹿角解,蝉始鸣,半夏生,木槿荣。”

  丁酉年夏至节气调理   
  中医认为,夏至一阴生。2017丁酉年芒种节气之后,临床多出现外热内寒、上燥下湿之口臭、鼻干、足癣、痔疮发作、半夜易醒、既欲凉饮又欲香口辛辣食物;严重者出现哮喘、腹痛、不思饮食、精神疲惫。若天之寒热变化致身体明显不适者,须即时就医诊治,若有上述病机端倪者,遵内经少阳属肾,肾上连肺,固将二脏之理,可以通过针灸有效调理。多伦多东方针灸诊所咨询电话:416-800-3978


夏季气候炎热,人的消化功能相对较弱,因此,饮食宜清淡不宜肥甘厚味,要多食杂粮以寒其体,不可过食热性食物,以免助热;冷食瓜果当适可而止,不可过食,以免损伤脾胃;厚味肥腻之品宜少勿多,以免化热生风,激发疔疮之疾。
养生食谱:
1、荷叶茯苓粥(Lotus leaf tuckhoe porridge):
[配料] 荷叶1张(鲜、干均可),茯苓50克,粳米或小米100克,白糖适量。
[做法] 先将荷叶煎汤去渣,把茯苓、洗净的粳米或小米加入药汤中,同煮为粥,出锅前将白糖入锅。
[功效] 清热解暑,宁心安神,止泻止痢(对心血管疾病、神经衰弱者亦有疗效)。
2、凉拌莴笋(Salad Celtuce or Stem Lettuce):
Celtuce
[配料] 鲜莴笋350克,葱、香油、味精、盐、白糖各适量。
[做法] 莴笋洗净去皮,切成长条小块,盛入盘内加精盐搅拌,腌1小时,滗去水分,加入味精、白糖拌匀。将葱切成葱花撒在莴笋上,锅烧热放入香油,待油热时浇在葱花上,搅拌均匀即可。
[功效] 利五脏,通经脉。
3、奶油冬瓜球(Creamy winter melon balls):
[配料] 冬瓜500克,炼乳20克,熟火腿10克,精盐、鲜汤、香油、水淀粉、味精各适量。
[做法] 冬瓜去皮,洗净削成见圆小球,入沸水略煮后,倒入冷水使之冷却。将冬瓜球排放在大碗内,加盐、味精、鲜汤上笼用武火蒸30分钟取出。把冬瓜球复入盆中,汤倒入锅中加炼乳煮沸后,用水淀粉勾芡,冬瓜球入锅内,淋上香油搅拌均匀,最后撒上火腿末出锅即成。
[功效] 清热解毒,生津除烦,补虚损,益脾胃。

Health Benefits Of Winter Melon -top chinese diet food


Boost Vision: A significant amount of research has linked vision problems to a deficiency in riboflavin, more commonly known as vitamin B2. Winter melon also has very high levels of vitamin B2, more than 11% of your daily requirement in a single serving. By increasing the amount of vitamin B2 in your system, you can reduce your chances of eye disorders, while the antioxidants found in winter melon help to reduce oxidative stress in the retina and macular degeneration.
Protect the Heart: With high levels of potassium and vitamin C, winter melon is a tried and true protector of cardiovascular health. Potassium functions as a vasodilator, meaning that it can help to lower blood pressure by releasing tension in the blood vessels and arteries, letting blood flow more freely. This makes it more difficult to develop atheroslcerosis, which can compound heart issues and increase your risk of coronary heart disease. Furthermore, vitamin C has been directly linked to reduced chances of a stroke.
Improve Immunity: With more than 19% of your daily vitamin C requirements in a single serving, winter melon is a powerful immune system booster. Vitamin C can stimulate the production of white blood cells, and also acts as an antioxidant to neutralize free radicals and prevent the mutation of health cells. Winter melon also boasts a decent amount of zinc, which is another critical component to immune system health.
Stimulate Growth and Development: Most people only think of vitamin C as an immune system booster, but in fact, vitamin C performs a number of key functions in the body. Perhaps most importantly, it is a component in the production of collagen, which is one of the basic building blocks of cells, tissues, muscles, bones and blood vessels. If you are still in developmental stages of your life, or recovering from an injury/illness, you want high levels of vitamin C to provide raw materials for growth and repair. Winter melon delivers that vitamin C in a major way!
Digestive Health: Dietary fiber is an important part of any healthy diet, as it can optimize digestion and prevent many unfortunate gastrointestinal issues, including constipation, bloating, cramping, hemorrhoids, and general stomach upset. Dietary fiber can also improve the nutrient uptake efficiency of the gut, along with reducing cholesterol levels in the cardiovascular system!
Increase Energy Levels: Taking in the right nutrients is one thing, but being able to properly use them is another. Vitamin B2 plays an important part in human metabolism, ensuring that the nutrients are converted into usable energy. Along with its many other impacts on hormonal balance and health, the high level of vitamin B2 found in winter melon keeps us functioning and using nutrients efficiently!
Cognitive Function: The significant level of iron found in winter melon makes it an ideal solution for increasing circulation to extremities of the body. Iron is a key component in the production of red blood cells, so when you have more iron, you have better circulation of fresh, healthy and oxygenated blood. This means that winter melon can not only protect against the symptoms of anemia, but also ensure proper blood flow to the brain, which can increase concentration, focus and memory.
Detoxify the Body: In traditional medicine, winter melon is often used as a diuretic, which can help to detoxify the body. Urination eliminates excess toxins, fats, salts and water from the body, so any vegetable that can induce that detoxification will help your liver and kidney perform at optimal levels.

Weight Loss: Winter melon is often praised as a weight loss tool, because it is high in fiber and relatively low in calories. This popular vegetable will make you feel full, thus reducing between-meal snacking and overeating, without pushing your calorie intake for the day over certain limits. The rich blend of minerals and nutrients also promotes muscle growth and a stronger metabolism, thereby compounding the weight loss effects.

Reference:
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/winter-melon-benefits-nutritional-value.html

Acupuncture natural cures and remedies options for High Cholesterol Control

Summer time usually is a great time to take care of your heart health and look at the ways to lower cholesterol!


One out of every two men and one out of every three women will develop heart disease sometime in their life. Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States and about 1.25 million heart attacks occur each year in the United States. About 2.4 million Canadian aged 20 years and older live with ischemic heart disease. Heart disease is also the second leading cause of death in Canada.

Research has clearly shown that lowering cholesterol can reduce the risk of developing heart disease. Whether you have heart disease already or want to prevent it, you can reduce your risk for having a heart attack by lowering your cholesterol level.

Make sure your cholesterol is being monitored and find out how acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help you stay healthy.

Reduce Risk with TCM


In TCM(Traditional Chinese Medicine) , the three major different causes of High Cholesterol: 1.Spleen wet; 2.Liver depression, 3.Kidney deficiency. So for each individual, the treatment will be different, all depend on the TCM diagnosis result for each patient.

At Oriental Acupuncture Clinic, Acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion or herbal medicine all can be used to treat the high cholesterol condition.

Acupuncture can be used to treat many of the health conditions that are known to drastically increase the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol.

Here are a few of the risk factors that can be addressed with acupuncture:
* Smoking
* High Blood Pressure
* Excess weight
* Diabetes


Herbal Medicine

Several Chinese herbs and herbal formulas are used to lower cholesterol levels:

  • Shan Zha (Fructus Crataegi) also known as Hawthorn berry, have been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure.



  • Reishi mushroom: In addition to lowering blood pressure, Reishi can improve overall circulation, lower inflammation that worsens heart problems, and prevent clogged arteries or high cholesterol levels.

                       

  • Ginkgo biloba benefits range from improving blood flow, brain power and eyesight. However, it is primarily a circulatory herb used for treating vascular diseases. Ginkgo Biloba is also useful in lowering the risk of atherosclerosisthrombosis and heart attack since it may help remove plaque from the arteries, neutralize free radicals, prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol and platelet aggregation.

                                        


  • Turmeric increases the population of receptors for LDL (low-density lipoprotein or “bad”) cholesterol in the liver. This effect directly increases the breakdown of LDL cholesterol and the reduction of blood cholesterol levels.In addition, the antioxidant effect of turmeric inhibits lipid peroxidation and prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.This is important for cardiovascular health because oxidized LDL cholesterol is responsible for the clogging and thickening of the arteries.Lastly, turmeric can also improve cardiovascular health by its anti-platelet action. By preventing platelets from sticking together, turmeric prevents blood clot formation and can, therefore, reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

                                      

Most herbal medicines are a blend of herbs specifically chosen for each individual. Please talk to your practitioner about which herbal formulas and supplements for high cholesterol and heart health are right for you.

Causes of High Cholesterol

Three nutrients in your diet make LDL ("bad" cholesterol) levels rise:
* Saturated fat, a type of fat found mostly in foods that come from animals
* Trans fat, found mostly in foods made with hydrogenated oils and fats such as stick margarine,
* Cholesterol, which comes only from animal products.
Learn how to read a food label - Choose foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.


Overweight
Excess weight tends to increase your LDL level. Also, it typically raises triglycerides, a fatty substance in the blood and in food and lowers HDL. Losing the extra pounds may help lower your LSL and triglycerides, while raising your HDL.

Physical Inactivity
Being physically inactive contributes to overweight and can raise LDL and lower HDL. Regular physical activity can raise HDL and lower triglycerides, and can help you lose weight and, in that way, help lower your LDL.
Participate in physical activity of moderate intensity—like brisk walking—for at least 30 minutes on most, and preferably all, days of the week. No time? Break the 30 minutes into three, 10-minute segments during the day.

Smoking
Don't smoke. If you do smoke, our acupuncturist:Jarry Liu can help you quit.

Your Cholesterol Level

You can have high cholesterol and not realize it. Most of people with high cholesterol have no symptoms. So it's important to have your blood cholesterol levels checked. All adults age 20 and older should have their cholesterol levels checked at least once every 5 years. If you have elevated cholesterol, you'll need to have it tested more often.

Setting your Goal
The main goal in treating high cholesterol is to lower your LDL level. Studies have proven that lowering LDL can prevent heart attacks and reduce deaths from heart disease in both men and women.

Total Cholesterol
Less that 200 mg/dL - Desirable
200-239 mg/dL - Borderline high
240 mg/dL and above - High

LDL Cholesterol
Less than 100 mg/dL - Optimal (ideal)
100-129 mg/dL - Near optimal/ above optimal
130-159 mg/dL - Borderline high
160-189 mg/dL - High
190 mg/dL and above - Very high

HDL Cholesterol
Less than 40 mg/dL Major heart disease risk factor
60 mg/dL and above - Gives some protection against heart disease

Health Tips, Foods and supplements for High Cholesterol

*Simply increase you intake of fiber-rich foods such as oatmeal, whole grains, fruits(like apples), vegetables(like Spinach) , legumes (beans, soybeans). Instead of drinking coffee, drinking green tea is beneficial for many conditions and ailments, and LDL cholesterol is no exception. Drink one cup of green tea daily and you may find that your high LDL cholesterol levels will say their final farewell. 

* Soy products help lower cholesterol levels due to their isoflavone content.

* Include garlic, onions, avocados, salmon, almonds and walnuts in your diet.

* Omega-3 oils such as flax seed oil and fish oil helps lower cholesterol.

* Copper and chromium are minerals that have been shown to lower cholesterol levels.

So except taking acupuncture , cupping or Chinese herbal medicine. Treating patients with very high cholesterol who also simply needed a change to their diet and lifestyle to improve their health. Keep in mind that this change in diet does not have to be an all-or-nothing overhaul of deprivation and starvation. If you have high cholesterol, start simple:

Take an apple daily: As with beans, apples are an excellent source of LDL-lowering soluble fiber, primarily pectin. Research published in December 2014 in the European Journal of Nutrition also shows that eating an apple a day (or better yet, two) can slow the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

Bean sprout: Mung bean sprouts are an excellent source of lecithin which, besides lowering blood cholesterol levels, helps reduce liver fat.




 Onions: Study shows that flavonoids in onions reduced the low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad”cholesterol in obese people at risk of heart disease.

Jarry Liu: Registered Acupuncturist with 28 years clinical experience.


Chinese Natural Herbal Mosquito Repellent

Beautiful summer is here, also the Mosquitoes are happy to bite our sweating skin. Mosquitoes don't just whine in your ear and drive you mad with itching, but they also spread disease to more than 700 million people every year. 


We all know "OFF! Deep Woods" repellent, a product containing about 24% DEET, fared the best. Its protection lasted an average of five hours. In 1998, The Environmental Protection Agency re-evaluated DEET, and found that it is very safe when used according to label directions, and it's not classified as a carcinogen (Cancer-causing agent). The label directions on DEET products will say you should apply it only once a day to exposed skin and outerwear -- not under clothing. Under clothes, it can absorb into the skin more readily, and possibly cause irritation. DEET can also irritate the eyes

Except “OFF!” , Chinese natural herbal mosquito repellent maybe is the safest one without any skin or eyes irritation side-effects. And the best part of this herbal mosquito repellent is that it smells so good. You can hang it in your bedroom or just wear it as a necklace pendant, lol. Here's the ingredients:

Have any skin conditions, acupuncture can help, call oriental acupuncture clinic @ 416-800-3978 for your free consultations!