Medicine Health

It's mid-Spring and according to Five Element Theory, the 'Wood' energy is coming to its lowest ebb.

If you've been reading BIOM's Seasonal Health Tips, you've recognized that the effect Spring has on your body has been quite strong this year, based on whichever of the common Spring health problems you may be experiencing.

Self Checkup

Just as Five Element Theory indicates that the characteristic energy of Spring is "Wood," it also says the color is 'green,' which is the color associated with your Liver and Gallbladder. The surging energy of Spring is seen in the vibrant green color of young leaves, and how you feel Spring's energy in your body is determined by the health of your Liver and Gallbladder. If these organs are balanced, you'll feel a smooth, pleasant energy flowing through you that stimulates your creativity and a sense that fundamentally all is well in your life.

If your Liver and Gallbladder are not functioning properly, emotional problems like frustration, irritation, anger, or rage are not uncommon. Physically, symptoms like insomnia, high blood pressure, sciatica, constipation, migraine headaches, vision and other eye-related problems, hives, asthma and eczema can all be exacerbated by Spring energy and may be bothering you more than usual right now.

Help Yourself

There are things you can do to help yourself get through this time of year more comfortably if you're experiencing any of the problems mentioned above.

Foods To Avoid

Be aware that certain foods can have a detrimental effect on the Liver and Gallbladder. Try to avoid rich, fatty, oily, deep-fried, buttery, and creamy foods. For example, when you have a choice between fettuccine alfredo and fettuccine primavera, choose the primavera because fettuccine alfredo has cream and eggs in it, making it too rich for the Gallbladder. Also, be aware that the Liver and Gallbladder have a hard time processing alcohol -- including beer and wine. So if you're having Liver trouble consider avoiding, or minimizing, the amount of these foods you eat and drink.

Foods To Eat

Foods that improve the health and function of the Liver and Gallbladder include: shiitake mushrooms, sour citrus (grapefruit, lemon, lime, and sour apple), and marinades with a moderate amount of vinegar.

As always, Chinese medical herbs are extremely useful for strengthening and balancing the Liver and Gallbladder. Chinese medical herbal formulas have proven to be among the most effective treatments available for healing all degrees of Liver problems.

Get Enough Rest

Do your best to get enough rest. Rest is especially important for your body in the Spring because of the intensity of the energy discussed above. Remember that Liver imbalances can cause insomnia, which can be alleviated by Oriental Medicine.

Manage Your Stress With Exercise

Exercise is essential for your physical and emotional health, and Chi-based exercise methods like Chi Kung and Tai Chi for Gardeners are particularly beneficial in Spring to help the seasonal energy flow through your body. By combining a Chi-based exercise program with acupuncture and Chinese medical herbs, you can keep your body's Chi, or energy, from becoming 'stagnant.'

Summer Is Coming

Summer is the season of the Fire energy. It remains to be seen how quickly and intensely "Fire" flows into the northern hemisphere this year. Be aware that the drying out of all of the juicy Spring growth that you see today, is exactly what will happen to you and me in Summer. So think back and remember the health problems and discomforts you typically experience in Summer -- now is definitely the time to get prepared.

Dealing with allergies can be very difficult. Not only can they be uncomfortable and annoying, but when left untreated they can actually result in more serious health problems developing.

There are a few tips that are very important to remember when it comes to using an allergy medicine. Most of these tips would relate to any type of medicine, but here we are going to be discussing them specifically in relation to using an over the counter medicine or any other type of allergy medicine that your doctor may prescribe.

Be Sensible

The best tip to remember when you are taking an allergy medicine is to be sensible. This sounds simple enough, right? The amount of people who use allergy medicines carelessly is pretty amazing. Many people think that these are just mild medicines and so they can take them as many times as they want, without worry.

Follow Dosage Instructions

This leads us to our next tip, which is to follow proper dosage instructions. Always take your medicine as your doctor told you to, and certainly never think that just because you may take more of it, that you are going to see better results because this will not be the case at all. In fact, if anything your allergies will end up getting even worse because the allergy medicine will counteract when it is not being used properly.

Educate Yourself

It is very important to educate yourself on any medication before you start taking it. Even though your own doctor may prescribe it and it may be a very safe medication, you should still be aware of what it is, what medication you are going to be putting in your body, especially if you were told to take it on a regular basis.

So that you know what to expect and can be prepared if you ever experience any of these yourself from taking the medication, you are going to need to learn specifically about the different side effects and symptoms that are commonly associated with the medication.

The best thing you can do, if you are suffering from allergies as so many people around the world do, is for you to work as a team with your doctor on this. They will be able to ensure that you are taking the right products for your allergies and that you are making proper progress.

It's mid-Spring and according to Five Element Theory, the 'Wood' energy is coming to its lowest ebb.

If you've been reading BIOM's Seasonal Health Tips, you've recognized that the effect Spring has on your body has been quite strong this year, based on whichever of the common Spring health problems you may be experiencing.

Self Checkup

Just as Five Element Theory indicates that the characteristic energy of Spring is "Wood," it also says the color is 'green,' which is the color associated with your Liver and Gallbladder. The surging energy of Spring is seen in the vibrant green color of young leaves, and how you feel Spring's energy in your body is determined by the health of your Liver and Gallbladder. If these organs are balanced, you'll feel a smooth, pleasant energy flowing through you that stimulates your creativity and a sense that fundamentally all is well in your life.

If your Liver and Gallbladder are not functioning properly, emotional problems like frustration, irritation, anger, or rage are not uncommon. Physically, symptoms like insomnia, high blood pressure, sciatica, constipation, migraine headaches, vision and other eye-related problems, hives, asthma and eczema can all be exacerbated by Spring energy and may be bothering you more than usual right now.

Help Yourself

There are things you can do to help yourself get through this time of year more comfortably if you're experiencing any of the problems mentioned above.

Foods To Avoid

Be aware that certain foods can have a detrimental effect on the Liver and Gallbladder. Try to avoid rich, fatty, oily, deep-fried, buttery, and creamy foods. For example, when you have a choice between fettuccine alfredo and fettuccine primavera, choose the primavera because fettuccine alfredo has cream and eggs in it, making it too rich for the Gallbladder. Also, be aware that the Liver and Gallbladder have a hard time processing alcohol -- including beer and wine. So if you're having Liver trouble consider avoiding, or minimizing, the amount of these foods you eat and drink.

Foods To Eat

Foods that improve the health and function of the Liver and Gallbladder include: shiitake mushrooms, sour citrus (grapefruit, lemon, lime, and sour apple), and marinades with a moderate amount of vinegar.

As always, Chinese medical herbs are extremely useful for strengthening and balancing the Liver and Gallbladder. Chinese medical herbal formulas have proven to be among the most effective treatments available for healing all degrees of Liver problems.

Get Enough Rest

Do your best to get enough rest. Rest is especially important for your body in the Spring because of the intensity of the energy discussed above. Remember that Liver imbalances can cause insomnia, which can be alleviated by Oriental Medicine.

Manage Your Stress With Exercise

Exercise is essential for your physical and emotional health, and Chi-based exercise methods like Chi Kung and Tai Chi for Gardeners are particularly beneficial in Spring to help the seasonal energy flow through your body. By combining a Chi-based exercise program with acupuncture and Chinese medical herbs, you can keep your body's Chi, or energy, from becoming 'stagnant.'

Summer Is Coming

Summer is the season of the Fire energy. It remains to be seen how quickly and intensely "Fire" flows into the northern hemisphere this year. Be aware that the drying out of all of the juicy Spring growth that you see today, is exactly what will happen to you and me in Summer. So think back and remember the health problems and discomforts you typically experience in Summer -- now is definitely the time to get prepared.