Acupuncture & Natural Health Solutions Newsletter Providing Natural Health Care for the Entire Family

Issue #2015-01a

Your Amazing Kidneys

* Your kidneys normally come in pairs. They are roughly 5 inches long and 3 inches wide.

* To locate your kidneys, place your hands on your hips, and slide them up until you feel your ribs. Place your thumbs against your back-that's where they reside.

* Your kidneys receive about 120 pints of blood per hour.

* Over 400 gallons of recycled blood is pumped through your kidneys every day.

* Half of one kidney could do the work that two kidneys usually do.

Your Kidneys According to Western Medicine:

* Filter waste from blood, and purify blood for your body.

* Maintain homeostasis by balancing fluids and minerals in the body.

Your Kidneys According to Chinese Medicine:

* Store Jing Qi (精氣)

* Govern reproduction & development

* Control water metabolism

* Receive & grasp Qi (氣)

* Control the bones

* Produce marrow to fill the brain

* Relate to the ears

* Manifest in the hair

* House will power

A few signs of kidney imbalance according to Chinese medicine:

*Sterility/impotence

*Darkness under the eyes

*Low back pain/sciatic

*Urinary problems

*Fatigue/lethargy

*Premature grey or loss of hair

*Knee problems/weakness

*Poor memory/confusion

*Colds hands/feet

Self Help Tip
Awaken Your Kidney Energies

In Chinese Medicine, Kidney energy provides the most important part of vitality. The Dan Tian (丹田) breath is a powerful, and extremely beneficial variation of our natural breathing. Dan Tian breathing is important to cultivate health, facilitate self-healing, and to increase the vital energy, known as Qi (氣). This is a simple exercise to relax both the body and mind, release stress, reduce anxiety, and massage the internal organs.

Sit upright in a chair, close your eyes, and place the tips of your thumbs and index fingers together, forming a triangle. Place center of where your thumbs touch directly above navel, with tips of your index fingers pointing downwards. The area just below the navel is where the Dan Tian is located.

Tap your upper and lower teeth together 36 times, swish and swallow the resulting saliva in 3 parts, sending it down to the Dan Tian. Place the tip of your tongue where your front teeth and palate meet.

Inhale through your nose and into your abdomen. Direct your awareness and breath into the Dan Tian, expanding your lower abdomen and lower back. Gently hold your breath as long as you can without straining or tensing up.

With the exhale, contract your lower abdomen and low back. Imagine sending gray waste out through your nose. You can perform this breathing technique 9, 18, or 36 times.

The information contained within the newsletter is only used to educate and inform. This newsletter is not a substitute for the advice of a licensed and registered health care provider. Seek prompt attention for emergencies. Consult a health care provider for specific health concerns, and before starting a diet, cleanse or exercise routine.

Monthly Acupuncture Column Featured in SW Florida's Health & Wellness Magazine

Toni Eatros, AP,

Acupuncture Physician,

is the featured acupuncture columnist in the popular SW Florida's Health & Wellness Magazine.

Be sure to check out January's issue, on stands now, which discusses the benefits of the fertility - how acupuncture can help.

Click here to view December's Article

about A Needle Free Method of Diagnosing ad Treating the Entire Body

Acupressure Points

Rubbing acupuncture points with your finger for 30 - 60 seconds can stimulate and promote the circulation of Qi within your own body, restoring health and well-being.

Here is a common acupuncture point used to support your health in winter.

Kidney 7 - Fu Liu

Location:

This point is located on both feet. This point is located about two inches above the inside ankle bone and on the border of the Achilles tendon.

Functions:

This is a useful point for edema, night sweating, diarrhea, dry mouth, low back pain.

Acupuncture Research

Acupuncture is an excellent remedy for osteoarthritis of the knee.

A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that acupuncture produces significant pain relief and improved function in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

In the study, the subjects who experienced acupuncture had a greater reduction in pain and stiffness, improved functioning and a higher quality of life than the placebo group.

Berman, BM., et. Al., Effectiveness of acupuncture as adjunct therapy in osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized, controlled trial. Annals of Internal Medicine, DEC. 21, 2004; 141(12)901-910.

Link to Article

Recipe Corner

Onion and Mustard Sauce

Ingredients:

2 onions, chopped

4 Tbs. olive oil
2 1/2 Tbs. wheat or spelt flour
2 cups vegetable stock 1 1/2 Tsp. tarragon
3 Tsp. mustard

(1) Saut� onions and olive oil until onions are soft and sweet.

(2) Stir in flour with the stock until dissolved.

(3) Add mustard and tarragon to onion mixture.

(4) Cook stirring occasionally until sauce has thickened.

This is a warming sauce suitable for pouring over steamed vegetables and a simple grain.

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