To live a healthy life at the most basic level, we all know that there are certain habits that must be maintained on a consistent basis. 

Want healthy teeth? Brush a few times daily, floss at least once a day, and visit your dentist for regular check-ups.

Healthy bodily hygiene requires that you shower or bathe daily.

Living at a healthy bodyweight results from consistently eating the right types of foods, and regularly engaging in some form of exercise. 

Most importantly, living your life at your absolute healthiest, with 100% energy flow and maximum expression of life requires clearing the body of meridian imbalances and then maintaining those changes through consistent wellness treatments.

These are truths that cannot be denied. When you quit performing any of these proactive habits, its corresponding aspect of health begins to decline.

So let's say you did give up these habits. What would happen to your state of health as it relates to that activity?

Quit brushing and flossing and you risk losing your teeth. As undesirable as this would be, you can still live without a mouthful of teeth. Sure it's more difficult, but you would survive.  

Give up bathing and, while your circle of friends would quickly diminish, you would be in no imminent threat of losing your life.

Stop exercising or eating well and soon your neglect will be written all over your expanding body.  

Start powering down or inhibiting the meridian system, however, and your quality of life plummets right along with it. Shut the meridian system down completely, and you will be very unhealthy.

This is not to imply that if you give up your acupuncture treatments that disease is imminent, but it does speak volumes toward the importance of keeping the power of the meridian system flowing freely at all times. 

Life revolves around the meridian system and when there become imbalances, or blockages, the energy that runs the body is diminished.

As important as it is to correct meridian imbalances and restore normal function to the meridian system, it is just as critical to maintain those changes. A lifetime of preventative, wellness acupuncture care is one of the healthiest habits that you can engage in.  

Recipe Corner

Not Awful Falafel

Ingredients:  

• 1 c dried fava beans, soaked overnight & drained (or substitute an equal amount of garbanzo beans)
• half c dried garbanzo beans, soaked overnight & drained *
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 / 4 c parsley, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic confit
• 1 T lemon juice
• 2 t whole cumin, toasted & ground
• 1 t coriander, toasted & ground
• 1 t hot paprika
• 1 / 2 t kosher salt
• 1 / 2 c quinoa, cooked
• 2-3 T all-purpose flour, optional

Instructions: 

1. Grapeseed oil, (or other neutrally-flavored high smoke point oil of your choice) for frying
2. Place the soaked fava beans, soaked garbanzo beans, chopped onion, parsley, garlic confit, lemon juice, spices, and kosher salt in a food processor and pulse until a coarse meal the size of Israeli couscous forms.
3. Transfer the mixture to a sealable container, stir in the cooked quinoa, and refrigerate for at least two hours.
   Heat the grapeseed oil in a cast-iron skillet or other heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
4. While the oil is heating, remove the falafel mixture from the refrigerator and form into small fritters using approximately 2 T at a time (roughly golf ball-sized and lightly pressed to form patties).
5. If the falafel mixture breaks apart, stir in the flour a little at a time until the mixture holds together well.
6. Fry the falafel in small batches, 2 - 3 minutes per side, until golden brown, reducing heat if necessary to ensure the fritters are completely cooked through.
7. Remove from the hot oil with a kitchen spider (or other similar strainer) and drain on paper towels. Repeat this process with the remaining falafel.
8. Serve warm with hummus, tzatziki, fresh veggies, or anything else your little heart desires.
    

*Note:  

**Also, and just a heads up, there's a honking amount of fava beans here, so if you're one of the unlucky few with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency running through your family, feel free to substitute out the favas for garbanzos.

**Fava beans are great and all, but knowingly taking chances of inducing hemolytic anemia for the sake of gastronomic pleasure isn't cool.