Good Health is an Inside-Out Job |
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This month, we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day and eagerly anticipate spring. Although we talk about the luck of the Irish, and there is some luck involved in our genetics and DNA, maintaining good health is much more than luck—it’s about total health and how we care for our bodies, both inside and out. So let’s focus on how you can “spring” into total health now and throughout the entire year.
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The Origins of St. Patrick’s Day |
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Hope everyone had a great St. Patrick’s Day! Here’s a little history about the holiday. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage. Although the holiday has broadened to include non-Catholics, the tradition of drink and feast continues. |
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Oura Ring Tracks Key Health Stats |
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Looking good on the outside doesn’t mean things are fine inside. It often takes a while for inflammation and disease to reveal itself in our outward appearance. That’s why it’s important to monitor what’s going on deep inside our tissues and cells. Fortunately, there are tools like the Oura Ring, a wedding-band-like sleep tracker that collects data about your body, activity, and sleep. It uses a common technology in fitness trackers that monitors optimal heart rate. |
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Unlike other fitness trackers that simply display your data, Oura generates daily scores for sleep, activity, and readiness to provide a quick glimpse into your health habits. For example, the activity score measures how active you’ve been over the past week and includes factors such as workouts logged, steps, calories burned, inactivity and naps. The Oura also tracks sleep for: time spent in various sleep stages, resting heart rate and heart rate variability, respiratory rate, body temperature and nighttime movement. Currently, the Oura Ring is one of the few sleep trackers that measures both your body temperature and heart rate variability.
Watch your email in the coming months as we’ll be sharing much more information with you on hidden imbalances.
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In traditional Chinese medicine, qi is our vital energy, flowing through all living things and circulating within our bodies. If you suffer a qi deficiency, that can manifest as a general unwell feeling, low mood, poor digestion and fatigue. A good place to start in addressing a qi deficiency is by eating an overall healthy diet. Foods like organic chicken, root vegetables, herbs, garlic and dates can help boost your qi. For more information on diet and other qi-boosting ideas, visit East These Foods for More Qi Energy and Less Fatigue.
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Qi-boosting Miso Soup
Ingredients
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
½ tsp fresh grated ginger root
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3 cups vegetable broth
3 cups water
1 tbs amino acids or tamari
1 tbs toasted sesame seed oil
2 tbs miso paste (thinned with water)
Large handful baby spinach
1 cup sliced carrots
½ cup extra firm cubed tofu
Pinch wakame flakes
3 scallions, thinly sliced
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Preparation
Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic, ginger and saute. Add mushrooms, broth and water. Simmer on low for 30-45 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in amino acids, toasted sesame seed oil and thinned miso paste.
Before serving, add spinach, carrots, tofu and wakame flakes to a bowl and add broth on top. Garnish with scallions.
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A high-sugar, Western diet is often linked to chronic inflammation which is connected to every known chronic disease. Basically, high sugar intake leads to high blood sugar, a pro-inflammatory state which can feed inflammatory bacteria in the gut and cause the liver to produce toxic fat.
But the relationship between sugar and inflammation is more nuanced than direct with six mechanisms that link the two. To learn about these mechanisms and the relationship of sugar and inflammation, visit 6 ways sugar can cause inflammation.
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Red Light Therapy
With several chronic and painful conditions, I was interested in the anti-inflammatory benefits of red light therapy. Over time, my systemic issues responded, and I found I could head off disease flares before they took hold. I also like the fact I’m supporting my cellular health and building collagen in my skin while I work on my organs. Red light therapy is now a consistent part of my healthcare routine. It also provides a quiet space to practice meditation and other mindfulness activities.
~ Suzanne
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March Madness Special
Mark your calendars for a special Fullscript sale March 29-30.
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Does your body need a Spring cleaning or tune up? Try supplements from Fullscript. Our patients already receive a 10% discount on Fullscript products and will now receive an additional 10% discount during the sale—20% off in total. Orders over $50 will receive free shipping. Follow our social media for details, or login to your Fullscript account. Don’t have an account? Create one now.
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Let us be your partner in total health.
Contact us today for a consultation, and we’ll recommend a program tailored to your health needs. Here’s to Spring’s arrival and your good health!
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be sure to follow nature's balance on |
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JANINE JOZWIAK, MS. LAc.
820 E. Terra Cotta Avenue, Suite 101
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
815.788.8383
Email: info@naturesbalanceacupuncture.com
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We’re here to help support you on your journey to optimizing your health!
Nature’s Balance Acupuncture practitioners are licensed and credentialed with many years of experience and success stories. Their focus on whole health wellness allows them to get at the root of your health issues. Book an appointment with Janine Jozwiak, Licensed Acupuncturist and Owner, to learn how she can help you.
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