Gifts From the Heart

Although the holidays can seem to be a season of marketing and anxiety over finding the perfect gift, there are many people finding many ways to give from the heart and make others smile with a genuine gift of the self. Where does that lovely feeling of selflessness and joy of charity come from? 

Soothing Seasonal Sounds

Music has a unique property of healing the soul on a harmonic level. Enjoy this video with 4 hours of soothing Christmas melodies while you bake those holiday treats, clean up for the arriving guests or just take a minute to unwind and relax.

C’est Oui!—The French Approach

The New Year is only a few weeks away and for many of us, it brings resolutions for improving our lives, and particularly our diets. I recently read a great post on Instagram about the French way of eating that should influence us all.

The French don’t obsess over calories, yet most of them don’t gain excess weight. They don’t go to the gym as regularly as Americans, but they maintain healthy bodies and vibrant lives. Their secret? No secret at all, just old world consumption habits.

1. Shop for produce locally. Know your farmers and seek out produce that is as freshly harvested as possible, and as close to its growing source as you can get.
2. Eat an animal rich diet. Much of French cuisine centers on grass fed butter, rich organ meats, and farm fresh eggs. They consume more saturated fat than any other nation and have some of the lowest heart disease rates in the world.
3. Try to eat your biggest meal during “lunch time”, 12-2 pm. Digestion peaks around noon for most of us, so try a light breakfast of cultured dairy and sourdough and make evening meals small and simple—bone broth soups and fresh omelettes. Modern schedules tend to invert this natural rhythm.
4. Make every meal a ceremony. Set your table and put your phone away. Light candles and uncork the wine. When eating becomes ritual, mindless snacking fades away.
5. Make time for daily walking—brisk, purposeful and non-negotiable. Not for steps or calories—for life itself. French streets are filled with walkers, morning to night.
6. Drink high quality spring fed mineral water. Alternate still and sparkling. French mineral waters—Vichy, Vittel, Volvic—carry ancient earth nutrients.
7. Be selective about your wine. Small batch, biodynamic, wines grown with minimal intervention are rich in compounds that support life—resveratrol, quercetin, and minerals. Wine was medicine before it became a happy hour excuse.
8. Be French about your dairy. They protect raw cheese making as cultural heritage with laws to preserve traditional production methods. Consume raw and cultured diary as our ancestors did.
9. Support your natural healthy rhythm— don’t swing between extremes—no crash diets, no guilt fueled binges. The French secret is daily consistency—good meals, good wine, good company. Your body craves this natural harmony.

Okay, we can’t all be French, but we can attempt to replicate some of their ways. Our Marketing Director (and my sister), Nicole Danti, has followed many of these values most of her adult life and has maintained the same body shape and approximate weight. She refuses to eat cheap snacks, doesn’t fluctuate with her standards for meals, and her cravings don’t swing wildly out of control. We can all benefit from this type of slow and deliberate behavior.

Don’t set yourself up for failure by starting your health resolutions now. I advise you to enjoy the holidays and indulge a little then start off the New Year right. 

Healthful Hints for Holiday Gifting

Tired of wrapping socks and swapping sweets? There are unlimited health and wellness gift-options available at Acupuncture by Andrea. Try one or create a gift box of goodies for that special person to unwrap and unwind. Call or come by the office and I will help you find that perfect item to bring a smile to your loved ones on Christmas day.

News For You

Elevate Your Experience at Acupuncture by Andrea in the coming months with some new offerings. We’ll soon have a waitlist option for those hoping to snag a last-minute cancellation. Stay tuned for details. In January 2025, our new pricing structure goes into effect. Combination and package sessions will be available at discounted prices.

Initial Acupuncture Treatments $115   Follow-up Treatments $100

Massage Sessions $125 for 60 minutes $185 for 90 minutes

Combination Sessions

30 minutes acupuncture/ 30 minutes massage $115

45 minutes acupuncture /45 minutes of massage $175

Package Prices

5 (90 min) massages $899

10 (90 min) massages $1725

5 acupuncture treatments $465

10 acupuncture treatments $950

5 (60 min) massages $599

10 (60min) massages $1150

Please note that appointments canceled with less than 24 hours' notice will be charged a $55 fee; missed appointments with no communication will be charged the full cost of the scheduled service.

Happy Holidays, One and All

We’re so thankful for your business and allowing us to help you live your best life. Best wishes for a holiday season filled with warmth and wellness. Acupuncture by Andrea will be closed the week of Christmas and back open the week of New Year 2025.

We look forward to seeing you in the office in the New Year. Look for exciting new herbs and supplements and new body sculpting lymphatic treatments.