SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder hits hard here in the Pacific Northwest, and that time of year when the days become long and dark is definitely upon us.

Even if you aren't here in the Portland and SW Washington are, when the seasons change you have to be ready for a change in mood, especially now as we move from fall into winter. Even if it doesn't seem like a drastic shift to you consciously, it matters more to our mental and physical states than you may know. Seasonal affective disorder is estimated to affect around 10 million Americans a year, and this isn’t even the full number of reported cases.

As we begin to lose the summer sun and transition into the darker months, depression and fatigue seem to make that transition with us. But, there are tried and true ways to shake off the impending gloom and brighten your day.  If you follow some of the steps below you can combat seasonal affective disorder and find yourself being just as happy as you are in the warm summer months.

1. Try light therapy with a Happy Light. Doctors have called this idea phase shifting. Because we lose sunlight so quickly as we head into the winter, you should start setting out bright lights when beginning your day. By eating breakfast and starting your daily routine under bright indoor lights, you get used to not having sunlight and can better acclimate to your new surroundings. You can find Happy Lights at Bed Bath & Beyond and online very easily.
2. Exercise. Exercise. Exercise. Regular exercise works wonder for depression in general, so why would it not work for SAD-induced depression? By maintaining regular exercise habits you can work to get rid of the fatigue, depression and tiredness by adding at least 60 minutes a day of activity into your life.
3. These next two ideas go hand in hand, as both work together to not only combat SAD, but promote a healthy lifestyle. Maintain a heart-healthy diet and get plenty of sleep. No brainers? Maybe. But, you would be surprised at the amount of people who do not follow both or one of these guidelines, in fact I’m sure you know someone who fits into those categories. Make sure to maintain a regular sleep schedule while keeping up with a heart-healthy diet in order to fight seasonal affective disorder.
4. Last, but not least, try acupuncture! Acupuncture is a great solution to combating SAD. There are various points on the body that have been known to alleviate symptoms of SAD. A primary point that should be addressed when treating SAD is Yintang, and when being treated for SAD by an acupuncturist you should be seen between one to two times a week.

Try some of these techniques and you should have no problem battling and conquering the seasonal affective disorder that may be bothering you this winter. If you're ready to jump right to #4, just click the link below to book in today!

Fall or autumn is a favorite season for many people.  The weather is getting a little cooler, things are starting to slow down and preparations for the holidays are in full swing.....

For many others, fall is not so festive.  Many people tend to get sick during the fall months, allergies can flare up for some, and many don’t like that the hours of sunlight decrease steadily, sometimes leading to seasonal depression.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine, fall is the season associated with the lung and large intestine energetic meridians.  These two meridians work in a symbiotic way to control the immune system from both the inside and outside of your body.  And if you take good care of these two meridians during the fall, you are bound to feel better throughout the season.  Here are some suggestions on how to get through the season of the lung and large intestine channels.

First off, start wearing scarves.  The scarves don’t have to be thick or heavy, but they should cover the neck.  The large intestine channel runs up the arms, across the shoulders, up the neck, over the face and ends next to the nose.  As many people now know, the health of our gastrointestinal tract plays a big part in our immunity.  So keeping the large intestine channel warm and preventing exposure from the elements will help to keep you healthy.  Cold pathogens can enter the body through the pores or nasal cavity.  But wrapping the neck and shoulders with a scarf can help ward off the pathogens.

Another way to keep the lung and large intestine channels balanced is to eat according to the season.  This means eat foods that are available during the autumn months as well as foods that boost the energy of the lung and large intestine meridians.  In the fall, you should eat fewer cold and raw foods like salads and instead you should eat more warm, cooked foods.  Utilizing the foods that are available at this time of year is a good practice as well.  Foods to enjoy during the fall months include apples, squash, broccoli, sweet potatoes, pears, yams, bananas, cabbage, carrots, cranberries, ginger, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and wild rice.  Also hot herbal teas are a good addition to your daily diet, especially those containing ginger and lemon, which act as natural antibiotics.

The large intestine and the lungs need to stay moist to function properly.  So drinking lots of water is important.  Most people know how important it is to stay hydrated during the summer months, but it is just as vital during the autumn.  Without proper hydration the skin, which is controlled by the lung meridian, can become dry and cracked allowing pathogens to easily enter the body.  The large intestine meridian needs proper hydration to be able to expel any pathogens that have gotten into the system.  So don’t forget to drink lots of water during the fall.

As we approach the fall months, it is also a good idea to increase your regular acupuncture treatments.  There are several acupuncture points that help boost immunity and fight off colds.  Why not utilize the natural power that your local licensed acupuncturist has to offer?  By doing so, you might just survive the fall without ever getting sick.

In Chinese Medicine we are always striving to have your energy aligned and balanced. To facilitate balancing your energy throughout this fall season, here are three acupressure points you can try. Acupressure is a great way to stay healthy and to balance energy, so check out these points!

1. Large Intestine 4 (LI 4)A reliever of headaches and tense muscles, LI 4 is a great point to use to balance energy. In addition to making sure you are balanced it promotes healthy bowel functionality throughout the body. LI 4, is referred to as He Gu, or the “Adjoining Valleys.” It is the point where energy cleanses the body and clears out what is no longer needed, this point clears the system and replenishes Qi. Position your left hand flat with your palm down, now squeeze your thumb and index finger together, locate a fleshy mound that appears between the two fingers and press on this point with your right thumb above and index finger below.

2. Large Intestine 11 (LI 11)To relieve pain within your arm, shoulder or elbow use this acupressure point. LI 11 also regulates the digestive tract and the blood, in addition, this point cools heat and alleviates dampness. LI 11, the earth point of the large intestine meridian, is located at the crease of your elbow. To find this point bend your elbow in a 90-degree angle, place your thumb on the outside of the elbow crease and press.

3. Lung 2 (LU 2)Yu Men, or the Gateway of Gathering Clouds is the gateway where we are able to receive fresh sunshine, the rain and cloudy days. This point is very useful for balancing energy when you are overwhelmed with stress, it calms the body. To find LU 2, locate the area above the collarbone where it meets the shoulder blade, at this location there should be a depression, apply pressure there to harness the balancing powers of this acupressure point.

​Sources:

1. http://oshercenter.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/09/Joint-conference-outline-Sept-2015.pdf
2. Training Principles for Facial Connective Tissues: Scientific Foundation and Suggested Practical Applications by Robert Schleip, PhD, MA, Divo Gutta Muller, HP; Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies (2012) xx, 1-13, http://www.fasciaresearch.de/Schleip_TrainingPrinciplesFascial.pdf
3. Review of Evidence Suggesting That the Fascia Network Could Be the Anatomical Basis for Acupoints and Meridians in the Human Body by Yu Bai, Jun Wang, Jin-peng Wu, Jing-xing Dai, Ou Sha, David Tai Wai Yew, Lin Yuan, and Qiu-ni Liang; Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Volume 2011 (2011), Article ID 260510, 6 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/260510