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In February there is a big focus on Valentine’s Day and hearts. We love with all our heart, we get heartbroken, we are heart sick, we wear our hearts on our sleeves, we are heartfelt, and people tug at our heart strings. Since hearts are equated with love it is regarded with high importance in our emotional as well as our physical lives. Our hearts are one of the most amazing organs in our bodies. Without it, life would not be possible. It is King, or according to the ancient Chinese scholars and doctors, the Emperor. In the ancient texts they say the heart governs the mind. Thus anytime mental illness was present it was attributed to a malfunction of the heart or its meridian (energy pathway that feeds the heart).

The heart has an electrical field that is sixty times greater than the brain. The magnetic field is 5,000 times greater. Recent research shows that the heart has a central role in emotional perception and is capable of learning, remembering and making decisions independently of the brain! The heart truly is the ruler of our emotions and our physiology. Every day advances in science close the gap between ancient wisdom and modern technology. The more we advance the more we see that the ancients knew exactly what our bodies were capable of and how they functioned.

Heart functions according to Western medicine include removing metabolic waste, pumping blood through the body, and moving oxygen, nutrients, and other substances via the blood. Functions from the Eastern paradigm include controlling sweat, blood vessels & circulation; housing the “shen” or mind; and controlling mental activities. As a matter of fact, there is no mention of a brain in the organ system of Chinese medicine. According to their philosophies, the heart and kidney performed most functions considered cerebral in our culture.

Acupuncture physicians will look at a person’s complexion and tongue to determine the heart’s state of health. For example, people with heart conditions often have a very red tip of their tongue and may also have a crack down the center that goes all the way to the tip of the tongue. The ears can also be an indicator of heart issues. Frequently you will see a crack or line formed in the earlobe of a person with heart disease. The crack will start at the inferior notch on the ear and extend to the very end of the lobe. It is referred to as a stress line. These lines can occur years before heart symptoms ever surface. Your complexion can change according to the state of your heart as well. If you are blood deficient (anemic) then you will be very pale, if you have heart fire (irritability, palpitations, thirst, mouth/tongue ulcers, bitter taste in mouth) then your whole face will be red, or if you are suffering from heart yin deficiency (night sweats, palpitations, insomnia, dry mouth) then your face will be red only in the cheek and nose area.

Many people today suffer from symptoms that are attributed a dysfunction of the heart or its meridian. Some of the more common illnesses are anxiety, depression, hot flashes, low or high blood pressure, insomnia, schizophrenia, cardiac arrest, palpitations, poor memory, dream disturbed sleep and mental restlessness.

The heart meridian is strongest during the hours of 11 am to 1 pm and weakest from 11 pm to 1 am. This is why many people die of heart attacks in their sleep. Their energy in their heart is weak to begin with and during its lowest energetic period it gives out.

There are many practices you can take to heart to insure the health of your heart. Diet and exercise play a central role. Foods that can benefit the heart include but are not limited to oysters, persimmons, raspberries, dates, asparagus, basil, black beans, cinnamon, spinach, and red beets. You want to avoid foods high in saturated fat and salt. Yoga, tai chi, aerobics, and weight bearing exercise are all beneficial for your ticker.

Emotions play a huge role in your heart health. It is this organ that allows us to form deep energetic and emotional connections to others in this world. Without these connections we can not thrive. In Chinese medicine each organ has an emotion attributed to it. For example, the lungs relate to grief, the liver relates to anger, the spleen is associated with worry, the kidneys are ruled by fear, and the heart is affected by joy and sadness. These emotions are considered to be the basis of the majority of illness. It is important not to dwell on the negative emotions. Doing so will surely result in an imbalance of any meridian or associated organ. To truly help maintain your heart the best thing you can do is to love truly and love deeply. It is the energy of love that will make your heart and your entire being flourish.

Not many years ago beauty was looked upon as skin deep.  But in our ever advancing society we have come to realize that the surface only tells the story of what lies deeper.  The days of Botox and artificial fillers are quickly becoming passé as we find healthier alternatives to defy Father Time’s rampage upon our skin.   People realize that some of these treatments make you look young on the surface but can actually contribute to further decline inside the body.  Botox, for example, treats wrinkles on the surface of the skin.  It does this by using a poison to completely paralyze the muscle underneath.  While you may temporarily look better on the surface, you aren’t making your body very happy on the inside.  As people continue to use Botox, their faces become puffy and they develop and ashen appearance.  This can look worse than the wrinkles.
The best way to improve your outer beauty is to balance yourself from within.  The latest trends in facial rejuvenation are actually based on health care systems that are thousands of years old combined with the latest technology.  One of the most recent developments in facial care involves using the principles of Chinese medicine, color therapy, gemstones, microcurrent, and healing sound vibrations.  This procedure can diminish lines and wrinkles, reduce pore size, encourage collagen production, sculpt and tone the face, and restore your complexion to vibrant health.

The facial procedure starts by the practitioner cleansing the skin with a delicious smelling citrus cleanser that leaves you feeling fresh.  It is then followed by an application of a conduction solution that contains the essential oils of yarrow, lavender, and chamomile as well as amethysts and diamonds.  The next step involves placing probes which emit microcurrent, color, and gemstones on specific acupuncture points located on the face and neck.  No needles are necessary.   The practitioner will choose from five different gemstones depending on your skin and constitution.  The gemstones used are green and pink tourmaline, citrine, black opal, and blue sapphire.  Emphasis is placed on areas surrounding the eyes, lips, forehead, cheeks and the marionette lines.   The practitioner will also spend extra time on any areas of your concern.  After the microcurrent portion is complete your face is bathed in an organic coffee mask.  This helps to pull toxins from the skin.   The practitioner then removes the mask with hot steamy towels that are scented of eucalyptus.  The whole procedure invigorates and rejuvenates your sense of smell and touch.  You feel both relaxed and revived at the same time.

These acupuncture points connect with all the major organs of the body including the large intestine, stomach, gallbladder, bladder, and small intestine.  By stimulating these points, not only do you erase years from your face, you tonify and balance the internal body.  This addresses the primary reason for the aging of the skin.  Not only do you look better, you feel better.  It is not uncommon for patients to report better sleep and a reduction in their stress level.  Once the treatment is completed, the practitioner will use tuning forks to further activate and balance the facial acupoints.  The tuning forks are used to incorporate sound and vibration into the healing process.  This reinforces the microcurrent procedure.

The recommended course of treatment is two facials a week for six weeks.  Once the package is completed a maintenance program is initiated.  This allows you to get facials as you feel they are needed.  This procedure is rapidly becoming a favorite among both women and men.

Kimberly Marin, acupuncture physician and registered dietitian, is one of only three practitioners in the state of Florida that is certified in this procedure.  She currently practices in South West Broward in Miramar but close to Pembroke Pines, Cooper CIty, Weston and Davie, FL.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine the ancients tried to live in harmony with nature. They felt that this was the best way to maintain health and mental vitality. As the seasonal transformation is upon us let’s look at what changes could enhance our well being.

According to Chinese Medicine there are five seasons; spring, summer, late summer, fall and winter. The winter months correlate with the element of water. Think of a deep pool of water and it evokes images of coolness, stillness, deepness and quietude. We can also think about the depths at which water goes. Water is versatile. It can be solid as earth in the form of ice or light as air as it evaporates into steam. The organs associated with the water element are the kidneys, the bladder, and the reproductive organs. Since these organs are associated with the winter it is the perfect time to tonify and regenerate their energies. By revamping the kidney energy you can increase your energy levels and also fire up your metabolism. It is one of the organs acupuncture physicians treat to assist in weight loss. By tonifying in the winter, you can lose more weight in the spring.

The best way to stimulate these organs is through acupuncture, diet, herbs, tai chi, qi gong, and rest. There are many different foods that can be added to your diet to help rejuvenate the kidneys, bladder, and reproductive organs. Any black, salty or deep blue foods have the ability to energize these organs. Examples include black sesame seeds, walnuts, and black beans. It is also suggested that you eat foods that warm your insides to help combat the external cold. In Florida we aren’t battling too much cold but it will still benefit to eat foods such as hearty soups and roasted nuts. Think about the foods our ancestors ate during the winter; cinnamon, cloves, garlic, chestnuts, kidney beans, rice, salty foods, and grains. These are all of benefit to the water element organs.

For people that have kidney disturbances, winter is the best time to try and correct these problems. A trip to a qualified acupuncture physician can prove to be of great benefit. Classic kidney patterns in Chinese medicine can include lower back pain, knee problems, edema or water retention, inability to lose weight, hair loss, graying of hair, low libido, lack of will power, deafness, night sweats, urinary problems, bed wetting, asthma, headaches in the back of the head, dizziness, tinnitus and poor memory. A combination of acupuncture and classic Chinese herbal therapy can be quite therapeutic. Even for those without medical problems relating to the water organs, seasonal treatments can help prevent those illnesses which are common during the winter months.

As we all know, winter means shorter days. The ancients believed that in the winter months you should sleep more. You should go to bed a little earlier and wake later. They thought that if you woke later, the sun had a chance to warm the atmosphere a little and you wouldn’t have to expend as much of your own internal warmth to stay comfortable.

Winter is a time to rest and reflect. When we honor the cycles of nature we honor the cycles of our own bodies. With the hustle and bustle of our hectic, fast paced, techno lifestyles winter is the perfect time to slow down and honor the traditions of the past.

Every day when we watch the news we are subjected to high levels of stress. We sit in our living rooms and listen to experts insert fear into our hearts as they tell us times are bad. The market is bad. The housing economy is bad. Unemployment numbers are increasing and so on and so on. We start to internalize this information and we become fearful, depressed and angry. If we subject ourselves to this ritual on a routine basis these emotional changes register in our bodies.

Stress can cause innumerable illnesses. Some stress related illnesses include back pain, neck pain, anxiety, depression, irritability, insomnia, high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, irritable bowel disease, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia as well as autoimmune conditions and allergies. Your immune system suffers and you are more likely to contract simple colds and flus.

Stress causes us to become tense and when we are tense our qi (pronounced chi) can’t flow properly through our body. Qi is defined as the vital force that supports life in our bodies. Once the qi or energy gets stuck, it builds up and that is when symptoms start to appear. Think of a pot of boiling water. If you put a lid on it the steam builds up and pushes the lid off. The water overflows and you have a mess. The same thing happens in your body. If the pressure builds up in your stomach you can get heartburn or stomach pain. If the pressure builds up in your liver you can get pain in your sides, headaches, heartburn, blurred vision, strokes, tremors or ringing in your ears. If the pressure affects your heart you can suffer from anxiety, insomnia, palpitations, and chest pain.

Since we are responsible for our bodies, what can we do to offset the effects of high levels of stress? There is much we can do. First, we can exercise. Exercise has proven benefits for stress reduction. It helps open the energy flow in the body which has become locked and stagnant. It promotes blood circulation and releases endorphins and neurotransmitters that send positive chemical messages to the brain and body. These messages help relax the nervous system and improve overall mood.

Another area to address is diet. The body uses higher levels of B vitamins and minerals during periods of high stress. It is very helpful to increase your intake of fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables and limit fats, sugar and alcohol. The digestion of sugars, fats and alcohol also increase the use of the B vitamins and minerals. A balanced diet can help the body replenish the fuel tanks that are emptied quickly by stress.

Complimentary medicine can offer alternative methods for stress reduction. Acupuncture is highly effective in reducing stress. Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to help restore harmony and balance within individuals. An acupuncture physician will spend time to determine where a patient’s main weakness exists. Sometimes the symptom seems completely unrelated to the Chinese diagnosis from a Western perspective. For example, you suffer from lower back pain. Your pain is much worse since you have been under more stress at work. After asking about your energy levels, digestion, sleep, emotions, and other bodily functions your acupuncture physician determines your back pain is actually caused by a kidney qi deficiency. This does not correspond to any Western problems with your kidneys but rather addresses the energy levels flowing through your kidney and the kidney energy pathway. By using acupuncture points in the feet and even on the arms and stomach, you can tonify the energy of the kidneys and get rid of back pain. As the pain dissipates your stress levels reduce, your mood improves, and your ability to deal with stress on a day to day basis increases.

Other methods to help restore balance include yoga, tai chi, qi gong. These are Eastern exercises that help reestablish the proper flow of energy through the body.

Color therapy is experiencing resurgence. Colors have been used for thousands of years to affect people on an emotional level. Various colors have different effects on our systems. For example, red is

Also, we must take responsibility for our thoughts. In these stressful times, positive and negative thinking can have a great impact on our bodies. Trying to eliminate negative thoughts and focus on the positive can help keep the good neurotransmitters and endorphins flowing.

Avoid negative people and situations.

Avoid the news. I never put the news on in my house.

And most importantly… Laugh!

This year will be the first year I am plant based for Thanksgiving. I’ve been thinking of what I can cook so that I still feel like I am getting something special with those mouth watering fall flavors. Today I had some quinoa and garbanzos I wanted to use and they gave substance, protein and lots of fiber to this deliciousness! The cranberries and orange zest give it that special fall zing that just made the dish crave-worthy. And the sage and thyme? Well…..what’s a Thanksgiving without sage and thyme??? Here’s the recipe.

2-3 large cloves of garlic
1 small sweet onion
2 Portobello mushrooms
1 Tbsp vegan butter alternative
1 c white wine
1 c quinoa
2 c vegetable broth
1 butternut squash cubed 8and roasted
1 can garbanzos
3 Tbsp fresh thyme
3 Tbsp fresh sage cut into thin slivers
3 Tbsp fresh parsley
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/2 c chopped pecans (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop onion and garlic and put in a large pan to sautee with the vegan butter alternative. Add the sage leaves, the portobello mushrooms and white wine. Sautee until the mushrooms are cooked.
2. Now add the one cup of quinoa and the two cups of vegetable stock. Let everything come to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 12 minutes.
3. Once the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid you can add in the squash, the garbanzos, the rest of the herbs, the cranberries and the salt and pepper. You can add the pecans if desired.
4. Let the dish sick with the cover on the pan for about 15 minutes for the flavors to meld. Then eat up and enjoy!