Acupuncture Health Insights » Staying Healthy

A Walk in the Woods Boosts Immunity

Lynn Jaffee — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:57:41 +0000

There’s no doubt that a walk in the woods feels good. Whether it’s the California redwoods, the boreal forests of Minnesota, or the pine forests of northern New England, getting out into nature is beautiful and feeds your soul.

Now researchers from Japan are telling us that a walk in the woods is good for your body, too–and not because you’re exercising. Researchers in Japan have conducted a couple of studies that document positive physiological changes among groups of men who were exposed to . . . → Read More: A Walk in the Woods Boosts Immunity

Sweet Dreams

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:43:00 +0000

Sleep is essential to your survival as a human being. In fact, it’s likely that you can survive longer without food than you can without sleep.

The exact reason you need to sleep eludes scientists, but they do know that sleep is restorative. It supports brain function, conserves your energy, and is rejuvenating in general. You can feel its restorative effects after you’ve had a really good night’s sleep–and the lack of those effects after a couple of nights of tossing and turning without adequate . . . → Read More: Sweet Dreams

Caring for Caregivers

Lynn Jaffee — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:09:42 +0000

Over the years that I’ve been in acupuncture practice, I have worked with a number of patients who are caregivers to others. These are the people who care for an aging parent, a sick spouse, or a disabled child. Many caregivers are exhausted, burnt out, out of patience, and see no end in sight. They may feel worried, guilty, frustrated, resentful, or just plain angry at their situation. The reality is that many people don’t choose to be caregivers; it’s a job that has . . . → Read More: Caring for Caregivers

Winter, Dry Skin, and Chinese Medicine

Lynn Jaffee — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:09:23 +0000

Dear Lynn:

I read your book and understand that the water element is associated with the season of winter. Why is my skin so dry in the winter if that’s the season of water?

Dried Out in Minneapolis

Dear Dried:

That’s such a good question! It may seem odd that winter is the water element, even though it feels really dry, but there’s a good reason. To understand why, we have to look at the nature of Yin and Yang and how they correspond to the world . . . → Read More: Winter, Dry Skin, and Chinese Medicine

Ten Ways Less Stress Can Improve Your Health

Lynn Jaffee — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:48:18 +0000

We all live with some amount of stress. In fact, a little stress keeps life interesting, keeps you on your toes, and can be an agent for change. It’s when stress overshadows everything in your life, that it becomes a problem. Unrelenting stress can impact your health in countless negative ways, from insomnia to poor digestion.

In Chinese medicine, stress almost always is described as a disharmony between the Liver and Spleen organ systems. Very simply, your Chinese Liver system is responsible for regulating . . . → Read More: Ten Ways Less Stress Can Improve Your Health

Ten Tips for Staying Healthy This Winter

Lynn Jaffee — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:25:10 +0000

Here in Minnesota, there are two types of people. Those who love winter, and those who think it basically sucks. I’m one of the latter, but working hard to make my peace with the cold, dark days of January. I have new snowshoes to get me outside to play, really warm and fuzzy long underwear, every color of fleece imaginable, and some great looking boots. All of these things help, but I will never be a winter-lover.

Whether you love winter or not, it’s . . . → Read More: Ten Tips for Staying Healthy This Winter

Chinese Medicine, Your Health, and the Natural World

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:49:04 +0000

A little over a week ago I was in the deepest part of the Grand Canyon wearing a backpack. I spent a week carrying my food, clothes, water, and anything else I needed on my back. After living outdoors for a couple of days, it was surprising how quickly my pals and I got into the rhythm of nature. We went to bed when it was dark and got up when it was light. Our focus became water—finding water in an otherwise dry place. We . . . → Read More: Chinese Medicine, Your Health, and the Natural World

The Need to Heal

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:27:47 +0000

About a month ago, I pulled a muscle in a big way. I had just finished a really good (hard!) weight workout and was cooling off and stretching. Suddenly, boom! A muscle between my hip and lower back had me on the floor barely able to move.

In the weeks since that initial pull, I’ve been nursing it back to health with stretching, gentle strengthening, acupuncture, and physical therapy. However, it’s not healing as quickly as I would like, and I’m beginning to get . . . → Read More: The Need to Heal

The Body and Mind Connection

Lynn Jaffee — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 20:12:53 +0000

For the past three decades, I’ve been a runner. I admit that I run a little slower and a little less than I did thirty years ago, but I still slog along the roads or trails a couple of times a week. Before I picked up the running habit, I was pretty sedentary, and while I wasn’t exactly a couch spud, regular exercise wasn’t something I ever thought much about. In fact, my health wasn’t something I ever thought much about, either.

Shortly after . . . → Read More: The Body and Mind Connection

Eleven Ways to Have More Energy

Lynn Jaffee — Thu, 19 May 2011 21:06:37 +0000

If you feel like Dorothy in the poppy field on her way to Oz, you’re not alone. People who struggle with fatigue describe it in many ways. Some can’t get out of bed in the morning, but once they get going, they’re okay. Others say their energy sinks as the day goes on until they’re almost lifeless by dinnertime. Still others feel tired only after they eat a meal. And there are those people who are exhausted all day long.

In western medicine, there . . . → Read More: Eleven Ways to Have More Energy