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Stop Getting Sick This Winter: Vivian’s 7 Chinese medicine Secrets
Winter According to Chinese Medicine In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), winter is associated with the Kidney system, which governs our body's energy reserves, growth, warmth, and resilience. Winter is a season for rest, nourishment, and to conserve our energy. By...
Menopause is the “Second Spring”
In Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM), menopause is called the “Second Spring”. It represents the renewal of energy and opportunities as there is a shift from fertility and reproduction, to conserving
and nourishing the self.
Post-partum thyroid flares
If you have a thyroid condition, you may be aware of the chances of having a symptom flare up post-partum, however this can happen to any woman even if they have never experienced thyroid
Three Fragrant Herbs
3 Fragrant Herbs These are 3 of the most fragrant herbs in the Materia Medica; Angelica root (Bai Zhi), Chinese mint (Bo He) and patchouli (Huo Xiang).Bai Zhi can open the orifices of the nose and
Rice Congee
WHATS IS CONGEE? Congee is a traditional Chinese dish of rice that is cooked with much more liquid than usual to achieve a porridge like consistency.
Warm food
How and what to eat for the changing seasons. Autumn is in full swing now and just like our wardrobe selection changes for the weather, so too must our diet. Why?
Your Skin
The Gut Your gut/digestive system is the foundation of health. If there is inflammation and immune reactions occurring in the gut, that information is passed out throughout your body and can trigger
Endometriosis
We see many people with varying levels of Endometriosis and Menstrual pain every day in the clinic, and March is Endometriosis Awareness Month – a time to recognise people living with
Gao’s | Balms
Gao’s | Wax-Balms In Chinese herbal medicine, Gao refers to a topical herbal medicinal. This includes ointments, lotions, waxes, creams and balms. A
Thyroid health and fertility
Hormones are incredibly important during the fertility stages, however often the thyroid hormones are neglected over the reproductive hormones, such as oestrogen. Your thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland located at the front of your neck that produces hormones to regulate your metabolism and other vital functions of the body
such as your body’s ability to conceive and bring a baby to full term.
PMS & Skin tea
Herbs: Mei Gui Hua – Rose buds Get that kettle boiling, grab a cuppa and enjoy your tea. Rosebuds are sweet, slightly bitter and warming in nature.
Bloating tea
herbs: Chen Pi – Tangarine PeelGet that kettle boiling, grab a cuppa and enjoy your tea. Tangerine peel is acrid, warming, aromatic and very refreshing. T
Weight loss tea
Herbs: Shan Zha – Hawthorn fruit Get that kettle boiling, grab a cuppa and enjoy your tea. Warm and Sour, tart and refreshing.
Bright eyes tea
herbs: Bo He Ye, Ju Hua and Gou Qi ZiA great combination to brighten the eyes! Get that kettle boiling, grab a cuppa and enjoy your tea!
VITAMIN D
Spring is in the air and that means the focus is now on vitamin D. Vitamin D, otherwise known as calciferol, is a fat-soluble vitamin that is not found in adequate amounts in most foods.
Bloated?
It’s one of the most common digestive issues: bloating of the abdomen. Some have just a bit of bloating where others look like they are a couple of months pregnant. Some people don’t feel anything of the bloating, and some feel a lot of pressure or pain in the stomach or feel like they are wearing tight jeans. Did you know that acupuncture can be effective for abdominal bloating?
Iron deficiency
Iron is one of the most common types of nutritional deficiency in the world. In fact, 1 in 8 Australians do not consume enough iron and we see regularly in clinic, iron deficiency. Iron deficiency is an insufficient amount of iron present in the body. Without enough iron, your body cannot produce enough haemoglobin in red blood cells to carry oxygen around the body. It also plays a role in immune resistance, thyroid function, respiration, skin and nail formation and even bone health.
Arthritis
Arthritis is an umbrella term for more than 100 medical conditions that affect the skeletal system, specifically joints where two or more bones meet.* It mainly occurs in the joints of the hands, knees, shoulders, hips and lower back. In Western medicine pain relief is often treated with painkillers which can have serious side effects. Ever thought of acupuncture in combination with Chinese herbs? With this combination we aim to relieve pain and increase mobility. Read further to see why this is so important.
Wrinkles
Laugh lines, thinking wrinkles, angry look lines, are-you-kidding-me-lines or crow’s feet. Do you have them too? I have to say that I actually really like them on other people. The beautiful lines around your eyes or on your nose are actually very cute. Look at this beautiful woman in the photo. I mean how gorgeous is she? But I have them myself, and then there is actually nothing to laugh about. Funny huh, how that works?
According to Chinese medicine, outer beauty is based on your inner balance; our face reflects our internal health. Again when our energy has the right balance, we look fresh and healthy. But we all get older and after the age of 20 our face starts to leave traces. And I want to tell you, that is very normal. Unfortunately, one person gets it a bit faster while the other gets wrinkles a bit deeper.
Diabetes awareness Mondays
At of the first Monday of May at Altona Acupuncture we will be running type 1 diabetes awareness Mondays where $2 from every treatment will be donated to the Juvenile diabetes research foundation. This is a really important cause for me because my daughter is diagnosed with type1 diabetes. She is 7 years old now and every single day is a challenge to make sure we can keep her safe, well and healthy and to make sure she stays that way. It’s been a very steep learning curve. There were a lot of things about type 1 diabetes that we just didn’t understand as parents. So I want to share some insights with you as well every Monday about what its like to love with Type 1 diabetes.
Keep your balance in Autumn
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) everything is connected and in perfect harmony. This is reflected in the rhythm of day and night, the alternation of the seasons and the functioning of people. Now that Autumn has arrived, the element metal is taking the lead. The element metal stands for letting go and receiving. When your metal element is in balance, you are decisive, strong and vital, but when your element is out of balance you can feel sad and this can also lead to an inability to create structure, among other things. Like the trees drop their leaves, because they become unneeded. It is time for you to drop bad habits, let things go and keep what is right for you. Be decisive and think about your real needs.
Acupuncture vs dry needling
Every now and then I get asked if dry needling is the same thing as acupuncture. And the answer is no! Read more to see what is different.
![Cun [Tsun]](https://altonaacupuncture.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/4-400x250.png "Blog 23")
Cun [Tsun]
In Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) we use proportional measurements to locate acupuncture points on the body.
The moon
To me the moon is a fascinating thing. Science may indicate that there is no relationship between the position of the moon and human behaviour or well-being however there are many people who believe differently, including me, for me I believe the moon has more ‘power’!
Anxiety
Anxiety is a common feeling that many people experience. Often the anxious feeling disappears when the sense of danger has passed however sometimes the feeling lingers long after the danger has
Postpartum imbalances
A woman’s body undergoes significant hormonal and physiological changes during pregnancy and after giving birth. While many mothers are feeling blessed and happy, a very large group of women have the feeling that they have ended up in a big thunderstorm. The changes that women have to go through are immense and very intense. Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture can support you if you suffer from postpartum imbalances.
Traditional Chinese Medicine & Summer
HOW TO KEEP YOUR FIRE ELEMENT IN BALANCE 4 December 2020 – According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) everything is connected and in perfect harmony. T
The 5 elements
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the five elements are believed to be the fundamental of everything in the universe between which interactions occur. Everything is connected and in perfect harmony. This is reflected in the rhythm of day and night, the alternation of the seasons and the functioning of people.
Period blood colour
If you’ve seen an acupuncturist for menstrual issues, you’ve probably been asked all kinds of questions about your menstrual blood. Do you have heavy periods, what color is your blood and do you have blood clots? The more we know, the better we can understand your body and menstrual cycle. The color of the blood is not a gynecological diagnosis. It gives the acupuncturist instructions about the energy balance in your body and how we can restore this balance in case of menstrual complaints.
Menopause
Sooner or later, hot flashes and night sweats will come around the corner ladies… Not everyone has the same symptoms, but these are the most common. Acupuncture cannot slow or stop menopause, but it may help reduce symptoms.
How’s your libido?
Isn’t it funny? Talking about sex and making jokes about sex when all is well is easy. But what if your sex drive or libido is low? This is something we often don’t speak about, which is strange because a low libido is very common and often caused by hormonal or emotional problems.
Stressed? Take care of your adrenal glands
17 September 2020, Natalie Gibson – Our adrenal gland is a key part of our stress response, it is the gland that produces our stress hormone cortisol amongst others.
Spring is in the air
Just look around you, the seeds are sprouting, coloured flowers and green are everywhere. Not only the plants and animals, but we are also coming out of hibernation. In Winter we saved our energy and made plans which we can realise during Spring.
Qi & meridians
3 September 2020 – Within traditional Chinese medicine there are a number of terms that we regularly use such as Qi, yin, yang and meridians. Sometimes we use these terms during your consultation.
Health Benefits of Omega 3
28 August 2020 by Natalie Gibson – Omega 3 fatty acids support the cell membrane structure of each of our cells as well as the internal organelles within the cells, assist with lipid digestion
How is acupuncture going to help me conceive?
30 August 2020 by Naomi Jankowski – The question I receive the most frequently in clinic is “How does acupuncture work?” This is such a fantastic question with multifaceted answers.
Chinese herbal medicine
20 August 2020 – The practice of Chinese herbal medicine dates back thousands of years, and many of the herbal combinations (ie ‘formulas’) used today are still based on those from ancient medical
Together with less sugar through stage 4
18 August 2020 – SUGAR In a nutshell, unrefined sugars are the natural and unprocessed sugars which also contain all kinds of minerals, fibers and vitamins.
Food intolerances
The food we eat makes up a large component of our energy source and nutrients for our body to thrive.
How do you drink your water?
24 July 2020 – You’re walking outside but it’s freezing. Your shoulders and neck cringe and your body gets tense. Do you recognise this? Tha
Yin yang
17 July 2020 – In China, the terms yin and yang have been used for thousands of years, but we in the West find them often abstract.
Cosmetic acupuncture
29 June 2020 – HOW IT WORKSCosmetic acupuncture is often seen as a safe and natural alternative to Botox, as the two treatment methods have a similar effect in firming the skin around the
Kids health & nutrition
26 June 2020 – Quite often we discuss children as being miniature adults. However in relation to health this is further from the truth.
The most natural way to read time
16 June 2020 – THE CHINESE ORGAN CLOCK Of course we find traditional Chinese medicine and a holistic approach very interesting.
Winter
2 June 2020 – While in spring the seeds sprout and the sun heats the earth, in winter nature crawls back into the soil and people are doing the same thing; intuitively we turn inside ourselves during
Collagen
1 June 2020 – Collagen is the most abundant protein that forms your skin, providing structure and firmness. Collagen is produced by special cells in the second layer of your skin.
Gua Sha stones back in stock
26 May 2020 – Gua Sha is used to induce the action of collagen building cells in the layer of the skin, improve blood circulation and lymphatic drainage and relieve facial muscle tension.
Fertility Program
26 May 2020 – by Aleisha Rasheed, Doctor of Chinese Medicine & Natalie Gibson, Naturopath.
Immunity Broth
26 May 2020 – We are so excited to tell you that Nat (naturopath) and I developed our own organic tea / broth for your immunity.
Spotlight on Hay Fever and 4 helpful acupuncture tips
Hay fever is an allergic reaction to dust, pollen and other airborne allergens. In response to these otherwise harmless floaties the nasal sinuses become inflamed which causes sneezing, runny nose,
5 Tips To Boost Your Immune System and Stay Healthy
The strength of your immune system is tested in winter. According to Chinese medicine this is because our immune system requires heat (yang energy) to circulate between our skin and muscles but in