The vitality of rest

The vitality of rest

by | Mar 16, 2018 | Acupuncture, Authentic self, Buderim, Chinese medicine, Client information, Daily Rituals, DIY Wellness Tips, Emotions, Holidays, Nature, Nourishing, Rehabilitation, Rest, Sleep, Spiritual growth, Stress, Sunshine coast, Wellness

I wanted to do a post about the importance of rest as we have moved quickly into the next season. Hello windy Autumn weather! So not just the kind of rest your Sunday afternoon naps on the lounge with your pet gives you, but the kind of rest that is restorative for the long term quality of your life.

LET’S GET REAL !

Many people visit the clinic RUSHING, soldiering on and are burnt out physically and emotionally. Yes that’s totally okay because that’s why health professionals are here to help. But that calm, balanced feeling when you get off the treatment table creates space for you to look at things. If something isn’t working in your life, is making you sick or pissed off, whatever, it’s a kick up the bum to remind yourself to come to back to you and figure out where you want to be and what fills YOUR cup.

Yet we’re always planning ahead. But what about right now? To sit and feel the ocean breeze (without your phone or thinking about what errands need doing), have a nurturing bath or getting your hands creatively dirty…

The keeping up with this fast paced society that tells us we should always be doing something. “We should be busy, making more money, be attending every social event or be bettering everything comparatively”. GAHH! When was the last time you let yourself get caught in the rain? Instead of rushing to the car trying not to get wet. It’s just rain and it’s beautiful and you’re missing it because you need to be somewhere!

You are human, you’re allowed to take time out to sincerely rest your heart, mind and body. To just be. It may be a week, 2 months or even over 12 months. It doesn’t matter in the long scheme of your life how much rest you need but by golly it’s vital!

Going to a yoga class and falling asleep is probably what your body needs. Asking someone to help you out with the kids is what your sanity needs. Saying no to something that doesn’t align with your values is OK. Going for a healing health treatment isn’t self indulgent, it’s restorative.

Planning and being organised is definitely helpful in life, and there’s an element where we need to soldier on and get on with things, but oh my gosh cut yourself some slack sometimes. S L O W  D O W N. Enjoy the rain once in a while. If you need to rest, then please allow yourself to because your quality of life matters more than how society tells us how we should be.

Many blessings,
Take care of you,
See you in the clinic,

TK xx

 

Tanya Keam Wellness is an experienced health clinic on the Sunshine Coast. Helping you to feel better in all aspects of your health and wellbeing.
Manage Insomnia with Chinese Medicine

Manage Insomnia with Chinese Medicine

by | Nov 2, 2017 | Acupuncture, Anxiety, Body clock, Chinese medicine, Client information, Daily Rituals, DIY Wellness Tips, Immune system, Insomnia, Mental health, Nambour, Sleep, Stress

The impact of Insomnia on your health

Poor sleep leads to a host of concerns affecting both health and lifestyle. Such as:

  • Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression
  • Obesity and poor metabolism
  • Heart disease
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure) from the increased impact on cardiovascular health
  • Lack of concentration
  • Poor productivity
  • Fatigue
  • Low Immunity

 

How to manage insomnia with Chinese Medicine and natural remedies

In Traditional Chinese Medicine the 24 hour day is viewed in 2 hour blocks – such as 7-9am is when the energy of your stomach is the strongest (breakfast time!). 1-3am is liver time (when life is a bit stressful it impacts the liver so you’re awake thinking about the world’s problems at 2.30am).

If you are having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, are restless, having unpleasant dreams or relying on sleeping tablets then consider some lifestyle adjustments listed below:

 

  1. Go to bed at the same time every night and before 10.30pm. Why? Our bodies have a sleep cycle every 90 minutes within a 24 hour day. Missing the window to fall asleep such as at 9.30pm, it is most likely that you will be awake until the next sleep cycle 90 minutes later.
  2. Avoid/reduce over-stimulating food such as hot peppers, alcohol, and coffee that overstimulate the nervous system causing an imbalance in the liver.
  3. Drink chrysanthemum tea – A light yellowish flower that has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine for insomnia and liver health. Other sleepy time teas are also helpful – lavender, spearmint, hops and camomile.
  4. Get acupuncture to improve the quality of your sleep and general maintenance of your health and wellbeing. Acupuncture also puts our body back into the ‘rest and digest’ (parasympathetic state) where healing, proper rest and feelings of wellbeing reside. A 2016 study showed that “Acupuncture compared to sham/placebo and pharmacotherapy showed statistically significant results in a systematic review for sleep quality in people with insomnia, with further studies need to support the efficacy of acupuncture for sleep”.
  5. Herbal medicine prescribed by a registered practitioner. Herbs can be very powerful sleep aids that don’t tend to have the same issues with side effects as more conventional pharmaceuticals.
  6. Remove electronics from your room, as well as turning off bright lights such as the blue light on your phone/ipad 1 hour before bed.
  7. Do regular exercise, both high intensity and low impact. Preferably in the morning as afternoon evening exercise can keep you awake from all of the endorphins flowing. Sunshine in your eyes also activates Melatonin  (a hormone that regulates sleep and wakefulness).
  8. Try a mediation and/or yoga class to bring awareness to your self. Both are fantastic for clearing your head and breathing into your abdomen – it will help bring your attention away from anxious thoughts. Both are considered “a practice”, meaning you make them a regular part of your life.
  9. Avoid icy cold drinks. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine your body has to work extra hard to heat up the icy cold water you are drinking, which is also over-stimulating your body to cause you to stay awake.
  10. Walk around barefoot will naturally get you feeling grounded and reconnects you with yourself. In Chinese Medicine, massaging the meridian points on the feet are correlated with sleep.
  11. Write down your thoughts/to-do lists before bed or earlier on in the day so that if you do wake up during the night, your mind doesn’t automatically start thinking about all the things that need doing the next day, week, month.
  12. Clean your sleep environment – declutter, dust and dirt removal, clean bed linen regularly and don’t sleep with your pets. Cats are known for running around the house at 2am!
  13. Manage other health concerns – sleep disturbances due to pain, itching, asthma or other breathing disturbances are not considered true insomnia. These issues must be treated to allow a restful night’s sleep.

 

Acupuncture Sunshine CoastHi, I’m Tanya, an Acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine practitioner in Nambour on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland Australia. I practice Chinese medicine because its safe, logical, relevant and has effectively shown methods of natural wellness for thousands of years (read more about my training here). Life doesn’t need to be complicated and nor does the treatment approaches to get people feeling vibrant and well. I’ve seen people gain a lot from treatments, much more than just alleviating symptoms. It’s exciting to connect with people and share deep wisdom from the classics of ancient and traditional medicine, with modern protocols for todays mind-body living. See you in the clinic ! 

For more information about how I can assist your health and manage insomnia with Chinese medicine, you can contact me or you can now book online.

 

Research:

  1. JL Shergis, X Ni, M L.Jackson et al. A systematic review of acupuncture for sleep quality in people with insomnia, Complementary Therapies in Medicine, Vol 26, June 2016, p 11.20.
  2. Gao, Xiyan, Cuixiang Xu, Peiyu Wang, Shan Ren, Yanli Zhou, Xuguang Yang, and Ling Gao. “Curative effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on insomnia: a randomized clinical trial.” Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 33, no. 4 (2013): 428-432.

 

 

Why you need to travel !

Why you need to travel !

by | Sep 26, 2017 | Acupuncture, Authentic self, Buderim, Chinese medicine, Client information, Emotions, Exercise, Holidays, Motivation, Nature, Rest, Spiritual growth, Sunshine coast, Travel, Wellness

I recently visited WA for a holiday. First of all, if you haven’t seen a Quokka, put it on your bucket list as they are the friendliest marsupials you will ever see !

Secondly, it is really important for your wellbeing to take time off and get out of your usual environment, even just for a couple of days. We can become stagnant, bored and frustrated very quickly! So trying different foods, swimming in different seas, reading books in different coffee shops, experiencing different climates, switching off from work etc – they all shake up the day-to-day norm.

Spring is about growth, change and new beginnings in Chinese medicine. Just look at how nature mimics this with bursting flowers, warmer temperatures and the need to do a big clean out at home and also get outdoors in the fresh air.

Instead of doing new year resolutions in January, come out of your introverted Winter cave and try doing them in Spring so you can set new goals and make positive changes to your life!

Take care of you, see you in the clinic,

TK xx

 

Tanya Keam Wellness is an experienced health clinic on the Sunshine Coast. Helping you to feel better in all aspects of your health and wellbeing.
Changing up your exercise routine

Changing up your exercise routine

by | Apr 19, 2017 | Acupuncture, Authentic self, Chinese medicine, Client information, Daily Rituals, DIY Wellness Tips, Emotions, Exercise, Exercise routine, Fitness, Holidays, Joint pain, Mental health, Motivation, Muscle pain, Nambour, Nature, Nourishing, Rehabilitation, Stress, Sunshine coast, Travel, Wellness

How many types of exercises can you list? Tonnes right?

Walking, jogging, weight training, pilates, swimming, yoga, boxing, martial arts, trekking, tennis, snowboarding, gymnastics, basketball, crossfit.. the list goes on!

Who else gets bored at the gym? Have you ever wanted to try a new type of exercise or are you sick of the same environment where you have been exercising? it can lead to lack of motivation for sure!

My general fitness routine consists on swimming, running, yoga and a bit of resistance training. Yet with these 4 I was bored and felt unmotivated to get out there. So, I decided to change things up. I’ve been to the Himalayan Mountains and one trek was a 10km return at 2,828 meters, so looking more close to home I recently climbed a mountain in the Glasshouse Mountains that I hadn’t already climbed. The mighty Mount Beerwah at 556 meters (1,824 ft), the highest of the 10 volcanic plugs in the region, and more like 2 hours, not 10! It had recently re-opened in January 2017 after being closed and doesn’t cost anything – bonus!

 

The climb wasn’t about how many laps I could swim or what my pace was in running, it was about trying something new, getting outside in the sunshine and fresh air, but most importantly to challenge myself as it’s a steep climb. Oh and don’t let age define what you can and cannot do. I passed a 70 year old couple on the mountain, taking it slow but doing it! I must advise, if you are new to mountain climbing or bush walking then start with a smaller mountain like Ngun Ngun or Mount Coolum that are very popular to climb on the Sunshine Coast.

 

What did I get out of the climb? First of all, 2 hours of fresh Autumn crisp air, sunshine sunshine sunshine, elements of conquering fear when I thought I couldn’t climb any further as my legs were jelly and the top seemed so far away. I also had such a clear head space – I wasn’t thinking about last week or tomorrow, I was right there trying to find the next step to go higher while breathing heavily. Reaching the summit was tough but I did it and felt stoked with my achievement. Coming down was quicker and lots of sliding. Thank god I had good trekking shoes on to grip the rock face, and I was wearing gloves to protect my hands! At the bottom, I ended up with ripped pants and a few cuts but god did I feel on top of the world! I conquered the mother of mountains but also myself !

 

 

Soaking in an epsom salt bath that night as I knew I would be sore from using VERY different muscles that I had been using, all I could think of was what I could do next to add to my fitness regime and to challenge myself. What did I do? I looked for a bigger mountain – Mount Warning at 1,156 meters! Then I started planning my next break to go snowboarding. Why? Because I haven’t done it and life is about experiences!

So if you are feeling unmotivated with doing fitness and then feel guilty for not doing it, try something new, especially something outdoors. Mountain climbing, a game of tennis, join a team sport or a outdoor bootcamp. Just try it. Trust me, you will love it!

TK xx

 

Tanya Keam Wellness is an experienced health clinic in Nambour on the Sunshine Coast. Helping you to feel better in all aspects of your health and wellbeing.
 
Yin nourishing foods

Yin nourishing foods

by | Mar 22, 2017 | Acupuncture, Chinese medicine, Client information, Daily Rituals, Deficiency, DIY Wellness Tips, Emotions, Fertility, fertility acupuncture, Food, Herbal remedies, Hormones, Menstrual cycle, Mental health, Nambour, Nourishing, Nutrition, pregnancy, Stress, Sunshine coast, Wellness, Womens health, Yin

Have you heard of Yin and Yang? 

In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang describe how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. Many tangible dualities (such as light and dark, fire and water, expanding and contracting) are thought of as physical manifestations of the duality symbolized by yin and yang.

Yin qualities include: 

Darkness, moon, feminine, shade, quiet, inward

Yang qualities include:

Light, sun, masculine, brightness, loud, outward

Example include:

Night (yin) and day (yang)

Yoga exercise (yin) and boxing exercise (yang)

Yin represents the energy that is responsible for moistening and cooling bodily functions. When this energy is depleted your body begins to show signs of “heating up”. This is not a true heat such as a fever, but rather a lack of the moistening and cooling functions that are necessary to maintain a healthy balance.

Women are more yin, while men are more yang – for example yin is all of the fluids in the body for women (breast milk, menstruation, vaginal discharge/lubricant) – men don’t have this. Men do have some yin qualities, as well as women having some yang qualities.

This post is focused on yin foods, thus nourishing the body and rebalancing conditions. These can include dry skin, menopausal hot flushes, tendon and ligament tightness or flaccidity, vaginal dryness, lack of breast milk production, low libido, insomnia, feeling low, scanty menstruation, hot hands and feet, constipation, dull headaches or anxiety.

Why is your yin imbalanced? Well, lots of reasons – genetics, age, stress on the body, trauma, blood loss, excess sexual activity, recreational drug use, too many yang hot foods, poor diet and lifestyle to name a few.

Nutrition is a simple way to balance yin and yang. Yin foods are cool and expanding; Yang foods are warm and contracting. Think of a shell of iceberg lettuce (Yin), and now a chunk of beef steak (Yang), and you will instantly recognise this meaning.

Foods to nourish Yin include:

  • Grains:  barley, millet
  • Vegetables:  alfalfa sprout, artichoke, asparagus, kelp, mung bean sprout, pea, potato,seaweed,string bean, sweet potato, tomato, water chestnut, yam, zucchini
  • Fruit:  apple, apricot, avocado, banana, lemon, lime, mango, mulberry, pear, persimmon, pineapple, pomegranate, watermelon
  • Beans: adzuki, black beans, black soya, kidney, lima, mung
  • Bean Products:  tofu
  • Nuts and seeds: coconut milk, sesame seed, black sesame seed, walnut
  • Fish:  fish in general but especially clam, fresh water clam, crab, cuttlefish, oyster, octopus, sardine
  • Meat:  beef, duck, goose, pork, pork kidney, rabbit
  • Dairy:  cheese, chicken egg, cow’s milk, duck egg
  • Herbs and spices:  marjoram, nettle
  • Oils and condiments:  honey, malt,

Common supplements:  Ginseng, royal jelly

Examples of every day foods that can be used to build yin, include:

  • Fruit smoothies with honey and banana or a fruit salad
  • Fish dishes with coconut milk
  • Omelettes with cheese
  • Asparagus and egg salads with sesame seeds
  • Tacos made with Kidney beans and topped with a small amount of cheese
  • Baked Potato stuffed with tofu with soya sauce and sesame seeds.
  • Pork and apple dishes
  • Miso soup with tofu and seaweed

Foods to avoid:

  • Stimulating foods such as the following will only further deplete yin: caffeine, alcohol, sugar and strongly heating, pungent spices.

Note: Like yin tonifying herbs, yin building foods have a tendency to congest the digestive organs and promote stagnation if large amounts are consumed. It is therefore important to consume small quantities frequently rather than large helpings irregularly. Such as a large portion if a fish coconut curry late at night is not ideal as it will sit in your stomach, stagnate and not digest properly before bed. Thus a small portion between 5-6pm is more ideal as there is more time before you go to bed to digest it. 

Also, It’s not to say that yang foods you already consume such as roast chicken, other types of fish, coffee, tea, black pepper etc are to be completely avoided. Remember yin and yang balance each other out, are contrary forces that are actually complementary, interconnected, and interdependent of each other. 

Other yin tips: meditate; eat more fresh fruit and salads; drink more water, teas and juices; wear pastel colors; wear loose, flowing clothes; stretch; get out into nature; listen to relaxing music; light candles at night.

Take care of you, see you in the clinic,

TK xx

 

Tanya Keam Wellness is an experienced health clinic in Nambour on the Sunshine Coast. Helping you to feel better in all aspects of your health and wellbeing.