An Acupuncturist’s Guide to Maintaining Your Health
The practice of health maintenance is something that I’m really passionate about. I grew up in Red Deer, a small city in Central Alberta. My mom, dad, uncles, cousins, grandma, brother all worked up in the oil patch, working demanding, labour intensive jobs for long hours. There was no mention of health maintenance or stretching to take care of your tendons or joints. When your back or shoulders gave out, you’d head to the doctor and they’d put you back together and that was that.
And I hated it!!!!
I hated that mentality and culture so much. It made me feel totally powerless over the future of my health and wellness. It actually gave me anxiety.
And then I heard about acupuncture and how it was a medicine based in a philosophy different from Western Science. It was a medicine focused on maintaining our health. Unlike our conventional healthcare that leaves prevention at the door after hygiene and vaccinations have been taken care of, this medicine has tools for taking care of our physical AND mental health at every life stage.
Lifestyle advice is hard because there is are so many variables that impact what our lifestyle looks like that’s out of our control. Poverty, genetics and society are all big things that impact our lifestyle that we have very little control over.
I like to approach health maintenance in a way that is not dogmatic, but gentle, inclusive and intuitive. (Don’t get me started on the healthism garbage that is out there right now. Getting sick doesn’t mean you’re a bad person or you did something wrong! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.) I believe if we develop a close relationship to our body and practise great communication, our bodies will tell us what we need. How you approaches health maintenance is unique to your needs.
A great, time-tested analogy is thinking about your body as a garden. A happy garden is tended regularly and bears much fruit. My role as an acupuncturist is to help you tend your garden by providing education, support, guidance and gentle pokes to help get your energy back in balance when you need it. Now that I’ve shared my perspective, these are the principles of health maintence that made me fall in love with acupuncture and Chinese medicine.
The main principles of health maintenance.
Mental Health Care - This is a concept that most people struggle to wrap their head around in our Cartesian western civilization. The mind and body are one unit; they are an integrated whole. A core concept of overall wellness is a person needs a sound mind to have a healthy body and a healthy body to have a sound mind. We have to work on positive mental and emotional wellbeing just as much as we need to work out at the gym.
Eat a balanced diet - People have lots of different opinions on what a balanced diet looks like. I’m personally a huge fan of Canada’s new food guide. Remember a healthy diet isn’t just about what you eat but how you eat. This includes enjoying your food, eating with friends and family and chewing thoroughly. Chinese medicine has a whole buttload of advice on how to eat with the seasons, according to your constitution and whatnot. I recommend listening to your body and eating lots of variety. Adding a variety of herbal teas is also great.
Balance between Work and Rest - This is a tough one in our culture too. I think a lot of people are needing to overwork to be able to make rent and take care of their kids. The basic principle is that if we work too much or if we have too much leisure time, they will each cause imbalances and problems with our health. For example, too much standing will weaken the low back and Kidneys, over-sitting (guilty!!) makes the digestive system sluggish and weaken the muscles, and too much lying down will damage the lungs. One recommendation I can give is if you are over-working, try to make space for yourself to take breaks when you’re tired. Also listen to your body and if you’re finding a movement is causing pain, try to adjust so the movement feels relaxed and effortless.
Live in Accordance to the Seasons and Nature - Human beings live in nature, though it seems we try hard to forget that. When the weather and temperature outside changes, our body adapts and changes as well. For example, in summer our blood tends to circulate closer to the skin while in winter it will circulate deeper and stay close to the internal organs. When the seasons change, our body has to work hard to adapt and people are more likely to catch cold or flu. That’s why there’s a flu “season.” By adapting our behavior to the changes in climate and the four seasons, we avoid getting sick and keep ourselves vital and healthy.
This is just a basic overview of the four principles of health maintenance according to acupuncture & Chinese medicine. If you’re interested in diving deep into one if these concepts, drop a comment below or shoot me an email and I’ll be happy to geek out with out about it.