Ailments & Conditions, Recipes, All Things Chinese Medicine and Lifestyle Blog Posts
This nourishing miso soup with astragalus will help to to support your immune system. In Chinese medicine Huang Qi (Astragalus) root is a herbal tonic used to strengthen qi. While miso traditionally made from fermented soya beans, contains probiotic bacteria to support a healthy gut. Ingredients: 2 Cups of (bone broth, veggie broth) 4-5 slices
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Foods rich in anti oxidants, (fight free radicles, preventing oxidative stress and cell damage within the body) and omega-3 fatty acids, may help many anti inflammatory conditions. Eat Less of Processed foods Deep fried foods Refined sugar Alcohol Eat More of Dark leafy greens – Kale, Bok choy, Brussel Sprouts. full of anti oxidants. and
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A dairy free antioxidant breaky. One you can easily prepare in advance for those busy mornings. Ingredients 1/4 cup coconut milk (or your choice) 1/4 cup Coconut yogurt 2 TBS chia seeds 1/2 tsp ground turmeric pumpkin seeds sunflower seeds Blueberries Strawberries Method Pour milk into jar or cup of choice Mix in chia seeds
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How does acupuncture work? This is a question I get a fair bit, especially after people see how effective it is for assisting with symptoms of pain. It is all about Qi and healthy blood flow Qi represents healthy oxygenated blood flowing through your body. If you have a healthy movement of Qi, you should
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Nick explains how acupuncture works for pain relief. To read more click here
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Nick demonstrates foam rolling for the gluteal muscles.
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Nick demonstrates foam rolling to relieve stress and pain through the upper back, shoulders, neck and other areas.
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Nick provides some tips and tricks on how to avoid the trauma of overindulging during the festive season.
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The festive eating season is here yet again. So let’s talk about an issue very close to my stomach, and that’s over eating. It’s not uncommon during this period to eat until we are feeling physically unwell. What can I do to avoid the trauma of overindulgence? It is hard during the festive eating season
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Something I get asked a lot in clinic is what can I do at at home to help with stress, pain due to injury, gut issues perhaps? The answer is healthy breathing. Dr Belisa Vranich has a great book ‘Breathe’ that goes in to detail on how breathing works. How to retrain yourself to breathe
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Nick discusses the importance of breathing properly, and demonstrates belly breathing
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These delicious lemon and coconut balls are wheat free, and are the perfect unprocessed snack for afternoon tea, or for a lunchbox treat. Ingredients 1 1/4 cups of almond meal 1 1/2 cups of desiccated coconut 4 tbsp melted coconut oil 2 tbsp rice malt syrup 1 lemon zest and juice extra coconut for rolling
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Hi it’s Jane and Nick from Gardenvale Chinese Medicine. When it comes to menopause, we women have to deal with dry, irritated vaginas, night sweats, irritability and so forth… I thought male menopause meant you get to date young girls and drive motorbikes. But Nick would like to talk to us today about this very
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Hi it’s Jane and Nick from Gardenvale Chinese Medicine. A lot of our patients have problems when it comes to sleeping, either problems falling asleep, or trouble staying asleep.
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Jane and Nick talk about the fourth Trimester in pregnancy, postpartum.
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Sleep Hygiene Hi it’s Jane and Nick from Gardenvale Chinese Medicine. A lot of our patients have problems when it comes to sleeping, either problems falling asleep, or trouble staying asleep. Today we thought we would share some tips and tricks for good sleep hygiene. It’s a bit of a buzz word lately, “sleep hygiene”,
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Method Use boiled water to make sure it’s sterile. Add enough salt to make it a similar strength to seawater. Here you can use a traditional neti pot or a syringe or even Tupperware sauce bottle Gently pour in one nostril at a time
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Spring foods Chinese Medicine strongly believes in eating according to the season for optimal digestion. In warmer weather you can enjoy more cooling foods, whilst in cooler weather you should eat more warming foods. In spring the weather is still relatively cool, so we encourage you try and eat more warming and pungent foods such
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Spring It’s that time of year when the sun starts shining, and the wind starts blowing, and our clinic gets busy with hay fever suffers. More and more we hear people saying they “…never used to get hayfever”, or “it never used to be that bad”. So why is it getting worse? Well, according to
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Menopause As women, we will have approximately 500 periods in our lifetime. Our periods begin between the ages of 10-18. We continue to menstruate until menopause (the change of life) begins at the age of 45-55. Menopause represents a hormonal change in the female physiological process. Certain levels of hormones such as oestrogen will not
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Watch as Nick uses acupuncture on Jane to assist with pain associated with tennis elbow.
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Here is a little something about how sperm is made, some tips so you can make it better for conception, some advice so you can avoid conception and a joke. How is sperm made? Sperm are made in the male gonads (testes). These organs hang outside the scrotum as sperm like to be kept a
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Ingreadients 2 table spoons of cacao (high in Largine) Handful of walnuts (high in omega 3) Goji berries (high in antioxidants) 3g MACA root veg (enhances and regulates hormones) Banana (Vit B and magnesium) Almond milk or coconut water Method Blend ingredients together and enjoy
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We spend most of lives in fear of getting pregnant, but now it’s now time to clear up some questions about the birds and the bees. Please send through any other questions you have, there is no such thing as a silly question. When should we have sex? Most women who I see have been
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At the clinic, I meet lots of young girls who have been put on the oral contraceptive pill (referred to as the pill from here). I also meet lots more women who want to come off the pill after being on it from since they were teenagers and are now in their 30’s and want
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Ingredients: 1 head of cauliflower 1 tsp olive oil Method: If grating then cut the cauliflower into large pieces. Grate the cauliflower on the large side of the cheese grater, or pulse in a food processor until it is rice size Remove excess water by transferring cauliflower to paper towel and squeeze/press Heat a large
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As the colder months fast approach it is time to eat foods that will warm and moisten our bodies in order to support and nurture our digestive system. Ingredients 1 1/4 kg chuck steak (beef) fat trimmed 3 tbs oilve oil 2 onions One bunch broccolini 200g mushrooms 1 Zucchini chopped 1 carrots, sliced into
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Previously we’ve discussed weight training and exercise during our menstrual cycle, today I’d like to talk about how food can help keep our hormones in balance.
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When you are reaching for your next coffee, perhaps stop and ask yourself “what is your body really trying to tell you?” If you’re tired and looking for an energy boost, I suggest you try 15 minutes of lying down with your eyes closed, that’s what I do. Alternatively, try a five minute walk with some deep belly breathing. Oxygen always helps fatigue.
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Nick and Jane talk over hydration Simple tips and tricks to keep hydrated and to be aware not to drink too much.
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For ladies who like to exercise in a more vigorous (yang) style, it may be important to tailor your exercise program with your menstrual cycle to improve your health. Below is an outline of what is happening to your body during your cycle, and how to exercise to help avoid injury and maintain good health.
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In summer it is important to eat cooling foods. These will encourage energy and activity, and can combat the summer heat. This salad is perfect for cooling down with it’s mix of watermelon, cucumber and mint. These are all known for their heat clearing properties. Ingredients 1 kg Watermelon cubed 1 Cucumber cubed 1 cup
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Alcohol attracts a lot of attention, especially at this time of year. In Australia, we are known for binge drinking. European’s sip on it before a meal, and it is banned in the Middle East. In China, it has been used socially and medicinally for thousands of years. In fact, alcohol was first brewed in
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Nick and Jane’s tips and tricks for alcohol and the festive season
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Nick and Jane discuss some ways you can be prepared for the season of overindulgence.
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Bone broth is rich with minerals and proteins. These assist to strengthen joints and muscles, as well as reduce any inflammation. In addition, collagen is responsible for healing the lining of the gut and will strengthen the digestive system as well as increase metabolism. The immune system will also be strengthened as collagen promotes the
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After the overindulgent festive season, many people ask about Chinese herbal medicine to assist with weight loss. Weight loss herbs selected will generally: Tonify spleen qi, Increase your energy, Enhance your immune system and Eliminate phlegm and dampness from the body. Herbs are selected according to your pulse and tongue diagnosis. However, a generic tea
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This stir-fry is perfect for spring. For this time of year steaming, stir frying or sautéing vegetables rather then baking is preferable. This will ensure food maintains it’s spring vitality. Spring is the season of the liver. The sesame oil will help to strengthen and calm the liver while the mushrooms will help support digestion.
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A Chinese Medicine Perspective on Calf Injuries World Cup fever is here, with the final fast approaching, combined with school holidays, families are outside kicking soccer balls around. It is wonderful to see. The downside of all the activity, is the possibility of calf injuries, for example. the gastrocnemius muscle (calf muscle) is a muscle located at the
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This warming vegie chilli (meat option included) is perfect for winter. Warmer foods are easier to digest and encourage your body to heal. Ingredients 2 medium onions (chopped) 2 cloves garlic (chopped) 2 medium carrots (chopped) 2 sticks celery (chopped) 2 red peppers (chopped) 250g mushrooms (chopped) 1 cup of Kale (chopped) olive oil 1.5 teaspoon chilli powder 1.5 teaspoon
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In addition to acupuncture, Chinese Medicine includes a range of treatment options including herbal medicine, diet therapy, cupping and acupressure. Acupressure involves the stimulation of acupuncture points by fingers, hands and elbows. Acupressure can be applied at home to keep up momentum in between treatments. Acupressure can also be used by partners to help their
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Barack Obama only wears grey or blue suits, Mark Zuckerberg wears the same grey t-shirt every day, and I eat the same breakfast every day. By doing this I beat what psychologist call “decision fatigue”. I pop my slow cooker on most nights, knowing that I will wake up to a nourishing and nutritional breakfast.
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At Gardenvale Chinese Medicine, we sometimes use ear seeds as an adjunct to acupuncture. An adhesive plaster with a small bead is placed over the acupuncture points on the external surface of the ear. Ear seeds can also be great for children or if you would prefer not to have needles. Most of you will be
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Acupuncture for lower back pain. Demonstrated by an acupuncturist who gets it. Acupuncture does not always have to be local or the site of the pain. Points are used distally or in different areas of the body. This can render a better result for pain relief. This treatment can avoid having to take clothes off
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Chinese medicine has an interesting approach to food and eating for better health…
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