The acrid, pungent flavours of the parsley, oregano, chilli, pepper and garlic help to open the pores and disperses the flavour through your body. While the sour flavour of the red wine vinegar helps consolidate your energy.

Chimichurri’s flavours are balanced with foods like steak, white fish, portobello mushrooms and halloumi. And can also be used on top of potatoes, sliced tomatoes, chicken.

• 2 cups packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1/4 cup packed fresh oregano leaves (or 4 teaspoons dried oregano)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pack all ingredients into a blender and blend until it has a nice lumpy consistency or thinner. Let it sit for a while to let the flavours infuse. Serve on top of your food of choice.

Original recipe found here.

Here are a small collection of warm drinks for winter. For the original recipes click the title of the recipe.

Warm Apple Cider Punch
serves 12

5 cups apple cider
2/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 bottles ginger beer
1/2 cup honey
pinch of cinnamon
apple slices
lemon wedges and apple slices for garnish

Combine the ingredients in a large soup pot. Gently warm the punch until the honey has dissolved. Ladle into tempered glasses or mugs and serve with a few apple slices and a lemon wedge.

Kid-Friendly Wassail

2 L 100% orange juice (or a mixture of 100% juices)
1 orange, thinly sliced
5 whole cloves or a pinch of ground cloves
2 cinnamon sticks, or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Simmer over very low heat and serve.

Hot Spiced Ginger Lemonade

2 L lemonade
1 cinnamon stick
a few whole cloves
a few whole allspice berries
a 5cm chunk of peeled fresh ginger, coarsely grated or sliced

In a large saucepan combine the lemonade, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and ginger and bring to a simmer; cook for about 10 minutes. Strain into a glass pitcher, insulated carafe or Thermos and serve warm. Serves 6-8.

For adults

Mulled wine with cranberries

1 1/2 cups crnaberry juice cocktail
1/2 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 pieces star anise
3 cups red wine (Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon)
1/2 cup fresh cranberries

In a large saucepan, combine the cranberry juice cocktail, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and star anise. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in the wine and cranberries and bring back to a simmer. Serve warm.

Spiced vanilla pear apple cider

2 L fresh apple juice (no sugar added)
2 L pear juice (no sugar added)
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 star anise
1 vanilla bean pod
Rum or Bourbon (optional)

Add juices and spices to a large soup pot or crockpot. Slice vanilla bean pod in half lengthwise and toss in pot. On low heat bring the cider up to a simmer, whisking often. The spices and vanilla will infuse into the cider. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Ladle into a big mug and add a shot of rum or bourbon if you’d like.

This drink is will provide some relief for those with dry skin, constipation, dry cough or wheezing.

Ingredients:

2 Nashi pears, peeled and roughly cut. Or alternatively peel and grate pears.

(Any pears will do but nashi pears are ideal)

3 slices of ginger (3mm thick by 2cm in diameter)

Honey

4 cups of water

10 red dates, soaked in water for approximately 10 mins.

serves 4

Method:

Soak red dates in water for approximately 10 minutes

Put dates and pears into a saucepan add the water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 30 mins.

Add ginger after 20 mins of simmering. Add honey to taste.

Strain the liquid

You can garnish with sliced red dates

Can be drunk warm or cold.

Knowing what is appropriate for when is a traditional Chinese practise for longevity. Those that practiced this were documented living very long lives despite the disease, famine and poverty surrounding them.

Rhythm

I’m sure you’ve all heard of circadian rhythms. These are the times in which the body performs certain tasks. By doing certain things at certain times you are saving your body a lot of energy and allowing it to perform more efficiently.

Like when you swim into shore, you could swim into shore when the current is pulling you out and spend a lot energy getting there or you could wait to a wave pushes you in and its get there easily.

•  The body works most efficiently when wake at around sunrise. Followed by light exercise, a good bowel movement, and light breakfast.
• Its around the 9am heart is pumping efficiently so good time to start work, whether mental or physical the body is ready for it.
• 1pm is lunch time. Lunch should be the biggest meal of the day.
• The stomach is a hard working organ therefore after lunch it is common to get that afternoon slump. If possible have a short nap.
• Sunset is the time that you should be winding down for the evening with a light dinner.
• Aim to be in bed and asleep around 11pm. When you are sleeping your body goes in to regeneration and rejuvenation.

In reality your body doesn’t follow the clock it follows sunrise, sunset, environmental influences, and seasonal changes.

However, to help keep your body healthy and adaptable to change something interesting is happening. Seasonal fruits and veggies mature and ripen at different times of year and their associated flavours play a role in health and really help to promote bodily functions when they need it.

Exercise

Summer is an excellent time to build your strength up. Strength training, endurance sports, stretching are easier in summer. In fact, there are not many restrictions to exercising in this season.

The only one being is dehydration. Sweating too much can lead to the loss of too much electrolytes. Stay hydrated

Stay Hydrated

Drink plenty of water. Around 2 litres a day is enough, which of course varies for different body types and sizes. Drinking too much water can be just as problematic as drinking too little. It can lead to the loss of too much electrolytes through urination.

If unquenchable thirst is a problem for you, we recommend that you include 1 glass of a drink with high electrolyte content to the amount of water you are already drinking.

Diet

At this time of year melons, berries, green leafy veggies come into season. They all something in common, they will keep you hydrated and cool you down.

Spicy and aromatic foods are also recommended in summer. It will open the pores to produce sweat and cool you down. These are your chills, raw onions, garlic, carbs and spices.

Reduce the amounts of oily, fatty foods, as well as dairy and overly sweet foods.

Shorter cooking times are also recommended. Sautéing and stir frying reduces the time taken to cook and produces light and fresh meals. And don’t forgot your fresh salads which are excellent summertime meals.

Air Conditioning

Try to reduce the temperature gap between your air conditioned space and the outside temperature.

Cold temperatures don’t cause you to get a cold. However, fast temperature changes can put a little duress on the body. If you are prone to catching colds this can set it off.

Common summer illness

 Gastroenteritis is common in summer as the warmer temperatures are great for bacteria to grow in. Usually you will get over this in a day or two but if symptoms persist make an appointment with us and we will help you kick it.

Skin rashes, psoriasis, and eczema can flare up in warmer humid environments. This can take some time to recover from but results are achievable with both acupuncture and herbs.

Tinea, athletes foot, jock itch, many names for the same thing.  Tinea is actually a fungus that thrives in warm damp environments like your sweaty toes. It can become a chronic or recurring problem if not treated correctly but we have found herbal medicine can be really effective against fungal infections.

Exercise

Spring is the time to come out of hibernation and start preparing your summer body. Arise early to absorb that fresh air, stretch your muscles and tendons, and get your heart pumping. This is an ideal time of year to start increasing your cardio workouts, get into yoga or pilates and choose exercise that is easy on your joints like cycling or swimming.

Diet

At this time of year citrus fruits, green leafy veggies, and spices are in abundance. Therefore, it is an excellent time for eating salads, spicy foods, and fruits. Reduce the amount of meat and tannins you consume.

Pungent foods like your raw onions, garlic, and spices will help with circulation, open your sinuses and prevent colds, and aid with digestion.

Sour foods like your citrus fruits, vinegars, fermented veggies will also aid digestion. We advise not to eat too much though, use them to flavour your meals or eaten as a side dish.

Common spring illness

In clinic, hay fever is by far the most common health concern in spring. The acupuncture clinic offers quick and effective hay fever treatments that will keep your sinuses free and reduce the amount of antihistamines you take.

Dig the well before your thirsty

In ancient China, people would pay their doctors when they were healthy. They would visit once or twice a month, be prescribed various herbs or acupuncture, and be on their way. When they became sick they would stop paying their doctor and increase the frequency of visits.

This is because the ancient Chinese understood the importance of preventative health care.

People do not just wake up with serious disease like heart disease or cancer. These diseases take years to develop and over those years the body gives you clues that things are not working well. These clues could be things minor discomforts like indigestion or cold hands and feet, or a bit more debilitating symptoms like frequent colds and flues or insomnia. If these signs and symptoms are persisting they should be addressed, not ignored. These type of health problems are your body’s way of telling you something is not working correctly.

Traditional Chinese medicine has over 5000 years of development and history. In that time it was used as a primary health care system to treat all health problems. From tooth aches, to mental illness, to heart disease, to smallpox and everything in between. Then during the 1800s china started to open the doors to the west. At this time medical ideas merged and when better treatment methods came around they replaced the older methods. What remained irreplaceable was acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are natural, non addictive treatments to a large range of health complaints. These treatments are slower acting and much gentler on the body in comparison with mainstream medicine. The advantage to this being the reduction of unwanted effects making it ideal of preventative health care.

So be proactive with your health and book yourself in at The Acupuncture Clinic today.

Stay rested

Take the day off work, don’t go out tonight, avoid over using your energy. Save that energy for a quicker recovery.

Exercise

If you feel the need for exercise then go for it. Don’t over do it though, as a rule a light sweat is okay but exercising to the point of exhaustion is going to set you back.

Don’t take antibiotics

Antibiotics are for bacteria and will not help your cold or flu as it is caused by a virus.

Drink water

When we say drink water we mean water. Tea and coffee is made from water but have diuretic effect, which will make you go to the bathroom more. Juices and soft drinks are full of sugar. And alcohol should just be avoided all together.

Drink water

Stay warm

Chills and fevers are an indicator of how you body is responding the virus. To put it simply chills are your body’s way of producing enough heat to produce a fever, which in turn, is used to try and destroy the virus.

Staying warm helps your body to achieve this but don’t overheat.

In babies, fevers do need to be monitored closely. More information here

Stop Smoking

We get it, your feeling unwell and with cravings on top of all this any relief will do. If you can’t stop smoking then at least reduce the quantity you smoke.

What to eat

Simple clean meals should be eaten while you are unwell.

• Steaming, roasting, or lightly frying using minimal oil keeps your food clean and easy to digest.
• White meats are favourable over red meats.
• For dry coughs seaweed, bamboo, and savoury soups will help.
• Steam your veggies.

What to avoid

A lot of comfort foods fall into this category but think of your long term goal to get over this illness quickly.

• Excessively spicy foods can prolong the duration of a cough. Examples include raw garlic, raw onion, raw ginger, chilli, and wasabi.
• Excessively sweet foods and dairy can increase phlegm production.
• Avoid consuming raw foods and foods straight from he refrigerator. Warm foods are preferable.
• No alcohol.

How does herbal medicine help?

A large portion of herbal medicine is dedicated to lingering pathogens like colds and flus alone. Many treatment options available.

Prescriptions are tailored to the individual and usually contain anti-microbial herbs, herbs that soothe symptoms and boost immune function.

If you are the type of person that takes a long time to recover then book an appointment with us today.

As the temperature drops the cold causes water to freeze, some animals hibernate, deciduous trees have dropped they’re leaves to conserve energy. The cold also slows metabolism and the effects of winter can even be seen at a DNA level.

To live a longer healthier life your habits should change with the seasons. Be mindful of the below suggestions and you will enjoy a healthier winter.

The philosophy of winter is conservation and storage.

Stay warm, especially your core

An Australian winter doesn’t compare to many other places in the world but you still need to cover up.  I often see people post exercise, sweating in just a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. This is how a small muscle strain can turn into a larger muscle ache. Your skin should be covered up to protect it from the cold and wind.

The most vulnerable areas of your body for the cold and wind is the neck. If you often catch colds, suffer from asthma or hay fever this especially important. Wear a scarf to cover your neck.

You should be comfortably snug at all times, especially your core. Put on your jackets, beanies, gloves, and thermals if you need to. Make sure your lower back and belly are covered up, and don’t spend too much time in front of heaters as this can dry your skin.

Avoid big temperature changes

Don’t turn your heaters up full blast. Your body has a variety of mechanisms to acclimatise to the colder temperatures. By staying inside all day with your heaters up high you are denying yourself this natural defence to the cold.

Reduce Exercise Intensity

During winter you body will naturally gain a bit of weight but winter is not the time to prepare your summer body. Exercise is necessary but excessive exercise in winter can be draining.

As a rule of thumb – Activities that bring about sweating or breathlessness are not recommended in winter.

I like this rule because stamina, strength, and fitness differ from person to person. An elite athlete can push their body further than the average person without sweating or breathlessness. In general, don’t push yourself as hard as you would in summer and practise less strenuous activities.  

Meditate

As your energy retreats within, winter is an ideal time for mediation. Breathing exercises, qigong, meditation will strengthen your spirit, circulate your energy without effort, and refine your essence.

Eat hearty warm foods

One of my favourite things about winter is food. Its is a great time for those hearty stews, bone marrow soups, hot pots, porridges, and mulled wine.

• Food should be cooked and served warm.
• Avoid raw food and cold drinks.
• Eat more hearty meats and root vegetables.
• Flavour your food with a little salt.
• Cook with herbs to help circulation and digestion.
  • Ginger, turmeric, pepper, etc
• Decrease your consumption of excessively sweet foods and dairy.
• Do not drink to excess 

Common Winter Conditions

As cold temperatures cause things to contract, in the clinic, we see a lot of fatigue, lower back pain, and muscular aches and pains. It is also the season in which the incidence of cardiovascular diseases peak.

For personalised health advice to stay healthy and warm throughout the winter months contact The Acupuncture Clinic.

The use of the word “spirit” above is a translation of the word shen (character to the right), but we are referring to what people have called the soul, that little voice inside your head, or your emotional state.

A single thought can cause a physiological response in the body e.g. arousal, those goosebumps you get when you read a story, etc.

A physical change in your body can change your emotional state e.g. endorphin release after exercise, the way a hug can make you feel., etc.

This is why acupuncture can have a profound affect on your emotions.  

Our acupuncture and herbal treatments are relaxing, natural, and non-addictive solutions to mental and emotional problems that have helped people:

Reduced they’re dependancy for medications

Weened them off they’re medications

Reduced stress and irritability

Resolved anxiety

Relieved sadness or depression

Tips for emotional and mental health

Routine

Everything on earth runs by routine and so should you. For optimal health, ideally one should wake up, eat, sleep around the same time daily.

Sleep

Sleeping is the time your body repairs, cleans, and rejuvenates itself best. Ideally you should be in bed and asleep by around 11pm and waking between 5-7am.

Intoxication

Drugs and alcohol are toxic to the body and effect the spirit easily.

Exercise

Healthy mental and emotional state is just one of many benefits of regular exercise. With regular exercise you strengthen both body and soul, just do it.

Work/Life balance

As our jobs demand more of us the stress increases. Try to switch off after work and make time to enjoy your life.