Welcome back to Active Life Health Clinic's October newsletter.
We’ve officially jumped into
fall, so what's important about this month? Well, a few things,
actually. One, that October is Workplace Wellness month.
That means that it’s a good time to stop and think for a moment
(or two) about how your work affects your health and what you can do to
make improvements. No, I’m not telling you to quit your job and fly off to a tropical island. Although if you do, take me along!
What I’m suggesting is that you
consider some of my suggestions in my following article
“Employing Healthy Choices”.
Fall is also the time to work on your allergies,
even if your allergies only hit you in the spring or summer.
Here’s my yearly reminder to address it now so you won’t
suffer as badly (or maybe at all) when the nice weather hits again. And
fall is a good time as well to consider a cleanse, especially if you didn’t do one yet this year and you indulged during the summer.
A reminder that in honour of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day, Active Life Health Clinic's Open House is Friday October 24th from 3-7 p.m. Bring
your friends, family, and coworkers and enjoy some healthy tea, ask
your health questions, and receive an introductory mini TCM
consultation or reflexology treatment. Consultation and treatment
will be by donation with proceeds going to the Marine Mammal
Rescue Centre here in Vancouver. You will also be given an opportunity to enter our draw for a special prize and everyone is welcome to take home our healthy fall soup recipes. For details, click here.
A big thank you
to all of you who helped me reach my goal of raising almost $2000 for
Easter Seals! A total of $254,818 was raised for
disabled children! I did the Drop Zone and rappelled down the side of a
building downtown and you can see the pictures and video at this link: Dr. Carr's Facebook pictures (you don't need to be a member to view these).
If you would like your name removed from this email list, please let us know at office@activetcm.com.
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Helping you help yourself!
My goal:
To work in partnership with you to bring you to
your optimal health.
My focus:
Ongoing health, not just temporary relief.
This is active health.
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Employing Healthy Choices
If you
follow the 40-hour workweek, then you spend just under a quarter of
your life working. That’s already a fair amount of time, but many
spend even more time than that. No matter the job you do, every job has
its challenges to your health and wellness. As a Dr. of TCM, I know
that the time that I spend leaning over patients doing acupuncture puts
stress on my neck and back. I’m also cautious about my hands as
those are my most precious tools to being able to do this profession
that I love.
Many others also find that they put a lot of stress on their necks and backs,
like me, leaning over patients, computers, or paperwork; lifting heavy
or awkward objects; standing for long hours; or even from sitting all
day. If this sounds familiar to you, remember that you only have one
spine and you have to take care of it and the muscles and flesh that
surround it. Stand up, sit down, move around, stretch! I know you know
this, but do you do it? Set yourself an alarm to remind yourself,
either on your watch or your computer.
Giving yourself regular mini breaks also helps your eyes if you spend a lot of time reading and/or writing. Staring at a computer screen for hours on end is tough on your eyes and can cause eye strain and vision problems. During these mini breaks look as far away as you can and let your eye muscles relax.
And, speaking of relaxing, couldn’t we all use a bit more of that? Why is stress a 4 letter word?
Stress is something that allows us to survive. You want to feel stress
if your life is in danger. Your body pumps out fight or flight hormones
if you encounter a bear. That’s important. Unfortunately, for
many, stress is a daily, chronic occurrence that no longer serves any
benefit. It weakens your immune system, impairs your digestion, raises
your blood pressure, aggravates your skin, causes weight gain or loss
(usually the one you don’t want, it seems), increases fatigue,
contributes to poor sleep, and impairs memory, focus, and
concentration. Stress also feeds itself. Who wants that?
There are solutions and here are just a few:
- Try massaging sore shoulders and neck. For your
lower back, try making a loose fist and lightly knocking on the muscles
beside the spine. Even better, get a massage from someone else. Touch
can help to lower your stress levels by causing a release of oxytocin,
a hormone that helps humans to bond with each other.
- Be aware of your stress level when you eat. When
the body is under stress, it tends to act like an overheated engine, so
it is best to avoid spicy, hot foods. Stay away from greasy, heavy,
fatty, and sugary foods which are also difficult to digest, and eat
regular meals–away from your desk.
- Talk to your employer about a workplace wellness program.
Mention that Health Canada’s website reports a
return-on-investment of $3.40 for each corporate dollar invested in
wellness initiatives. You and your employers can create a workplace to
be well in. We can send a registered acupuncturist or reflexologist to
your office, saving you time and effort. For more information, to book
an appointment, or to ask about healthy workplace lectures and
seminars, check us out at www.activlife-mobile.com.
- Ask for help
when you need it. Whether it’s from your employer, employees,
co-workers, friends, family, or your health providers, recognize that
there are many people who are able and willing to help you out. See
below for a list of people that I highly recommend that can help you in
various areas of your life.
- To read more about workplace wellness, I have two Alive magazine articles that you can access here: Workplace Wellness and Working Well
Now is the Time...
...to take care of your allergies
...to cleanse and detoxify
These are both issues that are
normally thought about in the spring, but fall is an ideal time as
well. In TCM, fall is the season that the Lungs and Large Intestines
(capitalized because I'm referring to the "TCM systems" of these organs
and not to just the physical organs themselves) are most active.
The Lungs connect with the immune system.
The immune system is designed to be your defense against anything
non-self that may cause problems in your body. Sometimes, however,
confusion occurs and the body becomes overly defensive against things
that are not dangerous. Allergies are an example of this.
You can be allergic to virtually
anything. Most commonly people are allergic to dust mites, pet dander,
pollen, and other external items that can be inhaled. The most common
food allergies include peanuts, soy, milk, wheat, corn, and nightshade
plants like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Topical allergies can
occur with makeup, creams, cleansers, detergents, and more.You can even be allergic to parts of yourself.
Whether you suffer with sneezing,
runny nose, and watery eyes; itchy skin with hives, eczema, or other
dermatitis; digestive upset; fatigue; or a vague sense of unease or
discomfort, your immune system is the key. TCM can help with acupuncture, Chinese herbs, TCM food cures, and specific allergy treatment techniques.
The large intestines (and TCM Large
Intestines) are your body's major exit organ for toxins and waste. Even
if you feel that you are regular in your elimination processes, we all
need help with detoxification. Scientists
estimate that everyone alive today carries within her or his body at
least 700 contaminants, most of which have not been well studied. If you don't want to be a toxic dump, cleanse at least once or twice a year.
I believe in "supported" cleanses,
meaning that I want the body to be receiving enough nutrition and rest
to allow healing to occur. Cleansing can be done with TCM herbs,
supplements, appropriate foods, acupuncture, and far infrared sauna. We offer detoxification programs and can tailor one to suit you.
For more questions or too book and appointment, contact us at 604-783-2846 or office@activetcm.com.
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