Category: Chinese Medicine

Why Do I Always Wake Around 3 a.m.?

There is a frustrating and all-too-common phenomenon that plagues many a sleeper. It goes something like this: Falling asleep is no problem, but in the early morning hours, one wakes up agitated and restless. This can last up to an hour or two before finally falling back asleep. Upon rising is the feeling of being…


Fall Foods for Good Health

I grew up on a bluff overlooking the Connecticut River. Looking out our front window gave us a view over the entire river valley, which on a clear day allowed us to see all the way to the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Behind our house was a large orchard that rose even higher on our hill….


The Opposite of Fight or Flight

Your body doesn’t feel good when the biochemistry of stress kicks in. You might feel like there is a brick in your stomach, or maybe you can’t sleep and your heart is pounding. Maybe you feel overwhelmed and distracted. Stress isn’t supposed to feel good. It’s there to help you survive threats like an oncoming…


Living in Season Is Key to Health

An old Chinese proverb has it that “He that takes medicine and neglects his diet wastes the skills of his physician.” Hippocrates also said, “Let food be thy medicine,” in the 5th century B.C. These two bits of wisdom from different parts of the globe tell us what was well-understood hundreds of years ago: What…


UCSD and UCLA Host Clinical Study of Herbs, Mushrooms In Treating COVID-19

SAN DIEGO—University of California researchers announced on Nov. 12 that they, together with colleagues from other institutions, are assessing whether medicinal mushrooms and Chinese herbs can provide therapeutic benefit in treating acute COVID-19 infection. This research study, “Mushrooms and Chinese Herbs for COVID-19” (MACH-19), is a multi-center effort led by the University of California–San Diego (UCSD) and…


Solar Terms: Having a Right Diet Now for a Healthy Winter to Come

A solar term is a period of about two weeks and is based on the sun’s position in the zodiac. Solar terms form the traditional Chinese calendar system. The calendar follows the ancient Chinese belief that living in accordance with nature will enable one to live a harmonious life. This article series explores each of…


Solar Terms: Cover Your Neck and Chest for Better Health This Season

A solar term is a period of about two weeks and is based on the sun’s position in the zodiac. Solar terms form the traditional Chinese calendar system. The calendar follows the ancient Chinese belief that living in accordance with nature will enable one to live a harmonious life. This article series explores each of…


Why Do I Always Wake Between 3 AM and 5 AM?

There is a frustrating and all-too-common phenomenon that plagues many a sleeper. It goes something like this: Falling asleep is no problem, but in the early morning hours, one wakes up agitated and restless. This can last up to an hour or two before finally falling back asleep. Upon rising is the feeling of being…


When Yang and Yin Energies Shift

A solar term is a period of about two weeks and is based on the sun’s position in the zodiac. Solar terms form the traditional Chinese calendar system. The calendar follows the ancient Chinese belief that living in accordance with nature will enable one to live a harmonious life. This series explores each of the…


Fall Shows Us the Beauty of Letting Go

Fall signals the change from summer to winter. Long summer days finally cool and leaves offer vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds before they fall from the trees. It’s the time when we go from the relaxed, carefree attitudes of summer to the more serious and introspective energies of fall. In the five elements theory of…