Category: Nutrition

What are the best times to exercise, eat, rest, and meditate?

9/7/2012

What is the best time to exercise? Worst time for coffee? Best time to meditate? Worst time to watch a thriller? According to Acupuncture and Chinese medicine theory, each system/organ is most active during specific 2 hour spans within a 24 hour day. Since great health is all about balance and prevention, here's a few things you may want to do (or avoid) during these specific hours to reap the benefits of optimum health.

Did you know that most heart attacks happen around noon? The Heart system/organ is most active between 11 am and 1 pm: avoid caffeine and any stimulants during that time. Look at the Latin countries: they take their time at lunch, they don't multitask, they relax and enjoy their food. At lunch, leave the office, go for a walk, breathe some fresh air and eat peacefully without distractions. I know: easy to say, and not always easy to do. But give it a try at least a few times/week.

Do you wake up often between 1 am and 3 am? This is the Liver system/organ time. The liver helps the body regenerate at night. So when someone is awake during those 2 hours, it is usually a good indication that stress is a factor. If you do wake up during the Liver time, figure out ways to relax and deal with stress. Listen to your body, it gives you clues all the time.

What is the best time to exercise? Definitely not in the evening between 7 and 9 pm. The Pericardium system/organ is prominent between those hours. Being the cover of the heart, the pericardium protects it. So this would not be a good time to exercise vigorously, or watch a thriller in your bedroom before sleep. Instead it’s the perfect time to meditate, listen to soft music or take a warm bath.

According to Chinese medicine, the Spleen system/organ is strong between 9 am and 11 am, and is in charge of the muscular energy of the body. So this period is often the best time to exercise, right after breakfast.
The Stomach system/organ is between 7 to 9 am. This should make sense to everyone, as it is the best time to eat breakfast and feed the body for the day ahead.

The Large Intestine system/organ is between 5 to 7 am. Obviously the best time to have a bowel movement. But if you have one later during the day, it's still good! Not having one at all is a problem!

Chinese medicine is fascinating, and makes a lot of sense. It really promotes listening to the body and mind, as well as working on a daily basis at keeping our health in balance and preventing illnesses.

Clara Cohen
Port Moody Healing Cedar Wellness
Registered Acupuncturist

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My interview with Diana Mehta from the Canadian Press

6/26/2012

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Diana Mehta read my blog and liked the post on my experience with a Gluten Free diet. She contacted me as she was doing a piece on how many people are omitting wheat and gluten from their diet. Here's her article published in the Vancouver Sun, The Ottawa Citizen and Global News. Interesting...
"Gluten Free goes Mainstream"

Clara Cohen
Port Moody Acupuncturist
Healing Cedar Wellness

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The Angry Drunk & The Bed Wetter

3/23/2012

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How your emotions are affecting your physical health

Many people when drinking turn into someone else. Some become more flirty, others laugh a lot, or fall asleep (That would be me), but quite a few become angry. Growing up in France, wine was the drink of choice. My next door neighbour was an angry drunk. He used to come home from the bar, and trash furniture while shouting obscenities. He did hit his wife as well, unfortunately. His daughter was terrified of him and until she was 12, was loosing bladder control at night. She was a bed wetter.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) sees emotions as a major cause of illness and each emotion relates and affects an organ within the body. Also, if an organ is not functioning at its best, it may cause emotional behavior changes. It works either way, it's the chicken and the egg or in TCM, the Yin-Yang theory (all things are connected and related).

- According to TCM, the Liver system connects with the following: anger, irritability, rage, frustration, and impatience. The liver also corresponds to type A personality, the planner, the visionary, the goal setter, the one in control. All the emotions and personality traits above are not bad for your liver as long as they're not ruling your life. If you're a planner, it means you will be well prepared. But do you get upset (angry, irritable or frustrated) when things don't go according to plan? When you're not in control? Then it becomes an issue, and the body will be affected by physical symptoms. If you get irritable once in a while because someone cut you off on the road (I hate that), that's alright. But if you're constantly wanting to bite people's head off: Houston we have a problem!

- The symptoms showing an imbalance of the liver are: High Blood pressure, temporal headaches worse on stress, shoulder tension, insomnia (especially waking up between 1 and 3 am), red eyes, dizziness, blurred vision, weak joints, tremors, twitches & tics, spasms, ear ringing that comes and goes (high pitch), and for women at PMS time: tender breasts, bloating, and mood swings.
- If you're finding yourself constantly short fused or frustrated, and have a few of the above symptoms, then it's time to talk to your Acupuncturist and get your liver back in balance. Don't go jumping both feet first into a liver cleanse. Talk to a qualified professional first, as each individual is unique and needs specific attention to reach optimum health. Your liver may not necessary need to be cleared up, but strengthened instead.

- Liver Friends: Acupuncture, herbal medicine, and ways to relax (like reading, getting a massage, dancing, meditation...).
- Liver Foods: Lemon, watercress, celery, cucumber, cherries, black grapes, beets, asparagus, millet, fennel, flax seed oil.
- Liver Foes: Alcohol, over consumption of spicy foods, greasy processed foods, stress, repetitive work such as those leading to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and perfectionism.

Don't get angry, get help!

- According to TCM, the Kidneys system connect with the following: Fear (Irrational or not), phobias, anxiety, and a feeling of insecurity. A strong kidney system shows great motivation, will power and courage and trust. If you lack motivation or will power and have low self-esteem, or feel insecure, then according to TCM, your Kidneys are not totally balanced. Also the Kidneys system relates to the aging process and our constitution (Think DNA: somethings you cannot change and we cannot stop the aging process, we can only slow it down)

- The symptoms showing an imbalance of the Kidneys are:
bed wetting in children, incontinence in older adults, fertility issues (for men or women), fatigue, insomnia, sweating when nervous or at night, low bone density, loose teeth, lack of focus, poor memory, constant ear ringing (Low pitch), and grey hair or balding at an early age.
- If you child is wetting her bed, look for a fear base cause (maybe bullying at school). If you are constantly fearful, dreading events, lack motivation, talk to your acupuncturist or other qualified professional, and get help. Psychological help maybe necessary as well. Some past events maybe difficult to deal with on your own.

- Kidneys Friends: Acupuncture, herbal medicine, mineral supplements (Calcium, zinc...), Yoga, laughter, healthy wholesome diet, and anything that may slow down the aging process.
- Kidneys Foods: black sesame seeds, almonds, walnuts, wild salmon, sardines, bone marrow, quinoa, kidney beans, royal jelly.
- Kidneys Foes: Emotional shock (Bad news can turn someone's hair grey overnight), Physical shock (i.e.: car accident), people that lower your self-esteem, standing for hours very day (i.e: Security guard), Osteo-arthritis, lack of minerals (Calcium, magnesium), drugs (legal or illegal), anything that contributes to fast aging (anything in excess, stress...).

Forget the fear, get help!

And if you have questions about the above, feel free to contact me.
Clara Cohen
Port Moody & Coquitlam Acupuncturist

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"I love my job!
My patients keep me humble daily, and helping them reach their health goals is the best reward of all. And every morning I cannot wait to go teach and inspire students to love Acupuncture as much as I do. If I can make a difference in someone's life on a daily basis, I feel I have reached my own goal."

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What are the best times to exercise, eat, rest, and meditate?

My interview with Diana Mehta from the Canadian Press

The Angry Drunk & The Bed Wetter

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