For many people, their only exposure to sesame seeds are those that are sprinkled on top of a sandwich bun or a bagel. However, you may be interested to learn that sesame seeds are so much more than a garnish. They can offer a nutritional boost and be good for your health too. Sesame seeds come in two colors; black and … [Read more...]
Is Acupuncture Legit? Common Myths about Acupuncture
Let’s face it; acupuncture is an unfamiliar treatment option for many people. Coupled with its ancient beginnings and foreign feeling, many myths arise surrounding acupuncture. I’d like to take this opportunity to address some of the most common misunderstandings I’ve encountered with facts about this incredible system of … [Read more...]
Sharpen your Vision with Chinese Herbal Medicine
Goji berries are a Chinese herb that’s gained some mainstream popularity in recent years, to the extent that they’ve even been called a superfood. Called Gou Qi Zi in Chinese, but also known as Chinese wolfberry fruit, Goji berries are small, elongated red berries that grow on shrubby plants that are native to China. Gou … [Read more...]
To Drink or not to Drink?
With the coming of the New Year, many of us take a look at our lifestyle and health habits and think about making changes. Some may decide to be more physically active, tweak their diet or try to get more sleep in the coming year. However, another subset of people may choose to redefine their relationship with alcohol. In … [Read more...]
What Does FABORM Mean, and What Does it Have to Do With Fertility?
I have these professional designations after my name including R. Ac for Registered Acupuncturist and Dr. TCM for my doctorate in Traditional Chinese Medicine. However, I also carry the designation FABORM, which may be unfamiliar to many people, but also might be really important, especially if you’re trying to become … [Read more...]
When is Acupuncture Right for Me?
Acupuncture may feel unfamiliar to some people, especially when compared to Western medicine. That’s because in the past, you went to your family doctor only when you were sick. While this is changing and Western medicine is moving toward preventing disease, the most common doctor’s calls are made when you’re sick. So it’s … [Read more...]
Holiday Recipes
Winter is officially here. The season of getting cozy, comfy, and bundled up is upon us. As we adjust to our hibernative states, our preferences for certain types of foods change as well. You may find yourselves craving more hearty, warming and comforting foods these days. We've created six new recipes to help you satisfy … [Read more...]
Keeping It Together During the Holidays
Whether you love them, hate them or are somewhere in between, it’s clear that the holidays can be really stressful and they can derail your plans for staying healthy. And this year may be even more so—or at least different. After almost three years of isolation, working from home and curbing travel, it seems like the gates … [Read more...]
How Does Acupuncture Help Fertility?
Many people are discovering that acupuncture can be an effective therapy to support your fertility, whether you’re trying to get pregnant naturally or with the help of assisted reproductive technologies. For some, just knowing that acupuncture can help increase your chances of becoming pregnant is enough to give it a try, … [Read more...]
How the Heck Does Your Acupuncturist Know What Points to Use?
For many people, acupuncture can seem a bit mysterious. You may think your practitioner is needling random places on your body, and being on the receiving end may leave you wondering why. Why did they choose this place and not that? Why did they do these points last session, but different ones today? How does your … [Read more...]
Common Pregnancy Discomforts and How We Can Help
Your pregnancy is often a time of great excitement and anticipation. It’s a journey of transformation and wonder, until…it’s not. Your body is changing to accommodate the growth of your baby and upcoming labour, delivery and breastfeeding. Sometimes uncomfortable stuff crops up that can put a damper on your excitement, but … [Read more...]
Chinese Herbal Medicine to Clear Phlegm and Improve Lung Health
In Chinese medicine, the flavor of an herb or food tells you something about its actions. That’s because, each flavor; sweet, salty, pungent (spicy), bitter and sour all have a different effect on your body and the organ systems affected. In general: Sweet affects your Stomach and Spleen, and is often used to help your … [Read more...]
Why Should You Care About the Adrenal-Thyroid Connection?
Most people don’t want to talk about glands—they’re complicated and kind of gross, even the word is kind of gross. However, your glands are important to good health! They’re a part of your endocrine system, which controls the production and secretion of hormones. Some of the major endocrine glands in your body include the … [Read more...]
How Many Acupuncture Treatments Do You Need?
Sometimes when I’m out in the world, I have heard people say, “I tried acupuncture once and it didn’t do a thing.” To me, that’s like saying I tried exercise once and didn’t get any fitter, or I took one piano lesson and couldn’t play a concerto. Acupuncture is a therapy, and it almost always takes more than one treatment … [Read more...]
Chinese Herbs for Colds, Flu and Infections
When you hear the term Chinese herbal medicine, chances are that you’re thinking about plants. Herbs are plants, right? That’s mostly true, as the vast majority of Chinese herbs are derived from plants. However there are also herbs that come from animal and mineral sources. Some of the most common mineral-based medicinals … [Read more...]
Spotlight Interview: Arica Zhong – Thrilled to Treat Fertility and Reproductive Health
Please help us welcome Arica Zhong to BodaHealth! Arica is a Registered TCM Practitioner who incorporates a wide variety of healing methods and philosophies into her healing work with patients. Arica has been involved with traditional healing her entire life, through exposure to herbs, food cures and TCM therapies as a … [Read more...]
How does Pulse Diagnosis work in Chinese Medicine?
I recently returned from an intensive seven day workshop in Amherst, MA on pulse diagnosis. It was the in-person culmination of a year-long online course focused on how to prescribe classical Chinese herbal formulas using pulse diagnosis. Not only did I learn a lot, but the course was held at the Sirius Community … [Read more...]
Mushrooms: Chinese Herbal Medicine for your Immune System
The damp weather around Vancouver makes it a friendly climate for all kinds of edible mushrooms, including morels, porcini, Pacific Golden Chanterelles, slippery Jacks and Chicken of the Woods. If you come across mushrooms while you’re out in the woods, chances are that you don’t think of them as medicine. Warning, wild … [Read more...]
Treatment for Thyroid Imbalances at BodaHealth
Your thyroid is a small gland located at the base of the front of your neck. Despite being small, your thyroid has the big job of regulating your metabolism. It does this by secreting just the right amount of thyroid hormones to keep your body in balance. When it’s doing its job well, it’s likely that you rarely think about … [Read more...]
Help for Mountain Biking Injuries
At BodaHealth we see different kinds of sports injuries increase during different times of the year. When the snow has melted from the mountains around Vancouver, we tend to see an uptick in mountain biking injuries. This is a mixed blessing; Vancouver has some of the best mountain biking trails in the world. Near the city, … [Read more...]
Ten Tips for Relieving PCOS Symptoms Through Diet
Many people think of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) solely as a hormonal or reproductive health condition. However if you have PCOS, you’re likely well aware that it’s associated with metabolic problems, as well. PCOS is a metabolic disorder that causes insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body move … [Read more...]
Trouble Sleeping? We Can Help
Every living organism on the planet needs sleep. It is an integral component of human health, and a sufficient amount of good quality, restful sleep is essential to prevent illness as well as cultivate health and facilitate longevity. The general medical consensus is that seven to nine hours of sleep is the appropriate … [Read more...]
Citrus Fruit: Chinese Herbal Medicine for Digestion
The last time you ate a tangerine, I bet you didn’t give much thought to the peel. Chances are you just peeled the fruit and threw away the peel, right? You may be interested to know that the tangerine peel you tossed out is actually an important herb in the Chinese formulary. Tangerines are a type of common mandarin, … [Read more...]
What are the Most Common Sports Injuries?
The warm weather is finally here in Vancouver! With it comes a ton of opportunities to get out of the house and participate in your favorite sports. Whether you’re playing football, soccer, golf, throwing the Frisbee around, engaged in water sports or just hiking, injuries happen. While it’s possible to injure yourself in a … [Read more...]
Is Facial Acupuncture Better than Botox?
In the past century, our average life expectancy has risen dramatically. A hundred years ago, the average lifespan was 58 years old. Today, the average life expectancy is 78, with many people living healthfully well into their 90’s and beyond. With today’s increase in longevity and the fact that many people stay active and … [Read more...]