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...]
Some Minerals are Chinese Herbs too!
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
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...]
Chinese Herbs: Mushrooms Heal and Taste Great
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...]
Nineteen Ways to Enhance Male Fertility
Many people think of fertility as being a woman’s problem, but in about half of couples who are experiencing infertility, a male factor can be the issue. There are number of ways in which male infertility can be a problem; most of which are related to the number and quality of sperm that are produced. For example, low sperm … [Read more...]
Peach and Apricot are Chinese Herbal Medicine
If you’re walking in an orchard during the late summer and looking for Chinese herbs, chances are that you’re looking for plants growing on the ground. However, for this month’s herbs, you’ll find them if you look up in the trees, in the form of peaches and apricots. The kernel from each of these stone fruits are a part of … [Read more...]
Tasty Gluten-Free Lemon Bars
Ingredients: Crust: 170 grams ground almond flour 3/4 cup sugar A pinch of salt 1 egg 2 egg whites Filling: 6 eggs 2 cups sugar 3 tablespoons potato flour (or gluten-free flour blend) Juice of two large lemons Preparation: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (slightly less than 400 degrees … [Read more...]
What you need to know about Celiac, Gluten Sensitivity, and everything in between
What is Celiac? Celiac, not to be confused with gluten intolerance, is a disease. Celiac disease is a chronic immune disorder that targets the digestive system and harms the small intestine, and is triggered by ingesting gluten. Celiac can cause long-lasting digestive problems and keep your body from getting all the … [Read more...]
Does Cosmetic Acupuncture Actually Work?
At BodaHealth, our goal is to provide a wide variety of natural health services to our patients. For that reason, we’re excited to highlight cosmetic acupuncture treatments by Danzhu Mowat. In addition to her credentials as a Registered Acupuncturist and TCM Herbalist, Danzhu trained with Zhang Ying, a Chinese-trained … [Read more...]
What is Chinese Medicine Good For?
An important and effective healing tool that we use at BodaHealth is that of Chinese Herbal Medicine. Because Chinese herbology is more complicated than buying a bottle of herbs at the drug store for your current symptom, and because the use of these herbs may feel unfamiliar to some, many people have questions. In … [Read more...]
Spotlight Interview: Danzhu Mowat
We’re thrilled to welcome Danzhu Mowat to the BodaHealth team! Danzhu is a Registered Acupuncturist, TCM Herbalist and Tai Qi and Qi Gong teacher. Read on to learn about her interesting background and healing philosophy. Jeda Boughton: Hi Danzhu, thank you so much for joining me today. I appreciate you taking the time to … [Read more...]
Can Chinese Medicine Help with Stomach Issues?
If you’re having digestive problems, you may not think about Chinese herbs as a treatment. However, there are a number of useful herbs that are compiled into formulas in TCM that can promote good digestion and relieve your symptoms. TCM stands for Traditional Chinese Medicine and is a way to describe the use of Chinese … [Read more...]
How Does Acupuncture Work?
At BodaHealth, we’ve found that prospective, new and current patients often have questions about acupuncture and Chinese medicine. We’ve also found that many people who are considering acupuncture are super-interested in knowing a little more about what it is and what’s involved. Below is a collection of some of the most … [Read more...]
Nutrition for Egg Health: How to nourish your eggs & support fertility
If you're trying to get pregnant, egg quality is a critical factor to consider. An embryo formed from an egg with abnormal chromosomes has much less potential to continue developing – this may manifest as the inability to get pregnant or as an early miscarriage. The good news is that the proportion of eggs with chromosome … [Read more...]
Acupuncture and Dry Needling or IMS: What’s the Difference?
I often get asked questions by my patients about whether we perform dry needling (also known as IMS or Intramuscular Stimulation) at BodaHealth, or how acupuncture and dry needling are different. My answer is yes we do, but it’s a little bit complicated. In this article, I hope to clear up some of the confusion surrounding … [Read more...]
What are the Benefits of Eating Walnuts and Water Chestnuts?
You may be surprised to learn that both walnuts and water chestnuts are herbs in Chinese medicine. It may be surprising because both are commonly eaten foods, but they also have some amazing healing properties. Here are some things to know: Water Chestnuts are actually the corms, or roots, of a grassy water plant. Found … [Read more...]
