Moderation in your life leads to a balanced, healthy body.

Exercise – especially calming, meditative. Walking & breathing! Usually Qi (energy) Stagnated people exercise a lot and can’t sit still for any period of time. However, they exercise frantically, and don’t breathe well, which is not healthy. Exercise needs to have a balance of breathing fresh air properly and physical activity in order to be healthy.

Regulate temperature – prevent over heating and over cooling. Our bodies don’t like rapid changes.

Diet – regular intake and avoid excess of problem foods. This is very individual and varies from person to person. You have to be observant of yourself to find what causes you problems.

Sleep – balanced. Usually around 8hrs, don’t eat much within 2 hrs of going to bed. Don’t over work and under rest - balance work and rest. Occasionally you will have to overwork, but then you can take it easy for a bit to recover.  If you have to cram for finals you might not sleep much for several nights, but afterwards you should take it easy for a bit until you feel strong and healthy again. When you have a lack of energy, your immune system isn’t functioning optimally so you are at risk for illness.

Sweat and exposure to cold – avoid drafts and cold weather when you are sweating, allow yourself to cool off normally and then you’ll be fine.

Posture – don’t hunch over and compress your chest, stand tall and keep your shoulders back and relaxed. Try not to wear your earrings on your shoulders. Makes it easier for your lungs to function properly and get good deep breaths. Deep breaths move the organs and break up stagnation – leading to a healthy mental attitude and a long life!

Allergy Season!  According to the 5 elements of Chinese medicine, Spring elements include Wind, Wood, Liver, and Green.  Wind affects the upper body first.  This is like a tree.  When the wind blows, the leaves at the top of the tree shake first.  Allergies flare up in Spring.  People's noses are like the tree's leaves.  Common symptoms of allergies are stuffy nose, itchy throat, dry itchy watery eyes, headaches, etc.  Most of these symptoms affect the top of the body, like the wind rustling the leaves on the top of the tree.  As the season changes to Spring, it's important to get extra rest in order to keep your energy up.  Try to get to bed a little earlier than usual; this helps to keep your energy strong.  Having extra energy really helps to keep your immune system strong.  During the Spring, when the molds, pollens, and other allergens come out, your immune system has to run in overdrive, so it's important to keep it strong.  During the cold Winter months, many people get dehydrated from indoor heating systems.  Therefore, try to drink more water than you normally do.  Water helps your body circulate better and also helps to flush allergens from your system.

Since winter is usually cold and in spring the weather warms up, the body will gradually start to become warmer.  This process takes some time though.  Be cautious with clothing though, and dress to cool down gradually, rather than wearing spring or summer clothes too quickly.  Wearing inappropriate clothing causes the body to cool down too quickly, and you will be susceptible to catching colds.

Summer is the hot and dry time of year.  As the weather gets warmer, our bodies also start to warm up.  As in the other seasons, care needs to be taken to make this a gradual change.  If you warm up too quickly, then various hot type of problems can result, i.e., insomnia, restlessness, heart palpitations, constipation, etc.  If you try to compensate by eating too many foods that are cold, i.e., iced drinks, ice cream, too many raw salads, etc., you can also cause imbalance in the body.  Adding some cold foods to your diet in the summer will help to balance the heat from the environment, but you need to take care not to over cool your body!  You are the best guide, if you feel good, then you are probably doing the right thing for you.  You also want to be sure to drink enough water to compensate for the dry weather.  This summer has been quite dry and warm in Seattle, so I expect that when the weather changes in the Fall, people may not be well prepared when it suddenly cools off and their bodies cool too quickly.

Fall is the time of year to store your harvest from Summer and prepare for Winter.  As I mention above, the summer here in Seattle has been quite warm and dry.  The weather is cooling off quickly at night, and many people are cooling down too quickly.  Rapid changes in the body lead to stress.  Stress consumes your energy.  Less energy reduces your ability to adapt to the change in weather.  Less adaptability means your immune system is not working optimally. Many people are experiencing cold and stuffy noses.  I generally recommend to be sure to get enough rest to help your body adapt to the cooler weather.  As the season sets in and the weather becomes more stable, the stuffy noses and colds will become less bothersome.  If your body isn't able to get rid of the cold or stuffy nose quickly, then you should consider taking steps to get your body on the right track again!

Every season has a different effect on the body. The cycle from spring to summer to autumn to winter is continuous and the body changes each time to compensate for the differences between each season.

In the winter, the environment is cold, and so is your body. Keep warm in winter to protect against getting too cold. Balance is the key! If you feel too hot or too cold, you need to take actions to correct the imbalance.

Dressing properly for the season you are in is important. In winter, layering is great... especially since the weather can change quickly. Adjust your clothing so you're comfortable. Use a jacket with a hood to keep your head and neck dry and warm or use an umbrella. In winter, many people use a scarf, which is a great way to keep your body protected from the elements.

A great aspect of Chinese Medicine is that it relates the external environment to the internal environment of our body. A vulnerable place is the back of the neck, which is called the Wind Gate, or 'feng men' in Chinese. It's a gate where Wind can enter the body, thus causing a common cold. Wind carries external pathogenic influences (EPI's) into the body. With a common cold, the EPI's responsible are Wind carrying Cold or Heat with or without Dampness. This may seem strange to Western thought, but if you watch people, you'll see that it's often true. Since I get to work on people's health, I see what changes occur when the external environment changes. I've noticed that when people start catching colds, the weather makes changes at the same time. When the weather makes big changes, it's brought by the wind as pressure fronts come and go.

Diet should also change in the winter. Most people don't have much urge to eat the same foods that they do in the summer. For instance, a large cold glass of iced lemonade and a green salad isn't too appealing when the temperature drops, as it is when it's hot and dry in the summer. One concept from the macrobiotic people that I like is to eat what grows by you in the season you're in. Eating too much pineapple in Seattle during winter will not make your body too happy. Squashes and root veggies are great though. Indian food is wonderful in the wintertime. It contains many warm spices and other warm natured ingredients that keep the body nice and toasty on the inside. Stews are great as well. Healthy people naturally eat more warm and rich foods in the winter. This helps protect the body from the cold and prepares us for spring and summer. You can think of it like farming, where you prepare the soil for what you want to grow in the following seasons. Keep balance in mind though. Too much rich food will cause you to gain weight and hamper your digestive system. Various spices will help your body to properly digest the foods you eat. Avoid drinking cold drinks, especially iced drinks in winter. This cools the body down too much and damages the digestive system in any season.