For those with underlying heart conditions, the combination of a hot, overheated body and drinking ice cold water (or beverages) can be dangerous. And for others without obvious health challenges, ice cold water can still produce a significant amount of discomfort when consumed during/after workout before the body naturally cools down. During hot summer months, this could even cause heatstroke (TCM concept). For most of us, drinking ice water during/after workouts (or post sauna, hot weather exposure) won’t send us to the ER. But what this man’s story tells us is the impact of ice water can be stressful for the body in this circumstance. And whether you experience discomfort depends on the underlying state of your health. To prevent this from happening, he could: 1. Ditch the ice and leave the water room temp 2. If he chose to drink cool (not iced) water, he should wait until his body has naturally cooled down. This is one reason why post workout cool-downs are so important. 3. Never chug large amounts of cold water at once when your body is overheated. Again, room temp is best. 4. Be sure to hydrate well BEFORE working out TCM gives us an additional layer of explanation on how the Heart ❤️ goes into heat overdrive in this hot body/ice water scenario. I went over this in our newsletter so make sure you check your email or go to the link in bio to subscribe. #icewater #urgentcare #lanshin #Cupping #Acupuncture #GuaSha #TCM #ChineseMedicine #TCMTips@Franklin Uzoma Aribeana

Last one on cold plunging, then we’ll move on! Don’t want to give it up, but want to stay in alignment with your Acupuncturist’s advice? Try following these tips. And if you ever find yourself in Tip #4, we are always here with tools that will help. 

In my opinion, the modern practice of cold plunging focuses on the short term benefits, without necessarily knowing the signs to look for if the cold therapy becomes too much on your system. In the West, and especially in the US, we tend to push ourselves to extremes. 

In TCM, the “middle way” is the path to exuberant healthy and longevity. This means not pushing ourselves to the extremes of anything, whether cold or hot. Creating hormetic stress doesn’t always have to be extreme. And, just because something is good for you, doesn’t mean you should seek to take in more without ever stopping. 

There is a proper season and time for everything. The right dosage and frequency of any health intervention will change over time, as you change. In TCM practice, it’s wise to take a break from your supplements, herbs, etc from time to time so your body can reset on its own and to prevent developing dependency. 

But at the end of the day, it’s your body and your choice. We’re just here to share our view of health based on our clinical experience using a thousands year old medicine that has served generations in East Asia and continues to serve globally this day ❤️ #lanshin #guasha #tcm #coldplunge #coldtherapy

Spring might be the hardest season to transition into. By the time spring arrives, we’re SPENT from getting through winter. We call this Qi Deficiency in TCM. And it’s even more the case if you didn’t get enough rest + restorative time during winter. Treating patients I’ve always noticed that even though we get more sunlight hours and warmth, the initial phase in to spring season often brings out a lot of inflammation. From allergies, to skin eruptions, to fatigue and brain fog - waking up into spring is a bit like a toddler waking up from a nap, it can start with with a dollop of cranky. This can cause stagnation of fluids, microcirculatory blood flow and Qi movement in your channels - which often affects your head. This in turn can exaggerate certain features of our face - nasolabial folds, jowls, under-eye puffs, etc. So I just want to make sure you know - you’re ok! Your body is just having a tough time transitioning into the pollen filled, sun-party that is spring. Don’t worry, start working on some TCM Spring health basics, starting with opening your neck channels. In clinical practice, I am constantly freeing the neck of tension and blockage to treat allergies and any inflammatory issue affecting the face + head. For more guidance, subscribe to our newsletter (link in bio) for free access to our TCM Library where we have playlists for working with the neck with Gua Sha or Hot Massage. My next follow-along is all about this too! Gua Sha 3.0 - Nasolabial + Allergy Relief. Did you know most of the points we use to treat sinus congestion, watery eyes, headache are the very same points that help reduce nasolabial folds, facial heaviness, under-eye puffing, etc.? Link in bio to join me! **Not medical advice. Please always check with your physician or Acupuncturist if you suffer from serious health conditions. #lanshin #guasha #tcm #allergies #jowls #springallergies #nasolabilfolds

Millet is major in TCM. To call it a Super Beauty Food would be no exaggeration. A simple bowl of hot millet congee is a famous remedy for insomnia, bloating and all sorts of digestion issues. And it’s literally one of the most soothing foods you can eat. That’s why I think it’s an important food to add to rotation if you struggle with chronic under-eye puffing, bagging or dark circles. Anytime I see those issues I wonder how well does this person sleep, and then I look to see if there are any imbalances in the Spleen/Stomach (Earth) or Kidney/Heart (Water/Fire) energy systems - which can also be a cause for eye stagnation. Combine this internal remedy with Under-Eye Gua Sha 3.0 follow-along class this Thursday at 7pm for a full inside/outside healing plan for your eyes. Link in bio to register. Millet is known for strengthening our Spleen and Stomach energy. Millet congee can be helpful with everything from insomnia, to excess oily skin, fatigue, weight management, brain health, calming anxiety, aiding digestion and the list goes on…. In our newsletter today I go through the recipe and steps for a bowl of hot millet congee. It’s super easy. Basically you cook 1 part millet to 12 parts water for a soupy porridge consistency. If you’re not subscribed, just visit our link in bio. If you’re bored with quinoa, millet is a fabulous grain to add to rotation. I usually suggest having a bowl of millet congee daily for a week or two to my patients and ask them to report back how they feel. If all is well, they can continue. There are very few contraindications but if you are managing a major health condition please always check with your MD or personal Acupuncturist before trying. #nutrition #Lanshin #healingfoods #millet #insomnia #bloating #superfood #beautyfood #undereyebags #undereyefix #guashafacial #acupuncture #guasha #cupping #chinesemedicine

Most research on cold plunge therapy is done on young, healthy men. A specific population whose results from cold exposure I would NOT extrapolate to most women, people with compromised immune systems or chronic illness, those above age 60/70, etc. In TCM there isn’t any research that answers questions like: what are the LONG TERM health impacts of cold exposure on the body? What happens to the health markers of people 5, 10, 20 years after regular exposure to ice baths? Would research validate what we’ve long known in TCM - that cold exposure negatively impacts the menstrual cycle and hormonal health in menstruating women? Would the shock of cold exposure to the point of shivering negatively impact those with weaker constitutions? How would cold exposure therapy impact menopausal women or men older than 40, 50 years of age? While the stress of cold exposure creates a hormetic response that mobilizes the immune system, dopamine, etc….what is the cost to the body for calling on this survival response on a regular basis? Of course, spending 60sec running cold water on yourself after a hot shower is very different than forcing yourself into a 40 degree ice bath for 5 minutes until the point of shivering. There are degrees of cold exposure therapy that I think are more reasonable and possibly beneficial to health *depending on your individual constitution*. I would recommend it only after heat exposure from sauna or hot shower. And I would start with cool, not ice cold water. You also don’t need to immerse yourself for the length of time young, healthy men do to the point of shivering. Remember there is such a thing as bio-individuality - an important consideration in TCM practice that most healthcare research doesn’t account or measure for. #Lanshin #coldplunge #sauna #huberman #TCM #ChineseMedicine #tcmtips