Blog — acupuncture

There is a heat wave sweeping much of the world right now. Below I've gathered a few of my favorite Chinese medicinal herbs and foods that expel heat to cool the body from within. But first, let's cover an important tenet of traditional Chinese medicine regarding the temperature of foods and liquids you should consume in the summer. 

Human beings have an intrinsic and powerful connection to sunlight that evolved over thousands of years. Before the advent of electricity we were bound by the constraints of daylight, and our sleep cycles followed suit. But today, electricity and technological stimulation allow our minds and bodies to be active after sundown, which can wreak havoc on our health. Many hormonal processes in our body are literally hardwired to be orchestrated by sunlight and the absence of sunlight. It is no surprise that adhering to a normal sleep pattern is therefore highly important to maintaining optimal health.