Healthy Holiday Guide- Dinners

#1 Have a healthy meal before going to a social event

#2 Eat foods that you actually want

#3 Appreciate the social aspect of Christmas, not just the food

#4 Avoid soft drinks and juice; stay hydrated with water

#5 Visit with people you actually want to

Here are a few guidelines to help navigate through the holiday season.

Look for a new website, with lots of new goodies in the next couple of days at www.acupuncturevictoriabc.com

~Think Vitality!~

Thanks for the Great Workshop!

Last weekend we had the "Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine and Meridian Therapy" workshop for practitioners. I was surprised that I, myself, got a real charge after the 2 days! We covered a lot of information and I received some great feedback from the attendees that will make the next one even better.

A challenge that I encountered is trying to condense all the theories of TCM but not dilute them. There is so much history, and hidden meaning in concepts like the Yin and Yang, Five Elements, and Qi that it can take years to understand them.

Between now and the next workshop, set for February 19 & 20th, I am determined to form all this information into a "system" that any practitioner, or non-practitioner can use to help those around them immediately.

I feel very excited to help spread the concepts of Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, qi gong, and good clean living because we can't depend on others to make us healthy. We have to learn effective and efficient methods ourselves and help inspire others around us.

Thank you to everyone who attended and all the enthusiasm you shared!

~Think Vitality!~

Happy Halloween, Qi Gong Course News

The air is crisp, the ghouls are in the neighborhood asking for candy, and pumpkins are being carved up and set ablaze- fall is certainly here!


Enjoy the crunchy leaves and remember to keep yourself warm in this coming season particularly your neck. In Traditional Chinese Medicine a pathogen (or a cold or flu) enters through an acupuncture point on the base of the neck. By keeping your neck protected you reduce the chance of an external attack. In the next couple of days I will put up some more Immune System boosting tips.

The next Qi Gong course that was set for Saturday November 6th is going to be postponed. It most likely will be rescheduled to January as most of us are pretty busy during the holiday season. I will be in contact with anyone who has registered to make arrangements, or feel free to email me.

Enjoy the Halloween weekend and if you are going to eat some ooey gooey candy make sure that you actually want to eat it!

~Think Vitality!~

Couch Time Improves Marathon Training

Looking towards the fall, the Royal Victoria marathon is slowly approaching. In endurance training the 'old' idea was more is better. That has been shown to be a good way to injure yourself and over train!

One author pointed out, "If exercise makes you stronger, then how come you are tired at the end of a run?" The reason is exercise doesn't make you stronger - proper rest does.


So build some rest time into your training schedule and plan on tapering 2-3 weeks before race day to run your fastest time ever!

Here is an article discussing the importance of tapering.


The Globe and Mail- Couch Time Improves Marathon Training




~Think Vitality!~

How much Vitamin XYZ Should I Take?

Have you ever wondered how much calcium, zinc, or fiber you should be having a day?

Here is a great resource that you may find helpful. This interactive form can help you find out how many macro-nutrients, minerals, calories, and vitamins you should be consuming based on your body, body mass index, activity level and age.

Click here!

Did you know that most of the recommended dietary allowances of vitamins and minerals followed by Americans and Canadians were actually established at the time of World War 2 to prevent malnourishment of soldiers and have not been revisited since.(ref. Fuhrman)?

So, when reading nutritional labels and you see that your food item contains 10% of your daily requirement of a certain vitamin it may not be completely sufficient.

As a general rule you will get the most nourishment from real veggies, fruits, and proteins, just as nature intended it!

http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/interactiveDRI/


~Think Vitality!~

Light to Moderate Exercise IS Good for you!

It's official, we can all rest assured that light to moderate exercise is actually good for our health because there has been a study proving this!

The Journal of Epidemiology has determined that just half an hour of walking, cycling, swimming, or any constant activity 5 days a week can reduce the risk of death by 19%. Increasing it to 7 hours a week reduces the incidence of sedentary lifestyle related deaths by 24%. It doesn't have to be intense, just constant.

If you are not sure how to enjoy walking in our beautiful city, try listening to an audio book. You can purchase books on pretty much any topic online, or even download audio books from the Victoria public library for free.
If you are technically inclined you can also entertain yourself with podcasts from itunes which are also free.
So find an activity, drag a friend along and get moving!

~Think Vitality!~


photo source cookinglight.com

Qi Gong Workshop follow up

This weekend was the first full day qi gong workshop here in Victoria and judging by the feedback, it went well! Thank you to everyone who attended and for giving me such valuable feedback. I read the suggestions everyone had with great interest because I would like to offer as much value as I can and work out all the kinks.

What a few people mentioned was they wanted a little bit more feedback on their form and how they were doing. I think this is a valuable part of learning from a real person rather than books or videos.

On November 6th, 2010 we are planning the next seminar where I will devote time specifically to helping intermediate people improve their techniques as well as teaching the absolute beginners.

So mark your calendars and start spreading the word if you know anyone that might benefit from qi gong!

On the note of 'spreading the word,' I received a serious 'beat down' for not having a facebook fan page. So, here it is!You can "like" the page and find health tips, information, inspiration, upcoming events and happenings. For those of you who are new to fan pages, rest assured I cannot see your personal information or wild weekend pictures!

In the meantime, start boosting your immune system because in 2 weeks time a lot of people are going to be getting sick because of kids going back to school!

~Think Vitality!~

photo divavillage.com

The Simple Things- It's Full On!

I have been contemplating whether or not I should put a link to this youtube video I saw for a couple of weeks. Well, I have decided to share with you "The Double Rainbow"




When I first saw it I both laughed like crazy, and felt inspired by "Hungry Bear" and his appreciation of the simple things in life.

While diet, exercise, sleep, and stress reduction are all crucial to our health and well being, we need to truly enjoy life and what we are doing. Doing something you like and having a positive emotional response to it releases endorphins, reduces cortisol, reduces blood pressure, and heart rate, and makes you smile which relaxes the muscles in your face and promotes a smooth flow of qi.

Make a point today to do something just purely for the enjoyment of it!

~Think Vitality!~

Mr Golden Sun

I hope you have been enjoying the magnificent Victoria weather over the last few days but also protecting yourself from the sun. Why is it that we have to protect our skin from the sun, isn't it a 'natural' source of vitamin D? It is, but because of changes in the ozone layer, we are exposed to more UVA and UVB radiation than ever before and we have not evolved to be able to handle it... yet!

Did you know that there is a difference between sunscreen and sunblock? Most of us use the terms interchangeably but they are different.

Firstly, sun has Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B rays. UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and lead to oxidative damage, skin cancer, and the visible signs of aging. UVB rays don't penetrate as deeply but are primarily what causes sunburn and mutation of DNA leading to skin cancer.

Depending on the ingredients, sunscreen deflects and absorbs UVB radiation with a chemical reaction. Some of the chemicals may include oxybenzone, octisalate, and avobenzone. The downside of sunscreen is that it does not protect against UVA radiation and the chemicals used may be potentially harmful if used on a regular basis.



Sunblock creates a physical barrier between your skin and the sun and is much more effective in protecting you from both UVA and UVB. The ingredients found in sunblock are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.


When advertising SPF protection, manufacturers are only referring to protection from UVB sunburns as it does not include protection from skin cancer and oxidative damage.

The best option is mineral sunblock because it offers the most protection with the least chemicals and it is easier to find nowadays. Another great option is high tech sun protection clothing that offers SPF protection.

~Think Vitality!~

references:
Environmental Working Group
photo,2

Summer has arrived!

Well, I think it's fair to say that summer has finally arrived in Victoria!

With the sunshine and longer days, a lot of people are wanting to get out and get active. We should remember that whether it is having a game of basketball, tennis, or even throwing the frisbee around we can injure ourselves without proper stretching and warming up.

In my practice I have seen all sorts of injuries from summertime activity, most of which could be easily avoided by stretching beforehand. The main areas of injury are the shoulders, neck, and back. Spend a couple minutes limbering up and stretching before that game of bacchi ball and enjoy the free Vitamin D while we have it!

~Think Vitality!~




Photo source

Kindness, Compassion, and Healing

I had the pleasure of attending a qi gong seminar this weekend presented by Dr. Steven Aung. I first met Dr. Aung several years ago when I lived in Edmonton and didn't know that there were others places in Canada that didn't have snow 10 months of the year! He was/is a family physician, a Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor, an acupuncturist, and a high level qi gong master. He is a source of unique experience and wisdom.

One of the most important lessons I learned was one that I have been noticing myself over the last couple of years; if you want to be healthy you must keep it simple.

During the question and answer period, Dr. Aung seemed to endlessly welcome questions and he kept his responses centralized around a main theme- kindness and compassion.

Bear in mind that Dr. Aung is a respected scientist and geriatric specialist and has spent a large portion of his professional career prescribing pharmaceuticals for disease. After years of careful observation he has seen the need for calming the mind, letting go of anger and fear, and approaching the world with kindness and compassion.

Drugs and serious medical intervention have their role to play in our health and healing but so does our mind and the way we see the world and interact with it. Practicing compassion is central to Eastern philosophy and studies show that it can lower blood pressure, decrease respiration rate, reduce cortisol, and decrease inflammation.

So, perform a little act of kindness and compassion today and know that it will benefit the world and your health!

~Think Vitality!~

Qi Gong Workshop - Victoria, BC

It's finally here!

Thank you everyone for for being so patient while we've been organizing this workshop. It's going to be a great event with loads of information, inspiration and practice. I'm really excited about it!

Here are the details:

Workshop: Qi Gong for Health, Vitality and Longevity
Location: Camosun College Landsdowne Campus, Victoria BC
Date: Saturday, August 21, 2010 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Cost: $95 + tax

Qi gong, or Chi kung is an ancient practice developed to build energy and health using simple movements, breathing exercises and visualization. It is easy to do, gentle on the body, and highly effective. Practiced throughout China, Japan and Asia, qi gong can strengthen the body, reduce pain, increase energy, reduce stress, slow the aging process, improve the immune system and bring clarity to the mind. Qi gong improves health and vitality using the concept of qi.

In this workshop you will learn:

• The most effective qi gong movements for health
• Dynamic/flow qi gong exercises
• Static or stance exercises
• Basic and intermediate meditation practices
• What is qi and how it relates to healing
• How to improve your own qi circulation
• How to become healthy from the 'root'
• Common issues with other healing systems
• Discussion on qi gong healing

Qi Gong for Health, Vitality and Longevity is based on several different qi gong, tai chi, yoga, and meditation systems. With over 10 years of clinical experience as an acupuncturist and over 15 years of qi gong study, Jeffrey combines the best of each system in a simple and highly effective method that anyone can do. If the health benefits of qi gong sound too good to be true - try it for yourself and see!

Please register early as there is a limited amount of space.

You can print out this form and fax, mail, email, or phone us.
Qi Gong Registration Form

Or you can register online by clicking the "Buy Now" button below. It is safe and secure and you will receive a confirmation email.

~Think Vitality!~

Qi Gong and the Practice of Focus

30 Day Vitality Challenge Day 9

There are many types of meditation, qi gong and breathing practices that have been passed down through the ages for thousands of years. It's very easy to get overwhelmed with all the different methods from different 'masters' or 'gurus.' In my experience, simple is best.

There is no 'right' way and no 'wrong' way. Well...there might be a wrong way depending on how you look at it!

Regardless of the technique, the first and possibly most important skill to develop is the power of focus. Focus is being able to hold a single thought or intention for a desired amount of time. Studies show that we have approximately 60,000 thoughts per day. Unfortunately, a lot of those thoughts are the same and repeat over and over in our mind. When we develop our ability to focus and hold a thought we reduce those 60,000 to maybe 40,000. As our mental muscles get stronger we can reduce it even more.

A simple practice is to breathe naturally and count your breaths. That's it. Decide on a number, maybe 30, and everytime you breathe in, you count "one." Most people will lose track of the number at around 7 or 8 at first, but stick with it. Soon, you'll be able to hold your focus and be ready to move on to more advanced techniques.

As part of the 30 Day Vitality Challenge I will do 20 minutes of breath counting today.

P.S. - I have finally set a date for the Qi Gong workshop here in Victoria!
August 21, so mark your calenders!

~Think Vitality!~

Meditation as Medication

30 Day Vitality Challenge Day 8

This evening I had the opportunity to watch the documentary Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould up at the University of Victoria. I found it quite fascinating.

Glen Gould was a pianist with considerable talent who reached the height of his performing career at age 31. He was as eccentric as he was talented and resorted to prescription drugs to manage his anxiety. The film minimized the fact that he over used prescription medication which altered both his personality and his health.

While pharmaceuticals do have their place in health and healing we should be very careful not to overuse them especially in situations where equally effective holistic solutions are available. This is particularly true in the area of stress and anxiety. Often changes in diet and lifestyle can help just as much as medication. It's always a good idea to discuss options with your doctor and come up with a plan together.

Meditation and exercise are two activities that can greatly reduce anxiety and calm the mind.

With that being said, on day 8 before starting my day in clinic I did 25 minutes of natural breathing meditation. You would be surprised at how both calming and energizing simple breathing can be. This will be one of the topics discussed in the upcoming Qi gong workshop. Until then, do at least one thing from the list and ...

~Think Vitality!~

The Truth About Sugar

Vitality Challenge Day 7

I did my part today! After a kendo session I enjoyed an evening ocean walk at a brisk pace. Ahh Victoria! I also avoided sugar throughout the day making sure to check labels.

We all know, or are beginning to know, that we should avoid sugar in our diet. Whether it is white, brown, demerra, yellow, purple or green - sugar is sugar! It affects the body in the same way - causing inflammation and oxidation.

As part of the 30 Day Vitality Challenge you'll notice that eliminating sugar is number one on the list. Avoiding sugar can make such a huge impact on your body and your mind.

But... you don't have to take my word for it! Below is a lecture that has had thousands of views on youtube called "The Bitter Truth About Sugar." It is a little long but the main point is that modern day illnesses are largely caused by the massive increase in sugar consumption over the last few decades.




or watch here:
Sugar: The Bitter Truth



~Think Vitality!~

Rules of the 30 Day Vitality Challenge

Rules of the 30 Day Vitality Challenge

Well, this has been unexpected- there have been several people who have said that they want to join in the 30 Day Vitality Challenge. So, here are the rules that if followed will help you feel better, look better, have more energy, feel more relaxed, and even shed unnecessary body fat.

1. Eliminate all forms of sugar.
Yes, I went there! White sugar, brown sugar, honey, cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, rice sugar, ‘natural fruit source’ sugars, molasses, and aspartame. If you can do just this one thing it will greatly impact your body AND mind!

2. Eliminate empty grains.
Eliminate white bread, pasta, multigrain bread, flour, baked goods, cookies, muffins, and cakes. Ultimately, we should eliminate all grains, end of story. But, if you don’t want to be too aggressive on yourself you can use a small amount of whole grain, sprouted wheat, or high fibre grains.

3. Exercise everyday.
What, every day! Yes, our bodies are designed to move. At the minimum you should walk briskly for 30 minutes. That could be 15 minutes twice a day as well. To do really well on the challenge you should aim to do moderate to high intensity activities everyday for a minimum of 20 minutes. This can be any activity as long as it gets your heart rate up and you work up a real honest sweat.

4. Mindfulness activity.
You need to do a mindful activity everyday. This could be meditation, yoga, qigong, deep breathing, writing a journal, listening to music, looking out a window, visualization, or simply being. Time required: 10 minutes.

5. Sleep well.
You should know your body well enough to be aware of how much sleep you need to feel fully recharged. This can be anywhere from 7-9 hours.

6. Infuse your diet with Nutrient Rich foods
While you should be avoiding junk and processed foods you should aim to consume lots of dark leafy greens, veggies, low glycemic fruits, lean protein, and healthy fats.

So to do the 30 Day Vitality Challenge you have to do one or more of the six elements for 30 days. For some that may take a lot of work and effort but if you can do all 6 elements you will notice a significant difference before and after. Try it and you will see!

~Think Vitality!~

Day 3 of 30 Day Vitality Challenge!

HIIT Me

Day 3

After waking up feeling muscle soreness from a good kendo session last night, doing exercise this morning was a real “character builder!” But, I still completed my good health promoting activity today by doing 20 minutes of HIIT.

I didn’t misspell HIIT, it is actually an abbreviation for the most effective method of burning calories, shedding body fat, revitalizing the immune system, revving up the metabolism for hours, and toning and strengthening the body.

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. In summary, you choose an activity and go hard for a period of time, then go easy, then repeat. You repeat the process for approximately 20 minutes. The intense intervals should be no longer then 60 seconds but if you are new to this start with 30 seconds. Your resting intervals should be no longer then 60 seconds as well. If you are used to doing much longer cardio workouts and that doesn’t seem long enough- just try it! If you make your intense intervals strenuous enough 20 minutes will seem like a very very long time!

Choose exercises that are gentle on the joints such as biking, elliptical, recumbent bike, swimming, power walking, hill walking, skipping, squats, rebounding, even jumping jacks. I would recommend not using running because it is easy to injure yourself during speed work. In fact, I see a lot of patients who are good runners but simply run too hard for their body to support it.

If you need some research to support this type of training check out: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8897392?dopt=Abstract

This study is based on Tabata training (developed for speed skaters) and is an effective HIIT.
Experiment with different ‘intervals’ to see what works for you!

~Think Vitality!~

30 Day Vitality Challenge!

I have been nervously watching the one year mark approach since the date of my last entry and was determined to not let it pass by without at least saying hello. So, hello!

The truth is I have been busy working on another ‘project’ that you will soon hear more about in the upcoming weeks. It has taken a little bit of learning but I am starting to figure out how to efficiently blend blogs, facebook, google, podcasts, and all things technical with the ancient art of qi gong, acupuncture, diet, and healthy living.

I must say it is a very interesting time in history and more than ever we need to make a conscious effort to get healthy and stay healthy. All of us… myself included!

I’ve always appreciated the idea “Show me, don’t tell me.” There is so much information floating around in magazines, cyberspace and in cubicle conversations but it is all pointless without action. Having said that, I am committing myself to reporting at least one thing a day for 30 days that I myself have done to maintain or improve my health, lower stress, or increase vitality. I am going to call it my 30 Day Vitality Challenge. You should join me! Exercise, cook something amazing and healthy, meditate, do yoga, do qi gong, write in a journal, or dance like there is no one watching!

I have started already by going for a 25 minute run first thing this morning. Keep well, feel free to comment and…
~Think Vitality!~

Healthy BBQ Tips

Mmmm! It is the season! The warm evening sun, the chirping birds, children playing in the park, and your next door neighbour using his gas air blower at dinner time- it is summer!

If you’re like most people you might enjoy lighting the barbeque and cooking some beast over an open flame. While you’re cooking your lamb, free range beef, or salmon I would suggest grilling some veggies while you’re at it.

If you’ve ever tried slicing your zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, or peppers and laying them on the BBQ only to have them slide through the grill you could get frustrated and forget about your daily vegetable requirements.

I would suggest one of these BBQ woks or skillets. Just chop your veggies, throw them in the wok, lightly oil them, season them with fresh herbs, ground pepper/salt and put it on the barbeque over a medium high heat. I prefer having my roasted veggies slightly crunchy rather than an overcooked paste! Enjoy with your daily 10 minute dose of sunshine!

~Think Vitality!~

Summer Sunshine!

Ah yes, the summer is upon in beautiful Victoria! It has been the warmest I’ve seen here for quite some time. Today’s entry is a quick reminder to wear your sunglasses outside and while driving.

They are more than just a fashion statement, and a way to hide the fact that you are watching people! They protect your eyes from UV damage from the sun.

Studies show that unprotected exposure to the sun can lead to cataracts; which is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye. This can lead to obscuring, then loss of vision. Think about cooking an egg white.


So grab some stylish aviators, some speedster Oakleys, or some dollar store specials and enjoy the sun!

~Think Vitality!~