Mood swings, tender breasts, food cravings, fatigue, irritability, skin problems, bloating and depression….

Many women dread the last week of every cycle because of how irritable and miserable they feel. Chinese medicine has been treating premenstrual symptoms for thousands of years and here at the YinOva Center we have drawn on this traditional wisdom to help modern New Yorkers address their PMS simply and effectively. Many of our patients are surprised and thrilled to find out that PMS can be solved and that they don’t have to put up with feeling moody and uncomfortable every month.

Recently Parents TV came to our center to interview me and talk to one of our patients about using Chinese medicine to treat PMS and below you can see the video:

In Chinese medicine uncomfortable symptoms before the period are related to Liver Qi Stagnation and by this we mean that stress and fatigue cause qi and blood to circulate less well and our livers to function sluggishly resulting in hormonal transitions that are not smooth. At the YinOva Center we use a combination of weekly acupuncture to move qi combined with a natural herbal formula to help balance hormones, gently and safely. Your herbs can be specially tailored to suit your particular symptoms so, for instance, if you suffer from breast tenderness we can add qing pi (Tangerine Peel) which can really help. Likewise if  abdominal bloating and gas is a problem we can add mu xiang (Costus Root) to help move qi in your abdomen.

Most of our patients find they need to take the herbs for three months to bring their body back into balance after which we wean them off and, like Suzanne in the interview above, they usually find that their premenstrual symptoms are much more manageable.  Likewise we suggest weekly acupuncture for the first three months followed by a treatment once a month for a further two months and as Suzanne says in the interview this is usually enough to make a permanent change.

There are also plenty of things you can do to help yourself. Here is the advice we give our YinOva patients about tackling their PMS :-

• Get regular exercise. This moves qi and blood and smooths hormonal transitions.
• Eat plenty of vegetables, particularly cruciferous vegetables and leafy greens.
• Prioritize unsaturated fats such as olive oil and whole grains such as brown rice and oatmeal.
• In the week before your period avoid alcohol, coffee, salt and processed foods.
• If you feel irritable take Vitamin B6 (50 – 100 mg)
• If you suffer from breast tenderness take Vitamin E (400mg).
• If you suffer from bloating take take Magnesium (400mg)
• If you feel weepy take Calcium (1200mg)

The credit crunch, the bail-out, the war, the presidential election…it seems like a good week to talk about stress and anxiety!

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Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10)

“We practice meditation in order to see ourselves as we truly are and life as it truly is.” ( Genpo Roshi)

“Meditation brings wisdom: lack of meditation leaves ignorance. (Buddha)

There is a reason that all religious traditions involve some kind of meditation, prayer or silent contemplation. No matter what your belief system most people benefit from allowing their mind to become still and I often find myself recommending meditation to patients who are anxious or overstretched. If you have never meditated it is hard to believe how helpful it is to set aside a few minutes a day in order to quieten your mind.

Now, I don’t want to pretend that I have a perfect mediation practice. Like a lot of people I am a bit of a spasmodic meditator. In fact, sadly, when I need to meditate most I am least likely to be able to find the time. However when I am meditating regularly I feel calmer, have more perspective and am more able to cope with the ups and downs of my life.

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I have an admission to make…

At the YinOva Center we are not paragons of virtue. Patients visiting us for the first time sometimes imagine that we will be scarily macrobiotic women who will pour scorn on their efforts to take care of themselves. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We are all working-women who, like you, are trying to do the best we can to support out own health and that of our families. We understand our patients because they are like us. We too struggle with our weight, get stressed out, drink too much coffee, enjoy a beer and find it hard to fit an exercise program into our over-scheduled lives.

All our practitioners have an M.Sc. in Traditional Asian Medicine and are Licensed Acupuncturists and Herbalists. All have access to the time-tested wisdom of Chinese Medicine when it comes to giving you advice. We know a thing or two about staying healthy but rest assured that you won’t get any “attitude” from us. We understand what its like to juggle a job, kids and a partner because we do it too.

In my own life I have found it less overwhelming to make small lifestyle changes rather than try to tackle everything at once. So with that in mind I want to suggest 5 ways to start your day in a healthy way. Continue reading…