I broke my toe the other day. I didn’t stub it; I landed on it. At my Sunday dance thing (I call it “Hippy Dance Church”), the floor was more slippery than I expected as I kicked my right leg up high some new, fuzzy socks. The ground slipped out from under me and I landed just…
Gout is the painful buildup of uric acid crystals in a joint. Usually it’s the big toe, but it could be found in the hands, elbows, knees, or ankles. It can be an underlying cause of kidney stones. Gout-affected areas are very sensitive to the touch. Usually they’re warm, red, and swollen. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), any…
If you’ve never survived a Texas summer, here’s the scoop: while a heat wave in February or December is not unusual, by May, it’s here to stay. It’s a full 5 months of the year. In May, you feel the last cool breeze until Halloween. Other than wearing as few clothes as possible, and taking…
Who knew that acupuncture treats a urinary tract infection (UTI)? A UTI can present as burning, frequent, incomplete, or urgent urination. When we treat a UTI, we’re addressing something called “Damp-Heat.” Damp energy comes from food that you’ve eaten that doesn’t transform into Qi. Heat comes from a pathogen or inflammation of some kind. But for…
Viruses are not new to humankind, but fortunately, nature also holds the solution. The good news is we DON’T have to wait around, wringing our hands, waiting for a vaccine for each and every one. Something that hasn’t gained much traction through the COVID pandemic, but what many herbalists and naturalists around the world know, is…
When diagnosed with an autoimmune problem like Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Endometriosis, Chron’s, Grave’s and even, one could argue, Cancer, and others, the prescribed solutions rarely address the root of the problem. In fact, the question of WHY this condition occurs in the first place is rarely addressed. There’s a (controversial) theory circulating in natural healing…
PMS can include (but is not limited to) – irritability, anxiety, depression, breast tenderness, diarrhea, edema, headaches, body aches, fatigue, loss of concentration, changes in libido, changes in bowels, food cravings, clumsiness, bloating, insomnia, and skin eruptions. Sounds like fun, right? The good news is that with herbs, nutrition, and acupuncture, these issues are often…
Got the Coronavirus? Other than the hassle of quarantining, it’s not a huge problem if you’re generally healthy. It also helps if you have the right tools on-hand. The surviveability rate for healthy persons under age 40 is around 99.99%. But what about the after-effects, the ‘COVID long-haulers’? I got you. Here’s some quick links,…
When it comes to finding a permanent solution to acid reflux and heartburn (Gastro-Intestinal Reflux Disorder, GERD, gastritis, etc.), natural solutions are the way to go. Acid-reducing medications (PPI – proton pump inhibitors) have a slew of side-effects, such as reduced absorption of calcium and iron, osteoporosis, and lowered immune function. Even worse than that, they make…
I took my dog to the vet the other day because his kennel cough had gone on for 10 days already. My concern was that it was something more serious with his heart (the other potential cause of a cough in a dog). He still wanted to play all the time and eat anything in sight,…