Home LifestyleHealthAcupuncture Sara Says: 5 Easy Ways to Stay Healthy This Fall {Moving into the Metal Season}

Sara Says: 5 Easy Ways to Stay Healthy This Fall {Moving into the Metal Season}

by Sara
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We’re excited to have our new resident Hoboken resident acupuncturist, Sara of the Acupuncture Atelier, weigh in on how to stay healthy and zen in her new post series, Sara Says. Make sure to check our her monthly column on Hoboken Girl which gives a ton of healthy and helpful insight into the healing ways of your body. Without further ado, here’s Sara:

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Wednesday, September 23rd marks the first day of autumn, or as I like to think, the first day of the metal season. In Chinese Medicine, each of the five seasons are represented or embodied by one of the five elements; Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water. Autumn is the season of the metal element, and so the way I think of metal relating to autumn is through the harvest.

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People with metal personalities are the doers, they are the people in our lives who get things done. Looking to hire a new assistant or project manager? Hiring a metal personality will be the best decision you could make! Metal personalities like to make lists, and above all, they love to cross things off of their lists as a sign of completion. It may be a strong assumption, but I believe many families and/or relationships would collapse without the reliable structure metal personalities provide. The organ related to metal element is the lung {it is important to note, in Chinese Medicine when I say the lungs, I am not necessarily referring to the health of the organ, as much as to the energetic function of the organ}, and since the lungs sit on top of the body, they are easily susceptible to illness or disease.

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During autumn, the lungs are at their peak energy. Many people thrive during this season, wanting nothing more than to constantly be outside with the changing leaves. Whereas the other half, are suffering with seasonal allergies and annual sinus infections. If you have visited my acupuncture practice in uptown Hoboken, then chances are you’ll know the health of the lungs goes all the way back to birth. In fact, it is often found that patients who had some sort of trauma surrounding their birth are more susceptible to seasonal and/or food allergies.

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Now understanding that we are entering the metal season, it is important to nourish and protect your delicate lungs! If you are easily run down during this season, or want simply want to improve your lung health, you can make a big difference by following these simple suggestions:

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1. Protect the back of your neck {invest in a cute scarf}

What do you mean, Sara? you might be wondering. Well, acupuncturists study that illness and diseases are carried with the wind and can enter the body through the back of the neck. Think about the last time you caught a cold; did you experience that achy, yucky, stiffness in the back of the neck first? Protecting the nape of the neck is one of the easiest, and most significant adjustments you can make during these windy cold months. So: BUY A SCARF! All of the street vendors selling scarves 3 for $10 will love this suggestion, I’m sure.

2. Stay hydrated {with room temp H2O}

In addition to autumn being the season of metal, and relatable to the lungs, one step further to note is it is also the season of dryness. Anyone who has ever experienced a dry cough will understand, the lungs hate dryness! Drinking plenty of **room temperate or hot water is a simple solution to avoid any dryness this season. Your lungs and your skin will thank you!

**TIP: Room temp water is the way to go. Time to get ride of that iced water! The body runs 98.7 degrees (give or take), putting ice cold water into the body just makes it work that much harder to heat it up. I know those iced coffee beverages are delicious, but your body will love you more if you cut back or switch to hot.

3. Introduce more white colored food into your diet {think onions, asian pears}

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The color related to metal is….yep, you guessed it, white! In addition to always eating seasonal foods, a great way to nourish the lungs is by eating white colored foods during its season. I typically recommend that my patients get a little bit more garlic, onion, and the white ends of scallions into their diets. Asian pears are also an excellent option for patients to snack on during the day, it is a seasonal fruit and also the metal color.

4. Use Bergamot and Eucalyptus essential oils {keep it natural}

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Bergamot essential oils can be used as a chest rub to ease respiratory symptoms; cough, colds, laryngitis, etc. Bergamot also has a sedative action and can be used to soothe stress and anxiety. Have a rough day or a hard time unwinding? Try putting a bit of Bergamot on your sternum to calm your mind.

Eucalyptus is one of the most potent natural antiseptic essential oils. It can be used as a rub or inhaler during respiratory attacks. In fact, eucalyptus can help the respiratory tract by loosening and removing mucus during coughing or sinus attacks, a very powerful expectorant.

TIP: It is very important to purchase oils that are pure {I use the Snow Lotus brand in my practice}. Remember with use, a little goes a very long way!!!

5. Get Acupuncture! 

If you start to feel under the weather, a quick visit to your acupuncturist will help to either push the illness out of the body, or shorten the lifetime of the illness. Regular acupuncture treatments is a nourishing way to keep the body healthy, strong, and de-stressed.

{Editor’s note: just went to Sara yesterday with a sinus infection and LITERALLY can breathe today. She is amazing [and takes insurance!]}.

 

It is so important to take care of your health, especially during the change of season. Stay tuned for more health tips from Sara!
Have a question for Sara about your health? Email her at sara@acupunctureatelier.com.

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