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It’s Tea Time!
We have it! You need it! Come get it!
That’s right folks, we just received our herbal tea line and it is amazing. Why? Because now you have access to some of the most powerful herbs in the world in the convenience of warm mug. These teas combine the finest of Chinese herbs to address a whole host of health concerns.
Here’s the list:
- Blood Pressure Tea
- Cholesterol Health Tea
- Clear & Smooth Skin Tea
- Hair Regrowth Tea
- Healthy Eyes Tea
- Sugar Level Tea
- Reishi Liver Health Tea (my fav!)
- Lung Soother Tea
- Horny Goat Tea (yes, you read that right)
- Daily Immunity Tea
- Detox Master Tea
- Absolute Rhodiola Tea
We are excited to offer these teas to our community because many of these ingredients are rare and powerful. Most folks have never heard of them and thanks to our herbal team we can bring them to you at a very affordable cost of only $8. These herbs are highly revered in Chinese Medicine and have been for thousands of years. Based on traditional Chinese herbal medicine, they go beyond mint and chamomile to offer healing benefits you can feel! Naturally Caffeine Free, Gluten Free, Non-GMO Project Verified, No Artificial Flavoring, and No Preservatives.
The Tendon Report
Hi all,
I hope your Winter is nice and quiet and boring. It’s ok. This is a time when all of nature is resting. Opposite to the bustle and fury of Summer. If we could keep that gas pedal down all year we will certainly exhaust our health and shorten our lives. So, ease off the pedal. Sleep a little more. Relax into the quiet of the season. Stare out the window for a bit. Don’t do, plan, or analyze. Or a least do less.
We should protect our body in the cold air as well. When we are exposed to cold, our muscles and tendons contract and the blood is squeezed out and sent to our core for heat and nourishment. They lose flexibility. This is easily noticeable when we walk outside in the cold and our whole body clinches up (especially around the upper back and neck). So, stay warm, not hot, just warm. I remember my mom always saying, “wear a coat”, but a good scarf is also highly recommended. Avoid wearing workout clothes in the cold air, they are not designed for this season. Save them for a more active season.
If we try to maintain our activity levels we held in the Summer we may also damage our joints, muscles, and tendons. Muscle and tendon tears take a long time to heal. Our joints are stabilized by their health. If we have been diagnosed with a tear or our joints have lost their integrity (meniscus tear, bone-on-bone, ACL tear, etc.) the healing time can seem like forever. Winter is a time we should rest these areas and not challenge them with extra activity and cold exposure.
Acupuncture can help decrease inflammation and stimulate blood flow using your body’s own healing mechanisms. There are only few ways to regrow some of these tissues. Lucky for you, I’m on the case!
The first supplement is MSM. At 1 gram a day, MSM works to decrease inflammation and increase flexibility providing healthy blood flow.
It also provides sulfur for the production of Collagen, our next tool.
As we age, our body produces less and less collagen. Collagen is a structural protein for making connective tissues (muscles, ligaments, bones, and tendons). Without going into the science, it is an easy way to build up our tissues.
Warding off bone loss, muscle loss, and joint pain, you’ll want to get this in daily at 5g-30g daily. Less amount for maintenance, more for targeted pain. Of course, tendons and ligaments are specialized tissues that took your whole life to build. Recent injuries are much easier to treat than chronic ones or ones under constant strain. Results will vary from person to person and take time to rebuild.
There are several Chinese herbs that treat muscle strain and tears. They are highly effective and only dispensed by licensed practitioners. They are prescribed with specific considerations for each individual and go much deeper than pain. Often, they target the root of your health as well as reduce pain and improve function. Combined with regular acupuncture treatments, they are an amazing way to regain mobility. So, come in and ask us how we can get you moving better, shake out the cold, and build your whole system up so you can enjoy our beautiful Spring here in the Willamette Valley!
Until next time,
Be Well!
Bryon Leverman Lac
Warming Tea!
Happy Holidays All!
Medicine is everywhere. In our food, in our backyard, and in the traditions we keep. This time of year, we all pack in together, for warmth, and share our lives and stories with each other. Remembering those we lost and welcoming new additions. Medicine is what brings us back to ourselves. Brings us back into focus. In our food, we find comfort and nourishment. We celebrate recipes passed down through the ages. Cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and other warming spices aren’t just there for flavor. Their warming nature goes deep into our body to push out the cold and warm our core. It is also a tasty way to prevent a cold from entering, so daily consumption is great through the cold months. Yummy with a purpose! If we can look at our food as the antidote to our health concerns we can find many world traditions (and recipes) all work in conjunction with the seasons and environment. And this time of year, we can look to those old recipes for balancing our body with the seasons.
Easy Warming Tea Recipe:
8-12 oz of boiling water
¼ teaspoon each of the following:
Cinnamon powder
Cardamom powder
Ginger powder (or fresh grated)
Nutmeg powder
Orange peel (fresh or dried)
Honey to taste
1) Place dry ingredients in cup.
2) Pour boiling water over.
3) Add honey. Let cool. Enjoy
*Note: if you can a warm constitution and tend to run warm, this may not be the best tea for you. Try Mint Green tea or Burdock root tea instead, it will help cool down when packed in a crowded house.
As always, the voice of temperance and moderation, avoid as best you can too much rich, sweet foods. I always wait for the right ones to come by rather than consume them on a daily basis. While I love Challah bread, it is a great example of waiting for the right time to eat it. I feel this adds to its richness and enjoyment. The special flavors of the season are wonderful enhancements through the darkened days, but candy canes seem out of place in the summer. My suggestion is to wait for the right moment, go into the feeling of its rarity. If you miss it, that’s okay, the next one will seem even more special!
Until next time,
Be Well!
-Bryon Leverman LAc
Health Challenge: Try to eat one meal a day without reading, scrolling, or watching tv.
Colds, Coughs, Flu’s Oh My!
Well folks,
It’s Fall again and that means our energy begins to turn inward preparing for the restful Winter. For some of us the work slows down, some are busy with school, and some of us continue along at our natural pace. Holidays loom in the future.
We may welcome the cool air and even rain to relieve us from the heat of Summer.
No matter where we are in this time of change, we all must guard our health to prevent illness from setting in.
An old Chinese saying notes “a thousand diseases are carried on the wind”.
As our kids go back to school and inevitably bring home with them various versions of colds, coughs, and flu.
The Chinese herbal formulas have helped during this season for thousands of years and have fine-tuned natural ways to keep us healthy using plants and herbs.
Many of us seek vitamins and minerals for daily support and over-the-counter medicines when we or our kids get sick.
While a good daily vitamin is helpful, the modern commercial medicine is aimed at covering up symptoms not focused on preventing and eliminating the various bugs which has an overall stronger effect on our health.
Many folks reach for the syrups, vapor-rubs, and pills after the illness has taken hold, or, return to work before the illness has completely left our body thus leaving us with a lingering symptom.
Another approach modern people use is to build up or strengthen their “Immune System” by overloading their body with many compounds, at which our digestive system is completely puzzled by.
Many of these compounds are expensive and go undigested.
The Chinese herbal formulas are well-crafted and oh-so time tested to naturally relieve symptoms, eliminate pathogens, and restore our vitality, without side-effects.
So, some colds and flus are different and affect us in different ways, here’s a quick guide to what we can do:
If you have more chills or can’t get warm, we use Gui Zhi Wan (a cinnamon based formula)
If you have more fever, sore throat, and sweating, we use a Heat-Clearing formula like
Yin Chiao San (a mint-based formula). Take this one as soon as you feel sick, don’t wait!
If your sinuses are the real problem, we use herbal formulas the unblock the nose like Nasal Tabs (our #1 seller). This formula has Thyme and Eucalyptus combined with other powerful Chinese herbs to get you breathing better fast! Xanthium Relieve Surface will help with more feverish signs.
If the bugs hit your stomach, Quiet Digestion is the best around for this! In China it is known as Curing Pills, a name earned by its effectiveness.
If the worst is the headache, Head-Q are the herbs we use to alleviate pain and clear out the sinuses.
If the cough has set in or just won’t go away, Clear Air is designed to relieve and resolve.
Some folks just can’t seem to get rid of that cold, taking weeks or even months to go away. Let’s use a tonifying formula to strengthen your system to push out illness faster and without side-effects. Astra Isatis and Astra-C are great tools to rebuild, recover, and restore!
Many of these formulas are great for kids too! Easy to swallow or crushable.
Come in today and ask our herbalist, Bryon Leverman LAc, about ways to keep your children and loved ones healthy this season!
Acupuncture and Motor Vehicles
Do you know you can send yourself to the acupuncturist after an auto accident? If you’ve been in an MVA you can self-refer to both Acupuncture and Chiropractic if you have a claim. Call to make an appointment, we’ll take care of the rest. If we think you also need massage with a licensed massage therapist, we can refer you to an LMT.
Acupuncture is effective in helping heal from whiplash, concussions, brain injuries, PTSD, and any other physical or psychological effects from auto accidents. Call as soon as you can to allow Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine to start working for your whole body healing.
