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2 Bestselling Products to Beat the Dripping Springs Cold & Flu Season

If you have children attending school in/near Dripping Springs, then you’ve likely already heard about the latest virus circulating and keeping kids home 5-7 days with symptoms such as high fever (102 degrees+), lethargy, appetite loss, vomiting and diarrhea.  It’s no fun, but very common this time of year.

What do you have in your medicine kit to help when a cold/flu virus hits you?  

​We are now offering a Cold/Flu Relief Bundle in our retail section, no appointment necessary. These are our 2 go-to products for the mornings when you wake up and realize you might be getting sick.

When taken at the first signs of illness (sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, body aches) our Cold Eliminator amplifies the immune system to eradicate the virus. Most of our patients feel completely fine within 48 hours of the first dose.

Cough-B-Gone soothes dry, itchy throats with its natural antibacterial and antitussive properties. Bonus: It also tastes great!

Call us at 512-686-0777 to reserve this Cold/Flu Relief bundle for clinic pickup near Dripping Springs and be prepared when THAT morning comes!

Personal Journey: I Had Surgery 2 Weeks Ago

 I had surgery two weeks ago… less than 10 people knew about it. It took me out of my holistic clinic and into the depths of modern medicine for a few days of intensive rest and recovery.  To be honest, as a doctor of Chinese medicine, I say the phrase “Surgery should be a last resort” to patients every day. But, when I heard the words “It could be cancer” I knew I had to go to the last resort.

Committing to surgery stirred up feelings of frustration (why didn’t acupuncture help?), fear (what if the surgery doesn’t go as planned?) and a sense of abandoning patient-centered holistic medicine for the profit-focused modern medicine machine. Having surgery felt a lot like a betrayal to everything I believe in.

This is what I learned…

• Modern medicine can be life-saving
• Modern medicine doesn’t have all the answers
• Modern medicine has a very limited toolbox (drugs or surgery) to solve health problems

Back in September, my gynecologist felt a mass near my uterus during my annual exam. I had been having severe pain with every menstrual cycle and knew my endometriosis had returned. An ultrasound revealed a complex cyst about the size of an egg and attached to my ovary. We agreed the best course of action was to watch it for a few weeks, clean up my diet (goodbye coffee, hello celery juice!), and check it again in December. The exam in December showed the cyst remained and had a new feature on it, a nodular tumor. My gynecologist told me it could be cancer and offered a CA-125 blood test. However, there was no definitive way to know without surgery. So, we scheduled the surgery, a laparoscopic cystectomy. The whole discussion took less than 10 minutes.

I returned home from that appointment scared and uncertain. Of course, my ultimate fear was losing a battle against cancer and leaving my 4-year-old without a mother. It was ridiculously easy for my mind to jump to that awful conclusion. I consciously refused to buy into that outcome that my mind wanted to play on repeat. After a few hours of acknowledging the fear and reprogramming my mind with positive outcomes, I felt more at peace.

In the days leading up to the surgery, I reprioritized my day to begin with a writing meditation full of “I am” statements such as “I am healthy and pain-free” and trust statements like “The universe conspires to help me.” I also spent 5-10 minutes every morning connecting to a higher power and asking for divine guidance. I revised my will. I treasured tucking my daughter into bed every night.

By the day of my surgery, I felt confident that the surgery would be a success. That morning I reminded my gynecologist to preserve my ovary if she could and to clean up any other endometrial tissue she discovered. She agreed and within minutes the anesthesiologist was there ready to knock me out. When I woke up in recovery about 90 minutes later, I was in a lot of pain and the nurse sent fentanyl through my IV. As someone who relies on herbal medicine, having fentanyl surge through my veins was quite a sensation. My pain level decreased from 8 to 1 within minutes, but I still had no idea if the surgery was a success. Once I saw my husband, my first question was, “Do I still have all my organs?” He said yes and a few hours later, I was released in a fentanyl haze of relief and gratitude.

Fast forward two weeks to today, when I had my post-operative appointment. I found out the cause of the pain was endometriosis, but not at all what I expected. The surgery revealed I had a benign ovarian endometrioma (often called a chocolate cyst) full of endometrial fluid. Compared to 5 years before when I had stage IV endometriosis scattered across my bowels, peritoneum, fallopian tubes and uterus, my body had effectively encapsulated the endometriosis into a single cyst. Miraculously, there were no signs of endometriosis on any other organs or structures. I thought to myself, “Wow, the acupuncture and herbs did help!”

Modern medicine can be life-saving and anyone facing the possibility of a life-threatening illness should consult a trusted MD for a modern diagnosis and treatment plan. However, for many chronic illnesses and conditions, modern medicine offers a very limited toolbox consisting of drugs or surgery. Now that I’ve had a surgical tune-up, I’ll continue with acupuncture treatments two times a week and a daily regimen of Chinese herbs to control the endometriosis. I know the risk of recurrence is high, but now that I’ve witnessed how intelligent my body was to isolate the disease, I have faith that I won’t be on an operating table again anytime soon.

Turning Inwards to Nourish the Yin and Start Anew

In Chinese Medicine, winter is yin within yin.
A time to seek solitude.
A time to foster the natural tendency to turn inwards.

Since December I’ve been looking inwards, taking inventory, and finding out what really matters to me. This January, I’m ready to start with a clean slate.

For me, it’s time to let go of:

  • Stale or toxic relationships: I highly recommend the book Radical Forgiveness by Colin Tipping
  • Possessions: I’m generally a neat, organized person, so for me this meant cleaning out the closets, family junk drawers, and kitchen pantry
  • Habits: I didn’t think I was a coffee addict, but the truth came out when I stopped drinking it (see below)
  • Stagnant Energy: Last year, I didn’t allow myself time to ponder life & create. This year I’m committed to daily creating, with a new dreambook/planner from The Dragontree Apothecary that I work on first thing in the morning after consulting the I Ching.

​My clean slate phase kicked off in January with a 10-Day metabolic cleanse. It’s a product that many of my acupuncturist colleagues promote and is recommend 2-3 times a year.  Unfortunately, I haven’t done a cleanse in over 5 years, so I’ve had a lot to clear out.  Day 2 was brutal with nausea, vomiting, an intensely throbbing headache and bedtime at 7pm.  Day 3 started off much better and today (Day 4) I’m committed to working through the aches & pains of the next 6 days. Truth be told, I’m actually starting to enjoy the freedom that comes from not craving another cup of coffee and wondering what I’ll eat for lunch/dinner.  At the same time, I can’t wait until day 11 because my 1 cup of coffee per day will taste so good!

After the cleanse, I’ll be returning to my 99% Paleo lifestyle and favorite foods that nourish the yin: quinoa, chlorella & spirulina, black beans, organic eggs, and organic fruits like red grapes, raspberry & bananas.

What mindstate are you in this January?  Are you taking time this winter to turn inwards and nourish your yin?

Do you need Enlighten Herbal Elixir in your life?

Hey, are you…​

  • Feeling stressed?
  • Suffering from anxiety?
  • Plagued by tension headaches?
  • Tired of mood swings?
  • Up all night overthinking and worrying?

Have no fear, Enlighten Herbal Elixir is now available at
Indigo Healing Acupuncture!

What is it?
Enlighten Herbal Elixir is a hot beverage containing eight Chinese herbs.  The herbs work together to help relieve:

  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Mood swings
  • Depression
  • PMS
  • Headaches, including migraine

What does it taste like?
Enlighten Herbal Elixir tastes good. It has a golden color and smooth consistency that feels great on the throat.

Still have doubts an Elixir made out of Chinese herbs can taste good? 
Over the past month, Enlighten Herbal Elixir has been extensively taste-tested and approved by one of my most discriminating patients… my two-year old daughter! She loves it and serves it up at her tea parties!

How do I know it will work?
This Chinese formula has been used for over 900 years. Western science has conducted clinical studies on its ability to treat the conditions listed above. For a list of clinical studies, contact Michelle and she’ll email it to you so you can see the evidence yourself.

Why is it so hard to find?
Enlighten Herbal Elixir is currently farm-direct to only 150 clinics in the US. Indigo Healing Acupuncture is blessed to be one of those clinics! The Sichuan farm produces herbs in a sustainable manner, therefore quantities are very limited. All raw herbs are stored in humidity and temperature-controlled warehouses and the dried herbs are free from sulfur and sulfites. Thin Liquid Chromatography qualitative analysis and High Performance Liquid Chromatography qualitative/quantitative analysis are conducted on the raw and dried herbs to ensure the highest level of active constituents of the herbs are preserved. There is further testing to check for pesticide residue and heavy metals.  In short, the eight herbs in this elixir meet strict European Union standards for quality and potency.

Contact Michelle to find out if Enlighten Herbal Elixir is right for you!

Just Arrived: Enlighten Herbal Elixir

A new shipment of Enlighten Herbal Elixir just arrived at Indigo!

​This ultra high-grade Chinese medicinal herbal elixir is farm-direct to only 150 clinics in the US.

Tastes amazing and makes Qi flow smoothly, diminishing pain and stress!

Improves sleep too!

One package is enough for a month of daily sips.

Only 20 packages remain today, they are selling fast!

Order now by contacting Michelle!

Cool Off with a Cup of Tea

When summer temps rise above 100°F, drinking a cup of hot tea sounds like a crazy idea, right?

I don’t know about you, but when I get hot, I get cranky with a monster tension headache.
(Not a good place to be, especially for an acupuncturist!)

That’s when I take a few deep breaths and enjoy a cup of organic Peppermint tea. 

Peppermint is an aromatic, pungent Chinese herb called Bo He that is known to release wind-heat from the body’s exterior. It enters the Liver and Lung meridians where it

  • eases tension headache
  • clears heat (redness) from the eyes
  • soothes a sore throat
  • clears heat rash
  • calms the colon

Peppermint’s cooling sensation is produced by the organic compound menthol. A factoid is that menthol chemically triggers cold-sensitive receptors, which results in a cooling sensation when ingested. It actually relaxes the “smooth” muscles in the walls of the intestine which is helpful for relieving indigestion, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and menstrual cramps.

As amazing as Peppermint tea is, there are some people who shouldn’t drink it:

  • Breastfeeding moms (it will decrease milk supply)
  • People with heartburn
  • People who are allergic to menthol
  • Someone who is acutely ill with cold sweats

These are my favorite loose and bagged organic Peppermint teas. Enjoy!

Defend Your Qi: One Thing You Must Wear on an Airplane

Getting on an airplane soon? Defend your Qi! 

The most important thing to wear during air travel is a lightweight scarf around your neck.  Summer or winter, it doesn’t matter and here’s why…

In Chinese Medicine, the Foot Taiyang meridian descends parallel to the spine and the Governing Vessel runs up the back of the spine. Several points on these channels are located on the back of the neck.

These points are susceptible to external conditions, like Wind.

Wind, in Chinese Medicine, is a pathogen that attacks the exterior of the body. If the body’s defenses are not strong enough to deflect it, Wind will penetrate the points and can cause disease ranging from the common cold to influenza or even pneumonia.

Wearing a scarf to keep your neck covered supplements the body’s Defensive ​Qand can keep you from contracting an illness while traveling.

To further enhance immunity, add a few drops of essential oil to the scarf before wearing it. My favorites are:

  • Melaleuca (aka Tea Tree)
  • Eucalyptus
  • Peppermint

These essential oils are great choices because they smell good and have antiviral properties.

Happy travels!

Which one of these tools do you look forward to experiencing at your next appointment?

Craving a delicious and healthy holiday treat? These no-cook power bars are packed full of Chinese herbs that strengthen the Kidneys, Liver, Spleen, and Heart.  Download the recipe and enjoy!

 

paleo_chinese_power_bars_blog.pdf

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