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August 2008 Newsletter Why icecream is so bad for kids Recipe: Yummy and nutritious rice pudding Meditation course starting next week
Whether you get the occasional headache or suffer from chronic or recurring headaches, you can benefit from simple acupressure techniques that you can do yourself at home.
Acupressure for a family member If a family member has a headache, turn the lights down (bright light makes some headaches worse) and ask them to lie on their back. Seat yourself comfortably by their head. You might want to put on some soft music to help them to relax. If it’s cold, cover them with a blanket. Don’t feel you need to rush – take your time. If you are relaxed then this will help them to relax too. 1. Push-stroking the forehead Put the pad of your thumbs above the middle ends of their eyebrows and slide/push above the eyebrows and out to the side hairline. The pressure is firm but not too hard. Each time you return to the middle, start a little higher. Repeat until you are sliding your thumbs across the top hairline. Repeat the whole sequence over about two minutes. 2. Point-pressing “Sun point” (Tai Yang) and “Wind pool” (Feng Chi) First locate “Wind pool” with your middle fingers. Slide your hands under their head, so that your middle fingers meet at the hairline on the nape of their neck. Now move your fingers out sideways, along the hairline. You will feel a dip between the two neck muscles, about 5cm to each side. There is often a little depression in the skull bone here. Don’t worry too much about precise location – use slight pressure along the hairline until your “patient” tells you they feel a pleasant ache. This point is usually tender when someone has a headache. Keeping your middle fingers on “Wind pool”, now move your thumbs outwards from the outside corner of the eye towards the side hairline. Roughly half-way, you should find a slight depression. It is likely to be a little tender. This is called “Sun point”. Gently press these four points and gradually increase the pressure until they feel a pleasant distension (mild pressure) radiating up to the top of the head. Then gently pull the skin at these points, with firm but not hard pressure, three times. 3. Combing and rubbing the head Using your fingertips like a comb and, vibrating your fingers quickly as you comb, slide your hands from the forehead hairline down to the ears. Then comb from the forehead hairline to the top of the head and to the nape of the neck. Repeat for about two minutes. 4. Point-pressing “One hundred meetings” point (Bai Hui) The simplest way to find “One hundred meetings” is to gently fold the ears forward - the point at the top is the “ear apex”. Now draw an imaginary line between these two ear points over the top of the head. “One hundred meetings” is in the middle, at the top of the head. Place your right thumb pad on this point and press it with your left thumb. Ideally, they will experience a little numbness at this point. Hold for about one minute.
Self-acupressure If you have a headache and no-one’s around, don’t despair! Try these simple self-massage techniques. 1. Squeeze and lift the nape When seated, clasp your hands together behind your neck. Using the heel of the hand, use a gentle upwards pressure to lift the skin and muscles of the neck. Repeat for about one minute. 2. Pressing and kneading “Joining valley” (He Gu) *NB: Avoid this point if you are pregnant “Joining valley” is located in the fleshy pad between the thumb and index finger. It is tender in most people, and especially during a headache. Squeeze this area between your thumb and forefinger of the opposite hand until you find a tender point(s). Press and knead with a circular motion, alternating hands, for about a minute. Ideally you will feel pressure and heaviness radiating to the fingers. 3. Point-pressing “Great rushing” (Tai Chong) “Great rushing” is located between the big toe and second toe. Slide your finger from the toe web along the top of your foot, between the two bones, until you feel the bones meet. “Great rushing” is located in the tender spot before the bones of the big and second toes meet. There could be several tender spots here! Sitting comfortably, hold the right shin with the right hand and place it on the left thigh, or rest it on a pillow or footstool within reach of the left hand. Press “Great rushing” with the left thumb for about thirty seconds, until a feeling of soreness and pressure arises. Then do the same for the other foot.
Those of you who have been to the Clinic for acupuncture will recognise one or all of these points. The reason they are so commonly used is that they are very effective. Over thousands of years of acupuncture practice in China, these points have continued to show up as being useful in so many conditions. You can use these simple, time-proven techniques to keep your own family healthy. Of course, headaches should always be investigated by a medical doctor. And if you have persistent headaches that don’t get a lot better with acupressure at home, then please call the clinic for advice on (02) 9928 2182.
For a free diagram of these acupressure points, please email the Clinic.
(Adapted from Chinese Family Acupoint Massage by Wang Chuangui)
Why kids & icecream shouldn’t mix! Most kids love icecream. Unfortunately, it’s probably the single worst food they can eat. In Chinese medicine, the fundamental cause of childhood health problems is poor digestion. Children have naturally weak digestive energy, and it’s easy to get overloaded or drained. Certain aspects of food are considered bad for health according to Chinese medicine. Icecream scores top marks on three of those aspects.
The first is the physical temperature. The body’s temperature is around 37 degrees Celsius. Any food that comes in to the body gets warmed up by the simple laws of physics – high energy (heat) flows to areas of low energy (cold) to create balance. So when the body has to warm up cold food, this saps energy away from vital processes. This means that cold food drains the body of energy. Food straight from the fridge is bad enough, such as chilled water or drinks. But food from the freezer is even worse! Everyone, but children especially, should have food and drinks no cooler than room temperature. Ideally, all food is served warm so that the body can use all of its energy to devote to efficient digestion.
The second aspect is that icecream is dairy food. Many kinds of health practitioners will advise their patients to cut down or eliminate dairy foods, and each has their own reasons. In Chinese medicine, it is related to Dampness and Phlegm. These refer to stickiness anywhere in the body. Dampness is more fluid than Phlegm, but both of them are substances that shouldn’t be there, and they get in the way of the body functioning properly. Dairy foods encourage the formation of Dampness and Phlegm in Chinese medicine. For children, this means that the digestive energy, which is already naturally weak, gets gummed up and becomes sluggish. It’s like an engine not firing properly. There’s a build-up of partly digested fuel, and in the body this leads to even more Dampness and more Phlegm. This can worsen a range of childhood conditions, for example, asthma, behavioural problems, eczema, glue ear, bronchitis, sinus problems and childhood obesity.
And lastly, icecream is loaded with sugar. In fact, read the labels of a lot of foods that you think are good for your kids, and you’ll find the makers sneak in some sugar. Even supposedly healthy foods such as baby yoghurt, muesli bars or rusks. Modern nutritional research has found many ways that the amount of sugar eaten by the average Westerner is disastrous for our health. In Chinese medicine, sugar forms Dampness, so it's a good idea to cut down wherever possible. Strangely, the sweet flavour is said to strengthen digestion in Chinese medicine. But this refers to the gentle, natural sweetness of grains such as rice, oats and barley. Refined sugar is far too concentrated and powerful to be eaten in the quantities that we do in the West. Taken this way, it becomes like an overdosed drug – causing havoc in the body. Sugar addiction is a real problem. So to cut down sugar, first check the labels of everything your family eats. Then do your best to buy sugar-free alternatives (but don’t just switch to chemical sweeteners). Or better still, make it at home so you know it contains wholesome, natural ingredients. Don’t know how to make something like muesli bars at home? Google it! You’ll have more than enough recipes to choose from.
Delicious, nutritious family dessert Here’s a recipe for a yummy family dessert for cold winter nights. The rice will strengthen your kids’ digestion and the spices help to warm the digestive energy. Warming and nutritious, it’s a healthy alternative to icecream for dessert.
Dairy-free spiced rice pudding 2 cups water
* If serving to children younger than seven, use white rice and reduce cooking times by half ** Try to use even less than this, especially if the milk is already sweetened
Place the water and rice in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well to combine, and continue to cook the mixture over low heat until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and serve warm or at room temperature. Top individual servings with a little additional cinnamon before serving, if desired. Serves 3-4 (Adapted from http://www.veganchef.com/ricepudding.htm)
Places are still available in an introductory meditation course run by Jo Blaney in Collaroy Plateau. Jo will offer a range of meditation techniques to release distractions and negativity and bring inner calm. She will cover a range of techniques, from progressive physical relaxation to visualisations, grounding, guided meditation and crystals. The course is suitable for absolute beginners and will also be a great refresher course for more experienced meditators. Facilitator ~ Jo Blaney Venue ~ Collaroy Plateau Cost ~ $60 for a 6 week course Day & time ~ Thursdays at 10am, commencing 14th August Bookings ~ Email the clinic or call 9971 0563 or 0431 25 35 36 |
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