Acupuncture Blog

Snow: it’s all about your perspective of it. You can curse it as it makes your commute a nightmare or you can watch it fall gracefully in the streetlights. Either way, it means those of you who suffer from chronic low back pain or tennis elbow are going to need some attention! Acupuncture and massage can proactively help you stave off the impending days/nights…weeks of heat packs and Advil! Massage can loosen the muscles while Acupuncture can treat the root of the problem so it doesn’t become a seasonal issue!

*Winter Special*: the practitioners at the MWC are offering our current clients the chance to experience other forms of bodywork available at the Center! $20.00 OFF your 1st session with another member of the MWC team! See your current practitioner for more info or call to become a client!

So what do the NE Patriots and Acupuncture have in common: 1. Many of the players receive acupuncture to improve their sportsmanship and manage their injuries; 2. Beating the Patriots this weekend will be like trying to find a ‘needle’ in a haystack!; 3. Just like Vegas has their betting lines, Acupuncture has their own lines also known as meridians! Therefore, if your body is your home, then as the Under Armour ad says, “We will protect this house!”

As of April 1st, 2012, MWC is no longer accepting credit cards. Due to increased merchant fees and recent issues with PCI compliance/local credit card fraud, we respect our clients too much and will begin to accept checks and cash only. For those of you who utilize your Health Care Saving Accounts, we will continue to give you a receipt with the insurance codes on them for you to submit directly to your insurance company for reimbursement. Thank you in advance for your understanding and we look forward to your continued patronage for health and wellness!

It has been a while since I have posted a blog post because life has been busy! We moved the Center to 14A Winthrop Street in Marlborough at the beginning of March and had our Ribbon Cutting ceremony shortly after, thanks to the ladies at the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Nancy Stevens! We have been sighted at the Heritage Festival and the Biz2Biz Showcase recently! And now, you can find Julie lecturing on the Basics of Acupuncture, Acupressure, and Traditional Chinese Medicine tomorrow night through the Assabet After Dark Continuing Education program located at the Assabet Valley Regional High School in Marlborough! We are busy and growing so come check us out!

Julie is busy!!

She is lecturing at Assabet After Dark Adult Continuing Education in October, for CTI/Daycare/preschool providers in September and October, and doing Learning at Lunch educational experiences for Doble Engineering! Catch her lectures on Adult/Pediatric Acupuncture and Sensory Integration/Processing disorders near you! You can reach us at www.MarlboroughWellnessCenter.com through the contact us page!

With the love of summer, it’s sun vibrancy and outdoor activities, we must not forget the environmental dangers our bodies face this time of year.  According to  Traditional Chinese Medicine, summer-heat pathogens may invade the body during the hot humid weather, often at the end of summer. These symptoms of high fever, copious sweating, irritability, headache, dizziness and thirst can be seen.  This type of disease has a rapid onset and digestive symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or lack of appetite may also occur.  Careful consideration must be taken in preventing an attack by keeping the right Qi of the body strong by limiting hard physical labor during the extremely hot weather.  

    If one is attacked by these summer-heat pathogens, traditional Chinese herbal medicine offers various herbal teas to cool the body and rebuild fluids lost through sweating.  Bai Hu Tang or White Tiger decoction, which is taken as a warm tea, is one such formula that addresses the symptoms of summer-heat.  This formula contains 4 ingredients including licorice root.  If the body’s qi is weak, ginseng may be added.  The dampness of the humid summer may also invade with the heat leading to sensations of heavy body and scanty urine whereby other herbs can be added to the above formula.    

    Additionally, further care can be taken by consuming cool natured foods that will help to resolve summer-heat symptoms.  Watermelon fruit (xi gua) is sweet, bland and cold, thus will help resolve summer-heat symptoms of intense thirst and difficult urination.  Just simply eat watermelon or drink 100-300mls of its juice and its efficacy will be immediately apparent.  Summer is here!  Enjoy its fruits but do so with your health in mind!

~ That our very own Jodi Eldridge was the featured massage therapist at the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce’s PGO Golf tournament in early June?

~ That Diana Fernandes, acupuncturist/herbalist, was featured on a discussion panel on Health and Wellness at the Townsend Senior Center in May?

~ That Jenn Smith is expecting a baby boy in the beginning of July?

~ That Julie Dalbec and Diana Fernandes will be starting the acupuncture program at the Framingham Union Hospital Cancer Center in the upcoming months?

~ That we donated more than 20 full bags of canned food to the Marlborough Food Pantry in April as part of our philanthropic efforts in the community?

KEEP AN EYE ON THE MARLBOROUGH WELLNESS CENTER BECAUSE WE ARE BUSY!

(Cooking Light magazine, December 2008) 

Mayo:

1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1 garlic clove

Chicken:

1/4 egg substitute

3 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Tabasco)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

4 1/2 ounces baked tortilla chips (about 6 cups)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Remaining Ingredients:

4 (2 ounce) Kaiser rolls, split

12 (1/8 inch thick) red onion slices

4 lettuce leaves

1. To prepare the mayo, combine the first 4 ingredients.

2. To prepare the chicken, combine the egg substitute, hot sauce, oregano, and salt into a large zip-top plastic bag. Cut the chicken breast halves in half horizontally to form 4 cutlets. Add chicken to the bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours or up to 8 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

3. Place tortilla chips in a food processor; process 1 minute or until ground. Place ground chips in a shallow dish.

4. Working with one cutlet at a time, remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Coat chicken completely in chips. Set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken and chips.

5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned and done. Spread mayo evenly over cut sides of rolls. Layer bottom half of each roll with 3 onion slices, 1 lettuce leaf, and 1 chicken cutlet; top with top half of rolls.

Yields: 4 servings (1 sandwich).

Especially in these troubled economic times, we must keep ourselves healthy, balanced, and focused on the positive future! Massage and Acupuncture can assist with achieving that balance but what can we do on a daily basis? To slow your pulse, lower your blood pressure, and tame tension your in no time, Woodson Merrill, ma (the source: unleash your natural energy, power up your health, and feel 10 years younger; Parenting magazine, October 2008) suggests the following exercise:

1.     Sit up straight, shoulders back.

2.     Inhale slowly and deeply to the count of four, filling your belly with air.

3.     Hold for one count.

4.     Exhale slowly and completely, to the count of six. Allow your shoulders to relax (but don’t let them slump forward).

5.     Pause for one count. Repeat four times.

6.     Enjoy a moment of nirvana before jumping back into the fray.

Did you know that…

400 = number of times kids laugh each day

15 = the daily chuckle count for adults….

We need to laugh it up more often!