Health Library

Autumn is contractive: eliminating what is unnecessary and storing only what is needed. Weakness of the Lung brings respiratory trouble, frequent colds, lowered immunity, sinus headaches, skin ailments and dryness. Pungent foods open the lung energy, while cooked pears, apples and squashes moisten a dry season.

When qi in the meridians goes out of balance, some people experience anxiety, worry or other difficult emotional states. Liver imbalance can bring irritability and frustration; Heart imbalance anxiety and insomnia; Spleen excessive worry; Lung prolonged grief; Kidney fear and loss of will. Acupuncture with specific Chinese herbal formulas helps restore optimal qi flow and balance emotional health.

Dr. Geri’s food-first list for patients watching their cholesterol: oats and barley, beans and lentils, nuts, olive oil, apples, citrus, aubergine and okra, soy foods and oily fish. Simple swaps, kept up over a season, do more than any single change.

Berries, leafy greens, broccoli, oily fish, olive oil, avocado, turmeric, ginger, green tea, nuts, cherries, beets, tomatoes, mushrooms and dark chocolate all help quiet inflammation — useful alongside Chiropractic and Acupuncture when you’re healing from an injury.

Look into the distance instead of at a screen; listen to soothing music or your own breath; eat calming foods such as berries, bananas and chamomile tea; massage your ears; use lavender on your pillow and mint or grapefruit in the car. Acupuncture and Acupressure release the muscle tension underneath it all.

Oily fish, walnuts, blueberries, leafy greens, eggs and green tea support memory and focus. Pair them with daily movement, real sleep and rosemary — which Dr. Geri recommends for mood and memory.

When the Fire element is balanced the heart is strong, the mind calm and sleep sound. Cooling yin foods help: watermelon, cantaloupe, citrus, peaches, cucumber, asparagus, broccoli, bok choy, spinach and Asian pears. Avoid heavy outdoor activity from 10 am to 2 pm.

Night cramps often respond to magnesium, potassium and proper hydration, plus gentle stretching before bed. Where cramping keeps returning, Deep Muscle Therapy and Acupuncture release the congested circulation and spasm behind it.

Ginger steeped with lemon and honey helps with cold and flu prevention and relieves muscular aches after exercise. Turmeric reduces pain and speeds healing. Mint eases digestion and moves qi. Rosemary boosts mood and memory. Thyme relaxes the muscles of the trachea and bronchi.

The kidney meridian governs immune support, will, sharp thinking and fluid metabolism, and influences the bones, hair and ears. Nourish it with warm hearty soups, whole grains, roasted nuts, black beans and root vegetables.

Tense scalp and jaw muscles compress delicate nerves and blood supply, showing up as headaches, eye fatigue, unclear thinking and TMJ. Scalp acupressure and acupuncture, with gentle Chiropractic work on the upper neck, rebalance that energy and leave a sense of calm.

Each meridian comes into its highest action at a certain time of day. So if you notice fatigue at a particular hour, or wake at a specific time and can’t get back to sleep, those are indicators of imbalance in those meridians. Acupuncture with Chinese herbs helps tonify and balance them.

Find a comfortable position and soften any obvious tension. Bring your attention to the sensations of breathing — coolness in the nostrils, movement of the chest, the rise and fall of the belly. When your mind wanders, gently return to the next breath.

Tense scalp muscles and fascia can compress delicate nerves and blood supply, showing up as irritability, anxiety, eye fatigue, pain, headaches, TMJ and unclear thinking. Scalp work rebalances that energy, leaving a sense of calm and vitality.

Raise the phone towards eye level instead of dropping your chin to it, keep your shoulders back, and take breaks to look into the distance. Sustained forward head posture is one of the most common causes of neck pain, muscle tension and headaches Dr. Geri sees.

Spring governs the liver and gallbladder meridians. Imbalance can show up as spinal problems, poor flexibility, arthritis, headache, neck pain, allergies, eye problems and indigestion. Green foods nourish it: cooked zucchini, asparagus, string beans, celery, Swiss chard, soups, berries, baked apples and mint tea.