Diet

Earth Constitutional Factor

By Kelly Ferguson, L.Ac.

You may hear your practitioner speaking about your CF or Constitutional Factor, and you are probably asking yourself what that means? In Five Element Acupuncture Theory there are five elements or seasons that we use to help diagnosis and understand our patients. We have each of these elements within us, but we prefer one to two of them over the others. Those elements that we unknowingly prefer or align with are what we would call a person’s Constitutional Factor or CF. Within each CF there are the meridians, colors, odors, sounds, emotions, personality traits, seasons, etc. that go along with it.

One of these Constitutional Factors is called Earth. The season for this element is Late Summer which we are getting ready to head into. This element is very grounding or centering. It allows us to nurture ourselves and those around us. Earth CF’s can sometimes sound like they are singing as they are speaking. They tend to have a yellow complexion to their skin around their eyes, and their odor can be a bit sweet smelling. The meridians that go along with Earth are spleen and stomach meridians.

Kelly sees patients on Tuesdays & Thursdays 12p -8pm, Saturdays 10am-3pm in Timonium, and Wednesdays 12:30pm-7:30pm in White Marsh. Read more about Kelly at https://cloud9acuclinic.com/kelly-ferguson-acupuncturist/

Traditional Chinese Medicine Pulse and Tongue Diagnosis

By Kelly Ferguson, L.Ac.

Looking at someone’s tongue is a helpful tool for Acupuncturists. The tongue allows us to see what is going on in a person’s body. When we are looking at your tongue we are checking the color, texture, coating, shape and markings on the tongue. By seeing what the tongue looks like we can see if we need to build qi or energy, help the flow of qi throughout the body, clear phlegm or heat, or build fluid in the body.

In addition, there are different locations on the tongue that correlate to the meridians. While we are looking at the color, texture, shape, marks and coating of the tongue; we are also looking at how they look on the different areas of the tongue to determine which meridians to use during treatment. The tongue does take time to change, so after you’ve been getting treatments for about a month take a look at your tongue and see the difference.

Pulse Diagnosis

During your acupuncture treatments, your practitioner will take your pulses on both wrists. We are looking for six pulse positions on each wrist. These pulses connect to the meridians or pathways that move qi or energy throughout your body. These pulses help us to diagnosis which meridians might need to be flushed out or strengthened.

The analogy that comes to mind is with Goldilocks and the Three Bears. In the story the porridge can’t be too hot or too cold, it had to be just right. This is what we are looking for with pulses. The pulse can’t be too high or too low in strength. We want the pulse to find a happy median.

Healthy Eating According to Traditional Chinese Medicine

Do you consider yourself a healthy eater? Do you follow the guidelines set forth by the government for healthy eating? Or have you gone rogue? There are as many different definitions of healthy as there are colors in the rainbow. But according to traditional Chinese medicine, there are certain guidelines that will keep the body happy and healthy throughout life. Let’s explore this a little deeper. continue reading »

Winter Cleanse is Coming Soon!

Our 7 Day Cleanse is back by popular demand! Stay tuned for our Winter 7 Day Cleanse, which will include seasonal recipes you’ll love this winter.

This Cleanse is great for losing weight from the holidays while still eating super delicious real food you can buy at your local supermarket. The Cleanse gives you real solutions to eating really well and enjoying food that tastes good and is actually good for you. Weight loss is difficult for many, but our Cleanse helps make it easy. You will have support by phone and email from our Acupuncturist and Certified Health Coach, Laura Parks. You will also receive an abundance of tasty recipes for during and after the Cleanse, as well as tips to reduce toxins, and a structured way to keep track of how you’re doing with your health goals during and after the Cleanse.

We will also discover any hidden food sensitivities that may be the biggest reason you’re struggling with losing weight. Food sensitivities can also be causing your aches and pains, migraines or headaches, infertility, insomnia, digestive distress, anxiety or mood swings.

The most powerful method of all is to combine our Winter Cleanse with Weight Loss Acupuncture treatment – allowing you boost the effects of all of your hard work.

We will be offering the 7 Day Winter Cleanse as a short group program in February, but if you can’t wait until February call or email Laura today to get started in our Early Bird Cleanse program! Call 443-521-3583 Email AcupunctureByLaura@gmail.com

Eating Right for Your Body Type

Five Elements

Traditional Chinese Medicine, a medical system that has been around for nearly 3,000 years, views the body differently than modern medicine. When the body is broken down to its core, its tiniest molecules can be classified as energy. This means every element of the universe resides within the human body, to some degree. And every organ has its own properties and energies that must remain balanced for the body to function properly. The energies within the body must be a perfect synergy of elements. This allows for homeostatic balance, biochemical balance, longevity and harmony between the body and mind. continue reading »