Now that fall is upon us and we enter the month of November, this is a great time of year to slow down, look inward, and reflect on what we are grateful for. I personally have been feeling incredibly grateful for this amazing community that surrounds us here in Asheville. We have such a vibrant town. One that supports small businesses, values local food, and encourages people to get active and live a healthy lifestyle. 
Out of my gratitude for this strong community that we have, I want to give back. I believe that healthy individuals create a healthier community. When we are free of pain and illness, we have more energy to support those around us.

So, here are several ways in which you can receive acupuncture at a reduced cost for the month of November:

• All new patients will receive $10 off their Initial Acupuncture appointment 
• Help end hunger and enjoy acupuncture. For returning patients, each can of food donated to our Nourishing November Food Drive will receive $2 off their next acupuncture visit. All donations will go to Manna Food Bank. 
• Join me at the River Arts District Farmers Market Harvest Dinner Fundraiser on Monday, November 7th. There will be delicious local food, live music and a silent auction with the chance to win an Initial Acupuncture Visit, offered by yours truly. All proceeds support the RAD Farmers Market. For tickets and more information, visit www.radfarmersmarket.com
• Practice yoga & check out the raffle at Asheville Community Yoga. I have donated a great goodie basket to Asheville Community Yoga for their November raffle. The basket is valued at over $300 and includes: 
  • 3 acupuncture visits (including a 90 minute initial visit and 2 follow ups)
  • Elderberry immune syrup
  • Tummy tamer syrup
  • Chronic pain liniment
  • Acute pain rub
  • Healing skin salve
  • Bath soak
  • Body scrub

     All products are infused with Chinese herbs and hand crafted by myself. Raffle tickets can be purchased at the front desk of Asheville Community Yoga, one ticket for $5 or five for $20. All proceeds support this nonprofit donation-based yoga center, making yoga accessible to everyone. 

Thank you for making this community what it is. Now, I encourage you to give back to this community in your own way, because as said in the Tao Te Ching, "the heart that gives, gathers". 

Photo by Samantha Floyd

Today is the national Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Day!
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Curious about the benefits of acupuncture? Check out this video below and find out how Chinese medicine can become an integral part of your health care. Acupuncture is safe, effective and free of negative side effects. 

In celebration of AOM Day, if you schedule an appointment this week you will receive $10 off your next visit!
*Offer expires on 10/30/16. Not valid with other offers or prior purchase

1: Weight Loss
Along with diet and lifestyle changes, acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help boost metabolism and help you towards your weight loss goals. Acupuncture can help decrease food cravings while Chinese herbs can help your body digest and metabolize your food more efficiently. Acupuncture can also increase energy levels, which can help give you that extra motivation to start moving and exercising more.
 
2: Improve your diet
Today, there is an over load of information of the “shoulds” and “should nots” of what to include in a “healthy diet”. Finding a diet that allows your body to flourish and thrive can be challenging and overwhelming. However, it is my belief that every body is different and there is not one diet that is perfect for every one. This is why at Nourishing Roots Acupuncture & Wellness we give dietary recommendations that are personalized for each individual’s needs. But not to worry, we keep it simple. Setting reasonable goals and taking small steps will help you make lasting lifestyle habits, rather than trying to make drastic changes that are short lived and end with disappointment.  
 
3: Addiction
Are you battling an addiction that you are ready to put an end to but you need some extra help? Addiction can have a strong grip that can be difficult to break free from, mentally and physically. Chinese medicine takes a whole body approach to treatment, treating the mind, body and spirit. Acupuncture can help to decrease cravings associated with addiction, while also treating the emotional ties to the addiction. Acupuncture is effective at calming the nervous system and can alleviate feelings of frustration, irritability and restlessness. At Nourishing Roots Acupuncture & Wellness we provide a safe space free of judgment where you can work towards putting an end to your addiction.
 
4: Reduce & manage stress
We all know that chronic stress is detrimental to our health. When we are stressed, our sympathetic nervous system kicks into overdrive and we enter the “fight or flight” response. When we are in this “fight or flight” response state our heart rate increases, muscles get tense, digestion slows, and respiration becomes shallow and rapid. When we are chronically stressed, it not only affects our emotions but our whole body; and it can have a detrimental effect on our immune system, hormonal functions and our body's ability to heal. Acupuncture can help to reduce stress by triggering the parasympathetic response, allowing the body to “rest and digest”. During this process our heart rate slows, blood pressure decreases, muscles relax, digestion increases, and we can finally take a deep breath and relax.  Acupuncture helps guide the body away from a state of survival to a state of recovery.
 
5:  Be Present
During your acupuncture treatment, you have the time to rest quietly and be present in your body. This can be a seldom occurrence in today’s fast pace society that we are so plugged into. When we have the time to slow down, we can begin to notice subtle changes within the body, allowing us to understand what our bodies need in order to heal. I also believe that when we become more present within ourselves, we can be more present with those around us.
 
 
As the Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu once said, “if you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading”.  So, are you heading in the direction that you want? If your answer is no, feel free to contact us and we can talk about how Chinese medicine can get you where you want to be.
 
Nourishing Roots Acupuncture & Wellness wishes you a happy and healthy New Year and we look forward to helping you achieve your health related goals!

You may be thinking: “Wait, what?” Images of your childhood / Gene Simmons  / Miley Cyrus may be coming to mind. Or, if you’ve ever had acupuncture done before you may be thinking of us, your acupuncturist. But you may be wondering, “Why do you want to look at my tongue?” Well, believe it or not your tongue can tell us a lot about your health! This may be why some of my patients nervously pause for a moment before revealing their tongue, knowing that it speaks a truth about their health that they fully do not understand. Well, this is why we want you to embrace your inner child and stick your tongue out for us: 
The tongue is the only visible muscle in the body and it connects the internal organs to the external environment. So, the tongue is able to show us the state of the internal body, which is why we use it as a diagnostic tool. The moisture, coating, color, size and shape of the tongue can give us clues to how well the body’s energy, blood, fluids, and organs are functioning. Not all tongues look the same. In fact, to a trained eye, they can look drastically different once you know what subtle signs to look for. For example: a red tongue would indicate more heat in the body, where as a pale tongue indicates a more deficient condition. If there is a thick greasy tongue coating, there is likely a lot of phlegm in the body. A purple tongue indicates blood stasis, which is characteristic of pain. The list goes on, but here is a simple little diagram that may give you a better idea of what we’re looking for! So, go inspect your tongue, and see what your body is telling you!