What inspires you to exercise? Do you get up and move because you enjoy doing so or are you a reluctant participant who gets going only after being prodded? Do you join a gym or start a program in January, only to quit or let your goals fade away as the month progresses? ***** ***** … Continue reading Getting Started With a Personal Trainer: Why Wait?
Phenylephrine, the primary ingredient in common over-the-counter allergy medication, is ineffective according to the FDA’s September 2023 pronouncement. This development has wide-ranging implications. What can you do, especially if you have a history of allergy or sinus problems? And what else is important to take into consideration at this time? What you need to know, … Continue reading Decongestant Ingredient Phenylephrine Doesn’t Work Says FDA: Key Points to Ponder
Taking care of yourself during extreme weather requires creativity and self-awareness. One thing is to have a hot summer followed by a cool and rainy fall. Quite another is to endure day after day of 100-plus degree heat interspersed with torrid rain and baseball-sized hail. Next, more heat and after that, huge dips in temperature … Continue reading Extreme Weather: Strategies to Stay Healthy and Keep Your Cool When It’s Wild Outside
What do you think about gut bacteria and the microbiome that lives inside your insides? Do you view gut health in terms of function and form? In other words: proper function (things working well in your midsection) leads to a desirable form (goal weight)? A lot of people do. And everyone knows what weak digestion … Continue reading Gut & Digestive Health: Three Reasons Why It Matters & How Chinese Medicine Can Improve Yours
Have you heard of photobiomodulation? Photo (light) + bio (life) + modulation (regulation or adjustment) is a popular modality because it really is a marvel. Basically, it’s a fancy way to say light therapy. There are a number of different ways to use illumination to effect healthy change. For example, LED (light-emitting diode) therapy can … Continue reading LED Light Therapy: What It Is, Why You’ll Love It
~~~~~~ Have you ever visited the home of a true-blue, dyed-in-the-wool Elvis Presley fan? I remember doing so once as a child. The house was like a museum. Everywhere I looked: posters, figurines, magazines, you name it, all of it reflecting an obsession with the Tupelo-born singer. I thought it was all so beautiful … Continue reading EDS and Elvis Presley: Some Thoughts on Hypermobile Health
~~~~~ While it may be common for psychotherapists to undergo therapy themselves, my question after reading a recent article on therapist burnout (“Demand for Counseling Soared […] “) is whether or not acupuncture and other modalities of Chinese medicine are on the radar for these hard-working professionals. I have had several therapist patients, as I … Continue reading Holistic Health: Some Thoughts For Therapists Regarding Self Care
~~~~~~ Distracted cooks get surprises. Anyone whose fingers have had unexpected contact with a sharp kitchen knife knows this. Are you cooking at home more than usual? Maybe you have a fierce pair of scissors and you cut something unintentionally (like, for instance, the webbing between your thumb and fingers). Perhaps you’ve clipped yourself with … Continue reading Don’t Chop Vegetables When You’re Distracted (And What To Do If The Damage is Done)
~~~~~~ Updated 12/28/20 to include commentary on cedar pollen and allergies. Austin is the allergy capital of the universe (or at least it feels that way at times). When you add a Sahara dust cloud or cedar pollen to the mix of COVID19 chaos and allergen levels, as we do experience here in our fair … Continue reading Allergy Forecast Austin: Some Common Sense And A Measure Of Calm
~~~~~~ The dust does settle as we all reluctantly become more accustomed to the COVID19 pandemic with its shocks and aftershocks. Some are handling it better than others, true. No matter what, we are all doing our best. And yet, the specter of racism and scapegoating casts a looming shadow over everyone’s attempts to manage … Continue reading Racism Is A Virus: (Some Thoughts On What You Can Do To Promote Intercultural Competence And Solidarity During A Pandemic)
Two Hearts Wellness 