10 Tips to Help You Sleep Better

In his book, "Secrets of Self-Healing" by Dr. Maoshing Ni,  he states that our bodies run best with consistent routines.  Well, I am as boring and consistent as a grandfather clock, but lately I have been waking up every two hours (which would be great if I had a baby in the house) and even though I don't have much trouble going back to sleep, I know I would be sharper during the day if my sleep was deep and uninterrupted.

Adequate and good quality SLEEP is critical to staying in sync with our biological clock. To ensure restful sleep every night, Dr. Ni suggests you form your own routines and rituals that help you go to sleep.

These are some of the tricks I am now trying along with acupuncture:

1. Hot baths
2. Foot massage
3. Journaling
4. Meditation
5. Aromatherapy
6. Relaxing music
7. Reading spiritual books
8. Praying (praying usually manages to get me to sleep!)
9. Taking a quiet evening stroll.
10. At Jade Star Acupuncture we have many Chinese herbal formulas to help encourage sleep, including this Herb Pac called ‘iSleep’.  It’s 100% herbal and you can drink it as a tea or place a small amount of granules on the back of your tongue and swallow with water or juice.

Pick up this herbal formula to help you sleep for just $2.00 

Rituals help calm your mind and allow you to feel peaceful within,  Once you find an activity that works, be sure to practice it consistently and you will begin to get the sleep you need! I'd love to hear your ideas on what works best for you! Please comment with your suggestions to add to the list. And sleep well! 
~Randine

Who Likes to Save Money?!

Over the last few months many of our cash patients have been asking for a package and we have been listening. We took some time to put this together to make sure it was worth your investment and we are proud to announce we now have 2 NEW ACUPUNCTURE PACKAGES that combine treatments, free products, savings on herbal formulas and more! So here they are:

90 Day Jump Start

We know the value of ongoing treatment, and we love those patients who are ready to make ongoing changes to their health.

This package is for you if you.....

• Would like to incorporate acupuncture as part of your ongoing wellness routine
• Are looking for lasting treatment for current ailments
• Would like to be proactive in the prevention of aches, pains, and other health challenges

Here's what you get:

• 2 treatments per month for 3 months (6 treatments total)
• Individualized treatment plan
• Chinese Medicine Seasonal Chart
• 1 FREE bottle of an Alpine Herbs remedy
• 10% discount on herbal formulas

Total cost: $350

Optimum Wellness - 5 months

Being at optimum health is so important.  You need to stay healthy, yes; but it is more than that.  You need to be proactive in order to maintain optimal energy, mental focus, and physical stamina.

This package is for you if you....

• Need to get back in alignment with your most energetic self
• Can no longer tolerate mental fog, non-focus, and on-going aches and pains
• Understand the positive impact of optimum health and wellness

Here's what you get:

• 2 treatments per month for 5 months (10 treatments total)
• Individualized treatment plan
• Chinese Medicine Seasonal chart
• 1 FREE bottle of an Alpine Herbs remedy
• 25% discount on herbal formulas
• Copy of "Secrets of Longevity - Hundreds of Ways to Live to be 100" by Dr. Maoshing Ni   ($14,95 value)

Total cost: $600

If you are interested in these packages or want to know more, just give us a call at 520-881-0827 or email us at info@jadestaracupuncture.com. 

5 Health Benefits of Dry Brushing

Have you heard of dry brushing?

This ancient technique is becoming popular in health circles and is recommended by naturopaths, massage therapists, and other holistic practitioners.

It is a very simple act of brushing your skin with a natural fiber brush. Usually the brush is made from a course but all natural fiber like tampico, which is an agave plant, and a handle of beechwood. Here is the one I use.

How to do it: 

1. Just before you get in the shower or bath, grab your handy dandy brush!
2. Starting at your feet, gently brush your dry skin upwards. I start at the ankle and work up to the knee, and then around the thigh brushing up towards my hips, giving good attention to my butt(you'll find out why later on). 
3. Continue to brush up your stomach towards your chest. Always brushing towards your heart.
4. Then brush from your wrists up to your shoulders. 
5. And then your shoulders and neck area down towards your heart. 
6. Skip your face! The brush is too rough. 

The amount of pressure should not be painful or actually scratching your skin. You want it gentle but not too much so. You will learn a good balance.

Why should you be brushing your body with a dry rough bristle brush? 

5 Health Benefits of Dry Brushing

1. Get rid of that dead skin! Dry brushing will help remove that layer of dead skin before you get in the shower and help you have a closer shave, but also will help clear out pores. Removing that dry skin also helps the appearances, no more dullness! 
2. Get your lymphatic system working! Did you know you have miles and miles of lymphatic tubes running throughout your body? Dry brushing will help to stimulate your lymph glandes to get pumping and dump those toxins out of your body. You lymphs could use a little support! 
3. REDUCE CELLULITE! yes you read that right! I am no scientist so here is a quote from Self Magazine on how it works: "Because dry brushing helps eliminate toxins, many pros claim it can smooth those unsightly lumps and bumps for good. Annet King, director of global education for Dermalogica and the International Dermal Institute, says the procedure helps remove “stagnant toxins” that break down connective tissue, leading to cellulite."
4. Improve your digestion! Our skin is pretty amazing and this simple act of dry brushing will actually go deep enough to move the toxins out of your body faster, which will help to strengthen your kidney function and give you better digestion too. 
5. Wake You up! Tired? Just woke up? This is an amazing way to get your day going the right way! Not only will you feel great knowing you are detoxing you skin, you have glowing skin, and the act of actually dry brushing will stimulate all those nerve endings and wake you up! Then you can get in the shower, wash off that dead skin and toxins and have a fabulous day! 

Here is a great image from Smart Living Network that helps you see which direction to brush. 

If you have any questions you can comment below or on Facebook. I would love to hear your feedback, try it out and let me know your experience is like! 

~Kayla