Live Healthier, Be Happier, Do More... Naturally with Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture

For more information about these events, please click over to my Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine website

April 21: Pasadena – Free Intro to Medical Qigong – 6pm to 7pm
April 28: Pasadena – Medical Qigong Class – 6pm to 7pm
May 1: Venice – Medical Qigong for Beginners – 9am to 10am
May 1: Venice – Advanced Medical Qigong – 10am to 11am
May 3: Highland Park – Community Medical Qigong – 6am to 7am
May 5: Pasadena – Medical Qigong Class – 6pm to 7pm
May 8: Cypress Park – Chinese Medicine Cafe Hour – 5:30pm

Spring is the time of new beginnings, rebirth and renewal. It is when nature comes back to life — dormant plants and animals wake from their wintery slumber, flowers bloom, animals are born, and the landscape comes alive.

Most of us urban dwellers are used to living seasonless lives where it is difficult to observe the changing seasons. With modern technology, we can eat the same foods and do most of the same things year round. But just because we can enjoy these conveniences doesn’t necessary mean they are good for us. They ignore our body’s need to make adjustments with the seasons to maintain good health and prevent illness.

In Chinese medicine, the seasons affect us in many different ways — physically, mentally and spiritually. For your health, Spring is a great time to eat a lot of green foods. Sprouts and baby greens are especially good, as are dark green leafy vegetables. Head to your farmer’s market to see what’s in season. Spring is also the best time for green tea. The best quality green tea leaves are the first leaves of the season. In China, people pay upwards of hundreds or thousands of dollars to enjoy a cup of spring’s first batch of Dragon Well green tea grown in Zhejiang Province. A portion of the best is reserved for ranking government officials and visiting heads of state.

Spring is associated with the wood element and the Liver and Gallbladder. Wood represents progress, growth and overcoming obstacles. It is the most yang, or active, of energies. This makes it a great time to start new projects, especially major ones. Right now you’ll have more energy, focus, and drive to accomplish difficult tasks compared to, for example, the winter.

At the same time, be aware of the challenges of Spring. Spring is the emotional energy of anger, stress and frustration. When blocked or constrained, it is easier to feel these emotions or see them expressed by others. Take care of these emotions constructively by keeping yourself centered, staying balanced, maintaining good communications and being patient.

What you can do:

1. Exercise. Exercise is important to help get or keep things moving. Hike, garden and play sports. If you want to take a more holistic approach, take a medical Qigong class. There are a number of simple and effective medical Qigong exercises that help soothe the liver, reduce stress, as well as strengthen your clarity and resolve. Regardless of what you decide, doing it outdoors would be best. The sun and fresh air helps when you feel stuck. Seeing all the beauty of nature will raise your spirits and inspire you to get moving on your life’s projects.
2. Diet. Eat your greens. No, not green M&M’s or gummy bears. Sprouts, baby greens and green leafy vegetables are what I highly recommend. Your best source will be your local farmer’s market where you don’t have to second guess what’s in season.
3. Treatment. Come in for an acupuncture tune-up, herbal prescription and/or nutritional plan. Chinese Medicine is designed to harmonize your body, mind and spirit with the changing seasonal energies. Like taking in your car for a regular oil change, your body will appreciate preventative treatments to maintain good health. You’ll stay healthy, maintain high energy levels and be more productive so you can continue doing what you love. If you’re stressed out or can’t sleep, just one treatment will go a long way to help start this season on the right foot.

Henry’s Spring Tea Recipe

• Green Tea such as Dragon Well tea (Chinese: Longjing Cha)
• Chrysanthemum Flower Bulbs (Chinese: Ju Hua)
• Mint Leaves (Chinese: Bo He)
• Steep in hot water – Boiled water that is then cooled to 175 F recommended.

Comments:
If you are near Highland Park, this tea will be available at Antigua Coffee and Tea

Dragon Well green tea is high in vitamin C and amino acids. It also has one of the highest concentrations of catechins and can reduce the risk of stroke, heart failure, cancer and diabetes. Chrysanthemum and Mint both help the liver and the sense organ of the liver, the eyes, in different ways. The best chrysanthemum are the unopened flower bulbs. All of this can be found at one of your better stocked Chinese Herbal shops. In Los Angeles, Wing Hop Fung in China Town and Monterey park comes recommended. If you have some extra cash and appreciate good quality green teas, check out the Ming Qian Dragonwell Panan Supreme 2010 from Red Blossom Tea in San Francisco. They do mail order but it is $400 a pound. They have some more affordable grades that I also recommend. An ounce ($28) or two will last you a while and, unlike some other types of teas, Dragon Well doesn’t do well sitting on the shelf for a long time. Newer is better so don’t stock up.

Henry Jun Wah Lee, L.Ac. is a Physician of Chinese Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Medical Qigong instructor and Eastern Nutritionist. He has a private practice in Pasadena and Los Angeles, California. For more information, please contact info@HenryJunWahLee.com or visit his website, http://www.HenryJunWahLee.com

Henry Jun Wah Lee L.Ac. will be hosting a Chinese Medicine Café hour at Antigua Organic Coffee and Tea near Highland Park on Saturday May 8, 2010 from 5 to 6:30pm.

Come experience the benefits of Chinese medicine for health, wellness and community at a progressive coffee house east of the Los Angeles River.

Destress and relax with a 20-minute ear acupuncture or acupressure treatment from a highly skilled Physician of Chinese Medicine. Enjoy a cup of herbal tea that’s perfect for the spring season, eat snacks, and meet the community.

See what Chinese Medicine can do for you!

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Los Angeles, Calif. – April 1, 2010 – Acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine Physician Henry Jun Wah Lee announced today a long-term partnership with McDonalds to provide quality acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition and medical Qigong services in McDonalds restaurants across the country.

“America continues to get fat but our love for fast food isn’t going to end overnight. As natural medicine professionals, we need to take a pragmatic approach to this problem by going to where the greatest need is. In this case, we’re going tackle the health problems of eating fast food by going straight to McDonalds and adding the healing power of Chinese Medicine.“

Lee continues: “We are happy that through our partnership with McDonalds we will reach millions of mainstream Americans who have never before tried acupuncture, herbs or Qigong exercises. It will do wonders for their diet, improve their mood, and treat chronic problems like fibromyalgia, arthritis or back pain naturally and much more effectively than Western medicine”

This revolutionary partnership with McDonalds adds additional items to the fast food giant’s menu. For example, a new Diet Coke sweetened with the Chinese Herb Luo Han Guo will benefit obese individuals and those with diabetes. Customers can substitute bok choy in place of iceberg lettuce for their burgers. Bok Choy aids digestion and adds vitamin-A, vitamin-C, beta-carotene, calcium and dietary fiber.

There will also be seasonal items such as herbal chicken soup in the winter and mung bean salad in the summer to help attune Americans to the need for seasonal dietary changes.

A new Acu-size option will be available for the restaurant’s classic Value Meals. For just $40 dollars more, customers get an acupuncture treatment in addition to their double cheeseburger, fries and medium soft drink.

Plans are already in the works to redesign McDonalds playgrounds for the practice of Qigong – whole-body exercises that benefit the body, mind and emotions. Lee emphasized regular exercises like Qigong continues to be one of the most important steps any American can take to achieve and maintain good health.

“By reclaiming these urban spaces for public use, people in the community will have a place to come together, heal, feel good, and support each other.”

About Henry Jun Wah Lee
Henry Jun Wah Lee, L.Ac. is a Physician of Chinese Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Medical Qigong instructor and Eastern Nutritionist. He has a private practice in Pasadena and Los Angeles, California. For more information, please contact info@HenryJunWahLee.com or visit his website, http://www.HenryJunWahLee.com

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California Wildflowers in bloom

Spring has arrived in Southern California! With the recent rainfall, this should be a spectacular year for wild flowers! There’s only a small window to see the wildflowers in full bloom so plan your trips for the next few weeks.

If you’re planning a trip out to the desert this weekend, head to Anza Borrego. Blooms should be peaking this weekend with whole hill sides covered in flowers. In the high desert like Joshua Tree, it’ll take a few more weeks.

Here’s a webpage that provides up-to-date reports of wildflowers: http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/wildupdates.html

Merino Wool Sheep

For the past few years, I’ve made a conscious effort to switch more of my clothing to natural fibers such as organic/chemical-free cotton, hemp, linen and wool. Where I could, I’ve stopped buying synthetics. With recent advances in wool I’ve also switched most of my performance clothing to merino wool.

Why I made the move
I made the switch to organic natural fibers for several reasons.

The first is environmental and health. Most synthetics are made from plastics — a petrolum-based material that’s not biodegradable in the environment. The chemicals used in making these fabrics are also toxic to humans and animals alike. The less exposure we have to them the better. I also don’t want to support the petroleum industry any more than I have to.

The second is comfort. In the summer time, I find synthetics don’t breath as well as natural fibers. Nor do they feel as nice against the skin as cotton and linen. If you need wicking power, wool does as good of a job as synthetics. Plus wool has natural anti-odor/antimicrobial properties. You can wear the same wool base layer for days without stink. With polyester, forget about it.

The third is safety. Synthetics will melt. You don’t want to wear it near a fire or high heat source. Wool on the other hand is naturally fire resistant.

And fourth is performance. As mentioned before, wool will wick moisture and sweat just as well as synthetics. But wool is also naturally stain resistant. You’ll need some toxic man-made chemicals to treat synthetics to match that. In hot or cold weather, wool does a better job of regulating body temperature. It breathes better. It’ll keep you warm even when wet. Because it’s odor resistant, it is also perfect for multi-day use without smelling like a bum. It’ll help keep your pack light

Shopping for Natural Fiber Clothing – What to Look For

Go organic/pesticide free. Ordinary cotton, for example, requires a ton of pesticides to produce. If you want to buy cotton, buy organic or pesticide-free. Organic cotton is getting mainstream these days and is fairly easy to find so I’m not going to write too much about it.

Warm weather clothing. Cottons and linens work best for casual wear. For warm weather sports/performance, consider replacing your synthetics with merino wool. They make light weight merino wool t-shirts and underwear these days. They’re pricey compared to synthetics but they’re worth the investment. You won’t need as many of them to change into either since they’re odor and stain resistant.

Cold weather clothing. Switch to Merino wool for your base and light to mid weight insulation layers. Down for mid and outer layers. While it’s impossible to avoid synthetics altogether (esp in the shell material), less is a huge improvement. Plus down will compress better and weigh less than even the best synthetic garments.

Buying Used. Even natural fibers require energy to produce and will make an environmental impact. Check out your local thrift shops, consignment stores, eBay, Craigslist or speciality online communities for people letting go of clothes they no longer need. An added bonus is you’ll save money.

Buying Recycled Synthetics. If you must buy synthetic, check out Patagonia. They are one of the few clothing companies I know that make synthetic clothes from recycled materials. I have a nine year old fleece of theirs that was made from recycled bottle caps. They’ve made a lot of manufacturing advances since then and most of their current synthetics are now also made to be fully recyclable. This means you can take it back to them to recycle it. It doesn’t have to go into the landfill.

Buying wool clothing. I grew up hating wool because they itch. Merino wool has allowed me to wear wool next to my skin. But not all merino wool are created equal. The best in terms of comfort and environmental impact is Patagonia’s merino line. Typical companies will bleach their wool as part of the process to remove the scales that cause wool to be itchy. Unfortunately chlorine bleach isn’t so good for us or the environment. Patagonia slow washes theirs without using chlorine. Having tried several different brands, such as Icebreaker, SmartWool and Patagonia, I also find Patagonia’s wool to be softest and most comfortable.

Downsides to wool that you should be aware of. Wool isn’t perfect. Compared to synthetics, wool performance clothes are still expensive. Save some money by buying used, taking advantage of sales, or buying from outlets that sell previous season goods. It’s not hard to find stuff at 40%-60% off retail. If you have sensitive skin, even the best wool will still itch a little bit here and there. Then there’s static electricity, although this can be a positive or a negative depending on whether you get a kick out of zapping people/yourself. Lastly, wool is not as easy to care for as synthetics. For performance pieces, you can throw them in the wash, but most will recommend you air dry them and not use the dryer.

Questions about this article? Leave a comment below!

I just came back from a trip to Navajo Country and the American Southwest. Here’s a video timelapse of the various places I visited: Joshua Tree National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Horseshoe Bend, Monument Valley, Canyon De Chelly National Monument, Petrified Forest National Park, and Sedona. Enjoy!

For photos from the trip, please visit my photography website, Evosia Photography.

You can also read a write-up about the video.

A seasonal Chinese cooking class with

Henry Jun Wah Lee, M.S. Oriental Medicine

Register online

Class Highlights:

1. Learn how to make healthy eating a normal and effortless part of your daily life.
2. Enjoy a delicious bowl of Chinese Herbal Chicken Soup prepared by Henry.
3. Participate in and see a live demonstration of the entire preparation and cooking process. The class will be held in a working kitchen.
4. Learn where/how to shop for ingredients – including how to get sulfur-free, pesticide-free and/or organic herbs.
5. Learn the philosophy behind Cantonese cooking.
6. Gain a deeper understanding of the properties of foods which will help you decide how to shop and modify dishes for your specific constitution or condition.
7. Receive useful handouts and a bag of herbs you can take home to make your own soup right away.

Class Information:

In this class you will learn how to cook one of the signature Cantonese soups for the winter time: the winter Herbal Chicken soup. This soup is used as tonic in the winter as it warms the body, boosts your Qi or vital energy, builds blood, and strengthens the immune system. More importantly, in the context of this cooking class, this soup tastes really darn good!

That’s right, eating healthy doesn’t necessarily mean you have to compromise on taste. Over thousands of years, the Cantonese from Southern China have refined and mastered the art of integrating food with medicine to make tasty dishes that you and your family/patients will love to eat. So why reinvent the wheel trying to figure out what to cook when the Cantonese has been integrating natural medicine with their cooking for centuries.

You don’t have to be a good cook nor do you have to have any knowledge of Chinese Herbs or Chinese Medicine to take this class. This is a beginner cooking class for people who want to play an active role in their own health and well-being. This class is designed to be fast, fun, practical and informative.

Day and Time: Sunday, January 24th, 2010 from 10:30am to 2:30pm.
Location: Silver Lake in Los Angeles, California
Class Fee: $40.00 (before Jan. 18) or $45.00 (on or after Jan. 18).

Class size is limited to 12 people maximum so reserve your space early!

Register online

For more information please contact Henry at 310-980-8645 or email info@henryjunwahlee.com

Full moon over Ancient Bristlecone Pine Tree

View larger photo and learn about the oldest living trees in the world over at Evosia Photography

Snow Leopard Cub

View larger photo and learn more about snow leopard cubs over at Evosia Photography