by heather | featured guests
On the topic of health this week, I wanted to share with you my new found love for acupuncture and introduce our guest blogger, Adrienne Wei from Inner Peace Acupuncture. Adrienne contacted me about doing some design work for her a few months ago and she encouraged me to give acupuncture a try. If I was going to help her market her business, I needed to understand how it all worked, right? I was nervous at first, but it doesn’t hurt and I leave my sessions feeling so relaxed – like I just had a massage! It truly has improved my overall health in the three months I have ben working with her. I encourage anyone who has never had acupuncture to give it a try. You won’t regret it! Now, here’s Adrienne…
People often ask me what acupuncture is, exactly. Allow me to try and explain:
Several thousand years ago, East Asian practitioners discovered that the body forms disharmonies as a result of the various physical and mental stresses of life. These disharmonies disrupt the movement of the body’s vital energy (qi) along the meridian pathways, which are channels through which the body’s energy is thought to flow. Acupuncture restores the smooth flow of qi. Through the insertion and manipulation of tiny needles, stagnant energy (or qi) that may have been blocked is now released and free to flow properly again. Many Western practitioners view the acupuncture points as places to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue. This stimulation appears to boost the activity of your body’s natural painkillers and increase blood flow.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is one of the oldest medical systems used today. It is different from conventional medicine in that it treats the whole person rather than isolating one symptom, and promotes health on the body level as well as the mind and spirit levels. It has two main components, acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. Acupuncture works to realign energy imbalances while Chinese herbs target the imbalances of the internal organ systems. Other modalities of treatment include diet, exercise and meditation.
Acupuncture works by activating the body’s own healing powers, so it can be beneficial for many health conditions. Currently, the National Institute of Heath (NIH) has determined that acupuncture is effective in treating over 40 different disease categories, some of which include: pain, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, infertility, headaches, IBS, high blood pressure, insomnia.
ACUPUNCTURE DOESN’T HURT. I get asked that question all of the time too. Acupuncture needles are hair-thin and flexible. Most people hardly feel the insertion. And actually, most patients leave their treatment feeling relaxed both mentally and physically.
I have always known that it was my destiny to be a healer. Growing up with a mother who was a prominent Chinese Medicine doctor, I was exposed to the practive of Chinese Medicine at a very young age. Under the influence of my mother, I found my mission in life – to help those who had lost hope and to heal the world with the power of Chinese Medicine. I enjoy helping and working with people, so after enrolling in acupuncture school and attending my first day of classes, I knew I had made the best decision of my life.
Acupuncture has helped me in my personal life and because of that treating Women’s Health has become my passion. I dedicated my practice, Inner Peace Acupuncture and Wellness, to focus on Women’s Health and my specialties include infertility, IUI/IVF preperation, endometriosis, PCOS, menstral irregularities, menopause, anxiety and stress management.
Thank you Sunny Slide Up for allowing me to guest blog and give acupuncutre a try!
by heather | feature, fun finds
Music is good for your health. Besides helping you get through your workout, music can also reduce stress, sooth pain, help memory and even boost your heart health! Check out this article from Huffington Post to read about how music helps the body and mind. Did you know that there is even a such thing as a music therapist now? Who knew!
Making mixed CDs and playlists is one of my favorite things. So, on the topic of health I thought I would share some of my favorite workout tunes. I categorize my workout playlists into 3 parts: the warm up, the workout and the cool down. Below is a random selection from my playlists. I like a wide range of music and I mix things up, so I don’t get bored.
The Warm Up – Time to get started. These songs will help ease you into your workout, not too fast, not too slow.
- “Start Me Up” – The Rolling Stones – listen
- “Lights” – Ellie Goulding – listen
- “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” – The Proclaimers – listen
- “Don’t Stop Believing” – Journey – listen
- “Addicted To Love” – Florence + The Machine – listen
- “Houdini” – Foster The People – listen
- “The Rain” – Missy Elliot – listen
- “Tonight, Tonight” – Smashing Pumpkins – listen
- “Alejandro (The Sound of Arrows Remix)” – Lady Gaga – listen
- “When You Were Young” – The Killers – listen
- “Take On Me” – A-Ha – listen
- “Flashdance…What a Feeling” – Irene Cara – listen
- “Hey Mama” – Mat Kearney – listen
- “Sweet Emotion” – Aerosmith – listen
- “Feel Good Inc.” – Gorillaz – listen
The Workout – Okay, time to kick it up a notch. These beats will have you popping along in your workout and motivated to take it up a notch.
- “Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix) – Yeah Yeah Yeahs – listen
- “Sexy Back” – Justin Timberlake – listen
- “Young Folks” – Peter Bjorn and John – listen
- “Bulletproof” – La Roux – listen
- “Spaz” – N.E.R.D. – listen
- “Pump Up The Jam” – Technotronic – listen
- “Hollaback Girl” – Gwen Stefani – listen
- “Cantaloop” – US3 – listen
- “Stronger” – Kanye West – listen
- “Come Out And Play” – The Offspring – listen
- “Party Rock Anthem” – LMFAO – listen
- “Shake Your Rump” – Beastie Boys – listen
- “Hello” – Martin Solveig & Dragonette – listen
- “Yeah!” – Usher ft. Ludacris & Lil Jon – listen
- “Ooh La La” – Goldfrapp – listen
- “Music” – Madonna – listen
- “Lose Yourself” – Eminem – listen
- “On To The Next One” – Jay-Z – listen
- “Firestarter” – The Prodigy – listen
- “The Stars” – Moby – listen
The Cool Down – By now you are sweating and your heart is pumping fast. Slow it down with these tunes and feel good about the workout you just completed.
- “Breath” – Telepopmusik – listen
- “Send Me On My Way” – Rusted Root – listen
- “Detlef Schrempf” – Band Of Horses – listen
- “My Sundown” – Jimmy Eat World – listen
- “Fake Plastic Trees” – Radiohead – listen
- “Crazy Life” – Toad The Wet Sprocket – listen
- “Creep” – Scala & Kolancy Brothers – listen
- “Glitter In The Air” – Pink – listen
- “Breakdown” – Tom Petty – listen
- “Loving Wings” – Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds – listen
- “Blackbird” – Sarah McLachlan – listen
- “Svefn-G-Englar” – Sigur Ros – listen
- “Letting The Cables Sleep” – Bush – listen
- “Just Breathe” – Pearl Jam – listen
- “Skinny Love” – Bon Iver – listen
Enjoy your next workout!
by heather | personal
When I was just a young chap, I lived in the north Georgia mountains in the middle of nowhere in a house that my dad built with his own two hands. I moved from the mountain house when I was just four or five, so I only have a handful of vivid memories. Riding my hot wheels up and down our dirt road. Dad in a beekeeper suit and the delicious honey he would pull from beehive. Getting stung by those damn bees. The brown bath water from the well. The Lincoln Logs that were kept in the hall closet that I loved to play with. The unpainted plywood walls. Oh, and the prunes that were kept in the fridge. I know that is a weird one, but my brother and I had to eat a prune a day and I hated it. My mom says we were constipated kids. (I sure hope that made you laugh)
My dad was a horticulture teacher, so we grew up learning about all about different trees and plants. We thought it was so cool that we could point to any plant and dad could tell us all about it. We always had a garden and every season we helped plant the seeds. It was so exciting to go pick the plants off of the vine and bring it right inside the kitchen to eat. The best were fresh tomato sandwiches. Tomato, mayo, salt and pepper on some bread. Doesn’t get much better – or southern – than that.
We moved to the big city of Roswell, Georgia after our mountain house. I think one of my parents got a new job or something. We lived in an actual neighborhood! This was a big change and I remember being really excited about having lots of kids around to play with. We would still escaped back to the mountains quite often to go camping. I have great memories of our frequent camping trips. Dad would take us to the grocery store on our way out of town and let us get things that mom never let us have at the house. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my Cherrios, but man those Fruit Loops were delicious! We would carve hiking sticks, make s’mores, look for bugs…you know, your average camping activities.
I also loved girl scout camp. I went for at least a week or two every summer through my middle school years. We stayed in these elevated tent like structures and all of the cool kids had a big trunk as their suitcase. I remember it being pretty scary at night in the pitch black with all of those “nature” sounds, but the day time activities sure made up for that. Gosh, I haven’t thought about girl scout camp in years, but what fun memories I have of that place. I still sing some of those silly camp songs.
I let 15 plus years pass before I went camping again. What a shame! Last year, I finally planned a camping trip with my family, and to ease back into the whole camping experience we stayed at Stone Mountain Camp Ground – with real bathrooms. We had an amazing campsite right on the water with Stone Mountain as our backdrop. Be sure to ask for campground #190 if you ever go!
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Sausage and Eggs (Perfect Campfire Breakfast)
- 1 frozen hash brown patty
- 2 eggs, scrambled, uncooked
- 2 frozen sausage patties
- spices and seasonings
- Cheese (optional)
Crimp the sides of your sheet of foil so that the eggs won’t go anywhere when you add them. First place your hash brown patty on the foil. Then place the eggs on top of the hash brown patty. Then place the sausage patties on top. Season with spices and condiments and wrap up in a tent pack. Place on hot coals and cook for 15 minutes. Add the cheese when it’s ready (it turns out better than cooking it in the pack).
[get more campfire recipes over at The Art of Manliness]
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There was so much to do at
Stone Mountain Park and we had such a blast. We rode the Skyride to the top of the mountain, wandered through the little village of shops, saw the laser show at night and even visited a petting zoo. I would totally recommend this place, perfect family vacation and the campground was very budget friendly. I will leave you with this photo I snapped of a funny looking sheep at the petting zoo there. It makes me laugh every time I look at it…
