The Heart is an amazing organ. Its function is both intricate and fascinating. The heart will beat roughly 100,000 times a day, and will pump approximately 2,000 gallons of blood throughout the body daily. Clearly, our hearts are essential to the physiology of life, but what about the emotional aspect of our hearts?

According to Eastern Medicine, the Heart (Xin) stores the spirit (shen). Through this idea, the heart is consciousness and is responsible for being respectful, helpful, thoughtful, as well as emotional.

Chinese Tradition says that the “heart opens into the tongue and manifests in the face.” For this reason, the ability to choose and articulate words and to communicate belongs to the Heart Spirit’s relation to the tongue. Expressing kindness and warmth in the face is another heart function. The Chinese have a great respect for the Heart both from a functional as well as emotional perspective.

Essentially it is so important to keep the Qi (energy) in the Heart Meridian balanced and flowing optimally. Being aware of an imbalance in this meridian is key. Because the heart maintains the health of the whole body, problems with the Heart Meridian manifest themselves both physically and emotionally.

The Heart Meridian is located bilaterally on the inside of the arms, along a somewhat straight line, beginning on the inside of the little finger and extending up the hand and inside (medial) part of the arm, ending at the armpit (axilla).

The most common physical symptoms are:

• Chest Pain: palpitations, sweating, fever, pale face and fatigue
• Night Sweats
• Rosacea
• Musculoskeletal injuries along the location of the channel: arthritic shoulder and joint problems, soft tissue injuries and elbow problems

The most common emotional symptoms are:

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Obsessive compulsive disorders
• Sadness
• Depression

Acupuncture, Chinese herbal formulas and meditation are common ways to treat Heart Meridian imbalances.

Respect and take care of your heart for it is a powerful organ and “houses the mind.”  It is the Emperor – treat it as such.

Photo courtesy of snarky_momma.

Berries are high in antioxidants.

Let’s be honest, we all want to look and feel more beautiful. But before purchasing the next-best eye cream (to add to the plethora of beauty products I’m sure you have), I urge you to look at how adjusting your diet and lifestyle can be the best and most useful tool of all!

Internal Inflammation is the culprit of many aesthetic woes, not to mention that it is also linked to most of today’s illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Without getting too technical, it is important that you understand the science: Inflammation is your immune system’s reaction against a foreign particle or poison introduced into your body. As your immune system attacks these poisons, they create free radicals/oxidants that destroy good, healthy cells and tissues and cause them to age (wrinkle), form scar tissue and die.

OK, so what are these foreign particles/poisons?

• Alcohol
• Cigarette smoke
• Processed foods
• Sugar
• Chemicals – synthetic pesticides, petroleum products, heavy metals, etc.
• Saturated fat
• Too much sun exposure

The fruits and vegetables that have the highest amount of antioxidants (which neutralize those free radicals circulating throughout your blood stream) are:

• Blueberries, Blackberries, Strawberries, Raspberries
• Plums
• Oranges
• Red grapes
• Cherries
• Kiwifruit
• Green Leafy: Kale, Spinach, Collard greens
• Sprouts: Brussel and Alfalfa
• Beets
• Red Bell Peppers
• Onions
• Eggplant

From an Eastern Medical Perspective, the skin and face have a direct correlation with both the meridian/energy pathways in the body as well as the yin/yang nature of the body. For example, problems with the yin nature outwardly manifests as dry/scaly skin, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, red/blotchy skin androsacea. Yang nature problems appear as pale skin, swollen face/eyes, sagging skin of the neck/eyelids andclogged pores.

Chinese herbs offer a natural way to help different conditions of the face and body. Herbs can be taken alone or combined with others into a formula. Here are a list of a few common herbs for the skin and their uses:

• Aduki beans (Chi Xiao Dou) – treats acne, swelling, helps dark circles under the eyes.
• Anise stars (Ba Chio) – brightens the complexion.
• Astragalus (Huang Qi) – improves sagging skin, reduces swelling.
• Black Sesame Seeds (Hei Zhi Ma) – treats dry skin, addresses fine lines around eyes.
• Cardamom (Bai Dou Kou) – improves skin tone and clears congested pores.
• Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua) – improves fine lines around eyes.
• Mung Beans (Lu Dou) – treats hyperpigmentation, oily skin, decreases swelling.
• Shitake Mushrooms (Xiang Gu) – addresses dry skin, treats wrinkles.
• Wolfberries (Gou Qi Zi) – improves pale skin, treats fine lines around the eye area.

In addition to lifestyle and dietary changes, acupuncture, as well as acupressure facial massage, is useful to address the energy flow through the meridians that traverse the face. Including one or two acupuncture treatments a month, balancing these specific meridians, also lends itself to a more youthful and beautiful self.

Please take a moment and reflect on your diet and lifestyle. I’m sure that there was some advice mentioned that you could take to heart and implement in your life. Keep your eyes peeled during your next trip to the grocery store – I know that you can include several foods listed above. Embrace your beautiful self. Nurture it. Protect it.