I will be writing a new mini-series about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In each article, I will focus on one of the 5 Yin Organs - Heart, Spleen, Liver, Kidney and Lungs. Yin organs have a tendency to not have empty cavities and function to produce, store, transform and regulate the fundamental substances in the body such as Blood, Qi (energy), and body fluids.  Today I am focusing on the Heart. Stay tuned for more articles about TCM in the coming months!

Chinese medicine is a complete medical system which has diagnosed, treated and prevented illness for over two thousand years. Within this medical paradigm, there are various organ systems which have different functions in keeping the body and mind healthy. The heart, also known as “Shen” or Mind, is considered to be the most important of all the internal organs in TCM.  Its 5 most important functions are mental activity (including our emotions), consciousness, memory, thinking and sleep. The Heart is also related to the emotion of joy!  On a physical level, the heart is important in controlling Blood and blood vessels, very similar to the function of the heart in western medicine. Some diagnostic measures used with TCM include the tongue and pulse diagnosis. The next time you look into the mirror, stick out your tongue and have a closer look at it. A deep midline crack and a red tip might indicate a weaker heart constitution!

Would you like to make your brain a little happier these days? Here are 3 things you can learn about giving your brain a boost with B vitamins (try saying that 10 times fast!)

1. B vitamins give your brain energy!

Ever feel like you won’t be able to get through the work day or the next 3 hours of class? Deficiency makes it harder for your body to do simple tasks and daily activities, leading to fatigue and lack of energy. Since B vitamins play a key role in how the body absorbs nutrients and replenishes your energy supply, you can give your brain a boost of energy with regular intake.

2: B vitamins help treat mental illnesses

When you get stressed in your daily life, deficiency of B vitamins can be an unfortunate result. Major stressors can include depression and anxiety which have been linked with deficiency but can also be the cause of deficiency. These illnesses greatly affect our mood, disrupt our healthy brain function and make your body more vulnerable to disease. Some patients can benefit from specific B vitamins to help bring balance back to the health of their brain.

3: B vitamins are brain food and slow brain shrinkage linked to memory loss.

The B vitamins help feed the nerves cells that comprise the brain, which are no doubt important for regular brain function. They help form neurotransmitters, our body’s chemical messengers, such as dopamine, serotonin, GABA among others. Some studies are also showing the B vitamins can help lower homocysteine, an amino acid that’s been linked to brain-cell damage like we see in Alzheimer’s patients who suffer from memory loss.

Where can I get B vitamins in my diet?

Supplementation isn’t the only option. Our daily food sources can help replete the missing B’s. Meat is a very good source, but whole grains, whole grain pasta, rice, wheat germ and nuts are good vegetarian sources to add to any diet. So don’t delay, give your brain a boost with B vitamins!

Happy New Year and welcome to a brand new start in 2012! I’m sure you’ve had time to think about your New Year’s Resolution. Among the top contenders include losing weight, quitting smoking, and getting more exercise. Often times, we make lofty goals and our motivation tends to wear after a few months. Actually, 60% of us will completely drop our resolution by the 6 month mark, and less than a quarter of resolution makers will stick to their resolution after 2 years. But what could you do differently this year that you haven’t done in the past? What will make this resolution stick? The single most important factor of success was the readiness to change, as stated in the April 2002 “Journal of Clinical Psychology” (Vol. 58, No.4). It all comes down to having a plan, being prepared and being accountable.  It is your mindset which will dictate your success, along with a manageable plan.

The first step is making a SMART goal – Specific, Manageable, Achievable, Realistic and Tangible. It is also important to take baby steps and expect minor relapses. It is true, people often get discouraged if they have a small relapse and wish to abandon the process. It is the perfect time to realize that you are human and learn what triggered the relapse in order to move forward. And let’s not forget to set up small rewards for our victories in sticking to the resolution. The mind is certainly a powerful tool in making and sticking to resolutions. If you are feeling a little lost or need some motivation, a coach can help you plan and implement the phases and strategies for a successful New Year’s Resolution. Naturopathic medicine offers nutrition, botanical medicine, lifestyle counselling and homeopathy that can help you achieve your goals and give you the extra edge to make this New Year’s Resolution the one that will stick!