Chinese New Year Of The Horse

Jan 31st 2014 is Chinese new year, and marks the beginning of the Year Of The Horse. Horse years, just like the animal they are named for, are said to be lively, fast-moving and dynamic. This is not a year for gradual developments, slow progression, or the ‘status quo’. Instead there is excitement and speed, […]

‘Protect The Centre’ – Using Food As Medicine

I’ll admit it – I’m a fully paid-up, card carrying member of the ‘Nourishing Earth’ school. In fact, it really defines my whole approach to health and well-being. And it’s all about the importance of the digestive system. The term ‘nourishing earth’ refers to Earth as one of the 5 elements of Chinese medicine. The […]

Acupuncture For Depression: As Effective As Counseling

A new study from the University of York has shown acupuncture to be as effective as counseling for the treatment of mild to moderate depression. The randomized controlled trial showed that both treatments offered a statistically significant reduction of symptoms when added to typical treatments in patients with recurring bouts of depression. The researchers noted […]

Keep Your Kidneys Warm in Winter!

During the Winter, the most Yin time of year, it is the Kidneys which most need looking after. This is particularly true of the Kidney Yang, which is the Hot energy of the body – as the weather gets colder it’s good to make sure you protect the Yang by keeping as warm as possible. […]

Holistic treatment Approach Helps Anxious Soldiers

I recently read the details of an American pilot study on the use of a holistic, multi-therapy approach to treatment of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in American Military Personnel. The study caught my eye because of the broad treatment approach, which included weekly acupuncture treatments alongside self-care exercises such as yogic breathing, self-massage, dietary changes […]

Recommended Reading: Bad Pharma

As you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance that you have at least a passing interest in complementary and holistic forms of healing. You might, like me, also have some reservations about the way Western medicine is often practised, and a reluctance to take Western medication. You might have an idea that big drug […]

Video: ‘The Tao Of Food’

This summer I gave a talk at the Feng Shui Society (FSS) Conference on ‘The Tao Of Food’ – an introduction to the Chinese energetic properties of foods… and you can watch the first section of the talk, below. This is a very small taster of the kind of thing covered in my forthcoming Chinese […]

The Long-Life Secrets Of A 73 Year Old Bulgarian

I recently spent some time in Bulgaria, and one of the many highlights was having dinner with two elderly Bulgarians. It was a pretty surreal experience, and I learned some valuable lessons on good health and longevity Let me set the scene… We (me and my partner Sam) had made it safely past the terrifying […]

Migraine Awareness Week: Try Acupuncture!

This week is Migraine Awareness Week – designed to raise public awareness of migraine as a serious health issue…. and I’d like to put my 2 pence worth in, to talk about the role of acupuncture and tui na massage in migraine treatment. A recent article on the BBC website talks gives a personal account […]