The Origin Center

Spring has sprung! The sap is rising. Sprouts are unfurling. In Maine, fiddlehead season is around the corner. There is an incredible amount of upward and outward momentum in the spring as signs of life, growth and birth burst forth and inundate our senses after the stillness and slowness of winter.

From an East Asian medicine perspective, spring is also the season that is ruled by the Liver meridian. When Liver energy is balanced, it is responsible for creativity, evolution, insight, and planning. It bursts forth in spring with a plan for life.

However, if anything obstructs that dynamic Liver energy, the result can quickly be irritability, depression, anger, a sense of entrapment, and tension.

As delightful as spring feels after our long Maine winters, it's also not unusual for patients to report feeling more anger, irritability or depression -- even as spring blooms around us. If this feels true for you, reach out to a skilled practitioner at The Origin Center to help re-balance your liver and get things flowing. Acupuncture (as well as herbal medicine and lifestyle recommendations, such as movement practices like yoga, qigong or tai chi) can help restore the free flow of energy in the Liver, thus allowing for healthy growth and movement.

At The Origin Center, we are all about healthy and regular bowel movements. To build upon our last post that discussed how chronic constipation can impede hormone excretion and contribute to/exacerbate estrogen dominance, here are a few of our top tips for getting regular.

Drink your water. We recommend starting the day with 8oz of warm water with lemon juice, and then striving to drink about half your body weight in ounces during the day.

Eat foods that are high in fiber. These include fruit (as well as dried fruit in moderation), green leafy vegetables, cabbage (a Chinese medicine favorite for constipation), and whole grains.

Move your body! Regular exercises encourages peristalsis—the smooth muscle contraction that that moves things along your intestinal tract. Walking is one of the best exercises for digestion as it massages the intestines to regulate the bowels—a gentle 30min walk taken most days will be helpful, even in the absence of additional exercise.

Looking for more in-depth, personalized care and recommendations? Check out our website or call today to book your free consultation!

Endometriosis can wreak havoc on women's bodies, causing menstrual cycle issues such as excruciating periods, pelvic pain, acne, painful s*x and heavy bleeding. But did you know that endometriosis can also involve chronic constipation, which in turn can lead to worsening symptoms of estrogen dominance, thus perpetuating symptoms.

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dominant condition. Normally, excess hormones are bound through a methylation process in the liver and then excreted via the intestines in our p**p. If you are chronically constipated and your bowels aren't moving with regularity (ideally once a day at least!), the estrogen can be reabsorbed and go back into circulation -- in a more toxic form.

One way that acupuncture and East Asian herbal medicine can help improve endometriosis symptoms is by promoting regular bowel movements.

Do you suffer from endometriosis or hormone imbalance? Are you feeling chronically backed up? Reach out to The Origin Center for a free consult today!

We love receiving happy news like this!