By Toby Helmstetter, LAc

"When people see things as beautiful, ugliness is created.

When people see things as good, evil is created.

Being and non-being produce each other. 

Difficult and easy complement each other.

Long and short define each other.

High and low oppose each other.

Fore and aft follow each other."

- Dao De Jing

One of the guiding principles in Chinese medicine is the concept of yin and yang. Though not necessarily a complex idea, the concept of it can elude patients and sometimes even their practitioners. Yin and yang are fundamental opposites, and yet, between the two ends of that spectrum, yin and yang are the dynamic, creative, and interdependent forces upon which all health, according to Chinese medicine, relies. 

Continue reading…

By Tory Wegner, LAc, DiplOM, FABORM

​July in North Carolina is a beautiful time of year and the perfect time to take advantage of all the seasonal fruits and vegetables by enjoying salads and homemade smoothies.  It seems fitting that the featured product for July is Smart Basics organic Goji Juice.  Goji berries have been recognized for centuries in Asia for their high nutrient content and powerful antioxidant properties.  Goji berries or gou qi zi is a common herbal medicinal in Traditional Chinese Medicine that is used to nourish and tonify the yin and blood of the body.

Continue reading…

By Tory Wegner, LAc, DiplOM, FABORM

Rainbow light prenatal provides essential nutrients needed while trying to conceive, pregnant, or nursing.  Specially blended vitamins and foods help nourish mom and baby throughout the day.  The serving size in prenatal petites is 3 small pills/day that can be easily swallowed and taken at once or spilt into three servings. ​There are hundreds of brands of prenatals to choose from.  Here are the reasons we like rainbow light so much and choose it over other brands: 

Continue reading…

By Kalpana Dwarikesh

Raitha is a very common dish in India and can be a side dish or condiment. It is a blend of thick yogurt with various vegetables, herbs and spices. It is used as a dip for Indian flat breads as well as being served and mixed alongside curries, pulaos, kabobs, falafel pitas, and/or anything spicy. The yogurt, cucumber and tomatoes soothe the palate to balance the heat.

Continue reading…

By Kolleen Mitchell, LAc, FABORM

What happens right after a car accident can have a traumatic effect on the body and mind. I was in my very first car accident last year and what I did afterwards saved me a lifetime of pain.

Continue reading…

By Toby Helmstetter, LAc

If you've been coming to see me for acupuncture, you may have heard me tout the benefits of Qi Gong. Qi gong is a form of excercise performed by a person to enhance, vitalize, and strengthen their energy. "Qi" means energy, and is described as the motivating force behind all our body's actions. Qi is what allows us to open our eyes in the morning, makes our heart beat, our lungs breathe and our muscles move. "Gong" means work, and qi gong is the act of working our energy, directing it, exercising it, and balancing it. The benfits of qi gong can be found all over the web--Deepak Chopra, Dr. Oz, and Dr. Andrew Weil have all promoted Qi Gong as an important piece in the overall puzzle to create life-long health. 

Continue reading…

By Tory Wegner, LAc, DiplOM

Do you suffer from painful menstrual cramps?  This is a common problem and is experienced by most women at some point, but for others it can be very intense and something they dread every month!  Chinese Medicine has been treating women’s health for thousands of years so there is a lot of evidence about how effective acupuncture and herbal treatment can be at treating painful periods (dysmenorrhea).

Continue reading…

By Katherine Rowe, LAc

Do the words, “just relax,” have the opposite effect on you?  That’s because when your body is in the full-on hormone frenzy that is our stress-mode, it is virtually impossible to “just relax.”  If you’re reading this, you have probably already experienced how wonderfully relaxing an acupuncture session is.  I mean, seriously, not much comes close to the deep, full body relaxation you get after a good acupuncture treatment. 

Continue reading…

By Jennifer Kapraun, LAc

Last week my favorite coffee shop was serving a blend called "Hologram".  As I sipped from my cup, distinct flavors: blueberry, toast, sour, chocolate, bitter, would emerge and then recede and then merge again into the flavor we call "coffee".  That cup of coffee was, in a word, heavenly.  Drinking "Hologram" made me think of one of the central principles of Chinese Medicine:  each part is contained within the whole and the image of the whole is reflected within the confines of each part.

Continue reading…

Continue reading…

Having celebrated our tenth year last year, we have been fortunate to treat and learn about the lives of many people in our community. It is an honor to be a part of the healing journey for so many people, who share with us their stories and the trials and tribulations of their illnesses. We get to see whole families, and their friends, as they transform everything from back pain to infertility; from seasonal allergies to the side-effects of chemotherapy. And because of our patients, we've been honored to win several community awards over the years--from the Best New Business by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce in 2005, to the Independent Weekly's Best of the Trianle three years in a row.

Continue reading…

By Kalpana Dwarikesh

Being intolerant of milk, and because I like the the lovely light nutty taste, I use ghee as a staple in my cooking. It actually is a healthy fat. Unsalted butter (preferably grass fed) is lightly boiled which separates the milk solids (casein & whey) and impurities, leaving butter that is clarified.

Continue reading…