Winter Survival Guide for Psoriasis
Many people look forward to the cooler months of autumn and winter, with their crisp, cool air bringing relief from summer’s heat and humidity. However, those who suffer from psoriasis may not be so happy...
Author: Teresa Durling
Staying Healthy with the Seasons: Winter
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), having been around for more than 3,000 years, is rooted in the philosophy that people should live in harmony with their environment. Winter is a time for hibernation, and as...
Your Skin – A Hard-Working Protector for your Body
Your skin is your largest organ. Besides your digestive system, it is the main interface between you and the outside world. Being one of your chief defense systems, it is also where a large...
What to Do About Common Summertime Skin Rashes
Besides sunburn, because more of your skin is generally exposed in the summertime, it is common to encounter something that your skin really doesn’t like. Certain plants, and even the sun, may cause skin...
Green Tea: Nature’s Solution to Problem Skin
Tea, also known by its botanical name, camellia sinensis, is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. According to legend, in 2732 B.C. Emperor Shen Nong accidentally discovered tea when leaves...
Dermova Skin Brightening Cream – Effective and Safe Skincare
As people age, it is common to develop some sort of discoloration of the skin – usually spots or patches of dark discoloration. Two of the most common types of too much pigment (hyperpigmentation)...
Natural, Effective Solutions for Springtime Skin Allergies
During the long, cold months of winter, it is normal for all of your body’s systems to slow down. This includes the function of your skin – your body’s largest organ. When your skin’s...
Spring is the Best Time to Renew and Detoxify Your Body
This year, Chinese New Year falls on Friday, February 16. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, New Year’s Day is also officially the start of Spring. Springtime is a time of expansion, new life,...
Start the New Year Right with Healthy Eating
The holidays are a time to gather together with family and friends, to celebrate and enjoy life. A large part of the holiday times is eating traditional foods, which are generally very...
Is Taking Turmeric a Good Idea If You Have a Skin Problem?
Turmeric, a bright yellow spice often found in Indian curries, has become popular in recent years for its health promoting anti-inflammatory properties. Controlling inflammation is important because chronic, low-level inflammation is thought to be...
How to Stay Healthy During the Holidays
For most of us, the holidays are a time that we look forward to – spending time with family and friends, travel, eating really good food, relaxing, and enjoying all the traditions associated...
How to Care for Dry Skin in the Fall
Traditional Chinese Medicine is holistic medicine. It treats the whole person, and also follows the cycles of nature to achieve harmony. One concept in Chinese medicine is that the seasons of the year correspond...
How to Stay Cool in the Summertime with Traditional Chinese Food Therapy
The ultimate goal of Traditional Chinese Medicine is to bring the body, mind, and spirit back into balance and harmony. There are 2 main concepts in Chinese medicine that help to explain how we...
Understanding Melasma from a Chinese Medicine Perspective
Melasma is a common skin condition in which dark patches appear on the skin, most commonly on the cheeks, bridge of the nose, forehead, upper lip, and chin – areas of the face that...
Happy Spring – Flowers, Sunshine….. and Allergies!
Springtime is a time to enjoy new growth after a long winter – flowers blooming, tender leaves sprouting in the trees. Unfortunately for some, Spring can also bring on miserable allergy symptoms. Allergies are...
Healthy Immune System = Healthy Skin
Your skin and your immune system both play a huge role in protecting you from things in the environment that may cause harm and disease. Your skin is the largest organ of your body,...
Management of Dermatitis from a Chinese Medicine Perspective
What is dermatitis? In medical terms, ‘derm’ refers to the skin, and ‘-itis’ simply means that something is inflamed. So dermatitis is literally ‘inflammation of the skin.’ This is a very broad term that...
The Year of the Fire Rooster – Chinese New Year 2017
How do you say Happy New Year in Chinese? There are many languages spoken in China, but the two most common are Mandarin (mainland China) and Cantonese (Hong Kong). Here is how to say...
Why Chinese Herbal Medicine is Better than Topical Steroids for Children’s Eczema
According to the National Eczema Association, the prevalence of eczema in children in the U.S. is 10.7%. So, that’s basically 1 in 10 kids who have eczema – that’s a lot of kids, and...
Self-Care Tips for Vitiligo Patients
Vitiligo is one among many autoimmune disorders. With an autoimmune disorder, the immune system has become confused. It sees the healthy tissue of the body as a foreign substance that it must protect you...
Flower Essences – The Subtle Healing Power of Nature
The healing power of plants is undeniable. Flowers uplift our mood, promote health and well-being, and nurture us on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. But besides what we can experience with our senses...
Common Acupressure Points for Self Care
Acupressure, a type of massage, is one of the many types of treatments commonly employed in the Traditional Chinese Medicine healing system. Other types of therapies include acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, exercise, dietary therapy, and more....
How Does Acupuncture Work?
What is acupuncture? According to a definition on Google: Acupuncture is “a system of complementary medicine that involves pricking the skin or tissues with needles, used to alleviate pain and to treat various physical,...
The Elusive, Difficult-but-Easy-to-Define Concept of Qi
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there are 4 vital substances of life: Qi (pronounced “chee”), Blood, Body Fluids, and Essence. This article will focus on the first one: Qi. So, what is Qi? Qi...
Vitamin C – A Possible Non-Prescription Option to Treat Heart Disease?
In line with the previous post on how sugar contributes to heart disease by causing inflammation in the arteries, there is yet another perspective on how to avoid and ultimately heal heart disease naturally –...
How to Avoid a Heart Attack (Hint: It’s Not What You Think)
The heart – arguably one of the most hard-working organs of the body. The heart is a muscle that works non-stop from the time you are in the womb until the day you die. The...
The Benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a vast and comprehensive medical system that was first developed in ancient China more than 3,000 years ago. There are several different therapies that comprise this complex and beautiful system....
Treating Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) with Chinese Medicine
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a group of emotional and physical symptoms linked to the menstrual cycle. PMS symptoms occur one to two weeks before a menstrual period starts. The most common symptoms include depression, mood...
Treating Menstrual Cramps (Dysmenorrhea) with Chinese Medicine
In an ideal situation, menstruation should be painless and accompanied by minimal pre- and post-menstrual signs and symptoms. However, for many women, the monthly period can be very uncomfortable. This pain can manifest itself...
Treating Menopause and Perimenopause with Chinese Medicine
One of the great strengths of Chinese herbal medicine is in being able to balance women’s hormones. Both menopause and pmenopause are treated very effectively using Chinese herbal medicine. What is the difference between menopause...
Treating Heavy Menstrual Bleeding with Chinese Medicine
Menorrhagia is the medical term for menstrual periods with abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding. Menstrual periods are considered heavy when a woman’s menstrual flow soaks a sanitary pad or tampon every hour for several consecutive...
Treating Absent Periods (Amenorrhea) with Chinese Medicine
Absent periods (amenorrhea) are referred to as Bi Jing in Chinese. Jing means menstruation, and bi means ‘shut’ or ‘closed’. There are different types of amenorrhea: Primary Amenorrhea – when a woman has not...
The 5 Elements of Chinese Medicine – Earth
This is the final segment of the 5 Elements series – Earth. Unlike the other 4 elements of Chinese medicine (Wood, Fire, Metal and Water), the Earth element does not have its own unique...
Natural Skin Rejuvenation – Skin Detox and Anti-Aging Formulas
At Merry Clinic, our healing philosophy is such that we seek to bring harmony and balance to the body, healing from within. Your skin, the largest organ of your body, is a mirror reflecting...
The 5 Elements of Chinese Medicine – Fire
This is the 4th article on the 5 Elements of Chinese medicine – Fire. Since it is almost Winter, hopefully you are nice and warm sitting in front of a fireplace right now. Actually, the...
The 5 Elements of Chinese Medicine – Wood
The next element in our 5 Elements series is Wood. Although we are currently approaching Wintertime, this post will give you something to look forward to. Wood is the element associated with Springtime! In the Wintertime, life...
The 5 Elements of Chinese Medicine – Water
The second installment in our Elements of Chinese Medicine series is Water. The season of the year associated with Water is Wintertime. Winter is the time when things in nature are contracted, dormant, and...
The 5 Elements of Chinese Medicine – Metal
Continuing from the previous blog article on Yin-Yang and the 5 elements, we will now delve deeper into each of the 5 elements, to see what they are all about. Are you Ready? Let’s do...
Fundamentals of Chinese Medicine – Yin-Yang and the 5 Elements
Traditional Chinese medicine has a rich history that is more than 3,000 years old. According to this ancient philosophy, health is a result of the person being in balance with nature, and disease is...
Inflammation, Cortisol, and Stress: the Mind-Body Connection
Inflammation has received a lot of press in recent years, and for good reason. It is defined as a localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes reddened, swollen, hot, and often painful,...
Gut Feeling: A Few Interesting Facts About Bacteria and Gut Health
In recent years, there has been a lot of talk in the health spheres regarding the connection between the health of your gut and overall health. The term ‘gut’ refers to your entire digestive...
Telomeres: The Fountain of Youth?
For all of us, aging is inevitable. As the years go by, we are all affected differently, some of us appearing to age much faster than others. We are the sum of our life...
Mindfulness – How to Thrive in a Stressful World
What is mindfulness? One dictionary definition is: “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.”...
Vitamin K – What is It? Why Do I Need it?
Following the previous blog post on Vitamin D, let’s now take a look at a related vitamin – Vitamin K. Vitamin K is the key vitamin that helps the blood to clot. The technical...
Vitamin D – Do You Need to Supplement?
Before taking any type of health supplements, even before taking a prescription drug, a healthy diet is the foundation of optimal health. However, even if you have a good diet, many factors prevent us from getting all...
Healthy Eating, Demystified
With so much dietary advice available these days, it’s extremely difficult and confusing to know how to eat properly for optimal health. Do you stock up on all the superfoods? Do you eat less...
The Amazing Healing Power of Manuka Honey
Manuka honey is produced only in New Zealand. It gets its name from the tree that the bees pollinate – the Leptospermum scoparium tree, commonly known as manuka or tea tree. This is different...
Too Much Sitting Can Be Bad for Your Health (Even If You Exercise)
For the time that it takes you to read this article, please remain standing. The reason I ask you to do this is that too much sitting can be very bad for your health,...
Acupuncture: What It Does and How It Can Help You
Acupuncture is a medical procedure which uses hair-thin needles that are inserted in various parts of the body in order to treat various types of medical conditions. It was first developed in China thousands...
Chinese New Year
How do you say Happy New Year in Chinese? There are many languages spoken in China, but the two most common are Mandarin (mainland China) and Cantonese (Hong Kong). Here is how to say...
Tips for Natural Weight Loss with Chinese Medicine
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States, the percentage of adults age 20 years and older who are obese is 35.1%. The Percentage of adults age 20...
Tea: Health for Mind, Body, and Spirit
According to legend, tea was discovered by the emperor Shen Nong about 5,000 years ago in China. Shen Nong is credited with developing the practices of agriculture and herbal medicine in ancient China. It...
Tai Chi for Health
Tai Chi Chuan (or Tai Chi) is a Chinese martial art practiced for both its defensive and health benefits. The name Tai Chi Chuan translates as “supreme ultimate fist.” Its origins stem from the...
EcDermaid Face and Body Spray: How Does it Work?
The EcDermaid Face and Body Spray provides fast and long term relief from symptoms of itching, redness, and dryness associated with eczema or dermatitis. It is designed for ultra sensitive skin, such as that...
Herbal Spotlight: The Amazing Power of Ginseng Root
Ginseng, or ren shen as it is called in Mandarin Chinese, is an herb with many amazing properties. There are many different types of ginseng found in various locations throughout the world, mainly in...
Staying Healthy with the Seasons: Fall
It is now October, time to start putting away the summer clothes, and taking out the cozy sweaters and jackets. It is a time for multicolored trees of red, orange and gold, and brightly...
Water: The Chemical Basis of Life and Health
Water: The Chemical Basis of Life and Health For those Star Trek fans out there, there is an episode of The Next Generation in which an alien refers to humans as “…bags of mostly...
A Natural Remedy from the Dead Sea – Beneficial Mineral Salts
A Natural Remedy from the Dead Sea – Beneficial Mineral Salts The Dead Sea is an inland sea located in the Middle East, bordering the countries of Jordan, Palestine and Israel, 1280 feet below...
Beauty Sleep: Not Just Skin Deep
Beauty Sleep: Not Just Skin Deep We all know of the importance of getting a good night’s sleep, but here are some interesting facts you may not already know: • Not getting enough sleep...
Herbal Spotlight: Psoralea (bu gu zhi) – A Treatment for Vitiligo
Herbal Spotlight: Psoralea (bu gu zhi) – A Treatment for Vitiligo What is vitiligo? Vitiligo (pronounced vit-ill-EYE-go) is a skin disorder that causes the loss of normal skin color in spots or patches. It...
Eczema and the Atopic Triad
What Is Eczema? Eczema or atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common condition that causes redness, extreme itching, scaling, flaking, and sometimes leaking of fluid from the skin. It may also be associated with frequent...
Steroids Or Chinese Herbal Medicine for Inflammation: What’s the Difference?
Inflammation has been in the news quite a bit lately. It has both positive and negative effects on health. Under normal circumstances, inflammation is a necessary and important function of the body. It is...
Dietary Therapy: An Introduction to Chinese Food Energetics
There is a well-known quote by the ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” The ancient Chinese doctors were well aware of this concept, even before Hippocrates....
Autoimmune Disorders and Chinese Herbal Medicine
Our bodies have many amazing types of defense mechanisms that work together to protect us from anything coming from the outside that may be a threat. They are constantly defending us against bacteria,...
‘Wind-Heat’ in Skin Disorders
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a skin rash that is red and itchy is a manifestation of what is known as ‘wind-heat.’ The wind aspect is the itching part, and the redness and inflammation...
Wind – What It Means in Chinese Medicine
There are many differences between Chinese and Western medicine. One of the ways they are different is in how they describe illness. What Western medicine would describe in concrete, scientific terms, Chinese medicine would...
