Sandra T. Avendano Speaks!

If yes, I have an explanation for you.   According to  Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) , every season has corresponding organs it affects.  Autumn, for example, is the time to consider the health and proper functioning of the lungs and the large intestine. The Lungs Let’s look at how it all unfolds.  The lungs are essentially our direct link to the outside world.  We inhale oxygen through our lungs and through a chemical reaction in the lungs, the red blood cells transport oxygen to every cell in our body.  When the climate becomes cooler, the air we breathe is thus cooler and lighter.  It is very typical that once the temperature drops, we turn up our heating systems to make it warmer and to reduce the dampness inside our homes.  Consequently, our lungs will need to work harder to make quick adjustments from breathing cooler/damper air outside to warmer/dryer air indoors.  If we don't spend much time outdoors, our lung...

The big sleep is over!  As the spring rainfalls cleanse the last signs of winter, we need to adopt seasonal rituals that do the same for our bodies as we are, after all, part of the nature that surrounds us.   Spring is not only about nature’s awakening, but a time for us to cleanse our bodies, purify our minds and nourish our soul through detoxifying diets and practices to remove and release stagnant energies trapped over the long winter months. What does it mean to cleanse (or detoxify) your body? To detoxify or cleanse your body means giving your body a break, especially your digestive system. You give your intestines (the headquarters of your immune system) the time to flush out the extra toxins accumulated in the liver through the winter season. Traditional Chinese Medicine supports the idea that spring is the time of year when the liver and gallbladder work the hardest cleansing the blood – which is the first step in detoxification.  The liver is t...