The Story of Sleep
According to healthdirect.gov.au, 30% of Australians experience insomnia at some point in their lives, although only 5% require professional treatment. Insomnia can last for a short time, or...
Children are full of yang (the energy that makes them grow and develop). We consider them fully physically developed by the age of 7 (girls) and 8 (boys). But as parents we know how easily they bring home sniffles and snotty noses and generously pass them on to us as well, especially in those early years. As annoying as that might be, it’s important for them to be exposed to ‘bugs’ in the environment and ‘run’ fevers to fine tune their immune system. It’s only when they are really weakened – perhaps to unrelenting exposure and ‘infection’ – that there is need for intervention.
As us adults, everything starts with their diet, they are what they eat. If they eat a lot of sugary foods, the endocrine system is in overdrive, flooding the entire system with hormones and the result is, that they become hyperactive.
So here it is, it’s ok to give kids a bland diet of freshly prepared vegetables, some grains and a small amount of proteins, preferably all food that you give your child is not coming out of a packet and is cooked. Chinese medicine doesn’t believe in raw food diets as it puts too much pressure on the digestive system.
In recent years the gut-brain connection has been well established. According to Chinese medicine, the gut also stabilises and nurtures the immune system (via the spleen and the lungs). We never have too much immunity, we always lack it and hence become more susceptible to disease. If your child experience issues with digestion, it’s best to address it early as it’s easier to fix. We treat children as early as six months old. And yes, we also use acupuncture with real needles, but don’t worry, all children love it once they find out how painless it is.
If your child has issues with low immunity or reoccurring gut issues, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicines are great modalities to assist. We use simple point combinations or liquid herbal formulas to correct the body’s imbalance, no matter what the disease is called.
Ideally, we only give herbs for a short period of time, simply to correct the disharmony by a combination of flavours and once the imbalance is addressed and corrected, herbs can be stopped. Kids being more ‘pure’ and ‘unburdened’ usually don’t take very long to bounce back, remember, they are full of yang (which is the energy that drives all processes in the body).
If you have any concerns with your children’s development in any way, please make an appointment with one of our practitioners today.
CHILDREN’S CONSULTS
At Health Connect Shen we offer children’s consults at a reduced rate of only $65 for initials and $45 for subsequent appointments. Speak to one of our qualified therapists today to see how we can help with your child’s heath and well being.
