Thursday, November 10, 2016

Chinese Medicine's Study Stress Tips

Study Stress is normal when you've got end of year final exam time, assignments deadline looming...not to mention the normal life pressure like work, relationships, kids, family and health.
The good news is that Chinese Medicine can help you get through the end of semester season.
Herbalist and Acupuncturist Marie Hopkinson gives some study tips:
  • Study overworks the EARTH element according to Chinese Medicine (CM). The Earth element relates to digestion of food as well as thoughts.
  • Eating regular meals, even though things can be busy is a good idea in your study periond. Try to keep the "meals" smaller and lighter during the lunch time. Have a good breakfast, lighter lunch and a moderate dinner. making vege or vege/bone broth soup is a good way to have something pre-organised for lunch.
  • Nuts are a great snack for students. Nuts are high in protien as well as in Chinese Medicine they benefit the Earth element. The best nuts for study are roasted WALNUTS (looks like a little brain!) then roasted almonds, and then any other nuts other than cashews and peanuts.
  • Take light walks on your breaks. Moving around clears energy stagnation, gets blood flow to your limbs.
  • During exam time start each day with some kind of exercise in the morning.
  • The body and particularly the EARTH element likes regularity.
  • Mix up study time between sitting and standing, read more about the benefits of creating a standing work station here.
Scents for study:
Research shows 2 scents you should be aware of when committing things to memory  Cinnamon & Lavender, one study was done with 3 groups of people doing memory puzzles in rooms with room one - no smell, room two cinnamon and room three lavender essential oils. They found Cinnamon better than no smell, and lavender worse than no smell for memory recall.
Other studies show peppermint to be positively associated with memory. Read some of the research on odours and scents here.


Essential oils are a good way to use scent for study, as they are pure and you can regulate the scent volume yourself. At metro health, we have also made one of our fragrant earth incenses called MINDFUL that helps with memory and study - it's based on Cinnamon, aniseed and ginger (which is good for the Will-Power in Chinese medicine).
If you have trouble getting motivated, you might want to listen to marie's podcast on energy stagnation.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: This information is provided in public interest of keeping people as healthy as possible. Common sense should always be applied. Too much of anything can be hazardous to health. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical advice or diagnosis by a health practitioner. If you have a health condition, you should check with your health care practitioner before using foods as medicine treatments, if you are in any way unsure about the suitability of the food agents, herbs or recipies for your body. In an medical emergency always contact emergency services, call 000 in Australia.
Chinese medicine organs and some words are capitalised to indicate they are different to the biomedical understanding of the organ. In Chinese medicine each organ represents the system of function according to ancient principals of understanding, including the channel system, spiritual, mental and physical functions. The traditional understanding of Chinese medicine organs is actually a functional system often encompass many now biomedically defined aspects such as lymphatic and endocrine (hormone) functions that are attributed to that organ. A lower case letter of an organ will indicate it’s reference to the biomedical organ. EG Kidney  (the Kidney functions of CM) and kidney (biomedical/physical kidney).
This article is written by Marie Hopkinson, the Chinese Herbalist & Acupuncturist at Metro Health and Medicine in North Perth. Marie is available for consultation by calling 1300 132 830 or email info@metrohealth.com.au
(C) Marie Hopkinson 2016 Reproduction permissible only with express permission of author.

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