by Victoria A. Liotta, DAc, LAc, LMT
Spring is a wonderful time of year with its longer days and warmer temperatures. Everything is full of life! The landscape shows a variety of hues, from red, yellow, blue, and, of course, green. Even in June, when the season
changes to summer, plants flourish and reach up to the sky with their beauty.
Household plants are so helpful to us. First off, they absorb carbon dioxide and other harmful chemicals from the air. According to a NASA study, big, leafy plants are especially effective in removing contaminants from our homes. Many of our green friends absorb formaldehyde, which is found in furniture and other household materials. Lilies and spider plants are good for removing formaldehyde, along with ivy, which absorbs the radiation from electronics. Chlorophytum decomposes carcinogens, such as benzene and nicotine, from tobacco. Members of the cactus family are a good choice for purifying the air and reducing bacteria. Aloe vera releases high amounts of oxygen and is a powerful air filter.
Plants contain chlorophyll, which can be viewed as the “blood” of plants. It is similar to blood, although its central element is magnesium, not iron. Acupuncturists look for Chinese medicine-based patterns in order to treat conditions effectively. Chlorophyll is nourishing to those with the Chinese medicine pattern known as blood deficiency. Characteristics of blood deficiency include fatigue, dry skin, brittle nails, pale lips, pale complexion, hair loss, and sometimes insomnia. Women that have a scanty menstrual flow or have given birth recently tend to be blood deficient. Those with blood loss due to trauma can also become blood deficient. Anemia indicates blood deficiency; however, blood deficiency can present without anemia.
The chlorophyll from plants is beneficial to us by increasing the amount of our red blood cells, and thus oxygen in the body. Chemotherapy patients tend to become blood deficient; supplementation with liquid chlorophyll, with the go ahead from an M.D., can play a role in nourishing and rejuvenating the blood. Wheatgrass is also beneficial, due to its high amounts of chlorophyll. Acupuncture plays a role in treating blood deficiency by stimulating points on the body that tonify or build the blood.
According to medieval scholar and spiritual healer Hildegard of Bingen, we should think of ourselves as plants. Drink plenty of water, enjoy fresh air and sunlight, and reach upward and outward to promote beauty and healing to all those around.
Victoria A. Liotta
Victoria A. Liotta, DAc, LAc, LMT, is a doctor of acupuncture at Inner Source Health, in Huntington Village. As an acupuncturist and massage therapist, she has experience treating headaches and body pain, and frequently aids those with anxiety and depression. For more information, call 631-421-1848 or visit InnerSourceHealth.com.
