With the holidays upon us, it's time to think green-in food, decorations, and gift-wraps, trees, and anything else that helps sustain our planet for generations of holidays to come.

 Winter means many things, some of them not as positive as hot cocoa and holidays. Cold, dry weather can wreak havoc on the skin, and one place often requires special attention is a person's foot. Feet are often neglected when it comes to lotion and other skin care methods that the rest of the body daily receives. In winter, foot eczema is a common occurrence. Eczema is the result of extreme dry skin that forms into a scaly, red, often itchy rash.

 Oriental herbs can effectively treat eczema and provide fast relief. Herbs that prove helpful for this condition include Flos Ionicerae (Japanese honeysuckle), Herba Mentae (peppermint), Cortex Moutan (root bark of a peony tree), Atractylodes Rhizome (the underground stem of the Atractylodes herb), and Cortex Phellodendri (Amur cork-tree bark). A licensed practitioner of Oriental medicine can prescribe and concoct a mixture of these five herbs, which can be taken orally (the extracts are placed into a pill capsule) once daily.

From the exuberant growth of spring to the chilling winds of winter, the seasons have a profound effect on our health and the way we live our lives. Nutrition in Chinese medicine considers multiple factors such as a person's body type, age, energy, and seasonal influences. In this way, a proper diet is used in Oriental medicine as both a healing and disease prevention system. By noting seasonal changes and influences and changing a diet accordingly, people can maximize their health during all times of the year.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, winter is the season in which yin gathers and hides qi (one's life force) in deeper layers. In physical terms, this means that the body is particularly susceptible to cold disorders, which can manifest as the flu, a sore throat, or breathing illness (like bronchitis).

Traditional Chinese Medicine has developed a variety of herbs, prescriptions, and therapies to treat practically any health problem, and that includes breathing ailments. These remedies are often a departure from conventional Western drugs and modalities. Their goal is typically to address the underlying causes of a particular health issue. One can't stress strongly enough that being able to breathe naturally is critically important in restoring the body's natural harmony. Traditional Chinese Medicine has achieved some noteworthy results in healing many breathing disorders that often fail to respond to Western medicine.

Pacific College, San Diego has redesigned its community clinic shift to reflect the original community-style acupuncture model. The high cost of health care has affected many Americans and Pacific College attempts to address this problem by serving patients who many not have the time or the finances to afford a more "private," in-depth treatment. Pacific College's San Diego campus will be offering its new community clinic every Friday from 1:30 pm to 4:15 pm and each treatment will be fifteen dollars.

In addition to being less expensive and time consuming, these community clinic visits are less comprehensive. Each visit will focus solely on one symptom of the patient. The goal of these treatments is to relieve symptoms of one major condition at a time. Acupuncture can alleviate problems including allergies, asthma, anxiety, carpal tunnel, headaches, insomnia, neck/shoulder tension, sinusitis, smoking addictions, and can help with appetite control. Each of these ailments can be address in Pacific College's new community clinic program.

According to the 1982 Surgeon General's Report, cigarette smoking is the single cause of cancer deaths in the United States. That report is still accurate today. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 46.2 million American adults are current smokers - that is 22.8% of all adults; nearly 1 in 4 people. Even though lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, since smoking is a voluntary act, the mortality rate is preventable.

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine wants to help defeat this high mortality rate and to celebrate the strength of those that have managed to quit smoking completely. With the aid of Oriental medicine, Pacific College offers help to those trying to quit and encourages giving up cigarettes for good.

Traditional Chinese Medicine understands that the approach to healthy skin in the winter, or any time of the year for that mater - starts from the inside out. Skin care has become a multi-billion dollar industry in the West, yet most of these products contain drugs or harsh chemicals that often do little to improve the root cause of a skin condition, and in some circumstances may actually exacerbate the problem.

North American Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day is an annual event that observes the positive impact Oriental medicine has had on hundreds of lives.  Pacific College of Oriental Medicine will celebrate North American Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day at all three of its campuses, San Diego, New York, and Chicago on October 24, 2008.

‘Asian body therapy' is a term that applies to several methods of healing. Body therapy can include acupuncture, acupressure, qi gong, tui na, and Thai massage. Each of these methods originated in different areas of Asia (from China and Japan to Thailand),  and each utilizes the idea that the spirit, mind and body are intricately connected. Traditional Chinese medicine theory involves the five elements of Earth, Wind, Water, Metal, and Wood and believes that these elements play a role in a person's health. Along with the five natural elements, there are the 12 primary meridians and eight extraordinary meridians that are thought to be channels of energy constantly running through a person's body.

Each practice of Asian body therapy works with these channels and elements to maintain and enhance well being. Acupuncture involves placing tiny needles at specific points along the meridians that correspond with a person's ailments or emotions. Acupressure does the same thing, but replaces the use of needles with the practitioner's hands. Pressure is placed along the meridian lines by being applied to a person's knees, hands, elbows, and even fingers. Tui na and Thai massage are two different forms of massage that can provide instant pain relief and relaxation. Tui na in particular, uses specific points of pressure and kneading to alleviate joint pains and tense muscles.

Sports teams, athletic organizations, and sports medicine clinics are on the lookout for acupuncturists and Oriental massage practitioners.  Many have discovered that keeping the body in balance through massage and acupuncture allows for more efficient and effective training, which is the surest way to improve performance.

A wide range of athletes including swimmers, runners, and tri-athletes are benefiting from the physical and mental stimulation and inner calmness created by acupuncture treatments. Many insist that acupuncture helps them cross ‘the pain barrier,' allowing them to generate the endorphin hormones that lead to euphoric feelings and less pain. This endorphin high, occurring usually after an hour of extreme effort, results after acupuncture.