Tending Ourselves :
Body , Mind , and Spirit
By Dr . Jennifer L . Yocum , Licensed Acupuncturist
The Late Summer in Chinese Medicine is the season that deals with how well we tend and “ mother ” ourselves . At 45 years old , I am in the stage of life where I have younger children , but also aging parents . I am tasked with balancing the needs of my kids , my parents , and myself . Recently , my parents ’ health has gone downhill and required more attention from us kids to ensure they are going to doctor ’ s visits and other daily tasks . As painful as it is to see my
16 LakeTalk August 2023 parents age not-so-gracefully , it has motivated me to take my health even more seriously , so that I don ’ t end up like either of them as I get older .
I ’ m committed to aging not only gracefully , but aging well . I want to be able to be physically and mentally active my whole life , to travel the world , to speak and teach to whoever will listen , and to fully embrace life . I ’ m guessing that if you ’ re reading this article , that you feel the same . If it is our intention to age well , then it means that tending ourselves at the body , mind , and spirit level , needs to take priority .
Body - While all three dimensions ( body , mind , and spirit ) are important , taking care of your body is key . This is the vessel we have been given for this lifetime , and if we don ’ t treat it well , we age poorly and shorten our lifespan .
Food - What we put in our bodies is probably the most important and direct way to affect our health . Eating whole foods ( a . k . a . an apple , not an apple pie ) and avoiding “ ultraprocessed ” foods ( foods that come in boxes or containers and contain lots of ingredients , especially ones you can ’ t pronounce easily ) is the simplest