Zoe Finger TCM

Progesterone 🌙 – your “second half of the cycle” hormone

If oestrogen is the main character in the first half of your cycle, progesterone takes over in the second – after ovulation and into your luteal (PMS) phase.

Swipe across to learn: 
✨ Where progesterone comes from
✨ What it actually does in the body
✨ Why it peaks after ovulation
✨ What can happen if it’s too low, too short or not rising properly

If you struggle with spotting before your period, PMS, anxiety, poor sleep or difficulty conceiving, progesterone might be part of the story – not just “bad periods”.

Save this post to come back to, and send it to someone who’s trying to understand their cycle on a deeper level ☄️

ACUPUNCTURE STYLES ⚡️

I have just had the privilege to spend the last 4 days learning Tung Acupuncture at the workshop with Dr Michael Chung.

Tung style acupuncture was passed down through the many generations of the Tung family, and was then shared with the world by the late Master Tung.

This acupuncture styles has its own set of acupuncture points with specific locations and needling techniques. It’s simple in its approach and when done well has outstanding and quick results☄️

My goal- harness the strength and precision of Tung style acupuncture to combine it with my hormonal knowledge, herbal prescriptions and foundational theory to create the most effective and supportive solutions for female health that I can ✨

I can’t wait to put my new skills to the test in the clinic!

If you need hormonal or fertility support use the link in my bio and we can work to achieve your goals together 🤝

Pictured above is a very satisfied and caffeinated Chinese medicine practitioner (me) after completing a 3 day fertility conference today with 😇

It was a great weekend of learning, networking and lots of reflection on my current approaches to my treatments and how I want to move forward in my practice.

We covered a whole range of topics including endometriosis, miscarriage, supplementation, IVF & immune system protocols, pelvic pain, pregnancy acupuncutre and so much more.

And, let’s just say it’s put some pep in my step. As a new practitioner who’s coming up to 1.5 years of practicing it can take time to figure out how you want to position yourself as a practitioner.

What has this weekend reinforced for me? Women’s health has always been a passion of mine and that passion burns brighter as I fall deeper into the world of Chinese Medicine.

So, to sum up my thought… the impact that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can have on women’s health conditions, fertility and pregnancy is so HUGE and I am so excited to continue to grow my knowledge to impart onto all the patients to come my way.

Let’s get to it then ⚡️ head to the link in my bio to work on your hormonal health & fertility journey together!

I am constantly seeing patients coming through the clinic on the tail end of a cold or flu this winter.

It can be hard to avoid when it’s going around and our bodies are extra vulnerable.

These are 4 really simple and easy things that I do every winter to avoid getting sick. Let’s hope I don’t jinx myself here but, so far so good this winter!

If you’re interested in the herbal aspect of treatment or prevention, leave a comment or send me a Dm to learn more! 🌿

Everything in moderation, even moderation 🥴

As a practitioner, I don’t believe in elimination, and rarely, restriction. There’s the famous saying in Chinese medicine “Everything in moderation, even moderation” and I think this says it all.

Nutrition is about listening to your body and giving it what it needs nutrient wise but also what it wants craving wise… in moderation.

The ultimate goal is balance and intuition. We know our bodies better than anyone and we know what it really does want and need to feel its best. So, my belief system is to take time to check in with how you’re actually feeling and what you’re really craving.

If you want the ice cream, have it! It’s delicious! But enjoy it in moderation amongst an array of colourful and nutritious foods.

We have these less nutritious foods in moderation… but, sometimes moderation is out the window. And that’s ok as long as we get back onto the path of balance!

MOVEMENT ⚡️

Walking is one of my favourite forms of exercise and is in my opinion, seriously underrated! It is a fantastic form of exercise that is free, easily accessible and there for you whenever you want it. Not only that, it’s great cardio that doesn’t put stress on the body.

I have a number of patients who, when chatting about exercise, feel embarrassed to say that they “only really walk” or don’t get much movement in.

There is so much pressure to have a regular gym routine, to go to a hectic high intensity gym class or to be able to run 5km on command, but that is such rubbish in my opinion.

Our lives are busy and stressful and we are often quite tired from it all. The way we move our bodies should not be the cause of more stress, but rather an outlet. How and when you move your body looks different for everyone and should be because you enjoy it or because it challenges you or because it’s a stress-release. Ignore the rest of the noise.

So, if you’re struggling to get yourself moving, try adding in a walk to your daily routine. It can be 10-20 minutes one day and 1 hour another. Listen to music, a podcast, walk with friends or family, or use it as time to yourself to think. Just give it a go! ✨🌿

CORTISOL 🥵

Ok, so we've learnt a bit about Insulin... Cortisol is up next.

Cortisol is often referred to as the "stress hormone" and I think it's one of the more commonly known hormones.

The body releases cortisol in response to stress. Now, this can be emotional or physical stress. This can range from work, life or family stresses to any perceived external threats (dangers in the environment around you) to really high intensity exercise.

Cortisol follows a natural daily pattern, following the Circadian Rhythm. Cortisol levels are highest in the morning to help you wake up and gradually decreasing throughout the day as your body begins to wind-down as the sun sets.

What does Cortisol influence?
- Metabolism
- Blood sugar levels
- Memory formation
- Inflammation
- Blood pressure

Cortisol is an important hormone and has many positive effects in the body. However, the concern is when cortisol levels rise too high, this can put your health at risk.

Too much cortisol can lead to:
- Weight gain
- Mood swings
- Difficulty sleeping
- Weakened immune system

So, in summary, Cortisol is an important hormone for the body, but we need to make sure we manage our stress levels to keep our cortisol in check! 🧘‍♀️

Pulse Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine ✨️

During consultation, one of the main diagnostic tools I use is the pulse. The pulses give me insight into what is going on internally.

On a base level, there are three pulses on the inside forearm of both arms. These different pulses give me information on what is going on with each organ and the different sections of body (upper, middle, lower).

Your signs and symptoms will be the big clues that guide me towards a diagnosis, then the pulse comes in to confirm any hypotheses.

So, what am I looking for?
- the pulse rate
- the rhythm
- the strength
- the quality of the pulse

Then, we begin treatment, relieving symptoms and treating the pulse to get to the root of the problem 💫

Some hormone-friendly meal inspiration for you ✨️

As someone with insulin-resistant type PCOS, Coeliac disease and number of Fodmap-sensitivities, a lot of thought goes into my meals. Which honestly, can sometimes get a bit draining.

However, over the last year or two I have really begun to find my footing by identifying my symptom triggers, listening to my body and learning more about macro-nutrients, vitamins and food as a whole.

So, I thought I would start to share some of my 'days on my plate' for others like me.

A few things I want to mention:
1. You'll notice a scale included in my breakfast 'ingredients' - my kitchen scale has recently become one of my most used items. I use it for one purpose: measuring out a portion size.

I want to make sure I am loading my bowl with enough yoghurt to get the full protein serving, I use it to measure out the recommended serving of granola to stay within my 15-20g of carb window, and to measure my tablespoon of PB.

I find this to be a really helpful guide to make sure I'm getting my portion size right when it comes to the macro-nutrients in each product. This is just a guide though, which I can always ignore if I'm really hungry one morning.

2. This is just an indication of my meals in a day and does not include my snacks. I am to have really balanced meals which means some days I don't snack at all out side of my meals, where as some days I snack like crazy.

Zoe 🫐