Jenise Parris L.Ac.

2016-07-07T11:46:00.002-04:00

Spring Renewal- New Beginnings

The yin introspective energy of winter is giving way to the yang expansive energy of spring. The concept of reaching outward while staying firmly rooted is brilliantly revealed with the newly budding trees, plants, and flowers arriving with their vital force pushing to the surface showing their radiant beauty. We too are a part of the microcosm of these universal energies and are internally stirred by the creative expansive nature of spring arriving.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the principles of the 5 elements; wood, fire, earth, metal, and water teach us that all change occurs in these five distinct phases. Each of these phases is associated with a particular time of year, a specific element in nature and a pair of organs in the body. Spring is represented by the wood element and includes the liver and it’s paired organ the gallbladder. The Liver nourishes and moistens tendons; sinews and eyes as well as the organ associated with the free flow of qi or energy though the body. The liver modulates the intensity of force of all body movement and processes. Keeping “liver qi” free flowing assures a free and easy journey in life. The liver energy is fully activated in the spring making this a time to cleanse, repair and restore our bodies and mind.

The spring awakening is an opportune time to let go of negative behaviors, unproductive thought patterns, and unnecessary clutter, while instead embarking upon new endeavors where goals, dreams and passions can come to fruition. A renewed commitment to taking care of health of both body and mind can take center stage. Eating foods that nourish, finding ways to move your body that bring joy and taking time to quiet the mind and listen to your inner wisdom though self-reflection and meditation can restore emotional and physical resilience. These renewed commitments to health can help with becoming more firmly rooted, centered and balance. This centered and firmly rooted place then becomes the springboard for taking flight to new possibilities and reaching new heights of personal growth, development and wisdom.

Acupuncture and herbal therapy can restore and renew your body, mind and sprit. Are you ready to soar?

The Bulging Disc and Back Pain...

2013-02-27T12:01:00.000-05:00

The Bulging Disc and Back Pain…

Linda came to the office with her MRI report in hand. The report revealed minimal disc bulges in her lower back from lumbar 2 to lumbar 5, and degenerative bony ridges from lumbar 5 into sacral 1.

The good news was that she did not require surgery or have a more serious condition like a herniation of the discs or spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal cord). The bad news was that she was in constant pain and had a limited range of motion throughout her lower back.

Linda had been suffering with right-sided back pain for the past fourteen months. She experienced daily pain varying anywhere from a dull ache to sharp and shooting pain. Linda had to limit any bending or twisting, and had even giving up exercising on her stationary bike because of the pain.

The doctor had prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs and muscular relaxants along with physical therapy. The physical therapy had helped reduce the stiffness in her low back, but did not help with her pain levels.

Linda wanted to be able to stop taking her anti-inflammatories and her pain medications as she felt they were affecting her health adversely. But without a solution, she was still in too much pain and discomfort to stop.

Intake

During our intake, Linda was anxious and concerned that she would suffer from stiffness, pain, and limited range of motion in her lower back for the rest of her life. Linda was a 42-year-old single mother with an 11-year-old son to support. She had endured a contentious divorce several years back and had been given sole custody of her son, which left very little time for self-care or exercise.

Linda was forced to juggle childcare with her busy work schedule. She had no support system from her family for backup childcare, and she was tense and exhausted most evenings. Her job in finance required long periods of time sitting at the computer as well as a 45-minute commute on the train to and from work in the city three days a week.

I noticed as we spoke that she had forwardly rolled shoulders with a forward head alignment, which compromised the health of her lower back. The weight of her rounded shoulder and forward head placed her lower back in an over-stretched position creating stress on her muscular skeletal structure, particularly in the lumbar spine. This set the stage for the beginning of her disc issues.

How did the Back Pain Begin?

Linda believed that the heavy computer she carried back and forth to work was the culprit that led up to the painful episode fourteen months earlier. She worked from home in the suburbs two days a week, requiring her to lug her large work computer back and forth from the city on a weekly basis.

One morning, preparing to leave for the office, she twisted her torso when lifting her heavy computer and noticed a painful twinge in the right side of her lower back. The pain persisted throughout the day and by that evening she was unable to sleep because of the stabbing pain in her lower back. The rest is history.

What is a Bulging Disc?

A bulging disc occurs in the spinal cord, most often in the lumbar spine (the lower back). These discs are composed of soft, gelatinous material inside, surrounded by tough cartilage on the outside. The discs serve as a cushion for the vertebra of the spine. A bulge occurs when a disc shifts out of its normal radius. It is usually the tough outer layer of cartilage that gets displaced or flattened down.

A herniated disc tends to be a more serious condition. This occurs when there is a crack in the tough outer layer of the cartilage of the disc, allowing the soft inner gelatinous material to protrude out of the disc. Bulging or herniated discs both can cause pain and dysfunction in the muscular skeletal system if there is compression of the nerve.

Homework

We had to get to the root cause of Linda’s pain. The lack of daily exercise and poor alignment had lead to a weakening of the spinal ligaments and joints and predispositioned her to disc problems.

First, her alignment needed to be addressed and improved upon. We discussed proper neck, shoulder, and hip position when sitting and standing. It became very important to bring proper alignment into her work place as she sat at her computer, and equally important to carry and lift her computer and any other heavy objects with good form.

She eagerly bought an ergonomically engineered office chair for her home,

started taking stretching breaks during her workdays at the computer, and started daily exercise. She was given core exercises to strengthen her back and abdominals. She also began cycling on her home exercise bike again, at first for only ten minutes at a low resistance and then increased the intensity, duration, and frequency as she became stronger.

She found that if she did her back exercises in the morning and evening and used her bike several days a week, the pain in her lower back lessened significantly. Linda also found the “MELT” method -- using a soft foam roller to relax her tight spinal muscles -- was very useful in her recovery.

Chinese Diagnosis

I diagnosed Linda with chronic “stagnation of qi and blood.” This is characterized by a severe, stabbing pain that becomes worse with inactivity and better with light exercise. She found that sitting, standing, or lying down for extended periods of time made the pain worse. The affected area was tender to the touch and there was also marked rigidity and stiffness of the back muscles and an inability to flex, extend, or rotate at the waist.

The Treatment

We began acupuncture treatments once a week for twelve weeks, and then every other week for four more weeks until Linda was pain free. Afterwards she came in for maintenance treatments every six to eight weeks.

I placed acupuncture points locally to increase blood circulation, reduce inflammation, and decrease muscle stiffness and tightness. Distal acupuncture points were also used to help move blood and qi throughout the meridian of the spine, starting at the base of the cranium and ending at points near her ankles. Needles were also placed next to the lumbar vertebrae to encourage the disc to heal.

Moxibustion, an burned herb (mug wart), was used to warm the acupuncture points to further increase blood circulation and relax the tight musculature. Cupping was also utilized to reduce blood stagnation and to relieve the tight muscles and fascia around her lower back -- lessening the pull on the vertebrae and discs.

At the end of the acupuncture sessions, sometimes tui na (medical massage) was used to help further reduce the tight knotted fascia throughout her spinal muscles. Linda also used a moist heating pad in the evenings for twenty minutes to help relax her tight muscles and to further encourage good circulation and blood flow.

End Results

Linda was able to stop all pain and anti-inflammatory medication. She is careful about maintaining her core strength, flexibility, and her cardiovascular health. She has learned how to work at her desk with good alignment and take well-deserved stretching breaks throughout her workday. But most importantly, she is now pain free.

Working with Linda was a pleasure as she was highly motivated to incorporate all that she was learned during our treatments into her daily life. She would have struggled with ongoing back pain if she had not taken responsibility for her own health. It takes commitment and discipline to maintain radiant health and Linda has them both.

2013…Year of the Snake

2013-02-13T17:21:00.000-05:00

2013 is the year of the black Snake begins on February 10th shortly after the New moon in Aquarius, the humanitarian of the zodiac. This 2013 year of Snake is meant for steady progress and attention to detail. Focus and discipline will be necessary for you to achieve what you set out to create. The Snake is the sixth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 Animal Signs. It is the enigmatic, intuitive, introspective, refined and collected of the Animals Signs. Ancient Chinese wisdom says a Snake in the house is a good omen because it means that your family will not starve.

Oh my aching lower back and hip…

2013-02-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

Oh my aching lower back and hip…

Back pain can sideline the strongest of us. When an ache becomes a chronic pain, even something as small as a single step can feel like too much. Here is one woman’s story of coming back from the sidelines to recover from a seemingly endless amount of pain, and how acupuncture helped.

Mindy’s Pain

Mindy came to my office after suffering for one year from bursitis in her right hip and referred tightness and soreness in her low back. She had made all the rounds with the medical doctors and had all the tests and procedures needed to diagnose bursitis of the hip. At the end of the day she was told to take over the counter anti-inflammatories and have physical therapy sessions twice weekly.

Even with the anti-inflammatories and physical therapy, the pain was unbearable. Too much walking, standing, or sitting caused the hip to ache, which then referred into the right side of her back and into her right knee. She had difficulty getting up and down from seated positions. She walked with a limp and could not get comfortable sitting, standing, or lying down. Her sleep was disturbed because her hip pain woke her throughout the night. She had a 24/7 pain cycle that kept her very stressed, anxious, and depressed.

After months of painful physical therapy did nothing to relive the hip and back pain, Mindy’s doctor resorted to injections of cortisone shots into her aching hip. But this proved ineffective as well. Her doctor told her to take her medications daily for the pain and that she should “be happy that she didn’t have arthritis in her hip.” She felt dismissed and discouraged with this “recommendation.”

Why Acupuncture?

Through the entire ordeal Mindy had also been receiving massage therapy. While this helped her relax, it did nothing to relieve the pain. After months, her massage therapist recommended that she try acupuncture for her chronic hip and back pain. And that was how Mindy ended up in such a desperate state at my office.

The year of pain and suffering had taken its toll on Mindy. She was losing hope in returning to her “normal” life. She was an articulate, youthful 62 years old when we met and she had lived a very active, full life up until the hip and back pain had sidelined her. Happily married with two grown children and two grandchildren, her life was full with family, friends, and travel.

Before the pain she adored spending time with her young grandchildren that were only a train ride away. Her daughter relied on her to help with the children and up until the chronic pain, Mindy was always up to the task. It frustrated her that she could no longer go to the park with her grandchildren or get down on the floor to play with them -- not to mention that she could not longer walk around NYC without hip and lower back pain.

Before the pain she often volunteered her time, going to third world countries to participate in building homes and structures in depressed communities. The builds were very physically and mentally demanding, lasting for several weeks at a time, and were impossible for her to even consider with the pain. She had cancelled all her upcoming builds due to her physical problems and this felt like the beginning of a long life of pain, suffering, and inactivity.

As we sat and talked during our initial intake, I noticed that she was sad and lacked confidence that she would ever have the physical ability to live her former full life again. She usually walked three miles up steep hills every weekend with friends, which was a great source of exercise, fun, and social connection for her. But with her hip pain, this was out of the question. The pain was taking away, little by little, all the things in life that were rewarding and brought her pleasure.

The Goal

Mindy had always been a powerhouse, full of life and passion. She constantly was helping and giving back to her family, friends, and communities around the world. Although she had little hope that she would regain her old life, she had some dreams.

She hoped that she would be able to go on a build again, to give back to the communities she so cared about. She hoped to play with her grandchildren with ease, rejoin her friends on the weekends, and start enjoying her normal day-to-day activities again.

I made no promises or guarantees except that I would do everything in my power to help mend her hip and back. This is when I wished for my magic wand, to wave her back to her former active self.

The Diagnosis

Mindy’s Chinese Medicine diagnosis was “qi and blood stagnation” as well as “cold damp bi” (pain) syndrome. This was an acute condition that had persisted for the past year, now turning her condition into a chronic one -- much tougher to resolve.

Bursitis is a painful condition that affects the small fluid sacs, call bursae, that cushion the surroundings bones, tendons, and muscles around the joint spaces in the body. The bursae reduce friction on the joints during movement and it is when these bursae become inflamed that bursitis occurs. The symptoms are stabbing, shooting pain and stiffness around the effected joint. Movement makes the pain worse. Bursitis in the hip joint is very common and is usually due to overuse or repetitive movement.

This was the case with Mindy. She had been working with a personal trainer for several years and he had recently added a routine of repetitive squats and lunges that had lead up to the bursitis of the hip. She stopped all physical training when she began seeing me, as even the physical therapy was causing more pain.

The Treatment

We began our acupuncture treatments with a focus on reducing her hip inflammation and reducing the muscle spasms in her low back at the sacrum and buttock area on the right side. She came twice weekly for the first month and then when her symptoms lessened, we continued with weekly treatments. As the inflammation became less and less, we added gentle stretching exercises to encourage better range of movement and blood flow to the effected joints.

After six weeks of treatment, Mindy was able to ride on her stationary bike for twenty minutes at a very low resistance. After three months Mindy was ready to increase her exercise routine. She wanted something more engaging than the stationery bike that bored her to no end. This was when I suggested the mini trampoline.

Bouncing to Health

Before she began the mini trampoline workouts, I scheduled a home session so we could go over proper form and establish a safe workout schedule. Her excitement and motivation to regain her strength and fitness was the force that helped her achieve this goal. After six months of working together she was back with a vengeance.

Not only was she rebounding on her mini trampoline, but she had also incorporated strength training into her routine. Mindy was a little apprehensive about taking classes at a local Pilates gym, but she went in in spite of her fear. These strength classes have done her a world of good for both her bodily and mental confidence. She now has her muscular strength back as well as her cardiovascular strength -- all without pain.

This past summer Mindy took part in a build where she endured heavy lifting, lots of walking, and extreme heat -- all without hip or back pain! She is back to “full speed ahead” in her active life, enjoying all her roles as grandmother, wife, world traveler, and woman extraordinaire.

Mindy continues to amaze me with her interest and zest for life. It’s patients like Mindy that make my work so rewarding. Her spirit, inner strength, and belief in herself made all the difference in her healing.

Oh my aching back...

2013-01-23T12:01:00.001-05:00

Oh my aching back…

Back pain is one of the most common and costly conditions that motivates people to seek medical attention. Did you know that more than one million people in the USA are affected with back pain, costing an estimated 37 million dollars annually? This adds up to millions of hours of lost work and productivity, not to mention the pain and suffering of countless people.

Half of all adults will experience some form of back pain in their lifetime, making this a significant source of inconvenience and suffering. This is also one of the most common reasons that many patients seek my help with acupuncture and herbal treatments. Back pain comes in many shapes and sizes, intensities, and durations, making the treatment of each patient an individualized one.

How Does Back Pain Present?

Common causes of back pain are sprains and strains that can occur from over-stretching or over-loading the muscles and ligaments. This can occur suddenly, as with a fall or accident, or over time through wear and tear from poor posture, improper use, or structural imbalances (like scoliosis, curative of the spine).

Other common ways back pains present are:

• Disc herniation or subluxation -- when a disc that is the inner cushioning between the vertebrae bulges out causing compression of the nerve root in some cases. This can cause referred pain to other areas of the body.

• Sciatica -- a nerve that begins at the spinal cord and goes to the hips, buttocks, and then branches down each leg. It is when the sciatica nerve is irritated or inflamed that one experiences pain, most often radiating into the buttocks or down the legs, causing pain, numbness, and muscle weakness.

• Osteoarthritis -- when wear and tear on the joints causes the breakdown of cartilage that surrounds, protects, and cushions the bones at the joints. This can cause pain, swelling and stiffness throughout the spine. This condition is commonly seen in the elderly.

Types of Pain

There are two types of common back pain: acute and chronic.

Acute back pain occurs suddenly, making it impossible to walk, bend, or even conduct daily activity. Acute back spasm can induce a pain cycle that leads to muscles that are distorted, which in turn pull on discs and joints and compress nerves. This is a very painful situation and demands immediate attention, usually a multi-faceted approach: acupuncture, massage, heat therapy, and sometimes medication and spinal adjustments.

Back pain can also be chronic in nature -- a dull ache that never really seems to go away. This condition takes a little more time to resolve and requires an understanding of how to correct muscular imbalances and weaknesses with restorative exercises and physical therapy, as well as all the other modalities already listed.

95% of back pain cases will resolve with therapeutic treatments without the need of invasive surgeries.

How Can Acupuncture Help Back Pain?

Acupuncture can play a major role in the reduction or elimination of back pain by promoting blood flow, reducing inflammation, and helping restoring normal function of the muscles, joint, ligaments, tendons and nerves.

Research studies have shown that acupuncture treatments cause the body to produce natural steroids and promote the production of natural endorphins. These natural steroids reduce inflammation and swelling, while the endorphins reduce pain levels in the body. This in turn can break the pain cycle, help improve activity levels, increase range of motion, promote faster recovery time, improve function of the musculoskeletal system, and reduce the chances of reoccurring back pain.

Acupuncture and herbal remedies can also reduce the need for painkillers or other medications that can cause unwanted side effects or delay the healing process.

Chinese Medicine Patterns of Back Pain

In Chinese Medicine the patterns of disharmony are divided into several different types of back pain and whether the condition is acute or chronic:

• Deficiency type pain is usually dull, chronic and improves with rest. Back muscles are often weak and under conditioned.

• Qi and blood stagnation is often acute with severe and stabbing pain. Back muscles are stiff and tight and the patient feels worse with rest. This pattern is often related to an acute sprain or strain.

• Cold damp obstruction back pain is worse in cold and damp weather and there is often numbness, swelling, and a sense of heaviness in the muscles. This is often seen in arthritic conditions.

The treatment approach is different for each type of back pain. In the deficiency pattern the approach is to improve muscle function, promote blood flow and reduce pain. When there is stagnation of qi and blood, the approach is to move the blood and reduce pain and spasms of the muscles. In the cold damp obstruction, the approach is to move the fluid in the lymph system, improve circulation, and restore nerve function.

In all types of back conditions the goal is to improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, alleviate pain, and increase the recovery time. Chinese Medicine has been shown to do just that, as well as provide long term benefits by addressing all the underlying health issues to prevent any reoccurrence of back pain.

My patient Scotty is an example of how Chinese Medicine and lifestyle changes can keep back function at optimal levels.

Case Study

Scotty, a dapper, articulate man of 64 with a soft southern accent, came to me with the complaint of lower back pain that radiated down into his left leg. His massage therapist had given him my name and encouraged him to try acupuncture along with his ongoing massage and physical therapy.

Scotty had been experiencing back pain for the past year. His health profile revealed that he was diabetic, hypertensive (controlled with medication), overweight, undernourished, chronically dehydrated, and suffered from depression and seizures. His weighed 201 pounds and before his gastric bypass seven years ago he was weighing in at 355. This is a great accomplishment but he needed to learn better eating habits to help control his blood sugar, and to further reduce his weight. We would need to address his current unhealthy diet as well as his lower back pain.

The first order of business was to tackle his chronic back pain. His occupation as a hair- dresser required long periods of standing on his feet without rest. His spine from the upper cervical area down to his lumbar and sacral iliac joint suffered from the many years of standing and working with his arms elevated. The excess weight in is mid-section only exacerbated the situation.

His back pain had been so acute six months prior to seeing me that he had been hospitalized for a week to determine what was causing all his discomfort. He was experiencing numbness, tingling, and a dull ache that had come on gradually, starting from his waist and running down to his toes and feet. He had extreme weakness in his left leg with a feeling that his leg could not support him at times when he was standing and walking. He had not had an accident or an injury that had caused this painful condition.

While at the hospital he had been seen by three neurosurgeons, two neurologists, an osteopath, and a physiatrist all who could not determine why he was suffering with pain and numbness. The neurosurgeon recommended surgery, which was not something that Scotty was inclined to do at this point. He “gave up” on all the doctors and went to a massage therapist to “relax.” It was after taking the advice of his massage therapist that he came for acupuncture and herbal and nutritional advice.

We started with acupuncture treatments that focused on reducing the numbness down his leg, while reducing swelling and nerve inflammation in his low back/sacral area. His Chinese diagnosis was cold damp deficiency type low back pain. He felt better with rest and warmth and his low back and sacral area were swollen and cold to the touch. The needles were placed from the cervical spine (neck) down to his ankles to increase circulation and help improve nerve and muscle function. The majority of needles were placed in the lumbar and sacral areas of the spine, while also using moxabustion to warm and improve blood flow, and electric stimulation to improve nerve function and to break the pain cycle.

In the last 5 months of every other week acupuncture and massage he is 95% symptom free.

The numbness in his left leg and foot are barley noticeable while the strength in his spine and legs have increased to the point that he is pain free and back to his daily activities without limitation. His energy is at a record high due to all the dietary changes that he has made.

Due to the gastric bypass, it was very difficult for him to digest his foods, so I suggested that he puree and blend much of his foods. The morning anti-oxidant smoothie helped him get the nutrients in the morning to sustain him through his 12-hour workday, and his vegetable soup purees helped him get the vegetables that he so needed in his diet. He started eating on schedule and avoided sugary and fatty foods that he often ate while working.

Scotty kept himself hydrated and avoided the diet sodas and coffee. He also started taking flax oil and herbal tonics, which helped in the healing of his muscular skeletal system. He is always working at improving his diet and fitness level.

Scotty is always asking questions and has a renewed interest in learning about healthy living and it shows. His colleagues and clients notice the renewed bounce in his step and that his quick wit and joyous personality have returned. He has told me that I have saved his life!! He saved his own life by taking the steps that he needed to take to change a lifetime not exercising and eating regularly and properly. This has all changed as now he is in his “second spring” as they say in China.

We now are working together to cure his type two diabetes with diet, exercise and Chinese Medicine.

The journey continues…

The Infertile Patient, isn't…and becomes pregnant.

2013-01-16T12:05:00.001-05:00

The Distraught patient…fertility and Chinese Medicine

When studying Chinese Medicine in school I was never prepared for the emotional roller coaster ride of treating an infertility patient. I studied acupuncture point prescription and herbal protocol for enhancing the endocrine system, but there was never a mention of assisted reproduction with drugs and surgery. When I opened my own practice, I found myself integrating ancient medicine with modern cutting-edge fertility treatments. You have to be a quick study to keep up with this new approach in treating the many patients that come knocking at the doors of Chinese Medicine clinics!

“Fertility enhancement” is the term I like to use with my patients -- from my point of view “infertility” sounds so doomed and final. These patients need hope, understanding, and a treatment plan that can increase the chances for becoming pregnant with a healthy baby! Happily, Chinese Medicine is effective in doing just that.

The Science behind Fertility Treatments

Many studies have been published and books have been written that show the profound benefits of acupuncture and herbal medicine for enhancing fertility. One recent study from Israel showed a 42.5% pregnancy rate when acupuncture treatment was used in conjunction with assisted reproduction, as compared to the 21.3% of assisted reproduction without acupuncture treatment. This gives a huge leg up to the fertility patient.

These exciting studies and books have piqued the interest of fertility doctors, clinics, and patients seeking additional help in achieving their dreams of becoming parents. It is commonplace for fertility clinics to also recommend acupuncture treatment alongside the IUI (Intrauterine insemination fertilization) and IVF (In vitro fertilization) protocols for their patients. These studies have actually altered the number of fertility patients that are seen weekly in my practice.

Now I find myself catapulted into a new world of drugs, IUI, and IVF protocols while learning how to assist and support my patient every step of the way in this gut wrenching, anxiety producing journey.

The Challenge

Now this is where the challenges really begin for me. Most of these fertility patients would never have chosen or sought out the expertise of an acupuncturist or herbalist before arriving at this difficult place in their lives. My fertility patients come from all walks of life, backgrounds, and cultures and with their own unique history and health issues. In these situations, not only are we treating the physical health of the patient but also their emotional health, which most often can be precarious at best.

Often I must follow and support the already established high-tech assisted reproduction treatment plan. These patients come from fertility doctors armed with their hormone injections, dates and times, and numerous step-by-step procedures. I am the backup, the cheerleader, the voice of reason, and a place of refuge from the cold and clinical fertility clinics.

Why Infertility?

Women are now waiting longer and longer to start families, and in NYC this is the rule rather than the exception. The older patient has a greater challenge at becoming pregnant due to a reduced egg reserve as well as a reduction in the quality of the eggs. This makes assisted reproduction commonplace as well as a huge moneymaker for doctors, clinics, and hospitals.

But age isn’t the only factor -- fertility is also being affected by the high levels of chemicals and toxins that are in our environment, our food, and our water supplies. Reduced sperm counts, increased miscarriages, and reduced fertility are on the rise due to the overexposure of environmental toxins and chemicals. This is the very reason that I stress a cleansing diet that is organic plant based, with lean organic meats and wild mercury free fish, along with herbs and acupuncture.

How does Acupuncture Work for Fertility?

Let me count the ways:
· it increases blood flow to the ovaries and uterus
· improves the endocrine system by regulating the function of the thyroid, adrenals and the reproductive hormones
· stimulates follicle quality and growth
· builds healthy lining
· increases ovulatory function
· reduces the FSH
· reduces the side effects of the high doses of drugs used in assisted reproductive protocols
· and reduces stress and anxiety.
Chinese Medicine can help cultivate a healthy fertility environment both physically and mentally with herbal and acupuncture treatments for patients undergoing assisted reproduction protocols.

But what about the patients that don’t respond to aggressive reproductive procedures? Many reproductive clinics and hospitals give up and suggest adoption or egg donors as the next step towards becoming a parent. In some cases these are the only options, and in some cases this could not be further from the truth.

Case Study

I’ll always remember the very first fertility patient that came to my newly opened practice more than 10 years ago. I had such a vested interest in helping her reach her dream, and I so wanted Chinese Medicine to come to the rescue.

Her name was Lorna, and she was not the typical fertility patient as she was only 34 -- quite young to have already started down this path. She was from Chile and had moved to NYC with her husband when he was transferred for his job.

Lorna had gotten my name from her insurance company and I was now number three on the list of acupuncturists that she had visited. The previous acupuncturist had asked her to chant during her treatment that it was not her fault that she had not become pregnant. I had to assure her that this was not how it was going to be while we were working together. She was skeptical at best.

She was without a strong support system and felt lost, distraught and downright depressed. During the lengthy intake process I learned that she had had under gone three IUI and two IVF cycles, and all had failed. The doctor over seeing her case had told her that her only options for becoming pregnant were through an egg donor program. He even had egg donor profiles in his office that she could choose from.

I thought this strange and a conflict of interest, but she told me she was done with him, the drugs, and all the rest of assisted reproduction. After all, there was no hard medical evidence to support his recommendation. After this ordeal, she was open to a completely holistic, natural approach to becoming pregnant.

So it was all on my shoulders to help her achieve her goal and I was up to the task. Lorna had gained over 40 pounds in the past two years with the overload of fertility drugs, bad eating habits, and lack of exercise. She felt bloated, exhausted, and wanted to sleep all the time. She was not working and had very few friends since she was new to this country. Her confidence and self -esteem was very low due to all the failed attempts at becoming pregnant. Her husband was supportive but very busy with his new job and away from home much of the time. She needed some social support and connections in her new city.

On the physical side, her menstrual cycle was irregular with very little flow, she did not ovulate, and she had very scant cervical mucus. Her thyroid was sluggish, although her reproductive hormones were all within normal ranges, even her FSH (follicle stimulating hormone). She had reason to believe that she could in fact become pregnant but need a little help from Chinese Medicine!

The Treatment Plan

The first step was to regulate her period, get her active and eating a balanced diet, reduce her stress and anxiety, and find ways to build her trust and confidence in acupuncture. I asked her to chart her cycle so we could see the improvements month to month and I recommended weekly acupuncture and herbal treatments.

Lorna joined a nearby gym to help regain her fitness and help with the weight loss. Little by little she was taking steps to improve her body, life, and confidence. She started smiling and enjoying her new life here in NYC. This was such a joy to see!

Her Chinese Medicine diagnosis was spleen qi vacuity with damp accumulation and heart qi vacuity with liver blood vacuity. She had a stagnant condition that needed to be addressed before she could ever get pregnant. For this condition she took herbal formulas twice daily which were precooked for her from raw herbs and had weekly acupuncture treatments for over eight months.

With each passing month her condition improved. Soon she had a 28 day cycle with good rich blood flow and she ovulated each month mid-cycle. To her delight, her weight returned to the 115 pounds that she had been before the fertility treatments. Her mood had improved and she felt positive again. She even returned to Chile for one month to visit her family and ground herself again. We sent her with a suitcase full of herbs to take while away.

Acupuncture Worked!

One month after her return from Chile and eight months after beginning acupuncture and herbal treatments she became pregnant. It was such a huge accomplishment for both of us. We had become a team working together. She was patient and trusted the process and in the end it paid off. Lorna gave birth to a healthy baby boy and went on the have another boy (without any help) two years later!

Lorna taught me many lessons about the inner strength that can be tapped when needed. She chose to tap into that place in the face of despair and unfounded medical advice, and come out a stronger and more resilient person. Her Christmas card this year showed two adorable boys that have her beautiful olive complexion and dark brown eyes with big bright smiles.

Lorna inspires us all with her strength and perseverance.

The Desperate Patient

2013-01-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

The Desperate Patient … who finds her way

As an acupuncturist, I frequently get desperate phone calls, e-mails, and texts from patients that have exhausted every avenue trying to cure their affliction and in a last ditch, “what the hell effort,” have decided to give acupuncture a try. OY!! These patients tend to be my hardest cases, as they are frustrated, scared, angry, mistrusting, and downright exhausted from seeking help and getting none.

Sometimes their expectations are high -- they want a miracle to occur and want to be healed in one to two treatments just like their friends, colleagues, or spouses. Other times their expectations are low -- they are total non-believers in Chinese Medicine, but there are no other choices left for them to try but this “voodoo” medicine. Starting a relationship with either too much or too little trust and unrealistic expectations is a tough way to begin.

It is a hard road working with and educating the so-called “difficult-to-treat patients” that are most often discarded from the western medical community. These patients are sometimes labeled “crazy,” “difficult,” “non-compliant,” “not listening,” “too demanding,” ”hysterical,” or just plain “silly.” This may be so, but to get shuffled off to another expert while being left without answers and meaningful treatment plans seems unfair.

This is the very type patient that called me last year. The patient, Anita, was utterly distraught and very frightened about her health condition when we first spoke on the phone. She came for a consultation after getting my name from a very satisfied colleague.
Anita wanted to have a face-to-face meeting to discuss her health issues before committing to acupuncture or herbal treatment.

It was a fall day when Anita, a very sweet, pleasant, Caucasian, premenopausal woman of 49 years, came to my office for our first consultation. She was a professional, working in the financial sector for the past twenty-five years, and was surrounded by a supportive family and many friends. Her heritage was of Ecuadorian decent and her diet reflected this cultural background. Her primary care physician had been treating her for hypertension for the past five years. It was when her hypertension was no longer under control with her current medication that all the major problems begin to unfold. Her physician had recently placed Anita on another hypertensive medication that seemed to have caused a severe allergic reaction.

After several days on this new medication Anita developed facial pain in her left cheek, eye, and had pain radiating up to her forehead. She had the feeling of “fireworks” going off on the top of her head as well as a dull throbbing on the entire left side of her face twenty-four hours a day. She was light and heat sensitive and felt best in a cool dark room.

When we spoke, she covered the left side of her face with her hands and asked me to lower the shades in the sundrenched room. She could go to work and function, but had to wear a hat and dark glasses when going outside in the daylight. The constant “fireworks” and throbbing had left her exhausted and frightened.

Her many doctors: her primary care physician, endocrinologist, neurologist, and cardiologist, all deemed her healthy and able to continue on with the new hypertensive medication in addition to steroids and anti-inflammatory and sleep medications. Anita felt that she was over-medicated and decided to stop all medication.

It was then that I took pause. This was going to be tricky. I can’t condone someone not taking lifesaving medication, but I felt there was another approach that had not been addressed. Even though the primary care physician said that the new hypersensitive medication would not cause the facial/ trigeminal nerve inflammation, I had to disagree. It seemed such a clear cause and effect reaction, especially when she was getting some relief after going off the new hypertensive medication.

When delving further into Anita’s health history, her blood work revealed elevated triglycerides, high cholesterol, pre-diabetic blood sugar levels, and a high A1C level. She also was obese, weighing in at 198 on a 5”5 foot frame. That was causing strain on her muscular skeletal system as well as on all her organs of her body.

We discussed that her diet, sedentary lifestyle, and lack of vigorous exercise were the root causes of many of her medical issues. It was clear that if she continued down this path she would be placed on many more medications for treating diabetes and high cholestorol, as well as diuretics, hormone replacement drugs, steroids to control her facial nerve condition, and of course more hypertensive medication.

Even though Anita was one of the most conscientious patients when following the advice of her medical doctors, she was never given lifestyle advice, up until now. Her diet and exercise was the first issue at hand. She was so motivated to control her own health without drugs that she was eager to do whatever it took to become healthy.

We started with taking all dairy, white flour, and sugar out of her diet and we added in three to five servings of vegetables, two fruit servings of apples or berries, and thirty minute walks every day. She stopped eating all fast foods for lunch -- no more Pizza Hut, Subway, and McDonald’s for her -- now it was salad bars and soups for lunch. Her staple cultural diet of white rice, heavy meats, and surgery deserts where a thing of the past. She was eating lean proteins, quinoa, brown rice, healthy morning smoothies, and snacks of fruits and vegetables.

Her official Chinese Medicine diagnosis was “spleen qi vacuity with heart fire and uprising of liver heat,” not something that I would discuss with her primary care physician. She was treated with weekly acupuncture treatments for 3 months and when her blood pressure and facial pain were more under control, her treatments were then tapered down to every other week for the past year. Her treatments focused on reducing inflammation around her facial nerves, increasing her metabolic rate, regulating her thyroid and blood pressure, and reducing stress.

She was also treated with herbs and nutrition supplements. The formulas I used were Dan Shen Pian to improve her facial pain and circulation and Tian Ma Gou Tang Pian to help control her blood pressure. These combined treatments worked very well to improve her health crises.

I also had an arrangement with Anita that she was to see the office nurse for weekly blood pressure checkups and readings when she came to the office for her acupuncture treatments. Only if her blood pressure remained stable would I continue treating her while she was not taking western medications. I am not reckless with my patients’ health. This is all about integration of healthcare, not abandonment of all the advances of our modern day healthcare.

Anita’s motivation to be drug free propelled her into a new way of living. She is now in charge of her own health. Her weekly acupuncture treatments, herbal protocol, and exercise program enabled her to lose twenty-five pounds, control her blood pressure, and reduce her facial nerve pain to a barely noticeable level. She is still working on losing more weight and continues with her new healthy eating plan.

Anita and I have been working together for one year now and she continues to delight and surprise me with her dedication to continue on the path towards better health. At her annual checkup this past month, all her doctors were amazed at her improved blood work, blood pressure, reduction in facial pain, and her weight loss. She told me that when she told them that she was using herbs and acupuncture to control her facial pain and blood pressure, her doctors’ “mouths gapped wide open.”

Anita is still a work in progress, but aren’t we all? Taking personal responsibility is the reason Anita has had so much success towards improving her health and life, free of prescription drugs. If we all take responsibility of our own health, we might all be as healthy and successful as Anita -- and I hope to continue to help people on their personal journeys to well-being.

Chinese Medicine, The Kinder and Gentler Approach...

2013-01-02T13:38:00.000-05:00

Taking the long view: Chinese Medicine, the kinder and gentler approach

In Chinese Medicine we take a holistic approach to supporting health and treating disease. It is though the integration of mind, body, and spirit that health and longevity are allowed to thrive.

The model of promoting health and prevention of disease in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is based on the idea of maintaining a free flow of qi (our life force), blood, and fluids, as well as freeing and fostering an emotional equilibrium of the mind. These are all considered fundamental requirements for abundant health.

An important herbalist of ancient China, Zhu Danxi, stated that:

“So long as the qi and blood enjoy harmonious flow, none of the hundreds of diseases can arise. Once qi and blood are depressed and suppressed, diseases are produced.”

This ancient philosophy underscores the view that a sound mind and abundant qi are the basis for health and longevity while a deficiency of qi and a weakness of the mind are the main causes of illness and aging. When life is irregular and lifestyle choices don’t support good health, the body is less resistant to disease. Healthy living and a healthy mind create a strong, sound immune system that serves as a major player in preventing disease.

The book Yi Qing Xiao Lu states that “One should always enjoy simple pleasures such as sunshine in the winter or shade in summer, beautiful scenes on a bright day, walking cheerfully, singing in the woods, listening to birds…” In other words, one should enjoy activities that cultivate joy and relaxation as well as interest in life.

Preserving Balance

It is through the balance of yin (still) and yang (active), the cultivation and maintenance of qi, and the preservation and conservation of a tranquil mind that health and mental well-being can flourish. My patients are often reminded of an image of a scale -- when all is in balance health is abundant, but when the scale is tipped out of balance health is elusive or far from reach. Keeping the health scale in balance by making wise daily health choices is one of the most important messages that can be taken away from TCM.

So often we live out of balance, creating many disharmonies in the body: sleep disorders, digestive distress, headaches, muscular skeletal imbalances, hormone imbalances, anxiety, and stress disorders. The diseases of lifestyle irregularities in the country are on the rise with obesity, type two diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, cancers, and drug and alcohol abuse all major burdens and drains on our healthcare system and our country. This is where TCM can have an important impact on healthcare in our society.

TCM helps us all make healthy lifestyle choices that are more in alignment with living in moderation in diet, work, social commitments, and helps with finding deep meaning in life itself. TCM is a slow medicine that helps the body heal before having to use strong allopathic intervention such as powerful prescription drugs or surgery.

Western allopathic medicine is a very important piece in the health care system when there are life threating situations and serious diseases that need strong intervention. But this medicine takes the near view and works to eradicate the disease without taking into consideration how and why the patient got to this point in the first place. In many cases, if patients simply lived in balance and adjusted their lifestyle choices, they could avoid many diseases all together.

The Long View

The practice of TCM embraces the entire essence of the patients’ body, mind and spirit when formulating a treatment plan. Taking the long view is looking at the whole, rather than merely focusing only on the symptom or the disease.

The chief complaint that a patient presents is viewed within the context of the patient’s constitution, age, lifestyle, and mental state when considering treatments. The “ten questions” that are at the heart of the intake in Chinese Medicine take into consideration sleep patterns, digestive health, energy levels, reproductive health, emotional history, as well as the presenting health issue. This information is woven into the overall patterns of disharmony to be addressed during treatment.

And acupuncture is only one aspect of TCM that is used in the treatment of diseases and disharmonies of the body and mind. The use of herbal medicine, massage called Tui Na (Chinese medical massage), meditation and breathing exercises, exercise such as Tai Qi and Qi Gong, dietary recommendations, and lifestyle changes that require the patient’s participation in their own healthcare are all important in the treatment and prevention of disease.

As a practitioner of TCM I feel like a detective looking for the root causes of the diseases or conditions that my patients present. Each patient has their own unique history, and it is only by delving into the underlying causes that treatment can be fully effective. It is only when there is an integration of body, mind, and spirit, as well as the full participation of the patient’s responsibility for their own healthcare that deep healing can begin.

Chinese Medicine can be seen as a powerful tool that incorporates preventive healthcare within our present system, as well as to serving as a partner with western medicine to integrate the long and near view of disease -- for both viewpoints can help in the long term betterment of healthcare in our country.

Taking the preventive healthcare mindset has the invaluable reward of living with more radiant health throughout your life, and this is the path that Chinese Medicine leads you towards.

Some parting words from the wise ancients:
“If you do not make good use of this free and precious life, what good does it do to possess a human body?” Shabkar

Taoism and Chinese Medicine

2012-12-19T13:45:00.000-05:00

Chinese Medicine is rooted in the ancient philosophy of Taoism, a philosophy which suggests that a part can be understood only in its relation to the whole. Chinese Medicine uses this holistic approach -- a person who is living in harmony with nature has mental, physical, and spiritual balance. And when an imbalance occurs, the complete physiological and psychological aspects of the patient are taken into consideration in the diagnosis. The treatment seeks to restore balance and harmony to the body.

In Chinese Medicine there is a systematic way of distinguishing the patterns of disharmony, understanding the relationships between all the signs and symptoms of these imbalances, and prescribing treatment that restores balance. This is a medicine of prevention and cultivation of longevity.

Because of the importance of Taoism to acupuncture, it was not surprising that “Philosophy of Chinese Medicine” was my first required course in the Masters of Traditional Chinese program. My eyes were opened to a new way of viewing health and treating disease.

The “Tao” meaning “the way” or the “path” is the concept of living a righteous way of life that is balanced, simple and in tune with nature. Lao Tzu is considered one of the founding fathers of Taoism and in his book the Tao Te Ching one can find his profound teachings on the subject of living the Tao way. The three treasures that illuminate the teachings of Lao Tzu are: living with compassion, in moderation, and with humility.

Yin and Yang

Yin and yang theory comes out of the Taoist philosophy. This is another way of viewing the world and seeing that all things are parts of a whole. Yin moves into yang, and yang moves into yin, and this is the natural flow of life. The constant transformation of yin into yang and yang into yin is the source of life, and the basis of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.

The character of yin is that of the shady side of the slope. Yin is the cold, the rest, the darkness, the moon, the inward, and the feminine. The character of yang is the sunny side of the slope. Yang is the warm, the active, the light, the sun, the vigor, and the masculine.

We are always in a state of yin moving into yang and yang moving into yin. They cannot be separated as they depend on each other for definition. Chinese Medicine seeks to balance the yin and yang.

Lao Tzu sums up this way of viewing the intertwining of these two opposites:

“Being and non-being produce each other;

Difficult and easy complete each other;

Long and short contrast each other;

High and low distinguish each other;

Sound and voice harmonize each other;

Front and back follow each other.”

Nei Jing

The Nei Jing, or the “Inner Classic of the Yellow Emperor,” is another classical medical text that contains the knowledge and theoretical formulations that form the basic foundation of the Chinese medical tradition. This text posits that diet, lifestyle, emotions, and environment all have impact on health and wellbeing. The Nei Jing text states:

“In treating illness, it is necessary to examine the entire context, scrutinize the symptoms, observe the emotions and attitudes.”

The Nei Jing suggests medicine should promote the cultivation of life force, or what is known as qi. The most important message in the text describes how to preserve, as well as create, more qi in our daily lives though healthy lifestyle. The text suggests that exercise, herbs, meditation, tai chi, acupuncture, acupressure, diet, and breathing exercises are the tools that promote longevity and vibrant health.

Breathing Arts

The ancient Taoist believed that “Breathing Arts” held the secret to longevity as well as the gateway to advanced knowledge and special powers. The breathing techniques are passed down for us all to practice. One breathing technique is called the Microcosmic Orbit, which helps circulate energy (qi) through energy points, or meridians.

The flow of qi begins at the navel on the Ren Meridian (front of body) and then travels down to the perineum and up the spine on the Du Meridian (back of body). From there it travels to the head, down the front through the tongue, the throat, and then down to the navel again. These two channels carry a strong energy current that can have powerful effects on regulation of the body.

Learn the Microcosmic Orbit

To begin the Microcosmic Orbit breathing practice sit upright with your feet placed firmly on the floor, hands relaxed on your lap. Once comfortable, bring your focus to your "dantien" (energy center) just below your navel, and visualize a light of energy beginning to grow at your dantien. Next, focus and make your breath smooth, even, and flowing deeply into your dantien. Now you are ready to start the circular breathing pattern.

Exhale a breath of light and qi into your "Hui Yin," the pelvic floor or the genital and anus area, and then into your coccyx.

Next inhale and draw the breath of light and qi up into your spinal column. Use one single inhalation to bring the energy all the way up to the center of your brain.

On the next exhalation feel the flow of qi come down the center of your face like a waterfall, down through the heart center, and begin the next cycle of breathing.

Try completing ten cycles and built your practice from there.

Enjoy cultivating greater qi, energy, health, and mental clarity.

More about Meridians

2012-12-12T12:33:00.000-05:00

The meridian system in acupuncture is the very foundation of Chinese Medicine, and was mapped out more than 2,000 years ago. The meridians represent the principal pathways that qi, blood, and fluids are circulated throughout the body, tissues, and organs, providing them with nourishment and energy. These pathways are vital in the communication among the organs, muscles, glands, and digestive and endocrine systems, as well as the brain. It is this communication that makes the body a unified whole.

Acupuncturists believe that when qi flows freely, there is no pain or disease. But when there is stagnation of qi, pain, disease, or disfunction shows up in the body. It is up to the acupuncturist to maintain this free flow of qi, blood, and fluid in the body. This is where the knowledge of meridians is most important, and most helps patients maintain abundant health.

How Do They Work?

Meridians are complicated to understand, and take years to fully comprehend. I’ll try to simplify the theory here to illuminate the process. There are twelve paired yin and yang meridians, and two unpaired channels. Each of the twelve meridians are bilateral and are associated with an organ of the body.

The two unpaired meridians are the Governing or Du meridian, and the Conception or Ren meridian. The Governing meridian runs along the center of the spine, along the back of the body, and represents the yang or the masculine aspect of the meridian system. The Conception meridian runs along the center of the front of the body, and is the yin or feminine aspect of the meridians.

These two opposite channels represent the yin and yang at the center of the body. Balancing the yin and yang of the body is fundamental for life’s vitality and these two meridians are very important and useful in regulation of these energies. The Conception (yin) meridian can be used to increase fertility, regulate the menstrual cycle, and treat impotence. The Governing (yang) meridian can treat all the organ systems of the body, regulate the hormones, and increase stamina and adrenal functions.

The Points Involved

Each meridian has its own specific acupuncture points that regulate the body. It is the work and artful practice of the acupuncturist to choose the most effect point prescription that will balance and regulate a patient’s imbalances. Each acupuncture point has its own unique influence on the body and its own function.

There are 361 points along the traditional meridians and then hundreds of extra points, like the auricular (ear) points and the scalp points, just to further complicate learning this vast network of intersecting points. In the West we learn acupuncture points as numbers, but for the Chinese speaker the points often have poetic names that give insight about the acupuncture points themselves.

For example, acupuncturists learn that Stomach 36 is a great point for increasing stamina, immunity, and regulating digestion. The Chinese name is “Leg Three Li” meaning that by stimulating Stomach 36, one can relieve fatigue sufficient to allow one to walk three more miles (li is miles in Chinese).

Acupuncturists also learn that qi circulates in each meridian at specific times of the day. For example, the Stomach and the paired Spleen meridians receive their most abundant qi from seven to nine a.m., and nine to eleven a.m., receptively. The morning hours are one of the strongest digesting times of the day, one more great reason to eat a good breakfast. This flow of qi begins with the Lung meridian and ends with the last point on the Liver meridian, and then once again this flow of qi begins anew through the meridian system.

The Science Behind The Needles

This flow of qi circulating through our bodies is what connects us to the universal life force. We now have exciting stereo-microscope photographs and images that show tubular structures 30 to 100 mm wide that overlay the acupuncture meridian system, called Bonghan channels. This may be the empirical evidence necessary to explain how acupuncture works.

In “Mind and Nature”, Gregory Bateson states that this could be the very system that controls growth at the embryologic level of development. Charles Shang, MD also noticed the physiological similarities between acupuncture points and the embryological organizational center. He found both are areas of high electrical conductance, high density of gap junctions, and cellular organelles that facilitate cell-to-cell communication. This points to the Eastern knowledge that meridians are the information super-highways of the body.

The acupuncture meridian system is a unique system of organization that is capable of carrying an enormous volume of information throughout the body. It is by regulating and keeping these systems balanced that health is kept at its optimal level.

For more information about Bonghan Channels, take a look at my previous blog post here.

How Acupuncture Works

2012-12-05T12:12:00.001-05:00

How does acupuncture work?

This question has been plaguing me since my first experience receiving acupuncture over thirty years ago.

When I was a patient, I was just satisfied that it did work. I treated it like a strange magic that made me well again, and left it at that. I had a blind faith in the Chinese way of healing people.

It was only when I decided to become an practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine that my burning desire to really find out the truth about how it really works was set into motion. Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in NYC had accepted me into their four year Master’s program, and I was embarking on a journey to find out the hidden knowledge of this 2,000 year old ancient medicine.

Finally the mystery behind the medicine that heals on so many levels would be unveiled for me to know and understand! All I needed was to pay my tuition and the truth would then be revealed.

Well, nothing could have been further from the truth.

In the four years of the Master’s program I took all the classes I could to unlock the mystery: fundamentals of Chinese medicine, Chinese philosophy, fundamentals of acupuncture, and herbology, to name a few. There was not one explanation offered in any of the classes that could satisfy my western scientific mind. This, after all, was not in my culture; the talk of qi (life force), meridians (paths through which qi flows), and yin and yang was an exciting foreign language and way of viewing the world. But I still lacked an explanation of how acupuncture treatments could have such a transformative effect on my patients.

I was looking for some sort of scientific account of how the meridians, qi, and acupuncture points were able to heal the body. However, in all my exhaustive studies there was no such explanation that really made sense.

But as time went on, my emersion and indoctrination into this new world of healing lead me back to blind faith in the work that I was doing. As my practice grew, as well as my ability to help my patients heal, my need to know how this medicine really worked became less important. I simply knew and saw that it did work, and that was all I needed to understand.

But...

Just recently, I have discovered the work of Kim Bonghan, a scientist from Korea that published research on physical duct-like systems that appear to be the anatomical basis of the meridian systems. He found that these threadlike microscopic structures correspond to the layout of the acupuncture meridian system. These channels have been found inside the blood, lymphatic vessel, and form networks that overlay the internal organs as well as the brain.

These transparent tubular structures contain a flowing liquid of hyaluronic acid, small granules of DNA, and chromosomal material. These structures are like fiber optic channels in the body that are able to carry an extremely high density of information beyond the limited one-way signals of the nervous system, activating a unique communication network that can restore normal functioning in the body. After 40 years of work, the Bonghan research is using stereo-microscopic photography to photograph and identify these thin, almost transparent, tubular structures.

A stereomicroscopic image of the lymphatic vessel around the caudal vena cava of a rat. The photograph (left) and its illustration (right) show the novel threadlike structure (solid arrow) that passes throw the lymphatic valve (open arrow). The photograph was taken in vivo and in situ, and a piece of black paper was put under the lymphatic vessel to exhibit the target clearly. The scale bar is 100 mm.

Trypan blue staining of a Bonghan duct (BHD) and a Bonghan corpuscle (BHC) in tissues inside the small intestine.

In a separate study in 1992, Russian researchers found that acupuncture channels conduct light. The study found that this ability exists only along the acupuncture meridians, and can enter and exit only along the acupuncture points.

This research is starting to shed light on how and why acupuncture can have such diverse and unique ability to heal on all systems and levels of the body. I find this information to be so exciting, and hope that research continues to majorly impact our understanding of this fascinating system of healing.

David Milbrant. "Bonghan Channels in Acupuncture". Acupuncture Today, April, 2009, Vol. 10, Issue 04

Byung-Cheon Lee,

Kyung-Hee Bae,

Gil-Ja Jhon,

Kwang-Sup Soh.

"Bonghan System as Mesenchymal Stem Cell Niches and Pathways of Macrophages in Adipose Tissues". Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies, Volume 2, Issue 1, March 2009, Pages 79–82

Stick out your tongue!

2012-11-28T15:24:00.000-05:00

First time patients are often surprised when asked to stick out their tongue. And they are even more puzzled when six pulses are taken on both wrists.

The tongue and pulse are the diagnostic tools that help acupuncturists formulate a Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment plan. The treatment plan includes the choice of acupuncture points, the understanding of the specific meridians that need to be regulated, and whether or not herbal medicine will be used. But before a treatment plan can be established, acupuncturists must first consult the tongue and pulse.

I like to think of reading the tongue and pulse as looking into a window into the internal workings of my patients. Both are good indicators of what is going on internally with respect to the health and balance of the body. This is a valuable way of checking in, and a useful gauge for monitoring the improvements or decline of established patients’ health from treatment to treatment, or to observe clinical manifestations in the first time patient.

Reading the Tongue

The tongue is a map of your body’s organs. There are five zones that correspond to each of the internal organs.

When examining the tongue the color, shape, size, texture, and coating are all important aspects of consideration. A normal tongue appears vibrant and has a light red or pinkish body with a thin white coat. A baby’s tongue is a great example of a normal tongue.

When a person is not healthy, the tongue reflect this change. A deep red tongue can indicate inflammation or heat and, in contrast, a pale tongue can indicate anemia or blood vacuity. And a purplish tongue points to poor circulation, or what is known as blood stasis.

The observation of the color of the tongue body has clinical importance as it most often reflects the true condition of the patient. Reading a tongue can open up a dialogue with a patient and help in gleaning deeper understanding of the disharmonies within the body.

The shape and size of the tongue can give further insight into the health of the patient. For example, a swollen, puffy tongue with scalloped shaped sides can indicate that fluids are not being properly metabolized, and digestion is not optimal. Whereas a small, short, dry tongue can indicate a deficiency of fluids from dehydration or inflammation.

The final indicator is the tongue’s coating and thickness. These reflect the strength of the pathogenic factors as well as the progression and location of disease. For example, a thick yellow tongue coat can reflect a condition that is hot and more acute. Conversely, a thick white coat indicates a cold and chronic condition. A tongue completely without a coat can be indicative of a depletion of fluids, as well as point to a more long-standing chronic condition.

With a simple glance at your tongue, an acupuncturist can make an important and valuable diagnosis.

Reading the Pulse

Pulse diagnosis is another tool that acupuncturists have to help determine the health of the patient. However, reading the pulse is more subtle and subjective than reading the tongue, and may be more complicated to explain.

There are three positions on each wrist that represent a pair of organs. On the right wrist, position one, closest to the thumb, is lung/large intestine, position two, the middle position, is the spleen/stomach, and the third position represents the kidney yin (the yin energy source of the body).

On the left wrist, the first position is the heart/small intestine, the second position is the liver/gallbladder, and the third position is the kidney yang (the yang energy source of the body).

The strengths and weakness of the pulses are used diagnostically to assess the conditions of the organs systems, as well as any underlying imbalances of the body. To make things even more difficult, there are 27 pulse types – from descriptions such as floating (indicative of a flu or cold invasion), wiry or choppy (indicating stress or anxiety), and slippery (where a patient could be pregnant). All these pulse types have clinical significance and influence the treatment plan and protocol.

So when asked to stick out your tongue or show your wrist, you now know that your internal world is being revealed.

Moxa

2012-11-14T12:21:00.001-05:00

Smoke in an acupuncture office! We know that it’s legal in some states now, but what is going on??

Many of my first time patients experiencing Chinese Medicine are concerned about the strange smells that they often encounter when at the office. No it is NOT marijuana! Although the smoke does have a similar smell which often adds to the apprehension patients have when coming to an acupuncture office for the first time.

This treatment is called moxibustion, or moxa for short.

What is Moxa?

Moxibustion Sticks

The pungent smell comes from an herb called mugwart that is sometimes burned in tandem with acupuncture treatments to enhance the healing of many disorders.

Mugwart is a warming herb that can be used in many forms including cigar shaped moxa sticks, small moxa rolls that are placed directly on the needles, as well as moxa cones that are placed directly on the skin. However, the last technique is not often performed in the USA due to the potential of burning the patient!

I most often use the moxa cigar, which is applied one-inch above the skin to the areas of the body that are to be treated. And no... I do not burn my patients!

Uses of Moxa

The radiant heat from moxibustion has a laser-like effect -- penetrating into the deepest layer of the bodies tissues all the way to the bone level. The healing effects of moxibustion stimulate blood flow, increase circulation, and enhance an immune response, resulting in an acceleration of healing time for many disorders.

Moxibustion has many applications and can be used calm the nervous system and relax stressed muscles, as well as to treat other disorders such as:

• fertility enhancement

• breech presentation

• menstrual regulation

• digestive disorders

• arthritis

• sports injuries

• pain syndromes

Why Start Burning?

I personally love moxibustion, and have found it works through my own experience. In my early fifty’s I fractured my tibia plateau from an encounter with my horse. He spooked while I was standing next to him, giving me a side tackle of 1,500 pounds into my unsuspecting body. So I hobbled off for my x-ray to find out what damage had ensued.

The next day my orthopedic surgeon reported that he and the radiologist agreed that I had a break, and my bones would not heal. I was to have plates, screws, and surgery as soon as they could find a room at the hospital for me.

I balked at this treatment plan as I do not do surgery unless every other avenue has been explored. Instead, I insisted that I would go home with the soft cast and sit still like a china doll because one false move would further displace my bones. To the displeasure of my surgeon I went off to heal myself.

With my endless amount of free time due to the broken leg, I used moxibustion twice daily for thirty minutes each session, and gave myself acupuncture every other day. I was amazed how quickly the bruising and the swelling from the break resolved.

Two weeks later, when the next x-ray revealed that my bones had indeed kitted back together and that I was in fact healing ahead of schedule, this became my triumph: Chinese Medicine and moxibustion rocked! My surgeon was unimpressed but regardless of his disbelief, my bones were healing ahead of time. Because of moxibustion I am to this day hardware free.

So when your acupuncturist starts to light up, just relax and enjoy the treatment.

Cupping

2012-11-07T13:38:00.000-05:00

What is cupping? And why should anyone get cupped?

Cupping is a technique that practitioners of Chinese Medicine use along with acupuncture to help promote circulation and healing. This technique dates back thousands of years and has been used in many cultures throughout the centuries for healing.

It is a bit misunderstood here in the USA. People that are unfamiliar with cupping are at times horrified by the marks left from the cups, as well as mystified as why someone performs this technique in the first place. I know, because I was one of those horrified patients before I understood the reasoning behind cupping.

When I was a young dancer getting my acupuncture for all my muscular skeletal pains, strains, and tears, I was cupped for the first time by an acupuncturist that I had just started seeing. True to the Chinese style, the acupuncturist explained nothing about what was happening. All of a sudden my needles were taken out, there was this great torch of fire, and then I felt a strange suction sensation all across my back. In a short period of time the cups were removed and off I went without any explanation. “Oh well,” I thought.

That evening my husband gasped at the strange appearance of my back. When I looked in the mirror I couldn’t believe what I saw. There were dark red one-inch circle marks covering my entire back. I looked like I had been attacked by an octopus. That was my last time visiting that acupuncturist as I assumed that she must be crazy.

Cupping Explained

Now that I use and value the cupping technique, I wanted to help demystify and explain this ancient practice to the public.

I always explain and forewarn all my patients about the down time from cupping. For example, if they are going on vacation to the beach, wearing a backless dress to a function, or bikini modeling the next day, we will not do cupping that session. Although Gwyneth Paltrow did showed off her cup marks on the red carpet wearing a backless dress.

Cupping is a technique that uses small glass cups (most often) as suction devices that are placed directly on the skin. “Fire cupping” is the technique that I learned in college and that I use to this day. This is done by using the flame of an alcohol soaked cotton ball to create a vacuum within the cup. When the vacuum is created, the cup is quickly placed on the areas that are to be treated.

The number of cups used is dictated on the size of the areas treated. When I am treating the back for pain and spasms it is not uncommon to have as many as six to eight cups placed on the patient’s back at one time. Cups can be placed and left static for 5 to 10 minutes, or can be moved in a sliding technique up and down the area needing treatment.

Why Cup?

Cupping brings the skin, superficial muscle, and fascial layer of tissue lightly up into the cups. Cupping then becomes an inverse massage. Rather than the downward pressure of message it uses gentle pressure to pull the muscular and facial tissue upwards facilitating the healing process. The suction and negative pressure provided by cupping can loosen muscles, increase blood flow, relax the nervous system and increase lymph drainage.

Cupping is one of the best deep-tissue therapies available as it can effect tissues up to four inches deep from the surface of the skin. This encourages toxins trapped in the tissues and blood vessels to be cleared, and relax and improve function of the muscles and internal organs.

Cupping is the choice of treatment for:

• muscle pain and spasms

• neck and shoulder pain

• mid to low back pain

• sciatic and hip pain

• calf or hamstring pain and spasms

• coughs and asthma

• general relaxation

Cupping can be a valuable addition to your treatments. So the next time you have pain, ask to be cupped like Gwyneth!

It's National Acupuncture Day!

2012-10-24T16:15:00.000-04:00

Today is National Acupuncture Day as well as my birthday. It makes me smile to think that my birthday is the same day as National Acupuncture Day, as if somehow it was my destiny to become a practitioner of Chinese Medicine. So exactly how did a girl from Chattanooga, Tennessee end up in New York City working as an acupuncturist/herbalist in an completely Chinese office?

I joke and say that I am the “token” in the office that I have shared for the last eight years with the famous Dr. Jin, her husband Dr. Kin (both acupuncturist from Shanghai), and their Chinese only staff. They treat me like family and tell me that I am part Chinese because I work long hours like they do. But no one works as hard and as long as my Chinese colleagues--inspirations to us all.

Most people are unaware of Acupuncture Day and the benefits of acupuncture, but we acupuncturist are asked to spread the word.

I want to take this opportunity to share my story about how I came to rely on Chinese Medicine as my primary health care system, and why I chose this career path in my second spring of life.

In the early 80’s I was living and working as a professional modern and jazz dancer in NYC. Dancers work long and hard physically, and my body was constantly plagued with aches, pains, strains and tears. When I needed medical attention, the western doctors would tell me to stop dancing for six to eight weeks! For a dancer, that was like telling me to stop breathing for that amount of time. Clearly that was not an option, as “the show must go on” and the rent needed to be paid.

When the unbearable pain on the left side of my shoulder was unresponsive to massage, chiropractic, Rolfing or even rest, I was at my wits end and unsure on which way to turn. That’s when a fellow dancer told me about her success using acupuncture. She had gone to regulate her nonexistent menstrual cycle and it had worked like magic. This all seemed very strange and foreign, but I had no where else to turn. So off I went to see Dr. Sally Dan, a Chinese acupuncturist.

Her office was dismal; with shower curtains separating the four treatment tables, she offered none of the privacy we westerners are accustomed to -- but I really didn’t care at that point, I just wanted help!

She was tough and brutal with her treatment but after my first session I was at least fifty percent better--she liked to talk in percentages. After two more treatments I was at one hundred percent. What a miracle this little Chinese lady had performed! I went back for treatment throughout my dancing career, during my pregnancy, and any time that I needed care over the years. Chinese Medicine became my care of choice.

My husband, a former dancer on Broadway, sustained a serious neck injury jumping from the trapeze during a performance in Cat’s, and was told that he required surgery on his cervical vertebrae immediately. I insisted that he try acupuncture before surgery. Dr. Sally Dan restored his function after several visits; to the amazement of the medical community. My husband became a believer as well.

So when it came time to change careers from my successful personal training business, I was drawn to the idea of becoming an acupuncturist! I wanted a career that I could pursue well into old age, that challenged my mind, and that helped people return to better health.

Chinese Medicine was the culmination of the knowledge I gained as a dancer studying movement, the human body, and kinesiology, combined with the years I had spent as an exercise physiologist and nutritional advisor. This was a career where I could continue to make a difference in people’s lives and their health. This was a daunting decision, but a perfect choice for me.

My husband and daughter were so supportive and forgiving as I spent four years of rigorous study at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine to earn my Master’s of Oriental Medicine degree. This career path is my tour du force.

I’m often asked, what does acupuncture treat? And how can this form of medicine help one regain better health?

This form of medicine can address all health issues through its very simple belief that Qi (life force) flows through meridians (Qi paths), and it is when the flow is disrupted that dysfunction and disease occur. By balancing and regulating the flow of Qi, the body can be restored to balance and better health.

Chinese Medicine sees the person as a whole and seeks to balance the mind, body, and spirit rather than merely treating symptoms. Acupuncture has a regulatory effect on the all the systems of the body: the circulatory system, nervous system, endocrine system, and muscular system.

It is the job of us acupuncturists to explore where the imbalances of our patients lie, and then formulate a treatment plan that can help the body self-correct. The ancient saying is “When there is free flow--no pain; No free flow--pain or dysfunction”.

In my ten years of practice, I have seen patients for many different disorders and diseases. I have helped restore menstrual cycles, balanced menopausal hormones, lowered blood pressure, eased depression, relieved back pain, shoulder pain, and knee pain, improved digestion, and helped in increasing pregnancy rates; but these are just a few disorders that acupuncture helps balance and restore.

It is a simple medicine that can treat the most complex issues as it all comes back to restoring and regulating life force, or Qi. The body and mind has the innate ability to heal, restore, and to return to better health -- and Chinese Medicine just reminds the body and mind how to get there again.

Now that you are aware of National Acupuncture day, and know some of the benefits of acupuncture, schedule an appointment and feel the difference!

To juice or to blend: that is the question

2012-10-18T14:54:00.001-04:00

To juice or to blend: that is the question. My patients often ask me which is better, and the answer is simple: both are beneficial for different reasons.

Read on to find out which works best for you.

Why Juice?

Juicing extracts water and all the nutrients from the produce while discarding the fiber. This concentration of nutrients is quickly absorbed into the body without the burden of having to digest the fiber. This is great when you want to increase your fruits and vegetable servings without all the bulk.

The quantity of plant produce that one can consume in an eight ounce glass can be the equivalent of eating one bunch of kale, ten celery stalks, ten carrots, or three cucumbers. There is no way we would eat that much produce in one day.

Juicing is the way to go when wanting to rev up your vegetable and fruit intake to add concentrated nutrients including valuable antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. I like to add a green juice once a day to provide my body with all the vibrant nutrition that is power packed in a green juice. I like to use mostly greens and keep my juice on the low glycemic index to avoid sugar spikes--try it!

How to Juice

Because of the high concentration of produce, it is best to only juice organic produce. Try to use local produce as well, when possible. I love picking beautiful, organic, local greens from my farmers market and combining them in interesting ways. What tastes good is good here!

There are many types of juicers on the market. Finding the perfect juicer for you can be overwhelming. Purists insist that a cold press juicer is superior to a rotary type juicer as more nutritional content is maintained. The metal blade of the rotary juicer heats up the produce therefore reducing the nutritional value.

However, I still think there is value in juicing with either the rotary or the cold press. The best cold press on the market today is the Hurom as it is easy to use and clean. And the Brevielle is another great choice if you are going for a rotary juicer. The take away here is: just start juicing!

To get you started, try one of my favorite green juices:

Organic Only

1 bunch of kale

1 bunch of parsley

1 bunch of spinach

3-4 cucumbers

3 carrots

1 apple

2 lemons (skins removed)

1 piece of ginger

Juice it, and this recipe will yield 32 ounces of super-powered juice.

To Blend

Blending is a great way to add nutrition to your diet while making it easy on your digestion system, for blending helps break down the foods. When you make smoothies in a blender you have the opportunity to add organic fruits, veggies, flax oil, superfoods, nut milks, hemp protein powder, and wheat grasses. All of these increase your antioxidant and fiber intake while increasing the digestibility though the blending process. My morning smoothies are a mainstay in my diet to power pack nutrients into my system. It is a perfect way to start the day.

The most powerful blenders are the Blendtec and the Vitamix. I love them both but you can do a great job with many other powerful blenders out in the market place. Pick the one that appeals to you!

While most think that blending is strictly for smoothies, I love making nutritional soups. My fall/winter live soup is a great way to warm your body as well as adding all the wonderful seasonal vegetables to your diet. Try it:

Fall/Winter Live Soup

1 head of broccoli

1 parsnip

2 zucchini

1 cup spinach

1 to 2 avocados

1 cup finely chopped cilantro or any other spicy greens

2 shallots

1 clove garlic

½ teaspoon ginger

1 tablespoon cold pressed organic olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Wash and chop all vegetables. In a large stock pot or wok, on a low heat sweat shallots, garlic, ginger in 1 tablespoon olive oil & pinch of cayenne pepper until translucent. Next add to the stock pot broccoli, parsnip, and zucchini and coat with oils and spices. Then add pure water just enough to cover all vegetables. Simmer for about 10 minutes—when bubbles start to appear turn off heat before boiling to retain the nutrients of the vegetables.

In blender place 1 avocado, ½ cup cilantro (raw), and ½ cup spinach along with ½ the soup stock. Blend until smooth. Repeat with remaining soup and greens. Making the soup in two batches is much more manageable!

Juice and Blend!

To recap: juicing is best when you want a power house of concentrated micronutrients without the bulk. Blending gives you fiber, making it less concentrated as juicing, but you can complement your fruits/veggies by adding many other ingredients (protein, oils, etc.). Both give you lots of fun, delicious options. Be creative!

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Be a good citizen…and eat your fruits and vegetables!

2012-10-10T12:12:00.000-04:00

A shocking statement was made at a recent nutritional conference, and I have to agree with the sentiment:

“The Taliban couldn’t have done a better job at attacking and undermining the health of the American people if they had designed the typical American diet themselves!”

We are a country of the over-fed and undernourished. We don’t have to look too far to see the disastrous effects of fast food, processed food, chemicals, preservatives, and additives on the health of our nation. We as a people are plagued with the diseases of unhealthy lifestyle habits.

Heart disease, diabetes, cancer, depression, stress and anxiety are on the rise and now affecting our children at younger and younger ages. “No child left behind” is not working. Children are not only being left behind in school with foggy brains from bad nutrition, but also on the playground, where they are unable to skip, jump, cartwheel and feel the joy of moving due to dragging around their undernourished and over-burdened bodies.

The numbers and statics support this. But I feel this problem needs to be addressed on a personal level and not just as a statistic that happens to other people.

Each one of us is affected by unhealthy lifestyle habits. Our parents, family members, friends, spouses, children, colleagues, and neighbors are all at risk of having or developing diseases of unhealthy life choices, as are we ourselves. It is time that we look at and work on this problem as a community. We can become a support system to help move each other into making better food choices, becoming more active, mentally focused, relaxed, and satisfied with life.

Connect Offline

One of the first steps towards a healthier life is to start having home cooked meals with the people we love. Turn off the TV, cell phone, and computer and prepare a meal together with fresh produce bought from the local farmers market. Cook and eat together, talk about your day, and really listen to one another. We are in need of smiles, hugs, connections, and understanding from our families and friends. Mealtime is the perfect time to connect!

When raising our daughter it was so important to have wholesome home cooked meals when we sat down and ate together as a family. We somehow found time to cook even though we were over-worked, high-pressured New Yorkers. This brought sanity and precious family time into our lives each evening. And our daughter, now 23, has a healthy relationship with food, a very active life (she biked 4,000 miles across the county this summer) and an understanding of taking care of her health on all levels.

Take Responsibility

We can’t expect the health care system or the government to protect us as citizens from our bad behavior. Our ”health” system is about disease management, not about prevention. By the time a disease is detected and diagnosed it has been lurking in the body for many years. The pharmaceutical industry is growing richer by the day responding the symptoms of the deteriorating health of the American people.

It’s time to stop blaming these industries and make a commitment to be actively responsible for our own healthy choices. We need to tune in to ourselves and self-correct before needing medication for disease created by our own unhealthy eating habits, addictions, lack of physical movement, and excessive stress.

In Chinese Medicine we say “don’t wait to build the well until you are thirsty!!!” It’s all about prevention. We are all creatures of habit, so therefore it’s best to develop good ones.

As an acupuncturist for the past ten years, and a personal trainer and nutritional counselor for the twenty years prior, I have been working with patients towards becoming responsible for their own health. The patients that really improve their lives make long term commitments to improving their health--not a starting a fad diet, or creating shortsighted goals. Real change takes work and dedication.

The Future

Think of a time in the future where there are no longer aisle in the grocery store where soda, chips, and processed packaged food are sold, and fast food restaurants do not line our highways and shopping malls. When we stop buying these types of foods there will be change within the food industry. As they say, money talks.

We can become better citizens by making a personal commitment to our own health and encouraging all our family and friends to do so as well.

We can encourage our communities to embrace sustainable fishing, local produce, organic farming, and treating our farm animals with respect by spending our money with businesses that follow these practices.

It starts with each of us making a personal commitment to cultivating healthy life habits so we can be vital, active, and vibrant in our lives.

Be the best you by:

• Eating home cooked meals

• Being active on a daily basis (walk, skip, play)

• Supporting your local farmers

• Not buying foods in a box or a bag too often

• Having news-free days

• Taking nature breaks

• Finding passion in your life

• Reducing stress by finding a daily meditation, yoga, or relaxation practice

• Taking a healthy eating cooking class

• Supporting restaurants that are “farm to table”

• Eating breakfast that supports a healthy brain

• Being thankful for all that you have

American needs vital, clear thinking, healthy citizens! BE ONE!

Wheat and Gluten-Free consumers beware!

2012-10-03T12:35:00.000-04:00

Like most of us, when shopping in health foods stores, I have a belief that the products there are of a higher nutritional value. It is easy to place foods in my cart without feeling the need to scrutinize labels and worry about additives or chemicals. But is this really safe to do?

As an acupuncturist and a nutritional advisor, I am often helping patients find higher quality foods that fit their particular needs and lifestyle. I like to keep abreast of the latest trends in healthy eating so I can help my patients and my family eat the best foods available on the market.

The latest craze is a gluten and wheat free diet. The word is out, and there is an endless selection of gluten and wheat free products on the market these days. With the new variety available, many of my patients have switched to gluten and wheat free breads for a more health-conscious approach to eating grains.

Wheat products that are produced in the United States today are not as healthy for our bodies; these products are super-charged with gluten and a type of wheat that sky-rockets blood sugar even higher than white table sugar does!

I am a supporter of this trend, but have noticed that all products on the market are not produced equally. During my latest trip to the health food store, I began to really read the ingredients in some of the most popular products on the market. While it is a great idea to avoid wheat products, it also is necessary to truly look at the ‘healthy’ products replacing them.

Take Udi’s, for example. Marketed as an ancient grain bread, upon closer inspection of their ingredients, I’d have to say they are anything but ancient. Certainly tapioca starch, corn starch, and evaporated cane juice (to name a few) are not ancient creations, and not anything any of us should be ingesting. And Udi’s is not the only company adding unhealthy ingredients to health food products!

As consumers, we all need to be wary of gluten and wheat free labels, as they do not always mean a more healthy choice in foods. Through my own research, I have found a few gluten and wheat free breads that practice what they preach--healthy ingredients in healthy food. Mana Bread and Paleo Bread (look for almond or coconut products) are companies with good products made with healthy ingredients.

My advice for all looking to eat consciously is to really look at ingredients no matter where you are shopping. Companies want to sell their products, and will market in any way they can to buyers--so don’t fall for marketing schemes! Be an educated consumer and you will be one step closer to a better, healthier you!

It's about that time...Cold and Flu Season!

2012-09-26T12:59:00.000-04:00

Protecting yourself from colds and flu starts with keeping the sinus passages clean and healthy. The sinuses are the first filter for all the external air born viruses, bacteria, fumes, and pollens. They are removed and sometimes stored in the sinuses. Keeping the sinus cavities clean is especially important if you have allergies, asthma, chronic cough, or post nasal drip or prone to colds or sinus infections. The Neti Pot is one of the most effective ways to irrigate the sinuses, but a routine that is tough to maintain with a busy lifestyle.

I have found that using a saline solution spray like "Ocean" is quick, easy and effective in keeping the sinus passage clean and free from inflammation. Sniff several squirts of "Ocean" up into the nostril, allowing the solution to run down into the throat, and then spit out the mouth 2 to 3 times. Then repeat on the opposite nostril (morning and evening.) This treatment will begin to heal the tissues, as well as discharge and loosen phlegm and debris from the sinuses.

Another effective treatment is using eucalyptus essential oils in the shower. This essential oil is both anti viral & anti bacterial. You can turn your shower into a healing spa by applying 15 - 20 drops of eucalyptus oil onto the shower walls and then enjoying the wonderful aroma of this powerful essential oil. It can also be used in a steam over the stove. Place 5 to 10 drops in a large stockpot filled with water. Bring to a boil then turn off flame place a towel over your head while you breath in the healing steam for 5 minutes.

Lastly, using fresh ginger and garlic in your diet can help keep your immune system robust!!!

Jenise's Morning Elixer

2012-09-19T18:04:00.000-04:00

Jenise Parris’s Morning Elixer

Jenise’s own special blend—containing the powerful antioxidant properties of Astragalus and Goji Berry combined with Blue Green Algae from Klamath Lake, OR—brings you the absolute best way to start your morning! You can get it directly from Jenise, or feel free to email her at jeniseparris@gmail.com to find out more information and place an order.

Blend:

½ cup organic unsweetened almond milk (Pacific brand or Wholefoods brand “365”)
1 cup organic fresh or frozen berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, acai berries)
1 tablespoon Barleans brand Omega Swirl flax oil (strawberry/banana, or blackberries flavor)
2 tablespoons Nutiva Organic Hemp protein high-fiber
1 scoop Innate Renewal Greens
5 spoons Jenise’s Morning Elixer
¼ cup coconut water

Blend well and drink slowly. You can drink half and then save the rest for a snack later.

You can get a 15% discount on the Nutiva Organic Hemp and Innate Renewal Greens here. Just enter the patient access code heal24.