NY Naturopathic Medicine and Westchester Acupuncture

Growing By Knowing: Yeast Infection Treatment and Prevention

2009-06-08T01:43:00.001-04:00

Numerous microorganisms are working in your body at any given time to support and balance your health. In this week's edition of our "Growing by Knowing" series we'll look at how to treat and prevent conditions that lead to yeast infection, which affects 75 percent of women in the course of their lifetime.

Candida or yeast is a natural dweller in the system. Vaginal yeast infections can be triggered by various environmental circumstances that are especially risky during warm months. This is why it's so important to know how and why the troublesome condition presents itself and what steps can be taken to resolve the imbalance naturally.

How to Identify a Yeast Infection
Symptoms of yeast infection include redness, itching and burning around the vagina, odorless white vaginal discharge that may look like watery cottage cheese, pain during sexual intercourse, and/or burning with urination.

Yeast infections can mimic urinary tract infections or sexually transmitted diseases, which is why it is so important to get an accurate diagnosis from a medical professional before pursuing a course of treatment independently. It's especially important to consult your doctor if you are experiencing your first instance of symptoms of yeast infection or if you are pregnant or diabetic.

Why Do Yeast Infections Occur?

Pregnancy, menopause, hormonal birth control and steroids can shift estrogen levels in such a way that your body is unable to manage candida proliferation. In pregnancy, yeast infection can lead to premature delivery, and low birth weight.

Antibiotics are often at the root of a sudden outbreak of yeast infection. For example, a woman may take antibiotics for the treatment of acne or a urinary tract infection and the antibiotic kills off the friendly lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria that helps keep candida in check.

Warm, moist conditions allow for the proliferation of yeast. Strive for a dry environment, especially in summer when sweaty exercise clothing, wet bathing suits, panty hose, and tight jeans are all especially risky.

Uncontrolled diabetes - Sugar is food for candida, so it's important, whether you are affected by diabetes or not to maintain a stable blood sugar level.

Immunosuppression - As with all illness, a strong immune system is a major player in keeping imbalance at bay. Chronic lack of sleep, insufficient vitamin A in the diet, and more can suppress your immune system's ability to keep candida in check.

How to Treat Yeast Infection
Teaming up with a ND has its benefits, especially when it comes to treating yeast infection. The personal approach taken by holistic practitioners and at Integrative Med Solutions, allows you to pinpoint the source of the problem and treat that source directly. Women experiencing their first infection are often unaware of how the condition came on and end up suffering chronically, because of superficial diagnosis.

In one case, a young woman, I'll call her Sherry, enjoyed a summer holiday swimming, laying in the sun, and jogging. The following week, Sherry experienced her first symptoms of a yeast infection. Through discussion we were able to pinpoint the conditions that triggered the problem: an extended period of warm moist conditions in the area affected. A switch to fresh 100% cotton garments between activities was recommended, and Sherry was given a course of acidophilus capsules to re-establish normal intestinal and vaginal bacteria balance. Without due conversation into Sherry's lifestyle, her yeast infection could have turned into a long battle. Instead, we were able to discuss her habits and support her lifestyle while wiping out her presenting complaint. In essence, Sherry increased her knowledge of her own body and took her health into her own hands to avoid future infections.

"Sherry increased her knowledge of her own body and took her health into her
own hands to avoid future infections."

Every yeast infection crops up within a unique set of circumstances, and we at Integrative Med Solutions appreciate that your need is to be recognized as a guide. This is why we develop personalized modalities for those who come to us. With a proper diet, herbs, and a good topical treatment, most women can expect to be on top of the battle in a month's time.

Preventative Measures

The acidophilus bacteria used in the treatment of Sherry's infection are also found in yogurt. Live-culture yogurt like Stonyfield Organic Yogurt or yogurt by Culturelle is an excellent way to introduce a preventative measure into your diet.
Going on a low sugar diet promotes immune health across the board and denies candida the fuel it needs to multiply. This includes cutting out excess consumption of carbohydrates.
Consuming a healthy variety of food delivers the vitamins and minerals your immune system needs to stay strong.
Staying dry is a smart way to avoid triggering an infection. Keep Sherry's experience in mind this summer while you are working out and enjoying water parks, beach trips, etc.

Treatment Measures
An immune support supplement is an excellent way to boost your body's ability to restore health. Vitamin A, Echinacea, and goldenseal may be used independently or in combination, depending on your needs for 4-6 weeks.

Soy or red clover extract help to promote vaginal estrogen balance.

Women experiencing yeast infection should not have intercourse, as the infection can be passed between partners.

Garlic is one of the best things to take for yeast infection, because it is an antifungal and immune-boosting herb. To get the most out of garlic's healing components, capsules with 4,000 milligrams of allicin-alliin (the antifungal agent in garlic) should be used.

Oregon grape root extract, tea tree oil extract, and lavender extract are proper treatments when the candida problem is found to be rooted in the intestines. An alternative practitioner is able to prescribe a supplement that contains all of these extracts.

Consulting IMS: When you know the reason for your infection, treatment becomes straightforward and edifying. Contact Dr. Fred Lisanti to learn how you can begin to feel relief and suffer no longer!

What is Selenium?

2009-05-19T17:54:00.004-04:00

Selenium is an element that was discovered and introduced to the periodic table in 1817. In its metallic form Selenium (Se) conducts electricity, like many other metals. However in 1873, something interesting and different was discovered about the grey metallic form of Se. Its conductivity is greater in light than in darkness. Interesting!

Later it was discovered that trace amounts of selenium in animal and human diets are essential. Selenium gained recognition in recent years because of its addition to the list of nutritional antioxidants. Antioxidants offer protection against some of our toughest diseases as well on the affects of aging. Selenium is a component of several enzymes that reduce the presence of harmful antioxidants in the body.

How Does Selenium Act to Fight Oxidation and Other Illness?
In 1973, it was discovered that selenium aids conditions that are marked by both selenium and vitamin E deficiency. Both molecules have an antioxidant function. As a part of the enzyme gluthathione peroxidase (SeGPx) selenium prevents free radical formation and breaks down peroxide into water. Research from the 1980s and 1990s shows that selenium deficiency may empower certain viruses. For example, damage was reduced when a virus causing heart lesions was treated with selenium supplementation in mice.

Selenium and Cancer
Some studies indicate that deaths from lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers are lower among people with higher blood levels or intake of selenium. Incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer is much higher in areas of the United States where there is low selenium content in the soil. The effects of selenium supplements on seven types of skin cancers were studied from 1983 through the early 1990s. Daily selenium supplements did not affect the recurrence of skin cancer, but selenium supplementation was found to reduce the occurrence of and death from total cancers.

Selenium affects cancer risk in two ways. Its antioxidant properties help protect the body from free radical damage. Also, selenium supplementation prevents and slows tumor growth, because it enhances immune cell activity and suppresses the development of blood vessels to tumor sights.

Dietary Sources of Selenium
- Wheat germ (11 mcg)
- Whole wheat bread (66 mcg)
- Oats (56 mcg)
- Turnips (27 mcg)
- Brazil nuts (103 mcg)
- Bran (63 mcg)
- Brown rice (39 mcg)
- Garlic (25 mcg)

Diseases Linked to Selenium Deficiency
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Keshan disease (a heart disease common in regions with low Se soil in China)

Beneficial Effects
- Antioxidant activity (SeGPx)
- Thyroid hormone Production
- Antagonistic to heavy metals

Lead
Mercury
Cadmium
Aluminum

Principal Uses
In combination with vitamin E, selenium prevents free radical damage to cell membranes, proteins, and DNA.
- Anti-cancer
- Enhanced immune function
- Fighting cardiovascular and circulatory disease
- Inflammatory conditions

Rheumatoid arthritis
Eczema
Psoriasis

- Cataracts
- Pregnancy/SIDS

Is Selenium a Supplement for You?
Selenium is absorbed by many vegetables through the soil and is present in various meats, depending on the region where vegetables are grown and animals graze. Because of the safety issues, it is advisable that anyone seeking to maintain a balanced level of selenium in their system consult with a professional before introducing dietary changes or taking supplements that alter selenium levels in the system.

If you are interested in seeking the benefits of selenium supplementation for cancer prevention, protection against the toxicity of cisplatin chemotherapy, rheumatoid arthritis, or other conditions, please contact our office. The professionals at Integrative Med Solutions are able to work with you on a personal basis to construct a dosage appropriate for your system. Selenomethionine and high selenium yeast are preferred forms for treatment and are available through a modality to suit your needs at IMS.

------
"selenium" http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/selenium.aspx from The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2008.
"Selenium: Antioxidant and Cancer Quencher" http://www.chiro.org/nutrition/FULL/Selenium_Antioxidant.shtml by Stephanie Briggs, Ph.D. in Nutrition Science News, March 1999.
"Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Selenium" http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/selenium.asp

Growing by Knowing: Wheat Grass - WOW!

2009-04-28T00:05:00.007-04:00

This is the first feature of IMS' "Growing by Knowing" series. The series will focus on strengthening awareness of simple facts that can enhance quality of life. This week's take on "Growing by Knowing" is quite literal. We'll explore the wonders of wheatgrass and how you can grow, consume, and reap the benefits of its green goodness right at home.

HISTORY

A scientist named Charles Schnabel who was looking to perfect chicken's health first discovered the nutritive powers of wheat grass in the 1930s. Wheatgrass proved to be a powerful food, able to restore health in the sickest of chickens. Soon, Schnabel was cultivating the grass for friends and family. The following chart shares some of the facts and figures on 1 oz. of wheat grass as compared to 1 oz. of other nutritive greens.

SOME BENEFITS
Wheatgrass juice can dissolve scars formed in the lungs due to breathing acid gasses. The effect of carbon monoxide is minimized, because the chlorophyll within increases hemoglobin production.

Wheatgrass juice reduces high blood pressure & enhances the capillaries.

Wheatgrass juice is great for constipation and keeping the bowels open. It's high in magnesium!

A small amount of wheatgrass juice helps prevents tooth decay.

Farmers in the Midwest who have sterile cows and bulls put them on wheatgrass to restore fertility. Why? The high magnesium content in chlorophyll builds enzymes that restore the sex hormones.

Wheatgrass Juice is one of the best sources of living chlorophyll available.

Chlorophyll is the first product of light and, therefore, contains more light energy than any other element.

GROWING BY KNOWING!
Bringing wheatgrass into your diet gives you the additional benefits of growing by knowing. You can experience the health benefits of wheatgrass, while cultivating it in the comfort of your home. Bringing life from the seed is a rewarding learning experience, and a great spring project to share in with friends or family. Kids love to take part in a kitchen "wheatgrass garden," especially when then are able to reap tasty juices of their effort.

In order to ingest and benefit from your homegrown wheatgrass, you must buy organic seeds! Organic wheatgrass seeds are readily available online. Here's just what you'll need to create a 11" x 21" patch:"

One greenhouse tray, without drainage.

About 1.5 cups of wheat seed (wheatberries) organically grown either spring wheat and winter wheat are fine.

Unbleached paper towels to fit the tray.

Polyethylene sheet large enough to cover tray. (Keeps moisture in during the early sprouting.)

Optional: Spray bottle for moistening seeds.

Day 1

Wash the seeds in clean water, drain, and refill container to soak the seeds for 8 to 12 hours.

Line the tray a couple of layers of unbleached paper towels. Saturate the liner with water and drain off excess.

Spread one layer of soaked seeds as evenly as you can over the wet liner.

Loosely cover with the poly sheet, to keep in moisture.

Day 2 and 3

Lift plastic sprinkle seeds to keep moist. (They should be moist but not standing in water.)

Day 4

Wheat should be starting to grip the towel or baby blanket.

If firmly attached, you may be able to lift the matting and pour 1/2 cup water into the tray.

Day 5

Add about 1/2 cup water daily.

Adjust to your conditions. Add more water if it seems too dry, less if too wet. You can allow the leaves to lift the loose polyethylene cover, in dry conditions. Remove if conditions are moist or mould is noted.

Day 6 to 9

Continue adding water every day.

You may need to increase the water quantity a bit as the wheatgrass gets taller.

Day 10 +

Cut the wheatgrass as needed, with a scissors or sharp knife.

Cut close to the roots, but above any traces of mold that might be evident at the root level. Rinse and juice with a wheatgrass juicer, or grind in a blender with water and strain.

If you choose to continue watering the wheatgrass, it will continue to grow for 5 or 10 more days as you use it.

TIPS

OK temperatures: between 60F - 75F. Ideal temperature is 67F.

Avoid direct sunlight, bright indirect light is OK. Fluorescent light is OK as well.

Dry air is preferable to humid, if mold is a problem.

Using a fan to move air is useful if mold is a problem.

Wheatgrass can be cut as short as 3.5" tall and may grow to may get 7 or 8 inches tall.

RESOURCES
I'm including some useful wheatgrass linkage below. A Google search provides volumes of recipes that incorporate wheatgrass. Explore and discover a combination that's just to your taste.

As always, feel free to contact the IMS office for more information on freshly grown wheatgrass or to learn about available wheatgrass supplements or post your own wheatgrass stories by leaving a comment below!

The Wheatgrass Blog

Living-Foods.com on Wheatgrass

GrowWheatgrass.com

Cheers & enjoy!

Personal Coaching in the Art & Science of Healing

2009-04-20T23:47:00.006-04:00

"A Journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." - Chinese Proverb

What is Personal Coaching?
Personal coaching is a relationship between a client and coach that is based on the client's expressed interests, goals, and objectives. Inquiry, reflection, and discussion with a personal coach allows for a partnership in healing that strengthens the identification of goals to be achieved and the development of strategies to be implemented toward reaching a desired experience. Together coach and client evolve a plan to suit the individual client's needs according to his or her environment. The coach provides an unbiased, professional insight and teaches skills to empower the client.

How is Personal Coaching Applied?

"He who has a why to live can bear almost any how." - Nietzsche

Coaching can help you reach your goals by providing support, encouragement, and avenues to overcome obstacles. Like working with a play director, the relationship between personal coach and client is synergistic. The creativity of two minds working together in a noncritical, supportive way is incredibly effective for reaching optimal being.

At IMS, clients may enter into treatment seeking coaching to overcome anxiety, phobias, or to increase the overall quality of their health. Others come in without prior knowledge of personal coaching and find that it is an excellent modality in combination with others such as acupuncture, nutritional supplements, etc. Coaching can help you...

Improve relationships
Gain new perspectives
Effectively organize your environment
Resolve negative patterns
Improve your health
Teach you to break through feelings that hinder you from taking action on your goals
Help you get a clear vision of how you want your life to be
Have a deeper connection with your spirituality
Remind you of your strengths and gifts

...in the context of a powerful support system!

Your sessions will be customized to meet your needs. This means each session is unique and shaped to meet your needs at the time of interaction. The title of Gauguin's most famous painting, "Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?" comes to mind when I think of the ways clients arrive at the big picture in personal coaching. A session aims to arrive at appropriate actions or steps that will move you toward a balance. Whether presenting complaints are psychological or physical in nature, the emotional intelligence and spiritual growth afforded by personal coaching heals while supplying you with tools for future prevention.

Psychoneuroimmunology: An Integrative Approach
Terminologies like psychoneuoimmunology are cropping up in medical texts to account for the multidimensional nature of sickness and health. The AMA (American Medical Association) now recognizes that up to 85% of disease is related to stress. Life is a continual journey through experience, and stress is a part of adapting to any change. Many people cope well with stress and remain healthy when confronting difficulties. What can be done when experiencing what's called an "immune-suppression/dysfunction prone" pattern? Dr. Margo de Kooker's lists these buffers against immune system depression and disease progression in her article "Psychoneuroimmunology: An Overview":

Awareness of your mind-body feedback
Learning how to view life with a sense of commitment
Managing control and challenge
Developing strengths to fall back on in the wake of loss
Capacity to confide traumas and feelings to yourself and others

As a field, psychoneuroimmunology reflects the growing consciousness of a need for eclectic therapies. In an integrative approach with personal coaching healthcare "becomes [in Dr. de Kooker's words] an adventure into awareness and a constant revelation of the complexities of the human condition."

"Whatever you can do
Or dream you can,
Begin it.
Boldness has genius,
Power, and magic in it."
- Goethe

To learn more about how personal coaching may enrich your life and boost your health, please contact our office.

How Hypnosis Heals Psyche and Soma

2009-03-27T10:11:00.001-04:00

Hypnosis is one of the most popular alternative healing practices in the United States. Hypnotherapy advertisements ensuring weight loss, bolstered self-esteem, smoking cessation, and more can be found on billboards lining highways and advertisements alongside Google search results. Hypnosis' healing capacities are often sensationalized as an exotic and mysterious. However, a look at the processes at work during hypnotherapy leads to better understanding of how psyche and soma integrate seamlessly in our daily lives.

In the West, most children are introduced to hypnosis through shows that amuse as audience volunteers cluck and strut like chickens across a stage. Kids leave the auditorium amused by and intrigued with hypnosis and grateful that they did not raise their hands to volunteer!

Hypnotists do make great entertainers. But how do they do their work? Are their methods as "all powerful" as they might seem? And how is this tool used in a healing practice?

What is the Hypnotic Trance?

Subjects in a hypnotic trance are not "slaves" to their "masters." Giving that impression adds drama to a stage show, but the truth is that participants have absolute free will. So what are the characteristics that make up the hypnotic trance?

Hyperattention
Suggestibility
Relaxation
Heightened Imagination

A state made up of these characteristics is not uncommon in our everyday lives. Think of a time when you were caught up in a daydream. You were fully conscious in that moment, but your thoughts were so intently focused on the subject in your mind's eye that you were able to tune out most of the stimuli in your environment.

The effect is also similar to what happens when you watch a movie. The imaginary movie world is able to fully engage your emotions so that you may find yourself crying or laughing along with the characters and tuning out your own worries and doubts.

How does Hypnosis Help?

Thousands of years ago ancient healers were able to incorporate this natural trance state into their healing arts. Today, hypnosis is recognized as a way to access a person's subconscious mind directly. While your conscious mind is busy sorting out your daily schedule, reviewing the grocery list, and calculating the time it will take to commute to your Uncle's house for a family meal next weekend, your subconscious mind is taking care of your "automatic" activities.

The subconscious mind regulates activities from respiration to processing the numerous physical sensations your body receives on a given day. The part of your mind that hypnosis is able to tap into is responsible for most of your thinking and decisions! Hypnotism works to subdue your conscious mind so that you and the hypnotist may work directly with the subconscious.

The subconscious mind is the source of imagination and impulse. When your subconscious mind is in control you fell freer and more creative, because your conscious mind is not blocking access to memories, sensations, and emotions all of which are seated in the subconscious. Hypnotherapy taps into these aspects of the subconscious for their healing potential.

Acupuncture and Hypnosis

Hypnotic treatments may be combined with Classical Chinese Medicine to enhance healing effects. By working with both the psyche and soma, healing can take place in a bi-directional and interactive relationship. The application of acupuncture alongside hypnosis is an example of such treatment.

It's been found that a combined treatment of hypnotherapy and acupuncture for the treatment of chronic pain in children produced significant improvements with no side effects.

Healing with Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy can be applied in an array of treatment modalities. Patients suffering from depression and anxiety, seeking smoking cessation, weight reduction, or freedom from phobias have benefited from hypnotherapy offered at Integrative Med Solutions. We've also been able to provide pain management and mend digestive imbalances like Crohn's disease and IBS as well as foster forgiveness, self-esteem, and confidence through hypnosis.

Our hypnotism sessions are held directly, in a one-on-one setting. In this safe and relaxing atmosphere underlying issues are able to yield themselves to conscious consideration. Fears, memories, and repressed emotions can be addressed and clarified so that resolution can come about. Contact Dr. Lisanti for more information.

Spring Liver Cleansing : The Basics

2009-02-25T12:05:00.001-05:00

Spring liver cleansing is a part of restoring vitality in medical practices all around the world. Cultures in South America, Egypt, and China incorporate liver detoxification into their traditions. Why is this so? To answer this question let's peruse a list of liver functions:

Filtering all of the body's blood 20 times a day
Chemical, hormone, digestive enzyme, and bile manufacturing
Breaking down fats
Converting glucose to glycogen
Converting amino acids in the blood to urea and sending it on to the kidneys
Vitamin storage

This list is impressive, but not exhaustive. Consider this liver fact: Even if 75% of the liver is cut away, it can completely regenerate! All these details seem to paint a portrait of the liver as a wonder organ. However, the liver's unbelievable resilience is a sign of its importance.

"The General" in Classical Chinese Medical
Spring is ruled by the Wood Element. The Wood Element symbolizes our bodies' need to be flexible, yet strong, like wood. The spring season is the time to focus on liver health, as we prepare to emerge from months of semi-hibernation and move into an active time of the year.

The liver and gallbladder are associated with the Wood Element in CCM. The liver is described as "The General" in Classical Chinese Medicine (CCM), because of all it does and oversees. A clean liver is advantageous for healthy regulation of your vital life force (qi) and blood as they flow through your body. The Western medical model of the liver sees it as both chemical factory and filter. This view is not in conflict with the CCM approach, and one may supplement the other.

Is Your Liver in Need of Some TLC?
Whether you're feeling well or exhibiting some of the signs in the questionnaire below, a spring liver cleanse is a brilliant way to support optimal health!

- - Do you have any of the following:

Less than one bowl movement per day, mucus in or on your stool, loose stools or diarrhea, narrow stools, stinky stool, excessive gas, abdominal bloating, heartburn/indigestion/reflux, recurring nausea, abdominal pain or cramping, undigested food in your stools?

- - Have you been experiencing ongoing stress, PMS, allergies, and/or poor digestion?

- - Do you feel indecisive or stuck?

- - Are you affected by hormonal imbalance?

- - Is your level of anger in excess in its expression or repression?

- - Have you engaged in the use of drugs and/or alcohol?

- - Do you feel emotionally frustrated, resentful, or irritable?

- - Is your immunity weak?

- - Are you afflicted by tension headaches and migraines?

Most of us will check one or several of these indicators as we review the list. Especially after a winter season spent consuming fatty foods to warm our bodies and celebrating the holidays with heavy eating and drinking. Physiological, psychological, and spiritual function is hampered by bogged down liver.

THE CLEANSE
There are many ways to approach cleansing the liver. Avenues include temporary dietary shifts, drinking herbal teas or tinctures, acupuncture, and the application, bathing, or breathing in of essential oils.

The recommended duration for people trying a liver cleanse for the first time is three days. Experienced liver cleansers may continue for up to two to three weeks. The ideal time to start is just before the first day of spring, March 20th. So, if you're planning to cleanse for four days that means you should begin on March 16th.

Cleansing Foods
Diet is essential for a deep liver cleanse. If you are an experienced liver cleanser, you may be able to withstand an exclusive juice fast. However, first and second timers can support health by maintaining a diet of the following foods:

Organic juices from fruits and vegetables
Artichokes, chicory root, beets, and carrots
Wild greens like dandelion leaves, mustard greens, and kale
Herbs to break up stagnant qi - bulpleurum, cyperus, fennel
Spices suited to liver cleansing like turmeric, garlic, ginger, saffron, and rosemary
Fresh parsley, lemon, bitter melon
Mugwort, wahoo, and fringetree to trigger the secretion of bile from the gallbladder
Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and other cruciferous veggies
Detoxifying herbs including burdock, stinging nettle, and milk thistle
Gentian, centaury, angelica, orange peel, and yarrow to increase flow and secretion of liver enzymes
Deep cleaners - Yellow dock, blue flag, Oregon grape

Foods to Avoid while Cleaning

Fast foods
Junk foods
Processed foods
Alcohol

Cleansing Oils
Cleansing oils may be incorporated into massage oils, a bath, or one or two drops may be diluted in teas.

Anise, basil, bergamot, cardamom, fennel, juniper, lemon verbena, majoram, black pepper, peppermint, and/or rose oil.

Cleansing Teas
Many teas for liver cleansing are available pre-packaged at health food stores. Creating your own blend can be both fun and spiritually fulfilling, adding an additional benefit to your program. You find various combinations of the following ingredients in stores or create your own blend. I'll share a recommended tea recipe below.

2 tablespoons of Stinging Nettle Leaves
2 tablespoons of Dandelion Leaves
1 tablespoon of Spearmint
1 tablespoon of Burdock Root

First, add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix gently. Store the mixture in an air-tight container away from sunlight. When you're ready to drink, steep a tablespoon an a half of the tea in one cup of boiling water. Enjoy 3-4 times daily during your cleanse for best results!

Results: What to Expect
A good liver cleanse can bring about various response ranging from physical to spiritual instantiations. Most people will notice physical changes such as increased energy, weight loss, or the spontaneous healing of an ailment. Others will obtain a sense of clarity and stress relief. Still others will fell renewed in their spiritual passions and visions.

Before beginning any health regimen, it is wise to consult your physician or ND to consult on how certain avenues for cleansing may benefit your unique system over another. Please, contact Integrative Med Solutions with your questions on liver cleansing by phone, email, or by responding to this post.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Winter Yin

2009-02-17T07:32:00.002-05:00

Seasonal affective disorder or SAD affects over 10 million Americans annually when long, sunny summer days dwindle into cold, dark winters. Those living furthest from the equator are most affected. Imagine Alaska's 30 days of night! In coming weeks, the hours of daylight will grow less and less, until our hemisphere leans so far from the sun that we experience the darkest day of the year-the Winter Solstice (December 21st this year).

Western medicine often sites lack of exposure to sunlight as the root cause of SAD, the symptoms of which include extreme lethargy, headaches, depression, negative thoughts, difficulty concentrating, increased appetite, weight gain, decreased libido, and increased desire to be alone. Light therapy is often used as a treatment for such symptoms to increase melatonin and vitamin D levels. In some cases, antidepressant medications are prescribed. Other factors that may contribute to SAD include genetics, hormones, and/or stress.

In Classical Chinese Medicine, yin and yang are used to symbolically represent opposites that we see and experiences in natural cycles of the environment. The first writings and observations of the yin/yang principle are illustrated by the sight of a hill upon which sunlight falls. The yang side of the hill is struck by the sun, while the yin side remains shaded. The yin is inextricably linked to the yang, and vice versa. One requires the other to give it definition. Yang characteristics are masculine, active, warm, and bright. Yang's are characteristics of summer. Yin's characteristics are feminine, passive, nourishing, cold, and dark in nature. Yin's are characteristics of the winter months.

Yielding to Yin
The cold and darkness of winter provide a space for all of nature to rest, look inward, and store. It's a time when our ancestors would retreat to caves to keep warm, sleep long hours, and eat hardy root vegetables and salted meats.

Yielding to yin in modern times can be difficult. Rather than slowing, the pace of our daily routine increases to breakneck speed with the holiday season. Meanwhile, the cold air continues to blow and our bodies crave rest and energy-packed foods, like carbohydrates, to fend off illness. Excess physical, mental, or emotional stress during winter (especially for people who are more yin in constitution due to gender, genetics, environment, and lifestyle) can lead to depressed moods and a depressed immune system.

Treating SAD from a Classical Chinese Medicine Perspective
From a CCM perspective, it is important to respect the Yin of winter and to treat any imbalance resulting from its overabundance by focusing key elements, organs, emotions, and foods that maintain balance during wintertime.

Water is the element of winter. Water represents Qi energy in its "seed" state. That is, water is like a seed filled with potential energy that must be channeled to good use. When treating SAD, this principle is applied to the idea that slowing down to store seeds of energy in winter is natural. However, storing should not inhibit free-flow. Acupuncture it an excellent option for treating SAD with CCM. It is most effective when performed two times a week beginning in the fall to avoid blockages all together. However, treatment can begin at any time to stimulate yang energies and decrease SAD symptoms.

The Kidneys and their paired organ the Urinary Bladder are the organs of winter. Not only are they physiologically connected to the body's processing of Winter Water, they also house the emotion of fear and Zhi energy or the will. When the kidneys are weak, an inordinate lack of willpower or increased anxiety/fear result. Acupuncture stimulates points along meridians that restore flow of Qi to the kidneys, while Chinese Herbs, like mustard flower essences, rejuvenate them.

Helpful Practices for Stimulating Yang:

Exercise regularly. Morning walks are excellent way enhance your mood. Try walking 20 minutes at a brisk pace each morning to increase the flow of endorphins and so that have access to sunshine time each day.
Plan outdoor activities on the weekends. Though most of us nine-to-fivers must spend the majority of daylight hours indoors in winter, we still have the weekends! Make a plan to bundle up and fly a kite, go skiing, hiking, window shopping, or dare to practice yoga in the park on a winter's day.
Avoid overeating. Cravings for carbs hit hard in the winter, but weight gain only adds to the tensions of Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you do have a craving, go for whole grain pastas, breads, and oatmeal. Eat lots of protein like roasted nuts or lean meats and baked root vegetables such as yams and baked potatoes
Sleep! It is okay submit a bit to that lazy feeling. Your body's clock is tied to the rising and setting of the sun. Try sleeping earlier and waking with the sun to maximize winter daylight.
Wanting more time to yourself is typical in winter but always remember to keep the warmth of loved ones around you. Take time to keep in touch, and share meals with family and friends.

At Integrative Med Solutions, applications of Classical Chinese Medical for Seasonal Affective Disorder may include talk consultations, nutritional counseling, botanical medicine, supplementation, and/or acupuncture, among other treatments. Unique modalities are designed for each individual with respect for patients' mental, physical, and emotional constitution.

It is important to remember that treatment discussed here often prove effective but are never a substitute for psychological or psychiatric treatments. Please feel free to contact our office to arrange a consultation or to inquire how we may help you with symptoms relating to Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Acupuncture as an Alternative Therapy for Pain Management

2008-12-17T18:15:00.002-05:00

Questions & Answers

Q: What is acupuncture?
A: Acupuncture is the placement of thin needles into the body's surface at specific points to stimulate the body's qi and promote wellness. Please take a few minutes for more information on the history and practice of acupuncture as a part of Classical Chinese Medical (CCM) practice.

Q: Is acupuncture safe?
A: A 2001 review of nine surveys on acupuncture's safety found the following:

Q: How does acupuncture work to manage pain?
A: I'll take a bilingual approach in my response to the question at hand. First, I'll address the query in what I'll call "CCM-talk."

Acupuncture was developed in China 3000 years ago to manage the flow of life force or qi throughout the body. In treatment, an acupuncturist inserts needles at specific points related to a patient's illness. If for example you are experiencing lower back pain, needles will be inserted at Ah Shi Points, Bl 23, Bl 25, Bl 54, Bl 28, Shi Qi Zhui Xia (M-BW-25), and Hua Tuo Jia Ji points. Where as, sights of insertion are ST8, GB5, GB20, GV14, and LU7 for treating chronic migraines. Needle placement is designed to suite each patient where he or she in experiences imbalance so that blocked qi may flow freely, relieving pain.

For part two of this answer, we'll converse in the language of modern medicine.

Recent research has revealed the physiologic and biochemical forces at work when acupuncture is applied as a modality for managing pain. Acupuncture stimulates the release of:

Endorphins from the central nervous system
Dynorphons from the spinal cord
ACTH from the adrenal glands
Serotonin
GABA
Catecholamines
Dopamine
and acupuncture influences the behavior of substance P (one of the body's pain-generating messengers)

Q: Is there evidence of acupuncture's effectiveness when applied to pain management?
A: The National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference put together a panel of experts to study the effectiveness of acupuncture in 1997. Their findings concluded that acupuncture was an effective treatment for a number of pain management applications including:

Menstrual cramps
Fibromyalgia
Myofascial Pain
Osteoarthritis
Lower Back Pain
Tennis Elbow
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Headache

In 2001, migraine/tension headaches, chronic neck pain, and soft-tissue injuries of the peripheral joints joined this list when additional studies and reviews supported the use of acupuncture for pain management.

Q: What is acupuncture most commonly applied to for pain management?
A: In China and in the U.S., acupuncture is most frequently used to treat musculoskeletal pain, migraine, and peripheral nerve neuralgia. At Integrative Med Solutions, it is our priority to identify the root cause of any illness before applying treatment. If you feel that acupuncture might aid your pain management program, please contact us for a consultation.

What's your viewpoint on acupuncture treatment?

Dr. Lisanti's Top 10 Recommendations for Increased Energy!

2008-11-17T00:00:00.003-05:00

Limit your sugar and caffeine intake. Most Americans consume more sugar and caffeine than is considered moderate or healthy. The jolt delivered by these instant energy boosters ravages the adrenal glands, producing peaks and valleys in energy throughout the day. Get back to a natural balance by weaning yourself from sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and caffeine now. To start, try green tea with honey.

Drinking lots of water will off-set withdrawal headaches when you cut caffeine and sugars, while boosting your energy levels. Drink AT LEAST half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. For example: 160 lbs. / 2 = 80 oz. of water

Eat protein at every meal to balance your blood sugar. Fish, organic meats, organic eggs, organic yogurt, and hummus are excellent options. For protein in a pinch, try snacking on almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, or walnuts throughout the day.

Go natural! Cut processed, artificial foods out of your diet and eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. The powerful antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals within will enable your body to build healthy cells and increase your energy. At least 5 servings a day are recommended. Add berries to your breakfast cereal, have a raw vegetable snack like red pepper slices or baby carrots, and drink fruit juices rather than soda or energy drinks.

Take nutritional supplements and herbs for energy. No diet is perfect. If you aren't currently taking a basic multi-vitamin daily, now is the time to start. Still feeling over-tired? You might want to try nutritional supplements/herbs for energy increase such as l-carnitine, magnesium, Omega-3s, B-complex, maca, chorella, CoQ10, and/or blue green algae to achieve optimal energy levels. Herbs and nutrients act with synergistic effects. It's important to consult your physician to get the most out of your supplement program. An ND will ensure that you're taking the proper supplements in chorus and that harmful interactions are avoided. Feel free to respond to this blog post with your questions, or contact my office to arrange a personal consultation.

Exercise at least three times a week. Staying active is one of the simplest and most effective ways to get energized. The endorphins released will relax your mind and your body will be well-conditioned to face daily challenges. Go outdoors to work out if you can. The natural surroundings will center and rejuvenate your spirit. So, get moving! Practice Tai Chi, go for a bike ride, lift weights, take a walk on your lunch break, or an evening jog. Your body will thank you.

See a Naturopathic Doctor to determine underlying causes. Many people go through life feeling drained and are never diagnosed with easily manageable conditions like low grade food allergies or intestinal yeast overgrowth. Imbalanced iron levels, low thyroid function, and a number of other disorders can be assessed by your ND via physical examination, questioning, and blood work.

Cleanse your liver. The Ancient Egyptians cleansed their livers each month. For the five days following the full moon, a simple mixture of fresh squeezed lemon juice and light olive oil (just two tablespoons of each) was taken in the morning before eating. This practical ritual is a simple way to start. For more information on cleansing the liver click here.

Manage stress. Our lives are so busy, it sometimes seems impossible to "just relax" or to "take it easy." When it all seems to be too much, don't forget to check in with yourself. Prioritize so that you can live in the moments that are of most importance to you, and give yourself time to unwind. Make time to take a relaxing bath, listen to music you love, or sip a cup of chamomile tea before you turn in each night.

Get the rest you need. Every person has a unique rhythm to their sleeping and rising. Take time to get in touch with yours. Experiment with bedtimes to discover how much sleep you need to wake regularly without an alarm clock. Not only will you feel more energized throughout the day, but you'll also be increasing your wellbeing by giving your body ample time to carry out its restorative processes.

What are your energy boosting tips?

Infertility and Acupuncture

2008-10-01T07:28:00.000-04:00

For centuries, acupuncture has benefited men and women interested in enhancing their fertility. Today, acupuncture is growing in popularity as an independent fertility treatment as well as a supplement to traditional Western infertility therapies. Clinical observations suggest that fertility treatments combining acupuncture, herbal medicine, and traditional medical interventions are most effective. However, conception can occur with acupuncture and herbal medicines as solely.

Whether you're considering acupuncture for the first time (for detailed specifics on how acupuncture works to balance qi - read this archived blog entry: "The History of Acupuncture" or if you're a long time patient of Classical Chinese Medicine, I hope this entry will shed light on how acupuncture can form an integrative modality for conception.

How does acupuncture support fertility?
An acupuncturist will seek to stimulate your autonomic nervous system, induce your relaxation response, stabilize your hormone levels, and increase blood flow to your reproductive organs. For women this results in an increase in ovarian function, regulates the menstrual cycle, and facilitates a thick, rich uterine lining. In men, acupuncture can invigorate sperm and increase sperm levels.

Acupuncture as a Treatment for Dysfunction vs. Acupuncture for Structural Problems

Acupuncture is often implemented to treat functional problems including but not limited to those listed here:

spasmed tubes
elevated follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
repeated miscarriage
luteal phase defect
hyperprolactinemia (when not caused by a prolactinoma)
polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with annovulatory cycles
men affected by sperm-DNA-fragmentation.

Acupuncture will not repair structural problems like blocked sperm ducts, endometriosis, and tubal adhesions.

What to Expect When Receiving Acupuncture as a Fertility Treatment
The first 20-30 minutes of your first visit to an acupuncturist will be spent documenting and discussing your medical history and talking about what you want to achieve with your sessions. The treatment itself will take 45-60 minutes each visit.

Before inserting each thin, sterile, one-use needle your acupuncturist should describe exactly where each need is going and what the intention is for each placement. Typical areas for insertion during fertility treatment include the forehead, arms, hands, belly, legs, and feet.

Once the needles are in place, the acupuncturist may put on some relaxing music and leave you to focus on your qi for about 20 minutes. The acupuncturist will return to shift the needles, "stirring" the qi, and leave you alone once more to focus and relax. After the needles are removed, your acupuncturist will want to know how you are feeling. Rise slowly, as you may still be deeply relaxed from the experience.

How Can Acupuncture Be Incorporated with Other Fertility Treatment?
Treatments typically begin 3 or 4 months before IVF (in vitro fertilization) or donor-egg transfer. This tones mind and body by relieving stress and creating a fertile environment for implantation. Acupuncture may continue through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy to help prevent miscarriage. Certain points including Gallbladder 21, Stomach 12, Large Intestine 4, Spleen 6, Bladder 60, Bladder 67 and any points on the lower abdomen will be avoided during pregnancy.

How Effective is Acupuncture for Infertility?

Women
A 2002 study conducted by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine found that acupuncture is a useful tool for improving pregnancy rate after ART (assisted reproductive therapy). The studied compared results of two groups of women. One group received acupuncture treatment before embryo transfer, while the control group received no acupuncture. 34 of 80 patients who received acupuncture were documented as clinically pregnant 6 weeks after treatment, compared to 21 out of 80 who did not receive acupuncture.

A more recent study involving 114 women showed that women who received acupuncture had lower rates of ectopic pregnancies and the following results.

Men
Another study published in Fertility and Sterility in 2005 showed significant result for men who received acupuncture twice a week over a period of 5 weeks. The follow results compare a set of semen samples taken after a 3-day period of sexual abstinence. The first set shows samples from the day before treatment began. The second set reflects results recorded one day following the group's final acupuncture treatment.

Our office is open to all queries regarding acupuncture for facilitating pregnancy. Click here to contact IMS about fertility treatment.

Natural Health and Healing and Your Child

2008-08-25T09:31:00.002-04:00

Parents are the gatekeepers to the well being of their children. As a parent you are a teacher, a nurse, a cook, a mentor and more. Your keen sensitivity to your child's moods and behaviors renders you better able to detect and respond to a health issue with greater insight than any professional. Empowering yourself with knowledge about natural and balanced means for maintaining your child's health and happiness affords your child a balanced lifestyle.

Many parents turn to alternative treatments when allopathic avenues have failed to solve a chronic health issue that their child may experience like ear or upper respiratory infections. Perhaps you are among this group, or maybe you are among the growing number of parents who are look to ancient and modern systems for natural healing as they are backed by scientific research.

Food and Thought
At any age, sustainable health begins with a nutritious diet. Health conscious parents afford their children this important lesson: "You are what you eat." Whether it's providing delicious whole foods at meal and snack time, or keeping preservatives, pesticides, and hormones out of the kitchen as often as possible, parents who encourage healthy habits at the table are informing a child's ability to create nurture him- or herself.

Remedies at the Ready
You can prepare simple treatments at home for common childhood ailments that work wonderfully well. Over the counter drugs for coughs, colds, flu, and skin rashes are harsh on a child's delicate and developing system. Because children have sensitive systems, they are more responsive to mild herbal treatments in the form of teas, syrups, herbal popsicles, and glycerites-treatments that are much easier for mom or dad to administer than terrible tasting alcohol-based medications.

An integrative approach to health and healing for your child also means considering various methods of administration, especially for infants and smaller children. Natural therapies offer baths, rubs, creams, washes, and poultices. This gives parents the ability to choose between several methods of administration, so that healing is comfortable and positive experience for your child.

Natural Treatments to Try
Over 10% of school-aged children are diagnosed with hyperactivity or ADD or ADHD. It's an alarming percentage, but a problem that is easily managed in most cases with dietary changes. Many studies have shown that food and additive allergies, heavy metal toxicity and other environmental toxins, low-protein/high-carbohydrate diets, mineral imbalances, essential fatty acid and phospholipid deficiencies, amino acid deficiencies, thyroid disorders, and B-vitamin deficiencies are the main triggers of attention deficit. Studies show that food supplement treatment is as effective in treating AD/HD as Ritalin. A mix of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, amino acids, essential fatty acids, phospholipids, and probiotics where used to address the AD/HD biochemical risk factors.

Diaper rash can leave your baby and you very frustrated and uncomfortable. The first thing to consider, if possible, is to use cloth diapers to allow your baby's skin to breathe. Committing the use of cloth diapers can seem daunting, but you can switch between synthetics on the road and cloth for home. Also, letting your baby's bum get some time in the fresh air each day can have a wonderful effect.

Calendula-Comfrey Diaper Ointment
1 lb. coconut oil
2 good handfuls calendula petals
Comfrey leaves*

*Comfrey leaves are not to be used by pregnant women.

Melt the coconut oil in a pan. Then, add herbs and cook on low heat for 30 minutes. The petals will become crispy, but do not burn. Filter the blend into jars, and use when needed.

Tasty soups are great for immune support and remedying illness during the cold season. Recipes with onions, ginger, shitake mushrooms, lots of garlic, and a little hot spice can make a big difference.

Children's delicate systems are susceptible to nose bleeds due to dry heated air in the winter and pollen. Using a humidifier in the home when the heat is on not only keeps the family respirating healthily, it also allows you to turn down the thermostat. The moister in the air will distribute heat throughout your home more efficiently. Bilberry herb can be used to reduce the fragility of the tiny blood vessels in the nose; astringent herbs like witch hazel can be applied topically to reduce bleeding, and supplementing Vitamins A, C, and K and Zinc.

Supplementing Modern Meds
Treating strep throat is great example of how modern medicine and natural therapies can integrate to form total healing systems for your child. Thanks to antibiotics, strep throat can be cut off at the pass to avoid tonsillitis and surgery.

Antibiotics, however, do nothing to repair the throat's damaged tissue, to address a weakened immune system, or to replace the digestive flora that the medication eradicates. Working alongside a trained herbalist, you can effectively restore balance by supplementing with natural treatments like yarrow and meadowsweet to reduce inflammation, calendula to repair damaged tissues, and acidophilus to replace lost flora.

Your Child's Naturopathic Physician
As with any medication giving a child much more of an herb that is recommended could be dangerous. Plants contain powerful chemicals. Remember, 25% of all prescription drugs come from plants. Contact a naturopathic physician who can prescribe treatment with that manages possible conflicts any herb might create with another.

Skin Care and Healing

2008-08-17T13:51:00.002-04:00

Skin is your body's largest organ and the one most visible to you and everyone you meet. The condition of your skin communicates your mood and physical state. No wonder we see so many products advertised to create or maintain "beautiful, radiant skin." We all want to look our best.

Skin care and healing are about much more than appearing attractive to others. Your skin is the gateway between you and the environment. Your skin is able to meet nature's challenges on its own when supplied with proper food, drink, sunlight, air, and water. When any of these elements are deficient or overly abundant, the skin reacts. Acne, rashes, chicken pox, and sweating are signs that your skin is performing its job by regulating environmental irritants and internal balance.

Skin Facts
- The average square inch of skin holds 650 sweat glands, 20 blood vessels, 60,000 melanocytes, 50 million bacteria, and more than a thousand nerve endings.

- Skin protects senses, regulates heat, controls evaporation, communicates, stores, synthesizes, excretes, absorbs, and resists.

- Skin regenerates faster than any other organ.

Skin conditions and Natural Treatments

Sunburn is best to avoid altogether by staying in the shade, wearing appropriate attire, and applying sunscreen. When it's too late and sunburn strikes there are several methods for natural healing.

- Hydrotherapy is a fancy word for taking a soak, shower, or applying a towel compress. Lukewarm or cool water is best. Water that is too hot can strip the skin oils produced to repair the problem. 10 to 15 minutes of hydrotherapy three times a day can provide great relief.

- Aloe vera is always good to have on hand in bottled or plant form. The gel within has anti-inflammatory properties that soothe and heal burned skin.

- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids to replenish water lost out in the sun and heat.

Eczema patients are greatly benefited by an integrative approach. Numerous stressors can trigger the red, itchy, irritated, and sometimes oozing sores that attend eczema. Homeopathy, dietary changes, herbs, and breathing exercises among other treatments can be combined to restore the skin's health. Switching to cotton clothing and taking a daily dose of flaxseed oil is enough to ease some patient's symptoms, while others benefit from detoxification and meditation.

Acne is often thought to be caused by poor hygiene. While washing the skin twice daily is important to remove dead skin cells and dirt, over-washing leaves the skin without the oils it needs to heal.

- Chinese herbal treatments like cnidium seed, honeysuckle flower, or root water are alternatives to Western chemical treatments.

- Supplements like black currant seed oil or evening primrose oil capsules can nurture the skin from the inside out.

- Herbs and teas such as echinacea, calendula, tea tree oil, and goldenseal or a tea made from nettles and cleavers tincture can help.

Dry Skin needs to be cleansed gently. Non-detergent, neutral-pH products applied with a gentle touch will avoid further irritation. Gently massage with oils relaxes and replenished the skin and stimulates it to heal itself. There are all manner of masks you can make at home to nourish dry skin. The ingredients for this mix are easy to come by:
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil
- A few drops of rose water
Mix and apply as mask.

Vitamin C and Vitamin E give skin a glow that shows you are healthy from the inside out. Foods rich in Vitamin C include: papaya, oranges, broccoli, strawberries, kiwifruits, cauliflower, lemon, cranberry juice, tomatoes, and grapefruits. For Vitamin E eat: sunflower seeds, almonds, blueberries, hazelnuts, wheat germ, pine nuts, avocado, salmon, and olive, sunflower, or corn oil.

Skin solutions are rarely, if ever one-fits-all. What works for Harry may harm Sally, so consulting a physician before starting treatment is important. What you've read here is simply an introduction to a few means of balancing a limited number of skin conditions. Please, feel free to contact the IMS office to learn more about integrative approaches to nurturing your skin.

Naturopathic Doctors

2008-07-21T19:36:00.001-04:00

In short, naturopathic doctors or NDs design treatments that work with your vital force. Our patients' mental, physical, and spiritual wellnesses are considered to create true healing systems that stimulate, increase, and support your body's natural restorative abilities.

Naturopathic doctors are trained at accredited, four-year, post-graduate, residential medical programs. There, anatomy, cardiology, gastroenterology, gynecology, immunology, microbiology, physiology, pathology, clinical and physical diagnosis, and laboratory diagnosis, etc. are studied in academic and clinical settings. NDs are trained to perform diagnosis through physical exams, laboratory testing, gynecological exams, nutritional and dietary assessments, allergy testing, imaging, and other means. Naturopaths refer patients to other specialists and healthcare providers for diagnosis and treatment if and when needed.

NDs are experts in natural therapies and offer a wide range of treatment options including clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, homeopathy, counseling, and additional disciplines or modalities like acupuncture and clinical hypnosis. NDs are aware of drug/nutrient and drug/herb interactions and ensure that natural treatments do not counter-act or cause harm
when combined with conventional treatments.

There are Six Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)
This principal of Naturopathic Medicine refers to not only your body's natural ability to heal itself, but also to natural remedies used to restore balance. Naturopathic medicine regards your body's order and intelligence as a guide, and these do not exist in a vacuum. Herbs, Yoga, and even simple conversation are powerful, natural tools for healing.

Identify and Treat the Cause (Tolle Causam)
It is impossible to recover from an illness, if the underlying cause remains unaddressed. Communication is a key aspect of naturopathic treatment. An ND will work with you to understand why symptoms emerged. Treatment is never a means for suppressing symptoms. Instead, a naturopathic doctor will direct treatment toward the root cause of illness be it physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual.

First Do No Harm (Primum No Nocere)
Naturopathic doctors follow three principles to avoid harming the patient. The first is to employ methods and medicines that minimize the risk of harmful side effects. The second is to avoid the harmful suppression of symptoms. The third is to respect the individual's healing process by using the least force necessary for diagnosis and treatment.

Treat the Whole Person (Tolle Totum)
NDs approach healing holistically. Poor health and wellness alike affect the functioning of all of your body's systems. Disharmony and imbalance yield sickness, while harmony and balance yield wellness. Naturopathic doctors take a comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment to ensure safe and effective healing.

The Physician as Teacher (Docere)
As teachers, NDs empower and motivate patients to take responsibility for their own health by engaging patients' awareness of their own wellbeing. A naturopathic doctor will listen to and examine a patient carefully. Then, an ND can provide the patient with the knowledge needed to recognize imbalance and to bring about healthful change.

Prevention (The Best Cure)
The naturopathic focus is on building health, rather than fighting disease. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is sufficient for avoiding numerous health issues. Risks factors and heredity are also considered by NDs, and appropriate interventions are designed to prevent illness.

To learn more about how Naturopathic Doctors approach treatment, you can browse the tabs above, contact our office, or leave a comment below.

Holistic Health

2008-07-10T00:58:00.004-04:00

An Approach to Life

This is an exciting moment in the history of medicine! Now, more than ever, individuals are able to access an array of methods for sustaining and restoring health. Treatments ranging from A (aromatherapy) to Z (Zen) meditation are hunkered under the umbrella of holism. The term "holistic" is often used as a synonym for alternative therapies, but "holistic health" is not a categorical term, as such.

Holistic health is simply an approach to life. As far back as 5,000 years ago, healing systems in China and India called attention to the importance of living in harmony with nature. Holistic practitioners today are able to integrate this ancient wisdom with modern medical understanding to focus on each person as a whole, unique being interacting with the environment.

Conventional Medicine and the Holistic Approach: What's the Difference?

A holistic approach to wellness does not mean turning away from therapies provided by modern medicine today. Comparing and contrasting conventional medicine and a holistic approach through the example of a common health issue-like high cholesterol - demonstrates how one is not opposite nor separate from the other.

High cholesterol affects 1 in 5 U.S. adults. People with high cholesterol have a much greater risk of encountering severe health problems. For this reason, drugs like Lipitor and Zocor are often prescribed immediately to reduce the possibility of complications like heart attach, stroke, and vascular disease. Like jumper cables for your car battery, these drugs jolt your body back into a functional state. This can be very helpful.

To continue with the car analogy-drugs for high cholesterol are designed to get you from the side of the highway to your home, work, or the mechanic's shop safely. There, you can assess the car’s electrical problem in-full and proceed to make repairs. It would be nonsensical and possibly damaging to jump the car's battery everyday.

LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE
Encourage the Body's Natural Instinct to Heal Itself

Holism - n. the theory that whole entities, as fundamental components of reality, have an existence other than as the mere sum of their parts.

A high cholesterol reading is only a sign of a larger imbalance. Like the mechanic who takes pains to diagnose exactly how and why a car's electrical system has failed, a holistic health practitioner will want to know how the interlocking systems of your mind, body, and spirit influence any health problem that you might experience.

Holistic treatment starts with the premise that your body already knows what it needs to sustain health and that poor health is your body's way of communicating that it is in need. This means that patient and doctor must ban together to deal with the root cause of an illness. Patient involvement is essential for developing and orchestrating holistic treatment systems.

A health concern like high cholesterol can be the result of numerous physical, mental, emotional, and/or spiritual factors. A drug that jumpstarts health is only designed to be helpful in preventing serious implications in the short-term. This collaborative style of holistic healing achieves sustainable health by treating physical disharmonies from the inside out.

Asking the right questions and actively listening are the most important services that a holistic practitioner can provide. Are emotional problems contributing to poor eating habits, or is anxiety causing your cholesterol to sky-rocket? When the source of imbalance is truly understood, treatment is adapted to meet your specific needs.

If you are seeking a personal and sustainable health solution and would like more information about what you've read in this blog, please contact my office or shoot over an email. We at IMS are open to any and all comments, questions, and conversations!

Naturopathic Weight Loss

2008-06-30T09:33:00.004-04:00

Happy Fourth of July!

I hope you all find time to relax and enjoy the upcoming holiday weekend. Did you set a goal to look and feel your best this season? If so, read on to find out how you can achieve and sustain an attractive figure and healthy weight the natural way.

Unlike traditional weight loss strategies, a naturopathic approach doesn't say that you're unhealthy, because you're carrying around extra pounds. You have to be healthy to lose weight, rather than losing weight to be healthy. You're success will come with a commitment to health.

TRADITIONAL WEIGHT LOSS STRATIGIES can contribute to weight gain. Most all of us have tried these methods to drop a few extra pounds:

- eating low-fat and/or low-carb diet
- limiting protein
- undereating
- fasting
- excessive cardio exercise

These aren't healthy strategies to live by and if the metabolic process is out of balance, they won't work.

WHAT YOUR HORMONES SAY ABOUT YOUR WEIGHT AND YOUR HEALTH

Managing your weight the natural way means getting a real look at metabolic damage and treating it.

The hormones that control your metabolism work with the ebb and flow of your circadian rhythm. The word circadian comes from Latin words circa "around" and diem or dies for "day" meaning literally approximately one day.

Your circadian rhythm is linked to the dark-light cycle. It's a 24-hour cycle that regulates biochemical, physiological, and behavioral processes. The hormones that help you breakdown and redistribute the fats in the food you eat come out at night. While you're sleeping, they release and work to repair your metabolism.

Disruption of this rhythm can be due to a number of factors:

- stress
- exercise history
- dietary history
- quality/amount of sleep
- exposure to toxins such as alcohol, tobacco, processed food, caffeine, and pharmaceutical drugs

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU VISIT A NATUROPATH TO MANAGE YOUR WEIGHT

The ND will want to know your health history, perform a physical, test your hormone levels to get a sense of your metabolism's health, and learn about your emotional relationship to the foods you eat. Then you can create a plan with your doctor that will work for you. Naturopaths respect that achieving weight loss is a mind-body process. Your ND will want to know why you manage your health the way we do.

"Will power" has very little to do with losing weight. It's all about planning. People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan. An ND will gauge what's influencing your problem, find the true cause, and work with you to create a weight loss plan.

HERE ARE A FEW METHODS YOUR ND MIGHT PRESCRIBE

- eating frequently and being mindful of what you eat ( i.e. not eating in front of the TV or computer)
- eating a whole foods diet
- taking nutrient supplements to rebuild the functioning of your metabolism
- botanical meds
- judicious use of bioidentical hormone therapy
- getting lots of sleep
- managing stress (by becoming aware of it and releasing it healthily)
- understand you emotional relationship to food
- recommending a weight training routine

TRUE SUCCESS comes when you've identified why it's been difficult or impossible for you to lose weight and when you start taking steps to change your lifestyle. A naturopathic approach to weight loss treats the problem at its source. An ND will help you work toward a slimmer, trimmer, healthier you by helping you repair your metabolism. That is when you'll see fat loss and achieve sustainable health.

As always, we look forward to hearing from you on our blog - if you have and additional questions, please feel free to contact us here.

The History of Acupuncture

2008-06-23T02:50:00.003-04:00

The first known writing on acupuncture is found in the Huangdi Neiijing, a tradition Chinese medical book written over 2,000 years ago. This book revolutionized the treatment of disease by looking at how the nature of one's diet, lifestyle, emotions, environment, age, and heredity effect health.

The second part of the Huangdi Neijing is called the Lingshu and describes acupuncture in great detail. Acupuncture was and still is a major mode of treatment for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners. A direct translation from this early text describes acupuncture as putting holes in the body to regulate qi. It is a direct portrayal that can use further explanation. My hope is that this blog will provide you with an understanding of how and why acupuncture works.

What is Qi?
The literal translation of qi from Chinese means "breath," just as our English word "spirit" comes from the Latin "spiritus" or "breath." Qi can be understood as your life force or vital energy. You can imagine pathways of qi flowing through your body as streams, rivers, irrigation systems, canals, and oceans flow interdependently. Qi operates like these water ways. If a river is dammed by animals, water will not flow to where it is needed; if a canal is flooded by rains, there will be damage to homes and the land. Both circumstances causes imbalance to surrounding environments.

"No pain, no blockage; no blockage, no pain."
The pathways where qi flows are called meridians. Dysfunctional flows are thought to be caused by blockages. If qi cannot take its normal course, excess qi will accumulate at the impasse and other areas of your body will not receive the vitality needed to be well. Improper flow manifests as pain or sickness, be it a tummy ache or insomnia.

Acupuncture Diagnosis and Treatment
Acupuncture is used to regulate the flow of qi by inserting thin metal needles at specific points along the meridians where qi flows. Acupuncture performed by a well-trained, experienced professional is painless. The major diagnostic modes utilized are:

- Inspection of the face, particularly the tongue. The size, shape, tension, color, coating, and whether or not there are teeth marks around the edge will be inspected by the acupuncturist.
- Auscultation or listening to your body for sounds like wheezing.
- Olfaction or smelling breath and bodily secretions.
- The Seven Inquiries are seven concerns the acupuncturists will want to ask you about: chills and fever; perspiration; appetite, thirst, and taste; defecation and urination; pain; sleep; menses and leucorrhea.

Information gathered during the diagnostic process will inform your acupuncturist where qi is imbalanced. Then, he or she will work along meridians where qi flows to problem area. For example, problems associated with the kidney are treated by inserting needles in the foot. This placement strengthens the flow of qi to the kidney if it is deficient or to drains qi if there is excess.

The depth of insertion is also considered by the acupuncturist. Depth is determined according to the degree of imbalance. Needles are inserted at lesser depths when treating diseases of the skin or of the muscles. Disease of the internal organs and bone marrow have a severe impact on health. For this reason, acupuncture needles must penetrate deeper in the meridians' flow to remove blockages of energy and to promote free flow.

The Arrival of the Qi
Some patients say that they feel a pleasurable sensation when a desired point is located. We call this "the arrival of the qi." Studies show that acupuncture can significantly improve symptoms of many diseases from fibromyalgia to tinnitus to addiction.

Feel free to contact my office to learn more about how you can use acupuncture to promote health. My staff is happy to answer any questions you may have about acupuncture treatment and our other therapies. And, as always, comments, questions, and discussion are welcomed here on the IMS blog!

Take A Summer Vacation From Smoking

2008-06-16T02:18:00.002-04:00

...AND BREATH EASIER FOR A LIFETIME

Summer is a great time to kick a smoking habit. Why? The season's long days are nature's antidepressants, and studies show that stress and negative moods cause 70% of relapse among smokers. Take advantage of your sunny disposition this season, and take a vacation from cigarettes.

What Should You Pack Before You Say "Bon Voyage" to Smoking?

Your extended stay away from nicotine, like any vacation, requires planning. A wise traveler reads-up on his or her destination before departure and your preparations are all ready underway as you read this article!

Consider this information: 50% of relapse occurs within the first five weeks of stopping, because that's how long it takes for nicotine to circulate out of your system and for physical withdrawal symptoms to recede. You're most likely to reach your goal if you know what to expect during this tough period. Educate yourself, develop a plan, and set a quit date ahead of time to dodge the big roadblocks--stress and cravings.

Exercise

Quitters who work out experience greater success rates and greater health benefits. The average person who stops smoking gains between 4 and 11 pounds in the process. Many smokers avoid quitting for this reason, but making a healthy choice should not necessitate gaining weight. Start an exercise routine before you quit and you will boost your metabolism and confidence.

In addition to regular exercise, walking is a great replacement for a smoking break. Ten minutes of walking will send fresh air into your lungs and dopamine through your brain. Both effects relieve stress and cravings.

Your Connecting Flight: Supplements and Substitutes to Stop Smoking

Getting from here to there cold turkey is next to impossible. Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs out there. Quitting cigarettes shouldn't be thought of in terms of mind over matter, because your body chemistry is changed by regular smoking.

St. John's Wart is a herbal supplement that can lessen stress by increasing the release of dopamine. You can buy extract in pill or capsule form at most drug stores. Start taking the supplement twice daily two or three weeks before you plan to stop smoking for most effectiveness. Check with your doctor before starting on St. John's Wart, as it can interact with drugs like oral contraceptives and antidepressants.

Wild Oat is commonly used to treat insomnia and nervous exhaustion, because it calms the nervous system. Studies now show it can help reduce nicotine cravings. Wild oat can be found in health food stores as a liquid tincture. Put ten drops in water or juice and drink three times daily.

Orange Juice and Cream of Tartar Drink helps flush nicotine from your system for speedier reduction of withdrawal symptoms. You can find cream of tartar in the spice section of your grocery store. Add half a teaspoon to a glass of orange juice and drink the mixture before going to bed.

Cloves Oil is available at most health food shops. Whole Cloves can be found at the grocery store. Both are good for quelling the urge to smoke. Place a drop of clove oil on the back of your tongue or chew on a clove and you'll enjoy a flavorful taste as well as a numbing sensation.

Chewing Gum, Toothpicks, Carrot or Celery Sticks are a popular for keeping your hands and mouth busy when you've recently stopped smoking and the

Tour Guides: Hypnotists, Acupuncturists, Naturopaths, and of course YOU!

Hypnosis is a way of unwinding psychological dependencies. A hypnotist can guide you through the subconscious emotional ties that bind you to a smoking addiction.

Acupuncture uses very thin needles to target specific treatment points that are associated with smoking-related organs such as the lungs, airways, and mouth. An acupuncturists can also guide you in using acupressure at specific point to help yourself along the way.

A Naturopath is a great tour guide to have on your side for such a treacherous journey. He or she can draw on a combination of multiple therapies that works best to heal you mind, body, and spirit.

Ultimately, the success of your vacation away from cigarette is in your hands. You probably have a good idea about what methods of quitting will work best for you. Learn more about getting from point A to B by contacting our office. We'd be pleased to see you on the shores of a happy, healthy, smoke-free future!

Discover Your Ayurvedic Mental and Physiological Type

2008-05-21T07:25:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Integrative Med's first interactive blog! You'll need a pen and a paper scrap to continue this test that will reveal what your tendencies say about your health. Choose the description on the right that is the closest match for your body and behaviors. When you tally your "V's," "P's," and "K's," you'll discover whether you are a strongly one type or that you are a dual or triple type!

Vata Types
The term "vata" comes from a root that means "to move." Vatas are like the wind, full of motion and resistant to routine. Vata individuals are excitable, alert, and quick to act. They love to change it up. Vatas are known to rearrange furniture, move city to city, and travel the world.

Dry, light, cold, rough, subtle, mobile, clear, and astringent are the main characteristics of Vata individuals. These attributes manifest in dry hair, thin body frames, light sleep, cold hands and feet, stiff muscles, rough skin, subtle fears and insecurities, shifting moods, open mindedness, clairvoyance, hiccoughs, and love of sweet sour, and salty foods.

When living in balance with their mental and physiological make up, Vatas are able to use their creativity, flexibility, and imaginations to live joyfully and happily.

A person with aggravated vata can become extremely anxious. Though mustering will power is sometimes difficult for vatas, it is essential that a person with strong vata tendencies stick to a routine.

Tips for Balancing Vata
- Stay warm
- Keep calm
- Avoid raw foods
- Avoid cold foods
- Eat warm foods and spices
- Keep a regular routine

Pitta Types
Pittas are fiery! "Pitta" is derived from the Sanskrit word "tapa," which means "to heat." A pitta person's body temperature is generally above the average 98.6 degrees. They've got strong appetites, metabolisms, and digestion to keep their internal furnace ablaze.

Hot, sharp, light, oily, liquid, spreading, sour, bitter, pungent, fleshy smell, red, and yellow are the main characteristics of pitta individuals. These attributes manifest as discomfort in warm weather, strong appetite, sharp memory, irritability, fair skin, oily hair, loose liquid stools, excess urine, sweat, and thirst, a tendency to develop rashes and inflammatory diseases, acidic pH, cynicism, nausea, heartburn, strong feelings of anger and hate, smelly armpits, breath and feet, flushed cheeks and nose, overproduction of bile, yellowish skin, and jaundice.

Pittas have keen, organized, penetrating minds. They have the drive to dig deep for facts and the logic to solve problems. Their talents make pittas natural leaders. They are often successful as doctors, engineers, lawyers and judges.

Their aptitude for taking charge can be problematic. When pitta is aggravated these individuals may become overly critical and judgmental of others or themselves. Pittas must practice keeping their cool whether it's by watching what they eat or by counting to ten before bursting into a tirade.

Tips for Balancing Pitta
- Avoid excessive heat
- Avoid excessive oil
- Limit salt intake
- Eat cooling, nonspicy foods
- Drink cool (but not iced) drinks
- Exercise during the cooler part of the day

Kapha Types
Kaphas are geared toward stability. Their bodies and minds work slowly and steadily. Kaphas tend to gain weight easily, because of their slow digestion and metabolism. They have strong muscles and heavy bones. They are loving, calm, and forgiving. Kaphas have the mental and physical resources to sustain the long life, if they maintain balance and health.

Heavy, slow, cool, oily, damp, smooth, dense, soft, static, viscous, cloudy, sweet, and salty are the main characteristics of kapha individuals. These attributes manifest in their large body frames, slow walking and talking, cold clammy skin, oily stools, lubricated joints, chest and head congestion, gentle nature, dense pad of fat, compassion and kindness, love of sitting, sleeping, and doing nothing, deep attachment in relationships, foggy mornings, and strong sexual desires.

Kaphas have great stamina and strength. Vigorous exercise is great for them, but they'd rather sit and relax. It's important that kaphas work to maintain balance, because their taste for sweets and fatty foods can lead to obesity. Problems like hypertension, diabetes, and heart attack are common among kaphas.

Tips for Balancing Kapha
- Get plenty of exercise
- Avoid heavy foods
- Keep active
- Vary your routine
- Avoid dairy foods
- Avoid iced food and drinks
- Avoid fatty or oily foods
- Eat light, dry food

LEARNING MORE AND TAKING ACTION
Now that you have a sense of your type or combination of types, put your knowledge to work while keeping in mind these two fundamental principles of Ayurveda:

1. Like increases like
2. Opposites decrease each other.

For example, if you are experiencing excess kapha, you can look to vitta tendencies to find healing behaviors. Kaphas who stay active like vittas and eat the fresh foods that vittas favor shake that sluggish, lazy feeling to achieve optimum health. Contact your naturopathic doctor to learn more on how you can achieve your best life by appreciating your unique mental and physiological make up.

Source: The complete Book of Ayrvedic Home Remedies by Vasant Lad, B.A.M.S., M.A.Sc. Published 1998 by Three Rivers Press in New York, NY.

Natural Stress Busters

2008-05-12T06:53:00.006-04:00

Whatever it is that stresses you out, you can thank your cave-dwelling ancestors for those headaches, mood swings, and racing thoughts. Back then sticky palms were great for climbing, constricted blood vessels prevented blood loss in case of injury, and blood sugar surged to promote peak physical performance. A fight-or-flight response was extremely effective in the days of the saber tooth tiger, but in today's world stress symptoms can further complicate a tough situation.

Being on red alert can help. College students' "all-nighters" are a great example of how a stress response is helpful today. It isn't only coffee that keeps them working through the night, stress facilitates insomnia. For them, insomnia is a performance enhancer. After midterms and finals, they get a nice break to crash and recoup.

Stress is a dangerous habit and an easy one to fall into given the pace of today's work place and family environment. Doing for others all the time can deplete your body's resources and disturb its balance. Constant stress can lead to migraine headaches, heart burn, infertility, skin problems, asthma, obesity, and chronic pain to name a few.

Know your stressors, so you can nip imbalance in the bud. Only you are able to tell when "it's all too much" before it's too late. You might not feel like yourself for a host of reasons. Maybe you've become a grouch or maybe your appetite has vanished. Stress has as many manifestations as it has triggers. Coping with the illness of a loved one and adapting to married life are very different scenarios, but both are severe stressors for many.

If you're starting to feel frazzled, take time to remember yourself. Engaging your senses is the best way to center your focus and let outside demands drift away. These calming exercises should help stresses melt away:

- Take all that extra energy for a walk. It's a great way to burn off the adrenaline educed by stress, and walking will release calming endorphins back into your brain. The same is true of all exercise. So, if you're stressed--get moving!

- Aromatherapy on the go. Often, it's impractical to taking time out for meditation at work, but a quick sniff of lavender oil is a proven stress buster.

- Try a candle flame meditation. Light a candle in a dimly lit room and find a comfortable position seated in front of it. Focus on the flame. Allow your thought to arise and pass by. You might imagine that they are lifted away by the burning flame.

- Bathe your troubles away. A hot bath does wonders for your body and mind. Let the warm water relax your muscles and ease your mind. Go a step further and incorporate scented candles to engage sight and smell. One more step to bliss: bring a bowl of berries and a glass of wine to the tub.

If you've been experiencing severe stress for a long period of time, the cycle can be more difficult to break. An appointment with a naturopathic doctor will take about an hour, so that you can discuss options that are most suited for your symptoms and lifestyle. Alternatives like massage, acupuncture, yoga exercises, dietary changes, or nutritional supplements are a few paths to elevating your well-being.

Cleansing the Liver for Spring

2008-05-05T11:48:00.001-04:00

The liver performs over 500 known functions everyday. It operates as a chemical factory producing hormones, enzymes, and bile. It is a filter that neutralizes toxins and a "battery" that stores back-up nutrients. It's the largest internal organ in the human body, and it has the ability to regenerate itself fully, even if 75% the original liver is lost!

Liver cleansing as we know it today unites Egyptian, South American, and Chinese traditions that date back 1000 years. The Ancient Egyptians cleansed their livers monthly. For the five days following the full moon, a simple mixture of fresh squeezed lemon juice and light olive oil (just two tablespoons of each) was taken in the morning before eating. In South America, the local bitter Boldo tree leaves were steeped to create a tea that settles the stomach and rejuvenates the liver.

Traditional Chinese medicine expresses the importance of springtime liver cleansing with a lovely metaphor. Spring is known as the Season of the Wood Element. A healthy liver is like a tree swaying in the wind. The tree is flexible because proper nutrients are flowing to all areas of its trunk and branches. If the tree is unhealthy, a strong wind will snap off the branches cut-off from the plant's life force. A healthy liver ensures balanced blood flow, digestion, and emotions. An unhealthy liver is liable to snap like the dead branches of a tree. When the liver is stressed, it must neglects one or more of its jobs. It's said that 1 in 10 Americans suffers from an imbalanced liver and that the problem is only getting worse. Why? The American life is filled with foods and other toxins that tax the liver. Here are some the results :

Allergies
Anger
Chronic Stress
Constipation
Frustration
Hormonal Imbalance
Headaches
Lack of Energy
Migraines
PMS
Poor Digestion
Poor Sight
Skin Problems
Stiffness
Tight Muscles
Weak Immune System

Right now is the best time to start a cleansing program. Traditional Chinese medicine marks March 11-May 22 as the official bracket dates for the Season of the Wood Element. If this is your first time going on a liver cleansing diet, ease into your detoxification program. Warm up with an herbal formula. You might try the Ancient Egyptian's lemon juice and light olive oil mix. Then, eliminate alcohol, fried food, saturated fat, fast food, junk food, and processed foods. Foods to include are in tune with the season. Raw and fresh food are best, especially the following:

Artichoke
Beets
Bitter Melon
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Collard Green
Cauliflower
Dandelion Leaves
Fresh Parsley
Fruit Juice
Ginger
Kale
Lemon
Saffron
Turmeric
Watercress

Try this diet for 3 days if it's your first time on a liver cleansing diet. Experienced liver cleansers can go up to 14 days on this diet. In China, an angry person is said to have a dirty liver. Your clean liver will help you achieve mental clarity, relieve stress, increase energy, improve digestion, and bolster your immune system. As toxins leave your body, you'll begin to feel light and joy enter in. Remember to ease back into normal foods, especially greasy fatty foods that can cause cramping.

Natural Allergy Relief

2008-04-15T08:25:00.001-04:00

April is here! They say that April showers bring May flowers, but flowers do not bloom by rains alone. April's pollen has a lot to do with it. As the trees, weeds, and grasses around us come to life, carpets of yellow appear on our lawns and driveways. Pollen prompts some immune systems to work overtime. People with allergies are exhausted by their bodies' futile fight against harmless Springtime circumstance.

The best way to prevent and treat allergies is to support our immune systems naturally. Priming the body for the effects of allergens means something a little different for each person. Have a look at these alternatives to traditional drug therapies. As you read, you'll get a feel for what combination approach can aid in restoring your balance.

Behavioral and Environmental Adjustments

1. Sleep early and wake with time to spare. Reduce the stress on your body by extending your time for rest and repair. When you wake up, take it slow. Give your body and mind time to focus for a healthy day.

2. Minimize pollen exposure. Dust surfaces to keep them pollen free, especially in the bedroom. Don't take let allergens take you for a ride or visa versa. Clear pollen from your personal space by rinsing your face and wiping off your hair a few times a day. Try to stay indoors when the pollen is at its peak between 5-10am and keep windows closed to keep allergens out.

Balancing Food and Drink

1. Avoid an excess of foods that trigger your body to release histamine and/or are histamine-rich. This list is organized by significance: Eggs, shellfish, deep sea fish and small fish, berries, tomatoes, chocolate, fermented food and drink (i.e. wine, beer, sour cream, ciders, vinegars), cheeses, yogurt, avocados, spinach, eggplant, nuts, seaweed, wheat, and processed, dried, or preserved foods.

2. Avoid sugar. It suppresses the immune system and burdens the bowels. During digestion, sugar prevents your body from absorbing important vitamins and minerals you need to be well.

3. Seek hot and spicy foods. Onion, garlic, cayenne pepper, hot ginger, and fenugreek will thin mucus to ease congestion.

4. Seek citrus fruits. Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine.

5. Drink Plenty of Water. I love this tip. You can regulate your histamine production by simply drinking 8 - 8 oz. glasses of water each day. When you're dehydrated your immune system panics and histamine production goes up. Don't wait until you're thirsty! Maintain balance by drinking water regularly throughout the day.

6. Drink Green Tea. It's rich in a certain kind of anti-oxidant (methylated epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG) that stops histamine production. Five cups a day should help you breath easier.

Herbal Medicines

1. Chrysanthemum flowers have been used by Chinese medical practitioners for centuries. When the dried flowers are steeped in hot water their herbal tea relieves head congestion and strengthen the lungs. The flowers can be saved. Remove them from the tea water and allow them to cool. Placing the flowers on your eyes will relieve redness and itching. Chrysanthemum tea bags can be used in the same way. Store them in the fridge and they'll be on hand for immediate relief.

2. Butterbur has been found to reduce allergy symptoms as well as Zyrtec with very little drowsiness. This herb acts as an anti-inflammatory by decreasing the release of histamine and leukotrienes (chemicals that trigger allergic reaction). Supplements can be found in health food stores. Be sure that your brand is labeled "PA-free," as the pyrrolizidine alkaloids naturally found in butterbur are potentially harmful toxins and must be processed out.

3. Chinese Skullcap contains bioflavonoids that deter the production of leukotrines. fresh Fruits and vegetables are the most common source of bioflavonoids. Chinese skullcap's potent dose of them can relieve hay fever, especially in combination with stinging nettle.

4. Grape seed extract is a super strong anti-oxidant made from the liquid inside grape seeds. This liquid is dried and shaped into tablets that relieve allergies by blocking histamine and inhibiting prostaglandin.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture needles are like circuit switches for your body's energy flow. Rather than introducing external chemicals to the body, an acupuncturist can stimulate specific points on your body to balance your internal pharmacy. The depth, direction, and placement of needles are tailored to individuals' symptoms and physical makeup. For allergies, target areas are around the sinuses, on the hands and arms. Hand and arm placements target the lung and large intestines, which are both associated with good sinus health.

Children suffering from allergies are very responsive to acupuncture treatment. Some prefer acupuncture sessions to taking pills everyday.

Homeopathic Solutions

Rather than suppressing your reaction to allergens, homeopathic treatments alter your body's response to them by employing the principle "like cures like." These solutions cultivate a normalized response to irritants by stimulating symptoms slowly, over time, until a resistance is achieved. Here, I'm including some simple solutions you can use at home and other more specific remedies you'll want to talk over with a homeopath.

Honey may help your body build a resistance to pollens. Start eating small amounts of honey before allergy season, gradually increasing to 1 teaspoon a day and continuing throughout the season.

Freeze-dried Stinging Nettles are really good for itching eyes and sneezing. They're actually very high in histamine themselves, but studies show they follow the "like cures like" rule. Be sure that you use freeze-dried stinging nettles, so that medicinal properties are active. The herb has no side effects, and can be taken as symptoms occur every two to four hours.

Discuss other homeopathic medicines with your doctor. Allium cepa, arsenicum euphrasia histaminium, kali bic, natrum mur, nux vomicz, pulsatilla, sabadilla, solidago, and wyethia are all natural alternatives. Each targets a specific type of allergic reaction, so do some research and consult with your homeopath before taking these powerful medicines.

How Hypnosis Helps

Hypnotherapy brings awareness to the process through which allergies effect you emotionally and physically. Allergy attacks can be traumatic experiences. For some people, the severity of their allergies is linked to unconscious emotional response. A hypnotherapist can guide you through the feelings you associate with allergy attack to see if repressed emotions aren't at the root of your immune system's over-reaction. If this is the case, awareness will allow your mind and body to focus on a balanced response to allergens.

Self-hypnosis. Sit quietly as if to meditate and imagine an allergen-free environment. Snowy scenes work well for this: ski slopes, ice crystals, sledding at the park, etc. Give your mind and body about five minutes to synch-up responses to this exercise and see what happens. Researchers at the University Hospital Basil, Switzerland found that self-hypnosis can reduce allergy symptoms by a third.

Your Sinuses Will Smile

Saline spray is great for loosening mucus and flushing irritants. It's sold OTC at most drug stores, but check that the brand you choose is additive/preservative free! Nasal sprays with Benzalkonium are addictive. This antibacterial preservative will leave you stuffy whenever you're not using the nasal spray. To breathe easy and avoid a viscous cycle use a simple salt and water formula.

A Nasal Lavaging thoroughly rinses and moisturize nasal passages. You can purchase an instrument specifically designed for the job or use a sterile bulb syringe. A 1/4 teaspoon of salt dissolved in 2 cups of warm water creates a balanced saline solution. When you inject the solution into a nostril lean over a basin or sink. The saline will travel through your sinuses and drip out of your other nostril or mouth. The solution cleanses breathing passages, while keeping them moist and ready to regulate future irritation.

Visit with your Community Naturopathic Doctor

Schedule your seasonal naturopathic or acupuncture appointment with Dr. Lisanti of Integrative Med Solutions (IMS). It's with the intention of inspiration and integrity that our highly trained doctor creates customized health plans that synergize the best of healing arts with contemporary natural medical science. We are excited to be at the leading edge of an emerging world view that accepts nature as a health ally. At IMS, our mission seeks to generate the kinds of balanced internal environments that leads your being into an optimum state of aliveness which only then can attract a more balanced external environment in one's life. Please call us at 914.337.2980 to make an appointment. Please feel free to email appointment queries to info@intmedsolutions.com.

Spring Healing: A Holistic Look at Allergy Treatment

2008-03-29T09:10:00.004-04:00

Q: What date marks the first day of Spring?
A: March 21st, sort of.

You may have heard that March 20th marked this year's equinox. If you're like me, the difference caused mild confusion. Apparently, the shifting of Spring's start is yesterday's news for astronomers. Today, such knowledge effects most anyone.

Some of us feel like there is some loss when we modify tradition in favor of cosmic accuracy. Why should we adjust the tried and true? As it turns out, the institution of a March 21st Spring start may be tried, but it isn't exactly true. There's no getting around the fact that on March 20, 2008 at 5:48 GMT, the Sun was positioned directly over the Earth's equator. In our information age, facts like this change the way we lives our lives.

For many, the wonders of Spring are attended by coughing, sneezing, congestion, a runny nose, and eye irritation. The information age allows us to reconsider our dealings with allergy season. An integrative approach to treating allergies implements a broader and more nuanced set of factors. These truths address how our bodies relate and respond to a springtime environment.

A holistic look at allergic reactions offers Spring healing that can be more effective than allergy drugs or shots and is sans side effects. We're lucky to live in a time when these options are open to us.

What are Allergies?

Allergies are the immune system's overreaction to an environmental irritant. Western doctors used to believe that people with allergies possessed super-powered immune systems. Irritants like pollen were cast as culprit and histamine sang, "Here I come to save the day!"

What is Histamine?

Let's take a closer look at this hero. Histamine dilates blood vessels and makes their walls more permeable. Hence the redness, itching, oozing, et cetera. Since antihistamine was first used in the treatment of allergic disease in 1942, it's become one of the most widely used medications around the world. Antihistamines were designed to calm overactive immune systems.

Originally, these were knock-out strength sedatives. Over the years, the chemistry of histamine-blocking drugs were improved to reduce side-effects like drowsiness. New generations of antihistamines were revved up. The sedation factor was limited, so higher doses could be administered.

Restricting the flow of histamine can cause harmful imbalances. Regular use of high dose histamine-blockers, like Singulair, comes with great risk. This week's headlines report that the FDA is currently investigating a connection between Singulair and suicidal behavior in adults and children.

How does a drug meant to balance an overactive immune system produce this severe side-effect? Histamine performs all kinds of important jobs that aren't limited to immune system function. It is also responsible for simulating gastric acid secretion, regulating neurotransmitters, and it's psychological role is confirmed though the specifics are unknown.

Alternatives to Traditional Allergy Treatment

Thanks to the connectivity of our times, alternative ways of augmenting our bodies' response to allergens is more accessible than ever. The more we learn, the more doctors and patients recognize that maintaining balance is an integrative process. Consultation with a naturopathic doctor is a great way to see that your diagnoses, treatment, and preventive course are geared toward facilitating balance. Next time, we'll take a look at some alternative treatment options like using foods to heal, herbal supplements, homeopathy, acupuncture, hypnosis, and others. Reading over these will help you get a sense of what spring healing methods can relieve your allergy symptoms, because you know your body best.

Seasonal Wellness - Storing for the Winter

2008-03-09T08:51:00.000-04:00

At the time of writing, winter is upon us, introducing the end of all seasons, and the cold and darkness drive us to seek inner warmth. It is a time of rest and hibernation, where one emphasizes the principles of receptiveness, introspection, and the storage of physical energy. In Chinese medicine, these inner processes are referred to as the yin principles and the winter season, associated with the kidney organ.

Either dining out or cooking for ourselves, paying attention to our food choices will help us reap the full benefits of our winter nourishment. Warm hearty soups, whole grains, and roasted nuts sound good on cold days. Dried foods, small dark beans, seaweeds, and steamed wintergreens fortify the kidneys in the winter. Cooking foods longer, at lower temperatures and with less water will optimize storage capabilities.

Salty and bitter foods are appropriate for winter, since they promote a sinking, centering quality, which heightens the capacity for storage. Most people are familiar with this pattern as it occurs in nature: plants send their sap deeper within and downward in cold weather. Salty and bitter foods also cool the exterior of the body and bring body heat deeper and lower; with a cooler surface, one notices the cold less.

Most common bitter foods are not wholly bitter, but combinations of bitter and other flavors. These foods include lettuce, watercress, endive, escarole, turnip, celery, asparagus, alfalfa, carrot top, rye, oats, quinoa, and amaranth. Salty foods include miso, soy sauce, seaweeds, salt, millet, barley, plus any food made salty by the addition of salt.

Salt is overused in the typical diet, while the bitter flavor is under-represented. Small, regular amounts of bitter in the winter nurture deep inner experiences and preserve joy in the heart!