For the past year, I have experimented with drastically cutting out “weapons of mass distraction,” such as TV, radio, and newsprint, from my everyday life. It started when I began to get fed up with all the advertising on television and what I felt those ads were telling me. Things like: “You’re not good enough. You don’t have enough money or things. You need drugs and alcohol to feel better. Life is meant to be hectic and full of fear. There are people out in the world that want to kill me.” Just watching one half-hour episode of the national evening news (with the added bonus of a pharmaceutical ad every commercial break telling you you’re sick) is enough to make anyone depressed about being alive.
In response to this, I started to “fast” from the news. In essence, I wanted to turn off reality television and tune into reality. We unplugged the TV and stored it in the garage. On my drive to work, I turned off the radio and visualized great things happening in my day. On the way home, I listened to a great album or stimulating speaker on my iPod to unwind. I gave up the newspaper and limited Internet use to only when I was in the clinic; none at home.
There were times when I was incredibly bored at home. I had to revert back to reading books daily. When I couldn’t get myself to read, I’d rent a movie from Blockbuster. I figured at least there would be no advertisements in a rented movie. I started playing board games and having dinner with friends on the weekdays and spending a great deal more time playing with the dog. I went to bed earlier. I was able to be more present with my patients, and my results with them improved. When I did happen to catch a news piece or ad, I felt it was easier for me to read between the lines and see what message they were really trying to convey to my subconscious. In short, I think I was able to focus my mind more on the “now” and less on the negative messages and distractions media presents that have no bearing on my day-to-day life.
There are negatives to tuning out. I can’t follow politics or sports very well. I feel like an irresponsible citizen. I have no idea who I will vote for or even if I’m informed enough to vote. In my case, however, the positives outweigh the negatives.
Mother Teresa was asked one time, “What can we do to promote world peace?” She replied simply, “Go home and love your family.” For myself, it’s more important to feel connected, focused and engaged to the people and events within my day-to-day life rather than be up-to-date every hour on the latest political scandal or cruise ship disaster on the other side of the globe. What’s most important to you?
Healing Tip of the Week
Try it for yourself. Do a one month news fast. Try to use the extra time you gain to do something fulfilling, engaging, or fun. Share what you discover with others. It can be a very enlightening experiment.
Cleansing and Detoxification can change people’s lives for the better. I have supervised hundreds of clients over the past two decades through deep-cleansing programs for a variety of conditions, to increase vitality and decrease “medical” conditions. Cleansing and detoxification encompass a variety of techniques and philosophies from the East, as well as the West. In general, detoxification refers to removal of specific items from the body (such as heavy metals requiring chelation), whereas cleansing refers to the removal of excess mucus and phlegm from the body while normalizing the pH (or acid/base balance) within the blood and tissues.
When exploring detoxification and cleansing options, one can find themself at a fork in the road: one path has the very popular “Pills, Powders, and Potions,”(3P) approach and another is the Whole Foods/lifestyle approach. Although both can be effective in the short run, I prefer to inspire my patients through the most natural options available for cleansing the body and mind thus creating a sustainable approach. This method aids in the improvement of medical conditions, as well as providing for the development of lifelong habits for wellness and longevity. The problem with “diets” (including “detox diets”) is that they end with no developed habits for sustaining health in the future.
The goal of any detoxification and cleansing program should always be a long-term lifestyle change, as opposed to an “event” every now and again. The main problem with the 3P approach is that one cannot take pills, powders and potions forever. However, eating whole foods is sustainable. Eating in a way that balances the body’s internal functions sets a foundation for health today as well as in the future.
The purpose of any program is to encourage the body’s tendency for an acidic (and phlegmy) state to balance towards a more alkaline state; the acid/base balance in the blood is dynamic and not static. Your body’s pH levels are affected by many internal and external factors. It is important to take a holistic approach when seeking balance. No single act (3P) will restore the pH permanently. Only sustained efforts towards balance will set the stage for the body’s natural corrective mechanisms to do their job efficiently.
Researchers will tell you that the pH is always taking care of itself and therefore needs no specialized approach to balance it. This, however philosophically compelling, is untrue in the clinical setting. EVERY filter in the world needs cleaning. So, in turn, internal bodily filters and organs of elimination do too.
Clinically, organs need to be addressed in a full-body detoxification in the following order:
Many people often consider cleaning the bowels to be a complete detoxification, but however helpful it may be, moving the bowels barely scratches the surface. Your body requires a deep tissue cleansing, so it is vital to address all of the above listed organs to successfully accomplish detoxification and cleansing for the purpose of health and vitality.
Timing is also a very important factor to consider when beginning a program. Both your body and mind must be prepared to handle the change. Beginning a program when you are feeling sick, or under a lot of stress, may very well make things worse. When properly scheduled and fully executed, a detoxification and cleansing program can bring unprecedented health benefits that go beyond a patient’s expectations. Below are some real-life examples from past program participants:
• Dropped 53 points in Triglyceride levels in three weeks.
• A previous migraines sufferer successfully eliminated migraines (symptoms and medicines).
• A patient who suffered from osteoarthritis claims that the only “medicine” that was effective for ridding the pain from her body was cleansing with whole foods.
• A hypoglycemic patient reverted back to normal sugar levels after four cycles (two years) of detoxification.
• Several allergy sufferers eliminated their allergies altogether and have sustained that status over the ensuing years.
I do what I teach. I have been cleansing and detoxifying since I was a child growing up with open-minded parents. There is very little in this field that I have not personally tried myself over the decades. Truth in health transcends cultural beliefs, barriers and biases. The techniques used in cleansing are tried and true from years of testing on humans throughout the world. Be wary of “new” findings as they have not been tested for safety over the test of time. As Hippocrates (the Father of Western medicine) says “let food be thy medicine.” By the way, the Chinese and East Indians agree on this statement.
At the Advanced Wellness Center, we create treatment programs to address each individual’s needs for cleansing and detoxification. We offer complementary approaches with Western medicine for the patient who wishes to combine philosophies. We also offer “alternative” approaches for the patient who wants a completely natural method for the restoration and management of health, vitality and longevity.
We invite you to come in for a free 15-minute consultation so that we can discuss what we can do for you.
How many people move through each day in some type of pain? More than I’m sure we could imagine. One common type of pain is known as myofascial pain - myo, meaning muscle, and fascia, meaning connective tissue. Combine the two words and create myofascia, which forms the surface area of what we know as our musculoskeletal system or muscles. Myofascial pain generally arises from repetitive movements, which we perform during jobs, hobbies, sports, or recurring stressful events.
Most people, to some extent, experience some muscle ache after a long day of work or work out. There are different ways to address this common condition to experience fewer and less occurrences. Acupuncture, an ancient healing part of Chinese medicine, has been practiced for thousands of years. Combined with massage, cupping, and gua sha techniques, acupuncture can provide great relief to our modern day accumulation of this muscle tension.
Compared to Chinese medicine, medicinal injections are a part of an extremely popular Western model known as pain management therapy. With depths of research to back each pharmaceutical, it can sometimes relieve pain down to zero within no time. However, the understanding of where the pain came from is lost and never addressed.
“Acupuncture, when compared with trigger point injection, provided similar pain relief and improvement in quality of life measures at 4 weeks,” according to the Pain Practice journal article, Comparison of Acupuncture to Injection for Myofascial Trigger Point Pain.
Acupuncture and injections are approaching pain and healing from completely different starting points. Acupuncture dives into the causes rather than simply blocking the pain. Understanding the individual in pain in relation to daily lifestyle, amount or type of exercise, and mental-emotional factors become a large part of acupuncture treatment. The ancient Chinese believed that pain is often an obstruction of blood flow and the vital energy, known as qi. Hence, treatment is designed around removing this obstruction.
The medicinal injections regulate the nervous system, aiding our immune system and producing pain-killing biochemicals, such as endorphins. The difference is that acupuncture increases the circulation of natural chemicals to remove inflammation, while injections block our body’s ability to recognize inflammatory responses.
Take Epsom or mineral salt baths to relieve minor aches and pains.
Practice yoga, tai chi, walking outside or other gentle aerobic exercises. These exercises do not outpace the body’s ability to supply oxygen to the heart and muscles, which creates less waste products like lactic acid.
There are lots of articles on the Web and in magazines that provide lots of information about fertility and acupuncture. There are conflicts regarding whether acupuncture really does help increase pregnancy rates. Specializing in acupuncture for fertility, I am constantly asked if ‘it’ really works. My answer is always, “Yes.” Here’s the rub. Acupuncture works! But, how it works for you is going to be different than how it works for everyone else. And, it may not work exactly when or how you expect or want it to. You are unique. Your lifestyle is unique. Your exercise and nutrition habits are unique. Your fertility circumstances are unique. As your acupuncturist, I need to take all of your unique characteristics, current and historical, into account, and develop a treatment plan specific to you.
That being said, there are some general acupuncture techniques that have worked for countless women during the past 3,000 years or so. To keep things simple, I’m going to provide a list of statistics and thoughts on acupuncture and fertility that you may find helpful:
Acupuncture can boost fertility by helping your body function more efficiently. It boosts your immune system and your circulation. When your body functions more efficiently, it allows other treatments, like IVF, to work more efficiently.
In a study published in April 2002 in the reproductive journal, Fertility and Sterility, researchers found that acupuncture with IVF significantly increased pregnancy success. Of 160 women, 80 received two, 25-minute acupuncture treatments – one 25 minutes prior to having fertilized embryos transferred into their uterus and one directly afterwards. The other 80 received no acupuncture treatment with the transfers. In the acupuncture group, there were 34 pregnancies, while only 21 pregnancies in the IVF alone group.
Acupuncture can help stimulate egg production in women who don’t wish to use fertility medications. However, it generally only stimulates the body’s natural process of the growth and release of one egg, while IVF allows for the production of multiple eggs.
Also noted in the 2002 study, acupuncture increases the production of endorphins, the body’s natural “feel good” chemical, which also plays a role in regulating the menstrual cycle.
Acupuncture may also help when the lining of the uterus is too weak to maintain a pregnancy.
The bottom line is that acupuncture (sometimes with the help of Chinese medicinal herbs) helps the body function as efficiently as possible within your unique lifestyle. I often suggest modifications to some of those lifestyle habits to further increase your chances of success. I recommend regular acupuncture treatments for a minimum of three months prior to starting an IVF protocol. Remember, the more efficient your body is functioning, the more efficient fertility treatments may work. And, the more efficient your body is functioning, the greater chance of pregnancy without other medicinal intervention.
Source: WebMD, “The Ancient Art of Infertility Treatment”
Healing Tip of the Week
If you’ve been struggling with fertility, please call the Advanced Wellness Center today, and set up an appointment for a Complimentary 15-Minute Consultation. Find out how acupuncture can help you with a natural or medically assisted pregnancy.
During the holidays, Americans enjoy a wider variety of foods and consume more food than they would during the rest of the year. With Grandma’s pecan pie and the old family traditional recipes of marshmallow-filled side dishes, it’s no wonder January comes along, and we’re ready to cleanse and go on a diet.
One of the most effective ways to prevent weight gain, bloating and inflammation after all the holiday treats (or any time) is also the easiest. It’s the reason we have teeth. It’s chewing.
That’s right! Chewing your food until it’s in a liquid state before you swallow will prevent you from eating too much food at any one time. You simply cannot eat that much when your stomach and brain have registered the “full” mark. In addition, starting out your meal by eating the protein first, your chances of eating all the sugary foods is reduced.
Chewing your food slowly and thoroughly also increases digestion. Think about the difference between trying to break apart a rock as opposed to breaking down gravel. It would be easier right? It’s much easier on your stomach to accomplish digesting smaller food particles than large ones. As you’re chewing, the natural enzymes in your food are also released, aiding in the release and distribution of the nutrients in your food. Technically, this is the reason we eat. Eating provides our bodies with the essential nutrients it needs to live.
It’s a question many of us are asking. You hear olive oil is a good fat, but is it the best oil to cook with? You hear coconut oil is a bad fat, but many people are shouting from the highest mountain top that coconut oil is an awesome fat! What do you believe? These questions sent me on a hunt. I found a couple articles online that offer some insight. From www.livingpaleo.com and www.sixwise.com, here are some facts about the most common cooking oils:
Some oils are better to cook with, and other oils are better to eat without heating. Oils that are highly processed and very perishable easily become rancid when heated. Rancid oils may contribute to oxidative stress and damaging free radicals in your body. Vegetable oils, including soybean oil, canola oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil and corn oil, amongst others, fall in this category. Thus, they’re not generally the best choice for eating or heating.
Sesame oil, on the other hand, is stable and filled with antioxidants. It can be heated to a fairly high temperature without damaging the oil. Extra virgin olive oil, like sesame oil, is mostly monounsaturated fats, and it’s been shown to increase good (HDL) cholesterol. However, olive oil is extremely perishable, so it’s not good for cooking. Instead, it’s best when drizzled on salads, cold dishes and for dipping. One school of thought says it’s OK to cook with basic olive oil, but not extra virgin olive oil. Personally, I prefer to avoid cooking with olive oil at all, since there are other readily available and delicious oils to cook with. I stick to keeping my olive oil in a glass container in a cool, dry place, and I eat it when it’s cool.
So, what about coconut oil? Coconut oil is a saturated fat, which is why it has a bad rep. However, it’s very stable, and it contains a type of saturated fat called medium-chain triglycerides. These medium chain fats are great for the immune system, intestinal health and may support weight management. And, it won’t get damaged during the heating process. Some fat is actually good for us.
Those are the main oils generally in question. If there are others you’re concerned about, do a little research or comment on this blog, and I’ll check it out for you.
Healing Tip of the Week
Here is a quick list of cooking oils from www.livingpaleo.com: High heat/frying/browning: Coconut oil, palm oil, ghee (clarified butter) Medium heat/light sautéing: Olive oil (not extra virgin), sesame seed oil, hazelnut nut oil, pistachio nut oil Low heat/baking: Pumpkin oil, sunflower oil No heat: Fish oil, flax seed oil, cod liver oil, hemp seed oil, oils mentioned above
I’ve been seeing so much advertising and momentum growing in the fitness industry lately with beach boot camps, Cross-Fit, P90x, Insanity, etc. These workouts are generally high intensity combinations of cardiovascular and strength exercises using full body movements to work multiple muscle groups and systems at the same time. I like where these exercise systems are taking fitness. There are many pros to these systems. There are, however, a few cons as well.
PROS: The days of doing endless bicep curls and sit-ups are over. Those types of exercises relied on isolating specific muscles, one-by-one, and working them separately. Our bodies don’t work this way. There never is a situation in real life where we need to use just one muscle completely isolated from the rest of the body. So, why should we train that way? We shouldn’t, and these new types of workouts support just that. They train multiple muscles, and take us through complex full body movements more similar to what we encounter in daily life.
The days of running at the same speed on a treadmill for hours on end are over as well. Research has shown workouts that incorporate a higher intensity workout for a smaller duration of time are more effective for building lean muscle mass and dropping fat mass. These new exercise systems use this to their advantage. Cross-Fit, for example, has some workouts that only last 10 minutes, but you’re pushing your body very hard for that time.
CONS: Here at the center we’re seeing an increase in the casualties of a Cross-Fit or boot camp workout gone bad. In a group or non-supervised setting, it’s easy for someone who is not doing exercises correctly to go unnoticed. This, coupled with exercising to total fatigue, can result in poor biomechanics, which leads to injuries. A common example is hurting hips, knees or ankles from doing incorrect squats. A squat is a very complex movement that many people can’t perform correctly their first workout. These people should be doing easier exercises on the floor that eventually build them into a proper squatting pattern. There is a saying that says, “First move well, and then move often.” With many of these types of systems, the focus is more on how many reps you can perform rather than how well you can do the movements.
The Take Home: These new systems are very progressive with their incorporation of the latest research in exercise physiology. There are precautions that need to be taken before starting a program to avoid injury. Proper build-up work needs to be done prior to doing the high intensity, complex movements. At AWC, the rehab department does movement screens to pre-screen for potential weaknesses and injury. Addressing these problems before they become painful will result in saved time down the line.
Healing Tip of the Week
If you’re contemplating starting one of these workouts (or already have), and noticed pain, come into the Advanced Wellness Center for a Free Movement Screen performed by myself. This offer is good until the end of November 2011.
For many years, I suffered with horrible menstrual cramps and irregular periods. When that time of the month came around, there were days of writhing in pain, flowing like Niagara Falls, breaking out in cold sweats, vomiting and being very close to blacking out. It had me in tears, wishing for better days!
Where hormones, emotional mood swings, cramps and the menstrual cycle are involved, acupuncture and herbal medicine helped balance my emotional and physical health. There was a noticeable difference the first month after receiving acupuncture treatments and being on herbs. My cramps and menstrual issues were completely gone, and I’ve never had another bad period since. It’s been 15 years!
Dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain), PMS, PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder), irregular cycles, endometriosis, and other gynecological conditions and their associated symptoms are characterized by different patterns of imbalances and energetic pathologies in traditional Chinese medicine. A few needles, which are relatively painless, are placed in strategic locations to balance these disharmonies. It can make a world of difference in how you feel and may positively affect the quality of your life. In my practice, many women have had the same benefits I experienced through the treatments without any side effects.
Healing Tip of the Week
If you are experiencing abdominal cramping during your periods, avoid drinking or eating cold or icy foods (iced cold drinks, etc.). This may cause more cramping and pain. Instead, try sipping some hot tea, which will help to relax the muscles and ease the pain.
Root Cause: Patient is severely stressed and incurred sulfa poisoning from antibiotic treatment.
Symptoms: Major anxiety episodes resulted from the side effects of sulfa poisoning. Patient was already stressed due to demands of being a stay-at-home mom.
Treatment: Alpha-Stim, as needed. After first 20-minute treatment, symptoms decreased immediately. Thus, the increase in neurotransmitters (serotonin and nor epinephrine) increased with the alpha wave passing through the brain and nervous system.
Note from patient in office: “The Alpha-Stim has been a miracle for me!”
The Alpha-Stim® SCS empowers you to control your anxiety, depression, and/or insomnia. Used just 20 to 60 minutes every day, every other day, or on an as-needed basis, it can help induce a relaxed state and enable the user to focus attention on the task at hand. The Alpha-Stim® SCS is well tolerated and very safe in contrast to drugs, many of which have been proven to have undesirable side effects and can be addictive. The Alpha-Stim® SCS leaves the mind alert. The person undergoing CES treatment will often report a pleasant, relaxed feeling of well-being. Anxiety reduction is usually experienced during treatment, but may be seen hours later, or even the day after treatment. Depression and insomnia control is generally experienced after one to two weeks of daily treatment.
Healing Tip of the Week
If you’re experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety and/or insomnia, try the Alpha-Stim. It may help you avoid taking medications, which can result in undesirable side effects.
