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.
Your gut hosts upwards of 100 trillion bacteria, yeast and other microbes with over 500 strains of the microflora. There are only about 75 trillion of your own cells in the human body.
Take a moment to let that sink in. There is an entire living ecosystem within your body that has a population greater than yourself! Much like our own planet’s ecosystem, the gut’s ecosystem works in a very balanced and symbiotic manner if left unfettered. In fact, these organisms are vital in affecting blood-sugar balance, cholesterol metabolism, making vitamins and many other functions. And, between 50-75% of your body’s immune system is associated with your gut.
Most Americans do not have a healthy gut. The 2nd and 5th most prescribed medications in 2008 were the heartburn drugs Nexium and Prevacid.
There are many reasons why you may be having gut issues. These can include food allergies, abnormal amounts of certain bacteria, parasites, antibiotic use, low amounts of acid or enzymes, or damage caused by many factors. Gut health is crucial for overall health. If your body is unable to digest and absorb the nutrients in your food, your whole body suffers. Taking an antacid for your heartburn or a laxative, unfortunately, doesn’t fix the underlying causes.
Healing Tip of the Week
Try making homemade sauerkraut (fermented cabbage). Cabbage, which is the starting material for sauerkraut, is high in glutamine, which is essential for gut repair. Homemade sauerkraut also contains large amounts of bacteria known to be good for gut health. Not to mention it tastes great on a bratwurst!
I recently saw a television show that spoke of 10 myths that were untrue. One of these was that shoes wear out and need to be replaced in 6 months with regular wear. The show demonstrated this with a machine that pounded on the shoe to equal 6 months of regular wear. The result: shoe is fine.
There are 26 bones in your foot with 33 ligaments. We have caused problems with our feet over the years by wearing unsupportive shoes, shoes that are too small for our feet and worn out shoes. We wear out the shoes because of the way we walk, not necessarily a perfect gait pattern, and our weight. Those poor feet!
I believe if you are athletic and wear your shoes daily for running and/or working out, they need to be replaced within 6 months. If you work on your feet and wear the same shoes every day, you probably need to replace those shoes in 6 months. If you start to get ankle, knee or lower leg problems, try changing your shoes.
If your shoes are too soft and comfortable, they are not helping your feet and your body. You need support and stability. I know from experience, that if you try replacing your shoes, you will have fewer aches and pains, and your back will thank you too.
Healing Tip of the Week
Are your feet hurting? Is your back hurting? If so, ask yourself when you bought those shoes you wear all the time. If it was longer than 6 months, replace your shoes. You may find your feet and back feel better fast!
In an effort to give back to our devoted patient base, the Oriental Medicine Department is offering a new summer special!
As one of our patients, you understand the value of great health. We would like to encourage you to offer that same value to your friends and family.
Our Friends Helping Friends Program will help you do just that! Tell them about us, and they will receive a 50% discount on their New Patient Visit with one of our experienced acupuncturists. And, for referring your friends and family, you will receive 50% off your next visit with your acupuncturist.
Let your friend know which acupuncturist you want him or her to schedule with. When they call to set their appointment, have them mention your name as the referral source and the Friends Helping Friends Program. After their first scheduled visit, which includes a one-hour consultation, exam and discussion of findings, you will get 50% off your next visit!
Enjoy a happy, healthy summer!
Don Hockersmith
Acupuncture Dept. Administration
* This offer is only applicable with the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Dept. of the Advanced Wellness Center.
Healing Tip of the Week
Make sure that when your friends or loved ones call to schedule the first appointment, they mention our Friends Helping Friends Program and your name. We want to make sure to thank you for the referral with 50% off your next visit!
Have you been feeling overly anxious or overwhelmed with “the tasks of life”? Signs or symptoms of anxiety can be feelings of apprehension and powerlessness, fatigue, increased heart rate with sensations of heat, or even a sense of panic or danger around. Being uncomfortable in ones own skin is a common term used in relation to having experienced some sort of anxiety state. Anxiety disorders affect more than 18 million American adults in any given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Although looked at as bad, anxiety can be viewed, as a sign to observe why this is occurring time and again. Feelings of uncertainty and being fearful of situations lead us to a condition we all know as “stress”. These stressors, or tasks of life, need to be merely managed or reevaluated to find balance within our daily life.
An increased sense of awareness is a great start to more clearly understand the causes of an anxious state. Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese philosopher, stated, “When one is depressed they are living in the past, and when one is anxious, one is living in the future”. Here we can see how the busy mind and feelings of increased needs can cause the body’s nervous system to react. Moving away from this state and being more still with ones own self can guide one to more peace.
Through Chinese medicine, we can further understand how our emotions have a direct affect on our physical body. Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, food and lifestyle cultivation are great ways to calm anxiety and provide relaxation for the mind and body.
It’s never too late to start. Research is showing that working out with weights may strengthen the heart muscle, reduce depression, lower the risk of diabetes, improve cognitive performance and more.
Studies are finding that strengthening muscles has a ripple effect throughout the body. For example, during resistance training, muscles generate more force than what’s generated during endurance exercises. The heart, being a muscle, is strengthened as well. During strength training, the heart’s muscle tissue contracts forcefully to push the blood out. Like all muscles, stress causes small tears in the muscle fibers. When the body repairs those tears, it’s building muscle. The result is a stronger heart that is also more efficient at pumping.
Here are a few other benefits of strength training:
Moderate to intense strength training builds skeletal muscle and increases bone density.
It improves glucose metabolism, which can reduce the risk of diabetes. Strength training boosts the number of proteins that take glucose out of the blood and transport it into the skeletal muscle, giving the muscles more energy and lowering blood-glucose levels.
Researchers found that kidney dialysis patients who had more lean muscle mass were 37% less likely to die than the patients who had the least.
Research in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that women ages 65 to 75 who did resistance training sessions once or twice per week over the course of a year improved their cognitive performance, while those who focused on balance and tone training declined slightly.
More studies are showing that you don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from strength training. All you need are some light weights, a little instruction, and persistence. The professionals at the Advanced Wellness Center are here to help!
Source: LA Times, “Pumping Iron Isn’t Just for Muscles,” Jeannine Stein
Healing Tip of the Week
Practice the 5-minute rule! If you’re not feeling like exercising, give yourself 5 minutes. Tell yourself you will exercise for 5 minutes. If at the end of 5 minutes, you’re not getting into it, you can stop. Most of the time getting started is the hardest part. Once you get going, chances are, you’ll keep going, because it just feels good! Smile at your strength!
As we make our shift into the spring season, a world of change takes place. From Mother Nature, to our own individual lives, we notice instant subtleties to the environment and how they affect our health. Spring brings more light and activity from the tranquil, shorter winter days. And, thoughts of cleaning out old and preparing for new can uplift our spirits and clear our minds.
In Chinese medicine, Spring is a time of “sprouting” as the yang energy (or sun) becomes more abundant during the day. This corresponds with the movement of growing upward and extending out. We see this in nature as the flowers begin to bud and vegetation starts to thrive. So yes, it is time to get outside and enjoy the environment around you. But, climate of spring is ‘windy’ and can stir up conditions like allergic rhinitis or asthma, skin rashes, frequent colds and arthritis.
The emotional component of the spring energy is related to the liver, which if disturbed can cause imbalance. Developing good life habits and regularity should be the focus during these months to ensure the stability of our emotions. An erratic lifestyle filled with rage, worry and anger will disturb the mind and hinder digestion. Therefore, regular nutritious meals, rest and physical/mind exercises (i.e. yoga, meditation, tai ji, walking with friends, etc.) will help cultivate energy as you move into the summer months.
Chinese medicine encompasses acupuncture, herbal medicine, food as medicine, as well as exercise and healthy lifestyle choices to create a peaceful approach for each individual.
Ask your acupuncturist how he or she can help guide you along your path and help with health concerns. Here is a list of common conditions related to spring:
