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”

Amy LeSage, LAc
Licensed Acupuncturist

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.

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.

Rebecca Rebmann, CTN
Certified Traditional Naturopath

Healing Tip of the Week
Here are some strategies you can practice through the holidays and beyond:

1. Chew your food until its liquid before swallowing.
2. Chew each bite 20 times.
3. Don’t swallow your food at all. Let it completely breakdown and dissolve in your mouth.

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.

Amy LeSage, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncturist

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

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.

Dhanell Azada, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncturist

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.

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 2^nd and 5^th 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.

Paul Fuhrman, DC
Doctor of Chiropractic

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!

One of the secrets of such cuisine is the liberal use of garlic in combination with parsley. It’s simple and affordable. It gives food a zest it would otherwise lack, and it’s very healthy. Garlic contains hundreds of nutrients and minerals. And, it has powerful antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal properties.

And the best part is that when you handle garlic and find it difficult to get rid of its smell on your hands or your utensils, you just rub parsley on them and voila! The smell disappears.

Sese Novas, DC

Healing Tip of the Week
Marinate your chicken or fish with lots of garlic and parsley, and enjoy!

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!

Luckily, a friend told me about the Advanced Wellness Center one day over lunch. Although we’d never tried “alternative” medicine, we figured it really couldn’t get any worse. We soon made an appointment for her to see Dr. Mark deDubovay.

When Dr. Mark saw Laurel, he confirmed what we had feared – she was starving to death. He began her on natural supplements and told us we should see results in the next few days. Just as he had said, her appetite returned, she could keep her food down and she began to gain weight. What prescription medications couldn’t do, Dr. Mark did with natural therapies. Laurel’s father and I decided to stop her medications and stick with Dr. Mark’s plan.

Today, five years later, Laurel is a happy, healthy teenager. She still sees Dr. Mark from time-to-time to work on her diet (sometimes she gets a little off track, as most teens do). Most recently, she’s been working with him to fine-tune her regimen of healthy eating and exercise for a trip she’s taking this summer to study with the prestigious New York City Ballet.

I am grateful to Dr. Mark for giving my daughter a naturally healthy life. For parents hesitant about getting an “alternative” opinion, I suggest you call the Advanced Wellness Center. Their team is professional and knowledgeable. Dr. Mark cured my daughter.

-Laurie Benson

“The Advanced Wellness Center provides the high quality and professionalism that my patients expect and deserve. My patients have been particularly impressed with the nutritional assessments and consultation that the team, led by Dr. deDubovay and Rebecca Rebmann, provide. I plan on continuing to refer my patients who are interested in alternative and complementary services to them.”

Gretchen Hetzler, MD

“I have collaborated in patient care with Drs. deDubovay and Shur at the Advanced Wellness Center. I’ve been very satisfied, as have my patients, with their professionalism, quality of care and outcomes. I would not hesitate in recommending AWC to any of my colleagues for their alternative medicine needs.”

Peter R. Kurzweil, MD

“As a holistic practitioner and a foot and ankle specialist, I have been working with Advanced Wellness Center for well over 10 years. I have sent numerous patients to the Center with holistic health needs. Many of those patients had very challenging health concerns and Advanced Wellness Center has taken care of them extremely well over the years.

The Advanced Wellness Center has a tremendous amount of experience and expertise in nutrition, chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture and many other natural healing modalities. We are in a healthcare crisis right now and need more medical facilities like Advanced Wellness Center to handle our difficult and challenging patients. I highly recommend Advanced Wellness Center to any patient without reservation.”

S. Don Kim, DPM, QME, FACFAS

“Over the course of five years, I’ve collaborated with The Advanced Wellness Center in treatment of patients. The combination of physical therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic care means that we can maximize our efforts to restore mobility as well as function so that patients can resume their activities of daily living.

The staff at AWC is extremely helpful in facilitating reports as needed, as well as assisting in the scheduling of patients. Without hesitation, we strongly and with the highest enthusiasm recommend the collaborative care offered by the Advanced Wellness Center.”

Kim Marshall, PT

“I am writing to thank you for your excellent therapy and management of my numerous musculoskeletal issues involving my neck, shoulders and back. As you may remember, my brother suggested tat I visit you a few years ago since your therapy has helped him. Since then, each time I visit my brother in California, I visit you for an adjustment.

After years of high school and college varsity athletics and a continuing active lifestyle, my issues have been chronic and with acute exacerbation. Therefore, I’ve visited a number of chiropractors throughout the country during the past few years. I’ve come to realize that there is not only a broad spectrum of chiropractic training, but also chiropractic skill and practice.

The therapy I’ve received in your office, from massage therapists, to the ultrasound therapy, to the multi-modality minimally manipulative adjustments, has truly been the best I’ve experienced. Your management is comprehensive, not only balancing the entire body from a mechanical/kinesiologic perspective, but providing a full spectrum of supportive therapies for optimal health including dietary supplements.

I’ve walked out of many chiropractors’ offices still feeling residual issues; each time I walk out of your office I truly feel in balance without any significant residual pains or discomfort. Your therapy has allowed me not only to feel better, but has allowed me to perform better in my daily sport and exercise routine, which has been a great benefit to my quality of life.”

Vasum Peiris, MD, MPH

“I have known Dr. Arnette for 10 years and referred numerous patients to him during that time. Dr. Arnette is a highly qualified practitioner of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. He has helped many of my patients over the years often with a variety of problems.

His treatment goes beyond using acupuncture and herbs and when appropriate may use his skills as a chiropractor. He also uses nutrition counseling and other lifestyle recommendations to help patients. I often think of him as a life coach for my patients discussing exercise, relaxations techniques and even spirituality to help people achieve their goals towards optimal health.”

Sarah Sandell, MD