Life is an incredible journey, with plenty of ups and downs and in-betweens to navigate along the way. Sometimes it is easy to forget that at the end of the day, all of our emotions, our thoughts, our nutrition, our interactions with others, our work, the amount of sleep we get (or don’t get) -all leave a footprint on our health and well-being. The triggers are different for everyone, but there is no debating that stress affects quality of life – so why wouldn’t it affect a persons health and healing? It most certainly does, and science is starting to prove it to us. After the jump I’ll explore an immensely important article on infertility, the mind-body connection, and why you should put your intuitive health at the top of your priority list.

An Infertile Silence

The August 2010 Issue of Self Magazine has published a lengthy and wonderful article around the emotional turmoil behind a diagnosis of “infertility.” I have rarely seen such an honest, heartfelt account of what couples are going through when they are having difficulties trying to conceive. The stress, anxiety, frustration, shame, fear and depression can swallow up couples in their suffering. And the isolation created by feelings of inadequacy or “broken-ness” (as the article notes), makes it difficult to open up to friends and family members about the struggle. The reason? The article supposes that it is because there is not enough awareness about infertility as a medical diagnosis, treatment options or even research in the field to provide adequate treatment (the most modern IVF treatments still have a 60% failure rate according to recent studies). Giving a voice to infertility may increase awareness, increase funding for research and studies and decrease the isolation that so many couples are feeling.

That may be so, but there are plenty of health situations one could replace “infertility” with that cause the same amount of shame, fear, anxiety and stress (maybe even more). While being able to talk about the struggles one faces does help lift the weight, the stress on the patient and now to loved ones supporting that patient can take its tole on everyone’s health.

The Mind-Body Connection and Health

What caught my attention most about the above article was the preliminary study done by Dr. Domar wherein 97 IVF patients in Boston participated in 5-10 mind/body sessions  and were 160% more likely to succeed in becoming pregnant than the control group. That is a whopping number! So what are these mind/body sessions? The article didn’t state exactly, but mind-body medicine stems from various different arenas in the health field: therapy, meditation, yoga, guided relaxation and – yep, you guessed it – acupuncture.

Stress can play an enormous role on our health on a day-to-day basis, and it exponentially exacerbates when we are faced with a difficult circumstance (ie: a health problem or medical diagnosis). Patients may be taking care of themselves in a perfect way, eating right, exercising regularly, having appropriate tests run, taking appropriate medications, and still not achieving their goal and (even worse) feeling desperation and despair. For this reason alone Eastern medicine and modern medicine can bridge the gap in health care by accounting for what many mind-body practitioners will refer to as the “subtle or energetic” body in addition to the physical body. While western medicine is motivated to cure disease, mind-body medicine is motivated to support the healing process so we are better equipped to handle whatever experience we have.

Why Does It Work?

The mind-body connection is an unseen energy communication between the physical body and the conscious and unconscious mind. Acupuncture helps to release stress stored in the body, which can cause many physiological changes in the body. It does this from an energetic standpoint, unwinding clogged energy and invigorating flow to under-served areas in an effort to achieve balance and health. There is also a subtle neurological component where the synapses of the brain actually change upon the insertion of the needles (which is why, for example, people can undergo brain surgery in China using only acupuncture as the anesthesia). The mind can convince us of many things, which get stored in the body and can manifest as illness in some cases.  If that is true, then the idea that we can undo illness (or, heal) by changing the way we think or releasing somatic memory through bodywork, makes logical sense.

“Whether You Think You Can Or Cannot – Either Way, You Are Right”

This is where the idea of affirmations comes in – actually repeating new thoughts out loud so that eventually you adopt them as your own. As a great yoga instructor once told me while holding an extremely difficult pose: Stay in the now. Don’t let your mind tell you that you are too beautiful for this pose – or that you are not beautiful enough, or not strong enough. Focus only on the breath. The mind is stubborn and it can often try and keep us where we are at because it is what we know. For that reason, there are the mind-body techniques out there to work with the mind, gently helping to restore a balance between the wisdom of the body and wisdom of the mind. Healing is a journey, as it takes a while for things to build up in the system, it can take a while to set them right again. Acupuncture is a great way to support the mind-body connection and will not interfere with most other treatment therapies (and in particular, has a great success rate for improving pregnancy outcomes separate and aside from stress release).

Scientists are still studying the boggling scope of mind-body medicine. Because every mind and every body is different, there is no “magic pill” or “magic therapy” to cure an ailment in everyone. This can make it hard for the analytical person to swallow how or why such a therapy might be useful, and how to choose which one to utilize. My personal advice: trial and error. And learn to trust your intuition as much as you trust your doctors treatment plan. While they take care of your medical health, stay in-tune with your emotional and spiritual health and seek out advice from experienced practitioners that can support that side of you. It is, at the very least, equally as significant to healing as medical care.

]]> http://www.erinhessel.com/2010/07/the-mind-body-connection/feed/ 2 http://www.erinhessel.com/2010/06/sugar-sugar/ http://www.erinhessel.com/2010/06/sugar-sugar/#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:37:32 +0000 Erin http://www.erinhessel.com/?p=1102

Ah – Honey, Honey. You are my Candy Girl – and you’ve got me wanting you.

Addictive just like the girl in the Archies song, sugar can have a strong hold over many a sweet-tooth. It is a hot topic in the health world and even entering political legislature. We all know to avoid sugary foods for maintaining good health, but sometimes this task feels next to agonizingly impossible (you know, when that 4:30pm chocolate-chip cookie literally lured you out of the office). More and more studies are showing that difficulty curbing those cravings is not merely a reflection of will-power, but may be the result of a chemical dependency. Despite efforts to eliminate desserts, ice cream and other obvious culprits, find out where else sugar is hiding in foods you might not have guessed.

Health Risks

So what is the big deal with refined sugary treats?  They give us a boost of quick energy, taste delicious, soothe our emotions and add a little touch of sweetness to our lives. The processing of such sugar products makes them have almost no nutritional value (what nutritionists call “empty calories”), which means we digest them incredibly fast, causing hormonal fluctuations, blood sugar spikes, energy highs & lows and excessive hunger. This part feels not so great. The worst of it is that when our body becomes accustomed to refined sugary foods as a main staple the highs and lows may not be as noticeable, but our body is struggling at alarming rate – leaving us prone to obesity, aggravated PCOS and PMS symptoms, diabetes and heart disease.

Yes – heart disease! Why? Because when the body is fueled by refined carbohydrates (including white flour and sugar), it becomes inflamed, making it hard to circulate fluids, blood and nutrients around the body. As the blood vessels swell, we are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Cut the sugar, cut the inflammation and heal your circulatory system.

Sugar’s Not Illegal, But You’ll Have to Pay More For It

In an effort to reduce the consumption of sugary-beverages (and thus attempting to have an impact on declining Obesity statistics, New York City Governor, David Patterson, is implementing a Sugar Sweetened Beverage (SSB) Tax. Sugary sodas, bottled teas, coffees and energy drinks will be taxed higher for every ounce of the sugar-laden product while eliminating current taxes attached to bottled water and other low calorie bottled beverages. The goal being that if people can’t kick the sugary drinks for their own health, that by putting their pocketbooks in charge will make the decision easier for them. To read the full proposed SSB Tax Package, click here.

Perhaps there is some merit to this…but a part of me believes that if you want (ahem – or crave) the Coca-Cola, you’ll buy the Coca-Cola (even if a bottle of water a few cents cheaper). If the proposed tax law is what it takes to motivate an open discussion and investigation on the impact of sugar on individual health, then that is a step forward right there.

More Than  Question of Will

Like addictions of other sorts, sugar dependence depends on individual constitution- a predisposition of sorts. Some people can indulge and never think about it again, while others crave that sugary treat – constantly ruminating about when and where the next will come from and how delicious it will taste and make them feel. The latter response is a question of body chemistry. Sugar immediately feeds our brains with necessary neurotransmitters which then sends out a “feel good” response to the entire body. The problem is that this sensation wears off quite quickly, leaving us feeling worse than before we started.  This type of reaction can also ignite some withdrawal symptoms when sugar is omitted, encouraging us to go right back into the cookie jar.

Emotions do play a part too. Growing up in the midwest, there wasn’t a day that my mother (or grandmother) didn’t have some fresh baked treat coming out of the oven. The joys of helping build the batter, the smell that fills the house while it bakes and the time spent enjoying it together. These are deep memories, ingrained, and pleasant. What happy memory came out of brown rice cakes and peanut butter? While taking care of our physical health, we need to be kind to our emotional health. This article is not meant for you to stop baking devils-food cake with grandma, but to be more conscious of the big picture. Home-made goods tend to have a lot less sugar than store-bought ones, and you have the freedom to tweak the recipe if you want. An avid baker myself, I’ve found the past-time can become much healthier (and still very tasty!) by exchanging refined ingredients for more energizing ones – like in my banana-fig bread.

Your body needs carbohydrates. They have an important function on brain chemistry, hormonal balance and systemic health. These systems respond optimally when we feed ourselves complex carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits, potatoes, yams and other root vegetables.  Check out this great explanation of the difference between simple and complex carbs: click here.

The Sugar Behind The Salt

Avoiding dessert is not enough when it comes to eliminating the sugar-cycle, but all refined flours and corn syrups must also be taken into consideration. Although you can taste the difference between a chewy white bagel and a piece of chocolate cake, your body doesn’t know the difference as far as digestion is concerned. White flour and white sugar are essentially the same when it comes to nutritional value (none), expedited digestion (because there is no nutrition or fiber), and thus leading to the same inflammatory responses.  If you must have your morning bagel, try to upgrade to whole grain. Even better, add some peanut butter, a fried egg or cream cheese as protein slows the digestion of carbohydrates so you feel fuller longer and have more stabilized energy.

Get conscious as a consumer, and evaluate what you choose to put in your body. It is not about eliminating decadence from  your life, but moderating it – so you can feel your best and live a long healthy life. When reducing refined carbohydrates, limit the following to give your self the best possible scenario:

• White Flours (breads, pasta, white rice)
• White Sugars
• Brown Sugars
• Candy
• Alcohol (filled with sugary calories – especially flavored liquors, whiskeys, rum, brandy and wine)
• High Fructose Corn Syrup (careful…it’s in almost everything on your supermarket shelves)

Sweet Alternatives: A Sugar-Lovers Cheat Sheet

While most health practitioners out there agree that if you are going to kick the sweet-tooth for good, then that means cutting out anything naturally sweet (extremists will even include fresh fruit in this category). For some individuals, this period of extreme elimination is necessary to cut the cravings as even a healthier sweetness will set off the desire for more. But here are some tricks to try to eliminate the refined sugars from your life while still including a little sweetness:

• Fresh Fruit: full of natural sugars and carbohydrates that will hydrate the body, offer plenty of vitamins and other nutrients, and a low glycemic index (meaning less blood sugar spikes and pitfalls). Truly the perfect addition after a meal or to hot oatmeal in the morning.
• Agave Nectar: considered a ‘wonder plant’ this very sweet syrup is completely natural, derived from the Agave Cactus and actually offers health benefits – including anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties (the complete antithesis of pure sugar). Agave contains substances like Inulin and Saponins, which actually improve digestion and may even promote weight loss. With a low-glycemic index, Agave Nectar won’t add to the afternoon slump or low spikes in blood sugar.
• Honey: Our friends the bees have created a perfect substance for providing a little sweetness to our lives, and our health. With naturally occurring digestive enzymes, anti-germicidal and anti-microbial properties, honey can help curb an upset stomach or IBS  by cleansing the digestive tract. It has also been shown to be helpful in reducing allergy symptoms.
• 100% Pure Maple Syrup: A naturally occurring sap from a variety of trees, this viscous amber liquid contains many minerals and vitamins, including zinc and maganese (both important for heart health). The darker the amber (available in Grade A Light, Medium, Dark and Grade B), the stronger the flavor. Be careful not to be mistaken by Pure Maple-Flavored Syrup, which is a simple-sugary substitute.
• Reduce Simple Carbohydrates: The body doesn’t know the difference between white flour and white sugar – it breaks it down the same. So, your sugar-free roll may be giving you the same spikes in blood sugar as a candy bar. Complex carbohydrates like whole grains will offer more fiber and protein to your diet, reducing the glycemic load.
• Pair a Protein: Nuts, seeds, eggs, beans, legumes and animal protein will help slow the digestion of carbohydrates – keeping you fuller longer and your energy stable. So if you are going to have a fluffy white bagel, pair it with some peanut butter or cream cheese to help your blood sugar out.

You Don’t Have to Do It Alone!

There is plenty of support out there to help you curb your sugar-habit so you can develop a healthier relationship with it. Acupuncture is a great way to stabilize the hormone and metabolic system, also helps curb cravings so avoiding is much easier. We have a great elimination diet protocol, filled with recipes and substitutes to make this challenge a lot easier and a lot more rewarding.

Coffee built the foundation for my work ethic and professional enthusiasm when I accepted my first job as a barista and coffee-roaster at Dunn Bros Coffee in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Yep, that’s right, I was a coffee-roaster. You may not see these around most coffee shops, but Dunn Bros prides themselves on the sacks of raw beans from over a dozen countries that surround the giant roaster at each location (and admittedly, I take pride in knowing firsthand the process from harvest to brewed beans). Perhaps it was from witnessing the smooth-beige colored Ethiopian bean turn to a silky-rich-brown color as it cooked and crackled that molded my perception of coffee as more a ritual than drug (similar to the way the Chinese and Japanese view Tea).   

Coffee, itself, has been around forever and can be considered a “natural product.” However, as the coffee industry has grown over the centuries, the plants have become more and more laden with pesticides and the farmers more and more abused. For that reason, I always recommend buying organic or fair trade coffee when available to support sustainable resources – so that coffee will be around (along with our planet) for years to come.

The Health Controversy

The arguments against coffee are mostly due to its caffeine content, which is about three-times higher in an 8oz cup of coffee versus a shot of espresso, an 8oz cup of green or black tea or a 12oz soda. Even a cup of decaf-coffee can still contain up to 5mg of caffeine. The initial perils of coffee was the suspected link between caffeine and heart disease.  Current research has shown, however, that caffeine is not necessarily a direct contributor to heart diseaseand that coffee itself may have health benefits such as preventing Parkinson’s Disease, Type 2 Diabetes and Liver Cancer. Sodas and energy drinks pose a larger threat to heart disease than coffee or tea, for example, due to their high sugar content that escalates the inflammatory response. Caffeine, however, has shown to increase stress hormones in certain people, which can then lead to cardiovascular disease or emotional disturbances such as anxiety. It is important to discuss with your health care provider what is the most appropriate approach for your health. In general, I find that patients trying to get pregnant, or who are suffering from anxiety, sleep disorders or breast issues often benefit from weaning themselves off coffee. 

The Chinese Medicine Viewpoint

As I have discussed in previous posts, Chinese Food Therapy utilizes the energetic functions of foods to “treat” conditions of the body. Coffee is no stranger to these findings. Energetically, coffee is very yang, or moving. It causes things to “get-going” in the body, which can sometimes begin to deplete the body of its natural ability to ignite it’s own engines, so to speak. We say this directly affects the kidney energy, which can be likened to adrenal function in Western medicine. Also, it can lead to an excess of heat in the body, causing insomnia, heart palpitations, digestive upset or irritability. Since the body’s energy is moving more, people who come in for acupuncture after their morning coffee often are more sensitive to the treatment as their qi is more on the surface. 

On the flip side, the benefit of coffee is said to tonify the heart qi – giving a feeling of joy and calm in certain constitutional types. It can also facilitate healthy respiration before a big workout by circulating the lung energy. In general, however, coffee does not have many real clinical implications in Chinese medicine – but it does give us a baseline to work with in helping people on their journey to optimum health. Just like anything else, portion control can make all the difference (such as consuming 60oz of coffee per day vs. 8oz). Personally, I tend to come from the school of thought: “everything in moderation,” and if I firmly believe deleting coffee from a patients diet will drastically improve their health – I can sympathize because I know how much comfort and benefit can come from our ritual coffee.

Coffee Enthusiasts

This post was inspired by my friend, Tony Black, who is a real coffee enthusiast – so much so that he has created a blog dedicated to images of people with their morning cup. It is a fun site, and a true testament to the ritual we have created around coffee way beyond the Starbucks phenomenon. Check it out and see Borbayand my-self’s featured photos in this week’s edition.  

Leaving Your Analytical Mind at the Door

Although receiving a degree and license in traditional Chinese medicine means completing a rigorous four-year masters program, this ancient science is built on a foundation completely different from the one we grow up with in the Western world. Scientific algorithms and molecular biology will not serve to understand the complexities of something like acupuncture. The first step is leaving what we know to be true at the doorstep, in order to open up space for a second foundation to be built – one stemming from such eastern philosophies as Taoism and Confucianism. For this reason, acupuncture can be difficult to understand from a western medicine perspective. It is like trying to understand the flavor of an orange by eating at a pizzeria – an inappropriate model for comparison.

It has been said that acupuncture affects nerve communication, blood flow and conducts electrical impulses within the fascia muscle layer.  But, as I said, try and leave your analytical mind at the door. At the risk of sounding esoteric, acupuncture connects to the energetic pathways in the body known as meridians. These pathways are inherent in nature, and flow through every living thing (much like matter at its molecular level). They are typically unseen, and unfelt, yet ever alive and flowing with Qi – vitality.  Qi is what gives us life. Without it, there is no movement, no fullness and therefore no life. When Qi cannot flow smoothly, we feel it in the form of pain, illness or distress. Acupuncture directly manipulates the flow of Qi by way of the meridians of the body.

It’s All Connected

There are over 400 points on the human body throughout 12 different meridians, each with a specific function. Over the thousands of years that it took to develop Acupuncture, such functions were tested and agreed upon – having shown clinical efficacy based on experiential findings. Such findings were not based on disorders like “diabetes” or the ”flu,” because those labels were not yet invented at that time, but rather on individual pattern disharmony. Chinese medicine asks the question: “what does the person presenting with XYZ discomfort need?” not “what is the XYZ discomfort called so I can treat that.”  The latter form of question is more common within the Western medical model, which is in my opinion a strong case for the need to employ both models of care in public health for optimum results.

Back to the topic: how acupuncture works.  As I said, it is all connected. For example, if a person presents with knee pain it may be very beneficial to place needles at the knee joint to relieve it. However, needles placed on the elbow, low back or abdomen are also commonly used for strengthening the knee and depend on individual pattern differentiation. Likewise, several points around the knee are great for digestive problems, and often those points will be needled on individuals with no inherent knee pain at all. To understand how the energetic pathways run is to go to school for a very long time. To make sense of it otherwise, is to accept that there is plenty happening in life that we cannot see – not all that dissimilar from Western molecular biology.

The Web Around Us

Take cellular phones and the Internet. There are direct, real, pathways of communication between carrier towers and individual devices that are always open and able to travel at instantaneous speeds. We walk around among and through these pathways all day long - without knowledge of their existence except through the end result: our web browser working or receipt of a text message. When this system is slightly out of whack, the connection is lost and our devices malfunction. The pathways need to be re-opened and cleared so that proper functioning can occur. Imagine that the meridians in your body are the pathways and the commander keeping them open is the Qi. It is the job of an acupuncturist to open up such communication within the body, so there are no glitches.

Different People, Different Treatment

Unlike the technical support team looking for the predictable piece to fix an Internet malfunction, the human body is far  less predictable. The acupuncturist must look deep at individual constitutional patterns to develop proper and effective treatment. This takes time, a detailed history, and oftentimes ongoing treatment. Acupuncture works well alongside western medical treatments as it can offer great relief for side effects (as in Chemo Therapy) and without adverse reactions. It is also very beneficial for health maintenance (much like exercise), boosting the immune system, and can be used on a seasonal basis as preventative medicine once uncomfortable symptoms have resolved. Many people find that acupuncture is very relaxing, promoting an almost meditative state, an added bonus. 

To find out more how acupuncture can help you maintain or acheive your wellness goals, please contact me. 

Ever thought that your morning muffin or stir-fry lunch contained not just sustenance, but healing properties? Ancient Chinese medical theory has ascribed certain energetics and functions to many common foods, that still remain true today. Such properties are very different from nutritional values (vitamins, calories, fats, fiber, etc), which came later in the evolution of the nature of food. Let’s take watermelon (Xi Gua) as an example of this idea: our analytical mind knows that this delicious fruit is sweet, refreshing and nutritious with its high water content and fiber. The energetics of this food according to Chinese theory are cooling and damp draining, and therefore can prevent heat stroke on a hot summer day and promote healthy water metabolism by ridding edema. A more relevant example for the winter season would be lamb (Yang Rou), which is warming to the system and promotes optimum functioning. 

Food therapy is considered to be the number one treatment in preventative care and healing therapy. In modern China, there are special restaurants where one can go to receive tailored medicinal meals. After a visit with the Chinese medicine doctor, a pattern diagnosis is ascribed which can then be brought to the chef at such a restaurant. Food will then be prepared in accordance with individual needs – to nourish, eliminate or course any given imbalance. This notion contradicts the idea that one particular diet is best for everyone, but rather tailors nutritional choices based on individual need. What may help one person lose weight and feel energetic, may not be the right fit for someone else. I had the fortune of experiencing this model for myself at the medicinal food restaurant across from the hospital during my one-year clinical rotation in Hangzhou, China.  

Chinese herbal medicine utilizes the combination of roots, barks, leaves, stems and berries to promote health and vitality.  It only makes sense that Chinese Herbal Medicine and Food Therapy often overlap, with many herbal ingredients ending up on typical supermarket shelves. The following is a delicious trailmix you can make at home, as your own “herbal formula prescription.” In addition to curbing hunger between meals, or giving an energy boost before a work-out, this mix is high in antioxidents, essential fatty acids and protein. From the Chinese perspective, it is nourishing to the kidneys; promotes mental clarity, memory function; improves libido, energy and digestion. Enjoy!

Herbal Trail Mix – Common Names with Chinese Names and Functions           

Goji Berries/Wolfberries                                    

Gou Qi Zi -Nourishes the kidney energy, enhances fertility, memory, and sexual function

Walnut Halves                                                          

Hu Tao Ren -Promotes brain function, mental clarity

 Black Sesame Seeds                                                      

Huo Ma Ren -Nourishes blood, improves vision and sluggish digestion.  Black sesame has the additional benefit of promoting lactation in breast-feeding women.

*I like Mrs. May’s Black Sesame Crunch Squares, they are slightly sweetened with honey that provides a great flavor and also aids digestion.

This post is a proud participant in the Kathleen Show’s Prevention Not Prescriptions Blog - a great place for other resources to stay healthy.

Reduce Cravings

Improve Energy

Alleviate Joint Pain

Reduce Muscle Fatigue

Regulate Blood Sugar Levels

Jump Start Your Metabolism

Regulate Hormone Function

Detoxify the System

Reduce Stress

It is that time of year again…for making those promises to ourselves that we have been putting off through the busy holidays. One of the most common New Years Resolutions is to lose weight, and it is also the least kept. Why? The culprit may be coming from a constitutional level. There are many factors that can cause excessive weight gain and an inability to lose weight such as undetected food allergies, stress, anxiety, depression, unstable glucose levels, or inflammatory responses such as arthritis, chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal medicine offer time-tested remedies to help strengthen your individual system at the root level so that you can lose weight efficiently, and keep it off for good. Reducing cravings, improving energy, alleviating joint pain and muscle fatigue, regulating metabolism and reducing stress are just some of the added benefits of incorporating acupuncture and herbal formulas into your weight loss resolution.

Reducing Cravings & Addressing Addictions

Food provides us with an enormous amount of nutritional benefits, but also emotional benefits. Over time, dietary habits can be hard to break (mostly due to emotional ties). For this reason, typical dieting tends to lead to a common feeling of insufficiency and can ignite cravings and addictions we didn’t even know were there in the first place. Taking away food that the body (and mind) is used to enjoying often engulfs a person in a cycle of binging and obsession. Acupuncture can help on a neurological level to reduce cravings and stop addictive behavior. In fact, acupuncture is so successful at resolving addictions, many rehabilitation clinics across the country train their staff in auricular acupuncture to alleviate a variety of addictions. Although on its surface weight gain may not seem like “addictive behavior,” it most certainly can be the result of a habitual diet that the system has now become accustomed to and even physically dependent on. Trying to change our diets can be difficult, frustrating and exhausting.  Acupuncture can work at the root level to make this process positive, easy and successful.

Detoxifying the System

Carrying excess weight is often a sign that your body is not processing things efficiently or correctly.  The cause for this could be from a number of reasons, but a good place to start is a simple detoxification to cleanse the body of unwanted toxins and debris. Such a regimen would include Acupuncture to detoxify the liver, herbs to facilitate digestion and reduce inflammation and a diet modification to stabilize blood sugars and eliminate potential allergens. Although this diet modification can initially feel too limiting to maintain, that is because it is!  Detoxification is meant to provide a deep clean so that equilibrium can then be achieved.  For this purpose, our recommendations include whole foods so you feel satiated and a time-frame that is manageable based on individual assessment.

Giving Your Metabolism a Re-Boot

After a simple detoxification, we will help you continue finding the appropriate support  so your digestion can continue working at its best. Our bodies were designed to appropriately digest, distribute and eliminitate the nutrition we take in. The “storage” process that happens is the result of an ineffecient system. Whatever the root cause, acupuncture and herbs will help your digestion and metabolism get back on track and stay there – eliminating the yo-yo effect. Treatments will also help reduce your stress, which is known to cause elevated hormones (like Cortisol) in the body that cause it to hold excess weight. Once your digestion is up and running at its best, frequent acupuncture and herbs will no longer be necessary – your system has been nourished from the root up, yielding lasting benefits.

Emotional Health

Trying to lose weight under any circumstance causes stress. People handle stress in all different ways, and Acupuncture can help release tension in the body, ease feelings of depression and regulate mood swings accompanied by -or preventing you from- losing weight. Exercise will also release important endorphins in the body to help it deal with stress. However, many of the same reasons mentioned in the first paragraph of this post also inhibit many people from working out. Acupuncture and herbs can help help increase energy, promote restful sleep, and alleviate chronic muscle and joint pains that may be preventing you from keeping up with consistent exercise so you can get back on track.

Erin Hessel L.Ac offers time-tested natural remedies to help you lose weight & provide lasting health benefits.  Private, tailored treatments take place in a serene environment for optimum rejuvenation and results.   Call our office today for our 2010 Weight Loss Packages and Specials.

This post is a proud participant in the Kathleen Show’s Prevention Not Prescriptions Blog - a great place for othe resources to start your New Year off right and keep it going.

A balanced menstrual cycle is a harmonious flow of energy between yin and yang, at the most fundamental level.  Imbalances of this cycle can manifest as symptoms like: fatigue, pain, breast tenderness, excessive or diminished appetite, nausea, bloating, mood swings, irritability , and water retention. For tips on how to naturally alleviate some common PMS complaints, check here.   Other gynecological manifestations that can occur include endometriosis, PCOS, amenorrhea, infertility, uterine fibroid, adenomyosis, and irregular menstruation.

Although menstrual discomforts often arise a few days prior to or during a woman’s period, the root imbalance can be occurring anywhere in the cycle.  The nature of the complaint and a detailed understanding of a woman’s cycle are the best ways to get a clear idea of the “first domino” causing the problem. Once a woman understands her cycle, she simultaneously understands her fertility and can therefore easily prevent or promote pregnancy. The following is a brief guideline of what is physiologically happening during the various phases of the menstrual cycle, from both western and eastern medicine perspectives.

Four Phases of Menstruation: A General Guideline

1)  Menstrual Phase (4-6 Days)

BIO: Sharp fall in Estrogen & Progesterone, Necrosis & Shedding of Endometrial Lining

TCM: Blood is moving = Free Flow of Liver Qi and Liver Blood

RX:  Facilitate Flow of Liver Qi and Liver Blood, Unblock the Channels

•Incorporate Mild Exercise, Relaxation, Meditation, Healthy Foods

•Avoid Stress or Frustration, Heavy/Greasy Foods, Alcohol & Overeating

2)  Post-Menstrual/Follicular Phase (about 7 days)

BIO:  Follicle(s) growing within ovary, under the influence of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

TCM: Blood & Yin in the Chong and Ren Meridians are Relatively Depleted from Blood Loss

RX:  Nourish the Yin & Blood

•Rest, Eliminate Stimulants (caffeine,energy drinks)

•Eat Eggs, Fruit, Wheat Germ, Spirulina, Good Quality Meats, Stews

3)  Mid Cycle/Ovulation Phase (about 7 days)

BIO: Lutenizing Hormone (LH) surges causing Ovulation and forms the Corpus Luteum

TCM: Yin & Blood/Ren & Chong fill up with vital energy and overflow (yin becomes yang)

RX: Tonify Kidney Essence and Kidney Yang

•Meditate, Yoga, Moderate Exercise, Easily Digestible Foods

•Begin to Avoid Dairy, Heavy Foods, Refined Carbs & Sugar

•Incorporate EFA’s (Essential Fatty Acids: Fish Oil, Eggs, Flaxseeds, Raw Nuts)

4)  Pre-Menstrual Phase (About 7 days)

BIO: Progesterone levels increase, sustains Corpus Luteum & Thickens Uterine Lining in preparation for conception or menstruation

TCM:  Yang Qi moves and Liver Qi courses in preparation for Menstruation

RX: Tonify the Yang and Course the liver Qi

•Moderate Exercise, Meditation, Yoga

Eat Cruciferous Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts

Avoid Dairy, Caffeine

From breast pain to nausea to mood swings and back aches, such discomforts are more than just a nuisance, but signals from your body that something is out of balance and needs to be addressed. The only physiological components to a menstrual cycle should be moderate blood flow with the same number of days between cycles. Taking the time to address these symptoms now won’t only improve a woman’s quality of life, but also may prevent future reproductive problems. If you would like to take control of your menstrual cycle, understand it (and your fertility – to either prevent or promote pregnancy), Chinese Medicine has a variety of ways to alleviate common discomforts associated with menstruation.

The main cause of PMS according to Chinese medicine in liver qi stagnation, which is a pattern most commonly caused by stress. Some women are more susceptible to developing this pattern than others, and likewise the severity can also vary greatly.  Although the foundation for this pattern is based on a relative excess, or stagnation, in the body, it usually pairs itself with a relative deficiency that needs to be nourished.  The delicate balancing act of simultaneously nourishing and draining can be accomplished through the advice and treatment of a licensed practitioner.  Acupuncture, herbal medicine and dietary changes can help treat the root of cause of many common complaints associated with PMS.

Key Points to Consider when Trying to Reduce PMS

1)  Get plenty of Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s)

• Fish Oil, Fish, Flaxseeds, Whole Eggs, Raw Nuts, Evening Primrose Oil

• Smooths hormonal function and facilitates ovulation

2)  Eat Organic Produce and Hormone Free Meats

• Meat is necessary for a healthy cycle, but the added hormones can interfere with your body’s natural endocrine rhythm.

3)  Increase Cruciferous Vegetable Consumption

• Broccoli, Cauliflower, Beets, Carrots, Kale, Cabbage, Collards

• Increases the body’s ability to metabolize Estradial, therefore decreasing breast tenderness, weight gain, moodiness, and low libido

4)  Take a High Potency Multi-Vitamin

• Increases bio-available nutrition, strengthening the whole system

5)  Dairy

• Avoid completely for scanty, painful or clotted menstruation

• If consuming, only take in moderation and of high quality (hormone free)

6)  Avoid Coffee, Alcohol, Nicotine

• Depletes nutrients in the body

• Green tea is OK in moderation while trying to alleviate PMS

7) Acupuncture & Herbs

• Regular acupuncture treatments can effectively regulation a woman’s cycle and reduce uncomfortable symptoms

• Herbal formulas safely and effectively address the root cause of imbalance

**Please note that the above suggestions should be tried over the course of 3-6 months before significant and permanent results can be expected. Likewise these are not meant to diagnose or treat any specific condition(s).

If you have ever had difficulty trying to conceive and involved the aid of a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE), then most likely one of the first tests they ran was a hormone panel on Day 3 of your menstrual cycle.  Specifically looking at:  Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), LutenizingHormone (LH), Estrodial (E2), and Prolactin.  The levels of the aforementioned hormones (among others) and their ratio to each other can give insight into the general quantity of eggs a woman has left to ovulate.  However, hormones are finicky creatures, and can change drastically month-to-month due to other illness (like thyroid disease or poly cystic ovarian syndrome, for example) or just from plain old-fashioned stress.

New findings are showing that the typical Day 3 FSH testing gives inaccurate values of a woman’s ovarian reserve one out of every six tests.  This is to say that every sixth woman to undergo traditional fertility testing may have  false lab results – offering an unnecessarily grim outlook on their hopes of ever conceiving.  How disturbing. (And probably part of the reason that one of the next steps in fertility treatments – IVF – has only a 30% success rate).  Women who are lumped into the “never will get pregnant” category regularly prove that wrong, and others who are in good health are for some reason never are able to fulfill their dream of having children.  A possible reason for this discrepancy is the inability to accurately asses ovarian reserve or egg quality.  At the very least, it is clear that the diagnosis and treatment of infertility must continue to develop in order to understand what is happening at the clinical level.

ReproSource is a lab dedicated to fertility testing and they work with patients and RE’s around the world.  Dr. Ben Leader, a scientist who works for ReproSource, presented in last night’s lecture on their newest test that indexes three specific hormone levels on Day 3: FSH, AMH (anti-mullarian hormone), and Inhibin B.  The index of the three, according to Dr. Leader, will give a much more accurate assessment of a woman’s ovarian reserve.  The results come up on a sliding graph as well, rather than the typical ‘within normal limits’ or ‘out of normal limits’ / ‘you’ll conceive’ or ‘you won’t’ – which is much easier to understand and interpret.  Other experts in the field are finding that AMH can be tested on its own at any point in a woman’s menstrual cycle and will give more accurate and consistent insight to ovarian reserve than even the day-3 FSH test.

The results of all of the aforementioned tests indicate what potential a woman has to work with while trying to conceive – of vital importance to any health care provider helping her on this journey.  We can do all the acupuncture or fertility medicine in the world, but if there simply aren’t any eggs left for a woman to ovulate, that is one thing we cannot create (in this case, donor egg is often offered as a viable option).  A woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have in her lifetime, and depending on the delicate nature of the menstrual cycle, genetics, hormonal balance and other factors will determine at what point she will run out – essentially beginning menopause (with normal onset somewhere in the neighborhood of age 50).

The fact that such testing is more specific for detecting egg quantity, it cannot be used to determine egg quality – the part that we as acupuncturists have the potential to improve.  The best way to consistently determine egg quality is still by a woman’s age: the younger the woman, the better the egg quality -regardless of ovarian reserve (although this is often debated).  It is quite interesting to me that with all the new developments in fertility therapy that they have yet to determine a quantifiable way to detect poor or high egg quality.

This is where we come in.  Acupuncture and herbal medicine have been used for thousands of years to help couples conceive.  By invigorating blood flow to the pelvic area, regulating a woman’s menstrual cycle, and alleviating stress we are able to accomplish the task in question: improve egg quality. If the issue is male-factor, acupuncture and herbs can also help improve sperm quality in addition to sperm quantity due to the simple fact that males regenerate new sperm avery three months (please note that success depends on the etiology of low sperm count, motility, or morphology issues). Depending on a couple’s history, age, lab work and diagnosis, acupuncture and herbs can help couples to safely and effectively conceive – either naturally, or alongside western fertility treatments.

In order for Chinese medicine to have an effect on improving egg/sperm quality, it does take time. To regulate a woman’s cycle can take anywhere from three-six months, and the same goes for impacting a change on male sperm production.  Therefore, I recommend beginning to work with an acupuncturist/herbalist either when you are just beginning to try and conceive or beforehand.  I have personally studied under renowned fertility acupuncturist and herbalist, Dr. Mike Berkley, and seen the amazing power of Chinese medicine in conjunction with modern developments.  Tests like the FSH/AMH/Inhibin B Index are useful to patients, RE’s and acupuncturists alike.  With more accurate clinical findings and continued research, we can all be better internists in this challenging field.

This post is proudly a part of Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday @ The Kathleen Show.  For more information and to check out some other great health blogs, check this site.

If you have ever had difficulty trying to conceive and involved the aid of a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE), then most likely one of the first tests they ran was a hormone panel on Day 3 of your menstrual cycle.  Specifically looking at:  Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), LutenizingHormone (LH), Estrodial (E2), and Prolactin.  The levels of the aforementioned hormones (among others) and their ratio to each other can give insight into the general quantity of eggs a woman has left to ovulate.  However, hormones are finicky creatures, and can change drastically month-to-month due to other illness (like thyroid disease or poly cystic ovarian syndrome, for example) or just from plain old-fashioned stress.

New findings are showing that the typical Day 3 FSH testing gives inaccurate values of a woman’s ovarian reserve one out of every six tests.  This is to say that every sixth woman to undergo traditional fertility testing may have  false lab results – offering an unnecessarily grim outlook on their hopes of ever conceiving.  How disturbing. (And probably part of the reason that one of the next steps in fertility treatments – IVF – has only a 30% success rate).  Women who are lumped into the “never will get pregnant” category regularly prove that wrong, and others who are in good health are for some reason never are able to fulfill their dream of having children.  A possible reason for this discrepancy is the inability to accurately asses ovarian reserve or egg quality.  At the very least, it is clear that the diagnosis and treatment of infertility must continue to develop in order to understand what is happening at the clinical level.

ReproSource is a lab dedicated to fertility testing and they work with patients and RE’s around the world.  Dr. Ben Leader, a scientist who works for ReproSource, presented in last night’s lecture on their newest test that indexes three specific hormone levels on Day 3: FSH, AMH (anti-mullarian hormone), and Inhibin B.  The index of the three, according to Dr. Leader, will give a much more accurate assessment of a woman’s ovarian reserve.  The results come up on a sliding graph as well, rather than the typical ‘within normal limits’ or ‘out of normal limits’ / ‘you’ll conceive’ or ‘you won’t’ – which is much easier to understand and interpret.  Other experts in the field are finding that AMH can be tested on its own at any point in a woman’s menstrual cycle and will give more accurate and consistent insight to ovarian reserve than even the day-3 FSH test.

The results of all of the aforementioned tests indicate what potential a woman has to work with while trying to conceive – of vital importance to any health care provider helping her on this journey.  We can do all the acupuncture or fertility medicine in the world, but if there simply aren’t any eggs left for a woman to ovulate, that is one thing we cannot create (in this case, donor egg is often offered as a viable option).  A woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have in her lifetime, and depending on the delicate nature of the menstrual cycle, genetics, hormonal balance and other factors will determine at what point she will run out – essentially beginning menopause (with normal onset somewhere in the neighborhood of age 50).

The fact that such testing is more specific for detecting egg quantity, it cannot be used to determine egg quality – the part that we as acupuncturists have the potential to improve.  The best way to consistently determine egg quality is still by a woman’s age: the younger the woman, the better the egg quality -regardless of ovarian reserve (although this is often debated).  It is quite interesting to me that with all the new developments in fertility therapy that they have yet to determine a quantifiable way to detect poor or high egg quality.

This is where we come in.  Acupuncture and herbal medicine have been used for thousands of years to help couples conceive.  By invigorating blood flow to the pelvic area, regulating a woman’s menstrual cycle, and alleviating stress we are able to accomplish the task in question: improve egg quality. If the issue is male-factor, acupuncture and herbs can also help improve sperm quality in addition to sperm quantity due to the simple fact that males regenerate new sperm avery three months (please note that success depends on the etiology of low sperm count, motility, or morphology issues). Depending on a couple’s history, age, lab work and diagnosis, acupuncture and herbs can help couples to safely and effectively conceive – either naturally, or alongside western fertility treatments.

In order for Chinese medicine to have an effect on improving egg/sperm quality, it does take time. To regulate a woman’s cycle can take anywhere from three-six months, and the same goes for impacting a change on male sperm production.  Therefore, I recommend beginning to work with an acupuncturist/herbalist either when you are just beginning to try and conceive or beforehand.  I have personally studied under renowned fertility acupuncturist and herbalist, Dr. Mike Berkley, and seen the amazing power of Chinese medicine in conjunction with modern developments.  Tests like the FSH/AMH/Inhibin B Index are useful to patients, RE’s and acupuncturists alike.  With more accurate clinical findings and continued research, we can all be better internists in this challenging field.

This post is proudly a part of Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday @ The Kathleen Show.  For more information and to check out some other great health blogs, check this site.