Monday, December 29, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Healing right under our noses
Sometimes we can have ...a new level of wellness....just because we have finally asked how can I have ...a new level of wellness.
Hearing about a new approach is sometimes drown out by the amount of new information that comes to us each day in the media, friends, and family emails that bombard us. We are also educated to doubt a solution, when sometimes we need to not only listen closer, but believe in the healing that is trying to come to us.
Caution in what you do and what you take is always 'good medicine'. Another good value to have is to listen to your bodies many cries for nourishment that is already gives us. Be careful to listen so much to others that you can hear yourself. Some of the best medicine is just getting quiet enough to hear yourself say, like I did....iron, you need iron Carol.
Take a message you get from yourself. Goggle a little, talk to your doctor a little, and let the information lines up with several sources so that you hear the common factors that nourish your body, and not just attack the pathogens of your body.
Hearing about a new approach is sometimes drown out by the amount of new information that comes to us each day in the media, friends, and family emails that bombard us. We are also educated to doubt a solution, when sometimes we need to not only listen closer, but believe in the healing that is trying to come to us.
Caution in what you do and what you take is always 'good medicine'. Another good value to have is to listen to your bodies many cries for nourishment that is already gives us. Be careful to listen so much to others that you can hear yourself. Some of the best medicine is just getting quiet enough to hear yourself say, like I did....iron, you need iron Carol.
Take a message you get from yourself. Goggle a little, talk to your doctor a little, and let the information lines up with several sources so that you hear the common factors that nourish your body, and not just attack the pathogens of your body.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Spiralina Brightens Our Fish!
Carol writes:
I am so amazed by this food. Yes it brighten up our fishtank colors in three days, and I began to remember I read about it years ago. Like most people, i had heard about spiralina, or blue-green algea for many years. But like most too, I heard it was sold thru an MLM, so I was skeptical that it had any value what so ever, and wrong....it's not sold ONLY thru MLM. You can find it at your SunHarvest or Whole Foods, or call me, and I'll help you get some....
for....a new level of wellness:)
Here's the scoop:
There are over forty thousand–yes, someone has actually counted them–types of single-celled microalgae which need only a drop of water and a sunbeam to make them prosper. But among those forty thousand varieties of little water-loving organisms, one species is clearly making the largest nutritional splash.
Weighing in at an impressive 60% protein content, Spirulina is a fresh water alga–actually, a form of bacteria–which knocks both red meat, at 27%, and soy, at 34%, on the ropes in terms of muscle-building potential. And it brings to the ring, along with all that protein, a powerful combination of minerals, including iron, calcium, and magnesium, with a backup punch of all the vitamins to which the first five letters of the alphabet have been assigned. If only Spirulina were bigger; it might have been able to fit all the vitamins in. But a single Spirulina alga measures approximately .0196850394 inches in length.
If Spirulina wanted to get bigger, however, it probably could. How? By eating its relatives. The Chinese add Spirulina to the diets of commercially produced poultry and livestock to increase their growth rates.
Another growth rate which has definitely increased because of Spirulina is that of the Spirulina commercialization industry, which began with annual harvests of around one hundred tons in the 1970s. By the year 2020, according to BioNat.net, worldwide Spirulina production is expected to reach 220,000 tons.
The most avid believers in the health benefits of Spirulina are the Japanese, who both produce and consume more of it than anyone else. Some Japanese researchers claim that Spirulina, because of the high concentration of its nutrients, is useful in helping diabetics control their food cravings and decrease their insulin intake.
The only potential black marks against Spirulina are its expense and the possibility that its high protein, vitamin, and mineral, according to the Hong Kong Dietitian Association, could cause kidney and liver problems. Excessive protein intake can overload the kidneys; too many vitamins and minerals, the liver. Spirulina, if the Hong Kong experts are to be believed, can be too much of a good thing.
And, when France started its research on Spirulina in the 1970s, global scientists were looking at it as the inexpensive answer to the ages-old question of how to feed a protein-starved Third World.
Today commercially produced Spirulina powders and pills sell at health food stores for the equivalent of about $50 per pound, or some ten times what it costs to grow and harvest. The Third World is still waiting.
Spirulina Contains
vitamin A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cobalamin), vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, folate, vitamin K, biotin, pantothenic acid, beta carotene (source of vitamin A), inositol. (It has been brought to my attention that some have questioned whether Spirulina contains vitamins B12 and D. I have cross checked my original source with this Ask Alice article at the Health Services at Colombia University website. I hope this clears up any confusion.)
calcium, manganese, iron, chromium, phosphorus, molybdenum, iodine, chloride, magnesium, sodium, zinc, potassium, selenium, germanium, copper, boron.
phycocyanin, chlorophyll, carotenoids.
myxoxanthophyll, zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin, echinenone and other xanthophylls.gamma linolenic acid, glycolipids, sulfolipids, polysaccharides.
isoleucine, phenylalanine, leucine, threonine, lysine, tryptophan, methionine, valine, alanine, glycine, arginine, histidine, aspartic acid, proline, cystine, serine, glutamic acid, tyrosine.
I am so amazed by this food. Yes it brighten up our fishtank colors in three days, and I began to remember I read about it years ago. Like most people, i had heard about spiralina, or blue-green algea for many years. But like most too, I heard it was sold thru an MLM, so I was skeptical that it had any value what so ever, and wrong....it's not sold ONLY thru MLM. You can find it at your SunHarvest or Whole Foods, or call me, and I'll help you get some....
for....a new level of wellness:)
Here's the scoop:
There are over forty thousand–yes, someone has actually counted them–types of single-celled microalgae which need only a drop of water and a sunbeam to make them prosper. But among those forty thousand varieties of little water-loving organisms, one species is clearly making the largest nutritional splash.
Weighing in at an impressive 60% protein content, Spirulina is a fresh water alga–actually, a form of bacteria–which knocks both red meat, at 27%, and soy, at 34%, on the ropes in terms of muscle-building potential. And it brings to the ring, along with all that protein, a powerful combination of minerals, including iron, calcium, and magnesium, with a backup punch of all the vitamins to which the first five letters of the alphabet have been assigned. If only Spirulina were bigger; it might have been able to fit all the vitamins in. But a single Spirulina alga measures approximately .0196850394 inches in length.
If Spirulina wanted to get bigger, however, it probably could. How? By eating its relatives. The Chinese add Spirulina to the diets of commercially produced poultry and livestock to increase their growth rates.
Another growth rate which has definitely increased because of Spirulina is that of the Spirulina commercialization industry, which began with annual harvests of around one hundred tons in the 1970s. By the year 2020, according to BioNat.net, worldwide Spirulina production is expected to reach 220,000 tons.
The most avid believers in the health benefits of Spirulina are the Japanese, who both produce and consume more of it than anyone else. Some Japanese researchers claim that Spirulina, because of the high concentration of its nutrients, is useful in helping diabetics control their food cravings and decrease their insulin intake.
The only potential black marks against Spirulina are its expense and the possibility that its high protein, vitamin, and mineral, according to the Hong Kong Dietitian Association, could cause kidney and liver problems. Excessive protein intake can overload the kidneys; too many vitamins and minerals, the liver. Spirulina, if the Hong Kong experts are to be believed, can be too much of a good thing.
And, when France started its research on Spirulina in the 1970s, global scientists were looking at it as the inexpensive answer to the ages-old question of how to feed a protein-starved Third World.
Today commercially produced Spirulina powders and pills sell at health food stores for the equivalent of about $50 per pound, or some ten times what it costs to grow and harvest. The Third World is still waiting.
Spirulina Contains
vitamin A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cobalamin), vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, folate, vitamin K, biotin, pantothenic acid, beta carotene (source of vitamin A), inositol. (It has been brought to my attention that some have questioned whether Spirulina contains vitamins B12 and D. I have cross checked my original source with this Ask Alice article at the Health Services at Colombia University website. I hope this clears up any confusion.)
calcium, manganese, iron, chromium, phosphorus, molybdenum, iodine, chloride, magnesium, sodium, zinc, potassium, selenium, germanium, copper, boron.
phycocyanin, chlorophyll, carotenoids.
myxoxanthophyll, zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin, echinenone and other xanthophylls.gamma linolenic acid, glycolipids, sulfolipids, polysaccharides.
isoleucine, phenylalanine, leucine, threonine, lysine, tryptophan, methionine, valine, alanine, glycine, arginine, histidine, aspartic acid, proline, cystine, serine, glutamic acid, tyrosine.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Blocked?
Until we enter that zone, we are blocked, for God cannot do in us what he cannot do thru us.
To say he has the solutions for our problems is to say he has a plan for the changes each of us need to go thru in order to become the people thru whom he can bring forth the solutions.
The most important factor for determining what will happen in our world is what you decide to let happen within you.
Every circumstance -- no matter how painful -- is a gauntlet thrown down by the universe, challenging us to become who we are capable of being. Our task, for our own sakes, and for the sake of the entire world, is to do so.
Yet for us to become who we most deeply want to be - we must look at who we are now- even when we don't see doesn't please us. This moment is driving us to face every issue we have ever avoided facing, compelling us to get to some rock-bottom, essential truth about ourselves whether we like what we see there or not.
And until we make the breakthrough in ourselves, there will be no fundamental breakthru in the world. The world we see reflects the people we've become, and if we do not like what we see in the world, we must face what we don't like in ourselves. Having done so, we will move thru our personal darkness to the light that lies beyond. We will embrace the light and extend the light.
And as we change, the world will change with us...
Book: The Gift of Change
Read this book online for 30 days
http://browseinside.harpercollins.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780060816117&WT
To say he has the solutions for our problems is to say he has a plan for the changes each of us need to go thru in order to become the people thru whom he can bring forth the solutions.
The most important factor for determining what will happen in our world is what you decide to let happen within you.
Every circumstance -- no matter how painful -- is a gauntlet thrown down by the universe, challenging us to become who we are capable of being. Our task, for our own sakes, and for the sake of the entire world, is to do so.
Yet for us to become who we most deeply want to be - we must look at who we are now- even when we don't see doesn't please us. This moment is driving us to face every issue we have ever avoided facing, compelling us to get to some rock-bottom, essential truth about ourselves whether we like what we see there or not.
And until we make the breakthrough in ourselves, there will be no fundamental breakthru in the world. The world we see reflects the people we've become, and if we do not like what we see in the world, we must face what we don't like in ourselves. Having done so, we will move thru our personal darkness to the light that lies beyond. We will embrace the light and extend the light.
And as we change, the world will change with us...
Book: The Gift of Change
Read this book online for 30 days
http://browseinside.harpercollins.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780060816117&WT
Monday, April 14, 2008
Acupunture and Weight Loss
Acupuncture for Weight LossBy: Joey Komada, L.Ac.
How to Lose the Weight and Keep It Off with Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.
Weight loss comes under the topic of "Weight Control", because we are concerned with the loss and MAINTENANCE of loss of weight. This is a multi-faceted problem, and a good program involves diet, exercise and stress reduction techniques. Chinese acupressure and digestive aid exercises are also useful tools in the battle with weight loss.
Acupuncture is an ADJUNCT therapy. It is not a panacea or a wonder cure in the treatment of weight control. But, acupuncture is effective in making it easier to lose and maintain that loss if the patient is willing to change their lifestyle. The exact mechanism by which acupuncture works is unknown but we know that acupuncture needles inserted into specific points on the body and in the ear release endorphins which have a calming and relaxing effect that makes it easier to deal with stress, frustration and anxiety that can trigger overeating and bingeing on fattening foods. Also endorphins affect the digestive and hormonal systems so acupuncture can help rebalance the organ systems that are running too fast- or in this case too slow—i.e., the metabolism and the will power.
The Acupuncture Treatment
In order for the acupuncturist to choose the correct points for you, you must first come in for a consultation to discuss your particular pattern of overeating, and let the practitioner know in your intake form if there are any real digestive difficulties. Then the acupuncturist would check your pulse to discern the general state of your energy and measure the health of your stomach energy in particular, and then they would look at your tongue to check for cracks, peeling or puffiness on the stomach area, or a suspicious yellow or thick white coating that might indicate troublesome heat or coldness in the stomach and would provide some clues as to why the person was gaining weight.
The Acupuncture Points
Then, armed with this information, the acupuncturist would devise a treatment protocol using a combination of ear and body points. Although the Chinese developed the system of auricular (ear) acupuncture a long time ago, as one of the various Microsystems of the body containing all the points relating to the major organs and body parts, a Frenchman by the name of Nogier, discovered many more acupuncture points on the ear that pertain to Western medicine such as points called "Adrenal", "Pituitary", "FSH", "Ovary", "Thyroid", etc. Many of the points from both ear acupuncture systems that are important for weight loss treatments are:
Mouth - for the impulsive eater who may also smoke a lot and talk a lot
Stomach - for the person who eats even after they're full or who's constantly nibbling
Hungry - for general appetite control
Lung - for food addicts, and people who love chocolate, sweets
Shenmen - a calming point, for the psychology overlay for anxiety, anger, frustration, insecurity
Endocrine - for water retention that's responsible for some of the weight gain
Adrenal and Ovary - if weight gain is due to menopause or P.M.S.
Spleen - for sugar imbalances and hormonal disturbances
Kidney - for water retention, and nervous system and hormonal imbalances
Thyroid - for slow metabolism
The practitioner chooses two or more of these points for each treatment depending upon the patient's problem and personality profile regarding overeating.
Next, body points would be selected.
During the first few treatments, most likely the "Four Gate" points (LI 4, Liver3) would be used to circulate the energy throughout the body and calm the nervous system. Ren 12, the front collecting point of the stomach energy would be chosen for many treatments, as would Stomach 36, three inches distal to the eye of the knee that tonifies the energy and helps circulate oxygen and blood of the whole body and of the stomach in particular. Then, based on the diagnosis, the practitioner may add Stomach, 40, the master point for mucous, or Kidney 7 or 10 for edema or water retention.
The acupuncturist may use electro stimulation on some of these acupuncture points to increase the endorphin release and stimulate the metabolism. The needles would be kept in place for around thirty to forty-five minutes depending on how much support was needed for the patient, and after the needles are removed, ear tacs with adhesive on them are often placed in the same spots on the ear to continue the stimulation between treatments. The way it works is this: when the patient feels an urge to eat, s/he applies mild pressure to the point or rubs it back and forth for about 20 seconds. This type of acupressure stimulates the point, causes a mild endorphin release, relaxes the patient and helps them to regain their willpower or resolve about resisting the temptation to eat. The patient removes the tacs at home after three days and throws them away or takes them out sooner if there is any irritation or discomfort. It is a good idea to also remove oneself from the location, person or food that triggers the resistance to the diet or contributes to the breakdown of willpower. For example, one might want to stay away from the kitchen and refrigerator between meals.
The Treatment Plan
The number of acupuncture treatments necessary depends on the patient's goals for losing weight, the speed at which they want to lose, and their commitment to keeping the weight off. If the overeating is severe, a treatment every day for the first five days is appropriate and can then taper off the second week to every other day and the third week to every three days. For the average patient who wants to lose between five to ten pounds, one treatment every three days or twice a week until they reach their goal is appropriate, and then a booster treatment once every two weeks is optimal. After a few booster treatments, the patient and practitioner will mutually decide when to terminate frequent treatments and then can aim to meet approximately four times a year at the change of seasons when energy levels are unstable and tonification and harmonizing of one's system is appropriate for everyone.
Nutritional Counseling and Lifestyle Changes
As was mentioned earlier, a good weight loss program includes nutritional counseling and exercise as well as a commitment to make permanent lifestyle changes. The acupuncturist can help with nutritional counseling and can discuss a diet regimen that the patient can live with and maintain for the long term. A diet that is high in fiber and low in fat, with moderate amounts of low-density carbohydrates and low-fat protein is usually the best choice to adopt. With this type of a diet program, the patient can avoid the pit-falls of yo-yo dieting or the tendency to lose weight and then regain it. Other important tools that can aid in weight loss are stress reduction techniques and a moderate exercise regimen. The acupuncturist can suggest various stress reduction methods that may include breathing exercises, Tai Chi, yoga, meditation or biofeedback. And since the goal of a weight program is not only weight loss but the maintenance of that loss, an exercise program that the patient likes is the best one to choose. The patient could try starting a program that includes brisk walking three times a week for forty minutes. After a few weeks when stamina is increased, they could try walking five times a week. After that more aerobic exercise can be added such as the treadmill, stair climber or aerobics classes, cycling or whatever from of rigorous exercise the person enjoys and can maintain for the long term. It is a good idea to use free weights beginning with three pound weights and practicing just two to three sets of arm curls three times a week. Moderate weight training builds lean body mass and helps to reduce body fat as well as strengthen and build bone mass and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Chinese Herbal Medicine and Supplements
Next a good individualized nutritional supplement program is important because everyone has a different metabolism and different needs for nutrients. It will include vitamins, minerals, herbs antioxidants, phytochemicals and nutraceuticals. These will support the diet program and balance the blood sugar to help give the body the strength, energy and defense it needs to maintain the healthy life style that s/he has begun.
Many diet and appetite suppression products are available on the market and surprisingly there is a very effective and safe ancient Chinese herbaL formula for digestion that comes in a pleasant tasting chewable wafer form called BAO HE WAN. The ingredients are:
Shan Zha (Fructus Crataegi) --promotes digestion of meat and fats; dissolves food accumulation
Shen Qu (Medicated Leaven) -- digests alcohol, rice and vinegar and dissolves food accumulation
Lai Fu Zi (Semen Raphani) -- digests starch (wheat and breads)
Ban Xia (Pinellia), Chen Pi (Tangerine Peel), and Fu Ling (Poria Cocos), -- resolve dampness and food accumulations
Lian Qiao (Fructus Forsythiae) -- clears stomach heat that may result from accumulated food that dries up the digestive liquids
When this famous herbal formula is drunk as a tea, other herbs may be added if there is gas or abdominal distension such as cardamon or magnolia bark. Or if constipation is a problem a gentle laxative like Semen Pruni or Huo Ma Ren may be used. However an important concept of Chinese medicine is to diagnose properly and treat the patient with the correct herbs so as not to consume body fluids or disturb electrolyte balance. Food accumulation may be due to stomach deficiency so the practitioner may add other herbs such as Codonopsis to tonify the stomach energy so the food could descend properly through the digestive tract.
Breathing and Abdominal Excercises
While the patient is undergoing the behavior modification program and is successfully losing weight, it is a good idea to incorporate a set of deep breathing and abdominal exercises that utilize the acupuncture meridians or energy lines on the body to stimulate relaxation and digestion. If we practice deep abdominal breathing while lying down for a few minutes in the morning before we arise, we will not only take in more oxygen but will stimulate the stomach, spleen, kidney ,and reproductive energy lines that are all located on the center of the torso .
Digestion will be improved and all those organs will function more effectively. We will also start the day with more energy and clarity. Another method of stimulating these same organs in the stomach region is the abdominal finger pressure massage that follows the direction of the large intestines. This massage may also be performed in bed in the morning and evening and will gently stimulate all the points on the central torso and will not only encourage proper digestion but will foster homeostasis or the harmonious balancing of the hormone and endocrine systems of the body.
Pressure Points
Last but not least, three pressure points on the body may be stimulated daily for two minutes each that will promote the general health as well as aid digestion, elimination and relaxation. These points are: Large Intestines 4 (HEGU); Pericardium 6 (Neiguan); and Stomach 36 (Zusanli). The points should be pressed with strong continuous pressure for approximately two minutes each and may be said to comprise a self-healing treatment.
While no guarantee may be given for acupuncture treatments for weight loss, the self-motivated patient who will take the time to practice most of the things outlined here will most likely be pleased with the results that she finds within a reasonable amount of time.
For additional information: contact Carol Letner with MoveNQi Acupunture and Bodywork ...for a new level of wellness.
How to Lose the Weight and Keep It Off with Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.
Weight loss comes under the topic of "Weight Control", because we are concerned with the loss and MAINTENANCE of loss of weight. This is a multi-faceted problem, and a good program involves diet, exercise and stress reduction techniques. Chinese acupressure and digestive aid exercises are also useful tools in the battle with weight loss.
Acupuncture is an ADJUNCT therapy. It is not a panacea or a wonder cure in the treatment of weight control. But, acupuncture is effective in making it easier to lose and maintain that loss if the patient is willing to change their lifestyle. The exact mechanism by which acupuncture works is unknown but we know that acupuncture needles inserted into specific points on the body and in the ear release endorphins which have a calming and relaxing effect that makes it easier to deal with stress, frustration and anxiety that can trigger overeating and bingeing on fattening foods. Also endorphins affect the digestive and hormonal systems so acupuncture can help rebalance the organ systems that are running too fast- or in this case too slow—i.e., the metabolism and the will power.
The Acupuncture Treatment
In order for the acupuncturist to choose the correct points for you, you must first come in for a consultation to discuss your particular pattern of overeating, and let the practitioner know in your intake form if there are any real digestive difficulties. Then the acupuncturist would check your pulse to discern the general state of your energy and measure the health of your stomach energy in particular, and then they would look at your tongue to check for cracks, peeling or puffiness on the stomach area, or a suspicious yellow or thick white coating that might indicate troublesome heat or coldness in the stomach and would provide some clues as to why the person was gaining weight.
The Acupuncture Points
Then, armed with this information, the acupuncturist would devise a treatment protocol using a combination of ear and body points. Although the Chinese developed the system of auricular (ear) acupuncture a long time ago, as one of the various Microsystems of the body containing all the points relating to the major organs and body parts, a Frenchman by the name of Nogier, discovered many more acupuncture points on the ear that pertain to Western medicine such as points called "Adrenal", "Pituitary", "FSH", "Ovary", "Thyroid", etc. Many of the points from both ear acupuncture systems that are important for weight loss treatments are:
Mouth - for the impulsive eater who may also smoke a lot and talk a lot
Stomach - for the person who eats even after they're full or who's constantly nibbling
Hungry - for general appetite control
Lung - for food addicts, and people who love chocolate, sweets
Shenmen - a calming point, for the psychology overlay for anxiety, anger, frustration, insecurity
Endocrine - for water retention that's responsible for some of the weight gain
Adrenal and Ovary - if weight gain is due to menopause or P.M.S.
Spleen - for sugar imbalances and hormonal disturbances
Kidney - for water retention, and nervous system and hormonal imbalances
Thyroid - for slow metabolism
The practitioner chooses two or more of these points for each treatment depending upon the patient's problem and personality profile regarding overeating.
Next, body points would be selected.
During the first few treatments, most likely the "Four Gate" points (LI 4, Liver3) would be used to circulate the energy throughout the body and calm the nervous system. Ren 12, the front collecting point of the stomach energy would be chosen for many treatments, as would Stomach 36, three inches distal to the eye of the knee that tonifies the energy and helps circulate oxygen and blood of the whole body and of the stomach in particular. Then, based on the diagnosis, the practitioner may add Stomach, 40, the master point for mucous, or Kidney 7 or 10 for edema or water retention.
The acupuncturist may use electro stimulation on some of these acupuncture points to increase the endorphin release and stimulate the metabolism. The needles would be kept in place for around thirty to forty-five minutes depending on how much support was needed for the patient, and after the needles are removed, ear tacs with adhesive on them are often placed in the same spots on the ear to continue the stimulation between treatments. The way it works is this: when the patient feels an urge to eat, s/he applies mild pressure to the point or rubs it back and forth for about 20 seconds. This type of acupressure stimulates the point, causes a mild endorphin release, relaxes the patient and helps them to regain their willpower or resolve about resisting the temptation to eat. The patient removes the tacs at home after three days and throws them away or takes them out sooner if there is any irritation or discomfort. It is a good idea to also remove oneself from the location, person or food that triggers the resistance to the diet or contributes to the breakdown of willpower. For example, one might want to stay away from the kitchen and refrigerator between meals.
The Treatment Plan
The number of acupuncture treatments necessary depends on the patient's goals for losing weight, the speed at which they want to lose, and their commitment to keeping the weight off. If the overeating is severe, a treatment every day for the first five days is appropriate and can then taper off the second week to every other day and the third week to every three days. For the average patient who wants to lose between five to ten pounds, one treatment every three days or twice a week until they reach their goal is appropriate, and then a booster treatment once every two weeks is optimal. After a few booster treatments, the patient and practitioner will mutually decide when to terminate frequent treatments and then can aim to meet approximately four times a year at the change of seasons when energy levels are unstable and tonification and harmonizing of one's system is appropriate for everyone.
Nutritional Counseling and Lifestyle Changes
As was mentioned earlier, a good weight loss program includes nutritional counseling and exercise as well as a commitment to make permanent lifestyle changes. The acupuncturist can help with nutritional counseling and can discuss a diet regimen that the patient can live with and maintain for the long term. A diet that is high in fiber and low in fat, with moderate amounts of low-density carbohydrates and low-fat protein is usually the best choice to adopt. With this type of a diet program, the patient can avoid the pit-falls of yo-yo dieting or the tendency to lose weight and then regain it. Other important tools that can aid in weight loss are stress reduction techniques and a moderate exercise regimen. The acupuncturist can suggest various stress reduction methods that may include breathing exercises, Tai Chi, yoga, meditation or biofeedback. And since the goal of a weight program is not only weight loss but the maintenance of that loss, an exercise program that the patient likes is the best one to choose. The patient could try starting a program that includes brisk walking three times a week for forty minutes. After a few weeks when stamina is increased, they could try walking five times a week. After that more aerobic exercise can be added such as the treadmill, stair climber or aerobics classes, cycling or whatever from of rigorous exercise the person enjoys and can maintain for the long term. It is a good idea to use free weights beginning with three pound weights and practicing just two to three sets of arm curls three times a week. Moderate weight training builds lean body mass and helps to reduce body fat as well as strengthen and build bone mass and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Chinese Herbal Medicine and Supplements
Next a good individualized nutritional supplement program is important because everyone has a different metabolism and different needs for nutrients. It will include vitamins, minerals, herbs antioxidants, phytochemicals and nutraceuticals. These will support the diet program and balance the blood sugar to help give the body the strength, energy and defense it needs to maintain the healthy life style that s/he has begun.
Many diet and appetite suppression products are available on the market and surprisingly there is a very effective and safe ancient Chinese herbaL formula for digestion that comes in a pleasant tasting chewable wafer form called BAO HE WAN. The ingredients are:
Shan Zha (Fructus Crataegi) --promotes digestion of meat and fats; dissolves food accumulation
Shen Qu (Medicated Leaven) -- digests alcohol, rice and vinegar and dissolves food accumulation
Lai Fu Zi (Semen Raphani) -- digests starch (wheat and breads)
Ban Xia (Pinellia), Chen Pi (Tangerine Peel), and Fu Ling (Poria Cocos), -- resolve dampness and food accumulations
Lian Qiao (Fructus Forsythiae) -- clears stomach heat that may result from accumulated food that dries up the digestive liquids
When this famous herbal formula is drunk as a tea, other herbs may be added if there is gas or abdominal distension such as cardamon or magnolia bark. Or if constipation is a problem a gentle laxative like Semen Pruni or Huo Ma Ren may be used. However an important concept of Chinese medicine is to diagnose properly and treat the patient with the correct herbs so as not to consume body fluids or disturb electrolyte balance. Food accumulation may be due to stomach deficiency so the practitioner may add other herbs such as Codonopsis to tonify the stomach energy so the food could descend properly through the digestive tract.
Breathing and Abdominal Excercises
While the patient is undergoing the behavior modification program and is successfully losing weight, it is a good idea to incorporate a set of deep breathing and abdominal exercises that utilize the acupuncture meridians or energy lines on the body to stimulate relaxation and digestion. If we practice deep abdominal breathing while lying down for a few minutes in the morning before we arise, we will not only take in more oxygen but will stimulate the stomach, spleen, kidney ,and reproductive energy lines that are all located on the center of the torso .
Digestion will be improved and all those organs will function more effectively. We will also start the day with more energy and clarity. Another method of stimulating these same organs in the stomach region is the abdominal finger pressure massage that follows the direction of the large intestines. This massage may also be performed in bed in the morning and evening and will gently stimulate all the points on the central torso and will not only encourage proper digestion but will foster homeostasis or the harmonious balancing of the hormone and endocrine systems of the body.
Pressure Points
Last but not least, three pressure points on the body may be stimulated daily for two minutes each that will promote the general health as well as aid digestion, elimination and relaxation. These points are: Large Intestines 4 (HEGU); Pericardium 6 (Neiguan); and Stomach 36 (Zusanli). The points should be pressed with strong continuous pressure for approximately two minutes each and may be said to comprise a self-healing treatment.
While no guarantee may be given for acupuncture treatments for weight loss, the self-motivated patient who will take the time to practice most of the things outlined here will most likely be pleased with the results that she finds within a reasonable amount of time.
For additional information: contact Carol Letner with MoveNQi Acupunture and Bodywork ...for a new level of wellness.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Good Book: Acupuncture for Dummies
Want to encourage folks to read up on the science, and not just the 'beliefs' of acupuncture. Although there is a mind/body connection that is facilitated in obtaining acupuncture; true physical changes can come from facilitating the immune system, inflammatory responses, and gaining true rest and relaxation for the body. Acupuncture, I say, gives the body some profound downtime, or 'zero-ing out' on the table, which allows rebalancing of the energy of the body.
Take it from an exhausted overworked meeting planner of 16years! Your body forgets how to relax, muscles are in profound tension, and acupuncture seems to allow the body to go to a new level of wellness.
So, try acupuncture....it works for more than just pain.:)
Take it from an exhausted overworked meeting planner of 16years! Your body forgets how to relax, muscles are in profound tension, and acupuncture seems to allow the body to go to a new level of wellness.
So, try acupuncture....it works for more than just pain.:)
Monday, March 17, 2008
Thought for the day
'If one will begin with certainties, one will end in doubts; however if one were content to begin with doubts, one will end in certainties'
Monday, March 10, 2008
Transformation
'When we quit thinking primarily about ourselves
and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truely
heroic transformation of consciousness'
and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truely
heroic transformation of consciousness'
Monday, March 3, 2008
Efficacy of acupuncture
Ok skeptics...
Many studies have shown the efficacy of acupuncture for pain-related syndromes. People accept that acupuncture can help pain, but mistakenly think that somehow it just masks the pain, or makes it go away for a short period of time. In actuality, acupuncture can help heal the root causes of physical pain and prevent further complications.
Injured muscles and tendons tighten in response to untreated pain. As the muscles tighten, they exert pressure, twisting and turning the supporting structures and creating further problems in the body. Eventually, untreated injuries may cause the greatest discomfort upstream or downstream from the original site, creating a confusing clinical picture.
Acupuncture and bodywork can treat multiple sites, helping to address multiple manifestations of the injury. Once the tightened structures become readjusted and more elastic, circulation is restored, and the tissues get more oxygen, allowing metabolic wastes to flush away.
Many studies have shown the efficacy of acupuncture for pain-related syndromes. People accept that acupuncture can help pain, but mistakenly think that somehow it just masks the pain, or makes it go away for a short period of time. In actuality, acupuncture can help heal the root causes of physical pain and prevent further complications.
Injured muscles and tendons tighten in response to untreated pain. As the muscles tighten, they exert pressure, twisting and turning the supporting structures and creating further problems in the body. Eventually, untreated injuries may cause the greatest discomfort upstream or downstream from the original site, creating a confusing clinical picture.
Acupuncture and bodywork can treat multiple sites, helping to address multiple manifestations of the injury. Once the tightened structures become readjusted and more elastic, circulation is restored, and the tissues get more oxygen, allowing metabolic wastes to flush away.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Great 2008!
My theme for this year. As they say, you must have a thought to have a thing. Thoughts include the energy that creates our things. This year I want to be 'the year of Yes's! because the questions is.....what could be possible with 'a year of Yes's'.....
I don't want my thoughts like orchids in the closet, to sit feed and nourished, but never touched by the light and love of others. I appreciate my AOMA friends, staff, and clinic supervisors who each and everyone have touched my life and changed it deeply and forever.
May we have fun, fill each day with joy, and may we listen deeper than we ever had to our patients, or loves, and ourselves, never taking for granted the intimate things God is trying to give to us.
Love, Carol
I don't want my thoughts like orchids in the closet, to sit feed and nourished, but never touched by the light and love of others. I appreciate my AOMA friends, staff, and clinic supervisors who each and everyone have touched my life and changed it deeply and forever.
May we have fun, fill each day with joy, and may we listen deeper than we ever had to our patients, or loves, and ourselves, never taking for granted the intimate things God is trying to give to us.
Love, Carol
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)