Category: Uncategorized

Now Is The Moment To Reflect And Plan

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Happy Day After Christmas! It was a fantastic Holiday season, but now is a good time to invite you to sit and reflect about our accomplishments of this past year and take stock of “where we stand” so we can live with more purpose next year.
Because one of the most overlooked aspects of good health is our “legacy”; how do you want people to remember you after you are gone?
Researchers have seen that this actually weighs heavily (if not subtly) on our minds. If we are not living in a way where we are moving towards living our true purpose or accomplishing our heartfelt goals, then our mood and mental health suffer. We find ourselves feeling lost, aimless, depressed, powerless, a bit confused and seeking ways to ‘medicate’ those feeling away.
So over the next few days, I invite you to take some time and reflect on where you “want to go” this next year. What do you want to accomplish and who do you want to become. Determine what must be done to become a better version of yourself… and begin working towards that every day.
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The 24 Seasons

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One of the things I love is how the Chinese view the calendar year. They have historically based their calendar on the cycle of the moon (28 days) rather than the sun (365 days). This makes for some interesting differences between how we see the year and how they see the year.

For instance, did you know that the Chinese view the year as having 5 seasons rather than 4? That’s right; there is an extra 5th season squeezed in between summer and autumn called “late summer”. This is my favorite season of the year because of how everything is ripening and fattening in the garden and the days are hazy and lazy. Its a great time to just sit on the porch and soak in the beautiful weather.

The other interesting thing about how the Chinese view their calendar is that the beginnings of the seasons are shifted just a bit. For example, when December 22nd rolls around (or whatever day the Winter Solstice is), we mark that as the first day of winter. But what the Chinese do is view that as the very middle of winter. The bottom of the trough. From then on, the days are getting longer and we are beginning our climb towards longer days and the warmth of spring.

That is why when everyone else is grumbling about winter coming, I have a cheerier outlook; that we are now finally starting to climb out of the deepest, darkest days of winter and starting our climb back up. for me, I see it as an optimistic thing.

On the flip side, I’m a bit sad on the first day of summer, because I know that the days are starting to get shorter as we slide towards the cold of winter.

Another thing I like is that they recognize 24 distinct mini-seasons. Some of them have rather poetic names and they seem to capture the “feel” of that time of the year. Here is the list of the 24 seasons of the year. The dates are “ball park” because they shift from year to year just a bit. Sort of like how the Winter Solstice is sometimes on the 22nd and sometimes on the 23rd and other years on the 21st, etc.

Oh and remember, their Chinese New Year begins usually around the first week of February.

1. Coming of Spring (Feb 1st- Feb 18th)

2. Rain Water (Feb 19-March 5th)

3. Awakening of the Worms (March 6th-March 20th)

4. Spring Equinox (March 21-April 4th)

5. Clear & Bright (April 5th-April 20th)

6. Grain Rain (April 21st- May 5th)

7. Coming of Spring ( May 6th-May 20th)

8. Small Sprout (May 21st-June 5th)

9. Planting of Thorny Crops (June 6th- June 21st)

10. Summer Solstice (June 22nd- July 6th)

11. Lesser Heat (July 7th-July 22nd)

12. Greater Heat (July 23rd-August 7th)

13. Coming of Autumn (August 8th-August 23rd)

14. Heats End (August 24th-Sept 7th)

15.White Dew (Sept 8th- Sept 22nd)

16. Autumn Equinox (Sept 23rd- October 7th)

17. Cold Dew (October 8th- October 23rd)

18. Frosting (October 24th- November 6th)

19. Coming of Winter (November 7th- November 22nd)

20. Lesser Snow (November 23rd- December 6th)

21. Greater Snow (December 7th- December 21st)

22. Winter Solstice (December 22nd- January 5th)

23. Lesser Cold (January 6th-January 20th)

24. Greater Cold (January 21st-February 3rd)

And that’s it. Hope you found that just as interesting as I did the first time I heard about it. Have a great season and “Happy Cold Dew”. And next week you can wish me a “Happy Frosting” when you see me. I’ll know what you mean. 😉

Jason…

“I Got A Cold In My Back!”

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It may sound silly, but from a Chinese medicine perspective, many of the illnesses and symptoms we experience are from exterior influences such as heat and cold and wind and fire and dryness and summer-heat. When an acupuncturist diagnoses things such as the common cold or seasonal allergy or arthritis in the joints, he may label it “wind-cold” or “wind-heat”, for example.

Often times modern doctors scoff at the idea that to “catch a cold” literally means to catch a cold. We’ll talk more about that specifically in another article, but today I wanted to talk about actual “COLD”. You know the sitting on a metal bleacher for 3 hours kind of cold.

From a Chinese perspective, physical cold is considered a pathogen to the body. If you are exposed to cold for too long, your bodies “defensive qi” is exhausted and we are left open to having “external pernicious influences” enter the body and take hold.

I saw this myself just the other day. I went to watch my daughter play volleyball and sat on metal bleachers with my back leaning against a concrete wall at the top row. I noticed that the wall and metal bleacher quickly gave me a cold butt and back. The cool cinder block wall and metal bleachers literally sucked the heat out of me leaving my back cold to the touch.

The next day I woke up stiff and sore just as I expected that I would. What happens is that cold causes the body to constrict and tighten and this leads to tight muscles… especially the next day. I could be diagnosed with “wind-cold invading the bladder meridian” or “local painful bi- syndrome” (that “bi” is pronounced “bee”).

Think of it this way; what happens if you take a freezing cold shower or jump in an icy lake? Exactly; your whole body tightens and spasms and you struggle to control your breathing. Not good unless its in and out or you are practicing the Wim Hof method.

But now imagine slipping into a perfectly heated hot tub. What happens? Ahhhhh…. your body just melts into relaxation.  In the world of Chinese medicine, tightness and stagnation are the enemy of good health. Happily warm is where the body wants to be.

There is precedent worldwide for this sort of thinking; for example, many cultures do not want moms to leave the bed for several days after giving birth and the house for several weeks. The native Americans and Puritans and Russians and many other cultures followed this advice. This helps prevent cold from invading the body.

One of the things we learned in acupuncture school was that pregnant woman (and especially post partum moms) should not sit on cold floors or rock stoops. This is because the cold will have a very direct line to invade the uterus and cause all sorts of gynecological problems. Seems to be some truth to that. I remember a nurse at the local hospital telling my wife that same advice when we had our own child just a few years ago.

Its my belief that being exposed to wind or cold somehow fatigues your immune system in a way that makes you more susceptible to catching an actual viral cold or flu; not just causing stiff muscles. So while it is true that you don’t catch a cold from the actual cold, it does set you up and make you more susceptible to catching a cold.

So what should we do? Stay warm. Avoid cold breezes in winter (such as the central air furnace breeze or ceiling fan above your bed). Wear hoodies, scarfs, long johns and hearty socks. There have been several studies showing that wearing socks to bed leads to a better night sleep and long johns will decrease chronic low back pain by 15% all by itself; just by keeping those back muscles warm and toasty.

Also try to put some insulation between you and a cold surface such as a metal bleacher or concrete wall or concrete steps that will literally suck the heat out of you. Keep yourself warm and insulated from the cold.

If you are so inclined, there are also several herbs that can “push out” and prevent the cold from entering. Herbs such as ginger and black pepper and cinnamon are all great for warming you up from the inside out. Sipping on some ginger tea is a perfect idea for cold days at the game.

An acupuncturist or herbalist has access to many more exotic herbs such as fuzi and perilla and the dozens more herbs known to prevent invasion and expel cold from the body.

But be careful; not all “hot” herbs are good for this. Cayenne pepper will heat you up and make you sweat, but will open the pores so much that you “let the cold in” which is counterproductive. Drinking alcohol does the same thing; it makes you feel warm, but it will actually make you radiate off your own heat rather than keeping it in. Not good.

So keep you ginger brandy for the warm comfy nights by the fireplace.

So, I hope this was an interesting topic for you and it raised a lot of questions in your mind. Let me know if you have any questions and be sure to like our Facebook page.

And see you at the game…

 

Austin Acupuncture Jason…

 

 

“Got Your Flu Shot?”

On By austinacupuncturejasonIn Conditions We Treat, UncategorizedLeave a comment

“What About Your “Common Cold” Shot?…”

Trick question… because there is no such thing as a “common cold shot”.

First off… Greetings!!! Let me wish you a very Happy Autumn 2018. Last week on the 22nd  marked the first day of Fall with the Autumnal Equinox. I just like saying that, don’t you… it just rolls off of the tongue… “Autumnal Equinox.”

As an interesting aside; the Chinese calendar considers that not the beginning, but the midpoint of autumn. And that now we are coasting downward towards winter. Interesting. So whichever calendar you want to follow, I wish you a healthy and prosperous fall 2018.

But now back to business… By now you know, it’s ALREADY Cold and Flu Season here in Austin. So far I personally have seen many people struck with the classic signs of colds… chills, aches, fatigue, coughs sore throats, etc…. And we have already had our first serious cases of influenza reported at the hospital. And for every one patient a doctor sees for the flu, they’ll see 10 for the simple common cold. Unfortunately doctors don’t have much to offer these people unless the symptoms become life threatening.

The Drug makers would have you believe that once you get their Flu shot, you are free and clear and impervious to the flu. But scientific research data may show something a little bit different. Ok, ok… ALOT different.

Several recent studies over the past few years have shown that the flu shots are a total bust. What is often failed to be mentioned in the media is that colds and flu’s are caused by hundreds of different viruses and bacteria’s. Each year, when the drug companies produce the next year’s batch of vaccine, it’s based on their educated guess on which of the 6 or so virus strains will be the most common that upcoming year; but definitely not all 10,000 of them. What if you happen to be exposed to the wrong flu virus strain?

And the common cold, of course HAS no vaccine.

So what are we to do about it? How can we protect ourselves and our family from this years colds and flus? Thankfully there is plenty that you can do.

First, be sure to get enough high quality sleep. That is vital for a healthy immune system. Another thing is to eat well and get some exercise. Go outside and go for a walk out in nature or do some yard work. Just being out in nature has been shown to boost our immune system. Another tip is to gargle daily with salt water. More on that later….

Thankfully, there is plenty that you can do NOW to prevent the worst from happening this season. And if you are looking for another huge boost to your immune system, why not give yourself a little “beat the odds” insurance…

…Why not give yourself the assurance

acupuncture provides?

 

Q; “But why would I need acupuncture, I’ve already got my flu shot?”

 A; The flu shot is definitely touted by our doctors to be a good thing, but even on the best of days, won’t stop all strains of flu, and it definitely won’t stop a common cold or other infections like bronchitis & pneumonia. Modern OTC & prescription cold medicines concerns themselves primarily with either killing the germs or controlling symptoms. Many of the drugs that we take actually suppress the body’s natural attempts to fend for itself. Achy muscles, fever, sneezing and snotty noses are all things the body does to defend itself and defeat the invading germs. Most cold medicines attempt to stop those natural responses because they annoy us. But research shows that these OTC remedies such as decongestants actually lengthen the course of the illness; Not shorten it. So we stay sick longer. Bummer.

The reason acupuncture achieves such great success in treating colds and flu’s and similar conditions has to do with the nature of the acupuncture itself. Acupuncture’s primary concern is maintaining a healthy state of balance within the human body and its outside environment. It boosts our bodies natural immune response.

Acupuncture is a perfect tool to prevent colds and flus by improving your immune defenses. Many seperate research studies find that people who receive regular acupuncture treatments get sick less often. If you already have a cold or flu, acupuncture has been shown to reduce the length and severity of symptoms so that you recover more quickly. There have been countless clinical studies preformed in universities and hospitals worldwide proving its effect.

Even after a single needle, the body begins to respond by producing more white blood cells, reduces the stress hormone cortisol and strengthens the immune system.

Q; “What is the proof it works? Isn’t it all just Silly Folk Medicine?”

 A; The fact is, millions of physicians from around the world have used these therapies for years. Even here in the US, acupuncture and herbal medicine is becoming mainstream medicine at a breakneck pace. Today, over 25% of all the hospitals in the US have acupuncturists on staff,  Over 33% of all the medical schools now offer courses on acupuncture to their doctors. Even Mayo clinic in Rochester has given its nod of approval and now offers acupuncture to patients with auto-immune disorders and pain. Several studies prove its effectiveness in all manner of immune system disorders including such deadly viral diseases as HIV, hepatitis, shingles and AIDS.

Here’s a true story to illustrate the point. Some years ago, a group of esteemed scientists from the People’s Republic of China were invited to visit the United States by the American scientific community. This event ushered in an exchange of ideas and an opportunity for two great nations to be able to corroborate on a number of issues vital to the health and welfare of the world. Over a period of two months, the Chinese scientists visited virtually every major research facility in the nation, followed closely by their American hosts, who were furiously taking notes and promoting discussion on matters from nuclear physics to aerospace, medical research and treatment approaches. The visit culminated in a banquet at Princeton University in honor of the Chinese scientists, which was attended by a virtual “who’s who” of the North American scientific world.

During the banquet, the moderator of the event posed the question to the chief Chinese scientist as to what he felt was one of the most significant things he had learned in America; what had impressed him the most about the United States that he would return to China and share it with his colleagues who were not present on this historic visit? The scientist rose from his chair, strode to the microphone, gazed over the crowd and stated in understandable English: “The number one thing that has impressed me the most about America is the erroneous belief by the common person that there is no cure for the common cold.” The American scientists were totally caught off guard with this statement, as it was perhaps the farthest thing from anyone’s mind. It was not what they had expected to hear.

Although the US is fixated on the idea that there is no cure for the common cold, in the Orient, it is commonly understood that there is plenty that you can do to get rid of colds & flus and speed up and shorten the length & duration of it.

In Chinese Medical school, the first sickness we learn to treat is the common cold. During the SARS (Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic of a few years ago, the Chinese (who are constantly trying to modernize their healthcare system), found themselves once again turning to and relying on centuries old traditional herbal medicine & acupuncture over more conventional western drug treatments for the deadly SARS. Doctors found themselves giving traditional medicine such as acupuncture and herbs in the Emergency Room along with modern life saving treatments such as nebulizers and steroids and antiviral drugs.

Q; “But my insurance won’t pay. You want me to pay for this out of my pocket? You Crazy?!?”

 A;  There are lots of things insurance doesn’t cover, so we shouldn’t really depend on them to make the best decisions for us. Eye glasses, hearing aids, dental, expensive cancer treatments, etc… are only partially covered if at all, leaving you with the bill. Nor do they pay for walking shoes or gym membership or even green house plants for your home? Those three things have been scientifically proven to reduce sickness, relieve depression, speed recovery and improve overall health. Just as acupuncture has.

Nope, insurance coverage is not based on best medical practices & outcomes. It is based on something else. Something which should concern us all. Why don’t they pay for those things I mentioned? Truthfully the insurance companies don’t care whether you are sick or not, or in pain, or even ugly. What matters to insurance companies is that someone pays them and they hopefully don’t have to pay you. Honestly, how much faith do you put in insurance companies really caring about you. It’s quite cynical to think, but many people have come to the conclusion that it is in the best interest for your insurance company that you stay sick and in pain… That way they have to charge more in premiums and thus make more profit. The sicker you are and the more expensive care you need, the better it is for their bottom line. Healthy people just aren’t actually all that profitable for insurance companies. Sick people are. Acupuncture saves money, so they want nothing to do with it.

Years ago, health care was decided by you and your doctor. Today, health care decisions are made by politicians, some corporation’s lawyers and their accountants 1000 miles away. With prices so high, medical care is inaccessible and unaffordable unless your insurance company “allows” you to have it. Acupuncture on the other hand is cheap cheap cheap!

Choosing acupuncture means that you are taking back control.

Q; “So how can I take back control over my health this season?”

A; You can come in for some acupuncture. Even one session will help. But if you really want the best, you can come in for our “Immune Booster Acu-Pack” (nice name, eh?). It’s a series of 10 treatments over the course of just a few weeks. You will not only vastly increase your chances of remaining cold and flu free for the rest of this winter season, but you will feel much, much better, overall.  Remember that feeling you had when you initially came in for acupuncture; remember the relaxed feeling; the peace of mind and mental awakeness; The feeling of having more energy. That’s why I have decided to make you a very special offer to remove any roadblocks you might think there are to keeping yourself well this winter.

As you know, acupuncture medicine doesn’t work by magic (I wish). Just as if you were to go to the gym once and then not go back, you shouldn’t expect to see many results. In this way, Acupuncture is like going to the gym, but for your insides instead of your outsides. One acupuncture treatment usually just wouldn’t be enough. A short series is needed to make the benefits stick long term. That’s why were offering this;

10 sessions for the incredible price of $397! (That’s a whopping savings!!!)

To put it in perspective; remember that acupuncturists up in the Cities and Rochester charge between $75-125 for a single session of acupuncture cash. Mayo charges as much as $280 a session! If you do that math, it’s like getting $2800 worth of care for $397! We’re simply doing this because we really want you to be healthy this season and want you to make sure you get enough acupuncture for it to be effective. Now compare that $397 to the last bill you got from the doctor. Unless you are one of those ultra-rare Hormel retirees from long ago with 100% coverage, your bill made you queezy when you first saw it- because it was so sky high. Heck… just the other day we got a bill from Mayo for a routine 15 minute doctors visit… $1,598.00 !!! For a 15 minute appointment. o_O

 “The number one reason acupuncture fails is because patients drop out too soon or treatments are spaced too far apart. That’s why we want you to come in for the 10 sessions over a course of just a few weeks. 10 sessions is the common treatment protocol in Chinese hospitals and University studies and is the foundation for good, long lasting results.”

…So Commit to Caring For Yourself Beginning with Acupuncture…

 Feel energized…

Become pain free…

Sleep like a baby…

Enjoy peace of mind…

Increase your endurance for what life throws at you…

Many in America have found acupuncture as a cost effective addition to their healthy lifestyle in building a strong immune system, strengthen vital internal organ function and increase overall health, longevity and sense of well being.

Not only will these 10 sessions boost your immune system, it’ll also address whatever else needs to be taken care of such as a bad back or headaches. The beauty of Chinese Medicine is its ability to address multiple ailments at the same time. So I recommend setting you up with the 10 sessions at a frequency of 2 to 3 a week (the way it’s done in China); or whatever works best for you.

The only catch is that you have to act fast. My accountant hates when I give you all such great deals and demands that I limit this to just a few people since the savings is so drastic. He thinks I’m giving away too much value and cutting too deep into the bottom line. So to keep him off my back, I agreed to limit it to just the first 10 people. But also, if October 15th  comes, the deal is off and so is the savings. The other reason I’m doing that because you need to act fast to prepare your body’s defenses before the viruses get here in full force.

You have to ask yourself; What is your health worth? What is a winter free from the misery of the flu worth? What is it worth to enjoy play time with your grandkids this season? There aren’t a whole lot of winters in ones lifetime to enjoy, you know.

So don’t let this fantastic opportunity for better health slip by. It’s such a small investment. You’ll be trading away something you don’t want (the crud) for something you do (better health) and not only will you be healthier; you’ll have more energy to enjoy it with.

So go ahead, Call our Austin Acupuncture office today and mention the “Immune Acu-Pack”…

*P.S. Remember, at the stroke of midnight, October 15th, this offer will be gone forever…

*P.S.S… And as always, I know $397 is a lot of money, so remember that we also offer a 3 session pack for only $127 and our single visits are still just the crazy low price of $47. Hope to see you soon…

Jason…

Diet Soda Exposed!

On By austinacupuncturejasonIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

 

People have been led to think that drinking diet soda will help them shed the lbs. Shocking new research is proving otherwise. Doctors from University of Texas found that drinking a single can of diet soda on a daily basis will increase your risk of obesity 41% PER CAN! Drinking 2 cans a day increases your chance of obesity 82%! Drinking regular sugared soft drinks also increases your risk, but not by as much.

Unfortunately, many of the bottled “water” products are actually soft drinks in disguise. Many of the new flavored bottled water options on the store shelves have just as much artificial sweetener (or more) as soda. Don’t be tricked! “Water” is often a soda in disguise.

It may sound counterintuitive, but replacing the sugar in diet sodas and other foods with reduced- and no-calorie sweeteners may make weight control harder.

Rats in the Purdue University study that were fed regular feed and yogurt sweetened with no-calorie saccharin took in more total calories and gained more weight than rats fed regular feed and yogurt sweetened with sugar.

Researchers speculate that over time, reduced-calorie sweeteners like saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose condition the body to no longer associate sweetness with calories, thereby disrupting its ability to accurately assess caloric intake. This disruption may, in turn, lead to overeating, they note.

Another theory is that the sweetness of zero calorie sweeteners tricks the body into thinking that there is plenty of blood sugar floating around and needs to get rid of it (high blood sugar is something that the body does not want). So the pancreas releases insulin into the blood stream. If you remember, insulin is what allows sugar to be allowed into the cells and out of the blood stream. Insulin is sort of like the “key” to the lock that opens the door of the cells and lets sugar (glucose) in. When we have this insulin dump, it reduces the blood glucose levels which tells the body that it has too low blood sugar and needs to replenish the glucose by eating. It’s a vicious nasty cycle that puts our body on a blood sugar roller coaster.

“If this is the case in rats, there is little reason to think that humans don’t have this same response,” researcher Susan Swithers says. “It is possible that consuming these products interferes with one of the mechanisms that helps to regulate weight.”

Drinking diet sodas also increase your chances of developing high blood sugar (a factor in diabetes) 25% and lowers good cholesterol 32%.

“About 30% of obese people are binge eaters, and it may be true that for some eating artificially sweetened foods trigger binges,” researchers says.

To add insult to injury, another 7 year study on aspartame (NutraSweet) where rats were given the equivalent of 4-5 cans of diet pop each day developed leukemia, lymphoma, and other cancers much more than the rats not given aspartame in their diets.

The researchers determined that the carcinogenic effects may begin in humans at the equivalent of about 20mg. per day of aspartame. But according to the FDA, the current recommended safe limit is 50mg per kg. of body weight which is the equivalent of 20 bottles of soda for a 150lb adult.

That is 8 cups of sodas or 2 “Big Gulps” per day. That’s not that much for some people.

Many people are surprised to find out how many ounces of soda they are actually drinking throughout the day. I sometimes have people keep track.  Maybe 16 ounces at lunch with a refill, a couple of cans at work throughout the day, one with dinner and then another bottle at the game… it sneaks up on you and adds up.

Of course, critics have pointed out that these are animal studies and there has not been any conclusive evidence that artificial sweeteners cause cancer in humans. More research is needed.   (Because nobody uses rats in medical studies, right? o_O )

If all that wasn’t enough, the urban legend about melting a nail by submerging it in soda seems to hold a grain of truth. In laboratory studies, researches found that regular cola soda will eat 5.9% of a tooth’s enamel off in 48 hours. They blame it on the phosphoric acid manufacturers use to give cola its zip. They suggest using a straw to help the caustic liquid bypass your teeth.

So what is the moral of the story? I’ll leave that to you to decide…

Oolong Tea Effective for Aiding Weight Loss

On By austinacupuncturejasonIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

In a recent study from China, The effects of Oolong tea (oolong is a slightly fermented variety; darker than green tea but lighter than black tea) were compared to the weight loss drug fenfluramine.

The subjects took 2 capsules 3 times a day before meals for two months. At the end of the study, the oolong tea group was found to be as effective as the prescription drug at loosing body weight, BMI and waist & hip circumference.

What the Chinese formula did not do, which the Western drug did, was reduce the weight of muscles and the weight of water. (This is a good thing.) Further, the Oolong formula was effective at lowering blood sugar levels, raising insulin levels, and improving the ratio between testosterone and estradiol (also all good things).

In general, the Chinese medicinal formula achieved a 41.19% markedly effective rate and a 92.19% total effectiveness rate compared to the “phen-fen” which only achieved 7.5% markedly effective and 37.50% effectiveness rates.

Finally, among the patients who took the fenfluramine drug, many reported side effects such as indigestion, diarrhea, lack of strength, somnolence and elevated liver enzyme levels (a really bad thing); while in the Chinese tea treatment group, no such side effects were reported.

So if you are looking for a safe addition to your healthy weight loss routine, consider oolong tea. It has a subtle, easy distinct flavor compared to green tea or black tea, but it is my absolute favorite. Especially osmanthus oolong. There are hundreds, if not thousands of different varieties of oolong tea (just like wine, there are infinite differences from producer to producer). So do what I do and go on a quest to try many different brands and find your absolute favorite.

 

The Snackwell Effect; Part II

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The Snackwell Effect, Part 1 talked about how we lost our ability to regulate blood sugar by overwhelming our bodies with cereal, bread and Ho-Ho’s. I finished the article by recommending that you measure a few days of carbohydrate intake (not calories or fat, just grams of carbs) and see how far away from the number 72 you were. This article is going to be about how to reverse this whole process.

First, let me start by explaining what a carb (carbohydrate) is. It is sugar. There are many types of sugars such as maltose, glucose, lactose, fructose, galactose, mannose, dextrose…. you get the picture. Scientifically, carbohydrates are a nutritive molecule that are used by living cells for fuel. The body takes these carbohydrates, brings them into the mitochondria of the cells and transforms it into energy the cells need. It is fuel for the cells. It is what gives food its sweetness and is a great and easily utilized fuel source for our bodies. Carbohydrates are considered one of the three macro-nutrients that the body needs (protein and fats being the others).

Second, let me explain what will happen if we don’t limit our carbohydrate intake to around 72. A metaphor might be flooding an engine with too much fuel. It gets swamped and no longer runs efficiently. What happens when we subject the body with too much fuel over long periods?

Eighty-one percent of all adults over the age of 55 are diabetic or pre-diabetic. If we really wanted to deal with the health care crisis, we’d be dealing with this first. Pretty much everyone dreads receiving a diagnosis of cancer. You don’t want to get cancer? One of the very first things you should do is cut down on carbs. Tumors have four times the number of insulin receptors as regular cells because cancer cells need all that glucose for their extra-fast metabolism. Ask any oncologist and they will tell you the same thing. There are studies that show the link between sugar and cancer. Yet, most people do not deal with their diet until after a diagnosis, when it’s basically too late.

How about heart attacks? The number one cause of death in diabetics is a heart attack, and they are SEVEN times more likely to have one. Why? Because the high levels of insulin and glucose basically creates a “sludge” in the bloodstream. When that thicker blood gets to the capillaries, it can’t make it through, causing the tissue a lack of oxygen. As more and more capillaries get clogged up, the tissue starts to die — whether it’s in the heart, causing a heart attack, or in the kidneys, causing kidney failure, or in the eyes, causing blindness, or causing neuropathy and ultimately gangrene and amputation. Every 24 hours, 230 diabetics have a limb amputated. That’s almost ten per hour here in the US. And many more have a heart attack.

Worried about Alzheimer’s? If you have blood sugar issues, you should be. A Swedish study showed that borderline diabetics had a 70% chance of dementia and Alzheimer’s, and this connection is especially strong with people who DIDN’T have the genetic tendencies. The risk was especially high for people who also had hypertension.

How many patients have hypertension and want to know if acupuncture can help? Of course it can, AND they will have much better results if they also deal with their insulin resistance and diabetes; the excess insulin and sugar causes slow but serious damage to the capillaries, raising the blood pressure.

I could go on and on. There are direct links of blood sugar imbalances for everything from anxiety to PCOS, from depression to arthritis. It is so prevalent that stabilizing someone’s blood sugar should be the first thing we do, leaving only a few symptoms left for us to “clean up”, so to speak. So how do we do this?

The first step is to be very clear for yourself what’s going on, so that you can explain it to patients in a way that they understand. A friend of mine, Marlene Merritt filmed a series of YouTube videos for this very reason, available at http://www.youtube.com/merrittwellness. Feel free to see how she explains it.

The second step is to get clear on how many carbs are actually being consumed per day. It’s easy to use one of the diet web sites. They allow you to look up commercial products such as Starbucks mochas, as well as generic foods. Two things to watch out for: make sure the serving size is being taken into account since most people don’t pay attention to that, and that everything is being measured, since it’s easy to write off milk and beans as proteins even though they still have quite a few carbs.

Research has shown that a body system that is not “broken” can manage about 70-100 g of carbs per day.  Notice that I’m not advocating a “no-carb” diet here. That’s a topic for another day. I typically recommend people limit their intake to around 72 g to rein in their sugar cravings. So what does 72 g look like? Well, a banana is 29 g. A piece of bread is 20-24 g. An 8-ounce flavored yogurt is 25 g. That grande mocha, made “healthy” with non-fat milk and no whipped cream is 42 g.

When someone starts to restrict carbs, which is often the only thing raising their blood sugar and helping them have energy (since so many of these people eat low fat, while fat would actually help to stabilize their blood sugar), the rules they had about eating have to change! One of the first rules that needs to be broken is the low-fat rule. Eating low fat is what got us into this mess, and to get out, healthier fats are going to need to be added. Butter would be a good start — it helps you absorb the minerals from vegetables. More protein would be helpful – eggs, nuts/nut butters, full-fat dairy products like cheese, some meat – all of these will give the body energy while not triggering insulin. When insulin is not triggered, the overworked receptor sites can start to recover (which starts the process of reversing the insulin resistance and diabetes), and with insulin out of the bloodstream, the body can start to access fat.

And since proteins and fats cause us to be “satiated” (satisfied) for much longer periods to time, we tend to eat less and are not as hungry later, thus reduce our calorie intake even more. Imagine this; which would leave you full longer; a bag of cotton candy or a 3 oz steak? Even though they have the same calories, the cotton candy would leave you hungry much quicker than the small piece of steak. That is because the cotton candy is all carbs and gets metabolized much more quickly. The steak offers much more of a “slow burn”.

More vegetables need to be eaten, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking fruits are just as good. Fructose is a sugar and turns into fat much more efficiently than glucose. High amounts of it (as in high-fructose corn syrup and agave nectar) causes fatty liver disease and lipid problems in the blood. But don’t count green vegetables and the like in the carb counting. Those are the good guys. You count potatoes and other starchy ones, but all the rest of them are fine. However, don’t eat those green vegetables by themselves; eat them with some butter, a dip or olive oil, or spread some peanut butter on celery. Something has to be added that will give you a little more energy since vegetables are not very “calorie dense”.

The other piece to this, and this is possibly the most important part, is that you have to eat every two to three hours, before you are hungry. No exceptions. Eating frequently like this allows the adrenals to begin to recover from the ups and downs of carbohydrate intake, and since the blood sugar stays more stable, people have fewer cravings. They notice their energy is better, they start to sleep deeper, are more rested when they wake up because their body is not having to work so hard to stabilize itself.

The results can be very quick. People who who begin these changes we see results in less than a week. It doesn’t mean that they’re “fixed” yet, but just this one piece can turn around conditions you may have been struggling to improve such as: insomnia from liver blood deficiency, spleen qi deficiency or kidney deficiency. Again… That’s Chinese medicine jargon.

There are other elements that can be added in as well. Herbs can often help reduce carb and sugar cravings such as green tea or several funky Chinese herb formulas. I often tell people to go to HyVee and buy coconut oil (there are two types of coconut oil. The “unrefined smells and tastes like coconut while the “refined” doesn’t taste or smell like anything) because, as a medium-chain fatty acid, it’s used by the body as quickly as a carb, but doesn’t trigger insulin. Our patients love using it and find that it stabilizes blood sugar remarkably well and far longer than most other foods. You can also keep a jar of nut butter in your office fridge, which is easy to eat and helps people keep you away from the other all-too-accessible carbs.

The YouTube video I mentioned earlier says much of this; it was filmed primarily so that people could learn from it and pass it on. The father of a patient saw the video, and took on the recommendations. His diabetes had not been under control for years, and seeing this explanation just made it “click” for him. A few weeks later, he was in his doctor’s office, and the doctor was stunned at the improvement in his numbers and asked him what he was doing. She said, in amazement, “You’re doing this only with food and lifestyle changes?” The doctor said that!!!

That’s what you have to do; start becoming educated on how to do it yourselves. It’s completely possible to reverse this awful trend and the first step is to understand it clearly and then be able to explain it to yourself and maybe even others. You may be the only one who does.

Yes, I know that changing 50+ years of dietary habit is a difficult think. It does indeed take some effort to pay attention. But do! Do pay attention to what you’re eating. Keep a diary of what you eat… or even better, make a menu plan so you know what your diet will look like for the next few days. It may take you a half hour of your time, but isn’t that worth it when you think about the years worth of better health you’ll be enjoying because of it.

So that’s that. If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know. I’d love to help… Jason

The Snackwell Effect

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The Snackwell Effect

Have you noticed how people gain weight nowadays? You’ve seen it but perhaps not recognized it: the “muffin top,” the belly fat, the apple-shape with the skinny legs. Have you tried on pants recently? A lot of them are now cut to be roomier in the waist. Take a look around you; people are gaining weight the same way. Each year, doctors deal with more and more overweight patients. You may have heard that belly fat is a risk factor for everything from heart disease to cancer. What you haven’t heard is why it’s happening and what to do about, both for yourself and for your loved ones.

Back in the early 1980’s, a dietary shift occurred in the U.S., and the theory of low-fat-is-good and high-fat-causes-heart-disease started taking hold. An entire food industry was born, based on reducing the fat in foods and changing the USDA Food Pyramid from the Four Food Groups to the current model. The Snackwell Effect is named for Nabisco Snackwell Cookies, which were marketed as low fat. Because “low-fat” was considered healthier than its alternative, we ate more of them and felt less guilty.

Fast-forward 25 years. This animation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows how obesity spread and increased across the U.S., year by year.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/map_of_the_week/2013/04/obesity_in_america_cdc_releases_gif_of_epidemic_over_time.html

When I show people this CDC animation, people always ask repeat the slides because it is so shocking to see the transformation.

The low-fat theory? Not working. People will argue that they lost weight doing a low-fat diet, because of course you will lose weight if you restrict calories enough. However, it is not sustainable, and you risk being deficient in the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Perhaps where we should be looking is at the bottom of the food pyramid. Those six to 11 servings of breads, cereals, grains and pasta that were recommended as the base of the food pyramid have wreaked havoc on people and not just in being overweight or obese. This problem is impacting nearly all your patients and you are probably not recognizing it.

In the clinic, I typically try not to confuse all of you with technical Chinese Medicine lingo such as trying to explain that your insomnia is caused by “liver qi stagnation” or “kidney yin deficiency”. But since we’re on the topic, let me speak a bit about Chinese medical terminology…

You know all those “spleen qi deficiency” syndrome symptoms you’ve been having? The bloating, the gas, the craving of sweets, the fatigue, hard-to-wake-up in the morning? All related to carbohydrate intake. How about the “kidney deficiency” syndrome symptoms of fatigue in the afternoons? Same thing. Or the “liver blood/gallbladder symptom” of waking up at night? Still related. I would estimate that more than 90 percent of our patients are dealing with blood sugar imbalances. I we can manage your blood sugar levels, many of those symptoms clear up on their own. So let me explain what’s going on.

In trying to follow the recommendations of the USDA, people would start the day with bowl of cereal (whole grain, if they were really trying to be healthy), some skim milk, maybe half a banana cut into it, and a glass of orange juice. For lunch, they might have a sandwich with low-fat turkey with some baked potato chips. People weren’t supposed to snack between meals, so when they got home and were hungry for dinner, they might have a small handful of multi-grain crackers beforehand, and then pasta with sauce, a side salad, and maybe a roll. While watching TV, they might enjoy a beer or two after dinner. The thing is, just about everything they eat (with exception of the turkey in the sandwich) was carbohydrate.

Every time a carbohydrate gets digested in your small intestine, it breaks down into glucose and is transported to the cells with insulin, the hormone released from your pancreas. In a perfectly healthy person, the amount of insulin released is just the right amount for the amount of glucose in the blood stream and when most of the glucose is transported into the cells, the insulin level drops, and you burn fat until the next time you eat. The problem is, that’s not happening anymore.

What’s happening is that after years of eating high-carb diet, your body begins to predict your carbohydrate intake and releases too much insulin when you eat, for example, that piece of whole-grain toast. Now what happens is, after the glucose is delivered to the cells, there is still insulin left in the blood stream. That excess insulin drives your blood sugar below normal levels, called “hypoglycemia”, but it could also be named “hyperinsulinemia.” Hypoglycemia causes fatigue, difficulty thinking, irritability, sugar cravings, memory loss, poor concentration and many symptoms related to brain function. Thirty to 40 percent of that glucose is needed for your brain. The other problem caused by insulin in the blood stream is an inability to access your fat stores. So you can’t burn fat for energy. So what do you do? You eat a carb because it will raise your blood sugar faster than anything else, and then you often feel better.

But as time marches on, the constant presence of insulin in the blood stream causes problems. At a certain point, the cells and tissues get tired of being bathed in insulin and start to become resistant, refusing to allow insulin to deliver glucose. This doesn’t happen all at once, but as the glucose starts to back up in the bloodstream, the body turns it first into a triglyceride (which is why whenever I see high triglycerides on a blood test, I know it’s almost always from a high-carbohydrate diet) and then into a fat. Then the weight gain begins.

Many of the cholesterol drug commercials make is sound like you get high triglycerides from the fats you eat. This is actually not correct. The body is amazingly complex. The fat that you eat is not the fat that is stored on your thighs and butt and belly. The fat that is stored there is actually created by the body from excess and unneeded carbohydrates that you consumed. Yes. The body makes fat out of carbs… not fat.

Another problem is that insulin resistance causes metabolic syndrome and severe hormonal imbalances like low testosterone and high estrogen in men (Those man-boobs? That’s estrogen.) and high estrogen and high testosterone in women (That thinning hair in women? Probably male-pattern baldness from high testosterone). Polycystic ovarian syndrome, caused by insulin resistance, is the number one cause of infertility in women. High blood pressure? That fatty bump at the bottom of your neck in women? Caused by insulin resistance. As the blood sugar levels start to climb, the body churns out more and more insulin, in an effort to force the glucose into the cells, and, over time, as the pancreas overworks, it begins to fail, and then Type 2 diabetes results.

When I explain this to patients, I hold my hands apart and explain: “We were given this many points for carbohydrates that we should have in our lifetime, and you’ve used all yours up before the age of 35.” They sometimes argue that grains have been around for thousands of years. However, our DNA has been around a lot longer and it is not designed to deal with this overload of carbohydrates.

We got away with it for a long time because we were much more active than we are today and the carbs we have now are much more likely to be refined. Between the carbohydrate overload and the computer age, this progression will not reverse itself easily.

It is not an underestimation for me to say that more than 90 percent of our patients are in one of these stages and often it’s a combination. We see hypoglycemia and mild insulin-resistance together when the patient is struggling with fatigue and sugar/carb cravings, and also gaining weight around the middle. To support patients in changing their diets, we developed a package for learning how to eat low-carb, and incorporated the herb gymnema, which has been shown to reverse insulin resistance, and which patients love because it reduces their sugar/carb cravings.

When we’re talking to patients about this, I explain to them that in this model, where I’m trying to prevent the surging of insulin, anything that triggers insulin is a problem. So there’s no “good-carb/bad-carb” option like brown rice versus white rice; anything that triggers insulin is a problem. Ditto for artificial or alternative sweeteners (with the exception of “stevia” maybe). From aspartame to sucrolose, to agave syrup, they will all trigger an insulin surge. That’s why multiple studies have shown that diet sodas increase insulin resistance and actually is linked to weight gain. Vegetarians are often struggling with blood sugar disorders because it’s easy to eat too many carbohydrates, even “healthy” ones disguised as whole grains. And “fruits and vegetables” is not one word. Fruits are not a substitute for vegetables. For people who love sugar and carbs, it’s easy to rationalize fruit as a healthier option, and not eat enough vegetables.

What I’m not saying here is that the oatmeal itself is unhealthy. Or that piece of fruit or the brown rice. But when you add that to the overload of carbohydrates we have all day, all they do is contribute to the progression that, over time, ultimately ends in diabetes. It’s not a mistake that the International Diabetes Federation states that 81 percent of adults over the age of 55 are diabetic or pre-diabetic. That’s four out of five older Americans.

So how do you help your self? I’ll address details in the second half of this post. But the first step would be to start measuring the grams of carbohydrates eaten during a typical day, and start noticing how far that is from the number 72.3 That’s the number of grams of carbs recommended a typical person ingest during a day. See how often you can get vegetables in your diet, from the spinach in scrambled eggs to an extra serving at dinner and skip the rice. And in the next article I will explain specifically, and in detail, how to address this epidemic.

If you have any questions on how to introduce a healthier diet… or any question on health in general, I’d be more than happy to help in any way I can… Jason

Are You an Addictive Thinker?

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I love this book from Dr. Twerski. I highly recommend it…

Are You an Addictive Thinker?

  1. Do you lose time from work due to thinking?
  2. Is thinking making your home life unhappy?
  3. Have you ever felt remorse after thinking?
  4. Have you gotten into financial difficulties as a result of thinking?
  5. Does your thinking make you careless of your family’s welfare?
  6. Does thinking cause you to have difficulty sleeping?
  7. Has your efficiency decrease since thinking?
  8. Is thinking jeopardizing your job or business?
  9. Do you think to escape worries or troubles?

 

Addictive Thinking; Understanding Self Deception.

Abraham J. Twerski, M.D.

10 Ways Acupuncture Can Change Your Life

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Happy Autumn My Friends! I’m always excited to explain to people how acupuncture works and share acupuncture-inspired tips for leading a healthier, simpler, more meaningful life. Acupuncture helps us see the world differently — with more hope, openness, intention, gratitude, compassion, patience and clarity. In doing so, it changes us.

 

Here are 10 specific ways that acupuncture can change your life.

  1. It will open your mind.

Acupuncture requires us to think about health in entirely new ways. Despite noble efforts by many to find one, there is no biomedical equivalent for “qi” or “meridians”. Acupuncture turns mainstream medical tenets on their head. It will remind you that there are multiple ways of seeing the world.

  1. It can help make you less stressed.

Acupuncture takes the edge off. It removes you from the perpetual state of adrenal fatigue in which so many of us find ourselves. By mellowing out the nervous system, acupuncture can help you feel less affected by and better equipped to manage the stressful aspects of life.

  1. It can help give you more energy.

pexels-photo-214574Although it’s common to find yourself in “acu-acu-land” — that somewhat dazed, blissfully-relaxed state — immediately following acupuncture treatment; the effect soon thereafter is usually increased energy, vigor and lucidity. Many people report having more energy in the hours, days and even weeks after acupuncture treatment. You may notice that you’re avoiding that post-lunch brain drain, feeling more motivated to hit the gym, or just sensing a little extra spring in your step.

  1. It will clear your head.

In addition to the surge of physical energy that follows emerging from “acu-land”, many people notice improved mental clarity after acupuncture. They’re able to make decisions faster with greater confidence. They feel more motivated and resolute about tackling items that have been lingering for months on their to-do lists. It’s as if the mental cobwebs have been cleared out. Suddenly, you will be out of your own way and able to get things done.

  1. It can help you sleep.

images (1)Insomnia is one of the most common complaints seen by acupuncturists, and acupuncture can be highly effective at helping it. But even in people who do not recognize or mention sleep as a problem, acupuncture has a tendency to produce more restful nights. This often goes unnoticed until asked about on a follow-up visit. I hear this refrain multiple times a day: “You know, now that you mention it, I have been sleeping a lot better since I started coming for acupuncture.”

  1. It will help you embrace change.

Conventional medicine requires us to think in absolutes, to label things good or bad, black or white. We’re either sick or we’re healthy. Our numbers are ‘too high’ or ‘too low’. We’re happy or we’re depressed. Yet in between these extremes, subtle yet significant shifts occur. Acupuncture works in this gray area and teaches us to reflect on the small changes happening within and around us all the time. In acupuncture, this is progress. Unwillingness to accept change is a huge source of stress and anxiety for many people. Through reframing change as a marker of progress rather than something to be scared of, you will learn to love it.

  1. It will give you something to talk about at parties.

people-2567915_1280Acupuncture is a crowd pleaser! Next time you’re feeling awkward or bored at a social gathering, mention that you recently had acupuncture. You’ll be an instant sensation. People love learning about acupuncture. Did it hurt? Did he stick them in your eyes? Did you blood? People also love sharing their own acupuncture experiences, so it’s a quick way find common ground and make friends.

 

  1. It will make you more patient.

We loooove technology. Whether it’s the latest product from Apple or a cutting-edge MRI, we lust after shiny tools that promise to make us better. Technology, while awesome, acclimates us to quick fixes and perpetuates an “I want it now” mentality. This creates chronic impatience. Acupuncture, because it works but rarely overnight, can help us combat this. Acupuncture initiates an ongoing process within ourselves that requires an investment of time and a willingness to let go of our desire for instant gratification. It will make you a more patient person.

  1. It will make you tough.

It’s not always easy to embrace acupuncture. Most doctors, as well as some family, friends and colleagues, regard mainstream medicine as the only acceptable form of health care. The constant barrage of pharmaceutical advertising is hard to ignore. It takes courage to go against the grain. Acupuncture, although becoming more popular, is still not the norm. It requires a conscious commitment to understanding ourselves in a way that the majority shuns. This is the harder path toward health but ultimately the most rewarding.

  1. It will make you believe in yourself.

confident-3082818_1280The driving idea behind acupuncture is that we’re already in possession of everything we need to be well. Acupuncture does not add or subtract anything. Rather, it prompts the body to do what it already knows how to do. It reminds you that you have the power to heal yourself.

This does not mean that external interventions such as pharmaceuticals or surgery should always be shunned — in many cases, these are life-saving measures. But it does mean that becoming healthier, whatever that means to you, is within your control. When it comes to improving our physical and emotional health, most of us are capable of a lot more than we think. By using a therapy like acupuncture, which embraces rather than ignores our innate healing capacity, you’re making a statement that you believe in yourself.

Wishing you a Transformative Auttumn!

 

P.S. Here comes the sales pitch… “We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through the years by getting them feeling better fast!  We are also here to help you STAY feeling better and looking younger!  Don’t be a stranger.  With our affordable fees, it’s less expensive than you think! You really can afford pain free quality Acupuncture care!”