Nutritional Stress

We tend to focus nutrition topics and information on weight loss and fitness.  Going deeper to the meaning of nourishing the body for health and wellness takes a bit more effort.   Nutritional stress occurs when the body is in a negative reactive state on the cellular level based on a poor quality diet.  This could cause an array of issues, where the body is lacking key essential nutrients to recuperate and maintain health.  It could mean an inflammatory reaction occurs and builds on the daily, continual onslaught of a poor diet.  Perhaps inflammation in say the digestive system, similar to leaky gut syndrome, prevents proper absorption and assimilation of the nutrients in our food.  Over time this could lead to chronic fatigue, insomnia, lack of concentration or focus, weight loss and even weight gain without increasing your caloric intake.

Ultimately, even if you eat enough calories per day you can be malnourished.  While eating a classic American diet rife with take out, fast food, frozen meals, processed goods, easy meals, the demands of this diet takes a toll on the body.  Especially long term, spanning years or even decades.  Which is why the hype over vegan, vegetarian, raw food and paleo diets has been so successful.  They highlight and encourage eating more whole foods, fresh produce and even reduce foods that potentially cause inflammation in the body (dairy, meat, sugar, alcohol, wheat, corn).  When you eliminate so many problem foods and give the body fresh produce, it heals itself faster and you feel a lot better.  This could potentially reverse damage built up over the years.

Eating more whole foods does not mean making sure to buy all your groceries at the Whole Foods grocery store!  What it does mean is making sure you are eating foods with the minimum of processing and a short list of ingredients that are basically whole foods themselves.  With no additives, artificial flavors and preservatives.  That means more fruit and vegetables than what is provided in the classic American diet.  And cooking your own meals with whole grains, lean meats (if preferred), lentils and beans.  Does that take more work than some are willing?  Maybe.  Which is why many have to get sick in order to change their diet for the better.

It isn't necessarily that these additives are bad for you, but taken in large quantities, over time and add in the regular daily grind of life's normal level of stress in the mix?  It could create a synergistic response in the body where it cannot handle the poor diet on top of not having enough essential nutrients and adding potential personal stress on top (yes our emotions can influence our health and bodily functions).  It is like owning a home and then refusing to clean or maintain it.  But eventually the appliances break down, the light bulbs burn out, and you need to do some major overhauls.  

That isn't to say there is one diet out there to rule them all.  Some of us can handle wheat and dairy better than others.  Some of us cannot manage a vegetarian/vegan diet without feeling extremely drained or fatigued by the lack of animal protein.  One of the hardest things is to convince yourself, beyond how you may feel, why it is imperative to invest in a good quality diet.  We have the power to choose our diet and must take responsibility for what we eat.  This is partially where eating more whole foods in your diet becomes significant.

I would like to bring forth some simple truths.  We always have a choice.  Every day, you have to make choices.  And we are all responsible for our choices.  Sure, there are reasons and circumstances on why you made your decisions, but does that take away the fact that you made them?  No.  Does it take effort to cook with whole foods, improve your health and nutrition?  Yes, absolutely.  I won't sugar coat the fact that good health takes effort.

But most importantly, it is all worth it.  Eating well for better health and wellness is worth it.  Investing in a better quality of life with proper nutrition and exercise allows us to enjoy the little things that make us happy as individuals.  Saying you are worth the effort to be healthier also allows you to spend more time with friends, family and loved ones in a greater foundation of peace of mind.  Make the choice to improve your diet since it will add up and catch up with all of us eventually.

The Shift to Autumn and the Earth Element

The joke here in Texas is now that Fall has come we can finally enjoy the cooler 90 degree weather.  The Autumn Equinox was last week on September 22nd and we certainly felt the last simmering embrace of the end of summer.  But regardless of the warmer weather present here in the South, the energy does shift and the seasons do change.  The sun sets sooner in the day, the mornings and evenings slowly turn cooler.  Certain local fruit and vegetable produce become more available and the summer varieties begin their fade until they return next year.  Not to mention all the hype for pumpkin flavor and gearing up for the next big holiday celebration, Halloween.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the Earth Element governs this transition period between all the elements, or the 15 days surrounding the Equinoxes and Solstices, or 7.5 days before and after.  It also shares the last month of summer, coined as "Late Summer".  The Earth Element is the center of all the other elements that are the foundation of TCM, which are metal, water, wood and fire.  The Earth Element guides this transition period between the seasons with a grounding energy that encourages stillness and contemplation.  Think of the time you would plan out your end of the year, especially the holiday celebrations that follow one another in rapid succession.  Or when it is going to be a brand new year and it is time to think of New Year's Resolutions.  Or when the cool weather fades with Spring's emergence and all the budding flowers and vegetables in your home garden.  Earth encourages this time of meditation and finding your center and which direction you wish to take the next approaching season.

Often it can be difficult to just begin a meditation practice on your own, and I would encourage anyone interested to take a class or read a book on the subject.  The best baby step towards meditation and contemplation I have found is breathing exercises.  When you focus on your breath you find that mindfulness and being present in the moment that is one of the goals in a meditative practice.  Here is a simple breathing practice exercise, that can be found (with many more) in Pam Grout's book called Jumpstart Your Metabolism:  How To Lose Weight By Changing The Way You Breathe.  The two breathing exercises build on one another and are called "Geometric Breathing".

The first is called the "Triangle Breath" and it is a very easy breathing exercise to start with.  Pay attention to your breath as you inhale deeply, making sure to expand your tummy (since that will let you know you filled up your lungs completely) and then exhale, gently since there is no rush.   Once you finish your exhale, hold your breath; in the beginning, you may not be able to hold your breath that long, so maybe only to a count of three or five.  The original exercise recommends starting with a count of four with all parts, but I would start where you are most comfortable and increase the count as you continue your practice. Now you can inhale and start the process again, with the goal of completing ten Triangle Breaths.  You will notice almost immediately that you feel much more relaxed and by the time you get to ten Triangle Breaths, you will find yourself paying more attention to your thoughts and being in the present moment.

Simple instruction for the Triangle Breath:  1. Inhale  2.  Exhale  3.  Hold breath for a count of four before next inhalation.

Once you have mastered the "Triangle" then you are ready for the "Square Breath".  Again it is very simple, we follow the Triangle Breath, by breathing in on the inhale and then at this point, we hold our breath for a comfortable count in the beginning, just like when starting out with the Triangle Breath.  After this hold, we exhale our breath gently, slowly and let it all out.  Then we hold our breath for a count we are comfortable with.  Over time, you will be able to hold your breath longer and improve your lung capacity.  That completes the "Square Breath" and we are ready to inhale again.  We should be sure to do at least ten breaths of the "Square" to achieve the full effect of the breathing exercise.  Many other things are happening in the body, more oxygen is enriching your blood and therefore your muscles, tissues and organs.  I often share these breathing techniques with my patients if they are finding it hard to lie still during a treatment or ruminating over upsetting thoughts.

Simple instruction for the Square Breath:  1. Inhale  2. Hold breath for a count of four  3. Exhale  4.  Hold breath for a count of four

Sometimes we need to give us the space and time to face our thoughts and feelings head on and really look at them and analyze them thoroughly.  Rather than feeling chased by our thoughts, emotions and a potentially long to-do-list.  Give yourself permission to find the peace and quiet inherent to this time in Nature and attune yourself to the Earth Element.  Breathe in deep, find your center, and your inner peace and joy will manifest.

Cupping

What is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)?  Traditional Chinese Medicine is a two thousand year old holistic natural medicine modality based in ancient China. Practitioners use acupuncture, herbal remedies, tuina massage, cupping and several mind-body practices, such as qigong exercise and tai chi to treat, prevent future health problems and bring the body back to balance.

Cupping is when you take either a glass or plastic “cup-shaped” tool and create a vacuum suction to attach them to the body. Glass cupping uses the traditional “fire cupping” method: a vacuum is created by quickly inserting and removing a burning cotton ball inside the cup, and then placing the cup on the preferred location, sealing it on the skin. For safety purposes, flames are kept far enough away that no heat is felt on the skin when using this method. Plastic cupping are usually attached to a hand pump to create the proper suction needed to keep the cups attached to the skin.

Which ever type of cup is used, the true work is done by the vacuum - it pulls and pinches a small patch of skin in the area that may be in pain, sore, or over-worked (such as for athletes). The most common place to use cupping is on the back and shoulders, but it has been known to help other muscular areas and scar tissue as well.

The cups are often placed along the energy meridians in the body that provide acupressure and acupuncture points used by acupuncturists, or where the patient dictates pain is present. The practitioner leaves the cups on the body for around five minutes, but can be left on for up to ten minutes in some cases. With several cups, they look almost like lightbulbs lining the body. Afterwards, there may be circular marks resembling bruises that could last a few days, but will fade within a week. They are not painful upon touch, solely a strong suction-style bruise.

The popularity of cupping has increased lately due to the American Olympic Swim team showing up at the Rio Olympics sporting the tell-tale circular bruises from cupping. Some interesting articles to check out regarding this are added below.

Intuitive Acupuncture and Wellness considers cupping an important tool in helping deal with any back pain complaints or chronic illness. The added bonus is it also tends to increase a sense of calm and relaxation for a patient. Call today to inquire if acupuncture and cupping is right for you.

http://www.pjstar.com/news/20160811/what-is-cupping-therapy-we-tried-it-to-find-out

http://www.vocativ.com/350116/michael-phelps-cupping/

Food Therapy Tip

What is Food Therapy?  Food therapy is using your food as medicine to heal your body, bring the nutrients needed in a way that is wholesome, natural and easy for your body to utilize.

With school about to start, it may feel like summer is wrapping up.  Until you go outside, that is.  With the incredible heat out there, be sure to keep hydrated by drinking plenty of water.  

Keep cool by eating "cooling" foods, and believe it or not, spicy foods, like peppers or ginger root!  These piquant and pungent foods help your body sweat, and in turn cool off.  

Capsaicin (the active component in peppers) also works as a mood enhancer.  To help make up for the burning sensation, your body releases endorphins, which make you happy afterwards.  

A list of fruits and veggies that can help cool you down:  melons, berries, cucumbers, celery, citrus fruits, mint, radishes, green leafy vegetables for salad 

Stay cool everyone!

Why Try Acupuncture?

The human body's ability to heal itself is absolutely amazing.  We can recover and recoup in great strides on our own most of the time.  We don't realize how hard our bodies work everyday managing the organ systems, fighting off free-radical damage that can start potential malignancies or inflammation present in the cellular level that over the long-term can compromise the integrity of our health and well being.  But there are always those moments when we cannot go over that hill back to good health and wellness on our own.  There are many, many ways to help our bodies recoup after an illness or imbalance.  This imbalance can occur due to injury, personal health choices over many years and other times due to our personal constitution or the genes we were gifted with when we were born.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been around for over two thousand years and has given us a tried and true ability to aid the body's natural healing response with herbal formulas and very thin needles placed on specific acupuncture points.  The needles are like beacons to guide the body's natural healing energy to focus itself on where the imbalance is present.  As a licensed acupuncturist, I recognize that I am only a guide to my patient's health.  The brunt of the work happens within themselves. Especially if we address any nutritional needs or food therapy concerns present.

But that is just the basic background for TCM and acupuncture.  Why try acupuncture is a little more personal.  Maybe you have tried everything and nothing has changed your situation.  Maybe you are tired of being in pain.  Maybe you have not made any breakthroughs with recurring anxiety and depression.  Or maybe you really want to go a natural route for balancing hormones and improve fertility.  Either way, it can assist many people for many different reasons and I invite you to trust your instinct on why you are thinking about acupuncture.  There is no pain involved in receiving acupuncture and one can easily focus on the herbal formulas and request that in place of both acupuncture and herbs.