Happy New Year!

I have to say, I'm happy to see this holiday season come to a close. It's been a blast, but I'm ready to get back to work and continue on my path. But let's stay in the moment and worry about tomorrow tomorrow. :) Tonight I hope everyone has a great time, stays safe, and finds someone to kiss at midnight.

See you in 2013!

For those of you who plan on drinking, here's a quickie on how to avoid a nasty hangover:


6 Steps to Avoid a Hangover
Posted on December 6, 2012 by Jenna Birch

‘Tis the season for holiday festivities — and for calling off work when drinking gets a bit out of hand. A new survey from Caron Treatment Centers, a facility for drug and alcohol addiction, found that 64 percent of Americans have called in sick because of a hangover after a holiday party, or know someone who has.

The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Caron, asked more than 2,000 adults aged 21 and over about the behavior they exhibited and observed after attending a holiday party. In addition to 64 percent calling off work, 61 percent of those surveyed also said they had come into work late or left work early the next day, or knew someone who had. While toughing out a hangover at work, 46 percent had trouble completing their day-to-day tasks.

Productivity is a concern, as your boss may take notice if you’re consistently falling behind. “The biggest takeaway is that, especially when we’re facing a fiscal cliff and dealing with a dangerous economic atmosphere, people shouldn’t take this sort of risk with their livelihoods,” says clinical psychologist Harris Stratyner, Ph.D., Vice President of New York Clinical Regional Services at Caron Treatment Centers.

The good news is that it’s possible to enjoy a drink (or two) without putting your career (or your next-day happiness) at risk. Just make sure to follow these tips to minimize any damage:

Don’t Make It a Competition
Don’t try to keep up with the guys. Female body composition has a higher fat-to-water ratio than men, so women get inebriated quicker.

Set Limits Beforehand
Before you go out, tell yourself that you’re stopping at two. This way you’ve made a decision while sober that you’re more likely to stick to later, when your judgment is a bit more impaired. A suggestion: “A good rule of thumb is to never have more than two drinks,” Stratyner says. And that means two of any kind of alcohol, whether it’s a glass of wine or a shot of vodka.

Drink Clear
The kind of alcohol you drink matters. Stick to clear liquids, rather than dark ones. That’s because clear liquors, like rum, vodka and gin, have fewer congeners, a fermentation byproduct. Congener-rich drinks like brandy, cognac, whiskey, and tequila are more likely to make you feel ill the day after. Also, avoid sugary drinks and carbonated beverages, like fruity cocktails or champagne, which are absorbed in the bloodstream faster and will get you intoxicated in a hurry.

Keep Eating
The adage still holds true: never drink on an empty stomach. Dr. Stratyner always recommends, “eating both before you drink and while you’re drinking” to avoid repercussions. Your best bet? Nosh on some asparagus before the party, or order some at dinner to have with your wine. Research from Korea found that extracts taken from asparagus leaves and shoots increased the amount of an enzyme used to break down alcohol.

Alternate Sips
Instead of drinking exclusively alcohol at parties, alternate virgin beverages to slow yourself down. Water is best for cleansing your body, so aim to consume at least 8 ounces of water for every alcoholic drink. Also, switching back and forth between alcohol and water slows down your rate of consumption, which helps in keeping you from getting too drunk, too fast.

Keep Chugging in the Morning
If you go too far, the next-morning miracle cure is the same as the night-of preventative measure. Many of the major symptoms of hangover have to do with being totally dehydrated. And the best way to fix that? “One word: water,” says Stratyner. “Drink clear water, as much as you possibly can. It will help flush the alcohol out of the system.”

Link: http://blog.womenshealthmag.com/thisjustin/6-steps-to-avoid-a-hangover/

Merry Christmas from Spot of Qi and Mister and Misses Claus!

Acupuncture Reverses Plantar Fasciitis - New Research

So many people suffer from mild to moderate plantar fasciitis with pain ranging from the arch just below the ball of the foot to pain in the bottom/back of the heel. Often times it can be reduced with proper stretching, strengthening, and shoe choices; however, this isn't enough for everybody and in those cases acupuncture and herbal medicine can be an amazing relief. The article below demonstrates just one treatment protocol for this condition and it's great success in relieving symptoms.  
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New research concludes that acupuncture is effective for treating plantar fasciitis, a painful inflammatory foot condition. Plantar fasciitis typically presents with pain on the underside of the foot and heel. The pain is often most severe when first stepping out of bed onto the floor in the morning. Another telltale sign of plantar fasciitis is pain upon dorsiflexion, lifting the foot towards the shin.
HealthCMi News 
In this controlled clinical investigation, the acupuncture group demonstrated a significant reduction in foot pain while the control group showed only minimal changes. The control group received five weeks of analgesic medications, stretching exercises and shoe modifications. The acupuncture group received the same therapies plus electro-acupuncture treatments. The researchers concluded that, “Electro-acupuncture coupled with conventional treatments provided a success rate of 80% in chronic planar fasciitis which was more effective than conventional treatments alone.”

Another recent study demonstrates that acupuncture is effective for the treatment of plantar heel pain. The researchers note that acupuncture has more significant improvements in both pain relief and the restoration of function than a standard regime of care that includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Based on these findings, the researchers formally recommend acupuncture for the treatment of plantar heel pain.

In yet another study, investigators concluded that acupuncture at acupoint P7 (Daling, “Big Tomb”) relieves the pain of plantar fasciitis. P7 is located in the middle of the transverse crease of the wrist. P7 is a Shu-Stream point and Yuan (Primary) acupuncture point that is known for the treatment of Heart and Spirit related issues including myocarditis, palpitations, insomnia, mental illness, irritability, and cardiac pain. P7 is also used for Stomach related conditions, however, nearby point P6 is a more common point for the treatment of Stomach issues such as stomachache, nausea, and vomiting.

According to Chinese medicine and acupuncture theory, Shu-Stream points treat a heavy sensation of the of the body and painful joints. P7 is therefore a common point for the treatment of wrist pain because it is a Shu-Stream point located at the wrist . However, the researchers have chosen P7 for the wrist’s distal relationship to the ankle and heel region. At a six month follow-up examination, the P7 acupuncture group showed a significant improvement over the control group.

Plantar fasciitis affects approximately 2 million US citizens annually. These findings demonstrate that acupuncture is an important treatment modality for inflammation of the connective tissue on the bottom of the foot. Advantages to acupuncture treatment are that it is both safe, acupuncture is nontoxic and is nonsurgical, and effective.

References:
The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, An International Journal of Comparative Medicine East and West. Efficacy of Electro-Acupuncture in Chronic Plantar Fasciitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Wipoo Kumnerddee and Nitsara Pattapong. Volume 40, Issue 06, 2012.
Shi Ping Zhang, Tsui-Pik Yip, and Qiu-Shi Li.  Acupuncture Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial with Six Months Follow-Up. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative, Medicine, Volume 2011 (2011), Article ID 154108.

Acupunct Med. doi:10.1136/acupmed-2012-010183. The effectiveness of acupuncture for plantar heel pain: a systematic review. Richard James Clark, Maria Tighe.\

Link: http://www.healthcmi.com/index.php/acupuncturist-news-online/661-acupunctureceusplantarfasciitisea

Ear Acupuncture

Ear acupuncture is commonly used as an adjunct to full body acupuncture, particularly in cases dealing with emotional disorders (i.e. stress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder), weight loss, pain, and addiction. However, it is also a great option for people who are on a tighter income and want to receive more frequent and low-cost acupuncture.

Dr. Paul Nogier, a French neurologist considered the "Father of Auriculotherapy", introduced the inverted fetus map (seen to the left) in the 1950's which is used to demonstrate the point arrangement in the ear. During fetal development the brain, spinal cord, and what will later become the ear all develop at the same time. When acupuncture points in the ear are stimulated, the brain is activated and sends a signal to the corresponding part of the body.

Anywho, AcuTake wrote a great article about the NADA ear acupuncture protocol and it's many uses. I highly recommend giving it a read if you're interested in learning more about ear acupuncture and its many applications.

And if you're interested in receiving ear acupuncture, you can always come to Spot of Qi and try it out!


Here's an excerpt from AcuTake's article, enjoy!:

Ear Acupuncture For the Masses

By Ryan Bemis

Acupuncture is becoming more accessible—one ear at a time.
Ear acupuncture, also known as auricular acupuncture, is the most widely used form of acupuncture within Western health settings in the United States and Europe.

This is due in part to the fact that some ear acupuncture protocols can be performed by non-acupuncturists. Standardized ear protocols are safely taught to existing healthcare workers who can easily integrate them as part of their clinical practice within hospitals, and mental health and addiction clinics. In the military, personnel are trained in ear acupuncture protocols to address pain and trauma symptoms in soldiers.

Perhaps the most established model of ear acupuncture today is a protocol known as NADA....
 
Read the whole article here: http://acutakehealth.com/ear-acupuncture-for-the-masses

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all eat 'till you burst. Enjoy the holiday and don't worry too much about counting the calories (because you may lose count!). But when the celebrations are done, you may want to try the recipe below to help detox after so much decadence. It looks delicious and in TCM we really looooove ginger, aka 生姜. In TCM theory, Sheng Jiang (ginger) has the following qualities: 

• Releases the exterior, wind-cold, regulates ying and wei qi
• Warms the middle jiao - stomach cold/vomiting
• Alleviates coughing, warms lung
• Reduces toxicity of other herbs 

 Enjoy your holidays and sneak some ginger into your meals to soothe your tummy and warm you up from the inside out.

Detox Deliciously: Ginger-Carrot Soup 

 

You may be surprised to learn that it's celebrity chef Guy Fieri who created this perfect bowl of soup fit for a delicious detox. This ginger-carrot soup is high in vitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese, which helps to aid in digestion. To top it all off, there's no cholesterol whatsoever in this tasty recipe! To up the detox power and offer a more robust flavor, I added an additional tablespoon of ginger to give the soup a brighter flavor. Ready to detox deliciously? Keep reading for the healthy and fresh soup recipe.

Ginger-Carrot Soup

From Guy Fieri, Food Network
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped sweet onion
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger
2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium russet potato, peeled and chopped
6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 1/3 cups plain low-fat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Freshly ground pepper
Directions

1. Combine the olive oil and onion in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, 10 minutes, until just starting to caramelize.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, 2 more minutes, being careful not to burn the mixture. Stir in the carrots, potato, and the chicken or vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the carrots and potato are very tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, in a small sauté pan over high heat, lightly toast the pine nuts. Set aside to cool.
4. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, honey, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
5. Puree the soup with an immersion blender until very smooth (or puree in a regular blender in batches). Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve with a dollop of the yogurt mixture and some pine nuts.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: Calorie Count

 

Link: http://www.fitsugar.com/Ginger-Carrot-Detox-Soup-Recipe-25810232

Centuries-Old Art of Cupping May Bring Some Pain Relief

Finally an article about cupping! I love cupping and use it not only on myself for various sports injuries, but also for my patients with complaints ranging from tired backs, pulled muscles, and tight shoulders from using the computer, to even the common cold.

The most common questions I get asked about cupping are:
1) Will it burn me? 
2) Will it hurt?
3) How long will the marks last?

And the answers are as follows:
1) No it will not burn you. The flame used creates a vacuum in the cup so it can suck onto the skin. The flame is inside the cup for about one second or less, hardly enough time to make the glass hot.
2) Cupping feels great! The practitioner has the ability to adjust how tight the cups are on the body, making it more or less intense. Stationary cups give a more concentrated sensation and moving cupping is very akin to a deep tissue massage.
3) The marks very greatly from person to person and from treatment to treatment. Typically those who are more fair skinned mark more easily and stationary cups leave more of a mark than moving cupping. I usually tell my patients the marks can last anywhere from one day to a week and a half. Cupping's cool, wear the marks as a fashion statement!

I love how these articles like to suggest that these treatments may just be placebo effect, but the fact remains, if patients feel relief then it works. (And it really does work.)

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Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324073504578114970824081566.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

The ancient art of applying suction cups to the body has gotten a boost from several new studies that show it helps relieve a variety of painful conditions. But scientists say larger, more rigorous studies are needed.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner/ZumaPress.com

Cupping, as the practice is called, was performed traditionally in China and other countries, and is now available from acupuncturists, and some chiropractors and massage therapists in the U.S. In the traditional method, called fire cupping, a ball of burning cotton is briefly placed inside a glass cup to heat the air inside, which then creates a partial vacuum as it cools. Newer-style plastic or silicone cups have valves that attach to hand pumps used to create suction.
Until recently, there was scant published evidence in favor of cupping for pain relief. Over the past three years, a handful of new studies have shown it helps relieve back, neck, carpal tunnel and knee pain.

There are a number of theories on how cupping may work to relieve pain. A widely held one is that suction on the skin "increases blood flow to the area and creates a mild immune response," says Kathleen Lumiere, an assistant professor of acupuncture and oriental medicine at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Wash. It also helps release fascia, connective tissue that can pull on muscles causing pain or limited motion, clinicians say.

Typically cups are on for up to 20 minutes and leave a temporary reddish mark that looks "like rare roast beef," says Brian K. Nathanson, a Norwalk, Conn., chiropractor who has been doing cupping for about five years.

Some clinicians slide the cups on the body, using them as massage tools in a technique sometimes called running cupping. "People who love deep-tissue massage love cupping," says Gabrielle Francis, a Manhattan chiropractor and acupuncturist who does both static cupping and running cupping. Both can cause mild discomfort in some patients, clinicians say.

The intrepid can opt for "wet cupping," in which the skin is punctured with a lancet before the cups are applied. The technique, which draws out a small quantity of blood, can have a powerful effect—particularly on areas where you can feel a hard lump of knotted muscles, says Kristine Tohtz, a Chicago chiropractor and acupuncturist who does wet and dry cupping.

Cost of cupping varies widely, from $40 to $100 or more for a half-hour session. It shouldn't be done on pregnant women, people with heart conditions or people with bleeding disorders, clinicians say. Caution should be used if a person has thin skin that might tear easily.

In a study of people with neck pain caused by computer use, "cupping therapy was effective in reducing pain," says Tae-Hun Kim, a researcher at the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine in Daejeon, South Korea. The 40-person study, published online in September in the Journal of Occupational Health, found that six cupping sessions over two weeks was more effective on average in relieving pain than a heating pad—and the benefit lasted a month after treatment ended.

But, says Romy Lauche, a scientist at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Essen, Germany, "the studies are very preliminary. We cannot say it has proven its efficacy."
Dr. Lauche co-authored a 50-person study published last year that found a single wet-cupping treatment on average significantly reduced chronic neck pain three days after the treatment, compared with a control group that had no treatment. Location of the cups varied with each patient but typically was on the trapezius muscle, which spans the neck, shoulders and upper back. In unpublished results, she adds, scientists found the pain relief lasted for months.

In a 40-person German study published in October, cupping therapy significantly relieved knee arthritis pain compared with patients who received no treatment. But the study's lack of a control group treated with a sham technique "raises questions of whether it is cupping that is really working or if it has a placebo effect," says David Felson, who directs an arthritis research program at Boston University School of Medicine.

Dr. Lauche agrees that lack of a placebo control is a flaw in the studies. A new study, currently ongoing for fibromyalgia pain, is testing cupping against a sham cup that attaches with adhesive and provides minimal suction, she says.

By LAURA JOHANNES
—Email aches@wsj.com
Write to Laura Johannes at laura.johannes@wsj.com

What to Eat (and When) Before Working Out

I really liked this quickie article because as someone who usually works out later in the evening, I have definitely noticed that some food choices I make earlier in the day can affect how good or bad my workout is. Planning ahead and thinking about what your body needs for fuel will not only make you feel more energized and vibrant through out the day, but it will also greatly improve your workout stamina, help avoid injuries, and decrease recovery time. Eat up!

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What to Eat (and When) Before Working Out

When it comes to working out, you always want to make sure you have ample energy. However eating too close to vigorous exercise is a recipe for discomfort, but heading to the gym hungry isn't ideal either — something I learned during a recent session with my Crunch trainer, Tim Rich. Not being adequately fueled led to a weak-feeling workout and unusually sore muscles the next day. Wanting to maximize the potential of my training sessions, I turned to nutritionist Heidi Skolnik, MS, CDN, FACSM, and author of Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance to find out what to eat, and when, before heading to the gym. Keep reading to see the simple guidelines that Heidi suggests.

All Day Long

It's never a good idea to start a workout with a water deficit. Make sure to stay well hydrated before, during, and after exercise. Use the FitSugar calculator to see how much water you should be drinking daily. Keep in mind that the body needs to be hydrated to process calories; even being mildly dehydrated can slow down your metabolic rate.

Two to Three Hours Before a Workout

If you're planning a meal a couple of hours before working out, Heidi suggests eating a mix of carbs, protein, and fat, which falls in the 300- to 400-calorie range. Her suggestions include a small serving of lean protein with veggies, hummus and pretzel crisps, or a fruit and nut bar (we're partial to KIND and Larabars) with a small serving of yogurt. Avoid gassy food like beans and broccoli since they may cause intestinal discomfort.

One to Two Hours Before a Workout

As you get closer to your workout, carbs should become the focus of your snack (up to 50 grams) with just a little bit of protein. Heidi suggests cereal with skim milk or trail mix with a latte. If you only have one to two hours before your workout, keep your snack under 200 calories. This mixed protein-carb snack will help you feel satisfied and fueled and may also help reduce muscle soreness.

15 to 30 Minutes Before a Workout

If you only have 15 to 30 minutes before a scheduled workout, choosing a snack that is simple to digest is key, says Heidi. Pick a snack that has about 25 grams of carbs like a tablespoon of raisins, a few saltine crackers, or a small serving of applesauce.

Immediately Before a Workout

If you haven't eaten in awhile, don't skip out on food — even if you're just about to head into the gym, says Heidi. Your body will need the energy to power through whatever vigorous workout you put it through. Restrict this snack to carbs (up to 15 grams), and keep it light: seven to nine jellybeans, an eight-ounce sport drink, or one slice of white bread should do the trick.

Post-Workout Snack

Within 30 minutes of finishing a workout, eat a snack that is a mix of carbs and protein. This will help reduce muscle soreness, and, since your body's metabolic rate is higher after a workout, it will give it the fuel it needs to recover. Heidi's faves include chocolate milk or yogurt (throw in an energy bar if you're famished or had a really intense workout), or cottage cheese with a banana or pineapple.











Link: http://www.fitsugar.com/What-Eat-Before-Working-Out-2923890

Happy Halloween!

As Halloween always has been and will continue to be my favorite holiday, I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween!

When I lived in China, it was a really fun experience celebrating because it is still a pretty new thing over there that only some people (mostly expats) take part in. The best part was having to be REALLY creative with our costumes since there was no such thing as a "Party City" out there to quickly buy supplies from to put a costume together with. As I recall, my roommate and I cut up some of our clothes and used the fabric to sew costumes, we used crafting paint on our faces and, of course, had a great time.

So again, have a great time tonight, be safe, and get your health back on track tomorrow ;)

Is Time The Missing Component In Health Care?

Slow Medicine. I like the sound of that.

Dr. Victoria Sweet recently wrote a memoir, God's Hotel: A Doctor, A Hospital, And A Pilgrimage To The Heart Of Medicine, about her experience working in San Francisco's own Laguna Honda Hospital. Laguna Honda is possibly one of the country's last almshouses which provides long-term care for the sick and poor. What she took away from her experience is the positive effect of spending time with her patients. In the modern hospital doctors can spend less than ten minutes with a patient, concentrating only on acute care which can lead to a cycle of patients going in and out of the emergency room. At Laguna Honda one patient she discussed stayed for two years.

I love this piece from the interview where Dr. Sweet talks about a nurse that she admired, Nurse Hildegard...

"Hildegard thought of the body as more of a plant than a machine and the doctor as more of a gardener than a mechanic. What's the difference? Well, someone has to fix a broken machine, but a plant can heal itself. So Hildegard had this idea that just as a plant has its own greening power to grow, so did human beings. We had a natural healing power."

This is the same feeling we have in TCM about healing and our body's innate ability to care for itself. Sometimes it just needs a little nudge in the right direction (a little TLC and plant food) to return to a healthy state.

You can read the transcript or listen to the full interview on NPR here: http://www.npr.org/2012/10/11/162715368/is-time-the-missing-component-in-health-care 

(sorry for the bad punctuation, this was a quickie post =) )

How a Fruit Juice Cleanse Affects Your Body

Fruit juice cleanses are very hip theses days and as a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, I'm not too crazy about them. First, juice is generally considered cold in TCM, which means many people can't digest it well, get stomach aches, and can have loose stools. Second, they are naturally sweet which can produce phlegm and phlegm can contribute to a wide number of health conditions including headaches, congestion, dizziness, weight gain, and well... phlegm!

There are many types of cleanses out on the market (protein powder based, soy, pre-mixed cleanses, fruit juice, plant juice), but of all of them fruit juice concerns me most because of the high amount of sugar you will be consuming. Taking in all that juice will spike your blood sugar, which in turn raises your insulin production so your body can either use up the sugar for energy (but most likely won't in the case of a cleans because you will be taking in much more sugar than you need) or store it as fat.

Below is a great short article with some insight about what your body goes through when you are on an eight day juice cleanse. Enjoy and drink your juice sparingly =)

(I love to drink a little bit of pure dark cherry juice after a workout as a natural anti-inflammatory)

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How a Fruit Juice Cleanse Affects Your Body

Stripped of essential nutrients, detox diets can be downright dangerous

By Laura Beil, Photography By Dan Forbes

Thinking of signing up for a fruit juice cleanse? You might first consider how your body reacts to a week with no protein or fat and fewer than 1,000 calories a day.

After the first sip
Your brain's hunger signals are answered with a dump of pure fruit-juice sugar. And don't get any ideas—veggie-based body cleanses aren't any healthier.

The sweet stuff prompts the pancreas to squirt out insulin, which moves sugar—now in your blood in the form of glucose—into your cells.

After 30 minutes
As your cells suck up the glucose, your blood sugar level can start to plummet and you may feel dizzy.

Meanwhile, lacking enough calories, your body is operating off its supply of glycogen, a form of short-term energy stored in the liver and muscles.

After two days
With each shot of juice, your insulin levels skyrocket, then crash. Your glycogen stores are pretty much gone, leaving your tank on empty—and you feeling weak and listless.

Since you're getting only about half the calories you need, your body draws on two long-term power sources: triglycerides, a type of energy stored in fat cells (woo-hoo!), and protein, taken straight from your muscles (oops). You begin to lose muscle mass, even if you're still exercising every day.

After three days
Your brain is not happy. It enters into semi-starvation mode and gobbles ketones, fuel that comes from the breakdown of fat. Ketones work, but they're like low-grade gasoline; as a result, you may feel unfocused or irritable. (Any "mental clarity" is likely due to a strong placebo effect.)
Sans a fresh protein infusion, your brain is also lacking amino acids, the raw materials that neurotransmitters need to maintain your mood. If you're prone to depression, you may start feeling blue.

The proteins in your shrinking muscles break down into ammonia and uric acid, unwelcome chemicals that invade your bloodstream. Now your kidneys are busy detoxing your detox.
Stay near the bathroom: The juice's high carbohydrate load causes a surfeit of water to enter the intestines. That extra H2O in your gut means you're apt to get diarrhea.

After four days
With no food to digest, your small intestine feels ignored. Its villi—the rows of tiny fibers that move food elements into the blood—start to atrophy. Your diarrhea may get worse, leading to dehydration... and there goes your rosy glow.

On the eighth day
Solid food! But uh-oh—you've lost muscle. Even if you go back to your regular eating habits, you now have less muscle mass to burn those calories; instead, the calories are more likely to be turned into fat. (Hence, one reason yo-yo dieting makes it harder to lose weight: Your reduced muscle-to-fat ratio messes up your metabolism and makes calories much harder to work off.)

Sources: Eric Ravussin, Ph.D., Nutrition Obesity Research Center, Pennington Biomedical Research Center; Timothy D. Brewerton, M.D., Medical University of South Carolina; Leslie P. Schilling, R.D., Schilling Nutrition Therapy; Lona Sandon, R.D., and Jo Ann S. Carson, Ph.D., R.D., University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Link: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/detox-diet-side-effects

Stand up! Standing desks increase life expectancy

 I have been seeing a lot of patients recently with almost identical complaints about pains caused by their desk set-up. In the study below, participants reported that "87 percent felt more comfortable,  87 percent felt energized, 75 percent felt healthier, 71 percent felt more focused, 66 percent felt more productive, 62 percent felt happier, and 33 percent felt less stressed." 

Humans aren't really built to sit all day, we are made to be on our feet! Try standing at your desk and see how you feel. It will be an adjustment at first, and maybe even a little tiring, but you will soon adapt and be glad you did.
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Workers find they like taking a stand -- at their desks

CDC.gov, Preventing Chronic Disease

Sit-stand devices used in the Take-a-Stand Project in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2011.
The Take-a-Stand Project was a partnership with a sit-stand device manufacturer, Ergotron, Inc, Eagan, Minnesota.

By Maggie Fox, NBC News

Office workers who spent an hour or so a day at stand-up workstations felt more energized, productive and even happier, researchers reported on Thursday. And if they keep it up, they may help reduce the damage done by sitting at a desk all day.

Study after study has shown that sitting all day long is bad for you. People risk developing lower back problems, kidney disease, heart disease and other ills – even if they exercise outside of work.

“If you go out for a 30 minute run , and then sit for eight hours at work, you could still have health problems because you are sitting all day,” said Nicolaas Pronk, a vice president at Minnesota-based HealthPartners, a non-profit health care organization that provides clinics, health insurance and does health care research.

Pronk decided to test special workstations on the organization’s employees.

They recruited 34 volunteers to test some of the commercial workstations on the market that allow users to sit or stand, as they like, without having to move all their stuff.  They tried models made by Ergotron, Inc. of Eagan, Minnesota.

“There are different devices out there. The ones we tested, you clamp them onto the desk. It has a keyboard tray and you push up or push down as you want to sit or stand,” Pronk said. “Ergotron is located in the same town as we are. So we partnered with them.”

The question is, will people use them and if they do, do they stand up for enough of their days to make a difference. And if so, how does that affect them?

Over seven weeks, 10 workers stayed at their usual desks, while 24 used the new workstations, Pronk and colleagues report in this week’s issue of the journal Preventing Chronic Disease.

To be scientific, Pronk’s team checked in with workers several times a day to see whether they were standing or sitting and to see how they felt. “We provided all participants a prepaid cellular telephone and sent text messages at three random times throughout the course of the work day. Immediately upon receiving a text message, participants responded to the question, ‘Tell us what you are doing right now: sitting, standing, or walking?’ by using 0, 1, or 2 for sitting, standing, or walking, respectively,” the researchers wrote.

They also surveyed the workers more thoroughly three times during the study, once at the end of the seven weeks.

People really liked them, Pronk said. “People felt happier. They felt more confident. They were more productive. Across the board, the feedback was very positive.”

The workers who used the devices were lavish in their praise – 87 percent felt more comfortable,  87 percent felt energized, 75 percent felt healthier, 71 percent felt more focused, 66 percent felt more productive, 62 percent felt happier, and 33 percent felt less stressed.

“Not a single person in the intervention group indicated that they did not like the device,” Pronk said. In fact, HealthPartners now offers them to all employees.  “Around 30 percent have them. There are about 2,000 people today who have one at their station,” Pronk said.

People sat, on average just over an hour less every day. While standing didn’t help lower back pain, it reduced upper back and neck pain by 54 percent, Pronk found.

Research is piling in that that shows just the act of sitting most of the day can cut years off your life. Researchers reported in July that cutting the time that people spend sitting to less than three hours would increase the U.S. life expectancy by two years. And reducing the time spent watching TV to less than 2 hours daily would increase life expectancy by 1.4 years.

Last month, British researchers found that people who spent the least amount of time sitting were also the least likely to have chronic kidney disease.

Pronk is himself sold on the idea. “I don’t think this is a fad. It’s a new way of doing your work,” he said. He uses one now. “I probably stand about 80 percent of the time when I am in my office. I leave it up when I leave at night so it’s up when I come in in the morning,” Pronk said.

Part of the appeal may be that employees can control the device themselves. “You literally can push this device up with your hand and you can stand up,” he said.

“It has an impact on their work while they at work. The fact is that sedentary job tasks will end up making people sit for such long periods of time that it truly, literally, affects their longevity, so this is a very important area of intervention. The entire work force can go home more energetic and energized than they came in in the morning. That makes a huge difference from a work-life balance perspective.”

Link: http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/12/14393489-workers-find-they-like-taking-a-stand-at-their-desks

Tasty Baby Food Recipe for Fall

Tasty baby food recipe in fall

(People's Daily Online)

15:16, October 12, 2012

(File Photo)

Edited and translated by Gao Yinan, People's Daily Online

Recipes recommended today are suitable for baby, toddler, and for grown-ups too. Make your baby or toddler a banana milk shake or pumpkin yogurt of baby’s autumn regimen-Easy Peasy. Banana and pumpkins are highly recognized as great baby food especially for autumn regimen by Chinese parents.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that bananas are cool and sweet in its nature which helps baby’s regular bowel movement. Besides, bananas are an excellent source of vitamin B6, soluble fiber, and contain moderate amounts of vitamin C, manganese and potassium.

Pumpkins are very versatile in their uses for cooking. Most parts of the pumpkin are edible, including the fleshy shell, the seeds, the leaves, and even the flowers. TCM believes that Pumpkin is mild in its nature and has capacities of nourishing lung and it is also a stomach-friendly food that can be easily digested.

Banana Pumpkin Shake (12 months+)
Materials:
1-cup milk
2 tablespoons steamed pumpkin mash
(or homemade pumpkin puree)
1 banana
Cinnamon is usually added for flavor

Steps:
Blend in blender until smooth and foamy.
Serve immediately.


Pumpkin Yogurt
Materials:
1/4 cup pumpkin puree or pumpkin mash
1 cup of plain yogurt (Whole fat)
A dash of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger would be added for better flavor

Steps:
Combine all ingredients and serve.
Link:  http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90782/7975447.html

AARP: Acupuncture Does Help With Pain

"Overall, those treated with real acupuncture had their pain symptoms reduced by 50 percent."

Not to beat a dead horse over the head, but acupuncture works! It's great! 

Sweeping new study finds it helps more than standard treatments

Millions of Americans who use acupuncture can take heart from a new study that provides evidence that the ancient Chinese healing therapy can help reduce chronic pain by as much as 50 percent — welcome news for sufferers of back pain, arthritis, headaches and other painful conditions.

Acupuncture can be quite effective in pain management. — Chris Crisman/Corbis

A rigorous review of 29 randomized controlled trials, involving nearly 18,000 patients, shows that acupuncture was better at relieving pain than over-the-counter medicines and other common treatments, says Andrew Vickers, a researcher at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, who led the multinational study.

"What this study provides is fairly strong evidence that acupuncture is an effective treatment for chronic pain," Vickers says, adding that about 3 million Americans use acupuncture each year.

In these trials, some people suffering from back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, chronic headache and shoulder pain received standard acupuncture treatment, in which tiny needles are inserted into traditionally specified points on the skin. Others received fake acupuncture treatments, in which the needles were inserted at random points on the skin, or they were "treated" with needles that retracted into handles instead of entering the skin. Additional participants received no needle-based treatment at all.

Overall, those treated with real acupuncture had their pain symptoms reduced by 50 percent. Those who received sham needling saw a 43 percent drop in pain, while the no-acupuncture group reported their pain was reduced by 30 percent. A placebo effect — the strong psychological belief in a treatment's effectiveness — likely accounts for the greater improvements seen with sham therapy than no therapy. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, drew on the work of dozens of researchers across the United States and Europe. Vickers says he and his collaborators painstakingly checked the original patient data as part of their review.

"It's a potentially very important article," says Edgar L. Ross, M.D., director of the Pain Management Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Ross, who works with an acupuncturist at his center, says he sees similar benefits, although the average 50 percent pain reduction reported in the study was greater than that experienced by his patients. In his practice, "it's closer to 25 or 30 percent reduction in pain scores."

Western-trained doctors are increasingly willing to recommend acupuncture to their patients, but there's still no clear scientific explanation for why it works, Ross says. One theory is that acupuncture triggers the release of endorphins, natural painkilling compounds in the brain. Another is that it affects neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that help brain cells communicate pain.

"It's very safe in trained hands," Ross says, though he also believes in a pain management plan that uses a mixture of techniques. Acupuncture "is certainly a very viable therapy," but it should be considered as one part of a whole pain treatment plan, he adds.

Link: http://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-10-2012/acupuncture-helps-with-chronic-pain.html

Software scans tongue for signs of disease

Oh no, I might be out of a job if these tongue-assessing robots keep improving their technology!

For 5,000 years, the Chinese have used a system of medicine based on the flow and balance of positive and negative energies in the body. In this system, the appearance of the tongue is one of the measures used to classify the overall physical status of the body, or “zheng”.

“Knowing your zheng classification can serve as a pre-screening tool and help with preventive medicine,” says Dong Xu, chair of the computer science department at the University of Missouri.

“Our software helps bridge Eastern and Western medicine, since an imbalance in zheng could serve as a warning to go see a doctor. Within a year, our ultimate goal is to create an application for smartphones that will allow anyone to take a photo of their tongue and learn the status of their zheng.”

Straight from the Source

Read the original study

The software analyzes images based on the tongue’s color and coating to distinguish between tongues showing signs of “hot” or “cold”” zheng. Shades of red and yellow are associated with hot zheng, whereas a white coating on the tongue is a sign of cold zheng.

“Hot and cold zheng doesn’t refer directly to body temperature,” says Xu. “Rather, it refers to a suite of symptoms associated with the state of the body as a whole.”

For example, a person with cold zheng may feel chills and coolness in the limbs and show a pale flushing of face. Their voice may have a high pitch. Other symptoms of cold zheng are clear urine and loose stool. They also may prefer hot foods and drinks and desire warm environments.

In Chinese traditional medicine both hot and cold zheng can be symptoms of gastritis, an inflammation of the stomach lining frequently caused by bacterial infection.

For the study, 263 gastritis patients and 48 healthy volunteers had their tongues analyzed. The gastritis patients were classified by whether they showed infection by a certain bacteria, known as Helicobacter pylori, as well as the intensity of their gastritis symptoms. In addition, most of the gastritis patients had been previously classified with either hot or cold zheng. This allowed the researchers to verify the accuracy of the software’s analysis.

“Our software was able to classify people based on their zheng status,” says study co-author Ye Duan, associate professor of computer science at MU.

“As we continue to work on the software we hope to improve its ability,” Duan says. “Eventually everyone will be able to use this tool at home using webcams or smartphone applications. That will allow them to monitor their zheng and get an early warning about possible ailments.”

Doctoral student Ratchadaporn Kanawong is the first author of the study that has been accepted for publication in the journal Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Link: http://www.futurity.org/top-stories/software-scans-tongue-for-signs-of-disease/

New Landmark California Acupuncture Health Insurance Law

Having Acupuncture included in the health care reform could transform lives. The legislation isn't perfect, but it's a great start. Let's hope California makes it happen!

Best wishes to your health,

Brenda

_____________________________________________

New landmark legislation establishes acupuncture health insurance benefits for California citizens. California Governor Jerry Brown signed California State Legislature Assembly Bill AB 1453 into law on September 30th. The bill, authored by Assembly member Bill Monning (D-Carmel), establishes the details for California’s essential health benefits and takes effect in 2014.

Acupuncture CareEssential health benefits were defined in the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), often referred to as Obamacare. It is up to individual states to determine the precise details of the essential health benefits that are broadly outlined in the federal law. This new California law defines and enacts provisions for California essential health benefits and includes acupuncture for the treatment of pain and nausea. Other services defined as essential health benefits include ambulatory patient services, hospitalization, maternity care, newborn care, vision screening and tobacco cessation.

This new law and its acupuncture provisions apply to all individual health insurance policies and small group policies including all HMOs and PPOs. Small group policies are all policies written for companies with 50 or less employees. In 2016, the definition of small group policies changes and the new California law will apply to all companies with 100 or less employees.

The new California law does not apply to self-insured plans, grandfathered plans and large employers. Grandfathered plans are those plans officially designated as a grandfathered plan as of March 2010. Any grandfathered plan that has either a change in benefits or cost structure will no longer be considered a grandfathered plan and will no longer be exempt from the new law’s provisions. As a result, the impact of grandfathered plans is expected to be minimal.

The new California health insurance law defines and establishes essential healthcare benefits for California citizens. It does not cover payment issues such as copays, deductibles and payments to providers. As a result, copays and other payment issues may fluctuate up or down from the Kaiser Permanente $30 copay plan from which the new law has been modeled upon. Although this California law does not apply to payment issues, limitations on cost sharing and actuarial value have been implemented in the new federal health reform law. Regulations for the federal law have not been written yet. As a result, upcoming federal regulations have the opportunity to help ease affordability issues for the insured.

The definition of essential health benefits as stated in this new California law was formulated using the Kaiser Permanente Small Group Agreement Plan 1637 Plan 3-N as a basis for determining standard medical provisions for health insurance policies originating in California. Medical treatment limitations can be no greater than those imposed in the Kaiser plan. As a result, no cap on the maximum number of acupuncture office visits per year may be imposed although a physician’s referral may be required by some health insurance plans.

The new law does not have language regarding network limitations such as participation in provider networks. As a result, insurance companies may allow only limited numbers of acupuncturists within a given network to provide acupuncture care. Also, medical necessity limitations may be imposed by insurance providers wherein a service will only be covered if it is deemed medically necessary. Despite these limitations, the new California law establishes a baseline of treatment coverage provided by health insurance policies and is likely to prevent many unwanted surprises when patients get their medical bills.

“With the passage of AB 1453, California is one step closer to the full implementation of federal health care reform," stated Assembly member Monning. “For many, this action is transformative. This law will prioritize prevention, health and wellness while offering individuals and small businesses comprehensive and affordable healthcare coverage.”

Link: http://www.healthcmi.com/index.php/acupuncturist-news-online/625-californiaacupunctureceushealthinsurancemonning

New scientific breakthrough proves why acupuncture works

FASCINATING!

P.S.

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New groundbreaking research shows that the insertion of an acupuncture needle into the skin disrupts the branching point of nerves called C fibres. These C fibres transmit low-grade sensory information over very long distances by using Merkel cells as intermediaries. Dr. Morry Silberstein of the Curtin University of Technology will publish his research in the Journal of Theoretical Biology later this year.

We have never really had a scientific explanation for how acupuncture actually works,” he said. In the absence of a scientific rationale, acupuncture has not been widely used in the mainstream medical community. If we can explain the process scientifically, we can open it to full scientific scrutiny and develop ways to use it as a part of medical treatments.”

Dr. Silberstein mentions that they have known, for some time, that the acupuncture points show lower electrical resistance than other nearby areas of the skin. His research specifically pinpoints that the C fibres actually branch exactly at acupuncture points. Scientists don’t know exactly what role C fibres play in the nervous system, but Dr. Silverstein theorizes that the bundle of nerves exists to maintain arousal or wakefulness. The insertion of the acupuncture needle disrupts this circuit and numbs our sensitivity to pain.”

Acupuncture for pain relief is actually being taught to American Air Force physicians deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan (2009) by Dr. Richard Niemtzow MD, PhD, MPH and editor of Medical Acupuncture. His technique called “Battlefield Acupuncture” relieves severe pain for several days and is a variation of acupuncture, which inserts very tiny semi-permanent needles at specific acupoints on the skin of the ear that blocks pain signals from reaching the brain.

"This is one of the fastest pain attenuators in existence," said Dr. Niemtzow, who is the Consultant for complementary and alternative medicine for the Surgeon General of the Air Force, and is affiliated with Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda. "The pain can be gone in five minutes."

It has taken quite a long time for Western medicine to embrace acupuncture even though it was introduced in the early 1970’s after contacts with China improved.

Professor Tsuei mentions: “In 1972 the respected New York Times columnist James Reston underwent an emergency appendectomy while in China. He later wrote about acupuncture treatment for post-operative pain that was very successful. This report attracted attention and many American physicians and researchers went to China to observe and learn acupuncture techniques.”

Since then, only a few controlled studies were done in the West. Yale researchers proved its effectiveness for cocaine addiction in 2000 and published their findings in the August 14 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

A North Korean researcher, Kim Bonghan, published papers in the early 1960’s and his research was confirmed by the Japanese researchers Fujiwara and Yu in 1967. Unfortunately his research took almost 40 years to be confirmed through studies done on rats, rabbit and pigs with Stereo-microscope photographs and electron microsopy.

The amazing photo shows the stereomicroscopic image of acupuncture meridians:

“Assemblies of tubular structures 30 to 100 micro-meters wide (red blood cells are 6-8 micro-meters in diameter). Apparently these structures have remained undiscovered for so long because they are almost transparent and so thin that they are barely visible with low-magnification surgical microscopes. They are also easily confused with fibrin, which coagulates and obscures these structures when there is bleeding in dissected tissues. Now that they have been rediscovered, researchers are investigating their composition and function. The tubular structures that make up Bonghan channels contain a flowing liquid that includes abundant hyaluronic acid, a substance that cushions and lubricates the joints, eyes, skin and even heart valves. Also visible in the photographs are small granules of DNA or microcells about 1-2 micro-meters in diameter that contain chromosomal material highly reactive to stem-cell antibody stains. When these cells were isolated and then induced to differentiate, they grew into cells of all three germ layers. These may be our body's natural source of pluripotent adult stem cells, with the potential to develop into any cell in the body”

Russian researchers in 1991 at The Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Novosibirsk, USSR, in a research project lasting several years, discovered how the human body conducts light. They found that the light conducting ability of the human body exists only along the meridians, and can enter and exit only along the acupuncture points. Dr. Kaznachejew, a professor of physics said:

“This seems to prove that we have a light transferal system in our body somewhat like optical fiber. It appears that the light can even travel when the light canal is bent, or totally twisted. The light appears to be reflected from the inner surface, appearing to go in some sort of zigzag track. You can explain this through traditional electromagnetic light theory as it is used in optical fiber communications.”

This finding has been confirmed by a 1992 study in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicineand a 2005 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine where moxibustion and infrared thermography were used to trace meridian pathways.

There might be a “light body” after all.

Read more of Tima Vlasto's articles

Resources:

Studies:

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Auricular Acupuncture for Cocaine Dependence.S. Kelly Avants, PhD; Arthur Margolin, PhD; Theodore R. Holford, PhD; Thomas R. Kosten, MD Arch Intern Med. 2000;160:2305-2312.

Immunomodulatory Effects of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Allergic Asthma: A Randomized Controlled Study.Stefanie Joos, M.D. Department of Anaesthetics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.

Research:

Meridians conduct light by Dr. Sergei Pankratov, Moskow, Published by Raum and Zeit, Germany,1991.Translated from the German by Wolfgang Mitschrich

Bonghan Channels in Acupuncture By David Milbradt, LAc, Acupunture Today

Bonghan Duct and Acupuncture Meridian as Optical Channel of Biophoton

Curtin University of Technology These C fibres transmit low-grade sensory information over very long distances by using Merkel cells as intermediaries.

Scientific Evidence in Support of Acupuncture and Meridian Theory  Professor Julia J. Tsuei M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Medical acupuncture gaining acceptance by the US Air Force

Acupuncture is promising treatment for cocaine addiction, Yale researchers find

Photo Credit: Acupuncture Today: A stereomicroscopic image of the lymphatic vessel around the caudal vena cava of a rat. The photograph (left) and its illustration (right) show the novel threadlike structure (solid arrow) that passes throw the lymphatic valve (open arrow). The photograph was taken in vivo and in situ, and a piece of black paper was put under the lymphatic vessel to exhibit the target clearly. The scale bar is 100 micro-meters.. 

Wikimedia Commons: Physican inserting needle

Link: http://www.examiner.com/article/new-scientific-breakthrough-proves-why-acupuncture-works