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Newsletter: Nov. 08
November 2008
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Balance
Point Acupuncture Newsletter
from BalancePointWellness.com
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| | | Interesting
Bits & Pieces
Fiind out how the trillions of bacteria in your intestines might determine how you gain weight.
Does your wine contain toxic
heavy metals? Find the story here
10 Foods to help kick a cold...including a video of a ginger tea recipe.
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The changing of seasons from summer to autumn is exciting! Although Texas summers are fabulous, the cool breeze is
an incredible reminder that summer does not last forever. Along with the change in weather, the breeze is also blowing in
a new presidency and hopefully a new healthcare system. Currently, compared to other prosperous countries, our nation's
healthcare system ranks among the lowest in standards and benefits. Let us hope that this new administration will turn this
system around so that you and your family will finally benefit. On that note, I am now accepting
insurance, and that could mean great savings for some of you. Contact me to find out if your insurance covers acupuncture.
I also want to announce that I will be hosting an informational seminar in late December for all of you interested in doing a cleanse. The topic will be centered
on the reasons for and benefits of cleansing as well as what to expect during and after. Cleanses are traditionally done in
the spring and fall seasons, but there has been a lot of interest lately in starting a cleanse in the beginning of the new
year. So, in early January I will create an online google or yahoo group which will act as a support group, a place for recipe
sharing, and a Q&A forum for everyone interested in doing a cleanse in the new year. See "Cleansing Our Bodies"
(below) for more info. I hope you all are having a fine start to the cooler weather.
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The
Autumn Season & Oriental Philosophy
By: Diane Joswick, L.Ac., MSOM
The weather is cool and crisp. The sun is beginning to set earlier. The leaves are turning vivid hues of red, orange,
and yellow.
Fall has arrived, and now is the time to harvest the bounty that grew during the summer so we can
store up for the cold winter ahead. It is a time to organize, work hard, and finish projects that you began in spring and
summer.
One of the most beautiful aspects of traditional Chinese medicine is as a tool to live harmoniously with
the seasons. Ancient Chinese physicians observed the natural cycles of the seasons and recorded the best everyday practices
for staying healthy and harmonizing our own energy with that of our environment.
"In the three months of autumn
all things in nature reach their full maturity. The grains ripen and harvesting occurs. The heavenly energy cools, as does
the weather. The wind begins to stir. This is the changing or pivoting point when the yang, or active, phase turns into its
opposite, the yin, or passive, phase. One should retire with the sunset and arise with the dawn. Just as the weather in autumn
turns harsh, so does the emotional climate. It is therefore important to remain calm and peaceful, refraining from depression
so that one can make the transition to winter smoothly. This is the time to gather one's spirit and energy, be more focused,
and not allow desires to run wild. One must keep the lung energy free full, clean, and quiet. This means practicing breathing
exercises to enhance lung Qi. Also, one should refrain from smoking and grief, the emotion of lung. This will prevent the
kidney or digestive problems in the winter. If this natural order is violated, damage will occur to the lungs, resulting in
diarrhea with undigested food in the winter. This compromises the body's ability to store in winter." - Huangdi Neijing
Suwen
Element: Metal Color: White Nature: Yin Organs: Lung and Large Intestine
Taste: Spicy Emotion: Grief
A Time of Reflection
Fall is the season associated with
the metal element. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the metal element governs the mind, organization, order, and
stability. We tend to be more reflective, turning inward to our work, our families and our homes during this time. It is a
time to organize and prepare for the winter season ahead and a time to reflect on our lives.
Emotionally, this
is the season associated with grief and sadness. It is important to keep the mind clear and "let go" of negative
emotions, which can impact health more strongly during the fall.
Lungs and Large Intestine
Fall corresponds
to the lungs, skin, and large intestine. The lungs and large intestine are in charge of respiration, digestion, and elimination.
Common symptoms associated with lung and large intestine imbalances are respiratory problems, such as asthma, shortness of
breath, frequent colds, and sinus infections, as well as constipation and skin problems.
The body is particularly
susceptible to wind and cold during the fall. Dryness can cause symptoms of coughing, dry nose, sore throat, dry skin, dry
hair and scalp, dry mouth and cracked lips, and hard and dry stools. Adding more nourishing yin foods to your diet can promote
body fluid, soothe the lungs and protect you from dryness.
Eating with the season
In the fall, eat fewer
cold, uncooked foods - such as salads - and more warm, cooked foods. Switch from salads to soups and steamed vegetables such
as winter squash, winter peas, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and yams. Incorporate yellow and red foods into your meals. Start
your day with hot oatmeal or Teff and walnuts.
Here are some more warm and nourishing foods and herbs to add to
your fall diet:
Apple Banana
Beets Bell pepper Bok
choy Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage
Carrot Cauliflower Cinnamon
Cranberry Figs
Garlic Ginger Grapes
Horseradish Leeks Pears
Persimmons Plums Pomegranate Pumpkin
Red cabbage Rosemary
Sage Spinach Thyme
Whole grains Wild rice
Winter squash Yam
Protecting Your Lung Energy
Lung 7 is one of the most powerful points on the lung meridian points. It is a popular
acupuncture point to use for stopping a persistent cough and relieving a sore throat. Besides treating those symptoms, LU
7 is often used to treat conditions related to the head and neck, such as headaches, migraines, stiff neck, facial paralysis,
and toothache.
LU 7 is considered to be the "command point" of the head and neck and is also used to
improve circulation in the brain and stimulate memory.
This acupuncture point is located above the wrist on the
inside of the arm. To find this point, interlock your thumb and index finger of one hand with those of the other, the point
lies on the edge of the index finger, in a depression between the sinew and the bone.
Stimulate this point
on both hands with the tip of your index finger for approximately 30 seconds or until your cough subsides.
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| Cleansing & Purifying Our Bodies
As many of you know, I am an advocate of periodically cleansing the body of toxins. This can be done in
many ways, but it can be confusing when trying to find the best method for you. A number of my patients have followed
the Standard Process Cleanse and have had great experiences and amazing results.
Once your health starts slipping
away, it can be a challenge to rein it back in. There is however a lot of hope and guidance that I can give. Even the most
difficult health related problems can be brought back into a better state with a cleanse.
We accumulate so many
harmful things into our body through the additives in food and the impurities in our water and air. Humans and animals of
every culture and continent have used fasting or purifying as a natural detoxification process; we should be no different
than those people in our history. In fact, we should probably be more concerned with purification than people have historically been. Some common reasons that people seek a periodic
cleanse are fatigue, difficulty sleeping, food cravings, weight gain, reduced mental clarity, digestive issues, and worsening
allergies. But, you don't have to be suffering to do a cleanse. Maybe you just feel that your diet hasn't always been
the best, or you feel a need to "press the reset button" on your system--unburdening it and allowing it to function
more optimally and you to think more clearly.
If
you are interested in a cleanse or have been interested in the past but don't know where to start or how to go about it,
I have an answer for you. I want to invite you to experience the revitalizing and rejuvenating experiences of a cleanse. How
often does your house need to be cleaned? How about your car, your shower, or your sink? Some of us continually clean a little
bit every day while some of us don't clean at all until it is unbearable or we're out of dishes. Others find the middle
road approach more appropriate and deep clean periodically or once a week. Regardless, we must clean our surroundings if we
don't want bugs or something larger to pick up our crumbs for us. I mention the order and hygiene of our home to help
you to understand that the same thing applies to the need
of a clean and efficient environment for the physical body
and mind. Most of us have good external hygiene habits such as brushing our teeth, washing our faces, our feet, etc. But,
how many of us have ever done a cleanse? How many of us have ever even known how to wash the insides of our bodies? How many
times have you even been told that it is important? The most widely known cleansing methods are to increase our fiber and
water intake or drink fresh vegetable juices. A lot of people also know that the herb Milk Thistle is good for cleaning and
supporting the liver and that nettle tea is good for cleaning the blood. These are all great and valid things to do, but I
consider those to be more of a daily or periodic maintenance routine to aid in detoxification and lessen
the body's burden. On the other hand, many of you have also heard of the Master Cleanse which involves fasting and is
a rather harsh protocol many of us could not conform to.
"The Environmental Working Group and the Natural
Resources Council have jointly estimated that one-fifth of the U.S. population drink tap water containing lead, fecal material,
toxic waste, and/or other pollutants." Also, a study done by the Massachusetts Department of Energy and published in
the American Journal of Public Health, reported that 50-70% of exposure to water pollutants in adults occurs through the skin"
Having gone through cleanses and fasts before, I had many ideas about what I wanted to incorporate into a cleanse
and what I waned no leave out. I wanted something that could be easily modified and, therefore, easy to adapt to a variety
of people's needs. I wanted to find a cleanse that did not involve fasting and did incorporate the cleansing of the main
detoxificaiton organs and supportive pathways such as the Kidney, Liver, lymph and bowels. I also felt that a very structured
program would make it easier for "first timers".
I have searched for a good solution and finally found
a cleanse that I like for many different reasons. The Standard Process purification program is designed to address all of
your major detoxification organs and efficiently clear your system of stored toxins that haven't been excreted. It is
a three week program that involves cleansing supplements and diet modification. Three weeks has been shown to be an effective
amount of time to clean the body of the toxins that have been "pushed into the closet" because of inadequate detoxification
resources supplied by the body.
If you are wondering whether you need a cleanse or not, fill out the toxicity questionnaire and fax it to me at 512-918-2229. I'll be happy to look over it and evaluate your score. If you are interested in treating
your body to a cleanse or have any questions relating to it, please let me know. I'll be happy to answer all of your questions
and assist you in this process.
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Study Shows Acupuncture Lowers Blood Pressure As Much As ACE-Inhibitor's
A study billed as the first rigorous, randomized trial in the West to test acupuncture against a sham needle technique
to treat hypertension suggests that, performed properly, acupuncture may produce blood-pressure changes on a par with ACE
inhibitor monotherapy in mild to moderate hypertension.
For this German study, 160 outpatients with uncomplicated,
mild to moderate hypertension were randomized to six weeks of acupuncture performed by Chinese medicine practitioners or to
a sham procedure. Patients underwent 22 sessions, each 30 minutes in length. By the end of the six weeks, 24-hour ambulatory
systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly reduced from baseline in the acupuncture-treated patients (5.4 mm
Hg and 3.0 mm Hg, respectively). No significant changes were seen in the sham acupuncture group.
After three and
six months, however, the blood-pressure reductions disappeared, leading investigators to conclude that ongoing acupuncture
treatments would be required to maintain the blood-pressure reductions.
"...this establishes beyond a reasonable
doubt that acupuncture lowers blood pressure," lead investigator Dr. Frank A. Flachskampf commented.
The
extent of the blood-pressure reductions are comparable to those seen with ACE-inhibitor monotherapy or aggressive lifestyle
changes, including radical salt restrictions, he added.
Flachskampf believes, however, that acupuncture likely
represents an attractive option in specific patients, particularly those averse to taking medical therapy who are open to
so-called "alternative" medicine.
Source: Circulation, June 2007
Commentary-
I am very excited to see studies of this kind becoming more
common. This is a great study and a testament to the effectiveness of Chinese medicine. I do also speak from experience when
I tell you that the conclusion of this article doesn't mention the curative effects of acupuncture and Oriental medicine.
While the blood pressure rates of the people in this study went back up after some time away from regular acupuncture treatments,
this could have been prevented with monthly or even seasonal follow-up treatments. In addition, the aid of herbs, proper whole
food nutrition, and/or a purification program will greatly enhance and extend the effects that the acupuncture sessions have
initiated.
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| | "It is
one of the commonest of mistakes to consider that the limit of our power of perception is also the limit of all there is to
perceive."
-C.W. Leadbeater
Sincerely,
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Michael Meuth L.Ac., M.Ac.O.M
Balance
Point Acupuncture | | |
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