Repost: NYT Article Linking Stress to Infertility

"The truth is that if you are not in harmony with yourself and your culture, you are stressed," said physician-researcher, Dr. Sara L. Berga in a recent NY Times article highlighting the findings of her research linking stress to infertility. This 'truth' is the very foundation from which traditional Chinese medicine is built. Traditional Chinese medicine aims to restore health by creating a balance within ourselves and an equilibrium with the environment we live in.

Dr. Berga's research looks at how chronic stress alters brain signals to the hypothalamus--one of the four organs, including the pituitary, the ovary and the uterus--responsible for the intricate hormonal dance of fertility. "Chronic stress," she says, "whether emotional or physical, taxes the body."

In addition to treating the particular pattern of disharmony that may prevent a woman from becoming pregnant, acupuncture offers deep relaxation to the uterus as well as to the whole body-mind. By relieving stress and calming the spirit, acupuncture allows endocrine activity to proceed smoothly and effortlessly. And this helps balance the hormones necessary for fertility.

Often during an acupuncture session for fertility, points are specifically chosen to stimulate the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary-uterus axis. If you've ever had one of these treatments, you may notice a needle place on the top of your head, one between your eyebrows, a needle a few inches below your navel and a needle 3 or more inches lateral to this point. These points stimulate the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, the uterus and the ovaries, respectively.

Thus, as the article proposes, getting pregnant naturally may be as simple as, "just relax." To read the New York Times article in full click here.

Healing Soups to Fight Colds/Flu

The weather is so temperamental and, with all these temperature ups and downs, many of my patients are coming in with colds and flu! Soups are a great way to prevent and treat seasonal illness. To read more, there is a great article in the Yoga Journal called Healing Soups.

Here is a great recipe for an immune boosting soup:

Immune Boosting Soup*

If you need an extra immune boost, the article recommends using 1/2 the total garlic you desire to the soup, and then adding the remaining 1/2 of the garlic (crushed) after the soup is cooked, along with the lemon juice.

4 cups mushroom or chicken broth

1 small yellow onion, chopped

4-10 garlic cloves (to taste, crushed and chopped)

1 carrot, grated

4-8 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1-3 tbsp. grated ginger root (to taste)

3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. Bring the broth, onion, garlic, carrot, mushrooms, and ginger root to a slow boil.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer on low, covered, for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
3. Remove from heat. Add the lemon juice, parsley and any remaining garlic. Cover and steep for 5 minutes.

* This recipe appeared in the December 2008 issue ofYoga Journal and was provided by Debra Brammer, N.D., associate clinical dean of naturopathic medicine at Bastyr Center for Natural Health.

Women and Foot Pain

Many people, especially women, suffer from foot pain and believe it is normal. Living in a walking city, such as New York, we need to take special care! A recently published study featured in the New York Times, determined that many women make poor shoe choices early in life and suffer with foot pain in later years. The issue is not only confined to the feet, but has also been seen to cause alignment issues in knees, hip, back and even the neck. Unfortunately for the fashionista, high heels not only cause pain, they also cause corns, bunions, hammer toes, shortened calf muscles and ingrown toenails. Ouch!

Improve foot health

• Limit the amount of time you wear high heels. Carry a pair of good quality flats to wear for part of the day, and choose athletic shoes for weekends and downtime.
• Cushion! Take your high heels with thin soles to the shoemaker, and ask for a thin rubber sole cemented to the bottom of the shoe to cushion your foot.
• Pregnancy may cause your feet to grow up to a full size! When shoe shopping, look for thick, supportive soles. Buy shoes that give your toes room to move. Laced, rather than slip on shoes are recommended by podiatrists for the best fit.
• In addition to alignment issues caused by poor shoe choice, I also see a fair bit of orthopedic conditions in the neck, shoulder and hips due to carrying large, heavy handbags on one shoulder.
• Acupuncture can be very effective in treating chronic pain, but prevention is the best medicine. Lighten up the load, limit the high heels and switch to a supportive pair of shoes!

Walnuts: A Great Fall Food

I’m glad to see the walnut getting its due attention In this recent New York Times article (which also includes a delicious recipe for Bulgarian Cucumber Soup With Walnuts!). In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), walnuts have a multitude of health benefits. They tonify the kidneys which, according to TCM, are responsible for maintaining brain functioning. Walnuts strengthen muscles by nourishing the blood, relieve asthma by warming the lungs, aid in digestion and have sweet and warming properties, which means they are great for this season!

Nutritionally, walnuts provide a lot micronutrients: potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, calcium, zinc, copper, vitamins B9, B6, E, A and substantial amounts of dietary fiber, which eases constipation. They are also full of essential fatty acids like linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid.

How to Eat More Walnuts: Freshly shelled walnuts taste great eaten raw or cooked. Add raw walnuts to salads. Chop them up small and eat with a baked apple or pear or add them to your baked goods – breads, muffins, and cookies. Roast them as an appetizer or add them to a grain dish – like rice, quinoa or pasta.

How to roast walnuts? Spread them onto a baking sheet and place them in the oven for a few minutes (until lightly brown).
To toast them, place them in a skillet with a little bit of oil.

Walnut oil is another way to get the essential fatty acids (but not the fiber). Walnut oil is wonderful in salad but does not react well to heating so it’s not recommended for cooking.

A Note About Storage
: Because of their high fat content, walnuts turn rancid quickly. Chopped or ground walnuts turn rancid more easily than walnuts in the shell. 
 If they are stored in a cool place in the shell, you can keep them for up to a year. 
If you prefer to buy them unshelled, store them in an airtight container, in a cool, dark place. You do not want to keep them for more than a month.

Miso Soup with Scallions

This past week, so many of my patients have come in sick! The temperatures dropped and then rose again - which is prime time for illness. So, I am reposting this great Miso Soup recipe. As soon as you feel run down, make this soup and throw in some extra ginger and scallions.

Miso Soup with Scallions, a very popular dish, is actually an ancient herbal remedy for colds. In 300 AD, Ge Hong, a famous herbalist, wrote about Miso Soup with Scallions in a book called, Bei ji zhou hou fang or Emergency Formulas to Keep Up One's Sleeve.

The soup is intended to be eaten at the onset of a cold when a person is just beginning to feel a headache, stuffy nose and a slight fever. So, the next time you feel a cold coming on, be sure to have your miso!

Miso Soup (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

* 6 cups water
* 3-4 Tablespoons Aka Miso or red soy bean paste (usually sold in the refrigerated section)
* 3-5 green onions stalks, chopped

Directions:

* Dissolve the miso in a little bit of boiling water (about 2 tsp.)
* Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add the miso & scallions.
* Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
* Remove from heat top with green onions and serve.

Variations: you can add various other ingredients to make a more substantial soup, such as tofu, seaweed, fresh mushrooms, cooked shrimp, snow pea sprouts, cooked rice noodles, or paper-thin slices of fresh ginger.

Preventing and Treating the Flu with Herbs

There’s a simple herbal formula that people in China are using to prevent the flu. Read about it here. The formula is made up of very common herbs that I often use with my patients in various combinations to help treat different flus and colds I see. If you are interested, you can come in for a session to see if these are appropriate for you.

Here is the text of the article:

Chinese Herbs Prove Effective In The Cure Of Inlfuenza A (H1N1)

By Vincent Low

BEIJING, July 23 (Bernama)-- Chinese herbs have proved effective in the cure of Influenza A(H1N1) in Ditan Hospital, Beijing where 88 out of 117 patients treated for the disease only on the herbs fully recovered and were discharged.

"From our clinical tests and observation, the traditional method of treatment left no after effects and it is safe, more over the recovery period was shorter and the cost relatively lower as compared to Tamiflu treatment," said Wang Yuguang, spokesman of Ditan Hospital at a special briefing for the media at Ditan Hospital Wednesday afternoon.

He said the advantage of using herbs on these patients was that the doctors could prescribe different combination of herbs according to the individual's health condition.

"Treatment cost per patient using Tamiflu is about RMB56 a day whereas using traditional herbs it cost only around RMB12."

Ditan Hospital first started using traditional medicine in combination with Tamiflu on H1N1 patient from May 15 to June 15, and when the method proved effective, started treating many patients solely on Chinese herbs.

"We have even tested using the method on high risk patients since July 1, and the results proved favourable." said Wang.

However, Wang did not reveal the herbs used to cure the patients.

Ditan Hospital is one of the two hospitals specially designated for H1N1 patients in Beijing since the pandemic started from May in China.

Built in 1946, Ditan Hospital is the highest grade hospital for infectious diseases and comes under the supervision of the Ministry of Health, Beijing Municipal Health Bureau and the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

The hospital had excelled in 2003 and 2004 in the fight against SARS.

Meanwhile, Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital has introduced an Influenza A(H1N1) prevention herbal medicine pack.

The Deputy Director of the hospital, Jin Wei, told a press conference earlier that the herbal pack contained seven little packs of four types of herbs in combination, which were said to be effective in the prevention of H1N1.

"Just dip a small pack of herbs in a teapot of hot water and drink it like tea, or used it as mouthwash, and it helps to prevent people for being infected," said Jin.

She said the pack could even cure mild cases of H1N1. However if patients do not recover after taking the herbs for seven days, they are advised to go to the hospital for further treatment.

The combination of the herbs is as follows: Lonicera Japonica Thund-3 grammes, Isatis Indigodica- 3 gms, Mentha Haplocalyx Brip.-3 gms and Glycyrrhiza Glabra-3 gms. These herbs are available in Chinese herbal medicine shops.

H1N1 Virus: How to Protect Yourself from Swine Flu and Alternatives to the Vaccination

Autumn is here and, with it, cold and flu season. A lot of patients are asking me about the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) approach to treating colds and flu, especially with the concern this year about the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus.

Q: What are your thoughts about the flu shot and H1N1 (Swine Flu) vaccine?

A: While I can’t make a specific recommendation as to whether you should or should not get the vaccine, please do read up on the safety of the vaccine. The CDC offers answers to FAQs regarding the vaccine here. In my own research I have come across a clinical trial that is currently being conducted, but not scheduled to be completed until April 2010.

A CBS piece summarizes some of the concerns parents have regarding the vaccination here. Parents are particularly hesitant about the safety of such a newly introduced vaccine and the possible inclusion of chemical additives like Themerosol.

If you do choose to get a flu shot this season, acupuncture treatments can help prepare your body for the vaccine and help with any side effects.

Here are some things for you to consider in your decision:

The flu shot and H1N1 vaccine introduce pathogens to your body, essentially to give the body a preview of the bacteria, virus, or toxin it may be exposed to. This allows the body to learn how to defend itself in advance. If the body is ever invaded by that particular pathogen after the vaccine has done its work, your immune system is ready. Some people may experience illness or other side effects from the vaccine itself.

TCM treatments, given before and after a vaccination, strengthen the body to prepare for the pathogens before you receive vaccine and also “release heat” from the body after the vaccine is administered. (Similar treatments are available for infants and young children who are vaccinated against other illnesses.)

Q: How can Acupuncture and Chinese medicine help me avoid or treat colds and flu this season?

A: In TCM, we focus on strengthening the body to increase immunity (how well your body is able to fight off illness). With regular acupuncture treatments, you can strengthen your immune system and decrease your incidences of cold and flu in the coming months. The best time to start treatments to prevent the cold and flu is the season before (early Autumn), which is now!

Acupuncture treatments and herbs can also alleviate symptoms if you do catch a cold or flu. Chances are the treatments you’ve gotten will help your body better fight the illness - it will be more mild and you will get over it more quickly. If you tend to be susceptible to getting multiple colds and flus in the winter, schedule an appointment for acupuncture and herbs today!

Other tips for avoiding and treating colds and flu:

• In Chinese Medicine, we try to avoid "catching a cold or wind." As the air is becoming more crisp and cool, even when the sun is out, wear a scarf to protect your neck from being cold, keep your torso and feet warm and don’t go outdoors with wet hair.

• At the first sign of a cold or flu, rest and get extra sleep. Listen to your body's need for rest and try not to "push through" your illness. Especially this season, stay home to prevent spreading the illness to others.

• Drink warm teas, broths, and eat nutritious whole foods. Eat less processed sugar. If you have phlegm/mucus, avoid dairy products (especially unfermented dairy and citrus). Honey soothes sore throats and helps with coughs.

• Mild exercise is okay; intense exercise will only deplete your immune system further.

• Double dose your probiotics. A healthy gut can help your body fight off a nasty pathogen.

• A simple formula of four Chinese herbs has been shown to be beneficial at warding of swine flu. Come in for an appointment to see if these are appropriate for you.