Health WellNews

Headaches, even serious ones, are a part of the daily lives of millions of people. In fact, over 50 million people have experienced some form of severe headache at some point in their lives. Whether a headache is considered minor, or it is a severe migraine, it can take up valuable time during your day and leave you searching frantically for some sort of relief. Some turn to drugs. While this is good for quickly relieving pain for a while, these medications do not get to the root of the problem and address the cause(s) of the headache. They can also cause unwanted side effects, especially if taken over long periods of time.

A safe alternative is Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). These offer a natural and effective approach to relieving headache pain without the harmful side effects that medications cause. Using Traditional Chinese Medicine, an acupuncturist can incorporate a comprehensive diagnostic tool which will help him or her to understand and address the root cause(s) of your pain.

One very important part of getting to the root of the issue is understanding the different headache types. There are many factors in the TCM practice which could play a key role in the root cause or causes of your headaches. Some of these include body constitution, emotional health, excessive work, social and exercise activities, improper diet, physical trauma, and pregnancy. Factors such as specific times when a headache starts,  how frequently they occur, where in the head they are located, what type of pain they feature, their triggers, and which remedies provide relief can also be very helpful.

With Acupuncture and TCM, you can take a natural, holistic, and whole-body approach to your health. Your acupuncturist will start by taking a detailed health history and performing a physical exam to determine how and why your body’s vital energy, known as “Qi,” is out of balance. With that information, they can help you discover what root causes are contributing to the overall problem. This information will help them to learn the type of headache that you are having, and address the underlying cause(s)…not just cover the symptoms.

It is very important to realize that acupuncture is not a “quick fix.” The changes in your body will occur over time, maybe quickly, or maybe more slowly, depending on your overall constitution and health. You may come for one visit to address an acute issue, or several visits to address a chronic problem, the frequency of your visits will be designed to maximize your healing potential.

The Old Man and Worms

There are some tales which can change the listeners life. This could be one of them.

On a misty morning following an all night storm, a little girl walked down her road to catch the school bus. As she drew closer to her stop, she noticed an old man picking small items up off of the sidewalk and tossing them into the woods. As the little girl walked closer to where the man was, she realized that the items which he was tossing were actually worms. The morning sunlight glistened on the wiggling worms which had made their way out of the ground, and onto the road sometime during the night. There were thousands of them.

As the little girl watched, the old man picked up the worms one at a time, and tossed them back into the woods. She approached the man and introduced herself. “Excuse me, but there are thousands of worms stranded on this road. You cannot possibly make a difference with such a huge task.” The old man simply smiled and looked up at the little girl as he picked up another worm and tossed it into the woods. “Made a difference to that one, didn’t I?”

The old man did make a difference. Although the problems of the world may seem overwhelming, we can each make a difference. How can you change a small part of the world today?

Whether we are aware of it or not, each season can have a profound influence upon our health and well-being. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, summer is associated with the Fire element, which rules the heart and the small intestine, as well as thought processes and emotional well-being. Summer is a time of outgoingness and moving outward in nature and in our lives. The level of enjoyment we have during this season depends on the balance of the Fire element.

When the Fire element is in balance, the heart is strong and healthy, the mind is calm and sleep is sound. We experience enthusiasm and warmth in our relationships. When it is imbalanced, we may either lack joy (depression) or have an excess of joy (mania).

Signs and symptoms of a heart and small intestine imbalance according to Chinese Medicine:

Emotional: Anxiety, disturbed sleep, excessive dreams, inappropriate laughter, lack of joy or humor, lack of social warmth, mental confusion, overly critical approach to people and life, poor self-esteem, restlessness, sadness, etc.

Physical: Anemia, angina, digestive troubles, dizziness, easily startled, frozen shoulder, hemorrhoids, hot flashes, painful joints, insomnia, low or high blood pressure, palpitations, poor circulation, red cheeks, stiff neck, sweating problems, urinary problems, varicose veins, etc.

Acupuncture And The Heart

Over-activation of the sympathetic nervous system is common with patients who suffer from heart problems. Over time, this may cause the heart to work harder, forcing blood to flow through blood vessels that are constricted due to heightened nerve activity. Such over-activation makes it more likely that the heart will develop potentially lethal rhythm patterns.

Acupuncture can improve the health of patients who experience severe heart problems by dramatically reducing the activity in the sympathetic nervous system that regulates heartbeat and blood pressure. According to new research conducted by the International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience, acupuncture controls the heart rate and increases the strength of cardiac autonomic function. This new research indicates that the use of specific acupuncture points may help to prevent heart attacks and arrhythmias (abnormal muscle contractions in the heart). Talk to your acupuncturist if you are experiencing any of the emotional and physical the signs and symptoms that may relate to an imbalance of the heart.

Source: http://tcm.health-info.org

Acupuncture Media Works © 2012 Copyright, All rights reserved. The information contained within the Health WellNews newsletter is only used to educate and inform. This newsletter is not a substitute for the advice of a licensed and registered health care provider. Seek prompt attention for emergencies. Consult a health care provider for specific health concerns, and before starting a diet, cleanse or exercise routine.

Points Toward Health

Rubbing acupressure points with your finger for 30-60 seconds can stimulate these points and promote health and well-being.

Heart 7 (• P1)

Location: With palm facing up, on the inside of the wrist, on the little finger side of the crease where the hand meets the wrist.

Function: Promotes a calm mind, alleviates anxiety, stimulates memory, and corrects insomnia. Also useful in alleviating hysteria, sadness, fear and fright, heart palpitations and shortness of breath.

Pericardium 6 (• P2)

Location: On the inside of the forearm, in between the tendons, approximately 2½ finger widths below the wrist crease.

Function: Reduces irritability, anxiety and stress. Regulates discomfort and pain in the hypochondriac region and chest. Good for poor memory, insomnia, stomach ache, nausea, vomiting, wrist pain and neck aches.

Why does it feel so good to fall asleep on sand or lying on the earth looking up at the stars? According to Martin Zucker (author of Earthing), connecting your physical body to the flow of the earth’s electric energy has been scientifically proven to promote healing and create a deep sense of well-being within us.

Zucker suggests that modern lifestyle has increasingly separated humans from this flow of subtle omnipresent energy of the earth. We wear insulative rubber or plastic-soled shoes that block the flow of energy and walk on concrete or asphalt. Current research has revealed that connecting to earth’s energy creates an uplifting shift in our physiology. It harmonizes and stabilizes the body’s basic biological rhythms, reduces and eliminates pain, knocks down (and even knocks out) chronic inflammation, promotes health, vitality and better sleep.

Summer is the perfect season for walking barefoot. Why not take advantage of good weather, grass and warm sand? Now is the time to take a bare step towards health!

Here is a list of benefits of walking barefoot:

1. Improve Your Posture
   Poorly developed muscles in the feet can lead to bad posture, which is a major factor in developing back problems. Walking or running barefoot strengthens the muscles in the feet, calves, thighs and hips.
2. Develop Here-and-Now Awareness
   Quieting the mind chatter can be challenging, unless you are engaged in an activity that requires you to be fully present. It is hard not to pay attention to every step when you’re walking barefoot, you have to be on the look out for sharp rocks and thorns! This helps you focus on the present moment.
3. It’s a Free Reflexology Session
   There are many reflex points that correlate to every part of your body in your feet. When you walk barefoot, these little pressure points get stimulated naturally with the help of every little bump and rock in the road, which enhance the natural healing process of our bodies.
4. Increase Sensory Experiences 
   There are distinct differences between walking on sand, grass, wood or asphalt. By wearing shoes all the time, we are missing out on the sensory experiences we can pick up with our feet. The world becomes truly three-dimensional when we can sense more with our feet.
5. Improve Mental/Emotional Health 
   It is probably not a coincidence that most exercises involving mental concentration are done barefoot such as: martial arts, yoga and tai chi. Walking barefoot and connecting to earth’s energy can help decrease anxiety and depression and increase the levels of those feel good endorphins.
6. Balance the Body’s Electrical Systems
   Our bodies are made up of about 60 % water, which is great for conducting electricity. Walking barefoot can also help recharge and re-balance our body’s natural internal ‘electrical systems’ as well as promoting an ionic balance within our cells and tissues.
7. Improve Sleep Patterns
   Our ancestors had an intimate relationship with the earth. They slept close to it; either on plant-based bedding or the ground itself. Homes were made of stone or some other conductive material. Barefooting regularly can give your body an opportunity to calibrate its physiological rhythms with the earth’s, which can help improve sleep.

Resources:
http://courageousmind.blogspot.com/2011/07/health-benefits-of-walking-barefoot.html
http://www.townsendletter.com/May2010/earthing0510.html
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/wc/stephanie-slon

Ancient Art Of Reflexology

Reflexology is an ancient healing art based on massaging certain points on the feet, hands and ears that reflexively stimulate corresponding organs and systems. There are dozens of pressure points on each foot, ear and hand. The points slightly different from right side to left, with the right foot, ear or hand corresponding to the right side of the body and the left foot, ear or hand to the left.

Written records, pictures and artifacts account for the presence of reflexology in ancient Egypt, Japan, India, China and Russia. Until 1917, it was not called “reflexology”. A Russian neurologist and psychiatrist, Vladimir Bekterev, coined the phrase.

Source: http://life.gaiam.com/article/what-reflexology

Every day we have an opportunity to make different choices that can hinder or support emotional and physical well-being. Below is a list of ideas to consider for heart health:

• Aim to eat out less this month. You have more control over the quality of the ingredients, cooking methods and the portion size of your food if you cook at home or pack lunch for work.
• Make an effort to read food labels and watch out for trans fats, which increase your blood cholesterol.
• Increase your intake of vegetables and fruits by at least 5 servings per week. These foods contain disease-fighting antioxidants and heart-healthy fiber, which are all friends of the heart.
• Have the goal of increasing your physical activity by 10 minutes per day to lower blood pressure, keep weight off and reduce your risk of developing coronary artery disease.
• Give yourself some down time. Stress is associated with high blood pressure and unhealthy activities such as smoking, drinking or overeating.
• Add more fun into your life. In traditional chinese medicine, heart is the seat of the soul and joy is the most nutritious ingredient you can consume for heart health.
• Consider regular acupuncture sessions while you are making small changes for emotional and physical support. You don’t have to do it alone!

Source: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada

Cool Cucumber And Black Bean Summer Salad

Organic produce is highly recommended.

• 1 English cucumber , diced
• 15 ounce can black beans , drained and rinsed
• 15 ounce can corn , drained
• ½ red onion , chopped
• 1 garlic clove , minced 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon cilantro
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper

Drain the corn and the beans well and mix everything in a bowl and serve. Great alone, as a salsa for chips, or on a taco salad! Feel free to add a tablespoon of olive oil as well.

Note: If you find red onions and garlic a little too intense, separately microwave them for 20-30 seconds or longer depending on the strength of your microwave, and then add them to the mix.

Source: http://low-cholesterol.food.com

Eating In Summer

Chinese nutrition classifies food according to its energetic qualities of temperature, taste, and ability to moisten and strengthen the body. In summer, indigestion can easily occur, so a light and less-greasy diet is recommended.

The warming tissue building foods of winter (Yang foods), like cheese, meat, eggs and nuts should be consumed in moderation. In fact, it is the perfect season to introduce cool, Yin foods, into your diet. Food with cool properties can clear heat, reduce toxins, and generate body fluids.

In general, cooling foods tend to be green — lettuce, cucumbers, and watercress are some of the coolest. Fish and seafood are also cooling, while most meats are warming. Sticking with seasonal fruits and vegetables would be your best bet, as nature provides us with what our bodies need organically.

Cooling Foods for Summer

 The Effects of Artificial Sweeteners

Americans are increasingly consuming artificial sweeteners often thinking that it is the perfect solution to their sweet tooth with little to no caloric aftermath. Yet this country continues to pack on the pounds and much as 75% of the country is overweight. 

Basically, artificial sweeteners confuse your brain. The enzymes in your mouth begin a cascade that primes your cell receptors for an insulin surge, and when it doesn’t arrive your brain feels cheated. That’s why most diet sodas are loaded with caffeine — so you’ll still feel a jolt. But even if your brain is distracted momentarily, soon enough it wants the energy boost you promised it — and you find yourself craving carbohydrates. In one study, people who used artificial sweeteners ate up to three times the amount of calories as the control group. But again, this is individual. It all comes down to the brain’s perception of calories, which can get thrown off whenever artificial ingredients are substituted for whole food.

Two Recent studies on the effect of artificial sweeteners: the first from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and published in Behavioral Neuroscience, doctors compared two groups of rats: One consuming yogurt sweetened with glucose and the other with artificial sweetener. The rats consuming the artificial sweetener were unable to regulate their intake, leading to greater weight gain and more body fat as they had a greater overall consumption of calories. It appears that by avoiding sugar and using the fake stuff, the body is not able to regulate hunger and appetite, which leads to increased consumption.  In Circulation, July 2007, a second study was published that observed soft drink consumption and the risk for the markers of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is currently the most worrisome lifestyle malady. It is defined by having at least three of the following: elevated triglycerides, abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, elevated blood pressure or low HDL. Metabolic syndrome makes you 3-4 times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease. The study showed that drinking one or more sodas a day increased the risk of obesity by 31 percent and the risk of metabolic syndrome by 44 percent! There was no difference in risk between diet and regular pop.

Artificial sweeteners are considered nonnutritive sweeteners because they provide no calories when consumed. There are many forms of artificial sweeteners, including Splenda (sucralose), Sweet’N Low (saccharin), Equal and Nutrasweet (aspartame), acesulfame K and neotame.  Natural alternative -Stevia Sorbitol, and a new one  Tagatose

The five FDA-approved nonnutritive sweeteners are saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, and neotame. Each of these is regulated as a food additive. These sweeteners are evaluated based on their safety, sensory qualities (for example, clean sweet taste, no bitterness, odorless), and stability in various food environments. They are often combined with other nutritive and/or nonnutritive sweeteners to provide volume that they lack on their own and a desired flavor. An Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for each additive has been established. The ADI is the amount of food additive that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk to a person on the basis of all the known facts at the time of the evaluation.

Aspartame is one of the most controversial nonnutritive sweeteners. There are numerous Web sites, books, and articles stating various reasons why aspartame should not be consumed. Some site studies to support their theories while others base their claims on industry-related conspiracies. The following is a summary of the opposing views on aspartame: Now to be called Amino Sweet

Industry conspiracies: Conflicts of interest in the studies performed on aspartame and the way in which its approval was obtained is an ongoing controversy. Dr. Robert Walton surveyed the studies of aspartame in the peer-reviewed medical literature. He states that “of the 166 studies felt to have relevance for questions of human safety, 74 had Nutrasweet industry related funding and 92 were independently funded. One hundred percent of the industry-funded research attested to aspartame’s safety, whereas 92% of the independently funded research identified a problem.” Other reports of federal employees working for the companies responsible for the testing and distribution of aspartame are cited on all of the sites and books opposing the use of aspartame.

Aspartame disease: H.J. Roberts, MD, coined the term “aspartame disease” in a book filled with over 1,000 pages of information about the negative health consequences of ingesting aspartame. Dr. Roberts reports that by 1998, aspartame products were the cause of 80% of complaints to the FDA about food additives. Some of these symptoms include headache, dizziness, change in mood, vomiting or nausea, abdominal pain and cramps, change in vision, diarrhea, seizures/convulsions, memory loss, and fatigue. Along with these symptoms, links to aspartame are made for fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, tinnitus, joint pain, unexplainable depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, and various cancers. Aspartame should be avoided by most women, but particularly in those with neuropsychiatric concerns. Recent studies in Europe show that aspartame use can result in an accumulation of formaldehyde in the brain, which can damage your central nervous system and immune system and cause genetic trauma. While the FDA has assured us that the research does not show any adverse health complications from aspartame, there has been some evidence to suggest that some of these symptoms can be related to aspartame:

Headaches: One study confirmed that individuals with self-reported headaches after the ingestion of aspartame were in deed susceptible to headaches due to aspartame. Three randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled studies with more than 200 adult migraine sufferers showed that headaches were more frequent and more severe in the aspartame-treated group.

Depression: In a study of the effect of aspartame on 40 patients with depression, the study was cut short due to the severity of reactions within the first 13 patients tested. The outcome showed that individuals with mood disorders were particularly sensitive to aspartame and recommended that it be avoided by them.

Cancer: In an initial study, 12 rats out of 320 developed malignant brain tumors after receiving aspartame in an FDA trial. There have been other studies to both support and contradict this finding. A recent study, conducted by Italian and French researchers indicates there is no association between low-calorie sweeteners and cancer. The researchers evaluated a variety of studies between the years of 1991 and 2004. These studies assessed the relationship between low-calorie sweeteners and many cancers, including oral and pharynx, esophagus, colon, rectum, larynx, breast, ovary, prostate and renal cell carcinomas. The researchers examined the eating habits of more than 7,000 men and women in their middle ages (mainly 55 years and over). Based on the data evaluated, there was no evidence that saccharin or other sweeteners (mainly aspartame) increase the risk of cancer at several common sites in humans. The debate continues while more research is conducted.

Increased hunger: A study done with 14 dieters comparing the effects of aspartame-sweetened and sucrose-sweetened soft drinks on food intake and appetite ratings found that substituting diet drinks for sucrose-sweetened ones did not reduce total calorie intake and may even have resulted in a higher intake on subsequent days. In another study of 42 males given aspartame in diet lemonade versus sucrose-sweetened lemonade, there was no increase in hunger ratings or food intake with the diet group. Weight loss results from consuming fewer calories than your body needs. When you replace a caloric beverage with a noncaloric beverage, you will be saving calories and could lose weight if it is enough calories to put you in a negative balance.

Sucralose is the newest nonnutritive sweetener on the market. It is most well known for its claim to be made from sugar. It is as sold as Splenda and is 600 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). It provides essentially no calories and is not fully absorbed. In 1998, it was approved for limited use, and in 1999, it was given approval for use as a general-purpose sweetener. It is currently found in over 4,500 products, including foods that are cooked or baked.

The FDA reviewed studies in human beings and animals and determined that sucralose did not pose carcinogenic, reproductive, or neurological risk to human beings. The Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for sucralose was set at 5 mg/kg of body weight/day. To determine your ADI, divide your weight in pound by 2.2 and then multiply it by 50. For example, if you weighted 200 lbs., your weight in kg would be 91 (200 divided by 2.2) and your ADI for sucralose would be 455 mg (91 x 5).

A lot of the controversy surrounding sucralose stems from the fact that it was discovered while trying to create a new insecticide. The claim that it is made from sugar is a misconception about the final product. According to the book Sweet Deception, sucralose is made when sugar is treated with trityl chloride, acetic anhydride, hydrogen chlorine, thionyl chloride, and methanol in the presence of dimethylformamide, 4-methylmorpholine, toluene, methyl isobutyl ketone, acetic acid, benzyltriethlyammonium chloride, and sodium methoxide, making it unlike anything found in nature. The Splenda Web site even states that “although sucralose has a structure like sugar and a sugar-like taste, it is not natural.” The product Splenda is also not actually calorie-free. Sucralose does have calories, but because it is 600 times sweeter than sugar, very small amounts are needed to achieve the desired sweetness. The first two ingredients in Splenda are dextrose and maltodextrin, which are used to increase bulk and are carbohydrates that are not free of calories. One cup of Splenda contains 96 calories and 32 grams of carbohydrates, which is substantial for people with diabetes but unnoticed due to the label claiming that it’s a no calorie sweetener.

The name sucralose is another misleading factor. The suffix –ose is used to name sugars, not additives. Sucralose sounds very close to sucrose, table sugar, and can be confusing for consumers. A more accurate name for the structure of sucralose was purposed. The name would have been trichlorogalactosucrose, but the FDA did not believe that it was necessary to use this so sucralose was allowed.

   The presence of chlorine is thought to be the most dangerous component of sucralose. Chlorine is considered a carcinogen and has been used in poisonous gas, disinfectants, pesticides, and plastics. The digestion and absorption of sucralose is not clear due to a lack of long-term studies on humans. The majority of studies were done on animals for short lengths of time. The alleged symptoms associated with sucralose are gastrointestinal problems (bloating, gas, diarrhea, nausea), skin irritations (rash

, hives, redness, itching, swelling), wheezing, cough, runny nose, chest pains, palpitations, anxiety, anger, moods swings, depression, and itchy eyes. The only way to be sure of the safety of sucralose is to have long-term studies on humans done

Acesulfame K has been an approved sweetener since 1988, and yet most people are not even aware that this is a nonnutritive sweetener being used in their food and beverages. It is listed in the ingredients on the food label as acesulfame K, acesulfame potassium, Ace-K, or Sunett. It is 200 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar) and is often used as a flavor-enhancer or to preserve the sweetness of sweet foods. The FDA has set an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of up to 15 mg/kg of body weight/day.

The problems surrounding acesulfame K are based on the improper testing and lack of long-term studies. Acesulfame K does contain the carcinogen methylene chloride. Long-term exposure to methylene chloride can cause headaches, depression, nausea, mental confusion, liver effects, kidney effects, visual disturbances, and cancer in humans. There has been a great deal of opposition to the use of acesulfame K without further testing, but at this time, the FDA has not required that these tests be done.

NeotanIn   In 2002, the FDA approved a new version of aspartame called Neotame. Neotame is chemically related to aspartame without the phenylalanine dangers for individuals with PKU. It is much sweeter than aspartame with a potency of approximately 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). The FDA has set an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) at 18 mg/kg of body weight/day.

Neotame entered the market much more discreetly than the other nonnutritive sweeteners. While the Web site for neotame claims that there are over 100 scientific studies to support its safety, they are not readily available to the public. Opponents of neotame claim that the studies that have been done do not address the long-term health implications of using this sweetener. Without scientifically sound studies, done by independent labs, the opponents of neotame will continue to refute its use.

Stevia and sorbitol — natural alternatives to artificial sweeteners

Other countries and diabetics have both taught us a lot about controlling insulin naturally. For many years, diabetics have used products sweetened with polyalcohol sugars like sorbitol, xylitol, malitol, and mannitol. These are natural sweeteners that do not trigger an insulin reaction. (Xylitol can be derived from birch tree pulp.) They have half the calories of sugar and are not digested by the small intestine.

While most polyalcohol sugars have no side effects, sorbitol is a natural laxative and can cause diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating and flatulence.

For this reason, we recommend the herb stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) over sorbitol as a natural sweetener to our patients. Known in South America as the “sweet herb,” stevia has been used for over 400 years without ill effect. Stevia has been enormously popular in Japan, where it has been in use for more than 20 years, now rivaling Equal and Sweet’N Low. It’s 200–300 times sweeter than sugar, so just a small portion of stevia will sweeten even a strong cup of tea. We’ve known about stevia in the US since 1918, but pressure from the sugar import trade blocked its use as a commodity. Today stevia is slowly gaining steam as a sugar substitute, despite similar hurdles. The FDA has approved its use as a food supplement, but not as a food additive due to a lack of studies. Stevia can be used for anything you might use sugar in, including baking. It is naturally low in carbohydrates. You can buy stevia at most health food stores and over the web. There will always be those who have a sensitivity to a substance, but based on reports from other countries it appears to have little to no side effects. For women who want to move through their cravings for sugar without artificial chemicals, stevia is a great option.

Discovery Health

Effects of Artificial Sweeteners’

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/effects-of-artificial-sweeteners.htm

Health Effects of Artificial Sweeteners’

Jeanne Wahlen

http://tc.engr.wisc.edu/uer/uer98/author2/content.html#g

Holistic Medicine

http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/

http://www.holisticmed.com/sweet/

http://www.holisticmed.com/splenda/