In Good Health Blog » Specific Conditions

Acupuncture and Herbs Treat a Wide Range of Symptoms

Lana — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:08:17 +0000

Acupuncture and herbs can help reduce the symptoms of many imbalances and illnesses by addressing the underlying causes. Both acupuncture and botanical medicine can work in conjunction with western forms of treatment to help you stay in good health. Here’s a review of some of the most common conditions we treat in Lafayette, CA:

Allergies:

Acupuncture and herbs can strengthen the immune system, which in turn helps the body defend against pollen and other pathogens. Symptoms of allergies can be greatly reduced through the use of acupuncture meridians and botanical medicines.

Arthritis

Acupuncture is a safe and natural method to help control joint pain for both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Asthma

Acupuncture and herbs can be very useful in reducing both the symptoms and root cause of asthma and other lung disorders.

Colds & Flus

Acupuncture can boost the immune system to prevent the body from succumbing to acute infection. Acupuncture treatment and herbal medicines can also help reduce the intensity of external pathogens.

Fibromyalgia

Acupuncture can be used in conjunction with gua-sha ‘tool sand massage’ to bring significant relief to the pain associated with fibromyalgia.

Headaches

Acupuncture and herbs can offer safe and effective approaches to relieving headaches without causing side effects.

Insomnia

Acupuncture and herbs are useful for improving sleep quality and duration.

Menopause & Menstrual Conditions

Symptoms of menopause and menstrual issues can be relieved with the use of acupuncture and botanical medicines. In both cases, there can be imbalances in the body that when not addressed will lead to uncomfortable symptoms that can be treated naturally without side effects.

Pain

Acupuncture and herbs can be a helpful form of treatment for both acute and chronic pain. It can help identify the underlying causes of the pain while making the body more comfortable.

Stress

Acupuncture and herbs can help people manage stress by addressing the root causes while reducing the signs and symptoms.

St. Johns Wort treats depression

Lana — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 03:36:12 +0000

St. John’s Wort extract is effective as an anti-depressant in the management of mood disorders. Because the herb has an important side effect of increased photosensitivity, it may be best to consider St. John’s Wort as a winter time remedy. Although internal use of St. John’s Wort increases one’s sensitivity to the sun, when applied to the skin St. John’s Wort Oil acts as a sunscreen. What a beautiful balance offered by one herb!

See research here.

St. John’s Wort is also potentially effective against MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). See related post here.

Note of Caution:

St. John’s Wort can alter the metabolism of pharmaceuticals that you are taking concurrently. Speak with your acupuncturist, herbalist or other health care practitioner before beginning internal use of St. John’s Wort to be certain it is right for you.

Hawthorn Berry Health

Lana — Tue, 18 May 2010 17:41:42 +0000

Properties of Hawthorn Berries

Cardio-tonic (strengthens the heart muscle)

Diuretic (promotes urination)

Astringent (solidifies loose stool)

Hypotensive (lowers blood pressure)

Physical Effects

Heart and cardiovascular tonic

Relaxes and dilates blood vessels

Lowers blood pressure

Improves general circulation and blood flow

Strengthens damaged or weak heart muscles (increasing the heart’s efficiency)

Exerts a scrubbing action on plaque inside the blood vessels.

Click here for research on using hawthorn for hyperlipidemia and prevention of atherosclerosis.

For men:

Hawthorne is also useful as a tonic for men because it balances and enhances the adrogenic (male) hormones in general. Hawthorn berries also have the ability to relax and dilate blood vessels, which is helpful for erectile problems.

Cautions:

Hawthorn may interact with vasodilating medications and may potentiate or inhibit the actions of drugs used for heart failure, hypertension, angina, and arrhythmias. Do not use hawthorn with blood thinners such as Warfarin.

Large amounts may cause a drop in blood pressure and possibility of fainting. Generally considered safe for long-term use, do not exceed recommended dosage. Consult your health care professional for assistance with heart problems.

Laptops & male fertility

Lana — Mon, 17 May 2010 19:07:10 +0000

Laptop computer use does effect fertility for men, particularly when they are place on the lap for long periods of time. Click here for some details of a study about increased body temperature from the warmth of the computer:
laptop fertility research.

Having a computer near the torso (organs and glands) for long periods of time, has various negative effects. This is true for males, females and even animals who might lounge near computer equipment often in search of extra warmth.

Solutions:
Keep the computer on a desk or table when using it.
Avoid working on couches, beds or chairs where having the computer on your lap is necessary.

Question:
Do portable computer laptop desks (used while working in bed) reduce the problem? Are the materials in these portable desks able to reduce the transfer of heat, or do some of them contain metals that would actually intensify it?

Walnut & Hawthorn Berry Dessert

Lana — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:58:53 +0000

50 grams Hawthorn fruit ‘Shan Zha’

150 grams Walnuts ‘Hu Tao Ren’

sufficient water for soaking and boiling

6 TBS honey or ¼ cup sugar

Soak the walnuts overnight or at least ½ hour. Rinse well and moisten with new water. Grind this walnut and water mixture into a thick liquid. Add more water to dilute if necessary to make it smooth and even.

Wash the hawthorn fruit in a strainer and then place in a Asian herb pot or other suitable pot. Add water to cover fruits by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a medium fire and cook 20 minutes. Strain and reserve the liquid in a mason jar. Add more water to the pan of hawthorn and repeat the boiling and straining process one or two more times. Discard the dregs and save the liquid. The remaining liquid should total roughly 1000ml. Combine the hawthorn fruit liquid and the honey or sugar and stir and heat over a soft heat. When the honey or sugar has melted, slowly add the thick walnut liquid, stirring continually while pouring. Cook this mixture until it starts to boil slightly. Then pour into a bowl. Top with fresh mint leaves or other colorful bits of fresh fruit.

Therapeutic effects of this recipe

Supplement the lungs and kidneys

Nourishes yin fluids in the body

Indications:

Chronic, weak lung cough & shortness of breath

High blood pressure and/or high cholesterol

Kidney deficient impotence

Low back pain

Chronic thirst

Dry stool (because the nuts have moistening oils)

Slow digestion with abdominal distention (especially of fatty foods)

Cautions:

Summer time cure: mung beans

Lana — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 05:28:39 +0000

Mung beans bring healing to the body especially in the spring and summer time, when temperatures are hotter. The sprouts can help to detoxify the body, clear internal heat, and quench thirst. Here’s a tasty recipe from my friend Linda:

Korean Mung Bean Sprout Salad (Sukju namul)

Water — 4 cups (enough to immerse sprouts)

Salt — 1 teaspoon

Mung bean sprouts — 1/2 pound

Scallions, minced – 3-6

Garlic, minced – 3-12 cloves

Sesame oil — 1 teaspoon

Sesame seeds, toasted — 1 teaspoon

Salt — to taste

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high flame. Add the sprouts and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover tightly and set aside for another 2 minutes.

Drain the sprouts, rinse them with cold water and squeeze out any extra water with your hands.

Toss the sprouts with the remaining ingredients and set aside for 30 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Serve at room temperature.

Thanks for the recipe, Linda!

CAUTION: Not for cold conditions. It may be best to avoid mung beans if trying to get pregnant as they are very cooling to the body.

Kudzu – a nourishing & healing root starch

Lana — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:48:01 +0000

Kudzu root, the invasive plant of the south, really does have some great value. In fact, its unusual ability to grow several feet in one day is testament to its strength and ability to replenish the body’s resources. This healing, fibrous root can be used as a cooling, regenerative medicine and is common in many traditional Asian formulas. When it is purified as a starch (root fibers removed), you can use it as a food. It is easy to use as a thickener (instead of corn starch) for soups, stews and dessert puddings. Incorporating foods like this into your diet is a great way to help balance your body while going about your life.

Kudzu root has the following functions:

Relieves muscles, clears heat
Nourishes yin, alleviates thirst
Release rashes to the surface (to bring them up and out of the body)
Alleviates diarrhea (when herb is toasted)
Modern research: decreases blood pressure, reduces blood sugar

Kudzu Pudding for clearing heat:

1 cup pear juice or mint tea

2 full teaspoons Kudzu powder

Makes enough thin pudding for 1-2 servings. Double or triple depending on number of people.

Add liquid to pot and begin to heat. Meanwhile, powder Kudzu starch with mortar and pestle or by other suitable means. In separate bowl, mix kudzu powder with 1/4 cup water or more as needed, similarly to how one dissolves corn starch. Slowly add kudzu mixture to pot. Boil slowly and stir regularly until the preparation thickens. This can take as much as 20 minutes.

Common uses:

To lower a fever, treat colds
To regulate the bowel movement (calm hypermotility if loose or induce softer BM if hard)
To stimulate the appetite
To relieve fatigue
To relax the muscles, shoulders and back of neck

Mountain Garden Herbs in Burnsville, NC is an organic grower of kudzu in the United States.

http://www.mountaingardensherbs.com/

Diet Help for Gout

Lana — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:30:24 +0000

Gout is a very painful type of arthritis that can come on suddenly with much redness, swelling, warmth, pain and inflammation. Arthritic gout is caused by an excess build-up of uric acid in the body. Uric acid is the end-product caused by the breakdown of purines. Purines are compounds that are naturally found in the body and are found in many foods. Many foods, but not all, that are high in purines can trigger an attack of gout. Decreasing the consumption of foods high in purines can reduce gout inflammation. Plant-based diets are generally low in purines.

Cherries contain an enzyme that helps the break down and excretion of uric acid. Eat 1 cup of cherries every day to relieve pain and inflammation. Regularly eating cherries can help prevent future attacks. Look for fresh raw cherries first. Frozen or canned unsweetened cherries or 100% pure cherry juice may also be helpful.

Alcohol increases production and decreases excretion of uric acid, which is not helpful. For prevention and especially during acute bouts of gout, most of the protein in the diet should come from legumes, cheese, milk, and eggs.

Here are some generally agreed upon dietary guidelines for preventing and reducing the occurrence of gout.

Foods containing high amounts of Purine (avoid)

mussels
sardines
herring
hearts
yeast (as a supplement) and probably breads that contain yeast
smelt
sweetbreads

Foods containing moderate amounts of Purine (avoid)

Alcoholic beverages (especially beer)
Asparagus
Bouillon
Broth
Consomme
Gravy
Meats (chicken, turkey, partridge, pheasant, veal, grouse, mutton, goose, bacon, sausage, rabbit and other meats)
Meat Extracts
Mince meat
Organ meats (brain, kidney, liver, sweetbreads, pate)
Seafood (salmon, trout, sardines, scallops, herring, haddock, anchovies, mackeral, lobster, crab, caviar / roe and other seafoods)

Low-Purine Foods

yeast-free grains and breads
Butter, polyunsaturated margarine, & other fats
Cereals
Cheese
Chocolate
Coffee
Cream soups made of low purine vegetables
Eggs
Fruit and fruit juices
Milk and milk products
Noodles
Nuts
Olives
Peanut butter
Rice
Salt
Sugars, sweets, and gelatin
Cherries (very beneficial)

Women’s Moon Cycle – Taking Care

Lana — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:37:35 +0000

A woman’s moon cycle or menses can be a delicate and sensitive time, as deeper hormonal qualities surface from the interior ‘yin’ part of the body to aid in a natural purification. It’s a perfect time to take care of oneself. In addition to eating a balanced diet, getting exercise and fresh air, and working toward emotional clarity, the following points are considered sage advice passed down from generations.

Be careful of too much exposure to the following:

Cold and damp climates. Keep legs and feet warm. Keep covered in cold places and when the temperature is cool. Avoid putting the hands in cold water. Avoid sitting directly on the ground or cold concrete.

Physical extremes. Avoid heavy physical work and sex during the menses. Get plenty of rest.

Emotional extremes. Upsetting situations (movies, conversations, etc.) and emotional stress are best avoided during the menses.

To support health during the menses, it is helpful to avoid:

Alcohol

Tobacco

Coffee

Foods that are cold in temperature

Refined sugar

Hydrogenated fats

Polyunsaturated cooking oils

Large amounts of raw food or fruits.

We now know:

Fluoridated water suppresses thyroid activity, upsetting the hormonal system in general

Chlorinated water destroys vitamin E, an essential nutrient for menstrual ease

Commercial red meats and poultry have residues of steroids composed of female animal sex hormones, which interfere with human menstruation

Over time, oral contraceptives and IUD’s cause difficulties

Source: Healing with Whole Foods, by Paul Pitchford

Salt Water Cleans infections

Lana — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:01:46 +0000

For minor nasal or throat infections you can try using a saline nasal spray or salt-water gargle to see if this remedy can bring down some of the swelling. Make by adding ½ tsp salt to 8 oz warm water.For the throat, gargle the salt water for a total of several minutes, changing the water as necessary. Repeat the entire process later in the day.

To reach the nose area, you can also use a sterile dropper. Fill the dropper with warm salt water solution and hold head back or sideways to allow the water to pass through the nasal canal. You can hold your head back long enough to let the water drip down the back of the throat.

Serious infections should be seen by a doctor or acupuncturist, as they may not respond to this simple method.