In This Issue:
**Rebecca is all better! Thanks for your support
**Treating Fibromyalgia Naturally - great recommendations from Bob Flaws
**Appointments available! Get them while they're hot!
---------------------
Rebecca is all better! Thanks for your support.
Phew! Now that I've had my cold I'm planning another 4.5 to 5 year hiatus from illness. I've lined up my herbal formulas, I'm taking my vitamins and I am good to go. Thank you so much to all of you who sent me well wishes via email, it was very much appreciated, and thank you to everyone who was kind enough to understand my predicament and reschedule. Now that I am mended I am more determined than ever to help us all avoid feeling this way by incorporating preventative care and wellness maintenance into our routines.
If you don't have a routine or feel like your routine could use a check in, please don't hesitate to call, email me or come in for a tune up appointment to make sure you have all the preventatives you need in place this winter. With the first reported Swine Flu cases in Oregon coming across my inbox, keeping a good antiviral remedy on hand should be a given this season and if you don't have one you like, I am happy to suggest something. Two of my favorites are actually Ban Lan Gen, or Isatis Root, single herb tincture and Yin Qiao Wan which is a combination of cold fighting herbs. Both are available in my office or online if you just want to order something to be delivered to your door via my Virtual Dispensary system.
Treating Fibromyalgia Naturally - great recommendations from Bob Flaws
Bob Flaws is an amazing Acupuncturist with an interested background spanning education both here in the US and in China. He's authored a number of books and articles and has his own Chinese herbal company called Blue Poppy where he formulates both high concentration classical herbal remedies and some good modifications of his own. Recently I came across a great article of his about treating Fibromyalgia naturally and I thought his recommendations were realistic and to the point so I thought I would share. If you don't know what Fibromyalgia is don't worry - while the term is becoming more common many people are not familiar with this syndrome and the exact cause of Fibromyalgia is still unknown. Typically categorized by a combination of sleep issues and all over body pain that is especially intense at a series of specific points, as well as fatigue, Fibromyalgia is recognized as a chronic condition and can be very debilitating. Diagnosis is difficult and Western treatment generally involves various combinations of painkillers and sleep medication. Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine along with lifestyle change and an experiential understanding of your personal limits can combine to create excellent treatment outcomes, however. This article by Bob Flaws outlines some of the recommended lifestyle changes you can make both to treat and prevent Fibromyalgia. Here are some of the recommendations I liked best:
1. Eliminate processed foods from the diet, especially refined sugar and white flour. These foods provide little nutrition and can damage the Spleen and Stomach energetically, which are the organs that govern not only digestion but also musculature from a Chinese perspective.
2. Find some type of exercise that you really enjoy and just do it!
3. Take a walk every day - this is a great way to break up routine and decrease stress in your day.
4. If you know you have too much stress in your life, then find a solution. This may not be something you can do on your own and seeking help through counseling or therapy might be a necessity for you to succeed and if it is, you should do it. Stress is an intense aggravating factor in Fibromyalgia and getting stress under control can be a key to feeling better and maintaining health.
5. Try to decrease or eliminate sodas from your diet. Sodas are acidic and loaded with sugar and chemicals that can damage the Spleen and Kidneys energetically.
These are just a few of the suggestions in Bob's article and for the full 11 point list, please click HERE to be directed to the Acufinder website to read more. If you know someone with Fibromyalgia or you have Fibromyalgia yourself, consider coming in for a course of Acupuncture treatment as a safe and effective alternative to Western medication.
Appointments available! Get them while they're hot!
I know my schedule has been very full of late, but there are appointments available and if you want to get in now is a great time to call, email, or go online to book. I've opened up this Saturday 10/10 to accommodate patients when I was ill, but few people have taken me up on the offer so I still have some appointments available. I've also had a couple of recurring appointments canceled through the end of the year so I actually have appointments available Saturday, next week and the week after that. If you've been wanting to get in but feeling like my schedule is too full, now is your chance! Please go online and schedule today or contact me and I will help you get on the books. These appointments will go fast too, however, so please book soon if you are interested.
Thanks for tuning in!
Thanks again for your support while I was ill, everyone, and thank you for listening today. Remember you can always book on-line via my website, email me direct or call at (503)445-8888 ext. 1 for appointments, consultations or if you just want to contact me with a question. Hope everyone is holding up through the transitions in the weather and I hope I get to see you soon!
~Rebecca
Thursday, October 8, 2009
September 2009 All Ways Well Newsletter
In This Issue:
**September 3 Treatment Special - celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival!
**AHA Warning about Sugar
**Acupuncture Treatment for Sugar/Food Cravings - a great option!
---------------------
September 3 Treatment Special - Celebrate Mid Autumn Festival!
To celebrate Mid Autumn Festival I am offering my semi-annual three treatment package special. Prepay a three treatment package and get $30 off my standard time of service rates! In other words, you can purchase...
**three one-hour acupuncture treatments for $165 instead of $195
or
**three one-hour massage or foot reflexology appointments for $195 instead of $225.
Its a great deal and a wonderful gift, and it won't be offered again until Chinese New Year! Packages can be purchased on-line or in person and appointments can be booked on-line through my website as well.
So.. what is Mid Autumn Festival All About? Mid Autumn Festival is the Chinese harvest festival and is one of the biggest celebrations of the year after Chinese New Year. Mid Autumn Festival, or Zhongqiu Jie in Mandarin Chinese, often consists of families sharing a stroll to view the full harvest moon at night, enjoying a big family dinner and eating traditional Chinese Mooncakes. While delicious, mooncakes are probably the cardiovascular system's greatest fear - a flaky buttery pastry, usually 3 inches in diameter, filled with a sweet bean paste which is usually made from some combination of red beans or lotus seeds, sugar and lard. There are often competitions in China to see who can bake the biggest mooncake and one of the largest weighed in at 13 tons! Amazing yet terrifying, yes? Zhongqiu Jie is also associated with many myths and legends, most of them concerning a fated love affair between immortal archer and hero Hou Yi and the beautiful mortal maiden Chang'e. It is somewhat like a Chinese Romeo and Juliet tragedy, where Hou Yi falls in love with Chang'e after saving the world and they seek an elixir of immortality so they can be together forever. As she drinks it Hou Yi is killed by a villain who is seeking the elixir but arrives too late. In her grief, Chang'e retreats to the moon for eternity where she watches the earth she once called home from afar, now her lovers burial ground. At Mid Autumn Festival offerings are made to Chang'e. As the woman in the moon who enticed an immortal hero, she bestows beauty upon those who pay tribute.
American Heart Association Warning about Sugar - a little is a lot too much
On August 24th the American Heart Association published a paper illuminating a 20% increase in the sugar intake of our nation over the course of the last 30 years. Average sugar intake in the US today is 22.2 teaspoons or 355 calories per day. The AHA's recommended daily allowance? A mere 6 teaspoons or 100 calories max for women and 10 teaspoons or 150 calories for men. So how much is that really? Well, a can of Coca Cola has approximately 40 grams of sugar in it which is the equivalent of 8 teaspoons, almost the recommended max daily allowance for a man per day. Increased sugar intake has paced national increases in Diabetes, Obesity, Heart Disease and High Cholesterol not to mention the fact that sugar contributes to inflammation in the body and can aggravate any type of inflammatory issue including chronic pain, digestive disorders, allergies, headaches and more. By following the AHA guidelines and decreasing your sugar intake you can drastically improve your health and increase your longevity over time. I know its hard, but its worth it. If you want to get a sense of how much sugar you are consuming daily, try tracking it. My favorite method for tracking foods is The Daily Plate feature of Livestrong.com. This free calorie tracker will automatically calculate sodium, sugar, carbs, fat, fiber and protein for you if you enter your daily foods. Even tracking for just a few days can be illuminating sometimes, so if you want to know how much sugar you are getting in your diet think about checking it out. Once you've assessed your sugar intake using the Daily Plate, you will see very clearly where the sugar is coming from in your diet and you can start taking steps to adjust your eating habits accordingly.
Decreasing Sugar is Hard!! Acupuncture can help!
Okay, everyone who reaches for something sweet when they feel stressed, sad or depressed raise your hand (mine's up too!!). And how about everyone who has tried to stop eating sugar only to feel their sugar cravings get the best of them? I certainly have and acupuncture can help. Cutting sugar down or out of your diet can be very difficult because sugar and food can be addictions just like anything else. Unfortunately, unlike smoking, you can't literally can't live without eating and often times this makes food and sugar addictions some of the most difficult to admit and overcome. Acupuncture has a long proven track record with all types of addiction using ear or auricular acupuncture specifically. There are individual points located in the ear that can help control hunger and thirst as well as others that can decrease the agitation and general symptoms of withdrawl to help you persevere. When dealing with addiction of any type, more frequent shorter treatments are usually recommended. If you want to try acupuncture to help you kick the habit, plan to come in for 2-3 half-hour treatments per week for 2-3 weeks. It may take more to get through that acute phase of change or it may take less, but planning on twice a week for two weeks minimum is a good plan. If you're interested in learning more or would like to to come in please don't hesitate to call, email or book a free consultation on-line anytime.
Thanks for tuning in!
Well Happy Fall, everyone, and thank you for listening. If you haven't been in for a tune up for while now is a great time to come in. Let me help you live in harmony with the seasons to achieve optimal health and wellness the Chinese Medicine way. Book on-line via my website, email me direct or call at (503)445-8888 ext. 1. Hope you enjoy the transitions in the weather and have a great September!
~Rebecca
**September 3 Treatment Special - celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival!
**AHA Warning about Sugar
**Acupuncture Treatment for Sugar/Food Cravings - a great option!
---------------------
September 3 Treatment Special - Celebrate Mid Autumn Festival!
To celebrate Mid Autumn Festival I am offering my semi-annual three treatment package special. Prepay a three treatment package and get $30 off my standard time of service rates! In other words, you can purchase...
**three one-hour acupuncture treatments for $165 instead of $195
or
**three one-hour massage or foot reflexology appointments for $195 instead of $225.
Its a great deal and a wonderful gift, and it won't be offered again until Chinese New Year! Packages can be purchased on-line or in person and appointments can be booked on-line through my website as well.
So.. what is Mid Autumn Festival All About? Mid Autumn Festival is the Chinese harvest festival and is one of the biggest celebrations of the year after Chinese New Year. Mid Autumn Festival, or Zhongqiu Jie in Mandarin Chinese, often consists of families sharing a stroll to view the full harvest moon at night, enjoying a big family dinner and eating traditional Chinese Mooncakes. While delicious, mooncakes are probably the cardiovascular system's greatest fear - a flaky buttery pastry, usually 3 inches in diameter, filled with a sweet bean paste which is usually made from some combination of red beans or lotus seeds, sugar and lard. There are often competitions in China to see who can bake the biggest mooncake and one of the largest weighed in at 13 tons! Amazing yet terrifying, yes? Zhongqiu Jie is also associated with many myths and legends, most of them concerning a fated love affair between immortal archer and hero Hou Yi and the beautiful mortal maiden Chang'e. It is somewhat like a Chinese Romeo and Juliet tragedy, where Hou Yi falls in love with Chang'e after saving the world and they seek an elixir of immortality so they can be together forever. As she drinks it Hou Yi is killed by a villain who is seeking the elixir but arrives too late. In her grief, Chang'e retreats to the moon for eternity where she watches the earth she once called home from afar, now her lovers burial ground. At Mid Autumn Festival offerings are made to Chang'e. As the woman in the moon who enticed an immortal hero, she bestows beauty upon those who pay tribute.
American Heart Association Warning about Sugar - a little is a lot too much
On August 24th the American Heart Association published a paper illuminating a 20% increase in the sugar intake of our nation over the course of the last 30 years. Average sugar intake in the US today is 22.2 teaspoons or 355 calories per day. The AHA's recommended daily allowance? A mere 6 teaspoons or 100 calories max for women and 10 teaspoons or 150 calories for men. So how much is that really? Well, a can of Coca Cola has approximately 40 grams of sugar in it which is the equivalent of 8 teaspoons, almost the recommended max daily allowance for a man per day. Increased sugar intake has paced national increases in Diabetes, Obesity, Heart Disease and High Cholesterol not to mention the fact that sugar contributes to inflammation in the body and can aggravate any type of inflammatory issue including chronic pain, digestive disorders, allergies, headaches and more. By following the AHA guidelines and decreasing your sugar intake you can drastically improve your health and increase your longevity over time. I know its hard, but its worth it. If you want to get a sense of how much sugar you are consuming daily, try tracking it. My favorite method for tracking foods is The Daily Plate feature of Livestrong.com. This free calorie tracker will automatically calculate sodium, sugar, carbs, fat, fiber and protein for you if you enter your daily foods. Even tracking for just a few days can be illuminating sometimes, so if you want to know how much sugar you are getting in your diet think about checking it out. Once you've assessed your sugar intake using the Daily Plate, you will see very clearly where the sugar is coming from in your diet and you can start taking steps to adjust your eating habits accordingly.
Decreasing Sugar is Hard!! Acupuncture can help!
Okay, everyone who reaches for something sweet when they feel stressed, sad or depressed raise your hand (mine's up too!!). And how about everyone who has tried to stop eating sugar only to feel their sugar cravings get the best of them? I certainly have and acupuncture can help. Cutting sugar down or out of your diet can be very difficult because sugar and food can be addictions just like anything else. Unfortunately, unlike smoking, you can't literally can't live without eating and often times this makes food and sugar addictions some of the most difficult to admit and overcome. Acupuncture has a long proven track record with all types of addiction using ear or auricular acupuncture specifically. There are individual points located in the ear that can help control hunger and thirst as well as others that can decrease the agitation and general symptoms of withdrawl to help you persevere. When dealing with addiction of any type, more frequent shorter treatments are usually recommended. If you want to try acupuncture to help you kick the habit, plan to come in for 2-3 half-hour treatments per week for 2-3 weeks. It may take more to get through that acute phase of change or it may take less, but planning on twice a week for two weeks minimum is a good plan. If you're interested in learning more or would like to to come in please don't hesitate to call, email or book a free consultation on-line anytime.
Thanks for tuning in!
Well Happy Fall, everyone, and thank you for listening. If you haven't been in for a tune up for while now is a great time to come in. Let me help you live in harmony with the seasons to achieve optimal health and wellness the Chinese Medicine way. Book on-line via my website, email me direct or call at (503)445-8888 ext. 1. Hope you enjoy the transitions in the weather and have a great September!
~Rebecca
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