Here you will find information about upcoming events, special offers, discounts, and articles concerning Chinese medicine and you. Check back regularly for updates or subscribe at left to never miss a beat!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
"Your Genes Are Not Your Fate"
This short 3 minute video is a brief talk by Dr. Dean Ornish, a man who proved scientifically that heart disease is REVERSIBLE through diet, exercise and lifestyle change. He is also the author of "The Spectrum: A Scientifically Proven Program to Feel Better, Live Longer, Lose Weight and Gain Health" and "Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease" among other things. I hope you enjoy this short video about his perspective, key to which is stress reduction and avoiding/reducing chronic stress in particular. Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine are a great way to combat stress. By balancing the bodies energetic system, especially the Liver and Heart meridians which govern the mind and emotions, Acupuncture, reflexology and Chinese Herbs can decrease anxiety, increase calm and increase your capacity to "stay cool" during a crisis.
Website Redesigned with more Educational Information + Amazon Store of Patient Resources!
That's right! I felt it was time for my website to have a new pair of shoes and so voila! I gave it one. In addition to a new look I've added a Learning Center which will be populated with articles about health, Chinese diet and lifestyle advice, information about Chinese medicine treatment for specific disorders and more. For now it has some good links to some of my favorite resources for learning more about getting well and staying that way as well as a link to my new Amazon Store! I've been feeling recently like I recommend so many books and resources to patients that I'm constantly sending out emails with links to more information and I wanted to consolidate that information to one location that would be easy for patients and people wanting to learn more about Chinese medicine and health to go. I'll be increasing and updating the inventory there frequently, so check back often, AND I will be adding a music section with the tunes I play in my office as well - I get requests for those CD's a lot! Check in out using THIS link.
Green Tea - A cup a day to keep the doctor away
Green tea has been used as medicine in China for thousands of years and recently, the west has been catching on. Traditionally used in combination with Chinese Herbs for headache, mental fog, colds and flu's, it provides the body with powerful antioxidants that have been proven effective in increasing the strength of the immune system, inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots (thus decreasing stroke and heart attack risk) and decreasing LDL (bad cholesterol) levels just to name of few of its most exciting health benefits. If you want to add one simple thing to your routine to increase your health and longevity, adding green tea into your diet is a great way to go but people often wonder how much is too much? And what if you want decaf? Is it still effective? To answer the first question - officially, you can't have too much as long as the caffeine isn't effecting you in a negative way but personally, I recommend no more than 3 cups of caffeinated green tea per day. While green tea has much less caffeine than coffee, it is still caffeinated and caffeine can contribute to stress, anxiety, tension as well as miscarriage so I always advise decreasing caffeine in the diet as much as possible. Luckily, decaffeinated green tea IS as effective as caffeinated green tea but then the question becomes - where do we get good decaf? Bag teas typically contain the lowest grade tea leftovers and lack the delicate tantalizing flavors of whole leaf green tea, but I for one have not been able to find whole leaf decaf. Luckily there is a simple - and ancient - solution. Throw away the first steep and drink everything after. Most of the caffeine in green tea is lost during the first steep so if you throw this away you are left with delicious decaf which you can consume to your hearts delight with all the great health benefits and flavor you desire, and you're only limited by how many steeps you can get out of a single pot. Traditionally in Chinese tea ceremonies the tea from first steep is used to warm the cups but is discarded and not consumed. My favorite tea shop in town is the Tao of Tea which has stores in SE Belmont area, in the Pearl district and inside the Chinese Garden downtown. They are very friendly about helping you learn more if you have questions.
Hope to see you soon!
Well, I hope this message finds you well and that you enjoy the Ornish video with a nice cup of green tea in hand. Please do check out the revisions to my website if you get a chance and stay tuned for more educational content - its coming soon! Yours - Rebecca
February QiMail Newsletter - Fertility
Current statistics state that one in five couples over the age of 30 have difficulty conceiving after one year of trying. Many of these couples are turning to acupuncture and Oriental medicine for a safe, effective and natural solution to have a healthy baby.
Oriental medicine has a long history when it comes to enhancing fertility for both men and women. In fact, evidence that acupuncture and herbal medicine have been used to aid fertility can be found in early medical literature dating back to 3AD.
Fertility treatments were first recorded by Zhang Zhong Jing, a famous physician from the Han Dynasty, in his discussion of diseases in women in the Jin Gui Yao Lue or Essentials of the Golden Cabinet.
How Acupuncture Can Enhance Fertility
According to the principles of Oriental medicine, a person's health is determined by the quality of Qi, the vital life energy, and blood circulating through the body. When Qi and blood are circulating properly, the body is properly nourished and functioning optimally which, in turn, enhances fertility.
Researchers have confirmed its benefit in the following areas:
1. Regulate menstrual cycle.
2. Improve sperm count and motility.
3. Reduce stress and anxiety associated with infertility.
4. Normalize hormone and endocrine systems.
5. Improve blood flow in the uterus.
6. Decrease chance of miscarriage.
7. Increase the chance of pregnancy for women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Fertility treatments vary from person to person, but are usually scheduled for at least three consecutive cycles (twelve weeks). Treatments can include acupuncture, customized herbal therapy, stress reduction and dietary counseling. Treatments work alone but are an excellent addition to any Western intervention.
Please call for more information of to schedule a consultation.
Acupuncture Increases IVF Success by 65%
Women undergoing IVF were 65 percent more likely to become pregnant when they combined the procedure with acupuncture, a recent study has shown.
The remarkable success rate occurred across seven acupuncture trials involving 1,366 women in a systematic review and meta-analysis published in a February, 2008 issue of the British Medical Journal.
Acupuncture was delivered either just before or just after embryo transfer – a step in the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) whereby one or several embryos are placed into the uterus.
The research was carried out by scientists from the University of Maryland in the United States and the VU University of Amsterdam in Holland.
It is thought that acupuncture stimulates the neurotransmitters that trigger the production of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone, which controls the menstrual cycle and a woman's ovulation.
Acupuncture is also thought to stimulate blood flow to the uterus and boost the production of endogenous opioids, inducing the body to relax.
Source: British Medical Journal, February 2008
Acupuncture Improves Sperm Quality
A study published in the July 2005 issue of the journal Fertility and Sterility found that acupuncture helped infertile men by apparently helping improve sperm quality in their semen.
In the research project, 28 men received acupuncture in addition to traditional infertility treatments, while another 12 men received only the traditional treatments. All of the men were diagnosed with infertility of unknown origin.
Acupuncture was associated with fewer structural defects in the sperm of men who received it, although it had no effect on other abnormalities, such as sperm immaturity or premature death.
Previous studies have shown a link between acupuncture and improved sperm production and motility.
Source: Fertility and Sterility, July 2005
Monday, January 26, 2009
Happy Chinese New Year - Celebrate the Year of the Ox
January 26th, 2009 marks the Chinese Year of the Earth Ox. According to the 12 Chinese Zodiac Signs, the Ox is a hard working animal who achieves great things through perseverance, patience and hard work. This means the lunar year of 4707 (2009 by our standard calendar) is destined to bring us peace and hard won prosperity - the kind you know that you've earned through hard work and stubborn determination. This is the year of the classic American Dream, the year that its possible to reach any goal you're willing to work hard enough to achieve. So stop procrastinating, put your nose to the grindstone and put aside your fears because the Ox is here to help you stay the course to achieve what you desire. And so am I!!
Special offer thru February - my gift for the Year of the Ox, and great for Valentine's Day!
To celebrate the Year of the Ox and help you achieve those dreams for 2009 I am running a special offer from now until February 28th.
- 3 one-hour Acupuncture Treatments for $165 (a $195 value)
- 3 one-hour Foot Reflexology Treatments for $195 (a $225 value)
Find me on Facebook
Yes! I've joined the business revolution and created a page for my business on Facebook. If you have a facebook page, please fan me and if you have a moment, I would GREATLY appreciate a facebook review!
So here's wishing you the best in the Year of the Ox - a year filled with peace, prosperity and success. I hope to see you soon! - Rebecca Hurwood, LAc
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
January Newsletter - New Year's Rejuvenation
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| Qi Mail™ is an opt-in acupuncture newsletter available by subscription only. We neither use nor endorse the use of spam. You are welcome to forward Qi Mail™ to friends and colleagues at any time. You can cancel your subscription at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of this email. Not interested in receiving this newsletter anymore? Click Here To Unsubscribe. Powered by Acufinder.com | |||||||||||
Friday, January 2, 2009
Happy New Year from All Ways Well
2009 is here! Now accepting Kaiser, Health Net and Providence Insurance!
Well, it seems we've survived the snow storm and now that 2009 is here it is time to start anew. In the spirit of the new year I am proud to share that I am now a preferred Acupuncture provider with Kaiser Permanente and with the American Specialty Health (ASH) Network which provides complementary and alternative medicine coverage to Providence Health Plan patients and Health-Net of Oregon patients. If you have insurance coverage through either of these providers, please bring your insurance card with you to your next treatment so I can verify your benefits and bill accordingly for future treatments. If you know someone on either of these plans who is looking for an LAc, please consider referring them my way!
Insurance reminder - deductibles must be met for '09
I have high hopes that 2009 is going to be a fabulous year full of positive change, exciting growth and happiness yet it does mean that our insurance deductibles have reset with the calendar year. Therefore, if acupuncture treatment is subject to a deductible under your insurance plan you will be responsible for paying out of pocket until that deductible is met before insurance will pay for your treatments. If you are unsure what your deductible is, or if acupuncture is subject to a deductible under your plan, please don't hesitate to call or email me and I will be happy to help you find answers. The sooner you meet your deductible the sooner your insurance will cover ongoing treatment, so don't hesitate to book an appointment!
New Year Resolutions - need help?
While acupuncture is the biggest part of my practice, I am a holistic Chinese Medicine practitioner at heart; this means I strive to combine acupuncture with Chinese dietary therapies, nutritional recommendations, Chinese herbs, Chinese bodywork therapies (such as foot reflexology) and meditation techniques when appropriate. This makes Chinese medicine an excellent adjunct to helping you meet your New Year Resolutions! Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can help you with techniques for reducing stress, with treatments to optimize metabolism and reduce cravings for weight loss, with reducing the withdrawl symptoms of quitting smoking and so much more. If you're looking for a way to keep on track with those resolutions and ensure that 2009 is the best and most accomplished year yet, consider a course of holistic and personalized acupuncture treatments to help you succeed. Free consultations are always available and you can book consultations and appointments online anytime.
Back in the Office January 3rd - See You Soon!
I will be back in the office Saturday, January 3rd from my holiday break to resume my normal Tues-Sat schedule. I hope you all had wonderful holidays and fantastic New Year celebrations. Please remember that if you have any questions or concerns about health related issues, I'm only a phone call or email away and I'll always be happy to help you in any way I can. Happy New Year and I look forward to seeing you soon! - Rebecca Hurwood, LAc
Here is a list of insurance plans currently accepted:
In-Network Provider with...
- Regence BlueCross BlueShield
- Premera Blue Cross
- Lifewise
- ODS Health
- Kaiser Permanente
- ASH Network
- Providence Health Plan
- Health-Net
- PacificSource
- City of Portland (ODS)
- Reliant
- Cigna
- Great West
- All other providers with out of network coverage
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year
Well, here are some images of the steps up to the office yesterday - only mildly treacherous, right? As well as some icicles off the courtyard. For those of you who braved it - thank you for coming in! And for those of you who didn't - thank you for being safe! Safety is key, you know.
Just a note to remind you that I will be out of the office from now until January 3rd, 2009. You can still book appointments by going online to my website at www.allwayswell.com anytime.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year, looking forward to helping you be well and stay well in every way in 2009!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
December Newsletter - Stress Less & Stay Well this Winter
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| Qi Mail™ is an opt-in acupuncture newsletter available by subscription only. We neither use nor endorse the use of spam. You are welcome to forward Qi Mail™ to friends and colleagues at any time. You can cancel your subscription at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of this email. Not interested in receiving this newsletter anymore? Click Here To Unsubscribe. Powered by Acufinder.com | |||||||||||