Saturday, November 8, 2014

Three Whites Challenge- November 10-17!!






Join Acupuncture Connections in eliminating white sugar, white flour and dairy for 1 week from Monday November 10th- Monday November 17th!  Let support each other in setting a healthy tone this winter and avoiding the extra winter weight!!

Here is some inspiration to get you started!






The Three Whites: Sugar, Flour and Dairy
why greatly reducing or eliminating these foods will enhance your health


In Chinese Medicine, food is medicine.  We literally are what we eat!  So why not eat foods that are life affirming, instead of depleting and the cause of ailment?  Eliminating these three foods will reduce inflammation, help with weight loss, make the body less acidic, and improve health overall, here’s why.

  1. White Sugar- of the three whites, this one is clearly the worst.  It is highly processed, addictive and hidden in so many processed foods.  According to Dr N.W. Walker, “When we eat sugar in any shape or form, it ferments in the system, causing the formation of acetic acid, carbonic acid and alcohol.  This acid is detrimental to the intestinal tract and the alcohol gradually damages the texture of the kidneys and pancreas.”  Sugar is pro-inflammatory and speeds up the aging process.  It also promotes a dangerous growth of fat cells around the vital organs causing diabetes and heart disease.  Sugar also compromises the immune system, making you more susceptible to colds.  How to get your sweet fix?  Go for fresh or dried fruits, a little raw honey in your tea, or a fruit juice or smoothie instead!

  1. White Flour- white flour is really almost the same as eating white sugar.  It converts to sugar very quickly during digestion, thus causing stress on the pancreas and releasing high amounts of insulin.  Insulin is the hormone that signals the storage of fat!  It is highly processed and missing the two most nutritious parts of it, the bran and the germ.  There is literally no nutritional value to this product.  It is a refined food that leaves many malnourished, constipated, and overweight and vulnerable to many illnesses.  Opt for whole gains such as brown rice, quinoa, millet, spelt and more instead!

  1. Dairy- humans are the only species on earth to drink milk after infancy and the only ones to drink another animal’s milk.  Cow’s milk is 3-4 times higher in protein that human milk, while at the same time being significantly more deficient in essential fatty acids.  Dairy is acidic and produces an inflammatory response in the body and is one of the main allergens for people today, with up to 75% of the world’s population showing some intolerance to it.  Believe it or not, dairy products actually have low absorbable calcium and can actually cause osteoporosis due to its acidic and high protein composition.  Better sources of calcium are spinach, kale, white beans, black beans, soy products, salmon and molasses.  

So basically, try to reduce your intake of refined white food and replace it with a beautiful, colorful array of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.  Start reading labels and you will be shocked at how many foods contain sugar.  Remember 80% is perfection, don’t be rigid but do your best and your body will surely thank you for it!





www.acupunctureconnections.com

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Staying Healthy this Fall....Food as Medicine

How To Stay Healthy This Fall...Look inside your own kitchen!



One of the reasons that I love Chinese medicine, is the concept that if we align ourselves with the natural elements around us, then we can achieve balance and health, emotionally and physically.  Fall is a big transition, the Fire element of summer gives way to the late summer Earth element harvest and then onto the Metal element of fall which asks us to dig deep into ourselves and start preserving, storing and slowing down.

Today my blender went in the closet and the crock pot got a coveted spot on my kitchen counter.  It's time to slow cook your food and reduce the amount of cold and raw food in your diet.  It's time to choose seasonal vegetables such as winter squash, yams, kale, potatoes and beets.  Time to choose pungent foods that keep the lungs clear and strong, such as onions, garlic and ginger.  They all have warming, antiviral and antibiotic properties that can help with staying healthy.

First and foremost, you want to focus on boosting your immune system so that colds and flus can be prevented.  Along with eating warm seasonal foods, one of my favorite healing herbs is astragalus.  It is a safe herb to take daily throughout the winter, and add to soups and stews for its immune benefits.  Astragalus is called an adaptogen, meaning that it helps protect the body against various physical, emotional and mental stresses.  It's been shown to improve white blood cell count and it is widely used to improve the immune system, preventing colds and upper respiratory infections.  If you want to find some astragalus to cook with this winter, you can find it on-line or at a local herbal apothecary. 

Here is a recipe I am making today for my family and our open house tonight at Acupuncture Connections.

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Super Immune Boosting Chicken Soup
Ingredients:
  • ·       Chicken on the bone (can substitute for vegetable broth)
  • ·       Onions, garlic, scallions, ginger
  • ·       Carrots, celery, parsley, kale and other seasonal veggies of your choosing
  • ·       Astragalus root- in raw or powdered form
  • ·       Shitake muschooms, or reishi mushrooms if available
  • ·       Can add turmeric, ginger and other immune boosting herbs

Start by adding Astragalus to 4 quarts of water in your crock pot.  Coat chicken in olive oil, salt, garlic powder and sauté in a pan for several minutes, then add to crock pot with ginger, scallion and garlic and slow cook for several hours, remove bones and herbs/spices from the soup and add veggies, herbs and salt to taste.  Optional:  add cooked short grain brown rice at the end for more digestive and energy nourishing properties. 

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I hope this recipe inspired you as much as it does me!  Here's to a vibrant and healthy fall.  And of course, if you do get sick, come get some acupuncture as soon as you feel the symptoms coming on!!

Be well,

Melissa










Tuesday, February 25, 2014

My experience with oil pulling...the good, the bad and the ugly


Sometimes it's overwhelming being a gemini who is into natural healing.  Everything is so interesting, I want to learn about and experience it all.  So, just so you know, when someone posts something weird and interesting on facebook, I am the one actually going out, buying all of the ingredients and trying it!  Whether it be the Clean cleanse, green smoothies in my vitamix, fire cider (awesome!) or oil pulling, I'm usually game!  I am as much into these things out of curiosity as I am for the health benefits.  I'm not a very extreme person with diet or lifestyle.  I enjoy moderation with my diet, enjoy coffee, meat and a glass of wine as much as the next person, but because it is balanced with really healthy foods, yoga and self-care, it seems to be a good recipe for a healthy balance.  But I'm getting off topic, here goes with my oil pulling review:)

For those who do not know, oil pulling involved 'swishing' organic coconut or sesame oil in your mouth for 20 minutes, to cleanse the toxins in the mouth and clean & whiten teeth.  It honestly sounded disgusting to me, but I'm always up for a challenge so I decided to go for it.

My first try was a tablespoon of organic, unrefined coconut oil.  It is solid when you put it in your mouth, which almost made me gag, but it did dissolve very quickly and did not taste bad.  I swished for about 10 minutes and could not do anymore.  Then I spit it out, rinsed my mouth with warm water, brushed my teeth and was amazed at how clean my mouth felt...I was impressed.

Second try was later that day, about a tablespoon of unrefined, organic sesame oil...and it tasted pretty awful.  I only lasted 5 minutes, but again, my mouth felt awesome afterwards and the effects lasted.

Third try was this morning.  All of the websites said to do it first thing in the AM to get the most cleansing effect, so I put some coconut oil in and got in the shower.  This was a bad idea.  I felt so nauseas and puked it all out!!  Ugh, not going to try that again for awhile.

So, now for the fourth and most successful try.  I decided to try a smaller amount.  I did a teaspoon of coconut oil this afternoon and it dissolved quickly and I was easily able to do it for 20 minutes.  I washed out my mouth and brushed and am absolutely blown away by the results.  My tongue and teeth both looked much clearer, my teeth look whiter and it feels as though I just left a cleaning at the dentist!

I absolutely recommend this to everyone to try and see how you feel.  I've read some amazing testimonials about the health results of this practice that seem to go well beyond the mouth.  Here are a few that I've read on-line:


The Benefits of Oil Pulling:

Brighter, whiter teeth
Healthier gums
Prevents bad breath
Increased energy
Clearer mind
Decreased headaches
Clearer sinuses
Alleviated allergies
Better sleep
Clearer skin
Regulated menstrual cycles
Improved lymphatic system
Improved PMS symptoms

Of course I cannot attest to these benefits personally because I've only started this yesterday.  But, the benefits to the mouth and teeth for me have been from the very first try.  I will try the sesame oil again with a little less amount, but for me, the best has been a teaspoon of coconut oil starting with 10 minutes or so and building up to 20.  Make sure to buy organic and unrefined coconut oil.  Coconut oil also has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties which add to it's benefits.

So here I go on my newest experiment; a daily ritual of oil pulling for a month or so.  I promise I will report back on my findings and please, if you try it, let me know what your experience is!!  Happy Swishing:)