Thursday, May 19, 2011
Check out this article on allergies relief the natural way!
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/relieve-allergies-natural-way
Friday, March 11, 2011
Cultivate Optimal Endocrine Health
By: Georjana Shames LAc Dipl.OM CMT
The endocrine system provides regulation of the body through hormonal secretions. Cultivating your endocrine health combined with proper nutrition and diet can boost energy, improve appetite, reduce insomnia, relieve depression symptoms, improve circulation, relieve muscle aches and assist in recovering from endocrine disorders. One of the easiest ways to look after your endocrine system health is to eat nutritious meals and have a well balanced diet.
5 Endocrine Supporting Nutrients
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein are part of any healthy diet. To directly affect your endocrine system, make sure your diet includes these foods.
Fish - Fish provides your body with Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 oils. These oils are fats that directly affect cognitive function, cellular function and kidney function, all the things under the control of the endocrine system. Eating fish twice a week will aid in keeping a balanced endocrine system.
Garlic - Garlic boosts your immunity, increasing your ability to fight off infection. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels. One or two cloves of garlic a day is recommended. Include it in your cooking!
Calcium - Calcium keeps nerves healthy and ensures their ability to communicate effectively. Milk, cottage cheese, cheese, leafy greens, dried beans and yogurt are all rich in calcium.
Vitamin B and B Complex - Directly influences the nervous system's proper functioning and health and one's physical and mental performance concerning the nervous system. Found in chicken, fish, eggs, whole grains, beans and nuts.
Vitamin C - Adrenal glands have a very high content of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). This vitamin helps stimulate adrenal glands into producing more of the disease fighting hormone cortin. A continued stressful environment depletes vitamin C reserves and increases the tendency for infection and disease. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, melons, apricots, strawberries, berries, green vegetables, sweet peppers, and particularly tomatoes.
A few basic steps you can take:
Eat Slowly - Don't rush through your meals. Allow your body to properly digest food reduces after-meal fatigue, boosts your immune system, and enables your endocrine system to properly process nutritional intake.
Exercise - Regular exercise boosts the immune system, improves cardiovascular health, muscle mass, and prevents bone loss. Stress reducing exercises such as yoga, qigong, or tai chi can also be beneficial.
Manage Your Stress - Another important part of maintaining a healthy endocrine system is stress management. Having a lot of stress in your life can cause the overproduction of hormones that can lead to the failure or malfunction of many endocrine organs. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine offers many tools and techniques that can be integrated into your life to keep stress in check and allow you to enjoy a more peaceful life.
Rest - Take a day out of the week for rest and rejuvenation allowing your mind and body recovery time. You will be more productive the rest of the week.
Sleep - Allow six to eight hours of sleep per night in order to reduce stress and keep hormones balanced. The combination of stress and a lack of sleep may cause some of the glands to malfunction. If you are experiencing difficulties sleeping acupuncture has shown great success treating a wide array of sleep problems without any of the side effects of prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids.
Massage Taixi When Fatigued
The root of the body's energy in Oriental medicine is the Kidney meridian. Treatment used to strengthen the Kidney Meridian also restores nourishment to your endocrine glands. Taixi, or Kidney 3, is the source point of the Kidney meridian and an excellent point to massage yourself whenever feeling fatigued. To locate Taixi first locate the medial malleolus, that bone on the inner ankle. Then, locate the Achilles tendon that runs down the back of the ankle. Directly between them you will find the tender area when you press or Taixi. Massage the area on your ankle between the bone of inner malleolus and the Achilles tendon.
Would you like to learn more about how acupuncture can help you? Find an acupuncturist near you for a consultation. A custom-tailored treatment plan will be created to suit your individual needs so that you can feel better quickly and safely!
Read more: Cultivate Optimal Endocrine Health http://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/Detail/Cultivate+Optimal+Endocrine+Health#ixzz1GKzEouoR
The endocrine system provides regulation of the body through hormonal secretions. Cultivating your endocrine health combined with proper nutrition and diet can boost energy, improve appetite, reduce insomnia, relieve depression symptoms, improve circulation, relieve muscle aches and assist in recovering from endocrine disorders. One of the easiest ways to look after your endocrine system health is to eat nutritious meals and have a well balanced diet.
5 Endocrine Supporting Nutrients
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein are part of any healthy diet. To directly affect your endocrine system, make sure your diet includes these foods.
Fish - Fish provides your body with Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 oils. These oils are fats that directly affect cognitive function, cellular function and kidney function, all the things under the control of the endocrine system. Eating fish twice a week will aid in keeping a balanced endocrine system.
Garlic - Garlic boosts your immunity, increasing your ability to fight off infection. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels. One or two cloves of garlic a day is recommended. Include it in your cooking!
Calcium - Calcium keeps nerves healthy and ensures their ability to communicate effectively. Milk, cottage cheese, cheese, leafy greens, dried beans and yogurt are all rich in calcium.
Vitamin B and B Complex - Directly influences the nervous system's proper functioning and health and one's physical and mental performance concerning the nervous system. Found in chicken, fish, eggs, whole grains, beans and nuts.
Vitamin C - Adrenal glands have a very high content of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). This vitamin helps stimulate adrenal glands into producing more of the disease fighting hormone cortin. A continued stressful environment depletes vitamin C reserves and increases the tendency for infection and disease. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, melons, apricots, strawberries, berries, green vegetables, sweet peppers, and particularly tomatoes.
A few basic steps you can take:
Eat Slowly - Don't rush through your meals. Allow your body to properly digest food reduces after-meal fatigue, boosts your immune system, and enables your endocrine system to properly process nutritional intake.
Exercise - Regular exercise boosts the immune system, improves cardiovascular health, muscle mass, and prevents bone loss. Stress reducing exercises such as yoga, qigong, or tai chi can also be beneficial.
Manage Your Stress - Another important part of maintaining a healthy endocrine system is stress management. Having a lot of stress in your life can cause the overproduction of hormones that can lead to the failure or malfunction of many endocrine organs. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine offers many tools and techniques that can be integrated into your life to keep stress in check and allow you to enjoy a more peaceful life.
Rest - Take a day out of the week for rest and rejuvenation allowing your mind and body recovery time. You will be more productive the rest of the week.
Sleep - Allow six to eight hours of sleep per night in order to reduce stress and keep hormones balanced. The combination of stress and a lack of sleep may cause some of the glands to malfunction. If you are experiencing difficulties sleeping acupuncture has shown great success treating a wide array of sleep problems without any of the side effects of prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids.
Massage Taixi When Fatigued
The root of the body's energy in Oriental medicine is the Kidney meridian. Treatment used to strengthen the Kidney Meridian also restores nourishment to your endocrine glands. Taixi, or Kidney 3, is the source point of the Kidney meridian and an excellent point to massage yourself whenever feeling fatigued. To locate Taixi first locate the medial malleolus, that bone on the inner ankle. Then, locate the Achilles tendon that runs down the back of the ankle. Directly between them you will find the tender area when you press or Taixi. Massage the area on your ankle between the bone of inner malleolus and the Achilles tendon.
Would you like to learn more about how acupuncture can help you? Find an acupuncturist near you for a consultation. A custom-tailored treatment plan will be created to suit your individual needs so that you can feel better quickly and safely!
Read more: Cultivate Optimal Endocrine Health http://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/Detail/Cultivate+Optimal+Endocrine+Health#ixzz1GKzEouoR
Friday, February 25, 2011
Benefits of Massage
Good Medicine
By Editorial Staff
Originally published in Body Sense magazine, Fall 2001.
Copyright 2001. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.
As you lie on the table under crisp, fresh sheets, hushed music draws you into the moment. The smell of sage fills the air and you hear the gentle sound of massage oil being warmed in your therapist's hands. The pains of age, the throbbing from your overstressed muscles, the sheer need to be touched -- all cry out for therapeutic hands to start their work. Once the session gets underway, the problems of the world fade into an oblivious 60 minutes of relief and all you can comprehend right now is not wanting it to end.
But what if that hour of massage did more for you than just take the pressures of the day away? What if that gentle, Swedish massage helped you combat cancer? What if bodywork helped you recover from a strained hamstring in half the time? What if your sleep, digestion and mood all improved with massage and bodywork? What if these weren't just "what ifs"?
Evidence is showing that the more massage you can allow yourself, the better you'll feel. Here's why.
Massage as a healing tool has been around for thousands of years in many cultures. Touching is a natural human reaction to pain and stress, and for conveying compassion and support. Think of the last time you bumped your head or had a sore calf. What did you do? Rubbed it, right? The same was true of our earliest ancestors. Healers throughout time and throughout the world have instinctually and independently developed a wide range of therapeutic techniques using touch. Many are still in use today, and with good reason. We now have scientific proof of the benefits of massage - benefits ranging from treating chronic diseases and injuries to alleviating the growing tensions of our modern lifestyles. Having a massage does more than just relax your body and mind - there are specific physiological and psychological changes which occur, even more so when massage is utilized as a preventative, frequent therapy and not simply mere luxury. Massage not only feels good, but it can cure what ails you.
The Consequences of Stress
Experts estimate that 80 percent to 90 percent of disease is stress-related. Massage and bodywork is there to combat that frightening number by helping us remember what it means to relax. The physical changes massage brings to your body can have a positive effect in many areas of your life. Besides increasing relaxation and decreasing anxiety, massage lowers your blood pressure, increases circulation, improves recovery from injury, helps you to sleep better and can increase your concentration. It reduces fatigue and gives you more energy to handle stressful situations.
Massage is a perfect elixir for good health, but it can also provide an integration of body and mind. By producing a meditative state or heightened awareness of living in the present moment, massage can provide emotional and spiritual balance, bringing with it true relaxation and peace.
The incredible benefits of massage are doubly powerful if taken in regular "doses." Dr. Maria Hernandez-Reif, from the Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Miami, is known for her massage research, along with colleague Tiffany Field. Together, they and other researchers have done outstanding work proving the value of massage. While their studies have shown we can benefit from massage even in small doses (15 minutes of chair massage or a half-hour table session), Hernandez-Reif says they know from their research that receiving bodywork 2-3 times a week is highly beneficial. And if we lived in a fantasy world, Hernandez-Reif has the answer. "I feel a daily massage is optimal."
It's undoubtedly a wonderful thing when your therapist begins unwinding those stress-tightened muscles, and your day's troubles begin to fade away. But it's the cherry on top to know this "medicine" only gets better with frequency.
What You Already Know: The Benefits of Massage
In an age of technical and, at times, impersonal medicine, massage offers a drug-free, non-invasive and humanistic approach based on the body's natural ability to heal itself. So what exactly are the benefits to receiving regular massage and/or bodywork treatments?
- Increases circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs.
- Stimulates the flow of lymph, the body's natural defense system, against toxic invaders. For example, in breast cancer patients, massage has been shown to increase the cells that fight cancer.
- Increased circulation of blood and lymph systems improves the condition of the body's largest organ - the skin.
- Relaxes and softens injured and overused muscles
- Reduces spasms and cramping
- Increases joint flexibility.
- Reduces recovery time, helps prepare for strenuous workouts and eliminates subsequent pains of the athlete at any level.
- Releases endorphins - the body's natural painkiller - and is being used in chronic illness, injury and recovery from surgery to control and relieve pain.
- Reduces post-surgery adhesions and edema and can be used to reduce and realign scar tissue after healing has occurred.
- Improves range-of-motion and decreases discomfort for patients with low back pain.
- Relieves pain for migraine sufferers and decreases the need for medication.
- Provides exercise and stretching for atrophied muscles and reduces shortening of the muscles for those with restricted range of motion.
- Assists with shorter labor for expectant mothers, as well as less need for medication, less depression and anxiety, and shorter hospital stays.
Other Body Therapies
Alexander Technique - A movement re-education therapy that was created by a mid-19th century actor who tried to understand his own movement dysfunctions on stage. The emphasis is on observing and modifying improper movement patterns, thereby reducing physical stress on the body.
Craniosacral Therapy - A gentle method of manipulating the body's craniosacral system (consisting of thin membranes and cerebrospinal fluid which surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord) in an attempt to improve the function of the central nervous system, dissipate the negative effects of stress and enhance health and resistance to disease.
Reiki - A therapy based on universal life energy that serves to align chakras and bring healing energy to organs and glands. Utilizes visualization as practitioner acts as a channel for the life energy.
Rolfing - Used to reorder the major body segments, this technique utilizes physical manipulation and movement awareness to bring the body into vertical alignment. Treatments are offered in a 10-session series.
Shiatsu - A deep, finger-pressure technique using the traditional acupuncture points of Asian healing. Works to unblock energy flows and restore balance to meridians and organs.
The Need for Touch
As a society, we are touch deprived and this can lead to disease or emotional dysfunction. From the cradle to the nursing home, tactile stimulation and the emotional assurance of caring touch bring about a sense of well-being and security. In numerous studies conducted on massage for infants, TRI researchers have found improved weight gain and development in pre-term infants, improved weight gain and motor behavior in cocaine-exposed infants, and improved weight gain and decreased stress behavior in HIV-exposed infants. Full-term infants also benefit with increased alertness and social behavior, less crying and increased weight gain.
By Editorial Staff
Originally published in Body Sense magazine, Fall 2001.
Copyright 2001. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.
As you lie on the table under crisp, fresh sheets, hushed music draws you into the moment. The smell of sage fills the air and you hear the gentle sound of massage oil being warmed in your therapist's hands. The pains of age, the throbbing from your overstressed muscles, the sheer need to be touched -- all cry out for therapeutic hands to start their work. Once the session gets underway, the problems of the world fade into an oblivious 60 minutes of relief and all you can comprehend right now is not wanting it to end.
But what if that hour of massage did more for you than just take the pressures of the day away? What if that gentle, Swedish massage helped you combat cancer? What if bodywork helped you recover from a strained hamstring in half the time? What if your sleep, digestion and mood all improved with massage and bodywork? What if these weren't just "what ifs"?
Evidence is showing that the more massage you can allow yourself, the better you'll feel. Here's why.
Massage as a healing tool has been around for thousands of years in many cultures. Touching is a natural human reaction to pain and stress, and for conveying compassion and support. Think of the last time you bumped your head or had a sore calf. What did you do? Rubbed it, right? The same was true of our earliest ancestors. Healers throughout time and throughout the world have instinctually and independently developed a wide range of therapeutic techniques using touch. Many are still in use today, and with good reason. We now have scientific proof of the benefits of massage - benefits ranging from treating chronic diseases and injuries to alleviating the growing tensions of our modern lifestyles. Having a massage does more than just relax your body and mind - there are specific physiological and psychological changes which occur, even more so when massage is utilized as a preventative, frequent therapy and not simply mere luxury. Massage not only feels good, but it can cure what ails you.
The Consequences of Stress
Experts estimate that 80 percent to 90 percent of disease is stress-related. Massage and bodywork is there to combat that frightening number by helping us remember what it means to relax. The physical changes massage brings to your body can have a positive effect in many areas of your life. Besides increasing relaxation and decreasing anxiety, massage lowers your blood pressure, increases circulation, improves recovery from injury, helps you to sleep better and can increase your concentration. It reduces fatigue and gives you more energy to handle stressful situations.
Massage is a perfect elixir for good health, but it can also provide an integration of body and mind. By producing a meditative state or heightened awareness of living in the present moment, massage can provide emotional and spiritual balance, bringing with it true relaxation and peace.
The incredible benefits of massage are doubly powerful if taken in regular "doses." Dr. Maria Hernandez-Reif, from the Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Miami, is known for her massage research, along with colleague Tiffany Field. Together, they and other researchers have done outstanding work proving the value of massage. While their studies have shown we can benefit from massage even in small doses (15 minutes of chair massage or a half-hour table session), Hernandez-Reif says they know from their research that receiving bodywork 2-3 times a week is highly beneficial. And if we lived in a fantasy world, Hernandez-Reif has the answer. "I feel a daily massage is optimal."
It's undoubtedly a wonderful thing when your therapist begins unwinding those stress-tightened muscles, and your day's troubles begin to fade away. But it's the cherry on top to know this "medicine" only gets better with frequency.
What You Already Know: The Benefits of Massage
In an age of technical and, at times, impersonal medicine, massage offers a drug-free, non-invasive and humanistic approach based on the body's natural ability to heal itself. So what exactly are the benefits to receiving regular massage and/or bodywork treatments?
- Increases circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs.
- Stimulates the flow of lymph, the body's natural defense system, against toxic invaders. For example, in breast cancer patients, massage has been shown to increase the cells that fight cancer.
- Increased circulation of blood and lymph systems improves the condition of the body's largest organ - the skin.
- Relaxes and softens injured and overused muscles
- Reduces spasms and cramping
- Increases joint flexibility.
- Reduces recovery time, helps prepare for strenuous workouts and eliminates subsequent pains of the athlete at any level.
- Releases endorphins - the body's natural painkiller - and is being used in chronic illness, injury and recovery from surgery to control and relieve pain.
- Reduces post-surgery adhesions and edema and can be used to reduce and realign scar tissue after healing has occurred.
- Improves range-of-motion and decreases discomfort for patients with low back pain.
- Relieves pain for migraine sufferers and decreases the need for medication.
- Provides exercise and stretching for atrophied muscles and reduces shortening of the muscles for those with restricted range of motion.
- Assists with shorter labor for expectant mothers, as well as less need for medication, less depression and anxiety, and shorter hospital stays.
Other Body Therapies
Alexander Technique - A movement re-education therapy that was created by a mid-19th century actor who tried to understand his own movement dysfunctions on stage. The emphasis is on observing and modifying improper movement patterns, thereby reducing physical stress on the body.
Craniosacral Therapy - A gentle method of manipulating the body's craniosacral system (consisting of thin membranes and cerebrospinal fluid which surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord) in an attempt to improve the function of the central nervous system, dissipate the negative effects of stress and enhance health and resistance to disease.
Reiki - A therapy based on universal life energy that serves to align chakras and bring healing energy to organs and glands. Utilizes visualization as practitioner acts as a channel for the life energy.
Rolfing - Used to reorder the major body segments, this technique utilizes physical manipulation and movement awareness to bring the body into vertical alignment. Treatments are offered in a 10-session series.
Shiatsu - A deep, finger-pressure technique using the traditional acupuncture points of Asian healing. Works to unblock energy flows and restore balance to meridians and organs.
The Need for Touch
As a society, we are touch deprived and this can lead to disease or emotional dysfunction. From the cradle to the nursing home, tactile stimulation and the emotional assurance of caring touch bring about a sense of well-being and security. In numerous studies conducted on massage for infants, TRI researchers have found improved weight gain and development in pre-term infants, improved weight gain and motor behavior in cocaine-exposed infants, and improved weight gain and decreased stress behavior in HIV-exposed infants. Full-term infants also benefit with increased alertness and social behavior, less crying and increased weight gain.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Herbs for Athletes
Written by:Eric Brand
Published on January 24th, 2011 @ 11:58:00 am
Posted in Eric Brand's Blog
Last weekend the internet was abuzz with articles about NFL players using velvet antler (Lu Rong) to enhance athletic performance. Apparently the antler contains naturally-occurring IGF-1, a performance-enhancing substance that is banned unless it comes from a natural source like deer antler. It appears to be difficult to detect and contentious to ban, and the head coach of the Oakland Raiders has been linked to a company that ships it to players.
...
As with many substances that have been studied for athletic performance, scientific studies on velvet antler are contradictory. A variety of Chinese herbs are famous for their ability to improve athletic performance, and despite mixed results in various clinical trials, the demand for herbs that provide athletic enhancement is enormous. A free full-text review article at this link covers an overview of a variety of substances, many of which are found in Chinese medicine. Of particular interest is rhodiola (Hong Jing Tian), cordyceps (Dong Chong Xia Cao), eleuthero (Ci Wu Jia), and of course, the most famous and well-studied herb for athletic performance, ginseng (Ren Shen). The link has a particularly interesting chart that assesses a wide range of studies on ginseng in the context of athletic performance. Another full-text article on cordyceps and its ability to counter fatigue can be found here.
Many of the herbal products used for athletic performance have systemic benefits to the body, and many are called adaptogens because they tend to enhance performance across a wide range of test parameters. Each tends to have its own claim to fame; for example, rhodiola is prized for altitude sickness and cordyceps is prized for its effects on the immune system. Recently, we began to expand the range of herbal products offered at Blue Poppy with the addition of the People’s Herbs Empowered Extract line. A number of the products from the Empowered line fit the bill for athletic enhancement, including the Five Ginsengs Formula, Boost Essence, Five Mushroom Formula, and Empowered Eleuthero. Additionally, the Blue Poppy Originals formula Immortal Qi is very popular with athletes, and combines rhodiola and cordyceps in a base formula similar to a combination of Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang and Sheng Mai San. Try it when you need that extra boost!
**article found by Amy Dickinson, Lc. A
Published on January 24th, 2011 @ 11:58:00 am
Posted in Eric Brand's Blog
Last weekend the internet was abuzz with articles about NFL players using velvet antler (Lu Rong) to enhance athletic performance. Apparently the antler contains naturally-occurring IGF-1, a performance-enhancing substance that is banned unless it comes from a natural source like deer antler. It appears to be difficult to detect and contentious to ban, and the head coach of the Oakland Raiders has been linked to a company that ships it to players.
...
As with many substances that have been studied for athletic performance, scientific studies on velvet antler are contradictory. A variety of Chinese herbs are famous for their ability to improve athletic performance, and despite mixed results in various clinical trials, the demand for herbs that provide athletic enhancement is enormous. A free full-text review article at this link covers an overview of a variety of substances, many of which are found in Chinese medicine. Of particular interest is rhodiola (Hong Jing Tian), cordyceps (Dong Chong Xia Cao), eleuthero (Ci Wu Jia), and of course, the most famous and well-studied herb for athletic performance, ginseng (Ren Shen). The link has a particularly interesting chart that assesses a wide range of studies on ginseng in the context of athletic performance. Another full-text article on cordyceps and its ability to counter fatigue can be found here.
Many of the herbal products used for athletic performance have systemic benefits to the body, and many are called adaptogens because they tend to enhance performance across a wide range of test parameters. Each tends to have its own claim to fame; for example, rhodiola is prized for altitude sickness and cordyceps is prized for its effects on the immune system. Recently, we began to expand the range of herbal products offered at Blue Poppy with the addition of the People’s Herbs Empowered Extract line. A number of the products from the Empowered line fit the bill for athletic enhancement, including the Five Ginsengs Formula, Boost Essence, Five Mushroom Formula, and Empowered Eleuthero. Additionally, the Blue Poppy Originals formula Immortal Qi is very popular with athletes, and combines rhodiola and cordyceps in a base formula similar to a combination of Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang and Sheng Mai San. Try it when you need that extra boost!
**article found by Amy Dickinson, Lc. A
Friday, September 25, 2009
Stay Healthy This Season
Doctors in Ancient China were paid only as long as their patients were healthy. As soon as the patient fell ill, payment to their doctors stopped. Chinese medicine still has a tremendous emphasis on the preventative aspect of medicine.
Flu season is burgeoning. With the recent swine flu epidemic, it is now, more than ever, important to know how to take care of ourselves and keep ourselves healthy. We all know that exercise, fresh air, and whole foods are key factors in supporting our immune system, but did you know that Chinese Medicine can also be a tool in the fight against colds and flu? Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can be a valuable resource in the prevention of colds and flu and can also help us recover from them quickly.
Prevention
It has been determined that acupuncture is effective in boosting the immune system. It is possible to use acupuncture to prevent colds and flu from happening altogether or to prevent them from becoming full-blown infections. If you're feeling relatively healthy, it is advisable to come for acupuncture once a month during cold and flu season to strengthen your immune system. If you are prone to infections, you may want to come in 2 or 3 times a month to keep yourself from getting sick. When people around you are getting sick, while you are receiving acupuncture, your body is better able to fight off illnesses and remain healthy.
Treatment
If you do happen to catch a cold or the flu, acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help lessen the severity and hasten you recovery. A visit to the acupuncturist at the first signs of a cold or flu can repair immunity and fight symptoms so your body can fight an infections.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Preventing Kidney stones
from Medscape
The dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet may help protect against kidney stones according to the results of a prospective study reported online August 13 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
"Despite previously observed associations between individual dietary factors and kidney stone risk, relatively few studies have examined the impact of overall diet or dietary patterns on risk," write Eric N Taylor, M.D., from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, and colleagues.
"The DASH diet, which is high in fruits and vegetables, moderate in low-fat dairy products, and low in animal protein represents a novel potential means of kidney stone prevention. The consumption of fruits and vegetables increase urinary citrate, an important inhibitor of calcium stone formation, and a diet with normal to high calcuim content but low in animal protein and sodium decreases the risk of oxalate stone recurrence by 51%," the researchers state.
The dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet may help protect against kidney stones according to the results of a prospective study reported online August 13 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
"Despite previously observed associations between individual dietary factors and kidney stone risk, relatively few studies have examined the impact of overall diet or dietary patterns on risk," write Eric N Taylor, M.D., from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, and colleagues.
"The DASH diet, which is high in fruits and vegetables, moderate in low-fat dairy products, and low in animal protein represents a novel potential means of kidney stone prevention. The consumption of fruits and vegetables increase urinary citrate, an important inhibitor of calcium stone formation, and a diet with normal to high calcuim content but low in animal protein and sodium decreases the risk of oxalate stone recurrence by 51%," the researchers state.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Back to School And Pain Free--Pack your Backpack Right!
(Article from Backpack Safety America)
Are you sending your child off to the first day of school with a brand new backpack slung over his or her shoulder? If you're like most parents, a new backpack was on your child's back to school shopping list. Although these bags have become as common as pencils and chalkboards in schools across America, according to chiropractors, you may want to think twice before putting you youngster on the bus with this school yard staple. New research reveals an alarming danger associated with childhood backpack use.
This research stems from the increasing number of reports of childhood back pain in recent decades. By the end of their teens, more than 50% of youths experience at least one low back pain episode (Spine 1998; 23;228-34). And new research indicates that this increase may be due, in part, to the improper use of backpacks. But you don't need to be a scientist to understand the effects of backpacks on young spines; watch children in any school yard struggle to walk while bent sideways under the weight of an overloaded backpack on one shoulder and you'll quickly realize the potential danger of this commonplace item.
But your child doesn't have to be the only "un-cool" kid without a backpack. Read on to learn how your youngster can carry a backpack and keep his or her back pain and injury free!
Backpacks Attack on Backs
How exactly does carrying a backpack affect the spine? "Common sense tells us that a heavy load, distributed improperly or unevenly day after day is indeed going to cause stress to a a growing spinal column," explains Dr Marvin T Arnsdorff, chiropractor and co-founder of the Backpack Safety America school education program. "The old adage 'as twigs bent so grows the tree' comes to mind. We are seeing a growing concern about the improper use of backpacks and the relatively scare amount of educational and preventive information available to young people."
The Consumer Product Safety Comminsion estimates that 4, 928 emergency foom visists each year result from injuries related to book bags and back carriers. Schlepping around a backpack can cause not only acute injury, but also long term damage.
The Consumer Product Safety Comminsion estimates that 4, 928 emergency foom visists each year result from injuries related to book bags and back carriers. Schlepping around a backpack can cause not only acute injury, but also long term damage.
Five Steps to Preventing backpack Related Injuries
- Ensure that your child's backpack is sturdy and appropriately sized. Some manufacturers offer special child sized versions for children ages 5-10. these packs wiegh less than a pound and have shorter back lengths and widths to prevent slippage.
- Consider more than looks when choosing a backpack. An illfitting pack can cause back pain, muscle strain, or nerve impingment. To help distribure the load, look for packs with padded shoulder straps and waist straps.
- Ensure that the weight of your child's pack does not exceed 15% of his or her body weight. Avoid overloading by prioritizing the items you child carries and eliminating unnecessary contents.
- Teach you child to pack his or her backpack by evenly distributing the contents throughout the pack
- Insist that your child never carry a backpack over one shoulder. Both shoulder straps--as well as the waist strap--should be used at all times.
Hauling a heavy backpack over one shoulder every day may provoke serious postural misalignments. Postural imbalances ofter trigger a condition called vertebral subluxation. Vertebral subluxations are dysfunctinal areas in the spine where moement is restricted or bones (vertebrai) are out of alignment. This disorder predisposes patients to a myriad of aliments such as neck and back pain, headaches, and osteoarthritis.
A Cure for the Back Pain Blues
Fortunately, there is a solution to this childhood health care condition: chiropractic care. Chiropractors are experts in spinal biomechanics and backpack safety techniques. As prevention specialists, chiropractors work to educate the community about the proper use of backpacks. in addition, doctors of chiropractic offer spinal checkups for youngsters. These checkups include a thorough postural assessment, evaluation for vertebral subluxations, and specific recommendations for injury prevention. If you're a parent, don't ignore this potential threat to your child's health. Schedule a chiropractic evaluation for your youngster today.
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