reach for the sky

The latest issue of the Wheatsville Breeze is out, and I am sad to report that we didn’t make this issue. But hey, we have been featured in the last 3 issues as a staff favorite, so I am not complaining.

While cruising the staff notes on vitamins though, I noticed noticed the Rainbow Light Just Once multivitamin made the cut. I want to take a moment to second this nomination. From personal experience, I can tell you that I tried many different prenatal vitamins and the Rainbow Light vitamin was the only one that I never regurgitated with my rather inconvenient morning sickness.

Never mind the goofy name, they make a good product.

Share on Facebook

Now that's a bad day

Back in my days of living the financial services life in Boston, I had a friend, Andy, who worked on the sales team for a computer security company. Think of the kind of security measures banks put in place to keep hackers from taking all their clients’ money with a few keystrokes.

One of Andy’s sales team cohorts, Joe, was a former FBI field agent. At one point the whole team was working to seal the deal with a really big client. They were almost done when a small snag threatened to undo the whole sale and consequently the entire sales team’s annual bonuses. Andy was pretty well losing his stuffing but Joe remained his typical collected, calm self.

Andy said, “Joe, how come you are always so calm? Why aren’t you freaking out now?”

Joe answered, “Andy, in the course of my previous career, I had a loaded gun held to my head by someone who seriously wanted me dead- on multiple occasions. Do you really think it’s going to freak me out if a contract is 30 minutes late getting signed?”

Andy confessed to me later that Joe’s answer provided some much needed perspective on the situation.

The classic Chinese herb formula, Xiao Yao San, on which we base our Decompress formula, is colloquially described as “good for stress.” People ask me how that’s possible, suggesting quite correctly, “Taking herbs can’t make stressful stuff stop happening.”

No doubt, neither Xiao Yao San nor its American cousin can stop stressful stuff from happening.Your boss will still be an ineffectual idiot who will continue to prove that 10 years of unprecedented low unemployment helped a lot of people get jobs they were not qualified for and a down economy is not so quick to fix that. Your spouse will continue to leave his/ her wet towel on the carpeted floor thereby promoting mold growth. And the airline will still find a way to send your luggage to Tahiti while you travel to Omaha.

What practitioners really mean when they say that Decompress is an “herb formula to combat stress” is that it helps your brain to keep perspective on the situation that is making you stressed. Yes, that flatty-pants may have cut you off on the highway while you were driving to work this morning, but he didn’t put a gun to your head intent to have your gray matter on the outside of your skull.

On the physical side of the equation, since your brain is more chill about life, those nagging symptoms that come up every time you get stressed- tight shoulders, teeth clenching, stress headaches, nervous gut, and so on- naturally resolve. Since you never get so wound up, your brain never sends neurotransmitters that signal, “Fight or flight!” to the rest of your body.

And for those of you aware of my current construction woes, yes, I am taking Decompress.

photo by Wiros’

Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook

It's really fun when you're young

I married relatively late in life. And before I found my terrifically reliable husband, let’s just say that I had a somewhat colorful dating life, filled mostly with escapees from the Island of Misfit Toys. One boyfriend in particular was an amazingly bad boyfriend, and though I will save the details for my tell-all memoir, I think it’s fair to say you wouldn’t want your daughter dating him. But, he did have two redeeming qualities

• He drove a really cool motorcycle
• He periodically spouted profound and useful life advice

At one point during our relationship he told me, “If you are in a situation that’s not working for you, you can either change the way you react to the situation or you can leave the situation. But you can’t change the situation.” I’m afraid it came as a great shock to him when I took his advice, realized he was the situation that wasn’t working for me, and then left it. Still, it’s excellent life advice with lots of other applications.

In my clinical practice as an acupuncturist, I listen to a lot of patients complain about various aspects of their western medical treatment. Frequently, I hear griping about doctors- it’s hard to get an appointment, once you actually do get in front of the doctor it’s hard to get him to listen, and if by some chance you can get the doctor to listen, he assumes you are a moron because if you weren’t, well then, obviously, you would have gone to medical school.

Personally, I have never had much success at changing the way I react to a situation when it comes to someone treating me like a moron. Usually my coping mechanism in that circumstance is to leave it. Although not entirely true in rural areas and unfortunate managed care situations, generally, there are lots of doctors. If you have one that treats you badly, feel free, no, feel encouraged to find a new one. Concurrently, feel free to fire any employee of yours that you have trouble getting to show up for work, listen to your directions or who treats you badly.

I also encounter a great deal of fussing about pharmaceuticals, particularly their side effects. If you find yourself taking drugs that make you feel worse than the original disease, tell your new doctor, the one you recently hired because he’s extra good at listening to everything you say. There are many drugs that do exactly the same job, but in different ways so as to have different side effects, some more tolerable than others. And of course, there are alternatives to allopathic drugs.

I once had a patient with horrible sinus allergies. His symptoms were typical sinus symptoms- runny nose, itchy eyes, sinus congestion and pain. After having moderate relief on a cocktail of decongestants and antihistamines, he developed an eye infection that I can only describe as wicked-bad. The ophthalmologist declared that he could no longer take decongestants because their drying action had allowed opportunistic bacteria to run amuck in his eyes. Without the decongestants, his sinus allergies once again became unmanageable.

He came to see me, the alternative medicine practitioner. In addition to acupuncture, I gave him some of our Easy Breather formula. After a few months of this alternative therapy, his allergies were controlled sufficiently that he not only had no need for the banned decongestants, he also didn’t need the antihistamines.

Photo by f650biker

Share on Facebook

I have said it before and I will say it again, I am privileged to know Ragen Chastain, who does an extraordinary job of having the right attitude (in this case mental) to achieve her goals (you guessed it- physical), and, more importantly, inspires others to do the same. This week I particularly enjoyed her guest post My Feet Hurt

My favorite bit:

I try to live my life out loud and I keep finding that everything I hold back ends up holding me back.

Oh, and Ragen, for those aching feet, we have herbs for that.

Share on Facebook

Is this hanging on your metaphorical tree?

In the summer I find it entirely too hot to run outside, and so confine my training activities to the treadmill at the gym. Lately I have been going in the mornings, and have noticed that one of the many televisions intended to distract me from the unsatisfying pursuit of what is essentially running in place has been consistently showing infomercials for health related products. Some of these I find inspiring- like the set of DVDs that promise I will have Marine worthy abs in only 90 days. Some of these I find intriguing- could making my own juice everyday really change my life or just blow my grocery budget? And some of these I find just plain silly- really, that special devise/ colon cleanse/ air filter will rid my body of 35 years of accumulated toxins in a matter of weeks?

I once had an acupuncture patient, a real estate agent, who came to see me weekly for his nasal allergies. Over the course of treatment, his symptoms were improving- that pesky chronic sinus infection finally cleared up and his daily symptoms were lessened- but they just weren’t completely resolving. One day Real Estate Dude asked me about some special foot patches he had seen on late night TV that were supposed to rid your body of toxins overnight, while you sleep, that would miraculously cure your health complaints. He wanted to know if I had any opinion on this topic.

I told Real Estate Dude quite honestly I suspect that yes, there are lot of things in our daily environment that crud up our bodies- air pollution, water pollution, and so on- and then our bodies don’t function optimally. And probably there is some scientific validity to the idea that those toxins can be encouraged to leave the body through the soles of the feet. After all, the pores on our skin will release all sorts of stuff with sweat and the soles of the feet have tremendous ability to sweat.

But then I went on to suggest that perhaps low-hanging fruit are the way to go. I said something to the effect of, “Real Estate Dude, if you really want to cut down the toxins in your body, how about you start by quitting your two-pack a day [cigarette] habit? Not only will you save yourself the $50 a month for the foot patches, but think of how much you will save for not buying smokes!” Ultimately he was unmoved by logic. And sadly, my logic was a bit too blunt and he stopped coming to see me for acupuncture not too long after that conversation. Possibly not the best business move on my part.

While this is a terribly obvious example, more subtle examples pop up in my conversations with patients and herb customers all the time. For example, in Texas many people suffer nasal allergies caused by trees, pollen and especially mold. Despite being a basically dry climate, mold allergies plague a huge part of the population because of our amazing climate control technology. Frustrated with decongestants, antihistamines and inhaled corticoid steroids, people often turn to alternatives like acupuncture our herbs like our Easy Breather product. But whenever someone asks me if I think herbs or acupuncture might help their mold allergies, the first question I ask is, “When was the last time the filter on your HVAC system changed?” I had a woman recently answer that question, “Ummm, I think about 8 years ago.” I sent her home with the name and number of a good HVAC service company and told her to call me after they were done working. I saw her a month later and her mold allergies were remarkably improved. Hmmm….

The human body is remarkable in its ability to self-heal, given the chance. I would encourage everyone, myself included, that if you notice that maybe your body is not quite performing in a way you consider optimal, then think about simple ways to reduce the toxins in your life. Whether this be by reducing your exposure to those nasty chemicals you use when stripping wood floors or eliminating toxic people from your life, give your body a fighting chance. If that doesn’t work, then maybe think about magic socks.

Picture by Mysserli

Share on Facebook

Don't let the badly translated English fool you- they're serious

When I was in China in 2005, the topic of using endangered species, particularly animals, met with seriousness. The photo here is one that I took of the signage at the herb market in Chengdu. Although some of the more jaded Americans I talked to claimed that such signs were merely for show, I also heard terrifying stories of people being imprisoned for possession of illegal exotic herbs. And from what I could gather, Chinese prison is not a place I would ever want to spend time. Eric Brand’s latest discussion on CITES Listed Herbs in Chinese Medicine leads me to believe that the Chinese government has cracked down even more, stepping up protections for plants as well as animals. Seems to me this is a step in the right direction. It’s not just about saving endangered species, it’s about preserving an endangered medicine tradition.

Share on Facebook

Garlic- it's good for what ails you

The other day a mommy friend of mine called me freaking out. She had received one of those emails that, while inevitable when you send your kid to daycare, still makes that primordial part of your brain go, “Eeeewwww!” The email subject line said simply, “****pinworm alert****”. Basically, one of the other kids at the daycare had been diagnosed and was being treated for pinworms, and toddler hygiene being what it is, the daycare center had taken the appropriate action of alerting the rest of the parents. My friend, whose child was showing no symptoms of pinworms incidentally, wanted to know if there were any good Chinese herbs she could dose her kid with, you know, just in case.

After consulting Chapter 17- Herbs that Expel Parasites of my extremely dog-eared and thoroughly annotated Chinese Herbology Student Study Guide, I found the copious notes I had written on raw garlic. The fabulous anti-parasitic, anti-fungal, and antibiotic properties of this pungent bulb were  detailed, with instructions for use either internally or as an enema.

The health benefits of garlic are certainly not unique to Chinese medicine. Simply consulting Uncle Google on the “health benefits of garlic” yields close to 1 million results, and sites of various reputability list benefits such as treating high cholesterol, parasites, respiratory problems, poor digestion, and low energy, as well as lowering blood pressure, controlling blood sugar and blood cholesterol, and boosting the immune system. Not to mention its anti-oxidant properties reducing the risk of various cancers. I have read reports of using garlic suppositories to control vaginal yeast infections. Even my virtual farm on FaceBook which now includes a Natural Remedy Shop, and have no doubt about it, the fact that my virtual farm has a Natural Remedy Shop amuses me to no end, processes raw garlic to make garlic tablets.

My herb text also includes my notes on a story my professor told the class. Growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution, things may not always have been as clean as his grandmother might have liked- tainted food and water were the norm. So every night, after dinner, she made him chew and swallow a clove of raw garlic. My professor went on at great length how much he hated chewing raw garlic- no kidding. But he also noted that growing up, he could not remember ever having any sort of intestinal infection. Probably the garlic had sufficient effect to prevent various bacteria and parasites from taking hold in his gut, weakening them enough that his immune system could prevent full blown infection.

When I came home from school that day and shared this story with my husband, he said, “Ack- there are so many delicious ways to eat raw garlic, why would she torture him like that?” Maybe that too was a byproduct of the Cultural Revolution.

I told my mom-friend that if she was really concerned about pinworms, a visit to the pediatrician was in order. But in the meantime, if she could convince her toddler to eat raw garlic (good luck with that) it might be helpful. Personally, I find chewing raw garlic to be a bit much.

I offered her my favorite salad dressing recipe which I will share here as well. I suspect the greatest benefit in this context is that the garlic should be sufficient to fight down the lingering microbes on lettuce and other raw veggies that just cannot be washed away.

California Caesar Dressing

• 1 clove raw garlic, minced (more if desired to taste)
• 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Combine ingredients and allow to rest 15 minutes. Dress salad. Enjoy!

Photo by Felipe Gabaldón

Share on Facebook

But look what happened to the cook!

Austin, Texas is currently swept up in the backyard chicken craze. Experts on the practice tout the benefits of fresh eggs and a reduction of table scraps in the land fills. I am told that chickens particularly love watermelon rinds. Even my son’s wonderful pre-school has a flock of egg producing hens and one lone rooster that the children visit as part of their education in animal husbandry. I like the idea of having backyard chickens, but like even better the idea of having someone who has backyard chickens already and wants to repay me some favor in fresh eggs. I do appreciate a really good omelet.

Of great popularity at the moment are a breed known as Ameraucana chickens. They are prized for the blue-grey shells on the eggs they lay. But if you have only ever seen pristine commercially farmed eggs from the grocery store, they can be a little confusing.

My friend recently told me the egg-related story of being at her parent’s home while they were out of town. She wanted to make some eggs, and in the refrigerator she found a dozen of these funny blue-grey eggs. Confused by their color, she looked that carton which had a 2 year old expiration date. She assumed that odd color was a function of the eggs’ age and tossed them out. When her folks returned home, her father was horrified at the egg disposal because in fact the eggs were only about 2 days old and had come from his friend’s chickens. His friend happily shared his eggs, but required that egg takers bring their own cartons, hence, the reuse of a carton with a really old expiration date.

The consequences of this confusion weren’t too severe, the loss of a dozen eggs. But this tale should serve as a cautionary one. The reuse of packaging, however environmentally sound, should be done prudently, especially when it comes to other products like pharmaceuticals and herbs in order to avoid more dire consequences.

Too often I hear stories of drug packaging mix-ups, people who think they are ingesting one thing because of the package it was in, only to be taking something else, possibly in lethal dose or combination. Personally, I was once vaccinated with a pediatric dose of the Hep B vaccination instead of the adult preparation because the tech failed to closely read the nearly identical packaging prior to administration. For me this simply resulted in getting an extra shot a month later, but imagine the consequences if the scenario was reversed.

While it may seem like a good idea to move your drugs or herbs into a smaller or more convenient container, make sure to label it clearly. You may know what’s in the container, but the next person to find it might not. Similarly, if you are accepting re-packed herbs from your alternative care professional, request, no, insist that they be clearly labeled as to their contents and expiration date. And above all else, if you aren’t 100% sure what that bag of dried herbs you found in the back of the cabinet are for or when they were put together, don’t just boil them, drink the resulting liquid and hope for the best. Throw them in the garbage or onto the compost heap! And definitely do not give them to your backyard chickens.

Photo by land_camera_land_camera

Share on Facebook

Gravity: Just a Theory

As moderator of this blog, I get the privilege of sorting through real comments versus spam comments. The spam filter mostly does a great job, but periodically a few slip through. Usually I can tell immediately what is spam versus what is real because the authors of spam typically link to websites offering me a hot long night with my new laptop so I can work at home and make $12K a month in real estate. But this post comment has me confused enough that I let it through. Specifically, it says,

“Chinese herbs do work because it is time tested.”

If I was a betting women, and those of you who have played poker with me know I am, I would bet this is actually spam. The tells on this comment are:

• It’s a really old blog post and anyone who actually cared to comment did so a long while ago
• It contains a really basic grammar mistake that most native English speakers wouldn’t make
• As comments go, it’s just plain stupid.

So at the risk of offending Alexa Stewart, you’re wrong.

However, Alexa brings to my attention something that I hear more often than I would like, this notion that Chinese herbs “work because they are time tested.” (I’m sorry, I just could not leave that subject-verb agreement mistake alone).

This brings me to Isaac Newton. I know, it’s a jump, but hang in there with me.

If you ask the average American (and I intend no commentary on the public secondary school system here) what he knows about Isaac Newton, you are likely going to get an answer about apples and the “discovery of gravity.” While some authors conclude there is some validity to the apple anecdote, Isaac Newton did not discover gravity. There were no shortages of people in the thousands of years proceeding Newton who noticed that many things, including apples, when dropped from a height consistently fall toward the earth’s surface. What Newton did do was develop a language to talk about the effects of gravity sufficient as to predict its effect on objects. And let’s face it, that’s the fundamental goal of all scientific and mathematic inquiry- to predict the effect that thing X with have on thing Y. Sometimes that goal gets adulterated by greed or narcissism, but I like to think it’s still in there somewhere.

Chinese herbs “work”, and by that I mean have an effect on the body which has absorbed, ingested, inhaled or otherwise consumed them, because they do. The vast body of scientific investigation surrounding Chinese herbs seeks to understand the mechanism of that action and predict its effects. It has nothing to do with the passage of time. And sometimes, Chinese herbs “don’t work”, and by that I mean do not have the desired or intended effect.

All this is not to disregard the value of the use of Chinese herbs over the course of thousands of years. Specifically, their long time use gives us good predictive indicators as to their effects. Even though the how and why of a particular herb’s action may not be fully understood, the what might have a pretty clear picture. No, that may not be enough to satisfy the scientifically oriented, but it’s a good place to start.

Photo by mad LOLScientist

Share on Facebook