From www.acufinder.com

The Spirit of Renewal: Spring and Traditional Chinese Medicine
By: Diane Joswick, L.Ac., MSOM Spring: It is the long-awaited change of winter to spring. Seeds sprout, flowers bloom, and the sun warms the earth. There is a sense of renewal and new life all around.

While winter was a time to conserve energy and reduce activity, spring is a time of regeneration, new beginnings, and a renewal of spirit.

The Principle of the Five Elements

The five elements refer to wood, fire, earth, metal, and water in Eastern philosophy. The Principle of the Five Elements (known as the Wu Hsing in Chinese) describes the flow of Qi and the balance of yin and yang.

According to the principle, all change — in the universe and in your body — occurs in five distinct stages. Each of these stages is associated with a particular time of year, a specific element in nature, and a pair of organs in the body. Change links together the seasons of the year, aspects of nature, and your body’s organs and bodily processes. A practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine uses this principle to diagnose and treat health problems, linking specific foods, herbs, and acupuncture points to the restoration of yin-yang and Qi.

SPRING:

Spring is the ideal time for cleansing and rejuvenation for overall health and well-being. As spring is represented by the wood element and includes the liver and its complementary organ, the gallbladder, these two organs are usually the primary targets for springtime cleansing and health regimens.

• Element: Wood
• Color: Green
• Nature: Yang
• Organs: Liver, Gallbladder
• Emotion: Anger
  

Learn more about the Liver and Liver Qi Stagnation

Put Some Spring into Your Step

Spring corresponds to the "Wood" element, which in turn is conceptually related to the liver and gallbladder organs. According to the philosophy of Chinese medicine, the liver is responsible for the smooth flowing of Qi (energy) throughout the body. When the liver functions smoothly, physical and emotional activity throughout the body also runs smoothly. So, for optimum health this spring, move your Qi!

Stretch - The liver controls the tendons. According to Chinese medicine, the liver stores blood during periods of rest and then releases it to the tendons in times of activity, maintaining tendon health and flexibility. Incorporate a morning stretch into your routine. Try yoga or tai qi.

Eye Exercises - The liver opens into the eyes. Although all the organs have some connection to the health of the eyes, the liver is connected to proper eye function. Remember to take breaks when looking at a computer monitor for extended periods of time and do eye exercises.

Eat Green - Green is the color of the liver and of springtime. Eating young plants - fresh, leafy greens, sprouts, and immature cereal grasses - can improve the liver’s overall functions and aid in the movement of qi.

Taste Sour - Foods and drinks with sour tastes are thought to stimulate the liver's qi. Put lemon slices in your drinking water, use vinegar and olive oil for your salad dressing. Garnish your sandwich with a slice of dill pickle.

Do more outdoor activities - Outside air helps liver qi flow. If you have been feeling irritable, find an outdoor activity to smooth out that liver qi stagnation. Try hiking or take up golf.

Enjoy milk thistle tea
Milk thistle helps protect liver cells from incoming toxins and encourages the liver to cleanse itself of damaging substances, such as alcohol, medications, pesticides, environmental toxins, and even heavy metals such as mercury.

Get Acupuncture treatments- Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help improve the overall health of your liver as well as treat stress, anger and frustration, which are often associated with liver qi disharmony.

You can call Tanuja at 773-749-9101 or email her at tjagernauth@gmail.com to make an appointment. All sessions are sliding scale.

The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine is hosting another Vegan Kickstart beginning March 1st! If you are interested in learning more about incorporating more veggies into your diet, check it out! Even if you don't "go vegan" the kickstart offers a variety of great recipes and shopping tips.

And if you are wary about veggie-based foods being yummy and/or satisfying, you should take a trip to the Chicago Diner. They make consistently amazing vegetarian/vegan fare and are always a source of inspiration for me. Check 'em out!

Hot off the press at Acufinder.com!

For Women With PCOS, Acupuncture And Exercise May Bring Relief, Reduce Risks
By: The American Physiological Society Study finds acupuncture and exercise decrease a key marker for disease

Exercise and electro-acupuncture treatments reduce sympathetic nerve activity in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), according to a new study. The finding is important because women with PCOS often have elevated sympathetic nerve activity, which plays a role in hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

The study also found that the electro-acupuncture treatments led to more regular menstrual cycles, reduced testosterone levels and reduced waist circumference.

Exercise had no effect on the irregular or non-existent menstrual cycles that are common among women with PCOS, nor did it reduce waist circumference. However, exercise did lead to reductions in weight and body mass index.

"The findings that low-frequency electro-acupuncture and exercise decrease sympathetic nerve activity in women with PCOS indicates a possible alternative non-pharmacologic approach to reduce cardiovascular risk in these patients," said one of the researchers, Dr. Elisabet Stener-Victorin of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The findings regarding menstrual cycles and decrease in testosterone levels in the low-frequency electro-acupuncture are also of interest, according to the researcher.

The study, "Low-frequency electro-acupuncture and physical exercise decrease high muscle sympathetic nerve activity in polycystic ovary syndrome" was conducted by Elisabet Stener-Victorin, Elizabeth Jedel, Per Olof Janson and Vrsa Bergmann Sverrisdottir, all of the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden and the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. The study is in the online edition of the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, published by The American Physiological Society.

Common endocrine disorder

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders, affecting an estimated 10% of women of reproductive age. Among the problems associated with the condition are elevated levels of androgens (such as testosterone, the ‘male’ hormone found in both sexes), ovarian cysts, irregular menstrual cycles and infertility.

PCOS is associated with increased sympathetic nerve activity in the blood vessels, part of the ‘fight or flight’ response that results in blood vessel constriction. Chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system increases the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

The Swedish researchers had previously found that PCOS is associated with increased sympathetic nerve activity and said it may arise from the elevated testosterone level that is characteristic of PCOS.

Three groups

The researchers wanted to find a long-lasting treatment for PCOS that would have no adverse side effects, and so they looked at whether acupuncture or exercise could decrease the sympathetic nerve activity in women with PCOS. The study included 20 women, average age of 30 years, divided into the following groups:

• low-frequency electro-acupuncture (9)
• exercise (5)
• untreated controls (6)

The acupuncture group underwent 14 treatments during the 16-week study. Acupuncture points were located in abdominal muscles and back of the knee, points thought to be associated with the ovaries. The needles in the abdomen and leg were stimulated with a low-frequency electrical charge, enough to produce muscle contraction but not enough to produce pain or discomfort.

The exercise group received pulse watches and were told to take up regular exercise: brisk walking, cycling or any other aerobic exercise that was faster than walking but that they could sustain for at least 30 minutes. They exercised at least three days per week for 30-45 minutes, maintaining a pulse frequency above 120 beats per minute.

The researchers instructed the control group in the importance of exercise and a healthy diet, the same instructions the experimental groups received, but were not specifically assigned to do anything differently.

Key Findings

The researchers measured the muscle sympathetic nerve activity before and after the 16-week study. Following treatment, the study found the following:

• Both the acupuncture and exercise groups significantly decreased muscle sympathetic nerve activity compared to the control group.

• The acupuncture group experienced a drop in waist size, but not a drop in body mass index or weight.

• The exercise group experienced a drop in weight and body mass index but not in waist size.

• The acupuncture group experienced fewer menstrual irregularities but the exercise group’s irregularities did not change.

• In the acupuncture group, there was a significant drop in testosterone. This is an important indicator because the strongest independent predictor of high sympathetic nerve activity in women is the level of testosterone.

"This is the first study to demonstrate that repeated low-frequency electro-acupuncture and physical exercise can reduce high sympathetic nerve activity seen in women with PCOS,” according to the authors. “Furthermore, both therapies decreased measures of obesity while only low-frequency electro-acupuncture improved menstrual bleeding pattern."

The study has some limitations, including a small sample size, so further research is necessary, the authors wrote. To find the full study, click here

Resource:

Stener-Victorin et al. Low-frequency Electro-Acupuncture and Physical Exercise Decrease High Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. AJP Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 2009; DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00197.2009

Holiday Eating

I found a great little article that has some sensible ideas about eating well this holiday season.


Enjoy - and breathe! ;)

I couldn't resist...

Thinking about Autumn Eating got me super excited about eating round, seasonal foods, so of course I began salivating about butternut squash soup! Here's an amazing recipe I am going to try from Vegetarian Times as reposted on YogaJournal.com

Try adding some of the following items to make it a medicinal treat:

• astragalus (huang qi): boosts the Lung Qi, can help to prevent illness
• sweet potatoes: boosts the Spleen Qi, drains dampness
• pearled barley (yi yi ren): boosts the Spleen Qi, drains dampness
  

Vegetarian Times Issue: November 1, 1999 p.38

For an extra-special touch, toast the squash seeds to sprinkle over the soup. Rinse seeds, pat dry with paper towels, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes, tossing occasionally. This make-ahead soup can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Ingredients

8 servings

• 3 medium or 2 large butternut or acorn squash (4 lbs.)
• 2 (14-oz.) cans vegetable broth (1 qt.)
• 1 tsp. coarse salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
• 4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil or 3 Tbs. vegetable oil and 1 Tbs. walnut oil
• 24 fresh small sage leaves
• 4 slices firm-textured white bread

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds; save seeds for toasting if desired (see above). Place squash halves cut side down on large baking sheet with sides. Bake until skins are browned and squash is tender, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.
2. Scoop cooked squash from skins and transfer to large saucepan. Mash well with potato masher, then stir in broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Soup should be as thick as tomato sauce–add up to 1 cup more water to thin if necessary. If you prefer a finer texture, cool slightly then puree soup in a blender or food processor. Let cool completely, transfer to container with lid and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
3. Up to 4 hours before serving, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add sage leaves and cook until lightly browned, turning once, about 1 minute. Using tongs, transfer sage to paper towels to drain. Reserve oil in skillet.
4. Trim crusts from bread, discarding crusts. Cut each bread slice diagonally into 4 triangles, then cut each triangle in half to make 32 croutons total.
5. Heat reserved oil in skillet over medium heat. Add half the croutons and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in skillet and cook remaining croutons as before.
6. Rewarm soup over low heat, stirring occasionally. Ladle soup into bowls and scatter 3 toasted sage leaves over each portion. Garnish each with 4 croutons and serve hot.

Autumn Eating

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is thought that disease comes from the conflict when a body or being struggles against the flow of change, whether that change comes happens within the microcosm of a person's life or the macrocosm of changing seasons. As we move into Autumn, I am suggesting to my patients that we begin eating the foods of Autumn.

Dr. Maoshing Ni, L.Ac., D.O.M., Ph.D, author of Secrets of Longevity Hundreds of Ways to Live to Be 100 suggests some great foods to consume this autumn. I've reposted his article from Acupuncture.com here:

Autumn marks the turning point between the heat of summer and the cold of winter. The cooling weather ushers in the harvest and heralds the dying cycle in nature. The seasonal change also causes the respiratory system to constrict, leading to cough, asthma, bronchitis, and even pneumonia. Chinese medicine has always associated autumn with the lungs and large intestine. The Yellow Emperor advises early to bed and early to rise, practice breathing exercises, avoid pungent flavors but increase sour ones in the diet, drink fluids and eat soups, and remain calm and relaxed to avoid the diseases typical of autumn.

Some Important Autumn Foods

Apples

The apple, a universally loved fruit, has long been a symbol of passion and temptation – and now, scientists have confirmed that it also contributes to a healthy heart. Eating two to three apples per day results in decreased cholesterol levels, thanks to the fruit’s rich pectin content. Pectin also helps prevent colon cancer, which ranks among the top causes of death in adults over the age of sixty.

Sweet Potatoes and Yams

These powerhouse foods contain higher amounts of beta-carotene and vitamin C than carrots, more protein than wheat and rice, and more fiber than oat bran. Sweet potatoes and yams also happen to be a rich source of DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). This is a precursor hormone – a substance that remains latent until it converts into a hormone that the body needs. DHEA can become estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone, all essential for your body’s ant-aging defenses to work. As one ages, however, the body’s level of precursor hormones like DHEA drop precipitously.

Oats

Oat bran, the outer coating of oats, contains high concentrations of soluble fibers, which help trap cholesterol and move it quickly through the intestines. Unfortunately, most people eat their oats in the refined form, which contains very little of the precious bran that contains beta-glucan and saponins. Whole oats are also rich in the antioxidants that stop cholesterol oxidation, the process that enables it to stick to artery walls.

More benefits: oats prevent colon cancer by binding toxic minerals and acids; they balance the body’s blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of carbohydrates; and the saponins in oats increase production of “killer cells,” a critical part of the body’s immune surveillance system. Try substituting a warm bowl of whole oats for your cold cereal in the morning. Your body will thank you – for years.

You probably noticed that these are foods that tend to feature prominently in Autumn soups, stews, and morning breakfasts or porridge or oatmeal. Slow cooking is the way to go during the Autumn. It imparts extra energy into the food and begins the digestion process in the pot. This means your body has less work to do. During the Autumn, it's a fantastic idea to begin conserving your energy for the harsh winter ahead (especially if you live in Chicago).

Eastern Nutrition and the Heart

Here is a super helpful article from Acupuncture Today that discusses some ways to support your heart health using what I like to call "kitchen medicine." You do not have to confine your entire diet to what is discussed here, but incorporating some of these ideas into your existing diet may be a way to slowly transition toward a diet that supports your entire being.

I personally love the breakfast, especially before or after major events - the kinds that really tax you, leaving you sometimes disoriented, ungrounded, and anxious or agitated. Add some cinnamon twig for added warmth and invigoration.

Medicated Diet Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease

By Gordon Cohen, LAc

Angina, chest pain, dizziness, palpitation and high blood pressure are symptoms associated with cardiovascular disease. Medical science dedicates a great deal of effort and expense developing drugs, devices and procedures to combat the most common cause of death in both men and women.

These symptoms can be controlled, prevented and treated successfully using medicated diet therapy.

Medicated diet therapy is a special branch of Chinese herbology which uses food products according to their herbal properties to treat diseases. This combines the effectiveness of herbal medicine with the familiarity of foodstuffs. Many common foods have herbal properties, and many of the herbs first identified in source texts were barley, yams, dates, walnuts, figs, grapes and sesame seeds. Medicated diet is divided into two components, namely dietary drugs and medicinal recipes. Dietary drugs are individual foods. They are used to complement other, more detailed modalities. Medicinal recipes are complex formulae which are effective alone and also potentiate other treatments.

The most revered ancient texts of acupuncture and herbal medicine include dietary prescriptions. For example, in the Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases, rice porridge is recommended to be taken concurrently with the first prescription of gui zhi tang.

The ingredients of medicated recipes are selected according to classifications defined in traditional herbology. These are according to the nature of the flavors and the associated organs. Sweet, sour, bitter, salty, bland and spicy determine types of herbal function and target particular organs. For example sour ingredients target the liver, while bitter ingredients target the heart and are anti-toxic in action.

The nature of food refers to indications of metabolic response and determine potential side effects. These are described as cold, cool, neutral, warm and hot. Red chili pepper is hot in nature. If applied to the skin, a sensation of warmth will be perceived. When ingested, it will produce an elevation of body temperature. It can cause increase of night sweats, but is useful in treating chills. Mint leaf is used to treat sore throat. Its cool nature produces the familiar sensation associated with mint flavoring.

Ingredients are also selected according to their roles in the actions of the recipe. These are categorized as follows: chief, deputy, assistant and envoy. The chief ingredient in a recipe determines the recipe's main function. An example would be meat in any recipe. The deputy supports the chief action and adds a secondary function. This would be the beans in chili con carne. Assistants enhance the effect of the chief or deputy (helping assistant).They can also reduce harshness or toxicity (opposing assistant).Onions, which improve the function of qi-tonifying meats such as beef, are helping assistants. Fresh ginger is a very potent antidotal and will neutralize actual poisons found in herbs and foods, as an opposing assistant. The envoy directs the formula to a specific anatomical location and harmonizes the flavors of the recipe. Round-grain polished rice is sweet and neutral. It harmonizes the flavors of recipes. It also activates the middle burner, which makes it an ideal envoy.

After differential diagnosis using tongue and pulse signs, dietary drugs are selected, and the chief, deputy, assistants and envoys chosen. For example, a patient presents symptoms of chilled extremities and a desire for warm liquids, accompanying palpitations. A pale bluish or swollen tongue accompanied by slow pulse indicates yang deficiency or cold accumulation. Treatment should tonify yang and disperse cold.

The treatment of cardiovascular disease is one of the more important uses of medicated diet therapy. Coronary artery disease is considered to be an excellent target from the aspects of prevention, cure and recovery. Treatment falls into two subcategories: individual foods, and medicinal recipes.

Coronary artery disease is differentiated by TCM into two categories: excess and deficiency. The main dietary drugs for the heart are shan zha, xie bai, bai he, long yan rou, sang ren, fu ling, suan zao ren, ju hua, rou gui, gan jiang, da suan, kun bu and hai zao. These are used alone for blood stasis, qi deficiency, yin deficiency, yang deficiency, qi stasis and phlegm stasis. Dietary drugs are taken as snacks, condiments or flavoring for rice porridge. More complicated recipes are offered for comprehensive treatments.

For example: hawthorn and wild garlic porridge is used to treat obvious precordial pain with qi deficiency. Sargasso, soybean and kelp soup treats coronary disease accompanied by hypertension and high cholesterol. Ginseng, red sage and hawthorn spirits treats blood stasis and qi deficiency. Honeyed Extract for Nourishing the Heart treats deficient yin and qi, as well as blood stasis.

The best way to take advantage of food herbology is to prescribe daily menus which offer more options than breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here are some examples:

Breakfast: Red date and wheat-berry rice porridge. This wholesome nutty porridge strengthens and regulates the heart qi. Red date is the chief. It is sweet and neutral, and activates the heart, spleen and stomach. In this recipe, it nourishes the heart qi. Wheat berry is the deputy. It is sweet and cool, and activates the heart and lung. In this recipe, it regulates the heart qi.

Lunch: Carrot, macrostem onion and celery porridge. This savory rice porridge is especially effective to treat coronary disease accompanied by precordial discomfort .Macrostem onion is the chief. It is spicy bitter and warm. It activates the lung, heart, stomach and large intestine. In this recipe, it regulates the qi in the chest. Carrot is the deputy. It is sweet and neutral, and activates the lung and spleen, and tonifies the five organs. In this recipe, it strengthens the heart. Celery is also a deputy. It is sweet, bitter and cool. It activates the stomach and liver. In this recipe, it regulates the blood vessels.

Dinner: Saffron and black-chicken rice porridge. This savory porridge nourishes the yin and invigorates the blood. Black chicken is a chief ingredient. It is sweet and neutral, and activates the liver and kidney. In this recipe, it nourishes the yin. Saffron is the other chief ingredient. It is spicy and warm, and activates the heart and liver. In this recipe, it invigorates and nourishes the blood. Round-grain polished rice is the envoy. It is sweet and neutral, and activates the spleen and stomach. It harmonizes the ingredients.

This menu offers a variety of dietary drugs presented in the most effective manner to support other treatment. The ingredients used in medicated diet are common foods that are readily available in grocery stores. Medicated diet therapy can be frequently used in conjunction with other modalities of traditional Chinese medicine. By including it in treatment of heart disease, the practitioner can potentiate the effectiveness of herb and acupuncture prescriptions and improve their outcome.