How many treatments do I need? How often should I come in?

As acupuncturists, we hear these questions frequently.  The truth of the matter is "it depends".  There are so many factors and variables that this question is almost impossible to answer with certainty.  A general rule of thumb is it takes about 4-6 treatments to see a TRAJECTORY of improvement. 

In studies that come out of China, patients are typically going 5 times a week for two weeks and then are reevaluated.  That's 10 treatments in two weeks! That model doesn't work here in the United States for most patients as the cost and time required can be prohibitive. I tell my patients that acupuncture is like going to the gym to lose weight.  If don't need to lose much, you might go only once a month  (maintenance), but if you need to lose more you might want to go a few times a week (curative).

The following table is a general guide you can use for your situation.

Impact            Tx/week.          Reevaluate
10                        5                     1 week
8-9                       4                     1 week
6-7                       3                     2 weeks
3-5                       2                     2 weeks
1-2                       1                     2 weeks

Impact = how much the symptoms are affecting your life   -or- 
Impact = a measurement of pain

Other factors that contribute to longer or shorter treatment courses are perpetuating factors. These include patterns that produce or contribute to the imbalance and patient involvement. Is the condition is chronic or acute? The length of time you've been suffering with a condition plays a big roll. For every year you've had a problem, that's the number of months of treatment you will need before it gets resolved.

All of these variables influence the frequency and duration of treatments.  Because acupuncture treats the root cause of imbalance results can be subtle or slower than our fast paced lives expect, but the effects are typically longer lasting once the imbalance is corrected!

---

Left Hand Community Acupuncture is located in the heart of Old Town Lafayette 

at the corner of Simpson St. and Michigan Ave. LHCA offers an affordable sliding 

scale of $25-$55. We do not ask for proof of income. You decide what you feel is 

fair to you and fair to us. We treat patients in a relaxed, group setting that promotes 

an atmosphere of healing. Caroline Adams is a Licensed 

Acupuncturist and nationally board certified. Acupuncture can help with a wide range of health 

issues including pain, stress, insomnia, arthritis, allergies, depression, headaches, 

fatigue, cold and flu, digestive issues, PMS, infertility and many other health concerns.

http://lefthandacu.com 
720-248-8626

Putting "gas in your tank"

Once upon a time, a long time ago, I used to stand at the gas pump every week getting gas for my car. As I stood there each week with the numbers flashing by, the same thought would pop into my head: “Oops! There goes my money for acupuncture!” “Next week,” I would tell myself, “next week, I’ll save up my money and get a treatment. I sure am tired and my back is hurting me like crazy, but no acupuncture this week.” 

Of course, next week would roll around again, I would be standing at the gas pump, filling up my car while my tank remained empty. How short-sighted was that? We’ve all heard to adage “If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.” Pain, insomnia, illness rob us of our ability to work, play, and enjoy life. But I’m sure you all can relate: kids always need new shoes, cars always need to be fixed, and $75 per week for acupuncture just gets put on the back burner. 

When I opened my practice, it was important to me that I adopt a business model that made it affordable for people to come in to get treated often enough that they A) got results B) didn’t break the bank getting them. Thus, the sliding scale. We trust you to choose what works for you on the sliding scale. Even at $45.00, it’s still at least $15.00 less expensive than what many acupuncturists charge in this area and $75.00 less than what the highest fees can be!

Now I'm faced with discontinuing our popular "Six Pack": six treatments for $100. I know that some folks will be upset because this will make it a little harder to afford acupuncture. I know that other folks have been using this as the mother-of-all-never-ending-Groupons: a nice little splurge for themselves and a great deal to boot. It's there, so why not?

To be honest, a lot of my colleagues think my business model is terrible because it allows people to "devalue" acupuncture. I can see their point. Psychologically, people feel that things they've paid a lot for are more valuable or effective. It's why we're willing to pay more for face creams at an upscale department store than those at the drug store. Are they that different? Probably not, but because they are valued more highly, they are perceived as superior. 

As a healer, I don't want to make it harder for people to come in and see us, but as a business person I'm struck by the reality that this should have been a limited time promotion. I ensure the sustainability of my business so that it will thrive and survive. I hope you can understand my reasons for this decision and continue to support my endeavor of affordable acupuncture. 

Caroline

---

Left Hand Community Acupuncture is located in the heart of Old Town Lafayette 

at the corner of Simpson St. and Michigan Ave. LHCA offers an affordable sliding 

scale of $25-$55. We do not ask for proof of income. You decide what you feel is 

fair to you and fair to us. We treat patients in a relaxed, group setting that promotes 

an atmosphere of healing. Caroline Adams is a Licensed 

Acupuncturist and nationally board certified. Acupuncture can help with a wide range of health 

issues including pain, stress, insomnia, arthritis, allergies, depression, headaches, 

fatigue, cold and flu, digestive issues, PMS, infertility and many other health concerns.

http://lefthandacu.com 
720-248-8626

UTI woes?

Do you suffer from urinary tract infections? Anyone who's had one knows the burning urination, urgent urination and bladder pain are not a fun experience. Here are our tips for you:

Prevention:

1) Drink plenty of water 

3) Urinate when you feel the need. Don't resist the urge to go! 

4) For women, wipe from front to back 

5) Urinate immediately after sexual intercourse 

6) Consume a quality probiotic supplement or yogurt frequently to keep your gut flora healthy.

Remedies:

Quit with the cranberry juice! It's loaded with both sugar and acid. Although the acid helps fight the infection, it's often irritating to the delicate tissues of the ureters and bladder. Sugar is what bacteria thrives on. 

1) At the first sign of the beginning of a UTI dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 1 cup of water. Drink this away from other fluids. You can repeat up to 3 times a day.

2) Another great way to combat UTIs is taking d-Mannos. d-Mannos is a sugar that occurs in fruits like cranberries and peaches. It is thought to stop UTIs by preventing bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. Take d-Mannos as directed on the package. See if this does not start helping out right away!

3) Drink unsweetened blueberry juice has the same effect as cranberry juice and is much gentler to the system. Blueberries are a marvelous to use proactively as they are high in antioxidants.

~If your symptoms do not improve, if you start running a fever or if you experience pain around your kidneys, see your PCP right away. A kidney infection is no laughing matter. ~

---

Left Hand Community Acupuncture is located in the heart of Old Town Lafayette 

at the corner of Simpson St. and Michigan Ave. LHCA offers an affordable sliding 

scale of $25-$55. We do not ask for proof of income. You decide what you feel is 

fair to you and fair to us. We treat patients in a relaxed, group setting that promotes 

an atmosphere of healing. Caroline Adams is a Licensed 

Acupuncturist and nationally board certified. Acupuncture can help with a wide range of health 

issues including pain, stress, insomnia, arthritis, allergies, depression, headaches, 

fatigue, cold and flu, digestive issues, PMS, infertility and many other health concerns.

http://lefthandacu.com 
720-248-8626

Adrenal Fatigue: All revved up and too tired to go

Symptoms

Although the diagnosis of Adrenal Fatigue is not often recognized by those in mainstream Western medicine, it has been recognized by naturopaths, homeopaths, acupuncturists, nutritionist and other alternative medical practitioners. It is defined as the hypofuntion of the adrenal glands which secrete vital steroid hormones including cortisol. Adrenal Fatigue comprises a complex of symptoms which include, but are not limited to:

1. Fatigue not alleviated by sleep, inability to wake in the morning, difficulty in performing everyday tasks
2. Decreased sex drive
3. Cravings for salty foods
4. Decreased ability to handle stress, low tolerance for stressful people and situations
5. Frequent illnesses with increased recovery time
6. Lightheaded feeling upon standing
7. Depression and lack of enjoyment in life
8. Skipping meals or inadequate meals makes symptoms worse
9. The need to constantly snack or drink caffeinated beverages to keep going during the day
10. Fuzzy head, poor memory
11. A spike in energy after 6 pm. Inability to fully wake before 10 am; crash at 3-4 pm.

How does it happen:

From a Chinese Medical perspective, Adrenal Fatigue is the perfect storm. Since the adrenal gland sits on top of the Kidneys, it’s no surprise to me that the Kidneys are the root of this disease. In our medical paradigm, the Kidneys are the “batteries” on which we all rely to keep us going. When these batteries are used up, our life is over. The Kidneys are the root of all Yin and Yang in the body. Yin is everything that is moist, cooling, still, receptive, restful and nourishing in our body. Yang is everything that is dry, warm, active, defensive, dynamic, and building. Yin and Yang generate one another. Remember the Taiji, the symbol of Yin and Yang. Each one has a dot of the other inside of it, they are constantly generating, consuming and balancing the other.

Ironically, Adrenal Fatigue often affects the most driven of people. They work themselves to brink and past the brink of fatigue. These people go, go, go until they burn out their Yin. Think of driving your car at 90 miles an hour and never getting an oil change! Without the Yin, the Yang collapses in on itself and there’s no get up and go left. In addition to overwork, stress and poor diet are usually part of the picture. Stress primarily affects the Liver which in Chinese Medicine is in charge of the free flow of Qi in the body. Lack of exercize, emotional, physical and mental stress cause the Liver to become bound up and stagnant. This is like trying to drive around town with your emergency brake on. See my blog entry, “Your Liver and You” below. Poor diet damages the Spleen. A hypofunctioning Spleen leads to poor digestion, food cravings, a decrease in immunity, foggy head, weight gain and allergies. See my blog entry, “Me and My Spleen” below.

Factors leading to Adrenal Fatigue:

1. Overwork
2. Stress, lack of relaxation, lack of emotional outlets
3. Recent bouts of severe illness, surgeries, injuries, auto immune flare-ups
4. Dependence on caffeine and sugar to keep going
5. Consumption of poor quality foods including refined carbs, sugar, fried foods, fatty foods
6. Emotional traumas such as death of a loved one, divorce, job loss, financial strains
7. Lack of exercize

How can I recover from adrenal fatigue?

So, metaphorically, you’ve been driving around town at 90 miles an hour, with your emergency brake on, putting poor quality gasoline in your tank, you haven’t had an oil change in years. This will not a quick problem to fix, but it IS fixable. Here’s my list of changes you can make to feel better. These are good tips for almost anyone dealing with a stressful lifestyle and any level of fatigue.

1. Stop overworking yourself! You must slow down and cut back.
2. Get weekly acupuncture treatments. Acupuncture boosts your Kidney Yin and Yang, it soothes the Liver to decrease stress, it also tonifies the Spleen to improve digestion and immunity
3. Get to be before midnight. Resist the urge to stay up late- even if that’s when you feel most energetic. If you’re really burnt out, you might find you get the best sleep from 7 am to 9 am in the morning.
4. Be sure to give yourself breaks throughout the day
5. Eat regular meals and snacks. Stop skipping meals!
6. Get us to give you a lesson in how to use a moxa stick to tonify your Spleen and Kidneys on a daily basis. This is an easy way to feel better right away.
7. Ask us if Chinese Herbs are right for you and your condition. Chinese Herbs improve digestion, relieve stress and boost the adrenals.
8. Discover what’s draining your energy, then change your behavior and lifestyle to address them. Are there people in your life constantly bringing you down? Do you hate your job or certain aspects of your job? Are you overusing alcohol, over the counter medicines or recreational drugs? What can you do differently to limit the effect these have on you?
9. Exercise lightly and regularly, but not to exhaustion. See your MD to determine the best exercise plan for you.
10. Stop smoking, stop using recreational drugs, limit alcoholic beverages
11. Improve your diet. A few guidelines:
1. Make cooked vegetables one third of your daily intake. Soups and stews are delicious and also easy to digest. Think about making a nice pot on the weekend and enjoying it all week long
2. Make whole grains, (but NOT wheat) one third of your daily intake. Millet, quinoa, barley, and brown rice are especially good.
3. Limit animal protiens to no more than on fourth of your daily diet. Vegetarians may benefit by adding organic chicken broth, fish, eggs or chicken breast to their diets.
4. Limit fruit and do not eat fruit for breakfast
5. Limit dairy, wheat, sugar and unrefined carbs!
6. Avoid fast food! Avoid deep fried foods, highly spiced foods, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils
7. Please no coffee, energy drinks, soda, diet soda, fruit juice or cocoa! Try filtered water, herbal tea, green tea and barley tea instead.
8. Chew your food well!

____________________________________________________________________

Get your 'Qi' on at Left Hand Community Acupuncture

424 E. Simpson St. Lafayette, CO 

 www.lefthandacu.com

720-248-8626

Book your appointment today at:  

http://left-hand-community.genbook.com

How long should an acupuncture treatment last?

When Less is More and When More is More

When I was in school, I was taught that "Qi takes 20 minutes to circulate through the body". Most westerners translate "Qi" as "vital life force energy". A better translation is the metaphorical "breath" of the body. The character for Qi actually depicts the steam rising off of a bowl of cooked rice: there is a smooth movement of warmth, water vapor, and air all mixed together. Qi is everything in your body that distinguishes you from a corpse.

The idea that Qi takes 20 minutes to circulate has lead some practitioners of Oriental Medicine to the idea that everyone needs a 20 minute acupuncture treatment. Some community acupuncturists (contrarians that they are!) leave people for as long as they don't need the chair for someone else, leading to two hour cook times. 

What if you only have time for a 20 minute treatment, but you usually get an hour? I still think you'll get a good treatment. I feel that anything  less than 15 minutes is pushing it, but my friend Theresa gets great results just leaving needles in for 5 minutes, so who knows! 

Some of my colleagues and I have noticed that, again, one size does NOT fit all. Many patients will do better with a shorter "cook" time. In my experience, those patients who have low blood sugar, are more frail, are elderly, those going through chemo and those who are fighting off colds generally do better with less time. Just like "it takes money to make money", it takes Qi to move Qi around. If you don't have much Qi to begin with, we don't want to go using it up by leaving someone too long with needles. 

One of my mentors taught that building the body's resources takes many short bursts of treatment over a long period of time. This seemed counter-intuitive to me at the time, but now I get it. I, myself, have had several experiences of having acupuncture before lunch that left me wiped out. (This is an example of having your blood sugar too low for acupuncture.) I felt really relaxed, but also like I needed to go home and take a three hour nap. 

For some folks, it takes 45 minutes or more for their body and mind to settle down and let go of all the stress of their life. These are the people who will do better with a longer time.

It's natural to feel relaxed, floaty and slightly spacey after acupuncture. If you feel dizzy or muzzy-headed, please have a glass of water before you get into your car. This will help ground your energy and "bring you back". If you feel exhausted or exceptionally foggy-headed after acupuncture, you had too many needles or both. Please tell us if this happens so we can adjust accordingly. 

Some of our patients feel they get the best treatment from over an hour with the needles. Some of our patients only relax for 10 minutes before they feel "done". Some folks need a lot of needles before they feel the positive effects of acupuncture. Some folks only need 5-10 needles to get a good treatment. How do we know what's right for you? We start out with an average treatment and make adjustments depending what diagnosis we've made for you. Then we see what happens. 

Cook times can change, too. One of my regulars who tends to crash out for 45 minutes got very agitated 20 minutes into a treatment. He got angry, in fact. After I pulled the needles he calmed down and said that he just felt like "he needed to get up and go!" Patients who are more sensitive can learn to tune in to their bodies. The cues are different for everyone. Feeling antsy, suddenly awake, and energized are the ones I've encountered most often in clinic. 

Don't be afraid to ask us for something different. We won't always be able to accommodate you because of safety concerns or logistics, but we do want to help you get the very best treatment possible. Please be sure to communicate with us about your treatments. Tune in for the first 48 hours after treatment: do you feel calmer? More energized? Wiped out? Hyper? Do you have less pain right away? Does the pain slowly lessen over time?

We have wireless doorbells for each patient. (I'm lousy about handing them out sometimes. If you want one, just ask!) Use a doorbell, wave us over or cough repeatedly if you're ready to get up. Note that sometimes we can't get to you immediately if we're in the middle of needling. Please, please tell us if you have to get up at a certain time. We will do our best to get you out the door on time!

_________________________________________________________________

Get your 'Qi' on at Left Hand Community Acupuncture
424 E. Simpson St. Lafayette, CO 

 www.lefthandacu.com

720-248-8626

Book your appointment today at:  

http://left-hand-community.genbook.com

Manliness & Mumbelty Peg

Seems like an odd subject for an acupuncture blog post, doesn’t it? Like many of my great unexpected pleasures in life these days, this began as an internet search for one thing and led to something completely different. My family and I were trying to figure out the name of the game you play with a knife and your five fingers; the object of which is to not stab yourself. I insisted it was called Mumbelty Peg, my husband Jeff, said “no, that’s the game where you flip a knife up in the air and try to stab it into the ground”. While searching we got completely sidetracked by a blog entitled:

The Cure for the Modern Male Malaise: The 5 Switches of Manliness.

I’m obviously not a man and can’t really tell you what it’s like, but I can tell you what I observe. I see many men in and outside the clinic who feel bored, restless, depressed, under-appreciated, and angry. The author posits that men today are unhappy because they’re wired for a life that involves fighting to survive and struggling to get a mate. Our modern existence fails to provide men with many of the primal stimuli they need to thrive. So what do modern men need to feel more manly and at home with themselves? According to the author, five things: physicality, challenge, legacy, the opportunity to provide, and nature. I have to say, I think he's right. Read on.

Physicality

Why should men need physicality? First of all, NEWS FLASH: sitting is bad for you. Much of the low back pain and hip pain that I see is due to too much sitting everyday and not enough standing, walking, squatting, and bending. Sitting leads to Liver Qi Stagnation in Chinese medical terms. That's short for “everything gets gummed up and doesn’t function well”. If you’re sitting still and not moving your Qi isn’t moving. Stagnant Qi leads to stress, poor digestion, irritability, depression, stiffness, and pain. Men of earth: get out of your chairs, go for a walk or play some frisbee!

Challenge

The author encourages men to challenge themselves. Primitive man strove to be better than the rest of the men in the tribe so he could secure the best food, shelter, status and a mate. Let’s face it, it’s easy to live a life of convenience in 2014. The author says this is a trap. Without challenge, life becomes meaningless, men become soft, and full self-actualization cannot occur. For example, one of my friends has a job that pays handsomely, includes 5 weeks of vacation, great health insurance and yet he’s unhappy: he’s bored out of his mind. He can get the work done that he needs to do in 3 hours and spends the rest of his days casting around for some way to add value to his company. He feels guilty for not doing more but gets chastised by his bosses for “creating projects”. I can't help thinking he would be happier working for himself even while making less money.

Legacy

Throughout his existence men have been expendable. Countless men have been killed during wars throughout the centuries. “Women and children first!” is the old refrain. Men instinctually want to have something of them that lives on, something they can pass down to future generations. Obviously, procreating is one way to have a part of yourself live on, but another is to create something for the world. Another of my friends is a software engineer. He spent six months of his life working 12 hours a day on a piece of software only to have management scrap it. I sense his deep frustration. He loves what he does, but wishes it would LAST longer. He told me once that he wishes he had become a carpenter, like his father: at least a chair gets used for years and years before it gets discarded.  

The Opportunity to Provide

So, I have to admit, this is not what I was expecting. I thought the blogger was going to talk about how men feel a need to provide for their families and others for whom they feel responsible. He takes it in a different direction though: he says men have an innate need to look ahead, to plan, to prepare, to strategize. He calls these three “The Provider Switch”. What in men’s modern life allows them to activate this switch? Video games. Studies of men’s and women’s brains have suggested that men get a bigger burst of dopamine when they win video games. Researchers have concluded this may be why males tend to become more addicted to video games than females. The author encourages men use these innate skills in a more productive way by creating a budget for himself, setting and tracking goals, learning survival skills, and becoming more involved as a mentor to others.

Nature

There have been many, many books and articles written on our disconnect from nature. he mental and physical benefits of getting outside are legion. Being out in nature improves mood and immunity. Exercising in nature has been proven to feel more energizing. “In a study done in Japan, researchers found that after a 20 minute walk in the forest, participants had lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rate, lower blood pressure, greater parasympathetic nerve activity, and lower sympathetic nerve activity than those who spent time in the city instead.” In the most famous text on Chinese medicine, The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, written approximately 2500 years ago, it is noted that people would live much longer and healthier lives were they not so out of balance with nature. “The ancient people who knew the Dao, had a proper way to live.  They followed the pattern of Yin and Yang, remained in harmony with numerical symbols, ate and drank with moderation and lived their daily life in a regular pattern with neither excess nor abuse. In this way, their spirits and bodies remained in perfect harmony with each other, they could live their natural life for over 100 years.” (See the full chapter from the Yellow Emperor’s Classic here: http://www.the3treasures.com/emperors-classic-of-internal-medicine.html) 

Frankly, I can see how adopting these “Switches of Manliness” would be great way to enhance one’s life irrespective of your sex, gender or need for manliness. If you’re a male, I encourage you to give it a read. If you have a bored, restless, depressed, angry male in your life, I encourage you to give it a read. Then take that fellow (or yourself) outside for a game of HORSE around the basketball hoop, for starters. (Physicality: check! Challenge: check! Nature: check!) And if you know the name of the five finger and knife game, do let me know, it’s still a topic of hot debate at my house!

References:
The Cure for the Modern Male Malaise: The 5 Switches of Manliness
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/05/09/the-cure-for-the-modern-male-malaise-the-5-switches-of-manliness/

The Yellow Emperor's Yellow Classic

http://www.the3treasures.com/emperors-classic-of-internal-medicine.html) 

____________________________________________________________________
Get your 'Qi' on at Left Hand Community Acupuncture
424 E. Simpson St. Lafayette, CO 
 www.lefthandacu.com
720-248-8626
 
Book your appointment today at:  
http://left-hand-community.genbook.com

Eating Healthy the "Chinese" Way

by Dennis Weigel, L. Ac.

The beginning of the new year is often a time to change old habits, and re-set the body and mind for the year to come.   For many people this involves new, healthier food choices and getting more exercise.  There are many different perspectives on how to eat healthy and can sometimes be confusing as to which foods are healthy and which ones should be avoided.   Chinese medicine offers a perspective which is less known and can be very effective at improving health, digestive strength and metabolism.   Before we list different foods that are considered healthy, let’s first look at the main organs involved in digestion, the spleen and stomach, and how they work in the body.

The Spleen and Stomach are considered the origin of “post heaven qi” or the main source of life force after birth.  This is because they work together to extract energy from food and drink, refine it, and distribute it to all organs of the body.  If the digestive system is not functioning properly, the rest of the body will suffer from lack of proper nourishment.   Some schools of thought in Chinese medicine consider this the primary area of treatment for all diseases.  “If the spleen and stomach are healthy there is health, if the spleen and stomach are unhealthy there is disease.”  The stomach’s role is to store the food after it is chewed and swallowed, and to break it down into a more digestible form.  The spleen’s role is to extract the “essence” or life force and nutrients from the food and to distribute it throughout the body to provide energy to all the organs and limbs.  If the spleen and stomach are healthy, the appetite will be good and the food will be broken down and transported efficiently.  If they are unhealthy, one may experience nausea, belching, or vomiting, or loose stools, and fatigue.  So what can we do to optimize the health of the spleen and stomach?  Let’s first take a look at what each organ “likes” and “dislikes” then we will be able to choose the foods that nourish each organ. 

The stomach is considered a yang organ because it is hollow and serves mainly as a reservoir, whereas the spleen is a yin organ because it is dense and provides the energy for digestion to occur.   Stomach qi descends, and spleen qi ascends, and the stomach likes wetness and dislikes dryness, while the spleen likes dryness and dislikes wetness.  If the stomach is too dry, stomach qi cannot descend and food cannot be moved down to the small intestine and if the spleen is too damp, spleen qi cannot ascend and fluids and food cannot be transformed, leading to an accumulation of dampness or phlegm.  The stomach likes cold, while the spleen likes warmth.  The stomach is damaged by excess and the spleen is damaged by deficiency.

The key to maintaining good digestive health is to eat foods with properties that are compatible with the spleen and stomach.  For example, eating too many foods that are drying such as chips, crackers, pretzels, etc. could damage the stomach, and an excess of foods that are moistening such as dairy, fats or oils, wheat, and sugar, can damage the spleen.  This is not to say that these foods should be avoided all together, but to be mindful about what your body can handle and what feels excessive.  If someone has nausea, or GERD, they might benefit from avoiding foods that are too dry and if someone has an accumulation of phlegm or dampness they would likely benefit from avoiding the foods that tax the spleen which are mentioned above.  An accumulation of fluids can lead to weight gain and is treatable by choosing foods that strengthen the spleen, and its ability to transform fluids.  Potatoes, yams, chicken, nuts, ginger, warm tea, steamed vegetables are some examples.  Also, the spleen likes warmth and the stomach prefers cold.  Extremes of temperatures of food or food properties can therefore damage each organ.   For example, hot, spicy foods in excess can damage the stomach, and too many cold foods such as frozen smoothies, ice water with meals, and even raw vegetables can weaken the spleen.  Mild use of spices, room temperature water, and lightly steamed vegetables would benefit the digestive system and harmonize the spleen and stomach.

Whether you are trying to lose weight or control nausea, bloating or any other digestive ailments, these tips can greatly improve your success over time.  Regular acupuncture treatments can jumpstart or re-enforce your efforts by balancing the body’s energy pathways assuring a smooth flow of nutrients to all areas and strengthening the spleen and stomach.  Again it is important to remember that these are guidelines and not absolutes, just suggestions on how to re-balance your system if it is out of balance, moderation is the key.  Happy New Year!

____________________________________________________________________
Get your 'Qi' on at Left Hand Community Acupuncture
424 E. Simpson St. Lafayette, CO 
 www.lefthandacu.com
720-248-8626
 
Book your appointment today at:  
http://left-hand-community.genbook.com