Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Part IV

Whether it’s the pandemic, the politics, money worries, or more it seems like all of us are feeling the effects of these hard times. For some of us that means anxiety, for some it means depression. Some of us aren’t sleeping, some of us are frustrated by online schooling and having our plans messed up. What follows is a list of coping strategies. Not every strategy will work well for every person. Pick one or two.  Commit to them regularly. This is part of an ongoing series. 

Nutrition  

As the computer programming adage goes: Garbage in / Garbage out. When we feel down, it's natural to crave comfort food. Unfortunately, many of our favorite comfort foods like macaroni and cheese, cookies, and sodas are nutrient poor and loaded with simple carbs and sugars. These poor choices might give up a momentary lift, but later lead to making us feel less energetic and less happy. Better food choices lead to better brain and whole body health. 

Probiotics: science has shown that there are connections between gut health and mood. Your gut produces most of your neurotransmitters. Better gut health leads to improvements in mood, sleep, and systemic inflammation. Good food sources of probiotics are yogurt, kefir, tempeh, miso, tofu, saurkraut, and other fermented foods. Probiotic supplements can also be useful. See these resources for more information: 

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/can-probiotics-improve-your-mood and 

https://www.healthline.com/health/probiotics-depression#how-they-work

Antioxidants: prevent free radials that lead to cell damage. Brain cells are especially at risk to these free radicals. A diet rich in antioxident plentiful rich foods can help limit the damage. 

◦ Beta-carotene: apricots, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, collards, peaches, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potato

◦ Vitamin C: blueberries, broccoli, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges, peppers, potatoes, strawberries, tomato

◦ Vitamin E: margarine, nuts and seeds, vegetable oils, wheat germ

Complex carbohydrates can be found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes.
Carbohydrates are linked to the mood-boosting brain chemical, serotonin. Simple carbs, like a cookie can cause a "high" and then a "crash". Complex carbs will help you to maintain a more consistent energy and mood.

Vitimins D and B12 deficiencies have both been implicated in mood disorders. Supplementing with these vitamins may help you to feel better. See also: 

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/depression/foods-that-fight-depression-add-these-12-things-to-your-diet/

◦ Vitamin D: Fatty fish, like tuna, mackerel, and salmon; Foods fortified with vitamin D, like some dairy products, orange juice, soy milk, and cereals; Cheese; Egg yolks

◦ B Vitamins: margarine, nuts and seeds, vegetable oils, wheat germ, lean animal and fish products, low-fat dairy

Yoga

Yoga has been shown to reduce the body's stress responses, thus making it a helpful tool for addressing stress, anxiety, and depression. By modulating the way the body's stress responses, physiological arousal is lowered. Heart rate, blood pressure and respiration can all decrease with regular yoga practice. Plus, you'll increase your body's flexibility, too! We are lucky to live in an area with so many in person and online options to participate in yoga classes. Here are a couple of them:

https://soultreecolorado.com/

https://www.mojoshouseofyoga.com/#/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/yoga-for-anxiety-and-depression

Hugs

One of the worst parts of this pandemic for me has been to not be able to hug the people I want to hug. Thankfully, I can still hug the members of my immediate household. The benefits of hugging are reducing stress, relaxes muscles, increases circulation and releases endorphins in your body. Hugging relieve stress and depression by increasing levels of dopamine and serotonin. Find someone and give them a hug today. I frequently give myself hugs. Hey, don't laugh! I do feel better afterwards. 

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Left Hand Community Acupuncture offers an affordable sliding scale of $40-$65. 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, and many other health concerns. 

http://lefthandacu.com  
 720-378-6090

2020: Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Part III

 2020: Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Part III

Whether it’s the pandemic, the fires, or the election, it seems like all of us are feeling the effects of 2020. For some of us that means anxiety, for some it means depression. Some of us aren’t sleeping, some of us are frustrated by online schooling and having our plans messed up. What follows is a list of coping strategies. Not every strategy will work well for every person. Pick one or two.  Commit to them regularly. I was going to write this all in one swoop, but I have a lot to write and I want to get this out soon. More to come!

1. Abdominal Tapping Sounds crazy, but tapping on the spot right below your belly button has numerous beneficial effects. It warms the lower dan tien, one of the energy centers of the body, promoting good digestion. It also helps to pull the energy from your brain (your racing thoughts and worry) down back into the core of your body. To perform abdominal tapping, make sure you start out with an empty bladder and loose, comfortable clothes. Either stand with your knees bent or sit up straight in a chair. Breathe slowly and deeply. Gently tap the area beneath your belly button with open palms or loose fists for about three minutes. Check in to see how you feel afterwards. You can work up to five or ten minutes if you like. 
2. Nature Now that the smoke is calming down, it’s possible for most of us to get out in 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.” https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/the-5-switches-of-manliness-nature/
3. Daily Energy Routine Donna Eden is the founder of Eden Energy Medicine. A healer friend of mine makes it a mandatory requirement that every one of her clients commit to doing the   Daily Energy Routine  every day. It only takes about five minutes each day. My friend reports she sees great health gains in those who follow do the exercises regularly. Those who practice the Daily Energy Routine report more energy, less pain, reduced depression, and greater mental clarity. To be fair I haven’t been able to make it a part of my daily self care, but every time I do the exercises, I *do* feel increased vitality and decreased stress. Check it out and see what you think: https://edenenergymedicine.com/donnas-daily-energy-routine/

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Left Hand Community Acupuncture offers an affordable sliding scale of $40-$65. 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, and many other health concerns. 

http://lefthandacu.com  
 720-378-6090

2020: Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Hacks Part II

 2020: Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Hacks Part II

Whether it’s the pandemic, the fires, or the election, it seems like all of us are feeling the effects of 2020. For some of us that means anxiety, for some it means depression. Some of us aren’t sleeping, some of us are frustrated by online schooling and having our plans messed up. What follows is a list of coping strategies. Not every strategy will work well for every person. Pick one or two.  Commit to them regularly. Part III next week!

1. Meditate Start a daily meditation practice. You don’t have to meditate for hours on end to reap the benefits from it. Start small with just a few minutes a day, everyday. Meditation literally changes the structure of the brain which can lead to such benefits as improving your attention span, decreasing your sensitivity to pain, and increasing relaxation. One of my favorite meditation hacks is to meditate while moving; this give my monkey mind something to do while I focus my attention. Even something as simple as swinging my arms gently back and forth makes meditation easier for me. There are many meditation apps out on the market. Calm and Headspace are two of the most popular. There are also many many Youtube videos out there. One of my all time favorite audio programs is The Art of Mindful Living by Thich Nhat Hanh https://www.soundstrue.com/products/the-art-of-mindful-living More on the benefits of meditation: https://io9.gizmodo.com/how-meditation-changes-your-brain-and-makes-you-feel-b-470030863

2. Find a therapist Yes, it might be time to actually confront your issues. Having a licensed therapist assist you on the journey is so much easier than trying the DIY method.  It’s easier than ever to find a therapist during the time of COVID. A lot of therapists are conducting sessions via video or text. Some good places to start are www.betterhelp.com, www.sondermind.com, and www.psychologytoday.com. Also, check with your insurance company to see if you might be eligible for a benefit. 

3. Phone a Friend If you still don’t think therapy is right for you, consider talking to a close friend. When you talk it out, you start to organize and make sense of your negative emotions, this helps get you away from the influence of your limbic (fight/flight/freeze) brain. Holding back negative emotions is stressful, getting them out decreases the mental/emotional strain on your body. I encourage you to be a good friend as well. Being a good listener and counselor to your friends can make you feel useful and fulfilled!   https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/smarter-living/talking-out-problems.html

4. Start Some Good Habits I just finished reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. He provides a lot of great information about ways to successfully instill good habits and how to stop bad ones. There are a lot of little tips in this book, even if you only employ one of them you will make compounding gains over a lifetime! I found it much more helpful than the books that say “Hey, just go out there and make that change today.” He gives strategies for building up to changes big and little. Starting and keeping beneficial habits is a great way to feel in control of your life. https://jamesclear.com/

5. Commit to Self Care: Here’s a good habit that should be at the top of your list: commit to self care. Choose one thing to do for yourself every week and one thing to do for yourself every day. That could be going for a walk every day or making yourself a cup of tea and enjoying a quiet moment. Weekly habits could include getting a massage, getting acupuncture, meeting a friend for coffee, or going to a yoga class. Do something just for you! Something that puts some gas in your tank. I used to see those t-shirts that say “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy” and thought they were very self-centered. Now I understand that if my tank is empty, I do a lousy job of taking care of those around me. I need to take care of myself first if I am to do my best for others. It’s win/win.

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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 $40-$65. 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, and many other health concerns. 

http://lefthandacu.com  
 720-378-6090

How to keep yourself together in these hard times: Part I

 

2020: Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Hacks

Part I

Whether it’s the pandemic, the fires, or the election, it seems like all of us are feeling the effects of 2020. For some of us that means anxiety, for some it means depression. Some of us aren’t sleeping, some of us are frustrated by online schooling and having our plans messed up. What follows is a list of coping strategies. Not every strategy will work well for every person. Pick one or two.  Commit to them regularly. I was going to write this all in one swoop, but I have a lot to write and I want to get this out soon. More to come!

1. Get regular acupuncture. Yes, of course I’m going to put this at the top! Many of my patients credit regular acupuncture for getting them through the stress and anxiety of their daily lives. They tell me they notice right away if they skip a treatment. Acupuncture has been documented to sedate the sympathetic nervous system and activate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest). Acupuncture treatments can calm anxiety and promote deeper and more restful sleep. Patients often tell me they feel ‘clearer’ and ‘more centered’ after an acupuncture treatment. 

2. Commit to a News and Social Media Detox Put down your phone. Turn off the TV. Back away from the computer, folks! Take a break from social media and the 24 hour a day news cycle. Two hundred years ago, we knew about the happenings of our own little town and maybe a very little bit more. Now, we have other states, the nation, other nations, the world and each and every headline competing for our attention. Overconsumption of this media leads to feelings of fear, anxiety and helplessness. The world will keep turning without you watching it. Your psyche is begging for a break, trust me! https://declutterthemind.com/blog/social-media-detox/ http://jumpparents.co.uk/breaking-news-addiction/

3. Dance like no one’s watching So, perhaps you’re sitting there thinking “I’m so sick of trying to calm down I could scream!” In that case, I recommend having a good old fashioned dance party. Pull the shades, crank your stereo and dance like nobody’s watching. I think the reason so many people feel better after dancing is that it 1) it reconnects you with your physical body 2) it grounds you by drawing your Qi down to your feet 2) It connects you with the primal human affinity to rhythm 3) it releases endorphins and decreases cortisol 4) it moves stagnant Qi 5) plus it’s a fun way to burn calories! 

4. Keep a gratitude journal Our brains are adept at keeping us alive. Unfortunately, that means they are very good at attracting our attention to all the negative things in our world that might adversely affect us. Making a conscious effort to look for things in our life that we are grateful for is a way to rewire our brain towards happiness. Researchers have found that individuals who keep a gratitude practice are more optimistic and have a greater sense of happiness overall. https://www.happify.com/hd/gratitude-infographic/ 

5. Use a weighted blanket Weighted blankets provide deep touch pressure. This type of pressure has been shown to increase serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of sleep that has a calming effect. Also, the feeling of being held in an embrace encourages your body to produce oxytocin, another feel-good hormone boosts the immune system, helps relieve pain and mitigates stress. Some folks find a marked decrease in their anxiety and chronic pain all by using a weighted blanket. 

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Left Hand Community Acupuncture offers an affordable sliding scale of $40-$65. 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, and many other health concerns. 

http://lefthandacu.com  
 720-378-6090

Seasonal Allergies: Why we feel the way we do

If you're like me (Caroline) this is the time of year when your nose starts running and itching. Why is this so? There are several players in the drama. Let me introduce them to you:

The Spleen For Chinese medicine, the Spleen is the main organ of digestion in the body. It takes the food that you eat and makes it into Qi or vital energy for your body needs to run away from a tiger, solve an engineering problem, or heal an injury. If your Spleen is underperforming, you may feel tired after eating, have gas and bloating, little appetite, and loose stools. When the Spleen is underperforming it creates what we call “Dampness”. In the case of allergies this dampness manifests as constant post-nasal drip, congested sinuses, and a feeling of “stuckness” in the throat. 

The Lung is responsible for taking the air that you breathe and making it into clear Qi to be used by the body. Before Qi is ready to be used in the body, the Qi processed by the Lungs and the Qi made by the Spleen must come together. The Spleen sends it’s Qi up to the Lungs where they combine and are distributed throughout the body. The Spleen sends up whatever it has, including dampness and phlegm. There’s an old saying in Chinese Medicine: “The Spleen makes phlegm and the Lung stores it”. This is where all the congestion in the sinuses and bronchi come from whether it be a cold, allergies or asthma. 

Wind According to Western Medicine, the culprit for seasonal allergies is pollen. According to Chinese Medicine, the culprit for allergies is Wind. This medicine was created thousands of years ago and as such, the ancient Chinese looked to their natural environment for clues how the outer order of things could reflect the inner order of the human body. Using this paradigm, Wind in the body is anything that mimics wind in the outside world, moving erratically or suddenly. When you think about it, Wind does stir up the pollen quite a bit. When the Lung Qi is weak, the Wind enters and you get the sniffles and sneezes.

The Liver Speaking of sneezing and itching, this brings up the next player in our Perfect Storm: the Liver. Spring is the “season” for the Liver. Positive Liver energy moves our Qi around smoothly, provides creativity and productivity. When the Liver Qi is stagnated it can no longer move smoothly. When the Liver Qi moves erratically, we get symptoms of itching and sneezing. 

So to wrap up, poor quality foods (especially raw food, sugar, wheat and dairy) and Spleen hypofunction lead to poor quality Qi and dampness. The Spleen sends Qi and dampness upward to the Lung to distribute throughout the body (snot). Poor quality Lung Qi, open pores, and Lung hypofunction lead to EPIs and wind invading. The erratic movement of Liver Qi causes itching, sneezing and watery eyes. 

How to stay healthy during Allergy Season:

1. Get regular acupuncture! Especially before allergy season begins. Acupuncture helps to balance the body’s systems functioning at top capacity. Acupuncture helps to reduce stress, improve digestion, aid sleep and boost the Lung Qi. By staying in balance, you are less likely to get out of balance and suffer from allergies. 
2. Start a constitutional Chinese herbal formula. If you’re prone to seasonal allergies, you should probably be on a constitutional formula of Chinese herbs that fits your individual pattern. 
3. Avoid the Wind Stay out of the wind if you can. If you can’t stay out of the wind wear a hat or scarf to avoid having Wind enter. 
4. Adopt a positive mental attitude. I believe you create your own reality to some extent. If you believe that every time May comes around, you will be miserable, you most likely will. If you believe you’re going to stay healthy, you stand a better chance of doing so. 
5. Limit Stress. Stress and negative emotions have a stagnating effect on the flow of Qi in the body. Anger causes the Qi to move erratically. A great way to both reduce stress, calm anger and move Qi is to engage in regular exercise! ______________________________________________________________

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, pain, and many other health concerns.

http://lefthandacu.com 

720-248-8626

What's Blood got to do with it?

Ouch! Traumatic Injury
Blood stasis is what Chinese Medicine labels a "secondary cause of disease". Something else must happen before it occurs. The easiest example: you drop the fry pan on your foot, it causes a bruise. Literally a bruise is blood stasis: a bunch of capillaries are broken by the injury, the blood leaks out. Your body uses inflammation to shut down any additional blood loss. Inflammation causing swelling and limits the oxygen to the area. The lack of O2 is what causes the distinct black and blue color of a bruise.

You trip while training for the Bolder Boulder and sprain your ankle. What happens? The area turns black and blue, it swells: blood stasis. Do a good job of staying off your ankle, getting acupuncture, letting it heal, and doing gentle PT, you'll clear out the blood stasis. If, for whatever reason, the ankle isn't able to heal like it should, you'll end up with one of those chronic injuries that becomes painful when it's overused or when a weather front comes in.

The Stream Analogy
I was talking to one of my patients about blood stasis. She asked me: "How can blood ever be stagnant? It's pumping all the time." It's a good point, but think about a creek: the same amount of water flows through it all the time, but there are some places where the water rushes quickly. There are many places that the water slows and pools deeper. In these places, you might smell the musty smell of algae growing. It's harder for water to flow as smoothly through these areas. The more the water slows down, the harder it is to clean out the gunk, so this is where the dried leaves, muck and garbage collect. It works the same way in your body. Where qi and blood aren't moving smoothly, pain results.

The Low Down on the Slow Down
It's a maxim of Chinese Medicine that "The Qi leads the Blood".  When the qi slows down, we get qi stagnation.  When the qi stagnates long enough, eventually the blood slows down, too. My first  example is of my dear beloved aunt. We'll call her Auntie Katherine. Auntie Katherine has 'cankles', those kind of calf/ankles that flow over the tops of her shoes. She was never a very active sort and spends most of her time in a chair watching game shows. She rarely gets her heart rate up, so her Qi doesn't get moving much. Over time, the blood slowed down, too.  Her lower legs became swollen and covered in a spidery network of painful-looking veins. Sure, her blood is still flowing, but not flowing very efficiently, hence the fat ankles and painful legs.

In a Mess with Stress
Another example: Joe, a businessman is 45. He works at the Acme widget factory as an executive. His work is very stressful; he spends a lot of his days shouting into his speakerphone at the incompetant nincompoops he's forced to work with. Let's look at his signs and symptoms: headaches, high blood pressure, red face, and he's angry most of the time. Any of us can easily diagnose him with "stress". What do we know about stress? It stagnates the qi, slows it down, makes it flow erratically. Stagnate the qi long enough, you end up with blood stasis. Blood stasis in Joe's case might very well end up manifesting as a blood clot that causes a stroke or a heart attack.

Brrr!!!
Stagnant qi is not the only reason for blood stasis. Cold can play a part, too. Marcy, 25, is a competitive runner.  She has very painful menses, so painful in fact that she has to take a day off work to lay on the couch with a hot water bottle. When I asked her about her training regimen, she admitted that she ran outside winter and summer in shorts and a t-shirt. I asked her to either train inside when it was cold or to wear leg warmers to keep the acupuncture channels of the lower legs warm.  I told her if she wanted things to change, she needed to stop wearing flip flops, crop tops and capri pants in the winter months. She followed my recommendations, and along with Chinese herbs to warm the uterus, her pain ceased.

Wait? Aren't you supposed to put ice on traumatic injuries? Well, there's been a lot of discussion about that recently in the news. Some MDs and PTs feel that limiting the amount of inflammation in the area, by using ice, will speed healing. Others counter that it's actually slowing the healing process and there's no benefit to it. I'm of the opinion that you should only ice an injury *if* it brings relief and only for the first 24 hours. Then, switch to warm compresses.

I'm Lookin' at You Jackie Chan
Martial artists are at a great risk for hidden blood stasis. They are active enough that their Qi flows nicely. However, they spend a lot of time falling and getting hit. Their pulse is likely to cover the telltale "choppy" pulse of someone with blood stasis. Looking at the underside of your tongue is a good indicator for blood stasis. Does it have bulging purple or blue veins? That's a good sign you have some blood stasis going on in your body. If you see them, don't panic. Come in for an assessment and we'll determine the right course of action for you.

In Conclusion
The good news about blood stasis: it's reversible. There are lots of different ways to treat it including lifestyle, acupuncture and Chinese herbs.  The bad news about blood stasis, it's not as easy to clear out as Qi stasis and leads to significant issues over time. As usual, approaching problems early leads to easier and more effective treatment in the long run.

**Note: these case histories, although based on real people, are completely fictional.**

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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

Insomnia tips

1. Wear your socks! According to Chinese medicine, any types of insomnia are the result of heat in the Heart. Allopathic medicine has determined that wearing warm socks to bed can help some people sleep better. Why? Because the body is able to reach a sleep state faster when the body’s core is cooled off. Dilating the blood vessels in the feet helps it do this. I was interested to hear that Western science is backing up my medical tradition! When the Heart is hot, it’s hard for the Shen or “spirit” to rest easy. According to Chinese medical theory, the Heart, not the brain, processes all the thoughts. If you’re particularly worried about something, by running thoughts over and over in your brain you are heating up the heart, making it impossible to sleep.

2. Stressful lives: most of us have. When you are in fight or flight mode so much during your day, it’s hard to switch from fight or flight (the domain of the parasympathetic nervous system) to rest and digest (the sympathetic nervous system). Regular meditation practice and acupuncture have both proven extremely effective at calming the parasympathetic nervous system.   

3. Comfort is important. If your mattress is dipping in the middle or too hard, you won’t be able to sleep comfortably. In addition, if you have allergies to dust and pet dander your mattress can become a storage depot for these allergens. Consider replacing your mattress if either of these conditions apply to you.  

4. Limit electronics in the bedroom. There are two basic types of Qi in the body one is Yang, everything that is warm, active, growing and consuming. The other is Yin, everything that is restful, nourishing, cooling and still. Televisions, computers, smart phones, anything with an LED light or anything that makes a buzzing or humming sound is a Yang device and consumes the Yin around it. Studies have shown the more time you spend in front of a backlit screen, the harder it is for your body to reach deep sleep. Your bedroom is your sanctuary for rest and relaxation. Do not use electronic devices within an hour of bedtime, they will only amp you up and make it harder to sleep. End the smart phone addiction: leave it in another part of the house. You do not need to be on Twitter and Facebook at 11 pm!  

5. Clutter: While you’re cleaning out your bedroom and creating your Zen space, find another place to keep all that clutter. You know what I’m talking about: laundry baskets, piles of paperwork, kids toys, etc.. If you can’t find another place to put it, at least hide it in some attractive containers or a nice armoire. Nothing makes me feel less calm than a bunch of clutter greeting me at the end of a long day. 

6. What is it with 2-3 AM? Are you the person who wakes up at 2-3 AM without fail? The cause may be that your blood sugar drops at this time. When your blood sugar drops the liver is engaged to break up glycogen and make glucose for the body’s use. The Liver in Chinese medicine is responsible for coursing the Qi freely throughout the body. Having this organ activated in the middle of the night goes counter to healthy sleep. Try eating a small high protien, low sugar snack like almonds or sunflower seeds at 9:00 pm or so. If blood sugar is your issue, this should give your body the fuel it needs to rest easy all night long. 

7. Regular acupuncture. Acupuncture not only reduces stress and promotes proper hormone balance, it also adjusts the Ying and the Wei Qi. What are Ying and Wei? King is the nutritive Qi that circulates in the body during the night, nourishing all the organs and tissues. It is a Yin substance. Wei is the defensive Qi that circulates on the surface of the body during the day to fight against pathogens (colds and flus). Wei is a Yang substance. Many individuals end up with an imbalance of Ying and Wei in which the Wei circulates all the time, preventing deep and restful sleep. 

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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

Handling The Holidays When A Loved One Dies

by Mimi McDavid, guest blogger & "friend of the show"

Losing someone you love is often an emotional and painful experience.  When someone dies over the holidays it can cloud our ability to function and add stress to an already hectic time of year.  Learning to love and care for oneself during this challenging time is so important for emotional health and well-being, here are a few suggestions:

Express your grief in a way that works for you.  Talk, pray, or write a letter, but allow your tears and pain to find a way out of your heart and into some form of action. 

·       Be gentle and patient with yourself. This is not always easy when we are grieving…take a little time each day to listen to yourself and your feelings and do things that you know nurture your spirit. For some it might be getting outdoors for a hike, meditating or journaling.

·       Rituals are a powerful form of expression. Remembering your loved one will get easier over time. What did you love most about your loved one?  Remember these things and do not be afraid of your feelings.  Pay tribute to your loved one in a way that has meaning for you!

·       Trust that you will feel better and stronger over time. Give yourself whatever you need to get through this loss. And remember everyone grieves in their own way. If your grief is overwhelming you or not getting better over time – ask for help!

Mimi McDavid specializes in grief counseling and helping children and families through tough times and transition. She is the founder of Wonders Inc. – its sole mission… giving people the tools to manage the challenges of life and adversity.  You can contact Mimi @ 720.988.7482 or visit her website @ wondersinc.org.

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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

Acupuncture and Trauma: Yes, it can help!

It's been only a few short days since Colorado's 1000 year flood and yet many lives will be changed forever. 

Some might ask: I just lost my house, my business, my pets to the flood. How is acupuncture going to help me? My basement flooded. I’m worried about my friends up in the canyon. How is acupuncture going to help me? 

First, it calms the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system governs the fight or flight response. During stressful situations your blood pressure increases, your heart beats faster, adrenaline is released, and your digestion slows down. When we’re in a crisis situation, we need these things to happen so we can move fast and respond to threats. The problem comes in the aftermath. In situations like these it’s easy for us to get stuck in this hyperactive state. Even for those of us not directly affected by the floods it’s easy to slip into this state just by watching the news coverage. 

Acupuncture has been documented to sedate the sympathetic nervous system and activate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest). Acupuncture treatments calm anxiety and promote deeper and more restful sleep. Patients often tell me they feel ‘clearer’ and ‘more centered’ after an acupuncture treatment. Unfortunately, I don’t have needles and acupuncture points that make money troubles vanish or ex spouses to stop annoying you, but I can make your response to those things more balanced. I tell folks that “your life is still your life, but after acupuncture it just seems more manageable.”

The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association auricular (ear) acupuncture protocol is used to help people overcome addictions of all kinds. It also happens to be extremely helpful in mitigating all sorts of emotional and psychological stressors. We use the NADA protocol and other ear protocols like it to help folks deal with traumatic events of all kinds. 

Acupuncture also deals with specific emotions themselves. Those directly affected have no doubt experienced fear and panic as they were forced to deal with these extremely frightening circumstances. Fear depletes the adrenal glands and can lead to adrenal fatigue, so it’s important to use acupuncture to boost up the Kidneys and calm fear. 

Grief and sorrow follow after the loses of friends, loved ones, pets and cherished possessions. This is a completely normal emotion when we experience a traumatic event. The goal of the acupuncturist is not to dull the grief that you feel, but to help you experience it in an authentic way and then move on. When we hold onto grief, it impacts the lungs. I can’t tell you how many folks I’ve met who have lost a family member and then gotten chronic cases of pneumonia and bronchitis because of the impact on the lungs. We want to nourish the lungs to make sure they’re ready for the fall and winter months ahead.

Worry is another common emotion. A lot of us have been worried about others and stuck in the over-thinking mode (myself included!). On an organ level, worry prevents proper digestion of our food. On a psychological level, it keeps us up at night.

It’s not an emotion, per se, but having water invade your home, your community and some of our favorite places pushes our boundaries. Acupuncture can also be used to boost those up.

Anger often pops up after the initial feelings of shock and sadness. As bystanders we feel frustrated that we can’t help more. As survivors we feel angry that things we’ve worked very hard for have been destroyed by a random act of the weather. Acupuncture helps the Qi of the body and the emotions to flow more freely. 

Our minds and bodies are intertwined, therefore when our mind is tense, our body becomes tense. How many of us cope with stressful situations by raising our shoulders closer and closer to our ears? Most of us I would say! When our body is tense or in pain, our emotions tend to get stuck in anger or fear or worry. It’s the acupuncturist’s job to get things flowing again. Think of how quickly a toddler flows through emotions: delight at seeing a new toy, frustration when s/he is unable to make it work properly, sadness someone else takes it and starts playing with it. Then back to joy when they see a butterfly. This is the ideal, to fully experience our emotions in the moment and not to get stuck in any one emotion for too long. 

So whether it’s sore muscles from mucking out a neighbor’s basement or stress from dealing with a disaster, acupuncture can and will help!

More about NADA: http://www.acudetox.com