Your Liver: Free & Easy Wanderer

https://www.chinesemedicineliving.com

According to Western medicine, the Liver filters toxins out of the blood and metabolizes medicines. It also secretes bile which allows the digestive system to break down fats. Finally the Liver stores glycogen (a fuel source) for the body until it’s needed.

From a Chinese medical perspective, the Liver is in charge of distributing Qi to the body in a consistent and even manner. When the Liver is functioning properly, Qi gets to all the organs and tissues that need it. There is no pain throughout the body, the digestion works harmoniously, sleep is deep and restful. “Free and Easy Wanderer” is the name given to an important Chinese herbal formula that keeps the Liver Qi moving freely. I imagine the well-functioning Liver as a happy old hippy wandering around shaking hands, high-fiving people and giving pep talks. Everyone’s getting the Qi they need and everyone’s happy. 

When the Qi isn’t moving freely big problems result: neck and shoulder tension, a predisposition to anger, pain in the body, PMS, alternating constipation and diarrhea, to name a few. Here, I am reminded an officemate I used to work with years ago. Red face, red eyes, shouting voice, angry, he was plagued by digestive issues and high blood pressure. He always looked ready to explode at any moment. He would ignore those of us around him for hours and then burst in and yell “Where are those reports? Why haven’t gotten back to me about what the customer said?!” This is the perfect example of what the Liver does when it is not in balance: too little followed by too much. In the case of GI problems, first the Liver fails to provide Qi to the organs of digestion (the Spleen and Stomach). A lack of Qi can cause gas, bloating, a feeling like food is just sitting in the Stomach, and dull pain. When the Liver sends too much Qi to the Spleen and Stomach this results in cramping and diarrhea.     

When the Qi doesn’t move freely in the muscles and the joints? You guessed it: Pain. Qi stagnation can be caused by traumatic injury, overuse, or lack of exercise. Zhong Zhang Jing is one of the fathers of Chinese medicine and made famous this quote: “Where there is free flow, there is no pain. Where there is pain, there is no free flow.” Over time, the stagnation of Qi leads to the blood in the area becoming stagnant, too. This leads to chronic pain and pain of a more intense and stabbing nature. 

Another function of the Liver is that it “controls the sinews”. Sinews (tendons and ligaments) that do not receive enough Qi, Blood and nourishment from the Liver become dry, brittle, and prone to injury. Inflexible muscles, cramps, and spasms are symptoms of tissues that aren’t being nourished by the Liver. 

One of the great things about acupuncture is that we are by definition moving your Qi. The very act of putting a needle into the human body begins the process of moving Qi. This is one reason why most of us find acupuncture so relaxing: our Liver Qi gets to flow free and easy again. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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, and many other health concerns.

http://lefthandacu.com 

720-248-8626

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

What's this 'Spleen' you keep talking about?

By Caroline Adams, L. Ac. 

Many of you have heard me talk a lot about your Spleen. When your MD starts talking about your Liver or Spleen, it’s usually a fairly serious conversation about a disease like hepatitis or Epstein-Barr. Acupuncturists, on the other hand talk about the functions of these organs regularly! There’s no reason to be alarmed, it’s all normal and good. Chinese medicine doesn’t look at these organs in the same way as Western medicine.

From the Western medical perspective, the Spleen filters and stores the blood. It contributes to the production of red and white blood cells and helps the body fight infection. In Chinese medicine, the organs of the body fulfill energetic roles. Each organ is assigned a number of interrelated processes. The Spleen is not just a fist-sized organ  tucked under the left side of your ribcage, it’s a conglomeration of specific activities needed to keep the body healthy and functional. 

The Spleen’s main job is taking the food that you eat and making it into Qi or vital energy for your body needs to run away from a tiger, solve an engineering problem or heal an injury. For Chinese medicine, the Spleen is the main organ of digestion in the body. This is usually where I explain that what your acupuncturist calls your Spleen really has very little to do with the physical organ “the spleen”. We’re not sure why the ancient Chinese understood it this way. One theory is that they understood the Spleen and Pancreas to be one organ. People sometimes have their Spleens removed and want to know if something horrible is going to happen from a Chinese medical perspective. I tell them the energy and processes of the Spleen are still there and functional even though the physical organ is missing. It may be weaker, but the “Qi” of the Spleen remains intact.  

When the Spleen is doing a good job you feel energized after you eat, you have no stomach or GI upset, and stools are formed. If you’re Spleen is underperforming, you may feel tired after eating, have gas and bloating, little appetite, and loose stools. Here’s an example: after I eat Thanksgiving dinner, I usually feel like curling up on the couch and taking a nap. My kids on the other hand, although grumpy and tired before a meal, become super-charged after eating! They are still young and their Spleens are in good shape; mine, not so much.

When the Spleen is underperforming it creates what we call “Dampness”. Dampness is what gives you “brain fog” after you eat lunch. You were planning on writing up that report right after lunch and now you can’t remember a thing you wanted to say. Sound familiar? If you’re prone to allergies and asthma, dampness can become mucus that ends up in your sinuses and bronchi. It can also make your muscles feel heavy as if it takes extra energy to lift them. In the GI tract, dampness causes gas, bloating, loose stools, and diarrhea. 

Over time, dampness congeals into “Phlegm”. Phlegm can manifest as adipose tissue (fat), persistent sticky nasal discharge, constant post-nasal drip, a feeling of “stuckness” in the throat, swellings in the skin and lumps.

As you can see, it's important to keep your Spleen in tip top shape to feel your best and have the energy you need for your day.

One of my main tasks as an acupuncturist is making sure your Spleen functions correctly. I use a variety of points on your lower legs to make sure that your food gets digested properly so it gets turned into energy that you can use to go to the gym, think big thoughts, and do what needs to be done. Almost everybody's Spleen is weak to one degree or another; it's a fact of life. Ways to support your Spleen are: 

1) Eating your biggest meal of the day in the morning and smallest in the evening.

3) Eating 3-5 meals throughout the day (ie not skipping meals)

4) Chew each bite thoroughly!
5) Stop eating before you're full
6) Avoid processed foods, sugar, wheat and dairy
7) Cook most or all of your food 
8) Do not eat and work at the same time
9) Have a nice leisurely walk after meals