A recent study looked at the effect of adding acupuncture to a standard migraine medication Rizatriptan protocol. The study had four groups (all groups received the Rizatriptan) 1) a group that received TCM acupuncture 2) a standard mock acupuncture protocol 3) an accurate mock acupuncture healing ritual 4) no acupuncture. Read the rest of this entry »
Omega 3 fatty acids have been in the news quite a bit over the past few years so I’m sure most people know that an adequate amount are necessary during pregnancy. However I’m always surprised when I suggest to women that are trying to get pregnant or are newly pregnant that they need to eat good sources of Omega-3 such as flax (best to use ground seeds rather than oil), walnuts, or brazil nuts. One of the best sources of Omega-3 are the fish oils which are very beneficial during pregnancy. Read the rest of this entry »
A recently published study out of U of Minnesota have found further evidence to support the importance of encouraging teens to eat breakfast regularly. Researchers examined the association between breakfast frequency and five-year body weight change in over 2,000 teens, and the results indicate that daily breakfast eaters consumed a healthier diet and were more physically active than breakfast skippers during adolescence. This shouldn’t be a surprise as eating a healthy meal provides us with energy to be active both physically and mentally. Read the rest of this entry »
There have been many studies showing that the phytochemicals lutein and zeaxanthin are beneficial for they eyes. There is little doubt that an adequate supply of these phytochemicals can reduce the risk of cataracts. So here is another study showing that these important phytochemicals prevent ocular diseases. Read the rest of this entry »
For my most challenging cases I use blood work to determine a patient’s food sensitivities and then give the patient a 6 phase diet of using the least reactive foods then adding the more reactive foods as we go on. The patients that benefit the most are the ones that have some digestive issues with either non-hormonal migraines, fibromyalgia or IBD/IBS. I have little doubt that many physical symptoms people present with are caused by digestive distress. So many times I’ve seen that when the digestive distress is cleared then the energy improves, skin improves, muscle aches disappear, arthritis is reduced, depression disappears, memory improves etc. Read the rest of this entry »
I enjoy treating women with PMS and other menstrual symptoms because both acupuncture and dietary modification can eradicate a large majority of the symptoms. Read the rest of this entry »
Turns out that lab rats reaching for the can of Diet Coke may gain more weight than those reaching for the Coke Classic. In a study done at Purdue researchers compared glucose sweetened ‘foods’ to saccharin sweetened ‘foods’. They concluded that the artificial sweeteners make it more difficult to control intake and therefore more is consumed. The artificial sweetener doesn’t provide the satiety that glucose does and therefore there is no turning off the hunger switch. This goes in line with recent research showing that people drinking diet soda are at a greater risk for obesity and diabetes. It is amazing the power of advertising. I see so many people looking to lose weight that drink diet soft drinks and use artificial sweeteners in coffee and tea.
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Another study was released showing that chocolate is good for the heart. Good for the soul too! But for smart nutrition make sure it is dark chocolate. This study used 70%, but I’d go even further, why get the extra sugar? I’d also suggest organic chocolate because then it doesn’t have potential GMO ingredients such as soy lecithin. Read the rest of this entry »
It is scary what is happening to our food supply. First we are a giant experiment with Genetically Modified Foods. We are told they are safe, but now after having a decade or so of experience we find that they aren’t. Take a read of Jeffrey Smith’s great second book Genetic Roulette. Then the California Almond Board and USDA squeeze out small farmers and require all almonds to be pasteurized with no good reason. Read the rest of this entry »
Once again another Chinese herb is proven by modern research to work as written 2000 years ago. A Cochrane database study just released concluded that hawthorn is an effective treatment for chronic heart failure. Shan Zha or hawthorn fruit has been known for close to two thousand years to “increase blood circulation and relieve blood stasis.” Read the rest of this entry »
