|
Integrative Health Centers Acupuncture Blog
 |
The phrase “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is certainly true, but have you ever taken a moment to think about why these old dog can’t be trained. With age comes wisdom, acquired experience, and greater self awareness. You would think that the proverbial “old dog” would actually be the first to learn a new trick, be able to learn it faster, and maybe even improve upon its methodology as opposed to his younger counterpart. Sadly, this is not so, and for all of the advantages that comes with experience the tragedy is the brain is less plastic and less apt at processing new information.
Unfortunately, this proverb also holds true for humans as it does for canines. In fact brain function on average begins to decline at around age 30 for most of us. Nevertheless, the other side of this parable, the training of children is very fascinating. Acupuncture and infantile Tuina have an amazing capacity for exploiting the plasticity of children’s brains. In my most recent case dramatic results were achieved within the first treatment, with the child being able to bring both of her hands to midline, something she had been unable to do for the first two years of her life. There is an almost 1:1 ratio with the amount of effort that you put into the patient’s care and the curative effect that you achieve. This makes treating these young patients so rewarding. With further treatment she quickly began to develop her course motor skills, gain cognitive abilities, became more aware of her own body as well as her environment, and gain some measure of independence and the desire to do things for herself. The treatment process over the last two months has been extremely exciting to watch, and our hopes for the future and her continued improvement remain high. The only individual that has not benefited from her treatment is her stuffed giraffe whom she is now able to shake and maim with even greater vigor then before. But honestly isn’t that what stuffed animals are for?!?
Though it is hard not to dwell on your own cognitive decline and your decreased ability to “learn new tricks”, it is a pleasure to watch these young pups expand their horizons and push the boundaries of their abilities. The role that acupuncture and infantile tuina can play in this process for those children with cerebral palsy is pivotal, and the sooner treatment is administered the better.
Brian Jackson, L.Ac. 30.06.09
I used to think of travel as a Free Pass from eating well, mostly because airports rarely had much to offer that was life-enriching. But lately airports have begun to offer better options, and I decided that if I was going to go “off plan” it would only be for something that tastes amazing and brings me great joy—two things which can rarely be said of airport food. So now I try to make the healthiest choices I can when traveling. Which is why I found the following article helpful:
http://www.cheapflights.com/travel-tips/healthy-eating-at-the-airport/
Happy Healthy Travels!
I believe our bodies do not make mistakes. Therefore, when we have cravings, or impulses to binge on things we know are not good for us, we need to look at this not as a failure of willpower, but as a critical piece of information from which we can learn.
Some cravings are indications of nutrient/dietary deficiencies.
• intense and regular cravings for chocolate can indicate a magnesium deficiency
• cravings for salt can indicate a mineral deficiency
• cravings for fatty foods could mean a lack of essential fatty acids (which we get from healthy fats)
• cravings for sugar and carbohydrates can result from systemic yeast overgrowth
Sometimes making dietary shifts based on the cravings can reduce or eliminate them:
If you are regularly craving sweets, include more of the following in your diet:
• semi-sweet vegetables: turnips, rutabagas, parsnips
• sweet vegetables: carrots, corn, onions, beets, winter squash, sweet potatoes, yams
• sweet foods made with whole grains, higher fiber, or protein (i.e. nuts, beans)
• less sweet versions of what you are craving, e.g. dark chocolate
• high quality, organic, delightfully decadent versions of what you are craving
• you may need to try a yeast-reducing diet for a period of time
If you are regularly craving something salty, include more of the following in your diet:
• an array of green leafy vegetables for trace minerals and celery for natural sodium
• punch up the flavor of your foods with fresh herbs, garlic, onions, leeks, or other spices
• high quality sea salt is a better choice for table-side seasoning or cooking
If you are regularly craving something bitter (coffee or dark beer), increase intake of:
• dandelion, arugula, mustard greens, kale, collards
• craving of bitters can be a signal that digestion is compromised or diet is high in saturated fats
• a digestive enzyme supplement can help with compromised digestion
If you are craving something pungent (like Chinese food - which could be a sensitivity to MSG, a neurotoxic nerve stimulant), try:
• adding fresh grated ginger on your vegetables, soup or salad
• other pungent flavors: cayenne, scallions, onions, leeks, garlic, pepper
Sometimes it is a blend of qualities we are craving. If you like to overthink and analyze things like I do, and you are craving a specific item, try to break down the qualities it has that seem so appealing and consider whether healthier options will suffice. For instance, if you are craving a cinnamon bun, you might consider the aspects of this treat: cinnamony, sweet, warm, heavy, pastry. Next, try to come up with other items that share many of the qualities and rank them in order from healthiest to least healthy option. For instance, you might consider a baked apple with cinnamon, bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon, an oatmeal raisin cookie, or perhaps a smaller version of the cinnamon bun. Some days, you are just going to want the darned cinnamon bun. But on the days when you can, try to substitute a healthier option.
Gather info about as many plans as possible and see what resonates with you—the pros and cons of the last several blogs may give you a place to start your research. It may be useful to keep a food journal for a few weeks and note how you feel both physically and emotionally during and after the foods you eat. Food sensitivies and/or allergies often can be signalled by headaches, short temper, heart racing, cravings and overeating of the foods to which one is sensitive—which can lead to excess weight. Keeping a log can help you notice patterns and reactions—remember that food-based reactions can take 12–48 hours to occur, so you may have to look back a day or two to determine the culprit.
When it comes to a healthy base diet, I have a simple approach which I call the 1-2-3-4-5 plan:
1 serving of essential fatty acids each day—a heaping tablespoon of ground seeds (flaxseeds or chia seeds are a great choice) or have a tablespoon of cold-pressed seed oil (such as flaxseed, hempseed, pumpkin seed, or grapeseed).
2 servings daily of lean protein in the form of beans, lentils, quinoa, eggs, fish, poultry or lean meat.
3 pieces per day of fresh fruit such as apples, pears, bananas, berries, melon or citrus.
4 (or fewer if trying to lose weight) servings per day of whole grains such as rice, millet, rye, oats, wheat, corn, quinoa, whole grain breads, or whole grain pasta. A great choice is a sprouted grain bread like Ezekiel bread.
5 servings per day of dark green, leafy, and root vegetables such as spinach, kale, watercress, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, green beans, peas, peppers.
Lastly, don’t be so inflexible that you end up being isolated and unhappy. If you eat healthy most of the time, you can occasionally go off plan once in awhile without “falling off the wagon” entirely.
I’ve always told my patients that obtaining adequate sleep is crucial because often health complaints improve simply by getting better quality sleep. Here is an interesting item off this morning’s Yahoo news page: http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090616/hl_time/08599190456100 Apparently sleep also functions as a sort of emotional car wash. In particular REM (i.e. dream) sleep is crucial to processing the emotional component of daily events.
Chinese “medicine” has always been about more than just taking medicine. It’s about a way of living for health, happiness and longevity. I’m all over Dan Buettner’s new book, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest. One little gem: people who eat nuts four to five times per week live two to three years longer than people who don’t eat nuts. Although this finding surprised the investigators, it makes perfect sense from a TCM point of view. Nuts contain the potential for life, the esssence of growth. This is called “Jing” in Chinese medicine, and nuts have Jing. So don’t wait for the researchers to tease out every last constituent in every nut and then publish their findings in a reputable journal. We evolved to eat the fruits of the earth. I personally feel that it will never be possible to tease out every last component of a given fruit,seed or nut. Nature has “packaged” the healing elements of plants more perfectly than any man-made “supplement”. The long-lived populations discussed in Dan Buettner’s book don’t take synthesized supplements. They just eat fresh, unprocessed food. What a concept!
Only if—and this is key—you actually eat a lot of vegetables. Vegetarianism is not a good weight management strategy if you are a pasta-tarian. Excessive carbohydrates, especially refined ones, lead to increased fat stores. Another reason it can be hard to lose weight on a vegetarian diet is the need for essential fatty acids and amino acids to burn fat. Get a daily serving of seeds and/or nuts and use healthy cold-pressed oils to make sure you get essential fatty acids. Amino acids come from complete proteins (which can be formed by combining whole grains with legumes).
I encourage people to experiment to find what sources and amounts of protein work best for you. If you are dedicated to being a vegetarian for ethical reasons, it is certainly possible to eat a healthy diet and manage your weight, but you have to really watch the carbohydrates and focus on protein needs (and possibly supplement B vitamins since B12 tends to be deficient in vegetarians). It is important to learn how to cook and digest beans well (soaking the beans will help, as can digestive enzymes like Beano).
Some vegans / vegetarians use soy as their primary source of protein. I would like to offer some cautions about soy, however. Soy is a very common allergen and it can be difficult to digest for many people. It is also a highly processed food, and when made into meat substitutes, is usually a packaged/preserved food—these can be loaded with sodium and preservatives. Soy is also a phyto-estrogenic food—which can be useful if one is in menopause or estrogen compromised, but problematic if one is estrogen dominant or male (since excess estrogens can cause infertility and libido problems for men). Also, soy is frequently treated with excessive pesticides, which can lead to further hormone disruption—so choose organic soy products if you eat them. And if you tend toward hypothyroidism, I’d advise staying away from soy altogether since soy also has goitrogens—an inhibitor for iodine absorption, which is essential for proper thyroid function.
If you don’t love eating beans, and you are lacto-ovo vegetarian (as opposed to vegan), other proteins worth considering are organic, pasture-raised, hormone-free and antibiotic-free eggs and high quality (raw milk if possible) yogurts, if one can digest dairy well (but beware artificial sweeteners—get plain, with as few ingredients as you can find and add your own fresh fruit if you like).
The idea behind the Raw Food Diet is that by eating foods in their natural (uncooked) state, we maximize intake of nutrients and enzymes. Most of us could improve our health by eating more raw vegetables and fruits. But should you consider going 50%, 75%, or even 90% raw? Here is my opinion:
Pros:
• raw foods are healing, cleansing and refreshing to the body
• enzyme-rich foods with plenty of fiber can improve digestion and increase vitality
• eating this way is environmentally supportive and ecologically friendly
• eating fresh produce removes toxins and breaks addictions to sugary, processed junk foods
Cons:
• raw food eaters who include raw eggs and raw meats may be at risk for foodborne illnesses
• eating only raw produce can be too cleansing for those whose systems are weak or need building
• sensitive digestive tracks can be susceptible to bloating, gas, indigestion
• it can be difficult in the winter months to maintain such a cooling diet and stay balanced
• it is challenging to get adequate protein on this diet
• too much sugar from an overabundance of fruits can create sugar cravings
• can be overly rigid and isolating unless one has a community of like-minded eaters
The Eat Right for Your Blood Type Diet bases approved food lists on blood types which are purported to relate to genetic legacies. The science behind the diet is a bit shaky, but anecdotally, I have seen a few trends that seem to correlate with some of the basics:
• Type O (“hunters”—about 45% of the population) people usually love meat. These folks will rarely choose to be vegetarian and are frequently the ones who will be inclined to try the Atkins plan. Reducing grains is often helpful for O types.
• Type A (“farmers”—40% of the population) usually make good vegetarians since they could care less about eating meat. They digest black beans and grains well and usually are okay with poultry too.
• Type B (“nomads”—11% of the population) usually do well with dairy and lamb, but not chicken or beef. They often thrive when eliminating wheat and corn from their diets.
• Type AB (“modern”—4% of the population) are usually a blend of type A and type B people but can have a sensitive digestive system. They are most prone to food sensitivities and may need to follow an elimination diet for awhile to discover which foods are problemmatic for them.
The pros:
• eliminating wheat in and of itself will often yield amazing results since it is a common allergen
• overall, the diet recommends healthy foods; just the rationale behind the choices is unsubstantiated
• might be a useful jumping-off point for discovering food sensitivities
On the con side:
• many people do no know their blood type
• science behind this diet has not been duplicated
• most O types eat plenty of protein and do not need the encouragement to eat any more
• it can be difficult to follow this diet in a household of different blood types
• can be overly rigid and difficult to follow correctly
Weight Watchers has been around since 1963 and has modified their plan several times throughout the years. It is also a good plan with great support but I would advise anyone following it to make a few modifications (which will become evident in the “cons” list).
Pros:
• “daily nutrition guidelines” emphasize healthy foods: 5+ fruits & veggies, 2 dairy, 2 healthy oils, 6+ servings of water/fluid, 2 lean proteins, some whole grains
• having the support of meetings and the accountability of keeping a food journal is really helpful
• the plan emphasizes learning to assess hunger signals and fullness cues, which is crucial
Cons:
• artificial sweeteners are allowed and even encouraged in a range of packaged foods sold by Weight Watchers—I believe these are best avoided since artificial sweeteners “trick” (stress) the pancreas and are bad for brain health
• this plan allows for poor nutritional choices which can still result in (at least temporary) weight loss—for example, a dinner of popcorn may be filling and fit into the plan, but would yield very little in the realm of nutrition
• the plan includes dairy as a requirement, something I would consider an optional/occasional food at best
The next diet I will review: Eat Right For Your Blood Type
|
|
|
|
Integrative Health Centers - Baltimore
9403 Harford Road, Suite #7
Baltimore,
MD
21234
Phone
(410) 882-4852
Fax
(410) 882-4853
Integrative Health Centers - Towson
1300 York Road, Suite #149, Building B
Towson,
MD
21093
Phone
(410) 296-5160
Fax
(410) 296-5161
Integrative Health Centers - Bel Air
407 E. Churchville Rd., Suite #103
Bel Air,
MD
21014
Phone
(443) 371-6413
Fax
(443) 371-6415
Local SEO by WebTiger Search Marketing | Website Design by CONCEPTS BY Q
|
|
|
|
|
