October 14th, 2011 by Julie Shindler-Cohen

I recently had an interesting herbal encounter with a patient.  She was telling me that she’s taking a Chinese herbal formula from her physician that was full of Chinese herbs that are “adaptogens”.  I was absolutely intrigued.  When I asked her exactly what was in it, she couldn’t remember any specific herbs but was sure that it contained a long list of Chinese herbs.   My understanding of Chinese herbal adaptogens is new and still in progress.  This understanding of herbs is a modern approach to Chinese herbalism and I often struggle to find a balance between classical and modern Chinese herbalism. 

Classically, Chinese herbs are arranged into categories that describe the general function of herbs.  For example, herbs that tonify qi, drain dampness, clear heat, etc.  Within each category, each individual herb has its own taste, temperature and specific function.  The properties of each herb are important in herbal formulas and modifications.  Herbs are always prescribed as formulas, or combinations of herb that achieve a specific treatment principal.  (In fact, the text book for formulas is called “Formulas and Strategies” because a formula is indeed a strategy for treatment.)  The effectiveness of a formula comes from the synergistic qualities of all the herbs.  This is important to keep in mind when new research comes out regarding specific pharmaceutical properties of individual herbs.  Sometimes people hear in the news about a Chinese herb that has “estrogenic effects” or have questionable side effects.  This sort of information completely discounts the nature of classic herbal formulations.  Sure, one herb contains a variety of actions but when it is used in a formula with several other herbs, specific effects of single herbs become moderated.  That’s the beauty of Chinese herbalism!  Formulas were designed to offset any “negative side effects” and to balance the herbs to yield the best effect for the patient (and, ideally, with NO side effects).

Now back to adaptogens.  Needless to say, the classic material medica (Chinese herbal compilation) did not identify those herbs that can be classified as adaptogens.  It is very exciting to practice Chinese herablism in an age where scientific research is able to determine these more fine-tuned properties of herbs.  However, it can become overwhelming when writing formulas for my patients.  I welcome these discoveries and always include the modern strategies in my formulas.   However, I stay focused on the classic Chinese medical approach in choosing the basis of formulas and incorporate the modern approach in making modifications.  I hope that by balancing old and new strategies, my patients will find relief in their symptoms and make better progress towards healing!

October 6th, 2011 by Julie Shindler-Cohen

Acupuncture is one of the best forms of preventative medicine available today.  The goal of acupuncture is to maintain balance within the energy channels so that disease will not present itself.  Maintaining balance ensures that there is not too much (an excess) of energy in one channel and a lack of (deficiency) of energy in another channel.  Chinese herbs are also used for this purpose; to clear out any excess, support any deficiency or treat any resulting pathologies.  From an emotional perspective, I have found that when people become stressed or emotionally vulnerable, any preexisting deficiency becomes a more serious problem.  For example, the person who has a long history of digestive disorders gets severe digestive problems when they experience a loss in their life.  Or a person who has a long history of allergies and frequent colds get a long standing cough that will not go away when life becomes stressful. Read the rest of this entry »

October 2nd, 2011 by Monica Mae Leibson

I was fortunate enough to attend a luncheon for The Pink Fund on Saturday and walked away feeling blessed and inspired.  The Pink Fund is a michigan based charity organization that provides short-term financial aid during the brief period of active treatment and recovery.  The help that the Pink Fund offers people during a time of crisis is desperately needed and I applaud them for taking a stand for people’s lives.

Kris Carr was chosen to be their speaker because of her journey and her courage.  She was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer that was considered untreatable.  They couldn’t do chemotherapy or operate.  So, she decided to research other cultures to see what they ate and how they exercised to promote longevity.  What I loved about her was her honesty and vulnerability.  She told us that before her cancer diagnosis she would eat very unhealthy food, including spam.  “Spam, people!”  she screamed to us to remind us how disgusting it was!  For her to be considered a health guru now shows she certainly has come a long way.

I was also really inspired by her attitude regarding diet and lifestyle.  She said that we should strive for perfection but never be a slave to it.  When it comes to diet, exercise, and meditation, we would all love to make goals and stick to them.  But oftentimes we are too busy with the many demands of our lives.  She reminded us that we should always aim to meet our goals but shouldn’t beat ourselves up if we don’t.  I really liked this because in my healthcare practice I’ve seen how easy it is for people to engage in negative self talk if they don’t live up to their own standards.  And really, how does this serve us?  It truly doesn’t.  Guilt does nothing to move us forward in our spiritual journey.  Rather, as spiritual beings, we can do our best to take care of ourselves and know that our best is always good enough.

Please take a moment to pay it forward and donate to this amazing Michigan charity.

www.thepinkfund.org

Be inspired at

www.crazysexylife.com

September 26th, 2011 by Julie Silver

Most of us eat foods because they are pleasurable and we enjoy their smell, taste and textures.
Eating is a very personal experience as it is both a source of nutrition as well as a tool for social gathering. Most of us are also well aware of the
nutritional value of food. Eating whole grains (vs. enriched white flours), fresh (vs. canned) vegetables and healthy fats (vs. trans fats) are
cornerstones of many diets. It is also valuable to look at our bodies, the importance of the temperatures and flavors of foods, and the best season to eat them
in.  Read the rest of this entry »

September 26th, 2011 by Monica Mae Leibson

Research Gives Insight Into How Acupuncture May Relieve Pain

Acupuncture—an ancient healing practice that has shown promise in treating chronic pain—typically involves a period of active needle stimulation, followed by a longer period of rest. It appears that the analgesic (pain-relieving) effects of acupuncture may actually peak long after the active stimulation ends. In the first study of its kind, NCCAM-supported researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Logan College of Chiropractic, and Kyunghee University (Korea) evaluated the effects of acupuncture on brain activity following active stimulation.

The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imagery (fMRI) to monitor brain activity in 15 healthy adults before and after true acupuncture and sham acupuncture. The procedure lasted 150 seconds, and the rest period was 5.5 minutes. They also monitored heart rate and respiration and surveyed the subjects on their perception of pain and other sensations (such as deqi, unique sensations experienced in connection with acupuncture and considered to be signs of its effectiveness).

Analysis of the fMRI images showed that following true acupuncture—but not sham—there were increased connections among the parts of the brain involved in the perception and memory of pain. The subjects also reported stronger sensations with true acupuncture than with sham. The researchers conclude that acupuncture changes resting-state brain activity in ways that may account for its analgesic and other therapeutic effects.

Reference

• Dhond RP, Yeh C, Park K, et al. Acupuncture modulates resting state connectivity in default and sensorimotor brain networks. Pain. 2008;136(3):407–418.

Additional Resource

• More information on acupuncture from NCCAM is available here:nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/.

Journal Publication Date: June 1, 2008

(Note: This article is taken from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)

September 23rd, 2011 by Monica Mae Leibson

Mothers & Mothers-to-be gather to laugh, talk, & cry on our journey through motherhood. In this safe place, we discuss topics of interest, create long-lasting friendships & build community; your children are welcome as you care for them while you attend. Taught by Jahmanna Selassie. Free (occasional speaker/material fees).

Thurs Sep 29th ~ Open, Share, Review, Reflect

Thurs Oct 6th ~ Birth Talk:  Mama to Mama – to -  be

Thurs Oct 13th ~ The work of Mama Juggling

Thurs Oct 20th ~ Babys First Food after Milk

Thurs Oct 27th ~ Open, Share, Review, Reflect

Jahmanna Selassie is a birth & post partum doula, massage therapist, aspiring midwife, mother of 6, and has a special interest in the uniquely revitalizing qualities of ayurvedic postpartum care.

To find out more, go to http://visitindigo.com



September 14th, 2011 by Julie Shindler-Cohen

In the age of food allergies, Sandra Beasley’s Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from An Allergic Life is a fascinating read for those of us who cannot imagine living with such food restrictions.  Beasley tells her life story of dealing with severe food allergies and how she has learned to adapt her life around her extreme food sensitivities.  Her food allergies are so severe that she rejected her mother’s breast milk as an infant.  Over many years, doctors were able to determine that she is allergic to dairy (including goat’s milk), egg, soy, beef, shrimp, pine nuts, cucumbers, cantaloupe, honeydew, mango, macadamias, pistachios, cashews, swordfish and mustard; she is also allergic to mold, dust, grass, tree pollen, cigarette smoke, dogs, rabbits, horses, and wool.  (Can you imagine?)  However, the discovery of her allergies also involved countless anaphylactic shock episodes and trips to the emergency room before the correct offender could be identified. Read the rest of this entry »

September 12th, 2011 by Monica Mae Leibson

For women going through IVF, it’s a very emotional time.  And it seems sometimes easier for the human psyche to worry about the negative rather than create a positive future.  Now if having a baby were as easy as “creating a positive future,” we wouldn’t need IVF!  This practice is simply used to focus the mind, rather than letting anxiety and fear get the best of us.

Step 1.  Release the past.

If our mind is cluttered with memories of yesterday or anxiety regarding tomorrow, we cannot truly create from a blank slate.

Breathing in, I allow myself to come into this present moment.

I choose to consciously release the past at this moment.  I internally declare that the past has no power over me and I release and let go.  (Deep sigh of relief).

Step 2.  Create an intention

With an intention, you begin by stating your desire.  Be sure to use juicy adjectives like loving, nurturing, and fully self-expressed.  You want your intention to feel like it really resonates with why you desire to have a child.

The flow of the intention can go something like this…

1. I would love the opportunity to be a loving mother to a healthy child.
2. My intention at this time is be a nurturing mother in a beautiful family with a child.
3. Who I am is the possibility of peace, love, and joy.
4. I am a stand for loving families on our planet.

Step 3.  Release and let go.

Oftentimes this is the hardest part.  But just practice it and see how your heart opens.  You can speak your intention with love and gracefully follow it with a releasing meditation.

“I have shared my intention with the universe and know that it has been received.  With that knowing, I release and let go.  I release the attachment of my intention and choose to stay focused on who I am being, rather than what I am asking for.”

“I choose to have faith in this life.  I know it is not always easy but regardless of the outcome, I choose to have faith in my journey.”

Step 4.  Rinse and repeat

I recommend writing down the intention you’ve created and include the releasing meditation.  You can carry it around with you in your wallet.  You could put it on the mirror in your bathroom.  The honest truth is that you might need to say it a lot in each day.  Worry and anxiety can be so familiar to our brains that it becomes our automatic thought process.  This will truly be a lesson in consciously creating your thoughts.  Enjoy!

September 1st, 2011 by Julie Silver

Feng shui is an ancient art developed in China over 3,000 years ago.  Its goal is to balance the energies of any given space to assure health, wellness and good fortune to those who inhabit it. Like acupuncture, feng shui is based on the principle of qi, an energy that fills our spacesand makes it feel “alive”.  You may have heard the expression that the space has “good feng shui” or even walked into a space yourself and had a good or bad feeling when you did. One of the objects of feng shui is to create a free path for the qi to flow throughout your home.  Picture qi as a gentle stream flowing through your home. By doing a simple walk through your home you can see where the stream flows smoothly and where clutter and objects get in its way. Read the rest of this entry »

August 28th, 2011 by Monica Mae Leibson

For so many women, pregnancy is filled with preparing for birth.  Taking classes, reading books, and practicing relaxation techniques are just a few of the many things that keep a pregnant woman busy.  So for an expectant mom to hear that her baby is in a breech presentation, it can be very disappointing.

Read the rest of this entry »