Heaven & Earth Acupuncture and Wellness » diet

Chinese Nutritional Therapy Talk – April 17th

Kyle Smith — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:49:32 +0000

On the evening of April 17th I will talk about the Chinese Nutritional Therapy. The concept of Chinese nutrition, or how food affects our health, have a 3,000 year old tradition. Records dating back to the third century BC state that there was little difference between the application of food and that of medicine; in fact recipes for food were often similar to those of medicine. Foods are mild therapeutic agents that help the body stay balanced, or bring it back to balance, and actually follow the same criteria used for medicinal herbs: thermal nature, flavor, organ network, and direction of energy flow.

Come join us on Friday evening April 17th at 6:30pm at Brookfield Chiropractic at 15010 W. Greenfield Ave. Suite #100 in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Look forward to seeing you.

Diabetes Mellitus and Chinese Medicine

Kyle Smith — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:04:46 +0000

Diabetes is a syndrome in which there are abnormal levels of insulin secretion, elevated glucose levels, retinopathy, neuropathy, and accelerated atherosclerosis. Diabetes comes in different type that most people are familiar with: Type I, Type II, and gestational. Type Iis insulin dependant. Seventy-five percent of Type 1 diabetics have antibodies to their own pancreatic cells as a result of a viral infection. Some of the viral diseases associated with Type 1 are hepatitis, rubella, Epstein-Barr viruses, herpes virus 6. Type II diabetics don’t need insulin to survive, but often are dependant upon insulin injections to regulate blood glucose levels. The main cause of Type II can be narrowed to diet, obesity, stress, and/or viral infection.

In Chinese medicine, these ailments are separated into two main patterns based on the age of the onset. In juvenile on-set diabetes, there is a deficiency within the body that keeps it from working properly. While in adult onset is related to heat within the body. This heat can start with what is called stomach fire. This causing much hunger and inhibits the other paired organ to the stomach, the spleen, from functioning properly. The spleen is also damaged by diet. Foods high in sugar, sweets, and fatty foods diminish the spleens ability to regulate fluids in the body. The heat within the body persists and carries deeper in the body affecting other organs causing further problems.

Acupuncture, herbal medicine, and diet therapy can be used to correct the imbalance created by this situation. Diabetics must eliminate refined sugar, avoid junk food, eat snacks of protein between meals, and eat complex carbohydrates like whole wheat, fruits, and vegetables because they release carbs more slowly in the body. The acupuncture and herbs look at removing the heat within the body and/or the body to balance it back out.

Carpal Tunnel and Dietary Recommendations

Kyle Smith — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:42:06 +0000

Good foods to eat to reduce pain and promote healing are bananas, avocados, potatoes, buts, salmon, whole grains, and chicken because they contain vitamin B6. Another great food to get in each day is pineapple. Pineapple contains bromelain, which reduces swelling and relieves pain.

Foods to avoid include asparagus, beets, eggs, parsley, rhubarb, spinach, and cabbage. These foods contain or lead to the production of oxalic acid which promote joint problems. Avoids salt and high sodium foods due to the added retention of water that can aggravate carpal tunnel syndrome.

Dietary Recommendation for Hypertension

Kyle Smith — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 22:02:19 +0000

SALT-FREE DIET!!! #1. Limiting or eliminating salt in the diet is essential for lowering blood pressure. The need to read the labels on the food that are ingested is critical to a person whom suffers from hypertension. Eating a diet that is high in dietary fiber or taking a fiber supplement helps keep fats from depositing inside the arteries. Be aware of water that has been through a water softener, try bottled water.

Pomegranate juice has been shown to prevent hardening of the arteries by reducing blood vessel damage, and helps reverse progression of atherosclerosis. These wonderful actions are based on the high antioxidant contain within the juice. The antioxidant count is higher than blueberries, cranberries, and oranges. Adding Ginkgo Biloba can benefit the cardiovascular system by helping reduce free radicals.

Foods to avoid:

Aged cheese or aged meat
Anchovies
Avocados
Chocolate
Fava beans
Pickled Herring
Sour cream
Wine
Yogurt
Alcohol
Caffeine
Tobacco