City of Portland Gets an Acupuncture Treatment: Public Arts Project

Here's something wild and crazy: the City of Portland is getting an acupuncture treatment through a new public arts project. The project hopes using mammoth acupuncture "Needles appearing across the city will bring attention to the some of the city's most challenging problems, greatest assets, as well as places with enormous potential.“Using the body as a metaphor for the entire city, Kuby hopes to identify those places in the landscape that are important to us as a community, drawing attention not only to the significance of each focal point but also to the interconnectedness of them to each other as well as to ourselves.” Susan Anderson Director, Portland Bureau of Planning & Sustainabilityhttp://acuportland.org/home.htmlPortland has 2 acupuncture colleges and more than 500 acupuncturists in a 3 county area.…

Continue ReadingCity of Portland Gets an Acupuncture Treatment: Public Arts Project

NY Times: Many are Misdiagnosed with Food Allergies

Many people who think they have food allergies do not, according to a front page article in this morning's Times. The true number is only 5% of adults and 8% of children, according to a new report on allergy diagnosis, commissioned by the federal government."Yet about 30 percent of the population believe they have food allergies. And, Dr. Riedl said, about half the patients coming to his clinic because they had been told they had a food allergy did not really have one . . . People who receive a diagnosis after one of the two tests most often used . . . [skin prick test and IgE antibodies] . . . have less than a 50 percent chance of actually having a food allergy, the investigators…

Continue ReadingNY Times: Many are Misdiagnosed with Food Allergies

White-Coat Hypertension is 50% Predictive of Developing Sustained Hypertension

In the Really? column in this week's Science Times (NY Times) Anahad O'Conner discusses white-coat hypertension, the so-called phenomenon that patients with 'normal' blood pressure (normotension) will show abnormally high readings in the doctor's office due to increased anxiety in a medical setting. The high readings have been dismissed when the patients blood pressure is normal outside of the doctor's office, or at home.As a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) I have felt that these high readings are information about how the patients body reacts to stress and anxiety. If the blood pressure goes up in the doctors office, then it also goes up in other circumstances when the patient is under stress. I have felt this patient should be treated to address the condition.Well apparently…

Continue ReadingWhite-Coat Hypertension is 50% Predictive of Developing Sustained Hypertension

Breakfast Rice

I've been making this sweet baked rice for breakfast for the past year. It's easy and provides a slightly sweet carbohydrate to begin the day. Those who like hot cereal in the morning might like this. I find that generally about 2 hours later I'm ready for some protein.Lately I've been eating local Amish eggs. I've been assured that the chickens are well treated, spend lots of time outdoors and have plenty of room to move about. So as a vegan, I'm ok with eating these eggs that are raised on small, local farms. They provide animal protein which Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) feels is a required source of nutrition for building blood.I found this recipe in The Angelica Home Kitchen cookbook (Leslie Mc Eachern). Angelica's Kitchen…

Continue ReadingBreakfast Rice

Alocohol Worsens Allergies

I love the Really? column in the Science Times section of the NY Times. In April Anahad O'Connor reported that studies are showing that alcohol worsens allergy symptoms due to the histamines and sulfites they contain. Wine is the worse offender, and women are twice as likely to be affected as men.2005 Swedish StudyA 2008 Danish study showed that drinking 2 glasses of wine daily doubles risk of symptoms, even for those who are otherwise unaffected.Other foods that release histamines included cheese, pickled/fermented foods & yeasty foods: breads, cider and grapes. Maybe the grapes are causing the issue with the wine.Chinese medicine is quite effective at treating allergies. In my clinic, I generally do a combination of individualized herbal formulas and acupuncture. During the allergy season we…

Continue ReadingAlocohol Worsens Allergies

For Safety and Maximum Effectiveness See a Licensed Acupuncturist

In order to be preformed safely an effectively, acupuncture must be preformed by a qualified practitioner with adequate training in Chinese medicine. Unfortunately MD's and chiropractors have been allowed to add acupuncture as a modality in their practices after taking only a few weekend seminars in it, totally 100-300 hours. Considering that Licensed Acupuncturist now must complete 3000-4000 hours of training in order to become licensed, it is inconceivable that states would consider 100-300 adequate training for practicing on patients. Those that are poorly trained make mistakes ranging from ineffective treatment to injuries to patients.A study by the Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromso, Norway about acupuncture safety concludes:"Most adverse effects of acupuncture seem to rely on insufficient basic medical knowledge, low hygienic standard, and inadequate…

Continue ReadingFor Safety and Maximum Effectiveness See a Licensed Acupuncturist

Drink Lemon Water @ Room Temperature

The average American drinks iced beverages throughout year, especially during warm weather. In Chinese medicine we disagree with this practice, and advice our patients to drink room temperature or warm beverages.Why? Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) sees digestion as a warm process: it takes heat to break down the food in the stomach and intestines and extract the nutrients we need. Putting cold foods and beverages into the stomach weakens digestive function (Spleen Qi, in TCM speak). When digestive function (Spleen Qi) is weak, nutrients do not get extracted in order for the body to make strong Qi (energy) and Blood (nutrition for the cells, organs, muscles, skin and tissues). Fluids are not transformed well, setting up the processes for inflammation, edema, phlegm (allergies and sinusitis) and damp/oozing/blistering…

Continue ReadingDrink Lemon Water @ Room Temperature

Don't Let Worldly Matters Upset You: Some Meditation Tips

"That's a worldly matter: don't let it upset you". I've been trying to focus on this statement lately when something comes along that is disturbing or causes some fear or fret. "Remember your calm place" my inner voice intones.The calm place is that place that i go to during meditation. It has taken me years of meditation practice to consistently find it. I notice that when i'm meditating daily i can remember it easily, but if i start skipping days and am inconsistent then i spend most of my time trying to calm the discursive thoughts.beginners find this discursiveness frustrating and often give up. experienced meditators recognize it as an aspect of mind, and work through it.i let my state of mind be a signal to me…

Continue ReadingDon't Let Worldly Matters Upset You: Some Meditation Tips