SPRING CLEANING for your body!

SPRING is the BEST time of year for a complete detoxification program. Why?

Two reasons…

In Spring, the Liver and Gall Bladder energy is at it’s highest making it easier to purge these organs on an energetic and physical level.

It’s easier! There are a plentitude of fruits and vegetables available to help support total detoxification while you are avoiding allergenic foods during the active faze of the complete program.

The Facts:

We tell our patients that everyone (with the exception of children and the elderly) should consider a detoxification program once per year. We all have toxins and 75% of us do NOT have symptoms.

You don’t need to have Western pathological symptoms (cirrhosis, hepatitis, fatty liver disease) of toxicity in the Liver in order to cleanse it. Every one of us has some degree of toxicity in our Livers. Just by driving on the freeways, living near the train, eating meats that are not organic and hormone fed or imbibing a nice glass of Cabernet Franc at the end of our work day…We’ve all got them!

If we consider what a toxic Liver looks like in Chinese Medicine, the term would be stagnation, which everyone has to some degree. What that might look like symptomatically are any of the following: headaches, neck and upper back pain, PMS, trouble sleeping, high blood pressure, migraines, menstrual cramps, depression, irritability, anger or high stress issues. But like we said before, you don’t need to have any symptoms to have a toxic Liver.

Let’s look at 3 tiers or Liver/Gall Bladder support:

1. At the very least, drink a nice large glass of Lemon Water every morning. Chinese medicine promotes sour tasting food as conducive to liver health. The warm lemon water stimulates a sluggish liver, great as a “Good Morning” to your Liver.

2. Consider supplementation for overall protection:

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA): ALA, especially R-ALA, has been used to treat serious liver diseases. It is a natural substance that is the “rate-limiting factor for the production of energy from carbohydrates.” In other words, without alpha lipoicacid we could not obtain energy from the food we eat and we could not stay alive. Andrew Weil recommends the following dosage:

Currently there are no established daily doses for supplementation. However, oral alpha-lipoic acid is reported to be well tolerated in doses up to 600 milligrams per day, and 200-300 mg a day is frequently used in Europe as a therapeutic adjunct in treating diabetic neuropathy. As a general antioxidant, a dosage of 20 to 50 mg daily is commonly recommended. Alpha-lipoic acid can be purchased in dosages ranging 30 mg to 100 mg tablets. Talk with your doctor about how much alpha-lipoic acid you should take, and follow package directions.

Milk thistle and dandelion root: These two natural herbs are commonly used to protect and cleanse the liver. Milk thistle is the protector, and dandelion root is the cleanser. They can be taken separately, but many liver supplements contain both. These herbs can be taken regularly over time with or without obvious liver issues.

B complex:All the Bs are helpful, especially B12, which has been used to help hepatitis patients. There are three types of B12: cyanocobalamin, hydroxycabalamin, and methylcobalamin. Of these three, experts agree that methylcobalamin is the most beneficial in sublingual form.

Our office does carry the above in products that we LOVE and trust, stop by anytime and pick up some for your Spring Cleaning.

3. Want more? The Spring Cleaning complete program:

You got it! We commonly prescribe a complete 2-3 week (depending on the patient) program. The program consists of omitting potential allergenic foods from your diet while supplementing with non-allergenic, protein shakes that are only available through licensed practitioners and other supplements to aid in the detoxification process.

Talk with Christina or Megan with questions about options and what would be best for you.

Happy Spring!

The role of Acupuncture and Ovarian Stimulation

Utilizing traditional Chinese techniques, such as Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine have not only become popular, but ironically mainstream. As a senior practitioner, I recall just 10 years ago being penned a ‘witch doctor’ and now I’m in communication and working synergistically with doctors on how to best serve our patient population. We’ve come so far and for me, it’s very exciting. As for the fertility world, I’ve witnessed the practice of combining Acupuncture and ART grow immensely in the last 5 years and with good reason. There have been worldwide research studies showing the benefits of Acupuncture and the ART cycle. Studies have shown the efficacy of Acupuncture in increasing blood flow to the uterus, assisting in sensitizing patients to IVF medications, normalizing hormones and the hypothalamus, inducing ovulation and an increase in pregnancy rates with administering needles pre and post transfer.

But to understand how it works, requires the minimal basics of Chinese Medicine, hence, understanding the properties of Yin and Yang. One could dictate everything in our world into Yin or Yang. Nights are Yin, days are Yang. Cold is Yin, Hot is Yang. Meditation is Yin, Cardiovascular Exercise is Yang. Blood and body fluid are Yin, Qi or energy are Yang. The act of ovarian stimulation is the ovary (Yin) being stimulated by Qi or IVF medications (Yang) for growth. But the key is beginning with a truly, proper Yin environment for the ovary, follicles and oocytes (eggs) to flourish. Patients will then respond to medication properly (be a ‘good responder’) and conception can be achieved. Acupuncturist, Jane Lyttleton says that optimum Yin levels are an important requirement in optimum fertility. Yin is essentially the fluid nourishing the egg inside the follicle in the ovary and the cervical mucus in the uterus. Therefore, the aspect of follicle development and the plentitude of cervical mucus are all aligned with the nature of Yin. If the environment is amiss, response during the cycle will be a challenge.

As you can see, on a micro level, Yin is of the utmost importance. And so it is on a macro level as well. One of the biggest reasons for fertility challenges in the West is due to a deficient Yin constitution. What causes Yin to decline or become deficient in women? Working long hours, a diet high in sugar or processed foods, rushed eating, over and under eating, inadequate sleep, too little exercise, drug abuse (this includes caffeine, nicotine and alcohol), multiple pregnancies (which can exhaust the resources) or loss of large amounts of blood or body fluids (heavy, prolonged periods). Yin starts declining at age 30 naturally, but not to worry, in Chinese theory, as long as one has a menstrual cycle there is no reason for the inability to conceive.

A women’s reproductive system is very much like a garden. The uterus being the soil, the ovaries like trees, the follicles and eggs like fruit. If you had an orange tree planted in your garden and you never tended to it what would the health of the orange tree be? Without the proper water, sun or fertilizer would it thrive? What is the soil like? Would it bear fruit? Chinese medicine helps deliver all the essentials needed to you’re reproductive system so that it can thrive and become ready for pregnancy.

“From a Western point of view, it is proven that blood flow impedance in the uterine arteries is associated with a decreased pregnancy rate following IVF embryo transfer. Since successful in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer demand optimal endometrial receptivity at the time of implantation a study was done to see if Acupuncture could actually increase blood flow to the uterus. The study used Electro-acupuncture for two treatments a week for four weeks. The uterine blood flow was measured by transvaginal ultrasonography and pulsed Doppler curves before, after and then 2 weeks after treatment had ended. The result was a calculated and noticeable increase of blood flow to the uterus directly after 4 weeks, but more astounding to doctors was that when the patients were retested 2 weeks later (without treatment) the blood flow remained consistent as it was directly after the treatment protocol.”

Another study, Improving Ovarian Response to Gonadotropins with Acupuncture was a randomized study evaluating acupuncture as an adjunct to in-vitro fertilization and was published in Fertility and Sterility. This study, a randomized, controlled double blind crossover pilot trial was performed using a needle like device (sham acupuncture) as a control in the Sham group and obviously, typical Acupuncture in the Standard group. The mean age was 36.2 years and the mean Day 3 FSH was 6.8, other criteria were both ovaries present and a normal uterine cavity, exclusion criteria was Kruger sperm morphology of less than 4%. The end results of the study were remarkable in many ways. The Standard group as opposed to the Sham group attained increased results in egg retrieval and maturity, fertilization, endometrial thickness and pregnancies (chemical, clinical and ongoing). The Standard group also showed a significantly lower amount of gonadotropins (injectables) necessary for the cycle. The conclusion; Acupuncture helps assist and sensitize the patient to ART medications resulting in less of them and in this particular study a 70% pregnancy rate was achieved in comparison to only 25% success in the Sham group.

“Also, worth mentioning, Acupuncture plays a role in Stage 4 follicular recruitment, what that means is even though you may have a low antral follicle count, low AMH or have been told you have a low ovarian reserve, it could mean the issue lies in, not the number of follicles, but the development of these follicles are compromised (leading us back to issue of plentiful Yin). Acupuncture can assist with this development.”

In conclusion, Acupuncture is useful in assisting ART in a myriad of ways. Put simply, it increases blood flow to the reproductive organs causing an optimal environment. You can safely use Acupuncture through all phases of your journey, in preparation of IVF (recommended at least 3 months prior), ovarian stimulation, pre and post transfer, throughout the first trimester for continued nourishment of the embryo and for labor induction.

Find a licensed acupuncturist who specializes in reproductive medicine at www.aborm.org

Christina Martin is a licensed Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbal Medicine and Functional Medicine specialist in the realm of reproductive medicine. Her clinic is in Berkeley, California. Find her at www.taotowellness.com

Treatment of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, Jane Lyttleton

Acupuncture Improves ovarian response to gonadotropins - Quintero. Fertility and Sterility Volume 81: Supplement 3 April 2004.

Reduction of blood flow impedance in the uterine arteries of infertile women with electro-acupuncture Human Reproduction vol.11 no.6 pp.1314-1317, 1996

Optimizing Ovarian Reserve, Brandon Horn and Wendy Yu

Kale and Fig Salad

(I do everything in ounces, that way you can throw it all into one bowl on the scale, so EASY! )

Dinosaur Kale (chopped in small pieces) 3 oz

Olive Oil (I love Bariani’s) 2/3 oz

Balsamic Vinegar ½ oz

Roasted Unsalted Pine Nuts or Sunflower Seeds 2/3 oz

Black Mission Figs 5.5 oz

Cooked Pasta (I used Fusilli, any will do!)

A Dash of Tarragon

Salt and pepper to taste

By Nicole Wolfe, B.S.

We’ve all been there: it’s 5pm, you’re exhausted from a whirlwind of a day, but you haven’t really accomplished anything. With ever-increasing demands being made on your time, you’re answering phone calls, responding to an onslaught of emails, and multitasking to complete a never-ending load of projects.

When you’re trying to balance so many things, it is nearly impossible to really buckle down and focus effectively on your work. Instead of actually completing what you need to finish, you spend the entire day starting and stopping task after task. By the time you leave the office, you’re miserable and tense; your mind is in overdrive as you anxiously try to control the chaos.

With our plates so full these days, it is easy to fall victim to this frenzied and unproductive approach. Luckily, researchers have found a powerful—albeit counter intuitive—solution that will make you more effective and less stressed: mindfulness meditation. Now, before you start imagining drum circles and people chanting “ohm,” hear me out. You’ll see that mindfulness is a form of meditation that is effective and easy to implement, even during your already busy day.

There’s a great deal of research that shows that people who practice mindfulness are both more productive and more happy than those who do not. Specifically, researchers at Yale found that meditators’ minds were more focused throughout the day—not just when they were meditating— and that these individuals experienced far fewer of the distracting thoughts that kill concentration. A Harvard study found that a wandering mind creates twice as much unhappiness as actually doing something that you don’t particularly enjoy. This is largely because our minds tend to wander toward negative thoughts, and this produces additional anxiety and unhappiness. What this means it that your ability to be happy at work has little do with what you’re doing and everything to do with your ability to remain focused on the task at hand.

Mindfulness avoids the ill effects of the wandering mind by training the brain to focus more intently. Mindfulness is simple: it’s the process of making certain that you are “mentally present.” Mindfulness requires you to live in the moment and to focus solely on what you’re experiencing (rather than on what you are thinking).

Practicing mindfulness actually trains your brain to maintain this focus all the time. As you gain control of your attention, your default mode becomes one of focus and calm.

Training your brain to be mindful ensures that you spend more time making progress on your work and less time jumping from task to task. You’ll do a better job of getting through your dizzying workload, and you’ll leave the office calm and collected. Here are five strategies that you can use to be mindful of the moment and to train your brain to maintain focus for the long term.

#1: Stop multitasking.

Researchers at Stanford University have shown that individuals who multitask are less able to pay attention and more easily distracted by irrelevant information. Although you may think that you are getting things done twice as fast when you’re multitasking, the constant distraction involved means that you are actually far less productive than if you focused on a single task.

Try working on only one task at a time: this is the key to being mindful, and it will allow you to be in the moment and to remain focused on the task at hand. To make this easier, make a list each day of what you need to accomplish, and then choose one task at a time; this will help if you are worried about forgetting all of the tasks that you need to complete that day. If the other things on your list come to mind while you are working on your chosen task, just remind yourself that they are already on your list so they will get taken care of, and then let the thought go. If you think of new things that you need to do, just jot them down on your list, and then go back to your current task.

Even when you are only working on one project at a time, you are probably multitasking by checking your email, sending text messages, and answering the phone. Removing these distractions is just as important as removing any other ones. Every time you see a new email pop up or your phone rings, it pulls your mind away from the task at hand. Eliminate these distractions by turning them off, and then add checking your email and phone messages to your to-do list. These tasks will have their moment, and you can allow yourself to be present with just one task at a time. You will not only complete your work much faster, you’ll be happier and more focused in general.

#2: Just breathe.

The easiest way to begin practicing mindfulness lies in something that you have to do everyday anyway: breathing. The practice of being in the moment with your breathing will begin to train your brain to focus solely on the task at hand. After enough practice, your brain will begin to learn how to focus without becoming distracted, and you will soon be able to apply this new skill to other experiences.

Set aside five minutes each day to focus solely on your breathing. Close the door, put away all other distractions, and just sit in a chair and breathe. The goal is to spend the entire five minutes remaining focused on your breathing and not letting your mind wander. Think about how it feels to breathe in and out. This sounds simple, but it’s hard to do for more than a minute or two. It’s all right if you get sidetracked by another thought; this is sure to happen at the beginning, and you just need to bring your focus back to your breathing. If staying focused on your breathing proves to be a real struggle, try counting each breath in and out until you get to twenty, and then start again from one. Don’t worry if you lose count; you can always just start over.

This task may seem too easy or even a little silly, but starting with breathing is very important. Practicing with a simple task allows you to focus exclusively on the current task, which trains your brain to generalize this experience to other tasks. Eventually, you will be able to move on to focusing on more complex tasks without distraction.

#3: Have a mindful meal.

It takes time and practice for your mind to get into the habit of staying focused. When you’ve gained some experience with the breathing exercise, try practicing mindfulness during lunchtime (or during another meal that you eat alone). This is a great next step: it is slightly more complex than breathing, but it is still simple enough that you can successfully remain mindful.

Rather than just stuffing down food while you watch television, read, or answer emails, take the time to actually experience your meal. Sit in a quiet area with minimal distractions, and focus on each flavor of the food and each movement that you make while you eat. If your mind wanders to what you need to do after lunch or to other things that you need to do, just bring your attention back to your meal. Eating slowly is the key to this exercise; it is much more difficult to be mentally present when you feel rushed. This activity will help to train your brain, and it will also give you a stress-free break from your workday.

#4: Live deliberately.

It’s easy to fall into the pattern of being pulled in a new direction by every random thought or interruption, but having your focus constantly disrupted and redirected focus on the present, you have to be in control. If you are working hard on a project and your mind wanders to your grocery list, you are no longer in control of the situation, because you’re no longer focused on the task you have chosen. Try to engage in activities more fully by deliberately choosing when to start them and when to stop them. If you find yourself suddenly preoccupied with something else, ask yourself, “Did I choose to do this?” Most likely, the answer will be no. Without realizing it, you’ve been pulled in another direction by a new thought. When this happens, just refocus on your chosen activity.

If you find it hard to make deliberate choices throughout the day, you may need to slow yourself down. It is especially challenging to be in control and focused if you are going a hundred miles an hour. Be sure to leave yourself enough time to think so that you can make conscious decisions about how to spend your time. If you rush through your entire day, you will find yourself jumping from one activity to the next. This will lead you to do whatever is put in front of you rather than to accomplish what truly needs to be done.

#5: Be realistic.

Having an unreasonable number of things to do over the course of a day makes it impossible to focus on each task fully. Having a realistic plan for what you can accomplish in a day will set you up to succeed at being mindful while you are working, and you’ll get more done. Think about which tasks are really important, how long it’s truly going to take to complete each task, and prioritize from there. You can’t control your attention when everything feels like it’s “do or die.” Removing the less urgent and less important items from your to-do list allows you to relax and focus.

It is vital to be realistic about what you can accomplish. Give yourself a little wiggle room between tasks, and budget your time generously. You are not perfect, and it’s unrealistic to expect that the entire day will proceed according to plan. Giving yourself a little extra time will prevent you from becoming distracted by unnecessary pressure.

May 2012

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nicole Wolfe, B.S.

Nicole Wolfe is a professional services consultant at

TalentSmart. She received a distinction in psychology for her

Bachelor of Science from Yale University where she developed

an interest in emotional intelligence. Nicole’s thesis research

covered prosocial gratitude and altruism.

Cupping therapy is the method of using glass or plastic cups to create localized pressure by a vacuum. The Chinese have been doing this since ancient times by using heat inside glass or bamboo cups. Nowadays, cupping sets use suction to create the vacuum. The vacuum inside the cups causes the blood to form in the area and help the healing in that area.

Ancient Chinese medicine believes that the body contains “Meridians”. These meridians are pathways in the body which the energy of life called Qi (”chi”) flows through. It flows through every body part, tissue, and organ. Cupping therapy is mainly performed on one’s back because there are five meridians located on your back. When these meridians are opened, the internal energy is able to flow through the whole body.

Benefits:

• Alleviates upper and lower back pain. • Helps with insomnia • Moves phlegm in the Lungs • Release of toxins in your body.

The suction from the cups can penetrate deep into your tissues causing the tissues to release harmful toxins. It triggers the lymphatic system, clears the blood vessels, and stretches and activates the skin.

For extremely blocked energy, one can also practice a modern day bloodletting. A practitioner uses sterile lancets and quickly pricks the skin, followed immediately with cupping. In this way blood can release and move tough blockages in the area and added bonus is no bruising.

Osher Center marries Eastern medicine with Western

Julian Guthrie, Chronicle Staff Writer

San Francisco Chronicle March 7, 2011 04:00 AM Copyright San Francisco Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistMonday, March 7, 2011

Julianne Ward, a 42-year-old mother of two young children, was diagnosed a year ago with Stage IV breast cancer.

For the cancer, she has had 18 rounds of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and 30 lymph nodes removed, and she is now undergoing 25 sessions of radiation.

For her body and mind, she is getting acupuncture, Chinese herbs and a diet rich in cancer-fighting foods. She also practices visualization.

“My feeling is that Western medicine treats the disease, and Eastern medicine treats the whole body and whole person,” said Ward. “When you are diagnosed with cancer, that doesn’t mean it’s what you are. You have the rest of your body and future, and you need to be strong and sustain yourself.”

Ward, who lives in Napa, travels to San Francisco for treatment. Her oncologist, trained in modern medicine and complementary approaches, works at the University of California’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. The Osher clinic, opened in 2002 and housed in a handful of cramped locations, opened in January in a gleaming new $37 million building with five floors and 48,000 square feet dedicated to research, education and clinical care.

The Osher Center, part of the Mount Zion campus on Divisadero Street and named after philanthropist Bernard Osher, offers physicians trained in integrative medicine, as well as specialists in traditional Chinese medicine, biofeedback, guided imagery, therapeutic massage and ayurveda consultation. There are a range of public programs and lectures, including how to prepare for surgery and how to be mindful in childbirth and parenting. Some of the group classes include tai chi, laughter yoga and meditation.

“There are 46 integrative medicine programs at major academic health centers around the country and we are the best,” said Margaret Chesney, the center’s director who formerly worked as a deputy director for complementary and alternative medicine at the National Institutes of Health.

Chesney, whose fifth-floor office looks out onto the center’s Japanese healing garden, open to patients and their families, added, “Integrative does not mean alternative. Rather, it’s medicine that is integrated together with a focus on prevention, health maintenance, early intervention and patient-centered care.”

Kevin Barrows, a family physician who heads the center’s clinical programs, said, “We choose programs that are evidence-based. When we decide to offer a therapy or hire a practitioner, our highest criteria is if there is evidence for that therapy. Do we know through Western science that it will work?”

As the science advances, insurance coverage will follow, said Barrows, noting that some plans have begun to pay for acupuncture.

Research projects

The center’s current research projects range from studying how breathing and meditation lower blood pressure to the impact of teaching pregnant women to meditate as a way to reduce preterm delivery and reduce postpartum depression. Elizabeth Blackburn, the UCSF biologist who shared the 2009 Nobel Prize, is an investigator on two of the center’s largest studies, on mindful meditation for patients who are obese and for patients with HIV.

“What we are trying to do here is really to transform medicine,” Barrows said.

Patient rooms, situated off the reception area on the fifth floor, have soft lighting, hardwood floors, wooden dressers and walls painted in hues of sage and sand and adorned with framed flower prints. Rooms for classes open to patients and the public are also on the fifth floor.

About a dozen people, ages 50 and up, gathered recently in a carpeted room for tai chi class.

Leon Lord, who is 70 and lives in San Francisco, said he needed something to balance the running he does.

“I come here just for classes,” Lord said. “I pay out of pocket. It’s preventative for me, all in my quest to stay healthy and stay alive.”

Alex Schott, 60, has been doing tai chi for four years for general health and because “there are so many positions to learn and know. I hope it will strengthen my memory.”

New to the class was Trish Douglas, who is 39 and was diagnosed with breast cancer in July.

“I’m trying out different classes here,” said Douglas, who wore a head scarf, having just shaved her long hair. “I’m doing chemotherapy across the street, but I’m here for peace of mind. My attitude is, why not do the regular medicine which will kill the cancer, and do alternative things which will help me to heal my body?”

Alex Pamasik, 38, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in January. He quickly met with a surgeon and a radiation specialist. When he met with his oncologist, Donald Abrams, head of integrative oncology at the Osher Center, Abrams asked questions about his life, his family, his work and his spirituality.

‘Treating the garden’

“The other doctors are looking at treating the weed,” Pamasik said. “Dr. Abrams is about treating the garden.”

Abrams, an oncologist for 30 years who completed a two-year fellowship at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, sat in his office sipping green tea.

“I focus on things including nutrition,” he said. “I co-manage my patients with a traditional Chinese medicine person. I’m big into medicinal mushrooms. I talk with patients about supplements. So often, cancer is about losing control. It’s given to the person doing your chemo, and your radiation. My job is to re-empower my patients, to give them things they can control.”

Abrams added, “You know how I end all of my appointments with patients? I ask them: ‘So what brings you joy? What are your hopes? Where does your strength come from?’ Then we come up with a recipe to continue to obtain that joy.”

Here’s an article that proves it.  In Chinese Medicine, often part of the challenge of fertility is the stagnation of unresolved emotion, stress and tension causing inflammation and problematic circulation to the uterus.  Laughter, meditation and of course, acupuncture, move these stagnations through the body, resulting in a better balanced vessel ready for conception and implantation.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Chinese New Year is Thursday, February 3rd this year, the Year of the Rabbit. While last year’s ferocious Tiger year was about aggression, heat, high energy, and battles. This year, the Rabbit brings us peace and quiet, ease and luxury.

A Chinese proverb states that all creations are reborn on New Year’s day. The Chinese New Year is a celebration of change … out with the old and in with the new!

The celebration actually starts on New Year’s Eve with the reunion dinner. Here are a few traditions and tips for preparation.

By New Year’s Eve, you should have done the following:

· Clean the entire home to get rid of all the things that are associated with the old year.

· Put away all brooms and brushes.

· Pay debts.

· Resolve differences with family members, friends, neighbors and business associates.

· Buy oranges (good health and long life), tangerines (long relationships, fruitful and multiply for having children or persimmons (happiness and wealth).

· Fresh flowers, if they a flower blooms on New Year’s Day this is a sign of prosperity all year.

· Get together with close family members for the “reunion” dinner.

· Open every door and window in your home at midnight of New Year’s Eve to let go of the old year.

On New Year’s Day…

· Do not lend any money, otherwise you’ll be lending all year.

· Do not use foul language or unlucky words, like the word ‘four” which is the word for death, don’t talk about death or ghosts on this day.

· Do not reference the past year or things in the past, only speak of the coming year.

· Wear new clothes or shoes, especially bright red.

· Eat candy in the morning for luck and also fish and chicken during the day.

· Don’t wash your hair.

· Do not cry on New Year’s Day or you will cry throughout the whole year.

· Don’t sweep the floor.

· Don’t greet people who are in mourning.

· Don’t drop your chopsticks.

· Do not use knives or scissors.

· The first person you meet or first words heard are indicative of the setting of the whole year.

And for those most superstitious, before leaving the house to call on others, the Almanac should be consulted to find the best time to leave the home and the direction, which is most auspicious to head out.

A Korean treatment for the vaginal area is said to aid health and fertility. What’s missing is evidence.

Pungent steam rises from a boiling pot of a mugwort tea blended with wormwood and a variety of other herbs. Above it sits a nude woman on an open-seated stool, partaking in a centuries-old Korean remedy that is gaining a toehold in the West.

Vaginal steam baths, called chai-yok, are said to reduce stress, fight infections, clear hemorrhoids, regulate menstrual cycles and aid infertility, among many other health benefits. In Korea, many women steam regularly after their monthly periods.

There is folk wisdom — and even some logic — to support the idea that the carefully targeted steam may provide some physiological benefits for women. But there are no studies to document its effectiveness, and few American doctors have even heard of it.

“It sounds like voodoo medicine that sometimes works,” said Dr. Vicken Sahakian, medical director of Pacific Fertility Center in Los Angeles.

Niki Han Schwarz believes it worked for her. After five steams, she found she had fewer body aches and more energy. She also became pregnant eight months ago at the age of 45 after attempting to conceive for three years.

Han Schwarz and her husband, orthopedic surgeon Charles Schwarz, are determined to introduce vaginal steam baths to Southern California women. Their Santa Monica spa, Tikkun Holistic Spa, offers a 30-minute V-Steam treatment for $50. (The identical treatment is available for men, to steam the perineal area.)

At Daengki Spa in Koreatown, a 45-minute V-Herbal Therapy treatment can be had for $20 a squat. The steam includes a mixture of 14 herbs imported from Korea by spa manager Jin Young. The spa’s website claims the treatment will “rid the body of toxins” and help women with menstrual cramps, bladder infections, kidney problems and fertility issues. “It is a traditional Korean health remedy,” according to the website.

Across the country, chai-yok treatments are not easy to find. They are available in a scattering of alternative holistic health centers. The flashy Juvenex Spa in Manhattan offers its 30-minute Gyno Spa Cure for $75. A complete setup for a do-it-yourself steam — open-seated stool, boiler and herbs — can be purchased online at http://www.rakuten.com for $330.

The two predominant herbs in the steam bath mixture are mugwort and wormwood. Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) has been used in Eastern medicine for hundreds of years to balance female hormones. It contains natural antibiotics and antifungal agents, according to herbalists and alternative medicine journals. It is also said to stimulate the production of hormones to maintain uterine health, protect the uterus from ulcers and tumors, stimulate menstrual discharge and ease fatigue, headaches, abdominal discomfort and nausea, among other claims.

Wormwood (Artemisia herba), an antimicrobial “cooling herb,” is also popular in Eastern medicine. It has been used historically to induce uterine contractions and treat bladder infections, fevers, open sores, constipation, diarrhea, hepatitis, jaundice, eczema and parasitic infections. The leaves and young shoots are antibacterial and antiviral, and they also relax the blood vessels and promote the discharge of bile, according to historical tradition.

Neither herb has been subjected to the rigorous analysis used to vet Western medicines. But Han Schwarz says she and her husband became persuaded by the herbs’ healing abilities after conducting a fact-finding mission in South Korea. They discovered that people there used the herbs to aid digestive disorders and immune system strength, for reduction of headaches and pain from inflammatory conditions, to improve energy, to regulate the menstrual cycle and hormones, and to detoxify the uterus.

One of their clients, Sherman Oaks-based writer Lanee Neil, said she prefers the V-Steam to the harshness of a douche and thinks of it as a “facial” for her private area.

“It’s a simple, relaxing treatment,” says Neil, who hopes it will help her become pregnant. “You can imagine people doing this in the forest somewhere.”

Tae-Cheong Choo, who teaches at Samra University of Oriental Medicine in Los Angeles, strongly endorses chai-yok treatment, especially for gynecological problems and infertility. He says he used to administer it to his patients in Korea, but he doesn’t have the time to prepare the formula here.

“Many infertility problems are related to coldness and stagnation,” Choo says. “The chai-yok treatment is effective for coldness or poor circulation in the lower part of the body because it increases the blood circulation, and blood supplies nutrition, so the more blood supply, the faster the healing process.”

Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Women’s Care of Beverly Hills Medical Group, says the idea of steaming the pelvic area is “not insane.” The heat boosts circulation, and the increased blood flow brings more oxygen and “immune factors” to the region, she says.

However, she notes, it’s impossible to say whether the herbal steam does any good.

“Most of these kinds of treatments are not put through intensive clinical trials, so it becomes challenging to evaluate the actual impact they have,” she says. In addition, traditional practices like chai-yok “have been cut off from the larger system they grew out of, including factors of cultural and family life, diet, environment, etc. There’s a bigger picture that we’re really missing.”

A Korean treatment for the vaginal area is said to aid health and fertility. What’s missing is evidence.

Pungent steam rises from a boiling pot of a mugwort tea blended with wormwood and a variety of other herbs. Above it sits a nude woman on an open-seated stool, partaking in a centuries-old Korean remedy that is gaining a toehold in the West.

Vaginal steam baths, called chai-yok, are said to reduce stress, fight infections, clear hemorrhoids, regulate menstrual cycles and aid infertility, among many other health benefits. In Korea, many women steam regularly after their monthly periods.

There is folk wisdom — and even some logic — to support the idea that the carefully targeted steam may provide some physiological benefits for women. But there are no studies to document its effectiveness, and few American doctors have even heard of it.

“It sounds like voodoo medicine that sometimes works,” said Dr. Vicken Sahakian, medical director of Pacific Fertility Center in Los Angeles.

Niki Han Schwarz believes it worked for her. After five steams, she found she had fewer body aches and more energy. She also became pregnant eight months ago at the age of 45 after attempting to conceive for three years.

Han Schwarz and her husband, orthopedic surgeon Charles Schwarz, are determined to introduce vaginal steam baths to Southern California women. Their Santa Monica spa, Tikkun Holistic Spa, offers a 30-minute V-Steam treatment for $50. (The identical treatment is available for men, to steam the perineal area.)

At Daengki Spa in Koreatown, a 45-minute V-Herbal Therapy treatment can be had for $20 a squat. The steam includes a mixture of 14 herbs imported from Korea by spa manager Jin Young. The spa’s website claims the treatment will “rid the body of toxins” and help women with menstrual cramps, bladder infections, kidney problems and fertility issues. “It is a traditional Korean health remedy,” according to the website.

Across the country, chai-yok treatments are not easy to find. They are available in a scattering of alternative holistic health centers. The flashy Juvenex Spa in Manhattan offers its 30-minute Gyno Spa Cure for $75. A complete setup for a do-it-yourself steam — open-seated stool, boiler and herbs — can be purchased online at http://www.rakuten.com for $330.

The two predominant herbs in the steam bath mixture are mugwort and wormwood. Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) has been used in Eastern medicine for hundreds of years to balance female hormones. It contains natural antibiotics and antifungal agents, according to herbalists and alternative medicine journals. It is also said to stimulate the production of hormones to maintain uterine health, protect the uterus from ulcers and tumors, stimulate menstrual discharge and ease fatigue, headaches, abdominal discomfort and nausea, among other claims.

Wormwood (Artemisia herba), an antimicrobial “cooling herb,” is also popular in Eastern medicine. It has been used historically to induce uterine contractions and treat bladder infections, fevers, open sores, constipation, diarrhea, hepatitis, jaundice, eczema and parasitic infections. The leaves and young shoots are antibacterial and antiviral, and they also relax the blood vessels and promote the discharge of bile, according to historical tradition.

Neither herb has been subjected to the rigorous analysis used to vet Western medicines. But Han Schwarz says she and her husband became persuaded by the herbs’ healing abilities after conducting a fact-finding mission in South Korea. They discovered that people there used the herbs to aid digestive disorders and immune system strength, for reduction of headaches and pain from inflammatory conditions, to improve energy, to regulate the menstrual cycle and hormones, and to detoxify the uterus.

One of their clients, Sherman Oaks-based writer Lanee Neil, said she prefers the V-Steam to the harshness of a douche and thinks of it as a “facial” for her private area.

“It’s a simple, relaxing treatment,” says Neil, who hopes it will help her become pregnant. “You can imagine people doing this in the forest somewhere.”

Tae-Cheong Choo, who teaches at Samra University of Oriental Medicine in Los Angeles, strongly endorses chai-yok treatment, especially for gynecological problems and infertility. He says he used to administer it to his patients in Korea, but he doesn’t have the time to prepare the formula here.

“Many infertility problems are related to coldness and stagnation,” Choo says. “The chai-yok treatment is effective for coldness or poor circulation in the lower part of the body because it increases the blood circulation, and blood supplies nutrition, so the more blood supply, the faster the healing process.”

Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Women’s Care of Beverly Hills Medical Group, says the idea of steaming the pelvic area is “not insane.” The heat boosts circulation, and the increased blood flow brings more oxygen and “immune factors” to the region, she says.

However, she notes, it’s impossible to say whether the herbal steam does any good.

“Most of these kinds of treatments are not put through intensive clinical trials, so it becomes challenging to evaluate the actual impact they have,” she says. In addition, traditional practices like chai-yok “have been cut off from the larger system they grew out of, including factors of cultural and family life, diet, environment, etc. There’s a bigger picture that we’re really missing.”