Summer is a yang season and is associated with the Heart, Pericardium (“the Heart wrapper”), Small Intestine and the Triple Burner (a Chinese organ that closely resembles the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th chakras). Summer is a period of luxurious growth. To be in harmony with the atmosphere of summer, awaken early in the morning and reach to the sun for nourishment. Summer offers abundant variety and the diet should reflect this. Minerals and oils are sweated out of the body, and their loss can cause weakness if they are not replaced by a varied diet. To be more comfortable, drink hot liquids and take warm showers to induce sudden sweating and to cool the body. Summer heat combined with too much cold food (Ex. salads and raw fruits, remember moderation!) can weaken the digestive organs, coldness causes contraction and interferes with digestion. Iced drinks and ice cream actually contract the stomach and stop digestion.

Use plenty of brightly colored summer fruits and vegetables. Cook lightly and regularly add a LITTLE spicy, pungent, or even fiery flavor, but not too much! When sautéing, use high heat for a very short time and keep in mind, olive oil is an unstable oil and under high heat can cause free radicals, try some new stable oils, like coconut (great for the thyroid and detoxifying the blood), canola and rice bran oil (GREAT oil, found only at Rainbow Grocery in the San Francisco). Also, steam and simmer foods as quickly as possible. Use little salt and more water. Cooling fresh foods for summer are salads, sprouts (mung, soy and alfalfa), fruit, cucumber, tofu (not too much if you have estrogen dominance!), flower and leaf teas (mint, chrysanthemum and chamomile), watermelon, lemons and limes.

The hot flavored spices are also considered appropriate in the warmest weather, at first their effect is to bring warmth, but ultimately they bring body heat out to the surface to be dispersed. With heat on the surface, one’s body mirrors the summer climate and therefore will be less affected by it. Red and green hot peppers, cayenne red pepper, fresh ginger, horseradish, black pepper are all idea for this purpose, but if you are allergic to nightshades, do not use peppers. However, if too many dispersing foods are taken, then weakness and loss of yang will result, and the ability to stay warm and vital in the cooler seasons is lost.

CALMING AND FOCUSING THE MIND…

The Fire element rules the Heart in Chinese Medicine. This, not only, includes the organ itself but also the concept of the Heart as a mental/emotional center. Those with healthy hearts are friendly and humble. Clarity is a central attribute, they seem to see effortlessly through problems to arrive at brilliant solutions. Symptoms of a heart imbalance are: scattered and confused mind, excess or no laughter, confused speech, depression, loss of memory, poor circulation, insomnia, headache, irritability, palpitations/irregular heartbeat or excessive dreams.

We of the ‘information age’ tend to have mental hyperactivity. Energy from excessive thought and worry races through the head while the heart is impoverished. A simple diet with occasional light fasting goes a long way. Avoid VERY spicy foods, refined sugar, alcohol, coffee, late night eating and large evening meals.

The following reduce nervousness, treat insomnia and improve mental focus:

Oyster Shell (Oyster shell calcium), whole wheat, brown rice, oats, mushrooms (esp. Reishi), oatstraw tea, cucumber, celery, lettuce, quality cow and goat milk, ghee (clarified butter), mulberries, lemons, Chia seeds, dill, basil, chamomile, catnip, skullcap and valerian.

Of course, for insomnia, the classic remedy…drinking a cup of milk warm before bed works wonders.

What is Community Acupuncture? Well, Community acupuncture is just that. Acupuncture sessions done in a community setting. This style of acupuncture makes treatments more affordable and can also boosts the benefit of sessions because of the collective group dynamic.

Community acupuncture is something that has been done for years in Asian countries and is mostly the norm for treatment. One of my fondest memories was when studying in Taiwan and visiting hospitals, I walked by a scene in particular that caught my eye, in one room there were four older gentlemen, one laying on his stomach, the other on his side and the others in chairs, all receiving acupuncture, talking, laughing and playing Mah Jong! Fantastic!

I’ve always loved both ways of treatment (community and private) and I think they both have their proper place and are quite effective. So, that is why we decided to incorporate the Community Acupuncture Model into our practice here at Tao to Wellness.

What we can treat in Community Acupuncture:

• Pain anywhere in the body
• Stress management
• Any digestive issues, such as diarrhea, constipation, gastritis, GERD, etc
• Emotional challenges, anxiety, depression, fear, etc
• Menstrual Cramps and other gynecological issues
• PMS
• Menopause
• Migraine
• Headache
• TMJ
• Decreased immunity, constant colds and flus
• Nausea/Vomiting (including morning sickness)
• Bell’s Palsy
• Postoperative pain
• High blood pressure
• Adverse reactions to radiation or chemotherapy
• Allergies

Please note: Community acupuncture is for simple cases with one or two symptoms, for complex cases, fertility or the administering of herbs we recommend private acupuncture appointments.

Things to know before your session:

• Please wear loose, comfortable clothing that can be rolled above your knees and elbows.
• Please avoid taking painkillers if you are coming for a pain management situation. But, if this hinders you getting to your appointment, by all means, take them!
• Please don’t come on an empty stomach: eat at least 30 minutes before your appointment.
• Please don’t wear cologne, perfume, scented lotions, etc., because many people are allergic to scents.
• Please come prepared to rest and enjoy your treatment.

You may want to bring some of the following:

• Earplugs
• IPod or CD player
• Eyepillow
• Favorite blanket or pillow

How it works:

• Come on in and have a seat in the waiting room, a practitioner will come out as soon as she is available.
• When entering the treatment room, please only whisper.
• Before getting settled roll up your sleeves and pants just past your elbows and knees, have a seat and get settled, there is a bag on the side of your chair for personal belongings. PLEASE BE SURE YOUR CELL PHONE IS COMPLETELY OFF AND NOT ON VIBRATE, EVEN VIBRATE CAN DISTURB OTHERS!
• Tell the practitioner in just a few brief sentences an update since your last treatment.
• The practitioner will then take your pulse and begin to start the insertion of needles.
• Actual needle time can be as long as 50 min or however long you’d like, just let the practitioner know when you are ready.
• When you are needle free, leave the treatment room quietly and don’t forget to take your belongings!
• In the waiting area, there is a stack of envelopes, write your name on the envelope and the amount paid, put your payment in (Cash only, please) and drop it into the black box.
• Login to the computer and go ahead and schedule yourself for your next appointment, logout when you are done for the next person!
• Thanks for coming and if you had a great experience, tell others!  Or bring a friend with you next time!

You will learn to: Be more calm about an anticipated stressful event, stop fearful thoughts from taking over, slow down or stop a panic attack, diminish the impact of a traumatic event that you have experienced

For food cravings, you will learn to: Stop a craving in its tracks, bring awareness to what causes your cravings, take the emotional charge out of eating, be more in control of your eating

No experience is needed. I will guide you through a process of verbal statements while you hold acupressure points around your face and head. It is so simple and yet so powerful.

When: April 29th! 715-9pm

Where: RSVP for location

Bring: a water bottle, a pen, paper and something to write on.

Cost: $10.00

RSVP: kara@berkeley-acupuncture.com

Saturday, April 4th 3:00–5:00 pm, Berkeley location to be announced, FREE

Tuesday, May 5th 700-900pm. Berkeley location to be announced, also FREE

Saturday, May 30th 10am-530pm, Daylong Meditation workshop, details and location to be announced.

All workshops with:

Alexander Teacher, Amira Alvarez

Yoga Instructor, Francesca Genco

Acupuncturist and Meditation Instructor, Christina Martin. To register or for more information, contact:

Christina Martin, christina@berkeley-acupuncture.com

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!

Here are a few traditions and tips for preparation.

The celebration actually starts on New Year’s Eve with the reunion dinner. 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.

How I came to this work

I often get asked why I’m doing acupressure to eliminate food cravings when I am an acupuncturist. It’s a really good question. Simply, I found a method that is really good, so good, that I couldn’t pass it up.

I began my career in nutrition over twenty years ago, and later added acupuncture to my skill set. This combination has helped me, and my patients tremendously and sometimes I debate about which one is more helpful, acupuncture or nutrition. The answer usually is, it depends on the patient and what they need, and often patients need both.

A few years ago, I became certified in this technique, have adapted it and added to it. After practicing for some time, I found that I could very specifically target and help my patient either eliminate their food cravings completely or diminish them considerably. The great part was that the results were lasting and sessions didn’t need to be repeated. Specific cravings are most often resolved in one session, sometimes, but rarely two.

Acupuncture is such a wonderful healing modality, it amazes me everyday, but when someone is eating a steady stream of sugar and simple carbohydrates, it can’t always compensate. When someone cuts down on these foods, their healing has the potential to take a big leap forward. Having a food craving session makes this easier to accomplish.

The Method

It has been described by patients as ‘powerful, amazing, deep, like nothing I’ve ever experienced,’ etc. What does a session look like? First, we have a conversation and figure out what is bothering you to come up with a phrase that summarizes it succinctly. I then guide you through a series of steps that targets the craving. You hold your own acupuncture points around your face and the back of your head and focus on the problem. I guide you through a very simple and gentle process and at the end, the pattern of craving has changed. It sounds like magic, but it’s not. It’s simple science. This change is brought about by holding the acupuncture points that are related to the vision centers of the brain. The neural pathways that were previously damaged by stress, which caused the cravings are replaced by new pathways. This is why behavior changes. The next time someone comes across the previously craved food, their experience is different. Some people notice the change immediately and their behavior changes just as quickly. Others take time to notice the change and have to reflect back on how it was before the session and can’t confirm a change for a few weeks. In other words, sometimes it’s subtle and sometimes it’s dramatic. The results are lasting and they don’t need to be repeated for the same issue. Many patients have their cravings resolved in one session, while others need additional sessions. It all depends on the person, and the results they want.

Who can benefit from a food craving session?

Anyone that would like a more relaxed and healthful experience with food can benefit from a session. Anyone that experiences any of the following can greatly benefit from these treatments:

· Strong cravings for specific foods

· Preoccupation with thoughts about food or eating

· Feelings of guilt around eating

· Chronic digestive concerns

· Emotional overeating

· Diabetes

If you would like to set up an appointment, please call and then use the $10.00 off coupon on your next acupuncture session. Good luck with your New Year’s resolutions!

What are your New Year’s Resolutions? If they include anything related to eating or sticking to a food plan, then please read on. Below, I’ve outlined a way to help you stay on track so that you don’t get stuck with stress fueled eating, one of the more common issues when it comes to staying on target. Some people call them cravings. If this is your issue, know that you are not alone!

Our food behaviors are so ingrained that they are often the hardest habits to change. Often times our best intentions to eat better or follow a food plan are sidetracked by stress eating. This is not breaking news. We start off well, and then a moment of fatigue, stress or temptation hits and we’re thrown off track. A whole cascade of predictable scenarios follow that don’t need mentioning here.

I’ve outlined some simple tools to help you keep on track. They are targeted to diminish stress related eating, which is often the ‘culprit.’ The first step is about just becoming aware.

How do you know if you’re ‘Stress Eating’ and why is this important?

It’s sometimes hard to distinguish between true hunger and hunger driven by stress (aka a craving). The more specific our desire for a food is, and the more urgent that desire feels, the more likely we’re responding to stress driven hunger. If only a double cheese burger or a chocolate milkshake will do, then this is not usually true hunger, but a craving. True hunger is usually not so specific and unless your blood sugar is plummeting, it doesn’t feel as urgent.

Why is it important to know the difference between stress eating and true hunger? So we can make a choice in the moment to eat or not eat, and feel good about ourselves with whatever we choose. We can stop and see what is going on instead of acting on automatic. Besides sticking to our resolution, there are other reasons why we may want to zap stress or emotion driven eating.

When a craving hits, distraction can work for a while, but for some, the craving comes back with a vengeance. If we do eat, the problem is usually still there, even if it’s a bit in the background. And, we’re usually then stuck with an extra helping of guilt or regret. It’s not always about food, calories and gaining weight when it comes to stress eating. Eating when we don’t really need to can distract us from dealing with things that are bothering us, and it doesn’t do much for our level of stress.

A better way to handle the situation might be to recognize what’s going on in the moment, deal with it the best we ca on the spot and then decide to eat or not eat without the previous urgency. Below are a few ways to tell the difference between stress eating and true hunger, followed by some tips on dealing with it.

What to do about Stress Eating

When you have a desire for something, stop and take a moment to check in, and take a few deep breaths. First, rate your current desire for the food on a scale of 1-10?, with 1 being very low, ‘I could take it or leave it’ and 10 being ‘I’ve got to have it NOW!’

If the number is low, you’re probably safe to go ahead and eat it if you are truly hungry or know you need to eat soon. If it’s a higher number like 8, 9 or 10, take a deep breath, as you have just become aware of a possible stress driven desire. If you go ahead and eat, there is a higher likelihood that you may feel regret later. This is one characteristics of stress driven eating. The next step is to ask yourself the following three questions in the moment:

1-What am I feeling?

2-What do I want or need?

3-What sort of support do I want for myself?

So, let’s break it down. What am I feeling? Are you feeling nervous, tense, tired, irritable, cold, hot, angry, frustrated, fearful, joyful, sad, lonely, hopeless, disappointed, thirsty, etc. We feel so many things as human beings, the list is endless really. Just becoming aware of, naming and acknowledging the feeling or emotion can sometimes stop a craving on the spot!

Step 2 is what do I want or need? Maybe you need to take a walk and get some fresh air. Maybe you need to have a conversation with someone, or you need to sit and be quiet, or go be with friends or family. There is a long list of basic human needs, and becoming familiar with them can help disconnect us from stress eating. Even if the need can not be met in the moment, just the awareness of a need can slow down the craving.

Step 3 What sort of support do I want for myself? This one is about taking your insights a step further and moving towards a solution, even if it’s not a solution in the moment. Perhaps you realize that you’re tired, you’ve been working too much and you need to rest, and cut back your hours. Or, perhaps you haven’t been spending enough time being creative and you make a note to sign up for an art class. It’s about finding the support that you want and sometimes that means asking for support from friends or family.

Try this out, notice how things change for you. Let me know how it goes. This is a great tool for developing awareness, and many people have used it to help with their eating habits with good success. If you try this and find that you keep having to repeat the exercise and you’re ready to be done with it, then read the next article, it explains a little bit about the work I do to eliminate food cravings.

So, celebrate the New Year with us as we move forward, and let go of 2008. We can’t change the past, but we can change the present and thus affect our future. Together, let’s make it a healthy and Happy 2009!

Then you wake up in an old people’s home feeling better every day. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, and then when you start work, you get a gold watch and a party on your first day.

You work for 40 years until you’re young enough to enjoy your retirement. You party, drink alcohol, and are generally promiscuous, then you are ready for high school.

You then go to primary school, you become a kid, you play. You have no responsibilities, you become a baby until you are born.

And then you spend your last 9 months floating in luxurious spa-like conditions with central heating and room service on tap, larger quarters every day and then…

Voila! You finish off as an orgasm!

Now I admit, holiday gift giving is a tricky thing. And, by no means, am I a ‘Scrooge’, I love the holidays, the lights, the smells, all of it. But, I don’t do a lot of holiday gift exchanging. My friends and I will commonly have a ‘no gifts clause’, then one of them, usually, my dear, Bethany, will get me something. And it’s always something I really needed, but didn’t know it. Well, she does know me very well. Empirically, I am a better BIRTHDAY gift giver OR I was in India and had to bring you back something gift giver OR a ‘Wow, I saw this and it had your name all over it, so I had to get it for no reason’ gift giver. I like giving that way, or maybe I just like surprises.

Being the observer this week has been interesting, the most common dilemma by far is the, “Well, she got me something, so now I have to get her something.” But somehow, if I have to haul myself to the store and pick out some’thing’, any’thing’ that I think you might like AND that fits into my budget for you, based on how much you mean to me, or let’s get real, how much I think you’ll spend on me, somehow it just doesn’t feel authentic. It leaves me feeling sort of flat and empty, in part by the fact that I have enough things, and you probably do too.

Then there is the office dilemma, I was out with my friend, Ben and he was looking for a gift for Secret Santa. As we went in store after store and I recommended several different things, he finally looked at me and said, “I just need a gift, I’m not trying to make friends here.” Good for him, for being authentic about it! So, we got her wine and chocolate, something that will bring her joy, but at the same time be impermanent, sort of like their relationship.

I don’t know why I feel so strongly about holiday gift giving. Maybe the years of watching my mother lose her head over having to get gifts for family. Or maybe it was when I was growing up and would ask my parents what they wanted for Christmas, my ’self sacrificing’ mom would always say she wanted nothing and my ‘not so funny’ dad would say “What I want you can’t afford.” I think their hearts were in the right place, but it did make it pretty difficult, so instead, I would make them a gift or give them an experience, a birdhouse, a memory filled family photo album, made them place mats, a flower box or as I got older, a gift or dinner at the Ritz Carlton.

So, for those of you that love gift giving, by all means do it up, wrapping ribbons and all. For those of you like me, who find it to be challenging, you don’t HAVE to do anything, you are not alone. Have an experience with your family and friends or create something from the heart, be original, dare to be different and keep your list as small as possible, to only those you can give authentically to.

A few ideas in the art of gift giving: Make them something unique; this can cost almost next to nothing, that birdhouse costs probably $10 dollars, my parents love it and actually use it as a planter, of course, it helped that my roommate had a whole workspace in the garage to build it with.

* Get some material and sew some cute aprons, bibs (for babies) or bags, you can really make it original for that person. If you don’t have a sewing machine, click the link below. This place offers classes and has drop in hours for you to use their machines for a small fee, they also have materials on hand for your use. http://www.watersideworkshops.org/pages/our-programs/sewing-program.php * Write a poem or paint a picture. * Have an experience, take someone to dinner, play, show, a day of wine tasting or your favorite hike. * Take a class together, dance lessons, beading, Spanish or heck, how about a one day Fire Eating class at the Crucible? http://thecrucible.org/ * A romantic weekend at the hot springs, we are so lucky to have a plethora of places nearby. Harbin, Orr and Wilbur are all hot springs within a reasonable driving distance. * For the adrenaline junkie friend, how about indoor sky diving? http://iflysfbay.com/ * Have extra money? A gift to the best restaurant in town or a weekend in Tahoe. * No money? Frame your favorite photo of the two of you! * On Christmas Day, the Salvation Army and Little Brothers of San Francisco always need people to help deliver meals or visit an elderly person, both of these take place in the morning, so no worries of it taking away from your family time. http://www.littlebrothers.org/ * Oh, and for the Secret Santa, White Elephant gifts…I always vote for something edible. * I could go on and on, I guess the point is I can’t remember who gave me that candle holder a few years back, but I will NEVER forget the look on Mr. Ruby’s face, tears streaming down, when she opened her present from Little Brothers, Friends of the Elderly, and she finally got that gold lame sweater she had been wishing for all year long!