Hiccoughs

Red Dots: Liver 14

Hiccoughs

      Hiccoughs are a sign in TCM of "Rebellious Stomach Qi". ( Qi is the energy circulating in the body).  In other words, the stomach energy is going up instead of down. 

      There are all kinds of crazy remedies to stop hiccoughs, but this one really works. Why does it work? Because it reverses the Stomach Qi, enabling the stomach energy to resume its proper path.

      This is a technique I show all my cancer patients, since cancer treatments are notorious for causing hiccoughs that sometimes go on for days or weeks. The technique is to massage the Acupuncture point Liver 14. Liver 14 is at the end of the Liver channel, which starts in the foot and ends in the chest. Liver 14 is below the nipples, on both sides of the chest, just below the bottom of a bra, or where a bra would be if wearing one. Massage firmly until the hiccoughs stop. 

      If hiccoughs are an ongoing problem, it is a sign that the digestive system is not working as it properly and should be addressed by a Holistic Practitioner. In the meantime, or for occasional problems, massage away.

                                                                      Health & Happiness,

                                                                          Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                                               534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR  97520

                                                                               For Appointments Call:  541-646-0134 

Treating Cancer with Acupuncture and TCM

Treating Cancer with Acupuncture and TCM

      It is becoming the norm for hospitals to employ Acupuncturists, mostly for pain management departments and oncology clinics. Does Acupuncture and TCM cure cancer?  No. What Acupuncture and TCM do is to give the body the tools it needs to heal. 

     My cancer patients have chosen different paths. I support them in any decision they make for their treatment, and do whatever they want me to to help. Some have used chemo, radiation, and surgery. My job is then to support the immune and digestive system, something that Acupuncture and TCM excels at. If the digestive and immune systems remain strong, people survive. I also help to minimize other side effects of cancer treatments, including leg cramps, hiccoughs, nausea, fatigue, dry mouth, etc. Other patients use everything TCM has to offer.

    There are Acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas that can shrink and resolve tumors, and masses. One patient with an enormous mass had some time before the scheduled surgery to remove it. His surgeons were amazed by how much the mass had shrunk, and how much his energy and overall health had increased by the time of the operation.

      In some cases, patients come to me in such advanced stages that there is little I can do except make them more comfortable. Heat breaking as that is, it is something. In such cases supporting their spouse, significant other, or family care giver with Acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas for stress, grief, and fatigue helps people deal with unbearable situations. 

     One middle aged patient with an advanced stage of cancer, was involved in a cancer study for an experimental treatment. "They said no Acupuncture. " he told me, "It could skew their study." "What about herbs?" I ask." No herbs!" was the response. "What about massage?" I inquired? Not caring as much about skewing their study as I did about the survival and well being of my patient. "Massage is fine." came the verdict. 

     So, we did massage, Tui Na, the Chinese medicinal massage. My patient came through the cancer, and their study, with flying colors. In fact, they informed him that he was their 'poster child' exceeding their expectations, and the recovery of their other patients. 

     Given the right tools, the body can do amazing things.

                                                        Health & Happiness,

                                                            Nancy Burton, L.Ac. 

                                                                534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR   97520

                                                                For Appointments Call:   541-646-0134 

The Sugar Cancer Connection

The Sugar Cancer Connection

     A  seminar a few years ago confirmed my suspicions, and my observations in clinic, sugar makes cancer grow. It turns out that cancer cells can't live without glucose. Sugar and other  foods high on the Glycemic Index feed cancer cells. 

    There are some new oncology centers (cancer clinics) springing up around the country with some progressive techniques. Before other treatment, a patient is injected with a huge amount of insulin, which dumps the glucose from the body, killing off cancer cells. They can then use a fraction of the chemo, or radiation, on the remaining cancer.  

    With my cancer patients, I saw a cycle. Those that cleaned up their diets, and used sugar and empty carbohydrates as occasional 'Feast Day Foods' did well. Those that got proud of themselves after a good report, from their oncologist, and reverted to an unhealthy diet, high in sugar, and other empty carbohydrates, struggled with an ongoing fight for their lives.

   What does this mean in preventative terms? Moderation! Not sugar several times a day, not sugar everyday, read labels, know what you are putting into your body, and the possible consequences. Notice how much additional sugar is ingested in beverages, mints, gum, alcohol. Avoid 'sugar-free' food items that use artificial sweeteners, which are toxic to the body. And for those with sugar addictions, see a Holistic practitioner to check for Candida, anemia, lack of nutrients in the diet or lack of assimilation, all of which cause sugar cravings. 

      Everything we eat is turned into glucose in the body, except for protein, which is converted into amino acids. One theory behind lower cancer rates in the past, especially in certain populations, was the lack of any kind of food at the end of the winter, aside from animals that were hunted, or trapped. Once a year, in such cultures, little was eaten but amino acids, and any active cancer died off. 

     Cancer rates have been going up at an alarming rate in the U.S., right along with the rates of obesity. So help prevent cancer, enjoy sugar, and even healthier versions of sweeteners, in moderation.

                                                         Health & Happiness,

                                                             Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                                   534 Washington St.   Ashland, OR  97520

                                                                   For Appointments Call:  541-646-0134

Regrowth

Regrowth

     As an Acupuncturist, I get to go to work and see miracles everyday. One of the most amazing things I saw, in my practice, was a case where a man chopped off the end of his finger. It was gone from just above the joint up. At the hospital they were able to reattach about a 1/4 of an inch. But the part that had been sewn back on had turned black. "The entire finger will have to be removed.", he was told.

    That was when he came to see me. We did Acupuncture every other day and the color returned. "Well, we guess you get to keep the finger." he was informed. "But, you won't have feeling in the tip for over a year." In a month he had feeling in the tip. Then the bone started growing so fast, they had to do an operation to cover it with skin. "Well, that is weird." they said, "But the nail will never grow back." The nail grew back. 

      Now you would have to look closely to see that the finger is any different from the one on the other hand. 

      A year later he came in to see me. "The finger is great," he informed me, "except when I am out fishing, and it gets really cold, then it hurts." A few treatments, and an Chinese Herbal formula later, and he was comfortably fishing again.

      It never ceases to amaze me what the body can do to heal, when just given the right tools.

                                                                    Health & Happiness,

                                                                        Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                                             534 Washington St.   Ashland, OR  97520

                                                                             For Appointments Call:   541-646-0134

      

      

Arthritis

Arthritis

      Pain was the first thing that the AMA acknowledged that Acupuncture, and TCM, excelled at treating. Though helpful to know if it is osteoarthritis or rheumatoid the term  arthritis means little in TCM. From the perspective, of an Acupuncturist, arthritis just means pain. To develop an effective treatment plan, an Acupuncture point prescription and Chinese herbal formulas, it is necessary to know the type of pain. Are the joints hot and swollen, or does cold cause pain? Is there stiffness and pain, in the morning or after not moving? Are the ligaments and tendons getting the nutrients from the blood that they need?

      Twelve different people could come in with the same diagnosis, arthritis, but each person's arthritis might be caused by different things, or a different combination of things.  Each patient would therefore be treated with different Acupuncture points and Chinese herbal formulas. A much different approach than western medicine. An approach with much better results.   

       With few exceptions, people don't have to live with the pain of arthritis.    

                                            Health & Happiness,

                                                 Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

                                                      534 Washington St.  Ashland, OR 97520

                                                                   For Appointments Call:   541-646-0134

Pear & Ginger Vegetable Smoothie

Pear & Ginger Vegetable Smoothie

      

This is a variation of the vegetable smoothie recipe that appeared earier in the blog. The addition of ginger makes it more appropriate for colder weather. Ginger warms the whole body, expelling phlegm and aiding digestion. It therefore helps counteract the raw food in the smoothie, which is considered cold, in Chinese nutritional therapy. 

1 pear

3 slices of raw ginger, chopped

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

piece of a beet

handful of parsley

Place is strong blender. Cover vegetables and fruit with warm water.  Blend.  Enjoy!

Sugar Alternatives

Sugar Alternatives

      Using any sweetener on a daily basis isn't the best option, but for healthier alternatives to sugar there are a number of choices. For baking I use mostly palm sugar, grade B pure maple syrup, and occasionally brown rice syrup and barley malt. I also use Stevia.

      Palm sugar is like raw cane sugar in taste and texture. It can be used in equal amounts in recipes, and is low on the Glycemic Index.

      Pure, grade B maple syrup is not as processed as grade A, which makes it easier to digest, and lower on the Glycemic Index. Most maple syrups sold in grocery stores are grade A, mixed with corn syrup to cut the cost. Corn syrup, is very high on the Glycemic Index, and causes insulin insensitivity, for all blood types except blood type A, setting people up for weight gain and diabetes. Pure, grade B, maple syrup is a healthier choice.

      Brown rice syrup is comparable to a mild, light corn syrup, in consistency and taste. I look for it on labels if buying milk alternatives or baked products, instead of buying the products with cane juice. I occasionally use brown rice syrup for baking, in recipes that call for corn syrup. 

      Barley malt is like a mild molasses. It used to be available in liquid form, lately I have just seen it in crystals. I use it for a molasses substitute.

      Agave used to be a great sweetener, until it became so popular. At that point they started using a different part of the plant to make it. It is now higher on the Glycemic Index than sugar.

      Honey also used to be a wonderful sweetener, and still is most places in the world. Unfortunately, in the western United States it is no longer the best option. Originally  there were a different type of bees east and west of the  Allegheny Mountains, until someone got the bright idea to breed them. Cross breeding resulted in a diminished immune system, leaving them susceptible to a certain type of mite. The bees were dying. To kill the mite, the bees are now fed sugar water with antibiotics. When we ingest this type of honey, we are ingesting sugar and  antibiotics, which adversely effects our immune systems.

      Xylitol is now used for many gums and mints. It can cause what the Chinese refer to as 'damp heat' in the body, which can increase heat, sweating,and contribute to yeast and bladder infections, in some individuals. 

     Stevia has been used in other countries for some time, a great alternative to artificial sweeteners. It is available in several forms, a white powder concentrate, clear or brown liquid, and a green powder, which is the dried leaf. Most forms aren't good for baking or cooking, the exception being the dried, green form, which I use when cooking soups or sauces. the other forms are great for use in liquids, cold or raw foods. 

      I use many of these sweeteners in various recipes on my blog. Most Health Food stores have recipes and cooking classes using them. And most of these stores are happy to introduce people to these products, and their uses, if just asked. 

       

                                                                Health & Happiness,

                                                                     Nancy Burton, L.Ac,

                                                                             534 Washington St. Ashland, OR 97520

                                                                             For Appointments Call:   541-646-0134