Category Archives: Herbal Medicine

5 Tips to Improve Fertility

Acupuncture Herbal Medicine Lifestyle Nutrition No Comments

If you’ve been trying to conceive and it’s just not happening, give these tips a try to improve your chances.  Of course I’m ready to help you too with Acupuncture,  Herbal Medicine and Nutrition Therapy.

  1. Clean up your diet – Focus on organic vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains and lean proteins.  Minimize processed foods, caffeine, alcohol and sweets. If you have PCOS, minimize sugar and refined carbohydrates. 
  2. Warm your belly – some cases of infertility can be from “cold” in the uterus, so try warming your abdomen gently during the time after your period until ovulation. Use a hot water bottle or heating pad on low-medium for 20 minutes in the evenings.
  3. Go easy with exercise – If you are used to intense workouts, you may want to cut back. Research shows that intense exercise more than four hours a week can decrease fertility, so reduce the intensity by 25-30% and try replacing one or two sessions with a gentle yoga or Pilates class.
  4. Avoid drinking or eating cold foods. Cold can slow circulation around the abdomen and uterus.
  5. Increase the quality of your blood with Chinese red dates, beef soup or beef, boiled eggs, beets and goji berries.

March Focus: Fertility

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Spring is a time of rebirth, sudden growth, and rapid expansion; an awakening of the life process. With that in mind, my focus for this month is on Fertility.

Oh baby!

Couples who are planning to have a baby put a lot of thought into preparing for the arrival of a new child, from the Hopeful couplenursery, baby’s college fund and of course the baby’s name.  And while these are all important, the health of parents before and during the pregnancy is the most important factor in determining the health of the baby.

Best practice says you want to prepare your body at least 4-6 months before you intend to become pregnant so that it is strong, ready to conceive and carry the child through to a healthy birth. It is said in Chinese Medicine that you need to “tend the garden”, preparing the soil for a healthy baby. This goes for both Mom and Dad. In order to have healthy baby-producing sperm, we want to make sure that the father’s “garden” is properly tended too. For women, it takes the body about 120 days to mature the eggs, and for men, it takes about 70-90 days for a man’s sperm to mature.  For this reason, I stress that couples should take the time to address any imbalances before they try to become pregnant.

Along with eating a well balanced diet high in dark leafy greens and good quality protein, and reducing stress, I recommend regular acupuncture treatments and, if necessary, herbal therapy to help balance hormones, reduce stress and strengthen the body to prepare it for pregnancy.

Getting pregnant is just the beginning though. I think you’ll agree that the ultimate goal is to have a healthy child. I also provide support during the pregnancy to address any discomfort like morning sickness and back pain and minimize the risk of miscarriage.

When it’s complicated

Sometimes there are complicating factors that make getting pregnant more difficult for some. I see many patients that have issues becoming pregnant, and there can be a number of reasons for this such as:

  • Menstrual issues (irregular periods),
  • Stress,
  • Illness,
  • Ovarian cysts or Edometriosis,
  • or other seemingly unrelated factors.

Continue reading →

February Focus on Fibromyalgia

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If you or someone you know has Fibromyalgia and/or Chronic Fatigue (or really any autoimmune disease or chronicPain pain), you know just how frustrating it can be for them. They may experience pain and fatigue so severe they may feel like they have the flu all the time. They might have stopped doing the things they once enjoyed and are no longer spending time with those they love. The way I approach these conditions is unique because I look at the eight different causes and devise a plan that resolves each of them in a very logical step-by-step approach. I help people take their life back and offer solutions that they can do at home to improve their quality of life.

With these illnesses, the body has become so inflamed and out of balance that key functions fail, creating pain of several types, flu-like symptoms, digestive issues, circulatory problems and more. Imagine a house that has a leaky roof that eventually leads to ruined walls and carpet, mold in the house, electrical problems, etc. In order to repair the house, you’d fix the roof first right? No point in replacing the carpet before the leaks are repaired. Many people have unknowingly taken this approach with their health though, trying to fix their symptoms before fixing the underlying cause. This can cause other symptoms to reappear or get worse and results don’t last. That equals FRUSTRATION! The order we make repairs is vitally important to restore the body’s natural balance. The evidence-based methods I use when working with people who have autoimmune conditions include a combination of acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, breathing exercises and qigong. I follow a specific order in applying treatments, each step lasting 2 – 4 weeks along with self care and nutrition advice. In 12 weeks or less, my patients see remarkable results when following my FibroFatigue program. This includes less pain, more energy, improved digestion, better sleep and an overall improvement in quality of life. Continue reading →

Boost Your Immunity Now for Winter

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I’m always being asked at my clinic if Acupuncture can boost the Immune System. The answer is yes, and it is amazing at doing this!

If you tend to get sick during the winter months, making you feel lousy and causing you to miss work or school, cold and fluthen listen up.  Having acupuncture treatments and taking Chinese herbs before the cold weather hits can change this.  Traditional Chinese Medicine theory claims that colds and flu happen when our protective surface energy is weak,  allowing pathogens (bacteria and viruses) to enter our body.

A healthy balanced body has a strong and effective immune system.  If you’ve had long term stress, recurring infections, excessive use of medications like antibiotics or chemotherapy, surgical operations or traumatic life events, your immune system may already be very low.  All the things that leave us feeling run down, tired lethargic or depressed will lower immunity and compromise how our bodies respond to pathogens.  The time to boost your immune system is now, before the cold winter months arrive. Continue reading →

Chinese Medicine for Digestive Disorders

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Many people get the occasional heartburn or diarrhea from time to time, but when digestive problems become more frequent or continue for a longer period, it’s time to do something to address them. Do you have digestive issues? Some of the more common problems include:

  • gas,digestive issues
  • bloating,
  • nausea,
  • vomiting,
  • heartburn,
  • constipation
  • diarrhea,
  • IBS,
  • colitis,
  • or some combination of the above

Causes can vary widely and may include emotional stress, poor dietary habits, antibiotic or drug use, or toxin exposure.

Chinese Medicine views the digestive process a little differently than the way we think about it in Western medicine.    Continue reading →

Introducing the FibroFatigue Program

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I am so excited to announce the launch of a new program at Balanced Energy Wellness. This program is specifically designed to help patients suffering with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and Chronic Pain. It is an evidence-based program that targets eight separate, overlapping causes of Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and Pain, and is designed to heal the body in stages for lasting results.

The Fibro-Fatigue program uses a combination of therapies such as Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Diet Therapy, Breathing Exercises and Qigong/Movement Therapy. In addition to treatments and education, I’ll provide one-on-one guidance with a focus on self-care to keep patients actively engaged in their healing process.

Results from the program can include:

  • Improved sleep
  • Less pain
  • Better digestion
  • Stabilized emotions
  • More energy
  • Improved quality of life

Whether it’s you or your best friend that is struggling to find lasting relief from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue or chronic pain, this program offers a path towards improved health. I have been working with a team of other acupuncturists, doctors, and herbalists from around the world on this program, and I’m super excited to offer these treatments to our community.

For more information about this program, please go here . I am also happy to speak with you personally to answer any questions to might have.