Article from www.acufinder.com

http://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/Detail/The+Acupuncture+Weight+Loss+Solution

By: Diane Joswick, L.Ac., MSOM

I am going to tell you a secret. All diets will work if they lower your caloric intake and you STICK TO IT! It’s pure physics: Our weight is determined by the amount of energy that we take in, and the amount of energy we expend.

So why is obesity now a national epidemic?

The problem is that it is against our nature to limit calories. We instinctively eat more than we need to. This is a “gift” passed down from our hunter-gatherer ancestors from a time when there wasn’t a drive-thru window on every corner.  We also tend to eat in excess due to our modern lifestyles, chronic stress, and other psychological “triggers”.

Going to Extremes

People will go to drastic measures to lose weight. Fad diets ask you to eat an unnatural and unhealthy diet, such as a meal plan of cabbage soup or pineapples or rice or no-carbs,  They may work in the short term because of the low caloric intake, but there is absolutely no way you can keep it up. Your body and mind will rebel and take revenge for putting it on such a restrictive regime, rather than providing whole foods and a “whole diet” with proper nutrients. Instinctively, your body will crave foods and gorge, filling up, terrified of and preparing for the next starvation, packing on fat for stored energy.

Eating an unnatural and highly restrictive diet can cause yo-yo dieting and drastic ups and downs in body weight. Improper diet practices can also cause malnutrition, organ damage, slow metabolic rate and imbalances within the body.

Wouldn’t it be great to decrease the amount of food that you take in, and increase the amount of energy you expend? It’s entirely possible, thanks to acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Acupuncture and TCM address both the physiological and psychological aspects of weight loss. A comprehensive therapy for weight issues rooted in TCM promotes better digestion, smooths emotions, reduces appetite, improves metabolism, and eliminates food cravings.

Weight loss according to Traditional Chinese Medicine

According to TCM, the root of excess weight is an imbalance within the body caused by malfunctioning of the spleen and liver organ systems.

In five-element theory, the spleen is responsible for the proper functioning of the digestive system, ensuring that the food we eat is transformed into Qi — the vital substance of life. Disharmony of the spleen will have symptoms such as fatigue, slow metabolism, water retention, loose stool, and feeling of heaviness.

The liver’s job is to keep the flow of your body’s Qi and blood (as well as your emotions) running smoothly. Our modern, fast-paced lifestyle and chronic stress can negatively impact the liver’s ability to function properly and smoothly, which, in turn, can cause the spleen and the whole digestive system to function poorly and decrease your metabolism. Liver disharmony can also cause some of the “triggers” that lead to cravings and compulsive eating.

Backed by Research

A growing body of research supports the use of acupuncture and Asian medicine in weight loss:

• A 2003 study published in The Journal of Medical Acupuncture found that participants receiving acupuncture lost more than three times more weight than the control group.
• In a study conducted by the University of Adelaide in Australia in 1998, 95 percent of the participants receiving electro-stimulation on acupuncture points reported appetite suppression. The results showed that the acupuncture group was more likely to experience a reduced appetite and to lose weight than the control group.

The Acupuncture Weight Loss Treatment

From a TCM perspective, the acupuncture points, foods and herbs that are chosen to assist with weight loss directly influence the Qi of the spleen and liver systems to treat the root imbalances that are causing the weight gain.

From a Western perspective, acupuncture and TCM have been shown to have an effect on the function of the nervous system, endocrine system, digestive system, food cravings, and metabolism. All of which can help to energize the body, maximize the absorption of nutrients, regulate elimination, control overeating, suppress the appetite, and reduce anxiety.

Acupuncture Points for Weight Loss

The beauty of acupuncture is that each treatment is catered to the needs of the individual patient. Acupuncture points on the body will be chosen for overall well being with the objective of increasing circulation of the blood and Qi (stimulating the metabolism) and calming the nervous system.

In addition to treating the root of the imbalance within the body, different acupuncture points may be chosen for each treatment as different symptoms arise. For instance, if you are experiencing a desire to overeat related to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) one week, then that can be addressed at that week’s appointment.

Generally treatments are scheduled once or twice a week for 8 to 12 weeks or until the goal weight has been reached. The treatments include a combination of auricular (ear) and body acupuncture, ear tacks or pellets to leave on in-between treatments, herbs and supplements, abdominal massage, breathing exercises, and food and lifestyle recommendations.

Ear Points

Acupuncture points on the ears have been found to be particularly effective for weight loss. The human ear has been described as a micro-system of the body in an inverted fetal position; it contains points relating to all major organs and body parts.

Auricular points for weight loss are stimulated with small tacks during treatment. Then seed-sized beads or magnets are taped to the points to enhance the effectiveness of the points at home. The beads will generally stay in place for 3 days to a week and can be gently massaged for 10-second intervals if cravings occur.

Here are some of the most commonly used auricular points:

• Shenmen: Important point for calming the mind and reducing stress
• Small Intestine: Reinforces spleen, promotes digestion.
• Mouth: Calming point used for smoking, over eating and hyperactive talking.
• Hunger Point: Used to relieve hunger and control compulsive eating
• Endocrine point: Moves liver Qi and aids in the function of the metabolism

A Total Health Program

Most patients report a marked decline in appetite and cravings with acupuncture alone but herbs, healing foods, and exercises can definitely enhance the efficacy of the treatments.

Herbs and Healing Foods: The herbs and foods that are chosen during a weight loss treatment are for promoting healthy digestion, energizing the body, augmenting Qi, and improve elimination of water, toxins, and waste products. Foods that are bitter, sour and acrid to taste are especially good for weight loss, while sweet, salty and greasy foods should be reduced.

Abdominal massage/exercise: Points on the abdomen improve digestion, absorption of food and peristalsis of the intestines. The abdominal points can be stimulated with massage or by belly breathing, where the abdomen is consciously moving in and out with each breath. Deep breathing with visualization can also strengthen will power and be used as a tool to curb hunger and cravings.

Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine are powerful tools for healthy weight loss, by itself or as a supportive treatment in conjunction with other weight management programs.

In the struggle to eat less and expend more energy, you may find that acupuncture is just what was needed to overcome cravings, boost energy, enhance your metabolism, and increase your willpower to succeed!

About the Author:

Diane Joswick, L.Ac. refined her acupuncture weight loss skills in her private practice in Del Mar, Calif.  Her new book, The Acupuncture Weight Loss Solution(TM), will be available in bookstores in 2009.

Article from www.acufinder.com

http://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/Detail/Acupuncture+for+Weight+Loss

By: Joey Komada, L.Ac.

How to Lose the Weight and Keep It Off with Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.

Weight loss comes under the topic of “Weight Control”, because we are concerned with the loss and MAINTENANCE of loss of weight. This is a multi-faceted problem, and a good program involves diet, exercise and stress reduction techniques. Chinese acupressure and digestive aid exercises are also useful tools in the battle with weight loss.

Read more about acupuncture for weight loss

Acupuncture is an ADJUNCT therapy. It is not a panacea or a wonder cure in the treatment of weight control. But, acupuncture is effective in making it easier to lose and maintain that loss if the patient is willing to change their lifestyle. The exact mechanism by which acupuncture works is unknown but we know that acupuncture needles inserted into specific points on the body and in the ear release endorphins which have a calming and relaxing effect that makes it easier to deal with stress, frustration and anxiety that can trigger overeating and bingeing on fattening foods. Also endorphins affect the digestive and hormonal systems so acupuncture can help rebalance the organ systems that are running too fast- or in this case too slow—i.e., the metabolism and the will power.

The Acupuncture Treatment

In order for the acupuncturist to choose the correct points for you, you must first come in for a consultation to discuss your particular pattern of overeating, and let the practitioner know in your intake form if there are any real digestive difficulties. Then the acupuncturist would check your pulse to discern the general state of your energy and measure the health of your stomach energy in particular, and then they would look at your tongue to check for cracks, peeling or puffiness on the stomach area, or a suspicious yellow or thick white coating that might indicate troublesome heat or coldness in the stomach and would provide some clues as to why the person was gaining weight.

The Acupuncture Points

Then, armed with this information, the acupuncturist would devise a treatment protocol using a combination of ear and body points. Although the Chinese developed the system of auricular (ear) acupuncture a long time ago, as one of the various Microsystems of the body containing all the points relating to the major organs and body parts, a Frenchman by the name of Nogier, discovered many more acupuncture points on the ear that pertain to Western medicine such as points called “Adrenal”, “Pituitary”, “FSH”, “Ovary”, “Thyroid”, etc.

Many of the points from both ear acupuncture systems that are important for weight loss treatments are:

• Mouth - for the impulsive eater who may also smoke a lot and talk a lot
• Stomach - for the person who eats even after they’re full or who’s constantly nibbling
• Hungry - for general appetite control
• Lung - for food addicts, and people who love chocolate, sweets
• Shenmen - a calming point, for the psychology overlay for anxiety, anger, frustration, insecurity
• Endocrine - for water retention that’s responsible for some of the weight gain
• Adrenal and Ovary - if weight gain is due to menopause or P.M.S.
• Spleen - for sugar imbalances and hormonal disturbances
• Kidney - for water retention, and nervous system and hormonal imbalances
• Thyroid - for slow metabolism

The practitioner chooses two or more of these points for each treatment depending upon the patient’s problem and personality profile regarding overeating.

Next, body points would be selected.

During the first few treatments, most likely the “Four Gate” points (LI 4, Liver3) would be used to circulate the energy throughout the body and calm the nervous system. Ren 12, the front collecting point of the stomach energy would be chosen for many treatments, as would Stomach 36, three inches distal to the eye of the knee that tonifies the energy and helps circulate oxygen and blood of the whole body and of the stomach in particular. Then, based on the diagnosis, the practitioner may add Stomach, 40, the master point for mucous, or Kidney 7 or 10 for edema or water retention.

The acupuncturist may use electro stimulation on some of these acupuncture points to increase the endorphin release and stimulate the metabolism. The needles would be kept in place for around thirty to forty-five minutes depending on how much support was needed for the patient, and after the needles are removed, ear tacs with adhesive on them are often placed in the same spots on the ear to continue the stimulation between treatments. The way it works is this: when the patient feels an urge to eat, s/he applies mild pressure to the point or rubs it back and forth for about 20 seconds. This type of acupressure stimulates the point, causes a mild endorphin release, relaxes the patient and helps them to regain their willpower or resolve about resisting the temptation to eat. The patient removes the tacs at home after three days and throws them away or takes them out sooner if there is any irritation or discomfort. It is a good idea to also remove oneself from the location, person or food that triggers the resistance to the diet or contributes to the breakdown of willpower. For example, one might want to stay away from the kitchen and refrigerator between meals.

Read about people who lose weight with acupuncture and Chinese medicine

The Treatment Plan

The number of acupuncture treatments necessary depends on the patient’s goals for losing weight, the speed at which they want to lose, and their commitment to keeping the weight off. If the overeating is severe, a treatment every day for the first five days is appropriate and can then taper off the second week to every other day and the third week to every three days. For the average patient who wants to lose between five to ten pounds, one treatment every three days or twice a week until they reach their goal is appropriate, and then a booster treatment once every two weeks is optimal. After a few booster treatments, the patient and practitioner will mutually decide when to terminate frequent treatments and then can aim to meet approximately four times a year at the change of seasons when energy levels are unstable and tonification and harmonizing of one’s system is appropriate for everyone.

Nutritional Counseling and Lifestyle Changes

As was mentioned earlier, a good weight loss program includes nutritional counseling and exercise as well as a commitment to make permanent lifestyle changes. The acupuncturist can help with nutritional counseling and can discuss a diet regimen that the patient can live with and maintain for the long term. A diet that is high in fiber and low in fat, with moderate amounts of low-density carbohydrates and low-fat protein is usually the best choice to adopt. With this type of a diet program, the patient can avoid the pit-falls of yo-yo dieting or the tendency to lose weight and then regain it.

Other important tools that can aid in weight loss are stress reduction techniques and a moderate exercise regimen. The acupuncturist can suggest various stress reduction methods that may include breathing exercises, Tai Chi, yoga, meditation or biofeedback. And since the goal of a weight program is not only weight loss but the maintenance of that loss, an exercise program that the patient likes is the best one to choose. The patient could try starting a program that includes brisk walking three times a week for forty minutes. After a few weeks when stamina is increased, they could try walking five times a week. After that more aerobic exercise can be added such as the treadmill, stair climber or aerobics classes, cycling or whatever from of rigorous exercise the person enjoys and can maintain for the long term. It is a good idea to use free weights beginning with three pound weights and practicing just two to three sets of arm curls three times a week. Moderate weight training builds lean body mass and helps to reduce body fat as well as strengthen and build bone mass and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Chinese Herbal Medicine and Supplements

Next a good individualized nutritional supplement program is important because everyone has a different metabolism and different needs for nutrients. It will include vitamins, minerals, herbs antioxidants, phytochemicals and nutraceuticals. These will support the diet program and balance the blood sugar to help give the body the strength, energy and defense it needs to maintain the healthy life style that s/he has begun.

Many diet and appetite suppression products are available on the market and surprisingly there is a very effective and safe ancient Chinese herbaL formula for digestion that comes in a pleasant tasting chewable wafer form called BAO HE WAN. The ingredients are:

• Shan Zha (Fructus Crataegi) –promotes digestion of meat and fats; dissolves food accumulation
• Shen Qu (Medicated Leaven) — digests alcohol, rice and vinegar and dissolves food accumulation
• Lai Fu Zi (Semen Raphani) — digests starch (wheat and breads)
• Ban Xia (Pinellia), Chen Pi (Tangerine Peel), and Fu Ling (Poria Cocos), — resolve dampness and food accumulations
• Lian Qiao (Fructus Forsythiae) — clears stomach heat that may result from accumulated food that dries up the digestive liquids

When this famous herbal formula is drunk as a tea, other herbs may be added if there is gas or abdominal distension such as cardamon or magnolia bark. Or if constipation is a problem a gentle laxative like Semen Pruni or Huo Ma Ren may be used. However an important concept of Chinese medicine is to diagnose properly and treat the patient with the correct herbs so as not to consume body fluids or disturb electrolyte balance. Food accumulation may be due to stomach deficiency so the practitioner may add other herbs such as Codonopsis to tonify the stomach energy so the food could descend properly through the digestive tract.

Breathing and Abdominal Excercises

While the patient is undergoing the behavior modification program and is successfully losing weight, it is a good idea to incorporate a set of deep breathing and abdominal exercises that utilize the acupuncture meridians or energy lines on the body to stimulate relaxation and digestion. If we practice deep abdominal breathing while lying down for a few minutes in the morning before we arise, we will not only take in more oxygen but will stimulate the stomach, spleen, kidney ,and reproductive energy lines that are all located on the center of the torso . Digestion will be improved and all those organs will function more effectively. We will also start the day with more energy and clarity.

Another method of stimulating these same organs in the stomach region is the abdominal finger pressure massage that follows the direction of the large intestines. This massage may also be performed in bed in the morning and evening and will gently stimulate all the points on the central torso and will not only encourage proper digestion but will foster homeostasis or the harmonious balancing of the hormone and endocrine systems of the body.

Pressure Points

Last but not least, three pressure points on the body may be stimulated daily for two minutes each that will promote the general health as well as aid digestion, elimination and relaxation. These points are: Large Intestines 4 (HEGU); Pericardium 6 (Neiguan); and Stomach 36 (Zusanli). The points should be pressed with strong continuous pressure for approximately two minutes each and may be said to comprise a self-healing treatment.

While no guarantee may be given for acupuncture treatments for weight loss, the self-motivated patient who will take the time to practice most of the things outlined here will most likely be pleased with the results that she finds within a reasonable amount of time.

Acupuncture and Oriental medicine is an art and a science that takes years to master. Look for an acupuncturist with experience in the treatment of weight loss/management on www.Acufinder.com.

About the Author

Joey Komada is a California licensed acupuncturist and herbalist who has been practicing Oriental medicine in the South Bay of Los Angeles since 1993. Besides herbs and acupuncture, Joey also offers acupressure, reflexology and natural face lifts in her practice. She also offers house calls for those who cannot make it to her office. Many insurance companies now cover acupuncture. For a consultation and treatment at her Torrance, California location, call (310) 617-6354

Website: www.JoeyKomada.com

Natural News

Friday, August 14, 2009 by: Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

(NaturalNews) A heart disease patient of late
Had an IQ of 168.
His brain was immense
But it lacked common sense
And it never engaged when he ate.
- by the Health Ranger

As an observer of human behavior, one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever witnessed is really smart people dying of diseases that are easily preventable through basic nutrition (vitamin D, plant juices, targeted supplements, superfoods, etc.). I know doctors dying of cancer who take chemotherapy over vitamin D supplements. I know members of MENSA who are killing themselves with junk foods and diabetes. I know extremely intelligent attorneys and physicists who are among the smartest people in their respective fields; but when it comes to basic health, they’re completely ignorant.

In fact, if you look around at all the “smart” people you know, you’re likely to find the vast majority of them are incredibly ignorant when it comes to their own health. They know nothing about basic nutrition, the benefits of superfoods or the dangers of pharmaceuticals. They eat processed junkfoods, dairy products and food products contaminated with pesticides and toxic chemicals. They may be the smartest people in the world in their labs or offices, but when it comes to their own bodies, they are among the most ignorant people on the planet.

How can this be?

How can such high-IQ people remain so utterly ignorant when it comes to their own health?

There are two reasons, it turns out. And one of them will blow your mind…

How to become an expert in one area while abandoning the basics

To be an expert in astrophysics, you have to spend many years studying astrophysics. To get really good at law, you have to study law. If you want to get good at anything, you have to focus on it, learn about it, and invest some timelearning how it works.

That’s what I’ve done with the subject of health and nutrition (and you too, probably). And yet I’m not an expert in astrophysics, nor law, nor brain surgery. Importantly, I don’t have to be an expert in those areas because I don’t practice in those areas.

And yet — here’s the important part — all those physicists, attorneys and surgeons do have a physical body they need to take care of. They all need to become proficient in basic human health, regardless of whatever other specialties they might pursue.

In other words, everyone with a body needs to learn the basics of taking care of that body. And yet most of the smartest people in the world today have spent essentially zero time learning about human health. So even with their high IQs, they make childish, ignorant decisions when it comes to their own health. They may be doctorate-level academic thinkers in their own fields, but when it comes to protecting health and preventing disease, these people haven’t even graduated from kindergarten yet.

You see this quite frequently in the geek community, by the way. Junk food, pharmaceuticals and caffeinated soda drinks seem to go hand-in-hand with the wired, pale and frenzied computer brainiacs who are, after all, smarter than everybody else. They can write DRM decryption code with one hand while they eat MSG-laden fried snack chips with the other. Like everybody else, they are high-IQ, highly-specialized experts in their fields who remain woefully uneducated when it comes to their own health.

But how can so many smart people be so utterly unaware of the basics of nutrition? That vitamin D prevents cancer and influenza? That aspartame kills your brain cells? That processed meat (beef jerky, bacon, sausage, pepperoni) contains cancer-causing coloring chemicals designed to make the meat look rosy fresh?

The real reason is more insidious than you may have imagined. If you want to learn it, read on…

Good health is bad for business

Here’s the real reason why so many smart people remain so uninformed when it comes to their own health:

The institutions of power in our modern world go out of their way to keep people nutritionally ignorant.

By “institutions of power,” I mean our governments, our private industries (health care and others) and the corporationsthat pull all the strings behind the curtains.

What are the most powerful corporations in our world? Aside from the military bombs-and-bullets companies (who have their own scams running), the most powerful corporations are drug companies, media companies, agriculturecompanies and food & beverage companies.

Now think about this clearly for a minute: What do all these companies have in common? How do all these companies keep their economic machines running?

The answer is: Nutritional ignorance of the masses.

You see, the agriculture companies depend on nutritional ignorance in order to keep selling their processed ingredients to food companies which then turn around and sell those nutritionally-depleted products to consumers. Media companies depend on the advertising revenues from the promotion of junk foods and junk beverages, and drug companies depend on the revenues from all the diseases caused by the widespread consumption of all those products.

These four industries — Big Pharma, Big Ag, Big Media and Big Food — have a dark, incestuous relationship that generates huge profits… but only as long as the masses remain nutritionally ignorant.

If people became proficient in nutrition, superfoods, vitamin D and natural foods, all four of these industries would suffer huge financial losses. Their sales and profits would plummet in a world where nutrition is common knowledge. Their continued financial success requires nutritional ignorance among the masses.

(This article continues tomorrow in part two, here on NaturalNews.com)

From Mercola.com

By Jim Marlow, chief nutritionist at the Optimal Wellness Center

Gwen is a 26-year-old who was diagnosed last year with Neural demyelination, associated with probable Multiple Sclerosis. Her brain MRI, done in November 2005, showed five to six spots (light gray, old ones) and a couple that were active.

The past five years were very stressful for her. She does have a history of tremors since age 13 or 14. She used to get migraines with some vision loss. She has had a severely low libido, moderate sinus problems, dry skin and fatigue.

After taking the Nutritional Typing™ test, she was assessed as a MIXED type. A review of her lab analysis from December 2005 identified that she clearly had been over-consuming carbohydrates and under-consuming protein. Also, her omega-3 fat and LDL cholesterol levels were very low — and omega-3 fats are critical to improving MS. A review of her Hair Element Analysis identified small but significant levels of mercury, arsenic and cadmium.

For seven weeks now, Gwen has been doing her best to follow the Prime MIXED type nutrition plan, and she continues to have a very good response to it. Because of our entire program, she reports that ALL of her symptoms have improved. She is eating very well despite her difficulty in obtaining organic foods. She reports that she has experienced complete elimination of tingling and headaches, and a remarkable reduction in the occurrence of dry skin and sinus problems.

She also reports that she has not been having nightmares anymore, so she is sleeping much better, and her energy level is much improved. In fact, she stated that “my energy level is a thousand times better than it was.”

From Mercola.com

Dr. Mercola’s Comments: