Apple Pie Smoothie

Recipe (vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free).

If you’ve been enjoying apple season like I have, try this green smoothie that is a new twist on an old favorite….

Ain’t Your Grandma’s Apple Pie:

2 apples, cores removed 2 handfuls kale, spinach or other greens 1/4 cup raisins 1/8 cup almonds (about 6 to 8 almonds) 1 tsp hemp seeds or chia seeds 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp apple pie spice or sprinkle of cloves 1 cup water

Put all ingredients into a good blender and blend until smooth.  Add more water if it is too thick.

In Oriental Medicine, apples are said to benefit the stomach, spleen and lung.  They stimulate the appetite, relieve diarrhea, clear heat, and moistens the lung.

They are also medicinal for the liver and gall bladder, to help thin bile that is too sludgy, and to help soften cholesterol-based gall stones.

Apples contain calcium, potassium, iron, sodium, phosphorus, Vitamins A, C, and B1 and B2, niacin, fiber and flavones.

Enjoy!

Dawn Potter, AP, Dipl.OM

#greens #detoxify #fruits #fiber #greensmoothie #phytonutrients #complimentarymedicine #wholefood #plantbased #nutrition #orientalmedicine

Perceptions of Acupuncture: How to get the most from Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine

As I see more patients I notice an interesting set of perceptions & attitudes around acupuncture. Even after reading basic information on acupuncture, for most people there still isn’t a clear understanding of what acupuncture is, what it isn’t and how it works. So, many come to acupuncture with some erroneous ideas.

Unfortunately, these ideas often hinder their ability to take full advantage of what acupuncture and Oriental medicine has to offer. My intention in this article is to help people adopt an attitude toward this medicine that serves them best.

The “Fix Me” Perception:

The first common attitude is the “fix me” attitude, where a patient presents with an ailment they would like fixed. As though they were a 1982 Honda Accord, and I was their mechanic.  This attitude assumes that once the problem is “fixed,” acupuncture is no longer beneficial. This attitude is to be expected; after all, in this culture, this is how we were taught that bodies and medicine work.

In some instances, such as acute injury, this approach is appropriate. You sprained your ankle and want me to help alleviate the pain and speed the healing time…sure, no problem.

You are not a machine:

The problem with the “fix me” attitude is in regard to long-term illness or pain. First of all, the paradigm under which Oriental medicine operates fundamentally says that you are not a 1982 Honda Accord; you are not a machine at all. You are a living complex of dynamic interrelated systems, energies, nutrients, functions, thoughts, ideas, attitudes, feelings, fears, experiences, desires and behaviors that ALL have an impact on EVERY part of you. Your body, mind and spirit are inseparable; you cannot affect one without affecting the others.

So, what you do in your life, how you feed and care for yourself, who you surround yourself with, and the beliefs that you hold about yourself, your body, your illness and the world around you all have as much of an impact on your long-term health as I can have with my acupuncture needles, massage and herbs.

No, I cannot “fix” you; but you can heal, if given the right circumstances.  This is where I come in…I can facilitate a shift into a state that is more balanced and conducive to health and healing. The body wants to heal, but it is blocked from doing so, for any number of myriad reasons. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine helps remove those blockages to your own natural ability to heal.

You are responsible for your health, too!

The second problem with the “fix me” attitude is that it takes away your responsibility to take good care of yourself. For example, I cannot help heal your irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease if you continue to eat foods that are inappropriate for your condition. The quality of your nutrition is just as much a part of your healing as my acupuncture and herbs. I can guide you to the healthiest foods and practices for your specific condition, but the responsibility for your daily nutrition rests solely on your shoulders.

The last problem with the “fix me” approach is that the ailments that people come to me with are usually symptoms of a larger pattern of disharmony. Often, symptoms will clear up quicker than their underlying cause will. Just because your chronic headaches are gone doesn’t mean that the reason you had the headaches to begin with is completely healed. In the words of Dr. Richard Tan, “It can be easy to chop down the tree, but digging up the roots and clearing the debris requires much more time and work.”

If you stop acupuncture care before the underlying causes of the issues are addressed, the headaches could return, or some other symptom take its place. This is why I always recommend tapering down your treatment frequency until you get to a maintenance level. Maintenance level, for most people, is once every 4 to 6 weeks.

The “Magic Needle” (aka “magic bullet”) Perception:

The second perception I observe is the “magic needle” attitude. Again, because there isn’t a clear understanding of acupuncture, all that is known is some story heard about a distant acquaintance who was cured from years of debilitating back pain after one acupuncture treatment.

People also hear the media, several popular celebrities and high profile MD’s touting the benefits of acupuncture. When you add in its foreign nature and seemingly mystical ideas about body energies, people have a tendency to place a subconscious aire of “magic” around acupuncture. And, in the human mind, once acupuncture is associated with “magic” it becomes associated with “miracles” and having to “believe in” acupuncture, and from there, for some people, it is only a short leap to “acupuncture is a religious practice.”

There are people who refuse to even consider getting acupuncture because of these “magical” associations that were never meant to be there.  And, many of those who do come for treatment have minds full of these notions. They are skeptical, but desperate. They are willing to try it, but have extremely unrealistic expectations, flip-flopping back and forth between “this will never work” and “I’m so excited for my miracle.”

But what about those who do get instant results?

On occasion, acupuncture does seem like magic: sometimes one acupuncture treatment will relieve 5 years of back pain permanently. On occasion a single visit to my office will result in a complete reversal of a year of knee pain. But, this is not the norm, and almost always these types of results are only achieved with patients who are extremely healthy otherwise, and have a very healthy lifestyle, where they have already eliminated any causative or aggravating factors, and just need one or two acupuncture treatments to “seal the deal.” Or on occasion, I will pinpoint a specific behavior, food, supplement or medication that is directly causing the symptom; the patient eliminates that cause, and “poof” like magic, the symptom disappears.

Acupuncture is not Magic:

But, let’s put this to rest right now: Acupuncture & Oriental medicine are not magic, miracles or religious practices. Energy is scientific. Quantum physics tell us that everything is actually pure energy, even solid matter. Everything has an energy field; and all energy fields are influenced by other energies.

Studies show that plants grow better when their owners talk to them. And micro-photography shows that patterns of water molecules rearrange themselves, depending on the energy that is around them: the energy of a baby laughing creates a different pattern than that of heavy metal music. Of course it does…you can feel that difference in your own body, can’t you? You are energy. (By the way, you are also 70% water.)

In the same way, acupuncture points are actually shown, with scientific equipment, to have more electromagnetic conductivity (energy) than other points on the skin. It isn’t magic. It is science. It is just not a science that we are familiar with and taught as a culture.

The fact that the ancient Chinese understood all of this illustrates how extraordinarily perceptive they really were.

Acupuncture takes time to work:

But, in general, people don’t know any of this, so they think acupuncture should work like magic. Many people get disappointed when they find out that acupuncture takes time to help correct the body’s energy imbalances and enhance the body’s own healing abilities. They get frustrated when the herbal medicine doesn’t mask and suppress their symptoms like pharmaceuticals do. And they don’t want to hear that they are likely going to have to change some things about their lifestyle. So, at that point, a number of people assume that since it doesn’t work like magic, acupuncture doesn’t work at all, and they stop treatment before they realize any benefits. They’ve missed out on what acupuncture and Oriental medicine can offer them.

The “Lifestyle” Perception:

The approach that allows people the most benefit from this medicine is what I call the “lifestyle” attitude.

Lifestyle is the whole kit-and-kaboodle. What people feed themselves, what they drink, what they breathe, how they care for themselves, when they rest, how they handle stress, how they think about themselves and their bodies, how they move their bodies, what kind of people they surround themselves with; all of these factors play a role in the state of health and wellbeing.

The ancient Chinese knew this: Oriental medicine actually has 8 branches, of which acupuncture and herbal medicine are only two. The other 6 are:

1. nutrition (your diet is the foundation of good health!) 2. massage & bodywork (traditionally this also included adjustments similar to chiropractic.) 3. exercise (something that you enjoy; healthy bodies crave movement.) 4. feng shui (this is how you arrange your environment; is your home and workplace a joyful and comfortable place for you? Is it uncluttered, non-toxic and contain things that make you smile?) 5. spirituality (finding your place in the universe; do you have a positive spirituality and/or purpose in your life that brings you peace?) 6. location (does the geographic location that you live in suit you well? Are you hot all the time, but live in Florida anyway? Does wind give you headaches, but you live in Chicago?)

Most Doctors of Oriental Medicine don’t provide services dealing with the last 3 branches listed, but, you can see how comprehensive Oriental medicine actually is, and how vast the concept of health can be.

Oriental medicine is a Lifestyle medicine:

Oriental medicine is meant to help guide you toward healthier choices for your life, and to help you back into balance and health when things go awry. And, once that condition is resolved, acupuncture is a great preventive therapy to stave off recurrence or other types of illnesses. In this way, Oriental medicine is meant to become part of your new, healthy lifestyle. If you aren’t actively experiencing symptoms, maintenance treatments of once every 4 to 6 weeks are invaluable to help you stay well. (And, they are a great way to relieve stress.)

The people that get the most from this medicine are those that use it for everything, for their whole lives. They get maintenance treatments to stay well, and if they do start to catch a cold or flu, they call for some herbs and a treatment. Are you getting a bladder infection? Some arthritis pain in your ankle? Stressed for a big exam? Insomnia after a divorce? Does your child have a fever or cough? Call for a treatment and some herbs. We treat it all, and acupuncture can work amazingly fast and well when it catches the early stages of an illness or symptoms.

Oriental medicine is an incredible gift that you have available to you that is very safe, very effective, views you wholistically and provides multitudes of benefits. I encourage you to take full advantage of it.

Dawn Potter, AP, Dipl.OM

#mentalshift #acupuncture #bodymindconnection #understandingacupunture #orientalmedicine

Nutrition, Part 3: Animal Foods in the Diet

Nutrition, Part 2 discussed Nutrition from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) viewpoint. The TCM recommended diet is: Whole foods with about 75-85% of the diet as vegetables, whole grains and beans/legumes; 10-15% fruit and nuts, and 5-10% animal-based foods.

Animal-based foods in TCM:

The TCM recommended diet includes small amounts of animal-based foods. They are not the central part of any meal; instead, they are an occasional accent in meals that are vegetable and whole-grain based. Why so little? Because animal-based foods are rich and heavy, and according to TCM, this makes them likely to promote pathogenic Dampness-formation in the body, contributing to a myriad of diseases. (See Part 2 for explanation of Dampness).

But, animal-based foods are not entirely excluded from the TCM diet, because in small amounts they help build more Qi and Blood in the body. The TCM diet is what I most often recommend to patients.

However, for some people and health conditions, I prefer a 100% plant-based (vegan) diet, with no animal-based foods at all, at least for a time. This is because a vegan diet is very cleansing and detoxifying, and it quickly helps to drop high cholesterol levels, assist gallbladder problems, give a much needed break to the liver and kidneys, and help the body conserve pancreatic protein-digesting enzymes, which can greatly enhance the body’s ability to fight (break down) cancer cells.

Other Considerations Regarding Animal foods:

The Poor Qi Quality of Animal Foods:

Up until about 60 years ago, all animal food products were inherently organic, free-range, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, and grass-fed. Because food animals ate their natural diet of grass, meat was rich in omega-3 fats (which help reduce inflammation). They were also leaner and, from a TCM view, their meat had better Qi, because they lived much healthier and happier lives than their modern-day counterparts.

In stark contrast, the meat, dairy and eggs that are available today, as a result of being fed an unnatural diet of grain, sugar, soybeans and animal-byproducts are filled with omega-6 fats (which promote inflammation), have a higher percentage of saturated fat, and fewer beneficial elements.

Many livestock, poultry and egg-laying hens do not have access to fresh air or sunlight.  They are also kept in such large numbers, small cages, and close quarters that they lack the ability to stretch their limbs, turn around, or perform natural behaviors. All of these conditions create physical and psychological abnormalities leading to disturbing aberrant behaviors toward themselves and each other.

These animals are also unable to move away from their own or each other’s excrement, creating hygiene problems. To combat the spread of infection, ranchers use frequent doses of antibiotics on all of their animals, sick or not, which contributes to the development of antibiotic-resistant super-bacteria, and exposes people who consume meat and dairy to these antibiotics and super-bacteria.

Because meat and dairy producers make more money by increasing production volume and speed, food animals are treated with various growth hormones. We ingest these with their meat or dairy, and they wreak havoc with our bodies, including our endocrine (hormonal) systems.

These animals live very unnatural, unhealthy, and unhappy lives. In my opinion, the Qi coming from these foods cannot be healthy enough to benefit our own Qi, but instead places a burden on our health.

What about Organic, Grass-Fed or Free-Range?

While these are certainly better, there are some factors to consider. Hundreds of labels can be found in grocery aisles for “healthier” meat, eggs and dairy. It is difficult to know what they really mean. For example:

Several companies have created their own agencies to certify their meat organic, setting and breaking their own standards as they see fit. Even if the label says “USDA Certified Organic,” (no antibiotics or growth hormones), it doesn’t necessarily mean grass-fed, free-range, or given the environment to perform natural behaviors.

Likewise, if the package says “grass-fed”, it doesn’t necessarily mean organic, free-range, or even that the animal was fed only grass. Many cattle start out on grass pasture for their first 6 – 12 months before spending the rest of their lives on a feedlot; some companies label this “grass-fed.”

With the exception of live poultry, the USDA has no regulations on the terms “free-range” or “cage-free,” so all egg, beef, pork, and lamb producers can use these labels freely.  The only requirement for “free-range” poultry is that it had access to outdoors for some unspecified amount of time (5 minutes qualifies) each day.

As you can see, no label addresses everything, and every label is subject to misinformation or misinterpretation.

So, when choosing animal foods, it really is best to find a local, organic farm/ranch that you can actually visit, to learn about their specific animal-rearing practices, so you know for sure what you are getting.  Quality is FAR more important than quantity.

What about Seafood?

Farm-raised sea foods are also raised in overcrowded conditions, routinely medicated with antibiotics, and fed unnatural diets that change the balance of beneficial nutrients. In fact, farm-raised salmon are so unhealthy that their flesh is grey, so dye is injected to make them appear pink.  Even wild-caught seafood is risky, since nearly all fish-supporting waters are now contaminated with mercury, dioxins, and hundreds of other toxins from industrial pollution.

If you do choose to eat seafood, then wild-caught, smaller fish are the best choices.  Avoid the large species like tuna, swordfish, and shark, as their large size means they have had more time to collect more toxins in their tissues. Smaller fish like anchovies and sardines have lower concentrations of toxic elements.

Animal-based foods promote disease:

Research shows that eating animal-based foods contributes to many diseases common in Western culture, including heart disease and cancer. Here are just a few examples:

In his book, The China Study, which involved a 20-year long look at 6500 people from 65 counties across China, T. Colin Campbell, PhD states, “Consuming animal-based protein increases blood cholesterol levels.  Saturated fat and dietary cholesterol also raise blood cholesterol, although these nutrients are not as effective at doing this as is animal protein.” Also, “In rural China, animal protein intake averages only 7.1 gr/day whereas Americans average a whopping 70 gr/day….Even these small amounts of animal-based food in rural China raised the risk for Western diseases.”

Dr. Campbell also found, that casein, the most abundant protein in cow’s milk, is a strong promoter of cancer cells, in all stages of cancer development.

Dr. Neal Barnard reports on a Japanese study that women who follow meat-based diets are eight times more likely to develop breast cancer than women on a plant-based diet. Harvard studies show that regular meat consumption triples colon cancer risk while a Cambridge University study links dairy products to an increased risk of ovarian cancer.

Studies of the Seventh-day Adventists found that those who avoided meat altogether showed significant reductions in cancer risk as compared to those who ate modest amounts of meat.

So, again, keeping your animal-food intake below 10% of your daily caloric intake will help reduce these risks.

Animal-based foods are Unnecessary in Large amounts:

“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including…vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and….are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the lifecycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.”

Dr. Benjamin Spock, in the latest edition of his world-famous book, Baby and Child Care, advocates a vegetarian diet for children, and no longer recommends dairy products after the age of 2. He says that children who grow up getting nutrition from plant foods rather than meats are less likely to develop weight problems, diabetes, high blood pressure and some forms of cancer.

Good sources of amino acids (protein) are green and leafy vegetables (yes, really! Green plants provide protein to animals as muscular as bulls and horses). Protein is also abundant in beans, lentils, and nuts. If you are a bodybuilder or otherwise require more protein, great vegan protein-shake powders made from pea, rice and hemp proteins can be found online and in most health-food stores.  Some recommended brands are Life Basics, Plant Fusion, Vega, and Sunwarrior.

Rich sources of calcium are found in green and leafy vegetables (such as kale, collard greens, swiss chard, turnip greens), beans, dried figs, tofu and broccoli.

Rich sources of iron include dark green leafy vegetables, beans, lentils, tofu, spinach, swiss chard and beet greens.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be obtained from flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and extracts of algae (the type most used in infant formulas, since it can be cultivated in clean fermentation tanks). Other beneficial fats include avocados, coconuts and nuts/seeds.

Lastly, I recommend taking a high quality multi-vitamin/mineral (whether you are vegan or not). Crop soils have been greatly depleted, so most all of our food is much less nutritious than it used to be. A high-quality, plant food-based multivitamin will help ensure that you are not missing anything, including B-12. Recommended brands include New Chapter and Garden of Life.

Conclusion:

The TCM recommended diet includes 5-10% of dietary caloric intake as animal products: Organic, grass-fed, raised in their natural environments, since these were the only type of animal that existed until about 50 years ago, and will provide the highest quality nutrition and Qi for your body. Quality of these products is far more important than quantity.

Some patients can make greater health gains, faster, if they adopt a 100% plant-based/vegan diet, at least for a period of time, based on whole foods with lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and nuts/seeds.

Either way, most people need to add more plant-based meals into their diets, to use animal-foods as accents to meals, not the main course. If you would like further guidance on meal ideas, check out Plant-based Meal Ideas pages on this blog.

Also, see the blog post Vegan vs Paleo: Finding the Middle Way.

Dawn Potter, AP, Dipl.OM

(excerpts published in Tampa Bay Wellness, June 2011)

#vegetables #greens #vegetarian #animalbased #cancer #vegan #plantbased #nutrition #orientalmedicine