12 Minute Oyster Soup

12 Minute Oyster Soup

serves 2

 

4 cups homemade fish stock

2 cups Backyard CSA seafood stock (or more fish stock if you don’t have Tiffani’s delicious seafood stock on hand)

1/3 lb shitake mushrooms, sliced

1 dozen oysters, in the shell, scrubbed clean

1/3 cup chopped chives

butter and sea salt to taste

 

Bring stock to a boil. Add mushrooms and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 7 mins (just enough time for the mushrooms to cook a little). Add oysters and simmer for 5 or so mins, until most of the oysters are cracked open. Add the chives in the last minute or two. Serve in large bowls with salt and butter to taste. Yum!

 

My Journey from Luddite to (Somewhat) Tech Savvy

When I first started in practice, I scorned blogs, social media (I think it was just My Space then) and any other not-in-person method of communication. I had a patient who was social media savvy, and she really helped me understand the value of being able to get important ideas out to a larger group and start a community conversation (still working on how to do that exactly).

She wrote up a nice story for Holistic Primary Care that features my journey. Check it out!

http://holisticprimarycare.net/topics/topics-o-z/practice-development/1384-crowd-sourcing-health-the-intersection-of-social-media-and-medicine

Is Soy Cruel and Unusal Punishment?

I just got this announcement, and I didn’t even want to wait to publish it. If you’re unsure of the dangers of soy, PLEASE read this!

 

EXPERTS DENOUNCE HIGH-SOY DIET OF ILLINOIS PRISONERS
Too Much Soy Causes Serious Health Problems, Plaintiffs Claim

Washington, DC, June 26, 2012 — Plaintiffs in the lawsuit Harris et al. v. Brown, et al., Case No. 3:07-cv-03225 have submitted testimony of four qualified experts confirming the claim that large amounts of soy in the prison diet can cause serious health problems. In 2004, the state of Illinois began using large amounts of soy in prison menus to save money and use less meat.

Sponsored by the Weston A. Price Foundation, a nutrition education non-profit foundation, the lawsuit claims that the soy being fed to the plaintiffs, in the amounts being fed to them, constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the eighth amendment to the Constitution, as well as a denial of plaintiffs’ liberty in violation of their due process rights under the fourteenth amendment to the Constitution.

Plaintiff health complaints include chronic and painful constipation alternating with debilitating diarrhea, vomiting after eating, sharp pains in the digestive tract, especially after consuming soy, passing out, heart palpitations, rashes, acne, insomnia, panic attacks, depression and symptoms of hypothyroidism, such as low body temperature (feeling cold all the time), brain fog, fatigue, weight gain, frequent infections and thyroid disease.

Public Health Expert Sylvia P. Onusic, PhD, submitted an analysis of prison menus showing that soy protein in prison meals approaches 100 grams per day, four times greater than the amount recommended by the Food and Drug Administration. Soy protein is added in large amounts to meat patties, meat mixes and sauces, and in smaller amounts to almost all baked goods. The soy in the prison food is a deliberate artificial manipulation using processed soy products, manufactured using highly technical process and toxic chemicals

Toxicologist Mike Fitzpatrick, PhD, provided evidence that even 50 grams of soy can cause thyroid problems, including thyroid cancer. Soy contains compounds called phytoestrogens, which depress thyroid function and cause endocrine disruption.

Physician David Brownstein, MD, submitted his opinion that the amount of soy fed to the plaintiffs is, to a reasonable degree of scientific certainty, responsible for causing their health problems, including gastrointestinal distress and bowel dysfunction, vitamin deficiencies (vitamins B12 and D) as well as thyroid disorders.

Laboratory analysis expert William Shaw, PhD, noted that soy protein has the highest oxalate level of any known food and that the prisoners are receiving hundreds of milligrams of oxalates per day. According to Shaw, virtually all of the plaintiffs’ health problems can be explained by their high-oxalate diet. The toxicity of oxalates is well established; oxalates can deposit sharp crystals not only in the kidneys, but in virtually every tissue and organ of the body, including joints, heart, blood vessels, teeth, gums, eyes, skin, brain, nerves, thyroid and thymus glands. Oxalates also block the absorption of many essential minerals, leading to malnutrition.

The defendants have responded by arguing that the Illinois prisoners receive only minimal amounts of soy protein in their diets.

“Presiding judge Harold Baker has stated the importance of scientific and medical testimony in the case,” says Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation. “We have provided both the science and the medical evidence and look forward to the next steps in this trial.

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nutrition education foundation with the mission of disseminating accurate, science-based information on diet and health. Named after nutrition pioneer Weston A. Price, DDS, author of Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, the Washington, DC-based Foundation publishes a quarterly journal for its 14,000 members, supports 572 local chapters worldwide and hosts a yearly international conference. The Foundation phone number is (202) 363-4394, www.westonaprice.org, info@westonaprice.org.

http://www.westonaprice.org/press/experts-denounce-high-soy-diet-of-illinois-prisoners

What is Shiatsu?

What is Shiatsu?

Shiatsu is an Asian style of body work focused on balancing the whole system through dynamic pressures, compressions, and stretches that work with the meridian channels.  Shiatsu is done with clothes on so the brain does not get distracted by skin sensations and absorbs the pressure on a much deeper level.   Rather than just focusing on symptoms, Shiatsu focuses on the person’s overall emotional and functional state to get to the root cause of those symptoms.

Communication is an important part of the massage session.  Before beginning any of the hands on techniques, the practitioner should discuss current symptoms, past injuries, and lifestyle to paint a clearer picture of the source of imbalance. The massage then begins with finger pressure applied to Back Shu Points along the outside of the spine to help determine what channels are in an excess (jitsu) state or in a deficient (kyo) state.  From there the session is designed for the individual to bring the body back to balance, by strengthening the weaker channels and dispersing the channels in excess, stimulating the person’s own body to heal itself.

The garden analogy

Both the garden and the human body are microcosms of nature.  The processes, cycles, and conditions that exist in a garden can also be observed in the life of a human being. If we use this analogy the practitioner becomes the gardener.  The gardener does not make the garden grow. Nature does.  The gardener protects the integrity of the garden by promoting growth in some areas and restricting it in others, always observing the interaction between the garden and the outside environment.

 

Mentacide!

I recently read this depressing article in December 2011 Men’s Health: http://www.menshealth.com/health/auto-neurotic . The author coins a term, mentacide, which seems to be basically defined as when the brain attacks itself with over-thinking. If you read the article, you’ll see that the author clearly acknowledges the negative physical ailments that result from this issue, and he readily admits to being unable to follow through on actions which would incite positive change. His final solution seems to be “positive thinking” which, you can tell from the tone of the article, is clearly not working. But without a solution, what other choice is there?

Countless articles like this seek to prove to us that our mood disorders are normal experiences that we have to learn to love. It seems that there’s no middle ground between espousing the wonders of medicating the masses and denying that there’s any problem at all.

I spent many years on the denial end of the spectrum before I found the solution of Nuero-nutrient Therapy (also called Amino Acid Therapy). This revolutionary therapy based on the work of Dr. Kenneth Blum http://www.rdsyndrome.com/dr_kenneth_blum_rds_gene_discovery.php was further developed and perfected by Julia Ross http://www.moodcure.com over twenty years of clinical application.

Kenneth Blum was doing research on alcoholism when he basically discovered neurotransmitters and their connection to addiction. While doing this research, he also discovered that amino acids are precursors to these neurotransmitters, and that supplementing with amino acids could correct neurotransmitter deficiencies. (As an aside, I don’t agree with his more recent conclusion that all amino acids simply stimulate dopamine).

The original trials on Prozac provided much of the science that led to Neuronutrient Therapy (NNT). It turns out that the same sorts of deficiencies at play in addiction are also happening in anxiety and depression. And recently the National Institute on Drug Abuse said, “The two conditions (addiction and obesity) have roots in some of the same brain areas and circuits.” http://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/nida-notes/2007/10/nida-will-contribute-to-obesity-research

 

Alcoholism, drug addiction, overeating, under-eating, depression, anxiety and over-stress syndrome all have roots in neurotransmitter deficiency. Addictive behaviors all stimulate your brain to release “feel-good” chemicals like Serotonin, Norepinephrine, Dopamine, GABA and Endorphin, the very same chemicals that are deficient in those suffering from mood disorders.

There are drugs on the market that seek to raise the active amount of these chemicals in the brain by preventing the re-absorption and breakdown of these chemicals, but only NNT actually provides your body with the raw material needed to increase production. Every other method: drugs, exercise, medications, merely increase the release or slow the breakdown of the neurotransmitters. Only Amino Acids increase production in the brain!

If you’ve read the Men’s Health article, and you identify with it, there is hope for you! You don’t have to continue suffering. Those thinking patterns can actually go away—permanently! And naturally!

Check out our other articles on Amino Acids, and pick up a copy of Julia Ross’ The Mood Cure http://www.moodcure.com today!

Our clinic is currently accepting NNT patients, and we even take Skype clients for those who live more than an hour from San Francisco. Call Today: 415-424-3213

What Are Acupuncture Meridians?

In my practice, I commonly get asked the question, “How do you pick the points?” or “Are there specific spots where you put the needles?” In order to answer these questions, you have to understand the meridian system. In Acupuncture, the term Meridian comes from the French translation rather than from the original Chinese writings. The Chinese term more correctly translates into Channel or Vessel; it is the same term used for blood vessel. For the purposes of this article, I will use the term meridian—because as you’ll see in a moment it helps me explain what these things really are.

First let’s start with the usual definition. If you look this up elsewhere on the internet, you’ll find several versions of basically the same definition. The meridians are invisible pathways inside the body where the mystical, magical qi (pronounced chee) flows.

These invisible tubes can become blocked by stress or other invisible forces. You may or may not know this is happening. Acupuncture can remove these blockages, but you probably won’t know if it’s working or not. It will take a Licensed Acupuncturist to decode your pulse for you to know if your qi is now flowing smoothly.

Some other practitioners will probably be highly offended at the last paragraph, because this is exactly what they have been telling their patients for years. I know you hate me! But I must de-mystify this meridian business, so that we can all move into the 21st Century together!

Now let’s talk about some other things that have meridians. Have you ever seen a map? A globe? A nautical chart? All of these devices use the markers of latitude and longitude to show the relationships between locations. Another word for longitude is meridian—as in the Prime Meridian.

Now have you ever been in a plane and looked out the window? Have you ever seen one of these meridians drawn across the Earth? That’s right, NO.

So what does this mean? Does it mean Meridians aren’t real or useful or important? NO!

It means that Meridians are man-made devices, drawn by humans, to help us navigate. They are not an inherent part of the natural world. They are our interpretation of the natural world. And so it is with the Acupuncture Meridians.

The Acupuncture Meridians are lines drawn by humans to explain the relationship between different areas of the body. Different parts on the same Meridian are connected. But it goes further than that, each Meridian has a balancing relationship with specific other Meridians. This balancing relationship determines where to put the needles in order to heal the sick area.

So as an Acupuncturist, I only have to determine three things. First, the diagnosis, in other words which channel is sick and where? Second I need to know which channels will balance that sick channel. And third I choose the channel and area that I’m going to needle to balance the sick channel.

See! It’s not mystical at all! It’s actually quite systematic! So far I haven’t needed to use psychic healing on any one of my patients. The science of Acupuncture works just great!

 

 

Acknowledgements:

Thank you so much to Dr. Tan for teaching me this way of seeing our medicine! It has transformed my practice.

See more about his system here in this video:

Happiness Forum

13 Comments

This video has inspired me to start a happiness community here on the Wood Tiger Acupuncture Blog. It suggests five simple things that, when done daily for 21 days, have a measurable impact on your happiness AND your brain function!

Take the 21 day happiness challenge with us, and join us in the discussion!

What to do:

1. Watch the video

2. Write down the 5 suggestions

3. Get a notebook or journal to record each of the 5 things daily

4. Start! And start posting your comments here!
The official start date is March 12th, but feel free to start getting happy now!