Acupuncture and Relaxation

I was recently talking to someone that said he had some leg pain a few months ago and got two sessions of acupuncture to help with his pain problem. He told me that the acupuncture didn't "cure" his leg pain and he stopped trying. He also said that even though the acupuncture didn't help his pain, he loved how relaxed he felt during and after treatment.

My first reaction was to explain that acupuncture usually takes some time to see significant results and that his acupuncturist should have explained that to him. A treatment plan should always be discussed between the acupuncturist and the patient.

Then, my next reaction was more like, "Yeah, acupuncture is relaxing and should make you feel great!" In our go-go-go, fast paced world, a little relaxation is much needed. If you're thinking that you don't have any ailments that need to be fixed by acupuncture, it can still help you A LOT! Taking 20-30 minutes once a week or more to lay down and relax can help your life in more ways than you think. Relaxing calms your mind and allows for better brain function later. Relaxing can help rejuvenate your muscles for better activity performance (especially those pesky neck and shoulder muscles that get so tight at work and in the car). Relaxing can help improve digestion. That's right, our gut and our brains have been proven to be inexplicably linked, so relaxing the mind and relaxing the muscles will help relax the GI tract and improve digestion. Relaxation can help improve your mood especially if you're feeling stressed and irritable.

Taking a short time out of each week to get acupuncture can significantly improve many areas of your life, in turn, improving your life.

~Get poked!

Garbanzo Pasta Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

3 (14.5 oz) cans vegetable broth

1 cup small pasta shells (uncooked)

1 Tbsp oil (olive, coconut, vegetable, canola)

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 (28 oz) can tomatoes (diced, whole peeled), juice reserved

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta shells and cook for 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent. Stir onions, garlic, garbanzo beans, tomatoes and seasoning into pot with pasta. Cook until heated through.

Serve with a side of garlic bread.

Recipe slightly modified from the original found on allrecipes.

Note: I often double this recipe to have plenty of leftovers. Leftovers can be frozen for a quick meal in the future.

Roasted Zucchini and Tomato Pasta

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Serves 6-8

2 1/2 pounds zucchini cut into bite sized chunks
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes cut into bite sized chunks
3 or more cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, diced
Olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste
1 lb. pasta of your choice
Vegan cheese or vegan Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9x13 baking dish or cake pan, drizzle some olive oil on the bottom to lightly coat the pan. Add all ingredients except the pasta to the pan and drizzle more olive oil on top. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and retain 1/2 cup of cooking water to mix with the roasted vegetables.

Once the roasted vegetables are done, add 1/2 cup of cooking water to the veggies and stir. In a large mixing bowl, toss pasta with vegetables and serve. Top with vegan Parmesan or vegan cheese of your choice. It is very tasty without a "cheese" topping as well.

Enjoy!

How Can Acupuncture Treat Gynecological and Fertility Issues

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has outstanding results when it comes to treating gynecological issues and infertility.

In TCM we say that the signs and symptoms manifest as infertility or gyno issues, but there can be many causes to the same issue. Let's consider menstrual cramps: they can be caused by blood deficiency, blood stasis, cold coagulation, Qi stagnation, or any combination. In TCM we do a thorough analysis of the individual to pinpoint what the "root" cause is so we can treat the underlying condition. Most women who have suffered from menstrual cramps will resort to taking some kind of over the counter or prescription medication to ease the pain and get through the day, but the pain tends to come back month after month. TCM will work to treat the "root" of the problems and as balance is restored the symptoms or "branch" will disappear. This approach is taken with all gynecological problems: irregular periods, painful periods, scanty or no period, heavy periods, cysts, fibroids, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, menopause and it's related symptoms, and many more.

Infertility can also be successfully treated with TCM and acupuncture. It can aide Western modalities such as in-vitro fertilization, but it can also help couples get pregnant (and stay pregnant) who are choosing to use natural methods. 

One of my first patients after becoming an intern in my school's clinic was having difficulty getting and staying pregnant. She and her partner had been trying to conceive for one year with the last two months getting pregnant, but ending in miscarriage very early on. Of course, most people understand both the physical and emotional toll miscarriage has on the expectant parents. It turns out that my patient had gotten pregnant just a few days before coming to see me in the clinic. She didn't know that she was pregnant at the time, but we determined that she had Kidney Yang deficiency causing cold in the uterus. Our bodies are meant to have a balance between Yin and Yang, when one is deficient (Yang in this case) it causes things to work improperly. Our Kidney energy is imperative when it comes to procreation because it houses our essence, or DNA if you will. My patient had a palpable cold feeling on her lower abdomen that she also described as a cold sensation deep in her interior. Now, we can all agree that a fetus wouldn't want to stay for nine months in a cold "palace." So this was the problem she was having for retaining the pregnancy. We worked hard to keep her "child palace" aka uterus warm and she is well on her way to having a healthy baby soon.

Acupuncture and TCM can also help if the infertility problem lies more with the male partner than the female partner. The treatment usually consists more of working on the essence of the man, which often means there is a deficiency with the sperm. Working to tonify the Kidney energy is also vital when helping the male partner improve his ability to be fertile. 

It is often beneficial for couples that are trying to conceive, if both partners receive regular acupuncture and herbal treatments. 

Vegan Scramble

Honestly, a vegan scramble can be made with any ingredients that suit your fancy. You can serve it in a bowl, pita pocket, tortilla, or anything you can come up with.

Servings: 6-8
Total Time: 45 minutes

4 russet potatoes, chopped into small chunks for faster cooking
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 zucchini, chopped
1 squash, chopped
Couple handfuls of spinach leaves
1 Tsp tumeric
1 Tsp ground cumin
Red pepper flakes to taste

In a large frying pan or wok, heat 1 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and cook for several minutes. Add other ingredients to the wok and stir fry together until all the ingredients are cooked well. Serve in a pita pocket or in a tortilla as a burrito.

You can top it with vegan cheese and avocado. Often times I add soy chorizo or tofu to give it some "meaty"-ness.

Animal Product Herbal Medicine

Being vegan in acupuncture and Chinese Medicine school is not the easiest thing to be. One might associate an acupuncture school with vegan "hippies", but what we learn from a Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) perspective is far from a promotion of veganism or even vegetarianism.

In TCM we learn that the best way to "build or tonify the blood," for people who may have conditions such as anemia, is to drink beef broth especially broth made from beef bones. This would obviously pose a big problem for vegans. Blood deficiency (often referred to as anemia in a western diagnosis) is a common problem for vegans and vegetarians who don't get enough iron or Vitamin B12. But look at the list of Blood Tonic herbs used in TCM:

• Shu Di Huang (Radix Rehmanniae)
• Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis)
• He Shou Wu (Radix Polygoni multiflori)
• Bai Shao Yao (Radix Paeoniae Alba)
• Long Yan Rou (Arillus Euphoriae Longanae)
• E Jiao (Colla Corrii Asini)

There is only one herb from this list that isn't a plant: E Jiao (Colla Corrii Asini), which is donkey hide gelatin. The other five herbs in this list are all vegan/vegetarian friendly and can help "tonify" the blood, which may (in western medical terms) help reduce anemia.

Don't forget that we can also get many of the essential nutrients from our food. If you are lacking in iron, eat more spinach. You can do a quick Google search to find out which foods are high in essential nutrients.

In all cases where an animal product herb would be used, there are plant-based herb alternatives. The animal product herbs can be much stronger than plant-based herbs, but don't let this discourage you if your acupuncturist/herbalist recommends an animal product. Always inform your healthcare provider about your diet and lifestyle. The practitioner should discuss with you that treating your condition only using plant-based herbs may take a bit longer if the plant-based herbs aren't as strong, but you'll still be well on your way to better health and you won't have to compromise your morals.

Quinoa Falafel with Avocado Tahini Sauce

This recipe was a little complicated since I don't have a food processor and have only one blender. It can be done using only one blender and the results are worth it.

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

Falafel

2 cans of chickpeas (aka Garbanzo beans), rinsed & drained
oil (coconut, vegetable, olive, whichever you prefer)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
⅓ cup cooked quinoa
2 tbsp cilantro 
1 tbsp ground cumin
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 vegan “eggs” (Ener-G Egg Replacer)

Avocado Tahini Dressing

1 ripe avocado
¼ c tahini sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice (about ½ lime)
2 tbsp cilantro 
½ cup water

Instructions

1. Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor until no more whole chickpeas remain. If you are using a blender, separate the chickpeas into about 4-6 batches and blend each batch until they aren't whole anymore. Remove each blended batch and add to a bowl while the next batch is blending.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan on medium heat and fry the onions and garlic until soft. Let the onion/garlic mixture cool for a few minutes.
3. Meanwhile, blend all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender. Set aside.
4. Combine chickpeas, onion mixture, quinoa, cilantro, cumin, salt, pepper, and vegan “egg” mixture.
5. Form the mixture into 12 balls, and flatten them slightly. 
6. Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the falafel patties and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned.
7. Serve with dressing, either straight-up, or in pita bread with lettuce, tomato, etc.

   

This recipe was adapted from vegangela.com.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

4 large bell peppers, halved (color of your choice)
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 to 1/2 or Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo or Soyrizo (brand name) - a little spicy
1/2 to 1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp oil (coconut, vegetable, olive - your choice)
Vegan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350*

Saute onion in the oil until they are tender. Add beans, corn, diced tomatoes, and soy chorizo and heat through.

Cut bell peppers in half to create a bowl and place in a 9x13 pan. Add mixture to each bell pepper half. Top with vegan cheese if you'd like and bake at 350* for 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite sides.