Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Cysts vs. Egg vs. Follicle: Clearing up the confusion/Fertility File



So yesterday a patient of mine asked me "is the Egg the same as the Follicle?" Basically Follicles are the nest the Egg resides in and these follicles reside inside the Ovary but in any given natural cycle only one Dominant Follicle will produce an egg. This article will explain it better. Either way Acupuncture and Herbs at Huffman Wellness Acupuncture & Herbal Center for Fertility will help your Follies and Eggs grow more and mare importantly better and healthier with IVF, IUI or just on your own.




Cyst vs Egg vs Follicle: Clearing up the confusion | Fertility File

My medical students often ask me how I decide what to post about. Usually, it's just whatever pops into my head. Other times, like today, it's on things that I





FERTILITYFILE.COM

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Baby News!

Text Message I received yesterday:


"Baby weighs 5.5 pounds and head is down. Tech said everything looks perfect and the baby will probably weigh 71/2 lbs at birth."  B.aby due December 3rd, 2015. Mom received acupuncture at Huffman Wellness for 9 months approximately









Friday, October 9, 2015

HOW MUCH ACUPUNCTURE SHOULD ONE TAKE BEFORE OR WHILE TTC WITH ASSISTED OR UNASSITED METHODS?


THIS IS A QUESTION I GET ASKED ALL THE TIME? CERTAINLY ONE HAS TO WEIGH THEIR FINANCES WITH TIME AND THEN THEIR DESIRE TO HAVE A BABY.

RULE OF THUMB:

1. TAKE AT LEAST 3 MONTHS OF ACUPUNCTURE BEFORE TTC IF POSSIBLE, IF YOU
HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY AND RULED OUT BLOCKED TUBES, OR OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS SUCH AS ENDOMETRIOSIS, PCOS OR POF(PREMATURE OVARIAN FAILURE) AND OR PREMATURE OVARIAN RESERVE. AND CONTINUE FOR THE FOURTH MONTH TO TRY AND CONCEIVE.

2. TAKE AT LEAST 6 MONTHS TO 9 MONTHS IF YOU HAVE A KNOWN OBSTRUCTION OR AUTOIMMUNE CONDITION WITH CLOTTING DISORDERS. THIS MUST BE CLEARED FOR THE MOST PART BEFORE TONIFYING THE DEFICIENCY OF INFERTILITY. IF SURGICALLY REMOVED SUCH AS SALPINGECTOMY OF THE TUBES, ENDO, WE STILL NEED TO TREAT THE UNDERLYING DISORDER OF WHAT CAUSED THE MUCUS BUILD UP, IF NOT STRUCTURELY FROM SOME PRIOR ACCIDENT OR SURGERY LEAVING SCAR TISSUE.

3. SAME RULE OF THUMB FOR BOTH OF THE ABOVE APPLIES TO MALES. IF THEY HAVE MORPHOLOGY ISSUES, IT COULD TAKE AS LONG AS 9 MONTHS TO A YEAR TO IMPROVE ESPECIALLY COMBINED WITH BLOCKAGE ISSUES SUCH AS VARICOCELE(AN ENLARGEMENT OF THE VEINS WITHIN THE LOOSE BAG OF SKIN THAT HOLDS A MALES TESTICLES IN THE SCROTUM. COUNT AND MOTILITY TAKE LESS TIME BUT INDICATE THAT THINGS ARE STARTING TO IMPROVE.

4. HOW MANY TIMES A WEEK? IF POSSIBLE I ALWAYS SAY TWO TIMES A WEEK REGARDLESS OF AGE AND OR ASSISTED OR UNASSITTED TECHNIQUES SUCH AS IVF OR IUI. CERTAINLY IF 39 PLUS SHOULD COME IN TWO TIMES WITHOUT A DOUBT.

5. THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT COMING IN RIGHT BEFORE IVF, IUI, CLOMID OR NATURALLY CANNOT ENHANCE AN OUTCOME, UNFORTUNATELY IT DOES NOT AFFECT ANY UNDERLYING CONDITION THAT MAY BE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. SO ARE YOU WASTING YOUR MONEY TO COME FOR JUST 4 SESSIONS BEFORE IVF?? DEPENDS, ON ALL OF THE ABOVE AND HOW SEVERE THE CONDITIONS ARE.

OVERALL MAYBE NOT, BUT IS IT IDEAL? NO, AND MAY IN FACT BE A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY. ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ON YOUR 2ND OR 3RD FET, IVF, OR IUI, DOES NOT MATTER. AT THIS POINT YOU NEED TO RETHINK YOUR COURSE OF THERAPY AND CONSIDER BUMPING IT UP WITH LIQUID HERBS AND ACUPUNCTURE.

EITHER WAY, I AM WILLING TO WORK WITH YOU, BUT THE ABOVE IS STRONGLY SUGGESTED AS FOOD FOR THOUGHT, NOT AS A SALES TACTIC! MY SUCCESS IS YOUR SUCCESS AND THAT BUILDS FORTITUDE, THAT STANDS AGAINST THE ODDS OF FAILURE. A GOOD TEACHER WILL TELL YOU THE TRUTH AND HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF AND SUCCEED AND A GOOD DOCTOR IF SHE TRUELY CARES WILL DO THE SAME, REALIZING THE BODY STILL HAS A WISDOM OF ITS OWN. EPIGENETICALLY AS FAR AS POF AND POR AND MORPHOLOGY ISSUES OF SPERM ARE CONCERNED, WE KNOW ACUPUNCTURE, NUTRITION, LIFESTYLE PLAY A FAR LARGER ROLE THAN WE EVER IMAGINED.

HAVE YOU REACHED THE END OF YOUR ROPE…? THATS WHAT IT TAKES BEFORE SOME OF US ARE WILLING TO MAKE SOME RADICAL CHANGES IN OUR LIFE TO
ALLOW WHAT OUR HEART DESIRES TO TRUELY MANIFEST. AS MY ONE TEACHER ALWAYS SAYS AND MANY OF YOU IN MY PROFESSION KNOW HER, "LET'S PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS!"




TWO STARS SIZZLE WITH ACUPUNCTURE'S BABY BOOSTING EFFECT!

Everyday she recieved acupuncture and it paid off! MAKE IT YOUR COMMITMENT!



Mariah Carey: CĂ©line Dion Suggested Acupuncture To Get Pregnant | Celebrity Baby Scoop

Now that Mariah Carey has finally confirmed that she and husband Nick Cannon are expecting their first child, it looks like she's ready to dish on the details of her…

WWW.CELEBRITYBABYSCOOP.COM

WHY ACUPUNCTURE COULD HELP YOU GET PREGNANT

When it comes to Fertility it is not all down to the woman; It is 50/50 and the male should also come in for acupuncture and herbs, even if he has super sperm. His diagnostic pattern in Chinese Medicine could negate the numbers if he is extremely inbalanced say with his liver/spleen.

Why acupuncture could help you get pregnant
The stars swear by it, so we asked acupuncturist Melanie Hackwell to explain how it helps boost fertility
CLOSERONLINE.CO.UK

Monday, September 14, 2015

TEFLON COATED PANS AND PLASTICS LONG AGO LINKED TO INFERTILITY



PTFE, PFOA, chemicals in nonstick Teflon pans and BPA linked to CANCERS AND INFERTILITY. UNIVERISTY OF ROCHESTER

Numerous years ago I read about the dangers of using Teflon coated pans in Readers Digest no less and this weekend looked into buying a waffle iron I knew would be coated with the nonstick stuff, however I found one that was ceramic coated, and free of PFOA and PTFE at Walmart. Now I need to know is it BPA free? On the box it did not say nor does this article really say. It appears to be the same coating as they line aluminum cans, which I discovered is not BPA free as I had thought. Anyway the link with pans and cans not free of the following chemicals has been linked strongly with cancers and infertility.

BPA FREE AND PFOA FREE – WENDY BLANCHARD, M.S.
I have begun cooking and baking with cookware that is free of PFOA and PTFE. Although the research is conflicting, I don’t want to put anything into my body, or in my home that is toxic, so I have invested in new cookware that is free from any toxins. In an article from the University of Rochester Medical Center it states, “You probably have some pots, pans, or baking tins in your kitchen that are coated with Teflon. The chemical name for Teflon is polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This chemical is what keeps food from sticking to nonstick cookware and it has been used commercially since the 1940s.
The potential problem with nonstick cookware comes from another chemical used in making Teflon. This chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), has been linked to cancer in laboratory animals, and possibly linked to elevated cholesterol, thyroid disease, and reduced fertility in people.
PFOA has come under scrutiny by the EPA because the chemical has shown up in samples of people’s blood. This concerns the EPA because PFOA lasts a long time in both people and the surrounding environment. The EPA doesn’t know how dangerous PFOA is to health. For now, the agency says that the evidence for its causing cancer is “suggestive.” The long term health effects of PFOA are being intensively studied by the EPA along with other agencies.”
To read the article in its entirety, visithttp://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?
In addition, all of the plastic that I store my food in is BPA free. BPA stands for bisphenol A. This is a toxic chemical that has been used to make certain plastics since the 1960’s. In my research, I have learned that BPA can get through to food and drink from the containers that they are housed in. This is of great concern to our health because there are possible effects from BPA on the brain, and may affect unborn babies. The FDA claims that BPA is safe in low levels, however, I’d rather not allow any type of chemical into my body. Therefore, I use BPA free food containers, and even my water bottle is BPA free.
To reduce your exposure, you can do the following:
1. Purchase products that are labeled BPA free. Some plastics marked with recycle codes 3 or 7 may be made with BPA.
2. Try to eliminate using canned foods since most are lined with BPA-containing resin.
3. Use porcelain, glass or stainless steel containers for hot foods and liquids.
To your good health!
Wendy



University of Rochester Medical Center
URMC.ROCHESTER.EDU

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Endometriosis

When women come in with Stage 4 Endometriosis, I know I have to clear the obstruction of the Endo out before I can boost their Fertility.  How does one go about this? Ok they have an obstructive imbalance of blood and Qi stagnation, meaning the blood is not flowing, it is stuck and often they experience large clots, dark in color, and lots of pain with their periods.  So how can the ovaries get enough nourishment if blood their main source of food, is not fluid enough to feed them?  Their reproductive region is clogged by toxins, by the body's response to stress, by an inherited imbalance, by years of being on the pill, by not enough movement, by the blood escaping the uterine cavity.  What's tricky is by the time they get to Stage 4 Endo, in addition to the obstruction, they have become blood deficient as well. 

 So while I need to clear out the adhesions created by the Endometriosis, I need to nourish without nourishing the adhesions and Endo with acupuncture and Chinese Herbs.  Tricky, so I have to primarily clear out as much as I can the week before the period, before the floodgates are about to burst open, to give it a good shove out the door if you will and then especially during the period and right after it for a week, when estrogen is building up in the Follicular phase.  Endometriosis is usually an excess of Xeno-Estrogens and these Xeno Estrogens feed the adhesions that Endometriosis makes. These false Estrogens  appear to minic the effects of Estrogen with negative effects  like all the BPA chemicals found in Plastic for those of you still drinking daily out of plastic bottles and microwaving your food in plastic.  Food additives like BHA and others do this too, even foods and beverages like alcohol, coffee, and processed foods and too much sugar create what is called "damp heat" to contribute to the build up of toxins and blood that congeals with clotting issues and pain, all typical of Endometriosis.

Then after 3 months on this Protocal, I can begin to nourish the blood without the worry of creating more cysts and excerbating the Endometriosis and Adhesions.  I will still be clearing just not as heavily nor will I tonify the blood too much just yet.  Just like with any infection, you do not want to take a bunch of vitamins, or really fortifying foods like meats while you are sick.  Your body is  not strong enough to even digest them.  Always clear out the infection and with foods like chicken broth and cleansing green drinks you can nourish at the same time.  

Grilled Summer Fruit and Fresh Produce



I love summer fruit but grilling them as always been something I have wanted to do for a unique twist to bring out all their sweetness with a hint of savory! And the balsamic on the watermelon pulls out the sweetness even more! The cardamon is a great spice to help your digestion, as summer fruits in Chinese Medicine can create some dampness but cardamon is warming and balances out the cooling nature of fruits. It is good for the spleen. Then the grilled Kebabs is a another great idea and grilled avacado who would have thunk! I am going to share this with my family this summer at our camp when it is my time to cook! Check out today's Tampa Bay Times /Things-to-Do


Recipes for unexpected grilled sides: avocado, peach panzanella, fruit kebabs
Add some sparkle to your traditional barbecue fare this Fourth of July with unexpected grillables.
TAMPABAY.COM

17 Week Sonogram






Delighted to hear everything looks good on this 17 Week Sonogram for a Mom who received Acupuncture! She refused to give up and her conviction and determination blessed her with this little one, whose face you can already see. Even her Doctors were amazed! She researched all the supplements like PQQ and Inositol, both helpful for Fertility and she found them on her own, way before they became well known. God Bless and may he keep your baby safe and healthy for both you and your husband. Thanks for Sharing! She is due 12/3/15

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Brand New Arrival



Sorry I have not posted in such a long while. I really needed a break from blogging, facebooking and all the social media. It really consumes your time.

I just got this in today and wanted to share. Isn't she sweet? Message with picture from Mom:

"Hi Carolyn,


Our baby girl arrived last Friday, June 19th. She was 6lbs, 19.5in long and is absolutely perfect and healthy. I wanted to send you a quick picture and let you know she arrived happy and healthy. I'll send you a a better pic when we have them taken in a few weeks.


Thank you again for all you did for us and the support you provided."



Improving Egg Quality



http://www.eggqualityimprove.com/improving-egg-health-with-omega-3/

this is good too from national institute of health

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Prolonging+the+female+reproductive+lifespan+and+improving+egg+quality+with+dietary+omega-3+fatty+acids

even if you haven't eaten this way all of your life.. if you change and add omega 3 and eliminate omega 6 improve egg quality

Monday, February 23, 2015

PQQ, The Newest Supplement That May Tackle Infertility

PQQ works with CoQ10 since it also works to prevent heart attacks which coincide with raised CRP levels, a biomarker for heart attacks, cancer and obesity.
Could there be an inflamatory response with infertility as well? We know that there are plenty of auto-immune, antibody and antiphospholipid issues with infertility, basically an unhealthy inflamatory response, so this makes sense.
Scientists have discovered a new vitamin which could tackle infertility problems in humans. The medical benefits of PQQ also include prevention of heart attacks, strokes, cancer and obesity
DAILYMAIL.CO.UK

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Emotional Affects of Infertility Can Be Debilitating



Fertility issues can be like any health issue, emotionally debilitating. Causing depression, anxiety, worry, basically consuming your whole being. Often hard to talk about because other people do not really understand, making it even harder. Women often tell me it is hard to share their sorrow with their husband because of how it affects their relationship. They may have broken down in tears and it is hard to hold back those tears in front of someone so close. So you try to be strong and not show how you feel. Same goes when you have to attend someone else's baby shower, so terribly hard to hold back how you really feel inside. You want to show how happy you are but all you can feel is "why them and not me?" Frustration and anger can naturally accumulate internally making the matter worse.

How does one deal with this, if such a natural process as conceiving does not manifest for a couple?

Well, in addition to acupuncture helping physically we know it helps emotionally and mentally. So many of my women after just a few sessions come back and say my husbund says "I am not as bitchy, or irritable and that i am calmer overall," Why is this though? Acupuncture does relase neurotransmitters from the brain and endorphins in addition to opening up the blood flow and balancing out the funcition of the channels and meridians of the vital and secondary organ systems. it also regulates hormones and opens up the HPO and HPA axis. All of this has a regulating and calming affect on the body.





What Drives Depression and Hormone Imbalance? Inflammation….

"When a woman experiences fatigue, brain clouding, flat mood, PMS, and constipation, we call it anxiety or stress and we stick her on an antidepressant that she will likely take for the rest of her life. Where in this protocol have we investigated why she is feeling that way? How have we personalized the treatment to her unique biochemistry? What is the plan for side effects including new and different psychiatric symptoms resulting from this prescription? We haven’t. We’ve applied a one-size-fits all treatment to mask symptoms without consideration for the cause."

What drives depression and hormone imbalance? Inflammation, which follows a conduit from the gut...
KELLYBROGANMD.COM

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

The Effects of EMF's and Cell Phone Usage…..Remember when Cigarettes and Lead Gasoline were debunked as bad

For the longest time cigarettes and lead gasoline were debunked is this what we are waiting for again before cancers like these spread?  Yes it turned out Lebron's tumor was benign, good thing, but all tumors if left can become malignant.  I now turn my phone off at night and when I carry it in my purse shopping, since it is right next to my body.  I also try to use the speaker and hold the phone away from my ear if I cannot use the speaker.  What steps are you taking?  I know some Paleo bloggers have chosen to not own a cell phone, only a landline.

How Lebron James' Cell Phone Gave Him Mouth Cancer - learn the links between cell phones and mouth cancer.
WWW.BENGREENFIELDFITNESS.COM

New Baby Boy Arrival Announcement!



Just got this sweet message yesterday from one of my clients who had moved to NC. I had been praying for her as she had conceived once a year or so ago with acupuncture as well and then unfortunately miscarried and was not able to maintain the treatments through the first 12 weeks so I was naturally concerned. This time she made it though. Her baby boy was born Feb. 6th and I am happy to share her post anoymously per her request.

"Hello Carolyn!
I'm sorry I never got back in touch prior I just had a hard time talking about my pregnancy until my sweet baby boy was here and healthy... So... He has arrived!!!
I just wanted to thank you so much for your services and your kindness and I truly believe you played a role in helping me deliver this little miracle.
Hope you are well and when we get settled I'll definitely write a review on your site.


Thank you again"

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Facebook page

Please Like ·   my Huffman Wellness facebook page…..Huffman Wellness Acupuncture & Herbal Center for Fertility

Like · 

Acupuncture Can Help Get You Pregnant!



Acupuncture can help get you pregnant!

Acupuncture for Infertility, IUI / IVF Acupuncture, and Male Factor Infertility

Acupuncture can increase your chances of success. Whether you are trying to conceive naturally or are undergoing an IVF or IUI cycle, acupuncture and Chinese medicine has been helping people with infertility for hundreds of years.

Benefits of Infertility Acupuncture

Just recently, many clinical trials have been able to confirm that acupuncture helps to treat infertility. The trials demonstrated a significant increase in pregnancy rates with the use of acupuncture. Acupuncture has been shown not only to enhance pregnancy rates but was also found to improve semen quality (specifically morphology and motility) as well. Since the health and vitality of a developing embryo takes both healthy eggs and healthy sperm, acupuncture is a great adjunct to add to help you achieve optimal reproductive health.

For Her:

• Improve ovarian function to produce higher quality eggs

• Regulate hormonal balance to produce a larger amount of follicles

• Increase uterine blood flow and thicken uterine lining

• Reduce medication side effects

• Prevent uterine contractions post IVF embryo transfer

• Decreasing chance of miscarriage

• Supporting health and balance during pregnancy

• Help with stress and relaxation


For Him:

• Improve sperm count, morphology, and motility

• Reduce sperm DNA fragmentation

• Help with stress and relaxation

• Treat pain or other urological health concerns

• Support health and balance




Friday, January 23, 2015

BONE BROTH…..GOOD FOR….Fertility, Digestive tract, Brain Fog, Collagen in Skin, and Joints, Energy, Calmness


In Latin American Kitchens they say "Good Bone Broth Resurrects the Dead." If you have only been doing chicken broth I highly recommend you graduate to the much more gelatinous beef broth. However, I have taken my lamb bones, duck bones, and pork bones and made broth with all of them, sometimes mixing them together. And I suggest roasting the beef bones and eating the marrow as well before throwing them into the crock pot for 24, 36 or 48 hours. I have a cup first thing in the am and sometime in the evening.

How bone broth became Kobe Bryant’s secret Stone Age weapon
www.washingtonpost.com
It may be trendy -- paleo dieters swear by its benefits -- but bone broth has been around for ages. Still, research-based evidence of its efficacy remains light.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

IT STARTS WITH THE EGG

I have always believed that simple lifestyle changes can have a huge impact on our health in general and even more so when trying to conceive. I am anxious to read this book myself to help my women and men more both naturally and with assisted techniques, but it starts with your own health first and a committed effort to staying and keeping yourself in health so you can see your grandchildren. God Bless.

“A thoroughly-researched and eye-opening account of how small, simple lifestyle changes can have powerful, positive effects on your health and fertility. A must-read for women wanting the best chance of conceiving a healthy baby.”

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Good News E-mail

A client of mine who moved at her 12 week mark just sent me this and of course I am always so thrilled to hear and I had hoped she was doing well and sure enough she is, as she had a previous history of a natural miscarriage with no heartbeat at 9 or 10 weeks and 1 failed IVF and a few failed IUI's. So she was at the end of her rope. She gave me permission to anoymously share and hopefully will share her full story later.
"Hi Carolyn,
I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to write and give you an update on how we are doing. Our Baby Girl is doing really well. I'm 17 weeks today and we found a great doctor that I really like. We did the maternit21 genetic testing and the results came back negative for chromosomal abnormalities such as down syndrome and the neural tube defects test came back negative as well. I feel like I can finally breathe and enjoy now!

I hope you are doing well and I will keep you updated once the baby girl arrives. You will never know how much your care and support helped me through this very trying time and helped me achieve success. I couldn't have gotten this far without you!

Thanks for all you have done for me/us."
78 people reached
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Huffman Wellness Acupuncture & Herbal Center for Fertility
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Valarie Lewis, Jennifer Krzewina and 2 others like this.


Valarie Lewis Carolyn Huffman, you will always have a special place in my heart for all that you did for me during a very stressful time. My girls are now 4 and 5!

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Which Tongue Are You?


Which Tongue are you? Did you know your tongue appearance changes and reflects a deeper internal condition as well as each part represents a different organ in Chinese Medicine. Looking at the tongue is a diagnostic tool to helping us differentiate your disease or inbalanced pattern. So on this post showing the different tongues…. look at yours and see which one matches. For example if you have a really red tongue might need to clear heat. Could do some simple things like eat more greens or cooling food like cucumbers, celery, lemons. If it is pale might need to eat more warming foods like a beef stew or chicken soup and add some ginger or tumeric. If there is some phelgm or coating on it might need to clear it out by eating some fermented sour food like sauerkraut and avoid dairy. Always start with food but if need more than Medicinal Balancing Chinese Herbs will help and or acupuncture. Make Sense?

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Depression Is An Allergic Respons To Life/Big Think

I know I am totally addicted to sugar but to know it is even more addicting than cocaine….wow!
Boy, more and more I think we are seeing this. I think we cannot negate that it is a huge natural response and yes part of an inflamatory response. For myself the changes I have made with the Paleo eating philosophy of real food, preparing my food, engage all my senses of delight and healthy indulgence and has merged into a healhier lifestyle in general of liking myself and relying on myself.

Refined sugar, even natural sugars in excess cause a spike in blood sugar, which releases a whole host of chemicals like cortisol(stress hormone) then a low. Processed food with tons of additvies, trans fats, hormones are not broken down well in the body and often leave trails of toxins causing inflamation yes even in the brain. Particularily the brain. I get deeply out of sorts when I do not eat well, especially when I do not get enough protein. The average, so called healthy American diet does not do well for me, it sets me on a spiral of moodiness, joint pain, sinus issues and yes depression and anxiety. Over Christmas, a lot of my clients expressed they were having anxiety issues and could not pin point where or how it arises. Consumption of sugar, flours increases over the holidays yep even honey, maple syrup etc is still a sugar and can cause these mood highs and lows. However, this is not to negate that we all have feelings of unease of either anxiety or depression, that food alone does not always help.

For me spiritual teachers like Eckhardt Tolle, Gangaji, Papji even Jesus say the same thing…"Be still and See" as Jesus says. Or as Papaji says "Keep Queit" Or as Gangaji says, "Just stop, stop dead in your tracks, stop the endless search of, oh if I just had that I would feel better or be better." The mind loves to tell its story and the story often drives the emotions into a rollercoaster of fear, anxiety, sadness, anger and on and on the thoughts keep propelling until it becomes extremely exhausting and the body becomes wiped out from the ego and super ego telling us we are not good enough or they are out to get us or blah blah blah. I think that is when we are ready to just stop and this very depression and hopelessness is when we can become still enough to say "I surrender". And you have no choice but to get up and proceed in the daily activities of life but now with the mind exhausted without thinking, You the body can partake on its own and finally be present. How many of you have experienced this??

I was discussing this the other day with a client and we talked about how sometmes the mind is not even going but the body will get a weird sensation and then you go where is this coming from? Well in my mind, it is because something triggers the body to remember that emotion via the sensation picked up from the trigger. As the body too has a memory. Anyway there are a lot of things that can set off either depression or anxiety but staying present and remembering you are not your emotions, they are like the weather they come and go. Within there is always the abiding peace. It also helps according to Gangaji when the emotion gets triggered, which it will, that is just a natural human response, to just stop and become aware of it, or investigate it then if you can if not later and see what little mechanism in the brain or body is causing this to fire off within you like a run away train.

Anger is particularily a hard one cause it comes in a flash, like fire, there is often no thought but if you examine it, you will see that there is a feeling of self rightousnes, and under that hurt, you feel justified in demanding what you feel or want whereas sadness and grief, they say the deepest of emotions is like dampness it lingers and weighs us down often into deep depression. Guilt is another one triggered by our story. Be Still, Keep Queit, repeatedly telling yourself this calms the mind enough for the body to catch a breath, to come out of paralysis if fear is involved which it usually is, no matter what the trigger of the emotion is. From this place of stillness, we can be led beyond what the thinking conscious mind can handle, beyond what the anger thinks it can control. Ideas spark from the unknown and we are guided as I like to say what to do next or things just magically work out if we step out of the way, keep quiet. It is as if God or the universe or the divine takes over and there is no need to fear, become anxious, feel overwhelmed, depressed, or to always react or take action right away. Naturally, as humans we will, but recognizing them as a portal to a deeper essence of peace, allows them to be like the weather…..some days it is bright and sunny, other days gloomy and stark. We see them for what they are, one might be better for playing outside the other for making a hot cup of tea and reading a book. or curling up by a fire. Our Emotions they say are our connection to our spiritual selves. it is the reason we are here and we all have our life lessons and many of them are alike far more than we realize.

Depression Is an Allergic Reaction to Modern Life | Big Think
http://bit.ly/1FbyR49
While the symptoms of depression are marked by changes in the brain, the cause of the disease may ultimately lie in the body.

60 people reached

Monday, January 5, 2015

BOOST YOUR FOLLICLE COUNT AND CLEAR PHELGM ACCUMULATION

DETOX, NOURISH, REFRESH, CLEANSE….all in one drink
Drinking my fresh green juice in the am is always a disciplined delight. I say disciplined because I have to wash and prepare all my ingredients first, set up my juice parts and then wash those afterwards but I always feel so much better. This is my standard drink, might vary a tad but it consists of:
-Handful of fresh Wheat Grass
-Peeled whole organic cucumber(organic cause this is one of the dirty dozen)
-Quarted whole apple( I use whatever looks good; Fuji this time)
-A 1/4 of a peeled lemon(Publix actually had them organic) but does not need be.
-Few Fresh Mint leaves
Juice in your juicer and sip away or gulp away!!

IN CHINESE MEDICINE THIS DRINK WOULD NOURISH THE YIN AND THE BLOOD BUT NOT THE YANG, AND CLEARS PHLEGM. WHY BECAUSE IT IS COOLING AND MOISTENING. SO IT IS SUPERB IF YOU HAVE POOR OVARIAN RESERVE, AS IN ESSENCE, YIN AND BLOOD DEFIENCY, OR PHLEGM ACCUMULATION AS IN FIBROIDS, ENDOMETRIOSIS, PCOS.

Friday, January 2, 2015

Doctor- Patient Relationship At The Heart of Our Health-Care Crisis….Doctors Tell All--And It's Bad


Wow, I am so glad Chris Kresser(renowned functional medicine physician/acupuncturist) shared this article. It speaks volumes to the doctor patient connection and the various assitants involved with the doctor and or hospital. What becomes even more sickly to one's healing, is the time health care practitioners are willing to give you or who fail to include you the patient as the biggest part of the team. Instead the doctor turns you over to a specialist and or an office manager who often fails to return calls or answer questions. You the key player are left in the void. At some point, you start to feel guilty for asking questions of advice or seeking out answers to help you understand your situation. Where the doctor/nurse/office manager/ even staff/patient relationship makes you think maybe you need to see a shrink to figure out how to handle your own health care and the doctors you seek to connect with. You, as the patient maybe willing and ready but you are getting left out on their end. In the meantime, you have a nagging feeling your physical problem is getting worse because time is ticking and emotionally you are frustrated from the lack of empathy and understanding you receive, from the confused, unspoken messages given off in your quest. When a person has a health issue that is complex this can be damaging to their health but even more so to their self esteem. There is nothing worse than to be left without encouragement and hope especially when you have been told in some way it can be fixed.

I think a doctor who honestly shares and provides alternatives and takes the time to sit and go over your treatment protocal, who is open, caring, looks at your history from all angles, and listens to your concerns and fears, understands your need to gather different opinions, to weigh those out with you, even if they do not have all the answers, is the kind we all gain a level of trust in. This, in itself is the thing that contributes to the healing process, when a doctor and or nurse/office assitant educates his patient about the procedures they may utilize. Unfortunately, as the article tells, too little time, too many patients and too much paperwork, insurance documentation and fear of liability has left out the human element and this connection. The people who work in these health institutions have become rote, frustrated and impatient themselves, are often on antidepressants and antianxiety meds, overweight, have health issues as a result of dealing with the crisis it has become. I remember going into my dentist office, a small one, 14 years ago where they welcomed me with smiles and "Hi Carolyn, how are you today?" and made you feel like the only person that mattered and more than that, they made you feel comfortable, as going to the dentist can often be intimidating to say the least, they took the time to explain the procedures, did not make you feel rushed, sadly, I have not seen this greeting or care in too many offices these days with or without a complex problem. Not all of course are like this but many are.

I have observed that even so called alternative medicine or functional medicine has begun to be like this. Patients who come to us as a last resort, frustrated, sad, disillusioned and maybe even angry, try our patience as we seek to help them. When it is too complex a problem, or the patient is resistant to the commitment of time and education involved, we have to be honest ourselves and let them know it is out of our scope, or you need to come at this from many angles, with no gaurantee we can help them and we have to remember to be emphatic, calm even in the face of a disconcerted, overwhelmed patient who cannot take on what we propose. We can, however, continue to provide healing support even if we cannot give them the cure or solution they are looking for; we can slowly educate them to empower themselves. We can help them relax enough to help the body heal on a deeper level, to help them through their medical procedures and improve outcomes and most of all we can take the time to listen, but if all we care about is time and getting the next patient in, it starts to look like the picture of this article. If my priority, is to see 15 to 25 people a day, this care goes down the drain, not to mention my own health. By the same token if the patient is skeptically resistant to what is offered and does not have the time the doctor wants to give him, than that in itself is a problem. I do not know how doctors seeing 40 or even 30 people a day do it, but maybe it explains why a lot of them are not well themselves. I think they cannot help but pass that on to their patients. Time away from the office allows me to heal so I can better heal my patients and creating that empty space allows my unconscious self to bring solutions because the most profound insights occur when the mind is empty of all thought, when the mind is still. This is why people are seeking out spiritual avenues, once they have exhausted the answers with their doctors, because illness often goes beyond the physical. How do we bring this spiritual tie back into the art of practicing medicine? True Chinese Daoism reflected this art. I believe sitting in peace with a healing spiritual teacher can be very powerful as well.




Doctors Tell All—and It’s Bad


www.theatlantic.com


A crop of books by disillusioned physicians reveals a corrosive doctor-patient relationship at the heart of our health-care crisis.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Crispy Roasted Duck for New Years Eve Dinner…..Eat Like a King & Be Fertile

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! MADE THIS DIVINE CRISPY DUCK WITH ORANGE HONEY TARROGON SAUCE FOR NEWS YEARS EVE DINNER WITH FRIENDS. THE TRICK TO A CRISPY DUCK IS TO KEEP THE SKIN AND DUCK DRY. I HAD THE HAIR DRYER ON IT LAST NITE BEFORE ROASTING. AND IT WAS TOTALLY CRISPY, TENDER AND SUPER EASY. NO STUFFING ONLY GRATED ORANGE PEEL AND SALT AND PEPPER. THE DUCK IS FROM A LOCAL BUTCHER WHO GETS THEM FROM CANADA. I LOOK FORWARD TO USING THE CREAMY FAT FOR COOKING WITH OTHER FOOD.

                                          http://paleoparents.com/featured/crispy-roast-duck