Trying to Quit a Habit?

Trying to Quit a Habit?

Whether its smoking, over-eating, one too many glasses of wine at the end of your day, or just plain sweet tooth behavior, acupuncture is one of your greatest tools.  We use 5 needles in each ear to assist patients with addictive behaviors.  Often patients who have been smoking cigarettes for years and are finally ready to quit will feel immediate support with their attempts to cut back or even cut off all together.

Five acupuncture needles gently placed at both ears offers support and often leads to fewer cravings, making cutting back or quitting so much easier.  Along with acupuncture your provider might also recommend a Chinese herbal formula to assist your lungs, liver, spleen, or any other organs that might be experiencing imbalance due to the continued over use of toxins.

The stress-infertility connection

The stress-infertility connection

Stress is undeniably a huge factor in health and wellbeing, but lets get more specific about why and what is happening in our body when we are stressed, specifically in regards to fertility.  And then, lets take that next step and do something about it.  

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Winter Chai Smoothie Recipe

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Winter Chai Smoothie Recipe
  • 1 large banana
  • 1.5 cups milk - I like to use a coconut/hemp milk blend
  • 1-2 raw egg yolks (you can use the separated whites in a scramble)
  • 1 Tbs heaping nut butter - sunbutter, cashew or almond butter
  • 1 tsp chai spice blend:  30% cinnamon, 30% ginger, 15% nutmeg, 15% cardamom, 10% clove  (if you want to make it yourself, or just add a pinch of each.)

Add Ins:

  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1 Tbs hydrolyzed collagen - collagen is great for joint health and reproductive health, high in amino acids that are difficult to find in other food sources.  Your hair, nails, skin, muscles and ligaments will thank you.
  • Cod Liver Oil - good source of vitamins A, D and K, as well as omega-3 fatty acids
  • 1 tsp ashwagandha powder - adaptogen herb that supports a healthy immune system
  • 1 Tbs pumpkin butter or puree, just because it's tasty
  • 1 tsp cacao nibs

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Natural Remedies for Colds & Flus

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Natural Remedies for Colds & Flus

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about cold & flu prevention, but lets face it, sometimes we get sick.  If you are like me and have a child in preschool, maybe it happens more often then you want to admit.  Here are some tips for bouncing back fast and fortified.  

·      Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant found in many foods, especially brightly colored fruits and vegetables.  It can greatly speed recovery from colds or flus.  In terms of supplementation, avoid synthetic ascorbic acid if possible in favor of mixed flavonoids or acerola powder.  (Vitamins are consistently better in their complex packages, rather than as an isolate.)

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Adrenal Fatigue

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Adrenal Fatigue

Yesterday a patient asked me if I thought she might have adrenal fatigue.  Her friend had mentioned it when they were discussing their health and she wondered what type of symptoms are caused by adrenal fatigue.  

This is such a common question and, in our culture, a very common state of being.  Lets rewind and explore the historical aspect of adrenal fatigue; our lifestyle has evolved faster than our bodies.  We no longer have to spend our days hunting or gathering for our next meal, putting ourselves between tiger and snake in order to find food, this is the type of stress that our 'fight our flight' response was designed for.

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Preparing the Immune System for Fall

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Preparing the Immune System for Fall

Lets start by clarifying one thing - the body does not have an immune system, the body is an immune system, many parts working together for continued health.  There are a lot of variables to consider – the lymphatic system, which is rich with white blood cells, the skin and mucous membranes, the hypothalamus, which regulates body temperature.  So, like with most things, Chinese medicine uses a “whole systems” approach to treatment.  You can use this approach yourself, by first thinking about what you can do for the health of your whole system:

Living with the seasons--FALL

Living with the seasons--FALL

To start we must shift our world view a bit... Let's think of the outside world, nature, as a mirror image of our bodies.  What is happening outside as the season changes is also happening inside of us.  As we transition into fall the deciduous trees take a strong exhale, omit carbon and let go of their leaves.  Temperatures cool, there is a crisp aspect to the air.  As the days get shorter all the plants around us turn inward.  

Free and Easy Wanderer

Free and Easy Wanderer

Xiao Yao San is a classical Chinese Herbal formula commonly used for a variety of issues cause by stagnation in the body, particularly in the liver.  When the liver stagnates we might experience irritability or a short temper, tension in our neck and shoulders, digestive upset which could include constipation or diarrhea, depressed mood, and an overall feeling of being 'stuck'.  We might feel stuck in life, with a partner, in our career, etc.  Its an overall lack of motivation to move forward, even if we already made the decision of what to do, though indecisiveness can also occur when the liver is stagnant.

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Vitalize Community Events

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Vitalize Community Events

In an effort to create a sense of community in what is often a very singular society, we have created a space, opened that space to creatives and thinkers alike, so that they can share their talents and gifts.  With a pole of our general patient base, we determined that weekends are most requested, we have set a calendar of monthly events open for any and all interested.  Our events center around health and healing, with a focus on the mind body connection.  We have purposefully chosen our events to hold space for a diverse area of topics.  These events are free and we hope that members of our community will bring their friends and loved ones to join in.

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Trigger Point Acupuncture

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Trigger Point Acupuncture

Trigger Point Acupuncture, also known as Dry Needling, is a very effect approach to the treatment of pain and injury.  At Vitalize we have found that trigger point acupuncture can be our most effective tool for the treatment muscle tension, muscle strain, chronic pain, injury, and much more.  Trigger point is a Chinese medicine technique with a western medicine spin.

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Amber Hincks is a Certified Fertility Acupuncturist

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Amber Hincks is a Certified Fertility Acupuncturist

Many acupuncturists treat fertility, but sometimes you need a pro and you want to know that you are in good hands.  Amber has been working in women's health for over 10 years, primarily with fertility.  This spring, she completed her dream of certification through the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine (ABORM).  This specialty board has certified over 300 members around the globe who have demonstrated competence and advanced knowledge in the field of both Western and Eastern Reproductive Medicine.

Auto Accident

Did you know that you don’t need a referral to get acupuncture after an auto accident? 

Its true, though most of us don’t even realize that an Acupuncture referral is not required after an auto accident.  If you experience pain as a result of a car wreck you can access acupuncture using your car insurance, or the insurance of the driver at fault.  In Oregon you have one year or $15,000 to treat your pain resulting from your accident.

Chiropractic care is great at treating pain in the body as a result of improper bone alignment.  Acupuncture is great at treatment pain in the body as a result of tight muscles.  After an auto accident it is likely that you have both, so, we recommend that you seek out both types of care.  Acupuncture releases the tight muscles so that chiropractic adjustments last.  When we get adjusted with tight muscles, we often have pain and discomfort, when we get an adjustment after muscle tension has been released our adjustment is more comfortable, effective and longer lasting.

Meet Jacque Perry, LMT

As a Massage Therapist my goal is to help my clients gain a healthy, pain free life style through regular body work, and education on self care. I feel that Massage is a positive way to stimulate the body and mind to heal from a traumatic experience or just the stresses of everyday life. I strive to facilitate healing and comfort for every client and person I touch.

 

I have been volunteering at OHSU in the infusion clinic for just over a year now. My work is focused on cancer patients going through treatments and other medically complicated patients. I enjoy doing this light therapeutic massage and giving patients a moment of comfort during a very stressful time. Comfort touch can be a helpful way to relieve some side effects from chemotherapy and other treatments. I have taken several classes to learn how best to work with Oncology patients and the side effects from their treatments.

 

Jacque graduated from East West College of Healing Arts in 2012. With a focus on Deep Tissue, Structural Bodywork, Myofacial Release.  License #19303.

Why Do a Spring Cleanse?

Why Do a Spring Cleanse?

The idea of a spring cleanse may or may not appeal to you.  As a bit of a health nut, I have always been drawn to healthy eating, but the idea of needing to purify one’s body through deprivation seemed puritanical and unnecessary if already eating fairly well.  Nonetheless, I was feeling like my immune system needed a boost prior to allergy season, so I decided to go for it.