Health Starts In the Gut

Leaky gut seems like it may be a buzzword, but it is in fact a condition that is recognized both in Chinese Medicine as well as Western Medicine. This blog post explains that health starts in the gut, and how to heal your gut if you suffer from a health condition.


It sounds like a buzzword, but leaky gut is real. The medical term for it is intestinal hyperpermeability and it is becoming increasingly common today in the United States as we continue to eat processed foods and genetically modified foods more than ever. If you suffer from recurrent sinus infections or “allergies,” unexplained weight gain, mood swings, an autoimmune disease, or imbalanced hormones, the root cause of your symptoms might actually begin with your gut.

The Statistics
A recent estimate from the National Institutes of Health is that roughly 25% of us deal with digestive “issues” on a regular basis. Gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, and even frequent nausea are becoming almost a daily occurrence for many individuals. According to one school of thought in Chinese Medicine, the key to good health is maintaining a healthy digestive system. Any disease should first be addressed by treating the gut. Now Western Medicine is beginning to understand that philosophy!

Strong Core = Strong Body
When you visit my acupuncture clinic in Del Mar, CA, you will find that I may ask you a lot of questions about your digestive health even if it seems unrelated to your primary symptom, such as hormone imbalance or mood swings. I will ask you about your particular dietary habits as well as your bowel functions. It may seem like this has nothing to do with what you came in for, but in fact your gut health (your “core”) is related to the health of every other system of your body.

Your Gut Brain
 Your gut is much more than just a tube for your food to pass through. It is actually where 80% of your immune system and 90% of your neurotransmitters are located. That may be surprising, but it’s true that you have a second “brain” in your gut. This is why your emotional state as well as your amount of mental stress can play such a large role in increasing or decreasing your susceptibility to getting sick. In fact we now know that conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis hashimoto’s thyroiditis, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, and eczema actually begin in the gut.

How To Heal Your Gut
In Chinese Medicine, acupuncture needles may be placed on acupoints located on the abdomen. Other points related to the Earth element (the Spleen and Stomach) may also be used. These points are located along the Earth meridians on the legs and feet, as well as the abdomen and head. At my Del Mar clinic, we also use specific herbal formulas from Evergreen Herbs that are meant to build up the health of the digestive system.

It is also important to remove any foods from the diet which may be contributing to inflammation in the gut or damage to the gut lining. Common gut irritants include aspirin, alcohol, coffee, gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, sugar, and any foods you may be allergic to. In place of pro-inflammatory foods, you should be enjoying soups and congees (rice porridge), bone broth, gelatin, slow-cooked meats, and vegetables galore. Probiotics and digestive enzyme supplements are also helpful in addition to Chinese herbs.

Two More Wellness Trends We Predict For 2015

This week on the blog, we discuss two more wellness trends we predict for 2015 and our final word of advice for optimal health in the New Year! 

Over the past two weeks, we have so far covered 8 of 10 wellness trends we predict will begin to explode in popularity in 2015. This week, we’ll discuss the final 2 trends of our top 10 predictions. If you haven’t read the other eight, click through and read the other articles in our series. You might find a few of our predictions surprising or of interest to you!

A wellness trend that we’re really excited about and expecting to catch on even in mainstream medical circles in 2015 is healthy lighting. It’s a well-known fact that Americans are not getting enough sleep, and now a growing body of research is providing mounting evidence that one of the main reasons we don’t get enough sleep is because of unhealthy lighting.

 Individuals who work indoors tend to get very little natural sunlight during the day, especially during the hours between 10 AM and 3 PM when the sun is providing the most amount of light. Then in the evenings at home, almost everyone is staring at a well-lit screen on a computer, smartphone, or TV. This not only causes a rampant vitamin D deficiency, but it almost disrupts the body’s natural circadian rhythm. If we don’t get enough light during the daytime, we are less likely to feel sleepy by 10 PM and sleep through the night. The exposure to artificial lighting in the evening, as well as streetlights and electronic products shining on us when we try to sleep, leads to a fitful night of tossing and turning. Many of our acupuncture patients from La Jolla, CA and surrounding areas have complained of having difficulty sleeping and then feeling tired throughout the day.

Now many companies are coming out with healthy lighting options such as dimmers for computers after sunset, and special lightbulbs that don’t emit blue light at night. There are also a growing number of tech startups constructing wearable devices that you can wear to track how much light you’re getting during the day. If you notice that on the days you don’t get enough sunlight you tend to sleep poorly, it provides incentive to go outside on your lunch break or take a brisk walk outside in the mornings.

Finally, we’re excited about apps you can download on your smartphone that allow you to use your smartphone as a home health screening device. You can measure your pulse, heart rate variability, blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation levels, temperature, and respiratory rate all
with free or low cost apps on your phone. You’ll need a prescription for some apps, such as the AliveCor heart monitor, which allows you to conduct an ECG on your phone. In the late Spring of 2015, you will also be able to test your vitamin D levels, your fertility, your levels of inflammation, and even whether you have the flu virus using a small device that connects to your phone or computer.
 

It’s clearly becoming easier to be healthy in our modern world. We have a lot of technology available at our fingertips now, but we also have ancient health techniques that have stood the test of time such as acupuncture right here in Del Mar, CA!

More Predictions for Wellness Trends in 2015

Last week we mentioned 5 of the top 10 wellness trends we predict for the New Year. Here are 3 more of our trend predictions! 

1. Plant-based Paleo Diet

Dr. Mark Hyman, MD, a well-known author who we credit for popularizing Functional Medicine and bringing it into the consciousness of the mainstream, recommends a plant-based paleo diet for optimal health. Recently, he blogged about what he calls the “pegan” diet (a vegan paleo diet). We’d be surprised if that name catches on, but more people are beginning to realize that a paleo diet does not have to be high in meat. Dr. Hyman eschews all meat, fish, dairy, and eggs because he is a vegan. But for individuals who are not vegan, but only consume animal products that were obtained in a humane way -- such as grass-fed beef, pasture-raised eggs, and wild caught salmon -- these nutrient-dense foods can be a part of a healthy diet. When the paleo (grain-free, real food) diet first became popular several years ago, many believed it was a meat-based diet. In 2015, we’ll begin to see a growing number of individuals on a paleo diet who eat real foods diet consisting of mostly plants, healthy fats, and only 4 - 6 oz. of meat per day. 

 

2.            Tracking heart rate variability

Several weeks ago, we blogged about one mechanism in which acupuncture has been shown to work. Acupuncture in Del Mar, CA increases heart rate variability, the difference in the length of time between heartbeats. It is well-recognized among scientists, meditation experts, and elite athletes that a healthy heart should not beat in a steady rhythm like a ticking clock. When the mind or the body is overly stressed by racing thoughts, overtraining, illness, lack of rest, poor diet, or other factors, the variability in the length of time between heartbeats decreases. Meditation, good health, adequate rest, good nutrition, and the optimal amount of exercise each day results in an increases in heart rate variability. By tracking your heart rate variability either on a daily basis or continually all day, you can become aware of whether your health regimen is hurting or hindering you. If you’re training for a triathlon, for example, if your heart rate variability decreases for two days in a row, this is a sign that you need to take a day off from training. Heart rate variability trackers vary in price from $35 up to $200, which is easily affordable to most people.

3.            Chinese herbs

Chinese herbs have been safely used for centuries, as described in ancient Chinese Medicine textbooks. In Japan, Taiwan, and China, hospitals have herbal dispenseries where patients can get raw or powdered Chinese herbs that are combined in a highly sophisticated way referred to as polypharmacy. Herbs are combined in a way that personalizes the prescription to the individual patient and reduces the chances of any side effects occurring. What we do at Acuheart is make sure that any of our acupuncture patients in La Jolla, CA and surrounding areas inform us of any medications that they are taking. Some herbs can interact with prescription drugs. If you are taking blood thinners, any Chinese herbs that professional herbalists recognize as “blood movers” are contraindicated and therefore not prescribed for you. Many other medications such as Synthroid are usually not a problem, though we generally recommend leaving a 3-hour window of time between when you take your prescription drugs and when you take your Chinese herbs. You should follow this same rule for eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice. A component of grapefruit slows down the ability of your liver to metabolize caffeine, alcohol, herbs, and medications; therefore it can cause a toxicity reaction.