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!

Acupuncture in Del Mar: Treating with Eczema

Acupuncture and herbal medicine can be an effective treatment for childhood eczema as well as adult eczema. 

If you have an itchy, red rash that either comes and goes or seems to never go away, you most likely have a chronic skin condition called eczema, which is a form of atopic dermatitis. Dermatitis is literally an inflammation of the skin. The rash can range in size anywhere from a small area of skin to the entire surface of the body. It looks like a patch of dry skin, and it can be unbearably itchy. 

 

There are two phases to any eczema rash: acute and chronic. The acute phase is characterized by blisters which weep and ooze, while the chronic phase is dry, thick, and scaly. Both stages itch severely. In children who scratch the itchy rash, skin bleeding can also be present.

What causes eczema? Occasionally eczema can be caused by skin contact with an irritant such as a particular type of laundry detergent, perfume, or other chemical. However, eczema is usually the result of an internal imbalance that can be complicated to pinpoint and treat. According to Chinese Medicine, eczema is known as “skin asthma.” And its occurrence has been rapidly increasing in industrialized countries at the same rate as asthma.

There are some theories that growing up in an excessively sterilized environment, being born by C-section and being fed infant formula, and consuming antibiotics that disrupt the delicate microbiota of the body can all greatly increase your chances of developing eczema, asthma, or both. According to Chinese Medicine and Chinese food therapy, as well as other forms of healthcare such as functional medicine, food sensitivities may also play a role in developing eczema. Foods that may need to be avoided include corn, soy, wheat, tree nuts, chocolate, coffee, gluten, nightshades, eggs, cow’s milk, citrus fruit, pasteurized dairy, meats raised with antibiotics, and genetically modified foods.

While external irritants are less likely to be a cause of eczema, it would be wise to avoid direct contact with chemical agents, perfumes, poison oak, weed killers, pesticides, hay, grass, animal dander, and extreme temperatures or high wind. Living in a highly polluted city may also exacerbate the condition, but even in Southern California it shouldn’t be as much of a problem as long as you stay indoors on excessively smoggy days.

The typical allopathic medical treatment for eczema is not particularly effective. Corticosteroid ointments can be applied directly to the rash to alleviate itching, but it won’t stop the rash from occurring. Steroid drugs may be given to suppress the immune system and also force a fight-or-flight response that suppresses the itch. Side effects of steroid drug use include chronic infections, muscle wasting in the arms and legs, and obesity of the torso and neck.

Many are surprised to learn that acupuncture, as well as Chinese herbs, can be extremely effective at eliminating an eczema flare-up. Acupuncture calms the nervous system and can stop itching by 50% after just one treatment. If you live in La Jolla or surrounding areas, your acupuncturist in Del Mar, CA will likely recommend an herbal remedy that is specific to your eczema condition. Your age and the stage of your eczema, as well as your overall body constitution, determine your “pattern diagnosis” and customized treatment.

Depending on how long you have been suffering from eczema, you may require a few months of treatment with acupuncture in the La Jolla, CA area. Going on an elimination diet to determine food sensitivities, as well as using Chinese herbs recommended by your acupuncturist, can ensure a speedy recovery and prevention of future flare-ups.