The Needle and Leaf

I wasn’t raised in a culturally SE Asian household, so I feel un peu disingenuous even talking about the New Year! So I took a class from a VERY good Feng Shui expert to learn, and I’ll bullet-point it below for general patient knowledge. Not in the least the the animals symbolize movements of Qi, not actual animals. First, here is the teacher who can also do 4-Pillar/Ba Zi readings: @marlynalos 1. The Spring Festival is on the New Moon, this is the cultural celebration. The... transition to the new year this year is on the 4th, when the sun reaches longitude of 315 degrees. This is a LUNISOLAR calendar. 2. We’ve been coming off three years of lots of metal and water in the chart-lung issues, lots of fear. We’ve also been questioned deeply about who we are, what our values are, and what we stand for. Water, the element, is a spiritual pillar, and an element of introspection. 3. Now, it’s time to live our values. The Water Tiger year acts like a portal into deeper spiritual awareness-Every action we take in the next 3 months will influence the next 12 years, so manifest consciously- you get to choose. This won’t happen again in our lifetime. Meditate on 2/18, 3a (Water Tiger, month, day, year, time). 4. Expect drama (and how). More rules, some fear, shocking things happening, but hope is on the horizon, and medicines are coming to help. Keep doing personal work. Self discipline and follow through will falter this year. 5. It’s similar to 2008 vibes. People are being asked to become the mystic, not blame other people, and take responsibility for their part. Don’t go for quick fixes. I’ll expect to the see psychological aspects of the pandemic this year. Pretty cool, right? She goes into each yearly animal’s relationship to the year, too If you’d like to see this, go the @healthyseminars @ct_holman_redwood_spring has a forecast zoom also, coming up this weekend! #chinesenewyear #watertiger #2022 #newyear #springfestival

(The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this platform are for informational purposes only. It is always recommended to seek the advice of a qualified health care professional regarding any medical conditions or treatment. I does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, providers, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on this platform.) I’m offering these here in... case they help another practitioner. I don’t have a compounding pharmacy, and if I order custom it takes too long and the symptoms have changed (progressed). This isn’t intended for patients, because it takes some outside looking to assess properly, so seek care. Here’s some stuff that can inspire future work from my private notes: -People, if they’re getting really sick, aren’t getting all the way better on their own. -COVID can cause EBV flares and increases in auto-antibodies -This is almost a completely different version of the disease, it’s presenting differently. It’ll be chill for a day, feeling a little run down and then BAM! It’ll progress fast. Using over the counter medications seems to dry phlegm and people have a hard time getting it out-it sits and festers. Give people stuff or have them drive by in the car and throw it in. -Nasal irrigation during the beginning has been shown to reduce acceleration of symptoms (go on Google Scholar, not regular Google). -Prevention: Low dose Bi Min Gan, Yu Ping Feng San depending on constitution, D3, daily fermented foods depending on constitution. Continued in comments

Here’s a little post-treatment Rona recovery cupping. This patient was under the weather for about a month and even wound up on antibiotics (another story, and one of my pet peeves when overprescribed). When they came to me last week, it appeared to be turning into a long-COVID situation potentially; even though they’re relatively young, they had previous EBV and autoimmune involvement. They got on the right herbs for them, and most of the associated symptoms are just about r...esolved now, but I’m sure we will see it try again as soon as the patient becomes fatigued. You can see this is a pretty normal cupping response, but there’s still slight stippling indicating a small amount of toxic heat remaining. I do running cupping- the marks you see here was from a 10-second pause. The marks above about UB15 are also much darker. #lung #heart #drycupping #negativepressure

Another book that changed my life. It came out in 2004, but I reread it about once a year. It’s a slow read, as you can tell by my favorite page, but worth the brain pain. #alaindebotton #materialism #bookstagram #sunday #minimalismaspractice #nothingmatterthankfully

I’ve had some questions about where I was and how amazing it was or not, and so I wrote EVERYTHING down so people can start to make their own safe adventure! It’s in the Acu Blog on my website. Spoiler alert: It’s well-managed and safe for the nervous traveler. So, many of my patients have started to travel internationally again, so I figured I’d give it a go and see how much of a show it was. Plus, at this point, anyone who didn’t close their work is like I need to take ...a trip LIKE NOW! It’s one of those things in the US where people are working 60 hours+/week or not much at all/gigs as available. So this is stressful in itself. My curiosity with Costa Rica began with the Blue Zone book a number of years ago: There are 7 places in the world with high numbers of centenarians in excellent health: Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Ogliastra Region, Sardinia; Loma Linda, Calif.; and Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica. I’ve obviously seen Loma Linda and it’s nothing to write home about, TBH, so the Nicoya Peninsula was SUPER high on the list to do some qualitative research. I need nature, too. I mean, people were like, You can’t turn around without seeing a monkey, and I was SO down for that. I had a Tica patient inform me that COVID cases were high in CR. This was displeasing. We got on the phone to the concierge(s) after a week of going back and forth on cancelling and they told us that after the Easter holiday, cases spiked in the Central Valley, where 70% of the population lives, so maybe don’t fly into San Jose, but we are ok here. Ok thenI looked at the distribution charts, and sure enough, good to go. #comingoutofcovid #bluezone #bluezonediet #costarica #wannabeexpat #nicoyapeninsula

Triggers are things that flare a chronic health issue. This can happen over time or all of a sudden. The word trigger is used a lot in the mental health world, so here, I really want to make the distinction in that these specific kinds of triggers will piss off an underlying health concern. They’re pretty reliable, and fighting them or trying to train your body not to respond or develop tolerance for these things WILL. NOT. WORK. So stop trying aggressively to overpowe...r the response! I also give you permission to remove the offending item or activity. This is a delicate balancing act. Many times, life feels limited while people are figuring this out, because it’s a one-in-one-out kind of thing. I KNOW there are food allergy tests. These are too unpredictable, change too frequently, and cause too many limits for the majority of people who are suffering. These actions, thoughts, and experiences inspire stress in the body. We can recognize this through an IMMEDIATE (and up to 6 hours later) response. Things I’ve seen signal: -Pulse. The pulse will jump over 10 beats per minute. The Bulletproof (R) Food Detective App is good for this and easy to use. -Irritability/Fatigue: Are you always annoyed at a certain time of day? Do you immediately feel like everything is too slow or like you need a nap? Then think on it and write it down. What did you do right before? -Itchiness -Throat itchiness -Face puffiness -Diarrhea, stomach pain -Bloating -Body pain, old injury pain -Insomnia, trouble falling or staying asleep -Feeling hot or cold, or rapidly switching hot and cold -Hives -Night sweats out of nowhere -Acne that suddenly appears -Sweating-think meat sweats and chili sweats. You can see this is a pretty quick response and has differing degrees of subtlety-and it NEVER COMES OUT OF NOWHERE. This also happens in stressful situations. And! Stress will always be there-I’d like to teach patients specifically how to recover better and take a break when it’s too intense. When this accelerates, and the body becomes more aggressive, this can even become anaphylaxis-type symptoms including airway blockage. If this happens, go to the ER.

Image by @snorgtees The thing about chronic health stuff is that it’s chronic. It’s a weak point in the chain, and even if it goes into remission or someone doesn’t feel it for a while, it’ll show when the person is stressed, falls out of habits that are supporting them, or gets pushed inadvertently into a symptomatic state. Some of the following posts are going to get personal! I have the training to make medical recommendations outside of my own experience; that’s not... a problem. I think sparking interest in someone’s personal ideas and asking better questions is always better than blindly following along. Health coaching using medical anthropology and TCM is about 30% of my practice, and the Chinese Medicine part is about 50%, and the rest is admin, a respectable ratio. This is how I can accomplish offering reasonable change and helping patients regain capacity and reach goals. Personal stuff seems to resonate more with patients, and I’ve felt like sh*t physically for over half of my life. I know what makes a massive impact and what you can leave until later. I’ve seen it in clinic, been taught it, there’s research based on it, and I’ve experienced it. I think the following posts will spark interest in learning to: -Recognize triggers -Seek additional care -Ask better questions -Monitor personal health better -Answer questions and gain reputable knowledge -Be curious -Take control of health care -Advocate for yourself If patients have things they want to know, DM me so I can write about what I see most. #spoonielife #chronicallyfabulous #patienttraps #patientwins #askbetterquestions #littletinyactionsteps #howtodoit

Plant Rescue Fun! These lovely beauties need a home, just because they weren’t thriving in their current home. I have -Bell pepper -Sweet pepper... -Three types of tomatoes -Rue Come by Suite G today and grab a new friend! #communitymedicine #communitygarden #plants #growfoodnotlawns #plants #plantgiveaway

Hey hey! I haven’t been posting much because I don’t feel like adding anything to the world right now. I’m experimenting on myself in a bunch of different ways given some accelerating health stuff so I’m taking time to gather my thoughts before I wrote anything hopefully inspirational. This is just to let active patients know I’ll be gone from 5/20-5/23 and then again from 5/29-6/6. Yes, I am a Gemini. It is my burden ... Above, we see the vacation notice and we have some small mirrored No Shit awards that made me cackle manically, made for me by a patient. I look at them with glee and even gave one to my (Scorpio) partner this AM! We also have a picture of my senior chihuahua. #focusbaby #birthdayforme #semiretirement #dothebestyoucan #spoonielife

Enjoying the world that’s immediately available takes looking at the immediate world with fresh eyes. This is also what #acupuncturists are taught to do with patients so we can observe signs of life. Today, this won’t be so obviously medical, but a view into my life and my favorite book, The Art of Frugal Hedonism. It’s Sunday, so I’m doing my regular morning hour walk after breath work and coffee. It’s sunny and people are participating in nature; it’s glorious. I’ve never s...een such an electrically blue sky. I can’t really walk super fast so I inadvertently notice so much of the natural world. A neighbor with a bigger garden selling local Cambodian bananas, and also a free table of books. I’ve been attracting a local foraging book for about 2 months and today was the day it appeared! Along with dancing with cats! Ha! Dogs are frolicking in the water and I have to say, I am grateful for technology so I can share this with my patients and friends. I spent the better part of the day yesterday doing restorative yoga and urban bird watching- the highlight was a red-shouldered hawk. After taking more time outside of treating patients, the magic of the local environment took on new importance. So, when I ask patients to take down-time, it always starts with (as Annie Raser-Rowland says in The Art of Frugal Hedonism) wandering around in a bathrobe eating peanut butter out of the jar. But then, after enough of that, people start to do hobbies again, and they always come up with more creative ideas than I could possibly suggest. What a pleasure. Stress management as joy, and a parasympathetic state. #timeaboveall #valueyourtime #humanfirst #longbeach #belmontshore #howtorelax

Dr. Tamsin Lee's group Influential Point is really addressing these issues in our field; if this is something you care about, these are the leading voices. Additional original text by Luriko Ozeki LAc! An excellent leader in the field: The importance of DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) training and awareness is paramount now. You can’t practice ANY medicine, but especially this medicine, and not see color. Train your eyes to see racial over and undertones and the histo...Continue reading

Very good information from #Repost @mgallergy . I see this once is a while and it’s great to have this kind of referral locally!! Original text: BII, or breast implant illness, is a constellation of symptoms with the most common being fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain, brain fog, fevers, rashes, and hair loss.... These symptoms may be more common in women who have silicone filled implants over saline implants. The symptoms don’t necessarily appear to happen immediately, but possibly several years after the operation. Patients with a past history of allergies or autoimmune disease might be at higher risk of developing these symptoms. If you believe you may be suffering from BII, schedule a consult with Dr. Gupta to discuss next steps, including possible treatment plans that include keeping your breast implants. #breastimplantillness #breastimplants #allergy #ocmoms #newportmoms #bii #autoimmune #wellness

I really enjoy when STEM meets TCM. There were a couple articles in @acupuncturetodaypub from Mark Reinhard of Valley Acu in Kent WA (an electrical engineer and acupuncturist who has written a lot about the bio-electrical aspect of acupuncture and electrical stim) that I’ll summarize here- His book is called Electro-Acupuncture for Practitioners and has all the references. Reinhard developed a style of acupuncture called Scientific Acupuncture. His work reminded me of one o...f my favorite books, The Spark in the Machine by D. Keown. ____________Summary: Originally, French researchers Darras and DeVernejoul injected dye into acupuncture points to see where it went in comparison to blood circulation and lymphatic circulation, and classical meridians were easily seen in the arms and legs on gamma camera or CT scan. Meridians seem to fit the seams between muscle groupings and assist the circulation of extracellular fluid (the interstitium and extracellular matrix). When there was a degenerative condition in the associated organ, the rate or dye migration slowed down or stopped. So the pictures above: The 24 hour cycle of Qi above (everyone’s seen this, right?) is also the diurnal cycle where conductivity of acupuncture points also changes through the day. The bio-electrical aspect of needling can also be explained by Nordenstrom’s theory of electro-osmosis: An electric field in a tissue matrix will cause water to migrate to the negative pole. Regenerative process are also electro-negative compared to the tissues around them. Needles into the matrix also cause free electrons to be conducted through the needle into the point causing an accumulation of negative charge under the skin, and this can increase or decrease flow towards or away from the trunk depending on where it’s placed.

@lilychoinaturalhealing is the #goat #Repost @lilychoinaturalhealing Throughout its ample and rich history, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has cultivated and developed a systematic framework which have greatly contributed to the mental and physical health of those who followed.... As early as the Zhou dynasty, which was 510314 BC (!) diet doctors held official positions. These doctors treated the medical conditions of their patients through diet. Soon after, the book titled Shi Jing (The Classic on Diet) systematically defined the nourishing functions of food from an energetic standpoint essentially, how food reacts to the body when consumed. Sun Simiao, writer of the Qian Jin Yao Fang, held the view that the medical treatment function of diet must never be neglected. It is his 13 part series that I am demonstrating in my reels titled "13 daily exercises for life preservation and longevity". It was said he lived well over 100 years old, in fact, records state that he died at 142 years old! His lesson was Proper food can beat back pathogenic factors, as well as tranquilize Zang and Fu (our organs), inspire the mind, and strengthen Blood and Qi. There are two methods of healthcare: To keep a sound mind by cultivating one’s character To keep fit through proper diet, with the latter as the basis During the Song dynasty 960-1279 dietetic healthcare was developed into a branch of science. Many of the theories developed then like "all disease begins in the gut" and using food as medicine have since been proven true by modern science. Stay tuned for the recommend diet which is called or Simple and Light Diet.

GIVEAWAY time! I’d like to gift two guest passes to the Huntington Library and Gardens @thehuntingtonlibrary -this is the garden I posted last weekend- and three gorgeous, well-written books: -Forest Bathing with Dogs by @nadinemazzola of New England Nature and Forest Therapy Consulting ... -Japanese Shinrin Yoku- Dr Yoshifumi Miyazaki was the director of the 2004 research that yielded SO MUCH! His talk from TEDX Tokyo is amazing... and -Forest Bathing Retreat, inspo, and poetry by Hannah Fries! And I hope my experiments can spark your joy! To enter, comment To enter someone else, just tag them! #giveaway #sparkjoy #forestsarelife #selfcare #meditation #journaling #exploreyourworld #shinrinyoku

I’ve been exploring the Japanese concept of Shinrin Yoku/Forest Bathing over the past month through books, @laarboretum (they have guided forest bathing experiences, above is the full moon), and my personal adventures into wilderness. I started with Dr. Qing Li’s book on Forest Bathing; Dr. Li is an Associate Professor at the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo who teaches forest therapy to medical students and director and secretary general of the International Society of Nature... and Forest Medicine. This therapeutic technique started in 1982 as an experimental national health program in the Akasawa forest to combat the stress of city life and the tech boom. Of course, 2/3 of Japan is covered in forests and nature is present through ALL of Japanese culture, aesthetics, and history. Now, data indicates that Forest Bathing can: -Reduce blood pressure and increase heart-rate variability -Lower circulating stress hormones -Improve cardiovascular and metabolic health -Lower blood sugar levels -Improve concentration and memory -Decrease anxiety, depression, and anger -Improve pain tolerance -Improve energy -Reduce insomnia, increase deep sleep -Increase NK cells -Increase anti-cancer protein production (perforin, granulysin, granzyme A and B) -Assist weight loss By calming overstimulation from urban and artificial environments. There are a variety of ways to consistently measure and record these claims. If you want that, DM me, I just felt it was too much for this post! There are now 62 forest therapy/bathing/Shinrin Yoku sites in Japan. Forest bathing improvements are after about 2 hours of slow walking in nature. Other activities include: -Hammock time -Waterfall meditation -Seasonal observations -Aroma workshops -Music -Yoga -GENTLE contact with plants -Tea and dog therapy! How? Look, listen, smell, taste, touch and finally, releasing your sense of joy and calm. These concepts eventually include a desire to protect and preserve the wild lands around us, as well.

Mood Board Monday Memes by: @thecreativebix @thefoodfreedomlife @bemorewithless All of these visuals speak volumes. Intentionally creating a life takes real honesty and constant awareness. I like to give myself specifically and patients generally food for thought and invitations to consider ideas BEFORE hard-and-fast guidelines. We try to make time for conversations based in sharing ideas, so that also means I can’t take as many patients on as I possibly could. ... When I decided to have a consultative practice, that meant I had to come from the place where patients hire me to apply TCM principles to their bodies, minds and spirits (Jing, Qi, Shen) to work through problems and concerns. This takes more time in communication and requires constant assessment regarding my practice mission statement-if it’s not in alignment with the mission, I’m not a fit for them. And this is a peaceful separation, as well. This is also what my teachers did for me. This also draws from many sources. The concepts hold irrespective of what place, time, and culture. #takebreaks #ask #listen #learn #valuesmatter #practiceandalliscoming

I was reviewing my charting for the past week like you do, and this is compilation of chief concerns from an average day, or a day in the life: 1. Chronic Pain, complications of rheumatoid arthritis 2. Substance abuse, clean for one week 3. Chronic anxiety, insomnia 4. Lower back pain... 5. Fibromyalgia complicated by CVID 6. Second round chemotherapy, here to prevent side effects 7. Hashimoto’s; in hypothyroid state right now, cold 8. Shoulder pain 9. Allergies AKA allergic rhinitis I like to give broad spectrum views into what it’s like to be in this field right now. Most of my patients are, in fact, high risk. The good news is: Most of my patients walk in the door on 4+ medications and/or supplements, and this typically decreases with time as well, until they’re on (maybe) a vitamin D3. This is reasonable, especially when I request their MD to monitor them through blood work and if reducing these things is even part of a patient’s desired outcome. I monitor quality of life using TCM asking and the Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire. Most patients walk in with chronic pain and frustration complicated by several markers in their bloodwork or no answer to why they feel awful all the time. This is a real part of everyday life for a LOT of people; productive people who would rather do anything else than see another doctor. What acupuncture and TCM can offer in the meantime: -Less pain -More energy -The ability to sleep and eat. These are basic functions that are interrupted for a lot of reasons. The real talk here is: I don’t mind medications at all. It is nice, as well, to have things reassessed as needed, and to prevent side effects so these people can live an easier life. This is also why I refer out (PTs, trainers, nutritionists, FM MDs, etc), because people DO get better, and to continue improvement, they need more than what I can comfortably do here.

Graphic: @subtleasianfeels I’ve had the same conversation with young people lately, namely that they feel like things are just a total show right now. And, I have to tell them that it. Never. Ends. It does, however, get infinitely more weird, sometimes funny, and people typically get better at dealing with things as they come along eventually. Life cycles in TCM go in 7 year periods for women and 8 year periods for men. There are no indications for transgendered indivi...duals. This is a Taoist concept found in one of our classical medicine books: The Huang Di Nei Jing. In this thinking, a woman’s body is at optimal condition at the age of 28, her hair turns white at 42 (waaaay ahead of that, there), and menstruation should end at 49. Theses cycles obviously have numerous iterations throughout for both men and women. A man’s body should be developed at its best condition; his extremities and muscles very strong at age 32 his essence and vital energy are weak and teeth fall out at age 64. Aging is a result of the exhaustion of vital substances: Qi, Essence/Jing, Blood, Body Fluids, and Shen. With this loss of function, wastes build up-This becomes similar to the TCM diagnosis of Blood Stasis resulting in body pain and compounding other signs of aging. We can also take this in the 5-Element aspect, developed during the Warring States period where different elements are more visible in different parts of life on a macro level, and then also in different parts of the year. So, childhood would be Growing Yang/Wood, maturity would be Maximum Yang/Fire, middle age would be Dynamic Equilibrium/Earth, Eldership grows Yin and relates to Metal, and finally passing on; Maximum Yin, the separation of Yin and Yang, and the Water element.

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Graphic: @nastywomancosmetics Stress, lack of sleep, worry, aggression over resources, instability, and irregular eating habits affect the ability to recover thought the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis, and synthetic substances (intoxicants, preservatives, pharmaceuticals, other hormones, coloring agents, etc.) are mostly denatured through the liver and the cytochrome P-450 pathway. A basic biomedical review of drug metabolism can be found here: PMID:25032007 Even move...ment of Qi/circadian rhythms/potential energy in the form of cycles, mood, digestion, and function are affected. This will look like patients’ lacking a vision for the future, frustration, tension, and having a difficult time responding to roadblocks, literal and figurative. The classic formula for long term Liver Qi stagnation translated to Free and Easy Wanderer, and this is indeed the idea of what we want healthy Liver Qi to feel like. What makes this worse? Caffeine in large amounts, sodas, large amounts of black tea, thick/creamy/cheesy sauces, hot and acrid spices, chilis, cayenne, pepper, alcohol, lamb, beef, fries, onion rings, tempura, lots of sweet stuff (you know what kind), heavy/complicated meals, super huge meals, raw juices, nuts. Not exercising, sitting in traffic jams, no creative outlet, excessive work, spending a long time in frustrating situations that can’t resolve, repressing feelings, stress that’s overwhelming, comparing yourself to others in a negative way, excessive video games What makes it easier? Lightly cooked and steamed vegetables, cucumber salad with fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut), deep ocean fish (poached and steamed), warm water with lemon, raw fruit salad (only during spring/summer), melon slices (spring and summer only), cooking foods in broth (bone broth), small amounts of coffee, RASA cacao, bitter greens, spinach, dandelion, escarole, radicchio, celery, broccoli, mung beans, spirulina, Swiss chard, spinach, apple cider vinegar Brisk walking, biking, swimming, jogging dancing (anything rhythmic, really), creative outlets, journaling, painting, sculpting, singing, less screen time,chanting, sharing feelings, martial arts, box breathing

Ha! Liver Qi Stagnation (I prefer the word constraint but this will be more common on the Google) is nearly ubiquitous in Los Angeles and Orange County. This diagnosis always feels like an old friend, being born and raised in NJ; the land of Liver Qi Constraint. What are the signs and symptoms of this? First, we use PALPATION, TONGUE, PULSE, MEDICAL HISTORY, and ODOR to diagnose. Tongue: Dusky, usually with a thin yellow coat and a red tip showing stagnation... Pulse: At first, wiry overall and forceful in the second position, and in my practice, it later becomes weaker as energy is depleted and suppressed. What does it feel like? *Irritable chronic dissatisfaction *Frustration *Inappropriate aggression and moodiness *Pain along and under the ribs *Pain: Aching, distending *Cold hands and feet (this has other complications as well) *Constant sighing *Belching *Abdominal distention *GI issues: Alternating bowel movements, constipation, and loose poo can all be part of this diagnosis. A lot of times, this is correlated with the sympathetic nervous system annihilating the ability to rest. We can see these features IN CONTEXT TO ONE ANOTHER, not just, Oh, I’m sighing all the time, that means I have Liver Qi Stagnation. This also doesn’t mean you’ll have any indications on biomedical testing (bloodwork).