How I Beat My Sugar Cravings With Avocado

How often throughout the day do you get "Hangry"?  If you're not familiar with the term, it's when your hunger is so strong that you become short tempered and your only mission is to get food in your stomach and how you react to others is the least of your worries.  What's happening is your blood sugar is suddenly dropping and you're running on fumes, leaving you to reach for the closest thing to give you quick energy, most often something with sugar.  This begins the rollercoaster of diet problems so many of us have.

My Story
The relationship I've had with food has been evolving for a very long time and is still deepening.  The connection between food and one's health is sometimes not stressed as much as it should be and many of us just eat to get by or to satisfy a craving.  The most difficult eating pattern that I've overcome with the help of saturated fats is feeling the need to eat until fullness to avoid that empty hunger 2-3 hours later or eating something sugary to avoid that crash.  It was not a healthful way to live.

Simple Carbs vs. Saturated Fats
When we eat sugar or simple carbs, they are quickly converted into energy by our liver, giving us that boost when we're in a slump.  This is fine if you're leaving the gym (quickly brings blood to the muscles) or are on a hike and expending a lot of energy.  There are two problems with consuming simple carbs like sugar though: a) the energy is empty and doesn't last long, b) we take in more energy (sugar) than we expend (don't exercise) and it turns into fat.  One distinction is eating whole fruits such as an apple- the fiber carries the fructose through the body so that the energy is digested longer rather than dumping sugar in the system like when people have a frappuccino or soda.

Why Should I Choose Saturated Fats?
There is a better way though!  Fats have been consumed and highly valued for thousands of years as they are true, long lasting sources of energy.  Fats are stored and not just consumed but also used to heal the body when there is a wound externally or internally.  When you replace sugar for a saturated fat, your sugar craving ceases as your body is getting that energy it was needing.  When you're craving sugar, your body is saying, "Hey! We're running low on energy here, let's do what we did last time that got the energy right up!"  It's a cycle that has long-term harmful effects on your health.

What To Do?
The next time you're craving something sweet or you're feeling 'hangry', take either a teaspoon of coconut oil or ghee (yes, just eat it- you'll like it) or slice an organic avocado and eat half.  You'll find that in about ten minutes, you won't feel hungry and you'll have a different type of energy- long lasting energy with clarity.  You also won't feel that sudden drop and intense hunger because your body is running on long-lasting energy.  I highly recommend incorporating saturated fats such as ghee and avocado into your everyday diet.  Your skin will become moistened again and your fullness will be more sustained.  Moving away from sugar will reduce the inflammation in your body and the fat will help heal this inflammation.  Every cell in your body has a liposomal layer- a fat layer, so when you're not consuming fat or have a fat free diet, you are withering yourself away in a sense by denying your body the fat it needs.  Saturated fat is not the enemy- refined or high amounts of sugar is; allow yourself no more than 10g of sugar a day.  If you're craving more than that, you have to assess your diet.

Tamasic Food as it relates to sugar
In Ayurvedic medicine, they have three classes of foods: Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic.  Sattvic food is full of vitality, gives you clear energy and heals you.  Examples would be fresh vegetables and fruit, fresh milk or butter or a beautiful meal cooked with lots of love- there is an energy to these items that give your body deep satisfaction.  Rajasic foods would be things like garlic and onion which are pungent and spicy.  These foods are the foundation of motion and activity but too much can cause anger- they say that before wars, they would give soldiers garlic to boost them.  The last category is Tamasic foods which should be avoided at all cost.  These are low quality food that dull our life force- prana or weaken our Qi.  Tamasic foods are sugary foods, refined/processed foods, frozen or leftover foods or foods that are cooked in anger.  Try to think of the lack of energy that is in these foods.  Why would you want to put them in your body?  When you eat Tamasic food, you will feel a dullness- yes, a craving has been satisfied, but your energy is empty and you cannot think clearly.  Start to pay attention to how you feel after eating food from each of these categories and develop that communication with your body.  Have a healthful day! -Collin

How Meditation Is Being Used to Treat ADHD

I was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age and placed on Ritalin, mainly because I was disruptive during class and the teachers recommended that my parents speak with a doctor about it.  I was kept on medications throughout most of my developing years and am thankful that I now have the chance to actually work on myself rather than be drugged.  I have strong opinions about the diagnosing of children with ADHD as well as placing them on these medications at such a young age, but that's not what this post is about.  What I want to focus on is how beneficial meditation can be for those who have a difficult time quieting their mind, utilizing their mind as a tool or find focusing difficult.

The core issue with Attention Deficit Disorder is the inability to focus- so it stands to reason that some kind of attention training would be a strong tool to have under one's belt.  That training is meditation, which has been around for thousands of years across countless cultures.

How Does Meditation Help My Inability To Focus?
When one learns to meditate, what is developed is mindfulness and awareness.  Mindfulness allows you to not be lead and controlled by your thoughts, but rather, observe them as they come and go.  It is the nature of the mind to think, but in our culture, the mind is constantly bombarded with never ending information and we loathe boredom which creates constant chatter.  Mindfulness can be used as a tool to foster wellness, especially psychological well-being.  Similar techniques have been used to lower blood pressure and to manage chronic pain, anxiety, and depression.

Mindfulness also improves your ability to control your attention  In other words, it teaches you to pay attention to paying attention.  Mindful awareness can also make people more aware of their emotional state, so they won't react impulsively.  That's often a real problem for people with ADHD.


What style of Meditation could I practice to cultivate Mindfulness?

What I have found so far to be the best style of mediation that you can approach and find a local center on is either Vipassana or Zen meditation.  Both of these styles emphasize creating a spaciousness in the mind through sitting silently; there is no chanting or visualization.  If there is a local Zen Center or Vipassana meditation class being offered at a yoga center, stop by and check it out.  Try something different!


How Can I Meditate Right Now?

I find meditation to be best in morning after waking or at night before bed.  You want this to be YOUR time that you don't worry or think about what you have to do or plan- it's simply a time to be quiet.  I recommend starting with just 5 or 10 minutes and slowly working up to 30 minutes twice a day.  You can sit on a zabuton or a chair where your sitting forward and legs are at a 90 degree angle.

1.  Relax in a seated position, close your eyes if you'd like.  Really relax though- feel your facial muscles relax, arms, legs etc.
2.  Begin to focus on your inhalation and exhalation.  I like to count each breath as it gives me an anchor if I start to get carried away by a thought.  In the beginning, I used to just have a goal of 100 breaths.
3.  As you sit, if a thought arises, do not become attached to it, just allow it to arise and float away.  They say, "Don't serve your thoughts tea."  If you do get carried away, come back to your breath.  You always come back to your breath.
4.  See how you feel after completing however long a session you do.  Sometimes, I've experienced stress after meditation as I realize how noisy my mind is- this is normal.  It's kind of like a wild horse you are taming, stick with meditation though and the mind will become a tool again.

If you have questions or comments about how you like to meditate, feel free to comment below.  Have a peaceful day.  -Collin

Improve Your Eyesight, Reduce Eye Swelling and Redness With Moxa!

In China and Japan, both moxa stick and loose moxa are one of the most frequently used herbs in healing.  Moxa, also known as the herb Mugwort, is a powerful herb in its adaptogenic healing nature, meaning it is used in both acute and chronic conditions, as well as heat and cold conditions.

One of my most favorite ways to use moxa stick on patients is when they complain of dry, swollen, itchy or red eyes.  With the moxa stick lit and glowing, I hold it 2-3 inches above the patients eyes for 10 breaths, then move to the outer canthus for one breath and then inner canthus.  I perform the same on the other eye and do three rounds which should equal about 10 minutes.  It's fine to open your eyes, especially if you have cataracts or vision impairments.  It should feel like a gentle warmth that is nourishing the eyes as well as deeply relaxing.

Swelling of the eye is immediately reduced, moisture returns as well.  I often send patients off with a stick to take home and use twice daily.  Using moxa on your eyes daily will improve your vision, reduce swelling from glaucoma, and reduce dryness.

If you come across a moxa stick at your herb store, check it out.  I also use it for chronic pain, as the gentle warmth nourishes and helps repair old injuries or on the belly button if you have digestive issues.  If you have questions, comment below or speak with your local acupuncturist.  Have a healthy day! -Collin

Triphala: The Balancing Formula For Detoxification and Rejuvenation That You HAVEN'T Been Taking

Triphala is one of my most favorite herbal blends in Ayurvedic medicine and I wanted to take a moment to share with you the benefits found in this powerful formula.  It's comprised of three fruits native to India: Amalaki, Bibhitaki, and Haritaki and literally means "three fruits".

Triphala is recommended and used more often than any other Ayurvedic herbal formulation due to its ability to gently cleanse and detoxify the system while simultaneously replenishing and nourishing it.  When these three fruits are combined, they form a very powerful Rasayana.  A Rasayana is the most highly refined and powerful herbal combination known to promote long life and rejuvenation. 

Benefits of Triphala:

•  Assists natural internal cleansing
• Gently maintains regularity
• Natural antioxidant and rich in polyphenols which reduce oxidative stress on the body
• Supports healthy digestion and absorption
• Nourishes and rejuvenates the tissues
• Purifies the blood
• Lowers LDL cholesterol
• Reduces blood sugars
• Removes excess fats from the body
• Nurtures voice quality
• Strengthens hair roots
• Improves eyesight

Triphala and Weight Loss

In conditions of excess weight, triphala can be used as part of a weight loss system included with a healthy, vegetable-rich diet and exercise.  Proper digestion and elimination are important factors in achieving long-term success in maintaining an optimal body weight.  Triphala also promotes healthy eating habits and cravings by supplying the body with the full spectrum of natural tastes.  

How To Take Triphala:

Unlike some allopathic medicines, Triphala does not cause any serious side effects or ailments; a person can consume it on a regular basis without worrying about negative long-term health effects.  ***If you are pregnant or menstruating, DO NOT take Triphala.***

In Ayurvedic medicine, Taste is very important when it comes to the consumption of food as medicine, therefore, it's important to take this as a tea rather than swallowing the vegetable capsules these normally come in.  I normally open 2-3 capsules in hot water, allow it to settle and drink the tea slowly at night time before bed.  You don't need to take this three times a day; taking it before you sleep allows time for the body to let the Triphala go through and do its work.  Because Triphala works slowly, this herbal formula is meant to be taken long term as it has a deeply purifying effect.  It goes deeper into the physiology and releases the toxins at a much deeper level.

Any questions or experience with Triphala?  Comment below!  Have a healthful day- Collin

The Power of Broccoli Sprouts in Detoxifying Environmental Pollutants

Everyday, we are bombarded with environmental toxins- car exhaust, lead-wick/synthetic aroma candles/plug-in air fresheners, laundry detergents and dryer sheets, non-organic cleaning agents--the list goes on.  These man-made chemicals which are completely unnatural are not recognized by the body and unable to be properly broken down, resulting in toxic accumulation.  The effects that these environmental pollutants have on our health has yet to be fully known as not enough time has passed to see the long term effects- remember when asbestos used to be sold as fake snow for christmas?  It's important to rid your home of as many of these environmental pollutants as you can and detoxify your body before  you encounter serious health consequences.  

A diet of mostly whole, organically-grown foods is undoubtedly among the most effect ways to prevent disease and achieve optimal health, and sprouts may offer some of the highest levels of nutrition.

Recent research on "super foods" is finding that broccoli sprouts may help detox toxic pollutants.  As reported by Time Magazine:

"Broccoli sprouts specifically are a source of glucoraphanin, which creates sulforaphane when chewed or swallowed.  That compound accelerates the body's ability to detoxify from various pollutants..."

In China, a three-month long study among 300 Chinese men and woman living in one of themes polluted areas of China, a rural community in the Jiangsu Province, was performed where the test group drank half a cup of a beverage consisting of sterilized water, pineapple, and lime juice, with dissolved freeze-dried broccoli sprout powder ever day.  The control group drank the same drink without the powder.

After urine and blood tests were collected and analyzed, researchers found that the test group, who received the broccoli sprout powder, excreted far greater levels of two carcinogens.  Excretion of benzene increased 61 percent, and the rate of excretion of acrolein increased by 23 percent.

Fresh broccoli sprouts are FAR more potent that whole broccoli.  For example, tests have revealed that three-day old broccoli sprouts contained anywhere from 10-100 times the amount of glucoraphanin found in mature broccoli.  Glucoraphanin has also been shown to protect against cancer.  Other health-promoting compounds found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli sprouts (and mature broccoli) include:

• Glucosinolate glucoraphanin, which helps improve blood pressure and kidney function. It also boosts cell enzymes that protect against molecular damage from cancer-causing chemicals. 
• Sulforaphane, a metabolite of the glucosinolate glucoraphanin, has been shown to normalize DNA methylation — a crucial part of normal cell function that allows cells to “remember who they are and where they have been.” It’s also important for regulating gene expression, and this compound has been found to play a role in activating more than 200 different genes. Sulforaphane also has anti-diabetic and antimicrobial properties, and kills cancer stem cells, which slows tumor growth. 
• Isothiocyanate, a specific sulforaphane compound, has very strong cancer-protective benefits, sparking hundreds of beneficial gene changes. This compound activates some genes that fight cancer, and switch off other genes whose job it is to aid in tumor growth.

Incorporating broccoli sprouts into your diet through juicing or including them with salads and wraps is quick and easy as well as inexpensive- a large bag of them from my co-op cost $3.  They're delicious and add great texture to meals.  Have a healthy day! -Collin

Recover From Voice Loss or Improve Your Vocal Quality Quickly With This Chinese Herbal Tea!

I was recently asked by someone if there was anything Chinese Medicine does for loss of voice and I immediately recalled the time I couldn't speak after a cold where I was coughing a lot- I drank a Pang Da Hai tea throughout that day and my voice came back the next.

Pang Da Hai is a seed that can be found in most Asian supermarkets in packets of about 8 seeds.  You'll pour about 8-16 oz of boiling water over 1-3 seeds and let them sit for about ten minutes and watch the magic happen.  The seeds expand with a gelatinous membrane that is then mixed around in the cup and sipped.  You can remove the hard seed from within once it has expanded and drink this tea.  You'll want to drink this tea up to 3 times a day and swallow bits of the membrane as it deeply moistens, cools and heals sore throats and distressed vocal chords.  This tea is best for hot, sore throats and voice loss.  Have a great day and comment your success! -Collin

Why Does My Acupuncturist Feel My Pulse?

If you've seen an acupuncturist before, aside from our in depth intake and examination of your face and tongue, we take your pulse on both wrists. I think many of us who are in this field know why we use the pulse for diagnostic purposes but I don't think our patients fully understand the deep philosophy and science behind it. I found a piece of literature by Bob Flaws where he talks about this and thought this would provide some depth to those of us that practice this medicine and insight to patients unsure why we use this technique in our medicine-

"Pulse examination in modern TCM primarily means feeling the pulse of the radial arteries at the styloid processes of both wrists.  This is commonly called the "cun kou" or inch opening.  It is believed by practitioners of Chinese medicine that the pulses felt here can be read as a simulacrum of the flow of qi, blood, and body fluids of the entire body.  The first chapter of the Nan Jing (Classic of Difficulties) opens with the following question: All the 12 channels have sections where the movement in these vessels can be felt.  Still, one selects only the cun kou in order to determine whether the five viscera and six bowel harbor a pattern of death or life, of good or evil auspices.  What does that mean? The answer of why one can determine the health and disease of the entire body by feeling the pulses at the cun kou on the wrists that the Nan Jing gives is this: The cun kou constitutes the great meeting point of the contents passing through the vessels.  It is the section of the hand tai yin channel where the movement in that vessel can be felt.  When a normal person exhales once, the contents of the vessels proceed three inches.  When a normal person inhales once, the contents of the vessels proceed another three inches.  Exhaling and inhaling constitute one breathing period.  During this period, the contents of the vessels proceed six inches.  A person, in the course of one day and one night, breathes altogether 13,500 times.  During that time, the contents of the vessels proceed through 50 passages.  That is, they circulate through the body in the period needed by the clepsydra's dripping water to move down by 100 markings.  The constructive and defensive qi proceed through 25 passages during a yang period, and they proceed through 25 passages during a yin period.  This constitutes one cycle.  Because the contents of the vessels meet again, after 50 passages, with the cun kou, this section is the beginning and the end of movement of the contents of the vessels through the body's five viscera and six bowel.  Hence, the pattern of death or life, good or evil auspices harbored by the body's five viscera and six bowels may be obtained from the cun kou. Whether or how one chooses to accept this explanation aside, it is a fact that practitioners of Chinese medicine have been diagnosing and treating patients on the basis of pulse examination carried out at the inch opening for at least 2,000 years."

To summarize what is being said here, we are using the pulse as a diagnostic measure as it's painting a picture of the entire ecosystem within the body. Each position and depth is related to an organ and its pair. If you have specific questions, feel free to comment below! -collin (Bob Flaws, The Secrete of Chinese Pulse Diagnosis)