To Sneeze or Not To Sneeze?

I know my answer, not to sneeze. Well here in Austin, allergy season is in full force!! Ragweed, Molds, Grasses & different tress have declared war!!

So if your not wanting to jump right to harsh antihistamines or antibiotics, try some homeopathic & Chinese herbs to soothe your scratchy throat, watery eyes & runny or stuffy nose. Unless you really are very sick or running a fever, then please see your acupuncturist or physician.

At your local natural health food & vitamin store, I suggest picking up a product called Umcka Cold + Flu to take the minute your symptoms begin. You can take 1-3 a day until symptoms cease. Also add Elderberry extract daily to help boost your immune system when the seasons/weather is set to change to give yourself a head start. &/or Echinacea tea daily. Stay on both until the weather stabilizes.

At your local Chinese herb store, or if a local acupuncturist may carry the products, ask for Yin Qiao San the minute you begin to feel the symptoms of allergy or cold, follow the directions on the label & do not stay on it longer than a week. Also, to give yourself a head start you can take Yu Ping Feng San or Gan Mao Ling, to try to catch that illness before it goes deeper into your system. The Yu Ping Feng San is safe to be on continuously & the Gan Mao Ling should not be taken longer than a week.

All of the above, western & Chinese alike are safe & effective & will not interact with any other of your medications. Its best to take them separate (an hour to 2 hours before or after) any other medications your taking. & please, if your doctor has put you on a medication for these symptoms, do not go off of it with out speaking with them first. & it is still a good idea to check with them or your herbalist before adding any herbs or supplements to your daily regime.

You can also try to keep allergies at bay in your home by having protective covers on your mattress & pillows. Wiping pets down when they come in from outside to get the pollens off their hair. & change your air filters often!!

As for you diet, as always, plenty of water, avoid dairy as it builds up mucus, & lots of veggies & fruit to keep getting your vitamins!!

Finally, if your body & mind are telling you to sleep & rest, do it. You will be better for it!!

Good luck this autumn allergy season. & if you have any questions please let me know I'll answer what I can for you & am always up for treating you!!

Important Statement Released Supporting Acupuncture

AAAOM, the American Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine's Position Statement in Support of the Designation of Acupuncture as an Essential Health Benefit Service.

AAAOM supports designating acupuncture as an Essential Healthcare Benefit (EHB) for the following reasons:
 1. acupuncture is safely & effectively practiced nationally by state licensed & regulated health care professionals who are trained in institutions whose accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Education;
2. acupuncture is a proven, cost-effective & comparatively-effective medical treatment for commonly occuring illnesses as enumeratedby the World Health Organization (WHO) & the National Institutes of Health (NIH);
3. acupuncture is an important aspect of integrative medical care whereby thousands of trained licensed acupuncturists & physicians are practicing acupuncture in clinics, hospitals, universities, veterans' care facilities, & military establishments;
4. acupuncture reimbursement for treatment by licensed acupuncturists & physicians is available through federal, state, & private third party payers;
5. acupuncture, a medically-effective service, has an unparalleled safety record with far fewer side-effects than conventional therapies such as prescription drugs & surgery as well as consistent meaningful improvement outcomes;
6. acupuncture is sought after by the public as there is an established need for increased patient access to care; and
7. acupuncture meets the EHB criteria & services, & at minimum, serves five of the EHB categories of care.

#5 is my personal favorite!! Sign the petition & show your support!!
http://aaaom.rallycongress.com/

Bye-Bye Food Pyramid

Well I have to say its about time! I never understood how a person could honestly follow that thing! I have been teaching clients & patients food proportions for years now & am happy to see the plate for serving size come into play. While I related it to a person's hand so portions are more exact to the individual (palm + fingers = protein, palm alone = starchy carbs, palm = half of the fingers = fruits & veggies), the plate works as well! Check out the article below to read further & see a picture of the new plate way of eating healthy.


http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20110602/plate-replaces-pyramid-as-diet-guideline-icon

100 Interesting Facts About That Body of Yours!!

It may take you awhile to read through these but they are pretty interesting! You may already know some of these, you may not want to know some of these but it was fun reading for me! Some of the ones I found interesting I've posted below. To read more just click the link!

The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the Encyclopedia Britannica. Or any other encyclopedia for that matter. Scientists have yet to settle on a definitive amount, but the storage capacity of the brain in electronic terms is thought to be between 3 or even 1,000 terabytes. The National Archives of Britain, containing over 900 years of history, only takes up 70 terabytes, making your brain’s memory power pretty darn impressive.
Your brain uses 20% of the oxygen that enters your bloodstream. The brain only makes up about 2% of our body mass, yet consumes more oxygen than any other organ in the body, making it extremely susceptible to damage related to oxygen deprivation. So breathe deep to keep your brain happy and swimming in oxygenated cells.
Human hair is virtually indestructible. Aside from it’s flammability, human hair decays at such a slow rate that it is practically non-disintegrative. If you’ve ever wondered how your how clogs up your pipes so quick consider this: hair cannot be destroyed by cold, change of climate, water, or other natural forces and it is resistant to many kinds of acids and corrosive chemicals.
Scientists have counted over 500 different liver functions. You may not think much about your liver except after a long night of drinking, but the liver is one of the body’s hardest working, largest and busiest organs. Some of the functions your liver performs are: production of bile, decomposition of red blood cells, plasma protein synthesis, and detoxification.
You could remove a large part of your internal organs and survive. The human body may appear fragile but it’s possible to survive even with the removal of the stomach, the spleen, 75 percent of the liver, 80 percent of the intestines, one kidney, one lung, and virtually every organ from the pelvic and groin area. You might not feel too great, but the missing organs wouldn’t kill you.
Sneezes regularly exceed 100 mph. There’s a good reason why you can’t keep your eyes open when you sneeze–that sneeze is rocketing out of your body at close to 100 mph. This is, of course, a good reason to cover your mouth when you sneeze.
The average person expels flatulence 14 times each day. Even if you’d like to think you’re too dignified to pass gas, the reality is that almost everyone will at least a few times a day. Digestion causes the body to release gases which can be painful if trapped in the abdomen and not released.
On any given day, sexual intercourse takes place 120 million times on earth. Humans are a quickly proliferating species, and with about 4% of the world’s population having sex on any give
On any given day, sexual intercourse takes place 120 million times on earth. Humans are a quickly proliferating species, and with about 4% of the world’s population having sex on any given day, it’s no wonder that birth rates continue to increase in many places all over the world.
Most men have erections every hour to hour and a half during sleep. Most people’s bodies and minds are much more active when they’re sleeping than they think. The combination of blood circulation and testosterone production can cause erections during sleep and they’re often a normal and necessary part of REM sleep.
Women are born better smellers than men and remain bettersmellers over life. Studies have shown that women are more able to correctly pinpoint just what a smell is. Women were better able to identify citrus, vanilla, cinnamon and coffee smells. While women are overall better smellers, there is an unfortunate 2% of the population with no sense of smell at all.
Everyone has a unique smell, except for identical twins. Newborns are able to recognize the smell of their mothers and many of us can pinpoint the smell of our significant others and those we are close to. Part of that smell is determined by genetics, but it’s also largely do to environment, diet and personal hygiene products that create a unique chemistry for each person.
By the age of 60, most people will have lost about half their taste buds. Perhaps you shouldn’t trust your grandma’s cooking as much as you do. Older individuals tend to lose their ability to taste, and many find that they need much more intense flavoring in order to be able to fully appreciate a dish.A simple, moderately severe sunburn damages the blood vessels extensively. How extensively? Studies have shown that it can take four to fifteen months for them to return to their normal condition. Consider that the next time you’re feeling too lazy to apply sunscreen before heading outside.
Over 90% of diseases are caused or complicated by stress. That high stress job you have could be doing more than just wearing you down each day. It could also be increasing your chances of having a variety of serious medical conditions like depression, high blood pressure and heart disease.
A human head remains conscious for about 15 to 20 seconds after it is been decapitated. While it might be gross to think about, the blood in the head may be enough to keep someone alive and conscious for a few seconds after the head has been separated from the body, though reports as to the accuracy of this are widely varying.
We are about 1 cm taller in the morning than in the evening. The cartilage between our bones gets compressed by standing, sitting and other daily activities as the day goes on, making us just a little shorter at the end of the day than at the beginning.
It takes twice as long to lose new muscle if you stop working out than it did to gain it. Lazy people out there shouldn’t use this as motivation to not work out, however. It’s relatively easy to build new muscle tissue and get your muscles in shape, so if anything, this fact should be motivation to get off the couch and get moving.
Humans shed and regrow outer skin cells about every 27 days. Skin protects your delicate internal organs from the elements and as such, dries and flakes off completely about once a month so that it can maintain its strength. Chances are that last month’s skin is still hanging around your house in the form of the dust on your bookshelf or under the couch.
Human lips have a reddish color because of the great concentration of tiny capillaries just below the skin. The blood in these capillaries is normally highly oxygenated and therefore quite red. This explains why the lips appear pale when a person is anemic or has lost a great deal of blood. It also explains why the lips turn blue in very cold weather. Cold causes the capillaries to constrict, and the blood loses oxygen and changes to a darker color.
The colder the room you sleep in, the better the chances are that you’ll have a bad dream. It isn’t entirely clear to scientists why this is the case, but if you are opposed to having nightmares you might want to keep yourself a little toastier at night.
Your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil. If you’ve seen the Matrix you are aware of the energy potentially generated by the human body. Our bodies expend a large amount of calories keeping us at a steady 98.6 degrees, enough to boil water or even cook pasta.
Women burn fat more slowly than men, by a rate of about 50 calories a day. Most men have a much easier time burning fat than women. Women, because of their reproductive role, generally require a higher basic body fat proportion than men, and as a result their bodies don’t get rid of excess fat at the same rate as men.


http://www.globalone.tv/profiles/blogs/100-very-cool-facts-about-the

Hopefully, you enjoyed these please check out the rest if you have the time for an interesting read!