Because It's Good For You

The other day, I was talking to someone who knows that I practice Acupuncture and BodyTalk. She said, “ A friend of mine told me that I should take Apple Cider Vinegar because it’s really good for you.”

This is not the first time someone has said something like this to me. And so I gave her my standard answer: “Sure! As long as you’re not allergic to it.”

We live in a society in which our opinions are profoundly affected by the media and advertising, and we must remember that the sole purpose of every natural supplement company and health food store is not to provide us with excellent health care, but rather, to sell their products! Therefore, we must all exercise caution in accepting their claims without discrimination.

It’s kind of like shoe sizes. The “average” woman in the United States wears size 7. But that doesn’t mean that we ALL should TRY to wear size 7 because it’s good for us.

Now, please know that I am not saying supplements are bad. I take supplements on a daily basis myself. And if the supplements have been given to you by a doctor or a health care practitioner, then by all means, take them! My only word of caution would be this: If, after taking a certain supplement for a period of time, you notice that you are feeling bad (or worse than you were when you started), consult the prescribing physician and discontinue it.

Several years ago, I decided to do a certain detox program. I ordered a kit online because the website contained hundreds of testimonials filled with miraculous stories of weight loss, resolution of chronic illness, and before-and-after photos. After a week and a half on the cleanse, I had what felt like a urinary tract infection and pain in my kidneys. When I went to my health care practitioner, she tested me for each specific herb in the cleanse, and lo and behold, found that I was sensitive to Urva Ursi, which happened to be one of the ingredients. “But isn’t that supposed to be good for kidney and urinary health?” I asked in astonishment. “Yes,” my practitioner responded, “but it’s toxic to you!”

Who knew? The point is that your body will send you very clear signals that something isn’t working for you. In my case, it was kidney pain that finally got my attention (note to self: pay more attention next time!).

Each one of us is absolutely unique. No one else has our specific body chemistry. We all react and respond to different things in different ways. Because of this fact, we must take responsibility for our own health and notice when something isn’t working for us, whether it’s a supplement, a food, a relationship, or a career. Therefore, what’s good for “everyone” may work for us…or not…because we’re not all size 7.

The Heart, The Emperor

Recently I treated a patient who had just endured a terrible shock. She had just found out that her business partner was embezzling all her money, and had fled the country.

After a few links, which seemed to go very smoothly, heart and all other organs came up as a priority to be linked. After tapping for some time on her head, I realized that I hadn't been aware of the normal "shift" signifying that the link had been formed. I usually feel this shift after tapping on the head and chest. I thought, well, I must have missed the shift, for surely it must have happened by now. But when I checked, the response was "more tapping." After tapping for another period of time, I checked again, and finally had to tap directly on the heart in order to tap in that particular link.

The interesting thing about this link is that it quite aptly describes the traditional Chinese diagnosis of Heart Shock, in which the patient has endured a profound shock to the system. Consequently, all the organs are in disarray.

What makes this happen? In Chinese Medicine, the Heart is the emperor of the body, and is protected by the Pericardium, the covering over the heart which is actually seen as an organ in Chinese Medicine, and is the emperor's bodyguard. When the emperor sustains a blow that the bodyguard cannot catch, the emperor himself takes the hit. This profoundly affects all the other organs.

When Heart Shock happens, the ensuing pattern is Blood Stasis. Therefore, the most important treatment principle in Heart Shock is move the blood.

In traditional acupuncture, we move the blood with herbal formulas (for instance, Gui Zhi Tang/Cinnamon Twig Decoction), but also with specific points: Spleen 10 is always a good choice, as is Liver 3. Some practitioners use a specific point prescription for shock (for instance, Kidney 3-16-27).

In BodyTalk, since we are following the body's lead and addressing what the body has determined to be a priority, the focus is slightly different. Therefore, the specific priority will vary depending on the needs of the individual. The important thing, from the practitioner's view, is to be aware and alert as to the particular client's needs, rather than having one's own agenda. And from the client's perspective, it's helpful to recognize and acknowledge that one's own body has an innate wisdom that will release traumas and heal itself on its own time.

www.quantumlinkwellness.com

Switching and the Adrenal Glands

Did you ever feel completely overwhelmed with your life?

I've noticed that many of my patients, in their intake forms, complain of panic attacks and anxiety. Consequently their adrenal glands are either overtaxed or malfunctioning. Excess stress can cause the adrenal glands to change the amount of the hormone cortisol they secrete, often causing weight gain, afternoon fatigue, blood sugar fluctuations, and inflammation, among other things.

Recently, I had a patient whose chief complaint was shortness of breath which comes and goes but is worse in the morning. In addition, she showed all the cardinal signs of adrenal burnout. But when I checked her adrenals, they were fine! Although her cortisol levels were clearly out of balance, the problem wasn't in the adrenal glands. When we did BodyTalk, the only thing that came up as a priority was Switching. I performed the technique, and she called me several hours later to tell me that she felt amazingly better. Her shortness of breath was improved but also, she said that her stress was greatly reduced.

I was amazed. How could this one simple technique have such a great effect on her? Later, I realized that the whole purpose of Switching is to raise the stress threshold of the body. As we cope with stress, we all have a threshold, over which our brain shuts down, and we go into overwhelm. We can't usually change the amount of stress we're under...but we can certainly change our response to that stress. That's what switching does: it raises the bar, so that we can actually have a steady mind in the face of our stress--without it stressing us out--for a longer period of time.

This is the power of the Switching Technique, one of the five techniques taught in the one-day BodyTalk Access course. Access is a great course to learn more about BodyTalk and the power of preventive healthcare. As a complimentary health care modality, BodyTalk is non-invasive, safe, and so beneficial to everyone.

www.quantumlinkwellness.com

Summer Heat

It's summer, and although it's cooler in Los Angeles than it is in other places in the United States--in Texas, it's been over 100 degrees for six weeks!--it's still much warmer in LA than usual. Although some people find the warm weather invigorating, summer's heat often challenges people who are intolerant to heat, making their life very uncomfortable.

Believe it or not, Summer Heat is actually a diagnosis in Chinese Medicine. It involves typical heat symptoms: sweating, red face, excessive thirst, dry lips, scanty yellow urine, and headache. In western terms, we would probably call it heat exhaustion.

Why are some people more susceptible to heat than others? The answer to this question lies in their description: they are heat intolerant. People can be intolerant to climactic factors in the same way that they can be intolerant to foods, like when someone experiences nausea or vomiting every time they eat shellfish. It's not a hypersensitivity reaction--they don't break out in hives or anything--but it does make them ill, and so they avoid it...which is not so easy to do with heat.

What causes people to be intolerant of heat? Sometimes it's inherited from their parents. Hormonal imbalances can also cause heat sensitivity. Sometimes certain foods cause heat reactions, and when eaten in a warm climate, can make them be more sensitive to heat. Typical foods that cause excess heat are bread, sugar, tomatoes, and mangoes. Coffee, alcoholic beverages, and certain spices also contribute to heat issues in those who are sensitive to them.

So, in addition to avoiding foods that someone might be sensitive to that cause excess heat in the body, what can be done to reduce heat sensitivity? Here's a short list:

1. Eat lightly and drink plenty of fluids. The best thing to do in the summer is to stay well hydrated.
2. Pay close attention to your physical state, and do things in the summer to keep you feeling cool (swimming, staying out of the sun during the hottest part of the day)
3. Tap out your cortices (http://www.bodytalksystem.com/videos/). Getting the left and right brain to communicate optimally with each other can reduce many sensitivity issues.
4. Breathe deeply. When you take long, slow breaths, it allows your brain to pay attention to every part of your body, and recognize and repair malfunctions.

When heat sensitivity becomes a serious problem, there are treatments for it. Acupuncture, NAET, and BodyTalk all address heat sensitivity and heat intolerance quite well, regardless of the underlying cause.

www.quantumlinkwellness.com