Anti-Inflammatory Foods

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation is the body’s innate immune response to any injury or pathogen that disrupts the natural balance of functioning in your body. Inflammation is the beginning of the healing process.
 

If you have a bodily injury, acute inflammation is short term and helps the body to enter repair mode. If inflammation is prolonged or chronic, however, it can damage to the body’s tissues. Inflammation in our patients has caused painful cramps, upset digestion, skin problems, and inhibits the efficiency of their reproductive health and conception.

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Nutrition, ArchivedAlison Lumleyinflammation, anti-inflammatory foods, diet, nutrition, anti-inflammatory diet
Why You Should Eat Congee for Breakfast!

We frequently recommend that our patients eat congee for breakfast, but sometimes I think we fail to stress the importance and relevance of it as part of your treatment plan and overall health.
First of all, lets talk about the importance of breakfast. Almost everyone has heard their mom say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but many adults still skip this vital meal.

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Nutrition, ArchivedMisty Reednutrition, breakfast, congee, digestion
Postpartum Depression Can Affect Anyone... Even Celebrities

This week in the news, Gwyneth Paltrow admitted to having suffered from Postpartum Depression after the birth of her son Moses in 2006. In her weekly newsletter on GOOP, she not only talks about her personal experience with Postpartum Depression, but also has another mother and several doctors share their experiences and insight about this condition. The article is enlightening as
well as a good reminder of this very serious condition that is estimated to occur in about 10% of women postpartum. The article discusses symptoms to watch for as well as suggests treatment options.

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Self-Care, ArchivedMisty Reeddepression, postpartum, postpartum depression
Grow a Garden Tailored to Your Fertility Foodie Needs

The time for planting in Austin is ripe! If you plant within the next couple of weeks, you can enjoy a rich bounty throughout the summer and fall … and you know what’s even better? Several of the foods that are highly recommended by TCRA as “Fertility Foods” are incredibly easy to grow and care for, even in Austin’s intense heat. And, who knows, a little "fertility garden" project like this could maybe even provide you with multiple bounties … not all of them grown in the ground. ;)

Although the amount of setup and nurturing required to raise a super productive garden can be time consuming, some of these plants thrive without practically any assistance. The list I’ve thrown together here are of plants that are practically no-fail, even in Texas weather, along with some recommendations on how to best grow and care for them. Having these fertility foods at your fingertips will not only encourage your consumption of them on a more regular basis, but will provide you with the assurance that you are getting the freshest, most nutrient-packed food possible.

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Nutrition, ArchivedLindsey Flattgarden, foodie garden, fertility foods, vegetable garden, fertility friendly foods
Improving Male Fertility

You’re Not Alone

Resolve, the National Infertility Association, estimates approximately 30% of infertility cases are directly linked to male factor, 30% to female factor, and another 30% result from a combination of female and male issues. A large majority of all cases of infertility have some male factor component. In cases where there are both male and female issues, the treatment of both partners is required to produce the best results.

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Archived, Male Factor InfertilityRob KrassowskiMale Factor, Male Fertility
A Brave New Gluten-Free World

‘Gluten-free’ is becoming a more common descriptor every day.  The question is:  what exactly is gluten and why are we steering clear of it?

Gluten is the protein composite found in wheat, barley and rye.  Non-contaminated oats do not contain gluten, but are more often than not processed in facilities that also process the three aforementioned gluten-containing grains.  

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Archived, NutritionAlison Lumleyceliac, gluten-free, gluten intolerance, gluten sensitivity, autoimmune, digestion
The 'Side Effects' of Acupuncture

I just finished reading a terrific blog post by AcuBlogger Sara Calabro. Her post entitled “The 5 Most Common ‘Side Effects’ of Acupuncture” is a delightful look at some of the unintended effects of acupuncture treatment. The post, which you can read here, lists five extremely common ‘side effects’ of acupuncture: better sleep, more energy, mental clarity, better digestion, and less stress. It’s true, we see these side effects in our clinic all the time!

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Acupuncture Education, ArchivedRob Krassowskiacupuncture, holistic therapy, health
Love Yourself In Order to Love Others

Love is energy. It is energy given and energy received. Think about it. A positive, loving thought expends energy just as definitively as the action of lifting your arms to hug someone expends energy. There may be more energy expended in the act of giving a hug than in the firing off of synapses to carry this complex emotion of love around your brain, but both actions are utilizing your body's energy ... and energy takes fuel. And, although it is hard to conceive of, love requires a different kind of fuel than is commonly thrown around at it this time of year. (*Cough* Ahem, chocolate.) And so, in this season of love, here are a couple of quick tips to heighten your energy, mood, and confidence, to replenish your sense of well being and positivity so that you have love to spare.

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Self-Care, ArchivedLindsey Flattlove, self-love, self-care, essential oils
Move Your Body

We live in a fast-paced world, full of obligations, deadlines, and stressors of all sorts.  It’s hard not to feel tossed about in a sea of worries.  Many of us manage to meet our daily demands, but it is usually at the expense of our spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical bodies.  Physiologically, stress can turn into a sort of ‘stuckness’, or what is termed qi stagnation in traditional Chinese medicine.

Shoulder and neck tension, depression, poor breathing habits, and digestive disorders are some common embodiments of stress.  Stress-induced qi stagnation can also impede circulation and create constriction where we would like to see suppleness, as in the body’s tissues and organs.  The reproductive system (and every other system in the body!) thrives on the healthy circulation of energy and blood.  How can we release constriction and encourage the free-flow of energy and blood?  That’s right, by moving our bodies!

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Archived, Self-Care, WellnessAlison Lumleyexercise, stress, qi stagnation, uplifting
Why Did You Put That Needle There?

As acupuncturists, we want our patients to have the most relaxing acupuncture experience possible. Of the 361 acupuncture points on the body, my personal favorite to create that "acupuncture calm" during treatments is called Yintang. According to Peter Deadman, author of A Manual of Acupuncture, Yintang was first discussed in the Su Wen, the classic book of Chinese Medicine, in the 3rd century BC.

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Archived, Acupuncture EducationMelsa Maheracupressure, acupuncture, stress, acupuncture points, yintang, third eye