According to Oriental medicine, the season of autumn is associated with the element of Metal, which is associated with the Lungs. The lungs control the circulation of the Wei-Qi, (way chee) which is the defensive Qi that protects you from the invasion of flu and colds. The Wei-Qi circulates on the surface of your body between the skin and the muscles, keeps your body warm and strengthens your immune system. If you keep the Lungs and Wei-chi strong during this time of year you will be much healthier and avoid colds, flu and bronchitis.

 What you eat also greatly affects the health of your lungs.

•  Eating pears, especially the Asian variety, helps to moisten the lungs and keep them clear
•  Avoid cold drinks and instead try warm teas. A great winter drink is a squeeze of lemon with a little ginger and a little raw honey, or organic maple syrup mixed with hot water.
• Eating excess cold and raw foods creates dampness or phlegm.
• Sugar and dairy products also create phlegm. Avoid these when you get sick and you will get well faster.
• Garlic, onions, ginger, horseradish, and mustard are beneficial to the lungs. Garlic is a powerful antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. Try miso soup with green onions and root vegetables.

Dress for the season– Bring out your scarves and sweaters.

The Lungs are the upper most organ in the body and are affected by wind and cold. The back of the neck is also vulnerable to cold and wind, so make sure your neck is covered with a scarf or turtleneck sweater. Any kind of drastic temperature change is shocking to the system, even when it takes place over a few days. So bring out your warm clothes to help your body adjust to the change.

 Autumn is the time to strengthen your Lungs and Wei-Qi and prepare for the coming winter. An Acupuncture “tune up” and Chinese Herbal Medicine can:

• strengthen your immune system
• prevent colds and flu from happening all together
• prevent full-flown infection moving into the lungs
• shorten the duration of your illness

Early treatments with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can significantly shorten the duration of your illness and keep you healthy. 

At the first sign of a cold or flu come to Berkeley Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine Clinic of Nancy Rakela for an acupuncture “tune-up” to strengthen your immune system.  Dr. Rakela will also determine the suitable herbal formula for you. Some herbs are appropriate to take for prevention, while some are best taken at the onset of symptoms.
Call at 510 540-6267 to set up your appointment.

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Although I see many patients in my clinic with colds and flu at this time of year, rarely do I get sick. I want to share with you my secrets for staying healthy during the cold and flu season. My staff and I have avoided catching colds many times by using this protocol.

Boost your immune system & stay healthy during the cold & flu season.

Most colds come in stages: sore throat with tiredness and headache, sinus congestion with runny nose, then it goes into the chest with cough and phlegm which could lead to bronchitis.

There is another initial stage when the virus is trying to attack your immune system. If you pay close attention to your body and boost your immune system just as the virus is taking hold, you can drive it away.

How can you tell when a virus is trying to attack your immune system?

When your body feels tired and you have the slightest scratchy throat and maybe a headache, you may be catching a virus and you need to act fast. Also if you have been around other people who are sick, you may be exposed to a virus and you should protect yourself.

How do you boost your immune system?

Follow this protocol for 1-2 days at the first sign of a scratchy throat with tiredness or a headache and also for prevention.

• Take the anti-viral Chinese herbal formulas Gan Mao Ling and Yin Chiao. For tiredness and scratchy throat, take the maximum listed dosage. For prevention take the minimum listed dosage.
  (For children or patients with a compromised immune system, please consult your health care practitioner.)
• Take anti-viral zinc lozenges.
• Gargle with hot salt water and 5 drops of GSE (grapefruit seed extract).
• Change your diet for a few days. Eat only vegetables, fruits and a source of protein (meat, fish or eggs). Avoid wheat, dairy, alcohol and sugar. They all increase your phlegm and help the virus take hold.
• For  flu with the above symptoms plus nausea, body ache and fever use the above protocol and add the homeopathic remedy Ocsillococcinum and Chinese Curing Pills.

Other Health Tips to help you avoid getting a cold or flu.

• Keep your hands clean.
• Do not touch your face with your hand.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Take Vitamin D-3 and Vitamin C supplements daily.
• Come in for acupuncture to boost your immune system.

Do not forget that sunshine also gives you anti-viral protection.

Get some sunshine when you can. Yes, put some sunscreen on your face, but leave your arms and legs exposed to soak up the sun rays. The ultraviolet rays which one absorbs through the sunlight give you anti-viral protection. They boost your Vitamin D levels and help your T-cells fight infection. From November through March you should increase your daily intake of Vitamin D to 2000 IU per day.

Dr. Rakela recommends that you affirm wellness every day, follow the above protocol and you will have more strength to fight off any virus. You, too, will get over your colds and flu quickly or not catch them at all.  Call or email us to set up an acupuncture appointment to boost you immune system.

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Even the pants for both men and women for many years now are cut lower in the waist region. So if you gain weight in the abdomen you can still wear your pant but hang over the top—the so-called muffin top.

Excessive eating of the wrong kind of carbohydrates is one of the major causes of weight gain in the belly region. Stress is a contributing factor too.

How does eating too many carbohydrates make belly fat?

In a healthy person when you eat carbohydrates they break down into glucose and the glucose is transported into the cells with insulin. Your body releases just the right amount of insulin to process the glucose in your blood stream. Then the insulin levels drop and you burn fat until you eat again.

If you constantly overload your body with a high carbohydrate diet of foods such as potatoes, corn chips, pasta, white flour breads, breakfast cereals, crackers, energy bars, etc., your body begins to release more insulin than the cells can absorb. This excess insulin drives your blood sugar to below normal causing a state of hypoglycemia and you feel fatigued with poor concentration, memory loss and irritability. So, to feel better you eat more carbohydrates to bring up your blood sugar. As you fill up on carbohydrates you burn sugar for energy and not fat. Then the belly fat starts to accumulate.

Belly fat is not your only problem; this excess insulin in the blood stream can also cause insulin resistance leading to hormonal imbalances, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

How does stress play a role in weight gain in the abdomen?

According to researchers, belly fat can result both directly and indirectly from stress. When you are stressed, you often feel hungry and tend to eat more which can lead to weight gain. Also under stress, cortisol, the stress hormone is released. The abdomen has a greater blood supply and has more receptors for cortisol than other areas of the body. Excess cortisol stimulates the fat storage around the belly. Gaining belly fat may be the body’s coping mechanism for turning off the stress response.

What can we do to get rid of that belly fat?

• Avoid simple carbohydrates, especially the white ones (white bread, potatoes, rice, pasta).

• Eat more complex carbohydrates such as vegetables.

• Never eat carbohydrates alone. Try to add some protein to your carbohydrates (crackers with almond butter).

• Make exercise a daily habit.

• Ask Dr. Rakela or your acupuncturist about the supplements Garcinia Cambogia and chromium picolinate to reduce carbohydrate cravings.

• Ask Dr. Rakela or your acupuncturist about an acupuncture weight loss plan.

• Practice yoga and meditation to reduce your stress.

Not all fats are bad. Try to eat more MUFA’s, no not muffins. MUFA is monounsaturated fatty acids. These fats are good for you and make you feel full and cut your craving for sugar and carbohydrates. They are olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocados and dark chocolate.

In one scientific study it was found that belly fat diminished in people who were fed foods that were high in MUFA’s and a Mediterranean diet. This diet is based on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, MUFA’s, olive oil, fish and red wine.

by Dr. Nancy Rakela

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In Chinese medicine constant stress and anxiety block the smooth flow of our energy which travels through the body in system highways called meridians.  Stress and anxiety cause roadblocks to our free flowing energy.  Acupuncture helps relieve the blocked energy due to stress, improves our circulation, and relaxes our tight muscles.  This helps relieve pain, headaches, and many other health conditions caused by stress.

In Western medicine, acupuncture alleviates stress by causing the release of endorphins.  These are the pain relieving chemicals that give us a sense of well-being that the brain produces. The endorphins calm the nervous system; this helps us feel more relaxed and calmer even in the most stressful situations.

Martha, a busy attorney, came to the Berkeley acupuncture clinic for treatment to alleviate her stress and anxiety.    She felt that recent events in her life were getting beyond her control and that her physical and emotional health were beginning to suffer.  Martha was working on an important case with a major report due in a few days.   She had just purchased a new home and needed to move soon.   Her small dog was sick and in and out of the vet’s clinic.   Martha told me that she was exhausted but could not sleep, that her heart was racing and she was anxious.   She had been getting tension headaches, and she had muscle spasms in her lower back because she lifted too many heavy boxes.

Martha definitely needed acupuncture for stress reduction.  After a few acupuncture sessions Martha commented that, “Acupuncture relieved the muscle spasms in my back and my headaches.   I am starting to sleep better after just three treatments. “

This is what some of my patients are saying about acupuncture and stress:

• Acupuncture helped me with stress reduction while I was trying to conceive. SN

• Acupuncture helped me with stress while I was taking care of my 95-year-old mother, had no time for myself and my back went out. PR

• Acupuncture helped me cope with the stress of breast cancer and the chemotherapy treatment. JL

• Acupuncture helped me deal with stress at work when I was trying to balance the budget, so I would not have to lay off any staff. KF

We all experience stress at some point in our lives.  The sooner we can take care of ourselves, the less stress will disrupt our health.  Take a mini break by getting acupuncture the next time life gets stressful. You will stay healthier and will be able to cope much better.

Dr. Nancy Rakela

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