Allendale Acupuncture & Nutrition Clinic

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Tag: pancreas

Strengthen Your Digestive Health with Acupuncture

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Our gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) starts from the mouth and ends at the anus. There are a number of diseases associated with our GI tract ranging from excessive gas build-up, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea to more serious conditions such as acid reflux (GERD), ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and Crohn’s disease. Most of these conditions are chronic, although some conditions of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease can be life-threatening.

Early Chinese medical texts state that “The origins of any chronic disease can be traced back to compromised digestive function.” In other words, Chinese medicine views digestive health as the foundation to total health.

digestive health

According to Chinese medical theory, most digestive disorders are due to disharmony in the spleen and stomach. In fact, it’s not so much the stomach that holds the key in maintaining optimal digestive function, it’s the SPLEEN.

Unlike Western medicine that views the spleen as not-so-vital, Chinese medicine considers the spleen an extremely important organ, not only for digestive functions, but for reproductive health, immune functions, and vascular strength.

The spleen (which includes the pancreas in Chinese medical theory) takes a lead role in the assimilation of nutrients and maintenance of physical strength. It turns digested food from the stomach into usable nutrients and Qi (energy).

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The liver also plays a critical role in the digestive process. When the spleen is weak, the liver cannot move smoothly, so that the combined effects of weak spleen and liver often result in serious digestive disorders.

In addition, the large/small intestines, the gallbladder, and the kidneys are intricately involved in our digestive process. Therefore, maintaining optimal digestive heath always requires a holistic approach that takes into a whole body into account, not just the organs associated with the GI tract.

Manage Your Cholesterol Level with Nutrition

Posted by on in Cardiovascular Health

What is cholesterol and how is it bad? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your body and many foods. Your body needs cholesterol to function normally and makes all that you need. Too much cholesterol can sometimes build up in your arteries. After a while, these deposits narrow your arteries, putting you at risk for heart disease and stroke.

cholesterol and nutrition

Cholesterol has been a fixture in dietary warnings in the U.S. at least since 1961, when it appeared in guidelines developed by the American Heart Association. Later adopted by the federal government, such warnings helped shift eating habits — per capita egg consumption dropped about 30 percent. In the mean time, tens of millions of people were advised to take cholesterol-lowering statin drugs to prevent heart attacks or strokes. Statin drugs work by blocking the action of the liver enzyme that is responsible for producing cholesterol.

However, the side-effects of statin drugs are enormous. More than 900 studies have been published illustrating the side-effects of statin drugs, most notable of which are the risk of developing diabetes, liver failure, memory loss and lower sexual functions.

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I personally believe that unless someone’s overall cholesterol level is higher than 300, no one should take statin drugs. The fact is that 75 percent of your cholesterol is produced by your liver, which is influenced by your insulin levels. Therefore, if you optimize your insulin levels, you will automatically optimize your cholesterol.

Nutrition response testing can determine the root causes of cholesterol issues. For some individual, unregulated sugar metabolism caused by weak pancreas may be the most important issue; for others, metal or chemical toxicity in their kidneys may cause an elevated cholesterol level. Once the root cause is determined, cholesterol level can effectively be managed by real-food-based nutrition protocols..

Improve Your Endocrine Health Through Chinese Medicine

Posted by on in Endocrine Health

Endocrine glands impact every area of your health.  Responsible for hormonal functions in the body, the endocrine system produces 30 distinct hormones, each of which has a very specific job to do.

This system controls your physical growth, mood, hormone output, reproduction, mental functionality, and immune system.

Typical symptoms of the endocrine disorders include: low immunity, fatigue, weight gain, depression, digestive issues, hair loss, arthritis, and feeling chilled regardless of the temperature.

Major endocrine glands in our bodies

Adrenals –

Adrenal glands regulate the body’s response to stress. Made of two parts, the outer part produces corticosteroid hormones that regulate the balance of salt and water, stress response, metabolism, immune function, and the reproductive system; the inner part secretes adrenaline hormones that increase blood pressure and heart rate in response to stress.

Pancreas –

The pancreas produces insulin and glucagon, two hormones that work together to provide the body with a constant supply of glucose which is the source of energy.

Pineal –

The pineal gland, also known as the “third eye,” produces the serotonin derivative melatonin, a hormone that affects the wake/sleep patterns and seasonal functions.

Hypothalamus and Pituitary –

As the primary link between the endocrine and central nervous systems, the pituitary gland secrete or suppress the release of various hormone messages to the other glands. The pituitary gland is also responsible for secreting growth hormones.

Reproductive –

These glands secrete hormones that control the development of male and female characteristics. In males, these glands secrete androgen hormones, most importantly testosterone. In females, they produce estrogen, progesterone, eggs, and are involved in reproductive functions.

Thyroid –

Thyroid hormones control the growth, temperature and function of every cell in the body. The gland acts as the metabolic engine of the body — if it secretes too little hormone, the body slows and dies; if it secretes too much, the body burns out and dies.

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When it comes to treating the endocrine disorders, Chinese medicine seeks the root cause of the patient’s imbalance. The endocrine system is closely tied to the internal balance of the Yin energy (quiet, supportive, feminine, and cool) and the Yang energy (outward, strong, hot, and masculine).

Although imbalance between the Yin and Yang energy is the basis of any human disease, the most important element for endocrine disorder treatment is centered on the KIDNEY meridian.

By strengthening the KIDNEY (along with other organs like the Spleen, Liver, and Heart), acupuncture can restore hormonal balance, regulate energy levels, emotional stability, and help manage sleep and menstrual problems.

For endocrine disorders, we find that an integrated approach of Eastern and Western medicine often produce most optimal results. This is especially pertinent to infertility patients, many of whom may not have any “medical” issues according to conventional blood work.

Managing Diabetes with Nutritional Response Testing Procedure

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In managing diabetes, are there any other issues we need to be concerned about in addition to “too-well-known” factors such as diet changes and healthy life-style?

Instead of just controlling one’s sugar metabolic rates, what if the most deep-rooted cause of diabetes is parasites lodged in one’s liver or intestines?

What if someone has too much metal toxicity(from their tooth fillings) which affected his or her pancreas, as a result, this person ended up being a diabetic?

What if too much estrogen due to a hormonal therapy has caused disruption in one’s pituitary glands so that production and distribution of insulin in one’s body has been compromised?

diabetis and nutrition testing

Although diet changes and exercises will bring immeasurable benefits in managing one’s diabetic conditions, there are ways to determine precisely the real causes of diabetes(or any disease for that matter). Our bodies are intricate and complex beyond measure.

Nutrition Response Testing is designed to address the most fundamental health issues at cellular level. Based on an assumption that “anything can cause anything,” Nutrition Response Testing can decipher whether one’s diabetes is caused by:

  • Food allergies(most common issues are sugar and wheat)
  • Pathogen embedded in organs and tissues(such as bacteria, virus, fungus/yeast, or parasites)
  • Metal toxicity
  • Chemical toxicity
  • Scar tissues (that disrupt the flow of energies in one’s body).

Typically, a complex condition like diabetes is caused by multiple causes, all of which affect each other at many different levels.

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In Nutrition Response Testing, the most fundamental causes of diabetes are determined through a series of applied kinesiology techniques.

After the No. 1 causes are determined, most appropriate nutrition support system (based on Real Food Based Supplements) such as virus removal protocols, metal toxicity removal system are introduced.

Patients are expected to be tested on a weekly basis to gauge improvement as well as to find out whether there is a need for further analysis.

In the majority of cases, diabetic conditions can improve dramatically only after 5 or 6 sessions.

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Do you or someone you know suffer from diabetes and/or peripheral neuropathy?

Call Allendale Acupuncture today at 201.760.8811 to find out how acupuncture and nutritional response testing can help!

Detox for Seasonal Allergies

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Latest statistics show that more than half of the US population suffers from seasonal allergies. With the rapidly declining immune functions of the majority, this number is likely to increase.  Please refer to an earlier article (Nutrition for maximum health) for the major reasons why our immune functions have deteriorated. Over-the-counter and prescription medications provide temporary relief for typical symptoms of seasonal allergies, but they cannot address the deeper  causes for incessant sneezing, inflammation of sinus cavities, itchy and red eyes, headaches and brain fog. What can we do to combat seasonal allergies?

gallbladder cleansing

Before we jump into this topic, here are some interesting perspectives in Chinese medical theories on seasonal allergies: Spring is associated with the liver, meaning the liver is most vulnerable during spring. The liver is also responsible for emotions such as frustration, anxiety, and anger. The relative health of the liver shows up in the eyes—can you see a connection between conjunctivitis (itchy, red, crusty eyes) and the liver? The taste associated with the liver is “sour” and the color is “green“ which means we need to take a lot of green/sour foods during springtime.  The liver is also connected to the gallbladder as a yin-yang pair, which means one cannot have a perfectly healthy liver and a weak gallbladder because they are mirror images of each other.

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Liver/Gallbladder cleansing

Arguably, the most effective measure to combat seasonal allergies is Liver/Gallbladder Cleansing.

Dr. Hilda Clark’s Liver/Gallbladder cleansing protocol

This cleansing method surpasses any other widely-known allergy elimination protocol because it addresses the root cause of all allergies, including environmental, seasonal, food-related (gluten included), and chemical- or metal-related allergies. Commonly known as the Liver/Gallbladder Flush, this protocol is designed to remove calcified (gallstones) and non-calcified fat deposits from the liver and gallbladder.

Suggested to be repeated as many as 20 times every 2-3 weeks, this protocol will restore healthy functions of the liver and gallbladder. For those who removed their gallbladders, it is even more critical to adopt this approach in order to reduce the extra burdens placed on their liver and pancreas.

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When one’s liver is completely clean, not only allergies but other diseases are likely to disappear because a healthy liver produces clean blood, which is the single most important factor in maintaining optimum health.

(Personal note: During the 3rd liver/gallbladder flush, I removed more than an inch-long, bright green, non-calcified gallstone along with thousands of smaller fat deposits stuck in my liver and gallbladder.)