Keep Moving!

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millet_the_gleanersWhen I (Carol) took the Memorial Sloan Kettering online oncology course for acupuncturists, the recommendation for healthy people to exercise 30-60 minutes a day was the standout detail from the entire, 30+ hours of lectures.

That’s 30-60 minutes, seven days a week of formal exercise, not including the time you may spend traveling, changing, or cleaning up. And movement for our daily peregrinations, though better than nothing, doesn’t count.

Why, I wondered, did they advocate 30-60 minutes a day, and then it hit me: our DNA is programmed to move a lot more than we do in the 21st Century. It’s only been about 250 years since the Industrial Revolution, and many conveniences we take for granted didn’t exist before then. For our ancestors, chores and travel demanded constant physical effort; physiological evolution doesn’t change as quickly as our world has, so we have to accommodate our body’s needs by moving more.

Moving is one of the main ways to reduce your risk of getting cancer, because where there is blood flow, free radicals cannot pile up. When you regularly engage in steady, sustained movement, blood perfuses throughout your body.

Once I grasped this fact, I took up the challenge, and found it easy to justify the time spent, because being cancer-free is a compelling motivator. Viewed in this light, choosing to move is as simple as standing on one side of a line and stepping over it to the other side.

Regular exercise has many benefits, including leveling out the stresses encountered in a day.

If you are new to exercise, begin slowly and build up to it. You will find the body grows stronger exponentially, for it’s designed to do this. Expect some aches and pains as you make progress, but pay attention to the quality of pain to avoid injury (so you can continue working out!). If you overdo it, don’t give up, just take a break and get some acupuncture or a massage to speed the healing.

http://mountaintopacupuncture.com/keep-moving

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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have over 30 years experience. To read more, please click here.

If you have questions and concerns about acupuncture treatment, we offer a free 20-minute phone session: click here for contact information to call or e-mail us. We practice at The Highlands Ranch Medical Pavilion in Littleton, Colorado.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

Filed Under: All Things Exercise, Health Tips, Stress Busters, Theory, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

February is American Heart Month!

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slideshow-visual-guide-to-heart-disease1Heart disease most commonly is an accumulation of unhealthy lifestyle choices and is therefore preventable. Heart disease is also treatable after the fact, with changes in diet and level of physical activity.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), heart disease represents one-sixth of the deaths in the U.S. each year, when there are 1,255,000 new or recurrent incidences of coronary attacks. These result in death 34 percent of the time — that’s 426,700 preventable deaths! Statistically, men are slightly more prone to heart disease than women, and roughly one-third of the U.S. population has some sort of cardiovascular disease.
Anatomy and Physiology of the Heart in a Nutshell:

  • The heart maintains the circulation of blood throughout the body.
  • The heart is a muscular pump divided into four chambers pumping blood: two in, two out.
  • The heart is located behind the sternum, slightly to the left of center in the chest, between the lungs.
  • The cardiac muscle is involuntary, which means it is not under conscious control.
  • Although it is innervated by the autonomic nervous system (ANS), the heart has an intrinsic conduction system controlling rhythm. The ANS controls the rate.

Additional factors influencing heart disease:

  • Chemicals can increase or decrease heart rate. For example, epinephrine released in response to stress will increase heart rate, an increase in calcium will strengthen cardiac muscle and increase heart rate, and an increase in both potassium and sodium can lower heart rate.
  • Temperature: Heat increases heart rate and cold decreases heart rate.
  • Emotions: Fear, anger, and anxiety are all stressors that increase heart rate.
  • Gender: Women’s hearts beat faster.

Diseases of the Heart in a Nutshell

  • Birth defects: many corrected with surgical intervention.
  • Electrical conduction (arrythmias): second most common cause, affecting the valves. Very treatable with drugs and interventions that reset rhythm.
  • Blood circulation (coronary): caused due to blockage in the heart’s blood vessels. Majority of heart disease, divided into two main types, treated with surgery and drugs:
  1. Angina Pectoris occurs over time with decreased oxygen supply to the cardiac muscle, weakening the muscle cells. Stress and physical exertion after a heavy meal are the major causes. Chest pain is the chief complaint.
  2. Myocardial Infarction is a heart attack due to the death of tissue, causing loss of muscle strength and ability to function at all.
  • Infection: bacteria, virus, fungus, or parasite affect one of the three layers of the heart tissue (pericardium, myocardium, endocardium).

Signs and Symptoms in a Nutshell

Electrical System Malfunction

  • Sudden loss of responsiveness
  • Erratic breathing
  • Treatment: CPR and ER defibrillator
  • Occurrence: 295,000 per year in the U.S.; 95 percent die before reaching the hospital.

Blood Supply Blockage

  • Chest discomfort: pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
  • Discomfort in other areas of the body: one or both arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach.
  • Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
  • Others: cold sweat, nausea, lightheaded. Additionally, in women, heart flutters, fatigue, cough, loss of appetite, and heartburn are symptoms that should be taken seriously if they persist.

What You Can Do to Prevent Heart Disease

Many forms of heart disease can be prevented or treated with healthy lifestyle choices:

  • MOVE: a minimum of moderate exercise 30 minutes a day, 3-5 times per week.
  • EAT WELL: quality nutrition to lower cholesterol and blood pressure:
  1. Consume more plant food as grains, vegetables, fruit, beans and legumes.
  2. Consume healthy oils as seeds and nuts, and cook with cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil.
  3. Consume alcohol in moderation: 1 drink per day for women, 2 drinks for men.
  • QUIT SMOKING
  • REDUCE STRESS

At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we help you implement these preventive measures as our provided standard of care.

In the U.S. in 2011, people on the whole don’t yet know acupuncture and its herbal medicine is a proven, successful intervention that can treat many diseases before they have gone too far.

While it is imperative you visit your western medicine doctor, eastern medicine is there for you to take advantage of. If you catch symptoms as they arise and before they take hold, you can avoid ever having a confirmed diagnosis!

At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we focus on your diet and encourage exercising as part of your treatment. We can also help you reduce stress and quit smoking, acting as advocates by exploring ways to cope with life’s curves with you, to prevent heart disease altogether.

http://mountaintopacupuncture.com/february-is-american-heart-month

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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have a combined 34 years of experience. To read more, please click here.

If you have questions and concerns about acupuncture treatment, we offer a free 20-minute phone session: click here for contact information to call or e-mail us. We practice at The Highlands Ranch Medical Pavilion in Littleton, Colorado.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

 

Filed Under: All Things Exercise, Health Tips, Herbs and Acupuncture, Integrative Medicine, Research, You Are What You Eat Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Qigong and Tai Ji Chuan

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Standing Qigong

Standing Qigong

I (Tom) was drawn to the internal arts when I was a teenager. And when I was 20, I tried out a yoga class in the basement of a local health food store, in the outpost of Queens, New York. That class made me feel so good, and because of it, I started eating better, breathing correctly, and meditating.

Along my journey at about the age of 24, I discovered qigong and tai ji chuan, two ancient Chinese practices. It was a brief encounter but it resonated with me and I knew I would come back to it.

It wasn’t until my mid-30s that I was re-introduced to qigong, and soon after, tai ji chuan. Tai ji chuan is a form of qigong, but it’s a martial arts fighting form. I started an intense practice that included getting up hours before work to do seated meditation, moving and standing qigong, tai ji chuan and yoga.

I found that I was physically stronger and mentally more relaxed. Old injuries that I thought were gone started to re-appear, but with persistent practice, they started to truly heal.

What is Qigong?

Qigong is a Chinese medical practice that is thousands of years old. It is the cultivation and movement of qi through regular practice. The word qi, pronounced “chee”, has no English translation, but some translate it as breathe and some as energy. In Chinese medicine, it is understood as having five functions: it moves, transforms, warms, protects, and contains. The word gong, pronounced “kung” or “gung,” translates into training.

Qigong Has Been Used for Various Purposes:

  • to maintain health
  • healing
  • fighting
  • spiritual development

How Does Qigong Maintain Health?

The regular practice of qigong breathing and exercise promotes the flow of qi and blood throughout the body, which is vital for the health and well-being of the body. Qigong done on a regular basis keeps the joint pliable and strong, and reduces the chances of arthritis. Qigong gives a deep massage to all the organs, keeping them bathed in nutrient-rich blood. Doing this kind of exercises, the body relies on the proper alignment of the skeletal system, which reduces unnecessary stress on the muscles, and promotes bone strength, reducing the chances of osteoporosis. Qigong promotes balance and coordination, and lessens the potential injuries from falling.

How Does Qigong Promote Healing?

Qigong exercise is one of the modalities used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The TCM practitioner will assess the patient and can prescribe a series of qigong exercises to increase the effects of healing injury or disease. Medical qigong is mild and safe for all kinds of patients.

How is Qigong Used for Fighting?

Qigong by itself is not used for fighting, but is used as a warm-up for martial art forms. Regular practice cultivates qi and the skilled of the martial artist can martial this qi if in combat.

How is Qigong Used for Spiritual Development?

Qigong training brings your focus inward and quiets the mind to promote inner stillness. It is considered meditation in motion or standing meditation. Qigong was used by Taoist and Buddhist monks to attain enlightenment.

Are There Different Kinds of Qigong?

Yes, there is moving qigong, which has many forms, and can be done slowly or fast. It can be performed sitting or lying down. Another kind of qigong is Zhan Zhuang, pronounced “jan jong”, which means “standing like a tree”. During this type of qigong, one stands still in one position for an extended period of time. There are various posses from easy to more difficult. When you align your body correctly and you allow your muscles to relax and use a minimal amount of energy to maintain the position, your nervous system relaxes and works more efficiently. The nervous system regulates all the systems in the body, and when it functions correctly, the body can deal with internal and external stresses more easily.

My qigong teacher says, when you practice qigong, the qi circulates throughout the body. This ignites the fire within the dan tian (located in the lower abdomen). The source of your qi, this fire purifies by melting the gunk that clogs up the steady flow of qi.

Research studies have shown that qigong exercises and tai ji chuan have a positive effect on muscle strength, flexibility, and balance. Studies have also shown improvement in medical conditions such as: heart disease, hypertension, osteopenia, osteoporosis, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, asthma, and insomnia. It also shows an improvement in the quality of life in some cancer patients.

http://mountaintopacupuncture.com/qigong-and-tai-ji-chuan

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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have a combined 34 years of experience. To read more, please click here.

If you have questions and concerns about acupuncture treatment, we offer a free 20-minute phone session: click here for contact information to call or e-mail us. We practice at The Highlands Ranch Medical Pavilion in Littleton, Colorado.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

Filed Under: All Things Exercise, Integrative Medicine, Research Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,