Most people know that sleep is incredibly important for overall health and wellness. It is a fundamental biological process that allows the body to rest and repair, and is essential for optimal physical, mental, and emotional functioning. However, sometimes we really don't prioritize our own sleep - often staying up late or not creating the ideal conditions for a good night's rest.

Here are a few of the key reasons why sleep is so essential (in case you aren't convinced!):

1. Rest and restoration: During sleep, the body works to repair and restore cells and tissues, boost the immune system, and conserve energy.
2. Brain function: Sleep is critical for cognitive processes such as memory consolidation, learning, attention, and decision-making.
3. Emotional regulation: Getting adequate sleep can help regulate mood, reduce stress, and improve emotional well-being.
4. Physical health: Sleep has been linked to a lower risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer.
5. Performance: Sleep is essential for optimal performance in physical and mental activities such as exercise, work, and academics.

So as you can see, sleep is something that needs to be prioritized! If you are not sleeping well, you are not laying one of the very important foundations for health. At our acupuncture and wellness clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, we help people every day with getting better rest at night!


Here are a few nutrition, lifestyle and functional medicine tips that can enhance your sleep... Start improving your health today by getting better sleep!

• I know everyone has heard the advice to shut down electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime. If you're having trouble with sleeping, you should really follow this one. Some people can benefit from even two or three hours before bedtime. Or at the very least wear blue light blocking glasses at night and definitely set your devices to limit blue light a certain number of hours before bed (flux is a good one to use on your laptop, and many phones and tablets have this feature built-in, you just have to activate it). You can use this time before bed for reading (not anything stressful!), meditating, praying, journaling, doing gentle yoga, etc. Make a commitment to having the last hour before bedtime being peaceful and you'll see changes in your sleep.

 

• If you have trouble sleeping, definitely watch the amount and timing of your caffeine consumption. Aim for just one cup of coffee in the morning, and definitely don't have any in the afternoon. Caffeine has a relatively long half-life, meaning it takes quite a while to get out of your body. Instead of an afternoon cup, try taking a 15-minute power nap or a 15-minute power walk to revive yourself. I often recommend my patients who have insomnia or anxiety issues to get off caffeine and coffee completely and most will see a dramatic improvement in their sleep.

 

• Take a bath or hot shower before bedtime. The body cooling down can trigger the production of melatonin, the hormone that makes us sleep. When we heat our body in a shower and then our body cools off, this triggers that production. Bonus if you use calming essential oils in your bath such as lavender, vetiver, sandalwood, rose, etc.

 

• Balance your blood sugar. Blood sugar dips in the middle of the night can cause our body to go into fight or flight mode, which wakes us up. Make sure you're eating whole foods throughout the day and limiting sugar and processed foods. Eat regularly to avoid dips in blood sugar. Most people do well to not eat a few hours before bed, but for some people with a heightened stress response or adrenal issues, they might need a snack before bed to get through the night. Keeping balanced portions of carbohydrates, protein and some healthy fat at all meals, but especially dinner is important for sleep.

 

• Keeping your room dark, cool and quiet really does work. Get really strong blackout curtains or blinds to make your room pitch black. Cover up lights that may be coming from alarm clocks and definitely keep your phone in another room. Turn the thermostat down to stay comfortably cool (some sleep experts say as low as 68 degrees, that's personally too chilly for me, but I like it around 71...I think this is a personal choice and takes experimentation to figure out what temperature works for you). Use earplugs if you need to, to keep things nice and quiet. Darkness and cool temperatures are two things that really help to increase melatonin production.

 

• Keeping a regular daily schedule (getting up and going to sleep at roughly the same time) is important for maintaining your sleep-wake cycle. Try to get some sun in the early parts of the day, which will help to raise cortisol in the time of day it should be raised (morning). This will help you feel more energetic in the morning. Then in the afternoon and evening, we want to start having warmer and dimmer lighting to reduce cortisol and prepare for melatonin to raise at night. It's important to make yourself go to bed at a reasonable hour (I recommend at least before 11 pm) to keep yourself on a good schedule. I know it's not fun to make yourself go to bed, but just put yourself in the role of the parent and tell yourself you need to do it in order to keep the vibrant health that you want!

 

• ​Some nutrients and herbs that can help with calming are calcium, magnesium, l-theanine, ashwagandha, chamomile, lemon balm and GABA. I generally only recommend supplemental melatonin for short periods of time if you're jet-lagged (very useful for re-setting circadian rhythms) or if you're under extreme stress. It's better, in my humble opinion, to provide the right environment and circumstances for your body to make melatonin on its own. The reason for this is that if your body is able to make melatonin on its own, that means your body is much more happy and more balanced, rather than having to rely on an outside source of the melatonin hormone.

 

• A functional medicine test that can be helpful for sleep is a 4-point cortisol test, also called an Adrenal Stress Profile or an Adrenal Stress Index. The adrenal glands are part of your endocrine (hormonal) system. They sit on top of your kidneys and they produce all of your stress hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine. This test can look at the output of cortisol 4 times throughout the day to make sure that it is not too high or too low. Optimal cortisol function is very important for stress, mood, energy, and proper sleep. Imbalances, whether too high or too low, can cause you to feel poorly. The tricky thing is that sometimes high and low cortisol can mimic each other, so that's why it's really helpful to get tested. Treatments for high and low cortisol are different, so having a baseline from the test is a wonderful place to start before starting to throw random supplements at the problem! We offer this test from ZRT Labs, a leader in functional medicine testing, at our clinic for $170.

I hope that this information proves helpful and sweet dreams to you this evening! If you live in the Jacksonville, Florida area we'd be happy to help you get better sleep through acupuncture treatments, nutrition and functional medicine.

In recent years, the development of society and economic progress have changed the way people live and work. Poor postures and life habits have left consequences such as a larger number of people with occupational muscle pain and postural diseases of the spine, even in young people.
 
Bioenergetic therapists such as acupuncture and structural therapies such as massage/bodywork are modalities currently used by professionals to address these health problems, which are sometimes resistant to conventional treatments.
 
Within this classification, acupuncture occupies an important place, with excellent results when used correctly, becoming a safe and economical method in chronic conditions.
 
There are thousands of studies on acupuncture and you can read here about evidence-based acupuncture. Even though much of acupuncture's credibility comes from its centuries-old practice, it's nice to have validation based on current scientific studies.

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What is acupuncture?
 
Acupuncture represents the most well-known and widespread area of traditional Chinese medicine in the West. It is a technique in which very thin needles are inserted into the body at specific anatomical points called acupoints.
This technique contemplates several modalities of stimulation of the inserted needles, which can be:

• Manual acupuncture, the needles are manipulated manually.
• Electroacupuncture, the needles are connected to a device that provides a low to moderate electrical discharge.
• Heat acupuncture or moxibustion involves wrapping needles in a medicinal plant, that is lit and warms the stem of the needle, introducing heat into the body; it is completely safe and poses no danger of burning.
• Laser acupuncture, acupuncture points are stimulated with a laser pulse.

 
All of the above have the same goal: to realign the body's vital energy, or Qi (in Chinese), to encourage self-healing and restore the natural biological balance.
 
Combine to enhance the effect.
One of the great advantages of bioenergetic therapies is that they can be combined to enhance their healing effect. In combined treatment, the same problem is worked on from different perspectives and the treatment can be tailored in a more personalized way to obtain the maximum benefit.
 
Massage Therapy
With more than two thousand years old, medicinal massage is the basis of almost all bioenergetic therapies and one of the therapies that have been most perfected and adapted to the demands of the modern world.
 
It has no contraindications and is recommended for people of all ages. Especially beneficial for the elderly and children, it provides physical, mental, and emotional balance.
 
During a session, the therapist uses hands and fingers to apply pressure, friction, vibration, kneading or traction with different intensities. It is performed with the patient sitting or lying on a comfortable surface
 
Manipulative techniques and passive joint movements are used to improve movement range and delay joint degeneration, to realign the body and correct posture.
 
How are they combined?
The use of acupuncture theory to promote the healing response in combination with massage therapy does not necessarily imply the use of needles and massage at the same time.
 
The necessary stimuli on the acupoints can be applied with hands and fingers as well as pressure along the acupuncture channels. This type of stimulation through massage is called acupressure, being one of the ways to integrate both techniques with greater efficiency.
 
Daily sessions can also be carried out, alternating acupuncture treatments on one day and massages on the other, this intercalated treatment is another option to obtain the maximum benefit of both therapies in an integrated program.
 
Needling acupuncture points during a massage considerably modifies its benefits. So it becomes an effective formula to obtain greater results in less time.
 
A therapy plan like this that includes acupuncture and medicinal massages is highly recommended in cases of:

• Pain in muscles, bones and tendons
• Sports injuries
• Arthritis and osteoarthritis
• Muscle spasms
• Neck, back, shoulder, hip, leg, knee and ankle pain.
• Stress, anxiety, insomnia.
• Headaches, migraines

 
It can also help with respiratory, digestive, and reproductive system issues, or even menstrual and infertility issues.
 
It is common practice in alternative therapy clinics throughout Asia to combine acupuncture and massage to treat joints, muscles, and chronic pain. Because both therapies have such a close theoretical correlation, together they are extremely powerful in healing the patient naturally and quickly.

In Jacksonville, Florida we offer practitioners of both massage therapy and acupuncture to offer you the best of both worlds for your health and wellness! You can book an appointment now to get started on your journey to optimal health.

When focusing on conception and fertility

• Avoid NSAIDS (Advil, Motrin, Aleve) – especially in the follicular phase of the cycle - as they can inhibit ovulation.
• Have intercourse every 2nd day (or about 3 times a week). There is no need to have intercourse every day, and in fact, sperm regenerates every 48 hours. Shoot for having intercourse on day 9, 11, 13 and 15 your cycle (but make adjustments for when you are actually ovulating). It’s important to have intercourse before ovulation. Sperm can live in the uterus for up to five days.
• Did you know that not all lubricant is baby-making friendly? Use a sperm friendly lubricant. Pre-Seed  or Conceive Plus are options. The natural ingredients in Yes Baby Organic are my favorite. These lubricants actually help to keep sperm alive for longer in the vagina. This helps because when ovulation occurs, the sperm is there waiting.
• Limit caffeine. Excessive caffeine impacts cortisol levels, which can throw off the hormones necessary for fertility. One small (12 ounce) cup of coffee in the morning may be fine, though if you struggle with anxiety or insomnia I'd suggest cutting this out. Switching to green tea can be a good option for some women, as it has only a small amount of caffeine and also has a calming substance called L-Theanine. Men should watch caffeine consumption as well.
• Strictly limit alcohol consumption. There is a link between alcohol consumption and difficulty conceiving. Zero to 1 drink a week for women is probably fine. Men can probably have 1 to 2 drinks per week (men process alcohol more efficiently than women).
• Men: avoid heat from laptops and hot tubs/hot baths in the groin area. Heat can damage sperm. Do not keep your cell phone in your front pocket as there is some evidence that the transmissions from cell phones can damage sperm.
• Make stress management a priority. Again, the stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline can impact the balance of your female sex hormones. Avoid overwork and over-exercise (moderate exercise is good and recommended). Finding activities that you enjoy that are calming and rewarding such as yoga, painting, walking in nature, meditation, etc. are all great ideas. Treatments such as massage and acupuncture are of course supportive too.
• Avoid chemical exposures, including synthetic fragrances. Cigarette smoke, dry cleaning chemicals, plastics, new cars, air fresheners, scented personal care products or new household furniture or carpets are all common sources of toxins. These chemicals are known hormone disruptors.
• Another note on plastics--use glass or stainless steel containers for your food and water. Plastic containers can leach chemicals into your food and water. This is especially true if you are heating foods in plastic. If you occasionally can't avoid eating or drinking from plastic containers, look for BPA free labeling.

 
 
Getting the Most of Acupuncture for Fertility

• Consistency is key with acupuncture for fertility. You’ll need to come at least once a week, and in some cases, twice a week. Your acupuncturist will make a recommendation for you depending on your specific needs.
• Both partners should be treated if possible. It takes two the make a baby!
• Certain supplements for fertility are recommended. These are generally strong antioxidants that enhance egg quality. Ubiquinol, NAC and PQQ are some favorites. Making sure you're taking folate instead of folic acid is also recommended. We can give you more specific recommendations when you come in depending on your case. Chinese herbal medicine may be prescribed depending on your presentation.
• Implement Seed Cycling as recommended (see next page).
• Enhance your nutrition! Eating whole foods, fruits rich in antioxidants like berries, dark leafy greens, seeds are especially important: emphasize pumpkin and flax seeds, especially in the first half of the menstrual cycle. Another blog will come with more specifics on fertility nutrition.
• Practice stress reduction techniques: deep breathing, gratitude, massage, meditation/prayer, yoga, coloring, walking, etc.

These are so yummy and have veggies and fruit hidden in them! They are high in protein from the chickpea flour and almond flour which makes them very filling and satisfying. The chocolate flavor makes them feel decadent but they are still so healthy. They are gluten-free, dairy-free and plant-based. Using a food processor makes these muffins super easy to make and clean-up.

Ingredients
1 large zucchini, shredded or processed in a food processor
1 large banana
1 cup chickpea or besan flour
2 Tbl ground flax seed
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup maple syrup (could use date syrup)
1/3 cup water or non-dairy milk
1/3 cup cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
3/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup walnut in small pieces (optional)

Directions
1.) Set aside your shredded zucchini in a large bowl.
2.) In a food processor, combine all banana, water or non-dairy milk and maple syrup. Blend to combine well.
3.) Add all other ingredients except walnuts and raisins (if using). Blend to combine well. Batter should be thick but not too thick. You can add more water or milk if needed.
4.) Add batter to the shredded zucchini and mix well. Add in walnuts and raisins if using.
5.) Place batter in lined muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees. Start checking doneness at 35 minutes. Insert a toothpick and it should come out clean. You may have to bake another 10 minutes depending on your oven.

The ground flax seed and the tapioca flour make these moist and they stay together well without being too crumbly. Enjoy on their own or with a glass of plant milk!

This salad is delicious and refreshing. It is oil-free, high in plant protein, high in calcium from the kale, vegan and can be easily be made soy-free.

Salad Ingredients:
1 bunch curly kale, chopped finely
1 large cucumber, sliced into bite sized pieces
1 large carrot, grated
1 package tempeh, chopped into bite sized pieces or 2 cups garbanzo beans for soy-free
1/2 onion, diced, or 1.5 Tbl diced dried onion

Dressing Ingredients:
1 lemon, juiced
2 Tbl maple syrup
1 Tbl tamari or coconut aminos for soy-free
2 tsp ume plum vinegar
1 Tbl tahini
2 Tbl sesame seeds
1/4 tsp ground dried ginger
1/4 tsp chipotle powder

Instructions:
1. Boil water in a medium pot and add tempeh. Boil tempeh for 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Technically you can eat tempeh raw because the soybeans are already cooked before it it fermented, but boiling it this way softens the tempeh.
2. Combine all vegetable salad ingredients and add dressing ingredients. Combine well and massage kale with the dressing to soften. Add the cooked tempeh and toss well.
3. Let the salad sit overnight for the best flavor. I topped mine with stokes purple sweet potatoes to serve.

Salad Topped with Stokes Purple Sweet Potatoes

This is summer salad is simple to make has has few ingredients, though it boosts complex and herb-y flavors. Serve is as a side, or put it over lettuce and add some beans and maybe avocado for a hearty main-meal salad.

Ingredients:
1 Cup Dried Black Rice (Forbidden Rice)
1 Cup Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, cut into small pieces
1 Medium Cucumber or 2-3 Small Cucumbers, cut into small pieces
Generous handful of fresh herbs of choice (I used fresh basil and mint from my garden)
Sprinkle salt to taste

Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 Tbl raw honey
1 Tbl tahini
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

To make:
1.) Cook black rice - bring two cups of water and black rice to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cover, cooking approximately 35 minutes. Let cool.
2.) Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until well combined.
3.) Once rice is cool, combine all salad ingredients and cover with dressing. Chill and allow flavors to meld before serving.

As a business providing essential health care services, we are planning for a limited re-opening on Monday, May 4th. Here are the changes we're putting in place to keep all of us safe:

• When you arrive, please wait in your car. Text us at 904-990-3228 and let us know you're here. We'll text you back to let you know when you can come in. We're having everyone wait in their cars instead of the waiting room.
• No one may come in for a treatment who has been experiencing signs of illness resembling Covid-19 (most notably fever, cough or shortness of breath) in the past 14 days, or has been in contact with anyone with these symptoms. We'll be screening each patient thorough an online survey that you'll have to complete before coming in. If you've gotten sick and need guidance on herbal and nutritional remedies that can help, we can provide you with a virtual visit.
• We'll do a temperature check with a no-touch thermometer when you come in.
• Sanitization of treatment rooms and major touchpoints will occur after every treatment. We wash sheets in hot water and each patient gets a new sheet and face cradle cover.
• We will be wearing a mask for the duration of your treatment and we ask that you do so as well (though if you're face-down on the table, you will need to take the mask off). This is to keep both of us safe.
• As an added precaution, we'll be diffusing antimicrobial essential oils in the treatment rooms. These oils smell pleasant and have been shown in studies to kill many different types of viruses and bacteria (but of course they have not been tested on the novel coronavirus). This is considered an extra precaution.

It may only be in the low 80's, but autumn has arrived in Jacksonville! Cold and flu season is just around the corner. Here are some of my top tips for boosting your immune system and shoring up your defenses.

• Clean up your eating and focus on whole foods and emphasize lots of veggies and fruits. Fresh produce has a plethora of immune-boosting and viral fighting nutrients such as Vitamin C, Vitamin A and Zinc. Also, emphasize warm, cooked foods and foods that don't produce excess mucus. Some of the worst offenders for foods that promote phlegm are dairy products, processed foods and sugar.
• Wash Your Hands (of course!)
• Take the food-based herb elderberry daily for prevention. One of my favorite elderberry products for this is Herb Pharm Alcohol-Free Elderberry Tincture (we carry this in the clinic). Take one full dropperful daily for prevention this time of year. If you feel like you're coming down with something or if you know you've been exposed (like on an airplane or in a child's classroom) take 1 dropperful three times per day.
• Reduce stress and make sure you're getting enough rest. As you know, stress and lack of sleep tank the immune system. Get back to the basics of stress management and make sure your immune system doesn't have any unnecessary taxation.
• Drink immune-boosting herbal teas. Some of my favorites are echinacea, rosehips, lemongrass and astragalus (don't drink astragalus if you're already sick though, this is just for prevention).
• Eat high fiber foods and foods rich in probiotics. Gut health is very important to our immune system. High fiber foods feed good bacteria in the GI tract. Aim for 35 grams of fiber per day. You can also eat traditionally fermented sauerkraut for a wonderful food-based probiotic. You'll find this sauerkraut in the refrigerated section and the ingredients will just be vegetables (usually cabbage, sometimes with other veggie additions), water and salt (no vinegar). Some of the most common brands are Bubbies and Farmhouse Culture. Locally here in Jax we also have Olive My Pickle which produces traditionally fermented products.
• Diffuse essential oils like cinnamon, clove, sage, rosemary, eucalyptus and lemon at your home and office. These have known anti-pathogenic properties and can help viruses from spreading.
• Boost your defenses with acupuncture. In Chinese Medicine theory we have something called our "Wei Qi." Wei Qi loosely translates as our body's defense system and there are certain acupuncture points, that when stimulated, can protect from unwanted invaders like viruses. There are several good acupuncture points for this, two of which are Large Intestine 10 and Stomach 36. When used together, these two points are called the "Inner 4 Gates" and are especially effective for boosting the immune system, as well as providing an energy boost.

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Here's to a healthy season!