My first acupuncturist helped me resolve my life-long issue of frequent urination, which I detailed in my last blog. When I first started receiving acupuncture treatments from my teacher, Dr. Lily Chang, I still had a deficient blood situation due to my weak digestive system. I was skinny as a rail (malnourished) and my blood pressure was 60 over 40!

At the time of my first treatment with Dr. Chang I had been a vegetarian for 16 years. So you can probably guess what she suggested. Unlike my first acupuncturist, who intuitively knew how stubborn I could be, Dr. Chang gave me very firm instructions regarding my diet. She requested that I cook a bunch of herbs with a cornish game hen to make a blood-tonifying soup. My response: “ Does it have to be a cornish game hen?”. Her response, an emphatic: “yes!”. To get some perspective, imagine a chi kung master who is also a 64th generation Taoist master, the first woman in the lineage. She is not exactly a person you could argue with, or at least that you would want to.

Shifu, aka Dr. Chang, explained that our blueprint is set up in the first 7 years of our life: our basic sources of protein especially. Because she is Taoist there is also the component of fate. If our parents are vegetarian then that is our particular fate to also be vegetarian, and vice versa. It doesn’t mean that we can’t be healthy going off our blueprint; it just means we will probably just have to work harder at it. In my case, my health was chronically in bad shape a long time before receiving care so turning it around while simultaneously staying vegetarian was probably not a viable solution. Generally, Shifu has witnessed patient’s health beginning to show signs of decline (in a noticeable to the patient way) in about 10 years after changing the diet. After 15 years, the signs of poorer health are generally not ignorable.

What does it mean if your acupuncturist reports that you are blood deficient? In a general way it indicates that your digestive system is weak and unable to get enough nourishment. Blood deficiency is twofold from a Chinese medicine standpoint: volume and quality. Both are determined by:1) what we eat, and 2) how our bodies are able to process the food. Women tend to have more problems with this due to the monthly period, especially if heavy flow, and breast feeding which is equivalent to the same demand on the body. Women are also more likely to skip meals, eat on the run, multi-task while eating and “diet”: all of which make it harder for the digestive system to thrive.

If you are Blood deficient the most important factor for correcting this is through diet. If you are vegetarian, but not raised as such, then adding herbs prescribed by your acupuncturist is essential. The second most important factor is herbs, which are considered food for the organs. One of the best “herbs” for blood deficiency is bone marrow soup. My next blog will be a recipe for making bone marrow plus a delicious soup that can be made out of it.

Strategies (in a nutshell) for correcting blood deficiency:
1) Eat a large, hot, protein based breakfast; within 1 to 2 hours after arising. Please no smoothies, fruit, yogurt, oatmeal: all of these foods slow down the function of the pancreas if consumed as the first meal, which then further impairs the digestive system.
2) Chew food thoroughly and without distractions (such as driving for example).
3) Eat dinner by 6 or 6:30 pm.
4) Snacks in between meals are okay if protein based; such as nuts or seeds or bean dip with veggies, etc. This is the time to have that smoothie as long as not super cold.
5) Utilize Chinese herbs and /or bone marrow soup.
6) Receive acupuncture.
7) Be patient: blood deficiency takes awhile to manifest and may take time to resolve.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask on the blog. I will do my best to assist you in reaching your health goals.
Yours in health,
Leslie Shanai

My case of frequent urination began at a very early age: around 9 or 10 years old. By the time I was a teenager, my life was controlled by the availability of a bathroom due to the need for using, about once per hour. After numerous tests, including a very painful procedure involving enlarging the urethra, I was assessed with having an untreatable condition with no known cause. 

Sometime in my mid twenties I developed digestive issues AND I still had frequent urination. I had the good fortune at this time, to meet an acupuncturist at a workshop. She noticed that I was making very frequent visits to the bathroom all through the workshop, and suggested acupuncture as a possible treatment to cure this problem. However, I was terrified of needles, plus I also felt pretty hopeless about anything helping my condition. Over time, I became good friends with the acupuncturist and decided to allow her to insert one needle. Suffice it to say I discovered it was no big deal and proceeded to receive regular treatments, along with herbal therapy prescribed by my acupuncturist. After 1 & ½ years, my condition was completely reversed. Since I had the problem for close to 20 years, it felt like a reasonable time frame to reverse an “untreatable” condition.

In Chinese Medicine we think of frequent urination as a problem with the kidneys not the urinary bladder. The kidneys provide the energy for the bladder to contain the urine. Frequency is a different measure than volume, with this model. If a person has frequent urination, the number of trips to the bathroom stays pretty much the same with just the volume changing, when the amount of water consumed is higher. The other important distinction of Chinese Medicine is that deficiency patterns, such as frequent urination, have a different strategy for treatment than excess patterns, such as kidney stones. For frequent urination it is recommended to only drink water when you are thirsty as too much water makes the kidneys work harder. If you have kidney stones, then it is a good idea to drink lots of water.

If you have frequent urination what are some things you can do to help minimize or at least slow down the progression? First and foremost is getting enough rest. Going to bed by 9:30pm or 10pm to avoid cortisol surges, which negatively affects the adrenals, a significant part of the Kidney system. Rest also includes taking breaks when you are tired, such as those wonderful power naps Chad mentioned earlier, plus following the 70/30 rule. What that means is to only use 70% of your total available energy at any given time. This is potentially very challenging for Kidney deficient folks as they often use their will to power through, as a chronic coping strategy. In other-words, they rarely know what their 70% is. If you suspect this is an accurate picture of yourself, it’s very helpful to have an ally. Someone who can point out that you are in over-do-it mode and actually encourages you to take a break when you need one. Speaking from experience, it is potentially a difficult habit to break.

Seasons that are more challenging are winter and the transition into spring when temperatures go to extremes very quickly. One of the many functions of the Kidney system is to regulate our internal temperature: keeping us cool in summer and warm in winter. Heating is generally more demanding, so in times of cold weather it is even more important to get enough rest. Hibernating bears have the right idea.

Exercise that doesn’t require a huge exertion is more supportive for Kidney deficiency. This principal is sort of shunned in the west, where everyone is viewed as being the same kind of tree: exercise hard and use your will to power through. Some people are pine trees, some are coconut, etc. Each tree needs different conditions to thrive. For deficiency conditions, less is generally more.

My next comment will probably illicit annoyance from many of those reading this article. Here, in America, we like to think of ourselves as immortal. We expect to do just as much when we are 60 years old as 40 years old. However, to age gracefully, it may be more appropriate to tune in and really listen to see how much energy is in the savings account and spending it wisely. This is why you see middle aged and the elderly doing Chi Kung in the parks of China: they can no longer deny the effects of aging and wish to enhance their savings account and make it last. Age appropriate exercise has a very significant outcome. Some people age more quickly, due to what they have inherited, and of course the opposite is true. So the important thing is to learn how to listen and feel what is right as an ongoing process.

I will end this article with an image that will hopefully be helpful to those of you reading that can’t help over-doing. A number of years ago, when Chad and I were in the first stages of developing People’s Choice, I came home from work really tired. On the couch was a gigantic pile of laundry. Rather than folding, I decided to read a little so I pushed the laundry aside to make room for myself. About 4 hours later, Chad came home and took one look and started to applaud. This had a huge impact for me and is an image I treasure. It contradicts all of my up-bringing that says I was just being lazy. Does this sound familiar? We really are own worst critics and it is so important to avoid comparing ourselves to others. We inherit strengths and weaknesses and acknowledging this has the potential to empower and truly reveal our gifts.

I have an eight month old baby.  At what age can he receive acupuncture?

There’s really no one answer to this question.  Our daughter, Althea, asked to receive acupuncture when she was two years old.  However, both of her parents are acupuncturists, which puts her in a unique position.  In general, if your child is able to cooperate with the process (hold somewhat still, remain calm) then there is no set minimum age.

That said, however, most young children (through toddler age) don’t actually need acupuncture, and respond very nicely to less invasive therapies like massage, gua sha, or skin rolling.  We find good results recommending and demonstrating these treatments to the parents of young children so that they can help their little ones in the comfort and familiar surroundings of home.

We also recommend herbal medicine as a good option for care if your little one needs help overcoming an illness.  We use herbal powder formulas which are easily added to applesauce to make them more palatable. One advantage of using Chinese herbal medicine is our ability to fine tune formulas to fit the specific requirements of each patient at the current time. Plus Chinese medicine has 2,500 years of practical application as its history and is therefore superior to most other herbal methods available.

If a child is too young to receive herbs one of the most effective treatments is skin rolling. Our daughter loved this treatment as a baby and toddler. It is easy to do plus enjoyable to the youngster. Skin rolling on the back, alongside the spine, activates and increases circulation to all of the organs via the Urinary Bladder channel. It takes very little to help balance a baby or toddler and skin rolling easily fulfills that requirement.

If you have any questions or comments, please respond to Leslie here on the blog.  If you have specific questions or concerns about your own child, please call or schedule an appointment to meet us at People’s Choice.  We’ll do all in our power to give you the answers you need or to point you in the right direction if we believe another approach could help you more.

Thanks again for taking time to check and read our blog. Anybody have any other questions I might be able to help you with?

To the health of your little ones,

Leslie Shanai

Have you ever sprained your ankle(s)? Throughout my lifetime I have sprained both ankles several times. Usually the sprains were not too severe so it would take about four weeks to heal each time, give or take a little. The most severe sprain was my last and only took three days to heal. Hmmmmm, what was the difference, you ask?

To highlight how severe this particular sprain was please allow me to give you a picture. I started running down a 100 yard hill in order to catch a car. The driver had left an item behind and I was attempting to deliver it. Unfortunately, about ten feet down said hill I tripped and sprained my ankle. Stubbornness and a bit of stupidity propelled me down the rest of the hill. Did I catch the car? Yes, but WOW did I pay! I had to turn into a snake to get back up the hill; sliding and dragging myself the whole way.

Upon finally reaching my car again my friend kindly took over driving duty. I got busy applying acupuncture needles and moxibustion. I repeated the treatment again that evening and the next morning. Frankly, I was amazed by the results. I was at that time, back in 1995, a recent graduate of Tai Hsuan Foundation Acupuncture school in Honolulu, Hawaii.  I knew from my training how effective acupuncture was for sprains, but I was pretty sure it would take more than three days to heal such a significant sprain!

The keys in this particular happy ending are that I utilized acupuncture before swelling set in and thereby bypassed it altogether. I also used moxibustion which has the effect of increasing circulation. And…………….I didn’t use ice. Why no ice? From a Traditional Chinese Medicine standpoint ice, by itself, congeals the blood in the area that it is applied. Ice basically produces the opposite effect of circulation.

The moral of this story is: if you injure yourself, get some acupuncture and moxibustion as quickly as you can. Unlike chiropractic, massage, and physical therapy which require at least 48 hours before utilizing, acupuncture works best to use immediately. Injuries include sprains of all kinds, contusions, whiplash, and etc. Anytime you think anti-inflammatory, think acupuncture for quicker results with no side effects.

Leslie Shanai

Do-It-Yourself Chinese Medicine?  You Bet!  It’s called Tai Chi or Qi Gong.  Of the varying branches of Chinese Medicine, it is probably the most valuable.  Why?  Because it puts each one of us squarely in the driver’s seat with regard to our own health and well being.

My tai chi instructor, Michael Vasquez will be in Ashland, Feb 24-26 to teach a Wu Tai Chi short form workshop. I will be there and highly recommend the workshop for everyone – from the just curious to the devoted tai chi/ qi gong practitioner.  Michael will also be sharing some phenomenal teas from Taiwan.

I will also be presenting a short talk on Friday night during the free introduction called,  “living in harmony with the seasons according to Chinese medicine 5 element theory”.  It should be fun and informative.  Hope to see you all there!

Please register now by clicking here.

Tips for cold and flu prevention

We are in the middle of cold and flu season so here are a few tips that can help you avoid catching any unfriendly germs. These tips are for the early onset stage and if utilized can stop a cold/flu in its tracks.

1. Drink 4 cups fresh ginger root tea (recipe as follows).
2. Avoid sugar (lowers immune system within 30 minutes of consumption).
3. Get enough rest.
4. Receive acupuncture to boost immune system.

Fresh ginger is classified in the release the exterior category of Traditional Chinese Medicine. What this means is that herbs in this category help assist the body in flushing out pathogens that have entered the body from an external source. Dried ginger has a different property than fresh and is more useful in aiding weak digestion. Hence, using ginger tea bags in the following recipe will be ineffective in the releasing of cold or flu.

Ginger Tea recipe:
1. Slice approximately 2 inches of ginger root into thin slices (skin okay).
2. Place ginger into 4 cups boiling water.
3. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Strain into cup and add honey, if desired, to mitigate spiciness.
5. Drink all tea in one sitting, one cup after the other until all gone.

It should be noted that this recipe is only applicable at the first signs of a cold or flu; usually the first day only. Once the disease has gotten a good foothold ginger tea will no longer be effective. It may even have a detrimental effect of adding unnecessary heat if the disease has fully manifested.

If you are feeling “off” or know you’re about to catch cold, come in right away for acupuncture. Do not worry about exposing the germs to us, the practitioners. Acupuncture stimulates and strengthens the immune system, and you can take advantage of “Sifu’s Immortality Treatment” which only costs $25, is a great treatment for prevention and is also good for an energy boost.

Do you have other tips for preventing colds? Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions. Thanks.

Leslie Shanai

Happy Chinese New Year and Welcome to our blog!

Today marks the one (lunar) year anniversary of our opening in our current center at 1640 Siskiyou Blvd. We LOVE it here and hope that you also find our setting nourishing, relaxing and healing!

At People’s Choice, we are always looking for ways to serve you and we are excited by the addition of the blog. It is a wonderful venue for us to interact and share information.

We plan on making this blog entertaining as well as useful. Check back to learn about eating in harmony with the seasons – including tasty recipes, tips for keeping yourself healthy, DIY Chinese medicine practices such as qigong and moxabustion and more. We want your comments and feedback! Let us know how we’re doing, how You’re doing and please share any stories or info you think we and the others here would appreciate.

To your health and happiness this Year of the Dragon, and beyond,

Leslie Shanai &Chadwick Moyer, Licensed Acupuncturists