Grocery Store Tour and class on February 10th at 12pm. Learn more about healthy and nutritious organic whole food eating on a budget. You will learn how to shop safely for your family. Ever wonder what those numbers mean on your fruit and veggies? Find out the best alternatives for food allergies. Learn what is food therapy and how to buy food to treat symptoms. Along with much, much more. We will then go to Pomegranate Cafe for lunch. Class costs $10 which will can be used towards credit for a Nutrition Response Testing at our office. RSVP by 2/8/12

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In the new year many of us start to think about changes we can do to help make it a better year. We may have been taught that it is healthy to write down resolutions that include goals and timelines. It is the American way to push towards a goal and work hard at achieving them. We hear messages like, "Be all you can be" or "Work hard and play hard." Is this actually good for our health and well being? Could these messages we are hearing about push, drive, goals, timelines, and strive, be actually bad for our health?

In my practice I see a lot of sick people. When looking at their symptoms and getting to know them, I realize that they may have run themselves into the ground from overwork. They lose touch with nurturing and taking care of themselves. They take on expectations for themselves to be a "super" mom or a "successful" husband. We hear constant messages that make us believe that we are not enough or don't do enough. We are afraid of being accused of being lazy or ungrateful. So we become busy for busy sake.

It is common in life to have mountains and valleys. Some parts of the year will be busy and other parts will be slow. During those slow times it is important to rest up for the busier times in our lives and not take on new projects. In ancient Chinese medical texts there is an explanation that answers the question of why a person may not live a long life. According to the Huang Di Nei Jing it is because, "They exhaust there energies in many directions." Burnout is all too often the case that leads to a health crisis in one's life. People can get sick fast when under a lot of stress. So how do you find balance in a world of chaos?

Instead of goals, write down what is most important to you in your life. Place these goals into order of priority, and then put your energy towards those things.

You may first want to make family No. 1, or you may find that your spiritual walk is most important to you. You may realize that instead of going on a diet your priority is actually health and well being. Then you may want to add more healthy organic foods to your diet and just start moving each day. Instead of trying to work more hours to pay off your car, cut back on some of your daily expenses.

Don't make prompt and quick decisions. Think about them for awhile and get trusted counseling and support. It is important to know that some of these goals and decisions you are making can change your life. It can be a positive experience or a horrible experience for you spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

Statistics show that almost half of Americans make resolutions. Over half of them give up by the end of January. This is because they are pushing toward a goal that is unrealistic for them in their present state. Push causes a resistance and stress in our bodies. Unrealistic expectations can destroy one's self esteem. It is like jumping across a huge body of water and expecting to not get wet. Instead, start slowly on stepping stones. Then you can see yourself cross to the other side with more ease. If you mess up then pick up the pieces and start all over again. You will not only be successful in your achievements, but healthier for doing so.

Acu Pointe Healing Therapies is offering $20 off gift certificates for Aromatherapy Acupuncture 1st Visit or Raindrop Therapy. Contact us at 480-221-5808 for more information.   Happy Holiday Season Everyone!

Fall brings cooler weather, increased outdoor activities, and the upcoming holiday seasons create a lot of anticipation of joy.

With the approaching holiday season one thing I don't look forward to is all the temptation of sugary treats. Americans eat way too much sugar. On average, Americans eat 160 pounds of sugar and corn syrup every year. According to The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), sugar intake has increased 28 percent since 1983. In the mid- to late-1800s, sugar was scarce and prized when purchased. It was rationed out to save for special occasions. What was used regularly for thousands of years were natural sweeteners. Sweeteners like honey, maple syrup and fruit. There is a big difference to how these sweeteners process in our bodies in comparison to sugar.

Why be concerned about sugar?

When most people think of the trouble with sugar (the white stuff) they think of weight gain, or too much of it can give us diabetes. In reality, it contributes to so much more of our health issues.

The biggest thing that it does is break down the immune system. This is interesting because we associate the fall and winter as cold and flu season. We don't even think that our diets may contribute to this time period.

Sugar breaks down our immune system in several ways. First, it decreases white blood cells, which help to fight disease. In return, it feeds bad bacteria, parasites and cancer cells.

If that is not bad enough, it depletes the body of necessary vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, calcium and B vitamins. Because of these facts it can contribute problems to every disease out there. Those muscle aches that you are experiencing may be contributed to sugar.

Besides, it decreases vitamins and minerals that help muscle contraction and relaxation. It also causes overall inflammation in the body.

If you want to learn more about how sugar affects us, don't take my word for it, look up this research on the Internet and in the library. You will, hopefully, be surprised at how much research is out there on what a problem sugar is and how many don't know much about it.

The first thing to understand is that a healthy sweet tooth is normal, but an unhealthy craving for sweets shows an imbalance to the body. This imbalance must be addressed in order for the cravings to stop.

Just stopping sugar alone is not recommended, and would not be enough to address this deficiency. That would be like putting a child in a room with a bunch of toys and telling them they can play with all the toys except for one. We will naturally want to rebel and play with that "toy."

In Chinese medicine a craving for sweets would be associated with a diagnosis of Spleen Qi(Chee) deficiency. The spleen and pancreas are sister organs and work together to digest our foods. The spleen loves sweets in order to tonify its organ, although the types of sweets that are good for the spleen are the natural kind.

Foods like sweet potatoes, yams, fruit, and honey are all great for a healthy spleen or pancreas. Then there are foods that actually help reduce and regulate blood sugar, such as blueberries, nuts, avocados, cinnamon, bitter melon and cactus pads, just to name a few.

Want to start making changes in your sugar intake without it disrupting your life too much? Try The Sugar Busting Challenge.

First, start to substitute the white stuff, or high fructose, for the more natural sugar sources. Try things like stevia, agave nectar, pure maple syrup, sucanat and honey. Don't substitute for the chemical alternatives. They are even worse than sugar, and can harm your health even more.

Secondly, if you think you have an addiction to sugar, or overwhelming cravings, seek out a health care provider to prescribe you some herbs and supplements to help. I prescribe my patients a few things that consistently make a difference.

One of my favorite herbs for fighting the war against sugar is Gymnema Sylvestre. Not only does it help regulate blood sugar levels, it also works for reducing cravings. I also love to use bitter melon. This is the most highly recommended food therapy for blood sugar regulation in Chinese medicine. You can now take it in a tea or pill.

The third thing I may use for a patient is 5-HTP. This is used in cases where there is moodiness, PMS, emotional eating, and depression.

Lastly, it might be a good idea to add more Vitamin B, magnesium and calcium. These are the nutrients I mentioned before that are depleted due to sugar intake.

Increasing these nutrients will help the body to balance and feel more satisfied.

Each person is different in what prescription is given. Every patient that I have worked with has had success in reducing their cravings. If reducing sugar in your life could give you more energy, less pain, less sickness, and freedom from addiction, then I am on board. Hopefully you are going to make this holiday season a healthier and naturally sweet one.

• Dawn Krueger-Sherin is an Oriental medical practitioner in Ahwatukee Foothills. For questions, reach her at www.acupointehealing.com.

October 24th is AOM (Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) Day. To celebrate this National Day we will be holding an open house from 11-3pm. We will have food, drinks, prizes and discounted treatments for as low as $25 for current patients. This day is held in appreciation to all my patients and to introduce new patients to this wonderful medicine.

Call 480-221-5808 or email us at www.acupointehealing@gmail.com for more information.  If you want a treatment that day please reserve your spot.  Looking forward to seeing you there.

Learn more about how imbalances start within the body and how to facilitate more healing in your life. This class will be both interesting and interactive.

Get a FREE massage gift certificate and discounts for just showing up.

Where:  Back in Line Chiropractic
              15215 South 48th St Suite 156 in Building 5
When:   September 22nd 6:30pm

RSVP:  (480) 704-8818

An Explanation

I am starting a new series called Knowing the Cause. This subject is a broad one and will take awhile to write about. First I would like to explain a few things before going into this subject. Chinese medical diagnosis is much different from our traditional allopathic medical diagnosis. When an Oriental practitioner initially sees their patients they are looking at things a bit differently. We first look at signs and symptoms including hereditary background. Then we check their tongue and pulse to see what internal organs may be out of balance. We also look at a persons emotional well being. Then we look at their face and skin to see what clues may give us answers to their complaint. All this information is gathered and we come up with a diagnosis that will match the patterns of imbalance that they are experiencing. After the first initial visit a patient will receive an Oriental medical diagnosis. At this point we can come up some possible answers as to why a person is having difficulty with their health and well being.

Knowing the Cause Part 1

We can find great freedom in knowing why things may happen. Every year many people are diagnosed with a chronic condition. This can happen at any age or time in a persons life. Many times that person may not know what had caused them to be susceptible to that particular disease or disorder. Once a person is diagnosed they are now on a journey to find help and healing. A huge part of that journey is finding the etiology (causation or origination) of their condition.

When studying Chinese medicine I found it comforting that their were explanations as to why things happened. Almost every diagnosis came with an etiology. For instance - lets say a person is diagnosed with Kidney Qi (Chi) deficiency by their Oriental medical practitioner. The top signs and symptoms of Kidney Qi deficiency are: frequent urination, low back pain, knee pain and poor memory. Their are a few reasons as to why someone may have this condition. Things such as constitution, emotions (particularly fear), excess sexual activity, overwork, chronic illness and old age all affect the kidney Qi. Kidney Essence or "Jing" is considered to be our essential qi. It is stored in our Kidneys and responsible for human growth and development. This is what makes up our vitality.

There are several factors that play into both our genetics and the development of a condition or disorder within our health. The first is constitution. The definition of constitution is a persons general physical and psychological makeup. It is also considered to be a persons state of well being currently. Constitution depends on two things: Our parents health at the time of conception and our Mother's health during her pregnancy. If the parents Kidney Essence is weak then the child's kidneys will also be weak. Adverse factors that will affect our constitution are: Conception in a state of drunkenness, a Mother's age at the time of conception, consumption of alcohol or smoking during pregnancy, or receiving a shock during pregnancy that will in turn affect the fetal Heart Qi. So a person's basic constitution will be largely determined at the time of conception and throughout the Mother's pregnancy. This is why I stress to my fertility patients the importance of taking care of yourself and getting healthy prior to getting pregnant.

At the time of conception their is a fusion of Qi from "Heaven to Earth." It is said in ancient Chinese texts that all babies come from "Heavenly Qi." So let me give you a picture of how life is formed. The sperm hits the egg but the spark to create life comes from "Heavenly Qi." This will then start the production of a human being. I love that description! I come from a background where my Father was a minister for thirty-five years. Psalm 139:13-14 says that God "knit" us together in our Mothers womb and that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made."

Despite those who may be born with a weak constitution there is hope for regeneration of both their Qi and Essence. A balanced lifestyle of adequate rest, the right nutrition, avoidance of stress, and breathing exercises can invigorate and regenerate our Qi. Qi Gong and Tai Ji Quan (Tai Chi) can help build a persons Kidney Essence or vitality.

An assessment of a persons constitution is an important part to Chinese medical diagnosis. It is important to understand that our bodies were created to regenerate and heal. This is a beautiful thing that we should never take for granted. There is hope for those who want healing in their lives. Knowledge is a powerful tool to take action against disease.

Time: Thursday, July 14 · 6:30pm - 9:30pm

Location: Back in Line Chiropractic15215 South 48th St Suite 156 in Building 5

We will be discussing the benefits of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. This will last for a 1/2 hour and then there will be a question and answer time at the end. Each person who attends this session will receive a gift certificate good for a complementary exam, consultation, X-Rays and scans or 15-minute Active Release Technique exam