Anxiety

using chinese medicine to treat Anxiety using chinese medicine to treat anxiety “I’ve had many patients with tons of chaos in their lives that was, of course, reflected into their physical body (digestive complaints, migraines, pain). As a therapist, trying to work through all of that can be challenging. When I’ve sent them to the team at Tao to Wellness, they started feeling better physically almost immediately, which made their emotional state more flexible to change, which got them faster results with me. I’m so grateful to the ladies at Tao to Wellness.” –  Berkeley psychotherapist Chinese medicine works on all levels; the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. To us, all these are not just interconnected but rely on each other for solid health. People are sometimes surprised that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can work in the realm of emotional wellness. We actually work with all types of emotional fluctuations, not only anxiety, but depression, sadness, grief, heartbreak and fear to name a few. Utilizing Chinese medicine to support emotional wellness can enhance a patient’s life in many ways because we take into consideration the whole body, we look at the physical, the mental and the emotional. We are thorough in discovering your story and discussing at length your current health and past medical history. We also utilize diagnostic tools like the tongue and the pulse. All of these things help shape your unique treatment plan.  Let’s take a deeper look, anxiety can manifest from different organ systems being out of balance, but mostly it stems from an acute imbalance of the Heart, but the imbalance is actually caused by other organ systems.  The Heart regulates circulation, and is also the ruler of all mental and emotional processes. Because the body is interconnected, balancing only the Heart is not enough. For example, if the Liver is involved perhaps a patient has anger or irritability that essentially heats up the Heart, in turn causing the anxiety. If there is Spleen involvement, possibly there’s excessive worry or pensiveness that causes unrest in the Heart. And lastly, if a patient is constantly operating from a place of fear, it could very well be the Kidneys that are not communicating effectively with the Heart. Sometimes there’s just one scenario, sometimes all three are at play.  Commonly, our anxiety patients possess additional symptoms as well.  So again, what happens over time is the anxiety creates an imbalance, the long term  imbalance of that organ creates other symptoms, making this imbalance louder. Let’s say the patient is experiencing a Heart and Liver imbalance–  some additional symptoms that might occur are insomnia or trouble sleeping deeply, headaches especially along the Gall Bladder channel, PMS or menstrual cramps to name a few.  And vice versa, let’s say a patient who has been experiencing a Heart imbalance with daily palpitations and dizziness, might start to have anxiety because of it.  Thankfully with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine when we rebalance the organ, this diminish all the emotional and physical symptoms. How can acupuncture and chinese herbal medicine benefit? Brain chemistry stabilization Decrease in stress and cortisol Enhanced circulation to the Heart (the Ruler of Emotions) Decrease in inflammation overall, which relaxes the body and enhances flow of Qi and blood.  An optimally functioning physical body that allows the emotions space to release, balance and heal. An additional practice that we love to incorporate with our patients is meditation. Quieting our “monkey mind” is key in any emotional balancing.  Our minds are going a mile a minute with noise, replaying old conversations, rehearsing future conversations, strategizing life’s details, planning days, months, vacations, being upset or hurt about something that happened days or even months ago. We are also worried, fearful, annoyed, frustrated etc. Our minds never stop. Meditation can be a cleanse to your thoughts, a retreat from the noise and a way to train yourself and your reactions. If you are curious about how we can help, feel free to make an appointment or book a complimentary consultation.  Book An Appointment

Acupuncture For Digestion

Using Chinese medicine for digestion Using Chinese medicine for digestion Internal medicine problems, like digestion, tend to respond to Chinese medicine faster then musculoskeletal issues that are chronic.  For example, a simple acute stomachache is typically resolved as soon as needles are inserted into the patient.  We’ve also seen mysterious Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms disappear in just one treatment, even more severe issues like Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s disease respond quickly with a series of consistent treatments and ongoing maintenance.  How Does chinese medicine Work to Regulate the digestion? Here’s an analogy, let’s say you notice a warning light on the dashboard of your car. What would you do? Almost all of us, would make an appointment with our mechanic to fix the issue. That would be congruent with working on the root cause and curing the problem. Some of us, might not have the time to handle it right away, so the warning light stays and soon enough, there is a second warning light. Our bodies are very similar, if something doesn’t get addressed the imbalance gets more complex and new symptoms appear. None of us, would take a piece of tape and cover the warning light, but essentially that’s what we do when relying solely on medications, although it offers quick relief, healing the imbalance, as opposed to masking the symptoms with medication is key in facilitating a cure.  Chinese medicine can facilitate that cure. Acupuncture is a self-regulating mechanism; whatever the body, or digestive system in this case, needs acupuncture will act as a catalyst to make that happen, it creates flow so that healing can occur. If the digestion needs strengthening or harmonizing, or the body needs to decrease inflammation, acupuncture will facilitate it. Chinese herbal medicine partners with acupuncture, but supports the body in a different way, making subtle changes, continuing the work from the big shift or opening that the acupuncture treatment created. Both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine work together synergistically, a meaningful combination of Yin and Yang healing. Irritable Bowel Syndrome Let’s take a closer look at Irritable Bowel Syndrome, the first thing to note is IBS is a coined phrase that actually is less of a diagnosis then it is a description. It’s not exactly an issue of inflammation; otherwise the diagnosis would be more specific like gastritis, diverticulitis or colitis.  It’s simply an unknown irritation. And since it’s an irritation or an annoyance that indicates that the body hasn’t created a deeply ingrained pattern yet, this makes it a wonderful candidate for Chinese medicine. For IBS, acupuncture harmonizes and strengthens the system, in this example, it does this by decreasing the irritation so that the gut microbiome can repair and heal itself. Remember, IBS has massive range, one can have IBS with diarrhea, another IBS with constipation, so since acupuncture is self-regulating, it doesn’t matter what it is, the body will know precisely what to do. In addition, emotional stress almost always accompanies IBS.  With the surprise and inconsistency of IBS, patients can become depressed, have anxiety or a lot of fear.  We also see  fatigue associated with IBS as well. Thankfully, we can address everything in it’s totality with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Excessive Flatulence Let’s discuss another common digestive issue, excessive flatulence.  Also known as “passing gas”, intestinal gas or farting.  Flatulence is completely normal and can be a sign of healthy gut bacteria, but when it is excessive, it becomes a problem. Fun fact, here’s what makes up a fart– 59% nitrogen, 21% hydrogen, 9% carbon dioxide, 7% methane and 4% oxygen. Only about one percent contains hydrogen sulfide gas and mercaptans, which contain sulfur, and the sulfur is what makes flatulence smelly. In Chinese medicine if you are experiencing excessive flatulence, it’s possible you suffer from Small Intestine Qi stagnation. Since the Small Intestine relies on Spleen Yang for transformation of food and uses Kidney Yang for its transformation of fluids, one or both of these organs are usually involved as well. A typical treatment plan would involve all three. In addition to those organs systems, the Liver is commonly involved as well because the Small Intestine is impacted easily by anger, which is the emotion of the Liver.  There may or may not be additional symptoms accompanied with Small Intestine Qi stagnation, sometimes low grade abdominal pain, digestive inconsistency and fatigue can occur.  Fatigue, in this case, is usually caused by the inability of the digestive system to properly break foods down.  In addition to acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, we also incorporate dietary recommendations, one of the most important being to avoid excess cold and raw food. This can cause cold to accumulate in the Small Intestine, which results in pain. Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease Lastly, let’s a take a quick look at two more severe issues called Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease. These are chronic issues in the body with long-term inflammation. In both, ulcers are created in the deeper pockets of the intestines. In UC these ulcers are typically in the colon, where Crohn’s can appear anywhere throughout the intestinal tract. Where there is inflammation, there is heat and with these two issues—there are lots of it. With acupuncture and some unique Chinese herbal remedies, we can decrease the heat in the intestines, which brings down the inflammation and provides a space for healing to occur. Since UC and Crohn’s are both chronic, this takes time to unwind the issue. If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment, please click the button below.  Book An Appointment

Case Study: Fertility Challenged Couple

Case Study: Fertility Challenged Couple Steve,* 45 and Bethany,* 40 a couple from Berkeley, California came to Tao to Wellness in the hopes of getting pregnant. Steve is a professor at UC Berkeley, he works all day and teaches sometimes late into the evenings.  For the most part, his health is solid, his energy is consistent, he sleeps soundly and his digestion is normal.  He is athletic; early morning boot camp three times a week and mountain biking in Marin on the weekends with his friends.  He is also working on his first novel.  He doesn’t smoke, has one coffee a day in the morning, drinks 2 glasses of red wine nightly and eats a Paleo diet. Lastly, Steve has never gotten anyone pregnant. Bethany is a banker in the Financial District of San Francisco, she has a high stress job, she works late and sometimes even on weekends, but she is making a concerted effort to pull back on her hours.  She also does boot camp with Steve early in the mornings and goes running on the weekends.  Bethany is tired most of the time, but the fatigue really hits her around 3pm.  She drinks coffee in the morning and also around in the late afternoon to help her through the crash.  She usually ends up drinking 3-4 cups of coffee per day.  Her sleep is interrupted, she can fall asleep easily, but usually wakes up between 2-3am, it can take her up to an hour to fall back asleep.  Her digestion is fine, no issues and is consistent daily.  She was pregnant once and had an abortion when she was 23 years old. Steve and Bethany have been trying to get pregnant for almost 17 months.  Initially they tried to conceive naturally for one year with no luck and then went to see their OBGYN. After sending Bethany to the lab and Steve for a semen analysis, their doctor decided to try Clomid with timed intercourse for 3 cycles, they did and although Bethany responded well, unfortunately there was no pregnancy.  When Steve and Bethany came to us, they were just about to take the next step and do an IUI with Follicle stimulating injectables. Bethany’s Lab Values FSH: 4.6LH: 2.0Estradiol: 23Progesterone: 8 (7 days post ovulation)AMH: 1.9 Steve’s Lab Values Steve’s semen analysis was all in the normal range, but his sperm count was overall low normal. Assessment Steve and Bethany are in a very common place as are most of our patients at Tao to Wellness. Steve is in pretty good health, his sperm analysis was in normal range, but his count was on the low end of normal.  His doctor didn’t see any issue, but since we look at the whole body, we thought there was definite room for improvement. As far as Bethany, she was in need of a lot more re-balancing.  Her signs and symptoms pointed to a potential Liver and Kidney imbalance and this was definitely affecting her fertility health. Concerning her labs; keep in mind, all labs use different reference ranges and depending on the doctor, these labs could be coined ‘normal’.  However, through our lens, Estradiol is too low at 23.  Fertility centers like Pacific Fertility Center in San Francisco recommend an Estradiol of 50 or higher and from a Chinese medicine point of view, to little Estradiol/Estrogen can mean to little Yin in the body.  Also, Bethany’s Progesterone value at 8 is on the low side as well.  A lab value of 10 or above says that the last ovulation was ‘good’ so this is too low.  From a Chinese medicine perspective, something is happening in the luteal phase also and her body doesn’t have enough heat or Yang to produce a good Progesterone value. Treatment Plan We first recommended that Steve discontinue his mountain biking, there is too much research that shows biking of any kind can increase the temperature of the testicles, thereby creating death and destruction of sperm. This could indeed point to why his count is on the low end.  We also recommended he decrease his wine intake to one glass, three times a week. We saw Steve once a month for acupuncture, gave him an herbal medicine prescription to help increase his sperm count and some antioxidant supplements.  He came every month and was diligent with his herbs and supplements, although he was slightly resistant around discontinuing mountain biking, he did it anyway.  He was willing to do anything to help solve their fertility issues. Unfortunately, female factor usually needs far more attention then male factor.  In this particular case, if we take a quick look at Bethany’s overall health, her body certainly needs more balancing with her list of symptoms and lab values.  The other advantage is as we are working on increasing Bethany’s fertility health, all of these symptoms will be relieved as well, thereby balancing the liver and kidney while creating more fertile harmony. For most of our female patients, we recommend acupuncture at Tao to Wellness at least once a week.  This is because we want to impact each different phase of the cycle, menstruation, follicular, ovulatory and luteal.  In addition, almost all of our female fertility patients receive herbal medicine as well. Bethany was no different and had acupuncture once a week and took her herbs daily.  Her formulas consisted of a separate follicular and luteal formula and no herbs at all during her menstruation.  She was also recommended to look into meditation; the high stress of her job was not helping her body ‘nest’, it was doing the exact opposite and robbing energy and decreasing the blood flow of the uterine artery into the uterus.  We also recommended that she look into yoga instead of boot camp.  And lastly she was to decrease her running on the weekends as well.  From a nutritional standpoint, we recommended a high protein diet, with little or no gluten and no alcohol at all after ovulation until her period started or if

Acupuncture For Athletes

You want results. You want to thrive in your athletic achievements. You want to be the best. With the addition of Chinese Medicine to your regimen, we can help bring you to the top of your game. Being a professional athlete takes commitment, strength and intense physical training. Experts recommend working out a particular muscle group no more than twice a week without adequate rest, however when you are professional athlete, this isn’t always an option. Without proper recovery time, this might result in strain, dehydration or muscle tears, leading to severe pain or an injury. From the moment we stop growing, our body begins deteriorating.  It’s common sense that overuse of any body part will cause deterioration to happen at a faster rate. By using the theories of Chinese Medicine, we can actually help hinder that process, using the medicine to fine-tune the body to precision, generating optimal physical performance. In addition to the physical issues that professional athletes face, we have found that it is just as important, if not more important, to address the internal organs and spirit. Where other tried and true therapies address the physical body only, the beauty of Chinese medicine is that we can access both the outer and inner body, resulting in more overall benefits. According to Chinese medicine philosophy, the outer body (muscle, nerves, tendons, ligaments, bone) is connected to the inner body (organs like the Lungs, Liver, Heart, etc and all emotions) through internal pathways. For example, the lateral epicondyle is connected to the Large Intestine pathway. Working with the pathway and organ will alleviate the pain in the epicondyle area. Additionally, it will address digestive issues and allow the athlete to let go of any unnecessary emotions: stress, anxiety or worry that may be stored in the body. This ancient medicine can provide you with unique tools to excel in your game. Benefits that occur on this deeper level are more restful sleep, more energy, and sharper focus. Traditional Chinese Medicine also boosts the immune system, improves digestion, and enhances muscle and joint hydration. This gives true meaning to working with the body from the inside out. Research There are tons of research that supports the efficacy of acupuncture and how it supports and treats pain, internal issues like digestion, low energy, stress or anxiety.  However, for athletes, you are a different breed and need a specialized treatment and treatment plan.  You need an acupuncturist that understands what your body goes through on a micro and macro level.  We have the experience and have worked with players from the Oakland Raiders and the Edmonton Oilers, so we understand what it takes. The NFL As opposed to research studies that pertain to lay people, here’s a fascinating article from a few years back about acupuncturist, Lisa Ripi. Lisa works with 5 NFL teams on the East coast, every day she flies to a new city and clocks in at about 96 hours a week.  Come Fridays, the players fight over her for treatments because they can see the difference the acupuncture makes for their weekend game. “As Pittsburgh linebacker James Farrior said, “I’m not the same if I don’t have it. It’s like getting the game plan. You can’t go into the week without either one. Players require individualized treatment. Steelers linebacker James Harrison takes more than 300 needles, and Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora begs for fewer than 40. Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis hates needles and grips the table as if under attack.” Today almost every single professional team in the US has their own acupuncturists on staff.  In summary, here are the most common things we treat in reference to athletes.  If you are experiencing something out of the ordinary, please reach out to us to speak about your special situation. In conclusion, our medicine can be a great adjunct to the game and to the longevity of your career by supporting your body through the physical demand you go through as an athlete.  Hundreds of NFL players swear by this medicine, they can’t all be wrong.

The Treatment of Back Pain

The Treatment of Back Pain When it comes to managing pain, Chinese medicine possesses many unique characteristics and modalities to provide quick results. At Tao to Wellness, we work with many patients who are in pain. The most common areas would certainly be the neck and the entire back. In Chinese medicine, it doesn’t matter where the pain is located, we can treat it by trusting the meridian system and Chinese philosophies and theories. We always start with acupuncture and depending on the particular situation, we may or may not incorporate Chinese herbal medicine, cupping, moxibustion or herbal patches. We are committed and in active collaboration with you to achieve results quickly and gently. How does it work? In Chinese medicine, the sign of pain is merely a blockage or stagnation in an area of a meridian; picture a traffic jam on a freeway or highway. When a strain, sprain, injury, repetitive stress issue or any number of things occurs there is a blockage of Qi (Energy) and Blood. These two vital substances, which are necessary for circulation, cannot nourish the area so inflammation, weakness or pain will be experienced, it’s the body’s way of sending a signal to the brain asking for help. Acupuncture is the perfect treatment because it easily opens the blockage, allowing the smooth flow of Qi and Blood to heal the area and when the area is addressed, pain disappears. How many treatments do I need? This is dependent on the following: Length of time the pain has been an issue Severity of the pain Consistency of the pain Overall health lifestyle   80% of patient’s have relief after the very first treatment; from there it’s a matter of how long the patient ‘holds or sustains’ the treatment. Change is easy, sustaining it is more challenging. We are creatures of habit and so are our bodies, all of the factors above dictate how long it takes to unwind the pattern. Chinese medicine acts as an interruption of that pattern, consistently willing the body to return to balance and an optimal state. We have a saying in the office, “When the pain comes back, you come back!” We listen and allow the body to dictate the treatment plan. So essentially time in between treatments could be a day or a week. This depends on how deep the pattern is but also takes into account the patient’s lifestyle, this will certainly feed the healing process or take away from it. Pain can be debilitating, Chinese medicine provides an outlet to regain quality of life without surgery or medications. Research studies Research confirms that using acupuncture for low back pain is extremely effective.  At Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Oakland, California, a research study was performed to test the efficacy of acupuncture for low back pain.  640 subjects ranging from ages 17-80 with low back pain for more than 3 months participated in the study.  Exclusions to the study were: already having previous acupuncture or any blood clotting issues. Ten treatments were administered over seven weeks total with follow up phone call interviews at the 8, 26 and 52 weeks after the last acupuncture treatment. The study is complete and did, in fact, conclude that acupuncture was a valid form of treatment for low back pain. An even larger study was done in Germany with 1,162 patients.  This was the largest investigation of acupuncture for the treatment of low back pain vs. conventional non surgical treatments.  Modalities tested were acupuncture, prescription medication, exercise and physical therapy.  Researcher, Heinz Endres said, “Acupuncture represents a highly promising and effective treatment option for chronic back pain.  Patients experienced not only reduced pain intensity, but also reported improvements in the disability that often results from back pain and therefore quality of life”.  For this study, acupuncture was administered in ten, 30 minute sessions conducted over six weeks.  The results were astounding and although it is still considered an alternative treatment in the US, based on the findings of this study acupuncture is now covered by the country’s health insurance in Germany.  Dr. Endres, a research scientist, says that acupuncture is clearly useful for treatment for low back pain, “Just because we cannot explain exactly the mechanism by which a treatment works, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t work”.

Male Fertility

Male Fertility Although it’s true 75% of our fertility cases are female factor, we also work with a fair amount of male factor as well. Whether there is a specific issue or not, men are still half the equation and working with them not only enhances sperm count, motility and morphology, but also creates a sense of partnership for the couple overall. If you’re not sure what your sperm analysis should look like, here’s what we like to see: Sperm Analysis Further Testing DNA Fragmentation Test Results:  0-15% Good 15-29% Fair to Poor Anything Above 29% is Problematic   We are here to help, whether there are clear issues with the ranges above or you wish to simply enhance your numbers and overall health.   Using Chinese medicine and Western medicine is an ideal course of action, similar to working two sides of the same coin, you cover all your bases. Through a Chinese medicine lens, we look at things a little differently. For example, a male with low sperm count could be diagnosed with cold or heat in the Liver meridian or channel, or perhaps there’s a Yang issue or Liver blood issue.  If there is a challenge around morphology, he may have an essence or Jing situation or maybe a blood deficiency.  Lastly, if there is an issue with motility, he could be experiencing Liver coldness, blood deficiency or a dampness issue. These are some of the most common ways to describe the internal landscape when it comes to sperm health.  Remember, any issues with sperm count, motility or morphology is merely a symptom of a deeper imbalance, most often the patient will have other symptoms or signals, like low energy, trouble sleeping or  inflammation. The beauty of working with us is we can address all these issues simultaneously.  Here’s a list of the most common results our male fertility patients report while they are in our care: Research Studies Did you know that men who use their laptop on their lap could also be wreaking havoc on their sperm?  Research shows that when the scrotal temperature increases just one degree, decreases sperm count exponentially.  Recently, researchers have been studying the effects of WIFI and have found a negative impact on motility. A recent study that was published in Fertility and Sterility magazine took two sets of samples of sperm, one was placed under a laptop with a WIFI signal for four hours, the other sample–  no laptop, no WIFI.  After four hours, the laptop sample showed 25% of the sperm had stopped swimming and 9% of the sperm actually had DNA fragmentation.  The same goes for cell phones,  men typically carry their cell phones in their pockets.  Research says the proximity of these cell phones so close to the male genitalia are zapping the testicles and causing adverse DNA reactions to sperm. In conclusion, we are here for you. The path to parenthood can be a lot, physically and emotionally, we are here to support you in any way we can.    

Postnatal Recovery with Traditional Chinese Medicine

Postnatal Recovery with Traditional Chinese Medicine In China, the first few weeks after childbirth are called Chan Ru (childbirth mattress) or Zao Yue Zi (sitting the month). The concept of adequate rest to ensure women are completely recovered from childbirth is an important part of Asian societies. Also termed the “Golden Month” or “Sitting Moon” this was a time of rest and eating specific foods to assist in recovery for 28 days. Acupuncturist, Nikole Maxey says, “This idea is not widespread or even encouraged in western society, and often times the mother is seen as a “hero” for being up, walking around, and even running errands 1-2 days after birth. Many women who are too active too soon, may initially cope but will find that months later they are exhausted and are having a hard time recovering from the birthing process.” As a trained doula and acupuncturist, Treasure De La Cruz says, “Our busy culture often praises  moms who, like Beyoncé, recover quickly and get their “pre-baby” body back, but it’s not realistic or healthy.” Nikole highly recommends her patients stay at home and inside for at least 7 days. “Both mother and child should avoid being in harsh weather or wind as the pores are still open post childbirth and the chance of infection is increased. This is not absolute bed rest, but limiting time on your feet. Having adequate help is very important, let others cook and clean.” As far as guidelines for activity: Week 1—walk 1 block, (½ a block and back) Week 2—walk 2 blocks total Week 3—walk 3 blocks total And so on… And of course, if you are able, coming in for a follow up acupuncture visit 10-14 days after birth can be very helpful to help boost the Qi and Yin and return the body to a state of balance. At that visit, we will discuss future visits depending on how you and baby are feeling. What’s that scent? The newborn scent is real! There are actually health benefits to delaying the first bath.  Treasure says, “We waited till our daughter was 10 days old for her first bath!” Babies are not only born covered with a white substance called vernixcaseosa, they’ve been protected with it the whole time in the womb from chapping or wrinkling. Thisvernixcaseosa also contains antioxidants and anti-infection properties.  Amazing!  Babies are born covered in their own anti-germ barrier.  Don’t worry, the nurses will wipe the baby down after birth so they are ready for their first selfies, but holding off their first bath keeps their protective layer on and keeps the baby’s skin soft. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the importance of vernixcaseosa and recommends not wiping it off. Snuggle up! Cuddling is important!  Skin to skin is not just for the hospital. You can keep doing skin to skin for as long as you are comfortable and doing so will help build a strong attachment.  Skin to skin will also assist in the let down of milk, so if you are having trouble with lactation, holding your baby will help! Postpartum bleeding? Treasure says, “I bring this up because many of the new mothers I work with don’t know that it is normal and healthy to have postpartum bleeding up to 4 to 6 weeks after birth.” Postpartum bleeding and nursing are two more reasons why the Golden Month is so important.  Postpartum bleeding, called the lochia, is the shedding of blood, mucus and tissue from where the placenta was attached. Be watchful of your bleeding, if one day you have heavier bleeding, then examine what you did that day or the day before.  You probably did too much or had too many guests, so take more rest. Although normal, if you notice large clots (larger than a sliver dollar), extremely heavy flow or you are filling a pad every hour, call your doctor immediately! Nourishing the body! In Chinese medicine there are traditional foods that rebuild energy and blood lost during childbirth, replenish lost nutrients and produce breast milk.  Treasure says, “I was blessed to have my mom stay for a couple of weeks and cook some of these traditional Chinese postpartum meals.”  Silkie chicken soup is one. Silkies have black skin and white feathers and can be found in Chinese markets, sometimes in the freezer department. The black skin makes the chicken more nourishing. If silkies are not available, organic chicken will do. You can make a basic chicken soup with vegetables, ginger, onions, shitake mushrooms and your grain of choice. There are some other traditional Chinese postpartum foods that are even more adventurous, such as pigs feet in molasses, black vinegar and ginger or fish broth soup, which is excellent for encouraging milk production. Dietary Recommendations: A Postpartum Reminder… Vitamins & Supplement Advice Set up a meal train! Have someone set up a meal train for your family!  It’s also a great way for people to meet the baby too! Create a sign up sheet starting right after birth to 2-3 months out.  Mealtrain.com is an excellent and free website to help organize friends and family.  Not only were they helpful, having meals ready-to-eat was essential!  We suggest multiple servings delivered every other day.  Stews and soups are encouraged since they can be frozen and enjoyed later. Request that friends and family check in with you the day of to see if you are open for a visit or prefer a simple drop off. How We Can Help! As we mentioned before, acupuncture can play a huge part in all aspects of fertility, pregnancy and also post childbirth.  Besides assisting your body in the recovery period as a whole, we can also assist with: We love talking and educating patients about postnatal recovery, please call or email anytime you have questions or better yet, let’s get you set up on a schedule before giving birth so we can support you the best way we know how.