Part 2: Acupuncture can stop you from aging. Period. (Berkeley acupuncture)
Part 2: Acupuncture can stop you from aging. Period. (Berkeley acupuncture) If you’re not sure what a telomere is, go back to Monday’s post and read up… So, the big question is: HOW DO I LENGTHEN MY TELOMERES? The obvious answer is to get enough exercise and eat a pristine diet, high in organic fruits and vegetables, grass fed/free range, hormone free meats and eggs and avoid sweets, processed carbs and so on. But, researchers say it’s not just about eating right and working out. Numerous studies, all the way from Harvard University to UCSF, have shown the primary contributor to cellular aging isn’t fast food or a sedentary lifestyle, it’s stress. Accelerated cell aging has now been associated with many stress-related conditions, including trauma exposure, major depression and other psychiatric disorders. Here’s where Chinese medicine comes in… We believe that almost every symptom the body experiences ultimately comes from stress. Stress wreaks havoc on the organ system creating stagnation or disharmony of Qi, Blood and other important substances. So, logics will tell us that if acupuncture treats stress and balances the body overall, then it must lengthen telomeres! We don’t need logics, researchers tell us it’s true! Studies have shown that acupuncture lengthens telomeres! Our recommendation is to receive acupuncture at least once a month, this will help de-stress the body overall, thereby creating the enzyme telomerase by doing the following: Decreasing inflammation Building immunity Strengthening the gastro-intestinal system Enhancing circulation Regulating brain chemistry and hormones Relaxing the nervous system Energetically clearing trauma Opening the meridians and creating a clear connection to the associated organ system hereby eradicating stress and free radicals. And lengthening telomeres! We are your support system for anti-aging, but more importantly longevity! Much love, Christina “Mei Wen” Martin, L.Ac., Dipl.AC, MTOM, FABORM. christina@berkeley-acupuncture.com Christina Martin is the founder of Tao to Wellness. She is an Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbalist and Teacher and has been in practice for fifteen years. She holds a Master’s Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is a fellow of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine. Christina entered Acupuncture school without ever having an Acupuncture treatment. She simply felt it was her calling.
Part 1: Acupuncture can stop you from aging. Period. (Berkeley acupuncture)
Part 1: Acupuncture Acupuncture can stop you from aging. Period. So, now that we have your attention… What do we mean exactly when we say acupuncture can keep you from aging? We are talking about the relationship between acupuncture and telomeres. Tele what??? Read on… In the world of scientific longevity research, we don’t calculate age by what’s on your driver’s license, and we pay no attention to the youth-obsessed culture that ascribes to the notion that “50 is the new 30,” or “30 is the new 10,” or whatever. This isn’t Benjamin Button, folks. Scientists now calculated age on a cellular level, by the length of your telomeres (and in this case, longer means better!). Telomeres are the “caps” at the ends of our chromosomes that naturally shorten as we age, they are similar to the plastic caps at the end of a shoelace. As the plastic ends shred, and the shoelace becomes frayed and damaged, so too the shortening of our telomeres can leave our cells and chromosomes vulnerable to damage. Telomere shortening means the cell’s lifespan is shortening. Recent research shows that telomere shortening plays an important role in human disease and mortality, (this isn’t just about the amount of wrinkles on your face!). More than 20 studies, from top universities around the world, have shown associations between shorter telomere length and various types of cardiovascular disease (e.g., stroke, heart attacks) and diabetes. Shorter telomeres have also been associated with cancer, osteoporosis, cognitive function, dementia, and arthritis. On the flip-side, long telomeres are related to healthy aging and overall longevity. In a nutshell… The longer and more stable the telomere, the longer we live. What causes telomere shortening? STRESS! Poor diet Lack of exercise Too much exercise Unresolved emotions Toxins (industrial, environmental and food) Smoking and other recreational substances including alcohol Basically anything that creates free radicals in the body It’s not surprising that this shortening/aging can be accelerated by an unhealthy lifestyle. However, there’s hope! We may be able to turn back our cellular clocks! How do I lengthen my telomeres? Stay tuned this week and find out… Much love, Christina
