So how does this work?

In order to explain why the wrong food, even in tiny amounts, can make you fat, we have to start with the gut. The wall of the small intestine has huge amount of surface area—about the size of a tennis court! The surface is covered with microvilli, finger-like projections that can become damaged by bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like aspirin and ibuprofen, chemo and radiation, certain antibiotics, excessive or frequent alcohol consumption, or, food “allergies”. Having the right types and amounts of “good bugs”, or probiotic bacteria, in the gut helps to preserve the integrity of this lining, and in fact, just having the wrong make-up of bacteria“ in your gut can cause enough inflammation to allow the lining to become compromised.

The small intestine is brilliantly designed to allow in the nutrients from the food we eat that help us to thrive and survive, while keeping out infectious agents, chemicals, toxins, and anything else that might harm us. This is a big and important job, as the intestine, like the skin, is really our main interface with and barrier to the harsh outside world. For this reason, around 70% of our immune system is found in the gut, functioning 24/7 to protect us from the thousands of things we come into contact with each day, from the outside environment. When the wall of the intestine is damaged, it is as if the fine mesh of filtration suddenly is made up of a larger mesh, so that larger, inadequately digested food proteins get through. These large intact molecules can be easily mistaken by the body as foreign pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites, because the main way that the immune system works to identify these invaders is by tagging the proteins on them that make them unique, and creating specific antibodies to these foreign proteins.

The problem is that many of these proteins closely resemble proteins that compromise our own body tissues. If the body creates an antibody to a protein marker from a food that you eat, and mistakes one of your own tissues as being the same thing, then every time you are exposed to that food, your body may create not only a local, intestinal immune response to the food, but will also mount a system-wide inflammatory immune attack against your own body. This is one of the conditions that can trigger the onset of many autoimmune conditions, or aggravate pre-existing ones. Depending on what type of tissue these antibodies happen to be for, this could look like autoimmune thyroid disease in one person, rosacea in another, diabetes in yet another, and joint pains in yet another.

To add one more layer to this, once the intestinal lining has become more permeable, the potential for developing multiple food intolerances due to increased interface between food proteins and our immune system skyrockets. So where once you only reacted to, say, dairy, now you develop reactions to carrots, almonds, chicken, or other foods that normally would seem beneficial to our nutrition. If the gut wall is compromised, the entire contents of the intestines have access to your blood stream and system, including toxins and chemicals that normally would have been evacuated with the stool.

So what does this have to do with my love handles?

1) The main way having a leaky gut can cause weight gain way is by raising inflammation. Anything that raises inflammation in our body will also encourage our adrenals to secrete more cortisol, a potent anti-inflammatory. Besides being anti-inflammatory, cortisol raises blood sugar levels. When our blood sugar is high, we will also have higher insulin levels—and insulin is a fat storage hormone. It causes the body tends to convert excess sugars and store it as fat, usually around the belly and hips. We need cortisol in order to function, but when it is constantly elevated, as in the case of inflammation from food sensitivity, it can really work against us by causing muscle break-down, reducing our cell’s sensitivity to insulin, and hindering the repair of connective tissues and bones, among other things.

2) Another way this can contribute to weight-loss resistance is by water retention. Water retention is one of the main results of any kind of inflammation; if you eat foods sensitive to, you will retain water.

3) The third way this can work against us is that when leaky gut occurs, many of the hormones that our body uses to signal satiety do not get secreted, so we continue to feel hungry when we are already full, and we have cravings for sugary, starchy foods.
4) Finally, some of the inflammatory components that our immune uses to do its job actually temporarily slow down or inhibit the body’s ability to metabolize stored fat as energy. If our immune system is constantly triggered, fat metabolism is constantly restricted. Kind of goes beyond the calories in, calories out model of weight loss, right?

The kicker is that the foods we are the most reactive to are often those we crave the most. Over 30 years ago, a study published in well respected medical journal showed that these partially digested proteins from foods can create chemicals that plug into our opioid receptors, and can even make us temporarily feel “high”. When high wears off, we crave the food that gave us the initial reaction, just like drug addiction. Gluten containing grains are particularly high in these molecules, and explain why for many people, the idea of giving up bread or pasta seems absolutely unthinkable. These opioid chemicals can also increase appetite and decrease metabolism.

How do you know if your gut is inflamed?

Besides resistance to weight loss, gut inflammation can cause abdominal bloating and gas, but many people with food intolerances don’t have any of these symptoms. Some of the other health problems that have been associated with a leaky, inflamed gut are depression, skin rashes, eczema and acne, seasonal allergies, infertility, arthritis, lupus, vitiligo, schizophrenia, autism, Thyroid problems, asthma, and chron’s disease. Generalized inflammation causes and aggravates other common symptoms such as migraine headaches, arthritis, diabetes, ADD, frequent ear infections or decreased resistance to colds and flu viruses, body aches and pains, chronic congestion, stiffness, dry eyes, seasonal allergies, asthma, recurrent yeast infections or Urinary tract infections, and cardiovascular health, and that is just the short list. Even without a weight issue, or digestive problems, it is worth investigating the issue of food sensitivity if you suffer from any of these symptoms.

To see if food sensitivities are an issue for you, consider doing a 3 week elimination diet of the main allergens (gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, corn, and yeast containing foods) and then reintroducing them one by one over a period of weeks, to see if your body reacts poorly to any of them. There are blood tests available for evaluating food intolerances as well, but not all labs are created equal, and no lab is 100% accurate, so an elimination diet is really still a necessary part of full diagnosis. Supplementing with a lab-tested, high-dose probiotic supplement (10-30 billion CFU) can help to heal and protect the gut, as does getting plenty of fiber from plant foods. In cases requiring a deeper healing approach, additional steps can be taken, guided by a healthcare practitioner trained in using diet, herbs, and supplements, to further heal the intestinal lining.

Suitable for Gluten-Free, Paleo, or Reduced-Carbohydrate Diets

Many of my patients, (myself included) find that they feel healthier, leaner, and more energetic physically and mentally on a Gluten-free diet, or even a grain-free type Paleo style diet, with personal modifications made for different health conditions or goals.  Kelp noodles are not only gluten-free, but they also are low carbohydrate, for people who are trying to reduce their total carb intake, or who just want a change from other types of grain-based noodles.  Beyond this, kelp noodles are packed with nutrients that support digestion, thyroid, bones, teeth, immune and cardiovascular system.

Micronutrients 

Kelp noodles are high in iodine, which can support your thyroid function (as long as you don’t have an autoimmune thyroid condition…..but that’s another article). They also provide a good amount of calcium and magnesium, and other trace minerals, in a naturally occurring form that makes them easier for the body to absorb and utilize. Among other things, Calcium and Magnesium support bones and teeth, and help prevent osteoporosis. Magnesium can also help play a role in treating  PMS symptoms and menstrual cramps in some women.   Kelp is also abundant in folic acid, which is cardio-protective, supports proper nerve function, prevents certain types of anemia, and is critically important to boost during and before pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects in newborns

Women’s Reproductive Health 

Japanese women, whose diets are rich in kelp, have lower rates of ovarian, breast, and endometrial cancer.  Studies have shown that Japanese women have longer menstrual cycle lengths (greater than the 28 day average) and lower circulating estrogen levels compared to Western populations , which used to be attributed to the increased intake of soy protein in these populations. In more recent years, it was noted that seaweed is also a huge staple in the Japanese diet, accounting for up to 25% of their daily food intake, which led researchers to wonder if perhaps the sea vegetables contributed to these statistics as well.  A study at UC Berkeley found that a diet containing kelp lowered circulating estrogen levels in women, and also showed that women with endometriosis who ate 700mg of kelp per day had a significant reduction in their pain level during menstruation.

Cancer Prevention

Fucoidan is a sulphated polysaccharide found in the cell walls of  various species of brown seaweeds and brown algaes, and has been shown in studies to have the ability to induce cell death  in cancer cells in the lymph.  Various studies have shown  fucoidan to have  general antitumor, antiviral (especially against herpes virus), and immune-modulating  effects. Specifically, it stimulates Natural Killer cells, which scavenge the body for cancer cells.  In animal studies, Fucoidan also exhibited neuroprotective  and radioprotective activity, and also prevented ulcer formation from aspirin exposure.

Few foods provide all these benefits at once, in an easy to prepare and delicious form.  I find Kelp noodles in the refrigerator section of my local natural foods market, and, while they can be rinsed and eaten right out of the bag, I prefer to lightly steam them (they softens a bit from the slightly crunchy raw form, to a softer, more noodle-like texture) or warm them in marinara or pesto sauce with other vegetables, or ground grass-fed beef, or turkey.  They also work great in soups, stir-frys, or as a substitute in any recipe that calls for rice-noodles.

Brown Kelp Modulates Endocrine Hormones in Female Sprague-Dawley Rats and in Human Luteinized Granulosa Cells1 Christine F. Skibola,*2 John D. Curry,*3 Catherine VandeVoort,† Alan Conley,** and Martyn T. Smith* *School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA

·  Maruyama H, Tamauchi H, Hashimoto M, Nakano T. Antitumor activity and immune response of Mekabu fucoidan extracted from Sporophyll of Undaria pinnatifida. In Vivo 2003; 17(3):245-249.

·  Haneji K, Matsuda T, Tomita M et al. Fucoidan extracted from cladosiphon okamuranus tokida induces apoptosis of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-infected T-cell lines and primary adult T-cell leukemia cells. Nutr Cancer 2005; 52(2):189-201.

Church FC, Meade JB, Treanor RE, Whinna HC. Antithrombin activity of fucoidan. The interaction of fucoidan with heparin cofactor II, antithrombin III, and thrombin. J Biol Chem. 1989 Feb 25;264(6):3618-23.

·  Luo D, Zhang Q, Wang H, et al. Fucoidan protects against dopaminergic neuron death in vivo and in vitro. Eur J Pharmacol. 2009 Sep 1;617(1-3):33-40.

·  Byon YY, Kim MH, Yoo ES, et al. Radioprotective effects of fucoidan on bone marrow cells: improvement of the cell survival and immunoreactivity. J Vet Sci. 2008 Dec;9(4):359-65.

·  Lee JB, Hayashi K, Hashimoto M, Nakano T, Hayashi T. Novel antiviral fucoidan from sporophyll of Undaria pinnatifida (Mekabu). Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2004 Sep;52(9):1091-4.

·  Hayashi K, Nakano T, Hashimoto M, Kanekiyo K, Hayashi T. Defensive effects of a fucoidan from brown alga Undaria pinnatifida against herpes simplex virus infection. Int Immunopharmacol. 2008 Jan;8(1):109-16.

The effect of Fucus vesiculosus, an edible brown seaweed, upon menstrual cycle length and hormonal status in three pre-menopausal women: a case report Christine F Skibola*

This morning I walked into my kitchen and saw a big 2-quart jar of gorgeous fuscia colored liquid sitting on my counter and felt instantly excited about all the nutrition and probiotics brewing in my Beet Kvass.  If you haven’t heard of it, Kvass is a fermented beverage originating from Russia.  It was traditionally made from stale rye bread, but can be made from lemons, raspberries, pears, and many other foods (in this case, beets).    Kvass is considered a tonic for digestion, an excellent thirst quencher and, an antidote to a hangover.  It’s popularity in Russia arose not just as a health tonic, but because it was recognized to be safer to drink than water, during times of cholera, because of it’s high  amounts of beneficial microbacteria that support intestinal health. Fermented drinks are actually more hydrating then water as well. In order to remain hydrated your body needs a balance of sugar, salt and water. Electrolyte drinks are designed to ensure that balance, but are often packed with added preservatives, dyes and unnecessary sweeteners.

Beyond the pro-biotic content from the fermentation, beets are a superfood in their own right.  Chinese Medicine has long touted beets as a “blood builder”, used a food medicine either after the menstrual cycle, after giving birth, or anytime when we need to nourish the strength and flexibility of our connective tissues or the health of our eyes.  This proves to be true from a western nutritional perspective as well.   The pigment that gives beets their rich color is called Betacyanin, a phyto-nutrient that can dramatically increase the oxygen-carrying ability of the blood. Beets are also a unique source of  Betalains, which provide provide super high levels of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and liver detoxification support.  They also contain a high-quality plant-source iron which is well utilized used by the body, making beets helpful in the treatment of anemia. In a recent study from Italy, beets were shown to be the most important dietary source of  Lutein and Zeaxanthin, nutrients which are proving to be crucial to maintaining  eye health and preventing common age-related eye problems.   Finally, in recent studies on human tumor cells, Betanin pigments from beets have been shown to lessen tumor cell growth through a number of mechanisms, including inhibition of pro-inflammatory enzymes, which points to the possible importance of beets as a cancer preventing food.

Now, you can get some of these benefits from expensive supplement extracts of these nutrients in capsules forms, but why swallow capsules when you can get all these benefits for pennies in the form of a delicious, fermented tonic beverage?

For those who have not tasted it, Beet Kvass is kind of earthy, a bit sour, and a tiny bit salty.  When I first tasted it, I needed a second and third sip to acquire the taste, but now I am rather addicted to it because of how great it makes me feel!  You can buy it pre-made and bottled in the refrigerator section, usually near Kombucha, to try it, or you can easily brew your own, using the recipe below:

Ingredients:

2-3 large beets
¼ cup whey (if you don’t have this, leave it out….you can substitute already made kvass from the store, which serves as a starter, a small amount from your previous batch, or, if it is your first batch, just leave it out and it will ferment on it’s own)
2 tsp unrefined sea salt
2-quart container
filtered water

What to do:

1)   Scrub your beets—don’t peel them.  A lot of the beneficial nutrients are in the skins.

2)   Cut up beets into small cubes, about 2 cm per side, and place them in your jar.  They should fill the jar 1/3-1/2 way.

3)   Add the salt, and the whey or beet kvass from the last batch.

4)   Fill the jar with water, and then cover it with a piece of cheesecloth or a sprouting-mesh lid to fit the jar mouth.

Leave it to sit at room temperature for about 3 days. And then strain out the beets and keep the liquid in the fridge.  I like to squeeze a little lime juice in mine, mix it half and half with seltzer water, or sometimes add a splash of ginger juice from the Ginger People.  Enjoy!!

At this point, while there is risk for leaked radiation to cross the pacific and reach us here on the California coast, in order for the levels that reach us to be high enough to warrant alarm, there would have to be catastrophic release of radiation in Japan. Even then, it would take 5-15 days to migrate here, and would still dissipate largely in it’s migration across the water. That said, Dr. James Thrall, radiologist-in-chief at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and president of the American College of Radiology, said recently that “anything more than about 50 millisieverts may be cause for alarm, including the use of potassium iodide pills to mitigate exposure.” The radiologist claims that studies conducted after the atomic bombing of Japan during World War II showed those exposed to 50 millisieverts or more of radiation were at increased risk for leukemia and cancer.

As of 3 days ago, health food stores throughout the west coast have completely sold out of Potassium Iodide due to the rush of people wanting to protect themselves. As a health care practitioner, this is concerning to me, because while it is a “natural” substance, available over the counter, it should also not be administered in the doses needed for this kind of radiation protection without the observation of a medical professional. Here are some of the reasons why:

The doses needed (taken daily for up to 2 weeks) to protect your thyroid from taking up radioactive iodine are as follows:

Birth to 1 year 65mg daily (1/2 IOSAT tablet)

Age 1 to Adult 130mg daily (One IOSAT tablet)

The reason this works is basically that if all the receptor sites in your thyroid gland are saturated with iodine, they can’t take up the radioactive iodine that would compete for the same sites.
(Here is an explanation of why Iodine Tablets are distributed by the government when radiation toxicity is a danger:)

However, it is not natural for our thyroid to have every site filled with iodine molecules, and this can rapidly promote overstimulation of the gland and too much thyroid hormone activity in our bodies. “Taking high doses of iodine can itself have adverse effects, including causing abnormalities of thyroid function,” said Dr. Alan Gaby, the author of the textbook, “Nutritional Medicine.” “Personally, I would not take a large dose of iodine without any clear evidence of radiation exposure.
For people with hyperthyroidism, this is a big, big problem. For most people with low thyroid, which happens from a variety of causes, this can actually be a really destructive thing as well. For people with thyroid disease in their family, who don’t yet exhibit signs of thyroid disorder, or who haven’t yet been diagnosed, this can trigger the onset of symptoms related to thyroid problems. In short, there are a huge number of undiagnosed people that these types of problems affect, walking around in the general public, who may chose to preemptively dose themselves with Potassium Iodide without understanding the proper time to use it or proper dosage guidelines, and may inadvertently cause themselves some problems!

The second issue is that the doses mentioned above are about 10-100 times the doses recommended on products available thru your natural food store. 1 Milligram equals 1000 micrograms. So, in the event that radiation levels rise here on the west coast to the point that we do need to take Potassium iodide as radiation protection, it is important to understand how much to take and for how long. Food sources, such as iodized salt or sea vegetables, simply don’t contain enough actual iodine molecules to thoroughly and continuously saturate the receptors in your thyroid gland.

The other issue is that while Potassium iodide will protect you from radioactive iodine, in the event of a nuclear disaster, there are many other types of radioactive isotopes that are released into the atmosphere:

The final issue is side effects!
Here are some of the possible side effects from taking iodine at these doses:
acne, loss of appetite, or upset stomach (especially during the first several days, as the body adjusts to the medication), fever, weakness, unusual tiredness, swelling in the neck or throat, mouth sores, skin rash, nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, irregular heartbeat, numbness or tingling of the hands or feet, or a metallic taste in the mouth.

Everyone is exposed to some amount of radiation, daily. If you fly on airplanes, use a cell phone, or lay in the sunshine, you are absorbing radiation. Short of an emergency with actual reported high levels of measured radiation, I do not advise starting KI at this time. In the meantime, there are things we can do that in my opinion are more reasonable, to protect ourselves from radiation in general. Believe it or not, hot, soapy water, rinses radioactivity acquired from the air, off of your skin. One of the first things they do with people near the plants who they measure and find high levels of exposure, is wash them off with soap and hot water, (in a shower, not a bath) so the water rinses off of their body.

Eleuthero, or Siberian Ginseng, lessens the effects of radiation on the body. This is used often with people who are undergoing radiation or chemo to protect their bodies from the toxic side effects, and in fact, was handed out to citizens during the catastrophic nuclear spill at Chernobyl to help protect them.
Reishi mushroom prevents cellular damage. Besides having profound anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, tumor & cancer preventive actions, it also has radio protective properties.
In studies in Japan, mice treated with a compound found in shiitake mushrooms prior to radiation exposure were found to have complete protection from lowered blood cell counts normally caused by radiation exposure.
And Cordyceps has been proven to protect bone marrow and intestinal lining specifically from the effects of radiation exposure.
Supplementing with these botanicals and increasing the amount of seaweeds you eat in the next several weeks will offer you a good deal of protection from low level drift, and in the unlikely event that the west coast ends up in a crisis where Potassium iodide dosing is necessary, these herbs will offer you multifaceted extra defense. Please call my office if you need assistance getting a hold of any of these medicinals.

1) Fasting— While fasting, or drastically reducing food intake does help to lessen the toxic load on the body by reducing incoming exposure, it also creates nutrient deficient burden and does nothing to help assist the liver to metabolically alter the toxins.  Detoxification is an energy intensive process, actually requiring more protein than under normal situations, and protein is usually the first thing to go in these types of fasting diets.  Fasting does nothing to restore optimum function to every organ cell and tissue in the body—impaired function goes untreated.  Cleansing also requires time, and for most people, it is unrealistic to go on a low calorie diet while carrying out normal everyday activities that require focus, energy, and attention, such as working, driving, or studying. Juice fasting and other radically altered diets also destabilize blood sugar, which in turn makes your body hold on to fat rather than metabolizing it for energy. Since most of our toxins are stored in our fat cells, this actually promotes toxin storage, rather than liberating toxins out of the cells to be cleared from the body.  Fasting also reduces the amount of available antioxidants coming into the system, while up-regulating the amount used on a daily basis, since successful detoxification depends heavily on plentiful antioxidant capacity.  Many professional-grade nutritional detox products are available that provide precise, clean nutrient support for this purpose.

2) Low Fiber—Low fiber diets (such as fasts and juice diets) slow down bowel transit time and promote constipation. Without fiber, toxins that have been released into the bile in order to be excreted from the body actually get re-circulated into the bloodstream further down the gastrointestinal tract. Eating lots of fresh veggies and taking fiber supplements, hydrating, and having proper mineral support are essential to avoiding this problem.

3) Incomplete Phase 2 vs. Phase 1: While many systems are involved in detoxing, the liver is the body’s primary detoxification organ. Liver detoxification involves 2 distinct steps, each requiring different enzymes, amino acids, and nutrients in order to be completed.  Many cleanse programs promote phase 1 detoxification, without properly supporting phase 2—this can cause big problems like extra free radical damage and increased toxicity. Some factors that limit Phase 2 activity are deficiencies of selenium, B vitamin deficiency, glutathione, zinc, and vitamin C, low protein diet, NSAIDS/aspirin, smoking, and yellow food dye.

4) Not supporting the Adrenals: most detox programs provide no support for the adrenals with botanicals, or nutritionally, leaving us stressed, tired, achy, and cranky during this energy intensive process.

5) Before-and after: Some people use lots of meds, coffee, and a high sugar diet, and try to start a cleansing program without giving themselves time to wean off these things, and instead, shift radically onto a different diet.  The body doesn’t respond well to these abrupt types of swings and usually these people feel ill.  Another common mistake is going right back on caffeine and alcohol the day after they finish their program. Not only is this a waste of time and money spent on the detox program, but is actually hurts the body more than if you hadn’t given it the rest.

6) Not exercising: One of the ways that we clear toxins is through the skin—during a cleanse, you must sweat!

7) Water! — It is crucial to stay hydrated, as water is the biggest component in bile, urine and sweat, the main ways that toxins get carried out from the body.  Without enough water, the enzymes needed for cell detoxification have reduced activity. Make sure to filter your water, and, never drink it out of a plastic bottle, as the plastic byproducts such as BPA will just load the toxins back into your cleaner body.

Understanding what the components of a good cleanse are, what ingredients are in the supplements, why you are taking them, and what you are actually trying to achieve biochemically in the body, are important things to understand and clarify when undertaking a program of detox for health, increased energy, or weight-loss.  Guidance and supervision by a medical professional educated in nutritional detoxification can give you the support you need to get the best results and feel great while doing it!

In treating insulin resistance and blood sugar irregularity, the acupuncturist will mainly focus on the Lung, Stomach, Spleen, and Kidney meridians, as well as special points on the back. Prevention, or treatment at early onset of the disorder yields the best results, and these are enhanced greatly by combining treatment with botanical medicine.

A study of 4037 cases of Type 1 and 2 diabetes in China showed that acupuncture was  93% effective reducing blood sugar and associated symptoms. In another 4-month study involving thousands of patients, 1794 (20%) patients with Type 2 diabetes demonstrated clinical recovery, 2346 (25%) showed prominent improvement in symptoms, 3835 (41%) showed moderate improvement, and only 1407 (15.00%) showed no effect.  Patients receiving 3 treatments over 8 days showed sustained effects of lowered blood glucose for 2 weeks after.  A realistic approach to treatment and management would be one session per week.

Dietarily, a lot of emphasis has been placed on greatly lowering or eliminating carbohydrate intake, and this really may not be the best approach. In fact, back in 1930, Dr. H.P. Himsworth demonstrated that if carbohydrates were taken out of the diet and replaced by either protein or fats, a person would quickly develop insulin resistance and diabetes. The key here is in the choice of high-fiber complex carbohydrates rather than low-fiber simple and highly processed carbs such as flours, refined sugar, soda, pastry and fructose.  To illustrate this point, a diabetic can eat a large plate of spinach that contains as much carbohydrate as a tablespoonful of sugar, without the same blood-sugar spike that would occur with that amount of sugar.

Herbs and nutrients are crucial to the complete treatment and prevention of blood-sugar irregularity in diabetics, pre-diabetics, and people with these disorders prevalent in their families. A 1996 study of 180 Type 2 diabetics, carried out in China under the guidance of Dr. Richard A. Anderson11, found that 500 mcg of Chromium Picolinate taken twice daily for 4 months lowered the fasting glucose level to an average of 129, compared to 160 in those taking a placebo. Effects of Chromium appear to be due to increased insulin sensitivity.  Vanadium is a mineral that very effectively lowers blood sugar by mimicking insulin and improving the cells’ sensitivity to insulin.  Herbs like Fenugreek, Ginseng, Gymnema and Bilberry are also helpful in the right dosages, and there are also many well-researched Chinese Botanical Patent medicines that are effective at controlling blood sugar and insulin, but need to be prescribed by a practitioner well-versed in the particulars of Chinese herbal therapy, in order to best match the patients’ needs.

Brie Wieselman, L.Ac, is a State and Nationally Licensed Acupuncturist/Herbalist. In her private practice, she treats Gynecological  & Fertility issues, Anxiety/Depression, Insomnia, Digestive Disorders, Adrenal Fatigue, Thyroid Imbalances, Blood Sugar Irregularities, Food allergies, Pain, Asthma, Allergies, and Autoimmune Disorders. Brie practices at the Harborside Acupuncture Clinic at 550 Palm St.

During the natural cycle of each woman, levels of estrogen and progesterone rise and fall in relationship to each other. Most birth control pills work by keeping estrogen at a sufficiently high level that they fool the body into thinking it is pregnant; therefore, ovulation, and another “pregnancy” cannot occur. That’s why some women have intolerable estrogen-induced side effects when they are on birth control pills such as weight gain, mood swings, and breast tenderness. Commonly known risks associated with this type of combination pills include blood clots, stroke and heart attack.

Women on these types of combination pills, and especially those with the above-mentioned symptoms, need to be evaluated for Estrogen Dominance that may have been created or worsened by starting the Pill.  Using herbs and acupuncture to support the liver’s function of detoxification, regulating digestion and elimination, and evaluating and maintaining healthy levels of beneficial intestinal microorganisms can moderate Estrogen Dominance.

Elevated hormone levels may also suppress the activity of Thyroid hormones in the body.  Thyroid hormones, such as TSH, T3, and T4 regulate our energy and metabolism. Specifically, elevated estrogen may interfere with the body’s ability to convert inactive, or storage forms of thyroid hormone into the active form that our cells can use and respond to.  Some common Low Thyroid symptoms are fatigue, increase in weight even with a low or normal calorie diet, headaches in the morning, depression, constipation, sensitivity to cold, susceptibility to colds and flus, and dry, itchy, slow-healing skin.

The “mini-pill” which is a progestin only prescription, does not increase risk of clotting, but does come with it’s own side effects of increased hunger, weight gain, breast tenderness, irregular bleeding, and increased risk of functional ovarian cysts. In the clinic, I regularly use Acupuncture, Herbs, and Nutritional Therapy to successfully alleviate these and other side-effects in my women patients.  It is important to remember that each woman is unique, and that there is no “one-size-fits-all” protocol for supporting health while on oral contraceptives.

Brie Wieselman, L.Ac, is a State and Nationally Licensed Acupuncturist/Herbalist. In her private practice, she treats Gynecological  & Fertility issues, Anxiety/Depression, Insomnia, Digestive Disorders, Adrenal Fatigue, Thyroid Imbalances, Blood Sugar Irregularities, Food allergies, Pain, Asthma, Allergies, and Autoimmune Disorders. Brie practices at the Harborside Acupuncture Clinic at 550 Palm St. For appointments call (831)706-5378.