By Eeka King (BA.H.ScAcu)

Many people believe they are doing a good thing for their health when they turn to Soy over Cow’s milk or as a protein option in a vegetarian/vegan diet. What you may not be aware of is that choosing to consume Soy may slowly be killing you. You may think…it’s just a bean from a plant, right? So how bad could it really be? If you take the time to look into the actual science, then the answer is devastating. Thousands of studies link soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility- even cancer and heart disease.

Soy in very small and occasional doses it is not going to do you too much damage, but once you start ingesting an excessive amount of it, soy’s evil side manifests. And it’s easy to overdose on soy and not even realise it. The more processed foods you’ve got in your pantry, the more soy you are eating. “Soy is a cheap source of protein for many packaged and processed foods, so if you are eating protein bars, cereals, bottled dressings, mayonnaise, vegan meat substitutes, and fast foods, you are probably consuming soy,” says Vance. You’d be surprised by how many different forms that it can come in — you’ll be able to identify it on a label as soy oil, soy protein isolates, soy protein, soy lecithin, and textured vegetable protein (TVP), among others.

There is a widespread misconception that soy was consumed for many years by Asian cultures and because they are considered among the ‘most healthy’ race of people, if we consume soy now, we should all be fine. While this is true, there is a glaring difference between how ancient Asia prepared soy and how we do today. That key difference: fermenting the soy.

Un-fermented soybeans, what we mainly eat today, contain large quantities of natural toxins or “anti-nutrients”. Some of the most important to avoid are potent enzyme inhibitors that block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion. These inhibitors are tightly folded proteins that do not deactivate during the cooking process. Without being deactivated, they have the ability to produce serious gastric distress, reduce protein digestion and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake. Several tests were done on animals that showed diets high in trypsin inhibitors cause enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas, including cancer.

The un-fermented consumption of soy creates an environment in the body that is unable to properly digest and break the protein in soy. This means the soy can become toxic within the body and create a series of adverse challenges. The Asian cultures consuming soy in the past knew that soy needed to first be fermented and so they did not consume it unless it was (Martino, 2013).

Another one of the primary reasons it would be wise for you to avoid soy is that more than 90% of soybeans grown in the US are genetically modified (GM). Since the introduction of genetically engineered foods in 1996, we’ve had an upsurge in low birth weight babies, infertility, and other problems in the States, and animal studies have shown devastating effects from genetically engineered soy including allergies, sterility, birth defects, and offspring death rates up to five times higher than normal. Soybean crops are also heavily sprayed with chemical herbicides, such glyphosate which a French team of researchers have found to be carcinogenic.

Here is a list of 10 dangers (compiled by the Western A. Price foundation) that comes with consuming un-fermented soy:
Soy Dangers Summarized:
High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.

1. Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
2. Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
3. Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer.
4. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
5. Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B12
Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D.
6. Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
7. Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
8. Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
9. Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

Some facts on Soy Infant Formula: Birth Control Pills for Babies
Babies fed soy-based formula have 13,000 to 22,000 times more oestrogen compounds in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula. Infants exclusively fed soy formula receive the estrogenic equivalent of at least four birth control pills per day.

Male infants undergo a testosterone surge during the first few months of life, when testosterone levels may be as high as those of an adult male. During this period, baby boys are programmed to express male characteristics after puberty, not only in the development of their sexual organs and other masculinity traits, but also in setting patterns in the brain characteristic of male behaviour.

In animals, studies indicate that phytoestrogens in soy are powerful endocrine disrupters. Soy infant feeding, which floods the bloodstream with female hormones that inhibit testosterone, cannot be ignored as a possible cause of disrupted development patterns in boys, including learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder. 
Male children exposed to DES, a synthetic oestrogen, had testes smaller than normal on maturation and infant marmoset monkeys fed soy isoflavones had a reduction in testosterone levels up to 70 % compared to milk-fed controls.

Almost 15% of white girls and 50% of African-Americans girls show signs of puberty, such as breast development and pubic hair, before the age of eight. Some girls are showing sexual development before the age of three. Premature development of girls has been linked to the use of soy formula and exposure to environmental oestrogen-mimickers such as PCBs and DDE.
Intake of phytoestrogens even at moderate levels during pregnancy can have adverse affects on the developing foetus and the timing of puberty later in life.

So what Soy products are good for you?
The only soy with health benefits is organic soy that has been properly fermented, and these are the only soy products I ever recommend consuming.

After a long fermentation process, the phytate and “anti-nutrient” levels of soybeans are reduced, and their beneficial properties become available to your digestive system.

The primary fermented soy products that can be consumed moderately are:

• Tempeh – a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavour.
• Miso- a fermented soybean paste with a salty, buttery texture (commonly used in miso soup).
• Natto- fermented soybeans with a sticky texture and strong, cheese-like flavour.
• Soy sauce – traditionally made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes. Be wary because many varieties on the market today are made artificially using a chemical process, so please check!

Please note that tofu is NOT on the list. Tofu is not fermented. Also BONSOY milk is the only soya milk made from soaked soybeans, which at least aids in the breaking down of the outer hard shell of the bean. One big nature providing clue, which makes it very clear to me that soy is not really meant for humans to eat, is the fact that soybeans are horrid on the palate. No normal person could eat them. That’s why all soymilks on the market are loaded with fillers, oils and other ingredients so you can get it down.

References:
Daniel (2012) The whole soy story: the dark side of America’s favourite health food. Western A Price foundation: http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert/not-so-soy-healthy-for-the-heart
Dr Joseph Mercola: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/soy-health_b_1822466.html
Martino, 2013: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/02/21/confused-about-soy-soy-dangers-summarized/

Phone the clinic on 02 66851 088 or email heal@baysideacupuncture.com to make an appointment with Eeka.

“Purging the bowels eliminates the source of poison, thereby permitting blood and energy to regenerate naturally. By cleansing the bowles we repair the body” Chai Yu-hua

You will need:

• Psyllium seed husk (intestinal Cleanser)
• Bentonite (removes toxins from your entire digestive tract)
• Supplement-Organic Super Greens (wheatgrass, spirulina, barley, chlorella) or greenlife (wheat, oat, rye and barly grasses)
• Colonics

Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time.There are many different ‘Fasts’ out there; water fasts, juice fasts, the lemon/maple syrup/cayenne fast, raw milk only fast, rice only fast etc. Why fast?

Daniel says that the modern lifestyles put tremendous toxic strain on our vital organs and glands. The stomach is perpetually stuffed with denatured foods taking in incompatible combinations, the liver is swollen and strained with the effort of breaking down massive intakes of proteins and fats as well as drugs and poisons, the pancreas balloons to abnormal size owing to the constant demand for digestive enzymes to process enzyme-less foods, and the colon gets lined with layer upon layer of glue like crud that poisons the bloodstream.

Of all the vital organs in the body, the one that suffers the most abuse from modern dietary habits is the colon.

The following “Fasting and Colonics” excerpt is from the The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity:

Fasting and Colonics
If you stand long and still enough near rivers, lakes and ponds where herons and similar long-beaked birds fish and feed, you will notice a curious habit.

From time to time, a heron will suck up a beak full of water, twist its neck around and insert the beak into its own anus, squirting the water deep into its bowels to flush out the putrid debris and other residue from its fish-based diet.

Who taught these birds to do that? Nature did… and a Taoist respects no teacher more than nature. The very sound of the word colon prompts embarrassment these days. Many people can’t even bare to look at a picture of a colon, let alone talk about their own. Suggest that someone run 5 gallons of warm water through it, and embarrassment turns to suspicion or sheer panic.

American doctors are reluctant even to discuss the matter, and they flatly refuse to administer colonic irrigations to patients on request. They believe, as one New York physician put it, colonics ‘went out with the horse-and-buggy’ a century ago.

American doctors also reject nutritional therapy, herbal remedies, fasting, therapeutic breathing, meditation and other ‘outdated’ methods that they no longer understand, nor want to understand.

In Russia however, it remains standard procedure in all hospitals and clinics to administer a thorough colonic cleansing to all patients, regardless of their ailments, immediately upon entering any hospital. Russian physicians realize that no cure for any ailment can be properly administered to a filthy, highly toxic body, which simply cannot assimilate and utilize medications.

Nor does a body devitalized by chronic toxemia have sufficient strength and energy to fully recover from such radical procedures as anesthesia, surgery and chemical therapy.

As a case in point for colonics, take pneumonia. At the turn of the century, before cancer and heart disease replaced it, pneumonia was the biggest killer in America.

Back then, Dr. J.H. Tilden of Denver, Colorado, who specialized in pneumonia and treated more patients for this disease than any other physician on record, never lost a single patient to this dreaded ailment. He achieved his remarkable record by relying entirely on fasting and colonic irrigations, followed by strict diets of raw natural foods. Today, pneumonia still takes a heavy toll among the elderly and weak, despite all the modern drugs used to treat it.

In 1935, at the age of 40, V.E. Irons suffered from a rare and extremely painful form of arthritis now known as ‘ankylosing spondylosis’. This condition is caused by unassimilated calcium (such as that from pasteurized milk) being deposited on the spinal vertebrae, where it gradually builds spurs that cause the entire spine to stoop forward, until, after 10-20 years, the victim is bent over double for life.

Having been told that there is no cure, Irons went off to research his conditions on his own, and, like anyone else who looks hard and long enough for the real source of chronic degenerative disease, he found it lurking in his own clogged colon. As he recalls:

“Within two months I had no more pain from displacement and with 14 months practically no spurs. All done with home colonics, fasting and natural food- no drugs!“

Colonic must not be confused with enemas. At best enemas flush out the rectum and a small part of the descending colon; but they do nothing for the transverse and ascending portions where years of afoul debris, toxic waste, and impacted feces have accumulated. Enemas can also be a real mess to handle.

Colonics, on the other hand, send water coursing all the way through the entire length of the colon in a continuous flow, gently.
So, if you wish to rid yourself of he 5-15 pounds of hard, rubbery, toxic waste impacted in your colon owing to a lifetime of wrong eating habits, and simultaneously eliminate the source of most of your chronic ailments, discomfort and fatigue, while also preserving youthful vitality and prolong your life, order a Colema Board.

 

The 7 Day detox fasting and colon cleansing programme
This is an integrated system of self-purification that combines the benefits of fasting, fibrous intestinal cleansers, nutritional supplements and daily colon irrigations. It is complete program of blood and tissue detoxification that rejuvenates each and every organ, gland, tissue and cell in the body.

Why seven days? Seven is a sort of ‘magic number’ throughout the realm of nature. Women’s menstrual cycles occur in four units of seven, as does the moon orbit around the earth.It takes exactly seven days to cleanse the entire bloodstream by fasting, and it requires seven days to thoroughly rid the lymph of toxins.On a larger scale, it takes seven months to balance the endocrine system through proper nutrition and exercise and seven years to replace every cell in the body.

This particular program was developed by V.E.Irons, who explains it as follows:
“For seven days, you eat nothing at all, but you won’t feel hungry because you take an intestinal cleanser. This is a powder that’s ground from a special grade of Psyllium seed. The cleanser clings to the colon walls, holds moisture there, and softens and loosens the waste matter. Add to that the herbal cleansing supplements that break down the mucus that lines the stomach walls, the duodenum, the small intestines and the colon, plus colonics which flush it all out of the body, and you have the essence of this program.

The Intestinal Cleanser (Psyllium seed husk) should be taken five times a day, every three hours. You put a heaping teaspoon of Cleanser in a jar with a good tight cover. Add ten ounces of water, with a little bit of your favourite fruit or vegetable juice for flavour.

You also add a tablespoon or two of another product called Bentonite, which is made from volcanic ash. Bentonite is like a magnetic sponge that removes toxins from your entire digestive tract. Shake the mixture well and drink it. Then follow it with a glass of water.

A seven day fast sounds severe, but it’s really not too bad because the intestinal cleanser swells up in your system, so that you feel full. Also you take tablets of a supplement called Greenlife (you can also use Organic Supergreens), which is concentrate of the juices of wheat, rye, oat and barley grasses.”

During the 7-day fast with nutritional supplements and intestinal cleansers, you administer to yourself two 5-gallon colonics per day on the colema board, which works entirely by gravity, not pumps or attend a colonic irrigation clinic.

To the 5 gallons of warm (100-105°F) water you add some strong boiled coffee, which stimulates the bowels’ natural peristaltic contractions and contains acids that help throw out mucus and cleanse the colon wall.

If you are overly sensitive to caffeine, you may substitute fresh garlic juice, fresh lemon juice, or Bentonite or Epsom salts.
The Intestinal Cleanser and the Bentonite are remarkably effective cleansing agents. Powdered Psyllium seed husk is almost 100 percent pure fibrous bulk. It is not absorbed or digested but instead expands in the gut and dredges your bowels of debris as it passes through. When it reaches the colon, the warm water from the colonics helps it loosen impacted toxic wastes from the colon wall and propel it out through the rectum.

Bentonite, which is derived from volcanic ash, contains an ingredient called montmorillonite, a molecule of which is 1/500th the size of a water molecule and carries a negative charge that is 200 times greater than its positive charge. It’s minuscule size enables it to reach into nooks and crannies of your tissues that even water cannot penetrate, while its strong negative charge enables it to pick up 200 times its own weight in toxic positive ions. As we have seen, pollutants always take the form of big, bulky positive ions, and these are readily neutralized by active negative ions. Bentonite works in the bowels along with the Psyllium seed powered, but it also enters the bloodstream to neutralize and facilitate rapid elimination of the toxic wastes that enter the blood from the cells.

Some advocates of fasting, such as Paul Bragg, do not recommend colonics or any supplements whatsoever during cleansing fasts. Instead, they advise nothing but distilled water. However, four, five, or maybe six water fasts are required to remove the same amount of toxic waste from the colon as one fast supplemented intestinal cleansers and colonics.

• The first day is simple. It takes at least 24 hours for the body to commence detoxification and start pouring toxins into the bloodstream for elimination.
• The second & third days are the most difficult. By then you bloodstream will be carrying up to ten times its normal load of toxins, as the entire body excretes accumulated poisons into the blood for disposal. You will feel weak, fatigued, stiff, light-headed and perhaps nauseous, much like a heavy hangover.This is not due to nutritional deficiency, so do not make the most common mistake of first-time faster, which is to break the fast prematurely by eating something to ‘pick you up’.The moment you eat something, the unpleasant symptoms of detoxification disappear- not because of the nutrients in the food but because the food signals the body to halt the detoxification process and gear up for digestion and metabolism instead.The worse you feel during the first three days, the more toxic are your tissues, and the better the programme is working. Hang in there and you will soon feel better than ever!
• During the first fast with colonics, the first two or three days often fail to produce the dramatic evacuations of foul toxic wastes expected.That’s not because your colon is clean, but because the dried mucus and toxins are so deeply impacted in the folds of your colon that it takes six to eight colonics just to start jarring them loose. One of Ions most severe cases failed to evacuate anything of significance through four full 7-day programs, but then on her fifth fast an avalanche of black hard poisons came pouring out with every colonic. Generally, you will start passing these toxified encrustations of mucus on the fourth or fifth day and continue to do so till the end of the cleanse. This deathly junk is collected in a colander under the colemna board, and you should carefully inspect it after each session. By seeing what comes out of you each time, you will be strongly motivated to continue through to the end of the program.
• If by the seventh day you are still expelling a lot of waste, you may choose to continue the program for up to 10 days, or else stop and wait for your next cleanse. Do not attempt to fast more than 10 days by yourself until you have done at least half a dozen 7-10 day fasts. The less toxic your system becomes, the easier it is to maintain fasting, and longer periods of healthy therapeutic fasting.
• Don’t expect to get everything out during the first cleanse. It takes about four 7-day programs, with mini-fasts in between and careful attention to diet and lifestyle to effect a thorough cleansing of the colon and completely detoxify the tissues.One Master Faster recounts how, after five years of four annual 7-day fasts, he went on a 10-day fast, on the seventh day of which “I had a terrific bowel evacuation, and at the end of this evacuation, I felt a heavy cool sensation in my rectum and out passed a third of a cup of quicksilver [mercury] from the Calomel [a medication] that I had taken during my childhood”. When it comes to purifying your body from a lifetime of self-pollution, “once is not enough!”
• If you are afraid to administer your own colonics with the colema board, then look for a qualified colonic therapist and have him perform the first series for you in a clinic. After that you will realize how easy and safe it is and you can do the next series at home.
• The programme is safe and effective for children, women, and the elderly. For children aged 4-10, cut the dosage of supplements and intestinal cleansers by half.
• Consume no solid food whatsoever during the programme. Except for an ounce or two of juices to make your intestinal cleanser mixture more palatable, avoid all solid foods. Besides cleansing your colon, you will want to give all your digestive organs and all your vital glands a complete 7-day rest so that their tissues may be detoxified and their damaged cells replaced. If you ‘cheat’, you’ll only be cheating yourself.
• Excessively obese and/or chronically ill persons should not attempt a 7-day fast the first time. Such persons are so permeated with toxins that a 7-day fast would raise the toxin levels in the blood to dangerous or even fatal levels.
• Pregnant or lactating women, diabetics, hypoglycemia, Wilson’s disease, severe CBS, degenerative AIDS, or surgery recovery victims should not engage in this kind of cleansing. Over 65 should also not do this programme.
• If you feel that your body is extremely polluted with poisons, start out with several 3-day fasts spread over a period of 3-4 months, with a diet of mostly raw vegetarian foods in between (at least 50% of your food intake). This programme will detoxify your tissues sufficiently for you to tolerate a complete 7-day fast.
• Everyone should always use the internal intestinal cleansers AND administer home colonics during their fasts to facilitate rapid excretion of poisons. Colonics flush the accumulating toxic debris immediately out from your system.
• Break any cleansing fast with first fruit, one type only, and then a light meal of raw vegetables, especially carrots, cabbage and lettuce, followed a few hours later with either some fresh mild fruit again (apple, grape, watermelon, pear, etc., but no dried fruits or oranges) OR a couple of lightly steamed vegetables, such as squash, tomato, string beans. If need be, however it would be preferable to avoid, have a few slices of well-toasted whole-grain bread with a little bit of nut butter but no dairy butter. Thoroughly toasting bread coverts much of the hard-to-digest starch into readily digestible sugars. Brown rice and a nice salad would be preferable to any toast.

Source: The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity by Daniel Reid

Phone the clinic on 02 66851 088 or email heal@baysideacupuncture.com to make an appointment with Eeka.

By Eeka King B.H.Sc (Acup)

As a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner I often give people some dietary and lifestyle advice as an adjunct to their treatment. It gives the patient the opportunity to take some responsibility of their health and also greatly enhances the good work we are doing with acupuncture and herbal medicine. Diet and lifestyle factors have a big impact on the state of our health and wellbeing (along with constitution, emotions, environmental factors etc) and can contribute too many of our imbalances and diseases. One of the most common dietary changes I encourage people to make is to avoid/reduce refined & processed sugar or artificial/synthetic sweeteners and to only choose natural whole sweeteners. Below I will have a look at why sugar is so bad (I would go so far as to say evil) for the body and give you some better sweet options.

Commercial sugar as we know it comes in many forms with varying degrees of processing and refining. Basically sugar comes from the sugar cane; the cane juice is stripped of its molasses content (the dark rich part which is full of vitamins, minerals and is extremely high in iron), then heated at extreme temperatures which kills the enzymes and everything that’s good about it. That is what is called raw sugar. The processing continues from there with more refining with chemicals such as sulphur dioxide, lime, phosphoric acid, bleaching agents & viscosity reducers to get white sugar and then more processing to get castor sugar and then more again for icing sugar. Brown, turbinado or demerara sugar is simply refined, processed sugar with some of the original molasses added back into it (unfortunately, still bad for you). When natural sugar is refined and concentrated, the life force is dispersed and the natural balance upset.

Refined sugar is an evil poison that creates havoc in the body. Only during the last century has man’s diet included a high percentage of refined carbohydrates (sugars and flours). The amount the average westernised person consumes per day is astonishing. You only have to take a look into any supermarket aisle to get a good idea-it’s in everything. In nature, sugars and carbohydrates (the energy providers) are coupled with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, protein, fat and fibre and support life due to its body building and digestion enhancing components. Digestion of refined sugar (along with refined flour) is detrimental to life because it draws on the body’s own store of vitamins, minerals and enzymes for proper metabolism. Slowly and slowly you are robed of your good health.

Sugar heats the body up, suppresses the immune system, interferes with and lowers absorption of vitamins and minerals (especially calcium, magnesium & vitamin E), destroys fertility and feeds cancer cells and Candida. Sugar is one of the biggest contributors to all of our modern dis–eases. Coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, weight gain and obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis etc have a direct link to sugar consumption. Sugar creates mood swings, hyperactivity, poor concentration and ADHD in children as well as allergies and eczema. Sugar damages the internal organs and can cause hormonal imbalance, periodontal disease, tooth decay and premature aging. Once refined, sugar is no longer a food- it becomes a highly addictive drug.

“The difference between sugar addiction and narcotic addiction is largely one of degree.” William Dufty, Sugar Blues.

Natural sweeteners may be defined as a product that comes from nature that hasn’t been altered terribly and which the nutrients have not been removed, or the nutrients may be even more concentrated due to boiling down and evaporation. Therefore, if you are going to consume a sweetener, it is best if it comes from the fruit, herb, or vegetable kingdom and be as raw/living as possible (not overheated, and not overly processed) for optimum health.

 

Rapadura Sugar – Dehydrated cane juice granules     
Rapadura sugar (Gur in India), is unrefined dried cane juice which is made by simply evaporating the water from the whole sugar cane juice. This whole sugar is actually highly mineralised and nutrient dense and has a balanced reaction in the body. It has a gorgeous golden colour and a unique caramel flavour. It is the perfect product for baking and the sweetening of food and drinks. Simply substitute 1 cup of rapadura for 1 cup of other sugars (e.g. white/raw/brown) in any recipe. You can buy it from most health food stores.

 

Honey
Raw Honey has many amazing health benefits. When it has not been heated it is loaded with amylases, nutrients and enzymes that digest carbohydrates. So it is also best to only use it in desserts that do not require heating.

 

Maple Syrup
The concentrated sap of huge deciduous trees, maple syrup is rich in trace minerals, brought up from below the ground by the tree’s deep roots. It imparts a wonderful flavour to cream based desserts and may be used in baked goods such as muffins and pancakes. Make sure you buy the real maple syrup (it is quite expensive) and not the common one as it is only flavoured sugar with a plethora or other nasties.

 

Stevia
Stevia is a highly sweet herb derived from the leaf of the South American stevia plant and can be used by those who have sensitivity even to natural sweeteners. A little goes a very long way- a pinch of stevia is equal to a spoonful of sugar. As it does not add bulk, it is difficult to use successfully in baked goods; but is a good sweetener for salad dressings, whipped cream and pie crusts etc.

Other sweeteners that may also be used in moderation include coconut palm sugar, date sugar, molasses, malted grain syrups, sorghum syrup. Please avoid all other imitation sweeteners, including Agave (way to processed and high in fructose to be good for you)-so make sure you do your homework before you buy.

There are plenty of sweet foods in nature and when you get yourself off the sugar addiction you will be amazed at how sweet fruit, vegetables and grains actually are. Sweeteners (natural) can be kept to a minimum and only used on holidays or special occasions. According to Chinese medicine, long as we balance the sweet taste with the other four (sour, bitter, salty and pungent), we will maintain good health!

Phone the clinic on 02 66851 088 or email heal@baysideacupuncture.com to make an appointment with Eeka.

During the winter months it is important to nurture and nourish our kidney Qi.  It is the time where this energy can be most easily depleted. Our bodies are instinctively expressing the fundamental principles of winter – rest, reflection, conservation and storage.

In Chinese medicine, there are certain symptoms associated with the kidneys becoming weak, including:

• bladder and kidney infections
• low back pain
• knee pain
• cavities in teeth
• weak or broken bones
• infertility
• premature gray hair or hair loss
• ringing in the ears
• increase of phobias or fears

 

Here is what you can do to keep your kidneys strong:
SLEEP – ancient Chinese classics, advised people to go to sleep early and rise late in winter, after the sun’s rays have warmed the atmosphere a bit. This preserves your own Yang Qi for the task of warming in the face of cold. More sleep, more rest, more nourishing food and less energy output!

FOOD IS MEDICINE – warm hearty soups and bone broths, miso soup, whole grains such as Quinao (warms the kidney yang energy), kidney beans and black beans, spices such as cardamom, cinnamon and ginger and roasted nuts help to warm the body’s core, the kidneys and help to keep us nourished.

KEEP WARM – The kidney meridian begins at the sole of your feet so warm feet means warm kidneys. Keeping the lower back warm and covered from the elements is also very important so that cold doesn’t penetrate the kidney organ itself. When it is windy make sure you wear a scarf around your neck to prevent getting colds and flu’s from invading through your protective (wei qi).

ACUPUNCTURE FOR PREVENTION – Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can prevent colds and flu by building up the immune system with just a few needles inserted into key points along the body’s energy pathways. These points are known for strengthening the outer defence layers of the skin and muscle (Wei Qi) so that germs and viruses cannot enter through them.

ACUPUNCTURE FOR CURE – If you’ve already happened to catch that cold, acupuncture and herbal medicine can also help with the chills, sniffles, sore throat or fever in a safe, non-toxic way that doesn’t ‘t bombard your body with harmful antibiotics.

HERBAL MEDICINE – An ancient Chinese herbal formula; the Jade Screen Formula is a powerful complement to these immune-boosting treatments. It is made up of just three herbs: Radix Astragalus, Atractylodis Macrocephalae, and Radix Ledebouriellae. These three powerful herbs combine together to tonify the immune system, strengthen the digestive system (so that we can be sure to gain the nutrients from our food), and fortify the exterior of the body so that we can fight off wind-borne viruses and bacteria. If your immune is already strong other kidney tonifying formulas may be more beneficial such as Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (Rehmannia 6) or Fu Gui Ba Wei Wan (Rehmannia 8)

Phone the clinic on 02 66851 088 or email heal@baysideacupuncture.com to make an appointment with Eeka.

In the review of all the systemic acupuncture research reviews in the last 5 years by he Acupuncture Evidence Project, there is evidence of potential positive effect for the treatment of peri menopause, menopausal hot flushes and post-menopausal a insomnia (1)

Menopause doesn’t have to be a period explosive hot sweat baths, torrid emotional outbursts, decrepit disturbances and a foreboding sense of vanquished youth. Menopause signifies the true change of life from mother to enlightened and wise being. It can be the most fulfilling, creative and sexually satisfying phase of life.

What is Menopause?
‘Menopause’ indicates the complete or permanent cessation of menstruation. The average age is approximately 51 years. The phase in a woman’s life where she makes this transition from a reproductive stage to a non-reproductive stage is termed ‘climacteric’ and this phase normally spans from 2-5 years whereby discomfort and symptoms may be present. Symptoms vary from person to person and from mild to severe, and are brought on as our bodies try to adapt to decreasing amounts of oestrogen. Symptoms include hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, irritability, fatigue, poor concentration, mood swings, depression, memory loss, vaginal dryness, headaches, increased urination, back pain and weight gain.

The primary basis for the progressive decline of reproductive power in woman is in the ovary itself, as ovarian follicles are greatly depleted by the time of menopause.  This decline starts from the moment of birth, so it is not an event that takes place suddenly but it is a gradual physiological process throughout her lifetime.  A woman’s lifestyle and dietary habits from childhood onwards affects this biological functioning and determines what kind of menopause she is going to have.

Menopause and Chinese Medicine
Menopause is a natural process that alters the balance of Yin and Yang in the body and the distribution of kidney essence or ‘jing’ (constitutional life-force energy). After menopause many women step into the more Yang (energetic, aggressive) side of themselves. As men grow older, they tend to discover their yin (passive, yielding) side. This also fits with the stereotypical image of the strict and disciplined grandmother and the soft push over grandfather!

Chinese Medicine considers menopause to be a time when a woman’s body begins to preserve blood and energy in order to sustain her vitality and longevity and allow for the maximum available nourishment for her body, especially her kidneys. The kidney is the organ Chinese Medicine sees as the root of life and longevity. Therefore, the body, in its wisdom, reserves the flow of the energy in the channel that sends blood and energy down to the uterus. Instead, blood and essence from the kidneys are conserved and cycled through the body to nourish the woman’s spirit and extend her longevity! Thus, in the Chinese Medicine, menopause is seen as true change in life from ‘mother’ to enlightened and wise being.

TCM considers all menopausal symptoms to be signs of unbalanced health. The biggest factors in determining your comfort through this time will be the dietary and emotional health you have maintained throughout your adulthood and the pre-existing state of the kidney energy. Emotional stress, overwork, poor diet, too many children too close together, or having an active sexual life at too early an age, all contribute to depleting the kidneys. However, even though it may be too late to turn back the clock, Acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas can eliminate your discomfort and restore internal balance.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Menopause
From a Western viewpoint, menopausal problems are almost exclusively related to oestrogen deficiency and the ‘cure’ is therefore the administration of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). There is much debate over HRT, which is routinely prescribed when the first symptoms of menopause appear. While they may alleviate hot flashes and allegedly prevent osteoporosis and heart disease, they will also increase the risk of breast, ovarian, endometrial and uterine cancer, and have a number of significant side-effects. But HRT isn’t the only solution.

Menopause is an area in which Chinese Medicine shines. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have the ability to detect energetic changes that occur in the body and quickly relieve symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, and irritability.

Chinese medicine acknowledges that ‘climacteric syndrome’ is fundamentally due to a decline of kidney essence reserves which can take the form of Kidney- Yin, Kidney- Yang or combined Kidney-Yin and Kidney-Yang deficiency. A combined deficiency of yin and yang is the most common; however, one usually more predominates over the other.  Your Chinese medical practitioner will analyse your signs and symptoms, check your pulse and tongue to determine the best course of treatment and to ascertain if there are any other patterns of disharmony that need to be addressed.

Chinese medicine with its gentle and steady tonification of the Kidney-Essence without side-effect, can offer a safe, effective and logical a3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4874921/lternative to HRT, even though its effect will never be as rapid as HRT. Bear in mind, the two may be combined because HRT and Chinese medicine work in different ways. HRT works by ‘tricking’ the body into thinking that it is still ovulating, but it does not tonify the kidneys. Chinese herbs and acupuncture boost the kidney essence to help a woman transition through this time of life.

Dietary and Lifestyle advice

• Decrease sugar and all refined, processed foods
• Increase Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Vit E, Vit B3, C, CoEQ10, fish oils and phyto-oestrogens.
• Avoid alcohol, smoking and stress
• Increase exercise and lose excess weight
• Get adequate rest and relaxation
• Calm the mind and settle the emotions- try yoga, meditation, tai chi and qi gong
• Receive regular massages
• Boost and balance your energy with acupuncture and herbal medicine

1. https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/acupuncture-scientific-evidence/

2. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-47279032

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4874921/

Phone the clinic on 02 66851 088 or email heal@baysideacupuncture.com to make an appointment with Eeka.

Written By Eeka King B.H.Sc (Acup)
Candida is the short name used to describe yeast overgrowth in the body. The technical term is Candidiasis. Candida is a yeast that is a single cell fungi that belongs to the vegetable kingdom. One family “Candida Albicans” is a fungus that is normally present on the skin and in mucous membranes such as the vagina, mouth, or rectum. The fungus also can travel through the blood stream and affect the throat, intestines, and heart valves. It is one of the billions of other friendly organisms that serve a useful purpose in the body. One of its important functions is to recognize and destroy harmful bacteria.Candida is not intended to overgrow and get out of control while the body is alive. This is only intended to happen when the body dies, when its function and characteristics change in order to break down the body. When Candida Albicans is under control it poses no problem, but when it gets out of control (when there is some change in the body environment such as immune-suppression) it begins to overgrow causing numerous symptoms and health problems from the top of the head to the tips of the toes, from migraines to nail fungus. It can result in symptoms inside (pain and malfunction of organs, even brain lesions) and outside (eczema and hives). It can also cause problems with the mind and emotions.Common causes of Candida overgrowth includes:

• Poor Diet
• Depressed immune system
• Antibiotics
• Environmental Issues
• Drugs and vaccines
• Corticosteroids
• Contraceptive pill
• Stress

Some of the symptoms of Candida overgrowth include:

• Chronic fatigue
• Decreased libido
• Thrush
• Bloating/gas/intestinal cramping
• Rectal itching/altered bowel function
• Bladder infections
• Menstrual complaints
• Depression/irritability/inability to concentrate/mood disorders
• Allergies or food intolerances/chemical sensitivities/low immune function

The list goes on . . .
Successful treatment of chronic Candida overgrowth requires correct dietary choices over the long term and a strict dietary program over the short term. It also requires persistence on your behalf. Herbal medicine, nutritional supplementation and acupuncture can greatly aid treatment and prevent recurrence. At Bayside Acupuncture we have put together a program to support you to overcome candida overgrowth. Once you have eliminated the foods from your diet that feed candida, we can help you herbally and energetically build your immune system, accelerate the eradication and clearance of the yeast out of your body with specialty products and help to plant the good bacteria back in your digestive tract.

There is also a Print out sheet with all the foods you are able to enjoy on the Candida cleanse! Pop it on your fridge.

The Candida Control Program (adapted from Bee Wilder)

In order to get Candida overgrowth under control four things need to be done simultaneously:

1. Eliminate foods that feed Candida
2. Build up the immune system
3. Kill off Candida overgrowth
4. Plant good bacteria in the digestive tract

Step 1: Eliminate foods that feed Candida

• Sugar of all kinds, including fruit and dairy (except butter).
• Foods high in carbohydrates.
• All grains, nuts, seeds and legumes

Candida overgrowth is mainly fuelled by:

• sugar
• refined carbohydrates
• gluten grains

Sugar
Candida’s main food supply is sugar and all forms of it such as lactose contained in dairy products (except butter), honey, maple syrup, molasses, glucose, fructose, lactose, and sugar substitutes, i.e. NutraSweet, aspartame, saccharin, etc. – see list below. Eliminating sugar is the most important part of the Candida Program.

Names for Sugar and Sweeteners

Aspartame, carob powder, corn starch, crystalline carbohydrate dextrin, dextrose, disaccharides, galactose, glucose, levulose, malts of any kind, maltitol, maltodextrin, maltose (malt sugar), manitol, mannitol, mono-saccharides, sucrose, Nutrasweet, polydextrose, polysaccharides, ribose, saccharin, sorghum, suamiel, succanat, xylitol.

BEWARE: avoid all processed and packaged foods, sauces, condiments etc as sugar is in everything!

All fruits, except lemons and limes, are also very high in sugar (fructose) and should not be eaten until you have cured your candida. Some vegetables that are also high in sugar must also be eliminated, i.e. carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, parsnips, beets and others. Even though lemons and limes are allowed on the candida diet, providing many health benefits, they should not be consumed in large amounts because they contain fructose, which will feed candida.

Eliminate foods high in carbohydrates

Candida also feeds on high carbohydrate foods such as starches and grains, i.e. breads, pasta, pizza, cereals, baked goods, and potatoes. Vegetables high in carbohydrates include beans, beets, squash, zucchini, corn, peas, parsnips and carrots. All carbohydrates eaten turn into glucose (blood sugar), but only 58% of the protein and about 10% of the fat eaten are converted to glucose. After being off all sugar and grains for a few days you will find your craving for both of them will decrease. A high-complex-carbohydrate diet is nothing more than a high-glucose diet or a high-sugar diet, albeit a little harder to digest.
These are all good reasons why Candida sufferers must eliminate starches and grains, and some high carb vegetables.

Eliminate all grains, seeds, nuts and legumes
Note: Legumes (French) are plants with seed pods, i.e. beans and peas, but not green, yellow or string beans.
All grains feed Candida because they have a high glycemic index just like sugar, and like sugar they feed Candida and create insulin resistance within the cells.
Also, some grains contain gluten, which is an elastic gluey protein found in wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut, triticale, and it is hidden in an endless variety of processed foods.
Grains that are safer to consume are more seed-like than grain-like, and they do not contain gluten. These grains include amaranth, buckwheat, millet and quinoa. Brown rice is also a safe grain. However, these grains are high in carbs, like all other grains, which feeds candida. They should not be consumed until you’ve progressed far enough on the candida program so your body can handle them. Some people who are losing weight too rapidly might have to eat small amounts of safe grains to stop their weight loss, but even then they should only consume a maximum of 1/4 cup per day.
Even when it is safe for you to consume grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes, they must all be properly prepared in order to make them fit to eat. This is because they all contain phytic acid which combines with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc in the intestinal tract and blocks their absorption. This is why a diet high in such foods may lead to serious mineral deficiencies, bone loss and other related diseases, including Parkinson’s, and erratic unstable heart beats. Also improperly processed grains, seeds, nuts, legumes, bran, etc. can cause irritable bowel syndrome, colon cancer, and many other adverse affects.
Proper preparing involves soaking which allows enzymes, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize phytic acid and their protein blocking enzymes. Therefore all grains must be properly soaked, spouted or leavened (fermented) with sour dough, to make them fit for anyone to eat, and all nuts, seeds, and legumes must be soaked in an acidic medium or salt.

Step 2: Build up the immune system
Building up the immune system requires:

 

• Eating the right foods-What Can I eat?!?
• Taking essential supplements
• Avoiding yeast, mold and fungus

 

Some guidelines to the right food choices:
The “Candida Control Diet” is a high protein and high fat diet (good saturated fats and oils), and a diet low in carbohydrates, sugars, grains or processed foods. All foods must be as fresh and natural as possible, and free of additives, pesticides, heavy metals and irradiation.
Meats and fats should be from organic grass-fed free-range animals and from good oils such as coconut, palm and fish. Fish should be from non-farmed sources and as free of mercury and other pollutants as possible. Vegetables should be from reliable certified organic sources.
The best protein sources are meats that aren’t mass-produced, such as lamb, buffalo, bison, ostrich, venison or other wild game, or naturally-raised meat including poultry, eggs, beef, and pork.
Good Fats & Oils – Good fats and oils are equally important to protein in the diet and they are essential to getting Candida under control. They not only increase the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from the foods eaten but also provide the most efficient source of energy. They also provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances.
The more appropriate kind of fat for health is saturated fat, in spite of what we’ve been led to believe, which plays many important roles in body chemistry. But saturated fats have been given a bad name by the oil and food manufacturing industry with the sole purpose of selling their products. This is also true for drug companies who perpetuate the cholesterol myth and low-fat diets in order to sell drugs.
The truth is, natural fats and oils have components found only in them, which are health-promoting, and the newfangled trans-fats are now known to be disease-causing. These health-giving saturated fats are stable and do not become rancid easily and they do not draw upon the body’s reserves of antioxidants nor do they initiate cancer or irritate the artery walls.
Healthy saturated fats are an important part of any healthy meal. It draws nutrients out of foods and slows digestion so that natural enzymes and the assimilation process can take place. Healthy saturated fats include butter, tallow, lard, and fish, palm and coconut oils.
Carbohydrates – Low carbohydrate consumption is an important aspect of the Candida Control Diet since high carbohydrate foods feed the Candida. Carbohydrate foods are any foods that are not protein or fat, including all vegetables, grains and fruits. Since grains and most fruit, except lemons, are eliminated on the Candida Control Diet this leaves a wide variety of vegetables that are healthy to consume. Vegetables with the lowest carbohydrate index are green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, turnips, spinach, asparagus, celery, peppers, kale, mustard greens, and Chinese cabbage. Some vegetables also inhibit the growth of Candida such as raw garlic, onions, horseradish, cabbage, broccoli, turnip, and kale.

Lacto-Fermented Vegetables
The best way to eat plant foods is by lacto-fermenting them, i.e. sauerkraut, kimchi, etc. Lacto-fermentation means the friendly bacteria of the microscopic world do some digesting, but in a container. Lacto-fermented vegetables are pre-digested which makes them much easier for humans to digest than raw or cooked vegetables. Lacto-fermented vegetables also stabilize stomach acid in the stomach, meaning that if acid is too high they will lower it, and if acid is too low they will raise it. It is recommended that you eat at least one tablespoon of lacto-fermented vegetables with every meal. Buy unpasteurized organic sauerkraut from the health food store or make your own.

Taking essential supplements
Candida sufferers need to build up their immune system by supplementing with certain essential vitamins and minerals, which are yeast-free and sugar-free, including:

• Calcium/Magnesium, 800-1,200 mgs. of calcium with an equal ratio of magnesium.
• Organic Supergreens (Chlorella, Barley, Spirulina & Wheatgrass ) supplement
• Vitamin B Complex (non-yeast), 50 mgs. twice a day
• Vitamin C with bioflavonoids, 1,000 mgs. twice a day
• Vitamin D (with vitamin A) – take 1 teaspoon per 50 lbs. of body weight per day Or a high quality cod liver oil or fish oil
• Vitamin E, containing natural alpha tocopherol, (d-alpha tocopherol is synthetic), that is not from a soy source, 400 IU twice a day.

Avoiding yeast, mold and fungus
Elimination of yeast, mold and fungus in foods and the environment may be indicated for a number of Candida sufferers. Candida overgrowth can greatly increase the chances of an immune reaction to all types and forms of fungi. This results in an allergic response to yeast, mold and fungus, including mycotoxins. Many of our foods contain mycotoxins that are chemicals made by fungi.
Mycotoxins are found in grains and other processed foods that have been contaminated with fungi and mold, including processed meats. The most commonly contaminated crops are peanuts, corn, and wheat. Often, other foods such as barley, apples, sorghum and rye can also be contaminated. Antibiotics and alcohol are also mycotoxins.

Other yeasty foods and sources of fungi that must be avoided are:

• Leftover foods
• Vinegar and vinegar containing foods like mayonnaise, pickles, soy sauce, mustard and relishes
• Edible fungi: including all types of mushrooms and truffles
• Most commercial soups
• Processed and smoked meats: sausages, hot dogs, corned beef, pastrami, smoked fish, ham, bacon
• Fruit juices: all packaged fruit juices may potentially contain molds
• Dried fruits: raisins, apricots, prunes, figs, dates, etc.
• Pickled foods and most cheeses (moldy cheeses like Stilton are the worst), buttermilk, sour cream and sour milk products, including yogurt
• Dry roasted nuts
• Environmental molds can also adversely affect Candida sufferers and the only way to minimize exposure is to remove as much as possible from your home. Molds are simple, microscopic organisms, like Candida Albicans, whose purpose in the ecosystem is to break down dead materials, and they are everywhere.

Step 3: Kill off Candida overgrowth

There are many anti-fungal agents that kill off Candida overgrowth, including:

• foods such as garlic
• herbs such as olive leaf extract
• chinese herbal medicine (prescribed individually for your condition)
• Kandi-plex and Parex and/or anti-fungal medications

Garlic – Adding fresh garlic to food (raw and crushed), or crushing and swallowing raw clove is a cheap and powerful anti-fungal treatment. Garlic also stimulates the immune system, improves circulation, lowers high blood pressure, kills intestinal parasites, and is a powerful antioxidant and antibiotic, in addition to many other health benefits. To obtain the most benefit from garlic buy certified organic garlic and crush it. Crushing breaks the cell walls releasing garlic’s beneficial properties. To kill off Candida overgrowth take 4-5 average sized cloves per day mixed in foods or with meals. Another alternative is to drink 3-4 cups of garlic tea per day.

Olive Leaf Extract – Olive leaf extract can kill invading fungus rather than just inhibiting its growth. It contains a a phenolic compound called oleuropein, which has antiviral, anti-fungal, antiprotozoal, and antibacterial properties. Take as directed on the product label.

Nystatin – Nystatin is a broad spectrum fungicidal (kills fungus) drug available only by prescription in some countries. It is fast acting and well tolerated. It is easier to take than Caprylic Acid at the beginning of the Candida Control Program because it is not absorbed to any significant degree (Caprylic Acid penetrates the walls of the intestines), and therefore it is wonderful at attacking intestinal yeast. It is virtually free of side effects and drug interactions and is safe to take during pregnancy and while breast feeding. It comes as a cream for topical use, suspension (liquid) and tablets, but powder can be used both externally and internally. The suspension form is usually prescribed in amounts of 2 ml 2-4 times per day for infants and children. The tablets are prescribed in the amount of 2-3 tablets 2-4 times per day for older children and adults. Enemas with Nystatin are also beneficial.

Parex – prescribed to some individuals at Bayside Acupuncture, Parex is a herbal formula specifically designed to assist in managing dysbiosis and helping to rid the body of intestinal worms and parasites. Parex contains extracts from traditional bitter, antimicrobial, antifungal, antiparasitic and antihelmintic herbs such as black walnut, Chinese wormwood, barberry and gentian, as well as powerful antimicrobial essential oils. The potent herbs in this formulation help remove gastrointestinal organisms that may contribute to gut inflammation and increased intestinal permeability. They may also assist in the maintenance of healthy digestive function and reduce the risk of further infestation. Parex is the ideal supplement for the initial stage of a detoxification program.

Kandi-Plex – A herbal formula especially designed to kill Candida is available at the clinic.

Step 4: Plant good bacteria in the digestive tract
As the yeast overgrowth is being killed off by anti-fungal agents it is important to ingest a constant supply of probiotics. These are the ‘friendly’ or ‘beneficial’ bacteria, or micro organisms, that live in the digestive tract. As yeast colonies are reduced space becomes available for colonizing the other healthy bacteria. A ‘practitioner range only’ probiotic is recommended.

The Healing Crises
The Healing Crisis is an acute reaction that is the result of the activity of nature’s healing forces in overcoming chronic disease conditions. It is brought about when the body becomes overcrowded by wastes and toxins. Cells and tissues begin to throw off the waste and carry it from the bloodstream to various eliminating organs. When high numbers of candida are being killed off, any symptoms experienced while candida was out of control may intensify. This is different person to person, depending upon areas of their body that were most affected by candida overgrowth. Women who have had vaginal yeast infection will find these symptoms will become more intense and they may change as well. If someone has experienced a lot of digestive problems, their digestive upsets and disturbances will increase. If someone had a lot of head-related symptoms, their symptoms will become worse. And so on. Symptoms will get worse before they get better. Eventually your good days will increase and your bad days will decrease. Natural healing takes time, patience and persistence on your healing program.

Handling die-off symptoms
Die-off symptoms are caused by high numbers of yeast being killed off which releases a high number toxins into the system. In medical terms this is called the Herxheimer’s reaction, or yeast die-off phenomenon.

Die-off symptoms resemble the flu and can be very uncomfortable. They can be alleviated by:

• Taking 1,000 mgs of Vitamin C (preferably in powdered form in pure water) several times a day or whenever needed.
• Taking an Epsom salts bath also draws toxins out through the skin and helps minimized die-off symptoms (add two cups, or 500 grams, of Epsom salts to warm bath water).
• Often taking more Nystatin or Kandi-Plex, instead of less, will help alleviate symptoms.

Herring’s Law of cure and retracing
Knowing hering’s law of cure can help you to continue to overcome your candida; it is very important to understand the difference between a disease crises and those of a healing crises.
Hering’s law of cure states; “All cure starts from the head down, from within out, and in reverse order that the symptoms appeared throughout the person’s life”. This is nature’s way of righting some internal wrong; it is also known as retracing.

How long do I need to do the Candida control program for?
Most candida programs ask that you avoid sugar in all of its forms for at least 1 month to successfully kill off the yeast. It does vary from person to person and the rule of one month of healing for every year of the onset of symptoms can also apply. Hopefully after being on this diet for awhile some of these food choices and preparation practices will remain with you, as these are very good tips for achieving long term robust health. When your symptoms have disappeared you can add back natural sugars to your diet; Fruit, Honey, Maple syrup and properly prepared grains, nuts and legumes, yoghurt, kefir etc. Always be gentle with your body and slowly making changes to your diet is also important. If you have a big sugar addiction it may be beneficial to first remove this evil drug out of your diet for sometime before you go on to removing ‘natural’ sugars from fruits and grains.

Phone the clinic on 02 66851 088 or email heal@baysideacupuncture.com to make an appointment with Eeka.

By Dr Eeka King (Chinese Medicine)

Have you ever wondered if it was possible to be so completely in tune and aware of your fertility, that you had complete control over whether or not you conceive during intercourse or not, naturally?

Have you pondered why is it that humans are creating new beings when in fact they should not, and have no desire to; terminating them even though it doesn’t feel so good to do so or alternatively filling their bodies with toxic chemicals to override the natural working of nature? With the sophistication of our human biology, surely there is a natural in-built design that would enable us to have conscious choice over our family planning.

Ancient knowledge from our distant forbears was actually re-discovered in the 1950’s by a Czechoslovakian Doctor regarding the fertility of Woman. It is my pleasure to share with you about the research that was done and my personal experience regarding the natural & cosmic cycles that govern fertility and conception.

Understanding the Moon and Fertility
In every culture, religion and indigenous society the moon has always been a linked to woman and the feminine qualities she represents and fertility- reproduction in the animal world and growth in the kingdom of plants. The moons influence has always been considered as necessary for growth. This applies to a woman’s capacity to bear children in relation to both conception and birth, the reproductive ability of animals, and the germination and growth of seeds and plants.

Indeed modern research demonstrates that different phases of the moon have different influences on plant growth and germination and these beliefs have become part of agricultural practice today.  The waxing moon is known to coincide with a period of growth for all things and the waning moon as being the time to gather, prune and harvest and prepare the ground for the nest planting. This also corresponds with the common experience of ovulating in tune with the full moon and bleeding at the new. I can just sense now how powerful and healing it would and should be sharing the ‘Red Tent’ with other woman, bleeding out the old and immerging refreshed, cleansed and renewed to create at the beginning of a new moon.  Women’s connection with the moon is undeniable.

Francesca Naish, wrote “let us, as women-‘cyclical lunatics that we are-use this connection with the moon to understand our bodies better. Let us use it to create a situation where we can express ourselves sexually without detriment to our physical and psychological health and in tune with natural cycles, both personal and planetary”.

To be fully in tune with the moon, with nature, your body and your own cycle is to be totally in the power of woman.

The effect of the moon on breeding cycles in animal life is clearly apparent. The metabolic and sexual activity of cows, monkeys, bats, rats, mice, worms and even some vegetables has been found to vary with the moon. It is now obvious that animals as well as plants, respond directly to the moons phases. Many different forms of marine life such as fish, seaweed and coral breed with specific phases of the moon. Dr Eugen Jonas in the 1950’s who gave rise to our understanding of the lunar cycles effect on human reproductive capacity said,
Up to the present, science has recognised the influence of the moon on lower order animals. This influence affects their capacity for existence and reproduction…This possibility has not yet been investigated in respect to Man. However, should the possibility that the moon affects the reproductive function of man be completely excluded?…The unicellular ovum of the mother’s womb in no way differs from the most minute living creatures which are so strongly affected by the moon. On this basis alone, it no longer appeared impossible to establish a correlation between the influences of the moon and the reproductive ability of Man.

After several years of research it was possible for him to verify and demonstrate this connection.

There are 2 Cycles of Conception within 1 lunar Month
There is a reason why so many women conceive outside their normal mid-cycle ovulation. It is the same reason why there is a common notion that Catholics tend to have such large families! Woman who abstain from intercourse during their personal cyclic ovulation are still falling pregnant. It is also common for a woman to conceive during the time she thinks she is the safest-menstruation. Why?

Our personal fertility cycles are extended into the cosmos to include the cycles of the phases of the moon- the lunar phase cycle.

The time of a woman’s fertility depends on the recurrence of the angular relationship between the sun and the moon that occurred at the moment of the woman’s own birth. In other words a woman is fertile at the same phase of the moon that she was born at, e.g. I was born 4 days before the full moon (when the sun made an angle of 132 degrees ahead of the moon) and I will experience fertility 4 days before every full moon regardless of where this falls in my regular hormonal menstrual cycle. Wow!

This is a recurring biorhythmic cycle which affects your body. The cycle commences at birth, becomes effective at puberty, and will continue to influence your fertility throughout your entire fertile life. The moon-phase cycle has an effect on the hypothalamus, pituitary, glandular hormones and nervous state and it is possible that increased levels of agitation aroused from physical sexual activity can trigger a spontaneous ovulation and lead to conception.

The Discovery of the Lunar Cycle                                               
The lunar cycle was discovered (or re-discovered) by Dr Eugen Jonas in the 1950’s in Czechoslovakia. He was a practicing psychiatrist, a Catholic, with an interest in astrology. It was this exact combination of interests that fuelled his discovery. He started to wonder about what seemed to be a cyclical emotional problem afflicting some of his more high-strung female patients, an edginess that did not seem to follow the recognised pattern of pre-menstrual tensions. With the pill still in the experimental stages and the recent legalisation of abortion he began to get concerned about the emotional trauma that these practices might reflect in his patients. Jonas pondered how the creation of a new human being could just be a matter of chance and found solace in the astrological dictum ‘as above, so below’. In a library of very old astrology books, Jonas discovered an Assyrian-Babylonian claim, ‘Woman is fertile during a certain phase of the moon’. After spending a long time researching, testing, re-working, and finally verifying, he formulated 3 rules:

1. The time of a woman’s fertility depends on the recurrence of the lunar phase cycle
2. The sex of the child depends on the position of the moon at conception
3. Certain configurations of the nearer celestial bodies at the time of conception can affect the viability of the embryo.

The aspect of Jonas’s work which has received most attention worldwide and been tested most thoroughly is Rule 1 and its use for natural contraception and conception methods.

It is with great luck that I first became aware of the lunar phase fertility cycle whilst studying astrology when I was 18. I totally disregarded the application of this form of natural birth control then until some years later when I met a woman whilst studying acupuncture, a fellow student (also a gynaecologist and obstetrician) who had an extremely successful career helping seemingly infertile women conceive via the Jonas’s method of fertility. She introduced me to Francesca Naish’s book ‘Natural Fertility- the complete guide to avoiding or achieving pregnancy’. It was just the extra nudge I needed from the universe to step into the connection with my fertility as I was at the beginning of a new relationship. For 5 years my partner and I successfully used the Jonas’s system of natural contraception until the time we were ready to consciously conceive our first child. We conceived that very first moment.

Evidence & Effectiveness
Jonas was amazed by the patterns he uncovered. For 2 years he collected data to investigate this cycle. As well as receiving much support he was also met with a great deal of opposition; the unconventional nature of his ideas touched a few raw nerves.

In 1958, Dr Kurt Rechnitz, a professor of gynaecology in Budapest, tested the combination of abstinence at the lunar phase return with the rhythm method and verified Jonas’s findings. The normal success rate of the rhythm method (between 30 and 85 percent) jumped to approximately 98 percent. In 1968, Jonas opened the Astra Clinic, a centre for Planned Parenthood in Nitra, Czechoslovakia. In the first few months of the Astra Clinic opening, almost 10 000 applications flooded in, 2300 of which was for birth control.  Evaluation indicated the success rate was 98.5 %. In 1970, the board at Astra evaluated 1252 cases of women using its method of contraception for a year. These women abstained at both their lunar days and at mid-cycle as calculated by them using the rhythm method. Only 28 cases proved negative, which gave a success rate of 97.7 percent.

Nowadays, by combining observance of the lunar cycle with the more scientific and precise sympto-thermal method (vaginal mucus analysis and temperature readings) instead of the rhythm, we can expect an even greater degree of reliability.  Several other findings are also of interest…

• Many if not most, of the pregnancies reported in the tests on the use of the method for contraception were in woman whose menstrual cycles were not regular and who were relying on the rhythm method to calculate when ovulation occurred. Since rhythm method relies on regularity
• Woman who were trying to conceive were also asked by Astra for information regarding the times when intercourse occurred. Many who were successful (often after years of failure) had intercourse only on the lunar cycle days, showing that some ovulation must have occurred at that time.
• Monthly charts kept by woman attending F. Naish’s Clinic, the Jocelyn centre for Natural Fertility Management also show that a significant number of conceptions seem to be due to the lunar peak. These charts also often show symptoms of ovarian activity (such as changes in mucus and temperature, and ovulation pains) that normally accompany mid-cycle ovulation, recurring at a woman’s lunar return.

The benefits of woman being aware of her lunar phase fertile time and being able to assess her mid-cycle fertility is immeasurable. Some of these include self-sufficiency (go anywhere and do anything without relying on manufactured goods), self-knowledge and mind-body awareness, no side-effects, shared responsibility (no need to harm health for sake of relationship), no danger to future pregnancies or fertility, morally and ethically impeccable, reliability (same success rate as the pill when used correctly), no overkill of contraception when it is not needed, low cost maintenance free method (once system is established) and most of all having children when they are wanted.

Natural Contraception
For natural contraception to be highly effective you must avoid unprotected intercourse when the moon is in the same phase as it was at your birth and also avoid unprotected intercourse at your mid-cycle ovulation. You must also have the desire to be in tune and in touch with your body and have the dedication to learn the fertility awareness techniques and rules which tell you when you can and can’t have unprotected sex.

The first step is to have your natal lunar phase calculated (by an astrologer and/or someone familiar with Lunar phase fertility calendars) Safety margins will also be added for sperm and egg life, giving a total of 4 days each lunar month where protection is necessary for this phase.

Learning how to read and assess the signs of your mid-cycle fertility can take at least a few months (cycles) as experience is what gives you confidence in your ability. Natural fertility awareness involves the observation of the changes in your cervical/vaginal mucus to tell you when you are fertile, the charting of your at rest basal body temperature (timing of your hormonal cycle) and understanding of the rhythm method as a back-up and fail-safe role. You can also teach yourself through reading the right material or by having a consultation with a natural fertility awareness practitioner to help you on your way.

A Conscious Conception
Every child deserves to be created with intention and love.

If your lunar time does not coincide with your with your mid-cycle ovulation, you have two chances per month to conceive. If it does coincide then you have one super chance. If you do want to conceive, fertility seems to be greatly enhanced if the mid-cycle ovulation coincides with the lunar peak. Also menstruation, far from being an infertile time, is a likely time for conception to occur-if it coincides with the natal lunar phase. This is important information for those who are trying to avoid or achieve pregnancy.

The lunar peak combined mid-cycle ovulation is the most fertile combination and the menstruation/lunar comes second.
In certain circumstances there is a marked tendency for the two cycles to synchronise. There is a higher tendency in….

• In women who are trying to conceive, especially when efforts have been ongoing for at least 6 months. Conception is often successful when the synchronisation finally occurs.
• In women who are in tune with their bodies with their bodies (especially those using natural birth control methods involving body awareness) who are unstressed, in good health and have rhythmic lifestyles, there is a marked trend towards the hormonal cycle ovulation occurring at the lunar phase fertile time.

The lunar cycle is of course fixed, however your hormonal cycle is constantly affected by all manner of influences. Stress, trauma, travel, ill-health, sudden changes in weight or diet, drug taking and excessive exercise are some of the things that can affect timing of ovulation and therefore, your cycle. It is also common that women tend to tune into the cycles of other women in their environment- friends, house and workmates and can begin to ovulate and bleed in synch with each other.

The lunar cycle may well be a blueprint for the hormonal cycle. If this is so, it would mean that in a truly natural state we would only have one fertility cycle. It seems that when the rhythms of life are disturbed and the hormonal cycle subjected to the stress and strains of our modern lifestyle, the cycles are less likely to come together.

It is possible to consciously synchronise your cycles. The most effective way is to raise awareness of your lunar peak time consciously, and use suggestions to affect your subconscious such as auto-suggestion, watching the moon and looking for ‘your moon’, and having your lunar calendar on the wall.

The Future of the Powerfully Aware Woman
It is not known exactly what happened to Jonas and the Astra clinic in Czechoslovakia. It was shut down in 1969 and it is not known if it was political repression or medical backlash. In Astra’s last announcement in 1970 from Hungary, the Astra scientific board published statistics that the wide-spread practical use of astrological birth control proved highly effective. Even though Jonas is no longer working with these ideas any longer his systems of birth control and sex selection continue to be used all over the world including Australia, USA, Sweden, Hungary, Austria, Germany, England, Italy, The Netherlands and many more.

When I first learned this ancient knowledge and started to apply it in my life, my first thought was- Why is this not mainstream knowledge and why is this not taught to every woman and man?

Well as you can imagine there has been much opposition in medical and scientific circles to accepting Jonas’s theories and findings and the main reason is that there was reference to it being termed ‘Astrological birth control’, even though it really has to do with the phases of the moon and not to do with personal growth and fortune telling. As how could the stars really influence us, human beings? Surely we are beyond and completely separate to the motions of the world above. These suggestions are simply an attack on certain scientific viewpoints. Most women know that their cycles are connected to the moon and find nothing strange in his ideas. Perhaps if science and medicine were less-male dominated there might be less resistance and some funding would go into scientifically validating it beyond doubt on a biological and physiologic level. I can also logically theorise that the big pharmaceutical companies and other organisations of the world would find that some of these ideas to be detrimental to the longevity, power and control that they hold. Can you imagine if all women collectively began to become more fully connected to the cosmos, their cycles both personal and planetary and the health of their mind, emotions and physical bodies? Can you imagine the world free from over population and what affect it would have on the world if every human being was born consciously, intentionally and into a space of love?

Behold the new age of the powerfully aware woman and the rise of Man who hasn’t forgotten who he really is.

References

Ostrander & Schroeder (1972) Astrological Birth Control, Prentice – Hall, INC., Englewood Cliffs, N.J

F. Naish (1989) The Lunar Cycle – A guide to natural and astrological fertility control Prism Press

F. Naish (1991) Natural Fertility – The complete guide to avoiding or achieving pregnancy Sally Milner Publishing, Australia

Phone the clinic on 02 66851 088 or email heal@baysideacupuncture.com to make an appointment with Eeka.

By Eeka King (Chinese Medicine)

The review of all Systemic research reviews by the Acupuncture Evidence Project, places Acupuncture for the treatment of Allergic Rhinitis in the highest evidence of positive effect category (1). Acupuncture is recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a safe and effective natural option to help assist with the frequency and severity of symptoms for hay fever and/or allergic rhinitis without any associated side effects like drowsiness.

Allergic rhinitis is also known as hay fever or allergies.

Presenting symptoms include:

• Nasal congestion or;
• Profuse watery nasal discharge.
• Sneezing.
• Itchy nose or eyes.
• Sinus pain, pressure or headaches.

 Can Acupuncture Help your Hay Fever or Allergic Rhinitis?

McDonald et al. conducted a study between patients who received acupuncture, sham acupuncture or no treatment. The results revealed a significant reduction in IgE in patients who received Acupuncture opposed to sham or no acupuncture. IgE is an antibody produced by the body’s immune system in response to a perceived threat i.e. a allergic reaction (2).

Patients who received Acupuncture, resulted marked improvements in:

• Nasal obstruction.
• Runny nose.
• Nasal itch.
• Sneezing.
• Itchy eyes.
• Unrefreshed sleep.

These marked improvements continued over the course of 12 weeks of treatment and patient symptoms continued to improve once the course of treatment ended.

Causes of Hay Fever or Allergic Rhinitis:

Seasonal factors:

• Pollens from grass, flowers, trees or weeds (known as hay fever).

Perennial factors:

• Inhaled antigens derived from;
• House dust.
• Fungus spores.
• Animals.

There is a correlation between people that experience allergic rhinitis or hay fever may also have asthma. Results suggest that better control of allergic rhinitis has been shown to result in better asthma control. Emerging evidence is also recognising that untreated allergic rhinitis may also increase a higher risk of developing asthma (3). Non allergic triggers from cold air, dry atmosphere, perfumes and chemicals can still trigger a response in up to 87% of allergic rhinitis patients (4)

Treating the symptoms
Many of the symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis are located above the neck, that is, in the head (stuffiness, headache, itchy eyes, etc.) This means the energy is not flowing smoothly from the head into the rest of the body, and vice versa. All the yang meridians flow from the hands up to the head, or from the head down to the feet. We need to open the channels in the neck and shoulders and allow the energy to flow.

Acupuncture can also treat the symptoms very locally: by placing small, sterile needles right on points of pain or symptoms like the head or side of nose, allowing the stuck energy to dissipate and move more smoothly throughout the body.

Treating the root cause
Secondly, though most importantly, acupuncture helps balance the body in general. Acupuncturists treat very specifically and individually, making sure to address the underlying organ imbalances and pathologies. When the body is in balance, symptoms disappear and health is restored. This is the main benefit of acupuncture: bringing a person into balance so that the body may heal itself of any ailment physically, mentally or emotionally.

While allergies can put a damper on enjoying the best the season holds, there is natural relief for allergy sufferers. And the relief need not be temporary. In fact, when the body is brought to a higher level of health, we enjoy renewed energy, flexibility and joy of living.

1. https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/acupuncture-scientific-evidence/

2. McDonald, J.L., Cripps, A.W., Smith, P.K., Smith, C.A., Xue, C.C. &Golianu, B. (2016) Effect of acupuncture on house dust mite specific IgE, substance P, and symptoms in persistent allergic rhinitis Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (Article in Press).

3. https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/allergic-rhinitis-hay-fever-and-sinusitis/allergic-rhinitis-or-hay-fever.

4. McDonald, JL, Cripps, AW, Smith, PK, Smith, CA, Xue, CC & Golianu, B 2013, ‘The anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture and their relevance to allergic rhinitis: a narrative review and proposed model.’, Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, vol. 2013, p. 591796, <http://www.hindawi.com>.

Phone the clinic on 02 66851 088 or email heal@baysideacupuncture.com to make an appointment with Eeka.

By Eeka King (B.H.Sc(Acu)

When I was a student of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture I read in some old text that Chinese cupping may be beneficial in reducing cellulite. At that time I had a busy massage business on the Gold Coast, a great many of whom where dancers and who needed to maintain fit and beautiful looking bodies. Could Chinese Cupping be the natural solution for women who have cellulite on their legs and thighs?

Chinese Cupping is a therapy in which glass or plastic jars or cups create a vacuum when applied to the skin. The vacuum is created by introducing heat; usually a swab or cotton ball dipped in alcohol and lit, to create a negative pressure within the cup. Many years ago the Chinese used horns or bamboo cups. The cupping method has the function of warming and promoting the free flow of Qi and blood in the meridians, dispelling cold and dampness, diminishing swellings and pains.

In western terms it also breaks up muscles fibres and increases blood circulation to areas of contraction and stiffness. Occasionally a cup may be placed over the top of an acupuncture needle or often they are moved up and down a channel or large muscle (migratory or sliding cupping). Sliding cupping is done with oil and feels like an amazing massage when done on your back to relieve muscle tension and knots.

I began trialling sliding cupping on the problem areas of some of my clients to see if this could really reduce or clear cellulite. I was utterly blown away, the results where amazing! I spent months working on and formulating cellulite cupping procedures and techniques to see what worked the best. I began to refine the techniques, positions and strengths to suit the individual needs of the client.

What I found was that the vacuum affect of the cups broke up the fatty tissues or cellulite deposits and increased blood circulation to the area, clearing away any stagnation. The cellulite and dimples are ironed out and the thighs and butt begin to feel firm and toned. The other advantage I found with the treatment was that muscle tightness and knots in the area where also releasing and the women were reporting increased flexibility and suppleness.

The results and number of sessions varied from woman to woman, depending on body type and lifestyle factors. Some women I would treat 2-3 times and their cellulite would be completely cleared. Some needed a few more sessions. I had some clients that were requesting a regular weekly maintenance treatment to keep the cellulite at bay. One client I had would come every 6 months when some cellulite returned, have a few sessions and not have any more problems for another 6 months. That woman discovered later though that when she gave up drinking so much alcohol and coffee the results would last a lot longer for her.

An interesting fact is that now all the latest cellulite machines are all working with this same vacuum concept. After having tried these new devices I am even more impressed with the traditional cupping method. It is done with glass, and a proper flame and more importantly, and individual who can adapt to your pain tolerance and needs. Cellulite cupping is achieving good results and is giving women more confidence. If you are feeling self-conscious in your bikini this summer and you want to feel better about your body, why not give it a try?

Hi Eeka,
I just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful treatments that you provide, especially the cupping.
This is the first time that I have tried alternative therapies and I have been delighted with the acupuncture and the cupping cellulite treatment.
I really didn’t believe that I would see such a dramatic change in my cellulite and my husband was amazed at the results.  Even after the very first session, I was back wearing shorts and reinvigorated to exercise.
One of the major benefits, apart from the visible changes, is that the circulation in my legs has improved and my legs feel warm – for the first time in years!
I have thoroughly enjoyed my sessions in the warm and relaxed atmosphere you have created and would definitely recommend your service to anyone.
Thank you again, regards
Helen Duddington.

Phone the clinic on 02 66851 088 or email heal@baysideacupuncture.com to make an appointment with Eeka.

Written by Eeka King B.H.Sc (Acup)

According to ancient Chinese philosophy, the Five Elements – or the five pillars of Creation – are the building blocks of the universe. In order, the elements are: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. The five elements are considered to be phases of a cycle of change. Each person’s physical and mental constitution can be described as a balance of the elements in which one or more may naturally dominate.

The proportion of the elements in a person determines his or her temperament. Oriental medicine considers the ideal condition as one in which all the five elements are in balance or in harmony. Wood is said to be the mother of fire and the son of water. (Water allows wood to grow, wood provides fuel for the fire). Using these relationships one can describe all possible yin-yang imbalances within the body.

The thrust of five element acupuncture and diagnosis is to isolate and treat the patient’s imbalanced constitutional element. An imbalanced element is like a weak link in your energetic chain that can undermine the strength of your mind, body and spirit. Strengthening the weakened element will bring you back to centre or back ‘into your element’ and any resulting signs and symptoms of disease or disharmony will ultimately disappear.