Why I Like Acupuncture

When tending to our health, we come with entrenched belief systems based upon education, experience, cultural norms and the influence of people we trust. Many of us are dubious of "alternative" methods of healing. At Atlanta Functional Medicine, practitioners employ the science of mainstream medicine as well as complimentary alternative approaches to achieve the optimal outcome.

One of many treatments available to you at Atlanta Functional Medicine is acupuncture. The doctors are more qualified to explain how acupuncture works, but as a patient, my understanding is that acupuncture taps into meridians throughout our bodies. Meridians are pathways for "chi" or our life force energy. Optimally, our chi flows unimpeded, supporting our bodies' systems: nervous, vascular, digestive, etcetera. Many maladies can be alleviated by clearing a "blockage" in the flow of our chi. Acupuncture accomplishes this clearing by manipulating the flow.

This sounds like a lot of hocus pocus for some of you, but it would be good to remember that our Western medical culture is very young compared to that of the East. People were being healed with acupuncture literally thousands of years before we figured out during World War I that fewer people would die of infection if surgeons washed their hands. Over the thousands of years that acupuncture has been practiced, there has been ample opportunity to learn by trial and error what really works in its application. In the 21st century, we are the lucky beneficiaries of these eons of study.

So that's why I felt comfortable receiving acupuncture. The reason I will keep coming back is because it really works! Dr. Board at AFM is so well trained in this modality that I could hardly feel the tiny needles. The flow of energy was palpable and fascinating. I could tell something was happening. Dr. Board's calm, soothing demeanor was like a dose of therapy. During the treatment, I could really tell that her focus was fully upon me, and she was healing as much with her empathy and compassion as with her medical expertise. I think I'll make another appointment right now!
by Cheryl Salinas

A Word About Nightshades

Mmm -- a fresh garden harvest. Enjoy with caution, veggie-lovers!

I know, I was just telling you about how adding more fresh, organic vegetables to your diet will cure many ills, but as you clean up your act you may begin to notice subtle differences in how individual foods make you feel. A system laden with the sludge of dairy, sugars, white carbohydrates and processed foods will not be sensitive enough to notice these subtleties. A cleaner system is not addled and numb. The effects of foods are immediately apparent, not delayed as in the sluggish system of someone eating the processed diet. It behooves each of us to be observant diners -- to be present in the moment and understand the effects of our nourishment.

A few years ago I was a novice gardener, so I gravitated toward hardier plants -- the ones which seem to thrive on neglect and seldom get eaten by garden marauders. As I began to clean up my own diet, I noticed a certain uncomfortable feeling on my tongue when eating eggplants which were only lightly cooked. Then I began thinking about how the eggplants in the garden, unlike the green beans, weren't nibbled by critters -- not even a little bit. So I did some research.

Eggplants are part of the nightshade family, the members of which are poisonous in varying degrees! The nightshades contain alkaloids which taste bad to animals, thus ensuring the plants' survival. Obviously, these veggies do not contain enough "poison" to kill you, even if eaten in large quantities, but they do have enough to make you sick, if you have a sensitivity, or to exacerbate certain existing conditions. Cooking the vegetables thoroughly serves to break down many of the offending alkaloids.

The effects of nightshade alkaloids vary from person to person. Generally they've been found to cause disturbances in nerve-muscle function, joint function and digestion. If you suffer from arthritis, try limiting your nightshade intake and see if you notice a difference. Besides eggplants, the nightshade family includes tomatoes, potatoes (not sweet potatoes, which aren't even related to potatoes), peppers, tobacco, morning glory and belladonna, among others. The amounts of alkaloids in the nightshades vary from species to species, the worst likely being belladonna which is deadly, and one of the least being the tomato. An interesting side note: Thomas Jefferson deemed the tomato, unknown at the time, the "poisonous love apple" since he noticed it was eschewed by native Americans.

Of course adding more vegetables to our diets is important for overall health. Today's post is about fine-tuning. Your doctors at Atlanta Functional Medicine are familiar with the effects of food allergies and sensitivities and can work with you personally to discover what's best for you, and then you can make an informed choice. Vegetables from the nightshade family may or may not be tolerable for your system. If you are able to tolerate them, they're still better than a slab of baby back ribs!

by Cheryl Salinas