Stress and Adrenal Fatigue. When the S*%$ Hits the Fan.

STRESS. The single biggest factor causing disease. 

Mechanism:
When external influences overwhelm the body's capacity to perform and maintain internal balance.
Causes:
Overwork, over exercise, under rest, emotional abuse, physical abuse, toxic load from viruses, chemicals, and/ or pollution.
Creates:
Anger, irritability, depression, anxiety, lowered immune response, poor sleep, weight gain, loss of joy, loss of ability to adapt, total exhaustion unrelieved by rest.
The Fix: 
Rest, rest, rest, rest, and more rest. Specific nutrition and mind-body exercise. But mostly rest. Any treatment or therapy that switches your nervous system out of sympathetic response, into parasympathetic mode, like Acupuncture, Massage, Yoga, Meditation.

yinyangmother.com

FYI:

When stress goes on, unrelenting, for months or years, it has a profound impact on your overall health. The biggest impact comes in a complex of symptoms described above, which fall under the umbrella of Adrenal Fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is stress taken to it's end point, when the body cannot bounce back and starts to break down. THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO STOP OVER WORKING, OVER EXERCISING, OVER EMOTING, STOP "OVER" ANYTHING. Once you reach this level of exhaustion, in fact, the only thing that will restore your health is serious rest for a seriously long time. No whining, no cheating, no kidding. 

Not only am I an expert in addressing Adrenal Fatigue from Stress, I have lived through it myself, and know all the ins and outs of restoring health, naturally. For more information on the how tos of adrenal exhaustion recovery, please drop me a line. go@integralbody.com

Foods for Moods: The Fertility Food Series

Small change, can make a big difference. 

While diet can't guarantee that you'll have a baby, any more than exercise can guarantee you will never have heart disease, they sure can have an enormous influence and positive effect on your health. 

When it comes to making babies, a few simple guidelines can make all the difference. I don't want to overwhelm you, so we'll take it one tip at a time. Here's the first: 

Optimal Weight. Hormones get stored in your body fat. Too much body fat and you can have excess hormones that confuse your reproductive system. Too little body fat and you don't have enough hormones or energy reserves for ovulation and pregnancy to occur. A good rule of thumb when you're trying to have a baby, is to be at, or 5lbs above your optimal weight for height and build. Why the 5lbs above rule? This little extra helps ensure you have some reserves left over to put towards reproduction, after work, stress, exercise, and normal body functions take their quotas.  

Next Post... Blood Sugar Levels. Keeping it even. 

Make the life you want and you might suddenly start to feel better

Ever wonder what an Holistic Healthcare Provider, like your Acupuncturist (Me) does all day? Yes, we see patients. We review cases and research new treatment and supplement protocols. We also consult and share case studies with others in our field to find new ways to improve your health. And of course, we see patients and treat them. But, aside from the Acupuncture, you know what alot of our job is? It's listening. It's being available to really hear what's going on and be of service to your happiness and health. What have I learned from all this listening?

The stress of not living the life you want, can injure your health!

Conflict causes Stress

What does this mean? Whenever you have two or more conflicting needs, and one keeps winning out over the others, there's a fundamental conflict that causes stress. Say you really need to turn off the computer and go for a walk, but you stay on for three more hours and finish your workday at 11pm. This is a fundamental conflict. Your health is in direct conflict with your job. It's not reasonable to work until 11 pm all the time, and if your body is forced to do it, stress will result. Simple as that. Whenever you find yourself using words like should, must, have to, can't, you can be pretty sure there's a potential stress conflict behind them. When I hear patients talking like this, I know there's a basic conflict to address before they will truly feel better.

Stress Leads to Disease

Why can't I drink three cups of coffee, skip working out, and sit at my laptop until 11pm every night?!  You can for awhile, but after that, look out. You body will start to complain, and your happiness tank will run out of gas. You'll start to feel worse and worse. And then hopefully, you'll come to see me.

Telling it to your Acupuncturist could change your Life

First, congratulations on hitting the wall! This is a really good sign. It means you still have some standards and you just aren't going to continue living poorly anymore. Stress can become a lifestyle
and this lifestyle can lead to disease. You deserve better than that and I can help you find it. The problem comes from the conflict. The shoulds, musts, and have-tos that rob us of our freedom to take good care of ourselves. And it's true, sometimes in life we have to set our needs aside, temporarily, to get the job done. But remember that word, temporarily? That's the key. When self-sacrifice moves from sometimes to all the time, that's when you need help. Help to break the mental chains of obligation, and find your way back to health. A good Acupuncturist is great at this, and can reset your mind, your body, and your life, back to one you want.

You can live the life you want. You can be happy & content. You deserve it & need it. Go for it! 

Giulietta Octavio, MS in Traditional Chinese Medicine & Licensed Acupuncturist, loves her life.
(But it wasn't always that way). If she can do it, you can do it too. And she can help. Ask her today.

info@integralbody.com
www.integralbody.com
415 531-8555

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy

Friday's Fortune Cookie Post

To find unexpected happiness, 
seek joy in simple things. 

(or keep it simple sweet heart)

Be Here. Now.

Be here now. 
It's a funny thing to say, but where are you? Are you here? Or planning your to do list. Or winning an argument in your mind?

It's hard to stay in the moment, with so many thoughts clamoring for attention. It's hard to be in the present when there's so much past and future to figure out. 


How to come back? How to be here now?
Gently, lovingly, returning to your breath.
Gently, lovingly, returning to your body.

If you need any help with that, I would be honored to assist you. 

How can Acupuncture help? 
We start with turning off your phone. 
Saying what you feel, and being heard.
Lying down in a quiet room.
Tiny pins find what needs to shift, and
Receive the bodies invitation to return to balance and peace.

DIY Spicy Kale Chips- CSA Sensational!

It's CSA Thursday, so here's your recipe of the week. 

Enjoy!

spicy kale chips

ingredients:

*1/2-1 bunch of clean and dry organic kale, chopped into bite-sized pieces (remove any tough stems)

*1-2 Tb. olive oil

*1-2 large pinches of spicy seasoned course salt- see above

*juice from 1/2 lime (or to taste)- optional

directions: If you want to sign up for the CSA click here:

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F.

2. Drizzle some oil over the kale and "massage" it into the leaves. The kale I used for this post was an unusually large bunch. I'd say I used half the bunch and 1-2 tablespoons of oil.

3. I'd like to point out here that you should go ahead and taste the raw oiled kale. It is actually pretty yummy just like this (at least I think so). Sometimes I make a salad with raw kale that's been oiled and allowed to sit for a few hours. But I'll save that for another post.

4. Next, you'll want to spread your oiled kale onto a sheet pan...And then bake in your preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Bake until the edges are just crispy, but the kale is still quite bright green. Do not overcook!

5. As soon as you take your kale chips out of the oven, sprinkle with a few pinches of the spicy salt and then squeeze on the optional lime. Enjoy your kale crispies...and remember to share with your children!

If you want to sign up for the CSA click here: 

www.bluehouseorganicfarm.com

What's today? It's "Take Your Kids to Acupuncture Day"! (As are all school holidays)

Children can benefit greatly from the natural, gentle, effects of Acupuncture and Herbs.

We often take ourselves for Holistic Healthcare, but forget that our kids can benefit, too. 

The majority of childhood health concerns come down to immune issues, digestive complaints and emotional instability. 

Instead of giving your kids Prilosec, Zyrtec, or Ritalin, why not try something a little gentler first? 

We have some great and effective treatments for earaches, colds, food allergies, sleep issues, reflux, nervousness, and hyperactivity, that won't cause more side effects than they cure! 

Would you like more specific information for your child? 

Feel free to email me for a brief consult today, 

attn. Pediatric consult with Giulietta Octavio info@integralbody.com

Fox News reports on Acupuncture? No Way!

Even Fox News Reports the Positive Effects of Acupuncture

Yes, it's true. Check out the article link in the title above

Even Acupuncture is Funny

Happy Friday Everyone! 

Butternut Squash and Kale Soup- Order our CSA box, and you'll have the ingredients!

Butternut Squash and Kale Soup

1 onion, finely diced

3 tbsp olive oil

2 celery sticks, finely diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/2 ” chunks

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1″ chunks

1/2 tbsp madras curry powder

1/2 tbsp garam masala

Salt and Pepper

4 -5 cups vegetable stock

4 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1 bunch kale, stems removed and finely chopped

Yogurt to serve

Saute the onion in the olive oil over a low heat in a large soup pot. When the onion is translucent add the celery, carrot and squash and stir. Put the lid on the pot and allow the vegetables to release their juices over a low heat for about 10 minutes. Add the curry power, garam masala, salt and pepper as well as the vegetable stock. Add enough stock to cover the squash completely and bring to a boil. Simmer for 40 minutes. Check to make sure the squash is soft and if it is, puree the soup either in the pan with an immersion blender or by transferring it carefully in batches to a blender or food processor. Return the soup to the stove and add the basil and kale. Simmer for 10 minutes and then serve with a 2 tablespoons of yogurt in each bowl. DELICIOUS!

To order your CSA, click here.

Go Local and Go Happy (Holidays)

Buy some local happiness! 

This year, walk to your local, neighborhood businesses and pick up some awesome stuff for the Holidays. There are great books, wines, cards, salamis & cheeses, cakes, coffees, electric bicycles, all within our sweet little hood. 

And, of course, at Integral Body, we've got some great stuff too! 

Beautiful Gift Cards for all our services like Massages, Community Acupuncture, Full treatment Acupuncture and Chiropractic care. 

Awesome Herbal Gift Packs for Cold & Flu, Stress and the 1st Aid Kit 
(which includes a hangover formula). 

If your bound and determined to be grumpy, we probably can't help you. 

But if you're looking for ways to be happy and chillaxed this Holiday season, check out your local folks.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

www.integralbody.com

Happy Halloween from Integral Body

HAPPY ACU-HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! 

STOP BY & TRICK OR TREAT AT INTEGRAL BODY 6-8PM MUAHHHHHH!

Hard to wake up in the morning? Try poking yourself with a stick!

Transitions aren't easy, so give yourself options.

I woke up this morning and discovered there was no milk. And no coffee.  

"I'M GOING TO DIE" were the first words out of my half-awake mouth.

"Aw, Mom, you always say other people are going to DIE, if they don't do this or that. I've never heard you say you're gonna die", my daughter said laughing.

This was not funny! I LOVE coffee. I only drink 4oz a day now, but gosh darnit, I love it. But it had gone too far. The sun was shining, it was a beautiful morning, and all I could do was plot and scheme about how to get coffee. I realized I had kind of painted myself into a corner here, and I had to stop being such a whiny addict right away. I needed some morning happiness options and fast. 

So I made a list.

1. Have a hot drink, any hot drink, even hot water. It's very nice, it really is. 

2. Move around. even doing 3 sun salutations for 5 minutes, made me feel awake and more happy.

3. Kiss someone. Anyone, even your pet, willing to take kisses from you first thing in the morning, truly loves you unconditionally, and nothing will make you feel better than that. 

4. Ok, ok if you really want coffee go get it. But walk, run or ride your bike to the cafe and it will make even the worst coffee taste great. 

I hope your mornings go great from the get go. With coffee or without. And now that you have options, there's just that many more chances they will! 

Integrated Chiropractic & Acupuncture Treatments

Buddha's Back.

Integrated Chiropractic and Acupuncture treatments

John Deroy, DC and I have created a profound collaboration between chiropractic and acupuncture care.

Each treatment is a healing synthesis of the structural, orthopedic work of chiropractic and the deeper energetics of chinese medicine.

Within one treatment, we will address the spine, the muscles, your internal organs and your emotional state.

Your health is multifaceted, and now, so is your health care.

Our schedule is available to book, beginning November 6th. 

To sign up, click here.

Allergies? Acupuncture can help!

Seasonal Allergies can be a serious drain on your well-being. The phlegm, irritation and fatigue can make it hard to function. The standard antihistamines available may reduce symptoms, but will likely leave you feeling "medicated", and not in a good way. Acupuncture combined with Herbal Allergy Supplements can make a real difference, without side effects. Now that's something to celebrate! 

Article to check out: Treat Allergies with Acupuncture

Ready for allergy relief? Come in for Acupuncture & Herbs today.  Book now

GMO's & Obesity. What's the connection?

Simple fact: 

If your food does not contain the nutrients you need, in the right ratios, your body will compensate by eating more and more to catch up. The result: you get fat AND malnourished. I'm not talking full figured and healthy here, I'm talking WAY out of health. 

Question: Why do we have nutrient empty food? 

Answer: It's cheap. And addictive. Like crack. It costs very little to produce bad food. If you liven it up with salt, msg, sugar, aspartame, dyes, etc, then it become a drug food. And people get addicted to it. Because it doesn't actually satisfy, you need to eat more and more. Just like a drug. This makes tons of profit and ruins the health of millions, especially the poor. 

Simple truth:

Your body needs non-genetically altered foods, grown in vital soil, full of nutrients, eaten shortly after being picked, in its most un-modified state, to actually contain the greatest amount of vitamins & minerals possible to truly feed your body. 

Question: Why is this so hard to achieve? 

Answer: Time, Money and Ethics. Doing what's best over doing what's easy (& profitable) can be a hard change for a country of fake food addicts, not to mention all the economic pressure from the agri-chemical & commercial food industries to keep doing it wrong. 

The solution: You. Me. Us. 

We are the "Slow Food" Revolution. The Slow Food Revolution is about real people supporting, consuming and being passionate about real food. It's called Slow, because it's a return to simple, non-rushed eating. It's called Slow to encourage all of us to make time for the gift of food in our lives. It's about bringing joy, taste, sensuality and recreation back into food. Make real food a priority and it will make a real difference in your life. 

Once you go Slow, you'll never go back!

Stay tuned for 101 solutions that are easy, powerful and will make you feel like a real Slow Food Revolution Super Hero!


Solution #1- start your new Slow life with a simple Detox. 
click here to sign up: 7 or 14 day Detox Package

Let yourself be yourself, from the center out to the farthest parts. You are a Gift.

Kale salad- Who knew an anti-inflammatory could be this delicious!

recipe for kale salad with avocado and apple

ingredients:

*1 bunch of kale, thick stems removed and coarsely chopped

*1 ripe avocado, diced

*sea salt and freshly ground pepper

*1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced

*3 tablespoons olive oil

*1 carrot, peeled and sliced into thin half moons

*1 small, green apple, sliced thin

*1 scallion, green part only, thinly sliced

*1 large handful of raw or toasted pine nuts (or toasted almonds)

*1 handful of dulse flakes- optional

*1 handful fresh mint, chopped- optional

directions:

1. Place kale in a large bowl with the avocado. Add salt, garlic, and olive oil. Mix very well, "massaging" the greens for about 3 minutes.

2. Reserve a small handful of the carrot and apple slices for garnish, then gently fold the rest into the kale mixture with the scallion, pine nuts, dulse flakes, and mint. Taste and season with additional sea salt, if necessary (the dulse is salty, so it be careful you don't add too much)

Kale is highly nutritious, has powerful antioxidant properties, and is anti-inflammatory. One cup of cooked kale contains an astounding 1,328 percent of the RDA for vitamin K, 192 percent of the RDA for vitamin A, and 89 percent of the RDA for vitamin C. It's also a good source of calcium and iron.

Kale is in the same plant family as broccoli and cabbage, and, like its cruciferous cousins, it contains high levels of the cancer-fighting compound sulforaphane, which guards against prostate, gastric, skin, and breast cancers by boosting the body's detoxification enzymes and fighting free radicals in the body. The indoles in kale have been shown to protect against breast, cervical, and colon cancers. The vitamin K in kale promotes blood clotting, protects the heart, and helps build strong bones by anchoring calcium to the bone. It also has more antioxidant power than spinach, protecting against free-radical damage. Kale is extra rich in beta-carotene (containing seven times as much as does broccoli), lutein, and zeaxanthin (ten times the amount in broccoli). In Chinese medicine, kale is used to help ease lung congestion.

Beans. 

Freshly shelled. 

From our CSA box.

Delicious! 

There's nothing so amazing as the smells, texture and tastes of really, really fresh produce. For instance these beans. My daughter & I sat and shelled them together. The stalks still had fuzz on them, with tendrils and leaves curling round the beans. And they smell like warm earth! Such a treat!

Beans are good for you too. Full of fiber and protein, they nourish the Kidneys and help with fertility, low back pain, & regulating digestion. Cook a pot of beans on Sunday, and make them a lunch staple with different add-ons & toppings all week. 

Want some great food? Order your organic produce box here:
www.bluehouseorganicfarm.com

Not sure how to cook it?
Follow us on this blog or on Facebook and each week I'll send out new recipes to make with the produce in your box. 


Happy Eating! 

Thank you Lisa Congdon, for articulating so sweetly, the internal marriage counseling between our paranoid reptilian brain and our merger with divine boundless love. So much of my work is helping folks with just this noble process. Soothing the intellect, melting vigilance, expanding the joy center. It's really a fundamental shift of the nervous system to go from stress to calm. And it takes practice. Like learning to swim.

Thank you again for diving right into the deep end.

Her image is above & her post is here:

http://lisacongdon.com/blog/2013/07/on_trusting/