Inflammatory Hot Foods – Avoid These:

• Fried foods
• Red meat from corn-fed animals raised with antibiotics and/or hormones
• Partially hydrogenated (trans) fats (found in margarine, chips, processed baked goods)
• Saturated fats (e.g., animal fats such as butter and lard)
• Corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil or soy-based oils
• Soft drinks, including both diet and regular soda and fruit juices
• All forms of sugar, including natural and refined
• White flour and other processed grains
• Most fast-food and prepackaged meals

Anti-Inflammatory Cooling Foods – Eat More of These:

• Dark green vegetables (including spinach, kale, and seaweed)
• Antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, as well as vitamin C and E supplements
• Raw nuts and seeds (including almonds, pecans, and walnuts)
• Omega-3-rich fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and anchovies (or supplements containing EPA/DHA)
• Cold-pressed oils such as virgin olive, macadamia nut, grapeseed, and avocado
• Soups made with free-range poultry or meat bones
• Limited amounts of gluten-free whole grains, especially amaranth, millet, and quinoa

Eric Schmidt, L.Ac. has worked for years in the field and has completed extensive training in the Dermatology Department of a Chinese Medicine University in China.  He has treated numerous dermatology cases with great success where conventional Western medicine failed to provide a cure or solution.

Our Treatment Plan:
Individualized treatments plan focus on balancing your body system from inside and controlling the symptoms from outside to improve you skin naturally, without unwanted side-effects.
1. Healing from inside: Chinese Herbal Medicine is prescribed to clear the toxins inside your body and get rid of the symptoms manifesting on the skin.  Medicine is generally given in pill or powder form so that it is convenient to take yet very effective. Herbal Medicine addresses the root of the problem.
2. Healing from inside – Part 2: Acupuncture is given 1-2 times each week to further balance the body and return your skin to its natural beauty faster.  This treatment also addresses the root of the problem.
3. Control from outside: The consultation will include a discussion about products which can be used externally to help the healing process.  This treatment addresses the symptom of the problem.
4. Diet restriction: To avoid further aggravating your skin condition, you may need to eliminate certain foods which could  generate toxins inside your body.  Some of these foods include alcohol, coffee, spicy food, fried foods, dairy products, nuts, and  seafood (shellfish).
5. Stress management: Lastly, we will work with you to develop a lifestyle plan to reduce your stress level and balance you life.  Generally the plan includes moderate exercise, breathing practices and advice on how to get better sleep and rest.
In most cases, you will see results in 2 weeks. For moderate to severe cases, the treatment may take longer to have significant improvement.

In Chinese Medicine, there are many causes of skin complaints. These include:
• toxins, causing inflammation
• alcohol & spicy food
• over-exercise
• over-thinking/ worry
• emotional problems
• frustration and stress (for example with work or relationships)

Chinese Medicine has long recognized categories of skin disorder, corresponding to Western terms such as eczema, psoriasis and acne. Chinese Herbs are usually the treatment of choice for skin problems, and there are specific herbs that benefit each kind of category of skin disorder.

Within each category, Chinese Medicine recognizes different sub-types. For example, eczema can classified as due to:
• Damp
• Dryness
• Heat

Depending on the classification of the skin disorder, different herbs will be used. For example, if the eczema is caused by “heat”, cooling herbs will be used.  We can perhaps best understand the Chinese term “heat” as “inflammation”. If the skin disease is of the “hot” type the skin will look red, will tend to bleed easily and will usually be very itchy.
The “damp” type of eczema is where there is weepy discharge, or raised papules on the skin surface. This kind of eczema is often associated with digestive problems. If the eczema is “damp”, we will use herbs that are “drying” in nature. This illustrates the importance of correct diagnosis: if the eczema is a “dry” type, and drying herbs are used by mistake, the eczema can actually become worse!

How Chinese Medicine can help skin problems
• Cold herbs counteract “heat”: in other words, they are naturally anti-inflammatory.
• Acupuncture releases heat, like the valve on a pressure cooker.
• Acupuncture is very relaxing, and can clear the “heat” that is caused by stress.
• Many herbs are diuretics, and drain damp from the body.
• Certain herbs help to breaks down the toxins that can cause skin problems.

To learn more about acupuncture and read on below >>>

We have more information at www.MeridianHealthClinic.com.

Key Points

• Acupuncture has been practiced in China and other Asian countries for thousands
  of years.
• Scientists are studying the efficacy of acupuncture for a wide range of conditions.
• Relatively few complications have been reported from the use of acupuncture. However, acupuncture can cause potentially serious side effects if not delivered properly by a qualified practitioner.
• Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

About Acupuncture

The term “acupuncture” describes a family of procedures involving the stimulation of anatomical points on the body using a variety of techniques. The acupuncture technique that has been most often studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation.

Practiced in China and other Asian countries for thousands of years, acupuncture is one of the key components of traditional Chinese medicine. In TCM, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, while yang represents the hot, excited, or active principle. According to TCM, health is achieved by maintaining the body in a “balanced state”; disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians. Qi can be unblocked, according to TCM, by using acupuncture at certain points on the body that connect with these meridians. Sources vary on the number of meridians, with numbers ranging from 14 to 20. One commonly cited source describes meridians as 14 main channels “connecting the body in a weblike interconnecting matrix” of at least 2,000 acupuncture points.

Acupuncture became better known in the United States in 1971, when New York Times reporter James Reston wrote about how doctors in China used needles to ease his pain after surgery. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries.

1. By some unknown process, Acupuncture raises levels of triglycerides, specific hormones, prostaglandins, white blood counts, gamma globulins, opsonins, and overall anti-body levels. This is called the “Augmentation of Immunity” Theory.
2. The “Endorphin” Theory states that Acupuncture stimulates the secretions of endorphins in the body (specifically Enkaphalins).
3. The “Neurotransmitter” Theory states that certain neurotransmitter levels (such as Seratonin and Noradrenaline) are affected by Acupuncture.
4. “Circulatory” Theory: this states that Acupuncture has the effect of constricting or dilating blood vessels. This may be caused by the body’s release of Vasodilaters (such as Histamine), in response to Acupuncture.
5. One of the most popular theories is the “Gate Control” Theory. According to this theory, the perception of pain is controlled by a part of the nervous system which regulates the impulse, which will later be interpreted as pain. This part of the nervous system is called the “Gate.” If the gate is hit with too many impulses, it becomes overwhelmed, and it closes. This prevents some of the impulses from getting through. The first gates to close would be the ones that are the smallest. The nerve fibers that carry the impulses of pain are rather small nerve fibers called “C” fibers. These are the gates that close during Acupuncture.