5 Essentials After Having A Baby

I am an acupuncturist and a mother of a beautiful little boy. He is 9 months old and we are JUST starting to get back into the groove of things. Having a baby is no small feat and what is even more of a challenge is balancing caring for your little one as well as yourself! I have a great deal of compassion for new moms and do my best to set my patients up for success after the baby arrives. Here are the 5 essentials for after the babe arrives:

1. Stay in bed. My number one tip is to take the first month and be horizontal. I am super serious about this. You are going to feel fine and even great at times and you will want to resume normal life, moving around, walking, and household chores; don't. Stay horizontal. Rest. Your organs literally have to regain their blood supply and organize themselves back to a normal physiological state. The more you move around, the more the blood moves away from the center where it needs to be. I recall wanting desperately just to do the dishes!

2. Therapy for your vagina! That’s right! Your vagina needs some support. Pelvic Floor therapy is a total essential regardless of how you brought your babe into this world. The weight of carrying your baby and the stress that was put on the pelvic floor during pregnancy demands that some physical therapy be had. No sooner than 8 weeks postpartum is when I recommend starting Pelvic Floor Therapy. I often recommend this to patients pre­birth as well and see much less tearing or problems after birth. Try Miracle P.T.

3. Have some support lined up. As you are adjusting to being a mom and recovering from the birth, you will need some support. A postpartum doula is a person that is trained to support families once the baby is born. I learned so much about being a mom just by watching my postpartum doula. She is literally part of our family now and my son lights up when she walks in the room. Doulas can be found through Natural Resources in the mission. Other support can include hiring someone to clean the house, having family and friends drop off prepared meals for the month following birth. A great way to organize that is through MealBaby. If you are in the Bay Area there are many amazing places to order pre­made meals. I often recommend Three Stone Hearth. We order from them weekly and they literally prepare the highest quality food on the planet. 

4. Work with somebody. Have an established relationship with a practitioner that can really be there to support you. It is really true that if Mom is not doing well, the ENTIRE family is not doing well. This truth continues through motherhood. It’s so important to put your health first. So many issues can come up physically, emotionally, and spiritually in the time period after bearing a child. These things can not be predicted and they are different for everyone. Working with a trusted practitioner can create the space for you to heal in whatever way is needed for YOU. After all you have just created another life using your body and energy as the vehicle. I would be lost without my team of support!

5. Take in the joy. Having a baby can be so overwhelming and as new moms we are incredibly tuned in and focused on our baby that at times we can forget to take it all in. Enjoy these early days and months with the new love of your life. This time is so precious and it truly goes by fast. Allow for the moments where you connect to your partner and honor each other for being an incredible parent. Take in the connection you feel to your own parents and the depth to which you understand them now being a parent yourself. Becoming a mom or a dad is one of the most tangible transformations you will experience as a human on this planet. Take it in.

With the truest and warmest sense of compassion for all mothers,

Carissa Kelly LAc. 

Clear Out Heavy Metals With This Cleansing Cilantro Pesto

Cilantro is the fragrant, zesty green herb also known as fresh coriander. It is used a lot in Latin American and South East Asian cuisine. It tastes bright and citrus-y to many of us, but soapy to those of us with a genetic variant. High in Vitamins A, C and K, cilantro is proven to have anti-cancer properties as well as the ability to clear toxic heavy metals from our bodies gently and quickly. Many of us have accumulated heavy metals like mercury, lead and aluminum without realizing it. Hair or urine testing can let you know. These heavy metals cause symptoms such as hormone imbalances, thyroid dysfunction, neurological disturbances, mental fog, depression, allergies and even cancer. This delicious, inexpensive, easy to make pesto utilizes common ingredients to help your body remove- or chelate these toxic metals from your body. You can use it on top of your veggies, meat, fish, eggs or with anything that sounds good to you!

Cleansing Cilantro Pesto

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1/3 cup Brazil nuts (selenium)

• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds (cysteine)

• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (zinc, magnesium)

• 2 cups packed fresh cilantro (coriander, Chinese parsley) (vitamin A)

• 2/3 cup flaxseed oil

• 4 tablespoons lemon juice (vitamin C)

• 2 tsp dulse (seaweed) powder

• Sea salt to taste

Process the cilantro and flaxseed oil in a blender until the cilantro is chopped. Add the garlic, nuts and seeds, dulse and lemon juice and mix until the mixture is finely blended into a paste. Add a pinch to sea salt to taste and blend again. Store in dark glass jars if possible. It freezes well, so purchase cilantro in season and fill enough jars to last through the year.

Two teaspoons of this pesto daily for three weeks is enough to increase the urinary excretion of mercury, lead, and aluminum, thus effectively removing these toxic metals from our bodies. Consider doing this cleanse for three weeks at least once a year. Enjoy!

It's Spring! Time to Give Some Love to Your Liver.

Hello Friends,

Spring is here in all its glory despite less rain than we had hoped for. In Chinese Medicine we see the individual as the microcosm reflecting all of nature. The seasons reflect within us, as well all of the elements we see in nature; fire, water, earth, metal and wood. Because it is the season of spring, and in Chinese Medicine we say that springtime is when our liver energy is at it’s peak, it is a special opportunity to detoxify and nourish our liver- essentially to LOVE our liver. In spring everything in nature is teeming with possibility and new life. Birds are finding mates, building nests, starting new life. Flowers are budding, new grass is growing, leaves are unfurling. There is a newness, a freshness and a delicacy to all this new life, yet it takes an incredible force to birth newness. Whether in nature or in ourselves, be it a new challenge, an idea, some kind of growth or transformation- that is the liver energy at work. The liver energy represents both the delicacy and the force of energy necessary for this new life or transformation to take place. When we feel stuck, or are experiencing a lot of irritability and depression, this is a signal that your liver is stagnant and needs some attention.

From a physiological point of view, the liver is an amazing organ system that we all should appreciate. Some stats: the liver is huge- about three pounds, It is the second largest organ in the body (skin being the largest). It is also the largest gland in the body. It makes sure the right elements get in and the wrong ones are eliminated. Using an intricate network of specialized cells, the liver transforms and detoxifies nutrients and chemicals in our blood.

Linked to the digestive tract, the liver processes the bi-products of food digestion and changes it into essential nutrients such as proteins, fats and vitamins. It produces bile necessary to emulsify fats. It produces and manages cholesterol, which is needed for cell structure. The liver also stores sugars (glycogen) for quick energy and converts iron into heme, the main oxygen-transporting molecule in red blood cells. Talk about creativity- Liver is the most regenerative organ- able to literally re-create itself!

So the liver functions as the gatekeeper, regulator of nutritional health and as a purifying system.  Playing a major role in circulation and the composition of blood, it’s no wonder the immune system, digestive tract, kidneys, brain, cardiovascular system and the regulation of sex hormones are all dependent on a healthy liver. 

Here are 4 ways you can love your liver:

• Toss- toxic products from your life, they sneak into your body through body and home products from sunscreens, moisturizers to deodorant and detergents. Some contain chemicals that act as toxins and hormone disruptors, adding a huge work load to your liver. Check out the Environmental Working Group's website and App to vet your products with their well-researched rating system. 

• Cleanse- Consider a detoxifying dietary cleanse anywhere from 10 to 21 days. Let a DHH practitioner tailor a detox program just for you or try a the DHH basic gentle detox. Pro tips: get prepared ahead of time, making sure you have all the foods you need in the house before you start. Focus on all the yummy foods you CAN eat, not on what you are avoiding. Hydration is key. You will feel great and do your liver a huge favor!

• Unplug- Consider a media fast. Reduce your hours in front of a screen. You may choose to take a few days completely off from social media or better yet- electronics in general. Spend time in nature by forest bathing and with friends who nourish you instead.

• Meditate- Our minds are too yang and not enough yin. Give your mind a break from all the DOING. This will help your mood and productivity. You might even recover your inspiration and creativity!  If you are new to this, try Headspace. 10 minutes a day for 10 days- this free trial offers instruction on mindfulness with Andy Puddicombe; he makes it super easy. 

Enjoy the spring in your step you gain from a happy and healthy liver! 

Year of the Fire Monkey

Happy New Year, friends! We are shifting into a very new kind of energy- from watery yin into fire-y yang. This means we can each go from a quiet cultivation of our energy into to more active forms of expression.  Enjoy your playful side, and aim to realize your dreams!  As always, we are in a dynamic balance. Be sure to take good care of yourself as you venture forth!

ForeverConscious.com tells us what to expect:

"On February 8, 2016 we will shift out of the year of the nurturing Yin Wood Sheep and into the year of the passionate Yang Fire Monkey.

As the name suggests, the year of the Yang Fire Monkey is all about having fun, taking risks, being proactive and going after what you truly desire.

Yang energy is action based energy, so 2016 will really favour making bold decisions, getting ahead and staying assertive."

We can't wait to hear what you are up to and how we can support your wellness. Hope to see you soon at Double Happiness Health. 

Try This: Braised Eggs with Lamb, Tahini & Sumac

While looking for a unique meal to serve friends for the holiday I came across a fabulous, hearty dish from the cookbook Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenhi and Sami Tamimi. I figure there really wasn't a better cuisine for celebrating Jesus's birthday. Braised Eggs with Lamb, Tahini & Sumac is a riot of colors, flavors and textures. The meal is perfect for winter as the lamb is warming and nourishes blood while the pine nuts and yogurt benefit yin. The authors include many variations so it's easy to avoid possible food sensitivities and improvise with what you have in the kitchen. Perfect to satisfy a crowd! Jerusalem: A Cookbook is filled with other recipes I absolutely love. Highly recommended. And the cookbook makes a great present for yourself or a friend. Enjoy!

BRAISED EGGS WITH LAMB, TAHINI, SUMAC, AND CHARRED TOMATOES

yield: 4 SERVINGS

prep time: 10 MINUTES

cook time: 30 MINUTES

Ingredients:

BRAISED EGGS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped (1¼ cups/200 grams total)
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 10 ounces/300 grams ground lamb (ask your butcher for two-thirds shoulder and one-third belly)
• 2 teaspoons sumac, plus extra to garnish
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Scant ½ cup/50 grams toasted, unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped
• 7 tablespoons/50 grams toasted pine nuts
• 2 teaspoons harissa paste
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped preserved lemon peel
• 1 1/3 cups/200 grams cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup/120 milliliters chicken stock
• 4 large free-range eggs
• ¼ cup/5 grams cilantro leaves or 1 tablespoon Zhoug
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

YOGURT SAUCE:

• Scant ½ cup/100 grams Greek yogurt
• 1 ½ tablespoons/25 grams tahini paste
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium, heavy-bottomed frying pan for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 6 minutes to soften and color a bit. Raise the heat to high, add the lamb, and brown well, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with the sumac, cumin, ¾ teaspoon salt, and some black pepper and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat, stir in the nuts, harissa, and preserved lemon and set aside.
2. While the onion is cooking, heat a separate small cast-iron or other heavy pan over high heat. Once piping hot, add the cherry tomatoes and char for 4 to 6 minutes, tossing them in the pan occasionally, until slightly blackened on the outside. Set aside.
3. Prepare the yogurt sauce by whisking together all the ingredients with a pinch of salt. It needs to be thick and rich, but you may need to add a splash of water if it is stiff.
4. You can leave the meat, tomatoes, and sauce at this stage for up to an hour. When you are ready to serve, reheat the meat, add the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Make 4 small wells in the mix and break an egg into each well. Cover the pan and cook the eggs over low heat for 3 minutes. Place the tomatoes on top, avoiding the yolks, cover again, and cook for 5 minutes, until the egg whites are cooked but the yolks are still runny.
5. Remove from the heat and dot with dollops of the yogurt sauce, sprinkle with sumac, and finish with the cilantro. Serve at once.

recipe from from Jerusalem: A Cookbook.

Maitri: Radiate Loving Kindness This Holiday

Hello Friends,

Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful, safe and happy holiday! While some of us enjoy being surrounded by family and friends, for others the holidays can be really hard. They may remind us of loved ones we have lost or highlight health or relationship issues that are quite challenging.  For many we fall short of where we think we should be or get caught in judging those annoying people around us. 

"Maitri" is a sanskrit word meaning "unconditional friendliness towards the self which radiates out to others". It is amazing how good it feels to connect with love and compassion for ourselves and others. Here are instructions for a simple Maitri practice. Let's choose to be gentle and kind with ourselves. We can all benefit by remembering the basics of eating well, prioritizing sleep and getting a little movement to keep our healthy balance. 

Happy New Year, sugar! We cannot wait to see you in 2016 to work with you on being more kind to yourself and on optimizing your health.

Much Love,

Christine, Carissa, Rachel, Mia, Paulene, Emily, Amanda and Elizabeth

Winter Solstice 2015

Happy Winter Solstice!! Winter Solstice marks the longest night and shortest day of the year. Chinese Taoist philosophy would describe this moment as utmost Yin. The sun arcs low in the sky, and it's cold, wet and dark. This is the exact pivot at which yin begins to turn to Yang. After today the days will begin to lengthen; in time the earth will warm and winter will yield to spring.

Cultures all over the world have imbued meaning to this natural event of the darkest, longest night. Usually the solstice represents rebirth, involving holidays, festivals of light and celebrations-  with Hanukkah or Christmas among the traditions. From the perspective of health care, the force of growing Yang within each of us represents our recovery potential from illness. A saying in Chinese medicine is "take a tonic in the winter, kill a tiger in the spring". To optimize your immune system and boost your Yang, nourish yourself with an herbal tonic, eat warm foods such as this immune-boosting soup  and log plenty of hours sleeping. It is also a natural time to come out of hibernation for a minute to celebrate with community. Light the darkest night with the love all around you. 

THANKSgiving 2015

It is hard to believe that we moved into our new digs ONE YEAR AGO this Thanksgiving. The move was not one we had wanted. We had to move from our former home of ten years. But move we would, and move we did. Sometimes the universe presents us with tough challenges. With twists and turns that left our tummy's in knots, the transition turned out to be- in the words of beloved bay area artist Susan O'Malley whom the world lost this year, "more beautiful than we could have ever imagined". Against all odds, we have settled into our new home and are better than ever with our DHH dream team. 

Thank you, dear patients and friends, for supporting us at Double Happiness Health. We feel both utterly humbled and supremely honored to be entrusted with the wonderful work of untangling your health puzzles with you. It is so gratifying to be able to see many of you free from pain, achieving longed for pregnancies or finally sleeping deeply after years of insomnia. It thrills us to know you are digesting with ease, that your eczema is cleared up, that you have a newfound spring in your step. We are filled with joy when you become empowered to help yourself using new healthy lifestyle tools- that is the epitome of "double happiness" to us. We can't imagine another type of work that is more inspiring, intimate, challenging and exciting than the one that we do with you every day. We hope for nothing more than continuing to be of service in optimizing the health of our community. 

Wishing you a warm and love-filled Thanksgiving. May it, and the year ahead, be more beautiful than you could have ever imagined.

~Christine, Rachel, Mia, Carissa, Paulene, Emily, Elizabeth and Amanda

My Favorite Things: Resources for Eating Well, Health News and Inspiration

Sometimes people ask me about my favorite resources for health related news and inspiration. Here are a handful of my latest obsessions; they have made my morning BART ride something I totally look forward to!

Podcasts:

TEDTalks Health- The now famous TED format started as a one-off event over 30 years ago with the slogan “ideas worth spreading” in which thought leaders gave powerful talks that were 18 minutes or less. Now over 2000 TED talks later, we have the spin off TEDTalks Health whose fascinating topics range from Maryn McKenna on our antibiotic crisis to Sandra Aamodt on Why Diets Don’t Work.

Hidden Brain – This is my go to  podcast on my morning BART ride. Shankar Vedantam explores the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior using science and storytelling. One of my favorites is about Switchtracking- soon you will notice this conversation pattern everywhere. 

Just for fun: have you heard of Mystery Show? I’m kind of in awe of Starlee Kine and her awesome detective work. I especially love the episode on the belt buckle. 

Food Blogs

The Kitchn

My abso fav food blog of all, you can filter your searches to find recipes to satisfy any food preferences or cooking style. I found new healthy breakfast ideas like this Miso Soup with Rice and Poached Egg. OMG, so good. You can get quick inspiration and answers as well as access to a series of articles, like 12 essentials When Hosting Thanksgiving For The First Time. 

Nutrition Stripped

Recipes centered on “stripping away” nutritional confusion. Backed up with a masters degree in nutrition, McKel offers deliciously whole, plant-centric, nutrient-dense yumminess that caters to all kinds of eaters. I especially love her Nourish Bowls

Nom Nom Paleo- How genuine and smart is Michelle Tam? She is a total foodie with serious taste and ninja skills in the kitchen. If you are looking for Paleo-style recipes look no further. Check out her crispy procuitto chips.

Health News Blogs

NPR- The Salt

God, I love NPR. The Salt’s two female editors Maria Godoy and Eliza Barclay bring us food news and science in bite sized pieces with fun and incisive curiosity.  Find out the skinny on Why  A Neurotoxin Is Shutting Down Crab Season In California this season. Nooooo! Or, on a happier note, why drinking coffee may extend your longevity.

Chris Kesser is an acupuncturist/functional medicine guru who disseminates fantastic health information on his popular blog and podcast. His site is a great resource for help with issues from blood sugar issues and adrenal dysfunction to gut health and hypothyroid.  He has free eBooks on the site like this one on Heartburn/GERD. 

Sonima has the tag line Live Fit Live Free. Sounds good to me! A gorgeous blog with guided meditations like this one with Deepak Chopra, as well as yoga sequences and fitness ideas. I’ve been enjoying some great articles like this one on The Magic of Moderate Exercise.

Wellness Mama- Not a health expert, but she dishes out great recipes for DIY body care, household products and yummy food too. Because we are bombarded by chemicals in our everyday life our products, she is my go-to on how to make my own stuff. Her simple steps make it fun and easy. You can even learn how to make your own Laundry Detergent. 

Sleep Positioning for Back and Shoulder Pain

Struggle to get comfortable in bed at night?  Here is one of my hot tips for sleep positioning. It keeps the spine aligned as well as taking pressure off of the shoulder and hips. My patients dealing with injury or late stage pregnancy swear this supported sidelying position has changed their life, but it's great for anyone to try. You'll need four pillows. One under the head, one under the ribs, one between knees and an optional "hug" pillow to keep your torso in position and your arms comfy.

The key is to get the torso pillow right up against the bottom shoulder, creating a sort of "groove" for the shoulder to sit in, almost weightlessly. Be sure to get a big enough pillow between the knees so that the hips stack up evenly. Alternatively, you can have one leg stretched out behind you and the top knee on a big pillow. Comfortable sleep positioning is important to promote healing and the deep sleep crucial to our nervous and immune systems. Happy snoozing!

Moxibustion for Turning Breech Babies

Most babies are born in a vertex or head down position, allowing for an easier passage out of the uterus and through the pelvis. Babies will typically turn head down between 28-32 weeks.

Breech describes a pregnancy in which the baby is not positioned head down.  Often a breech baby will be bottom down, while others are feet first or transverse. 3-4% of babies are breech at 37 weeks. Often a breech presentation can lead to a C-section. If your baby is breech there are non-invasive techniques to help your baby turn head down.

Acupuncture along with moxibustion is well known for success in turning breech babies. Moxibustion is a warming technique using an herb called mugwort- often compressed into a smokeless stick for ease of use. We have helped scores of women turn breech babies at DHH and want to share with you what you can do for yourself at home.

This protocol is known to encourage the baby to move into - and stay in- the best possible position for birth. It is recommended to do the whole ten-day protocol even if you discover baby is in position when you see your OBGYN or midwife. This will help baby stay in position. One of my patients calls this “smoking her toes” and used it successfully to turn breech babies in both pregnancies after week 36.

Protocol:

Best to use smokeless moxa. It would be deal to have your partner or a friend do the moxibustion for you. The protocol is to moxa the following points bilaterally twenty minutes for ten days.

If you are certain baby has moved into head down position you can reduce the moxa time from twenty to ten minutes per day till the ten days are up.

Make yourself comfortable on a bed or chair and wear loose, comfortable clothing. Light the tips of two moxa sticks until the ends are glowing. Careful not to burn yourself or anything else! The lit moxa sticks are held bilaterally about a thumbs width from UB67 (outer proximal corner of pinky toe nail) until woman feels the skin is comfortably hot, the sticks removed for 2-3 seconds then re-applied. This "pecking" action repeated for 20 minutes.

UB 67 is the point where Urinary Bladder meridian meets the Kidney meridian. Stimulating this point strengthens the Kidney Qi, important for maintaining the fetus in the correct position. Extinguish moxa by stubbing out and keep in a sealed glass jar or use a jar of sand or rice to extinguish. Be sure to have enough moxa sticks to get through the ten days. - 6 sticks should do it.  It is always best to have acupuncture in conjunction with your home moxa protocol if at all possible. Give us a call and we will get you right in for support!

Sleep: Your Superpower

I have often bragged over the years that sleeping was my superpower. As I have gotten a little older, I have a little less swagger in my step when it comes to my sleeping prowess. With hormonal fluctuations, stress surges and a noisier neighborhood, I have had to work at it to make sure I am getting the solid 8 hours that give me the energy and joie de vivre I depend on. With a few tweaks I have gotten my sleep groove back. The National Sleep Foundation says that 30-40% of American adults have reported trouble sleeping in the past 12 months, while 15% report chronic insomnia. Insomnia tends to affect more women than men overall. Its effects are insidious and profound: causing weight gain, brain fog, anxiety and depression, disrupting hormonal balance and impairing our body’s ability to fend off pathogens and to detoxify.

Common treatment for insomnia in the US consists of pharmaceutical drugs that often have side effects, are addictive and worse yet, can stop working when used long term. Fortunately, in a 2009 systematic review of RCT’s, acupuncture was shown to provide safe, effective treatment for insomnia. At DHH we don’t use a one size-fits-all approach to treating insomnia. We will get to the source of the problem and provide a tailored solution that restores balance naturally.  That means when acupuncture alone isn’t enough, we also utilize nutritional strategies and high quality herbal medicine or supplements to help get you snoozing like a champ.

Insomnia is described by traditional Chinese medicine in four categories: difficulty falling asleep, light or restless sleep, early waking and dream disturbed sleep. Yin deficient fire often accounts for the “light sleep” and “early waking” types of insomnia. Qi stagnation from prolonged stress transforms into fire, which flares up and disturbs the mind. This pattern relates to trouble falling asleep easily and may be marked by vivid and distressing dreams. Other patterns exist as well and an experienced DHH acupuncturist can help with a correct diagnosis and customized treatment plan.

Causes of insomnia:

• Poor sleep environment- inadequate darkness, too much sound or stimulation.

• Medications that contain stimulants such as: corticosteroids, some antidepressants and heart medications, among others.

• Medical conditions that are not properly managed for example GERD, chronic pain, and hyperthyroidism.

• Schedule changes in work or sleep.

• Excess eating, caffeine or alcohol use.

• Stress, depression and anxiety.

• Hormonal: PMS, perimenopause and menopause.

Tips on improving your sleep:

• Get to bed before 11pm- like diving under a wave, you will get to sleep before liver energy surges and gives you a ”second wind”. Your nervous system will thank you.

• Keeping a regular sleep schedule- allows your body to set an optimal circadian rhythm, which is critical for the symphony of physiological processes; tissue repair, hormonal balance, metabolism, immunity.

• Black out- not you, your bedroom windows! And power off those devices at least 30 minutes before bed. The blue light emitted from devices disrupts your body’s production of the hormone melatonin, important for sleep.

• Eliminate- the issue of excess alcohol or caffeine. If you aren’t sure try, reducing or eliminating those elements. If it’s keeping you awake, it’s not worth it.

• Stress busting- be sure you are getting enough exercise. 30 minutes of breaking a sweat most days should help a lot. Try to make it fun when you can, such as an urban hike or a personal dance party.

• Acupuncture- let us give you some care and create a plan to get you bragging that sleep is your superpower!

What is PCOS?

This is the first in a series of blogs about PCOS. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a complex syndrome with varied presentations, so there is much to discuss. It is one of the most common endocrine disorders affecting women. In PCOS, dysregulated blood sugar causes an excess production of testosterone, leading to a disruption of normal ovulation.  The hallmark symptoms are lack of ovulation with irregular or long menstrual cycles, infertility, acne and abnormal hair growth patterns. Although not seen in all patients, there is a link between PCOS and obesity.

A leading cause of infertility in the United States, 5-10% of women are affected by PCOS with less than 50% diagnosed. That means PCOS is responsible for 70% of infertility in women who have difficulty ovulating.  PCOS also increases the risk of metabolic syndrome in women.  The good news is that with nutritional and lifestyle changes, supplementation and acupuncture support, women can greatly reduce the risks associated with PCOS.

Generally, a diagnosis is made when two of the following symptoms are found: excess androgens, menstrual irregularity and polycystic ovaries- where multiple follicles are seen, often looking like a “string of pearls”.  Clinically patients with PCOS can present with at least two types from a western perspective: lean patients with a tendency toward hypoglycemia, and overweight patients that tend toward insulin resistance. The treatment strategy would be different depending on the type. In order to determine if you have PCOS and what type, work with a trained DHH practitioner or your OBGYN to get a serum lab work up and a vaginal ultrasound to help identify and categorize, or rule out PCOS.

Wondering what you can do if you have PCOS? In general, focusing your nutrition on blood sugar stabilization is a perfect place to start. A fantastic resource for nutritional guidance is “The Blood Sugar Solution”, by Mark Hyman, MD. Always begin the day with a protein-based breakfast. Eat something every 3 hours. Dominating your meals with a rainbow of vegetables, healthy fats and proteins, while avoiding refined carbohydrates and sugars is the first step. Increasing your exercise to at least 30 minutes per day of cardio is also very helpful in optimizing blood sugar and hormonal balance. Finally, at DHH we will customize a treatment plan to address your unique health picture. Well-researched supplements are prescribed as needed and evidence-based acupuncture is performed to help get you ovulating regularly again.  Stay tuned for more on the topic of PCOS.