In Understanding Acupuncture, Part 1 I explained that acupuncture is based on the same scientific standards Western medicine is established on. It is not a belief system or primitive medical practice founded on esoteric or metaphysical concepts. The mechanisms of acupuncture are based on the concepts of nerves, vessels, and blood circulation and not on Energy circulating in so called Meridians. So how does it actually work?

The basic view of health and disease in ancient Chinese medicine in essence was not different from the modern Western scientific view today. When physiological/biological balance and homeostasis are maintained the body should be healthy and disease not present. If this intricate balance is disturbed disease can manifest.

The body maintains this delicate balance by constantly communicating with all cells. Given that there are an estimated 100-200 trillion cells in the body, this is a lot of communication.

The way the body communicates all this information, delivers required nutrients, and cleans up waste products is via the circulatory and nervous systems. Blood vessels, nerves, and lymphatic vessels provide the infrastructure to send the necessary commands, nutrients, and waste from place to place to ensure that the body functions well and stays healthy. It is similar to the communication grid of a city. Roads and other communication systems provide a way for information and goods to be send from one place to the other so the whole city can prosper and function well. Acupuncture points are like the dials on a radio, fine-tuning and directing this flow in tissues or areas of the body an acupuncture point connects to.

How is this achieved? The grid of the circulatory and nervous systems is called the neurovascular system. The deep lying structures of this communication network branch off into smaller and smaller extensions the closer they get towards the skin. These blood vessels, nerves, and lymphatic vessels usually run in bundles and form critical junctures, or nodes, where they supply the skin. These nodes of fine neurovascular tissue constitute acupuncture points. Inserting a fine needle into such a node and evoking an either stimulating or inhibiting signal influences the flow of information in an either activating or sedating way (e.g. stimulating or reducing the release of a certain messenger chemical). Because physiological imbalance is usually caused by an excess or lack of certain chemicals balance can therefore be regained.

Through early postmortem dissections starting 2697 BCE, (Wang 1926), the ancient Chinese became very advanced in understanding the complexity of the various systems comprising the human body and had an astonishing comprehension on how disease is formed and health maintained. The original terminology of this ancient medical system, still used today, is clearly something no scientist can relate to unless they are trained in Chinese medicine as well. But for anyone with a full understanding of both medical systems, it is fascinating to see how thoroughly the ancient Chinese understood fairly complex physiological processes and disease in the human body hundreds (if not thousands) of years before any European civilization.

Their truly holistic view of health is stated in the Nei Jing, a Chinese medical classic written between 475-221 BCE. It says that “the key to health is for each person to maintain a balance with their environment, including weather conditions, seasonal changes, emotional and physical stress. Health requires a constancy in daily activity patterns, moderation in eating and drinking habits, not being reckless, not worrying to the point of fatigue, not being consumed by grief, remaining calm and unperturbed, and not overachieving” (D. Kendall, 2002).

This refreshing viewpoint represents a cornerstone of health and well-being that will hold true as long as humans exist. Still firmly interlaced in Chinese culture today an awareness of this simple but fundamental principle is regrettably and increasingly lacking in Western societies. The speed and stress of modern life are taking toll on health in our communities. Fortunately, this ancient medical wisdom can be shared and reintroduced through like-minded practitioners and help nourish societies back to prosperity and health.

I welcome your thoughts and comments.

“An effort by four federal agencies to limit marketing of junk food to children has provoked a fight between the packaged food industry and public health groups as intense as the cigarette wars of the 1980s”.

With a third of poor preschoolers being obese by age 5 and a $1 trillion junk-food industry intentionally marketing foods to our children as addictive as nicotine and cocaine it is about time for a change…

But is this change going to happen? Please read the full article here.

Being fit and healthy is probably the most popular New Year’s resolution. Here are three simple tips that will help you fulfill it this year.

1)      Take a look at what you eat: If you want to feel better, be more productive, and loose a few extra pounds in 2012 looking at your way of eating is the right place to start.

• For general tips on healthier eating please read this earlier post.
• For loosing extra pounds, I do not recommend dieting. Dieting often causes rebound weight gain with a net-increase in body weight over several years. For most people, optimizing their diet in combination with the right type of exercise does the trick.
  • Avoiding processed foods and fructose, cutting out refined carbohydrates from your diet (or at least not eating them later in the day) and increasing your intake of lean protein or beans can make a big difference. I usually suggest a ratio of 2 parts of complex carbohydrates to 1 part of protein for every meal or snack with most carbs coming from vegetables.
  • Don’t skip meals! Eat every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism active. Calories are used much more efficient this way. Skipping meals also causes low blood sugar levels that make you crave and over-eat foods high in carbohydrates and fat. This also raises your cholesterol and can make you feel irritable and depressed.
  • Switching from coffee to green tea (without sugar) will make you loose weight rather than gain it (see linked articles for more information about the affects of these two substances on metabolism and digestion).
  • Consuming moderate amounts of low-fat dairy rather than cutting out dairy completely will assist this as well.
  • About fats: your body needs fats so don’t avoid fats but choose the right ones (e.g. olive oil, avocado) and watch the amounts. If you ingest too little fats your body will start to crave them (but usually not the good fats).
• If you are an emotional eater you might benefit from stress management or therapy depending on what the underlying issues are. If you are able to establish a healthy relationship to food, appreciate its nutritional value and the positive way it affects your health you might be well on your way.

2)      Exercise: You do not have to set aside time for hours of boring exercise in your already busy schedule. Make it fun, quick, and effective. Cardio interval training seems to be most effective for weight loss. You can do this in the gym, at home, or outside. This gives you a lot of flexibility. With 30 minutes (including 4 minute warm-up) two to three times per week you will be in great shape very quick, especially if you combine this with one day of resistance strength training. A lot of gyms also offer high-intensity cardio classes that are fun. What ever cardio exercise you do focus on high intensity types.
A word of advice though: whenever you start exercising after a longer break it is helpful to check in with a healthcare provider familiar with sports medicine and exercise therapy to make sure that you are doing your exercises properly and to avoid unnecessary injuries later on. Some people get overzealous with their New Year’s resolution and injure themselves. This can easily be avoided.

3)      Manage Your Stress: Stress interferes with the healthy functioning of virtually every organ-system in your body. It inhibits proper digestive functioning and absorption, strains our immune- and reproductive systems, interferes with proper sleep and energy production, and can cause weight gain. Proper sleep and exercise are very important in managing stress. Other effective modalities include acupuncture, yoga, meditation, and psychotherapy. For a short presentation on how stress affects your health please click here.