SCOTTSDALE ACUPUNCTURE

The Importance of Cleansing

Why cleanse? Cleansing is probably the most important and significant way we can improve our health and rid ourselves of disease and disharmony on a root level.

There are over 70,000 chemicals being used in commercial production in the United States. The EPA has classified 65,000 of them potentially, if not definitely hazardous to human health. In addition, six thousand new chemicals are tested in the US each week. There are approximately three thousand chemicals that have been intentionally added to food supplies and over 700 in drinking water. This vast increase of chemicals in our environment, food, and medicine has greatly altered the body's ability to rid itself of toxins. Many scientists believe it is this toxic overload that triggers many of today's chronic health problems.

In order to regain our health and maintain it, it's absolutely necessary to do regular cleansing. The major organs responsible for neutralizing and eliminating poisons and toxins are the bowel, liver and kidneys. Between the toxic environment we live in and poor dietary and lifestyle choices, we are constantly bombarding these organs with more than they can handle. These organs get bogged down and lose their ability to eliminate and neutralize toxins effectively. When this happens, toxins, poisons, chemicals and heavy metals begin to build up in the body. They circulate their way through major organs and body systems, including the brain, where they remain stored for an indefinite length of time causing all kinds of health problems from minor to more serious diseases and often times death.

So where do we begin cleansing? According to Dr. Richard Schulze, the first and most important step for preventing and healing disease is bowel cleansing. You've heard it said "death begins in the colon". Just ask any coroner, as autopsies often reveal colons that are plugged up to 80% with waste material. Colon cancer kills 400% more people than Aids, and actually kills more men and woman than breast cancer or prostate cancer. Medical statistics say that every American will develop some type of colon disease, polyp, tumor or colon cancer in their lifetime. The colon is our primary means of elimination. Without proper elimination, we are subject to these diseases. Many Americans are not eliminating properly due to chronic constipation caused by fiberless diets and unhealthy eating habits. Chronic constipation sets up the perfect environment for parasites to proliferate and disease to take hold. If you are not eliminating two to three times a day, or having a bowel movement after each major meal, then more than likely you are suffering from some form of constipation or sluggish bowel.

You can't effectively cleanse other organs until the bowel is cleansed and in good working order. If you are constipated and attempt to cleanse the liver or kidneys, you will end up with more toxins circulating in your system because they have no means of leaving the body if the colon is blocked. These circulating toxins can cause serious illness and even death. It's absolutely necessary to cleanse the colon first.

How do we cleanse the colon? There are many different colon cleanses and products on the market. The most effective and beneficial colon cleanses are all natural and herbal in nature. Pharmaceutical laxatives can cause permanent damage to the bowels and are ineffective in killing parasites or repairing damage to a sick colon. Herbal colon cleanses along with a healthy diet will clear out old fecal matter, kill parasites, and restore the health and integrity of the colon. Regular colon cleansing can prevent many diseases including cancer. If you currently suffer from disease or cancer, colon cleansing (along with liver and kidney cleansing) is a natural and very effective way to rid your body of it.

There are a couple of colon cleanses I recommend to my patients that I have done myself with great success. The first is a product from Dr Natura, Colonix. (Dr Natura products can be ordered through the drnatura.com website.) Colonix is the product I would recommend for most people as it is easy to incorporate into busy lifestyles and doesn't require a special diet or radical lifestyle changes. While I don't advocate the continuance of unhealthy eating or unhealthy lifestyles, I find that trying to change everything all at once can be too overwhelming. Unless an individual is suffering from a terminal disease, a more gradual approach to cleansing can be more effective as it allows people to make changes over time for lasting results. The Dr Natura colon cleanse is a great place to start for most people. It is all natural and herbal in nature and incredibly effective. It is a three part system that includes parasite capsules taken first thing in the morning with a large glass of water, followed by an herbal fiber drink fifteen to twenty minutes later, and an herbal tea taken in the evening after dinner. That's all there is to it. And you continue with your day as normal, eating what you would normally eat for breakfast lunch and dinner. This cleanse is recommended for at least two months, and three months if you suffer from chronic constipation. After completing the two to three month cleanse, it's recommended to repeat the cleanse each year for a month.

While the cleanse will be effective regardless of your diet, it will be even more effective if the consumption of meats, dairy, sugar and white flour products, and processed foods are greatly limited. These are the foods that plug up our colon in the first place. You wouldn't put the incorrect fuel in your car, so why would you put the incorrect "fuel" in your body knowing the systemic damage it can cause? As you proceed with this cleanse you will begin to feel the magnificent benefits of having a cleaner colon. The better you feel the more you will be compelled to incorporate healthier eating habits and let go of unhealthy ones, especially if you wish to continue feeling good.

If you are an individual with a terminal or serious disease, more aggressive cleansing will be necessary. In these cases, I recommend doing Dr. Richard Schulze's colon, liver and kidney cleanses, or his Incurables Program. Dr. Richard Schulze's cleanses can be found on his website, dr-schulze.com. Dr. Schulze's cleanses include raw food diets, fresh fruit and vegetable juicing, and herbal teas and tinctures. These cleanses have a long history of success with the most difficult of diseases. I recommend his cleanses for anybody and everybody, not just those with terminal or serious diseases. They are especially good cleanses to do after completing the Dr Natura cleanse. Once you graduate from the "beginner's" cleanse, I like to introduce people to Dr. Schulze's cleanses as they incorporate the complete healthy lifestyle and encourage you to change all aspects of your life to support complete total body, mind and spirit health and well being.

Once the colon is sufficiently clean and in good working order we can proceed to liver and kidney cleansing. For this, I recommend Dr. Richard Schulze's cleanses. I have used these cleanses with great success and so have many of my patients. I usually start with the liver cleanse first.

Why cleanse the liver? The liver cleanses your blood. That's its primary job. It works around the clock to cleanse and detoxify your blood and acts as a filter to neutralize and eliminate anything and everything you inhale, consume or absorb. The liver has been referred to as our first line of defense. It literally serves as a barrier between what we take into our body and our blood. It blocks harmful substances from getting into our blood. Considering the environment we live in and the foods we consume, our liver is working overtime. In time, our livers become weak and unable to neutralize or filter out toxins properly and these toxins begin to circulate in our systems, poisoning the cells of our body, causing numerous diseases and eventually death. Medical doctors confer that before most diseases develop, the liver was not functioning properly, allowing the disease to ensue.

Doing regular liver cleanses keeps the liver clean and healthy and functioning properly so it can do its job of keeping us clean and healthy and disease free.

After colon and liver cleansing, it's a good idea to do a kidney cleanse as it is a major detoxifying and eliminatory organ. The kidneys not only help filter blood, but they are responsible for regulating the physical properties and composition of the blood by monitoring the acid-alkaline balance. Many toxins, including heavy metals, are excreted via urine. It's important to keep the kidneys healthy and in good working order as they too can get bogged down by toxic overload and unhealthy lifestyles.

I recommend Dr. Richard Schulze's products and the Dr Natura products because they work. I have used them both with great success and so have many of my patients. Through years of research, I have found these to be the most powerful and effective cleanses on the market. I can confidently recommend them to you knowing they will make a powerful difference in your life. I receive no financial incentives from either of these companies. I simply recommend these products because they work!

Cleansing is a very powerful way to regain health and vitality. Below is a list of common ailments and diseases that have responded remarkably well to cleansing.

Colon Cleanse	Liver Cleanse	Kidney Cleanse
Anxiety Acid reflux Crohns Colitis Colon cancer Colon Polyps Constipation Depression Diverticulitis Gastrointestinal disorders Hemorrhoids Hiatal hernia Indigestion Infertility Irritable bowel syndrome Insomnia Rectal cancer Tumors Ulcers	Anger Depression High cholesterol Heavy metal toxicity Hypothyroid Infertility PMS Substance abuse	Diabetes Kidney stones High blood pressure Prostate problems Urinary tract infections Frequent urination

This is just a partial list of common ailments and diseases. In the alternative world of medicine, there is no such thing as an incurable disease. All disease and disharmony can be overcome, and cleansing is a great place to start. Most people will find their ailments and diseases disappear with just these three simple cleanses. For others, repeated cleanses, and major dietary and lifestyle changes may be in order.

During the cleansing process, there are several tools you can utilize to accelerate your progress. One is a healthy diet. You can't be in good health if you're eating foods that do not contain enzymes, life force and nutrients. Dead, processed foods cause mucus, toxins and congestion, all of which lead to disease. The second tool is an exercise regime such as yoga, walking, or whatever you prefer. Physical movement is an important part of cleansing. It encourages organs to function better, eliminate more and it speeds up metabolism. Thirdly, incorporating stress reduction techniques into your life is key to lasting results. Massage, acupuncture, and meditation are great tools to help us relax and reduce stress. Our mental and emotional health plays a huge role in our physical well being and vice versa. We must address both to achieve the greatest success. Taking time to do more of the things you enjoy in life is also important.

A Word on Acupuncture

Acupuncture not only helps in stress reduction, it can aid you through the entire process of cleansing. Acupuncture helps to stimulate body systems to function at optimal rates making cleansing more effective. Often times people will have malfunctioning digestive systems that makes consuming raw foods in the cleansing diet difficult. Acupuncture can be used to strengthen this system so you can proceed more easily and effectively through your cleanse. There may be emotional issues that arise through the course of cleansing, and acupuncture can be used to balance those out, making your cleansing journey less stressful and more enjoyable. Often times our organs are so bogged down, it takes longer for them to respond to cleansing. Acupuncture can "jumpstart" these organs to help them function better, making the cleanse more effective. I find the combination of cleansing and acupuncture to be very effective in treating many disorders. Acupuncture makes the whole process a lot easier and smoother as it works on a core level to improve health.

Remember, all disharmony and disease can be overcome. It just takes a little effort on your part. And now you have the information and tools necessary to move forward. Good luck on your journey, I know you won't be disappointed!

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Diet: What to Avoid

What is a proper diet anyway? First let's start with what is not. Generally any food that is lacking in nutritional value, commonly referred to as junk food, is not considered a proper diet. Not only are junk foods void of nutrition, they are loaded with chemical additives that have adverse effects on health.

Junk foods are typically high in refined sugars, saturated fats, refined flours and a concoction of chemicals known as preservatives. They include all packaged/processed food items (cookies, chips, candy, gum - basically anything with a very long shelf life), canned foods, fast foods, and fried foods. Chemical additives have been linked to relatively mild symptoms like skin problems or allergies to more serious problems, such as asthma, seizures, heart disease or cancer.

Also hidden in these chemical concoctions are ingredients that have been irradiated to allow bug-infested or moldy ingredients to be used as fresh. Many of these products also contain ingredients that have been Genetically Engineered* or modified.

Canned Foods are dead foods. Generally speaking, dead foods don't provide us with the nutrition our body needs. To prepare canned foods, they must be cooked at high temperatures which destroys a lot of the vitamins, minerals and enzymes. All living things have a vibrational frequency or life force that can be measured in megahertz. A healthy body has a frequency ranging from 62-78 megahertz, while disease begins at 58 megahertz. Fresh foods and herbs measure in megahertz between 10 and 27, while canned foods have a zero megahertz frequency. It's obvious to conclude that eating foods of high vibrational frequency will contribute to our health and well being, while those foods with zero frequencies will eventually contribute to an overall lower vibration in our body leading to ill health and disease.

Fast Foods are very high in saturated fats and contain foods grown with herbicides, pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics. The quality of produce and meats used in the fast food industry is of very low quality to keep costs down. Fast food may be cheap, but it's certainly costly to your health. Fast foods have been shown to contribute to heart disease, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes and cancer.

*Genetic Engineering (GE) is a radical new technology that manipulates the genes and DNA - the building blocks of all living things. Genetic engineering creates new life forms that would never occur in nature, creating new and unpredictable health and environmental risks. To create GE crops, genes from bacteria, viruses, plants, animals and even humans have been inserted into plants like soybeans, corn, canola, and cotton. Because they are living organisms, GE crops can multiply, spread and reproduce indefinitely and at will. Once released, genetically engineered organisms can never be recalled, so their effects are irreversible. Adverse effects on health include food allergies, other allergic reactions such as skin rashes, lowered resistance to antibiotics and probably many more that are yet to be discovered or admitted. Unfortunately, the FDA doesn't require manufactures to label foods as genetically modified. It's safe to assume that many processed foods (approximately 70%) contain some form of a genetically modified ingredient. Another reason to avoid processed foods altogether.

In short, Genetic Engineering is an unpredictable technology that, for the sake of corporate profits, puts our environment and health at risk. Don't eat them.

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Diet: What to Consume

Healthy eating is simply eating the foods your body needs for energy and for growth. Healthy food nourishes your body with essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fats and enzymes. These nutrients are necessary for life. Without them, your body does not receive the proper fuel it needs to function optimally and it increases your chance of developing health problems. It may be something minor at first, like headaches, allergies, skin problems or mild fatigue. Eventually, it will lead to major illness, like diabetes, cancer or heart disease. Choosing healthy food is simple if you just remember a few guidelines. First, select fresh, unprocessed whole foods. This includes fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and legumes, raw nuts and seeds, and fresh sprouts. Raw, unprocessed foods are live foods. They contain the greatest amount of vitamins, minerals and enzymes and provide the body with the greatest amount of nutrition. Select animal foods-eggs, poultry and meat-that are free range, grass fed and hormone and antibiotic free. Choose fish with the lowest amount of mercury contamination.

Choose organic foods over commercially produced food if possible. Organic foods are the purest and healthiest foods. They are not contaminated with pesticides, growth hormones or antibiotics. They generally have a higher nutritional content and what's more, they are not irradiated or genetically modified.

Be aware of foods that are referred to as natural foods. "Natural" does not mean it is organic. There is no official definition for "natural" food, so food producers and manufacturers may call anything natural, even if there is nothing natural about it, so be careful to read labels when choosing food products and opt for foods labeled "organic" or "certified organic".

When choosing a beverage, the best choice is water, followed by herbal teas. Juices, while promoted as being healthy, are often heated or pasteurized which destroys many of the nutritional benefits, leaving you with a beverage high in sugar and carbohydrates. The best way to consume juice is to have it freshly juiced- either in the comfort of your own home with a juicer, or at a juice bar where it is made fresh to order.

Kombucha Tea is also an acceptable and beneficial drink to consume. It is a raw fermented beverage that is loaded with enzymes and probiotics that have many health benefits.

It's best to stay away from carbonated sugary drinks, coffee, and black tea. These beverages are very dehydrating to the body and lack nutritional value.

Liquids should be consumed at least 15 minutes to a half hour before and after meals. Drinking too much liquid during a meal dilutes the digestive fluids in the stomach and inhibits proper digestion. Warm tea or room temperature water may be taken with meals in small sips to aid digestion.

Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly is also an important aspect of healthy eating. It's the first step in healthy digestion. Eating too quickly burdens the system and slows the digestive process. When you chew thoroughly, you begin the process of starch digestion by mixing the food with the enzyme salivary amylase. Chewing also stimulates the release of hormones that control appetite. The longer you chew, the less likely you are to overeat.

Use the food charts below as helpful guidelines to healthy eating.

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* Peanuts are frequently contaminated with a carcinogenic mold called aflatoxin. Peanuts are also one of the most pesticide-contaminated crops. Fortunately, there are some relatively safe ways to reduce these negative effects. First, you can obtain Arrowhead Mills organic peanut butter. These peanuts are grown in New Mexico, and aflatoxin has not been reported to be a problem in that state due to the dry conditions. The organic version of the peanut butter is also pesticide free.

* Although public health officials warn that raw milk poses risk of transmitting bacteria, there are actually far more reported cases of pasteurized milk being contaminated than raw milk. Pasteurization completely changes the structure of the milk proteins (denaturization) into something far less than healthy. While the process certainly destroys germs and bad bacteria, it also destroys the milk's beneficial bacteria along with many of its nutritious components. Raw milk has many beneficial health giving properties. Pasteurized milk, on the other hand, has been linked to various diseases and poor health.

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A Word on Water

Water is a fundamental part of our being. Water is ranked as second only to oxygen as essential for life. The average adult body is 55 to 75% water. Everyday your body must replace 2 1/2 quarts of water. The water you drink literally becomes you! Because we are such a large percentage of water, you can only imagine how important water must be to every single function in our body. In order for the blood to properly carry out its many critical tasks, the body must be sufficiently hydrated with "healthy water." An inadequate intake of water (or consumption of water laced with contaminants) causes the properties of our blood to change and negatively affects virtually every aspect of our health.

Aside from aiding in digestion and absorption of food, water regulates body temperature and blood circulation, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, and removes toxins and other wastes. Water also cushions joints and protects tissues and organs, including the spinal cord, from shock and damage. Conversely, lack of water or dehydration can be the cause of many ailments.

A mere 2% drop in our body water supply can trigger signs of dehydration: fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing. Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue.

Medical studies show that just a 5% drop in body fluids will cause a 25% to 30% loss of energy in most people. It’s estimated that more than 2/3 of all people don’t drink enough water and suffer some degree of dehydration. The result is that a large part of our population operates at only 70 to 75% of their capacity, or less. Unfortunately, most people turn to stimulants like caffeine and sugar to boost their energy level, rather than water, which is what our body needs to produce natural energy. Caffeine, alcohol, and sugar are all strong diuretics that cause the body to lose water, resulting in a further loss of natural energy production and eventually leading to a dependency on artificial energy.

Adequate water intake is dependent on activity level and weight of a person. Generally, 8 glasses of water a day (64 oz) is a good rule of thumb. To be more concise, you can divide your weight (in pounds) by 2. The resulting number is the number of ounces of water you need each day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you would need to drink 75 ounces of water each day.

Chronic Dehydration has been associated with the following disorders:

Acne Accelerated Aging Acid Alkaline Imbalance Allergies Angina Arthritis Asthma Bladder Cancer Breast Cancer Chronic Fatigue Colon Cancer Constipation Cracked Lips Dark Circles Under the Eyes Depression Diabetes Digestive Disorders Dizziness Dry Skin

Eczema Fatigue Gastritis Headaches Heartburn High Cholesterol Joint Pain or Problems Kidney Stones Kidney Disease Loss of Skin Elasticity Mood Swings Morning Sickness Muscle Cramps Muscle Weakness Nausea Pain Rheumatism Urinary Tract Infections Weight gain

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Exercise

Exercise doesn't have to be a long arduous task to be effective. In fact it's quite the opposite. Twelve to 20 minutes of exercise a day is enough to lose fat, gain lean muscle mass, expand lung capacity and strengthen the heart.

Traditional exercise experts have always taught the importance of cardiovascular endurance training to achieve health benefits. New research is beginning to show that long endurance training can actually be detrimental to your health. Dr. Al Sears, who has done extensive research in the area of exercise, explains that routinely forcing your body to perform the same continuous cardiovascular challenge, by repeating the same movement, at the same rate, thousands of times over, without variation or rest, is unnatural. This type of exercise forces the heart and lungs to actually downsize because smaller allows you to go further, more efficiently, with less rest and less fuel. So instead of building heart and lung strength, you are robbing these organs of vital reserve capacity. This is why it is not uncommon to hear of marathon runners dropping dead from heart failure in the middle of a race. Heart attacks don't occur because they lack endurance. They occur when there is a sudden increase in cardiac demand that exceeds the heart's capacity.

Aside from long endurance exercise decreasing lung and heart capacity, more studies are showing an increase in LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides after long distance running. Moreover, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that long distance runners had reduced bone mass.

As if this isn't enough, long endurance exercise isn't even the best way to lose weight or burn fat. While exercising for more than 20 minutes at a time allows your body to burn fat - and you would think this is desirable - it also signals to the body that it needed the fat. This trains your body to make more fat for the next time you exercise. So your body becomes quite efficient at building and storing fat.

So now what?

Dr. Al Sears has written a book called PACE: Rediscover Your Native Fitness, that explains in detail how to exercise more effectively. His exercise regimen mainly consists of short duration, high intensity exercise followed by recovery periods; all of which can be done in a minimum of 12 minutes and a maximum of 20. PACE (which stands for Progressively Accelerating Cardiopulmonary Exertion) achieves exactly the opposite results of long duration exercise. It increases lung and heart capacity, it lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and helps you lose weight by burning fat after you exercise instead of storing it.

By exercising at higher intensities for shorter durations (where you're actually panting or breathing hard), you create an oxygen debt, which signals to the lungs to expand. Because your body is demanding more oxygen, the heart adapts by increasing both it's heart rate and stroke volume. This increased pumping power makes your heart stronger and last longer, significantly reducing your risk of heart attack.

As far as burning fat more efficiently, short bursts of exercise tell your body that storing fat is inefficient, since you're never exercising long enough to utilize the fat during each session. Instead, your body burns the energy stored in the muscle tissue which teaches your body to store more energy in the muscles (not fat) so it's available for quick burst of energy. When you stop exercising, your body automatically begins to burn fat to replace the carbohydrates you just burned. PACE turbo-charges your metabolism because you continue to burn fat up to a full day after you finish each PACE session! It needs to do this so your body can be replenished. After a few months of PACE, your body stops storing fat because it simply doesn't need it.

Twin Study

Dr. Al Sear's Wellness Research Foundation conducted a test with identical twins to demonstrate the effects of PACE exercise. The identical twins, age 18, had identical body composition, same fat percentage and lean muscle mass. One twin followed a PACE program of short duration, high intensity exercise while the other twin followed a traditional cardio program that began with running one mile and increased to 10 miles of non-stop running.

At the end of 16 weeks, the PACE twin went from 24.5% body fat to 10% body fat and lost a total of 18 pounds of fat. She also gained 9 pounds of lean muscle. The cardio twin went from 24.5% body fat to 19.5% body fat and lost a total of 8 pounds of fat but also lost 2 pounds of muscle.

Overall, the PACE twin lost 125% more fat and gained muscle, whereas the cardio twin actually lost muscle, didn't lose nearly as much fat and worked twice as hard! Pretty impressive results.

Dr. Al Sears book contains in-depth information on this subject and explains in detail the benefits of PACE. He also has detailed workout programs to fit individual needs for both indoor/outdoor activities. The PACE program is very adaptable and can be incorporated into almost any activity.

Here is example of an 18 minute PACE program for fat burning:

You can use this running, outdoors or on a treadmill, biking or elliptical, or even walking.

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Coming to you in the furture...

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