Keep Calm and Holiday On

Posted on December 18, 2014 by eresko

Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash

Happy 2014 Holiday Season!

Tips for the Holidays… Be well and stay happy this holiday season

The Holiday’s can be stressful for some.  The colder temps, lack of daylight, the many holiday parties, sugary treats and lack of downtime all add up and can lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder (feelings of depression with the changes in season), weight gain and increased feelings of stress and anxiety.

Remember to keep your best interest in mind this holiday, and use these easy steps to keep a level head.

  • Make exercise a priority – Add it to your calendar every day!  Even if it’s 10 minutes of lunges, squats and push ups in your living-room, you will be happier and more productive because of it and if you don’t believe me, check out this article.

Photo by Holly Mandarich on Unsplash

  • Get some sunshine and get outside – With the shorter days, we tend to not even see the sun some days.  Yet, vitamin D is so important for our health and wellbeing that it is ultra important to get outside during the winter months.  Even if it’s 10-20 minutes, anything is better than nothing.  Take a short walk after lunch outside, get some fresh air and turn off your phone for a little while.  The sunshine and fresh air will boost your immune system, as well as your mood and you may even get some color on your skin.  What’s not to like?

 

  • Make better eating choices – Yes, all those cookies, pies and sugary alcoholic treats are tempting, but I promise you, you will be much happier by limiting your intake. Go into each holiday party with a plan and make a conscious decision each time you reach for the cookie tray.  Grab some smoked salmon or a shrimp cocktail instead.  Have some sparkling water in between glasses of wine.  It’s a win, win… you can still stay and enjoy the party all night, and not feel like a piece of (you know what) the next morning.

 

  • Drink herbal teas and plenty of water – It’s best to get about half your body weight in ounces of H20 a day.  Stay hydrated, and drink lots of tea.  Herbal tea is super high in healthy anti-oxidants, which help with detox and keep you looking and feeling young and healthy.  In addition, proper hydration is grounding and can keep an otherwise anxious person much more stable during stressful situations.

 

  • Meditate or take some quiet time for yourself – It’s so important to learn how to breathe and relax.  It can teach you how to deal with those feelings of stress and anxiety during the hectic and hard times in your life, and practice makes perfect; the more you do it, the better you get at controlling your reactions to stressful incidents!  If self meditation isn’t quite your style, try out this app you can take with you anywhere.  
    • Breathe
    • Think you don’t have enough time?  Add a couple of minutes of down time or self-reflection post workout (like a sivasana).  Instead of just running to the next thing, take a moment and enjoy all the good feelings from your workout.

Photo by Daniel Mingook Kim on Unsplash

  • Let it go – The holidays are wonderful times; remember that when you are forced into a social setting that you aren’t super excited about (we know this happens to all of us).  Appreciate those parts of it that make you happy and let go of all the nonsense that always seems to get the better of us.  After all, you are only hurting yourself by focusing on the negative… so switch it up and let the positive win, it’s ok!  I know easier said than done, but thinking about it is the first step.

 

  • Respect your gut – Did you know most of our feel good hormones (such as serotonin) originate in the gut?  They call it your “second brain”.  There are many studies coming out linking proper gut health with your overall health and wellbeing.  Ways to improve gut health:
    • Take a daily Probiotic and eat lots of fermented foods for maintaining healthy gut bacteria.
    • Add a Collagen or Gelatin (Great Lakes Gelatin is the best brand) supplement to your regimen to heal the lining and improve collagen formation in your skin.
    • L-Glutamine is also a good alternative to heal the lining of the gut.
    • Limit refined sugars and other food sensitivities you may have.  If you aren’t sure what foods you are sensitive to, start keeping a food journal with associated symptoms like changes in digestion, mood or energy.   or see a practitioner (like me) who specializes in nutrition and food therapy.  Sugar and some foods can be damaging to the health of your gut lining and lead to other ailments; such as digestive disorders, changes in mood, skin disorders and even brain (focus) and memory wellbeing.

 

  • Get plenty of rest –  Having trouble sleeping?  Change up your bedtime routine…
    • Eat your meals earlier in the evening.
    • Drink less alcohol, & eat less sugar.
    • Remove all lights & electronics from your bedroom.
    • Consider using a natural supplement or Chinese Herbal Formula.
    • Try this app…  Brain Waves (which I know goes against the electronics in the bedroom, but it’s a good one).
    • Try meditating before bed.
    • Use an Essential Oil diffuser in your bedroom, and put drops of Lavender in it.

Till next time…

~Be Well~

Erin Resko Hill L.Ac, MAOM
208-309-0484
erin.resko@gmail.com
www.myessentialhealing.com

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The New Science of Stretch & Alternative Medicine

Posted on August 13, 2014 by eresko

Photo by Jacob Postuma on Unsplash

What is the science of stretch?  And is it related to the science of Acupuncture?  It just so turns out there was some majorly eye-opening research done recently on just what happens when we stretch and how that is similar to what is happening when you insert an Acupuncture needle into an Acupuncture point.

After I graduated from Oriental Medical school I spent about two weeks working with an MD & Oriental Medical Practitioner in Fukuoka, Japan.  We worked closely with the collegiate athletes using a method of Acupuncture that he pioneered & calls the M-Test.  The basic idea is to improve the functionality of the physical body by testing certain movements and improving them as you go.  The basic testing includes a patient coming in and moving their body through a number of stretches, assisted as well as on their own.  The goal is to find where the patient has the most trouble moving and which seems to cause the most discomfort or pain.  With athletes, you can see how this could really effect ones ability to do their sport.  An athlete’s body is their most prized tool and depending on their sport, they need to have a dialed and efficiently working machine (body) on their hands in order to excel in their game.  In the bigger scheme of things, Acupuncture meridians cover the body in a sort of highway system of energy, flowing up and down and over and through the body.  These meridians are stretched with certain movements and a trained Acupuncturist can tell which meridian (and possibly which organ system) is affected in their patient by identifying which movements are more difficult.  These meridian systems are closely aligned with connective tissue lines in the body as well, which follows a very similar concept held by Yogi’s and their practice of treating certain ailments with different asanas (stretches).

Connective tissue research is actually not very well-studied.  In these new series of studies, (you can read the entire piece here), scientists are studying the effect of stretch and Acupuncture needles of Fibroblasts; a cell that is ever-present in the extracellular matrix, a vague space that makes up much of what we consider connective tissue.  Essentially what happens when you insert and twist an acupuncture needle into the extracellular space, the tissue wraps around the needle, just like spaghetti around your fork.  This sustained stretching causes a change in the Fibroblasts surrounding the area, wherein, they flatten and ‘release’, essentially unbinding any stagnation in the tissue and along the connective tissue lines (meridians).  This small change is associated with a larger scale relaxation and release of tension in the surrounding connective tissue and there you have it, relief of pain, improvement in range of motion and therefore movement.

While this information is a large part of what is happening during Acupuncture and stretching in general, there are also a number of other things happening during acupuncture and one of the biggest is the release of endogenous opioids.  The insertion of a needle into skin, triggers a cascade of other hormonal changes, one being the release of natural pain relievers (your opioids) which also aid in the relief of pain, improved healing capacity and that wonderful state of being we like to call “Acu-land”.

To read more about this please read the whole article, though it is quite long, it is really interesting.  In the meantime, come see me for some Acupuncture for whatever ails you!

Till next time ~ Be Well!

 

 

Erin Resko, L.Ac

 

Source:  

Langeven, H. (2013, May 1). The Science of Stretch. The Scientist. Retrieved August 12, 2014, from http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/35301/title/The-Science-of-Stretch/

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How Does it Work?

Posted on July 23, 2014 by eresko

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-treatment-acupuncture-image3470076

I get asked this question all the time.  After all, the practice of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is somewhat of an enigma, a vague medicine that people either swear by or disregard as snake oil.  In fact there is a reason it works so well, and it’s not just a placebo effect.  Only recently have we been able to put studies together that help us understand why and how Acupuncture is doing the job it’s doing.  Whether it is for pain relief, emotional support or hormone balance, there are a number of cellular and biochemical reactions taking place systemically (throughout the body) at the insertion of even just one needle.  Think of it as a sort of ripple effect, anytime you contact the surface of a body of still water you can’t help but cause a ripple that affects the entire body.  It’s the same way with Acupuncture.

Recently, new research has been published on the immune enhancing effects of Acupuncture and how that modifies your pain and swelling.  Published in Molecular Neurobiology this year, the researchers investigated the effects of needling just one point on the leg. The research team found a remarkable effect.

“Manual acupuncture stimulation downregulated M1 macrophages (pro-inflammatory cells) and upregulated M2 macrophages (anti-inflammatory cells). As a result, acupuncture reduced pain and swelling”. – See more at: http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1336-acupuncture-pain-killing-mystery-revealed#sthash.UAPMot53.dpuf

Looking further into the biochemistry of this reaction, we know that M1 Macrophages are an important source of Interleukin 10, a powerful anti-inflammatory.

“Acupuncture literally flips a switch wherein initial inflammatory responses are reduced and the secondary healing responses are promoted” 

Using acupuncture for muscle injury, and other tissue trauma is helpful in that it improves your healing response.  It is great for reducing pain, swelling and the duration of recovery.  In addition, if you are an athlete of any kind and deal with DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) as a result (a kind of muscle damage in itself), Acupuncture is useful in your recovery and furthermore your adaptation to training.

I hope you enjoyed this little informational article and I hope it helps you to understand even just a bit more about how Acupuncture works.

 

Till next time~ Come see how it works yourself!

Erin Resko L.Ac

Sources:

da Silva, Morgana D., Franciane Bobinski, Karina L. Sato, Sandra J. Kolker, Kathleen A. Sluka, and Adair RS Santos. “IL-10 Cytokine Released from M2 Macrophages Is Crucial for Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Acupuncture in a Model of Inflammatory Muscle Pain.” Molecular Neurobiology (2014): 1-13.

Rafael Torres-Rosas, Ghassan Yehia, Geber Peña, Priya Mishra, Maria del Rocio Thompson-Bonilla, Mario Adán Moreno-Eutimio, Lourdes Andrea Arriaga-Pizano, Armando Isibasi, Luis Ulloa. Dopamine mediates vagal modulation of the immune system by electroacupuncture. Nature Medicine, 2014; DOI: 10.1038/nm.3479.

Wang, Ying, Rebekka Gehringer, Shaaban A. Mousa, Dagmar Hackel, Alexander Brack, and Heike L. Rittner. “CXCL10 Controls Inflammatory Pain via Opioid Peptide-Containing Macrophages in Electroacupuncture.” PloS one 9, no. 4 (2014): e94696.

– See more at: http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1336-acupuncture-pain-killing-mystery-revealed#sthash.UAPMot53.dpuf

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Yoga & Acupuncture

Posted on March 6, 2014 by eresko

Check out what SV Mag Body & Soul Blog has to say about our new Yoga & Acupuncture Series…. (Thanks Kate Elgee for the awesome write-up!)

They say stress is “America’s #1 health problem,” which is why it’s so important to find ways to just relax. Two wonderful methods, transplanted from Eastern medicine and proven effective by hundreds of years of practice, are yoga and acupuncture. Now, thanks to Erin Resko at Pure Body Pilates in Hailey, you can get them both in the same place….. Click here to read more

This month’s Yoga & Acupuncture will be held on Sunday March 16th @4pm with Cathie Caccia.

You can sign up today by clicking the Schedule Now button to the right of this post!  

 

March Yoga:Acu jpeg

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Here’s To The Year of The Wood Horse

Posted on January 30, 2014 by eresko

 

Happy Chinese New Year!

This Friday, January 31st, marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year.  This is a highly celebrated holiday in China and other countries in the SouthEast.  The celebration starts Friday on the first New Moon of the Gregarian Calendar and lasts for two weeks until the Full Moon on February 15th.  During this time there are many festivities; including family gatherings, parades and traditional meals.

The story of the Chinese New Year is based on a frightening monster named Nian who came into the villages, destroying everything in his path (sounds terrifying, I know). Turns out, the Chinese people found a way to keep Nian at bay by simply making a lot of noise with a HUGE celebration.  The firecrackers, loud music and people out in the streets were enough to keep Nian from coming back. Guo Nian “Survive the Nian” the people say as a way to celebrate the New Year to this day.

 

 

Photo by Fabian Burghardt on Unsplash

The Wood Horse
Each Chinese New Year is characterized by its own element and animal. This year, it is the Wooden Horse.  With each year, qualities from the two together can give us an idea of what to expect.  The year of the horse has its very own personality.  This year…

The spirit of the horse is recognized to be the Chinese people’s ethos [characteristic spirit] – making unremitting efforts to improve themselves. It is energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent and able. Ancient people liked to designate an able person as ‘Qianli Ma’, a horse that covers a thousand li a day (one li equals 500 meters).

Those who are born during the year of the Horse will also exhibit the same sort of personalities…

People born in the year of the horse have ingenious communicating techniques and in their community they always want to be in the limelight. They are clever, kind to others, and like to join in a venture career. Although they sometimes talk too much, they are cheerful, perceptive, talented, earthy but stubborn. They like entertainment and large crowds. They are popular among friends, active at work and refuse to be reconciled to failure, although their endeavor cannot last indefinitely.
Some of their weaknesses…
They cannot bear too much constraint. However their interest may be only superficial and lacking real substance. They are usually impatient and hot blooded about everything other than their daily work. They are independent and rarely listen to advice. Failure may result in pessimism. They usually have strong endurance but with bad temper. Flamboyant by nature, they are wasteful since they are not good with matters of finance due to a lack of budgetary efficiency. Some of those who are born in the horse like to move in glamorous circles while pursuing high profile careers.  They tend to interfere in many things and frequently fail to finish projects of their own. 
What’s your Chinese Zodiac Animal?
Check out this website to find your Animal and see if it rings true to you… TravelChinaGuide
What’s In Store For Us?
It sounds like it’s going to be a wild and crazy ride.  Negotiations will be tough, people will be strong-willed and sure to stand by their beliefs.  While it will be a good year for people to fight for their ideals, compromise will not come easily.  As for business, if you are in the Wood or Fire business (think lumber, agriculture or media companies) you will have a great year.  Finance institutions as well as property companies on the other hand are going to be unstable at best.  In other news, since the Fire energies are so high this year (the horse is a natural Fire element), natural disasters involving volcanoes and fire will be present, especially in the southern hemisphere.
If you’re wondering what your individual predictions will be in the coming months, check out this link:  HuffPost

So, until next time ~ Guo Nian!

Erin Resko L.Ac

 

 

 

Sources:  

EarthSky. (2014, January 29). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://earthsky.org/human-world/chinese-new-year-2014-rings-in-year-of-the-horse

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/social_customs/zodiac/horse.htm

Morse, F. (2014, January 30). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/chinese-new-year-2014-what-the-year-of-the-horse-means-for-you-9096775.html

(2014, January 09). Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/01/09/chinese-new-year-2014-horse_n_4568979.html

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