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B1 January 1–7, 2016
A lot of us wear very dark lenses when we look at ourselves. Start with being kind with yourself. Dr. Diane Robinson, neuropsychologist
Chinese Medicine:
Slow Down for Success on B3
Successful Weight Loss Starts With Our Emotional Connection to Food By Conan Milner | Epoch Times Staff
eight loss is one of the most commonly broken New Year’s resolutions, and it’s not a problem we can buy our way out of. In 1992, Americans purchased about $30 billion in diet programs and products according to the FDA. Today, the diet and weight-loss industry rakes in over $60 billion a year.
Am I eating because I’m hungry, or am I eating because I want comfort? Dr. Diane Robinson, neuropsychologist
For all the time, money, and mental energy we throw at it, science shows that most dieting efforts are doomed to fail. A 2006 study from The New England Journal of Medicine found that most people in weight-loss programs “regain about one-third of the weight lost during the next year and are typically back to baseline in three to five years.” A recent national survey of more than a thousand people commissioned by Orlando Health took a look at what is driving our weight-loss strategies. Researchers found that 31 percent of Americans point to a lack of exercise as the biggest barrier to weight loss, while 26 percent of them blame it on dietary choices. Another 17 percent believe the cost of a healthy lifestyle is simply too expensive for most Americans, while another 12 percent say it’s because we lack the time necessary to devote to the effort. According to Diane Robinson, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist and program director of integrative medicine at Orlando Health, a big omis-
sion in many weight-loss plans is that they focus almost entirely on the physical aspects of their strategy, such as diet and exercise, but ignore the emotional side of the equation. In fact, the survey found that only 10 percent of Americans considered psychological well-being a factor in weight loss. Previous studies have shown that emotional issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression are often linked to higher body-mass indexes. The act of eating also triggers neurotransmitters in the brain that give us a sense of pleasure, much like euphoric drugs or falling in love. Add to this equation a world in which the cheapest, most accessible, and most fattening foods are advertised incessantly. Yet when our weight-loss strategy doesn’t work, we’re quick to blame the dieter rather than the diet and beat ourselves up for lacking will power. Defeated, we turn back to our favorite foods to cope. See Weight Loss on B6
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January 1–7, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochFit SARITA COREN/EDIBLEFACIAL.COM
THE
BEST DIET ADVICE I Ever Heard
By Sarita Coren
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choose from). The great part about a slow cooker is that you can put the recipe together the night before or in the morning and not think about it all day. Simple Swaps. Make simple swaps that boost nutrition, like switching out regular table salt for highly beneficial pink Himalayan salt. Swap out white rice and white-flour pasta for quinoa, buckwheat groats, a.k.a. kasha, or brown-rice pasta, each replete with protein, fiber, and vitamins.
You can never have too many veggies.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • WITTYBEAR/ISTOCK
Diet is a four-letter word to me—especially at the end of the year, when about all I can do is roll my eyes over the many posts touting the latest fad. But when I heard this piece of advice, I knew that it was brilliant—and a total reversal of my stereotypical association with dieting. In fact, I wish that I had discovered it years ago when I was obsessing over weight loss. Now that I’ve calmed down considerably and am making friends with my cushioned curves, I still recognize the importance of eating healthfully and practicing a body-nurturing attitude about food and fitness. Unfortunately, for years, that was not the case. You see, every time I went to see a holistic health care practitioner or even skin care specialist, I got the same prescription—and that was to stop eating a ginormous list of food, from sugar-laden nasties to carb-oozing empty calories and then some. You name it, it was off limits—even some healthier options that were considered high in sugar, like bananas and dried fruit. Granted, this does make sense given that excessive amounts of carbohydrates break down into sugar and then fat in the body, and that too much refined sugar can be detrimental to health and cause premature aging. Nonetheless, I’ll tell you where that advice usually got me. It got me to binge like crazy because I entered into a brain- freeze of scarcity. It unintentionally made me feel like I had nothing to eat. In order to prove that was not the case, I would eat whatever was in sight, including foods I usually avoided. When I heard this very simple piece of advice, I knew that I had to share it. So here it is. Instead of taking away food, simply start adding nutrient-dense food into your daily menu. Why does that make so much sense to my diet-repellent brain? Because the more we fill ourselves up with highly nutritious food, the less our bodies crave empty calories like sugary or salty snacks. It is really that simple. Plus, it eliminates the feeling that there’s nothing to eat because we’re actually increasing the food intake, not eliminating it—yet. Over time, the healthier food will naturally crowd out the foods devoid of nutritional value. Don’t you just love this twist on the four-letter diet word?
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Some Easy Ways to Do It In colder months, adding in nutrient-rich foods may look like beginning the day with a hearty bone broth, which is essentially chicken stock that’s full of vegetables. Actually, highly lauded skin specialist Kristina Holey gave me this idea during a facial one time. Many of us mamas know bone broth already as healing chicken soup. If you like to work off a recipe, here’s one by nutritional therapist and author of “Eat, Nourish, Glow,” Amelia Freer. But when it comes to this no-fail broth, no recipe is needed. I like to throw in most of these ingredients for a highly savory broth:
Parsnips Leeks Onions—as many as will fit into the pot Celery root (if you can find it) Carrots Sweet potato (one) Zucchini (one or two) Lots of garlic cloves Parsley Cilantro Dill Fennel (half or broth will taste like licorice) Turnips Pink Himalayan salt or sea salt (to taste) And of course organic, non-hormone-fed chicken
I’ve also added marrow bones too, which give extra calcium to the mix. To make a vegan version, you can easily leave out the last two ingredients for a flavorful veggie broth. When I say throw in, I mean that literally. I place any of the veggies that we want to eat— like carrots and the chicken that my kids love— at the bottom of the pot. Then I put the rest of the herbs and veggies into a large spaghetti strainer that fits inside my stock pot. After bringing the soup to a boil and then simmering for several hours (or an entire day), I remove the strainer, drain the vitamin and mineral-rich liquid out, and keep the parts that my family likes to eat. Super simple, and it makes a clear broth. Another great idea is using that broth as the base for other dishes like a thicker, blended broccoli soup. Crock-Pot. My body craves warmth in winter, so I prefer the add-ons to be hot but easy to make. In warmer months, smoothies are a great treat that can fill me up for hours. For now, I love whipping out my Crock-Pot, or slow cooker, and throwing in onions, beef, marrow bones, or whatever else the recipe may call for (there are loads of slow-cooker recipes to
SMALLER IS BETTER
Eat Fat. Don’t avoid the good fats and oils. They do a body good. So seek out non-hydrogenated, cold-pressed, and organic add-ons as though your life depends on it. It may! Avoid all hydrogenated and most refined oils—even the ones that say “no cholesterol.” Of course, highly nutritious fats can come from nuts and seeds too, which make great grab-and-go snacks, or you can make raw bars. Peanuts are actually a legume and best avoided because of their inflammatory properties. But raw nut butters like almond butter make delicious treats spread over apples or sprouted whole-grain bread. Final Thoughts The other two points that I’d like to mention is that everyone has a dieting style and foods that support them and foods that don’t. That means that there’s no one right way to go about eating nutritiously. Some of my friends need a highly regimented plan, while others like a more flexible diet. Some friends who thought that they were eating healthy for years found out that all the raw vegetables or legumes that they were consuming were actually hurting their digestive system, causing a slew of issues. It is helpful to know that the body’s needs change, and so too dietary needs change. There are a number of ways to test what foods would best support your specific needs, such as blood tests, applied kinesiology (muscle testing), blood type, the pulse, and so on. What I’m discussing here really has nothing to do with actual dieting but rather with embarking on a way of life that supports good health and evolves naturally from educated food choices. That’s my kind of no-diet, wholehealth advice. This article is not meant to replace advice given by a medical practitioner. Sarita Coren is a licensed social worker and holistic mom of five with more than 20 years’ experience in the health and wellness field. This article was originally published on EdibleFacial.com
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January 1–7, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochFit CHINAVIEW/ISTOCK
CHINESE MEDICINE
Slow Down for Success By Lynn Jaffee
I
The nature of Chinese medicine usually means that patients must participate in their own treatment, as lifestyle is often a player in their conditions.
don’t like to wait. Put me in a line that’s more than three people long, and I am the person tapping my toe and muttering about poor service. I rarely order stuff online because I want it now. And don’t even think about putting me on hold. So it’s very interesting that I am attracted to and practice Chinese medicine—a system of healing that is essentially … slow. If you are looking for a quick fix, Chinese medicine is not for you. It is usually not a oneshot deal. People who come for one session thinking that everything will be good-to-go afterward are often disappointed. It demands patience, and it is not a silver bullet. That said, the benefits of the slow nature of this medicine are many. Time to Fully Heal. Your body is programmed to heal—and that takes time. Chinese medicine involves true healing, not just masking symptoms with a prescription drug. That means your practitioner must understand not only what’s going on, but why it is happening. Once the true source of your symptoms are uncovered and treated, real healing can happen. Knowing Your Body. The nature of Chinese medicine insists that you slow down and get in touch with your body. Diagnosis and treatment can only move forward with your input as a patient. For example, you know that your headaches are migraines. But to be effective, your practitioner will need to know more: Is it one-sided? How often does it occur? Does the painful area like pressure or not? Is it related to changes in the weather? What else is going on with your health? Seemingly unrelated details are frequently big clues, and practitioners can only be effective if they know those details. And for that to happen, you need to pay attention to your body. This is a good thing, as it leads to insights about your health that you might not have considered otherwise.
Gentle. Chinese medicine is not only slow, but it is also gentle. Western medicine offers drugs and surgery. Chinese medicine offers herbs and a half hour or so of relaxation on a massage table during an acupuncture session. Natural. Speaking of Chinese herbs, it’s true that the effects are subtle at first and they take longer than a prescription drug to work. In fact, many prescription meds are derived from the same herbs Chinese medicine practitioners use. However, the difference between the two is that when an actual herb is used, the whole herb is included for the benefit of the synergistic effect of all of the plant’s compounds. When a drug is made from an herb, only the active ingredients are extracted and made into a very potent medication—one that may work quickly, but comes with tons of side effects because of its potency.
People who have trouble sleeping, or even work late hours should be especially cautious. One study looked at the eating habits of around 40 healthy people between the ages of 21 and 50 who followed regular sleep schedule of six to eight hours of sleep a night. Those who were sleep-deprived during the study ate almost 1,000 more calories than they usually would the next day. They also ordered more fatty foods and more carbs. All participants received MRI scans of their brain that showed a correlation between the new cravings and the brain’s salience network, which is the network used in decision-making and behavioral responses. Those who lost sleep experienced a break in the pathways of this network.
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Did you know that less sleep can lead to more food cravings? That’s right. Studies show that just one sleepless night can affect the brain’s response to food the next day, increasing your desire to eat. Therefore, a person who doesn’t sleep well one night may crave more food than normal the next day.
Lynn Jaffee is a licensed acupuncturist and the author of “Simple Steps: The Chinese Way to Better Health.” This article was originally published on AcupunctureTwinCities.com
Active Participation. Finally, the nature of Chinese medicine usually means that patients must participate in their own treatment, as lifestyle is often a player in their conditions. If your diet is making you sick, you have a responsibility to change it as part of the treatment process. If your 80-hour work week is leaving you
BETTER HEALTH With Dr. Samadi Lack of Sleep May Increase Food Cravings By David Samadi
exhausted and irritable, acupuncture can only do so much. So if change is part of your treatment plan, you can plan on it taking some time. The upside is that the improvements you feel are very real, not the effect of a medication that has temporarily alleviated your symptoms, but left the cause in place.
In addition, the connection between cravings and sleep may be why research continues to make associations between obesity, overeating, and lack of sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that the average adult get seven to nine hours of sleep a night. This is important for optimal functioning throughout the day and just to feel good in general. People who have trouble sleeping or even work late hours should be especially cautious. By not getting enough sleep, you may also be at increased risk of heart disease, stroke, weight gain, cancer, diabetes, loss of concentration and memory, and premature aging.
THESE TIPS CAN HELP YOU GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP: • • • • • • •
Stick to a sleep schedule. Control what you eat and drink before bed. Have a relaxing bedtime routine. Keep your room dark. Check your room temperature. Keep your stress level low. Skip or limit napping to 20 minutes or less, otherwise your brain falls into a deep sleep, which may hinder sleeping through the night.
Dr. David Samadi is the chairman of the urology department and chief of robotic surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital. He is a medical correspondent for the FOX News Channel’s Medical A-Team. Learn more at RoboticOncology.com and visit Dr. Samadi’s blog: SamadiMD.com. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
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January 1–7, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochFit ALL PHOTOS BY SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
FIT OVER
By Marissa Joseph Older adults should remain active and strong. Including exercise in your daily routine can improve quality of life and greatly slow the natural aging process. Not only is appropriate exercise safe for almost everyone, but it is also possible for seniors to make important strides in strength and cardiovascular health, as well as prevent falls and remain active and independent. The following exercises will help you build strength, balance, and better posture. Repeat each until you become fatigued or until you feel your form slipping. If you can’t complete any of these exercises or have questions about their execution, you may want to seek help from a qualified health care professional. Marissa Joseph is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) in Manhattan. She gives workshops for athletes and dancers throughout the East Coast; and she works as a top-tier trainer at Elysium Fitness, where she helps with people who’ve had hip and knee replacements, and injuries restore their full function. ElysiumFitness.net
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Place a yoga block or small stack of books on the floor next to the side of your right foot.
Begin by lifting your right leg up high and stepping to the right and over the obstacle.
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Now bring your left foot over the stack to meet your right. Make sure to lift the trailing leg up high so you clear the obstacle.
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Once both feet have made it over the hurdle, repeat the exercise to your left.
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CHAIR SQUAT Squats can improve leg function in older adults. By practicing this exercise, you will strengthen many large muscle groups in your legs that will allow you to get in and out of your chair with ease, climb stairs, get on and off the floor, and take longer hikes and walks. Getting up from a chair without using your arms can be pretty difficult. It takes a lot of work from your legs and back-side. • Start by sitting on the chair with your feet planted wide on the ground and your torso tilted forward slightly. • Press your feet into the floor and use your gluteal (or hip) muscles to stand upright. From there, gently lower yourself back to the chair, but don’t let yourself relax! • As soon as you feel the chair beneath you, come back up and rise again.
HIGH MARCHES These help with balance and strength. As we age, we tend to lose strength in many areas of our bodies including in the muscles that flex our hips. These hip flexor muscles are especially important for our ability to climb stairs or climb into buses without tripping. Marches strengthen these muscles while reinforcing good posture. • Stand tall with your feet just under your hips. Hold your hands at hip level with your palms facing down. • Shift your weight to your right leg and bring your left knee to touch your palms. • Hold for two seconds and then put the left leg back on the floor. • Switch legs and bring the right knee to meet your palms. • To challenge yourself, hold your knee in the air for a longer period of time.
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ELIMINATE SCAPULAR SQUEEZES This move supports both posture and strength. Good posture is key. People with good posture tend to move better, which means they may have less pain. Building muscles that support good posture is one of the first steps to achieve good posture! For this exercise, you will need a light resistance band. • Bend your elbows at about 90 degrees
holding either end of the band in your hands. • Keeping your elbows pressed against your sides and move your hands away from one another so that the band becomes taught. • Stand up tall and feel your shoulder blades trying to touch one another on your back as you repeat the motion. • It is important for shoulder health to keep your chest wide and your shoulders open when performing this exercise.
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Dr. Alexander Kulick, MD BRIDGES The bridge focuses on balance and strengthening your backside—or gluteals—while maintaining good alignment. Strengthening your gluteals may help alleviate some back pain and provide power to other activities mentioned in the previous three exercises. • Begin lying on your back with your knees
bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor, hip width apart. • Place your hands on the floor with your palms facing the ceiling. • Brace your abdominals and send your hips straight up. • At the top, you should feel your gluteal muscles engaging. Slowly descend to the floor without rolling through your spine.
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January 1–7, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochFit JAYFISH/ISTOCK
Successful Weight Loss
Know your triggers.
Starts With Our Emotional Connection to Food Weight Loss continued from B1
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For these reasons, Robinson says that a successful strategy must first address our emotional connection to food and exercise; otherwise our unexamined psychology will always undermine our eorts. Epoch Times talked to Dr. Robinson about how food plays into our sense of satisfaction and how we can take control of it. Epoch Times: Eating is so closely tied with emotion. Should we change our perspective to see food more as nourishment than comfort? Dr. Diane Robinson: Well, for me it’s always going to be nourishment and comfort. We’re never going to be able to separate these two because food is so rewarding. What we really want people to have awareness of is that first you have to understand why you’re eating. Are you eating because it’s going to make you feel better? Well, great. Think about why. Are you eating because you want to savor the flavor? That’s wonderful. Food is amazing. I love food with a passion. But it’s about appreciating the flavor and understanding why we’re putting something in our mouths. It really is about inserting the pause before you insert the food. Ask yourself: What’s going on with me right now that I’m reaching for this particular food at this particular time? If we start there, then we’ve got a better shot at least. Epoch Times: Why do you think the emotional component of eating is important for weight loss? Dr. Robinson: This is not new. It’s been in the psychological literature for a very long time. But what was surprising about the survey we ran was that it still seems to be under the radar. In other words, this is a piece of information that we’ve known about literally for decades, but we’re still not getting it. If we don’t look at what’s driving the behaviors, we’re doomed to fail. End of story.
If we get mentally healthy, then the physical health falls right behind it. Dr. Diane Robinson, neuropsychologist
Epoch Times: How do we identify the emotional aspect of our eating habits? Dr. Robinson: There are techniques that have been recommended for a very long time, but again only a small percentage of people are using them. It’s about being honest with yourself. So, for example, what’s your favorite food?
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Epoch Times: I love pizza. Dr. Robinson: Okay, so the next time you want to order a pizza ask: Is this really what I want? If so, then why? What’s appealing about it? You might say, “It’s hot and delicious.� Well, can I have that hot deliciousness one day a week instead of five days a week? The other days I can encourage myself to have something healthier. It’s really about understanding: Am I eating because I’m hungry, or am I eating because I want comfort? Am I eating because I’m bored? Am I eating because I’m angry? Epoch Times: Do you have a technique you’d recommend? Dr. Robinson: So you start with a question and then write it down. It doesn’t have to be in a fancy journal. You are not preserving this for posterity. All you’re trying to do is put together the clues for yourself. You’re playing detective with yourself about figuring out what’s going on with you. You do that for a couple of weeks, and then you start to see a pattern. You might say: “Oh, isn’t this interesting. Every time I’m really
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angry, I order a pizza. Is the pizza just helping me cope with the anger? Is there something else I can do? Is there a healthier way I could address this?â€? It’s about getting to know yourself. It’s interesting. People quite often can’t even name the emotion. They might say, “I feel bad today.â€? What’s that mean? Let’s dig a little deeper. I’m not talking about identifying a mental disorder. We pathologize all the time, to ourselves and everyone around us. This is just about getting to know ourselves at a deeper level and just being mentally healthy. If we get mentally healthy, then the physical health falls right behind it. So get acquainted with yourself. “Why should I get o the couch?â€? you say, “It’s much more attractive to sit next to that remote.â€? But can you do one thing a bit dierently? If you can make just one little change per week, then by the end of the year, you have a major life transformation that has taken place very easily in those baby steps. But most of us come up with these New Years resolutions: “I’m going to lose 20 pounds by the end of January. I’m going to go to the gym every single day.â€? Everyone joins in January and stops going by February. It’s great for gyms, but not really great for healthy behaviors because we don’t think things through. So, a little change and getting to know yourself: That’s probably the best way to go about this. Epoch Times: So it’s about developing a more intimate and manageable relationship with ourselves? Dr. Robinson: A lot of things that we do are just avoidance behavior. We avoid saying that we’re really tired, or that we’re unhappy. We develop coping skills, but it masks what’s going on with ourselves. A lot of us wear very dark lenses when we look at ourselves. Start with being kind with yourself. We’re fallible, messed up human beings, but we’re all exquisitely unique and beautiful and complex. If we just start with being kind to ourselves and we really figure out what we’re feeling, we set more realistic expectations of ourselves, and we’re able to get to the overall goal. It’s a journey. It’s not, “I’ll only be happy if I lose these 20 pounds.â€? Oftentimes, it’s not really the weight. It’s something else. So just start by getting to know yourself. The interview has been edited for style and clarity.
What Happens in a Mind-Body Treatment Session? Mind-Body combines gentle touch, talk, and compassionate listening. In Mind-Body, the mind and body are not considered separate. We are our body, mind, and emotions, all of which are addressed in a session. This blend of touch and talk allows the experiential to become cognitive. We help put words to sensations, emotions, and the client’s sense of self. Mind-body can be very self-realizing, self-actualizing, and full of personal growth. Anu Abraham, DPT, is a physical therapist at Shift Integrative Medicine in NYC.
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January 1–7, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochFit COURTESY OF GUNTER SPILHAUS
EPOCH FIT
HEALTH & FITNESS DIRECTORY Discover distinguished local establishments with great reviews
Adventures & Events COURTESY OF GUNTER SPILHAUS
ADULT SKI RACE TRAINING
Union Square
Greenwich Village
Escape the city and up your ski game at Hunter Mountain. At this mid-week workshop for adults, you’ll be trained in ski racing on a closed racecourse. Sign up by Jan. 5. Wednesday, Jan. 6 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Hunter Mountain 64 Klein Ave., Hunter, N.Y. Cost: $40 plus lift ticket fees SkiReg.com
SHIFT INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
HOBOKEN FIT CLUB WORKOUTS
THE YINOVA CENTER
Shift offers you an integrative approach that acknowledges not only the physical but also the spiritual, emotional, and energetic components of your health. Together we treat the whole you.
The YinOva Center is a complementary medical center in New York City, known for its experienced team, warm atmosphere, and effective care.
95 University Place (at 12th Street) 212-604-1316 | Shift.nyc
74 E. 11th St. (near Broadway) 212-533-2255 | YinOvaNYC.com
Union Square
Upper East Side
MORNING FITNESS AT FORT TRYON PARK
Get in shape with a workout based on Beachbody exercise programs. Fit Clubs are a way to form friendships with those in the community and stay on the right track. There will be a different cardio workout each week—all fitness levels welcome.
Exercising in natural sunlight with green scenery all around bestows health benefits that can’t be found indoors. Come every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning for one hour of walking, stretching, and strengthening exercises.
Saturdays, 10 a.m.–10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. 404 Hudson St., Hoboken, N.J.
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 7:30 a.m.–8:30 a.m. Heather Garden, Fort Tryon Park Cabrini Boulevard & Fort Washington Avenue Free NYCGovParks.org
COURTESY OF JCC MANHATTAN
COURTESY OF AVIATOR SPORTS AND EVENTS CENTER
FREE NEW YEAR’S FITNESS FAIR
JUMP-START THE NEW YEAR WITH CROSSFIT TRAINING
Enjoy a free day of fitness and wellness classes, giveaways, seminars, membership specials, and more at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan.
Introduce yourself to CrossFit with a one-hour session that blends the boot camp approach of group fitness classes like Zumba and spinning, with the functional sport feel and benefits of CrossFit. This class is perfect for all levels, and beginners will feel right at home.
Friday, Jan. 1 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th Street Free JCCManhattan.org
CHIROPRACTIC HEALTH CONCEPTS
DR. ALEXANDER KULICK
Chiropractic helps your brain to communicate with your body. Through proper postural correction, one can begin the natural journey to a healthy, pain-free life.
State-of-the-art clinic that utilizes an extensive range of treatments, including integrative medicine and pain management, to heal your aches and pains both physically and emotionally.
39 W. 14th St. (btwn. Fifth & Sixth) 212-414-8887 | UnionSquareNycChiro.com
112 E. 61st St. (btwn. Park & Lexington) 212-867-1777 | DrAlexanderKulick.com
Midtown East
SoHo
THE KELLMAN CENTER
INTEGRATIVE HEALING ARTS ACUPUNCTURE
As pioneers in functional medicine, our approach incorporates cutting-edge technology, the latest advances in natural medicine, and the science of how nature heals.
A deep understanding of the mind-body connection, steeped in 5,000 years of Chinese medical knowledge, Tsao-Lin Moy, L.Ac., pierces the surface to treat the root of your ailment.
150 E. 55th St. (btwn. Lexington & Third) 212-717-1118 | TheKellmanCenter.com
50 Greene St. (btwn. Broome & Grand) 917-294-3805 | IntegrativeHealingArts.com
Flatiron | Upper West Side
Upper West Side
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. 3159 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn Free CrossFitFloydBennettField.com/ free-class
Planning a healthy event or activity? Let us know at NYC_Health@ EpochTimes.com
Compiled by Arleen Richards/Epoch Times Staff
Minimally Invasive
Dental Implants
CROSSFIT NYC
LIONDALE MEDICAL
Fitness. Not routines. Workouts that work. Coaches that care. Try us for free.
Regain vitality and vigor while maintaining optimal health. Dr. Lionel Bissoon, author of the book The Cellulite Cure, is now accepting new patients.
50 W. 28th St. | 157 Columbus Ave. info@crossfitnyc.com | CrossFitNYC.com
10 W. 74th St. (at Central Park West) 212-579-9136 | LionDaleMedical.com
Flatiron
Meatpacking District
Enjoy better results and a faster, more comfortable procedure with our no-incision implants Better Function & Esthetics Quicker Procedure Evening & Saturday hours available Convenient Midtown location
Before
After
“Courteous, friendly, professional, and patient.” – Ali E., Manhattan
Free Consultation Call Today 646-450-8944
Actual Patient
Gallery57Dental
www.gallery57implants.com 24 W. 57th Street, 7th Floor
MENDEZ BOXING
KORE
Get fit for the fight called life. Intense, focused training that will transform your body. All are welcome: from first timers to world champions.
Sixty minutes of full-body, intelligent interval training focused on strength, flexibility, stability, and cardio— without the treadmills. The ultimate luxury fitness destination located in the Meatpacking District.
23 E. 26th St. (at Madison) 212-689-5255 | MendezBoxingNY.com
336 W. 13th St. (btwn. Hudson & Eighth) 646-869-4690 | KoreNewYork.com
To list your business, email: advertisenow@epochtimes.com Please note that inquiries will be screened for quality.
B8
@EpochFit
January 1–7, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochFit LISAFX/ISTOCK
SECRETS OF KOREAN MEDICINE
The Solution to COPD Treating damaged air sacs in the lungs restores breathing Part 10 COURTESY OF DR. SEO HYO-SEOK
By Dr. Seo Hyo-seok “Let me take a breath!” When most of us become tired in the midst of a busy day, we can put aside our workload for a moment and inhale and exhale deeply. Deep breaths refresh us, relieving a feeling of suffocation and restoring peace and stability of mind. However, for those who can’t breathe properly, who constantly wheeze and find themselves short of breath, and who have difficulty walking because of this, there is no relief from the feeling of suffocation. Such is the case for many patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who experience such difficulty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Around the world, COPD causes one death every 10 seconds, according to the World Health Organization. When COPD is severe, patients find that their quality of life is greatly impaired. COPD is not one disease, but an umbrella term for chronic lung conditions, including emphysema, in which the respiratory tract becomes blocked. Emphysema is a condition in which the air sacs in the lungs are damaged. Imagine the lungs are like a tree: Air enters through roots (the nose or mouth), flows into the trunk (the trachea), then to the branches (bronchi/ bronchioles), the twigs, (the bronchioli), and eventually the leaves, which are the approximately 500 million alveoli, the sacs at the end bronchioli where the air meets our blood. When there are many alveoli, breathing is comfortable because the number of alveoli determines breathing capacity. Emphysema destroys the walls between the alveoli, bursting the sacs like bubbles. The number of alveoli decreases rapidly from a healthy 500 million. When there are only 200 million, patients find themselves short of breath. The lungs also fill with phlegm, causing coughing, and if emphysema becomes severe, the patient may have difficulty blowing out a candle from as little as 5 inches away. The decrease in alveoli also means less oxygen is delivered to the blood, and less carbon dioxide is discharged, which has an adverse effect on the overall health of the body. Once the lungs are damaged, it is difficult to restore them to their original healthy state. Although healthy lungs can overcome pneumonia quite well, weakened lungs cannot. The five-year survival rate for people with COPD ranges from 30–60 percent, depending on the severity of the disease.
You will heal if you cough. For patients with COPD and a past history of pulmonary diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia, the five-year survival rate is much less. In addition, COPD patients are four to five times more likely to develop pulmonary cancer. Since modern medicine considers it impossible to restore the alveoli that are damaged when a patient has emphysema, the damage is labeled permanent, and modern medicine views the degradation of pulmonary function due to COPD as having “crossed the river with no way of returning.” Then, are we really left with no option but to just watch our bodily condition degrade? Isn’t there a way to cure COPD? Do not worry, there is still hope. Shortness of Breath, Coughing Help Healing Contrary to popular belief, in order for the condition of the lungs to truly improve, you must experience shortness of breath and coughing. Shortness of breath signifies that damage to the lungs is being reported to the immune system. It is the signal that conveys the critical situation of the lungs to the immune system and
Coughing helps expel toxins for people with COPD. is essential to the healing process. The immune system can then deploy the cells in the alveoli (pneumocytes) to create phlegm that fills up the lungs, and the normal operation of the immune system naturally expels this phlegm and heals the body. However, modern medicine often blocks this important message altogether by prescribing steroids immediately when shortness of breath occurs. An even more serious problem is that patients think steroids are excellent medicine and continue to use them because they stop shortness of breath. But what patients don’t realize is that steroids also stop the rescue team of the immune system from being sent to the areas of damage, and thus the damage can become worse. Then, how can COPD be fundamentally healed? Through coughing—you will heal if you cough. This is because the only means of discharging waste matter from the lungs of COPD patients is to cough it out. Healthy people can clean their lungs by means other than coughing, particularly microscopic hairlike oganelles called cilia in the airways move phlegm to the throat to be spat out. While healthy people sleep or are working, the cilia act automatically to discharge phlegm from the body.
When pulmonary functions are reinforced and immunity is normalized, you will no longer catch colds. IOANMASAY/ISTOCK
Trachea
Bronchus
Alveoli
Bronchi
Bronchioles
Air travels through the trachea, bronchus, bronchi, and bronchioles to the alveoli. However, in COPD patients, the cilia are damaged, and the body has to rely on coughing to discharge phlegm from the lungs. Thus, although coughing is uncomfortable, it is also healing. Again with coughing, modern medicine takes the opposite approach, and coughing and phlegm are suppressed with cough suppressants (antitussives), and expectorants, which thin phlegm, making it easier to expel. However in reality, not all the phlegm is removed from the lungs. It is only the moisture that has been taken out. As moisture is drained out, the volume of phlegm decreases, but what’s left over becomes hard.
OCUSFOCUS
But, since phlegm is not being coughed out, both doctors and patients may think that the expectorant used is effective and will continue to use it. If patients continue to take this medicine, the lungs will gradually be filled with hardened phlegm, and breathing will become even more difficult, eventually leading to death. Then, how can It’s hard to catch your breath COPD be completely when you have COPD. cured? The hardened phlegm, must be made softer to induce the body to cough it out. This can be done with pulmonary cleansing that continuously supplies moisture to the lungs. When the phlegm is soft, it can be removed easily by means of coughing. However, when phlegm is continuously coughed out, patients frequently think that the condition has been aggravated. In reality though, this is a genuine process of healing and is what allows waste matter in the body to be discharged. When very thick phlegm is continuously discharged through coughing, after about two months, it will become whitish, indicating improvement in the condition. After about one year of continuous cleansing and coughing out accumulated waste, a pulmonary CT will show that the hard clumps of phlegm that previously filled the lungs have now disappeared completely. For many doctors, this is considered a miracle. Cleanse the Lungs If the lungs are continuously cleaned for about a year and a half, the tonsils will be strengthened and produce active immune cells that gradually regenerate damaged alveoli. After approximately 50 percent of the damaged alveoli have been restored, this will resolve pulmonary emphysema from the root and cure COPD. When pulmonary functions are reinforced and immunity is normalized, the first change you will experience is that you will no longer catch colds. If the common cold is eradicated, it is possible to sufficiently prevent not only rhinitis (inflammation of the mucus membrane of the nose) and asthma, but also severe pulmonary diseases that result from the prolongation of common colds. If the health of the lungs is restored through pulmonary cleansing therapy, even at the age of 70 years, the tonsils will be fortified, the alveoli will be regenerated, and you can acquire 30 years of additional life. This will naturally enable mankind to have a lifespan that exceeds 100 years. I firmly believe that cleansing the lungs will bring about the era of 100-year lifespans. Dr. Seo Hyo-seok is the director of the Pyunkang Korean Medicine Hospital, which has seven branches in South Korea, one at Stanton University in California, and one in Atlanta. Dr. Seo entered Kyung Hee University in Korea at the top of his class and after years of research, developed the Pyunkang-Hwan herbal formula, which improves immunity by strengthening lung function. It has helped cure over 155,000 patients of various conditions. Find out more at Pyunkang.com Email: Dr.Seo@wwdoctor.com