Happy New Year to all Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine fans.

Here is some more acupuncture-related food for thought.

Warm regards,

Bill

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Acupuncture may ease the itch of eczema

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An acupuncture session may bring some itch relief to people with the allergic skin condition known as atopic eczema, a preliminary study suggests.

Eczema is a general term for conditions marked by inflammation and dry, red, itchy patches on the skin. The most common form, atopic eczema, is seen in people with a predisposition to allergies, like hay fever or asthma.

In the new study, German researchers looked at the short-term effects of acupuncture on skin inflammation and itching in 30 people with atopic eczema.

They found that the therapy, when done minutes after patients' skin was exposed to an allergen (either pollen or dust mites), appeared to soothe subjective feelings of itchiness.

In addition, when patients were exposed to the allergen for a second time shortly after the acupuncture session, they tended to have a less-severe skin reaction, the researchers report in the journal Allergy.

For rest of article go to:   http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BL3J320091222

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Here's an article that suggests 5 foods to help with weight loss:

Delicious Weight-Control Foods

By Maoshing Ni, L.Ac., D.O.M., Ph.D.

Many fad diets may promise instant, significant weight-loss results, but most of them rely on depriving your body of nutrients and disrupting the natural function of your body's metabolism.

Chinese medicine considers obesity to be the result, in part, of declining function of the metabolic Kidney 'fire'; thus, a diet that provides a well-balanced array of nutrients is key to healthy weight loss. Here are five food suggestions to help you achieve a healthy weight.

Millet - This non-glutinous whole grain is over 10 percent protein and has high amounts of fiber and B-complex vitamins. It is easy to digest because it is not an acid-forming food.

Asparagus - When losing weight, it is important to eat chlorophyll-rich foods. Asparagus is a nutrient-rich vegetable packed with folate, and vitamins A, C, and K. Asparagus contains a carbohydrate known as inulin (not to be confused with insulin) that promotes healthy bacteria in the large intestine, which in turn makes for healthier digestive function.

For rest of article:

http://www.acupuncture.com/newsletters/m_jan10/weight%20control%20foods.htm

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Exercise suggestion for January and winter months: For those of you who like to walk - wait until the sun is up in the mid or late morning, or over lunch-time to get in some walking. This way you get as much yang (warming) qi from the sun as the season will allow. It's also more pleasurable than fighting the cold in the morning or evening.



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Bill Lehr, L.Ac. - Aiki/Midtown Acupuncture
Center For Healthy Living
292 Bloomfield Ave., 2F
Montclair, NJ 07042
973 342 1243

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