by Lynn Jaffee

Have you ever heard people talk about having butterflies in their stomach, a gut feeling, a nervous stomach, or a visceral reaction? Of course you have. We use these terms because we intuitively know that our emotions are very closely tied to our digestion.

One of the most common conditions that we see in the clinic is something called a Liver and Spleen disharmony. This just means that strong emotions are interfering with the digestive process. If you’ve ever had a huge emotional upset that has ruined your appetite or given you an upset stomach, you know what I’m talking about. A Liver and Spleen disharmony is similar, but it usually works in slow motion.

Your Chinese Liver is an organ system that oversees the smooth flow of everything in your body, including digestion, bowels, circulation, menses, and emotions. Stress, anger, or an emotional upheaval can cause the Liver system to stagnate. When this happens, one of the first things it affects is your Chinese Spleen, which is your organ of digestion.

In the clinic this pattern is a player in many, if not most, conditions affecting our patients. It can manifest in conditions such as Irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, depression, insomnia, PMS, fatigue, and even obesity, to name just a few.

So what exactly is happening when you are stressed out, upset or worried? Your stomach is a muscle, and when you’re in the emotional wringer, that stomach muscle contracts, making it difficult for you to digest much of anything.

Why you have this reaction goes back to the fight or flight response you experience when you’re stressed or feel threatened. Your body responds by shutting down those functions that aren’t necessary to run or fight, including digestion. The idea is that in ancient times, feeling threatened was a short-lived affair—only as long as it took to chase off or kill the wild animal lingering in front of your cave.

Today, however, many of us are in a constant state of fight or flight due to the unrelenting stress of our daily lives—whether it’s a cranky boss, a sick kid, a late mortgage payment, or having too much to do. Constant emotional upheaval doesn’t give your body time to recover its equilibrium, and your digestion stays on the back burner, unable to do its job effectively.

What can you do to get your digestion back on track and working efficiently? The most important thing to know is that it’s a two-step process: getting your stress and emotions under control, while you pamper your digestive tract. Acupuncture can be extremely effective for this kind of imbalance. In fact, many of our patients who have recovered from this kind of pattern never dreamt that they could ever feel good again. Two things you can do for yourself:

-Calm down and chill out. This may seem to be the most obvious, but is often the hardest thing to do. Find time during your day to relax; whether you take a yoga class, meditate, go fishing, or take a stroll in the woods. Without decompressing, your emotions and digestion will not have an opportunity to recover.

-Pamper your digestion. This means sitting down and actually eating a meal—not something on the run in between meetings or kids’ sporting events. This also means eating good food, fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains and a little protein. Cooking most of your food makes it easier to digest—raw foods take more digestive effort to break down. The same goes for very cold foods; when you drink or eat something frozen, it uses up a lot of your digestive energy. Chewing your food and enjoying the dining process will help you digest your meal more effectively.

by Lynn Jaffee

There is nothing worse than a shower drain full of hair, especially if it’s yours and it’s falling out fast. Or perhaps you run your fingers through your hair and come up with a handful. Your hairbrush is full and you’re finding stray hairs – lots of them – on your pillowcase. What’s going on?

Your hair is constantly falling out and regrowing, and most people lose an average of 50 to 100 hairs a day. However, if you’re noticing an increase in shedding or if your hair is noticeably thinning, you’re probably losing more.

Your hair grows in cycles during which it actively grows for about two to three years and then rests for a couple of months. During the growth phase, a hair generally grows about 1/2 inch per month. At the end of the resting phase, the strand of hair falls out and a new strand begins to grow. Noticeable thinning of your hair is due to an above average number of hairs resting at the same time.

In Chinese medicine, the Kidney organ system governs the hair on your head. The Kidney system is also responsible for body functions related to growth, fertility, menopause, and aging. As we get older, your Kidneys become weaker, and one way that weakness is reflected is through the health of your hair. Hair loss, gray hair, and unhealthy hair are all signs that your Kidneys could be a little stronger.

In addition, your Kidney system is one of the Chinese organs most deeply damaged by stress. The adrenal glands sit right on top of your Kidneys, and in Western medicine, adrenal fatigue is the direct result of unrelenting stress. Extreme levels of stress can cause your hair to prematurely go into its resting phase, causing hair loss and thinning.

Beyond stress, there are other reasons that your hair may be falling out. Among them:

Poor diet. Remember the season of Survivor (Australia) when Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s hair fell out by the handful? The contestants didn’t have anything to eat, and Elizabeth’s hair began to fall out as a result of poor nutrition. Extremely low calorie diets or a diet low in protein can cause your hair to fall out.

Hormones. Many women complain that once they went through menopause their hair became much thinner. The decrease in estrogen after menopause can be another culprit in hair loss. In addition, an imbalance in your thyroid hormones can raise the levels of a chemical called DHT, which causes your hair to fall out faster than normal.

Low iron. Iron deficiency is a common cause of hair loss. Low levels of iron decreases the level of red blood cells necessary for healthy hair follicles. Also, it’s possible to have low iron stores (ferritin), but not be anemic.

Medications. Some antidepressants, diuretics, and certainly chemotherapy can cause hair loss.

Health conditions. Scalp infections, frequently fungal in nature, can cause your hair to drop. In addition, diseases such as diabetes and lupus can be associated with hair loss.

Hair treatments. This one may seem like a no-brainer, but how you treat your hair can have a direct impact on the health of your mane. Harsh chemicals, tight braids or pigtails, and brushing too vigorously can damage your hair and scalp and cause your hair to fall out.

So what can you do if your hair is falling out? Make sure your diet is sufficient in protein and iron, to nourish your body and hair. Don’t supplement with iron unless you’re sure your levels are low. Check with your doctor if you think low iron or hormone imbalances might be to blame. Also ask your doctor about adjusting the dosage or changing your prescription if hair loss is a side effect of any medication you’re taking. If stress is the problem, work on coping using Yoga, meditation, visualization, acupuncture, and any other relaxation techniques that work for you.

A practitioner of Chinese medicine would deal with your hair loss by strengthening your Kidney system through acupuncture and the use of herbs. A common herbal formula for hair loss and premature graying is called Seven Treasure Formula for Beautiful Whiskers, which nourishes the Kidney and benefits the hair.

There was an article in my local paper last week about the relationship between stress and weight gain.  The gist of the article was that during the current economic crisis many people who are stressed about their financial situation turn to food as a way to cope.

Medical experts know that stress and other strong negative emotions have an impact on your body’s hormonal balance, specifically the balance of adrenaline, cortisol, and insulin.  In addition, it’s known that hormonal changes caused by stress can be responsible for weight gain around your middle, and can increase your risk for certain cardiovascular health problems.  Your doctor may describe this phenomenon as the difference between being pear shaped (good) versus apple shaped (not so good).

In Chinese medicine, this same phenomenon would be described as a Liver/Spleen disharmony, or a case of your emotions upsetting your digestion.  Your Chinese Liver is the organ system that regulates the smooth movement of everything in your body, including your emotions, circulation, menstrual cycles, and digestion.  The function of the Spleen system is to efficiently turn food into nutrients, energy, and blood—in other words, all aspects of digestion.  You know your Spleen isn’t up to par when you have signs or symptoms related to your digestion, including food cravings or a loss of appetite, constipation or loose stools, stomachaches, nausea, and weight gain.  You might think that if you’re gaining weight your digestion is just fine, thank you very much, but in reality, weight gain is a signal that your digestion is impaired in some way.

How can acupuncture or Chinese medicine help?  There are a couple of answers.  First, acupuncture is an excellent way to soothe your emotions.  It can effectively help people who are feeling stressed, anxious or depressed.  It seems odd that the insertion of a couple of needles can affect your emotions or mood, but research has in fact documented that acupuncture alters brain chemistry in a good way.

Secondly, using a combination of acupuncture, herbs, and food therapy, a practitioner of Chinese medicine can help you get your weight under control.  Not only can it help you with food cravings, but Chinese medicine is an incredibly effective treatment for digestive problems.

 If stress is impacting your health or causing weight gain, think about acupuncture.  It’s safe, effective, and organic.

Vitamin D is getting a lot of press recently as health experts are finding deficiencies in this important vitamin are being linked to a number of health conditions. 

One of the most important functions of Vitamin D is to stimulate the absorption of calcium in your body.  Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets and other bone-related diseases, such as osteomalacia and osteoporosis. More recently, health experts are finding that a deficiency of Vitamin D may be more far-reaching than calcium metabolism.  The new thinking is that Vitamin D also affects the immune system, promotes anti-tumor activity, and performs other immune functions.  Deficiencies may be related to cancer, depression, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, heart disease, hypertension, and various autoimmune diseases.

There are two forms of Vitamin D:  D2, or ergocalciferol; and D3, or cholecalciferol.  Either form of Vitamin D may be added to foods as a supplement.  Food sources of Vitamin D include cold water fish, butter, and egg yolks.

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, which means that excess amounts aren’t excreted in your urine.  This also means that Vitamin D has a high potential for toxicity if you take too much. Too much Vitamin D can increase blood calcium levels, causing the development of stones and deposits of calcium into internal organs. Recommended amounts are 200-400 i.u. per day, however, many health experts believe that you can safely supplement up to 1,000 i.u. per day.

Vitamin D deficiency is an issue with the use of sunscreens, blocking its synthesis in the skin.  Also at risk for deficiencies are the elderly, obese, exclusively breastfed infants, those with limited exposure to sunlight, and people with absorption problems (Crohn’s or Celiac disease).

In northern climates, the sun isn’t strong enough to produce Vitamin D during the winter, so supplementing can be a good option.  However, during the summer, it only takes 10-15 minutes of sun exposure to make adequate amounts of Vitamin D, so get some sun, make a little D, and then put on your sunscreen.

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you are no stranger to the wide range of symptoms: red, swollen, itchy eyes, a chronically runny or stuffed up nose, itchy ears, a scratchy throat, or that feeling of your head being full of cotton. You may have symptoms for a few weeks in the spring or fall, or suffer for the entire summer. Whatever your particular pattern, seasonal allergies have the potential to make you miserable. The following are some tips to help minimize symptoms during your allergy season:

 -Use a Neti Pot. It’s looks like a small teapot and is used to cleanse the sinuses. Neti Pots can be found at most drug stores or natural food stores. Instructions should be included with the pot. (Mix ½ tsp of sea salt in warm water pour half water into one nostril and let it run out the other, repeat on the other side.)

 -Wash your face freqently and shower in the evening to wash off the pollen on your skin and hair that has accumulated during the day.

 -Change your clothes after you’ve been working or playing outdoors.

 -Try supplementing with quercetin and/or grape seed extract. Both are found in red wine, but in supplement form may control the release of symptom-causing histamines.

 -Eat spicy foods. They thin the mucous and can help clear nasal passages.

 -If you suffer from fall allergies, your symptoms may be aggravated by eating melon, bananas, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, chamomile, and supplements containing echinacea. Experiment and avoid those foods that make your symptoms worse.

 -Keep your house and car windows closed during the height of your allergy season. Use air conditioning, but don’t let it blow directly on your face.

 -Wash your hands after you have played with or pet any animals that have been outside. Keep outdoor pets off the furniture. Their fur acts like a pollen magnet.

 -Wear a paper filter mask (found at drug stores) when you are mowing the lawn.

 -Try acupuncture. In a study published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, acupuncture reduced symptoms in all 26 patients participating the the study—without side effects.

Adele first came to our clinic several years ago to be treated for facial pain. Her pain was chronic, and after acupuncture treatments which involved placing small needles in her face, Adele was able to find relief from her pain. Adele continued coming to our clinic almost weekly for months, and even years, as acupuncture was the only thing that really helped her pain. However, after awhile, Adele’s co-workers began to notice and comment on improvements in her skin. It seems that the increased circulation from the acupuncture was actually making Adele look younger!

While it may seem odd that performing acupuncture for Adele’s facial pain would cause her skin to look younger, it makes perfect sense from the standpoint of Chinese medicine. The acupuncture treatments Adele had undergone had increased the circulation of energy and blood to her face, making it appear younger and more vibrant. The following is a discussion of the causes of aging skin and wrinkles, and what you can do to improve your skin, according to the theories behind Chinese medicine.

Dryness. According to Chinese theory, the primary cause of wrinkles is dryness. Now, your first thought may be, “Great, just use more moisturizer”. However, while it may show up on the surface, the dryness that we are talking about goes much deeper. Yin, a moisturizing and cooling substance in your body can become depleted, especially as you age. Deficient Yin is a systemic form of dryness that can affect all parts of the body and can make your skin look dry and wrinkled, even though you are regularly using a moisturizer.

As you age, Yin naturally becomes depleted, causing a decrease in moisture that can be seen especially on the surface of the skin. It appears as drying, thin skin. Below the surface, the depletion of Yin causes the sagging, loose skin due to a loss of the fat (also a Yin substance) that pads our face and neck.

Poor Circulation. The circulation of both energy and blood is crucial to good health. If you have impaired circulation, it will frequently show up on your face. In fact, many ancient Chinese texts refer to the appearance of the face in relation to various health conditions. Stagnation or the accumulation of blood, or water can cause dark circles under your eyes, a dusky or dull complexion, or under eye bags.

In addition, the circulation of energy and blood brings all the nutrients you need for beautiful skin to your face, including collagen and elastin. If your circulation is not good, whether from smoking, lack of exercise, or even strong emotions, your face will not look its best.

Diet and Digestion. Good diet and digestion are critical components of any skin care program. It is important to know that what you eat and how it’s prepared have a huge impact on the appearance of your skin.

In Chinese theory, improper diet is a common cause of illness and imbalance. Improper diet can have a few different meanings. First, eating too much food can make us fat, but in Chinese theory overeating can also damage your organ systems associated with the process of digestion. In contrast, not eating enough food can be equally as damaging. Without adequate intake, your body doesn’t have the building blocks to make energy, blood, and nutrients. Eating too much of any particular food can throw your body out of balance and damage various organ systems, too.

In Chinese theory, eating unclean food can also be a cause of disease. In ancient times, unclean food meant food that had spoiled or food that contained parasites. However, in modern times, unclean food might be considered food that is overly preserved or has lots of added chemicals. In addition, foods that have a high bacteria count would also be considered unclean.

The Balance between Work and Rest. The idea of overwork is an interesting concept in Chinese medicine. For me, the idea of overwork conjures up the picture of someone working long hours doing manual labor. However, overwork can also mean too much studying, too many hours at your desk, or excessive exercise. While a certain amount of exercise is appropriate, too much can be an underlying cause of imbalance and ultimately, illness.

Sleep is also part of the work/rest equation. Our bodies rejuvenate when we rest. If you are having difficulty getting enough sleep due to your schedule or because you suffer from insomnia, it is important to address your sleep issues. Lack of sleep will show up directly on your face.

Emotions. Emotions can be the cause of almost any disease, according to Chinese theory. In our day and age, stress is probably the emotion most damaging to our health. Stress, over time, binds up our energy, causing stagnation and illness. Worry, anxiety, anger, sadness, and other strong emotions knot up our energy and damage your digestion. In order to have optimal health and glowing skin, emotions that are overpowering your life, especially stress, will need to be dealt with.

Some Tips. Now you know what causes wrinkling and aging of your skin, but what can you do to improve the appearance of your skin according to Chinese theory?

-Eat foods that are Yin-replenishing. This includes darkly colored fruits and vegetables; healthy, plant based fats like nuts, nut oils, avocado, olives, etc.; and lean proteins.

-Pay attention to your digestion. Foods should be cooked, not too spicy, rich, or greasy. Avoid foods that cause you indigestion.

-Increase your circulation through exercise, movement, and massage.

-Quit smoking, as it impedes your circulation.

-Get adequate sleep—ideally seven to eight hours a night.

-Manage the strong emotions and stress that cause you to squint and frown.

-Find an acupuncturist who can correct the imbalances in your body, increase your circulation, and even perform acupuncture to erase some of your wrinkles.

Diet and digestion are one of the most important, and most frequently overlooked components of skin care. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, what you eat nourishes the face, and without adequate nutrients and good digestion, your skin can’t look its best.

The Chinese consider food as medicine that you eat three times a day.  They believe that as important as what you eat is how you digest the foods you eat.  Think of your digestive process as a pot of soup constantly simmering on the stove at low heat. When we eat, we are adding ingredients to that pot of soup, and the quality of those ingredients greatly affects our health, and ultimately, how we look. For example, if we add very cold things like iced drinks or ice cream to that pot, it takes a lot of energy to bring it back to a temperature where it is simmering again. The same is true of a lot of raw fruits and vegetables. It uses up energy to digest those foods–energy which could be used in nourishing your body instead of digesting your food.  If you cook your food lightly, those same fruits and vegetables are much easier to digest.

The link between digestion and our appearance is almost direct. Energy and blood, which is brought up to the face during cosmetic acupuncture, is produced by the food we eat. If our diet or digestion is poor, then there is not as much energy and blood to work with.

Some guidelines for good diet and digestion:

-Avoid iced drinks, ice cream, and too many raw fruits and vegetables.

-If you need to improve your digestion, turn to soups, stews, and stir fried foods, as they are the most easily digested way to get the nutrients you need.

-Avoid drinking too much alcohol, as it is dehydrating.

-Very spicy foods are difficult to digest, and eating them too frequently can damage your digestion.

-Vitamin supplementation for your skin should include a good multivitamin daily and supplementation with antioxidants, including Vitamins A, C, E, CoQ10, and B complex.

-Eat foods that are rich in antioxidants, especially the colorful vegetables, and leafy greens.

-Talk to your practitioner for specific recommendations based on the principles of Chinese Medicine and your individual needs

by Lynn Jaffee

When was the last time you walked into a room and forgot what you went there for? Have you recently been in a conversation with a really good friend and just couldn’t come up with their name? Embarrassing? Yes. Alzheimer’s? Probably not.

Memory loss can be the result of a number of factors including aging, hormonal changes, diet, and trying to do too many things at once. The good news is that there are a number of steps you can take to improve your memory and slow it’s decline as you age. The following tips can help boost your memory and make you feel better in general:

1) If you’re not physically active, get moving. 2006 data from a study that began in the 1930’s shows that moderate exercise (as little as two times a week!) can lower your chances of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s by 60%.

2) Quit smoking now. This may sound like a “no brainer” (no pun intended), but when you quit smoking, your risk for Lung cancer over time decreases to almost that of a non-smoker. Unfortunately, this is not the case for degenerative brain conditions due to smoking, which are not completely reversible, so the sooner you quit, the better.

3) Eat Mediterranean. The evidence is clear that the Mediterranean Diet is one of the best diets to significantly slow cognitive decline. Eating Mediterranean means more fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and fish and less full fat dairy and animal products.(For more on the Mediterranean Diet check out our June 2006 newsletter—it’s on line at www.acupunctureinthepark.com )

4) Drink green tea. Results from a 2006 study reports that as little as a cup or two a day of green tea, which is packed full of anitoxidents, can cut your risk of cognitive problems by 50 percent.

5) Make a list. Memory lapses can be the by-product of simply trying to do too many things at once. At a certain point, your brain just can’t hold any more details. Make a list of the things you want to do or remember to get rid of some of that brain “clutter”.

6) Play some mind games. Crossword puzzles, soduku, trivia quizzes, or even learning a new skill or language can keep your brain exercised and can slow memory loss.

7) Get social. Spend time with family and friends, volunteer for a favorite cause, or join a book or garden club. Social connections are a great way to keep your mind active and engaged.

The good news here is that small changes can be enough to yield big results as long as you keep them up. A few cups of green tea, exercise a couple of days a week and moderate changes in diet can be sufficient to lower your risk of age related memory problems.

By: Lynn Jaffe

My first conscious brush with Stagnant Qi occurred during my first semester in school to study Acupuncture. I was returning back to school for a master’s in Oriental medicine after having been away from the academic world for years (okay, maybe decades). I can remember thinking at the time, “How hard could this be?” Much to my surprise, it was hard. I had classes during the day and studied every night and weekends. I was working part time and my husband traveled for his business. My kids were still in grade school and junior high, and they weren’t happy with my return to school.

About two months into the semester, I began to get this funny feeling in my throat. It felt like a lump stuck somewhere below my Adam’s apple and above my sternum that made it hard for me to swallow and very uncomfortable to eat. After lots of antacids and a trip to my doctor, I ended up in the Chinese medicine teaching clinic at my school. Within the framework of Chinese medicine, my symptoms were easily diagnosed. I had something called Plum Pit Qi, which sounded exactly like what I was feeling—a plum pit was caught I my throat. I learned that Plum Pit Qi is a kind of stagnation of Qi, or energy, and occurs as the result of a situation that is figuratively too difficult to swallow.

While the acupuncture and herbal treatments at the clinic were very effective, I also had to acknowledge that I had taken on too much. I had to either quit school or find a way to balance all the commitments I had taken on. After retooling my life somewhat, quitting my job, and studying when my kids were occupied or in bed, I managed to get through that first semester and ultimately, three years later, complete my master’s degree.

Perhaps what was most startling to me from this whole episode was how powerful the physical symptoms were from stress that was purely emotional. In Chinese medicine this phenomenon is related to the smooth flow of Qi throughout the body. Qi can be described as life energy or the energy necessary for transformation to occur. The smooth flow of Qi in the body is most closely related to the Liver, the organ system associated with the element of wood. This may mean the hard wood found in trees, but the color associated with the Liver is green or blue/green, suggesting younger plants and their slow, steady growth upward toward the sun. If some obstacle inhibits that growth, then the plant will grow crooked and become deformed.

While the Liver is responsible for the smooth flow of Qi, it also has a strong relationship to the smooth flow of emotions. When our emotional state is even, Qi will flow evenly throughout our body. However, during emotional upheaval or unrelenting stress, our Qi tends to stagnate. This stagnation is much like turning on the water to your garden hose and then being it until the flow is cut off. This blockage of Qi can cause numerous physical symptoms, from my Plum Pit Qi, to insomnia, headaches, gynecological problems, and pain.

Ultimately, even emotions equal smooth Qi. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. We have all, at one time or another, become caught up in the way we think things should be and have trouble accepting what really is. For many of us this feeling is constant, and when the feeling becomes overwhelming, our Qi becomes bound up and begins to stagnate. This feeling can take the form of too many things to do and not enough time, a job we don’t like, people who annoy us, or anything that makes us unhappy, uncomfortable, frustrated, or angry.

On a daily basis, we see people attempting to move Qi, some more successfully than others. On any given weekend morning during the summer, we see thousands of people outside running, biking, rollerblading, and walking. They usually feel better after having exercised, because physical activity moves Qi. However, practitioners of Chinese medicine would caution that excessive exercise can be depleting.

Drinking a cup of coffee speeds things us and also moves Qi, too. However, coffee is a diuretic, and excess can also be depleting. Like coffee, chemical use/abuse is an attempt to move stagnant Qi and feel better, but the depleting effects of such uses are obvious.

Perhaps the most successful ways of dealing with stagnant Qi, and ultimately the emotions, are some of the Eastern practices, such as taiqi, qigong, or yoga. These combine gentle exercise with breathing techniques that allow us to even out emotions, nourish our bodies, and smooth Qi. Through proper breathing and quieting the mind, meditation is also an excellent way to calm the emotions and allow the Qi to move freely.

When these practices aren’t enough, or when stagnant Qi begins to manifest as illness, acupuncture can help bring relief. Many people believe that acupuncture is best used for relieving pain. However, it’s also very effective in treating stress-related disorders such as irritable bowel, headaches, PMS, depression, and insomnia.

Like the “Plum Pit” caught in my throat, many physical symptoms that make us uncomfortable are actually a barometer to our emotional health. Often, when we have ignored the obvious signs that we are doing too much or need to make an emotional change, this discomfort finally gets us to stop and take our lifestyle into account.

This article appeared in Essential Wellness, January, 2005

By: Lynn Jaffe

I am a runner, and have been for over 25 years. Before I picked up the running habit, I was pretty sedentary, and while I wasn’t exactly a couch spud, regular exercise was not something I ever thought about. However, shortly after I began to run I noticed some changes in my health that were pretty dramatic. I started to crave healthier foods, and even dropped a few pounds. I felt better conditioned, had more energy and I even slept a little better. However, the most important change I noticed was not physical or even very describable. It was a change in the relationship between my mind and my body. I began to notice things. For example, I noticed how different foods impacted my energy, how my actions affected my health, and I became aware of the physical effects of stress.

I think this happened because when I began running it was extremely difficult. I was overweight and out of shape, so I gauged my runs based on how miserable I felt. I would monitor how difficult it was to breathe, whether my shins ached, or if my head was pounding from being overheated. Monitoring how I felt eventually became a habit on the road and off. As I continued to run, I noticed a lot of body signals even when I wasn’t running that I had never noticed before. Things like how awful I felt after a night with too little sleep, or how low my energy would become when I ate poorly started to appear on my radar. These may seem obvious to most people, but back then, I was out of touch and out of control. If I had a stomachache, I would never have made the connection between my discomfort and the fries and chili dog I had picked up at the mall.

I continued running and paying attention, and I became healthier. It took a while, but when I made the connection between how I felt and my diet, sleep, and exercise habits, I made some better choices.

I have seen this same transformation occur in some of my patients. However, it doesn’t happen because I make them start running; I don’t. I ask them questions about their health that they have never thought about before. More often than not, a patient will come back to me and say something like, “I have been thinking about what you asked at my last visit, and now I notice that…”, and I know that that patient has started to change how they view their body and their health.

This is a good thing, because it also signals a new level in taking responsibility for your health. It goes beyond eating well, exercising, and hoping for the best. It means that you now have the owner’s manual for your particular model, which is one of a kind. It also means that, for the most part, you no longer need to be bewildered as to why you feel poorly or why you feel really well. Your body will tell you, if you listen and make the connections.

For most of us, despite eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly, we still get sick, or at the very least, don’t always feel our best. This is because, while we are taking really good care of ourselves, sometimes we lost touch.

We either foget to listen, or choose to disregard the messages we are receiving, even when our bodies are speaking to us very clearly. For example, how often have you been workingin the garden or around the house and suddenly get a pain in your back, neck, shoulder, or wherever? And how often do you ignore the pain until you get the job done? I’ve done it myself, where I’ve heard the pain message loud and clear, but ignored it until I’d finished the job. The end result is an injury that might have been avoided if I had stopped working at the first whisper of pain, instead of working until the pain itself made it impossible for me to continue.

A second example of how we often fail to listen to our bodies relates to stress. It’s unfortunate that most of us live fairly stressful lives, and have for many years. Starting in school, where we were pressured to achieve good grades,, and into our work and family lives with an infinite number of pressures and conflicts, many of us simply feel overwhelmed. And yet, because this stress had been going on for so long, we tend to ignore it because it is “white noise”; it’s always there. A second reason we tend to ignore stress, is that it’s stressful trying to figure out how to or find the time to deal with it. The end result, like the example above, is that our body breaks down in one way or another, until we are forced to take some time out and deal with our health.

So, do you need to start running to be able to better listen to your body? No, but physical activity of some sort can help. All you really need to do is take some time each day to run through a mental checklist of how you’re feeling. Are you getting sick frequently? Are you tired? Now sleeping well? Do you feel better than you ever have before? Try to relate these things to what you are doing and what’s happening in your life. Remember, if you listen, your body will tell you exactly what it needs.

From Essential Wellness, July 2005