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You can call me the baby doctor!

Well, okay, maybe not.  But I am thrilled to announce that my second couple is pregnant!

In keeping with the Daoist ideals that the father’s health (mental, emotional and physical) is as important as the mother’s at the moment of conception, I work with couples who are planning to become pregnant to ensure that both partners are in the best mental, emotional and physical condition they can. 

In the case of this most recent couple, we started about the beginning of the year and both partners came for bi-weekly treatments.  In between visits, I gave them specific exercises to do, dietary suggestions and helped them think through some of the lifestyle changes they will face once their baby is born.

Please join me in offering them congratulations.

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Boo for the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter

Up until the June 2009 issue, I’ve had very few complaints with the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter.   They’re a pretty conservative publication but they’ve had interesting articles and have seemed to be pretty balanced, until this issue.

In the Wellness made easy section on the last page, they published this:

Avoid “herbal” or “natural” weight-loss supplements.  The FDA recently warned that dozens of products contain hidden and potentially hazardous drugs such as diuretics or laxatives, or else risky prescription anti-obesity medication, often combined with a witch’s brew of other ingredients.  The supplements are usually sold on the Internet, but some, such as StarCaps (now recalled) are also sold in health-food stores and drugstores.  Most are made in China.  There are no safe and effective dietary supplements for long-term weight loss.

Wow.  So many things pop off the page in this blurb, the most upsetting being the combination of “witch’s brew” and “made in China”.  I checked this out by having some folks I know read the article to see what their reaction was.  They all looked at me and asked a version of the same question “Are the herbal formulae you prescribe safe?”.

The answer is an emphatic “Yes!” followed by a longer explanation of how, as a licensed acupuncturist in California I have been trained in prescribing these substances and how I buy my teapills (pre-packaged herbal formulae) from manufacturers who meet and exceed GMP standards.

As a practitioner of Traditional Oriental Medicine, I have an uphill battle in America.  My patients know the medicine works; herbs, acupuncture, dietary advice, lifestyle advice, exercise; they all work together to help my patients become healthier.   But when publications like the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter start throwing these scary phrases around, it has a strong impact on people who could benefit from T.O.M. but are hesitant.

This is what I sent to the Editors of the Wellness Letter:

Dear Editors,

I am a California licensed acupuncturist and I wanted to register my disappointment with the “Avoid ‘herbal’ or ‘natural’ weight loss supplements” article in the Wellness made easy section of the June 2009 issue.

I don’t object to the information, but I am offended by the phrasing “. . . combined with a witch’s brew.  .  . “.

Part of my training is to concoct prescriptions by combining substances in the Materia Medica of my profession, something I was extensively trained in and have earned the rights and privilege to do by passing the most comprehensive and difficult licensing examination in the country.

Just because your authours don’t understand the theories behind the substances in the offending products, doesn’t mean they’re ineffectual or dangerous.

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Hand Washing

One of the most important things you can do to stay healthy and help stop the spread of infection is wash your hands. 

That said, most folks don’t really know HOW to wash their hands – here’s a step-by-step guide.  It doesn’t take any longer than the way you’re doing it now, it just gets you better results.  Also, for LA residents, what with the drought and all, some modifications can be made as long as you really scrub your hands and rinse them thoroughly

  1. Wet hands with warm running water
  2. Apply soap
  3. Rub hands together for at least 20 seconds, including between your fingers and under fingernails (if you’re at home have a nail brush handy, if not do the best you can)
  4. Rinse hands thoroughly under warm running water
  5. Dry hands, dispose of towel

When should you wash your hands?

  1. Before preparing food, eating or drinking
  2. Before and after touching your body (including rubbing your eyes, scratching that mosquito bite or blowing your nose)
  3. Before and after changing bandages
  4. After using the restroom (before too if your job or hobbies get your hands dodgy)
  5. If you don’t wear rubber gloves while doing them, after you do your household chores, especially cleaning the bathroom, changing the bedding and doing laundry
  6. After coughing or sneezing

What about hand sanitizers?  Yes, good idea to have around as long as they’re a high quality, alcohol based product.  Personally, since I’m using them all day, I prefer EO brand with their organic alcohol and jojoba.  But any quality product will do the trick.

Wash with hand sanitizers the same way you do with soap and water.  Put enough in your hands that you can coat all surfaces of your hands with product, then rub your hands briskly for 20 seconds, including between the fingers and under nails.  If you end up with too much, wipe your hands with a clean paper towel.

So what’s all the fuss about?  The fuss is that most people have no idea how long 20 seconds is, and most germs are pretty tough.  The friction and the soap or hand sanitizer are used to break the cell wall of the germ.  It’s not enough for your hands to look clean, you need them to really BE clean or you won’t be protecting yourself.

Be your own best advocate.  Anytime you go to a health professional or body care professional make sure the people working on you wash their hands before they touch you.  And, of course, if someone is giving you a manicure or pedicure, make sure they’re using clean instruments.