I ask myself these questions often; What are my triggers? Where is stress showing up in my body? What can I do at this moment to stop the cycle of stressing out even more?

And I ask this of all my clients too.

Because ladies, your stress tells us a lot about what’s happening inside your body. Sometimes it is very subtle and other times it is so big and awful, you cannot ignore it! It’s a clear cry for help and for a re-examination of your daily life.

So, I will start by asking this: what is the pattern you see in your own life that repeats itself and causes you the most stress?

For me, it’s not having healthy boundaries with others, not communicating my own needs and skipping self-care. Wow, that’s pretty clear now but I can tell you, it’s been a long road with lots of lessons and many of them variations on the same pattern. I do too much with too little in my tank.  When this happens, I don’t exercise enough, my body gets tense and...

The number one thing that I see in my patients who are trying to conceive is that they are in a sense at odds with their body and the fact that they don't have control over their hormones, how they feel or the timeline they place on their journey.

It's hard watching your friends, relatives and practically everyone around you have to ease at conceiving-it feels like everyone has an easier journey than yourself. But I think that deep down, we all feel that it's hard, unknown and that our bodies aren't on our side.

I know, from my own experience and listening to countless women what the struggle is real and very, very lonely.

And I also know what works for my patients is to listen to their own truth. Really listen and slow down and notice all the amazing things that are happening inside of you. Hormones shifting, follicles growing to the right size released at just the right time. It's precise. It's complicated, to say the least, and there are so many, many things that are in your...

Basal Body Temperature (BBT)

If you have started your fertility journey this is a term you may have heard of or be curious about or wondered if it is for you. There are many ways to track fertility throughout the month; BBT, ovulation predictor test kits, cervical mucus changes, Ava bracelets and more.

It can be a stressful thing to be asked for so early in the morning to reach out and grab a thermometer and take your temperature, note it and not move or pee or anything. But it’s a daily task that gives your provider so much information so please bear with me and let me explain why it so important.

Importance of Basal Body Temperature

For me, as an acupuncturist, the data from the BBT chart is the best because it shows us trends through all four phases of your cycle and in doing so, we can see what part of the cycle needs to be addressed the most and what changes have occurred over time. There are subtle patterns in your basal body temperature chart that we as...

Now that your period is over…

It is the ideal time to nourish yourself as your body is now preparing a new follicle for your next cycle.  Specifically, we need to boost yin during your follicular phase from cycle day 3 to ovulation, which is ideally between cycle day 13 and 15.

So what is Yin anyway?

Well, It’s probably a term that you’ve heard before in close correlation with Yang. In Chinese medicine, Yin is the physical substance of the body and Yang is the physiological function. For example, Yang moves the blood through the heart which is Yin and causes the contraction of the muscle.

More importantly, Yin is the general term to include all bodily fluids including blood. And for those of you working on a cycle with Intra-Uterine Insemination (IUI) or In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or trigger shots this is even more important for you as your body maybe trying to mature multiple follicles at once. This is a big job and we need to honor our bodies and support...

As a fertility acupuncturist, and as an adolescent who suffered from painful periods,  I can tell you that they don’t have to be painful, all-consuming or something to dread. Periods can be just a time of the month. Really! Isn’t that so exciting??

I for one, have been working towards helping my clients reach this life-changing experience. Our bodies are amazing and the pattern of hormones, changes in our physiology can, with little adjustments, be more comfortable. Of course, reducing pain and discomfort is important but really, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. The real magic happens when we look at the whole body and start to heal so that the body can transition from having a period, releasing a follicle to building up the lining again without stagnation or blockages.

Okay so here is the first BIG on

Avoid cold (temperature or raw) foods or drinks about a week before your period!!!

What I mean is, let your lunch warm up on the counter or put some warm...

Every food has a color, quality and an organ that it helps support. This dish is a simple example of how to nourish yourself with delicious flavors. It combines miso, asparagus, organic eggs, udon noodles, tofu, mushrooms flavored with seaweed, sesame seeds and orange peel.

Miso

A delicious fermented paste from soybeans. It comes in white, brown and red. Different colors are used at different times of year. In spring and summer we use white miso as it is lighter in color.

Tofu

Also from soybeans and they are both cooling in nature. Though soy is an incomplete protein, having it on occasion is alright. If you have a thyroid condition, please make sure not to consume too much in your daily menu.

Asparagus

Is slightly neutral/bitter and is good to strengthen the spleen and drain dampness.

Organic eggs

Support the kidneys which are the power house of the body: in charge of the endocrine function, bones, knees and back as well as the brain. Ultimately, fertility is supported by the...

Do you have a headache right now? Perhaps you have been having trouble sleeping, or your stomach has been upset.

If these symptoms seem like a typical day to you, you may be chronically stressed. People deal with this stress in different ways. Some may overeat, drink more alcohol or stop exercising. Most people don’t make healthy choices when their bodies are stressed out.

However, to relieve the symptoms of stress, you have to take care of yourself. Exercising regularly and making an attempt to relax can reduce some of the tension. Sometimes, though, making time for socializing and hobbies still doesn’t seem to stop the headaches or stomach churning. Then it may be time to try some alternative methods of improving your physical health to help manage stress: acupuncture treatments and improved sleep health.

How Acupuncture Affects Stress

Although Chinese medicine has known the effects of acupuncture on stress for years, Western medicine has just begun to probe...

I admit that I am late to the party but, MATCHA?!

There are so many health benefits to super beverage. One of the reasons it is superior to ordinary green tea is that matcha is the whole tea leaf ground into a powder. The fact that it is the entire leaf means it has a higher concentration of EGCG, which is a powerful antioxidant.

This makes matcha an especially wise option for women trying to conceive because it reduces the formation of free radicals because of the catechins (like EGCG) it contains and, as a result, helps to protect the DNA of our cells which means it is protecting egg supply.

It has also been stated that green tea may be effective in reducing sperm abnormalities so it is a great choice for men who are trying to improve their fertility as well. Not to mention it still has some caffeine (about 25-50% less caffeine than coffee or espresso) which makes it a nice substitute for those who can't live without their daily dose. According to Mayo Clinic, caffeine intake...

The answer is simple: Healthy Egg + Healthy Sperm = Healthy Baby!

According to three papers published in April 2018 in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet, the health of both men and women before they conceive can have profound impacts on the health of their offspring, such as birth weight and brain development. Factors such as stress, poor diet, endocrine disruptors, weight, and lifestyle choices can all not only affect the ability to conceive but also the quality of your pregnancy and the health of your baby.

The good news is that acupuncture can help to alleviate and eliminate many of the issues and obstacles that may come between you and a healthy baby.

Acupuncture can help restore

• balance to hormones
• reduce inflammation
• reverse accelerated aging with diet changes and stress reduction
• identify and improve nutrient deficiencies
• eliminate infections naturally with herbs
• restore pH balance, relieve toxicity
• promote circulation to reproductive organs
• improve digestive...

Celery juice- everyone is all hyped up about it…

In Chinese medicine, we use celery leaves as a food therapy to help lower blood pressure, but it’s really a pretty mild herb overall and does have slight health benefits.

Here at Acupuncture in Del Ray, we have patients sauté the leaves in sesame oil and eat them daily. It’s also a delicious and crunchy snack with very few calories. Throw on some nut butter and it’s a great pick me up. I agree with the experts, there really aren’t huge health benefits to this plant that folks are claiming. Also, juicing it removes fiber and makes it really hard to digest if you have a weak or overworked digestive system.

But it really got me thinking-thanks to my dear friend Katie for asking this question…

So as I sat thinking about celery leaves because really that’s where all the nutrients really are located and it reminded me of another plant---ASHITABA leaves. What???! The Latin translation means...