Over the past few years I have noticed a rise in women coming to the YinOva Center for acupuncture and herbal medicine to treat polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS. These women usually have irregular periods or in many cases no periods and are looking to regulate their cycles in a natural way.

What is PCOS?

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (abbreviated PCOS or PCO), also known clinically as Stein-Leventhal syndrome, is an endocrine disorder that affects approximately one in ten women. PCOS affects all races and nationalities and is the most common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age.

The principal features of PCOS are lack of regular ovulation and/or menstruation, weight gain and excessive amounts or the effects of androgenic hormones. While the causes are unknown, insulin resistance, obesity and diabetes are all strongly correlated with PCOS. There is also a strong genetic component. One of the main clinical signs of PCOS is the observation of numerous follicles in the periphery ovaries, often referred to as having the appearance of a “string of pearls”. Interestingly polycystic women ovulate much more frequently when they are underweight which might be an evolutionary trick to keep the population going in times of famine.

Symptoms of Typical PCOS:

• Oligomenorrhea (irregular menstruation), amenorrhea (no menstruation)
• Hirsutism (excessive body hair)
• Dyspareunia-pain during intercourse
• Acne
• Dark patches of skin
• LH: FSH ratio 2:1 instead of 1:1
• Insulin resistance
• Prolonged PMS

If you have read Jill’s book you would identify this pattern with Waterlogged, Tired and/or Stuck. Usually when I treat classical PCOS I immediately reduce all sugary foods and simple carbohydrates. Women are much more likely to ovulate with a reduction in weight, just a 5% reduction can help tremendously. Additionally I strengthen the Spleen and Kidneys and provide herbs to induce ovulation by reducing dampness and phlegm.

How Typical Ovulation Works:

At about cycle day three Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) is released from the brain that sends a message to the ovaries to grow an egg. Many eggs “hear” the message and grow in response to the hormone. As the eggs grow they secrete estrogen. The bigger the egg, the more estrogen it secretes. Once one egg gets large enough and secretes a high enough level of estrogen it turns off the FSH. This prevents the body from releasing too many eggs in one cycle. At this point Lutenizing Hormone (LH) is secreted and the egg ruptures from the follicle causing ovulation. The corpus luteum that surrounds the egg begins to secrete progesterone and more estrogen.

PCOS and Anovulation:

Women with PCOS usually have a cluster of cysts in the ovaries as detected by transvaginal ultrasound in addition to a set of symptoms. This little cluster of eggs secretes enough estrogen to tell the body to turn off the follicle stimulating hormone but they are not large enough to ovulate. This creates a stalemate between the ovaries and the brain and no ovulation occurs. In this situation there is an abundance of estrogen and testosterone floating around the system but very low levels of progesterone.

“New PCOS”

Lately I have seen a rise in women diagnosed with PCOS as determined by cysts on their ovaries but they do not have the aforementioned symptoms. Interestingly this group presents entirely differently from the original PCOS group that I have both studied and treated extensively.

This “new” group appears entirely different. These women tend to be very thin (not anorexic thin, as low leptin and fat levels can also inhibit ovulation), just typical “New York thin” if you will. Another remarkable factor is long-term birth control pill usage. I usually discover that the women had regular cycles before going on the birth control pill but after taking the pill for 10-18 years consecutively they are having difficulty ovulating after stopping the pill.

Commonly observed new PCOS:

• Observable cysts on the ovaries
• Long term birth control pill usage
• Prolonged PMS
• Digestive complaints like reflux, IBS
• Post-nasal drip
• Light or no flow on the BCP
• Anxiety
• Poor sleep

I find myself tapping my pencil about this on a weekly basis… Did the birth control pill have the effect on the ovaries or was the condition already present but masked due to years of anovulatory cycles? Have the ovaries been trying to ovulate for 10+ years?

The findings seem to suggest that there is a link between the birth control pill and polycystic ovaries in cases where the hormone levels are normal and there are metabolic issues such as sensitivity to glucose.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Typical PCOS:

As always we treat conditions based upon the symptoms in addition to information gleaned from ultrasounds and lab work. This “New group” is already thin and in our medicine, I find them to be Blood Deficient, Yin Deficient and Stagnant aka Pale Type, Dry Type and Stuck Type. Treatment is geared towards nourishing and moving Qi and Nourishing Blood and Yin.

Typical solutions are providing an herbal formula to help regulate progesterone and estrogen levels. Vitex Chastetree is a singular herb that I prescribe to take daily. I also do a lot of acupuncture points and herbs to clear stagnation and help rid the body of the excess estrogen floating around. Another good way to do this is by adding Probiotics to make sure the colon is clearing out excess estrogen.

I have had a lot of success helping women resume ovulatory cycles. Depending on the severity of the condition it can take a 3-12 months to regulate a cycle. If you are looking to get pregnant quickly, PCOS responds very well to Assisted Reproductive Technology and can be a effective way to get things moving. We do however suggest three months of treatment to help adjust the hormone levels in the body so the eggs that are stimulated are more hormonally balanced.

Is there a “right” way to breathe?

While there is not a singular “right” way to breathe, taking a look at what muscles you are using to breathe will tell you a lot about where you hold tension. And yes, there are more efficient ways to breathe that minimize excess tension and stress.

The diaphragm is the major muscle involved. A large, dome shaped muscle that lays horizontally separating the stomach and intestines from the heart and lungs. When the diaphragm contracts, the dome pulls downward and, in cooperation with the intercostal muscles of the ribs, this allows the lungs to expand resulting in a large inhale. Exhaling releases the diaphragm and relaxes the ribs back down.

As simple as that sounds other muscle players want to bring themselves into the mix. The most common are the muscles of the neck/shoulders and the elevators of the collar bones. Take a deep breath right now. Did your shoulders lift? If they did, you are most likely relying too heavily on those accessory muscles instead of the diaphragm. Being able to keep the neck and shoulders relaxed as you breathe will help decrease muscle tension.

Lay down on the floor and put your feet up on a chair so that your lower back is relaxed. Close your eyes and keep your arms down by your sides with your palms turned up. Now focus on your breath. Don’t try to change anything, just take note of what is moving, where your tension lies and how deep/shallow or fast/slow you are breathing. After a few minutes redirect your focus on your belly. On the inhale, let your belly expand and on the exhale let it fall down. Soften your throat, neck and shoulders. Imagine your shoulders gently falling open, widening against the ground.

Now let your rib cage expand wide as you inhale deeply. Then,  forcefully exhale while engaging the deep abdominal muscles pulling them up and in, toward the front of the spine. Take a few more deep breaths like that, feeling the expansion and contraction of the ribs and the rise and fall of the belly. Diaphragmatic breathing allows the lung to absorb more oxygen which in turn allows the heart to slow down and the blood pressure to decrease. The opposite of belly breathing would be quick shallow breaths. This sort of breathing automatically speeds up the heart rate and raises blood pressure to ensure there is enough oxygen getting to the rest of the body. Shallow breathing also leaves one feeling anxious and on-edge where as slow, deep breaths promotes calmness and centering.

In Pilates, diaphragmatic breathing is used in combination with a technique called posterolateral breathing. The goal is to really allow the rib cage to expand wide so that the abdominal muscles are able to stay engaged while taking deep breaths. This is important to be aware of while you are exercising. The Pilates movements all heavily rely on use of and initiation from the core muscles. If you were only using diaphragmatic breathing  you would have to let go of the abdominal tone and compromise the exercises.

The best way to benefit from this type of breathing is to practice. In the morning, before bed, or whenever you get a few spare minutes during the day, take a moment to sit quietly and focus on your breath. You’ll be surprised at how calming it can be. Hopefully the next time your “fight-or-flight” response jumps in remember to take a few deep breaths to calm yourself down and battle whatever comes at you with a clear head.

We are so honored to have renowned Intuitive Counselor, Susan King, at the YinOva Center from May 7th to the 19th (her schedule varies so please call the Front Desk for an appointment). Susan has a loyal following worldwide and only makes it to the United States a few times a year, so this is a real treat! In anticipation of her visit, Susan wrote a blog just for us!

Most of us have experienced some sort of emotional pain in our lives. Emotional pain may be a warning that our relationship with our feelings is faulty. If we ignore this pain, and do not deal with it, it will intensify. Emotions are our essence – they reflect who we are inside; we refer to them and they have an affect on us each and every day. Unfortunately, we have been conditioned not to be “soft” or “so emotional” and to get on with it. But, nothing is more important than how we feel. If we feel good, we have hope, drive, energy – our inner light, if you will. If we experience emotional pain and we suppress these feelings, then we suffer in silence.

In general, pain may manifest itself in many ways. If we cut our finger, break a leg, or hit our head, the end result is physical pain. We see this happen to someone and we say,”Oh, are you ok? Can I help you?” But what about the pain trapped inside our heart, our souls? How can anyone see that? Who offers comfort? It is very difficult when our pain is not seen. But all pain can be given healing, even the emotional pain. First, it must be recognized and then, slowly removed.

Once we identify the emotion, we can attempt to understand it. And only then, could we learn how to manage it. Emotional pain can be caused by so many different things: perhaps it’s the hurtful words of another, or the loss of a loved one, divorce, or pressure at work or with finances. But there is way to heal this pain, to face it and to manage it.

I have spent the last 20 years trying to help people heal. A large part of my work gives people relief, hope and emotional release. I have discovered many ways to help; through my work I give new perspective to what may be troubling or confusing to you. Some would say I have a gift for this; I would say I do, but I also have the knowledge, understanding, and insight that I have learned along life’s path.

Very soon I will spend some time working from the YinOva Center, which I consider an honor. I look forward to helping the YinOva community in the healing process wherever I can.

All you need is an open heart and mind and the willingness to listen.

Let’s face it, we all have a sweet tooth and now and again we need a little sweet fix. I’ve found with minimal effort, these treats really hit the spot.

Chocolate Chia Pudding

• two tablespoons of chia seeds in a bowl
• add a cup of water (you can use coconut milk, almond milk, or your milk of choice)
• stir to disperse the seeds
• allow it to gel (I like to keep it overnight, but 30 minutes is usually sufficient)
• add about two tablespoons of organic, 100% cocoa powder
• stevia to taste
• stir it up
• experiment: you can add cinnamon, greens powder (NanoGreens) or reds powder (NanoReds), or maca powder for an extra nutritional boost!
• eat up!

Chocolate Banana Ice-Cream

• take one overripe banana
• mash it up in a bowl (almost looks like applesauce)
• add some 100%, organic cocoa powder (one tablespoon is sufficient)
• add stevia powder to taste (you may not need any at all)
• if you want straight-up banana flavor, omit the cocoa
• add cinnamon for some extra oomph!
• freeze overnight
• remove from freezer, thaw
• indulge!

It’s Spring! That means time for spring-cleaning and the annual YinOva Spring Cleanse.  Because I usually eat greek yogurt and fruit, or eggs in the morning (and I’m usually in a rush) I’ve found the hardest meal to adhere to on the cleanse is breakfast. Here are some fast, healthy, and cleanse-friendly breakfast options. They’re listed from the most time-consuming (still only 30 minutes) to the quickest.

Maple Riz Au Lait

3 c Almond milk

¼ c Maple syrup

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Nutmeg

1 tbsp Vanilla extract

3 c cooked Brown rice

1/3 c Raisins

1/3 c Pecans, chopped and toasted

½ c Apples, diced

In a medium saucepan, bring the almond milk and maple syrup to a boil. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Add the rice and simmer uncovered until most of the liquid is absorbed (about 20 mins). Top with the raisins, pecans, and apples and serve.

Berry Quinoa

1 c Almond milk

1 c Water

1 c Quinoa

½ tsp Ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp Ground nutmeg

½ c Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, or raspberries (or a mix)

1/3 c Pecans, chopped and toasted

4 tsp Honey

Combine milk and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, add the quinoa, reduce to a simmer and cover until the liquid is absorbed (about 15 minutes).  Let stand for 5 minutess. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, berries and pecans. Drizzle with honey and serve.

Berry Breakfast Crunch

1/3 c Almonds

1/8 c Pistachios

½ c Walnuts

1/3 c Oats

1 tsp Cinnamon

½ Dried cranberries

Assorted fruit

Almond or Coconut milk

Combine almonds through cranberries in a food processor and blend to desired texture.  Top the fruit of your choice with the crumble mixture and add milk.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

1 Banana

1/8 c Peanut butter (be sure to use an organic variety with no added sugar)

½ c Almond or coconut milk

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

The YinOva Center is thrilled to be the newest and only New York pick-up spot for Body & Eden‘s line of Tonics and Elixirs. Their nourishing tonics combine organic whole fruits and veggies and high-nutrient green superfoods, and their supportive elixirs, drawn from ancient folk wisdom, are based upon herbal healing formulas. Michele was lucky enough to sit down with a most enchanting, Aubrey Levitt, one of Body & Eden’s co-founders.

ML: How did Body & Eden hatch?

AL: In some ways I could say it started when I was thirteen years old and my mother had me in the kitchen making her “green drinks” as part of her alternative cancer treatment. Or even earlier when she turned our suburban lawn into an organic garden, complete with compost pile. Herbs, alternative medicine, whole foods, and ancient remedies were an active part of my upbringing. However, over time I started to disconnect from myself and my roots. Living in New York and working in marketing, my stress levels increased and I began to develop some health problems. An interest in health foods was no longer enough. I went on a full blown quest, trying every diet or cleanse I could get my hands on, talking to and receiving treatment from several different types of health care practitioners, and reading up on the latest health trends. Over time I learned what worked for me and what didn’t; how to listen to my body and trust myself.

Body & Eden started out as a nutritional consulting venture. Friends started coming to me for nutritional support. At first I was hesitant to offer advice, thinking that we all find our own way. I then realized how grateful I was for the support I had received and it became clear that I had to offer my experience the same way others had generously offered theirs to me. I wanted to do this in a way that empowered the other person to feel what worked for them. Later I referred back to this for the philosophy and drink names of our company. As far as the tonics, Hillary, my business partner and best friend of twelve years, had always shared similar health concerns and we often shared notes on healing methods and remedies. We spent many nights  discussing what we could and couldn’t find in the health market. I had been making several green tonics for myself and friends in Los Angeles. Hillary, working in the high demand publishing world in New York wanted a way to be able to get some healthy nutritional support that would help her manage her hectic lifestyle. That led us to bring our healthy tonics to New York.

ML: Why was New York a better fit for Body & Eden?

AL: In New York people don’t have as much time and/or space to be visiting the farmers markets, blending veggies, or infusing teas. They have a lot to get done and due to the proximity of people, the city really can function like a community. And, in a community its inefficient if everyone is a basket weaver.

ML: You recently moved from California to New York, are the stereotypes true?

AL: Completely, I really think of LA as the Yin and New York as the Yang. A little of both is great!

ML: How are you different than other juice places out there?

AL: We do not juice any of our ingredients. We combine herbal tea infusions, whole fruits and vegetables with super foods like chlorella and spirulina. Our aim was to create nutrient dense, blood sugar stabilizing formulas.

ML: What’s the difference between a tonic and an elixir?

AL: We define a tonic as a balancing drink that helps promote health, including fruits, vegetables, and / or super foods. Our elixirs are more transparent and magical. They are drawn from ancient remedies and not necessarily food based.

ML: We love so many of your tonics & elixirs, how do you come up with your recipes?

AL: Many of our recipes were derived from custom tonics created with specific needs in mind. We took these recipes and tried to make them more universal. Our first goal was to create balanced formulas, highlighting certain functions. We worked with an herbalist to create herbal infusions that would support each recipe and intention. As far as the names, we approached our recipes from the back door, meaning we didn’t look at what would give you Energy. Our bodies already know how to create energy. So the drink, I HAVE ENERGY, was created to support the systems in our bodies that generate energy, hopefully helping us to access our abundant internal resources.

ML: Well that all sounds perfect, but come clean – ever have a concoction go horribly wrong?

AL: Completely! Not only have I made some ridiculous combinations, but if I have noticed that my mood and mindset can play a huge role in the outcome.

ML: Hmmm…not sure I’d want to be a guinea pig, do you have taste testers?

AL: Yes, everyone we know who has ever tried them is a taste tester! And  a perk of the job; we all taste a lot of tonics!

ML: Not a bad perk, they have such nutrient-rich ingredients! Where do they come from?

AL: We are constantly looking for new sources. We work with farmers and vendors we know and trust. Our herbs come from Mountain Rose Herbs or Avena Botanicals in Maine. A lot of our super foods come from Essential Living Foods or HealthForce Nutritionals. We get our dates and almonds from a trusted farm outside of LA. We try and grab the bulk of our produce from the farmers markets and when they don’t have what we need we work withs small markets like LifeThyme in New York. Ideally we cant wait until we have our own farm.

ML: Eating from your own farm sounds divine. Speaking of eating, is your diet as pristine as the tonics?

AL: There have been times in my life that I have eaten cleaner than others. But when I look at my life as a whole, my mentality and my intention keeps getting healthier.

ML: What’s your favorite indulgence (food-wise)?

AL: When I am in LA irish moss pudding (it is amazing!), and New york cornbread from Angelica’s Kitchen.

ML: Where will you be in five years?

AL: Body & Eden will have local kitchens in three or more cities. We will have extended our line to include other products (which we are already working on:) We will be sourcing many of our herbs and some produce from our own garden or farm. And, we will have created a family of employees and a name consumers trust.

ML: Those are pretty lofty goals! How do you find balance in your life?

AL: I have to remember that the time I take off is just as important as the time I am working. My friends, my father, and my business partner all help remind me of this. Also, yoga, swimming, acting, singing, and dancing. The more physical I am the more I can feel my body and the more I know what is needed for balance.

ML: How did you come up with the name Body & Eden?

AL: It happened organically. I wanted to express my desire to connect our bodies back with their true nature.

ML: Where do you see the greatest need for your products?

AL: Hospitals.

ML: Wow. That would be amazing! On the subject of medicine, what sort of role, if any, does Chinese medicine play in your life?

AL: I am an avid fan of Chinese medicine. I believe understanding the relationships between the elements and the internal and external balance between yin and yang helps to define and create the foundation for everything we do. We can learn everything from nature; Chinese medicine is based on this depth of knowledge.

ML: Of all the superfoods out there, what do you wish people knew more about?

AL: ALGAE. It is an amazing thing; the oldest and most adaptable organism out there.

ML: Juicing or blending?

AL: Both are great, but serve different functions. For me blending is nourishing. Juicing gives your digestion a complete break. However, if you are providing your body with the right nutrients it should have no problem detoxing and cleansing on a daily basis. We were looking for a sustainable way to transform energy, and that starts with our bodies breakdown and assimilation of the food we eat.

ML: What’s the single best thing you do for your health?

AL: Meditation. For me that encompasses more than sitting. At any point swimming, dancing, acting, painting can all be a meditation for me. Whatever gets me out of my head and into my body. And when I am in that space all the wisdom and knowledge is there.

ML: Any beauty tips?

AL: Breathe. Salt water baths. Infrared saunas! Body scrubs! Whatever keeps things flowing internally and externally.

ML: Can kids drink your tonics and elixirs?

AL: Always check with your health care provider. There are certain things like honey, which should not be given to children of a certain age.

ML: Aubrey this has been great! We are looking forward to working with you!

Today’s blog is written by YinOva acupuncturist Dara Barr who shares her experience so far during the pre-cleanse phase of our annual YINOVA CLEANSE.

So far, Im enjoying the pre-cleanse. I like the preparatory nature of it. I like the increased flexibility. I can eat less of what I usually eat or less of my ‘newly selected’ foods.

This gives my inner rebel a little wiggle room. Having less of the usual means I can still have a latte, perhaps just a smaller one. The food I’m eating is definitely cleaner and simpler but I’m still allowing for a mini-vice while I adjust to the idea of a liquids only cleanse. I’ve done this cleanse before and I find myself dreading the lack of food and the high quantity of ‘toxin absorber‘ consumption before it has even begun. A great reminder to BE HERE NOW! I still have a day and half left to chew!

Even still, somehow my senses are heightened already. I smell street food intensely. It smells delicious! The one thing I do recall from the last cleanse was monitoring what smells caught me and which foods I couldn’t wait to have. I kept a list. It helped me reminder my desires were temporary, didn’t need to be acted on immediately and that the fast would not go on forever! Last time it was Indian food. And the texture of ‘crunchy shrimp’!! A very odd desire! But that’s one thing I like about the cleanse; appreciating what I take for granted. The elevated awareness of my environment and intentionality and restraint that comes with choosing to fast.

Todays blog is written by YinOva acupuncturist Mary Sabo who shares her reasons for taking part in this year’s YinOva Cleanse.

Each time I prepare for a cleanse, I always end up doing a lot of reflection.  Attempting to change our daily habits often initiates some thought about why we do the things we do.  I can tell I need to cleanse…I’ve become a little sluggish lately, have put on a few pounds, and have been reaching for things like sweets, coffee, and rich foods more than I usually do.  As I reflect on the reasons why these things have become more abundant in my life, I see multiple sources like feeling an increased level of stress, traveling, spending time with friends, entertaining guests, wanting to reward myself or just to try and relax.  While some of these are legitimate reasons, doing something like a cleanse helps me to recalibrate what I’m feeling and how I’m living.  Too often our lives become so busy that we forget to pay attention to what we are putting in and on our bodies and how that is making us feel.

This is the perfect time of year to do a cleanse.  Springtime is the time of the Liver in Chinese medicine, which is the main organ of detoxification for our body.  Spring also initiates new growth and the abundance of fresh local produce.  We shift from a heavier warming winter diet to a lighter, fresher, more raw diet as these fruits and vegetables become available.  It is a natural transition.  And what better way to shift our daily eating habits than a concentrated time of clean eating or even fasting, allowing our bodies to let go…of old habits, toxins, waste, and addictions like caffeine and sugar.

At the YinOva Center, we do a month long cleanse in the Spring beginning with a week long colon cleanse.  This prepares our bodies for a deeper internal cleanse where we can really do some detoxification of our organ systems.  During the colon cleanse, we do five days of liquids only (this is optional, but most effective for the cleanse).  I have to admit, I am a little intimidated by the idea of only liquids for five days.

I am for the most part a healthy eater, but I do absolutely love food.  I love to cook delicious healthy meals and I also love the occasional steak, lobster, or chocolate soufflé.  For me, doing a cleanse like this is more than just changing my daily habits.  I find I have to get my mind on board too.  I have to dig deep to understand what it is I’m actually feeding on a daily basis.  Is it my body?  An emotion?  My fear? My ego?  Am I eating a certain way so I don’t make other people uncomfortable?

While I’m intimidated about the coming weeks, I know this is more than just something for my body. It is also helping me understand my mind, and how that is affecting my diet and lifestyle, and in turn, my health.

In anticipation of the YinOva Cleanse, many on our staff are seeking to overcome and  break-free of their coffee habits. For some coffee is purely about the caffeine, for others it’s about the ritual, the aroma and the taste. But, regardless of why you love coffee, overcoming the addiction is challenging to say the least! Today, I spoke with Klara about her apprehension surrounding the cleanse, primarily because it means giving up coffee!

ML: So I’ve been hearing lots of grunts from many of you regarding your coffee habit and its conflict with the cleanse. Why is it that you are so nervous about giving up coffee? What is it about coffee that you love so much?

KK: For me the love for coffee comes from the pleasing sensory experience of it. I find the aroma of coffee to be warm and soothing, and I adore the bitter smoky taste. Just thinking about not having it for a month makes me miss it already!

ML: Do you have it throughout the day or just in the morning?

KK: Coffee has become an integral part of my morning ritual, one that started out of enjoyment but unfortunately now has become habit. I feel like I’ve gotten to a place of needing it to start my day, and I know that’s unhealthy. Withdrawal from coffee is difficult, and I’ve never been a morning person so thats why I’m nervous about having to give it up! This cleanse will be a good opportunity for me to take a break and reset my morning ritual. Yikes!

ML: The cleanse will be a perfect opportunity for you to reboot your body and rebalance your system. Who wants to be addicted to any one food or drink? You know there are lots of great coffee alternatives out there like Cafix, which I make every morning and I must say, I don’t miss the coffee at all. I also use Teeccino which comes in “teabags,” making it super simple to brew. I haven’t tried Kaffree Roma or Pero which I hear are suitable alternatives as well. And I totally want to try the one that Jill mentioned, the one that’s made with Cordyceps, which should give a great, natural energy boost. Will you try one of these alternatives or totally forego the “coffeeness” and try a tea?

KK: I’ve taken a break from coffee in the past and made the switch to Earl Grey tea, with which a little splash of almond milk was a nice substitution. Back then I didn’t know there were all these healthy coffee alternatives outside of black teas, so I’m really excited to experiment with them. It would be so wonderful to have something that retains the coffeeness! My plan is not to revert back to daily coffee use once the cleanse is over so I’m eager to find good healthy substitutions for both the pleasing experience and the energy boost.

ML: Speaking of energy boost, what are your thoughts on Yerba Mate, it has some caffeine but it’s said to be even healthier than green tea!?

KK: I have tried Yerba Mate and it’s a very strong smoky flavor that I wasn’t so drawn to. There are great health benefits from the many nutrients it contains and I think it’s worth trying. I guess for me the enjoyment factor is #1 .

ML You’re such a hedonist :) I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the alternative options!

Well, hello to you all!!

My name is Suzanne, and I am a patient at the YinOva Center and nine-year survivor of breast cancer. I represent a demographic that is, unfortunately, becoming much more common – a young, pre-menopausal woman diagnosed with breast cancer. I was 32 at the time of my diagnosis… and a week away from my wedding! You can imagine how shocking it was to hear I had breast cancer, but I was even more stunned to find that I had a fairly advanced case of it.

That is what galvanized me to become my own advocate and to seek out complementary treatment to go along with the conventional therapy. I had been interested in nutrition, homeopathy and herbs for several years, but I was dragging my feet on making dietary changes. I seemed pretty healthy, and physically I was in the best shape of my life since I had been exercising to look good in that wedding dress! It was a little incomprehensible to me that I had cancer – I looked and felt fine. I still had trouble believing it, even when I was thrown into the maelstrom of doctor’s appointments and second opinions and scheduling surgery for a lumpectomy, which eventually turned into a mastectomy once I found out how much the cancer had spread and how many lymph nodes were involved.

I hadn’t gone to acupuncture before, but at the urging of my homeopath I made the appointment. I am sure many of you completely understand where I am coming from when I say that my visit with Jill was like an oasis in the middle of the desert. It was the first time in all of the craziness of being diagnosed that I began to calm down and feel like I had some power over how I was going to deal with my disease. She exuded such an extraordinary sense of compassion and caring, and her skill as a practitioner was astounding. I started going to acupuncture weekly before chemotherapy and radiation commenced to get myself physically and mentally prepared for treatment. I also modified my diet so that I was eating wholesome, health-supporting whole foods: a multitude of fresh vegetables and fruit with every meal, whole grains like quinoa, barley, buckwheat and polenta, and lean protein. I cut out processed foods like sugar, white flour products, and junk food entirely. I was amazed and a little confused to see my health improve rapidly, even though I was “sick.” It was the beginning of a journey that changed many things for me, not the least of which were my ideas of what “sick” and “healthy” meant.

Once I had my mastectomy and started the process for breast reconstruction, I began a regimen of chemotherapy, which occurred every other week and lasted four months. The most difficult aspects of it were the nausea, mouth sores, fatigue, and hot flashes. I wasn’t too thrilled with the baldness part of it either, though I kept trying to remind myself that it was temporary. The doctors prepare you for it and can even pinpoint the exact time when it will start, but it still doesn’t help when you get down to the moment when you are Officially Bald. Until then, I had been able to hide the fact that I was sick and still pass as a healthy, normal person. It was a hard adjustment to have the world see me as a cancer patient.

Then, the hot flashes started coming on pretty strong – in the cancer world, we call that chemopause – so I wasn’t just a bald cancer patient: I was a sweaty, red-faced bald cancer patient drowning underneath my cute red-haired wig. Jill adjusted her treatment and they decreased so dramatically that I hardly noticed them. Between acupuncture and homeopathy, I found that I could deal with the side effects of chemotherapy quite nicely. In fact, I did so well I even went out on an interview and got a part-time job – wig and all!!

Radiation presented different challenges for me. The fatigue was much more debilitating during this phase. I think part of it was the regimen. I was treated five days a week for six weeks, which quickly becomes very taxing in itself. But, I also think that as I was nearing the end of my treatment I was experiencing the cumulative effects of the physical and mental trauma that goes along with cancer. In the last week of radiation I started to get a very bad burn. It was extremely painful and very demoralizing, and that coupled with the fatigue found me dragging myself into Jill’s office and collapsing onto the table. I found that the acupuncture was extremely helpful with decreasing the fatigue and the pain of the burn, and I was extremely grateful to have another option to help with this very difficult side effect.

Many people have asked me what my lowest point was during this breast cancer journey, expecting to hear that the treatment was the hardest part. But for me, my lowest point came once my treatment was over. Before that, I didn’t have much time to reflect on all that had happened – I was more concerned with survival and keeping myself going through all that was ahead of me. Once treatment ended, I had a chance to catch my breath and actually feel just how hard it was for me to lose my breast. It shook my confidence down to the core and changed my body image. I wondered how all the drugs and radiation might affect me in the long term. I worried about my fertility. I lost friends that I loved to the same disease that I had. I thought about my sense of myself as “young” and “healthy” and how I felt like I had lost both of those feelings forever, at the ripe old age of 32. And I worried – boy did I ever worry – about the cancer coming back.

Feeling the heartache of this loss – the loss of my old life and the step forward into my new “normal” – was one of the toughest things I have ever had to do. It was much, much harder for me than the actual treatment. And grieving for it is a process that takes time. No one wants to do this voluntarily. But with it comes an amazing opportunity for growth. I was very surprised to experience these wonderful gifts that were also a part of my cancer journey. I had a newfound clarity, and that helped me to let go of a lot of baggage that was weighing me down and helped me to prioritize the important things in my life. I live my life now with a joy and a freedom that were only a faint idea for me before cancer. I am far from perfect, so I still have my moments of doubt and fear and unhappiness. But I don’t stay there for very long. I appreciate the fact that my life is a gift. I keep a quote from Joseph Campbell in mind and have it posted so I can read it every day: “We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.”

And so one of the biggest blessings that has come out of my experience is that I have found my voice and a calling to be a strong advocate for vibrant health, for myself and for others experiencing illness. I am thrilled to be able to turn this experience around and offer it as a helping hand to someone else who is struggling. I certainly have been the beneficiary of that: I cannot thank all of the amazing people in my life who helped me through such a difficult time enough, especially Jill and all the other wonderful people at the YinOva Center. I am so deeply grateful for the compassion, kindness, encouragement, and emotional support I received from them.

And so, here I am, nine years later. I’m still cancer free, and acupuncture is an integral part of my long-term plan for a healthy and vibrant life. I have continued and expanded my dietary modifications, and returned to a lapsed meditation practice, which gives me a sense of peace and gratitude every day. I’ve continued to grow in my knowledge of nutrition and herbs, and have added in exercise to keep myself fit and flexible. And I feel confident again, but in a much deeper way than I was before. It comes from a sense of who I am, rather than just what I look like on the exterior. I feel empowered to work on my health in order to live my life, rather than have my life work to serve my health. I hope that by sharing some of my experiences you will feel empowered to work on your health, too.

It’s that time of year!

Here at the YinOva Center, for the past six years, we have celebrated the transition into Spring with our annual YinOva Cleanse. Every spring we shake off the sluggishness of winter and get in shape for an active summer with a month-long cleanse that targets specific organs in a systematic way, using a combination of cleansing foods and wild-crafted herbs. The herbs come in an easy to follow kit and can be bought from our center at a discount or direct from the manufacturer Blessed Herbs.

This year most of our staff are onboard and dozens of our patients will be joining us as we drop some unhealthy habits and pick up some healthy ones. We’ll be blogging recipes and tips all month and we hope you can join us as we support each other. We’re here if you need advice either in person or on this blog.

This year we are offering three different versions of the cleanse which vary in intensity so feel free to chose the one that will suit you best. Here at the YinOva Center we think people should only juice-fast for a very limited time, so for most of the month we’ll focus on the cleansing diet outlined below which prioritizes foods that are easy to digest, support your internal organs and minimize inflammation in the body.

28 Day Cleanse

Our most intense cleanse lasts one month and detoxifies specific organs in a logical order. All the herbs are available as a kit from our center. The kit contains over 90 different herbs in 13 separate formulas designed to support your body as it cleanses, reduce unwanted para-organisms and restore healthy flora in the intestines.

We follow a liquid diet (soups and juice) for the first week only and then the cleansing diet below for the following three weeks.

• Week One – The Colon Cleanse
• Week Two – The Liver and Gallbladder Cleanse
• Week Three – The Kidney Bladder and Lung Cleanse
• Week Four – The Blood, Skin and Lymph Cleanse

Kits needed: Blessed Herbs Colon Cleanse and Blessed Herbs Internal Cleanse

21 Day Cleanse

There’s no liquid diet on this 3 week cleanse. Instead we follow the cleansing diet below for the duration of the cleanse. Again you take cleansing herbs available from our center in a specific order that supports comprehensive internal cleansing.

• Week One – An abbreviated Colon Cleanse followed by the Liver and Gallbladder Cleanse
• Week Two – The Kidney Bladder and Lung Cleanse
• Week Three – The Blood, Skin and Lymph Cleanse

Kit needed: Blessed Herbs Internal Cleanse

This is a simple colon cleanse using bentonite clay and herbs to sweep the intestines and a digestive stimulator to move the clay and herbs through the GI system. You can choose how intensely you follow this cleanse by either following a liquid diet or instead following the cleansing diet below. Again the kit for this cleanse is available at our center.

Kit needed: Blessed Herbs Colon Cleanse

The Cleansing Diet

To paraphrase an old Chinese saying, “protein is for strength, carbohydrates are for energy and vegetables are for cleansing”. A healthy diet is composed of all of these elements but for this month we’ll be focussing on detoxification by prioritizing vegetables. Remember that this diet is only for cleansing and is temporary. We’re not recommending that you follow it for longer than a month because it is too restrictive. Unless you are following the initial liquid cleanse we recommend that you restrict foods that are hard to digest or cause mucus production or inflammation.

For the cleansing period we eat predominantly fruits and vegetables with some lean protein (fish or poultry) and some whole grains. Remember to drink plenty of water. If weight loss is a goal you should restrict but not eliminate carbohydrates. Otherwise choose organic whole grains such as brown rice or quinoa.

Cut the following out completely if you can:

• Meat and shellfish
• Wheat/gluten
• Dairy products
• Fried foods
• Refined sugars
• Processed foods
• Coffee
• Alcohol

RECOMMENDATIONS TO SUPPORT YOUR CLEANSE

• Start each day with a cup of hot water with lemon in it.
• Except during the juice-fast, eat three small meals and two snacks a day.
• Take some time each day to do deep breathing, meditation, gentle stretching or yoga.
• Get at least 8 hours sleep each night.
• In the shower brush your skin with a loofah, skin brush or Japanese skin cloth.
• Drink one 8 oz glass of water or cup of herbal tea an hour. Explore a variety of herbal teas. Green tea is nice first thing in the morning and chamomile tea is relaxing before bed.
• Eat small portions and stop eating when you are satisfied.
• Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly.
• Have a weekly acupuncture treatment to encourage detoxification and to deal with any symptoms that may arise.
• Once a week place a castor oil pack over your liver. Rub castor oil over your liver on your right side of your upper abdomen from the mid-line out under your ribcage. Place an old towel over the caster oil and put a hot pack over the area and leave it there for 30 – 40 minutes whilst you relax.
• Try to walk for at least 30 minutes a day.

Good luck! We’d love to know how you are doing and would be especially interested in any healthy detox recipes you’d like to share. Starting next week we’ll be blogging healthy recipes, cleansing tips and supportive exercises. So please comment on the blog and share your ideas and experiences with our YinOva Community. You can find the YinOva Cleanse Section of our blog easily by bookmarking this link.

All herbs in our YinOva Cleanse are supplied by Blessed Herbs. We sell the kits at The YinOva Center (with a discount for our patients) or you can buy them directly from the manufacturer.

Please check with your doctor or health care provider to make sure that you are healthy enough to spend a month on a restricted diet. Do not take herbs, vitamins, recreational drugs or over the counter medication whilst you are cleansing. If you are taking prescribed medications please ask your prescribing physician for advice about combining them with this cleanse. The instruction book that accompanies your kit has information about the way in which the cleansing herbs can interact with certain prescribed medications.

Do NOT cleanse :

• If you are pregnant (if you discover you are pregnant whilst cleansing, please discontinue with the cleanse)
• If you have an active, acute infection
• If you are weak or debilitated
• If you are about to undergo or are recovering from surgery
• If you are suffering from the following GI problems – diarrhea, vomiting, intestinal infection, bowel obstruction, inflammation of the GI tract, abnormal narrowing of the esophagus or intestines, difficulty swallowing.

In this feature series, “What Does Your Acupuncturist Eat?”, Kelsey peaks into the refrigerators of our YinOva team to get a glimpse of what they eat.

Laurel Axen Carroll is a woman in motion. She is a YinOva acupuncturist, certified herbalist, labor support doula, graduate level professor, personal trainer, Pilates mat instructor and avid surfer. She also owns a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school with her husband in their neighborhood of Rockaway Park, New York. Last but not least, she is the proud mother of two girls ages six and four, who just like their mother are “fearless danger seekers.”

With a packed schedule and array of people to care for, one must wonder how she manages to find time to cook dinner, or even go grocery shopping for that matter. Well, in true Laurel fashion, she does it all while remaining modest to an extreme.

Thank you for welcoming me into your family’s refrigerator.  Looking around, it appears you shop mainly organic. Why is that?

I try to buy mainly organic, local food to reduce the amount of pesticides and hormones my family and I consume. I’m lenient about some foods but I’m serious about produce, eggs, milk, meat and cheese being organic. I also like that organic companies are trying to reduce their carbon footprint.

You prefer organic produce, but I see a lot of frozen vegetables in the freezer. Can you explain?

I am pretty serious about eating seasonally. Currently, you can get food shipped from around the world that is “in season” but I stick to more local food for its quality and environmental thoughtfulness. This is why I cook a lot of frozen, organic, “once were in season” veggies in the winter.

How do you make sure your growing girls are getting the nutrition they need? Are they open to trying different foods?

My older daughter is very adventurous, while my younger would happily subsist on penne noodles forever. So to start, I always serve carrots and chickpeas or hummus with meals for additional protein. That being said, I try to make sure every meal has a few colors. We mainly eat meat and vegetables, and exclude grains. If we do have pasta I limit it to the earlier half of the day and make sure it’s filled with cheese, meat or spinach to avoid a ‘carb crash’.

We tried the Paleo diet last year and since then have incorporated elements of it into our diet such as substituting grains with starchy vegetables. In the Fall and Winter we eat a lot of butternut squash, sweet potatoes, fingerling potatoes, and brussel spouts. We all train at the family’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school and work up healthy appetites.

You have a very thoughtful approach to maintaining a well-rounded diet. Now, I’m curious about the nitpicky details of your refrigerator. What are the seeds in the glass jar with a red lid?

Flax seeds. My husband and I usually add them to yogurt along with chia seeds and raisins. We grind them up to make them more digestible and sometimes I just swill back a mouthful. They have been shown to help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. They’re also a great source of Omega-3 essential fatty, lignans, fiber, B vitamins, and magnesium.

That’s a lot good from one seed! There appears to be some “health formulas” in your refrigerator. Are any of those for your kids? Are they willing to take them?

With a little help, yes. I use apple juice for dispensing Chinese herbal tinctures like Jia Jian Xiao Chai Hu Tang and Quiet Calm, as well as Pure Essentials B Vitamins. Our kids also eat fish oil in a gummy form of Nordic berries, while my husband and I drink Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil. It’s a realistic compromise.

I would say that local raw honey is my #1 immune booster for the family. Since the bees pollinate from local flowers, their honey has small traces of local allergens giving a similar effect as receiving an allergy shot. Raw honey also has many antibiotic properties that prevent the formation of ulcers and certain kinds of cancer. It’s a fun, tasty way to keep the kids, and me, healthy.

It seems you’ve mastered the art of keeping healthy, happy kids! Back to the details, what is Maca Powder?

It’s my husband’s. It’s said to be a super food from the Andes that boosts testosterone and helps with fertility. Legend has it that when the conquistadors went to the Andes they were having trouble reproducing in the altitude so the locals gave them Maca and things turned around. Unfortunately, it was truly undrinkable and has been neglected.

Talking about neglected, what’s in the glass that looks like milk?

Just an abandoned glass of milk. I despise wasting food. I know the Maca Power has been neglected…

I think you can cut yourself some slack considering the depth of your food supply. I’m curious, how has being an acupuncturist changed your attitudes on nutrition?

Becoming an acupuncturist made me a lot healthier about my eating, in that I became a lot more open minded. Like a typical teenager I was a vegetarian, watching what I ate and basically surviving on raw food, nuts, brown rice and steamed broccoli. I found that I was pretty addicted to sugar and café negro. I was cold all the time and pretty moody. Now I see that I was protein deficient. Once I started acupuncture school I saw women like me with menstrual irregularities and symptoms of cold, fatigue, PMS and worrying. I learned about the traditional Chinese medicinal diet that included a lot more warm foods. I remember thinking that I couldn’t possibly eat meat ever again then being surprised when a meatball didn’t make me feel sick, but rather contently full. Now I pretty much eat everything in moderation. The only things I really avoid too much of are sugar, wheat and grains. That being said, I still eat the occasional slice of pizza at New Park Pizza in Howard Beach.

Thank you so much for inviting me into your family’s refrigerator. I really learned a lot. Before we end, do you have any last comments about your philosophies on food and its presence in your life?

I never take food for granted. I’ve traveled a lot and seen people living on very meager food supplies with very little choices. I’m very grateful to have quality foods and choices at my fingertips. We pray before we eat and I like to instill a notion of gratitude for our abundance.

Why do some people seem to age quicker than others?

Is it just a matter of genetics or are there things we can do to slow down the aging process?

How much does lifestyle and diet contribute to aging?

Don’t we all age? Shouldn’t we just accept it?

These are some of the questions my patients ask me. The women I treat want to look and feel good as they get older and, because feeling well is as important to them as looking younger, they’re looking for natural ways to increase vitality. Personally, I feel fine about aging but I do want to live as long as possible and be healthy into old age and yes, call it vain, but I want to look as good as I can. This is where Chinese medicine may be able to help. The Chinese have a tradition of longevity practices that go back thousands of years and involve a system of diet, exercise, sexual practices and herbal formulas all of which can slow down the aging process and contribute to an active and healthy old age.

Even thousands of years ago, the ancient Taoists saw aging in remarkably modern terms. They believed that people are born with a finite amount of qi and that this depends on their parents. In modern science this corresponds to your genes. They then discussed how to supplement this qi by eating well, exercising and getting sufficient rest. All this good advice is now part of an emerging field called epigenetics, which is the study of how your environment and your choices can influence your genetic code.

We can’t do much about the genes we inherit but we can adapt our lifestyle and habits to give us the best chance of aging well.

The first step is to identify the habits that are aging us prematurely. These include:-

• Stress. This includes work stress, unsupportive relationships and poor work/life balance

• Eating foods that are not nutritious. This includes foods that create inflammation such as alcohol, coffee and, for some people, wheat. The additives in processed foods have been shown to accelerate aging in mice, so to keep your body feeling young, limit foods made in a factory and instead stock up on whole unprocessed foods.

• Not eating enough nutritious foods. Busy people on the run sometimes don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. If I could give you one anti-aging tip it would be to eat as many fruits and veggies as you can in a broad range of colors.

• Lack of sleep. There are plenty of studies that show that poor sleep habits affect many of the body’s systems. A 1999 study conducted by the University of Chicago and published in the Lancet found that cutting down from 8 hours of sleep a night to 4 hours produced significant hormonal changes and had an effect on glucose tolerance. ”We found that the metabolic and endocrine changes resulting from a significant sleep debt mimic many of the hallmarks of aging,” said Eve Van Cauter, Ph.D., professor of medicine at the University of Chicago and director of the study.

• Lack of exercise. Regular exercise can slow down the effects of aging on many of your body’s systems. It’s most important effect is on the heart where it slows down resting heart rate and increases pumping capacity. It also lowers blood pressure and makes the heart muscle and blood vessels less stiff. On top of that exercise increases red blood cells and decreases the blood’s viscosity. A regular exercise regimen can also lower cholesterol, boost your metabolism, increase your glucose tolerance, and regulate your hormones. Oh, and it’s a good stress reliever too!

• Environmental toxins. Many of the chemicals found in household cleaners, soaps, shampoos, deodorants and cosmetics have been found to be endocrine disruptors and can contribute to premature aging. How ironic that the cream we buy to reduce our wrinkles may well contain additives that are making us age from the inside out. My advice is to pick natural alternatives where possible.

Herbal Adaptogens

Many of the oldest and best known herbs protect the body from degeneration and fall into a category called adaptogens. Adaptogens are so called because they help our body adapt to the strains of daily living and normalize the body’s functions in the face of stressors, restoring homeostasis. Some have a systemic effect whilst others benefit specific systems. Many of them also regulate cell metabolism and support the immune system. Chinese soldiers used to take adaptogens before a battle and Tibetan monks used them so that they could survive with very little food.

10 of the best herbal adaptogens for anti-aging

1. Ginseng – In Chinese herbology Ginseng is a qi tonic so it has long been priced for giving energy and increasing vitality. It seems to offset the effects of stress on the body and there is good scientific evidence that ginseng improves the immune system.
2. Cordyceps – High in anti-oxidents, Cordyceps has been used for thousands of years in China where it is revered for it’s immune boosting properties and it’s ability to enhance energy. Recent research has shown that coryceps can reverse some of the effects of aging in mice.
3. Rhodiola – Widely used by Russian athletes and cosmonauts to improve energy and performance, rhodiola helps your body manage stress. It is calming and plays a role in normalizing heart rate after stress or exercise.
4. Ashwagandha – High in anti-oxidents and used in Ayurvedic medicine for its infection fighting properties, ashwagandha is also used to address depression and reduce the effects of stress.
5. Holy Basil – Another ayurvedic herb, holy basil supports the cardiovascular system, balances insulin and even improves the moisture level of the skin. It helps to reduce the effects of stress by lowering cortisol levels.
6. Turmeric – used in both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric has been shown to protect against alzheimer’s disease when paired with vitamin D. It also promotes circulation, relieves aches and pains, reduces inflammation, can prevent certain cancers and protects the liver.
7. Fo-ti -This Chinese herb is also known as he shou wu which translates as ”black-haired Mr. He”. This name refers to a famous folk story of an ool mad called Mr. He who took fo-ti and restored his black hair, youthful appearance and vitality.  Fo-ti is used for fatigue, immune dysfunction and to treat premature aging, particularly premature grey hair.
8. Ginko Biloba – Like turmeric ginko improves circulation and can be used to protect against alzheimer’s and other conditions that affect memory and cognition. It can also be used to prevent heart disease and macular degeneration,
9. Royal Jelly - This creamy substance produced by young nurse worker bees is used as a nutrient-rich food for the queen bee. It is these nutrients that have given it a reputation as a longevity tonic. High in antioxidants, royal jelly is used to strengthen the immune system and priced for its ability to reduce inflammation.
10. Green Tea – Studies have shown that tea polyphenols have a protective effect against free radicals, cardiovascular damage, some cancers and infections. There has been some positive research that has looked at how drinking green tea can protect the skin from sun damage and so reduce wrinkles.

It’s important to consult a herbalist before taking herbs such as the ones outlined above. It’s beyond the scope of a short blog article to explain each herb fully but there are contraindications and drug herb interactions which should be considered before taking any herb or supplement. Fo-ti, for example, has mild estrogenic properties and so should be avoided by women with a history of breast cancer. Turmeric is wonderful for circulation but has blood thinning properties and so should not be combined with blood thinning drugs such as warfarin. There are many different types of ginseng and some are more suitable for certain conditions than others. Feel free to come into the YinOva Center and meet with one of our herbalists if you would like an anti-aging herbal formula created specially for you.