detoxification Archives - East Bay Acupuncture & Natural Medicine

Birth Defects: 5 Natural Ways To Reduce Your Risk.

By Jenny Silverstone

Living in a modern environment, we are surrounded by things which slightly increase our risk of having a baby with birth defects. This means that we need to be much more careful about what we do or don’t do, so that we can reduce our risk.

No matter whether you are at high risk of birth defects because of a genetic condition, or at low risk in general, it is always worth the effort to make sure we are doing everything in our power to help our babies.

In celebration of National Birth Defect Awareness month, here are a few of the most vital ways in which we can help prevent birth defects – as many of them are completely within our control.

1. Watch Your Meds!

Many medications that are perfectly safe before pregnancy are very, very dangerous to your baby as soon as you become pregnant. If you are trying to conceive or have discovered that you are pregnant, you need to talk to your doctor ASAP about revising your medicines. If you have to stop taking a medication, consider using natural remedies that are safe when pregnant, such as herbal supplements, acupuncture, or moxibustion.

2. Quit Alcohol, Smoking, And Drugs

It has been proven that all drugs, including alcohol and cigarettes, increase your risk of having a child with birth defects. However, we understand that breaking an addiction can be very difficult. If you are trying to conceive, you want to break your addiction before getting pregnant. If you are already pregnant, you want to break your addiction quickly. Meditation, acupuncture, or herbal remedies could help you focus and stay calm when breaking the addiction.

3. Eat A Natural Diet

A natural diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole energy sources like grains and legumes, and Vitamin-B containing foods is one of the best ways of making sure you are getting all the nourishment you need to feed your growing baby. If you have a hard time eating the whole range of fruits and vegetables you need, consider using pregnancy-safe supplements or prenatal vitamins, which can boost your nutrients and give you enough folic acid to help prevent specific birth defects.

4. Exercise And Relax

Stress can elevate your blood pressure which can increase the risk of birth defects. Stress also makes you more likely to stress eat, take drugs, or go to hot places like saunas, all of which increase the risk of birth defects. Exercising, sleeping well, and meditation for relaxation can all reduce stress. If you find that exercise leaves you tense, or that pain stops you from relaxing, consider acupuncture for some relief.

5. Control Diabetes And Weight

If you are already diabetic or develop gestational diabetes, your baby’s risk of birth defects go up. Likewise, whether you are already overweight or you gain too much weight during pregnancy. Just like with quitting drugs, if you find it difficult to control your diet and weight, consider using supplements, meditation, and acupuncture to help you regain calm and focus.

To read more, please check out the extensive article I wrote on the subject here.

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A Quick Guide to Green Cleaning Products

By Sean Michael Hall, L.Ac.

We all understand the importance of diet, sleep and exercise.

In the last few decades however, it’s become apparent that limiting exposure to various chemicals, toxins and pollutants is also important. We’ve learned more about the detrimental health effects various chemicals have on our health. Many cleaning products marketed as “green”, “natural” or “eco-friendly” actually contain chemicals that are known carcinogens, endocrine-disruptors or lung and skin irritants.

With hundreds of new chemicals flooding the market every year, and with an EPA understaffed, underfunded and populated by industry insiders, it is unfortunately the case that we can’t trust the regulatory process to protect our health or the health of the environment. Though public awareness around the negative reproductive and development effects of BPA (bisphenol A) and other unregulated chemicals like phthalates is growing, there is still a lot of work to be done to make sure that our health is protected.

For years I’ve recommended that my patients avoid as many of these chemicals as possible by using only ecologically friendly cleaning and personal care products. Unfortunately, I trusted that many of the “green” brands I’ve personally used were good enough. Instead I’ve found that many of those green-marketed brands are as bad as some of the worst conventional brands.

So I set out to find household cleaning products for each of the 8 main cleaning categories (surface cleaner, laundry detergent, dish soap, etc.) that meet three criteria:

All products have received an A-rating by the Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org). EWG is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to testing products, researching environmental toxins, and educating the public on their findings. Its sister organization, the EWG Action Fund, is its lobbying arm, and they’ve been an important voice in keeping our bodies and our planet healthy.
All products must be available at grocery stores in the Berkeley or Oakland area, so one can avoid the time, cost and carbon-footprint of ordering online. (For those not living in the San Francisco East Bay area, all products are sold nationally.)
For convenience, all products should be available at one location so that multiple stops are not necessary.

As, I delved into the detailed reports on hundreds of products and brands, a few very interesting things became clear, all which I’ll detail later in this article. For those of you who want to stop reading and start shopping, the chart below sums up my findings.

Please though, come back and read on about the many surprises I discovered about the “eco” and “green” home care market

As you can see, if you happen to live in the Oakland or Berkeley area, you can purchase all products with one stop at Berkeley Bowl or Farmer Joe’s. Whole Foods has most of the products, but not all of them. I was hoping that more recommended products would be available at Target but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. In fact, although Target has a “Green Cleaning Product” section, it’s stocked with some of the worst offenders, like Method and Mrs. Meyer’s Cleaning Day brands. The Seventh Generation products they carry tend to be Seventh Generation’s C, D and F rated products.

Regarding price, as one would expect, the larger the company the greater their purchasing power and scale. Whole Foods is able to consistently offer the lowest price. Personally, I prefer to spend a few extra dollars each time I shop to support the local economy, and to delay Amazon’s takeover of the world (!). Besides, as of January 2018, Jeff Bezos’ net worth is already 121 billion dollars, making him the richest person in the world. Spread the wealth, please!

For Those More Visually Inclined

1) Surface Cleaner
Seventh Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner – Lemongrass Citrus Scent

2) Glass & Window Cleaner
Citra Solv Citra Clear Window & Glass Cleaner

Citra Solv Citra Clear Window and Glass Cleaner

3) Floor Cleaner
Biokleen All-Purpose Cleaner, Concentrated, Grapefruit Seed & Orange

4) Tub & Tile Cleaner
Seventh Generation Tub & Tile Natural Cleaner, Emerald Cypress & Fir

Seventh Generation Tub and Tile Natural Cleaner, Emerald Cypress and Fir

5) Toilet Cleaner
Seventh Generation Toilet Bowl Natural Cleaner, Emerald Cypress & Fir

Seventh Generation Toilet Bowl Natural Cleaner, Emerald Cypress and Fir

6) Laundry Detergent
Biokleen Laundry Liquid, Citrus Essence

7) Dish Soap
Biokleen Natural Dish Liquid, Citrus

8) Dishwasher Detergent (two options)
1. Earth Friendly Products Wave Dishwasher Gel
2. 7th-Gen Dishwasher Detergent Powder

Earth Friendly Products Wave Dishwasher Gel and Seventh Generation Detergent Powder

Take Home Points

1. Just because a particular brand has some products that are safe and environmentally friendly doesn’t mean all of that brand’s products are safe and environmentally friendly.

My original intention was to make the recommendations as easy as possible by finding one trusted brand that had products locally available in all categories. It quickly became apparent that that was not possible.

For example, Seventh Generation products are available at most local stores including Berkeley Bowl, Farmer Joe’s, Whole Foods and Target. Previously, I used most of this company’s products and was hopeful that they would be the silver bullet providing ease, convenience and quality. Unfortunately, I found that though they have quite a few A-rated products, they have even more C-rated products and almost as many D-rated products. Perusing the brand charts below shows the specifics.

2. A brand’s labeling and marketing is unrelated to the quality of the product. In fact, most products marketed as ecologically friendly or non-toxic are not.

If you visit the website for Method Brand, for instance, you’ll find words like “greener” and “planet-friendly” sprinkled throughout. Their company description includes the words “naturally-derived, biodegradable, non-toxic”, yet the chart below shows that 60% of their products receive a D or F rating by EWG. Babyganics should be ashamed of their name, as 28% of their products received a D or F rating, and another 50% of their products receive a C-rating. 43% of Whole Foods 365 Brand received a D or F rating, and 67% of naturally, it’s clean products, also available at Whole Foods, received a D or F rating.

3. Just because a product is sold at a natural food store doesn’t mean it’s non-toxic or environmentally friendly.

See the Whole Foods 365 brand chart below, and also note the fact that even the C, D and F rated Seventh Generation products are sold at most natural food stores.

4. There are two brands that seem devoted to providing a full array of non-toxic, environmentally friendly cleaning products: Biokleen and Ecover.

A record-breaking 96% of Biokleen’s products are rated A or B by the EWG, and Ecover follows closely behind with 89%. None of either of their products were rated D or F, and only 3 of the two company’s combined 52 products receive a C rating. Well done Biokleen and Ecover! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find products for all eight cleaning categories at one location, otherwise my recommendations would have been simpler.

Products by EWG Rating for all locally available brands marketed as eco-friendly or non-toxic:

A few more interesting tidbits…

1. Small changes from product to product can change a rating dramatically. For instance, Seventh Generation’s All-Purpose Surface Cleaner, Free & Clear, which we previously used at the clinic has a C rating. Its earlier iteration Lemon & Thyme had a D-rating, while the version recommended above and that we now use at the clinic, Multi-Surface Disinfecting Cleaner, Lemongrass Citrus, has an A-rating.

A rating

C rating

D rating

2. I originally intended to have a category for wood floor cleaners. Unfortunately, almost all wood floor cleaners have a D or F rating. Furthermore, wood “oils” are usually not oils and heavily toxic. I did find one company with a wood floor cleaner that has a B rating (Truce Wood Cleaner, Citrus), but I was unable to find it locally.

Thankfully, it turns out that dish soap makes an excellent wood floor cleaner. Multiple green cleaning blogs give dish soap two thumbs up for wood floors that are sealed, and after a few weeks of use I agree. Thankfully, almost all wood floors are sealed these days. An easy test to see if your wood floors are sealed is to pour a few drops of water on the floor and let it sit for a few minutes. If a stain remains after drying, your floor is unsealed.

3. The most economical, environmentally friendly and non-toxic home cleaning products are the ones you make yourself. By mixing a few ingredients you can create products for all eight cleaning product categories. It does take a little research, a little time and a little creativity, but it’s quite doable. And if this is your cup of tea, maybe even fun! I personally have lots of other more fun projects I’m looking forward to, but, if you’re so inclined, the following 5 products are A-rated by EWG and provide the base ingredients for all eight cleaning product categories, from glass cleaner to laundry detergent.

White Vinegar
Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap (all scents)
Seventh Generation Chlorine-Free Bleach, Free & Clear
Essential Oils (lemongrass, eucalyptus, thyme are my favorites)

There are lots of interesting blogs covering the topic. Google away and have fun!

References:

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Keep Juicing Healthy

By Sean Michael Hall, L.Ac.

Juicing can be a tasty, enjoyable and nutritious part of a healthy lifestyle.

However, some guidelines are important to make sure you are juicing in a way that is truly healthy for you. As most of you know, juicing only fruit can result in a large spike in blood sugar levels. And some have constitutions or digestive systems that make juicing less enjoyable and less healthy, especially at certain times of the year. Following these simple guidelines will allow most people to enjoy fresh juice in the healthiest way possible.

1. Don’t over do it.

The traditional medicine systems of China and India teach us that strong digestive fire is essential to good health. Digestive fire in Ayurveda is known as agni, and in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) it involves abundant Spleen and Stomach Qi. Too many cold or raw foods can challenge and even harm our digestive fire.

If your digestive fire is strong, juicing in the warmer months usually isn’t a problem and can be very healthy. But, if you are prone to digestive problems like indigestion, gas or bloating, then juicing may not be appropriate for you. Individuals with cold, weak constitutions may have to enjoy fresh juice in moderation. Those with the weakest or coldest constitutions may benefit more from soups, stews and broths, even in the warmer months.

2. Limit the amount of fruit, carrots and beets.

Juicing fruit and sugary vegetables like carrot and beet should be done in moderation. Recent research shows the harmful effects fructose, the sugar found in fruit and some vegetables, has when it isn’t buffered by the fiber found in the whole food.

Drinking 8 ounces of apple juice, for example, is in most ways as unhealthy as drinking 8 ounces of soda. Yes, fruit juice has some vitamins and other healthy phytochemicals. Unfortunately, the beneficial effects of those constituents are offset by both a surge in blood glucose levels, as well as a fructose overload on the liver that has other negative effects. [1] [2]

Our bodies need both the fiber found in the whole food, as well as the slower consumption time involved in eating the whole food, to mitigate those negative effects. For optimal health, fruit, carrots and beets should be added to your juice for a little flavor and sweetness, not as the main ingredient. Enjoy lots of fresh fruit, but eat all of it, not just the juice.

3. Enjoy fresh juice in the spring and summer.

Save juicing for the warm months of spring and summer. Your system needs warm, grounding meals in the cold, winter months to keep your digestive fire strong. Some with very strong digestive fire are the exception, but even in that case, care should be taken.

4. You may need to go easy with cruciferous vegetables.

There are some vegetables that require more digestive fire than others, and this is especially true of cruciferous vegetables. The cruciferous vegetables include kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts. Of course, plenty of research tells us how amazingly healthy the cruciferous vegetables are. But, any food prepared in a way that wrecks digestive fire and causes bloating or gas is not good for you.

Simply sautéing cruciferous vegetables will allow you to get the benefit of those vegetables in a way your body can handle. If your digestive fire is strong and you don’t get gas or bloating from juicing cruciferous vegetables, then by all means, enjoy!

5. Add ginger.

Adding a touch of ginger, turmeric or garlic (gasp!) to your juice can help support your digestive fire, plus give a zing of flavor. Don’t overdo it. A little too much ginger or turmeric can be very spicy, and too much garlic may make you smellier to others than you may want.

6. Keep it fresh.

Bottled, canned, cooked, or reconstituted juices lack most of the enzymes and other micronutrients that make fresh juicing so healthy. Buy fresh, local produce; juice it within a few days; then drink it the same day for maximum nutrition and flavor. There are a lot of great juicers on the market at a variety of price points. I recommend doing your research and finding one for less than 100 dollars if you’re just getting started. If you find that you’re juicing regularly, you may want to upgrade at some point.

Raw versus cooked.

Some have a misconception that raw foods are easy to digest. For the most part, the opposite is true, especially if the cooked food is eaten soon after cooking. Cooking foods breaks cellulose and other constituents down into more easily digestible forms. Cooking also transforms some toxins into nutrients; this is especially true of many legumes. And lycopene, another well-known nutrient, is created through the cooking process.

Yes, many nutrients and enzymes are lost during the cooking process, so including some raw foods in your diet is a great idea. Generally speaking, the stronger your digestive fire, the more raw foods you’ll be able to tolerate. Fermented foods like kvass, sauerkraut and other pickled vegetables, are a great way to consume raw foods in a more digestible form, as the fermentation process partially digests the food for us, creating healthy probiotics and other important nutrients in the process.

Take home message:

Fresh juice is healthy for those who have digestive fire strong enough to digest it, especially in the warmer months of the year. If you get gassy or bloated after juicing it means you are not getting the benefits of the juice, and they are causing harm instead. Nothing is healthy for everyone.

Your body needs to be able to digest, metabolize and absorb nutrients, and if your system is unable to do that, then even supposedly healthy foods are not healthy for you. If you are having problems digesting fruits and vegetables in one form, like juice or raw salads, then support your digestive fire, and try steaming or sautéing them instead.

[1] “Fructose Consumption is Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk Markers and Visceral Adiposity in Adolescents”. J. Nutr., 2012.
[2] “Fructose Induced Lipogenesis: From Sugar to Fat to Insulin Resistance”. Trends Endocrinol. Metab., 2011.

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Cilantro, Serrano, Ginger Hamburger Patties; Yes it’s Healthy!!

By Sean Michael Hall, L.Ac.

Meat is good for you!

At least it is, in moderation, and if it’s raised and sourced correctly. I was a strict vegan for 5 years in my 20s, and vegetarian for a couple of years before that. Over the past twenty years, I’ve read most of the books promoting those diets. Based on my own experience, my reading of additional literature, and 10 years of clinical experience, I’ve come to the conclusion that a vegetarian diet can only be healthy if strict attention is paid to a number of factors. And a purely vegan diet is almost never healthy. I’ll go into more detail in future posts for those that are skeptical.

Now, for those of you that have fully embraced your omnivorous nature, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First is that most livestock is near the top of the food chain, so that means it must be sourced well. Yes, it is a good idea to make most of your fruits and vegetables organic. But, organic meat is a must.

The second factor is, make sure it’s grass-fed or pasture-raised. How livestock is raised determines whether it is damaging to your health, or health-promoting. These two factors are essential if you choose to eat meat. Again, I won’t go into details here, as there are many people out there educating the public on the health benefits of grass-fed, organic livestock.

Cilantro, Serrano, Ginger Hamburger Patties

Ingredients

2 lbs. organic, grass-fed ground beef
1 bunch cilantro
½ bunch parsley
4-8 thumbs worth ginger
1 medium to large onion
4-6 cloves garlic
1-3 serrano peppers
1 tsp. sea salt

Directions

Simply chop and combine all of the ingredients, and bake at 375 degrees for 15-30 minutes. Adjust the time based on how cooked you like the meat. It’s as easy as that! I like to serve it with Sautéed Kale and Brown Rice. No need for a bun.

Before you’ve combined the ingredients, it’s going to look like you have an insane amount of greens, onion, etc. And that’s the point! Think of the meat as a vehicle for all of the health-promoting, detoxifying, inflammation-reducing, immune-enhancing effects of the other ingredients. Once you begin combining the ingredients with your hands and fingers, the ratio of greens to meat will seem less intimidating.

Disclaimer: I’m not a chef, nor very specific in my recipes. If you’re looking for a source for healthy, gourmet, detailed recipes, check out this blog by a patient of mine: www.inthekitchenkeepinitreal.com

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It’s Time for a Spring Cleanse!

By Sean Michael Hall, L.Ac.

Spring is here. Time for a Spring Cleanse!!!

Spring is the perfect time of year to aid the body, and especially the liver, in cleansing and detoxification. The cleanse I recommend is very simple and consists of eating a stimulant-free, sugar-free, flour-free, whole foods diet for 10 days.

The addition of a liver cleansing drink each morning draws out toxins from the body, and an herbal tea taken throughout the day helps to support the liver and the rest of the body in this process. Happy cleansing!

Foods to Avoid:

Alcohol
Stimulants (coffee, tea, yerba mate, chocolate)
- If you’re a heavy coffee drinker, drinking 1 or 2 cups of green tea a day the first few days instead is okay
Sweeteners (sugar, corn syrup, agave, honey, maple syrup)
Artificial sweeteners, colors, preservatives, and additives
- Avoid packaged and refined foods completely.
Dairy, eggs, and processed meats like sausage and salami
- Processed meats contain nitrates, other additives and higher fat content that makes cleansing difficult.
- Small amounts of natural, lean meats are encouraged, as the protein helps the liver in its detoxification and elimination of toxins.
- I recommend avoiding dairy and eggs for the 10-day period, because they are common allergenic foods. Many people have developed sub-clinical food sensitivities to these foods that inhibit the detoxification process.
Wheat and other flour products
- Many people also have sub-clinical food sensitivities to wheat, gluten and yeast, all of which are found in flour products. Simply eliminating these foods helps many to feel better.

In case it wasn’t clear, avoiding the above foods means no pastries, chocolate, sodas, sweetened drinks, prepared, frozen and canned foods, potato chips, and other similarly processed and refined foods.

Foods to Eat:

Everything else! But best to find organic, fresh, local and in season foods. Your local farmer’s market is a GREAT source for these foods. Here is a partial list:

Water
- Drink lots of spring or filtered water, adding a touch of lemon or lime will help with detoxification.
Vegetables
- Eat lots of organic, fresh vegetables
- Be sure to eat at least 1 large, meal-sized salad a day
- Fresh vegetable juicing is highly recommended. Try a blend of cucumber, fennel, carrot, parsley and apple, or any others you can think of
Fruit
- Eat lots of organic, in season, fresh fruit.
- Eat at least 1 or 2 apples a day, as the pectin in apples has a particularly cleansing effect
- Sweet potatoes, yams, squash and other starchy vegetables like beets and parsnips
Grains like rice, oats, quinoa, millet, barley
- Brown rice is better than white during a cleanse, as the increased amount of fiber helps to cleanse the GI tract
Meats like lean cuts of high quality chicken, beef, pork, buffalo, lamb
Fish
- Especially fish low on the food chain like salmon, mackeral, and sardines.
- Best to avoid tuna, swordfish, shellfish and shrimp as they can accumulate toxins.
Legumes like black beans, lentils, and mung beans
Fresh, raw seeds and nuts
- Best to avoid peanuts and roasted, salted and flavored nuts.
Natural condiments and flavoring ingredients like: sea salt, pepper, spices, herbs, olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, vinegars, lemon juice, etc.
Fermented foods like: saurkrauts, kombucha, umeboshi plums, etc.

The Morning Liver Cleanse*:

Mix any fresh-squeezed citrus juices together to make 1 cup of liquid. Orange and grapefruit are great, but be sure to mix in some lemon and/or lime. The more sour the final mix is, the more cleansing. This mixture can be diluted with water if needed.
Add 1-2 cloves freshly crushed and chopped garlic, plus 1 tsp. of freshly grated ginger
Add 1 Tbsp. high quality, olive oil
Mix and drink each morning. Follow with 1 or 2 cups of the liver detox tea described below

*taken from Christopher Hobb’s book “Foundations of Health”

Liver Detox Tea (parts by volume)

Ingredients*:

Burdock Root – 1 part
Dandelion Root – 1 part
Yellow Dock Root – 1/2 part
Oregon Grape Root – 1/2 part
Sarsaparilla Root – 1/2 part
Fennel Seed – 1/4 part
Fenugreek Seed – 1/4 part
Nettle Leaf – 1 part
Peppermint or Spearmint – 1 part

Directions:

Simmer 1 part herbs (Burdock through Fenugreek) in 6 parts water, covered, for 20 minutes
Turn off heat, add Nettles and Mint, then let steep for an additional 10 minutes
Strain herbs and refrigerate. I usually make enough for 2-3 days each batch
Drink 3-6 cups, hot or cold, throughout the day

*These herbs can be found locally at Lhasa Kharnak herbs (2482 Telegraph Ave, 510 548-0380) or at most Whole Foods locations.

An Optional, Integrated 3 Day Juice Fast

If you feel ready to do a stronger cleanse, and if you have the space in your life to do so, I recommend integrating this 3 day juice fast into the cleanse. Days 1 to 3 of the cleanse are exactly the same. On Day 4 however, eliminate all meats and starchy foods like potatoes and white rice. On Days 5-7 eliminate all solid foods except for fresh vegetable and fruit juices. On Day 8, break the fast with a salad, then slowly, over the course of the day, add in any other foods from the list above, except for meats and starchy foods. Days 9 and 10 are exactly the same as the cleanse described above. Be sure to continue the liver cleanse drink each morning, and the liver detox tea throughout the day for each of the 10 days.

Juicing yourself is the best method. I particularly enjoy juicing combinations of beet, carrot, celery, cucumber, apple, parsley or any other greens, fennel, purple cabbage and radishes. Very small amounts of ginger or garlic can also be tasty. Choose 3 or 4 from the list, making sure that at least 1 or 2 are sweet, like apple or beet, and add small amounts of these. Get creative!

Additional Recommendations:

I also recommend going off all vitamins, supplements, fish oils and herbs for the 10 days of your cleanse. Your liver works hard to break these things down, so unless your supplements are doctor prescribed I would recommend taking a 10 day break.
Moderate, daily exercise for the 10 days of the cleanse is recommended. Yoga is especially detoxifying and comes highly recommended. Please be mindful though, and listen to your body. If you are feeling shaky or fatigued, honor your body and rest. There may be days when exercise doesn’t feel appropriate and that is okay.
A dry-brush massage, followed by a sauna or steam will greatly aid elimination of toxins through the skin. I recommend doing this a minimum of 3 times throughout the 10 day period. Natural bristle brushes for the skin can be found at most natural food stores. Use small circular motions over the entire body, then rinse and follow with some sort of sweating therapy.
Cleansing, detoxifying and fasting can be a very cathartic experience. Setting aside 15-20 minutes each day for meditation or breathing practice can be very helpful in bringing awareness to this process. As we cleanse our physical bodies, a cleansing also happens emotionally and psychically. Please give yourself plenty of time and space for rest and introspection to honor and support this process.

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By Jenny Silverstone

1. Watch Your Meds!

2. Quit Alcohol, Smoking, And Drugs

3. Eat A Natural Diet

4. Exercise And Relax

5. Control Diabetes And Weight

To read more, please check out the extensive article I wrote on the subject here.

By Sean Michael Hall, L.Ac.

We all understand the importance of diet, sleep and exercise.

For Those More Visually Inclined

Take Home Points

Products by EWG Rating for all locally available brands marketed as eco-friendly or non-toxic:

A few more interesting tidbits…

By Sean Michael Hall, L.Ac.

Juicing can be a tasty, enjoyable and nutritious part of a healthy lifestyle.

1. Don’t over do it.

2. Limit the amount of fruit, carrots and beets.

3. Enjoy fresh juice in the spring and summer.

4. You may need to go easy with cruciferous vegetables.

5. Add ginger.

6. Keep it fresh.

Raw versus cooked.

Take home message:

By Sean Michael Hall, L.Ac.

Meat is good for you!

Cilantro, Serrano, Ginger Hamburger Patties

Ingredients

Directions

By Sean Michael Hall, L.Ac.

Spring is here. Time for a Spring Cleanse!!!

Foods to Avoid:

Foods to Eat:

The Morning Liver Cleanse*:

Liver Detox Tea (parts by volume)

An Optional, Integrated 3 Day Juice Fast

Additional Recommendations:

East Bay Acupuncture & Natural Medicine

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East Bay Acupuncture
& Natural Medicine