Happy New Year to all of our patients, friends, and families! The New Year represents a time of significant change and transition. To us at Cypress, it is a time for creativity, renewal, and transformation. The beginning of the year is the perfect time to reassess previous health habits and to adopt the changes needed that encourage optimal health and wellbeing. We at Cypress want to give a very special thanks to all of our patients for trusting us with your health and making us your #1 choice for natural healthcare over the past year!

It has been a very exciting year for us at Cypress with the addition of Arlene Hazlekorn (our fabulous office manager!) and Sarah Fink, L.Ac. (our wonderful new acupuncturist!) They are both a tremendous addition to our growing team and I am sure that you will meet them soon if you have not met them already.

2/1/08 – 4/1/08: Sarah Fink, LAc is offering a 30% discount on all initial acupuncture visits (Reg. $165). Sarah specializes in pain management, women’s health, fertility, and chronic illness by utilizing acupuncture and traditional chinese medicine. If you would like to know more about the services that Sarah offers please feel free to call the clinic at 650-323-7345 or email her directly at sarah@cnmhealth.com.

Referral Discount: Every patient that refers a friend, family member, or community member to our clinic for an initial office visit will receive a one-time $15 credit toward their next visit. There is no limit to the number of people you can refer and receive this special. We have had patients virtually pay for their own healthcare by referring their loved ones to us!

1/29/08: Dr. Destia Skinner, ND, CST
What: Supporting your immune system through the cold season
Where: Cypress Natural Medicine, Palo Alto
When: Tuesday 2/12/08 @ 7:30-8:30pm (Free)
RSVP: drdestia@cnmhealth.com

• How does the immune system work?
• What are the keys to increasing immunity.
• Practicing prevention, what does that mean?
• The power packed foods for optimal immunity (take home a list of healthy grocery items)
• How to reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and other chronic diseases and how to maintain a healthy weight
• Learn about a simple, healthy solution for the entire family – fruits and veggies in a capsule “Juice Plus+”

2/12/08: Dr. Destia Skinner, ND, CST
What: Balancing Hormones: What you can do to keep your body in Harmony
Where: Cypress Natural Medicine, Palo Alto
When: Tuesday 2/12/08 @ 7-8:30pm (Free)
RSVP: drdestia@cnmhealth.com

Learn from an expert in natural health what you can do to keep your hormones balanced and at optimal levels. This lecture will include topics such as menstrual irregularity, PMS, menopause, andropause, low libido, and BHRT (bio-identical hormone replacement therapy). Don’t hesitate to bring your questions along with you!

2/1/08 – 4/1/08: Sarah Fink, LAc is offering a 30% discount on all initial acupuncture visits (Reg. $165). Sarah specializes in pain management, women’s health, fertility, and chronic illness by utilizing acupuncture and traditional chinese medicine. If you would like to know more about the services that Sarah offers please feel free to call the clinic at 650-323-7345 or email her directly at sarah@cnmhealth.com.

Referral Discount: Every patient that refers a friend, family member, or community member to our clinic for an initial office visit will receive a one-time $15 credit toward their next visit. There is no limit to the number of people you can refer and receive this special. We have had patients virtually pay for their own healthcare by referring their loved ones to us!

1/29/08: Dr. Destia Skinner, ND, CST
What: Supporting your immune system through the cold season
Where: Cypress Natural Medicine, Palo Alto
When: Tuesday 2/12/08 @ 7:30-8:30pm (Free)
RSVP: drdestia@cnmhealth.com

• How does the immune system work?
• What are the keys to increasing immunity.
• Practicing prevention, what does that mean?
• The power packed foods for optimal immunity (take home a list of healthy grocery items)
• How to reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and other chronic diseases and how to maintain a healthy weight
• Learn about a simple, healthy solution for the entire family – fruits and veggies in a capsule “Juice Plus+”

2/12/08: Dr. Destia Skinner, ND, CST
What: Balancing Hormones: What you can do to keep your body in Harmony
Where: Cypress Natural Medicine, Palo Alto
When: Tuesday 2/12/08 @ 7-8:30pm (Free)
RSVP: drdestia@cnmhealth.com

Learn from an expert in natural health what you can do to keep your hormones balanced and at optimal levels. This lecture will include topics such as menstrual irregularity, PMS, menopause, andropause, low libido, and BHRT (bio-identical hormone replacement therapy). Don’t hesitate to bring your questions along with you!

To the Cypress Natural Medicine Community,
Hi! My name is Sarah Fink and I’m the newest edition to the healthcare team at Cypress Natural Medicine. I’m a Licensed Acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Herbalist. I’m also a Certified NAET practitioner. I received my four-year graduate degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco. I’ve apprenticed and worked in a wonderful variety of clinics all over the Bay Area, as well as a few in China. I specialize in Women’s Health, Fertility, and Pain Management, although I do treat many other conditions.

Above all, I am committed to providing the same high quality of attentive care you have grown accustomed to at Cypress Natural Medicine. I am thrilled to join this talented team of practitioners, and look forward to working with you toward better health. If you have any additional questions about what I do, or how it may apply to you, please feel free to email me personally sarah@cnmhealth.com.

Be well,
Sarah Fink, L.Ac

The latest research reporting no benefit for breast cancer reoccurrence seems flawed. They did not report what type or sources of vegetables and fruit the subjects ate. Here at Cypress Natural Medicine we understand that all plants are not created equal. Veggies with higher lignin’s and higher cancer fighting elements like the sulfonamides found in broccoli can produce greater anti-cancer benefits.

The second flaw we noted was that levels of organic fruits and vegetables consumed was not listed. Pesticides are well documented to be breast cancer promoters and just by increasing the amounts of pesticides in the women could help to promote cancer as the veggies were fighting the cancer. Pesticide free, vine ripened, canned verses fresh are all important factors to the quality of the food we are consuming. These are all important elements when trying to fight cancer with fruit and veggies.

This is not a study to say that fruit and veggies don’t prevent cancer in first place. This is about reoccurrence of breast cancer not cancer prevention. The fabulous flavinoids in our fruit and vegetables are widely shown to prevent cancer by protecting our cells and increasing our immune system but the quality is just as important as the quantity.

In this study design the subjects were counting all sources of plant life including canned, microwaves, non organic sources. This is a flaw in the information. This may not be due to the fruits and vegetable not doing the job but instead the many factors that increase quality in our foods. . There is such a wealth of research on the fabulous effects of our plant based diets that plants should remain the major basis for every day eating.

The lesson of this study is the importance that not all fruits and veggies are created equal. Here are some guidelines for getting the most out of your fruit and veggie eating:

1. Choose organic whenever possible. Pesticides are associated with cancer. No reason to cancel out the effects of your healthy eating.

2. Shop at your local farmers market. Local vine ripened plants are higher nutrition because they are fresher.

3. Eat a majority of fresh, lightly steamed or sautéed veggies

4. Eat the rainbow of colors. Choose vibrant colors and at least 5 colors to explore each day. The health protective factors are in the color and flavor molecules of our plants.

5. Eat a wide variety of fresh fruits and veggies. There are over 300,000 different types of edible plants. Start exploring new colors and flavors.

For more research on the importance of fruit and vegetables in your diet and to find out about a simple way to get your servings visit www.fruitveggiehealth.com.

SOURCES: Touillaud, M. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, March 21, 2007; vol 99: pp 475-496. News release, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The latest research reporting no benefit for breast cancer reoccurrence seems flawed. They did not report what type or sources of vegetables and fruit the subjects ate. Here at Cypress Natural Medicine we understand that all plants are not created equal. Veggies with higher lignin’s and higher cancer fighting elements like the sulfonamides found in broccoli can produce greater anti-cancer benefits.

The second flaw we noted was that levels of organic fruits and vegetables consumed was not listed. Pesticides are well documented to be breast cancer promoters and just by increasing the amounts of pesticides in the women could help to promote cancer as the veggies were fighting the cancer. Pesticide free, vine ripened, canned verses fresh are all important factors to the quality of the food we are consuming. These are all important elements when trying to fight cancer with fruit and veggies.

This is not a study to say that fruit and veggies don’t prevent cancer in first place. This is about reoccurrence of breast cancer not cancer prevention. The fabulous flavinoids in our fruit and vegetables are widely shown to prevent cancer by protecting our cells and increasing our immune system but the quality is just as important as the quantity.

In this study design the subjects were counting all sources of plant life including canned, microwaves, non organic sources. This is a flaw in the information. This may not be due to the fruits and vegetable not doing the job but instead the many factors that increase quality in our foods. . There is such a wealth of research on the fabulous effects of our plant based diets that plants should remain the major basis for every day eating.

The lesson of this study is the importance that not all fruits and veggies are created equal. Here are some guidelines for getting the most out of your fruit and veggie eating:

1. Choose organic whenever possible. Pesticides are associated with cancer. No reason to cancel out the effects of your healthy eating.

2. Shop at your local farmers market. Local vine ripened plants are higher nutrition because they are fresher.

3. Eat a majority of fresh, lightly steamed or sautéed veggies

4. Eat the rainbow of colors. Choose vibrant colors and at least 5 colors to explore each day. The health protective factors are in the color and flavor molecules of our plants.

5. Eat a wide variety of fresh fruits and veggies. There are over 300,000 different types of edible plants. Start exploring new colors and flavors.

For more research on the importance of fruit and vegetables in your diet and to find out about a simple way to get your servings visit www.fruitveggiehealth.com.

SOURCES: Touillaud, M. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, March 21, 2007; vol 99: pp 475-496. News release, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Medicine is increasingly becoming aware that many chronic diseases are linked with inflammation. It is becoming increasingly clear that a host of illnesses – including heart disease, many cancers and Alzheimer’s disease – are influenced in large part by chronic inflammation. This is a process in which the immune system becomes off balance, and persists unnecessarily in its efforts to repair the body and repel pathogens. The prolonged process results in damage to healthy tissue as well. Stress, lack of exercise, genetic predisposition and other lifestyle factors can all promote inflammation, but poor diet is perhaps the main contributor, and the ideal place to begin addressing inflammation

Anti-inflammatory Diet General Recommendations:
• Aim for variety.
• Include as much fresh food as possible.
• Minimize your consumption of processed foods and fast food.
• Eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables.
• Minimize animal protein to 10% of daily calories. This is about one small serving a day from animal sources. This includes all meats, eggs and dairy.

Caloric Intake
• Most adults need to consume between 2,000 and 3,000 calories a day.
• The distribution of calories you take in should be as follows: 40 to 50 percent from carbohydrates, 30 percent from fat, and 20 to 30 percent from protein with only 10 percent from animal sources.
• Try to include carbohydrates, fat, and protein at each meal.

Carbohydrates
• On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, adult women should consume between 160 to 200 grams of carbohydrates a day.
• Adult men should consume between 240 to 300 grams of carbohydrates a day.
• The majority of this should be in the form of less-refined, less-processed foods with a low glycemic load.
• Reduce your consumption of foods made with wheat flour and sugar, especially bread and most packaged snack foods (including chips and pretzels).
• Eat more whole grains (not whole wheat flour products), beans, winter squashes, and sweet potatoes. Quinoa is a great whole grain to try if you haven’t yet.
• Cook pasta al dente and eat it in moderation.
• Avoid products made with high fructose corn syrup. This is linked with insulin problems and type 2 Diabetes.

Fat
• On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, 600 calories can come from fat – that is, about 67 grams. This should be in a ratio of 1:2:1 of saturated to monounsaturated to polyunsaturated fat.
• Reduce your intake of saturated fat by eating less butter, cream, cheese and other full-fat dairy products; unskinned chicken and fatty meats; and products made with coconut and palm kernel oils.
• Use small amounts of extra-virgin olive oil as your main cooking oil. If you want a neutral tasting oil, use expeller-pressed, organic canola oil. High-oleic versions of sunflower and safflower oil are acceptable also, preferably non-GMO (genetically modified).
• Avoid regular safflower and sunflower oils, corn oil, cottonseed oil, and mixed vegetable oils.
• Strictly avoid margarine, vegetable shortening, and all products listing them as ingredients. Strictly avoid all products made with partially hydrogenated oils of any kind.
• Include in your diet avocados and nuts, especially walnuts, cashews, almonds, and nut butters made from these nuts.
• For omega-3 fatty acids, eat salmon (preferably fresh or frozen wild or canned sockeye), sardines packed in water or olive oil, herring, and black cod (sablefish, butterfish); omega-3 fortified eggs; hemp seeds and flaxseeds (preferably freshly ground); or take a fish oil supplement (see below).

Protein
• On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet your daily intake of protein should be between 80 and 120 grams. Eat less protein if you have liver or kidney problems, allergies, or autoimmune disease.
• Decrease your consumption of animal protein
• Eat more vegetable protein, especially from beans in general and soybeans in particular. Become familiar with the range of soy foods available and find ones you like.

Fiber
• Try to eat 40 grams of fiber a day. You can achieve this by increasing your consumption of fruit, especially berries, vegetables (especially beans), and whole grains.
• Ready-made cereals can be good fiber sources, but read labels to make sure they give you at least 4 and preferably 5 grams of bran per one-ounce serving.

Phytonutrients
• To get maximum natural protection against age-related diseases (including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease) as well as against environmental toxicity, eat a variety of fruits, vegetables and mushrooms.
• Choose fruits and vegetables from all parts of the color spectrum, especially berries, tomatoes, orange and yellow fruits, and dark leafy greens.
• Choose organic produce whenever possible. Learn which conventionally grown crops are most likely to carry pesticide residuesand avoid them.
• Eat cruciferous (cabbage-family) vegetables regularly.
• Include soy foods in your diet.
• Drink tea instead of coffee, especially good quality white, green or oolong tea.
• If you drink alcohol, use red wine preferentially.
• Enjoy plain dark chocolate in moderation (with a minimum cocoa content of 70 percent).
• Vitamins and Minerals

The best way to obtain all of your daily vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients is by eating a diet high in fresh foods with an abundance of fruits and vegetables.
• Talk to your doctor about adding Juice Plus to your diet. Fruits and vegetables will increase your antioxidants and decrease the inflammation in your body. For more information on Juice Plus visit www.fruitveggiehealth.com.

Other Dietary Supplements
• If you are not eating oily fish at least twice a week, take supplemental fish oil, in capsule or liquid form, 1-2 grams a day. Look for molecularly distilled products certified to be free of heavy metals and other contaminants.
• If you are not regularly eating ginger and turmeric, consider taking these in supplemental form.
• Add CoQ10 to your daily regimen: 60-100 milligrams of a softgel form taken with your largest meal.

Water
• Water intake should be one third to one half of your body weight in ounces. (tea, very diluted fruit juice, sparkling water with lemon). For example is you weigh 120 lbs then your water intake should be 40-60 ounces of fresh pure water.
Use bottled water or get a home water purifier if your tap water tastes of chlorine or other contaminants, or if you live in major city areas.

We all know drinking soft drinks are not healthy. This may be due to not only the high sugar content but the type of sweetener, high fructose corn syrup. Medline linked high fructose with artery inflammation and increase heart disease factors. Read labels and watch how many packaged foods contain concentrated fructose or high fructose corn syrup.

Drinking high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the main ingredient in most soft drinks throughout the world, increases your triglyceride levels and your LDL (bad) cholesterol. These effects only occurred in the study participants who drank fructose — not glucose.

In the recent study on fructose, the Fructose-consuming participants demonstrated increased plasma concentrations of the atherogenic risk factors oxidized LDL-C (P < .0001) and intracellular adhesion molecule (P < .05), but those consuming glucose did not.

There are many factors that need to be explored. The high fructose is a sugar molecule that needs to be processed by the liver and this may be where the toxic effects are derived. We would recommend that your only sources of fructose come in the pure and natural form found in fruits and veggies. This is not the same concentrated fructose used in the study linked with disease. Again this is a wonderful example of how we take something good and create something harmful in the lab.

Because it is metabolized by the liver, fructose does not cause the pancreas to release insulin the way it normally does. Fructose converts to fat more than any other sugar. This may be one of the reasons Americans continue to get fatter. Fructose raises serum triglycerides significantly. As a left-handed sugar, fructose digestion is very low. For complete internal conversion of fructose into glucose and acetates, it must rob ATP energy stores from the liver.

Consumption of beverages containing fructose rose 135 percent between 1977 and 2001. Food and beverage manufacturers began switching their sweeteners from sucrose (table sugar) to corn syrup in the 1970s when they discovered that HFCS was not only cheaper to make, it was also much sweeter (processed fructose is nearly 20 times sweeter than table sugar), a switch that has drastically altered the American diet.

In 1966, sucrose made up 86 percent of sweeteners. Today, 55 percent of sweeteners used are made from corn.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Stick with sugars in that naturally occur in nature rather than those that have been concentrated or chemically altered

Chinese herbal therapy dates back 3500 years. The first known Chinese herb book listed 365 medicinal plants and their uses, including Ma Huang (Ephedra sinica), the desert shrub that introduced the drug ephedrine to modern medicine. Ma Huang, known for its ability to dilate the bronchi, was traditionally used in Chinese formulas to treat asthma until it was banned in the United States in 2005 due to its unregulated and off-label use as a diet supplement.

The ban on Ma Huang prompted researchers to investigate alternative herbal formulas for asthma that did not include Ma Huang. Dr. Xiu-Min Li, MD, spent many years researching a 14 ingredient classical formula called ASHMI. Dr. Li found that just 3 ingredients from this formula that had remarkable efficacy in treating asthmatic symptoms.

Dr. Li reviewed an anti asthma simplified herbal medicine intervention (ASHMI, 3 herbs) derived from a classic 14-herb formula. A clinical trial collaborative study investigated the efficacy and tolerability of ASHMI with a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled model. This study was conducted through a grant from the NCCAM.

The 3 herbs in ASHMI (equivalent pharmaceutical names) are Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), Ku Shen (Radix Sophorae Flavescentis), and Licorice (Radix Glycyrrhizae). Ninety-one patients, 18-60 years of age, with persistent moderate-to-severe asthma were randomly assigned into 2 groups. The ASHMI group received 4 capsules of ASHMI 3 times per day and prednisone placebo. The prednisone group received ASHMI placebo and 20 mg of prednisone each day. All groups were treated for 4 weeks. Measurements of results were based on spirometry, symptom scores, and side effects. Serum cytokine, cortisol, and immunoglobulin IgG levels were obtained before and after treatment.

The results showed significant improvement in lung function for both groups, as shown by both increased forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV) and peak expiratory flow. Both groups had improved clinical symptom scores and reduced use of bronchodilators. Both groups, to a similar degree, had reduced serum IgG levels. Both groups had significantly reduced cytokine levels, lower in the prednisone group than in the ASHMI group (P < .05). The prednisone group had reduced cortisol levels, and the ASHMI group had increased levels of cortisol. Cortisol is an anti inflammatory hormone.

Dr. Li reported that there were no severe side effects on the major organs tested in the ASHMI group. In addition, the ASHMI group had no significant effects on body weight and no negative effects on adrenal function. Dr. Li concluded that ASHMI may be an effective, safe, and well-tolerated botanical drug for asthma.

The availability of valid scientific data and research on this classic Chinese herbal formula has garnered enough attention for practitioners of other disciplines to begin using these herbs as a supplement to treat asthma. Herbal research can lead to findings that foster the streamlining of ancient formulas into simplified but equally effective treatments, as well as promoting their use among practitioners other than acupuncturists. Allergy Research now manufactures the 3 ingredient asthma formula as a supplement called PhytoCort.

Shonishin is a playful, gentle, and highly effective way to keep babies and children strong and healthy. Shonishin is a pediatric acupressure method developed in Japan, based on Chinese Medical texts from 2000 years ago. It continues to be practiced throughout Japan as a common treatment for children up to age 7. Shonishin stimulates the immune system and addresses the spirit, giving the child a general sense of well-being. Parents can bring their children in for a shonishin treatment at the onset of symptoms, or for monthly tune-ups, which are traditionally done on or near the full moon.

Shonishin involves the use of light touch and non-insertive techniques such as rhythmic rubbing, and tapping with rounded tools, including stones and shells, or even a toothbrush. Unlike adults, the energy of children is very superficial and easy to access. As a result actual treatment time is very quick, around 15 to 20 minutes. In fact, children will often ask for more! Parents love shonishin too, as it is easy for them to learn and use on their children.

Shonishin effectively treats: earache, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, bedwetting, colds, cough, sore throat, crying, insomnia, colic, hyperactivity, allergies, night terror, indigestion, asthma, bronchitis, runny nose, just to name a few. Shonishin can be considered a holistic alternative to the overuse of antibiotics. It is also a great way to promote wellness and improve growth and development in little ones.

For more information, contact Sarah Fink, LAc at sarah@cnmhealth.com.