Wellness Blog – Page 23 – Medford Acupuncture & Herbal Clinic

Winter Roots

Written by Ann Zimmerman on January 10, 2015. Posted in Immune Health and Balance.

By Clark Zimmerman

Winter is the season of roots. As the daylight wanes and the temperature drops, plants pull their energy away from above ground to store into their roots. This is a chance for the plants to rest and consolidate energy before spring’s growth spurt. Making winter the best time of year to include roots in your diet and medicine.

The chemical profile of a plant changes throughout the year. Typically, the part of a plant that is most noticeable in a particular season is also the part of the plant that is the most useful part to consume. Carrots, burdock, potatoes, beets, turnips and parsnips are all in their prime in the winter months. Not only does their flavor tend to be sweeter, they are also more nutritious. They provide the nutrients that our body’s need to thrive in the cold and dark winter months. Roots typically take longer to cook and go perfectly with the seasons desire to be by a warm stove or a simmering soup.

Our Changing Heatlh

Written by Ann Zimmerman on August 6, 2014. Posted in Immune Health and Balance.

By Ann Zimmerman, LAc.

There is a wise saying, “the only constant in life is change”. This is certainly true when we look at our health and what it takes today to feel good verses even tomorrow.

Despite our best efforts to try to settle into a certain pattern of exercise, diet, rest or self-care our needs are always changing and what we are naturally drawn to is always changing. This is often in response to the season, stress, growth patterns or just plain aging.

The needs of a sixteen year old are very different then those of a 60 year old person. Yet, we become very attached to our certain ways of living, whether healthy or not.

In our clinic, nothing will get a quicker defensive reaction than suggesting someone change their diet….even if they know it is making them sick. We are quite stubborn in our ways and forget that nothing is static. Just because you have always eaten pizza or have worked out 6 days a week does not mean that is what you can do now. It is actually quite a “bummer” and quite beautiful! It keeps life new and keeps us present with self-study of what is working for today.

Double blind studies (and the politics of medical acceptance)

Written by Ann Zimmerman on August 6, 2014. Posted in General Health.

by Clark Zimmerman, LAc.

Western medicine is based on research. It is a system that is always seeking the latest and greatest thing. It is based on the idea that innovation is the solution to treating disease. The cornerstone of modern medicine is the double blind study. A double blind study is an experiment or clinical trial in which neither the subjects nor the researchers know which subjects are receiving the active medication or treatment. It is meant to eliminate subjective bias from the test results. These studies involve 3 groups. The first is the control group that receives no treatment, the second is given a drug or treatment to be tested, and the third is given a placebo, which is an inert substance or treatment that shouldn’t have any effect on the patient. The test is double blind if both the patient and the researcher doesn’t know who gets the drug and who gets the placebo. It is considered to be the gold standard of western science in proving that a substance or treatment works.