Wellness Blog – Page 27 – Medford Acupuncture & Herbal Clinic

The New Flu Scare: What to Do?

Written by Ann Zimmerman on November 1, 2013. Posted in Immune Health and Balance.

by Clark Zimmerman, LAc.

It seems that every year around this time the news is abuzz about a
new and frightening flu that is making the rounds. We have been
receiving a lot of calls and questions about what to do to prevent or
treat this year’s flu strains. Depending on who you ask, there is
dramatically different advice on what to do about the flu.

Influenza, or flu for short, is a variety of ever evolving viruses
that differ from year to year. It can typically cause a number of
uncomfortable, or sometimes even life-threatening symptoms. Symptoms
can include: sinus congestion, runny nose, cough, fever/chills,
headaches, body aches, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Each virus
behaves a little differently than the next, causing a different
profile of symptoms. Symptoms also vary from person to person, even
with the same flu virus. Influenza viruses are different than the
viruses that cause the common cold, typically involving more
symptoms. They generally spread through aerosols, or droplets in the
air that are the result of coughing or sneezing, but they can also be
spread by contacting a contaminated surface.

Sugar: Between a rock and a sweet place

Written by Ann Zimmerman on October 23, 2013. Posted in Digestion/Diet.

Written by Clark Zimmerman, LAc.

I remember a few things about childhood better than others: summer vacation, creek stomping with the neighbors and mom’s chocolate chip cookies. The cookies especially stand out. Hot from the oven, the melted chocolate making a mess of my hands, and the sweetness that lingered in my mouth and instantly widened my smile. When we were good kids, mom rewarded us with fresh cookies.

These childhood associations of sugar as a reward or as a universal expression of love, stay with most of us throughout our entire life. But sugar has its dark side. Sugar is physically addictive, operating in our brain in a similar fashion to opiates. This is why people with a sweet tooth get grumpy when they go without their sugar fix. Some science says that sugar and other sweeteners are the single biggest cause of illness in the world. It is a subject that I have been studying lately. I recently read two very well written opinions on the topic: National Geographic August 2013 issue and Mother Earth Living November/December 2013 both have featured articles on sugar. Both of these articles mention that consumption of sweeteners worldwide has dramatically increased over the past 100 years, especially in the USA. It is no surprise that during this time the incidence of sugar related illnesses has also increased.

Fijian healing Story…Part I

Written by Ann Zimmerman on September 29, 2013. Posted in Acupuncture, Zimmerman Articles.

Fijian Healing Story.. .Part 1

lavena kids Part of our honeymoon was spent on a picture perfect Fijian island paradise. We ended up in a very remote village at the end the road where they offered an “eco-tourism” hike to a waterfall and a village stay. When we arrived in this jungle beach village there were no other tourists, only very friendly and easy going Fijians that spoke fairly good english. They were living a traditional Fijian subsistance lifestyle, with no electricity. During our hike to the waterfall we shared with our guide that we are healers.

The next morning some men from the village approached us and asked us if we could treat their auntie (the chief’s wife). In Fiji the village chief has some serious clout and there are many taboo behaviors in the chief’s presence, of which we were mostly ignorant.