Echinacea is so commonly recommended during cold and flu season, I wanted to provide some information on how and when to safely use it.  This plant is both an immune enhancer and an immune stimulant.  It enhances white blood cells, which help your body fend off infections and foreign invaders.  Additionally it stimulates the immune system by posing as one of these invaders.  Your immune system recognizes an interloper and sends out the troops to immobilize and kill, just as it does when a bacteria or virus enters the body. Since there is a period

of several days when your immune system is preparing the troops, using echinacea can be really useful as preventive medicine.

I always take some before I travel or if I know I have been exposed to some nasty germs.  This way, my system is prepared for any unwelcome guests.

Since echinacea is a stimulant to the immune system, it will exhaust the troops if taken on a regular basis.  The recommended length of ingestion is no greater than 10 days.  It will lessen the symptoms of the cold or flu and hasten recovery.

Share the love at Infinity with your friends and family! Or better yet, ask them to support you in your healing with a gift certificate to your favorite community acupuncture clinic. Available by dollar amount or service item. Feel free to get creative!

Ok, so maybe it’s not quite that simple so let me explain… The war on fat is one fabricated by corporations completely misleading us into believing that the best way to lose weight and be healthy is to eat low-fat foods. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. The real culprit of weight gain and poor health is sugar, particularly fructose (does high fructose corn syrup ring a bell?).

Fructose is linked to a whole slough of problems, particularly elevating your “bad” cholesterol and lowering your “good” cholesterol, elevating your triglycerides, increasing abdominal fat (think beer belly), and increasing your risk for metabolic disorders such as diabetes.

Fats are essential for the body. Healthy fats include olive oil, coconut oil (my favorite because it boosts metabolism, burns fat, and tastes good too), raw dairy products, avocados, raw nuts, seeds, eggs (lightly cooked or raw), and organic grass-fed meats.

So next time you reach for a “healthy” low-fat snack, check out the sugar content. The recommended level of sugar per day is only 30g. And if you are trying to lose weight you’d be better off cutting it down to 10-15g max. But please don’t make the mistake of turning to sugar-free foods. Artificial sweeteners are even worse and can actually CAUSE diabetes, weight gain, and cancer.

I know this is a lot to digest, so take things one step at a time. The purpose of this post is to provide important accurate information so you can start taking control of your health safely.

We all have it. And we are making them every waking second. Choice is our expression of freewill. What will you do with life’s experiences? How will you react when things don’t go your way? Do you become angry or frustrated? Are you stuck reliving the past? This is your choice and your choice alone.

YOU have the power to change your thoughts and your perceptions. YOU create your experience on this planet. You are not a mindless drone, a victim to life’s whims. Living as an empowered human on the planet at an amazing time in history, you are responsible for how you choose to be in this moment. Create the life you want to live! It is up to you and only you.

Beginning in July 2011, Infinity Acupuncture is now a proud supporter of Seattle’s KEXP 90.3FM ~ where the music matters. As a part of our commitment to our community, we have decided to support the local public radio station that we listen to the most. In addition to supporting this great local non-profit, we will be offering special discounts to KEXP members, so go ahead and become a member today!

Become a Member Today!

As you may know, I offer services beyond the scope of Chinese Medicine. And today I’d like to tell you a little more about what a cord cutting is and why something that seems so simple can have a profound effect immediately on your health.

Did you know that our energetic ties to people last seven years before they naturally dissipate? Seven years!?! Think of all the people in the last seven years that you’ve been involved with in some way shape or form. Maybe it was that jerk of a boss, or the clingy ex? I have news for you… they are still hanging out in your energetic field tugging on and draining YOUR energy. And do you know how I know this? You still think about them, even if you don’t want to. They randomly pop up in your head.

Receiving a cord cutting is a fresh start. It is one of the primary steps in healing. Because it cuts ties to others who are draining your energy or creating negative energy in your life, subsequent healing work by your practitioner is accomplished more easily and effectively.

Receiving a cord cutting does not mean you can’t connect with people in your life. Quite the opposite! It provides the platform for you to reestablish healthy connections and boundaries with your friends, family and whomever else you’d like to have a good relationship with. It’s easy really, just give them a hug or even a phone call to reconnect.

A word of caution: not all cord cuttings are created equal. If you google “cord cutting” you may find visualization techniques, meditations, or even advice to call upon the archangels. These methods are mediocre at best. For a true cord cutting, you need a practitioner who has been granted the authority and empowerment to truly cut all the cords. You simply can’t do this process alone nor can you pick up a tool and decide you are going to give someone a cord cutting without proper training. I have received this training and have seen the results of this method time and time again. It works.

So, for only $85 you can stand strong in your full power. Don’t waste another day leaking your energy! Call today to make an appointment. 206.325.6500

Cupping technique is designed to pull toxic build up and muscle spasm from deeper tissues of the body to the surface of the skin. The body’s cells use oxygen and excrete a biproduct called carbon dioxide.

In some cases, the byproduct becomes trapped in the muscle causing acid or toxic build up. This ancient technique is a marvelous way to safely pull the toxins out of the muscle tissue. Physical pain is an indication of energy blockage, a physical blockage, or both. Often when toxin accumulation is present, so is pain. When energy and blood flow become limited, it is very hard for the body to repair itself. By utilizing cupping technique, we can remove the blockage and pull toxins to the surface where the capillary system can easily carry off waste to be excreted. In addition to carrying off waste, fresh blood is brought to the area cupped and with this the area is vitalized and undergoes the first stages of healing.

Why choose cupping?

Cupping is not only therapeutic, it is also diagnostic. First, it can tell us what kind of problem we are dealing with. In working with problems related to toxin build up or muscle spasm, the skin under the cups will color, whereas problems with bone or nerve will not color at all. Second, cupping tells us exactly where the problem is. We cup an area slightly larger to ensure the area of pain is completely covered. Some skin will color and some won’t though the same amount of suction is used with all the cups. Even on skin under a single cup, part may color while the rest does not. Third, the color will tell us the severity of the problem. Light or moderate blockage will result as pink or red color and will usually disappear after a few days. Severe blockage can cause the skin to turn a scarlet, purple or even black and may take 7-10 days for the dark color to disperse. This is all helpful not only in providing treatment but in providing a correct diagnosis.

Is it painful?

The cupping sensation can be a bit painful, especially in the first sixty seconds, the time during which most of the toxins are removed. Cupping should not be done on an empty stomach and It is helpful to remain relaxed and take long, slow breaths through the nose as to avoid becoming dizzy or lightheaded.

Most people experience immediate relief of pain or symptoms. Occasionally, in areas of severe blockage, the area may become stiff or sore during the next 24-48 hours.

Aftercare

It is important to keep the cupped area covered and warm and away from any drafts for the next three days so the muscles don’t tighten or spasm. Drink plenty of water to flush out the toxins through the body’s normal excretory pathways. Avoid strenuous exercise right after cupping, especially if the area is sore.

As we meander our way through the season of giving thanks, I am continually reminded of how grateful I truly am.  As many of you know, Infinity opened only 5 months ago.  A once distant dream a sudden reality, I am reminded of what it means to be in the now.

Now is not dreaming of the perfect location in Capitol Hill, or the bustling clinic in a beautiful space.  It’s not planning endlessly for future events nor is it looking back with regret and doubt in today’s decisions.  Now is this very moment.  And for me, this very moment is the moment I dreamt many months ago.  I dreamed of opening a community acupuncture clinic in Capitol Hill.  No, it is not the first.  In fact, Community Acupuncture is a growing movement nationwide and you’ll find at least 7 other clinics like mine in the Greater Seattle area.  But I knew that the clinic I opened would be different.  We still offer acupuncture for a sliding scale of only $20-40 and you decide what you pay.  But there’s something different about Infinity.  What is it?  What’s different?

First, have you noticed the energy in the space?  And what the heck is allover the ceiling?  Some of you have noticed the crystals hanging in the rooms and no, they are not for decoration, they enhance the vibration of the energy in the space.  In fact, they create a container to hold in all that beautiful energy.  Other methods are used on a daily basis as well to maintain and heighten the healing energy in the space.  It has been and will continue to be a priority to offer an energetically clean and safe environment for healing to occur.

Second, not only do we offer acupuncture in recliners in a community room, we offer acupuncture and cupping in small semi-private rooms when needed.  In most cases people can be treated in a recliner, but there are times when points on the thighs or cupping on the upper back is necessary and this is not something that works well in a public setting.  I am not going to ask you to hike your pants up that high!  As far as I know, this is the only community clinic that offers treatment in a semi-private room and still retains the sliding scale.

Third, we offer more services than just acupuncture and not the mainstream tagalongs like massage or reiki.  I refuse to deny you the growth and empowerment that you may receive from the other services provided.  Though these services are not related to Chinese Medicine per se, they are complimentary in that they access and enhance your body’s energy system, just like acupuncture, only using different methods.  If you are interested in learning more about these services I’m always available to answer questions or you can click here.

As I sit here in reflection, I am grateful for the glory and splendor of this moment, which is neither good nor bad.  It is not past or future.  It just is.  I am grateful for all the beautiful people that I am blessed to know.  And most of all, I am grateful for you.