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by: Debra Clydesdale LAc DNBAO
Chinese Acupuncture Weight Loss Solutions
I remember the first time I took Chinese herbs.
One of my patients told me “You look really tired – Here take these
herbs” and handed me a bagful of different colored packages. It hurt to
have it put so bluntly, but it was true, I was building a business,
working long hours and feeling a bit drained, so I listened and took
them home to use that night. One was a peach green tea that tasted like
the Snapple I had been drinking earlier that day, one was an
“interesting tasting” dark green liquid which I took with an OJ chaser
and the third was a powder that I mixed up with OJ, water and soy milk
to make a citrus smoothie. Not bad I thought, for Chinese herbs… And
then something amazing happened. I felt full! Little did I know at that
time I had been given the key to my natural weight loss that I still
maintain 15 years later.
I loved it! I had never felt full before in my
life. I had been struggling with being thin since childhood. I had
learned when to stop eating in order to not gain weight; I knew all
kinds of tricks like drinking water before a meal and getting up and
walking away from the table. I looked at each new “diet trend” and I had
eliminated all those “bad carbohydrates” from my diet and lived at the
gym – and I ended up thin and tired all the time. I even tried dexatrim
(I may be dating myself – does any body else out there remember that?)
and ended up a yo-yo dieter. It was like I was in a constant battle with
my body and my weight.
In this process of trying everything I had never
before felt this feeling of being satisfied. I loved it! So I used the
herbs for a few weeks and then I proceeded to talk myself out of taking
the herbs – too expensive, etc… and promptly got tired and sick, went
back on them – stopped and got sick and tired again, repeated it a third
time and then I got the message that these herbs were doing something
really good for my body.
Then to my surprise, six months later I dropped 20
pounds without changing anything else in my life. I even began to eat
more without gaining weight like I used to. I had a lifetime of
experience struggling with my weight and I was amazed at how these
“little packages of herbs” were changing my life. I would never have
expected that these nutritional herbs would help me lose weight. I was
so intrigued that I ended up going to Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
School to learn more. That was my door into the world of Chinese
Medicine and acupuncture weight loss and I’ve never looked back.
Weight Loss is quite a difficult complex problem
for some of us, and not even an issue for others. Just recently
“Language has been removed from the Medicare Coverage Issues Manual
stating that obesity is not an illness…. The medical science will now
determine whether we provide coverage for the treatments that reduce
complications and improve quality of life for the millions of Medicare
beneficiaries with obesity.” Being overweight is now officially a
disease. “And as a first step, we expect to convene our Medicare
Coverage Advisory Committee in the fall to evaluate the evidence on the
various surgical procedures used in treating obesity.” There has to be
other alternatives besides surgery.
Acupuncture for Weight Loss hit the press in 2003
when Reuters, CNN and others reported of successful acupuncture weight
loss clinics in China. Chinese Medicine theory, traditionally hold that
overweight people have imbalanced digestive systems. By stimulating the
digestive system through acupuncture and herbs, it becomes more balanced
and efficient, thus nutrition is more bio-available and the person feels
fuller. This is what happened to me when my metabolism came into a
better balance. Other theories are that acupuncture mainly helps reduce
appetite and improve metabolism.
A slow increase in Obesity in China had lead to
this new specialty – acupuncture weight loss. A professor at a
Traditional Chinese Medicine College in China states that treatments for
weight reduction have been practiced, studied and refined over the past
5 years . While an exact comparison between the US and China is
difficult, in China the numbers may be close to 10-13% overweight
adults, as compared to 64% for the US, but with their lifestyles and
economic changes this number is beginning to rise . In Beijing, the
capital, students eagerly enjoy down their Kentucky Fried Chicken,
McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Pepsi and pop tarts. These foods have slowly
replaced the previous hot spots with traditional Chinese snacks found in
places like Grandma’s Dumpling House . The obesity rate among primary
and middle school students has risen to 18 %, from 10% in 1991, the
state Xinhua news agency said recently, citing a survey from the Beijing
Center for Disease Control and Prevention.!
So what kind of acupuncture weight loss treatments
do they offer in these clinics in China? Acupuncture, on the body and/or
the ear, herbal supplements and exercise that’s not overly taxing .
These are the primary treatment modalities that are used, but
Acupuncture is the pillar of their weight loss strategy. How successful
are they in losing weight? Currently there are no published research
studies in peer – reviewed journals, only success stories emanating from
the clinics. One source states “On this modest program – patients are
said to lose between 22 and 33 pounds per month .” Huge weight losses of
up to 242 pounds are boasted. In China, they say that 4 of 5 patients
lose weight.
I was fortunate to have been trained by a
colleague that studied in China learning these acupuncture weight loss
treatments. We are now proud and excited to offer the Chinese
nutritional herbal program that I used as well as these treatments as
well and other supporting treatments for weight loss at our Oriental
Medicine spa-clinic in Los Angeles. I continue to further my study and
am exploring working with researchers at a major university to evaluate
the efficacy of these protocols. Imagine finding solid evidence that
there is a treatment for obesity that has relatively few side effects.
It is exciting to see where this can go.
The unique acupuncture weight loss program we are
offering here in Los Angeles at the Oriental Med Spa is a synergy based
on the treatment protocol currently used in China, Chinese Dietary
therapy including nutrient packed supplements and nutrition for weight
loss taught to physicians . It is a gradual reduction method and
includes Oriental Medicine Diagnosis, a series of eight Acupuncture for
Weight Loss Treatments, Auricular acupuncture (ear seeds) and herbal
pharmaceutical grade Chinese nutrition supplements. Acupuncture and
nutritional herbs are used primarily to strengthen the digestive system
so it becomes more efficient. The food you eat is better assimilated and
you feel full more quickly with less cravings. We hear “I noticed that
my cravings were much less” on a regular basis from patients.
Breathing exercises are also a vital part of our
program. For additional support we also provide Chinese Nutrition diet
analysis, Eating plans, Lifestyle Changes Support, RejuvaQi Qi Gong
Exercises, Slim & Toned IR BodyWrap and AromaWraps for weight loss.
Treatments range from active to pampering. Each program is tailored and
individualized for the patient’s unique situation. In China they say
that 4 of 5 patients lose weight. Only time will tell here in the West .
Searches of medical literature show that all of
the following are important, lifestyle choices such as daily exercise,
smart diet choices, dealing with your “inner eating demons”. Others are
important but haven’t gotten quite as much press – proper breathing,
body balance & flexibility, and constitution. Let’s face it we all come
in as a unique individual with our own DNA, personality profile and
favorite foods. First is the decision to lose weight, next is the right
support.
This is where I believe Chinese Medicine and
acupuncture for weight loss are powerful supporting tools, to help us
find our own individual paths to healthy living. It is a slow gradual
reduction method. It takes time as the body rebalances. It worked well
for me, it has worked for others and if you are seriously looking for
support for your weight loss, come in for a treatment. We’d love to
share it with you. |
