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Heart Health                     February 2009
Greetings!

This month, our focus is on heart health. Prescription medications for lowering cholesterol and blood pressure are being prescribed at an increasingly alarming rate. As with any medication, the side-effects versus the benefits should be heavily considered. We want you to know that there are natural approaches to heart health that you can take advantage of starting today. Some recommendations are common sense and in line with what we all know: limit fatty foods, get 20-40 minutes of exercise 3-4 times per week, avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. Other recommendations that are included in this newsletter might not be so common sense such as detoxification to reverse heart damaging effects of metabolic syndrome, supplementing with CoQ10 to undo the damage of statin therapy or using acupuncture to balance heart Qi.
 
As always, we hope that you read the following information with an open mind and an open heart and you take something life-changing and life-saving from it and then pass it along to someone you love.
 
Yours in good health naturally,
 
Dr. Kristy Allen
Acupuncture and Heart Health
 
Classic Oriental medicine states:  "Heart is the Emperor of all organs, governs the blood vessels and is the home of the spirit." 
 
This theory explains the relationship between mind/body/spirit.  Imbalance of heart Qi may include dizziness, sores on the tongue, racing heart, insomnia, poor memory, feeling restless, depression, anxiety, profuse or easy sweating, no light in the eyes, inability to follow through, or inappropriate laughter. 
 
Fire is the element of the heart.  Too much heat (alcohol, hot & spicy foods, drugs, some prescription medications, hot climates) can create extra heart fire.
 
On the other hand, too much cold or cooling (cold & raw foods, some prescription medications) can douse the heart fire.  Overthinking and inactivity can have the same effect. Keeping the balance requires regular exercise, mind calming practices such as meditation, qi gong, or prayer and mindful dietary choices. 
 
When experiencing any physical or emotional irregularities, early intervention prevents a worsening and lends to more effective results.  Determining excess or deficiency will determine treatment including acupuncture, herbs and appropriate food choices.  It is an interesting note that in Oriental medicine, the flavor for the heart is "bitter" and recent studies indicate that dark chocolate, which has a bitter flavor, may benefit heart health.
 
Wishing you warmth in your heart and a twinkle in your eyes.  Jean Dombroski, L.Ac.
Detox Questionnaire: take the survey below to find out if your body is in need of detoxification. Add up your scores and call our office today for further recommendations.
 
Rate each of the following symptoms based upon your typical health profile for: 
 
              () Past 30 days    () Past 48 hours

Point Scale 

 0 - Never or almost never have the symptom 
 1 - Occasionally have it, effect is not severe
 2 - Occasionally have it, effect is severe      
 3 - Frequently have it, effect is not severe
 4 - Frequently have it, effect is severe
 
HEAD     ________  Headaches
              ________  Faintness
              ________  Dizziness
              ________  Insomnia                          Total_______
 
EYES     ________  Watery or itchy eyes
              ________  Swollen, reddened or sticky eyelids
              ________  Bags or dark circles under eyes
              ________  Blurred or tunnel vision
                            (does not include near or far sightedness)
                                                                    Total _______
EARS     ________  Itchy ears
              ________  Earaches, ear infections
              ________  Drainage from ear
              ________  Ringing in ears, hearing loss
                                                                     Total________  
 NOSE    ________  Stuffy nose
              ________  Sinus problems
              ________  Hay fever
              ________  Sneezing attacks
              ________  Excessive mucus formation
                                                                     Total________
MOUTH/THROAT
            ________  Chronic coughing
            ________  Gagging, frequent need to clear throat
            ________  Sore throat, hoarseness, loss of voice
            ________  Swollen or discolored tongue, gums, lips
            ________  Canker sores
                                                                     Total________
SKIN     ________  Acne
            ________  Hives, rashes, dry skin
            ________  Hair loss
            ________  Flushing, hot flashes
            ________  Excessive sweating
                                                                     Total________
HEART   
            ________  Irregular or skipped heartbeat
            ________  Rapid or pounding heartbeat
            ________  Chest pain
                                                                     Total________
LUNGS  ________  Chest congestion
             ________  Asthma, bronchitis
             ________  Shortness of breath
             ________  Difficulty breathing
                                                                     Total________
DIGESTIVE TRACT
            ________  Nausea, vomiting
            ________  Diarrhea
            ________  Constipation
            ________  Bloated feeling
            ________  Belching, passing gas
            ________  Heartburn
            ________  Intestinal/stomach pain
                                                                     Total________
JOINT/MUSCLE
            ________  Pain or aches in joints
            ________  Arthritis
            ________  Stiffness or limitation of movement
            ________  Pain or aches in muscles
            ________  Feeling of weakness or tiredness
                                                                     Total________
WEIGHT 
            ________  Binge eating/drinking
            ________  Craving certain foods
            ________  Excessive weight
            ________  Compulsive eating
            ________  Water retention
            ________  Underweight
                                                                     Total________
ENERGY/ACTIVITY
            ________  Fatigue, sluggishness
            ________  Apathy, lethargy
            ________  Hyperactivity
            ________  Restlessness
                                                                     Total________
MIND  
            ________  Poor memory
            ________  Confusion, poor comprehension
            ________  Poor concentration
            ________  Poor physical coordination
            ________  Difficulty in making decisions
            ________  Stuttering or stammering
            ________  Slurred speech
            ________  Learning disabilities
                                                                       Total________
EMOTIONS
            ________  Mood swings
            ________  Anxiety, fear, nervousness
            ________  Anger, irritability, aggressiveness
            ________  Depression
                                                                       Total________
OTHER
           ________  Frequent illness
           ________  Frequent or urgent urination
           ________  Genital itch or discharge
                                                                       Total________
 
                      GRAND TOTAL________
 
If you scored 15 or higher, your health could benefit from a detox program.
 
In This Issue
Acupuncture and Heart Health
Detox Questionnaire
Stress Relief with Herbs
New Products: Cholesterol and Blood Pressure Support
Nutritional Needs of the Heart
QUICK LINKS
 

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Stress Relief with Herbs withPeggy Gordon
fern
Not sure if you are taking the right vitamins?  How many to take? Are they really working?  I can help with a Meridian Stress Assessment.  Want to see how it works?  Come to our free demo...
 
Thursday
March 5th 
Noon- 6 PM
 
I will personally test a few points on your hand and show you how I can balance your body with herbs and supplements.  A sign up sheet will be at Dr. Allen's office or just stop in on March 5th, it only takes 5 minutes.
 
A full consultation and assessment requires a one hour appointment and if you schedule an appointment for a new consult and mention this article you can save $10.00
 
 
 

Keep In Mind:

Dr. Allen will be out of the office from March 7- 14th. 
 
 Be sure to make your appointments soon.  Dr. Jim will be available for emergencies.  You can also schedule footbaths and pick up supplements on Tuesdays and Thursdays when he is in the office.  Just call ahead to verify open hours that week.
 
Peggy, Jean, and Inge will be in the office as usual.
Free Heart Health Screening
This is the time to remind us if you have family members with a history of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.  We will check your blood pressure and do a nutritional analysis of your heart points.  Just ask us at your next appointment! 
Offer Expires: March 31, 2009
New Products
 
Meta-Sitosterol- natural cholesterol support derived from plant sterols.  Along with a healthy diet, you can improve your overall cardiovascular health. *Natural cholesterol support without the risk of liver damage.
 
Vessel Care-comprehensive support for methylation and homocysteine levels to maintain blood vessel health and function.  It also helps with absorption of vitamin B12.
 
Arginine Plus- combination heart support for healthy heart function, circulation, and blood flow. L-arginine supports circulation. Magnesium supports healthy muscle contraction and relaxation, and heart rhythms. L-5-MTHF is a body-ready form of folate to help homocysteine levels. *This formula is a must for erectile dysfunction.
 
Vasotensin- natural blood pressure support.  This provides bonito fish peptides to support healthy blood pressure levels by helping to reduce the formation of angiotensin II.  This is great for vascular function and blood flow.
 
 Ask today how these natural remedies can compliment or replace your conventional therapies.
 
Heart with EKGNutritional Needs of the Heart
 
The needs of the heart are simple.  Fatty Acids (fish oil or omega 3's), Protein to supply Amino Acids that help build the heart muscle, minerals such as Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium to help regulate the heartbeat. Follow a Low Glycemic Index eating plan to keep an even level of blood sugars. CoQ10 is an important antioxidant for heart tissue that is commonly depleted with statin medications(cholesterol lowing drugs). 
 
With all this said, eat right, excercise and take your supplements on a regular basis. Your heart will thank you for it.
-Peggy Gordon, nutritional consultant. 
DETOX EVENT:
 
March 6th 7:00-8:30
3300 Monroe Ave.
on the landing outside Hunt Real Estate
 
Top executives from Isagenix will be here to share their expertise and answer your questions.
 
Live testimonials from people who have already completed a 9 day or 30 day detox program. 
 
Is a cleansing program right for you? 
 
FREE Body Composition Testing!
 
Call today to reserve your seat. Spaces limited!
 
385-5870