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many cheeses in a shop

Trying to lose weight? Cut the Cheese!

People—particularly us in Wisconsin—seem to love dairy products: milk, cheese, cream, half & half, certain types of yogurt, whipped cream, cream puffs, ice cream, and on and on… Can dairy make you fat? As good as these things taste, we have seen clinically that they may cause or worsen many health problems including weight gain, digestive issues (such as acid reflux, abdominal gas, bloating, IBS, constipation and diarrhea), allergies, sinus problems, asthma, fatigue, and others. Read more…

By The Acupuncturists, ago
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The Dangers of MSG

What is Monosodium Glutamate? Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer traditionally found in Chinese food. For over 50 years in the United States, it has been added to everyday foods from potato chips, soups, breakfast sausage and gravy to seasoning packets, fast food, prepared meals and baby food. It activates a fifth taste (in addition to sweet, salty, bitter and sour) called “umami,” which is the Japanese word for “pleasant savory taste.” Why is Read more…

By The Acupuncturists, ago
water

5 Tips for Increasing Your Water Intake

With the hot weather rapidly becoming the new norm, the importance of drinking water has again popped up. But how do we make it part of our daily habits? First, let’s look at a couple reasons why drinking water is so important. Water can help aid weight loss. Drinking water often will replace those high-calorie drinks like soda, juice and alcohol. It is also a great appetite suppressant, we often eat when we think we’re Read more…

By The Acupuncturists, ago
image of tasty mocktails

3 Electrolyte Packed Mocktail Recipes To Keep You Hydrated

With the hot and sticky summer months here again, it’s a good reminder to make sure to stay hydrated. Getting plenty of water throughout the day is a necessity as the temps rise; however, we also need to be aware of how many electrolyte minerals we are losing when we sweat and resupply those as well. What are Electrolytes? Electrolytes are substances (minerals) that become ions (charged particles) in solution in order to conduct electrical Read more…

By The Acupuncturists, ago
sinus and allergies

How Does Your Immune System Work?

The immune system is composed of specific cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body from outside influences (invading organisms like viruses, bacteria or molds, toxins, chemicals, radiation or allergens). It operates on many levels: Intact skin that creates a barrier from outside invaders Complex workings of the different types of white blood cells in destroying invasive organisms or substances. The word immune is defined (in the modern medical sense) as “exempt” Read more…

By The Acupuncturists, ago
lush fresh vegetables

Should you buy organic? (Dirty Dozen and Clean 15)

Organic vs. Non-organic: why it makes a difference (and when) Organic foods have become a popular concept in the modern quest for better health and wellness. They have become much easier to find, with more variety available than in previous times. Lots of people swear by the “organic only” rule when it comes to what they eat and it’s an admirable goal, but others are put off by the higher cost of these products and Read more…

By The Acupuncturists, ago
woman on the beach in swimsuit

Sun Safety (and a Natural Sunscreen Recipe)

Ah summer! It’s a much anticipated and longed for time of the year for so many of us in the Midwestern U.S. After the winter holidays, it’s pretty much on the minds of most of us as we endure the cold, sun-starved months of the late winter and early spring. Once it gets here though, it can hit with force. It can be only a matter of days between the last overnight frost occurrence and Read more…

By The Acupuncturists, ago
deer ticks on a finger

Tick Season and Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread through tick bites; specifically the tiny deer tick. It is becoming more common as tick population is increased in some areas and more people are outdoors in the long grass and brushy wooded areas where ticks live. It can also be brought in on pets with ticks that drop off and then get on the owners. Lyme Disease Symptoms Early symptoms are flu like things such as chills, Read more…

By The Acupuncturists, ago

Quick and Easy Spring Noodle Soup

Spring in Chinese Medicine is the time when the world and our bodies are waking up out of the very cold, dark, Yin winter and become activated by new growth. It is a time of the reactivation of the Yang or warm and energetic nature of our being. The organ system of spring is the Liver, although Spleen also must be considered as the basis of digestion and energy production. In Chinese medicine the Liver Read more…

By The Acupuncturists, ago
upset stomach

What is a Colonic?

As practitioners, we are often asked about the use of colonic cleansing. Our recent blog on dietary cleansing has renewed that line of questioning for a lot of patients as well. This brief article will help to clarify where our medicine stands on the subject. What is a colon cleanse? Traditionally known as a “high colonic” this refers to the process of flushing out the colon (or large intestine) with large amounts of water or Read more…

By The Acupuncturists, ago