Acupuncture can help lower cholesterol to improve heart health. After doing some research to expand my acupuncture techniques that lower cholesterol, I found that research studies of foods, supplements, and lifestyle choices were also abundant. I spent a lot of time looking at research studies and was surprised at how many of these things I do already.

The most exciting information I found was on the supplement Red Yeast Rice, which is called Hong Qu in Chinese. It is made by fermenting rice with the yeast Monascus purpureus, which then changes its color to red. The study cited in my herbal medicine textbook found that after 8 weeks of taking 600 mg of Red Yeast Rice twice a day, total cholesterol was reduced by 23%, LDL “bad cholesterol” was reduced by 31%, triglycerides were reduced by 34%, and HDL “good cholesterol” was increased by 20%. I’ve seen other studies that found that Red Yeast Rice can lower cholesterol by up to 34%. In contrast to statin drugs that can lower cholesterol by up to 24%, but only work on some people and have side effects, Red Yeast Rice is a good alternative.  Additionally, it lowers blood pressure and is an antioxidant that can help prevent cancer.  The important thing to know about the Red Yeast Rice, though, is that it needs to be fermented properly because otherwise a chemical called citrinin is created that can damage the kidneys. Some products that were found to be high in active ingredients while being free of citrinin are Cholestene, Chole-sterin, and Healthy America. The recommendation is to take 1200 mg twice a day.

Following are some lifestyle recommendations, foods, and supplements that can help with cholesterol. I included doses and amounts when cited in the research as well as the percentage that each affects the cholesterol. There were also 2 supplements called Policosanol and Guggulipid that are commonly used for cholesterol, but the research studies on them did not support any benefits.

Reducing Total Cholesterol (lowered by up to this %)

• Red Yeast Rice – see notes above – 22.7%
• Exercise – modest – 30 mins most days of week (3-9%)
• Raisins – 1 cup daily (9%)
• Pectin – 2 carrots/day (10%) – also in apples and white inside of citrus rinds
• Psyllium fiber – 10-12 g/day (3-14%)
• Flax seed – grind weekly and store in refrigerator – 1-2 T./day
• Garlic – ½-1 clove/day (10%) – chop and let sit for 10-15 minutes before eating
• Onions – quercetin in them lowers cholesterol
• Polyphenols – grapes, wine, blueberries, cranberries, bilberries, black currants, peanuts, green tea, black tea, onions, legumes, parsley – blue, purple, or dark colored grapes or berries

Reducing LDL “bad cholesterol” (lowered by up to this %)

• Red Yeast Rice – see notes above – 22-34%
• Exercise – modest – 30 mins most days of week (14%)
• Nuts – 1 oz. daily for 1 month (29%) – small handful or <1/4 cup – almonds, walnuts, cashews, brazil nuts, macadamias
• Oat bran – 2.6 g/day for 2 months (6-26%)
• Soy – 20-50g/day (10%) – 10 g in 1-2 cups soymilk, 4 oz. tofu
• Sterols & Stanols – avocado, soybeans, olive oil, green leafy vegetables (9-14%)
• Raisins – 1 cup daily (14%)
• Pomegranate Juice – 40 g/day (9%)
• Artichoke Extract – 900 mg twice daily for 6 weeks (23% – one study, not repeated yet)
• Psyllium fiber – 10-12 g/day (5-10%)
• Policosanol – studies in Cuba in 1990s showed benefit, but no studies able to support results since then
• Guggulipid – no research supporting
• Niacin – (5-25%)
• Statin drugs (23.5%)

Raising HDL “good cholesterol” (increased by up to this %)

• Red Yeast Rice – see notes above – 20%
• Quit smoking (5-10% within 30-60 days)
• Exercise – vigorous – increase heart rate above 65% (5-10%)
• Diet – low carb (15%)
• Diet – reduce saturated fats to less than 7% of total calories
• Diet – eliminate trans fats (3%)
• Alcohol – up to 1 drink/day for women and 2 drinks/day for men (5-15%, but less benefit if drink more)
• Soy – 20-50g/day (3%) – 10 g in 1-2 cups soymilk, 4 oz. tofu
• Niacin (15-35%)
• Estrogen (10-15%)
• Statin drugs (7.5%)

Reducing Triglycerides (lowered by up to this %)

• Red Yeast Rice – see notes above – 34%
• Exercise – daily brisk 30 minute walk (20%)
• Diet – low carb (8-21%)
• Soy – 20-50g/day (11%) – 10 g in 1-2 cups soymilk, 4 oz. tofu
• Fish oil – 3-4g/day (30-50%)
• Niacin – 2-3g/day (20-50%)

Reducing C-Reactive Protein (inflammatory mediator)

• Quit smoking
• Diet – high in antioxidants – whole foods, richly colored fruits & veggies, berries, wine, dark chocolate
• Fiber – mixed results
• Some statin drugs

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3065837/?tool=pmcentrez

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3151482/?tool=pmcentrez

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17302963

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11327519

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20636227

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20730532

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20975018

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20886788

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19489487

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18807715

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17650655

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21487493

I have been doing pediatric tui na (pressure point massage) on my twin nephews since they were born in January and they have responded really well to it. So the obvious next step for me was to help my sister make all of their baby food. I do the grocery shopping because I love it and I buy only organic foods and try to get as much local, seasonal produce as possible. We also use eggs and chicken from free-range chickens, beef and dairy from grass-fed cows, and wild-caught fish. We make the baby food as soon after harvest as possible to reduce bacteria and to preserve as much of the bountiful qi in it as we can. Many of the foods we use are straight from my garden.

Making baby food starts by cooking the food in the same way that you normally do, with a few important differences. We never use salt because it is hard on the fragile kidneys and we don’t use spices or sugar. We try new foods one at a time, with at least 3 days in between trying the next new food. We try to serve the foods by themselves instead of mixed with sweet fruits because we want the babies to develop a wide range of tastes for healthy foods. Surprisingly, or maybe not that surprisingly, they really love foods like kale, whole milk yogurt, and avocados. This makes me so happy. The hardest part was getting over our own hangups about foods that we think taste good or bad and let the babies show us what they like. So far they will eat everything we give them. We are waiting longer on highly allergenic foods like strawberries, citrus, nuts, and wheat. We also have only used white rice because brown rice is difficult to digest.

We cook most of the foods, including most fruits, even if they are typically eaten raw as adults. This is because the digestive systems of babies and small children are not fully developed (which is called Spleen Qi Deficiency is Traditional Chinese Medicine) and cooking them makes them easier to digest. It also softens the skins and seeds so they puree more smoothly. We also never microwave anything since it kills some of the qi of the food, so everything is done on the stovetop or in the oven. We store the food in small containers in the freezer because our schedules require us to make a few weeks worth of food at a time. Before serving the food, we let it warm on the table until it is close to room temperature instead of feeding it straight out of the refrigerator because cold foods are also hard on the digestive system. The food needs to be eaten within 2 days of thawing and a meal usually consists of a protein, grain, green vegetable, and fruit or sweet vegetable.

At 8 months, these are the baby foods we’ve made:

Protein – yogurt, beef with onions, salmon with parsley

Healthy Fats – avocado, butter, olive oil

Vegetables – kale, cucumber, chard, summer squash, zucchini, butternut squash, kuri squash, sweet potato, green beans, carrots, turnips, rutabaga, potatoes, beets, peas, spinach

Fruit – cantaloupe, watermelon, ambrosia melon, grapes, blueberries, nectarines, black plums, prunes, pears, mango, banana, apples

Grains – white rice, oatmeal

Yesterday my sister and I cooked for 6 hours to make enough food for both babies for about 3 weeks. I washed, chopped, and cooked the food (her husband helped me with the chopping) while she did the grinding. Then we put the food in small containers and froze them for the upcoming 3 weeks of meals.

Treating insomnia in my acupuncture clinic is one of my specialties. Younger patients with insomnia generally do really well with a combination of acupuncture and herbs, but older patients are generally more complicated. Sometimes the use of a supplement like melatonin can make the return to balanced sleep cycles easier with long-term insomnia cases.

Before looking at the research studies that have been done on melatonin, let’s look at how the body makes melatonin. We start by eating tryptophan. It is an essential amino acid, which means our bodies cannot produce it so we have to get it from food. The body then takes this amino acid and converts it into 5-hydroxytryptophan (also called 5-HTP). From there, the liver converts the 5-HTP into serotonin. Then, the pineal gland converts the serotonin into melatonin. Melatonin is the neurohormone that helps us sleep. For people with depression who don’t have enough serotonin to make into melatonin, insomnia issues can be present.

This sounds complicated, but what is important is that melatonin is created by the body from the amino acid tryptophan. So eating more tryptophan can help with sleep. Since meats are complete proteins which means they contain a significant amount of all of the essential amino acids, and tryptophan is an essential amino acid, meats are the easiest way to get enough tryptophan. Meats include fish, shellfish, turkey, chicken, duck, pork, beef, and game meats. Additionally, other foods that contain relatively high amounts of tryptophan include dairy (eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese), soy products (soybeans, tofu), dark leafy greens (spinach, spirulina, watercress), and seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower).

After reading so much about tryptophan, it got me to thinking about how Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at food. Generally, insomnia is considered blood deficiency or yin deficiency. And foods that help these conditions? Not surprisingly, foods like meat, dairy, soy products, dark leafy greens, and seeds help with both blood deficiency and yin deficiency. In fact, for those diagnosis patterns, foods with protein are extremely important because they have strong moistening and nourishing effects that are similar to what blood and yin do for the body. An added benefit of foods that contain lots of protein is that they are heavy and help the qi move downward. When a person with insomnia can’t sleep, the qi is oftentimes floating up into their head and causing an inability to turn the mind off and feel restful to get back to sleep. So I often recommend eating a small protein snack to help that qi become grounded for better sleep. I love that the western idea of tryptophan and the eastern idea of yin foods that help with grounding include similar types of food. It explains why a glass of warm milk which is rich in tryptophan and protein and also builds yin can help with insomnia. I love it!

For people who have had insomnia for many years or who do shift work, I sometimes recommend that they take a melatonin supplement. My clinical experience has been that 1 mg works better than a higher dosage. I’ve found that that time release ones work better, since melatonin has a half life of about 20 minutes to 2 hours, which means that it starts losing its effectiveness after that. This is why it’s so important to take a time release formula. Melatonin increases REM sleep, which means that it improves sleep quality as well as quantity. Since my patients are concerned about the safety and effectiveness of melatonin supplements, I looked at research studies. This is what I found:

• Short-term and long-term effectiveness in insomnia patients 18-80 years old, particularly those 55 and older
• Significantly better sleep quality with melatonin supplements
• No tolerance (dosages do not need to increase over time to maintain effectiveness)
• Stopping melatonin does not cause rebound insomnia or withdrawal symptoms (benefits continue to be seen after stopping)
• Beneficial for treating circadian rhythm sleep disorders, including advanced and delayed sleep phase disorders, jet lag and shiftwork disorder
• Safe during pregnancy (melatonin reduces complications in pregnancy and neonatal period)
• Safe for children (doesn’t inhibit development related to sleep quality, puberty, and mental health)
• Melatonin is an antioxidant that protects the neurological system & reduces progression of diseases like Alzheimer’s
• Improves neurotransmission of 5-HTP, dopamine, & norepinephrine, which may reduce declines in memory & movement due to aging

My sources:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21845053

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21557691

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21358967

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21340475

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21091391

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20082664

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/mel98.cfm

My patients love the food therapy recommendations I make in conjunction with their acupuncture treatments. But when I talk about soy foods, people are often concerned with the confusing information that they’ve heard in the media about soy’s estrogenic effects (which means the effects soy has on the body that mimics what estrogen does). So I did some research on the National Institute of Health website. Mostly because I totally love my Silk soymilk and also because people with Yin Deficiency and especially Stomach Yin Deficiency can really benefit from soymilk.

The main concern I hear from men is that soy has been said to cause gynecomastia (male breast enlargement), negative effects on sperm and semen, and erectile dysfunction. The clinical studies do NOT find a correlation between soy and these problems. They do, however, find that soy can help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Women worry that since soy’s estrogenic effects mimic the body’s estrogen, it might increase the risk of cancer. But that hypothesis has not been supported in the clinical studies. What the studies do show is that soy reduces menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats) and reduces the risk of breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  It also increases bone density to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. It can potentially have positive effects on memory, but has been difficult to show in studies. However, it does appear that the earlier a postmenopausal woman includes soy in her diet, the more cognitive benefits it will have.

For both women and men, soy lowers LDL “bad” cholesterol, increases HDL “good” cholesterol, and reduces blood triglycerides. These things together reduce the risks of coronary heart disease.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20378106

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12638461

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21685820

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21765045

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21730216

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21790611

I also found an interesting website that cites some research on soy. It is not as reliable a source as the ones above, but is easy to read and does have lots of good information.

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/soy_harm

While some of the evidence is still inconclusive, the benefits have been demonstrated in some studies and overall the concerns that were raised were dispelled. So I will continue to love my soymilk!

Pressure canning is a little more complicated than hot water bath canning, but it’s not as hard as people might think. The biggest difference is that you need a special pressure canner, which usually costs under $100. I have the 23 quart Presto and I love it! The greatest part is that you can use it on meats and vegetables packed in water (carrots, green beans, and venison are commonly done with a pressure canner). So it gives you a lot more options for preserving foods that can’t be done with hot water bath canning.

Pressure Canning

1. Boil jars, lids, and rings in water.  Never re-use lids as the seal may be compromised.
2. Put food in jars, leaving ½“ headspace (only fill to where neck gets narrower).
3. Pour all ingredients for brine/sauce in separate pot and heat until boiling.
4. Pour brine/sauce into jars, leaving ½” of headspace.
5. Run knife around edge of jar to get out air bubbles.
6. Wipe off tops of jars with damp cloth.  Put lids and tops on jars tightly, sealing jars.
7. Put rack in bottom of pressure canning pot.  Fill bottom of pot to line marked inside pot.
8. Put filled jars in pressure canner.  Lock lid into place.  Put cap over pressure release valve.
9. Heat on high up to pressure specified in recipe.  Start timer when reaches correct pressure.
10. Turn heat down to maintain that pressure, checking on it occasionally.  Heat for time specified.
11. Turn heat off.  Let pressure canning pot cool down completely on its own.  DO NOT REMOVE LID.
12. Remove from canner.  Place upright on clean towel for 12-24 hours.  Do not re-tighten bands.
13. To ensure lids are sealed, remove bands and try to lift lids off with fingertips.
14. Screw bands back on.  Store in cool, dry place.

My patients know how much I love food therapy and therefore grow most of my own vegetables and preserve them through canning. So I frequently am asked to explain how to do hot water bath canning. This method can be used for anything acidic (vinegar, tomatoes, citrus, etc.), but should not be used for vegetables packed in water or meats or anything that is likely to spoil. Please find out whether this method is safe before using it on a new recipe.

Hot Water Bath Canning

1. Boil jars, lids, and rings in water.  Never re-use lids as the seal may be compromised.
2. Put food in jars, leaving ½“ headspace (only fill to where neck gets narrower).
3. Pour all ingredients for brine/sauce in separate pot and heat until boiling.
4. Pour brine/sauce into jars, leaving ½” of headspace.
5. Run knife around edge of jar to get out air bubbles.
6. Wipe off tops of jars with damp cloth.  Put lids and tops on jars tightly, sealing jars.
7. Put filled jars back in pot of boiling water.
8. Start timer when comes back up to rolling boil.  Let boil for time specified in recipe.
9. Remove from pot.  Place upright on clean towel for 12-24 hours.  Do not re-tighten bands.
10. To ensure lids are sealed, remove bands and try to lift lids off with fingertips.
11. Screw bands back on.  Store in cool, dry place.

There has been a huge movement in this country to eat more organic fruits and vegetables. But sometimes people are concerned about the cost when trying to transition from conventional produce to organic.  So a list has been developed called the Dirty Dozen, which includes the top 12 most important foods to eat organic because they are the most contaminated.  There is also a list called the Clean Fifteen that includes the 15 foods that are least important to eat organic.  These lists were put together by the Environmental Working Group and more information can be found on their website at http://www.foodnews.org/executive.php.

The Dirty Dozen (choose organic):

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Cherries
10. Kale/Collard Greens
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (Imported)

The Clean Fifteen (less important to be organic):

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mangos
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potato
15. Honeydew Melon

So there you have it. And this is only the beginning, because really choosing organic dairy products and meats from free-range chickens and grass-fed cows is also important. By choosing high quality food, you are not ingesting products from animals given hormones, antibiotics, drugs, and feed that contains animal parts and genetically-modified products. So when people tell me that they don’t know if they can afford to eat organic, high quality food I ask them whether they can afford not to.

On Friday, I shared a huge salad with all the fixings with my friends to celebrate summer’s bounty. I usually don’t eat many raw vegetables, but I do like to indulge in one meal that pulls together all those fresh-picked vegetables into a glorious salad. Afterwards, I had a bunch of chopped vegetables and decided to stir fry them with olive oil and a little leftover meat that I froze after a dinner out to a mexican restaurant. I ate the pork, carrots, broccoli, purple peppers, and onions with basmati rice and it was absolutely delicious. And the best part is that it only took me about 10 minutes to put together a healthy and wonderful meal. I’m going to do this more often!

With chapters 1 and 2 finished on our food therapy book, we’re stepping up to make the writing go faster.  Our timeline is to have the first draft completed by next summer, so we can get final revisions done by the end of next year!  The first chapter discusses the basic principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine food therapy and our weight loss and digestion patients love it.  We also finished the second chapter on Dampness and Phlegm.  Next week we’re looking forward to starting the chapter on foods that calm the mind (to help with stress, irritability, and anxiety) and foods to uplift the mind (to help with depression and melancholy).  This is one of our most exciting chapters because mental health is what we’re super passionate about here at Beautiful Ama.  We do sell the chapters of our book to our patients as pamphlets, so make an appointment if you’re interested in learning more!

Main:

• 4 quarts small canning cucumbers, sliced thin (1 medium cucumber = 1 pint)
• 6 small onions, sliced thin (or 2 large)
• 2 green peppers, cut in ¼” strips
• 1 red pepper, cut in ¼” strips
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ cup kosher canning salt (or coarse sea salt)

Brine:

• 6-2/3 cups sugar
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp celery seed
• 2-2/3 T. mustard seed
• 4 cups apple cider vinegar

1. Cut vegetables and put in bowl with garlic & salt.  Cover with water.  Mix well.
2. Let stand on counter at least 3 hours (preferably overnight).
3. Drain well.  Put in boiled jars with boiled brine, leaving ½” headspace.
4. Hot water bath canning for 10 minutes.  See blog for hot water bath canning directions.

Makes about 8 pints.