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Acupuncture and Clinical Nutrition to Boost Your Metabolism

Acupuncture and Clinical Nutrition to Boost Your MetabolismLiving your life like a candle burning at both ends can take its toll. Fatigue and stress may eventually create some health challenges that could be avoided. Seeing your conventional practitioner often results in some sort of pill fix that may be accompanied by side effects and an overall temporary remedy.

Using naturopathic medicine to boost your metabolism may help release a variety of unbalanced energy blockages and, with minimal maintenance, keep them that way.

Boosting metabolism and living in harmony with nature can be found as far back as the words in the ancient text, The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine (the Neijing Suwen) ~240 B.C.,

“There was a third type of a person, known as the sage. The sages lived peacefully under Heaven and Earth, following the rhythms of the planet and the universe. They adapted to society without being swayed by fashions and trends. They were free from emotional extremes and lived a balanced, contented existence. Their outward appearance, behavior and thinking did not reflect the conflicting norms of society. The sages appeared busy but were never depleted. Internally they did not overburden themselves. They abided in calmness, recognizing the empty nature of existence. The sages lived over one hundred years because they did not scatter or disperse their energies.”

The Meridian Boost
Most people think of acupuncture as something that attempts to fix an acute problem. Although this is true, going beyond this misconception could bring more people to acupuncturists for overall systemic health and maintenance as well.

When it comes to boosting metabolism by using acupuncture, many benefits could be attained including weight loss, increased energy, thyroid rebalancing, stabilization of blood sugar and immune system strengthening.

In a 1998 study conducted by researchers at the University of Adelaide (Australia),

“95% of the participants who received stimulation on acupuncture points reported appetite suppression.”

Metabolism can also be affected by acupuncture on a cellular level as in the results of a 2012 Chinese study by researchers at Southern Medical University, published in BMC Neuroscience titled, ‘Acupuncture regulates the glucose metabolism in cerebral functional regions in chronic stage ischemic stroke patients–a PET-CT cerebral functional imaging study’.

This study concluded that,

“Needling at TE5 [lower, outside forearm just above wrist] had a regulating effect on cerebral functional areas shown by PET-CT, and this may relate to its impact on the recovery of post-stroke patients.”

Using acupuncture to kick off a new diet, help assist diabetes maintenance or increase stamina may be the best choice before succumbing to conventional medicine’s attempted, synthetic remedies.

Foods for Fire
Stoking your metabolism fire can be maintained by specific dietary choices. This is clinical nutrition in naturopathic medicine and when guided by a naturopathic doctor may offer a complete systemic turnaround.

Some foods to get your engine going which may result in less fatigue, possible weight maintenance, and overall homeostasis may include:

Hot Peppers
Capsaicin is one of the prime compounds in hot peppers like jalapeño, cayenne, habanero and more. When this compound is released into the blood stream several benefits could occur including the reduction of food cravings, increased circulation, and metabolism enhancement.

According to the Global Healing Center, “studies have shown that eating hot peppers can boost the metabolism by up to 25%, with the spike lasting for up to 3 hours.”

Complex Carbs
Simple carbs like donuts, chips and other processed packaged foods can throw your metabolism and your weight into an unhealthy roller coaster ride. Complex carbs on the other hand allow the body to stabilize insulin levels into a slow release, reducing unnecessary fat storage and increasing energy levels.

Whole grains such as steel cut oatmeal (instant is useless), quinoa (keen-wah) and brown rice are some of the top choices for complete complex carb assimilation.

Mate’ and Green Teas
Yerba mate’ (mah-tay) and green tea score very high on the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) scale. This means that the compounds in these teas are able to protect you from the many free radicals within your system that can potentially cause disease. It also means that metabolism speeds up and fat oxidation is enhanced.

A Korean study published in Laboratory Animal Research (3/28/12) concludes that,

“Yerba Mate extract has potent anti-obesity activity in vivo. Additionally, we observed that Yerba Mate treatment has a modulatory effect on glucose levels related to obesity.”

Also, a study on green tea, according to Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences found that,

“The changes in body weight and body fat may result from increased fat metabolism and decreased fat synthesis. Green tea seems to modulate genes related to energy metabolism.”

Both of these beverages contain similar amounts of caffeine as a cup of coffee yet this caffeine is assimilated differently. Rather than a high spike and then a crashing low, green and mate’ tea botanical caffeine gives a slow energy rise and then evens out as it dissipates. By replacing your coffee addiction with these two teas could be a healthy win-win.

Using acupuncture and clinical nutrition to boost your metabolism is a natural way to rebalance your body reclaim your health. At Integrative Med Solutions, we will design an acupuncture and naturopathic treatment program that works for you. In many cases, insurance covers portions of the acupuncture treatment. Allow us to support you to achieve optimal health. To make an appointment or find out more about how acupuncture and naturopathic medicine can benefit you, please call our office at 914.337.2980 or CLICK HERE to schedule an online appointment.

*Please CLICK HERE to see a current list of Insurance Companies that commonly carry acupuncture benefits for its members. Please call 914.337.2980 or securely email info@intmedsolutions.com to verify your specific benefits. If you are emailing, please include your full name, date of birth and insurance identification card number.