A significant part of my therapeutic approach comes from Chinese Medicinal Herbs and Nutritional Counseling.

Food is the first medicine. Ideally, we should be getting all of our nutrition from our food, but in today's world that may be difficult. The one thing that most Nutritionists will agree on is the necessity of eating whole foods -- those that are minimally processed. The key question to ask yourself is: Did my food look this way when it came out of the ground or from the animal?

If the answer is yes, then that is more than likely a whole food. Whole foods are inherently simpler and easier for the body to process with fewer additives, preservatives, and chemicals and still retain more of their original nutritional value. Through working with me, you can begin to understand healthier and simpler food choices.

When my patients need help unraveling their relationship with their food, I have them do a Food-Mood Journal. For 7 days, I have them write down:

• What they ate;
• When they ate;
• How they felt before they ate; or Why they chose what they ate;
• How they felt after they ate.

A little awareness goes a long, long way! You’d be surprised what revelations come out after doing this: connecting symptoms you routinely experience with foods that trigger them, seeing how little water you drink and vegetables you eat, and clearly identifying when you are choosing foods for emotional reasons rather than healthful reasons.

A large part of my focus with my patients is in prioritizing education around food, as food is the first to hurt and the first to help, and it is often the thing you have the most control over. Here are some basic food guidelines I tell all my patients about:

1. ZERO coffee; you can have all the tea you want. Coffee is highly acidic and inflammatory and can contribute to indigestion, all cardio-vascular conditions, and colon and bladder cancer.
2. ZERO dairy: cow’s milk is for cows, goat’s milk is for goats, and human’s milk is for humans. And we all stop drinking it after we are infants. Dairy is replete with loads bacteria and viruses, hormone residues, and the list goes on. And with all the milk substitutes to choose from, there is never a better time to stop using dairy.
3. MINIMAL sugar: no more than 2 pieces of fruit per day. Sugar is inflammatory and feeds all infections including those that occur in your gut. Stevia and Xylitol are OK.
4. It is best to cook your vegetables, especially leafy greens which are very hard to clean. Cooking kills all bacteria, which can upset the delicate balance in your gut, even those that are present on unclean raw fruits and veggies.
5. Eat plenty of fiber. Constipation is defined as having one or fewer dry hard bowel movements per day.
6. Eat small frequent meals. Stable blood sugar stems cravings and over-eating.
7. Always choose organic when possible.
8. Vary your protein choices and limit the quantity to 4-6 ounces at a time (the size of your palm). Legumes are a very good source of veggie protein.
9. Drink more water—8-10 glasses a day.
10. Chew your food more thoroughly—20-30 times. Digestion begins in the mouth with your saliva coating the broken down food.
11. Take time during the day to enjoy some deep breaths.

The second part to good nutrition is whether or not you are able to absorb those essential nutrients. And this comes down to the all important health of your digestive system. Yes, we are born with genetic tendencies toward health or disease, but it is though food and our ability to digest and assimilate nutrients that we get the necessary fuel to maintain our health. With the proper evaluation and guidance, you can learn to better understand what are healthy foods for you and your inner ecosystem. And we can also work on creating greater awareness about not simply what you eat, but why you eat, how you eat, and when you eat. All of these questions are essential to answer if you are to create a more intimate relationship with your food and your body.

If food is the first medicine, then acupuncture and herbs would be the second. When you come to see me, after a thorough history and intake, I arrive at a diagnosis. In Chinese Medicine, a diagnosis is a pattern of disharmony. Though acupuncture alone may be of great help, there are some patterns that are more quickly addressed with a combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas.

When I prescribe herbs, I go through a detailed diagnostic process that enables me to be incredibly precise in not just my diagnosis, but also in my choice of herbs. This also allows me to give you just one bottle of herbs for all your needs, making the process convenient for dosing and very affordable.