WELLNESS

WELLNESS--Chronic pain affects 100 million Americans each year which is more than diabetes, cancer, and heart disease combined. Very often that pain is low back pain. 

What a lot of people don’t realize is that weakness and tightness go hand in hand. Common sense would have us think that along with weakness comes loose flexible muscles, but the opposite is true. The muscles get weak from lack of movement and exercise leading to tight muscles that end up pulling the vertebrae’s out of alignment and causing low back pain. There are other reasons the low back can be painful, and imaging is the best way to know what is causing the pain. There are three steps one can take in order to help alleviate and potentially heal low back pain. 

Step one:

Assess how serious the problem is and see a doctor and get some imaging done. In some cases a simple x-ray may be enough, but know that soft tissue problems don’t show up with x-ray alone. An MRI may be needed. I am a big fan of imaging because no matter how good health care providers may be, no one can see inside the body without the proper diagnostic tools. 

If you see a surgeon for your testing he/she want to perform surgery on your back. While part of staying healthy requires combining western and eastern medicine, look at surgery as a last ditch attempt to get better after all other options have been exhausted. If the doctor wants to do surgery on you it is in your best interest to get a second and maybe even a third opinion before proceeding. 

In addition to more opinions, it would also behoove you to do your research into other people that have had the same surgery performed and read about actual cases and actual outcomes. Be your own primary care provider by researching exhaustively before agreeing to go under the knife. 

Step two:

Assemble your team. For chronic pain you may need more than one healer to help you. Acupuncture and chiropractic are excellent adjuncts to your western medical visits. Many peoples insurance now covers both, but if not, there are student clinics for acupuncture schools that will help to bring the cost of treatment down. If you’re not sure about your coverage call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what kind of coverage you may have. 

Regarding movement it’s important to learn how and what to do to specifically strengthen and add flexibility to the right areas of the body to support the low back while taking the pressure off. If cost for trainers or physical therapists is a limiting factor, finding a good group fitness class or yoga class and talk to an experienced teacher before you start class to get specific guidance on exercises or yoga poses specifically targeted to help alleviate your back pain. I’m not a fan of group classes for people actively in pain unless they talk to the teacher first to let them know your situation. It is possible to make yourself worse with improper movement.  

Step three:

Take action. Many of you have heard that sitting is the new smoking and while I’m not sure sitting is quite that dangerous, there is not doubt that stagnation and lack of movement contribute to low back pain and all other types of pain. Once you know the proper exercises that you need to do and which movements help you, it’s time to start to exercise. Finding a work out buddy that you can walk with or do your exercises with can be helpful for those of you that are less physically inclined. Movement and exercise is a crucial element to any pain reducing regimen and finding that balance of just enough movement without exacerbating the problem can be key. 

Low back pain cuts deep into ones quality of life. With the right plan and the right team in place, there is no reason that low back pain or any other pain needs to dominate your life. Start taking steps today to alleviate your pain so you can get back to life!

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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WELLNESS--Everyone wants to get in shape, but what if you’re one of those people that is totally out of shape and hasn’t worked out in months or even years? There is hope. We all get off track, and quite frankly, some people are just not as physically inclined as others. Even since childhood there are those of us that never felt especially excited about gym class in school or any other physical activity. No matter how many times certain people try to get excited about working out, they simply can’t. 

The good news is you don’t have to love to work out in order to get into better shape. While exercise in some form does need to be a part of your life, it doesn’t need to take center stage. With all the new apps and gizmos available to us these days, strategizing exercise and diet in a well planned thought out way can help to bring up our fitness and wellness levels without cutting into our quality of life. It’s time to make technology your ally. 

Activity trackers like FitBit, Under Armor, Apple watch, are just a few of the many activity trackers available to help us track our calories and the amount of exercise we get. While most doctors and fitness experts still suggest a consistent 15 minutes or more of brisk cardio, sometimes we need to start with less. Simply having this tracker tell you how many steps you take each day can be plenty of motivation to up that number even by a small margin each day until you reach the desired amount of 10,000 steps. 

Using apps like MyFitnessPal, Loseit! or a number of other calorie counting apps, we are able to count the amount of calories we consume on a daily basis as well. While it may sound tedious, these apps make it simple. In the beginning there is some data entry required, but most of us don’t stray that much day to day from what we eat, so within a few days the majority of the entries are repeats and therefore already in the system. For packaged foods, the apps generally access a barcode scanner so one simply has to scan the package and then enter how many servings were consumed. 

I find that with my patients, simply getting them to track their caloric intake each day will usually shift what and how much they are eating. Approaching it as simply an experiment can be helpful. You can go into it telling yourself you will only enter what you eat in order to see how many calories and what you are eating each day. It is OK not to have any plans to make changes to your diet; simply enter what you eat so that you can get a clear picture of your daily intake and needs. More often than not, these people end up eating less and making healthier choices simply by becoming aware of the calorie intake. 

If you’re not a fitness person and if you don’t enjoy sweating, there is hope! Start by adding an activity tracker and an app to count calories. Simply track your steps and your calories. Think of it as a fun experiment and see what happens from there!

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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WELLNESS--An over the counter painkiller is often classified as Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID). These include but are not limited to aspirin, Advil, Aleve, Motrin, Celebrex, and Feldene. More than 30 million people use NSAIDs every day and they account for 60% of the over the counter analgesic drugs sold. Like most drugs, there can be side effects including cardiovascular events, blood pressure increases, congestive heart failure and gastro-intestinal issues. 

According to a study put out by the national institute of health, specific gastro-intestinal issues include ulcer, perforation and bleeding. About 2% of NSAID users equaling roughly 600,000 people experience these serious complications during use, and according to the study risk of ulcer increases up to five-fold for NSAID users compared to non-users. 

With this ulcer risk comes the risk of bleeding, and in some cases perforation and even death. The FDA puts the number of annual deaths by NSAIDs at 4,626 while other estimates put it closer to 16,500.  Regardless of the correct number, too many people are unaware of the dangers of these seemingly harmless drugs. The pathomechanism for the damage caused consists of the drug being absorbed across the gastric mucosa and get trapped in those cells. The gastric ulcers follow and over time perforation, bleeding and death can occur. 

Keep in mind that this is usually with chronic ongoing use of NSAIDs and does not usually occur with the infrequent user. Because these drugs are sold over the counter and taken so liberally, most people are not aware of they can be dangerous and even fatal. 

When it comes to NSAIDs, if one feels they need to take them I tell my patients to try to take them early on for an injury or sprain along with lots of ice on the injury. If one can get the inflammation down within the first few days of injury, one will be less likely to have to deal with chronic pain and therefore chronic use of NSAID’s. These over the counter medications, like so many others are not meant for long term use but rather short periods of time to get over the initial pain and inflammation of a new injury or short illness like aches and pains. 

For longer-term relief from chronic pain there are diets that can be incorporated and other less damaging supplements and even drugs. People with chronic inflammation for example have many other options besides NSAIDs for relief and will be well served to learn about anti-inflammatory diets and drugs like CBD and THC to help with pain and inflammation over the longer term.

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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Everyone wants to get in shape, but what if you’re one of those people that is totally out of shape and hasn’t worked out in months or even years? There is hope. We all get off track, and quite frankly, some people are just not as physically inclined as others. Even since childhood there are those of us that never felt especially excited about gym class in school or any other physical activity. No matter how many times certain people try to get excited about working out, they simply can’t. 

Many people have heard rumblings about colloidal silver, but it is still unclear for some just what it is and how it works. Colloidal silver kills fungus, bacterium, and viruses by disabling their ability to metabolize oxygen allowing the body to then flush out the toxins once they are killed. 

There are many different brands out there and it is a good idea to do some research on the best ones. Like other supplements, they are not all created equally. Regarding dosage, it is a good idea to speak to your health provider and find out what the best dose is for you. If you have recently been catching a lot of colds or had the flu or needed to take antibiotics for any reason, colloidal silver may be just what you need. It is best to take this with the guidance of a health care provider. 

There is evidence that silver can help boost the strength of antibiotics when taken with them. Diseases like MRSA and other antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria tend to react better when silver is combined with the antibiotics under the supervision of a health care provider. Colloidal silver can also be used for myriad reasons. Among them, common cold, rash, anti-bacterial, wound care, sinus issues, pink eye, and pneumonia. 

One thing to keep in mind if one decides to use silver is that there is a possibility of experiencing what is called the Herxheimer reaction. This is when for a short time the symptoms may seem to worsen and can include headache, rash, and even fever. As the pathogen dies off these symptoms present and can last from a couple of hours up to 10 days. While this period can be very uncomfortable and sometimes feel like a bad flu, it is also indicative that the silver is doing what it is supposed it. If it’s tolerable and your health care provider is one board, it may be a good idea to ride it out and stay on the silver until those symptoms are gone. 

If you think Silver is something that can benefit you, read up on it as much as possible. Find out from your health providers what they think, and as usual, be your own primary care provider. Everyone has an opinion and can give guidance, but at the end of the day you are responsible for your own health and wellness. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. 

*Please note that there have been reports of people experiencing side effects from colloidal silver and it is best to talk to your primary care health provider before starting on a course of silver.

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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WELLNESS—There’s no turning back. The Holidays are here. Stress less, is my advice for this harried … and hurried … season. Here’s how: 

1. Don’t force yourself to buy the perfect gift. For starters if you’re not sure if someone is going to buy you a gift or not, and you feel that if they do you want to return the favor, just ask! Call or text your friends and family and be direct. Ask if they were hoping to exchange gifts and suggest that if they are you just get each other something small. Avoiding big crowds and busy malls during this time of year is a great way to lower your stress and save time. The best gift you can give yourself right now is more down time. 

2. Continue to work out. It’s rather easy during this time of year to skip the workouts. One of the keys to managing stress and staying healthy during the winter is to continue to exercise. We don’t need those long intense workouts like we do in the summer when there is more light and warmth. A shorter work out where we simply get our heart rates up for 20 to 30 minutes and lift some light weights should do the trick to keep you slim and produce the healthy chemicals needed to manage stress. 

3. Don’t isolate. While it is always tempting for those of us that are single to say no to social events and parties, try to attend a healthy amount of events. This is obviously a subjective thing, but you know when you are isolating and staying home too much. The social anxiety of all the parties can seem overwhelming, and while knowing when to say no is crucial, spending time with people we love will help us stay happy during the holidays. 

4. Flip the script on the diet. Every year around the holidays the junk food and sugar is flowing. It’s a great time of year to practice your will and keep the junk food intake to a minimum or try to eliminate it all together. If we start working on saying no during the holidays, it will make us that much stronger and more likely to reach our health and wellness goals in 2017. I find that firming up my commitments to myself in the winter helps ensure that I am in great shape come spring and summer. 

5. Use common sense while driving. Regardless of the known dangers of driving under the influence, every year around the holidays more people are killed in motor vehicle accidents and arrested for DUI’s than any other time of year. Be sure to take a car service or have a dedicated driver when you attend parties and plan ahead so you don’t get stuck in a situation that you will regret later. 

However you celebrate this season, I wish you happiness and GOOD HEALTH. My holiday gift to you is this advice: Adhere to my five tips. Stress less and enjoy this special time of the year.

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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WELLNESS--It’s wintertime and the cold outside air affects our bodies. Adding cold raw foods on top of the already cold winter weather can be tough on the system. Our bodies are more drawn to warming foods instead of cooling during the cold months. When people here warming they often think of the actual temperature of food, but what we are talking about here is the constitutional temperature of the food. Let me explain. 

Take for example spicy food. Even if you eat the food cold, spicy food is still internally warming to your organs and entire system. The other most obvious warming foods are onions, garlic, ginger and alcohol. 

The most cooling foods are leafy greens, cucumbers, watermelon, sushi, fruits and vegetables. Certain drinks are cooling as well like Kombucha and certain teas. Here’s a complete list of warming and cooling foods.  

Patients often ask me about how to eat in the winter months, and the best way is to cook your foods and steam your vegetables. If you do insist on raw veggies, be sure to add a little bit of ginger or some pepper to help to warm them up and balance out the cooling effects. 

There is no magic diet for any of us. Our bodies are the labs and we are the experimenters. I can’t tell you to avoid all salads and raw veggies all winter long. What I can tell you is to listen to your body and notice what it is telling you. When you drink that green juice in the winter, does your digestion still work efficiently, or are you getting gas and bloating and possibly loose stool? I hear all the time how difficult it is for people to know how and what to eat, but the truth is, our bodies have infinite wisdom and if we pay attention and listen to them we will see that we already know exactly what we need. 

Questions to ask yourself in regards to your diet are; am I getting a lot of gas after I eat? Are my bowel movements formed and normal, or do they tend more towards loose? Do I deal with constipation instead of loose stool, and if so, do I need more oils and water in my diet? Do I have enough energy to get through my workday and my daily workout? 

Keep in mind that the raw food movement touts that we are destroying the enzymes and cooking out the good when we steam and cook food. The reality is if we are not able to digest that raw food, there is no point in eating it in the first place. Steaming and cooking it, while it may reduce the enzyme and vitamin levels, allows our bodies to break down that food and use it as energy.

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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WELLNESS--We all have access to our breath but it’s so easy to forget to use it. How many of you notice that you are simply forgetting to breathe throughout the day, or not breathing deeply and completely? The benefits of breathing put it at the very top of the list of self-care activities needed to stay healthy, and it’s free! 

The breathing we are talking about here is diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing by inhaling completely through the nose to fill the lungs and diaphragm and exhaling out the mouth. Ten minutes or more of this type of breathing will give you the most bang for your buck. 

Breathing makes us calmer. Stopping during the day to breath deeply for at least 10 minutes slows down the heart rate and calms our mind so that we can focus on the issues at hand. Also, short shallow breathing can prevent the body from getting the oxygen it needs while deep breathing detoxifies our systems. The increase in oxygen that we take in during deep breathing helps to oxygenate and detoxify the lungs and blood. 

There is also some evidence that deep breathing can help with pain. It’s not clear if the relief is due to a drop in anxiety, which in turn helps the patient focus less on the pain, or if there is an actual decrease in the pain response. Either way, having health care providers teach their patients about deep breathing and how to do it can have benefits extending beyond the pain response.   

Breathing makes you happy. When we take some time during the day to focus on our breathing we instantly feel more present, less stressed, and more happy! There are studies indicating that deep breathing techniques can be a great adjunct to a treatment protocol for depression.  

Setting an alarm on our phones is a great way to remind us to breath throughout the day. Once we start paying attention to our breath, it is surprising how often we are doing shallow lung breathing only or actually forgetting to breathe all together for short periods of time. 

Many people find it easiest to have a set time during the day that they sit and breathe. A morning and evening session is often the most effective way, but if you are in a high stress job, taking time throughout the day to breath can also benefit. By sitting in a quiet space in your home or office and breathing you are also meditating. 

That’s really all there is to it, so make time for yourself and set aside 10 minutes a day to begin, and start your deep breathing exercises.

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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WELLNESS--What if I told you that it’s possible to workout shorter and get a greater benefit? Would you think it was some type of fad workout or scam to get you to buy something? Truth be told, most of us are wasting time with long drawn out workouts that give back little benefit. It’s time to get off the ineffectual gym hamster wheel and start doing the HIIT (high intensity internal training) workout. 

Please note that if you are new to interval training be sure to check with your doctor and get a physical first before training with HIIT as it is a more intense way of training your body and heart. 

HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is a training technique in which you give all-out, one hundred percent effort through quick, intense bursts of exercise, followed by short, sometimes active, recovery periods. This type of training gets and keeps your heart rate up and burns more fat in less time. Study after study has proven that exercising this way helps to stimulate the release of human growth hormone and other chemicals that help to slow aging while strengthening the body and heart. 

In order to properly train with HIIT one needs to first figure out their heart rate maximum. You simply take 220 minus your age to get your maximum heart rate. From there you multiply it by 90 or 95 percent. We can use mine as an example. 220 – 46 = 174. 174 X .95 = 165. As high as I would ever want my heart to be beating during my training would be 165, and that would NOT be for a long period of time. 

They call it interval training because we only want to bring our heart rates up to our max for short intervals of 30 seconds or less unless you are a highly trained athlete. 

For beginners, it is suggested to train below your heart rate max at around 70 percent and only bring your heart rate up to 90 or 95 percent of your max once or twice for the first few times you try this and for less than 30 seconds each time. 

Each week, you can add one more interval of intensity until you reach 8 high intensity intervals of 90 to 95 percent of your maximum heart rate. You can work out for only 25 minutes and reach 8 without too much trouble as long as you already warmed up. 

Studies show  that people who train with HIIT are more likely to get stronger hearts that pump more efficiently as opposed to their slow plodding cardio friends. In addition to the positive heart effects, the release of healthy age slowing hormones is another huge benefit.  

People are paying upwards of $1000 dollars a month in human growth hormone supplements, and the HIIT workout will cause your body to produce it naturally and free of charge. This hormone helps to heal the body; brain and skin making us feel more healthy younger looking. 

Try the HIIT workout this week and let me know how it goes!

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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WELLNESS--With Chinese Medicine we are taught that as the elements change and the cooler weather moves into our environment, it also moves into our bodies. Fall is in full swing, so we need to be mindful by taking certain steps that will help keep us healthy and well as we enter the cooling months. 

For starters, sleep more. Many people are noticing that they feel sleepier as we move into October and November. This is because as the days get shorter, there is more darkness and the brain picks up on the lesser amount of light. With less light during the shorter days, the pineal gland as apt to create more melatonin making us want to sleep more that normal. The best solution to this is to allow yourself more rest when possible. If you have kids, get them into bed a little earlier than usual so you can also get yourself to bed. If your single, pick an earlier and reasonable time to turn off the screens so your brain can start preparing for sleep. Your body and brain will thank you for the increase in sleep time. 

Regarding foods, eat more soups and stews. As the cold weather moves in, we don’t want it to move into our bodies. Warming foods like onions, garlic, and ginger become even more important to cook with in the winter months especially considering the antiviral qualities of those foods. Try to avoid too many cool drinks and cooling foods. Fall and winter is a great time to steam your veggies instead of eating them raw, and to drink hot tea and room temperature water instead of ice cold drinks. 

In Chinese medical theory, the spleen is like the gas burner on your stove and the stomach is the pot with the food cooking in it. The less cool and cold foods we add to the pot the less work the spleen has to do to heat it, so eat foods that are already cooked during these months. It will make it easier on your body to digest them and use them as energy. 

As the days get shorter and the darkness moves in, the chemicals in our brain also shift causing us to feel more sleepy and less energized if we are not taking proper care of ourselves. Because of this, the temptation for caffeine in the form of that afternoon cup of coffee or sugar in that candy or muffin grows stronger during the winter months. Add holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving, and we usually have an abundance of sugar and processed foods at our fingertips. 

One great way to fight the urge is to find someone you work with that is also concerned about putting their health and wellness first, and create an accountability buddy partnership. Set some realist healthy goals with this person and be sure to include realistic goals without trying to be perfect. 

A great example of this is “every Sunday we can eat whatever I want, but during the week and at work we will not eat sugars or refined foods.” It helps tremendously to have someone you are accountable to, and actually makes the process fun. I love to use the fall and winter as a time of increased self care and wellness. That way, when the spring arrives, I feel like I already have a jump on my summer health goals!

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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Omega fats are a crucial part of any diet, but what’s the deal with these elusive compounds? For starters Omega 3’s and 6’s are considered “essential” because it is essential that we get them from our diet since we can’t make them ourselves. You may remember the word “essential” from when we talked about amino acids. It is used for the same reason. Both omega 3’s and 6’s are considered polyunsaturated fats. 

Some of you are confused and have been given misinformation stating that omega 6’s are good and 3’s are bad. This is not the case. The exact ratio of 6’s to 3’s is still a bit unclear, but most professionals agree that at least a 1:1 ratio of omega 3’s to 6’s is required. As usual, every body is different so our needs vary, but it is widely accepted that a diet dominant in 6’s and deficient in 3’s is not healthy for our hearts, brains, and nervous systems. Studies show that people who get more 6’s than 3’s tend to carry more inflammation in the body and have a greater risk of heart disease.   

A big part of why we get more omega 6’s is because they are cheaper to obtain and they are often found in refined foods. Besides being found in nuts and seeds and some of the oil extracted from them, omega 6’s are also found in refined oils like soy and vegetable oil, which is used to make processed foods. In the United States, 90% of all oil produced is Soybean oil at 108 million metric tons. This oil has some Omega 6 fat, but it’s often hydrogenated meaning they add hydrogen atoms making the oil stay fluid even in cooler temperatures. That hydrogenation process makes the oil easier to cook with and much easier to store, but it’s very difficult for the body to break it down. Hydrogenated oils should be avoided at all times regardless of the type of oil that is being hydrogenated. It is extremely unhealthy. Omega 6 oils are also found in meat and chicken, but the Omega 3 content in these foods is much lower. 

Omega 3 oils come primarily from fish. Most of you have heard of the Mediterranean diet. This diet is comprised of lots of fish and vegetables and a low intake of meats. The 3’s can also be added and obtained from healthy fish supplements and krill oils. Try to get at least a 1:1 ratio. In other words, if you are able to look at the ingredients of your food and count the Omega 6 content, try to at least match the Omega 3 intake. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least 2 times a week. It is not always easy to prepare and eat fish, so for those of you that simply don’t eat a lot of fish or don’t like fish, taking a fish oil supplement rich in omega 3 is crucial for heart and brain health. The exact amount of fish oil each of us needs is varied and it is a good idea to talk to your healthcare providers to find out the right amount of oil supplementation for you. A good rule of thumb is to try to at least match the amount of 3 to 6 that you are consuming. 

In closing, omega fats are crucial for you brain, heart, and nervous system functioning. Be aware of your omega intake ratio, and for most of us, adding 3’s is necessary. Avoid vegetable and soybean oil and definitely cut any hydrogenated oils from your diet. If the food seems unhealthy but doesn’t have hydrogenated on the label, do some digging on line. More than once, I have found that the hydrogenated oil is hidden and not on the label at all. One example is Girl Scout cookies. Pay attention to labels, but also dig deeper to get all the information around the foods you are putting in your body. I am here for any unanswered questions you may have regarding supplementation and omega intake.

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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WELLNESS--Green tea has roots dating back 3000 years where in China Green tealeaves were initially chewed on before being used to cook with and eventually steeped to make tea. It has many compounds that make it special, primarily anti-oxidants and polyphenols. Anti-oxidants are molecules that help to protect other molecules such as Vitamin C and E. Polyphenols are a specific type of antioxidants found in plants and foods like chocolate and olive oil. 

Regular green tea can actually irritate the gastric system. Very often when people drink green tea they get upset stomach or digestive issues. This is because the tealeaves come from a plant and through evolution; plants have developed what are called antifeedants. Antifeedants are compounds that when consumed by animals cause gastric irritation. In turn, the plant is consumed less and is more likely to continue thriving. Oolong tea contains far fewer antifeedants than regular green tea making it easier on the gut.   

In order to minimize or eliminate the antifeedants all together, fermentation or oxidation of the green tea leaves must be done. The latter is done letting the leaves dry for up to 2 days until they brown. Green tea is not oxidized at all while Oolong can be oxidized from about 30 to 90 percent. Counterintuitively, oxidizing green tea by leaving the green tea leaves out for longer to dry actually makes the tea contain more antioxidants and less antifeedants eliminating gastritis. Oohlong also has one of the highest levels of polyphenols of all teas. 

There are other studies showing the effects of Oolong tea on weight loss. One livestrong article in Oolong tea help the body maintain a low BMI and keep off belly fat. Part of the way it does this is by binding dietary fat. There are specific ways to prepare the Oolong, most importantly steeping it for shorter period of time such as 3 minutes instead of 10 and by using hot water instead of boiling it; the special compounds in the tea are more likely to stay in tact. 

Finally, Oolong tea has been shows to act in a similar fashion to probiotcs by suppressing the bad bacteria in the gut while allowing the healthy bacteria to grow. When it comes to health and wellness, Oolong tea is a huge hit!

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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WELLNESS--Many of us have heard that catchy phrase, but let’s dig a little deeper into the science of sitting versus movement. 

Besides the obvious weak bones and varicose veins that sitting can cause, it turns out that more serious diseases are associated with sitting. In a study with nearly 2500 people,  they were able to link sitting and sedentary lifestyles with type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome, which is the name of a group of risk factors that raise ones risk of diabetes, stroke and heart disease. 

Another study in Europe found that sitting times were highest in males, younger age groups, and people with postgraduate educations. This can be explained through the tendency for men to exercise less and be more drawn to video games. As far as the more educated people, they tend to have more high paying and time-consuming desk jobs leaving less time to move the body. 

There is also evidence showing that even for people that are exercing for 30 to 60 minutes a day, the long periods of sitting besides during that exercise time can be damaging. Just the simple act of standing up and walking helps to enhance the function of the metabolism while simultaneously increasing the bodies function. 

The best thing we can do to prevent the damage caused by sitting and being sedentary is to move our bodies as much as possible all day long. That may mean taking a short 10 minute break each hour or two at work and walking around the block or simply walking up and down stairs at work a few times a day. 

For the more ambitious, there are now treadmill desks. It is basically a treadmill with a large desktop platform that you have your computer and phone and anything else you may need. People set the speed at a low rate of maybe 2 mph and slowly walk while they work. One woman blogged about her experience of using a treadmill desk for a month, and the results were pretty great!  

I push my patients to get a fitness buddy and use that person as someone that you can answer to as far as how much exercise you are doing. 

If you have an office job, grab a friend every day during your lunch hour and go for a brisk walk around the building. If you have kids and find it tough to find time for fitness, bring them to the park with you. There are strollers for infants designed for performance walking or jogging and if you have more than once child, make it a game and take turns to see who can push the infant the furthest or fastest. 

A wrist worn activity tracker is also a fun and helpful way to ensure one is getting enough steps each day. We only have one body, and when something is important enough to us, we always make time for whatever that may be. Make you and your health a priority and start moving today.

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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WELLNESS--Up until a few years ago vitamin D3 was little known. More recently it has made the news as a crucial compound that many of our bodies systems depend on. It is crucial for the appropriate absorption of Calcium and Phosphorus as well as being a key component to fight off disease. Illnesses like cancer, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis have all been linked to Vitamin D deficiency. More recently, mental health deficiencies like cognitive impairment and depression have been linked to vitamin D deficiency. 

An estimated 40% of the world’s population has low levels of Vitamin D with African and Latin people having an even greater chance of D deficiency. There are many reasons that vitamin D levels have dropped including the fact that people are not outside as much as they used to be. The sun is a great source of vitamin D but in order to reap the benefits most studies suggest that one needs to be in the sun for 15 to 20 minutes with most of the torso exposed. That is not easy to accomplish with our busy schedules, and with all the added screen time in our lives, we have even less time to be outside. 

Because of these staggering numbers, doctors have made a greater point of testing people for their Vitamin D3 levels. The test you want to ask for is the 25-hydroxy Vitamin D test or 25(OH)D test. You can ask your doctor or you can send away for a kit to test yourself.  

Once you find out if your levels are low, there are many options to boost your intake of Vitamin D. The first is the sun, but if you don’t have time to get to the park or the pool, foods can also be an excellent source of vitamin D. Fatty fish like tuna, mackeral, and salmon are excellent sources along with certain mushrooms, sardines, eggs, salmon, beef liver, herring, sunshine, and finally, supplements. 

The FDA recommends 600 IU’s of vitamin D a day, but ask your primary care provider what amount of supplementation would be right for you.

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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WELLNESS--Very often people think of wellness and fitness as a program or a series of events.  A more effective way to approach health and wellness is to look at it as a practice. Studies show that the effects of exercise and wellness are cumulative. In one study, participants fitness regimes and diets were tracked for 2 decades and it showed that the people who had clocked the most hours were the healthiest as opposed to the weekend warriors that only worked out in spurts. 

For some of you reading this may think that this is not good news because your track record regarding exercise is less than exemplary. A better way to look at these studies is to recognize that small amounts of exercise every day is more effective and healthy than say training for a marathon once a year for 3 months and then doing nothing the rest of the year.  One need not be a marathoner to be healthy. In fact, it may be argued that the person that wakes up each day and does a pleasant and brisk morning walk for 15 minutes is healthier than the part time intense fitness trainee. 

Look at your fitness schedule and wellness as a practice. Like any practice, the more we do it, the better we get. Sometimes we make mistakes when we are practicing or we don’t practice enough. Instead of focusing on what we are not doing or what we should be doing, when our wellness practice becomes challenging, we need to simply recognize that we won’t always do it perfectly, then simply move forward from there. 

When getting back in shape, self-talk is an effective tool that can be used to reach your goals. A study posted on NPR noted that people who use the 3^rd person when relating to self have lower levels of anxiety that there 1^st person counterparts and greater levels in success towards reaching goals. Other studies show that our self-talk is important, not only in shaping how we see ourselves, but also in the action steps we take to improve. Using the 3^rd person may be more effective that using the first person when we relate to ourselves. Telling ourselves something like “you are human, and while you are not in the best shape at the moment, you are getting healthier and more fit every day” is much more effective than “I am fat and out of shape.” 

The important take away here is to remind you that just like life, wellness is a practice. When you are in a slump or haven’t worked out for a while simply tell yourself that you are a little out of practice, and with a little time and a brisk morning walk, you will be back on track in no time at all and feeling great.  Reach out if you need advice or inspiration. 

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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Whether it’s overeating, undereating, or making unhealthy food choices, everyone struggles with food from time to time. So many of us have food addictions and even if we don’t technically register as a food addict, we all have a relationship with food that at times gets strained.  

When I am treating patients, I always ask them about their relationship with food. Because I am an herbalist, they often want me to prescribe them herbs for whatever it is that’s ailing them. Before I prescribe any herbal medicine, I request a full intake and food journal. I then make the necessary diet and lifestyle suggestions that will help them to optimize their health and wellness and lose the weight if needed. By correcting people’s diets, their illnesses and symptoms often clear up naturally and they don’t need herbs. 

I recently had a new patient that was about 35 pounds overweight and had high blood pressure and borderline high blood sugar levels. Because he was a compliant patient, he was willing to change his diet and start exercising regularly. Within 6 months he lost 25 pounds and his blood pressure dropped significantly, and blood sugar returned to normal. He was able to lower his dose of blood pressure meds and his doctor said that if he continues to progress, there is a good chance he will be able to get off the meds all together. 

All too often, doctors prescribe heavy pharmaceuticals to treat symptoms that are brought on by poor diet and lifestyle choices. Once on these medications, it is tough to get off. Of course, there are many health situations and diseases that require western medicine and drugs, but things like type II diabetes, high blood sugar, and obesity can often be treated with diet and exercise. Before going off any of your meds, it’s important you consult your primary care provider. 

When a patient is informed and educated about what to eat and how to take care of him or herself, but they still can’t make the decision to do it, we have a problem. There is no shame in having food addictions or a challenging relationship with food. From what I see in my practice, more people are addicted to sugar than are not, and if that sugar intake is risking their health and ultimately their lives, yet they still can’t stop, we have a problem that may run deeper than just the surface. 

Most of us know what to do and how to eat healthy; more veggies, lean proteins, and fruit. Less breads and refined carbs and sugars. In spite of that knowledge, we often make the unhealthy choice. When we eat sugar it actually lights up the pleasure center of the brain in a very similar manner to the way sex and drugs do. Knowing that may help one realize that the struggle to get off sugar is very real. 

When a patient of mine just can’t change their ways, I encourage them to see a therapist or go to an over-eating anonymous group. Countless thousands of people have received help from these groups and if you know what you need to do and you just can’t do it, it’s OK to ask for help. Your life may depend on it.

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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WELLNESS--Dating back as far as 3000 years Oil Pulling has been used in Ayurvedic Medicine as a means to detoxify the blood, improve oral health, heal sinus issues and help heal wounds or illness. Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine have a morning health ritual referred to as dinacharya and part of that ritual includes oil pulling. It is usually done using coconut, olive, or sesame oil by taking approximately 1 tablespoon of oil into ones mouth and swishing it around for 10 to 20 minutes then spitting it out. 

In Ayurvedic Medicine as well as Chinese Medicine the mouth and tongue are used as both a way to diagnose illness and tell us what’s happening digestively. In Chinese medicine we use the tongue specifically, but the mouth in its entirety is used as an indication of overall health and wellness. 

Like so many other effective natural remedies, oil pulling is worth trying. Corporations have little interest in investing in things like oil pulling because there is no profit to be found if the research comes back proving its efficacy. 

Besides the above-mentioned indications, oil pulling can also help with sensitive or painful teeth, bad breath, and yellow or stained teeth. A study published by Clinical and Diagnostic Research done in 2014 proved that oil pulling was as effective in killing unfriendly mouth bacteria as chlorhexidine, the active ingredient in mouthwash.  

There have been other studies showing that oil pulling is as effective as mouthwash when it comes to fighting plaque. A 2009 study published in The Indian Journal of Dental Research found that decreased gingivitis and lowered bacteria levels in the mouth and gums. Oil Pulling is an effective alternative to mouthwash since mouthwash tends to have harsh chemicals that can leave the skin inside the mouth weakened and possibly more susceptible to bacteria.  

Oil pulling can be helpful for everyone especially those who have problems with teeth, gums or bad breath. Making oil pulling a part of a healthy morning ritual is a great way to naturally boost oral hygiene.

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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WELLNESS--Exercise of all types is your friend. Research shows that it helps with insulin resistance, inflammation, and lowers incidence of stroke and heart attacks. Of course we can’t forget the added benefit of looking better due to working out. Besides all these great advantages, research also shows that long sessions of cardio also cause brain growth known as neurogenesis (the generation of neurons). 

In a study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä they used lab rats to study the correlation between exercise and neurogenesis in the brain, specifically the hippocampus. 

The study showed rats that ran on the wheel for the longest periods of time experienced the greatest improvement in the neurogenesis of the hippocampal region. Rats that did strength training alone with no cardio did not show any change in that same brain region. 

The rats that spent the most time on the wheel were the same rats that had the greatest rate of neuronal brain growth. It’s important to note that these rats chose to run on the wheel which is significant because it points towards the possibility that the coupled exercise and neuronal improvements may occur in rats that are more genetically programmed for exercise 

The evidence was unclear as to the effect of interval or burst training, which is when one sprints or does another form of exercise to raise the heart rate to 90 to 100 percent of its maximum, then slows down and repeats. 

What we know from this study is that rats that did long sessions of cardio showed neurogenesis in the hippocampal region while rats that did strength training alone showed none. Experts say that 30 to 45 minutes of cardio 3 days a week is the magic number needed to get the brain growth. If you are way under that amount right now or haven’t started, start with 10 or 15 minutes and add 10 minutes each time you go out for a brisk walk or a jog.   

If exercise is tough for you, start a walking club at home or at work or get a walking or jogging buddy. There are so many people wanting to improve their fitness level, and simply asking one of them to join you in getting in shape can have a big impact on your body … and your brain.

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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WELLNESS--When we are out in the world we don’t have much control over what we are taking in from the different environments we visit. With all the toxins outside, it becomes even more important to optimize our home environment in order to stay healthy. If you are feeling low energy or dealing with frequent colds or flu’s it may be your home that is contributing. 

If we are ill or short on energy, there could be many factors contributing including stress, sleep deprivation, poor dietary choices, or lack of exercise. Some of the less obvious but also pervasive culprits to feeling unwell are mold, pesticides, or toxic cleaning products. 

People that are experiencing allergies and noticing that they are worse when they are home may have mold in the home. To find out if there is mold in your home a mold specialist can come to the home and run tests. Some ways that mold starts to grow is if there are water leaks, past flooding, or obvious condensation in the home. Mold can still be present even if none of the above mentioned signs are present.  

Another way to tell if your home is healthy is by noticing the health of your pets. Animals are also affected by mold and can get chronic sinus issues if there is mold present in the home. If there is condensation anywhere in the home be sure that no people are animals are sleeping in that area. 

Pesticides usually come into the home from the fruit and vegetables we purchase at the store and products used for cleaning. Here is a list of pesticides to avoid when purchasing supplies for your home. As far as fruits and vegetables, the best way to avoid unwanted chemicals is to spend a little more money and buy organic.

Finally, some estimates say that up to 70 percent of all household toxins come in from our shoes. There is a reason that many cultures remove shoes before coming into the home and it’s to prevent illness and the spread of unwanted bacteria and dirt. Besides keeping the home floors and rug cleaner, we are also preventing illness by keeping our shoes off our floors.   

When we have a passion for our health and well-being, we realize that it’s not only exercise and food that keeps us well. There are many components to being healthy including our home environments as well. While it’s challenging to control the environments we visit, it’s much easier to control our home surroundings. Clean with non-toxic solutions and use non-toxic laundry detergent whenever possible. 

If sinus issues are chronic, check for mold and buy a HEPA filtration air purifier. Be sure you and guests take shoes off at the door, and only use paraben free natural products on your skin and hair.

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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WELLNESS-The United States is a touch-deprived nation. It wasn’t until I first moved to Europe in the 1990’s that I noticed how much more people touched each other in Spain and Italy compared to the US. Even the men and boys would walk arm in arm and kiss each other on the cheeks as a way to both greet someone and to say farewell. The macho culture in the US prevents people, especially men from showing affection to each other which is tied to the violent angry culture we are dealing with today. 

In Harry Harlow’s book Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection he uses monkeys to study the affects of love and affection. He creates two fake monkeys both of which are heated from the inside to the same temperature of a real female monkey mother. One of them is created soft and welcoming and the other is made with more wire and is harder and less tender. On the less tender one he adds a bottle of milk for the real baby monkey to drink. 

What he found was that even though the harder model had milk attached to it, the baby monkey picked the softer more seemingly affectionate model monkey every time over the wire one. The real monkey would only go over to the wire monkey when he was very hungry. He would drink some milk and go right back to the softer model showing that longer term affection is chosen even over accessible food. 

In 2014 Carnegie Mellon performed a study with 404 people to better understand the link between touch deprivation and catching a common cold. The participants were monitored and questioned about their levels of social support and the amount of hugs they got each day for 14 days. On the 15^th day they were all exposed to a common cold virus strain and then kept in quarantine in order to monitor them and see who fell ill. The researchers found that the people with greater social support and more frequent hugs got sick less than their touch deprived counterparts. The evidence indicated that the hugging accounted for about 1/3 of the reason they were able to avoid illness. The other 2/3 was perceived strong social support. 

Being affectionate with another human being has proven to release the hormone oxytocin, which is made in the hypothalamus of the brain. Besides making us feel great oxytocin is also responsible for healing wounds faster, reducing blood pressure, increasing tolerance for pain, and for stimulating the immune system response to heal illness and prevent us from getting sick. 

Sometimes offering a hug to a friend or coworker may feel awkward or inappropriate, and in todays litigious society obsessed with sex and stories of sexual offenses, there is reason to be cautious when offering a hug. Here is a funny and eye-opening article about whether or not to hug people at work.  

Studies also find that couples in long-term relationships that have more warm affectionate time together actually live longer and happier than people without affection in their lives. One therapist has his patients that are couples spend 10 minutes a day holding hands and talking about happy times they have shared, usually when they met and fell in love. This has proven effective in repairing and salvaging relationships in challenge.  

(Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

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