Tea Time with Jocey

Oral Care During Morning Sickness

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 16:58:36 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Oral Care During Morning Sickness

Even if you’ve never been pregnant, most people have experienced, at some point or another, being so nauseated that the thought of brushing their teeth seems utterly revolting. If this is you, I have compiled some tips to help maintain your oral health while you navigate your first trimester or whatever other ailment has you gagging at the thought of brushing your teeth. Let’s dive in!

Ancient Swish

In ancient China, some of the earliest forms of oral care involved swishing with either salt water or tea. This makes sense as both substances exhibit antibacterial properties. Different teas work better against different types of bacteria but both green and black tea do exhibit antibacterial effects. In contrast to most commercially available mouthwashes, swishing with tea or saltwater actually helps to preserve the friendly bacteria rather than killing all bacteria indiscriminately. If using this method, spit out the tea you swish with rather than swallowing it to avoid swallowing the unfriendly bacteria.

In Ayurveda, the practice of “oil pulling” is one of the top methods to help clean teeth and also detoxify the mouth. The practice is most commonly done by swishing coconut oil or sesame oil around the mouth for a few minutes and then spitting out the oil into the trash bin. Modern studies have shown that oil pulling is effective in lowering the levels of unfriendly oral bacteria and can even reduce stains and discolorations on the teeth. I’m sure there is a host of other benefits as well.

Modern Alternative

Another alternative worth trying is using a WaterPik. These devices are made to enhance brushing and flossing routines but they can be really helpful in dislodging food particles and interrupting the biofilm that builds on teeth which we know as “plaque”. Modern versions now come in wireless adaptations which makes them super travel friendly and take up much less space on your bathroom counter.

Ol’ Faithful

If the act of brushing your teeth doesn’t seem as revolting as the actual taste of the toothpaste, you can forgo using the toothpaste altogether and just brush your teeth with water. The mechanical action of the bristles sweeping along your teeth and gum line are helpful in preventing plaque buildup even without toothpaste. Fun fact: in ancient China, people used to dip a willow twig in a small cup of water to soften the tip. In the morning, they would chew on the tip and rub it against their teeth as a sort of “toothbrush”. Primitive toothbrushes like these existed across the globe before the modern version because popularized sometime in the 1700s.

Why Not Just Use Mouthwash?

As mentioned above, the problem with most modern mouthwashes is that they are made with strong antiseptic agents that can kill even the friendly, helpful bacteria in your mouth. If we destroy the good bacteria in the mouth, it can make it easier for the unhealthy bacteria to proliferate unchecked, which can create bigger problems down the line. More recent data from 2019 found that antiseptic mouthwashes can lower the natural levels of nitric oxide in our bodies, which in turn, can cause high blood pressure. Alarming, I know!

Another fun fact: Listerine was originally marketed as a floor cleaner and antiseptic cleaner for surgical tools prior to being rebranded as a mouthwash.

Besides pregnancy, I have met several individuals who have experienced nausea associated with teeth brushing. Sometimes it can be due to hormonal shifts such as with puberty, menstruation or with the use of hormonal drugs (such as with IUI or IVF). Sometimes, last night’s take out just didn’t settle all that well. Whatever the case, I hope you find these tips helpful. Keep in mind, while these recommendations can help you somewhat maintain your oral hygiene while you navigate whatever it is that is making you adverse, you’ll have better luck if you can maintain a regular toothbrushing routine before bedtime. This includes flossing.

I avoided making any recommendations to avoid certain foods while your oral hygiene routine is compromised because those foods might be the only things you can keep down when you are struggling with nausea. That being said, I’m not an expert in oral care nor in Ayurveda, so I suggest that you seek the advice of a qualified person before following these tips.

If you found this blog post interesting, or know someone who may benefit from the info, please feel free to share. If you have a topic you’d like to cover in a future blog post, email me your suggestion! Catch you in the next post!

Squash Casserole Recipe

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 13:47:06 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Squash Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:

For the casserole:

-4 medium summer squashes

-1 large onion or 2 small ones (I like Vidalia)

-4 cloves of garlic

-1/4 cup of premium full fat coconut milk or coconut cream

-Salt, Pepper and Thyme, all to taste

-2-3 Tbsp of olive oil for cooking

For the crumb topping:

-1/2 cup of almond flour

-2 Tbsp of premium full fat coconut milk or coconut cream

-2 Tbsp of grass fed butter or ghee, melted

-Salt, Pepper, Garlic powder, Oregano and Parsley, a good pinch of each

Steps:

-Chop your summer squash, onions and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent.

-Add your seasonings and stir to combine.

-Add the coconut milk or cream and stir until incorporated.

-While the veggies are sautéing, grease a 9x9 or 8x11 baking dish with butter, ghee, olive or avocado oil.

-Prepare the crumb topping by melting the butter and coconut milk/cream together. Then pour into a small bowl with the almond flour and spices. Mix to combine. The mixture should look almost like dough. It should hold its shape if you pinch it together with your fingers. If too dry, add more butter/coconut milk, if too wet, add more almond flour.

-Pour your sautéed veggies into the greased baking dish and dot the top with the crumble topping.

-Bake at 400ºF until the topping is golden brown (15-20min).

-Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Notes : I like to use a combination of yellow squash and zucchini but have made this recipe with all yellow squash or all zucchini, either way is delicious.

I am specifying “premium” coconut milk here as it is richer and has a higher percentage of fat than “classic” coconut milk. This lends to a creamier sauce in the casserole. If you can’t find premium, you can use full fat coconut cream. Regardless of the type you use, give the milk/cream a good stir to incorporate any liquid with the fat, prior to using. Don’t worry, this recipe will not taste like coconut once it is done.

You can also use any other type of non-dairy milk, or even bone broth, but it will need the addition of some arrowroot starch to make it thicker.

If you want to keep the recipe vegan, you can just use coconut milk fat/cream to mix in with the almond flour for the crumble.

I was not raised on squash casserole growing up, so I do not claim that this casserole compares at all to an authentic southern squash casserole. I just wanted to try to find a healthier alternative and came up with this after reading a few recipes. This casserole tastes like Thanksgiving to me (especially if you add a little dried sage to the veggies). So full of flavor, warm and comforting. Perfect for using up squashes from a home garden.

If you’d like to see how this recipe looks coming out of the oven, check out this IG post .

Please feel free to share this recipe without anyone you think might enjoy it. I’ve made it multiple times this summer and will likely make it as the veggie side for Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

Lunaception

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 20:08:12 GMT

My Experience with Lunaception | Tea Time with Jo

You probably read that title and thought “Luna, what?”, and I completely understand because I did the same thing when I first heard it. Let’s jump right in and see what Lunaception is and how it may help regulate your menstrual cycle. If you are past your menstruating years, navigate to the bottom to see how aligning with these concepts might still be helpful.

What is Lunaception

“Lunaception” is the concept by which menstrual cycles can be altered, by manipulating light, to mimic the effects of the full moon. More specifically, Lunaception assists in getting the body to ovulate. The idea is that, in primitive society, women’s menstrual cycles were heavily influenced by the moon cycles. More often than not, ovulation occurs under the full moon (we see this in nature with many animals being “in heat” when the moon is full).

There are various reasons why someone would want to encourage ovulation to happen in a timely manner. One of those reasons is to influence fertility. If a woman can predict when she will ovulate, it facilitates both conception and contraception. This can be very helpful in someone who is trying to avoid hormonal birth control. Conversely, women who present with certain types of PCOS have trouble determining when they ovulate. Some may go for months without ovulating. This can make it very hard to attempt conception. With the use of Lunaception, it is possible that these women can gently encourage their ovulation to occur, which not only helps to regulate their menstrual cycles but also helps narrow down the fertile window.

How to Practice Lunaception

The premise is to mimic the effects of the full moon to help encourage ovulation. We’ll get into the science behind that shortly. For now, we will focus specifically on light. When the moon is full, it is as if a street light were turned on from the heavens, illuminating what would otherwise be a pitch black night. One can mimic this by sleeping with a light on for 3 nights leading up to their ovulation window, and sleeping in pitch black for the rest of the cycle.

To be clear, the concept doesn’t support the use of eye masks. It is encouraged to make the room as dark as possible so that you can’t even see your hand in front of you. As your ovulation window is approaching (roughly around cycle day 11) you should sleep with a soft light on that would mimic the light of the full moon. If you don’t have a way of setting up a light in your room, you can also turn on a brighter light on in a nearby room or hallway and leave your door open so the light gently streams into your bedroom. You do this for 3 consecutive nights, then go back to sleeping in pitch dark.

The Science

Our bodies developed over many years under the influence of the circadian rhythm and the natural cycles of the moon. Our pineal gland, which is involved in our awareness of light and dark also produces Melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone that helps us go to sleep and stay asleep. It is influenced by patterns of light and dark. With the development of modern lighting, and increased amounts of blue light, human sleep patterns have been highly disrupted. This is one of the reasons why it is suggested to avoid blue light before bed and to sleep in complete darkness. Melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant and plays a role in many functions of the body but for now we will focus on its role with ovulation.

If we evolved under the influence of the moon phases, it makes sense that our pineal glands perceived the increase in light when a full moon was present, causing melatonin levels to decrease. This decrease is involved in the process of ovulation. If high levels of melatonin inhibit ovulation, and lower levels of melatonin encourage ovulation, we can see how alternating between sleeping in total darkness (high melatonin) and sleeping with light on (lower melatonin) may influence ovulatory patterns.

The Anecdotal Evidence

Louise Lacey is the author of the book “Lunaception”, from which these concepts are extracted. According to her writings, she and 27 of her friends used the practice of Lunaception to develop healthy and regular menstrual cycles. They were all able to avoid pregnancy through menopause by avoiding intercourse on the days that they slept with the light on. Other women, such as author Kate Singer, have expanded on the concept of Lunaception. In her book, “Honoring Our Cycles”, she teaches women how to track their cycles. With this knowledge, and incorporating what she calls “Night Lighting” (using a night light to mimic the full moon light), she has experienced many benefits to this practice outside of avoiding pregnancy. These include reducing many of the symptoms associated with hormonal imbalance and promoting more easeful and reliable periods.

My Experience

I am on my 4th month of practicing Lunaception/Night Lighting. I’ll be forthcoming and say that I do not have a pitch black room. The reason for this, is that my room gets stuffy if I leave the door closed. Since I have to sleep with the door open, that means I have to make all of the surrounding areas of the house pitch black. It is not in alignment with my aesthetic to put black out curtains in the rest of the house and to cover up every single little light that is produced from various electronics. My workaround for this is to sleep with a large eye mask that covers about 1/3 of my head. It is very wide and provides good coverage even if the eye masks shifts a little while I am sleeping. On the nights that I want to mimic the full moon, I simply sleep without the eye mask.

For context, since entering my late thirties, my ovulation window has fluctuated quite a bit, sometimes ovulating as late as day 19 or 20 of my cycle. I have attempted Lunaception/Night Lighting for the past 5 cycles. Here is my experience so far:

-The first cycle, I didn’t notice a shift in my ovulation window at all.

-The second cycle, I ovulated around cycle day 17 (which was about 2 days earlier than it had been in recent cycles).

-The third cycle, I actually didn’t practice Lunaception/Night Lighting because I was feeling under the weather and really wanted to focus on sleep. I ovulated on day 18.

-On my fourth cycle of this practice, I ovulated on day 15! This was a huge deal as it was 3-4 days earlier than what the average for my recent cycles had been. I also noticed a significant reduction in uterine cramping when menses started.

-On my firth cycle, I ovulated on day 16, which is still 2-3 days earlier than my average. Also of note, I experienced zero PMS symptoms with this cycle. Fortunately, severe PMS symptoms are a thing of the past for me, but I do tend to experience some degree of breast tenderness and fullness in my premenstrual phase. At the time of writing this blog, there has been zero discomfort.

Benefits Beyond the Menstruating Years.

If someone is past their menstruating years, would there still be benefits to Lunaception? Theoretically, yes. Being in alignment with the moon phases keeps you connected to the rhythm of life and nature. This may support better sleep and a better sense of well being. If you are looking to connect with the energies of the full moon, I would practice Lunaception the way our primitive ancestors did. Rather than sleeping with a light on for certain days of the cycle, I would sleep with the curtains or blinds open on the night before, during and after the actual full moon. Letting the moon’s light naturally filter in through your windows. Seeing how the moon has an affect on bodies of water, it is reasonable to assume it might also have an affect on our bodily fluids. There is no harm in trying Lunaception. It may be helpful in reducing menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats as well as vaginal dryness. I have zero evidence for this but its worth giving it a try.

Final Notes

I have been truly taken aback by the influence that this practice has had on my cycle. While it does seem to be making a difference in when I ovulate, it doesn’t seem to be affecting how long my luteal phase lasts (the length of time between ovulation and the next period), or at least, not yet. This is something I am currently working on extending since it has shortened as I have been approaching my forties. Stay tuned for a blog on that!

I do see the value of integrating cycle tracking to this practice in the way that Kate Singer proposes. She suggests practicing Night Lighting when you have noticed 2 consecutive days of vaginal discharge (or “wetness" as she calls it). This is a cue that the body is making its transition into the ovulation phase. The problem with this method is that, if your cycles are not already regular, you may not notice vaginal fluids on time to experience a 28 day cycle. In contrast, Lunaception doesn’t require the tracking of these fluids, only counting 11 days from when your last period started. Hypothetically, you would mimic the light of the full moon on cycle days 11, 12, and 13 and ovulate on day 14. Assuming you have a normal, healthy luteal phase, you can expect your period around CD27/28.

While there is compelling evidence of how this is helpful for regulating women’s menstrual cycles, I have no idea what effect this has on men. Since men also developed under the same moon phases as women, it would make sense that the reduced melatonin levels influenced by the light of the full moon, would encourage more testosterone production. This makes even more sense as the female’s response is to ovulate during this same time. Higher testosterone would produce more/better quality sperm in males simultaneously while females ovulate, thus enhancing the chances of conception.

Whether you are working on regulating your menstrual cycles, wanting to get your cycles closer to a 28-30 day window, looking to conceive or to avoid conception, I encourage you to look into this practice and consider if it is worth trying for you. As a disclaimer, I don’t feel comfortable with Lunaception being the only method of contraception, especially without many cycles of reference to fully be able to understand when a person is ovulating. I would recommend using other cycle tracking methods like Basal Body temperature (BBT) charting, cervical positioning and progesterone urine metabolite testing to confirm ovulation has already occurred prior to engaging in unprotected intercourse if you are looking to avoid pregnancy.

References

I’m not one to typically add references to blogs because I feel like everyone is capable of doing their own research. However, I came across very interesting articles that helped me understand the concept of Lunaception. I thought it would be informative to share them so here you go.

-Lunaception and Night Lighting: https://empoweredsustenance.com/balance-hormones-with-moon/

-Lunaception and TCM: https://www.mayway.com/blogs/articles/lunaception-how-the-moon-light-dark-affect-fertility

-How Melatonin influences Men: https://biologyinsights.com/does-melatonin-lower-testosterone-the-science-behind-it/

Thank you for reading until the end and sharing this blog post with someone who might find it interesting or helpful. If you have a topic you'd like to me explore, tap the email button below and send me your suggestions.

DIY Laundry Detergent Powder

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 20:13:36 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | DIY Laundry Detergent Powder

Ingredients:

-One, 4-6oz Bar of Oil Based Soap

-2 cups of Washing Soda

-2 cups of Baking Soda

-2 cups of Borax

Steps:

-Grate the bar of soap. I like to use the food processor for this but you can use a cheese grater.

-Mix the grated soap with the other powders until evenly combined. I like to process the powders in with the soap in the food processor to get a more fine powder.

-Use 1/4 cup of laundry powder for a regular load of laundry. Use more or less depending on your load size. Add laundry powder directly to the drum and before adding your clothes.

-Use white vinegar as fabric softener or wool dryer balls in the drum of your dryer.

Notes:

This recipe is easily scaleable and you can double it or triple it to make a bigger batch. When selecting which bar soap to use, check the ingredients and make sure you are using an oil or fat based soap. You should see ingredients like tallow, olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, etc. Regular bar soaps from the personal care aisle of big box stores will not do as they will not dissolve as well. I’m lucky enough to have lots of local soap makers in my area. Handmade soaps tend to be oil based so I have lots to choose from. If you don’t have access to such bar soaps, you can use Paper Plane brand or a Castile Soap bar like this one .

You can add essential oils to your laundry powder although the scent will not really be noticeable on your clothes after they dry. Adding a few drops to wool dryer balls will provide a gentle scent but be sure to use an oil that is mostly clear as it can stain your clothes otherwise. Also, make sure that you allow enough time for the oils to be soaked up by your wool dryer balls before running a cycle as the oils may rub off on your clothes and leave oil stains.

If your clothes tends to get really dirty (sport’s clothing, mechanic’s uniforms, cloth diapers, etc), you may want to consider adding an enzymatic cleaner to this laundry detergent powder. I like to use this one.

About this recipe:

I have spent many years trying to find a good non-toxic laundry detergent that is also sustainable. This combination is not the easiest to find. While many brands have popped up with cleaner formulations, a lot of them contain polyvinyl alcohol and the science on whether or not it is truly biodegradable is controversial. I can purchase most of the ingredients for this recipe in bulk. Most of them can be purchased in cardboard boxes and the soaps usually come packaged in paper or muslin cloth. Also, by purchasing these ingredients, I know exactly what is in my detergent making it both more sustainable and non-toxic.

I hope you find this recipe helpful. If you decide to make it, let me know how it worked out for you. Catch you in the next blog :)

Your Guide to Castor Oil

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 20:41:47 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Your Guide to Castor Oil

If you've been following me for a while, you know that I am a big fan of castor oil. I recommend it a lot to my patients and use it myself regularly. I even wrote this blog post about it back in 2023.

Recently, my colleague Dr. Emily Siy reached out to me regarding more clarity about castor oil usage. She asked me a bunch of really good questions and compiled my responses into this beautiful blog post.

If you'd like to know the ins and outs of safe castor oil use, you can check out her blog post here .

Dr. Emily has a fantastic blog so I do encourage you to peruse around her site and check out some of the other amazing topics she has covered. She also featured me on her blog back in 2023 with a post all about preparing for pregnancy with Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine. You can check that one out by clicking here .

I'm incredibly grateful for Dr. Emily for featuring me on her blog post a second time. She puts a lot of love into her content and I am honored to share some wisdom with her community. If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Emily and her NY practice, you can visit her website here or browse her Instagram page here .

Cyclical Living

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 18:43:59 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Cyclical Living

I’m going to get straight to it on this one….

Ladies and gentlemen, you cannot expect that what worked for your body in your 20s is going to work for your body in your 30s. Similarly, you can’t expect for what worked in your 30s, to work in your 40s. For the ladies…you cannot expect what worked when you were in your menstruating years to work in your menopausal years.

Why am I saying this?

The age range of my patients spans the womb continuum. I may see young ladies who have just started menstruating as well as ladies all the way at the other end of the continuum who haven’t had a menstrual cycle in years. I also see everyone in between, including those who have had partial or total hysterectomies.

The vast majority of these ladies are coming to see me to address hormone related issues, whether it be menstrual pain, fertility concerns, hot flashes, etc. The single, most common denominator in all of them is that they live out of alignment with their cyclical nature.

If, as a teenager, you participated in competitive sports, chances are you were burning the wick at both ends before you graduated high school. Especially if you were trying to make an impressive application for colleges/universities.

If you pursued a career and climbed the corporate ladder, chances are you were feeling the pressures to outperform your colleagues. Possibly even more so if you were in a male dominated industry.

If you became a mother, chances are you had to balance work life with home life, often feeling overwhelmed. Most moms often are responsible for handling the majority of household matters despite also having a job outside of the house.

In each of these stages, women are often prioritizing others and not themselves. It could be their teammates, the company they work for or their children. This is without even taking into consideration the societal pressure to look a certain way.

Doesn’t that already sound stressful?

With all of that going on in the foreground of life, how do most women feel when, on top of everything they have going on, they start menstruating?

Commercials for menstrual pads have us believing that we can continue our lives as usual if we get a product that can handle all of our bleeding. Tampon companies go even further by insinuating that you don’t even have to see your blood to begin with. “Anything you can do, you can do while bleeding”, the ads promote. Feeling some cramps, headache or back ache? No worries, they have painkillers marketed specifically to women to handle these cycle related complaints.

Are your menstrual bleeds painful, excessively heavy or irregular? “No worries” the doctors say. “Birth control can solve your problems; you don’t even need a period unless you want to have kids” they add.

So we spend decades suppressing dysfunctional bleeds and doing our best to live as if periods don’t exist. We make zero adjustments to our lifestyles whenever that time of the month comes around. We continue our workouts, we meet the deadlines, we under-sleep and under-nourish ourselves; and then we ask why?

Why am I struggling to conceive? Why am I gaining this weight? Why are my bleeds so heavy? Why am I so tired? Why is my hair falling out? Why can’t I stop these hot flashes? Etc.

The oversimplified answer is: because you are a cyclical being and you were lied to about how important it really is to honor those cycles. This goes for men too!

Women have menstrual cycles. Menstrual cycles have phases (4 of them), each with their own unique needs and attributes. Interplaying with those phases is the Circadian Rhythm. On top of that, according to Chinese medicine, women also have 7 year cycles in which major allocation of our essence takes place. These are called Cycles of Jing.

Men have the Circadian Rhythm as well, and 8 year Cycles of Jing. Their bodies undergo major allocation of essence a little more spread out than women do.

Even once menstruation ends and reproductive years have passed, we are still part of nature; and nature also moves in cycles. We have seasons and we have phases of the moon.

How much of this do you take into account when planning your meals or your workouts? Are you allowing your body to rest when it is bleeding? Are you adjusting your meals to make sure you have enough nourishment for each different phase/season?

How conscious are you in slowing down and taking account of what feels good in your body and what doesn’t? Or are you just running on auto-pilot: waking up, following the same routine, going to sleep, wake up, repeat?

Optimizing your health gets much more manageable when you live your life cyclically. When you understand that there is a natural ebb and flow to life that you are not meant to fight, but rather dance with.

I’m looking to start hosting virtual workshops this year and I’m starting things off from the basics: Menstrual Re-education.

I’m teaching anyone who is interested in learning all about the phases of the menstrual cycle, how to properly track menstruation and ovulation, why apps don’t do the best job at this, how to honor your body’s cycle for more peaceful bleeds and more. Future workshop topics include Breast Self Care, Pelvic Hydrotherapy and all things Peri-menopause and Menopause. If you are interested in attending one of these workshops, you can check out my Events Calendar to see if any are scheduled. You can also sign up for my newsletter and I’ll keep you updated right in your inbox.

If you want to read more about the Cycles of Jing (Essence), I wrote about these a bit more in this blog post .

If you are a man, I highly encourage you to get acquainted with these cycles. Having this understanding makes you a more conscious father, husband and employer. Women make up 1/2 of the population, wouldn’t you like to understand them better? Have better tools to support your daughter or wife? Be more compassionate to the women on your team at work? Don’t worry, I have a workshop specifically in the works for men too, I just need y’all to show up! For yourselves, your families and your communities.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk, LOL! Catch you in the next post :)

Medicinal Hot Chocolate

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 21:46:23 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Medicinal Hot Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients:

(2 servings)

-2 tsp of Cacao powder (not cocoa)

-1 tbsp of Coconut Palm Sugar

-1/4 tsp of Ground Cinnamon

-1/4 tsp of Turmeric Powder

-1 pinch of Ground Black Pepper (can substitute with cayenne or chili powder)

-1 tbsp of Grass Fed Butter, Ghee or Coconut Oil

-4 Hu Chocolate Gems (optional)

-1 Tablespoon of Honey or Maple Syrup (optional)

-12 oz of milk of choice (I like 4oz of full fat coconut milk and 8 oz of cashew or oat milk)

Steps:

-On Medium-Low heat, melt your butter, ghee or coconut oil.

-Add Cacao, Coconut Sugar, Cinnamon, Turmeric, Black Pepper and Hu Gems, if using. Gently melt everything together until it turns into a paste. Be sure to do this gently as you don’t want your chocolate to burn.

-Once the paste has formed, slowly add your milk, whisking it with the paste so that it incorporates thoroughly, a little at a time. Adding cold milk too quickly will cause the paste to not dissolve uniformly, leaving “chunks” in your finished beverage.

-Once everything has dissolved and your milk is warmed to your desired temp, taste it for sweetness. If desired, add the honey, maple syrup or even more coconut sugar, to taste.

Use a frother if you want to add that coffee shop feel to your hot chocolate. Serve in 6oz portions and enjoy!

Notes:

The reason this is called “Medicinal Hot Chocolate” is because it is full of medicinal benefits while also being a delicious warm, cozy drink. Cacao is full of anti-oxidants and methylxanthines like theobromine and caffeine, in a unique ratio, that supports healthy circulatory function. Cinnamon has a long list of benefits that include also supporting circulatory function as well as being anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, supporting healthy blood sugar regulation, and anti-viral/bacterial/fungal properties. Turmeric has many of the same benefits but is better absorbed in the presence of Piperine, which is a compound found in black pepper, chili pepper and cayenne pepper.

Inspiration:

This hot chocolate is inspired by 2 things. 1 of them is an ex-coworker I had that taught me the technique of making the ingredients into a paste before adding the milk. That is where the magic lays in making a hot chocolate with real ingredients. The other is an old Starbucks drink that was called “Chantico”. It was a rich drinking chocolate that debuted in 2005 and was removed from their menu shortly thereafter. If you make this hot chocolate with full fat coconut milk, it will be thick and extra rich, reminiscent of the Chantico.

I hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as I do. Cheers!

I Need Your Support

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 21:16:21 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | I Need Your Support (fundraising post)

UPDATE: As of 01.27.2025, I was able to fundraise enough funds to enroll for this course and order books. I am so grateful to my community and supporters who helped make this dream happen. I will keep this blog post up for a few more weeks just so everyone who knew of it can be updated with the progress. Thank you all for your support in this endeavor. I truly have no words to express my gratitude.

Original Post:

I have been wanting to work in the midwifery and birth work world for a very long time. In fact, the first thing I wanted to do straight out of Acupuncture school was go to Midwifery school. At the time, it was physically impossible for me to work and attend midwifery school at the same time. In recent times, I have felt the desire to be in the birth work space reemerge and looked into various Doula certifications. Again, it wasn’t good timing and I decided to place the idea on the back burner.

In December, I became aware of a course offering from the same folks that offered the Doula training I had my eye on. They call the course “Birthkeeper Midwifery Cohort/Quantum Midwifery” . This course is completely virtual and self paced but is designed to take place over the course of a year. While all the modules are online, there are regularly scheduled live calls with elder midwife Whapio and her colleagues to go over the material. The completion of this course would certify me as a “Professional Childbirth Consultant & Family Advocate”.

The idea of having the wisdom of elder midwife Whapio passed down to me (and others in the cohort) fills me with joy. I would be absolutely honored to be a keeper and sharer of this knowledge. The reality of my situation though is that I’m not currently in the financial position to sign up for this course. The only way I can consider taking it is with outside help. This is why I am humbly asking for your contribution. The cost of the course is $3500 and the estimated cost of required books is $500. The course starts Feb 1st 2025. That means I have less than 30 days to get registered!

Q&A

If this is an online course, why do I want to attend this course now?

It is the last time that elder midwife “Whapio” Diane Bartlett will be teaching this class. While her thoughtfully chosen colleagues will continue to teach her offerings in the future, I have wanted to sit at the feet of this elder midwife, and absorb as much knowledge from her as I possibly can, since the moment I learned about her. Her views on conception, gestation, birth and postpartum align greatly with my own. In addition, I have yet to find another comprehensive program that ties in the physical with the spiritual the way hers does. I’m including more info about Whapio in the Background & Context section below, if you are interested in learning more about her or why I am interested in this knowledge.

How will it benefit my community?

The short answer is that I will gain more knowledge and wisdom that I can apply in my practice to continue serving women, and my community, in even more dynamic ways. In addition, preserving this sacred and ancestral knowledge, and disseminating it in the community helps to keep this traditional wisdom alive.

As many of you know, being in the reproductive health space is my passion. I love supporting women through menstrual issues, reproductive health issues (not just fertility but all things womb health), pregnancy wellness, postpartum wellness, perimenopause and menopause. Traditional Chinese Medicine is the lens through which I mostly approach wellness. However, those who have worked with me also know that I value a more integrative approach. They know that I have a significant amount of western medicine training that allows me to help them navigate things like blood work, supplement recommendations, how to advocate for themselves at the doctor’s office, useful home remedies, etc.

This course allows me to widely broaden my understanding of the womb continuum through the lens of elder midwifery wisdom. This includes an even greater understanding of:

-The female anatomy/pelvis

-The use of homeopathy for female focused conditions (in general but also for pregnancy and postpartum),

-Gestational complications and managing them holistically (hypertension, pre-eclampsia, diabetes, etc)

-Fetal development, heart tones and position in the pelvis

-All things placenta

-The different stages of birth

-Complications of birth (shoulder dystocia, twins, breech, etc)

-Support for fathers and partners

-Breastfeeding support

-Postpartum support

-The spirituality behind each trimester and phase of birth

Being able to dive into these areas from the lens of elder midwifery gives me a much more complete understanding. It bridges the gap of East and West while also incorporating the spiritual; something that is left out of every other course I have come across. By gaining further understanding in these areas, I also get a better grasp of how trauma in these areas can lead to future presentations of disease. Having this foundational knowledge, integrated with my TCM training, enhances my ability to support conditions in peri-menopause and menopause that may have originated from pregnancy and/or delivery.

Why am I not using a crowdfunding website?

Crowdfunding websites take a percentage of each donation as part of their servicing fee. Whenever I am contributing to a fundraiser of any kind, I like to know that every penny of my contribution is going towards the intended purpose, and I imagine you would want to know that too. I understand that not being able to see the amount that others have donated may cause some of you pause. I would like to think that you have gotten to know me well enough to know that I am a person of integrity. I pledge to be open about the contributions that I receive; sharing a running total to those who inquire; and/or sharing the progress towards my goal on my Instagram page. I also pledge to take down the posting on social media once my goal has been reached and make an updated post acknowledging that it has.

What will your contribution go towards?

I’m seeking help with covering the cost of the course ($3500) along with some extra funds to cover the cost of the books required for the course. I’m factoring $500 for the books. This takes into consideration being able to purchase several of these books in used condition. The total amount I am humbly asking for support with is $4000. The link for the course shared above is the direct link to the website for this offering. You’ll be able to see all the information for the course, including the cost and the required books. I have zero interest in being anything other than transparent. If you have difficulty accessing the website, please let me know.

What happens to my Acupuncture practice?

I love my one-on-one sessions with patients and plan to continue offering these sessions for the foreseeable future. Once completing this course, I’ll have even more knowledge and insight to better serve my patients and community.

Where to make contributions?

***Contribution details removed as goal has been reached***

More Background & Context

Whapio has been practicing midwifery for over 40 years. She starts all of her lectures by giving gratitude to the Grand midwives of the south, including Margaret Charles Smith who influenced her learning. These grand midwives practiced outside of the modern medical model. There are many reasons for this, one of them being, the current paradigm didn’t exist back then. Women gave birth under the care of other women. The concept of seeing a “doctor” for pregnancy is fairly new. In many instances, these midwives worked in rural areas where there was no access to medical facilities. Modern Western Medicine Obstetrics and Gynecology has only existed for roughly 100 years (and the history of it is quite brutal and heartbreaking). Prior to that, women were giving birth in their homes with the guidance and support of their local midwives.

Modern medicine would have you think that clinical management of gestation and delivery would be safer; unfortunately, it is the opposite. The US ranks the highest in infant and maternal mortality rates of all developed countries, with the majority of those disproportionately affecting the non-hispanic-black community.

For contrast, Margaret Charles Smith is said to have practiced midwifery for over 30 years, attending approximately 3,500 births and never having a case of maternal mortality despite her patients being overworked and undernourished (her patient population consisted largely of black mothers in the south including the time period during the 40s and 50s when segregation was very much in full swing).

Whapio also gives ode to French doctor, Dr. Michel Odent, who coined the idea of “undisturbed birth”. He saw that better outcomes were coming from births that weren’t being managed or pathologized. He understood that “birthing in sovereignty” was paramount. In current times, even natural variations of birth (like a breech presenting baby) are considered cause for c-sections simply because Obstetricians are no longer being trained in the delivery of breech babies. They are however, being trained in the surgical intervention of a c-section for just about anything. The increase in c-section rates in the US is concerning, especially when we are not seeing better outcomes for mom and baby. Instead, we are seeing higher incidences of complications and birth trauma. That’s not to say that c-sections don’t have their place; they absolutely do and they can be life saving. However, when the average c-section rate in the country is over 30%, it becomes questionable that 30% of those undergoing a major surgical procedure (c-section) are truly having an emergency.

Whapio, and many other midwifes and doulas, will tell you that they have observed that gestating women don’t want to be “managed”, rather what they are wanting is reassurance. They want to know that things are progressing well. They want to know that someone is looking out for potential complications and educated in how to manage them and when to refer to western medicine. They do not, however, want to be seen as someone with a disease, simply because they are undergoing the very natural process of pregnancy. Many women trust in their ability to conceive and give birth, and again, are just looking for that reassurance. My role after the completion of this course is to show up as the presence of reassurance for these women and their partners and families.

If you have made it this far, thank you so much for reading until the end. Even if you are not able to contribute, I hope that you have at least gained some new insight into the world of birthing. I do want to add that it’s not just about birthing though. It's about the tradition of women caring for women. Caring for the womb space never ends in this ancient practice and it is my intention to learn as many of ways of providing this care as I can.

If you are able to contribute, please know that you have my heartfelt gratitude. You know your girl is a scholarly queen (aka nerd) and I am eager to soak up all of this knowledge and do right by your contribution. May the universe return your contribution 10 fold and bless you with whatever it is that you need to pursue your endeavors.

With Gratitude,

Jocey :)

TCM & Perimenopause

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 17:45:40 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | TCM &Perimenopause

Today’s blog post originated from a suggested topic that I was given from an Instagram follower. She wanted to know more about perimenopause and, more specifically, when it actually starts. Let’s get into it.

Perimenopause is known as 1 of the 3 “Golden Opportunities” in Chinese Medicine. Each “opportunity” refers to a moment in a woman’s life in which her body has to make major allocations of her Jing (often translated as “essence”). For context, the phases are: Menstruation, Postpartum and Perimenopause. How a woman handles this allocation sets the stage for her health during that phase of life and the phases thereafter.

According to Chinese Medicine theory, women cycle in years of 7 with each cycle having a shift in Jing energy. For example, at age 7 her adult teeth start to come in, at age 14 menstruation is present, so one and so forth. Every 7 years, the phase is hallmarked by an important happening in the body. At age 35 (5th cycle of 7 years), the body begins its shift in how it produces hormones. At age 42 (6th cycle of 7 years), it further refines its preparation to cease menstruating.

From a Western perspective, we see this change, most notably, with a shift in progesterone production (estrogen, testosterone and other hormones are also shifting). During our reproductive years, progesterone is mostly produced by the corpus luteum, a temporary structure created by the ovarian follicle that releases an egg during ovulation. As we start to shift into our perimenopausal years, progesterone production starts to rely more on the adrenals. When progesterone levels are challenged, we start to see shifts in the menstrual cycle. Mostly notably, the luteal phase becomes shortened which can cause periods to start more frequently than they used to (every 24 days instead of 28, for example).

If progesterone production is greatly challenged, we start to see even greater changes with the menstrual cycle. Estrogen can become high during this phase since the progesterone isn’t strong enough to keep it in check during the cycle. Higher amounts of estrogen can lead to very heavy and prolonged bleeding with menstruation. There may also be other physical symptoms starting to present such as breast and nipple tenderness, insomnia and irritability.

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, we can recognize that a huge shift in Jing allocation is happening in this phase and simultaneously, Yin and Yang are becoming more out of balance. This gives rise to symptoms discussed above as well as issues with regulating body temperature and potentially even vaginal dryness, just to name a couple.

So what’s a woman to do during this phase? Well, Western Medicine, and even some well known holistic practitioners, are touting the benefits of HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy). This approach basically says, “oh your body is lower in this hormone, we can just give you supplemental hormone to make up for the loss”. While this sounds like a logical idea, it completely ignores why the body is struggling to produce enough of the hormone to keep the woman symptom free.

Chinese Medicine has a more holistic approach and zooms out to see the bigger picture. It asks the question: “Why is the body struggling to maintain balance?” and then looks for the answer. More often than not, even as the body is getting ready to slow down with the reproductive years coming to an end…most women are not slowing down at all! They are reaching the pinnacles of their careers, they are sending their kids off to college, they are getting a second degree, etc…and sometimes all these things are happening at once! [Western medicine side note: The toll this takes on body can manifest as what is often referred to as “adrenal fatigue”. While it can happen at any age, it will really rear its ugly head during perimenopause if it is present.]

This lack of alignment with the body’s natural shift in Jing allocation creates immense pressure to keep up with the demand. That means Jing has to be tapped into in order to keep things running at high performance. If you think of Jing as a savings account that has a finite amount of money in it, and its supposed to last you the rest of your life, you can see how it would be wise to slow down the spending as much as possible. Not doing so will manifest in symptoms of Jing depletion (graying of hair, weakness in the bones, constant dull lower back ache, etc). This will make for the transition to menopause come a lot faster with very little time to transition at all. The faster the transition, the more intense the symptoms tend to be. This phase, and its symptoms, become the culmination of living life burning the wick at both ends.

The good news is, wherever you are in your journey, you can slow down the expenditure of Jing. This will require slowing down and finding balance between your busy life and adequate time for rest and restorative practices. I wrote more about this in my Yin Days blog a while back.

So to answer the question of “at age does perimenopause actual start?”, the answer is, it depends. There is no arbitrary age in which all women’s bodies decide to go into perimenopause. How did you nurture your body when you were menstruating? How did you nurture it during pregnancy and postpartum? How much did you prioritize sleep and good nutrition? How much Jing did you inherit from your parents (aka, how much money did they invest in your savings account)? All of these things factor into when your body will shift into perimenopause.

Fortunately, Chinese Medicine (and other ancient practices) has a lot of tools for helping you to slow down this transition and enter menopause with more ease and grace. However, no amount of Acupuncture, herbal medicine, Qigong, etc. can assist you if you don’t adjust your mindset. Perimenopause is a right of passage and all of the symptoms are check engine lights trying to alert you that your system needs maintenance in order to continue performing well. Rather than taking a bandaid approach, that is basically the equivalent of slapping a sticker over those check engine lights and pretending they don’t exist, embrace this phase of life and lean into the lessons that it is trying to teach you. Many cultures have a reverence for this phase and with good reason. Your Jing reserves are directly related to your health in your older years and you want to be able to pass on high levels of Jing to your children when they are conceived; a big investment in that finite savings account.

If you have already had children, don’t fret, just like you, they can learn all the ways to preserve their Jing for their children (your grandchildren) and their old age as well.

Please share this post with someone that might find it helpful. Remember that you too can suggest topics for me to cover in future posts. Simply send me an email or submit a topic idea via the contact form on my website. Thanks for spending time with me today :)

Sourdough Discard Pancakes

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 20:04:07 GMT

Tea Time With Jo | Sourdough Discard Pancakes

Ingredients:

For every 4oz of Sourdough Discard you have, add the following:

-1 egg

-3/4 cup Almond Flour

-1 Tbsp of Coconut Palm Sugar

-1/2 Tsp each of Baking Soda and Baking Powder

Steps:

-Mix egg into discard.

-Pour over dry ingredients and mix to combine well. Batter should be fluffy and thick but also pourable.

-Heat a skillet over medium heat. Use butter, ghee, coconut oil or avocado oil to lubricate your pan.

-Pour in desired amount of batter for pancake size of your choice.

-Cook until the edges look dry and bubbles appear on the top, then flip and cook an additional 30-60 seconds.

-Serve with butter and maple syrup, because, why not?!

Makes roughly 6 pancakes that are 4” in diameter.

Notes : These pancakes should cook up nice and fluffy the way traditional buttermilk pancakes do. I don’t recommend any substitutions for this recipe. Using a liquid sweetener such as honey/maple syrup/agave might make the batter too runny. If you don’t have coconut palm sugar, you can just omit the sugar. The pancakes will have a slightly more sourdough flavor but adding maple syrup on top will quickly help you not notice. Using refined sugar is not my jam. It would still work in this recipe but it will make the pancakes more inflammatory to the body.

I do not recommend keeping a starter just for this recipe but you do you. I have not attempted this recipe with a gluten free starter but I’m not confident it will work as having some gluten (though fermented) does give the pancakes the strength to rise and get fluffy.

I don’t tend to tolerate gluten very well with the exception of sourdough. I keep my starter small so as to avoid waste but every so often, I have too much and want to find ways to use it rather than discarding it. The fermented starter seems to settle well with me and it makes beautiful pancakes. If you have starter you need to discard, I hope you give this recipe a try. It is the easiest and simplest recipe I have found for using up sourdough discard and most the ingredients are in your cupboard. Enjoy!

Demystifying Hypnotherapy

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 19:26:32 GMT

Tea Time With Jo | Demystifying Hypnotherapy

Mindset is such an important part of any healing journey. One of my favorite modalities for mindset work is Hypnosis. The image of a person waving a pocket watch in front of you may have popped into your mind but Hypnosis is so much more than what we see on television. “Stage Hypnosis” is likely the only type of Hypnosis that most people have encountered and so they think of it more as an entertaining way to make a person get on all fours and bark like a dog. In all actuality Hypnosis is an amazing tool to work with the subconscious mind. Accessing this part of our consciousness can have profound benefits in releasing old thought patterns, working through addictions and even healing phobias!

I have been very blessed to have worked alongside a Hypnotherapist for the vast majority of my Chinese Medicine career. I was even one of her earliest patients when she helped me let go of the fear that I was destined to have dementia because of my family history. It made perfect sense to interview the practitioner I trust the most and provide answers to the most common questions I get about Hypnosis.

Without further ado, here is my interview with Licensed Hypnotherapist, Reiki Master and Magnified Healing Practitioner, Ary Rodriguez:

-What exactly is Hypnosis/Hypnotherapy? What does it mean when someone “goes under”?

Hypnosis is a trance-like state, referred to as "going under", in which we bypass the conscious mind to arrive at the subconscious. In this state, the person relaxes to such a level that they tune out outside stimuli. Once that is achieved and we enter the subconscious mind, we can then reframe the past, change habits or process trauma, to name a few.

-Is the trance-like state in which someone is in during hypnosis similar to the state someone may experience during deep meditation?

Yes, just like it. The majority of people compare hypnosis to daydreaming, or the feeling of "losing yourself" in a book or a movie. They are in control the whole time but simultaneously very relaxed.

-What does an initial session with you look like? Do they “go under” in the initial session?

I like to schedule an initial consultation so that I can better get to know my client, their goals as well as their history. It allows me to listen for clues related to why they are coming to see me in the first place. This session often reveals childhood patterns, traumas or learned behaviors that have helped to shape them into who they are. This initial session is quite in depth and a potential client can expect for the appointment to last 90 minutes or so. After this initial consultation then we schedule another date to meet for the actual Hypnotherapy session.

-Do you make your clients cluck like chickens or bark like dogs?

No. As entertaining as that seems to stage hypnotists, I take my role with my clients very seriously. I like for those who seek my services to always have a safe and non-judgmental space to just be, regardless of whether they continue with Hypnotherapy or decide it isn’t for them.

-Does Hypnosis require any kind of spiritual or religious belief?

It does not. People from all backgrounds and walks of life can experience Hypnosis. All that is required is an open mind and an open heart.

-How to know if a Hypnotherapist is legit? Are there any red flags?

Different states have different laws. Some require a practitioner to carry certain permits such as a business license or insurance, while others don't require anything at all. Generally speaking, all Hypnotherapist undergo some type or training or certification process. Your practitioner should be able to answer simple questions regarding their background (i.e. Where did they get certified? How long have they been practicing? Do they have a specialty? Etc.) If their answers feel off, I think you should trust your gut and your common sense and find a different practitioner.

-What kind of commitment does Hypnotherapy require from the client?

Hypnosis is a simple process but it requires you to commit to yourself and your goals. Deciding you want to make changes and showing up to your appointments really is half of the battle. Some clients achieve remarkable results after just one session. Other clients will work on a particular area of concern for a few sessions and then return when they are ready to work on something different. It really just depends on the person, their willingness and their goals.

-Does Hypnosis require maintenance sessions after addressing a certain concern?

That depends on the person and the concern. Some issues are layered and require multiple sessions. In some cases, clients have remarkable results after just 1 or 2 sessions.

-What does an ideal client for you look like?

My ideal client is someone who is committed to their journey, growth and goals and willing to invest in themselves. I practice multiple styles and techniques but love working with Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique® the most. It's just fascinating to hear people talk about their past lives. I don’t really have a specific concern that I like to work with but I do love clients that are just ready to do the work. They’re excited and committed and that makes their results come about faster and more prominently.

If you are interested in learning more about Ary and her work, feel free to peruse her website Hypnosis By Ary . If her name sounds familiar to you, its because she is not only a work colleague of mine, but also my sister! I was with her along for the journey of her training and have undergone Hypnotherapy sessions with her whenever I have needed them. It has been such a wonderful tool and life hack in letting go of old behaviors, thought patterns and believes that were keeping me stuck. I often refer her services to my Acupuncture patients and, while many patients are reluctant to give it a shot, those that do see incredible results at a much quicker rate.

Being in the Bible Belt also makes a part of my clientele hesitant to even consider Hypnosis. There is a huge false narrative that Hypnosis is somehow “the devil’s work” or is attached to a certain belief. Anytime past lives are mentioned, it sounds off an alarm in a lot of people’s heads. Here’s the thing though, Hypnosis doesn’t require working with past lives. You don’t even have to approach the subject if it isn’t something you believe in. It is simply one of the techniques that Hypnotherapists can work with.

I hope this post has brought you more clarity on the practice of Hypnosis. If you have any questions or would like more information, you can contact Ary directly through her website or Instagram .

Plant Based Milks

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 20:16:31 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Plant Based Milks

By request of an IG question box I posted a while back, today I’m going to be talking about milk alternatives and their pros and cons. Nutritionally, nothing beats raw or low temp pasteurized, A2, non-homogenized dairy milk. It is loaded with good stuff including protein, healthy fat, healthy carbs, vitamins and minerals. Plant based alternatives don’t come close. However, some folks just can’t digest dairy milk properly without it causing digestive upset, mucus or inflammation. (Check out this post for more details on that and why raw or low temp pasteurized is superior. ) For these folks, plant based milk (aka “mylk”) may provide an alternative that is healthier for the individual.
However, not all “mylks” are created equal and each comes with their own pros and cons. Below, I’m going to share some of the pros and cons of some of the most popular options of milk alternatives. Hopefully this info will help you decide which version is best for you.

Almond/Cashew/Walnut/Macadamia Milk

Pros: Contains protein and healthy fat. Depending on the type, the flavor can be fairly neutral.

Cons: Less protein and overall nutrition than dairy milk. Can be inflammatory for some.

Coconut Milk (Full Fat-in a can):

Pros: High in healthy fat, good source of minerals.

Cons: Protein content is debatable. Strong coconut flavor that may interfere with your recipe.

Soy Milk:

Pros: Very nutritious, containing about the same protein as dairy milk. Contains minerals. Fairly neutral flavor.

Cons: Finding Organic and Non-GMO soy in the USA is very challenging. Homemade soy milk from organic, non-gmo soybeans would be the only option I would even entertain here in the U.S.

Flax/Hemp

Pros: Contain healthy fats and some mineral content.

Cons: In general, no where near as nutritious or as digestible as any of the other plant based milks. Can be inflammatory for some.

Oat/Rice Milk

Pros: Contains some protein and complex carbohydrates. Some mineral content.

Cons: A lot of the nutrition in grains are better accessed via fermentation. I have yet to find a company that ferments grains before making them into “mylk”. Non-organic varieties are heavily sprayed with pesticides and/or folic acid which is synthetic and hard to metabolize for a lot of people. Any benefit is practically negated if not organic.

Regardless of the plant based milk that you chose, you should be reading the label and making sure that it is made only with the main ingredient and water. Perhaps the addition of some things you can easily recognize such as sea salt or vanilla extract. If the label goes on to say “less than 2%…” that is a red flag. A good milk alternative should be free of added ingredients such as added sugar, inflammatory oils (such as canola, rapeseed, sunflower, etc), carrageenan, gums and synthetic vitamins.

Notes on Carrageenan and Gums:

These ingredients are added as thickeners in a lot of milk alternatives. While some amounts may be ok for some, these thickeners can have undesirable effects on the gastro-intestinal system that can include negatively impacting the health of your gut lining and microbiome. One of the most popular gums, Xanthum Gum, is often derived from GMO products such as corn, wheat and soy. Additionally, it can also be derived from dairy which would make it not suitable for those who chose to pursue a vegan diet.

Something Else to Consider:

One “con” that several plant based milks share is the negative environmental impact. A lot of these plant based ingredients place a large strain on the environment either from a water consumption standpoint or a deforestation standpoint. It is important to choose products that are produced responsibly, regeneratively and organically whenever possible.

Bottom line, while none of these options can compare to the nutrition of dairy milk, they can certainly be healthy additions to your nutrition as long as they are sourced responsibly and free of unnecessary added ingredients.

I hope you found this blog helpful. If you did, please feel free to share it with anyone you feel might benefit. Stay tuned to the blog as I will be sharing a delicious recipe you can make with non-dairy milks in the coming weeks, just in time for the cooler months.

Guide to Cervical Mucus (with Pictures)

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 20:14:47 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Guide to Cervical Mucus (with Pictures)

A big part of work with patients is to help them identify their fertile window. This helps a woman to understand when she is most fertile so that she can either attempt to conceive or avoid conception. For the purposes of this blog post, I am going to focus on cervical mucus (aka cervical fluid or cervical discharge). Let’s dive in…

Why Bother Checking?

That goop that comes out on your toilet tissue, or makes its way to your underwear, is a marker of your hormonal and vaginal health. The Vagina is lined with mucus membranes and having some secretions is normal and healthy but it is important to monitor for any changes that may indicate a possible infection. This is true even for women who are through with reproducing. Vaginal dryness is a real issue and it affects women of all ages, not just those in menopause. While hormonal birth control can also alter the appearance of cervical mucus, getting familiar with what your normal is makes it easier to acknowledge if there is a change that could be indicative of candida infection, STIs, Bacterial Vaginosis, etc.

Cervical Mucus Does NOT Confirm Ovulation

There are different types of cervical mucus that the body creates throughout a menstrual cycle depending on which hormones are abundant at that time. While we can learn to identify which presentation of cervical mucus is indicative of our bodies preparing to ovulate, we cannot confirm ovulation via cervical mucus alone. It is always a wise idea to track Basal Body Temperature or use progesterone urine test strips to confirm ovulation, especially if you plan on having unprotected intercourse in your luteal phase, and wish to avoid pregnancy.

With that being said, let’s discuss the different types of mucus/discharge/fluids you may see depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle:

Post-Menstrual Cervical Mucus

Depending on how long your menses is, you may have a few “dry” days after menstrual bleeding ends or you may start to produce some type of cervical mucus pretty soon afterwards. This type of cervical mucus is thick, opaque and can be a little clumpy. It tends to be more sticky and often comes off on your toilet tissue looking like clumps of mucus. It may also just look like thick, sticky snot (not to sound gross but it can look like something you coughed up). The color may be white or even a little pale yellow. A lot of women describe this type as “milky”. Note that this clumping shouldn’t look like cottage cheese (cottage cheese like discharge can be indicative of infection).

Here is an example of healthy Post-Menstrual Cervical Mucus:

Pre-Ovulatory (Fertile) Cervical Mucus

This type of cervical fluid gets produced as the body is getting ready to release an egg. It takes sperm a while to reach the fallopian tubes so the body, it its divine wisdom, creates a cervical fluid that can protect the sperm and help it live ~5 days in the body. This way partners can have intercourse prior to the egg being released and the sperm will be protected as they lay in wait for the egg to arrive. This type of cervical fluid is clear, slippery and stretchy. It is often referred to as egg white cervical mucus because it resembles the appearance of raw egg whites. If you are looking to avoid pregnancy, you should abstain from unprotected intercourse when you see this type of cervical mucus. If you are trying to conceive, seeing this cervical mucus is your sign to go for it! Here is an example:

Post-Ovulatory/Pre-Menstrual Cervical Mucus

Shortly after an egg is released, the body will create a thicker cervical mucus to help plug the cervix in the event of a pregnancy. This mucus plug helps to keep bacteria out of the womb in order to protect the developing fetus/fetuses. If there is no pregnancy, the body may start to release some of this mucus as it is no longer needed. This cervical mucus may resemble what it looked like at the beginning (before it turned clear and stretchy) or it may be drier looking, almost like clumps of school glue. This mucus tends to be sticky, less moist and opaque. It may be white or pale yellow. Here is an example:

If Your Cycles Are Not Regular (PCOS, Peri-Menopause, Etc )

Even if your menstruation doesn’t follow a regular pattern, you should still be able to track the changes in your cervical mucus. Actually, tracking your cervical mucus may be the best way to predict when your menses might actually be starting. This is because your body will only produce fertile, egg white cervical mucus when there is an increase in ovulation hormones. Ladies with PCOS or in Peri-Menopause, have a tendency to produce a steady amount of Luteinizing hormone (which is what ovulation test strips check) throughout the cycle. This can make it difficult to really know if they are truly ovulating or not. However, when the ovaries are truly preparing for ovulation, estrogen levels also increase and the combination of the rising estrogen along with luteinizing hormone is what produces that egg white-y discharge.

Even if your cycles are not regular, if you see this type of discharge, you will likely have a menstrual period 9-14 days after. This will help you predict when you might have a bleed.

Things That Can Affect Cervical Mucus:

-Cervical mucus is over 90% water. This means that if you are not properly hydrated, your body may not have enough fluid to produce cervical mucus. Make sure to get adequate amounts of fluid and to add electrolytes for optimum hydration.

-If you have unprotected intercourse you may confuse left over semen with cervical mucus. That is yet another reason why it is important to get familiar with your own fluids (color, texture, scent, etc). Feeling confident in what your body naturally produces makes it easier to see when changes are happening.

-Some hormonal birth control methods suppress the production of ovulation hormones in the body. This can cause for you to experience little to no cervical mucus. You may also just produce the same kind of discharge without seeing any change in the color or texture. In order to accurately track your discharge, you must avoid any hormonal therapies that can interfere with your body’s production of cervical fluids.

I hope this post helped to clear up any questions you may have had about cervical mucus and helps you understand how to know when you are getting ready to ovulate. This level of awareness in your body can be so transformative and aid you in living with more alignment for your cyclical body. If you would like to understand the different phases of your menstrual cycle, check out this IG post .

Feel free to share this post with anyone that might find it helpful. I’ll catch you in the next post :)

Homemade Cottage Cheese

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 21:27:31 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe

Ingredients:

-1/2 gallon (64oz) of low temp/vat pasteurized, Non-homogenized whole milk (I like Kalona Super Natural )

-3 oz of white vinegar or lemon juice

-1/2 tsp of salt, or to taste

-low vat pasteurized whipping cream (optional)

Materials:

-Large heavy bottomed pot

-Strainer

-Cheesecloth or flour sack towel

-Large bowl for straining the whey

-Small bowl for storing your cottage cheese

Steps:

-Scoop the cream out of the milk and set it aside along with 1/2 cup of milk.

-Gently warm the milk on the stove until it is steaming and forming little bubbles around the edges. Super important to heat the milk slowly and to stir it frequently to avoid it sticking to the bottom. If you prefer to use a thermometer, heat the milk until it is at least 120ºF but less than 190ºF.

-Once milk is steaming, turn off the heat, pour in the vinegar and stir it in quickly. You will start to see curdles form instantly.

-After a couple of stirs to distribute the vinegar, place a lid on the pot and let it sit for 30min.

-While the curds are forming, place cheesecloth over a strainer and place it over a bowl large enough to hold the liquid whey. You can also add the salt to your reserved milk and stir to dissolve.

-After 30min, strain the curds and whey and allow to sit for 5-10min to continue to drain naturally. No need to squeeze all the liquid out as this will result in very dry curds.

-After straining, gently transfer the curds to a small bowl. Stir in the reserved cream and salted milk. Enjoy!

Notes: You can easily double this recipe if you have a full gallon of milk that you would like to use. If your milk doesn’t have cream on top, you can simply stir in some whipping cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, at the end. Add as much as you’d like for your desired texture. You can also adjust the salt to your taste by not dissolving it in the milk and just adding it at the end. This homemade cottage cheese will stay fresh in your fridge for 5 days. The whey can be stored in the fridge for at least 6 months. Use it in place of water in your baking recipes. Use it to boil pasta or to ferment/cook rice, oats, beans or quinoa. The whey still contains natural enzymes and protein (it's what whey protein powders are made from).

If you want to see pictures of the process, check out my IG post here .

Cottage cheese has been making the rounds on social media as a healthy, protein packed snack. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find low temp/vat pasteurized cottage cheese in my area. If you don’t know why it is best to consume low temp pasteurized dairy products, you may want to check out this blog post .

I did some research and decided to try to make it myself and it was surprisingly easy and so delicious! I hope you will give this recipe a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Bug Bite Paste

Thu, 16 May 2024 18:29:24 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Bug Bite Paste

Ingredients:

-5 low dose aspirin tablets

-1 teaspoon of baking soda

-Just enough water to make a paste (1/2-3/4 tsp)

Materials:

-Small cup, dish or bowl

-Pestle or study glass bottomed cup or bottle

Steps:

-Crush the aspirin tablets until they are powdered. I use a pestle and crush it right in the cup that the paste will be stored in. You can use the bottom of a glass cup or sturdy glass bottle and transfer the powder to the dish/bowl.

-Add the baking soda and give it a good mix to incorporate well with the aspirin.

-Add the water, mixing everything together until it turns into a paste. It may bubble and fizz a little. If you add too much water, just add a little bit of baking soda to get it to a paste consistency. If your mixture is too dry, add a drop of water at a time until you get a paste.

Use:

-Apply a pea sized amount, or as much as you need, directly over the insect bite so that the bite is covered.

-Allow to dry on the skin and stay on for at least an hour. You can brush off the dry paste after this point.

-Reapply as needed.

-You can store the paste, uncovered, in your cupboard or cabinet. It will dry out but all you need is to dip a wet finger into the dry paste to rehydrate enough to apply. You can also add a few drops to the dish and remix as needed.

-Apply as needed until the bite heals.

If you would like a visual, check out my IG post on this paste here .

Notes : This is my go-to bug bite paste that I swear by! It is the only home remedy that I make that involves an actual pharmaceutical…but this stuff works!

I don’t know about you but if I get a mosquito bite, it gets so itchy that it can keep me up at night. The scratching can be so intense that I may give myself scabs or bruises (which is awful because scratching is how a lot of bites get infected). This paste helps to calm the itching within 15min of applying it. Even if it gets a little itchy after, when I reach over to scratch and feel the dry paste on my skin, it is an automatic reminder not to touch it. If it is still itchy after an hour, I brush off the dry paste and reapply or reapply at night, before bed (allowing enough time for it to dry before going to sleep).

The reason this works is because aspirin contains a type of salicylic acid (acetylsalicylic acid). This acid is anti-inflammatory and pain relieving. Baking soda is an anti-septic and is alkaline in nature which can help balance the acidity of the aspirin. Paired together, they help to reduce the heat and redness of the bite as well as relieve the pain and itching.

There are plenty of resources online that say making a baking soda paste is sufficient for bug bites. For me personally, baking soda alone does nothing. I have tried making the paste with essential oils and different types of clay. They all help but none have worked as well as just simply using aspirin and baking soda. I have not found a natural source of salicylic acid that is concentrated enough to provide the same relief. I also have not tried acetaminophen or ibuprofen because I don’t see the point, aspirin works great!

With mosquito season starting as we approach the warmer days, this paste is a must have in my home. Usually, I make it once and it is enough to last the whole season. Then I make a fresh batch the following year. Obviously, don’t use this paste if you are allergic to any of the ingredients or if your bite is coupled with a burn. Otherwise, if you need soothing relief from a bug bite, give this a try and let me know what you think.

Competition is Bullshit

Fri, 10 May 2024 18:41:23 GMT

StoryTime with Jo | Competition is Bullshit

When I was a student in Chinese Medicine school, I had one class that was geared towards “Practice Management”. One of the topics we discussed was competition. I was instructed that it was good practice to “check out my competition” and get a feel for what other practitioners were charging in my area. When I first starting out as an Acupuncturist, I was lucky enough to get a job in an established practice. Besides the owners, I was the only other Acupuncturist so I didn’t really feel that there was any competition between us. I also didn’t really have to worry about what other competing practices were doing; however, I do recall my bosses being concerned with this.

Eventually I left that practice and I joined a different practice. It was a group practice and there were 3 Acupuncturists including myself. The practice was quickly growing and there were plenty of patients to go around so there wasn’t really a feeling of competition amongst my co-workers. Totally the contrary, it was very much a group practice. We shared information about each other’s patients and sometimes worked on the same patients together. We learned from each other and often helped one another. The owner of this practice though, was extremely concerned with competing practices. They would spend a considerable amount of time looking at what other Acupuncture clinics where doing (what services they offered, what they charged for each service, etc.) on a regular basis.

Over the years, it was sort of engrained in me that other practitioners in the area could be considered a threat to my livelihood. Though I never fully subscribed to this idea, I did see a lot of wellness practitioners worrying about their “competition” (including amongst the massage therapists that I worked with). It was always my understanding that no one steals clients from anyone; people go where they choose. Clients do not belong to us or to a practice, they can’t be traded or stolen like playing cards. I felt validated in this truth when I came across Simon Sinek and his concept of “Infinite Game”. To him, if you are constantly comparing yourself to another person or business, you are playing a “finite game”. You can eventually level up your services or offerings to match, or compete, with the other person but there is only so much you can grow. When you focus on leveling up your services and offerings, there is no comparison to a previous set standard. Therefore, the opportunities for growth are infinite.

When I went on my own, there was no other Acupuncture practice in the area that focused on Women’s Reproductive Health, the way that I do. So I couldn’t really look around at other practitioner’s prices because it was irrelevant to my niche. I did take into consideration what other practitioners in this specialty were charging around the country and how many years of experience they had. I also took into consideration the amount of clients they were seeing in an hour. A practice that saw 3-4 patients an hour typically charged less for follow up appointments than those that only saw 1-2. Most of the ones that were limited to one 1 person per hour had a strict cut off of 60min per session.

If you know me, you can see how this situation created quite a bit of a pickle for me. Since I became a solo practitioner, I only see one patient at a time and I typically spend 60-90min with them. I found that a strict cut off of 60 minutes didn’t always allow for my patients to ask me all the questions that they had or to get clarification on questions they had regarding fertility treatments they were considering, or a number of other things. We both needed time to really discuss all the ins and outs and for me to explain how they could properly advocate for themselves. Sometimes, patients are dealing with really heavy things (the loss of a loved one/pet, the loss of a pregnancy, changing job circumstances, difficulties in their relationships, etc.) and they need time to unravel and verbally get things off their chest. I want to hold space for them. You can’t really do that when you have to keep an ear out for the next patient who is supposed to be coming in soon.

I don’t know of any other Acupuncture practitioner that allows this much time for their sessions. Furthermore, while there is a decent amount of Acupuncturists in my area, not many of us focus on this specialty. Even if they did, because it is a specialty, a lot of the training for this field happens at a post-graduate level. That means that my mentors may not be the same as someone else’s mentors in this field. In addition, there are several schools of thought within the scope of Chinese Medicine. For example, I was trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine but there is also the school of Classical Chinese Medicine and 5 Element Chinese Medicine. Within all of these schools, there are also different theories/methods such as 8 Extra Meridian theory and Master Tung Acupuncture, just to name a few. So the odds of 2 practitioners being trained in the same style, by the same mentors, is actually quite rare. Even if there happen to be 2 practitioners that had the same training and have the same mentors, each practitioner also develops their own style. We each have our own needling technique, our own assessment process, etc. We each may have a different interpretation of the patient’s presentation. You can see how the idea of competition actually seems quite ridiculous in this context.

Early in 2023, I found myself having to move out of the office I was working out of, in a jiffy. I wasn’t prepared to leave and didn’t have a back up location to consider. It was then that I plopped in MY Acupuncturist’s chair and cried about the stress and frustration of this process and not having a place to go. My Acupuncturist just so happened to have a room that was recently left vacant by a massage therapist that was renting it previously. She very generously offered to rent the room out to me and she was willing to have it ready for me to move in within a matter of days. My tears of frustration and stress quickly turned into tears of gratitude and relief. I went in for treatment and I walked out with so much more.

I could just hear the voices of my previous bosses in my head…”Are you crazy? You can’t move into the office of another practitioner! That’s direct competition!”. The truth is that I specialize in Reproductive Health and she specializes in Allergies. I have a waitlist for new patients and so does she. We each stick to our own lane. We refer to each other’s practice when it becomes appropriate. Yes, I can work on allergies but I am not specialized in that field; the same way that she can work on reproductive health but it isn’t her specialty. Furthermore, I don’t practice the methods that she does, and vice versa. It has actually been a very harmonious and healing relationship sharing space with another practitioner who has a completely separate practice. We learn from each other and we co-exist peacefully. I have no words to express how grateful I am for her and how she has helped to validate my feelings on competition being absurd.

Long story short, no one is like you and no one will practice exactly like you (regardless of what you do). If a good opportunity presents itself for you to share your talents/gifts with the world, don’t let the idea of “competition” cause you to shy away from it. There are over 390,000 species of flowers in the world and I doubt anyone has said “that’s too many”.

Golden Matcha Recipe

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 20:06:46 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Golden Matcha

Ingredients :

10-12oz of Milk of your choice (I use Malk Almond Milk)

1/4 tsp of Ground Turmeric

1/4 tsp of Ground Cinnamon

1/8 tsp of Match Powder

Dash of Black Pepper (one crack of the pepper mill)

Splash of Vanilla Extract

Optional: Serving of Ginger Turmeric Tincture

Honey to taste

Steps:

Gently heat your milk on the stove. As the milk is warming, add the ingredients. Stir to combine or use a frother to get that beautiful foam you see in coffee shops.

TCM Benefits : The name for this anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory beverage comes from the blend of Ayurvedic Golden Milk and Matcha. Matcha is well known for its high antioxidant content but it is considered cold in TCM which is not ideal for menstruating women or those with weak digestion. The Cinnamon and Turmeric are energetically warm which helps to balance out the cold from the Matcha. Both Cinnamon and Turmeric are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory as well as anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral. This combination is excellent for the cold winter months (helpful for arthritis pain or headaches brought on by cold) or for early spring or fall allergies.

The dash of black pepper is added to enhance the absorption of the healing properties of turmeric. It is also a warming spice.

Notes : Be careful not to boil the milk as you may cause separation. Since you are drinking this entire cup, you don’t need to worry about “steeping” time. Vanilla extract is completely optional but I do like adding it for a little extra deliciousness. You don’t need to have Ginger Turmeric Tincture but I happen to make my own and like to add it to this drink for additional benefits.

I encourage you to give this yummy hot drink a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Learning to Love my Typos

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 20:53:56 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Learning to Love My Typos

In a world were A.I. is being used to generate just about everything we see, seeing an “imperfection” is a reminder that a real person was behind the creation. As a recovering grammar snob, this is a lesson I am learning.

I remember when I first started blogging, I would take so much time to proofread and always ask someone to also proofread my blog before posting. That gets kind of annoying because, sometimes, you have an idea for something you want to share, and you just want to get it out there as soon as you are done typing it up. Someone else isn’t always available to proofread right in that instant.

The same happens with my newsletter . Even though I start building it as the month progresses, and re-read it several times, I don’t always catch everything. Of course it is glaringly obvious when the newsletter goes out and I read it in my inbox and realize I used “their” instead of “there” or something along those lines.

As annoying as it might be, I’m learning to be ok with these minor errors as long as the message is still coming across. I find it kind of offensive that even my blogging platform now suggests using A.I. to write up a post. Especially since writing is not only a creative outlet for me but also a means of sharing knowledge. I am a sentient being that formulates thoughts and interpretations…A.I. will never be able to replicate that in the exact same way.

I learned recently that editing social media posts, after it was posted originally, works against the algorithm. So it is actually better to leave it as-is and maybe leave a comment with an edit to what you meant to say. This was yet another gentle reminder that it is ok to not have the perfect grammar. Having typos lets you know that I am real and that it is actually me who is taking the time to sit down and type these words…even if they are incorrect sometimes.

This lesson is rippling out into other parts of my life as well. I no longer stress if my hair is not perfectly smooth and free of frizz. I no longer care if my fingernails are free of polish. I let go of the worry of someone seeing a blemish pop up on my skin. The frizz, the nails and my skin are all reminders of my human-ness. I’d also like to clarify that, if you are someone who pays a lot of attention to your appearance and it makes you happy to have your hair done, your nails perfectly polished and your skin to look flawless, that’s good for you. The issue here is not whether you do or you don’t; it’s more so letting go of the feelings of inadequacy when things aren’t perfect.

Are there any areas of your life where you too are learning to soften and not be so hard on yourself about? What are you finding helpful in this endeavor? I’d love to hear all about it .

5 Tips for Hormonal Health

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 15:17:02 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | 5 Tips For Hormonal Health at Any Age

-Eat Your Breakfast

After a night of fasting, your body is ready to be refueled and replenished. Having a protein forward breakfast within an hour of waking, helps to lower your cortisol levels in the morning. A balanced breakfast is important (more on that in the next section). If you want to intermittently fast, don’t do it everyday and definitely avoid doing it while you are in your menstrual phase. If you like to drink coffee, it is super important to have coffee with your breakfast or afterwards. Coffee on an empty stomach actually causes cortisol and stress hormone levels to rise and that make for a rude awakening. You can read more on how to enjoy coffee without wreaking your adrenals in this post .

-Eat Balanced Meals

Have a protein, fat and carb at all your meals. If possible, eat your green veggies first, then your protein and fat and save your carbs for last. Eating in this order helps to slow down the way your body metabolizes glucose which prevents blood sugar spikes and helps you feel fuller for longer. The problem with blood sugar spikes is less about the spike itself (though that has it’s own share of dangers) and more about the crash that follows it. Ever feel that 2-3pm slump after lunch? That’s usually a sign of your blood sugar crashing.

Its also worth noting that you should make sure you eat enough for your needs. You should be consuming more calories on days that you work out or engage in more physical activity. You should also consume more calories as you are transitioning from the luteal phase into the menstrual phase. If you are healing from a physical trauma like an accident or surgery, you may also need more calories. Keep in mind that not all calories are created equal. It is imperative that your calories be nutrient dense for hormonal health.

-Do Appropriate Physical Activity

A stay at home parent to young children is arguably more physically active chasing their kids than someone who only gets physical movement when they go to the gym 2-3x per week. It wouldn’t be fair to tell this parent that they don’t get enough movement in unless they work out everyday. The way society sees physical movement makes it seem like it isn’t working out unless you are lifting heavy weights; but no one thinks carrying a 20lb baby on one arm, a diaper bag on your back and 5 bags of groceries on the other arm counts.

While we are on the topic of physical activity, avoid fasted workouts, especially if you are female. Putting your body through the perceived stress of a workout causes it to kick on stress hormones in order to deal with the “stress”. This can be very taxing on our adrenals, which is not good for hormonal health. Always try to eat something before working out.

-Avoid Toxic Chemicals

This is a huge topic that warrants its own post (possibly several posts). The bottom line is that toxic chemicals often contain endocrine disrupters. Just as the name implies, endocrine disrupters disrupt your natural hormones and their functions. Some of the most impactful ways you can avoid these chemicals are:

-Don’t microwave plastic Tupperware (switch to glass instead),

-Avoid using plastic water bottles (use stainless steel or glass),

-Avoid plastic lined paper cups at coffee shops (bring your own to-go cup if needed)

-Avoid artificial fragrances in all products (often listed as “parfum” in the ingredients)

-Avoid burning paraffin candles and/or artificially scented candles or incense (beeswax candles are much cleaner. Always opt for essential oils as fragrance when possible. Get 10% off my fave candles with the code AcuJo10).

-Go to Sleep Before 11:00pm (10pm would be better)

According to the Chinese Medicine clock, our energy in the Gall Bladder meridian is highest between 11pm-1am. During this time, “maintenance” is being performed on the GB meridian but it can only be performed well if the person is sleeping. The GB’s partner meridian is the Liver, and its time is between 1am-3am (immediately following the GB). The liver plays a huge role in hormone balance in TCM and it can’t do its maintenance properly until its partner, the GB, does a proper maintenance first. This is one of the reasons why it is important to be asleep BEFORE 11:00pm rather than going to bed at 11:00pm.

Bonus: Engage in a Cyclical Practice

-Honoring our internal infradian rhythm helps us to connect to the ebbs and flows of our cycles. You see this in nature all the time yet society mainly focuses on just the circadian rhythm. One of my favorite ways to connect with the infradian rhythm is by enjoying Curiositea Wellness’s Lunar Remedies . The ladies behind this company made a set of 4 teas, each designed to resonate with the different phases of the menstrual cycle. If you don’t have a menstrual cycle, you can still step into the vibes by following the moon phases. No worries, they include a beautiful card with instructions in each order.

There are many roads that lead to the same destination. These suggestions are not the only way to support hormonal health, but they are very good options. They are practical and don’t involve you investing a ton of time or energy to get you started. If you found this post helpful, feel free to share with someone who may find it helpful as well. Thanks for reading and I’ll catch you in the next post :)

Juicy January

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 16:36:48 GMT

Tea Time With Jo|Juicy January

January often kick starts with lot of individuals making New Year’s Resolutions. One of the most popular resolutions is to get healthier; and just like that, “juicing” becomes one of the top strategies folks enlist to attain this goal. Immediately, people hit up the grocery stores to stock up on all the fruits and veggies they may not otherwise eat throughout the year. Juices, smoothies and salads quickly become a staple in this new nutrition plan, but how is all this viewed through the lens of East Asian/Chinese Medicine? Let’s discuss...

J uicing

It's the morning of January 2nd. You grabbed your celery, apples, carrots and cucumber s and ran it through the juicer. Ahhh so refreshing! “I feel healthier already” you think to yourself. You head to your Acupuncture appointment (what do you mean you don’t have an appointment? Acupuncture wasn’t on your list of things to do to improve your health in the New Year?? Of course it was, you just forgot to book your appointment because you don’t know how to pick it out a legit practice and you were reading through Google reviews. You’ll book an appointment when you are done reading this post - 'wink wink' )…where was I??? Ah, yes, so you tell your Acupuncturist about your new plan to juice for detoxing and this is along the lines of what they tell you:

TCM views the nutrition in juice the same way it views it in food…by it’s energetic properties/temperature. Generally speaking, juice is considered r aw . Something like celery juice would be considered “cold” but ginger juice would be considered “warm”. Because of it’s raw nature, juices should still be enjoyed in moderation and blended to suite the needs of the person. For example, a person with a lot of thirst, dry mouth and throat would benefit from a pear juice. Another person with cold hands and feet, low energy and pale complexion would benefit more from cherry, beet and ginger juice. Ideally, the properties would be balanced out by a combination of juices containing complementary energetic temperatures.

Outside of the TCM lens, juicing removes a good deal of fiber from the fruit or vegetable. Why does this matter? The fiber in fruits and vegetables plays a key role in how the nutrients get absorbed in the body. Fiber in fruit, when it is whole, helps to slow down the metabolism of fructose (sugar). Drinking a freshly processed fruit juice, with the fiber removed, has comparable blood sugar spiking properties as the equivalent amount of a soft drink/soda/pop. I know, right?!

Smoothies

So what about smoothies? If you can throw the whole fruit/vegetable in the blender, that would be better right? Well, not exactly. The chopping of the produce by the blender also chops up the fiber in the produce. While it doesn’t eliminate it, it breaks it down into smaller pieces that move through your digestive system faster. Faster movement means blood sugar spikes are more likely to happen. As a refresher, blood sugar spikes are usually followed by blood sugar crashes. This rise and fall can wreak havoc on your hormones and affect your digestions, energy and mood.

From a TCM perspective, smoothies can be even colder than juices as most people will tend to use frozen fruits/vegetables plus add a cold liquid to blend it (some even add ice...yikes!) . In contrast, most juices tend to be room temperature.

Furthermore, a lot of people use smoothies as meal replacements so they tend to add a larger amount of raw produce tha t they wouldn’t be able to otherwise consume if they were served the produce , in its whole form , on a plate.

Still, the argument can be be made that smoothies could be a great delivery system for protein if you add something like collagen peptides or protein powder. Especially for those who are on the run and don’t have time to sit down and enjoy breakfast. They could also be more mindful of the amount of produce they add and include warming spices such as ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, clove, fennel, nutmeg, allspice, etc.

The Big Picture

Juicing, smoothie drinking and salad consumption is not seasonally appropriate during the winter months. Fresh fruits and vegetables are more appropriate to consume during the heat of the summer. Even if you live in a tropical climate, chances are the weather is still colder in January than it is in the summer (unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere and your summer is in January ).

Additionally, the idea of having a juice/smoothie for breakfast because it is “faster” is missing a very important point about digestion. Meals are meant to be enjoyed. Proper digestion begins with thorough chewing of your food, taking your time to eat and allowing a few moments of rest before resuming activities. Making t ime for a proper, warm, breakfast that your juice or smoothie could compliment , does wonders for digestion, hormonal health, weight management and mood.

Remember that the bioavailability of most foods is enhanced when eaten in their whole form and when cooked. If you have been following me for a while, you know that TCM views the digestive system like a wood burning oven . Consuming a lot of raw/cold foods/drinks will dampen the digestive fire. It’s one thing to have 4oz of freshly prepared juice alongside a warm breakfast than it is to have a large juice for breakfast, a smoothie for lunch and a salad for dinner. All that raw food throughout the day is like throwing wet logs on your digestive fire. No bueno.

So How Do We Detox If We Don't Juice?

Here’s the thing, our bodies are CONSTANTLY detoxing. Every time you breathe, sweat, urinate, or pass a bowel movement, your body is ridding itself of waste. If we support our bodies with good hydration, nutrition, sleep, movement and healthy emotions (oh yeah, emotions play a huge roll in TCM as well), it’s abilities to detox will be naturally supported. It's also important to look at lifestyle “detoxes” rather than just nutritiona l. Do you spend too much time on social media? Do you follow accounts that make you feel bad about yourself? Do you have friends or family that make you feel judged? Are you using toxic products to clean your home/body?

You’d be surprised at how healing it can be to detox yourself from negative people, places, activities and behaviors.

Gentle Reminder

The dead of winter is not meant to be a time where we take on new things. If we look at nature, we see that winter is a time to hibernate; take it slow. It’s a time to dream. To think about what seeds of intentions you want to plant so they can bloom in the Spring. It’s the season for warm, comforting foods that are easy to digest and warm us from the inside-out (add seasoned logs to the digestive fire). Putting on a little weight for the winter is a form of survival (especially in cold climates) as our bodies burn more calories in order to stay warm. While I am not suggesting to purposefully do this, I AM suggesting that you reconsider any aggressive strategies to loose weight during this season. This also applies to workout routines. The gyms get so packed with people the first 6-8 weeks of the year and then they start to fall of f the wagon. Why do you think that is? It is not seasonally appropriate to go balls to the wall with physical activity in the winter. It might be a better plan to focus on sustainable movement during the winter so that you can gain momentum for increased intensity in the Spring.

Sometimes that just means you get your house in order. Maybe you declutter your home /office/guest bedroom/garage so that you can create space for a yoga mat and possibly some kettle bells. Maybe you organize your finances to make space for a membership that supports your goals (like a personal trainer or a nutrition program).

Hopefully you can see the theme here of preparing for the goal rather than getting after it when literally ALL OF NATURE is not aligned to best support you.

I hope this post made sense. If it did, consider sharing it with someone who might find it helpful. Thank you for taking the time to read and share this post. See you in the next one!

Essential Oils to the Rescue

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 22:09:18 GMT

Essential Oils to the Rescue | Story Time With Jo

A few years ago, I hosted a friend who had come to visit and who had sprained her ankle a few days prior to the visit. To assist her in the healing of her ankle, I offered to prepare her an epsom salt foot soak. She was a sales rep for a very popular essential oil company and I knew she would be traveling with some of her oils. I thought, the oils with the epsom salt would make a fantastic combo to help the swelling. After she had been soaking her foot/ankle for a while, I boiled some water in a kettle to warm up her soak. As I was pouring the freshly boiled water into the basin, I absent-mindedly put my hand under the stream of the boiling water which immediately burned my palm and the webbing in-between my fingers.

Fortunately, my friend acted quickly and immediately started dousing my hand with oils. Among them were Frankincense, Peppermint and Lavender (possibly also Myrrh?). My hand felt like it was on fire! I couldn’t believe what a dumb thing I had done to myself. As you can imagine, being an Acupuncturist, I was concerned I would have to cancel seeing my patients the next day since my hand was not likely to be in a good state, and I obviously use my hands to work. It was so intensely red and throbbing in pain. Every few minutes, my friend would re-douse my hand in oils. At one point, she had added so many different kinds that I asked her “are you sure these are helpful for burns?” and she responded with “I don’t know but they are worth a try”. She felt so bad that I had burned my hand trying to help her ankle. Meanwhile I felt bad that she was using so many of her precious, and pricey, oils on my hand.

All of this happened in the evening and eventually I went to bed with my hand still throbbing and very red. For several hours I could feel the discomfort and sensitivity (heaven forbid the sheet would accidentally rub against my palm…yikes!). At some point though, I did fall asleep. When I woke up in the morning, I mentally prepared myself to look down at my hand and find it blistered and angry. To my surprise, my palm looked completely normal! The webbing in between my fingers had started to develop the protective scab your skin builds after a burn. Otherwise, there was no evidence of anything happening. I did have some minor sensitivity/tenderness but that was it…I was a believer! The essential oils had worked their magic and I was able to go to work that day with zero issues. My friend made sure to douse my hand in oils before going to work and again after I came home. Actually, she left me a bunch of oil bottles for me to use even after her visit had ended.

The lesson of essential oils was repeated again for me just yesterday. I was making a frittata and placed my pan in the oven, as one does when making a frittata. I pulled the pan out of the oven and walked away for a minute to do something else (perhaps prepare some tea). When I turned around to cut the slices in my frittata, I didn’t even think twice and just reached for the handle of the pan with my bare hand. Ouch! I rushed over to the sink, turned on the cold water and placed my hand under the stream. While the coolness of the water felt good initially, the throbbing of the burn was starting to come on. I remembered that feeling and I was not looking forward to what was to come. I immediately remembered to reach for essential oils. I just so happened to have a blend of Peppermint, Eucalyptus and Lavender oils in a base of Hemp oil (I call this blend “Soothing Elixir” and it was a product I made and stocked for my Apothecary before 2020) sitting on the counter. I covered my palm in the oils and placed it over the vent of my air purifier. Cool air on the burn felt good but the hot, throbbing sensation was very much there. As soon as the oils would absorb, I would apply another heavy layer, aka douse my hand with oils. I then remembered that I had colloidal silver gel and I applied that on top.

Within a few minutes, the throbbing started to reduce in intensity and the redness seemed to reach its peak. More layers of oils and colloidal silver gel were applied as soon as they would start to dry on my skin. After 15 minutes, the throbbing had pretty much gone and the redness was much more reduced. Still had a lot of sensitivity in my hand but it felt like the worst was over. I continued the pattern of dousing, allowing it to absorb and re-dousing for about an hour and a half total. Within 2 hours, my hand looked almost completely normal. There was a little bit of swelling and some mild tenderness but you would never have known that I had gripped the handle of a pan that was inside a 350ºF oven, just 2 hours prior. I somehow thought to take “progress pics” as all of this was going down and I shared them on this IG post if you want to reference them.

I had a massage appointment scheduled for that evening, that I was very much looking forward too, and I contemplated wearing a glove and telling my bodyworker that my hand was off limits. However, by the time my appointment time rolled around, my hand felt completely fine! No tenderness, no redness, no swelling. I developed zero blisters and zero scabs.

At this point in my life, I didn’t need any more reasons to believe in the power of essential oils. My belief was already cemented after the experience I had with the boiling water meeting my very non-heat resistant hand years ago. I will admit that I might have also used arnica at some point after the first burn and that I used colloidal silver gel with the second burn. I also used heavy amounts of prayer in both instances. However, essential oils were the first treatment strategy to reach my hands and the ones most abundantly used in the healing process.

I’m sharing this story to remind you to always place pot holders on hot handles that come out of the oven, and to share a healing modality that you mind find useful should you ever have a similar, unfortunate encounter with hot items. Depending on where you live, you may even find small companies that grow the plants and distill their own essential oils locally. I know a guy who has a small lavender farm on his property just 30 minutes away from me (his oil was one of the ones I used). While you should do your research on which essential oils to buy, and which are good quality, I do encourage you to keep some essential oils on hand. They have a myriad of uses from first aid to household cleaning and air freshening. You can even use oils over Acupuncture points for added therapeutic benefits.

This is my first “story time with Jo” post. I hope that you enjoyed this type of post in which I quite literally recant a story about a past experience, and hopefully pass along some wisdom in the process. As always, feel free to share with someone who may find this useful. Thank you for taking the time to read and be here with me in my little corner of the inter webs. Have a happy and safe, burn free, New Year :)

Raw Milk, Dairy & TCM

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 17:03:17 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Raw Milk, Dairy& TCM

It seems like there are 2 camps when it comes to dairy/milk consumption. You either have the “all dairy is bad and produces mucus” camp and the “raw milk is good for you and absolutely doesn’t produce mucus” camp. So which one is accurate and should you start or stop consuming dairy? Let’s discuss!

Raw Milk vs Conventional Milk

For centuries, raw milk HAS BEEN conventional milk. Farmers would bring fresh milk into their homes and consume it within a few days or find ways of preserving it via fermentation (cheese, kefir, yogurt, etc). It wasn’t until pasteurization came around that the notion of milk being “unsafe to consume” even crossed their minds. Pasteurization heats milk up to a high temperature for a short period of time. This process kills bacteria but it also kills a lot of beneficial stuff including enzymes that allow our bodies to digest dairy in the first place.

Lactose-intolerance exists in individuals who lack the enzyme Lactase which allows for proper breakdown and assimilation of lactose (sugar naturally occurring in milk). Milk, fresh from the animal, naturally contains this enzyme. Fresh milk also contains a host of vitamins that can get destroyed with high heat pasteurization. The “benefits” of pasteurized milk are that disease causing bacteria are killed and that the shelf life is extended. But what good is it extend shelf life if the nutrients in the milk have been destroyed? Let remember that the “milk man” used to deliver raw milk on a daily basis because refrigeration wasn’t common in households until the 1930s and people new the milk was more nutritious when it was raw.

Different Types of Pasteurization

So what do you do when you live in a state that outlaws the sale of raw milk? Fortunately, there are some dairy farms that pasteurize their milk using lower heat for a longer period of time (versus high heat for a short period of time). This process is called “vat-pasteurization” or “batch pasteurization”. When milk undergoes this process, it is heated long enough that it kills the disease causing bacteria but it isn’t hot enough to destroy the enzymes or as much of the vitamin content. A lot of folks in different countries do this at home. They receive fresh milk from the local dairy farm within hours of milking. The consumer than heats the milk on their stove for the appropriate amount of time before storing it for consumption over a few days. Most states allow for the sale of raw milk as long as it is labeled for non-human consumption (aka for your pets or farm animals). If that is the case, you can still purchase the raw milk and and it’s up to you to consume it or not (remember you can low heat pasteurize it yourself). If you are in a state that doesn’t allow any kind of raw milk, you can still get the benefits by consuming raw cheese. At the time of writing this post, raw cheese is legal across all states in the US as long as it is aged for at least 60 days. Cheese that is not raw is made from pasteurized milk which can also be difficult to digest for the same reasons.

What does TCM/EAM Think of All This?

One of the beauties of this ancient medicine is that it recognizes thermal and energetic properties of food. If you have been following my social media, or read other blog posts, you would have read that coffee is considered energetically hot (even if it is iced) and that matcha is considered energetically cold (even if heated). Cow’s milk is considered “warm” and it is considered to be “sweet”. The “sweet” flavor in TCM/EAM is typically considered good for digestion. Think of it as the complex carbohydrates in tubers like sweet potatoes as well as the complex carbs in fruits and legumes. Overindulgence in “sweet” foods, however, can lead to what is called “dampness”. Dampness in the body manifests as impaired fluid metabolism leading to fluid retention as well as impaired digestion. Over time, the accumulation of dampness can create “phlegm”. Phlegm exists is substantial form (what you see when you actually cough something up) and what you don’t see (unhealthy cholesterol build up, cysts, lipomas, nodules, etc).

A traditional western diet has an excess of sugary sweet foods (versus energetically sweet food) which produces dampness. In addition, the typical western diet also consists of other damp producing foods like fried foods, cold foods, excessive amounts of raw foods, alcohol, etc. When you add dairy to that mix, the dampness increases. This is why a lot of TCM/EAM practitioners, including myself, will advice against consuming dairy, especially in the beginning of someone’s healing journey.

Is Dairy OK for Me?

If a patient of mine wants to consume dairy, or is considering reintroducing dairy, I will check for certain signs that let me know their body is ready to assimilate it. One of the easiest ways to do this for yourself is to look at your tongue. If you look at your tongue in the mirror, does it look puffy/swollen? Does it have teeth marks along the edges? Does it have a thick white coating before brushing or scraping? If you answered yes to any of these, I would hold off on the dairy. If your tongue has none of these signs but you are generally full of mucus (always blowing your nose or coughing up stuff), that would also be an indicator for me that your body isn’t ready. If you have a tendency to develop cysts/nodules anywhere in your body (cystic acne, ovarian cysts, fat deposits like lipomas, sebaceous cysts, etc), that would also be a “no” for me.

If your tongue isn’t swollen, doesn’t have teeth marks and has a thin coating that you can see the color of the tongue through it, then your body is likely more able to assimilate dairy (check out this IG post for examples). If this is the case, I will always recommend starting with raw or vat pasteurized milk or fermented products made from it. Alternatively, I would also recommend starting with Sheep or Goat’s milk instead.

Why Sheep or Goat’s Milk?

Heritage breeds of cow produce a protein called A2 beta-caseins, which are more easily digested by most people. A lot of cows used in dairy farming today are not heritage breeds. These breeds produce more A1 beta-caseins which is much harder to digest and can lead to a lot of GI upset that people confuse for lactose intolerance. Remember that lactose intolerance, by definition, means the person cannot tolerate the lactose (due to lack of lactase present in their system). That is a completely different situation to a person that has trouble assimilating A1 proteins. Since both of these manifest similarly, a lot of people will just assume they are lactose intolerant when that may not be the case.

Sheep and Goats milk only contain A2 proteins which makes them better tolerated to those sensitive to A1. Both sheep and goat’s milk contain lactose but it is in smaller amounts, which can also make a difference. Keep in mind that issue of pasteurization also applies here, so raw sheep or goat’s milk will still contain lactase (and other nutrients), making it easier to digest, versus pasteurized.

What about Non-Dairy Milks?

The biggest issue with non-dairy milks, from a health perspective, is that the majority contain added ingredients like inflammatory oils and gums (some of which interfere with nutrient absorption). A lot of folks mistakenly think non-dairy milks are inherently healthier because dairy has been demonized on the inter webs. It is so important to check the label and make sure that your non-dairy milk of choice contains only water, organic non-diary plant ingredient (almond/cashew/coconut/oat, etc), and possibly some salt or real vanilla. I specify “organic” because the damage to your gut that can by caused by pesticides would practically negate any health benefit to these non-dairy milks. In my opinion, if it isn’t organic, it’s off the table.

Some people will make the argument that the environmental impact of growing almonds or oats is less than positive. I am not well educated on this matter so I’ll leave you to do your own research there.

At the end of the day, ounce for ounce, animal based milk is far more nutritious than plant based milk. There is actually zero benefit in someone consuming the “milk” over the plant ingredient itself. You’ll get more nutrition eating the almond, cashew, oats, coconut, etc. in its whole form than you will in the milk form, which is just blended with water.

In Conclusion…

Whether or not dairy produces mucus in your system boils down to your body’s individual ability to assimilate the lactose and proteins that are present. A blank statement that “raw milk doesn’t produce mucus” is no more accurate than the blank statement of “all dairy produces mucus”. It boils down to what your body does with it and your body will do different things depending on different lifestyle factors. Take a look at your tongue, have a piece of cheese or a small serving of milk, and observe how your body feels. Did your stomach get upset? Did your acne flare? Did your tongue develop more coating the next day? If so, your body is probably not ready yet. If you felt nourished, noticed no ill effects and your tongue coating didn’t increase the next day, than it could be worth incorporating some into your nutrition.

I hope you found this post helpful. If so, please feel free to share it with someone who you think could benefit from this information.

Holiday Boundaries and Staying Healthy

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 23:04:23 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Holiday Boundaries and Staying Healthy

By now, you have heard me say several times that covering your Wind Gate is helpful for avoiding getting sick. What I haven’t di scussed yet on my blog or social media is how having good boundaries can also help to keep you healthy. Is your interest piqued yet?

First, Let’s Discuss Wei Qi.

Wei Qi is the body’s defensive qi. It is the outermost qi of the body; quite literally the first defense your body has against external invasions from pathogenic factors but also from energetic exchanges. It can be likened to what some would call “aura”. Your Wei Qi also makes up a huge part of your immune system. In East Asian Medicine, the Wei Qi is an extension of the Lung channel. Since the Lung channel governs the skin, Wei Qi plays a roll in the “opening and closing” of your pores. When it is cold out, your pores will “close” to protect your body from external cold invasion. When it is hot out, your pores will “open” to release sweat and vent out the heat.

Ever get goosebumps when someone of a questionable character walks past you??? That is your Wei Qi protecting you from unwanted energies. What about goosebumps when you hear a scary story? You guessed it, that’s your Wei Qi at work.

Things that positively impact your Wei Qi include good nutrition, healthy lifestyle, appropriate exercise and good rest. Things that negatively impact your Wei Qi include the opposite of those things plus lower frequency energies like anger, fear, shame or guilt.

Boundaries.

When we have poor boundaries, we create weaknesses in our Wei Qi and that leaves us susceptible to pathogenic invasion and energetic leaks (that feeling of exhaustion after spending time with someone who is an energy vampire). Anytime you overextend yourself at work or make a social commitment out of obligation rather than desire, your Wei Qi takes a hit. Chronic people pleasers are prone to having Wei Qi dysfunction and can develop a lot of seasonal/environmental allergies or tend to be sick multiple times a year.

Over the holidays, a lot of us tend to be lax with our boundaries. Some folks host certain guests at their home out of social obligation even though they know they are full of drama and end up making a spectacle. Some others travel to see family out of obligation to avoid conflict with their in-laws or another family member, even though they would rather stay home. In some cases Aunt Janice has no respect for your journey into health and gets upset when you won’t have any of her famous Mac N Cheese even though you just explained that you are following an Anti-Inflammatory Protocol to help heal your gut.

In my line of work, I hear a lot of patients mention that they worry family will ask “when are you having kids?” when they have desperately been trying for years to conceive. It hits them in a really vulnerable area and most people don’t know how to stand up for themselves in these situations in a way that is firm but inoffensive.

ALL OF THESE THINGS can lead to weakness in your Wei Qi.

Holiday Eating and Putting It All Together.

By this time of year, most folks are ready to drink themselves into oblivion to deal with annoying Uncle Johnny. Others opt for over eating of inflammatory foods because they only have Grandma’s Pecan Pie once a year. Unfortunately, both of those things will also create weakness in your Wei Qi especially when it happens more frequently (holiday parties at work and then with family or friends). Between the increased levels of sugar, alcohol, inflammatory foods, stress and cold weather…how does your immune system stand a chance?? This time of year is associated with cold and flu season, and it’s no wonder why.

Have you ever met one of those people who never get sick? Do they also happen to have good boundaries? It’s food for thought!

Protect Your Wei Qi.

Because you are a human being living on planet Earth, you are bound to experience some of these stressors during the holidays. Here are some tips to help protect your Wei Qi that you can apply to the rest of the year as well:

-Avoid processed foods as much as possible. If you anticipate a lot of unhealthy holiday eating, do your best to make the meals you can control as nutritious as possible.

-Make a side dish to bring with you. That way you can control the ingredients and know you have something to eat along with whatever main protein is being served. If that is the bulk of your meal, a little dessert afterwards will be less of a big deal.

-Reduce your alcohol consumption, or even better, eliminate it. If you need something to help you with stress, consider an alternative like CBD which actually has immune protective functions. You can also create a fun mocktail that you can enjoy without feeling alcohol FOMO.

-Practice Qi Gong. There are lots of videos on YouTube that you can follow along with on the morning of your specific holiday gathering before you interact with others.

-Use essential oils and crystals to help protect your energetic field. Dab some oils on the nape of your neck and wrists. Carry crystals in your bra or pockets. Bonus points if you have crystal jewelry that you can adorn yourself with.

-For the love of God, or whatever higher power you believe in, cover your Wind Gate (nape of neck and upper back)!

-Set Boundaries. Turn down the invite to the place you don’t want to be. Turn down the overtime if you are completely exhausted and the idea of it makes you want to vomit (no matter how much it pays). Avoid speaking with difficult people at the holiday party as much as you can. Perhaps prepare some rehearsed responses to difficult questions that would help you protect your peace. If someone asks “when are you having kids?” you can alway giggle and say “wow, you sure are interested in my sex life!”. If you would rather stay home and not partake in the holiday chaos you can always claim you had exposure to a sick person and don’t want to risk infecting others. Most people will be understanding and even grateful that you have excluded yourself and no one’s feelings need to get hurt.

I want to close out this post by reminding you that your feelings matter too and that it is ok to protect your peace. As my sister would advise: “If it isn’t a ‘fuck yes’ then it’s a ‘fuck no’”.

Wishing you all a peaceful and drama-free holiday : )

Fermented Oats & Blueberry Muffin Recipe

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 21:53:33 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Fermented Oats & Blueberry Muffins

Most folks see the word “recipe” and want to jump right in, so I’m placing the recipe first and all the details about why you should ferment your oats afterwards. Without further adieu, here’s how to make the muffins:

Ingredients:

2 cups of Organic Rolled Oats (must be rolled oats)

2 Tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar

3 cups of Filtered Water (alternatively, boiled water that has been allowed to cool)

—————————

1 egg

1/2 cup-3/4 cup of Blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1/3 cup of Maple Syrup or Honey

2 Tbsp of melted Grass Fed Butter or Ghee

1 Tbsp of Chia Seeds (optional)

1 Tbsp of Vanilla Extract

1 Tsp of Baking Powder

1 Tsp of Cinnamon

1/4 Tsp of Salt

Step 1: Ferment the Oats

Take the oats and crush them with your hands to release the starches. You do this by gathering the oats in your hands while you are making a fist. You can also crush them by rubbing the oats in between the palms of your hands or in a mortar pestle. I found both of those options to make a bigger mess and be more laborious, but you do you!

Once you get about 25%-50% of them crushed, add the Apple Cider Vinegar and enough filtered water to cover the oats by about an inch. Make sure that you stir everything together to get rid of the air bubbles and distribute the ACV in the solution.

Cover with a coffee filter/cheesecloth/tea towel and leave in a dark, cool place to ferment for 8-12 hours. I like to store them in a cold oven or the microwave.

Step 2:

-Preheat oven to 375ºF.

-Strain and rinse your oats.

-Add all other ingredients to your oats and mix well to combine.

-Divide mixture among a 12 count cupcake tray or pour into an 8x8 for more of a “oatmeal casserole”.

-Bake for 25-30min

-Allow to cool and eat immediately, store in the fridge for up to 5 days or store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

*Substi tutions : Other types of oats will not work for this particular recipe, stick to the rolled oats. Avocado oil may be used in place of butter or ghee. I have not made this recipe with any other type of seed except chia. You can choose to leave them out if you don’t like them. I can see this recipe working well with flax seeds though I haven’t tried it yet. Just make sure they are whole and not ground. You can make this recipe without blueberries or substitute for whatever berries you’d like.

*Notes: If you find yourself not having time to bake this recipe after the oats have fermented, place the oats (with the water and ACV) in the fridge to slow down further fermentation. Though longer fermentation isn’t a bad thing, it does increase the sourdough-type flavor of the oats.

Crushing the oats, as is recommended above, helps to release starches that feed the wild yeast (which is beneficial) that ferments the oats. Since the beneficial yeast are consuming the starches, it helps to reduce the glycemic index of said oats (in theory, I don’t really have any evidence to back up this claim but it kind of makes sense).

It is important to use filtered water as the presence of chlorine can decrease the wild yeast that is needed for fermentation. If you don’t have a filter that filters out chlorine, you can just boil water for 2 minutes and allow it to cool to room temperature before mixing it with your oats.

So What’s the Deal with Fermenting Oats?

Most grains contain Phytic Acid and Lectin. Both of these naturally exist in grains to protect them against pests when the grains are growing in the field. While this is great for the grain, they are not great for human digestion. Phytic Acid and Lectins can become “anti-nutrients” in the digestive tract. This means that not only will you have a hard time digesting them, but they can also cause minerals to be leeched from your system in the process. So rather than nourishing you, they are actually causing you to lose nutrition.

Traditionally, our ancestors used to ferment grains in order to make them easier to digest. A practice that has been lost with time as our busy lives tend to pull us into what we can prepare quickly. Fermenting oats not only helps to break down the phytic acid and lectins present so that we can break down the oats in your digestive system much more easily; but it actually allows our bodies to extract the nutrients from the oats.

While you can make this recipe with conventional oats, I implore you to only use organic oats…like ever! Oats are one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the west. While the fermentation helps to get rid of the physic acid and lectins, I don’t know that it does much to counteract the glyphosate (pesticide) that gets sprayed on conventional, non-organic oats. Glyphosate is a big factor in the rise of food sensitivities and auto-immune disorders due the negative effects it has on our gut lining.

I’ve been baking a batch of these and immediately freezing at least 3 muffins. That way, I have a tasty treat ready for me when I don’t feel like making the whole recipe. Simply leave out at room temperature to defrost or reheat in the toaster oven/air fryer for a few minutes for a warm treat. Let me know what you think of this recipe if you give it a try. Also let me know if you found the information about fermenting oats enlightening. As always, feel free to share with anyone that might enjoy this post. I’ll catch you on the next one :)

Hospital Survival Guide

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 21:43:12 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Hospital Stay Survival Guide

As a follow up to my post “ Plea to Hospital Workers ”, I wanted to share the things that I did to maintain my sanity while I stayed in the hospital for a week and a half, advocating for my loved one. I hope you will find these tips helpful. Let's get to it...

Essential Oils

This was one of the first things I packed when I knew we were headed to the ER (even before I knew that it would become a long hospital stay). Essential oils have many benefits including fighting germs and helping to relax the nervous system. I was regularly applying oils to my loved one and myself every few hours. While I can’t say with 100% certainty that essential oils were the reason, both my loved one and I managed to go through the experience and avoid contracting upper respiratory infections (whoop whoop). It also became a talking point amongst the nurses, doctors and allied professionals that came into the room. Everyone commented on how good the room smelled. After a few nights, our room gained notoriety as “the room that smells good”. Most people thought we were actively diffusing oils in the room so it's amazing that just a couple of drops placed on our bodies was having that kind of effect. The 3 oils I used the most were Tea Tree Oil, Alpine Lavender Oil and Young Living’s Purification. All of these are germ fighters but I would use the Purification oil blended with Tea Tree in the daylight hours and the Lavender oil blended with Tea Tree in the nighttime hours to help promote rest and relaxation.

Blue Light Glasses & Eye Mask

The hospital environment is so NOT conducive to quality sleep. Between the constant beeps of all the machines, the checking in of nurses and allied professionals and the bright lights of the various monitors/screens, sleep seems elusive in this setting.

One thing that truly brought relief to my eyes and helped me feel sleepy at the appropriate time was blue light blocking glasses. I didn’t have these for the first couple of days (because it didn’t occur to me to pack them) but I felt so much relief on my eyeballs when I started to use them in the hospital. I could feel my eyes relax even though I hadn’t even become aware that they were strained. I also started to yawn and feel my sleepiness come on around 9pm, which is more normal for me. When I didn’t have my blue light blockers, I was so stimulated that I wouldn’t feel sleepy until sometime between midnight and 1am.

The particular hospital my loved one and I were at offered a “sleep kit” which contained an eye mask and ear plugs. The eye mask in our kit was so tight, there is no way it was meant for adults. I often joke that I have a pea-sized head and this eye mask was tight on me. Using my own eye mask was extremely helpful. If it accidentally fell on the floor though, it was treated like “the floor is lava” and a fresh pair had to be used until the original pair could be washed.

While I can see how ear plugs would be helpful, my ears in particular, don’t like ear plugs. Since I was in the hospital as a support person/advocate, I also wanted to be aware of when a provider was coming into the room and interacting with my loved one. You would be surprised the kind of important information they want to discuss with you at 4am when you are sleep deprived and disoriented. It isn’t the best conditions for a patient to truly provide informed consent so I wanted to be roused awake when someone came into the room.

Regular Meals and Hydration

The hospital meal service can really throw you off your eating schedule. For whatever reason, breakfast was served before 7:30am, lunch was served around 11:30am and dinner was served around 5pm. In addition to the fact that the meals are so incredibly unbalanced and insanely high in processed foods, the eating windows were not conducive to proper digestion. Never mind the fact that it appears that one of the ladies in charge of bringing the meals had it out for me and always gave me a hard time about about providing my “guest meal”. Taking it upon yourself to maintain good nutrition while staying at a hospital is so helpful for maintaining your own immune health and energy. Once I realized I couldn’t rely on the “nutrition” department to bring me my meals, and that the options in the cafeteria were not very good, I made sure to stock up on healthy snacks and good quality water. I was very fortunate to have my sister making meals for me for most of that time and I would supplement those with near by restaurants when needed. Making sure that the patient’s needs are met is priority, but you can’t properly advocate if your blood sugar is all kinds of crazy and you can’t think clearly. I did my best to make sure I was getting regular meals and snacking in between if I needed to.

I also made sure to pack my drinking salts so that I could support my body with electrolytes (during stress, your adrenals burn through those for fuel).

Supplements to The Rescue

Often times, when things are going haywire, people abandon their supplement routine. This is counterintuitive as it is when you need supplements the most. Just as their name implies, supplements are there to supplement our needs when we can’t get them all through food. Since a hospital setting is not ideal for optimum nutrition, supplements can be extremely helpful in filling in those nutrition gaps. I happened to be out of many of my supplements when all this went down but I had liver capsules and liposmal vitamin C so I packed a little pill organizer and took those with me once I realized the hospital stay would be a long one. Liver supplements are very nutritious and act almost like a multivitamin. Liposomal Vitamin C absorbs better, is helpful for the adrenals (which are working overdrive to mitigate stress) and the immune system.

Journaling and Reading

Processing everything that was happening was quite the challenge. I wanted to hold it together in front of my loved one, even though I was falling apart during the first few days when they first got their diagnosis and when they were undergoing a surgical procedure with a decent amount of risk. I gave myself the freedom to cry on my drives to and from the hospital as I needed to. One of my biggest cry sessions was in the hospital bathroom after my loved one was taken for a preliminary check prior to their surgery.

When I didn’t feel at liberty to cry, I turned to my journal to write out all my feelings. Journaling always seems to help me process and see things in a new perspective. I’m still not done journaling about the experience but it did bring me some emotional relief to have a place to write down all of my fears, concerns, hopes, etc. rather than expressing them to the patient who was sitting in their own fears and concerns. It didn’t feel fair to put any of the weight of my emotions on the person in the hospital bed but my journal could certainly handle it all without bias or burden.

Reading was also very helpful. I’m not the most social person. I don’t try to spark conversations with other people in waiting rooms to help pass the time. During those moments of “down time” while I was in the surgical waiting room, I decided to read. My book of choice during this time was “The Seat of the Soul”. While I still haven’t finished it, I made a big dent in the book during the time I was in the hospital. The subject matter of the book helped to distract me and provide me a different perspective which was very helpful. It also helped reconnect me to some of my spiritual beliefs without any religious connotations, which I appreciated.

Healthy Movement

It can be easy to forget about physical activity when your routine is skewed by all of the changes happening in a hospital setting. Getting some movement it can be helpful for your circulation but also for your sanity. Gentle movement can help with any anxious feelings that often occur when in this type of situation. Luckily, hospitals tend to have long hallways that can be helpful to get some steps in. Occasionally, they may have a courtyard where you can get some sunshine at various points throughout the day.

If you are able to use the stairs, that would also be a good way to get some movement in. I would take the stairs down to the cafeteria and back up to the room. Occasionally, I would wait until my loved one was in the bathroom to do some light mobility exercises such as arm/shoulder circles, trunk rotations, squats etc. Get creative!

Reaching Out to Resources

Generally, I’m the one providing info and support for patients but this particular incident was out of my scope of practice. I reached out to a friend who was very knowledgeable in the health issue my loved one was experiencing, and that was the best thing I could’ve ever done. They provided me with so much knowledge and coached me on how to advocate for the patient. I reached out to another friend, who happens to be a nurse, and they also provided me with good information and comfort on what to expect. I felt prepared to ask questions when the doctors would come to visit. I also had a list of questions to ask before the surgical procedures and after, which the doctors were quite impressed with and happy to answer for me.

I am very fortunate to have a great relationship with my sister and she immediately made herself available to make us meals and help out with my fur baby. My mother in law was also helpful in assisting with the four-legged babies. I had made the decision to post on IG that I would be stepping away from emails/DMs/Communication while I was in the hospital. I was very touched by the number of followers/patients/friends/colleagues that personally reached out to me to offer their help and support. Some even offered financial contributions. All of this was incredibly helpful for me.

Reaching out is immensely important during these challenging situations. You can’t go at it alone and you don’t have to. You’d be surprised at the support you might get from those around you, even those who don’t know you that well. The idea of not telling other people your struggles so that you don’t burden them is absolute bullshit. People don’t have a crystal ball and I’d argue most aren’t mind readers. They can’t possibly know that you need help if you don’t reach out and say that you do. While you may not want a stranger coming to your house to feed your pets, you never know who might be willing to send you a DoorDash/Uber Eats gift card so you can get some meals/groceries/dog food delivered. They may just offer words of encouragement that bring you peace during this time, or offer you a shoulder to cry on.

Asking for Help and Receiving it

It’s one thing to ask for help, it’s another to receive it. Most of us have a really hard time receiving help when it is offered to us. Maybe we have several friends or loved ones that have offered to make meals, help with our pets, do our laundry, etc, but we feel guilty about accepting this help. Before you go around finding excuses to “not burden others”, put yourself in the shoes of the person trying to help you. What if one of your friends/loved ones was going through a struggle and you offered to help? You would want them to take you up on the offer if they truly needed the help, right? What if you offered to help with some expenses? If you offered, it’s because you had the funds available to do it. You’d want the person to accept, wouldn’t you?

You’re in a time of need and it is ok to accept the help and truly accept the help. Set aside the feelings that you somehow need to pay back everyone that has offered to help. Put that energy into paying it forward one day when the time comes.

If you find yourself in the hospital, having to advocate for a loved one, I hope that you find these tips helpful. It is not selfish to make sure that you are well supported so that you can be a great source of support for the patient. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post.

Please share it with anyone that may find it helpful. If you are about to undergo a procedure, you may want to share these tips with those who will be there advocating for you. This way they can be more prepared going into the situation. Whatever the case, I pray for the swift and thorough recovery of the patient as well as the clarity and discernment of the advocate.

Plea to Hospital Workers

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 20:57:58 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Plea to Hospital Workers

If you’ve been keeping up with my Instagram, you are aware that I recently spent 12 days in the hospital supporting a loved one that was going through a pretty serious and scary diagnosis. Over the course of my time in the hospital, I was able to observe the many ways that a hospital environment does NOT support the health of its patients; but even more so, the health of its employees. While patients are spending a temporary period of time in the hospital, employees are there multiple days a week, often with 12+ hour shifts. While I acknowledge that hospitals are amazing for life saving circumstances, those of you that work there are actually exposed to tons of dis-ease causing factors.

Below, I will share some of my insights and suggestions for hospital workers to combat some of the nasties that their work environment is riddled with. I urge any hospital worker to consider these suggestions. It matters not if they work in the hospital kitchen or the operating room; the exposure to the nasties is everywhere . The general population needs you. If you don’t look after your own health, then we are all screwed! Let’s dive in.

Pack Your Own Meals

I found it really ironic how the department in charge of preparing and delivering patient meals is called “Nutrition” when they are loading up patient trays with genetically modified foods, ultra processed foods and inflammatory foods. The healthiest item provided was the occasional piece of fresh fruit. The hospital cafeteria, which provides food to visitors and employees, is no better. Out of the many options of bottled juices , only 1 was not from concentrate , and it happens to be the brand that has recently been u nder scrutiny for the insane amount of PFAS found in their juice bottles.

Good nutrition is the base for health. We can make good, conscious and clear decisions if our bodies are properly fueled and not battling digestive inflammation or crazy blood sugar spikes and drops. Unfortunately, the foods available to hospital workers lack nutrition and seem to be geared to provide “fast fuel” rather than long lasting , sustained fuel.

For these reasons and more, I urge you to bring your own meals and snacks to your hospital work shifts. A healthy serving of protein, fat and carbs will keep you satiated much longer and provide much needed fuel for the extra long shifts. Clean meat sticks, protein powder and homemade trail mix can go a long away when it comes to snacks. Especially, versus the processed peanut butter and highly processed meal replacement beverages they offer in the so called “Nourishment Rooms”.

Minerals and Electrolytes

If you struggle to take enough filtered water with you to your shift, consider taking a water bottle with a built in filter. Regardless of whether you choose to filter your water or not, I would urge you to carry a source of electrolytes with you. My favorite is a mix of different sea salts, that I call “drinking salts” (you can learn more about that on this IG post ) that I keep in a small 1/2 ounce jar. I simply add a good pinch of salt to every 8oz of water to remineralize the water and provide electrolytes. When you are stressed out and running back and forth, your adrenals burn through your mineral reserves, so it is important to keep up with your intake. A healthy splash of 100% juice in your water also provides electrolytes a nd so does 100% coconut water (keep an eye out for the brands that sneak sugar into the ingredients) .

Blue Light Blocking Glasses

This is a biggie if you work night shift. There is so much blue light pollution inside of hospitals. Everything from the overhead lighting to the various monitors and screens are consistently emitting blue light. Exposure to excessive blue light after sunset impairs your body’s ability to produce melatonin. While those who work the night shift may not care too much about producing melatonin on the night s they have to work, the effects can trickle into your days off and affect your sleep on the nights you are supposed to be recovering from work. Nowadays you can get stylish blue light blocking glasses that look like regular glasses. If you already wear glasses, you can ask your optometrist or eye doctor to apply a blue light blocking film on your glasses or you can put some clip on blockers on your glasses (which is what I do at home).

It would also be a good idea to change the tint on your phone t o a more reddish hue, especially at night.

Take Off The Smart Watch

While we are on the topic of devices, consider not wearing a smart watch…like ever, but especially when you are in the hospital environment. When you are in a place where are there are constant beeps and notifications going off inside different departments, patients rooms, etc. the last thing your body and brain needs is even more notifications vibrating on your wrist. While some of you may argue that having a smart watch is an easier way for you to stay alert if your children or spouse need to get a hold of you, I would ask if the cost of convenience is a worthy trade off for your health ? Especially if you are still carrying your phone in your pocket plus any other device your department requires you to carry. Besides all of the constant notifications, you are also exposed to wifi radiation and bluetooth radiation. Just to be clear, you are already exposed to tons of EMF and radiation just by being in a hospital, never mind the additional exposure from the devices on your person.

If you still prefer to wear the smart watch, consider not wearing it on your days off or during lunch breaks. This gives your body and nervous system a chance to disconnect from the constant notifications and EMF exposure.

While we are on the topic of devices, the same applies to headphones. So many hospital workers were wearing bluetooth headphones while they were carrying out their tasks. It’s one thing to have headphones on while you have a phone conversation on your lunch break. It’s a completely different thing to have them on constantly. Again, when you are surrounded by so many different sources of EMF and radiation, having an additional device on your head is just adding insult to injury.

For those of you who think you are safe because you use “EMF blocking” stickers on your devices; I haven’t seen enough solid evidence to advocate for these. I have personally seen a reduction in EMF from devices when placed closed to a black Shungite mineraloid (that I myself measured with an EMF meter). It might be worth considering getting a shungite bracelet or necklace over spending a pretty penny on supposed “shields”. To this date, there isn’t a better protection method than distancing yourself from the sources of these frequencies. It’s impossible to completely avoid them but you can do your best to reduce your exposure.

Clean Up Your Personal Care Products

Hospitals are bombarding you with chemicals! The cleaners used on the floors/bathrooms/surfaces, the soaps in all the bathrooms and the hand sanitizers scattered throughout the halls are filled with endocrine disruptors and carcinogenic ingredients. You can opt to carry your own non-toxic soap and hand sanitizer with you (I did this while I was interning in a hospital in Shanghai). Another option is to just clean up your household cleaners and personal care products at home. Our homes tend to be the only place where we can fully control our exposure to these chemicals. If your toxic load at home is low, your body will be more resilient to exposure outside of the home. Plus, it gives your body a place to detox from these chemicals on your days off.

In the interest of fairness, I will add that hospitals are not the only place bombarding you with these chemicals. Just about any other place you visit is full of them too. Grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, movie theaters, your aunt's house, etc, so it does your body good to have a “safe space” where the toxic load is minimal.

Prioritize Your Rest & Recovery

Our bodies do so much detoxing and healing when we are getting good sleep. Do what you can to prioritize your rest and recovery when you are off work. This is just solid advice for every human, not just hospital workers. If you are a medical professional of any kind, the general population is depending on you to take care of them; you can’t do this properly if you aren’t taking good care of yourself. Besides getting adequate rest, make sure to schedule self care appointments for your own well being. Get regular massages, go see a reputable Chiropractor or your friendly neighborhood Acupuncturist. The majority of people really take for granted how these types of services work so well at PREVENTING health issues. Most people only seek them out once they have a problem…don’t be like most people.

Also, if you can avoid it, chose to work a daytime shift. There is a good deal of evidence showing how working night shifts is so detrimental for the body. This is especially true for women who are still menstruating or looking to conceive. Working night shifts has a huge negative impact on the Endocrine system and Immune system. With all the compounding factors affecting your health that we have already discussed, adding to that a night shift job is like adding additional insult to injury. That being said, if you must work night shifts, do your best to improve on all the other things mentioned in this blog. Any amount of support that you can offer your body will make it even more resilient.

I want to close out this post by expressing my deepest gratitude to hospital employees. Whether you are the person at the check-in station providing guidance on how to find the patient’s room; or the surgeon working on somebody’s loved one, you play an integral role in the health care system. I was more grateful to the person who gave me detailed instructions on how to get to the right room in the ICU than I was to the nurse who was planning on using a non-sterile gauze pad on my loved one’s open wound. Your work matters ! You matter !

The corporation who dictates the working operations of the hospital however, doesn’t care about your health at all. They would rather feed you garbage food and expose you to toxic chemicals so that one day, you can be the patient. It's a cy n ical point of view but it makes sense when you can zoom out and see how the system assures its own survival. Let that sink in for a minute.

These tips apply to a lot of different industries (hospitality, gastronomy, logistics, etc) so I encourage to make any of the changes that are applicable to you and your well being. Keep an eye out for a future blog post in which I share about how I supported my body during my stay at the hospital (a perspective from the other side of the coin) advocating for my loved one. If you found this post helpful, please feel free to share with someone who may benefit. Take care of yourselves my lovelies!

The Magic of the Heat Lamp

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 22:21:10 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | The Magic of the Heat Lamp |

If you have ever received Acupuncture, chances are a heat lamp has been placed over some part of your body. In this post, I’m going to share more about what it is and how it differs from a heating pad.

Technically, it’s called a TDP Lamp.

While we often refer to the lamp as just a heat lamp, it is actually called a TDP Lamp. TDP stands for “Teding Diancibo Pu” which translates into “specific magnetic spectrum”. These lamps were designed to generate electromagnetic waves between 2-25µm which falls into the category of middle infrared (MIR). MIR penetrates deeper into the body and is able to help the blood vessels dilate which helps bring more blood and circulation to the area. With more circulation, comes more healing benefits. It can also help reduce inflammation. Some say it even helps cells to regenerate though I haven't been able to find a good source for that.

But Wait…there’s More!

Aside from the middle infrared benefits, the TDP lamps also contain a mineral plate. According to the information I was able to find, the scientist that invented these lamps, named Gou Wenbin, was inspired by discovering a group of factory workers that remained healthy despite the conditions in the factory that produced black clay. He visited the factory and took samples of the black clay. When analyzed, it contained a high amount of minerals and Mr. Wenbin concluded that the low incidence of illness from the workers had to be influenced by these minerals. He, himself, was the former director of the Chongqing Institute of Ceramics, which I suppose lended to his ability to create the ceramic, mineral infused plates, that go inside the lamps.

The minerals in the lamp, however, need heat in order to be released. The lamps are designed to warm up to approximately 466ºC/870ºF for this purpose. While most people love the relaxation of the warmth provided by the lamp, they aren’t aware of the trifecta of healing taking place (heat, middle infrared waves and minerals!).

A Moment of Honesty.

I have been working with these lamps since I was a student in Acupuncture school but no one ever really explained the benefits to me. We were mostly just told that it provides warmth for patients. You can imagine that it isn’t very relaxing to have Acupuncture on your back if you are shirtless and you are exposed to the cold air of the a/c the entire time of your treatment. Not only does that go against East Asian Medicine principles, but is just doesn’t feel as comforting as the warmth of the lamp. Over time, I did become aware that the lamps produced infrared waves but never really new which kind. I also became aware that it released minerals but didn’t understand how that worked. I got more clarity when I started researching for this blog, and I’m embarrassed to say that it took me 14 years to start looking into this.

Other TDP lamp facts include that they were invented in the 1980s and were found to have benefits on various conditions. Their use has been studied more in China and different parts of Asia but not many of the studies have been translated into English. The effects were profound enough that the lamps are referred to as “Magic Lamps” in the East.

Who knew that the strange looking contraption in my treatment room had so many benefits? I know that getting to lay under the TDP lamp is one of my favorite parts of Acupuncture treatment (that and the Acu nap!). It just feels so nice to have that warmth over my belly, feet or lower back while the needles are doing their thing. I hope you found this post informative and I also hope you enjoy laying under my TDP lamp as much as I do.

Mixed Berry Chia Seed Jam

Tue, 16 May 2023 17:42:26 GMT

Tea Time With Jo | Mixed Berry Chia Seed Jam

Ingredients:

12oz Frozen Mixed Berries

Juice of 1/2 a Lemon

2 Tablespoons of Honey

1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 tablespoon Chia seed

Steps:

-Add frozen berries to small sauce pan (no defrosting required).

-Add lemon juice.

-Simmer over Medium heat until berries break down.

-Carefully, use an immersion blender to get a smoother jam, if you prefer.

-Add sweetener and vanilla. Start with half the amounts and increase to your liking.

-Add chia seeds and mix well.

-Allow to cool at room temperature. Eat immediately or store in a sealed jar in the fridge. Jam will thicken more after it has been refrigerated.

Consume within 7 days

Substitutions:

You can make a lot of substitutions to this recipe and still have it turn out great! If you want to use fresh berries, go ahead, just make sure to wash them first. If you want to use just one type of berry, you can do that too.

Don’t have lemon juice? You can substitute it with 1-2 tablespoons of orange juice, or even pineapple juice. You could use lime too; it’s just not my preference.

Don’t have honey? Substitute for Maple Syrup or Agave.

Don’t have an immersion blender? Use a regular blender or just don’t blend at all. This will allow for the texture of the jam to be more like a fruit preserve.

Sweetness depends on the ripeness of the berries you use. That’s why I recommend adding just half of the honey first and then tasting and adjusting as you go. Vanilla is used here to enhance the sweetness rather than actually add vanilla flavor. Feel free to add more if you’d like. You can also add spices for additional depth of flavor. Cinnamon would be great.

Suggestions for consumption:

Aside from using this jam on toast, you may consider adding it to your oatmeal for extra sweetness and flavor. Perhaps, you might enjoy it with granola over some room temperature sheep’s milk yogurt. I would even add it to a charcuterie board alongside some goat cheese.

Cold Plunges, Ice Baths & East Asian Medicine

Sat, 22 Apr 2023 17:28:24 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Extreme Cold Therapies & EAM

The principles in East Asian Medicine are simple, Qi & Blood cannot flow when there is cold. If Qi & Blood cannot flow, stagnation (discomfort) will occur. If stagnation persists, stasis (pain/dis-ease) will occur. Therefore, there is always emphasis on warmth to help the body keep up proper circulation of Qi & Blood. We could look at this the same way that Western Medicine views homeostasis. Our core temperature ranges from ~97ºF to ~99ºF. When we overheat, our body’s induce sweating to help cool us down. However, when we are hypothermic, the body doesn’t have a lot of mechanisms for warming us back up, aside from shivering. So what’s the deal with all these cold plunges and ice baths? Here’s my take:

Is there a place for cold therapy is EAM?

I’ll put it like this, in my entire time in East Asian Medicine school, I wasn’t trained on a single technique that involves external cold. There are different needling techniques that are said to induce “cooling” effects on the body, but nothing involving the external application of cold. A lot of the “cooling” treatment strategies act more to “vent out” heat or to draw it out of certain places on the body (blood letting, for example). We may even use moxa to drain heat out of certain meridians; but still, no external cold application.

What about the mental health benefits of cold therapies?

There have been a lot of references to how cold showers, ice baths and cold plunges can improve some symptoms of mental health (depression, anxiety, brain fog, loss of focus, etc). While this may be true for some people, at the end of the day, this is just symptomatic relief rather than getting to the root cause. In some cases, these therapies may tax the body too much and may worsen some of these symptoms. You have to keep in mind that extreme temperature exposure is stressful for the body. A lot of the perceived relief in these symptoms are a result of your body producing or altering hormones (such as dopamine and adrenaline) in order to adapt to these changes. These are temporary changes. If you do nothing else to work on your mental health, these therapies are merely a bandaid. To the person who struggles with addictive traits, their brain is wired to want more dopamine hits. Exposing their bodies to the extreme cold, is just another way to get that dopamine hit. Are there worse ways of getting the dopamine hit? Of course, but it is still important to understand that extreme cold exposure isn’t risk free or a smoking gun in the treatment of mental health.

To the arguments of improving your mental resilience/your ability to manage stress, boost your mood or help with sleep… I say this: There are other ways to do these things that don’t take such a toll on your body. In fact, some of the other methods will actual nourish the body in the process. You know what they are? Meditation, Breath Work, Yin Yoga, and Walking, just to name a few. Meditation in particular is extremely powerful and has the ability to alter neural pathways and increase grey matter ( source ) in the brain. This has a profound effect on the brain and can actually help to make lasting improvements in mental health conditions.

What about athletes and Wim Hoff?

Cold therapy can be a great tool for muscle recovery for those who do intensive training. These folks are getting a lot of movement which is going to help the circulation of Qi & Blood (it’s why you get hot when you go for a jog on a cold day) and prevent stagnation from a few minutes of cold. Wim Hoff, who’s name gets thrown around every time someone wants to make an argument for cold therapy, is “an extreme athlete” (words taken from his website). The man actively trains to withstand cold temperatures. A great deal of his training revolves around breath work. Guess what breath work is really good at doing? It moves Qi & Blood! Wim Hoff is a unicorn. He is an exception. Extreme athletes make up a small percentage of the population. All that to say, these therapies affect people of different activity levels, differently.

The question no one is asking is “at what cost”?

From an East Asian Medicine perspective, the body looses a lot of Qi in trying to regain warmth and maintain homeostasis. Repeated or prolonged exposure to extreme cold temperatures is very taxing to Kidney Qi. Over a period of time, the Kidney Qi could be so consumed that your body will start to tap in to your Jing (Kidney Essence) in order to keep you functioning. Our Kidney Essence is our vitality; its the foundation for growth. Kidney Essence can be seen as the potential for longevity. Someone with a good reserve of Kidney Essence has healthy and strong teeth and bones as well as dark hair, well into their older years. Someone without strong Kidney Essence will start to gray prematurely, amongst other things. The biggest thing to know about Kidney Essence is that once you tap into it, you can’t replace what has been taken. That is why it is so important to replenish other sources of Qi and Blood, so that we don’t tap into this Essence unnecessarily.

In Western Medicine this can be somewhat likened to HPA dysregulation (formerly known as Adrenal Fatigue). In advanced stages, the body has a lot of oxidative stress, which causes cellular degeneration and accelerates aging. For clarity, I’m not saying extreme temperature therapies cause this, but if a person is already in a severally deregulated state, other therapies should be considered in conjunction to, or in place of, to avoid driving the body into further oxidative stress. Perhaps they can start with improving their nutrition (which will improve their Qi) and then work up to cold therapies.

What happens to menstruating bodies?

If you can find a study that shows the benefits of extreme cold therapies on the menstrual cycle, I would love to see it!

Through the lens of East Asian Medicine, repeated and prolonged exposure to cold can create a slew of menstrual issues including severe menstrual pain, irregular cycles, amenorrhea (cessation of a period) and fertility impairment.

Does that mean I’m against all cold therapies?

Here’s the thing, I’m a big fan of Contrast Therapy . As the name implies, it employs alternating external heat and cold in order to induce vasoconstriction and vasodilation (narrowing and opening of the blood vessels). This has a host of benefits for the body because it is a great way to get Blood & Qi moving. It is also a great way of getting the benefits of cold and heat without taking as much of a toll on your body. A lot of times when you see cold plunge pools, they are often located near an infrared sauna; and the idea is to use both therapies, alternating back and forth for a few rounds. Wim Hoff also uses Saunas as part of his protocol, just FYI, but so few people talk about the use of both therapies these days as opposed to just extreme cold or extreme heat.

So who benefits from cold therapies?

It comes down to using this methods responsibly and appropriately. That CrossFit Athlete who uses cold plunges at the end of all their trainings may get more benefit than the typical office worker who lives a sedentary life (for whom it may be more taxing). Menstruating women, who chose to engage in cold therapies, should consider doing so when they are not actively menstruating. Anyone who is looking to engage in extreme cold therapies for mental health should seek out professional help to target the root cause of the issue, in tandem. If you are considering any type of cold therapy, I would strongly suggest doing Contrast Therapy , as discussed above. Perhaps starting with exposure to heat, followed by cold, and then ending with heat, all within a few minutes. Staying hydrated is super important as your body is going to burn through a lot of electrolytes with extreme temperature shifts (regardless of hot or cold).

I hope you found this blog post informative. If so, please feel free to share with someone who might benefit from it. I hope you are having a wonderful day and I’ll catch you in the next post!

The Many Uses and Benefits of Castor Oil

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 22:17:54 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Benefits & Uses of Castor Oil

Did you cringe just reading the title to this post? So many people only think of castor oil as an old school remedy for constipation. The truth is, castor oil can be used for a variety of things and you don’t even have to ingest it to get the benefits. Read on to learn about some of the many uses for topical castor oil.

What’s the Deal with Castor Oil?

Castor oil is extracted from the castor bean of the castor oil plant. Ideally, you would source an organic, cold pressed oil that is hexane free. Hexane is a petroleum based solvent used to extract castor oil when it isn’t cold pressed. You don’t want hexane coming into contact with your body so do your best to get cold pressed.

Good quality castor oil is anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antioxidant, promotes circulation, promotes lymphatic movement and is rich in fatty acids. These properties allow for a multitude of uses when applied topically. Let’s get into it!

Castor Oil Packs

I feel like these have been gaining popularity over the last few years. A castor oil “pack” refers to a piece of cloth that is saturated in castor oil. The pack can be stored in a mason jar or zip top pack for future use. You can continue to use it indefinitely as long as you continue to saturate it with oil when necessary. You can dispose of the pack once you feel like it has run its course, or if it starts to smell rancid. Once you have your saturated pack, you can apply it over a specified area of the body, place a barrier cloth over the top, and place a warm hot water bottle or microwaveable pack on top of that. The heat helps the body to absorb the oil. Alternatively, to absorb the benefits without heat, you can wear the pack for several hours,. Here are a few of the areas I recommended using castor oil packs on, the most:

- Applied over the liver area (right side of upper abdomen): helps assist the liver in its detox function. This can be useful for metabolizing excess hormones such as after the use of birth control, IUI or IVF drugs, or in conditions of excess estrogen (breast tenderness, ovarian cysts, fibroids, endometriosis, etc).

- Applied over the lower abdomen : this helps to bring more blood flow into the intestines and reproductive organs. In addition, it can also help reduce inflammation in those areas. This can be helpful for constipation (which is way better than ingesting the oil). It may also be helpful in assisting the body heal from ovarian cysts, fibroids, hydrosalpinx, fallopian tube blockage, polyps, endometriosis and adenomyosis. It may be useful in improving egg quality and uterine lining quality. It has also been very helpful is preventing menstrual cramps and reducing their intensity.

- Applied over the lower back : This helps to ease and prevent lower back pain associated to menstruation or just generalized lower back soreness.

Are "Packs" Necessary?

Absolutely not. You could just rub the oil on the desired area and place a barrier cloth over the top to avoid staining your clothes/linens/furniture. The idea behind a saturated cloth is that you can ensure that your body is absorbing the majority of the oil versus the barrier cloth absorbing it. This is especially important if you prefer not to use a heat source with your pack. There are some castor oil “wraps” that allow you to wear the castor oil and use your own body heat to aid in absorption. The only caveat is that they need to be worn for several hours in order to get the same effects as 30-45min with a heat source.

Other Ways to Use Castor Oil:

Castor oil is really great at helping to prevent, or even treat, scar tissue. Whether the person has had surgery, or needed stitches for an injury, castor oil can be applied to the scar as soon as the area can go without dressings/bandages. This includes fresh c-section scars but may also be applied to old c-section scars. In these cases, the wrap is usually a better choice as heat may not be a good thing to apply to a healing scar in the first few weeks. Even if the scar is old, it is important to be careful applying an external heat source as scars can be either extremely sensitive to heat, or not at all, and the person may burn without even knowing.

Do you suffer from fibrocystic breasts or dense breast tissue? Castor oil on the breasts may help to soften the breast tissue and ease discomfort. It can be applied as a castor oil pack with heat or with a wrap .

I also like to recommend external castor oil use for just about any chronic muscle/joint pain. This can be helpful if someone gets soreness in the knees after walks/runs, or if they have stiffness in the joints with cold weather. It can also be helpful for arthritic joints such as the hips or shoulders. Castor oil can also be used on the elbow for cases of medial or lateral epicondylitis (aka golfer’s or tennis elbow). If there has been a recent injury (such as a sprained ankle or wrist), I typically ask patients to apply the castor oil with a wrap for the first 48 hours or so, and forego the application of an external heat source. After 48-72 hours they may apply heat over a castor oil pack, depending on how they are healing.

Castor oil is a wonderful oil for all kinds of beauty treatments. It can be used on eyebrows to help them grow. It can also be applied to the scalp to promote hair growth as well as to treat fungal and bacterial conditions of the scalp. Believe it or not, It can even be used on acne prone skin! I feel like a lot of people with acne shy away from castor oil because they feel like it may clog their pores due to its thickness; however, castor oil is actually non-comedogenic. Not just that, but its antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties help to combat certain types of breakouts. Black Castor Oil is often marketed for this purpose. It is produced by roasting the castor oil bean/seeds first prior to cold pressing. While it does have added benefits, it is also much more expensive than regular castor oil.

Take Aways:

I recommend castor oil in my practice a lot! It is so handy to have for menstrual support, also for occasional constipation, joint and muscular aches, and beauty treatments.

No matter the circumstance, it is recommend to discuss with a practitioner prior to use, especially in the case of a recent injury or when trying to conceive. There is also such a thing as an introductory period when you first start using castor oil and having it on too long. Especially when working with it on the liver and abdomen, it is best to start with 15-20min session of castor oil packs + heat (or 1-2 hour sessions without heat) and slowly work up to more time with each subsequent session. Overexposure to castor oil on the abdomen, when it hasn’t been done before, can cause nausea and diarrhea the next day. Please use with caution and start of slow, eventually working your way up to 45-60min of use with a heating pad (or 8-10 hours of use without heat).

As a lovely bonus for my awesome readers, I have attached some instructions for how to make and use a castor oil pack. Click here if you’d like to download it.

Please share this blog if you found it helpful. Remember you can always email me with topic suggestions and ideas.

Is Raw Carrot Salad For You?

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 21:08:28 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Is Raw Carrot Salad for You?

I don’t know about you, but it seems posts about Raw Carrot Salad are everywhere on social media. Lots of nutritionists and dietitians are recommending a raw carrot salad daily to help with balancing estrogen and reducing estrogen dominance. As an Acupuncturist, I kind of rolled my eyes at these posts and just kept scrolling. However, I have received a lot of comments from friends and followers who have wanted to try this salad out because it seems like a magic bullet, but they know I’m not a fan of raw foods and wanted some clarification. Below are my thoughts on the matter. I hope this post helps to bring some clarity and help you decide if this is something you should try. Let’s get to it!

How Did the Madness Begin?

According to what I can find online, the whole craze started after a biologist (Dr. Ray Peat-and let’s get this clear, he is a “doctor” because he holds a Ph. D, not because he is a practicing physician), ate a raw carrot a day and it helped him with his migraines. It is said that he later suggested female nutrition counseling clients of his, with PMS and other estrogen dominant conditions, to try eating a raw carrot a day. Allegedly, some of these women saw reductions in their estrogen levels within a few days, and an improvement of symptoms as well. The problem is, he presents no evidence. There also is no clarification of whether any other source of fiber was experimented with as a control or variable. If you increase a person’s fiber, whether you use carrots or cauliflower, you are likely to get some beneficial result.

As to the estrogen dropping in a matter of days…there is no clarification of where these women were in their cycles at the time of testing. How do we know for sure that the dropping of estrogen wasn’t happening naturally as they were entering their late luteal phase or menstruation? You’d think this data would be clearly presented if a valid argument was to be made.

What’s the deal with Raw Carrot Salad?

The idea behind eating raw carrot salad is that the lignans (a type of polyphenol) and insoluble (undigestible) fiber help to clear the body of excess estrogen. Lignans are present in other plant foods, flax seeds being one of the highest. While there are many benefits to lignans, they are not destroyed by cooking, so the consumption of a raw carrot salad, for the purpose of lignans doesn’t tend to be the main argument. Rather, the undigestible fiber is what most folks promoting this salad are harping about.

The idea is, that since you can’t digest this fiber, it will move through your colon, acting almost like a broom, sweeping up excess estrogen and helping it to be excreted with bowel movements. Newsflash, this type of fiber is not exclusive to carrots; and since fiber isn’t really destroyed by cooking (the fiber becomes softened but isn’t destroyed), consuming the carrots raw makes no sense.

So if protective polyphenols and insoluble fiber are present in other fruits/vegetables/plants, and don’t get destroyed by cooking, why do we need to eat raw carrot salad??? The simple answer is, we don’t!

TCM Perspective

As many of you already know. TCM doesn’t support eating a lot of raw or cold foods/beverages. It is thought that raw or cold foods dampen digestive fire. Over time, that fire can be damaged to the point of causing a lot of digestive issues such as bloating, gas, fatigue, stomach pain, loose stools, low energy, etc. Overall, it is suggested for vegetables to be, at least, lightly cooked or steamed to make them easier to digest. We know, from a Western perspective, that cooking vegetables makes their nutrients more bioavailable. If someone wants to enjoy a raw salad, it is usually recommended in the summer when the weather is warm, and accompanied by a hot tea or soup to help counteract some of the coldness. It is also advised for the person not to have other raw or cold meals in the day, especially if they have digestive weakness. That means, if you had a smoothie for breakfast, you may want to skip the salad at lunch.

Estrogen is Part of a Bigger Picture

Estrogen is a not a stand alone hormone that acts independently. Estrogen is part of the feedback loop that occurs between the brain and the ovaries as part of the menstrual cycle. The amount of estrogen produced in the body is dependent on various factors (as is the case with all hormones). These factors include nutrition, stress levels, proper elimination, and exogenous sources. Exogenous sources of phytoestrogens exist everywhere and no amount of carrot salad can completely counteract that onslaught. It is up to us to be more mindful of our exposure, as well as to keep our elimination pathways in good shape, to help clear out the excess.

So, How Can We Balance Estrogen?

As mentioned above, Estrogen doesn’t exist independently. It is better to ask “how can we support our endocrine system so that we can support overall hormonal balance?”… Well, I’m glad you asked. Here are some suggestions:

-Clean up your diet. Reducing the sources of phytoestrogens and inflammatory compounds in our food, helps our bodies maintain hormonal balance more easily. Avoid processed and inflammatory foods such as soy, corn, gluten, and sugar.

-Eat a balanced diet. Helping your body to get adequate amounts of protein, fat and carbs, on a regular eating schedule, does a lot to balance blood sugar, which in turn balances insulin. Doing so has a major impact on other hormones like progesterone.

-Clean up your products . Avoid your exposure to endocrine disruptors by using non-toxic personal care products and household products. The Maison Pur blog has lots of information on this.

-Avoid plastics. Most people know to avoid plastic water bottles but what about plastic juice bottles? Or plastic microwave safe containers? Or plastic cooking utensils? Plastics have the potential to leach chemicals into whatever they come into contact with whenever they are exposed to extreme heat or cold. While it is extremely difficult to avoid all sources, it is good to be mindful of them and avoid whenever possible.

-Get off Hormonal Birth Control, if possible. Learn how to track your cycles so that you can avoid pregnancy naturally rather than taking exogenous hormones every day. If you take birth control for management of things like painful periods and acne, it is much better to address the underlying health issues that cause these for you. Birth control can only bandaid the situation, it does’t actually heal anything.

-Work on regulating your bowels. Wellness professionals agree that proper elimination and open detox pathways are the best ways to keeping the endocrine system balanced. You can have the cleanest diet and lifestyle, but it you aren’t pooping, your hormones may still be out of whack.

-Use Castor oil packs on abdomen and liver. External castor oil use over the liver on the right side of the abdomen can be helpful in helping the liver to clear excess hormone. Using it on the abdomen helps to move the bowels and to promote a more thorough shed of uterine lining. Specific instructions for frequency and placement of castor oil depend on your individual goals so please consult with a practitioner before using.

Final Thoughts

There is nothing wrong with having a raw carrot salad. My issue is that it is being presented as some magic bullet to reduce “estrogen dominance” without addressing the plethora of factors that are involved in the estrogen dominance to begin with. There are other ways of helping your body balance excess estrogen that don’t involve compromising your digestive health. If you’d really like to try the raw carrot salad craze, please limit the amount to 1 medium carrot and please follow it up with a warm meal. If you notice bloating, gas, loose stools, stomach pain or discomfort, use your common sense and discontinue the salad.

Please share this if you found it helpful. Keep your eyes peeled for a post all about castor oil packs and how to use them as past of Holistic wellness self care. If that post is up, I’ll go ahead and attach it here .

Benefits of Abdominal Massage

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 00:03:01 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Abdominal Massage

I have had the privilege of working with and alongside massage therapists for the vast majority of my career as an Acupuncturist. This has afforded me the opportunity to experience many different kinds of bodywork techniques. I noticed, when I relocated to NC, that the abdominal region was completely being bypassed when I had a massage. The massage therapist wouldn’t even ask if that was an area that I wanted worked on, even though, this seemed to be standard practice when I was back in FL. It was just part of the service when receiving a “full body” massage service; and I had the option to decline work on my abdomen in lieu of more time spent working on another area of my body.

Since being in NC, I have discovered that abdominal massage definitely exists, however, it is far more specialized. Over the past several years, I have been able to experience various styles which I will discuss in further detail below.

The benefits of having your abdomen worked on are countless! For starters, your abdomen houses a lot of your organs. The circulation to these organs are subject to your alignment and other factors. If we are holding tension in any area of our bodies, it stands to reason that the affected area is just not receiving the same amount of blood flow (or qi flow, for that matter) that it would receive if the area was relaxed/aligned. With that logic, it would be reasonable to conclude that our organs may not be functioning at optimal levels if they are not receiving the blood and qi that they need to do so.

From a reproductive standpoint, so much of what I do with Acupuncture is trying to promote better circulation into the reproductive organs. The more open the channels of circulation are, the more nutrients the ovaries/testicles and uterus receive, thus helping to promote ovulation of better quality eggs, better quality sperm and the growth of healthy uterine lining.

From a digestive standpoint, better flow means better ability to breakdown foods and absorb nutrients. It also means more open detox pathways in the liver, intestines and urinary bladder. Bye bye sluggish bowel movements!

With that said, let’s dive in to the 4 different kinds of abdominal massage I have received, how it felt to receive them and what benefits they had for me, in particular. My hope is that this information can help you decide if you should seek out any of these methods as well. Let’s begin!

Meso-American Abdominal Massage (aka Mexican-Central American Sobada):

This type of massage is steeped in history. Often performed by therapists who have learned the techniques via cultural lineage, Sobada has been performed for hundreds if not thousands of years. One can argue that it is the grandmother of therapies like Arvigo and Mercier therapy as those therapies were built upon the techniques of the Sobada (more on those later in this post). It can be performed for all kinds of womb care such as for menstrual support or helping to support a pregnant woman’s growing belly. In the postpartum phase, the Sobada is helpful for uterine recovery and the prevention and treatment of prolapse. It can also be performed for internal organ care, helping to realign the organs in their proper place for optimal functioning (naprapathy).

If a person has undergone a hysterectomy, and no longer has a uterus, the Sobada is still useful to care for the “womb space” which doesn’t cease to exist after the reproductive organs are removed. If anything, this technique is helpful to keep the other organs in proper placement after some, or all, of the reproductive organs have been removed.

Two facts that set the Sobada apart from other techniques mentioned in this post are that it is the only technique that requires the practitioner to practice on themselves well before working on others; and it is the only technique that works with the emotional and spiritual connection of the organs and the divine. For example, someone may seek a practitioner for help with removing creative blockages (such as writer’s block) or for closure after a pregnancy loss.

While I have not had enough experience with this technique yet to list any specific benefits aside from feeling less tension in my abdomen (literally being able to breath deeper) and more “looseness” in my pelvis (Heyyyyyyy!). I do feel like it helped me move out a functional ovarian cyst with less discomfort than the previous cysts I have passed. I did share an IG post of how my abdomen looked before and after just one session. The difference is pretty remarkable, you can check it out here.

The sensation of this type of massage, for me, was less intense than Mercier but stronger than Lymphatic Abdominal Massage. It was somewhat like the sensation of Arvigo. So it was uncomfortable but not unbearable. That being said, my second session was much more comfortable than the first and it is fair to say that-that is not uncommon of any therapy.

Arvigo Maya Abdominal Massage:

This technique was designed by Dr. Rosita Arvigo. It is said that she developed this method based on ancient massage techniques she learned via self study and under the apprenticeship of a Maya healer. This technique is also based in naprapathy, a type of traditional medicine that believes illness originates by the displacement of connective tissues. As such, Arvigo works to help organs come back to, or stay in, their intended location (think prolapse, misalignment, etc).

When I was receiving Arvigo treatments, I was encouraged to practice self massage on my abdomen in between visits. Out of all of the other abdominal massages I will discuss in this post, Arvigo is the only one that sent me home with homework involving self massage. This was a great way to help me understand the patterns of tension in my abdomen and to help myself in between treatments.

The treatments themselves were fairly relaxing with the exception of a “fascial twist” done at the end that helps to “wring out” stuck circulation. This part was very uncomfortable but it was brief. I’m not 100% sure that this is standard practice for Arvigo therapy or just something my provider did, so you may want to ask first.

Benefits I experienced included less bloating, some relief of menstrual cramps, more symmetry in my abdomen and better positioning of my uterus.

Lymphatic Abdominal Massage (aka “Weight Loss Massage”):

Lymphatic Massage is said to originate from the teachings of Emil Vodder and dates back to somewhere between the 1930s-1950s. While Lymphatic Drainage Massage can be performed on the entire body, I will focus on the abdomen for this post.

Our bodies have several major lymphatic passageways in the abdomen that work to clear drainage from the organs, muscles and bones. It’s kind of hard to contextualize how expansive of a network that is. Think about it, your entire abdomen IS a bunch of organs, muscles and bone. A lot of individuals that have had this type of massage will instantly see a reduction of inflammation/bloating around the abdomen. Usually, there will be a good deal of urination afterwards, as the body clears all of the excess fluid moved out by the massage. Because of this, it often gets referred to as a “weight loss” massage. The person isn’t actually losing weight as much as they are reducing water weight and inflammation. This type of massage is quite popular amongst celebrities (both men and women) right before a red carpet event.

It is also a popular technique for healing after abdominal surgery of any kind (cosmetic or functional). It can also be performed to help reduce swelling in the abdomen and to open detox pathways.

Usually, I would receive this kind of massage as a part of a full body massage service. Working on lymphatic movement generally involves lighter pressure as compared to working on the muscles. Out of all of the massages in this post, this was the most comfortable and relaxing.

Benefits I experienced were as advertised: less bloating, flatter abdomen, and reduction in water weight.

Mercier Therapy:

This technique is the youngest of the abdominal massages in this post. It was developed by Dr. Jennifer Mercier in 2005 combining her years of experience as a Midwife, Massage therapist and Naturopathic Doctor. Dr. Mercier has performed 2 studies on the effects of Mercier therapy, each spanning several years. According to the study that concluded in 2012, Mercier therapy has a pregnancy success rate of 83%. That’s pretty amazing!

In contrast to the other types of abdominal massages mentioned in this post, Mercier is the most regimented, in my opinion. One round of treatment consists of 6 hours of therapy that are broken down into hourly sessions that can be completed over a weekend or between 1-6 weeks. Mercier therapy is a deep visceral massage. This means the therapist applies enough pressure to actually affect the organs. While Arvigo and Sobada both do this, Mercier was far more painful for me than any of the other therapies. As a matter of fact, it has been the most painful therapy I have ever experienced. That being said, it provided the most profound changes in my menstruation, in the shortest period of time.

The intensity of this therapy makes it well suited for breaking up any kinds of accumulation in the reproductive organs (endometriosis, scar tissue, cysts, etc), in my opinion.

Benefits I experienced include shedding of old uterine lining, reduction in menstrual cramps, and aid in resolution of an ovarian cyst.

It’s important to remember that everyone’s pain tolerance is different. While I consider mine to be moderate, I may have had more things to work through in my abdomen than the next person, this will affect how hard the massage therapist has to work to get the desired effects.

Other Noteworthy Observations:

Besides the scope of menstrual care and digestive health, I’d really like to focus on the benefits of abdominal massage for postpartum care. Our medical system does a really poor job of assessing the abdomen after birth. Most postpartum appointments in the west, consist of a 6 week visit in which no one assess your abdominal wall, even after a C-section that cuts through 7 different layers.

In contrast, just about every ancient culture on the planet has some kind of abdominal care practices after birth to help the uterus go back to its original size and shape, but most importantly, to go back to its proper position within the abdomen. Besides the uterus, there is also care to make sure the surrounding organs resettle in their proper place after being displaced by the growing womb or by the trauma of abdominal surgery.

On that same note, with the exception of lymphatic massage after cosmetic abdominal surgery, most physicians don’t provide patients with a post surgical plan for abdominal recovery after any kind of abdominal procedure (laparoscopy, bariatric surgery, bowel resection, hernia surgery, etc). Most of the abdominal therapies discussed in this post would be a fantastic addition to post surgical recovery to aid in the reduction of swelling, reduction in the development of scar tissue and faster healing.

Furthermore, if it has been many years since you had an abdominal procedure, you can still benefit from these therapies to treat any resulting scar tissue or organ displacement that occurred as a result; even if it has been decades.

This post is by no means an exhaustive list of all different kinds of abdominal massage therapies. It doesn’t even cover all of the benefits that each technique may offer. I do hope, however, that it helped you gain some understanding of some of the therapies that exist and may be available to you. With the exception of Mercier Therapy, which aims to treat certain conditions, the Sobada, Arvigo and Lymphatic Massages can all be used for the maintenance of health and the prevention of certain conditions. All of these techniques bring a lot to the table and are worthy of your research and consideration. I tagged local practitioners in the IG post, if you are interested, check out the caption .

Do You Know About Vitacost?

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 15:04:31 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Do You Know About Vitacost?

As the young people say these days “Let me put you up on some game”! I am surprised how many people don’t know about Vitacost when I mention it as a place to get supplements, snacks and pantry staples. Since I recently placed an order, I thought it was good timing to share more information in case it could be a good resource for some of you. Just to be clear, while I may share some affiliate links in this post, I am not sponsored by any of these companies; but I have been a happy customer for many years.

What is Vitacost?

Vitacost is basically a health food store that exists as a website. You can find everything from supplements (for people as well as for pets), snacks, beverages, pantry staples, household items, personal care items and more. They often have good deals and offer free shipping with every order over $49 (or with an order containing $35 or more of their brand name items). Before I moved to NC, I found that their free shipping was actually a good option. Some companies that offer free shipping will take a really long time to process your order and it may take 7-10 days or more for it arrive. With Vitacost, I was getting my order within 5 days. Once I moved to NC, I really got to enjoy their fast and free shipping since their distribution center is located right here in NC! This means I can have orders as fast as the next business day! As a matter of fact, I placed a recent order on a Sunday in which the following Monday was a holiday. I wasn’t expecting for them to get to my order until Tuesday and possible receive it on Thursday. However, I had a shipping confirmation email within 24 hours and the order was delivered within 48 hours. That’s pretty dang fast!

Deals, deals and more deals!

Besides saving money on shipping, Vitacost often has coupons for some of their departments or specific brands. They also will mail out discount codes that apply to your entire order. The best part? You get to combine all of these for a greater reduction in price. For example, they might be running a promotion for 10% off all snack items and I want to get avocado oil potato chips. When I find the chips I like, it turns out that the brand is also offering a 15% discount on all of their items. Rather than having to choose between the 3 offers, I can add all 3 to my cart. That means I get the 10% off the chips for the promotion on snacks, 15% off from the brand plus another 15% off from the coupon I can apply to the entire order. Woo Hoo!

It gets even better...

My amazing hack to compound even more savings is to shop Vitacost through the Rakuten website. If you are not familiar with Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates), they are a website that offers cash back for shopping through their site. There are no strings attached, I have been a member of Rakuten for years and can attest to that. Since Vitacost is a participating store on Rakuten, I just log in to Rakuten and see how much cash back they are offering for Vitacost at that time. They usually always have a 3% cash back offer. At the time of writing this post, they are currently offering 8% cash back on Vitacost orders. Every time you shop with Rakuten, you accumulate cash back. They start paying out once you reach $5 and you can chose to have the money deposited into an account (Paypal, for example) or have a check mailed out to you.

While I am also not sponsored by Rakuten, I do have an affiliate link with a pretty sweet deal. If you would like to consider signing up for Rakuten, please use this link . If you place an order of $30 or more at a qualifying store (oh yeah, they partner with lots of online retailers, not just Vitacost), you will receive $30 bonus cash back in addition to the cash back you accumulate with your order; as long as you sign up using my link .

Is it worth it?

Like I said, I have shopped with both Rakuten and Vitacost for years. If you’d like to see my most recent Vitacost haul, you can check it out on my Instagram post here . It may give you an idea of the items you can get. However, if you don’t wish to shop with Vitacost, that is ok, you can get cash back on over 3,500 stores (including The Great Wolf Lodge, Dyson, Expedia, Apple, Cabelas, etc).

I spend a lot of time recommending supplements and non-toxic items to patients and Vitacost is one of the sites that has the best pricing on some of the items I recommend the most. That is the biggest drive in sharing this information with you. I’m not intending to turn my blog into a page with a bunch of “plugs” for affiliate links. I simply just want to share tips and resources that have been helpful for me, and that may also be helpful for you. It’s a win-win! Happy shopping :)

*post contains affiliate links.

Cold Weather Tips from an Acupuncturist

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 17:10:25 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Cold Weather Tips from an Acupuncturist

Asian Medicine recognizes the influence of the weather on our bodies. This means that the climate can be a source of pathogen ic influence, particularly when there is wind (more on that later). With the cooler temps, a lot of people are spending time outdoors working on projects that were put off during the summer when it was too hot. Others are taking advantage of cold weather activities such as skating, skiing, sledding, outdoor holiday pop ups, etc.

When we spend more time in the cold, and don’t properly bundle up, it can create opportunities for the cold to “invade” the body causing the flow of blood and qi to slow down.

Wind has the added attribute of carrying the pathogenic weather into your body more easily so a windy, damp and cold day has the potential to flare arthritis, cause headaches/migraines, trigger sinus congestion, create menstrual cramping, etc.

General Tips:

The best way to prevent the influence of the weather is to protect yourself against it. The area behind the head (occiput), the neck, abdomen, low back and feet are particularly sensitive points of entry.

Wearing a scar f and/or beanie on cold or windy days can prevent headaches and sinus issues. Wearing layers that cover the abdomen and lower back (tucking a tank top into your pants before putting on a sweater) can help prevent menstrual cramps and lower back spasms. Wearing closed toe shoes and thick socks can help prevent loads of things since so many energetic channels start in the feet.

You can make the most of the season and enjoy the outdoor activities but consider making sure your body is kept warm especially around the areas mentioned. Having some nice, hot tea while you are outside, and a warm foot soak after outdoor activities, are also great ways to counteract the pathogenic cold.

Ti ps for Menstruaters:

As you have heard me mention before, cold is the enemy of the uterus. It can cause cramping and clotting with a delayed release of lining (which in turn, causes more cramping). The usual suggestions of prioritizing rest, avoiding being bare foot and consuming only warm foods/drinks are even more important during the cold season as the body will natural drop in temperature at the beginning of a cycle.

It can be really helpful to take warm baths once a week (use a bath water filter if possible) to help bring up your body temperature. Baths can also reduce dry skin, especially if you add some nourishing oils to the water (using caution once it’s time to get up; you don’t want to slip on the oil). Taking a warm bath in the days leading up to your period (or even during) can be really helpful to prevent/relieve cramping. Epsom salt would be a nice bonus.

Avoid sitting on metal chairs, cold floors or other cold surfaces without something underneath your bottom. If you must sit on the floor, have a cushion or a blanket underneath you. If you attend any type of outdoor event in which you are sitting on metal bleachers, it is a good idea to take a thick blanket or cushion to sit on. You can also use a hot water bottle or microwaveable heating pad to warm your car seat/ stadium seat/ your abdomen as opposed to heated blankets or seat warmers, which can expose you to EMFs.

Avoid washing your hair when you are bleeding. When you do wash your hair, make sure to dry it thoroughly before going out in the cold or before going to bed. The Du channel runs through your head and down your back. When your hair is wet and cold, it can slow down the circulation in this channel which can create lower back aches and menstrual pain.

Be st Tip that Benefits Everyone:

Make sure you are eating a lot of nutrient dense calories during the cold months; and enough of them. The body burns a lot of calories trying to keep you warm (especially for those who like to exercise outside when it’s cold). Hardy meals with good quality protein, healthy fats and unprocessed carbs help to keep your body fueled. When your body has enough fuel, it doesn’t have to divert its resources away from certain organ systems in order to prioritize others. While this is good to practice year round, it is especially helpful for staying healthy in the colder months.

Paleo Sausage Gravy

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 16:01:45 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Paleo Sausage Gravy

I post about this gravy on a regular basis on my Instagram stories. Living in "t he south " , sausage gravy is quite popular. While I serve mine over eggs and avocado rather than biscuits, this gravy is still delicious and much healthier than traditional sausage gravy. Without further adieu, let’s dive in to the recipe:

Ingredients:

-12oz-16oz of ground pork breakfast sausage (I like this one but you can use what you like)

-1 can (or 13oz-15oz) of full fat coconut milk ( I use the kind without guar gum such as the Trader Joe’s one).

-1 heaping teaspoon of Arrowroot powder (may substitute for tapioca starch)

-1/4-1/2 teaspoon each of: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Dried Thyme, Rubbed/Dry Sage (taste as you go and adjust to your preference)

Steps:

-Brown your sausage in a sauce pot or deep walled pan

-Add the coconut milk

-Add all seasoning ingredients to your and taste/adjust for flavor.

-Sprinkle the Arrowroot powder a little at a time and stir over medium heat until thickened. Should take about 1-3 minutes. You may add more if you would like a thicker gravy.

-Serve and enjoy!

Notes:

This gravy stores well in the fridge for up to 5 days. It will thicken some more once it is cooled but it will become thinner when heated. If preparing this in advance, you can skip the Arrowroot powder when you make the gravy and just store it straight in the fridge. On the day you intend to serve it, reheat the gravy on the stove and just add the arrowroot powder then.

I don’t typically drain the rendered fat from the browned sausage but you can feel free to do so, prior to adding the milk, if you prefer. I also like to add mushrooms while I am browning the sausage and make a “Mushroom Sausage Gravy”.

That’s all there is to it! This sausage gravy is very savory and satisfying. Perfect for cold, winter mornings or special Sunday brunch. It comes together relatively quickly and does not taste at all like coconut. I know what you are thinking, I didn’t believe it either until I made it. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Pregnancy Prep With Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 17:43:15 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Pregnancy Prep with Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine (Featured)

Have you ever wondered how Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine can assist in pregnancy prep? You're in luck! My colleague Dr. Emily Siy interviewed Dr. Rachel Hemphill and I on this topic and made an awesome blog featuring our responses.

You may recall Dr. Emil y from the Vaginal Steam Panel we participated in a couple of months ago (if you missed it, check it out here ). She is an Acupuncturist and Steam Therapist based out of NY who is passionate about serving marginalized communities.

Dr. Rachel Hemphill is an Acupuncturist based out of California. Her practice focuses on women's health, fertility, pregnancy and postnatal care.

You can check out the amazing blog post on Pregnancy Prep with Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine by clicking here .

To learn more about Dr. Emily Siy, check out her website here .

To learn more about Dr. Rachel Hemphill, check out her website here .

Understanding OPKs & BBTs

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 17:07:06 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Understanding OPKs & BBTs

In the fertility world, OPKs and BBTs are very common acronyms. In this post, we will break d own each of these 2 methods and explain why every menstruating body should become familiar with these methods, regardless of whether or not the person is trying to conceive. Let’s jump right in!

OPKs- (Ovulation Predictor Kits)

OPKs are used to track the surges in LH which can help us identify the ovulation window. LH is a hormone the body produces as it is getting ready to release an egg. Test kits typically are available in 2 formats: strips and digital.

Strip tests are just that, strips with an absorbent end and a “results” end. It is suggested to collect urine in a cup, dip the absorbent end in the urine for a specified amount of time, and observe the darkening of the lines on the strip. There is a control line which should always be dark as it signals a properly working test. The second line is the LH line and it will progressively darker as the level of LH increases. When the line is equal to, or darker than, the control line, it is said that the test is “positive” for an LH surge. A line that is lighter than the control line indicates that LH is present, but isn’t at a high enough concentration to indicate the surge before ovulation.

Digital tests work similarly however, they tend to come in a plastic wand, similar to a pregnancy test. The user can collect urine in a cup or hold the test in a stream of urine for a specified amount of time. Rather than seeing the lines, they will have a “results window” that will digitally interpret the results, displaying them as either “high fertility/blinking smiley face” or “peak fertility/solid smiley face”. Other digital tests will ask you to scan the results using the camera on your phone. The photo then gets uploaded into an app which interprets the results for you.

Most women tend to have an LH surge lasting between 24-72 hours prior to ovulation. OPKs can help the user track this surge. If they are trying to conceive, they will want to have intercourse once they see a surge. Conversely, if they are avoiding conception, they will want to abstain from unprotected intercourse during this time.

It is really helpful for the person to notice how their cervical mucus is behaving during the surge. Cervical mucus (CM) can be thick and opaque when LH is still low, but changes to a more clear, thin and stretchy fluid during the surge. This CM is the optimal fluid for conception as it protects the sperm and facilitates their movement towards the egg.

Unfortunately, OPKs are not suitable for everybody. Those who have PCOS can have false positive results as their bodies tend to produce some level of LH due to the presence of multiple follicles/cysts in the ovaries. Peri-menopausal women may also experience multiple LH surges even if there aren’t any follicles to recruit in the ovaries with each surge. This means that they may not ovulate despite having multiple LH surges.

Interestingly, OPKs can also test positive if there is HCG in your system either from a pregnancy or a recent pregnancy loss. Because the structure of LH and HCG is so similar, some OPKS can give you a positive result when it is really being triggered by HCG. For this reason, it is suggested to use a pregnancy test to confirm either way.

All that being said, while OPKs can indicate a surge in LH, they cannot confirm that an egg was actually released (this may also be suspected if you have multiple days of a “positive test”). Since the presence of increased progesterone confirms ovulation, there are some companies that have designed test kits that include both OPKs and Progesterone strips or the option to scan and have the results interpreted digitally.

It is really useful to be able to learn how your CM behaves during different phases of your cycle. Using an OPK to confirm that an LH surge is happening when you notice “fertile cervical mucus” can be a great to ol to help you either to conceive or avoid pregnancy. It is also helpful to notice what day of your cycle you are having the LH surge. This will help you understand more about when you could possibly ovulate and help you measure the amount of time in between when you think you might ovulate and when your next period comes. Having that time be at least 12 days is important for proper progesterone production.

Pros and Cons of OPKs:

Pros -easy to use, affordable options, helps narrow down ovulation window.

Cons -doesn’t confirm ovulation, wasteful as the strips/wands are disposable, may be hard to interpret for some, some kits can be expensive, those with PCOS, in Peri-menopause or who may be pregnant/suffered a recent pregnancy loss- may have false positive test results.

BBT-(Basal Body Temperature)

Basal body temperature is the temperature your body measures when are first wake up. Tracking your BBT can be very useful as it paints a picture of how your body is behaving throughout an entire cycle (from day 1 of a period to the next day 1 of the following cycle). Tracking BBT consists of taking your temperature as soon as you wake up but before you rise out of bed. Meaning you reach over to your bedside table, grab the thermometer while still laying down, place the thermometer in your mouth (or other designated site such as underarm), and take your temperature before you get out of bed. This temperature is then recorded in a chart (either manual or digital). For your BBT chart to be accurate, you need to take your temperature roughly at the same time every morning. You can also adjust your temperature on a day that you have slept in or had to get up early, but it won’t be as accurate.

To adjust the temperature, let’s consider this example: If your average wake up time is 7:00am, and your average temperature is 97.5ºF, and you woke up at 6:00am instead of 7:00am, you can adjust 0.1º less for every 30 min difference. Since 6:00am is an hour away from 7:00am, that is 0.2º difference. Since the wake up was earlier, 0.2º gets subtracted from the 97.5º average. This makes the adjusted temperature 97.3ºF on the day of a 6:00am wake up.

If the opposite happens and you sleep in until 9am, you would add 0.1º for every 30 minutes from 7am to 9am. This would make the adjusted temperature 97.9ºF.

You also need to get 3-4 hours of uninterrupted sleep for an accurate measurement. This means that if you got up to use the restroom within 2 hours of your wake up time, your temperature reading in the morning may not be accurate.

If you can manage to take your temperature consistently, seeing the temps plotted on a chart, over the length of an entire cycle, provides a lot of information. Ideally, you would see a chart that has lower temperatures at the beginning of the cycle, a sharp spike in temperature mid cycle, and then a period of 12-14 days of consistently higher temperatures. Normal temperatures range from person to person but the average increase from the beginning of the cycle to the end of the cycle is about 1º-2ºF. Meaning that your baseline temperature (temperature at the beginning of your cycle), may be an average of 97.3 º, w ith ovulation, it may spike to 97.9ºF. Then, it may hover around 98.2º in the luteal phase before it drops back down to baseline with the start of a new cycle.

If you recall from above, the OPK can tell us when our LH is surging but it cannot tell us if we have actually ovulated. The opposite happens with the BBT chart. It cannot predict when we are having an LH surge, but the spike in temperature, followed by several days of elevated temps, indicate that ovulation has occurred.

When ovulation occurs, the rise in progesterone causes our BBT to rise as wel l , so we can confirm that ovulation has taken place when we see sustained higher temperatures after a spike. This is a great time to, again, observe how CM is behaving. Clear, thin and stretchy CM should be observed before a temperature spike. Afterwards, CM can become more opaque, dry and clumpy.

Because higher temps are attributed to increased progesterone, seeing high temps that last longer than the person’s average luteal phase can be the first indications of pregnancy. Of course this should be verified by an HCG test. If pregnancy has not occurred, progesterone will start to diminish and this will be reflected on the BBT chart as temperatures starting to trend downward until a period starts and the person is back at “baseline”.

If there is no sharp ovulation temperature spike or obvious difference between the temperatures at the beginning of the cycle and the end of the cycle, it is very likely that there is some hormonal imbalance taking place.

Pros and Cons of BBT Charting:

Pros - only requires a thermometer and chart, more complete information since it tracks the whole cycle (provides valuable insight as to your hormonal balance), confirms ovulation, can predict pregnancy, can predict onset of next cycle

Cons -requires consistent daily tracking to be accurate, may be thrown off by illness, certain medications, and not getting 3-4 hours of uninterrupted sleep, may be hard to continue if you travel regularly or work an overnight shift.

It can be really helpful to use both OPKs and BBT for a few cycles to help you see the correlations between your temperature changes and your cervical mucus changes. Once you gain confidence in predicting your own ovulation, you don’t have to use OPKs to predict your LH surge but you can still track your temperature to confirm ovulation.

Final Thoughts:

Understanding your menstrual cycles provides valuable information about your hormonal health that it is worth understanding your own cycle regardless of whether you want to conceive or not.

I am a big fan of tracking your cycles on your own calendar as opposed to an app. Apps use algorithms to predict ovulation so they can often be inaccurate. Furthermore, most tech companies that make apps do not protect your information, but rather they sell it to the highest bidder. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think that trends in my personal menstrual cycle should be anyone’s business; especially since the information may be shared without my consent.

It is important to mention that neither of these methods will be accurate if you are on any type of hormonal birth control. You can still use OPKs and BBT if you use non-hormonal contraception such as a copper IUD.

I hope that this post as helped you to navigate the waters of OPKs and BBTs. They are 2 completely different but complementary methods to help you understand when you ovulate and your cycles , overall. Learning to understand your cervical mucus is equally as important. I hope to do a blog post on that soon. In the meantime, there is a rather lovely post with real life pictures of CM. If you are ok with the visuals, check it out here .

As always, please feel free to share this post if you have found it helpful or bookmark the page so you can refer back to it whenever you need.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer Recipe

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 14:06:30 GMT

Tea Time with Jo|Pumpkin Spice Creamer Recipe

It’s the first day of Fall here in the Northern Hemisphere! What better way to indulge in the fall season than enjoying a nice, hot pumpkin spice beverage? Skip all the artificial junk at the store and make your own with this simple and easy recipe. Plus, you’ll never run out when you know how to make your own. Let’s get to it:

Ingredients:

-1 can of full fat, simple, coconut milk (no added gums or thickeners)

-1/3 cup of organic pumpkin puree (make your own or use canned)

-1/2 cup of maple syrup or honey (I like to use a 50/50 mix of both)

-1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice (start with 1/2 a tsp and then increase to your liking)

Process:

-Place all ingredients in a small pot and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

-Stir occasionally to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.

-Use right away or allow to cool and place in a mason jar with tight fitting lid for storage in your fridge.

Notes:

-You can add this creamer to coffee or tea. Amy from Curiositea Wellness suggested adding Pumpkin Spice creamer to their Night Sky Chai . That was an awesome suggestion…it was delicious! I also like to add it to their Stargazer , and call that concoction “Grandma’s PSL”. You can also keep it simple and add it to your favorite black tea for a little caffeine or dandelion tea for a caffeine free beverage.

-This recipe makes about 16oz of creamer. It will last about 5-7 days in the fridge but you can also freeze any amount you don’t feel you will use up in that time. Simply thaw it out in the fridge the night before and give it a good shake to reincorporate the ingredients.

-You can use any milk of your choice but full fat coconut milk does make it extra rich and thick.

TCM Perspective:

The spices typically used in pumpkin spice (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice) are all warming spices which are perfect for the cooler autumn temperatures. They help to warm up digestion and promote circulation. Pumpkin, itself, is considered to have warm energetic properties in TCM. It has affinity for the Lung, Large Intestine, Spleen and Stomach meridians which means it is easy to digest and serves to tonify qi.

Let me know if you give this recipe a try. This is my first food related post on the blog so I hope that you enjoy it and look forward to seeing more of these sprinkled in. Happy Fall Y’all!

How To Become an Acupuncturist

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 22:50:02 GMT

Tea Time With Jo|How to Become A Licensed Acupuncturist

Most people are not aware how involved becoming an East Asian Medicine (EAM)/Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM )/Oriental Medicine (OM) Practitioner is. In the U.S., licensure requirements vary by state but there is a national body known as the NCCAOM which produces the board exams that are generally accepted as the standard to practice. A Master’s Degree in either Acupuncture or East Asian/Oriental Medicine is required prior to sitting for the board exams. Below is the path I took to become an Acupuncturist with my Master’s in Oriental Medicine. I hope this will shed some light on the training required and can help assist those looking into this career to get a head start.

EAM, TCM or OM…What’s the Difference:

When I was going to school, my professors referred to this medicine as “Traditional Chinese Medicine”. This is a bit of a misnomer as the techniques practiced actually have roots all over East Asia, which is why a lot of schools/practitioners now use the EAM abbreviation rather than TCM. That being said, a lot of my professors were actually Chinese, so for them, they were just practicing the traditional medicine of their country. The argument still exists that the medicine developed under the influence of these other countries so EAM is a much more encompassing and accurate title. The term “Oriental” is a colonial term, which many argue has a racist connotation, and is generally not preferred by the Asian community. A lot of schools are dropping their degree titles of “Master of Science in Oriental Medicine” and opting for “Master of Science in East Asian Medicine”. As someone who received their degree in Oriental Medicine, I tend to use this term because, well…it’s what’s on my certificate. I am, however, trying to train myself to stick to EAM as it is more accurate and more respectful.

Acupuncturist VS EAM Practitioner:

All EAM practitioners are Acupuncturists but not all Acupuncturists are EAM practitioners. I’ll explain…some schools offer programs in just Acupuncture. While this person still receives their Master’s degree in Acupuncture, they don’t learn a lot about Herbal medicine, to my knowledge. These individuals can still sit for the national board exam and become licensed to practice Acupuncture. EAM practitioners, on the other hand, learn Acupuncture as well as Herbal Medicine and can sit for the national board exam in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine. They can then become licensed to practice both. Different states have different requirements so it possible that an Acupuncturist can recommend some patent herbal medicines to their patients but maybe don’t have the knowledge to create custom herbal formulas.

My Path:

I always knew that I wanted to be in the medical field so I actually graduated from college with my Associate’s degree in Biology. The school I attended for Acupuncture, offered a joint Bachelor’s and Master’s program in Oriental Medicine. The school worked on an accelerated program where they condensed both of these degrees in 3 years versus 4. This means, we had no summers off, no vacation and no breaks for 3 years. I would end a module on Friday and start a new module on Monday. During that time, I also had clinical rotations in which I acquired the practical knowledge and face time with patients. The whole shebang was approximately 3000 hours of training condensed into 3 years. It was NOT easy, especially holding down a full time job at the same time.

I have not seen an EAM school offer programs that include the Associates degree so you would need to earn one before applying. That being said, what you get your degree in doesn’t matter much. Most programs will still cover all of the science classes (anatomy, physiology, pathology, etc) that you need to know before graduating.

Once I graduated from the Oriental Medicine program (this included Acupuncture theory & point location, EAM diagnosis/theory, Tuina, Shiatsu, Moxibustion, Cupping, Guasha, Electrical Stimulation, Herbal Medicine, etc), I applied for my board exams with the NCCAOM. After passing my board exams, I applied for licensure in my state. Then, I became fully legal and licensed to practice. I should note that the state I originally became licensed in required malpractice insurance coverage before licensure was granted. You should check your state’s requirements.

Continuing Education

Both Acupuncturists and EAM practitioners need to maintain licensure. Most states ask for continuing education in order to revalidate their licenses every 2 years. The amount of continuing education varies by state. While some people find continuing ed annoying…I love it! This is where I get to expand my knowledge and learn from masters and more experienced practitioners.

Specialization

Just like western medicine, there are specialties within EAM. For example, my specialty is in Reproductive Medicine and Women’s Health. Another practitioner may specialize in pain management while someone else may specialize in Oncology. Practitioners who specialize, som etimes have the option of taking additional board exams in their fields and become “fellows” in their specialty; similarly to how an OB/GYN is a typically an MD who specialized in Obstetrics and Gynecological Medicine.

Here is where patients really need to do their research to make sure they find a practitioner who aligns with them. Any practitioner can claim to be a specialist. Fellowships are not required by law. I, myself, am not a Fellow of any other board. Why, you may ask? Because it will be another certification that I need to keep current, which means more continuing education (in addition to what the states require) and more fees. So how do you know if your practitioner is actually a specialist in your desired field? You ask them. I can produce certificates for ALL of the continuing education that I have taken in the field of “Oriental Reproductive Medicine” (including the courses suggested to sit for the board exam). If I had room on my wall in my private room where I currently practice, I would display them prominently; but I have been practicing since 2010 so that would have to be a decent sized wall if I put up each certificate I earned every 2 years, LOL!

Alternatively, some schools offer specialized programs in which the students can earn their Doctoral degree in a particular field. These programs often involve interning in clinics and shadowing more experienced practitioners in that field. However, teaching schools/hospitals/clinics around the world offer this type of mentorship/shadowing experience without the financial burden of a Doctoral degree.

Personally, I would rather sign up for a mentorship program that is much more flexible and allows me to still see clients at the same time. It is much more affordable and allows me to still have some work/life balance. The down side is that I can’t call myself a “doctor” without a Doctoral degree. I’m ok with that for the time being.

In Summary

The path to becoming a practitioner looks like this: Associate’s Degree->Bachelor’s Degree (Acupuncture/EAM)->Master’s Degree (Acupuncture/EAM)->NCCAOM Board Certification->State Licensure

Then you can specialize via Continuing Education, Mentorship/Internship, or Doctoral Program

After which, you will need to maintain your licensure with continuing education every couple of years depending on your state.

When individuals learn that becoming an Acupuncturist or EAM practitioner requires all of this, their minds are often blown. I love this profession. Often practitioners in this field are the front line of health for their clients. Patients can come to us with a myriad of complaints much more easily than scheduling an appointment with their western medicine providers. We have to be expertly skilled in providing accurate diagnosis and referring out when things are outside our scope of practice. I will, by all means, send folks to their doctor or ER when they have a broken bone, higher than normal blood pressure, or any other presentation that raises red flags. At the end of the day, doing what is best for the patient is paramount.

Did you have any idea becoming an Acupuncturist was this involved? Always do your research before choosing a provider. There are lots of “Medical Acupuncturists” out there who advertise that they practice “Acupuncture” but they have very limited amount of training and a very narrow scope and understanding of the medicine. For more on this topic, check out my IG post HERE

Acupuncture & Vaginal Steam Panel

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 02:26:21 GMT

Tea Time With Jo|Acupuncture & Vaginal Steam Panel

Recently, Steamy Chick asked me to join a panel discussion on the use of Vaginal Steaming (Pelvic Hydrotherapy) in an Acupuncture practice. I was honored to be a part of this panel and to get to interact with Keli (Steamy Chick owner and educator) and Dr. Emily Siy (a fantastic college who practices in NY).

During our discussion, Dr. Emily and I shared why we became practitioners of Traditional East Asian Medicine, how we discovered the practice of pelvic steams, how we integrate steams into our practices, some case studies and more. While there were some technical difficulties during the recording of this discussion; Keli did her best to edit the awkward parts out :) You can watch it here .

Getting to know Dr. Emily was fantastic! I had not connected with her before knowing we were going to be on the panel together, but I am so grateful we did. She practices in the Chinatown neighborhood of Manhattan, New York. Her practice offers Acupuncture, Herbal Consultations, Vaginal Steaming, Vaginal Smoking, Private Yoga, Qi Gong and more. I think it is amazing that she offers the practice of Vaginal Smoking. This is also known as "Fumigation" or "Dry Steaming". It is rare to find a practitioner who offers this service in-office because the smoke it produces can be problematic inside enclosed treatment rooms. Vaginal Smoking can be very beneficial for those who cannot steam due to contraindications. It is especially useful for helping to manage excessive vaginal bleeding and for healing hemorrhoids and prolapse.

One of the distinguishing factors about Dr. Emily's practice is her emphasis on offering her services to, and promoting healing in, marginalized communities. She strives to make her practice a safe space for Women of Color and members of the LGBTQ+ community, including offering periodic virtual healing circles for these groups.

You can learn more about Dr. Emily and her practice by visiting her website or her Instagram page . I also suggest checking out her blog. She has very informative posts such as the one in which she shares 10 Ways to Make Your Acupuncture Treatment More Efficient.

As always, I hope you found this post informative. Please consider sharing this post with someone who you think would enjoy or benefit from this information.

Preconception & Prenatal Vitamins

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 00:49:56 GMT

Tea Time with Jo|The Lowdown on Preconception and Prenatal Vitamins

Arguably, one of the first things recommended to patients on their initial visits to the Obstetrician (OB) is prenatal vitamins. Sometimes the doctor actually “prescribes” them and the patient picks them up from the pharmacy. Surely, a supplement that comes from the doctor would be excellent quality, right? Guess again, I actually find that the opposite is true. The prescribed or most frequently recommended prenatal vitamins are typically synthetic and don’t carry a well rounded list of bioavailable vitamins and minerals.

What happens when you are looking to conceive but haven’t yet? What kind of supplements support healthy egg and sperm quality? How do you know which ones to choose? Grab a hot beverage (and maybe a snack) and read on to learn my tips for finding good quality prenatal vitamins for pre-conception and pregnancy.

Prenatal Vitamins VS Regular Multivitamin

I’d like to start by saying that the term “prenatal vitamins” is a marketing term. There is really no such thing as a supplement that is only beneficial when pregnant and not during other phases of life. Generally, what makes a vitamin a “prenatal” is that it contains Folic Acid; a supplement that is said to prevent Neural Tube Defects. Below, I will dissect Folic Acid in more detail. For now, I just want to clarify that the supplements you take before and during pregnancy are for YOUR health. Your baby is going to absorb all of the nutrients it needs from you. Babies will quite literally leach minerals from your bones if they need to. The vitamins are there to build up your stores and fill in any gaps in your nutrition. Therefore, it is not 100% necessary that they be labeled as “Prenatal”.

Do You Even Need Prenatal Vitamins?

This is a controversial question. I would say that the average American would definitely benefit from vitamin supplementation as the standard American diet is devoid of nutrients. Someone who puts effort into eating whole foods and keeping their diet “clean” may still need supplementation because some bodies just don’t absorb some nutrients all that well. An argument can be made that, if someone has worked with a professional who has assessed their vitamin and mineral stores, and their nutrition is well rounded and metabolized well by their system…then they shouldn’t need vitamins at all. While this may be true for a small and specific group of people; they are the exception and not the rule. That being said, like we mentioned above, they do not need to be labeled as “prenatal” to be of benefit.

Men Benefit From Prenatal Supplementation Too!

As the old saying goes, it takes 2 to tango. In my clinical experience, I see female partners doing everything they can to make themselves more fertile. They research all of the supplements and take enough to open their own health food store. Their male partners, however, will often complain at being told they need to take supplements as well. Ideally, everyone is getting all that they need from their nutrition. However, it takes a great deal of effort to consume all of the variety of foods that we need to check all the boxes. For this reason, both partners should do their part to improve egg and sperm quality. While there is a ton of marketing for male fertility supplements, the reality is that sperm benefit from a lot of the same supplements that benefit eggs. For that reason, I often recommend that male partners take the exact same prenatal as their female partners.

You read that right, the same ones. Think about it, there is nothing in a “prenatal” vitamin that is going to cause a man to spontaneously sprout boobs. They are the same vitamins and minerals that go into the vitamins marketed to women. Don’t fall for the hype.

Also, sperm (just like eggs) take about 3 months to develop, therefore, it is important for men to take multivitamins as part of the preconception phase as well. And just in case that was news to you, I will clarify that men produce semen all the time (the fluid) but sperm take 3 months to develop and mature, just like eggs do. So while men can ejaculate multiple times in one day, the fluid becomes less and less saturated with sperm with each subsequent ejaculation.

Bioavailability Matters

When you look at the label for your vitamins, what do you see? Under the nutrition label that tells you how much of which vitamin is in a serving, does it list any ingredients? Are their things like “microcrystalline cellulose” or “modified food starch”? Or do they list actual herbs, fruits and vegetables? If your vitamins don’t contain any actual food in the ingredients, it’s time to find new vitamins. The majority of vitamins on the market are synthetically made. Synthetic vitamins and minerals are produced in a lab. They allow scientists to isolate the vitamins and minerals they want so that they can customize the amount they put in each formula.

Fun fact: I got to witness the process of custom labelling a supplement line and I can tell you that there are only a few labs in the United States that produce ALL of the supplements you see at the store. They just make each formula slightly different and slap a different label on them. So that $55 bottle of “premium quality” multivitamins is the same as the $12 ones you can get at the pharmacy.

What makes one supplement better quality than the other is the Bioavailability of the ingredients. Bioavailability is the portion of a substance that your body can actually absorb to have an effect. Do you think your body would absorb synthetic Vitamin C better than it would from an actual source? Say, straight from a bell pepper? (Another fun fact: red bell peppers have way more vitamin C than oranges).

Our bodies contain the necessary enzymes to digest whole foods. When you read a supplement label and you see that it is filled with whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, you are more likely to absorb the full percentage that is listed than you are to absorb any percentage of the synthetically made stuff.

Folic Acid VS Folate

As mentioned above, Folic Acid is often the supplement that everyone hears about when it comes to prenatal care. Interestingly enough, folic acid is actually synthetic. You read that right! Folate is the natural form of Folic Acid. While folate is widely available in many foods, the synthetic form is often what gets used in prenatal vitamins. Chances are this is done in order to control the amount each vitamin contains per serving. The common recommendations is 400-600mcg of folic acid each day to prevent Neural Tube Defect. The issue lies that some people cannot properly absorb folic acid and they often don’t know it because it isn’t something that is commonly screened for. It is in my opinion that taking a supplement that contains Folate would be better across the board. That way we know that they body is going to have an easier time assimilating such an important nutrient during pregnancy and both mom and baby will be benefiting more.

Methylated Vitamins

There are some people who have a hard time assimilating certain supplements because their body might have a genetic mutation that keeps them from doing so. One such example is the mutation of the MTHFR gene. While we all carry this gene, some of us have a mutation that affects the way our bodies are able to convert certain chemicals. The mutation can make it difficult for our bodies to absorb things like Folic Acid, Folate and B12. For individuals that carry this mutation, they need help converting these vitamins because they play such an important role in several processes of the body. Consuming a methylated version of these vitamins such as methylated folate and/or methylcobolamine (B12), would be very helpful.

A simple blood test can determine if you have a mutation in the MTHFR gene. As a matter of fact, I suggest every female that is preparing for conception to get tested for this mutation in MTHFR because it can lead to miscarriages. The good news is, the odds of miscarriage decrease when they take methylated folate and B12.

Since taking the methylated versions of these vitamins benefits those with MTHFR gene mutations, and does no harm to those who don’t have the mutations, it is safe to just take the methylated version from the beginning. This way, you can cover that base if you can’t or don’t want to do testing.

Omega 3s

I feel like this is one of the most controversial supplements on the market. Some practitioners believe that Omega 3 fish oil has little to no benefit because the oil may become rancid from sitting on a jar, on the shelf, for a long period of time before a person consumes it. As with most supplements, the best source of Omega 3 is from food. The issue lays that the average person consumes far more Omega 6. When the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 is high, inflammation becomes of concern. That is one of the reasons why I still recommend patients (both male and female) take Omega 3; to help keep that ratio at a healthier level.

Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid that helps to reduce inflammation, promote circulation and aid in hormone synthesis (our bodies need the fatty acids to produce hormones). Since DHA is also really important for the baby’s brain development, and DHA is part of the Omega 3 composition, along with EPA, I recommend patients take Omega 3. That being said, quality is key. Look for a brand that doesn’t use fillers, natural flavors or colors. They should also package their Omega 3 supplements in dark bottles (preferably glass) to prevent oxidation. If you are burping up fish oil after taking it, you might need to switch to a different brand. I also prefer patients take Omega 3 that is sourced from fish or krill as it is more bioavailable than plant based sources. Depending on lifestyle factors, my most common recommendation is between 1,000mg-2,000mg a day.

Ubiquinol

Pronounced “You-bih-quin-all”, Ubiquinol is a synthesized version of CoEnzyme Q10, aka CoQ10. Our bodies naturally make this powerful antioxidant, however, the production reduces with age. Antioxidants protect our bodies from oxidative stress, making our cells more resilient against the damage induced by toxins (free radicals). Ubiquinol is particularly good at protecting both egg and sperm. Some studies have even suggested that CoQ10 supplementation has improved the parameters for sperm quality.

Like all supplements, bioavailability matters. Since Ubiquinol absorbs better in the body than standard CoQ10 (also called ubiquinone), it is the form I often recommend my patients take. The dosage will vary depending on the person but the most common I recommend is 100mg. Look for a brand that avoids caramel color in the ingredients.

Inositol (Myo & D-chiro)

Here is another fun one to pronounce! I say “eye-nos-it-all” but I have heard, and said, just about every version of pronunciation you can imagine for this supplement. Originally classified as B8, Inositol is a type of sugar alcohol that influences the body’s response to insulin. While there are several types of Inositol, I’m going to focus on the 2 most common: Myo-Inositol and D-Chiro Inositol. Both are naturally occurring in foods, and while our bodies do produce some levels of Inositol, there are benefits to supplementing with it. Because of the effects on insulin, the combination of Myo & D-Chiro Inositol is fantastic for those dealing with metabolic syndrome. It is also very useful for those with Insulin Resistant PCOS (1 of the 4 types of PCOS that is characterized by weight gain, higher A1C levels, Hyperinsulinemia, irregular periods, and excessive hair growth on face). In these cases, the combo of Myo & D-Chiro help the body to become more sensitive to insulin and allow the cells to take glucose from the blood. When insulin sensitivity improves, we see positive effects on weight loss, hormonal balance and ovarian function.

Those that do not suffer from PCOS can also benefit from supplementing of Myo-Inositol by itself. This type of Inositol helps with the signaling between nerves as well as with glucose metabolism and fat metabolism. Because it can also play a role in hormone balancing, it may also positively affect ovarian health.

While Inositol is fairly easy to take and has almost no side effects at an average dose of 2,000mg a day; I would still consult with your Holistic Health Provider prior to taking it. For some individuals, Inositol can drop blood sugar too much and randomly passing out is not cute!

What About Organ Supplements?

Organ supplements are gaining more and more popularity these days even though they have been around for many years. Organ meats such as liver, kidney, and spleen are more nutrient dense than non-organ meats. For example, beef liver contains more Iron, Vitamin A, B12, Copper and Folate than a typical cut of steak.

If you are not a fan of consuming organ meats, you can opt to take encapsulated, desiccated organs. Several nutritionists agree that, while eating the cooked organ meat is better, taking the supplement form may contain just as many, if not more, nutrients as a good quality multi-vitamin. The argument can also be made that nutrients in organ meats are much more bioavailable. However, it is imperative to find a brand that encapsulates grass-fed and grass finished organs in order to get maximum nutrients.

Bottom Line

While getting vitamins and minerals through nutrition is the preferred method, most individuals benefit from supplementation. To be clear, you can’t out-supplement bad nutrition. It is unreasonable to think that an individual can consume mostly processed foods and think that supplements are going to drastically impact their health.

That being said, whether a person is preparing for conception (male or female), currently pregnant or recently postpartum, the following supplements are my top recommendations :

A good quality Multivitamin and/or Organ supplements, Omega 3 fish oil, Methylated B-vitamins, and Ubiquinol

Other supplements that may be helpful include:

Inositol & Vitamin D (not covered here, but supplementation depends on blood serum levels), Probiotics (also not covered here but especially useful for thyroid issues) and others.

It is very difficult to cover what every individual might need but starting with my top recommendations will cover a lot of bases for most people.

As always, any additions to your supplementations should be discussed with your wellness provider. I hope this post will inspire you to do some research and find a supplement routine that works best for you.

Yin Days

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 04:19:55 GMT

Tea Time with Jo|Yin Days & Their Importance

You might be reading that headline and thinking “what the heck are 'Yin Days' ”? Modern life in the western world values productivity above everything else. Society pressures us into thinking that we must always be doing something “productive” or we may get labeled as lazy and unambitious. This mindset leads us to live lives that are very much in the Yang energy. Yang energy is all about movement, busyness, productivity, and go-go-go. But what about Yin energy? Yin is the slower, more relaxed, healing energy.

Living a balanced life consists of having as much balance as possible between these 2 energies. Nature understands this balance. We have daytime (yang) and nighttime (yin). We have Spring & Summer (Yang) and Fall & Winter (Yin). Trees understand this balance. They often produce so many leaves and blooms in the warmer months (Yang) but then shed all of that growth in the Fall so that they can focus on growing roots in the Winter (Yin) The animals understand this balance as well. So many of them often spend the most energy on the days with longer daylight (Yang), preparing to go into hibernation or move into a slower pace when we have longer nights (Yin).

If this balance is so innate in the natural world around us, why is it that humans struggle so hard to grasp this concept? I find that it is because we are programmed that time equals money and that being a “good, productive member of society” means that we have to spend every waking moment producing income, or thinking about how to produce more income. For some, it’s the whole “Hustle Culture” when one must “Grind ’til I die” (which is sad because usually health suffers tremendously and people work themselves to death, quite literally).

In other instances, the “Work Hard, Play Hard” mentality is the focus. Unfortunately, this tends to result in working over 40 hours a week just to spend more money and energy on “partying”. I don’t know about you but that drugs, alcohol and the nightclub scene is exhausting and not my idea of a party. After a certain age, “partying” becomes more of a way to continue consuming alcohol in daylight hours (I’m look at you tailgaters and boaters) or to pack days off work with adventures and outings that leave you with no recovery time for the week (looking at you cycle enthusiasts that bike 30 miles in a weekend).

What about the fitness addicts? The people who’s lives are quite literally all Yang energy with the constant need to train. The motivational talks in some gyms are down right atrocious. “No pain, no gain”, “earn your rest”, “pain is weakness leaving the body”, “you need to make up for that donut you ate this morning”, etc. Absolutely horrendous!

So where does Yin energy fit into all of this?

The short answer is, we need to make the time. For menstruating bodies, Yin days are built into the design. Taking time off to rest during menstruation is extremely important for encouraging unimpeded release of lining. This helps to reduce cramping in subsequent cycles, maintain proper hormone balance and more. We have a very dysfunctional way of disregarding bleeding during menstruation and expecting to maintain the same level of productivity and energy when the body is bleeding. If a human being bled the equivalent amount from an injury, no one would every second guess that person taking time off to rest and heal. Somehow, the blood coming out of a uterus invalidates that in this society.

For bodies that don’t menstruate, and yes that includes men, Yin days can line up with the New Moon as they are the most Yin time of the lunar cycle (new moon=darkness, darkness=yin).

So what does one do on a Yin day?

It’s simple, you rest. Just as the trees let go of their outward growth so that their roots can expand, these days are meant to give your body and mind a break. It is no secret that creativity increases when the mind has a chance to decompress from everyday stressors. However, there are even more benefits to rest. Your immune system performs better when the body rests. Recovery from exercise and overworked muscles happens during rest. Our brains detox through the glymphatic system when we rest. The list goes on.

It is important to note that how we rest also makes a difference. Resting doesn’t consist of mindlessly scrolling on your phone or binge watching TV shows. Your eyes are still consuming content that your brain has to process so its best to choose this content wisely. Rest can look like clearing your calendar of any obligations (including social ones) and only scheduling things that bring you joy. Lunch with a friend can be very restful versus dinner with the in laws, for some people. Rest can also look like taking a Restorative yoga class or going for a walk in nature. It can also look like sleeping in a little longer or waking up to see the sunrise but allowing yourself a nap in the afternoon.

Jacquelyn Atkins, a business coach from Australia, teaches the concept of a “Yin Week” in which a person can block off a week of every month so that they can slow down. It doesn’t mean not working at all but, in her case, it means not seeing clients for a week and using that time to do admin work, update her website, perform “brain dumps” etc. She avoids scheduling work meetings and does only work she wants to do, on her own time, without any appointments or deadlines.

Clearly a whole week every month is not feasible for everyone but it could start with just one day a month that you take off to rest. As mentioned above, for menstruating bodies, lining this day off with the first or second day of menstruation (whichever is more challenging for you) would be ideal. For none menstruating bodies, it could be any day but you can use the New Moon as a guide to which day to block off. If it lands on a day you are already off, you can just shift it over by a day or two. Jacquelyn mentions maybe having an extended weekend once a month where you take off Friday-Monday.

Regardless of which method works for you, the bottom line is that rest days deserve to be scheduled in your calendar with the same, if not greater importance, as scheduling maintenance on your vehicle or a dentist appointment. If you are someone who only gets paid when you work (no paid sick time or personal time), keep in mind that you can help offset your Yin days by picking up an extra shift on any other week of the month.

In an ideal world, our days would be a balance of Yin and Yang, with rest and work intertwining. I truly believe that if we all consciously make the decision that we deserve these rest days, eventually, the paradigm will shift. Those of us that live in countries in which paid time off is not standard really need to emphasize Yin days more than other countries, perhaps. Since it is not a given for us, we must prioritize it for ourselves.

I hope that this post has helped to shed some light on the importance and benefits of taking dedicated time off to nurture our bodies and spirits. I encourage you to look ahead on your calendars and start blocking off some Yin days as soon as possible. Even if the first opportunity isn’t for another couple of months, you’ll feel so much better knowing that, every month after that, you have these days blocked off for your own nurturing. Enjoy!

Pelvic Hydrotherapy

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 17:45:48 GMT

Tea Time with Jo|Pelvic Hydrotherapy

Have you heard of V-Steaming aka Vaginal Steaming? It has become more and more popular with “V-Spas” opening up all around the country in recent years. However, Pelvic Hydrotherapy, a much more appropriate name, has been around for centuries. There are records of steam being used for medicinal purposes as far back as the ancient Babylonians. In this blog, I aim to share some of the most common uses for Pelvic Hydrotherapy in my office as well as how you can find a qualified practitioner. Grab yourself a nice, hot beverage and let’s dive in!

What is Pelvic Hydrotherapy?

Pelvic Hydrotherapy, aka V-steam, is the practice of exposing the genital/rectal region to the gentle steam that comes from a vessel of hot water; perhaps containing herbs and/or salt. The steam rises through the vaginal and rectal openings, having an effect on almost the entire pelvic region. This is why “Pelvic Hydrotherapy” is a much more appropriate name than “Vaginal Steam” which discounts the effects of the steam in other regions of the pelvis.

Origins of Pelvic Hydrotherapy have been found on just about every continent on the planet. It is practiced culturally in several countries including some in Asia, Africa and Central America for various reasons including reproductive health and postpartum healing. It is also being used in modern hospitals in Korea, China and the Ukraine for the treatment of various cancers and for assisting in labor and postpartum care.

The theory behind this therapy is that herbs are selected according to the patients complaint, the herbs are steeped in a boiling pot of water, the boiling pot of herbs in placed underneath a stool, chair or box with a cut out from which the steam may rise. The patient sits over this opening for a prescribed amount of time. They may also stand, kneel or squat over the pot. During this time, the properties of the herbs rise with the steam and gently make contact with the absorptive tissues of the vulva, vagina, rectum and beyond. Over time, the exposure to the steam and the properties of the herbs, may have a therapeutic effect on these tissues.

I have been curious about this therapy since I saw it on TV back in the early 2000s. Several years later, a local Acupuncturist started offering this service and I jumped on the opportunity to try it for myself. Witnessing the benefits first hand, I knew I had to learn more so that I could safely offer this service to others. Below are some of the most common complaints that I use Pelvic Hydrotherapy for, either on its own, or in combination with other therapies like Acupuncture, Moxa and Herbal Remedies.

Accumulations in the Reproductive System

This includes Ovarian Cysts, Fibroids, Endometriosis, Adenomyosis and Uterine Polyps. I would say that steaming is a particularly useful treatment for these complaints as it can travel into the pelvis, helping to soften any mucus-y type nodules or accumulations, similar to how steam in the shower helps to relieve congested sinuses. Steam has the potential to rise to the fallopian tubes which may be useful in the treatment of blocked tubes or Hydrosalpinx. There are not many therapies that can affect this region so directly without being invasive.

Menstrual Care

The steam can also be useful in promoting thorough sheds of the uterine lining. When areas of the lining don’t shed properly, they can create clotting, cramping and dark discharge with menstruation. Interestingly, these areas of “stuck” lining are not distinguished on ultrasound. Seeing the changes in the menses is one of the most validating and satisfying ways to see the positive effects of steaming. Over time, period flow becomes more bright red in color, with little to no clotting, and with an absence of dark spotting either before or after. Cramping is also reduced or even eliminated in some cases.

Steaming can also be a great way to help regulate menstrual cycles as well. If cycles tend to be long, a specific steaming schedule, and customized herbal blend, can be used to help promote the onset of a new cycle. If cycles are short, the herbs can be adjusted to help promote longer cycles. I have personally used steaming for both of these purposes with my patients and it has proven to be helpful.

Preparing for IVF

There are several hiccups that can occur during an IVF cycle. Steaming can be helpful for several of them. Some of the conditions I have helped to treat with the steams during this process is eliminating an ovarian cyst that is getting in the way of starting the stimulation phase and clearing fluid pockets in the lining that are getting in the way of the transfer phase. I have also found steams to be helpful in promoting better lining quality and thickness, with the use of the appropriate herbs.

Labor Prep

This is a really fun one for me as I may have used steaming in a patient’s treatment plan to help them become pregnant. It seems fitting to use steaming to help with bringing the baby earth side as well. Steaming after 36 weeks has a lot of benefits, some of which include softening the cervix and preventing perineal tears. Steaming can also have a positive effect on relieving the pain from Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (whether or not the person is pregnant) which can happen as the baby descends in the last trimester. Since steam is naturally anti-biotic, steaming can also be used to help manage the presence of Group B Strep in the vaginal canal.

Menopause & Painful Intercourse

Just because your child bearing years may have passed, it doesn’t mean Pelvic Hydrotherapy is not of use to you. Vaginal dryness is a common complaint in women transitioning through Menopause as well as those on certain types of birth control that affect estrogen production. Estrogen helps to maintain the natural moisture of the vulva and vagina; so if levels are deficient, the tissues in those areas can become dry, thin and sensitive. Steaming right before intercourse helps to bring moisture and circulation to those tissues which makes intercourse much more comfortable. With the appropriate herbs, consistent treatment can help heal these tissues if they have been prone to tears from the dryness. Cooling herbs may also be used to help mitigate symptoms like night sweats and hot flashes.

Other Uses

Steaming has been reported to be useful in the treatment of scar tissue, especially in the genital region (such as those caused by episiotomies, perineal tearing, and surgical procedures). Consistent steaming can help to soften scars and help promote sensation around areas that may have become numb as a result of the scar tissue formation. Steaming can also be really useful for the treatment of lumps or bumps on the vulva/perineum such as those caused by ingrown hairs or Bartholin’s cyst. Steaming with disinfecting type herbs can also be a great help in treating infections such as BV and yeast.

While no one likes to discuss these topics, there are some other uses for steaming that can be quite healing. One example is after sexual trauma/abuse. The anti-biotic nature of steam can be useful in reducing or eliminating bacteria that may have been transferred, as well as clearing the smell of the abuser. Steaming may also be used as “Plan B” because of its cleansing action on the lining. It can help to clean out undesired semen from the reproductive system. Though this method is not 100% reliable against conception, steaming within 72 hours can do a lot to soothe the client and heal any traumatized tissue. Some clients report having emotional release from a traumatic experience that happened many years ago as well.

As mentioned above, steaming is also used in various hospitals for the treatments of various local cancers (rectal, prostate, vulvar, vaginal, etc). It has also been practiced in many cultures as part of postpartum healing. A study on the benefits of postpartum steaming was actually done here in the U.S. You can read all about it here

How to Find a Qualified Practitioner/Facility

With all of the trendy “V-Spas” opening up, it is important to find a practitioner or facility that offers legitimate steaming services. Especially since this type of treatment is not regulated by most states/countries, individuals really need to do their research before considering undergoing any kind of Pelvic Hydrotherapy.

I have seen several websites where the practitioner offering the steams is an herbalist but has no formal steam training. An herbalist may know a lot about herbs but that doesn’t mean they know about the effects of steaming with regards to the amount of time and frequency that is safe especially with consideration for the menstrual cycle.

I wrote an Instagram post all about this topic with some helpful tips on how to screen for a legitimate practitioner. Keep in mind that some practitioners may have more traditional training, meaning that they were taught by their parents/grandparents or trained with a local practitioner in a different country. These folks may not have certificates to show their knowledge but are incredibly skillful. If you would prefer to find a certified practitioner, such as myself, you can use this directory put together by Steamy Chick which is the institute that I trained with (as well as the institute that did the study on Postpartum Healing with Pelvic Hydrotherapy linked above).

I hope that you have learned something new from this blog. While this particular blog discussed more of the benefits of steaming for the female reproductive system, there are also plenty of benefits for the male reproductive system as well. There are not a lot of formal trainings in this area just yet but I’m hoping to learn more as trainings become available.

If you found this blog helpful, please share it with a friend or loved one who might benefit from this knowledge. I would be most appreciative :)

Peaceful Menopause

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 18:50:19 GMT

Tea Time with Jo|Transition Peacefully into Menopause

There are so many things that are considered “normal” just because they are common and struggling through Menopause is one of them. A lot of women don’t know that it is possible to transition into the menopausal years peacefully without the hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, insomnia, etc. In this blog, we are going to explore ways to prepare for the transition so that it may be as smooth and peaceful as possible. Put down the Black Cohosh and check this out…

“Menopause Lasts How Long”?!

The entire process of menopause can be separated into 3 phases:

Peri-Menopause : The time frame in which hormone levels start to decline and menstruation becomes erratic.

Menopause : When the hormones that produce a period have ceased production and a woman goes for 12 months without a period.

Post-Menopause: The time frame after menopause (12 months of no period) and beyond.

From beginning to end, this process can take YEARS, and here’s the kicker…you may have symptoms of menopause the ENTIRE time, including the post-menopausal phase (which ends when you die). A huge part of undergoing this process peacefully involves supporting your body’s ability to balance hormones at each phase. If you decide to not look after yourself because “you are done having children”, “your period stopped years ago”, or “you had a hysterectomy” don’t be surprised if the symptoms of menopause creep back in when you are well into your 60s or 70s, and beyond.

Setting Up for Success

What you do in whatever stage you are in is going to affect the subsequent stage. This goes all the way back to puberty. How you care for your menstrual cycles is going to affect your fertility. How you care for your pregnancy and postpartum phase is going to affect your Peri-menopause stage. And, how you care for your Peri-menopause stage is going to REALLY affect how you feel during menopause. All of these stages require our body to use a great deal of energy to keep our hormones balanced and to recover. If we don’t support our bodies with enough rest during each phase, it will become harder for hormones to remain balanced and this will lead into the development of symptoms.

“Cold” Menopause

From a TCM lens, Menopause occurs when there is Kidney Deficiency (Deficiency in the Kidney energetics). According to the theory of Yin and Yang; Yin is cool and Yang is hot. This means that a deficiency in Kidney Yang can lead to feeling very cold during the menopausal years as opposed to feeling very hot (which is more of a Kidney Yin deficiency). Often times, when someone suffers from Kidney Yang deficiency, it is often a “double whammy” because they can oscillate between feeling like they are on fire from hot flashes, to feeling like they are freezing to death, within a few minutes. A lot of the cold-type menopausal symptoms don’t be addressed at all by Western medicine. I’m here to tell you, I see you and TCM (as well as other Holistic & Alternative medicines) can help.

Consider Acupuncture

Acupuncture can be very helpful in balancing the Kidney energetics mentioned above. Besides using Acupuncture points that pertain to the Kidney meridian, treatments can also be applied to manage stress (a huge factor that can affect sweating), improve digestion (which often becomes altered with drops in estrogen), improve sleep and encourage the Liver to metabolize hormones more efficiently. If irregular or heavy bleeding are part of your menopausal journey, Acupuncture can help with that as well.

Consider Herbal Medicine

Herbal Medicine is also very helpful in balancing Kidney energetics. Some patients respond much better to herbal medicine than to Acupuncture, others do better with a combination of both. Generally speaking, TCM sees herbal formulas similarly to prescribed medicine in the sense that you are supposed to take your medicine for a certain period of time until the issue is corrected. When it comes to menopause, you can expect to be on an herbal formula long term until your body fully transitions. It is common for the formula, or the dose, to change as your symptoms change. For this reason, it is important to touch base with your herbal medicine practitioner at least every 1-3 months, rather than trying to purchase the same formula indefinitely off of Amazon (which I highly suggest NOT doing).

That being said, be careful with taking single herb supplements marketed for menopause. Black Cohosh seems to be the most widely recognized herb for hot flashes and other menopausal “heat” symptoms. The problem lies that “heat” can vary from person to person. TCM makes the distinction between deficient heat (Yin deficiency) and excess heat (Fire toxin). Back Cohosh is considered cooling and does help to clear excess heat; however, a great deal of menopausal symptoms are caused by deficient heat. This means that Black Cohosh may feel like it is helping at first, but then can appear to either stop working or make night sweats and hot flashes worse. Herbal formulas, consisting of more than just one herb, are much better suited at treating all of your symptoms since they can combine other complimentary herbs to balance the formula. You may be surprised to know that none of the major menopausal formulas in TCM contain Black Cohosh and they still work remarkably well. That’s not to say that Black Cohosh isn’t effective, just that it would work better in combination with other herbs better suited to your particular needs.

Consider Pelvic Hydrotherapy/Vaginal Steaming

If vaginal dryness is one of the unfortunate symptoms you are dealing with, you may want to consider Pelvic Hydrotherapy (aka Vaginal Steaming). Since your vulva and vaginal opening are positioned over a steaming pot of herbs, the steam itself can promote more moisture and lubrication in the area. In addition, the properties of the cooling herbs used in the steam can become absorbed by the body, which further aids in reducing night sweats and hot flashes. It’s almost like an alternative method to taking herbs internally (though not as powerful).

Steaming can be very helpful in reducing the discomfort and pain of intercourse when vaginal dryness is occurring.

Learn more about Pelvic Hydrotherapy here.

Consider Avoiding Drying Foods/Drinks

Regardless of whether your menopausal phase behaves more like a Kidney Yin or Kidney Yang deficiency, one common characteristic of menopause is Dryness. Dry hair, dry skin, dry mouth, and as mentioned above, dry vulva/vagina. Some of the ways that this can be improved upon is by staying hydrated (this means water + electrolytes/minerals) and avoiding things that dry us out. Drinks that dry us out include alcohol and coffee (regardless of whether it is decaf or not) and caffeinated teas.

Foods that dry us out include overly spicy foods such as hot peppers (chilis, jalapeños, habaneros, Carolina reapers, etc), Wasabi and Horseradish.

Opt instead for more moisturizing foods such as fruits, vegetables, and seafood.

Embrace Rest

Our society teaches us that productivity is tied to our worthiness. We are always in the mode of go-go-go, often forgoing enough time to rest and recover. Out of all of the treatment strategies that I employ with my patients transitioning through menopause, it is very apparent that rest and stress management make the biggest difference in their symptoms. Once they go on vacation, they will feel great and not have a single hot flash despite drinking more wine or eating out of their norm. The moment they come back to “real life” symptoms return almost instantly. Our body has to delegate its resources to keeping us up and running. When it is running on fumes, it will prioritize things like organ function, over temperature regulation. When we look at our energy as a type of currency that our body uses to keep it going, it makes sense how some departments are going to get budget cuts in order for more necessary departments to maintain productivity. While on vacation, stress reduces dramatically so the budget used by the adrenals (part of Kidney energetics in TCM) can now be allocated to temperature regulation, sleep, etc.

You’ll notice that hormonal therapy was not even mentioned as an option. While it may work well for some people, it is very much a bandaid solution that does nothing to address the root cause. Since long term use of hormonal therapy contains many risks (arguably greater than the benefits) it is an option I strongly encourage doing your own research before proceeding.

I hope that you learned something useful from this post. My goal is to further drive the point home that “common” does not equal “normal”. Regardless of what stage of menopause you might be in, there is hope for making it much more manageable and even peaceful /comfortable.

Holistic Vulvar/Vaginal Care

Thu, 26 May 2022 18:24:46 GMT

Tea Time with Jo|Holistic Vaginal Care

Va-jay-jay, hoo-ha, cookie, kitty, yoni…no matter what you call your vulva or vagina, ways to take care of that region is not something anyone teaches us how to do. Similar to what was covered on the Holistic Breast Care blog post , it seems that the only care for this area we are ever really taught is routine diagnostic screenings (such as PAP Smears…those words alone make me shutter and cringe). So besides the basics of not sitting around in sweaty workout clothes or wet bathings suits, using cotton underwear and avoiding douching, what else can we do to proactively take care of our “swimsuit parts”?

Anatomy Lesson (vulva vs vagina)

First, let’s learn to use the correct terms for the corresponding areas. If we are talking about the fleshy area that covers the pubic bone, that area is called the Mons Pubis (or “Mons”, for short).

The area below the Mons, that contains the labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, clitoral hood, urethra and vaginal opening is called the Vulva.

The area inside the vaginal opening, where the cervix resides, is called the Vagina. The Vagina is the area where babies come out of, where tampons or menstrual cups are inserted and where penetrative sex occurs (besides the anus).

The area between the vaginal opening and the anus is called the perineum.

This post aims to help promote wellness in ALL of these areas. Now that we have reviewed some anatomy, let’s jump into ways to take care of this treasured region.

Practice Sexual Hygiene

Despite all the movie and TV show scenes of individuals engaging in completely spontaneous intercourse despite being sweaty from a workout or dancing in a night club, the exchange of bacteria is not always the healthiest for your vulvar/vaginal health. If you engage in penetrative pleasure, either with yourself, a partner or with an intimacy enhancing toy, be sure that anything that come in contact with this area is clean. This means, washing your hands, using clean toys, and preferably having your male partner wash his hands and penis before penetration. This is especially important if you have a tendency towards yeast infections, UTIs or Bacterial Vaginosis. Of course practicing “safe sex” is also encouraged (keep reading to learn more about non-toxic options for safe sex).

Use Non-Toxic Menstrual Products (including period underwear-PFAS)

Were you aware that most disposable panty liners, pads and tampons on the market are filled with pesticides and carcinogenic bleaching agents? Some pads and period underwear also contain toxic chemicals known as PFAS (per and poly-fluoroalkalyl substances) which can cause hormone disruption and reproductive harm and cancers. To make matters worse, vulvar and vaginal tissue are really absorptive so they risk tons of exposure over the course of menstruating years.

Opt for organic cotton pads, silicone menstrual cups and non-toxic period underwear (brands that believe in the cause will definitely advertise it). In TCM, tampons are not preferred as they impede the free flow of qi and blood and absorb the natural lubrication that is supposed to be lining the vaginal walls. I, personally, advocate for menstrual cup use rather than tampons. Menstrual cups collect fluid rather than absorb them. They hold more flow than tampons, and tends to cause less cramping. If you absolutely need to use tampons, make sure they are organic cotton and avoid wearing them around the clock so that your menses has a chance to free flow. Consider taking a break from tampons at night time and using a pad or period underwear to sleep.

The “Feminine Wash” Myth

Marketing leaves us to believe that we should be washing with “intimate wash” or with scented soaps. The majority of cleansers marketed for “feminine care” are loaded with artificial fragrance, parabens and other toxic and hormone disrupting ingredients. Water and friction is all that you need to wash your vulva (soap should never be inserted into the vagina). However, if you feel like you need extra cleansing or it is your preference to use soap on your vulvar region, use a gentle, non-scented soap with ingredients you can understand.

Non-Toxic Sex

While good hormonal balance promotes natural lubrication, sometimes, you might need a little help keeping things moist and slippery. If you are not looking to avoid pregnancy, using organic coconut oil or olive oil are great alternatives for traditional toxic lubes. However, oils can break down latex which makes them not a good option for use with condoms and some sex toys. In that case, look for a lube that is water based, or aloe vera based, and doesn’t contain parabens, flavors or colors.

If you are trying to conceive, be aware that there are some so-called “fertility lubes” on the market that are advertised to protect sperm to improve odds of pregnancy. My biggest issue with these is that they often contain parabens, which are horrible for hormonal health. Seems counterintuitive to me to “protect sperm” at the cost of endocrine disruption. Fortunately, there are a handful of brands that make sperm safe, paraben free lube. These brands are pretty proud of their products and will advertise them as such. You can learn about my favorites in this Instagram post.

When it comes to protected sex, condoms can be very irritating to vaginal and vulvar tissue especially when they contain spermicidal lubricants (or when the vagina is not lubricated enough). Try to find un-lubricated condoms and consider latex-free options if you notice a lot of irritation or allergy to traditional latex. Keep in mind that there are more sustainably produced condoms on the market, now-a-days.

Consider Pelvic Hydrotherapy

Pelvic Hydrotherapy has a lot of names, the most common is V-steam or Vaginal Steam. While a lot of people think this is a new fad, Pelvic Hydrotherapy has been around for thousands of years and is even being practiced in hospitals around the world in present day. As it relates to vaginal and vulvar care, steaming can be a great adjuvant to treating conditions like vaginal dryness, vulvar cysts, ingrown hairs, yeast infections and BV. I also love to use Pelvic Hydrotherapy for menstrual care. You can read more about it here.

While Pelvic Hydrotherapy can be safely practiced at home, I highly recommend doing so under the supervision of a trained practitioner. I, myself, am a certified “Acupuncture Steam Therapist” but you can find a provider in your area using this directory . Most providers will offer virtual consultations so don’t worry if you don’t see one in your area.

Vagina Friendly Nutrition

In my opinion, nutrition is the MOST overlooked factor when it comes to vaginal health. It is easier for some people to understand the connection between nutrition and digestive flora but they have a harder time making the connection between nutrition and vaginal flora. One of the ways to keep our vaginal flora balanced is to avoid foods that contribute to Candida. Candida is a fungus that creates a lot of discomfort when it proliferates in our bodies, especially in the vagina. Most notably, it causes yeast infections. Foods that contribute to candida are inflammatory, processed foods such as refined sugar, processed dairy and alcohol (beer, wine and spirits). These foods, aside from contributing to candida, do no favors to those who suffer from recurrent UTIs or BV, so it is best to avoid them.

Proper hydration is also a contributing factor to maintaining proper vaginal lubrication so make sure that you are drinking enough fluids with electrolytes.

Educate Yourself

Besides all of the suggestions mentioned here, The Way of Yin has a wonderful course called Jade Gate Health that takes a much deeper dive into sacred vaginal ecology. The course covers topics like anatomy and treatment strategies for recurrent infections in a much more profound way. Just like with the Breast Rejuvenating Guide , Kris, the creator, has offered a generous discount of 25% off when you use the code SHARETHELOVE.

I hope that you have learned something with this post. If so, please share with a friend that may benefit from this information as well. Stay tuned for a future blog post diving deeper into Pelvic Hydrotherapy. I will attach a link here once that post is up.

*post contains affiliate links

Holistic Breast Care

Thu, 12 May 2022 17:46:19 GMT

Tea Time with Jo|Holistic Breast Care

Breast tissue grows on us during our pubescent years; however, no one ever really teaches us how to care of them. Growing up, I only recall being told to avoid getting hit on the chest (not always up to us) and to wear supportive bras when engaging in sports or high impact activity. Other than that, some of us get told, by our medical providers, to give ourselves exams after menstruation to check for lumps/bumps and to expect to have a mammogram after a certain age. However, all of these suggestions feel to me like they are rooted in the fear that, either something bad will happen if we injure our breasts, or that we have to check them routinely to make sure nothing has.

So how exactly, do we TAKE CARE of our breasts? What can we do, proactively, to make sure that our breast tissue remains healthy? Also, how can we connect to a part of our body that society has programmed us to believe belongs to our partners for their pleasure; or to our children for nourishment?

Here are some ways to start you on the journey of Holistic Breast Health:

Switch to a Deodorant that is NOT an Anti-Perspirant

Do you know the difference between deodorant and anti-perspirant? A deodorant is a product that helps remove or reduce odor. An anti-perspirant is a product that keeps you from perspiring. The way they do that is by using certain types of aluminum to clog the sweat glands and stop sweat from breaking through. There are several studies that link the presence of aluminum to various health conditions. Sadly, what no one tells you is that it can be absorbed through the skin. Imagine applying a toxic product daily, for the majority of your lifetime….that’s a lot of exposure! Opt instead for an aluminum free deodorant that doesn’t inhibit sweating. Sweating is a natural process of our bodies that helps us maintain healthy body temperature and helps us to detoxify. Additionally, the underarms are an area where lymph nodes reside. Lymph nodes are glands that filter lymphatic fluid and are part of the immune system. While there is a lot of debate as to whether or not allowing the underarms to sweat is helpful for the process of lymphatic health, there is no debate that reducing exposure to aluminum is a good idea.

When switching to a natural deodorant, it is also important to chose one that does not contain artificial fragrance or “parfum”. Manufacturers are not required to disclose the chemicals that they use to make their proprietary scents, therefore, they can contain lots of other toxic/carcinogenic ingredients such as parabens and phthalates.

Ditch the Bra!

Breast tissue was not meant to be contained in bras. The constant support of bras weakens the ligaments that help maintain the shape and structure of breasts. In addition, tight bras inhibit the lymphatic movement that helps keep breast tissue healthy. Underwire bras are some of the worst offenders since they can compress such a large area of the breast tissue, especially the outer regions where lymphatic fluid is supposed to make its way out to the underarms. If you are someone that engages in a lot of high impact, physical activity and need some support of your breasts so as to prevent pain or injury, a supportive sports bra that doesn’t have underwire is perfectly fine to use as needed.

Massage the Girls

Breast tissue, prior to pregnancy, is mostly fat tissue, also called adipose tissue. Adipose tissue holds on to toxins more that any other tissue in the body because it receives less blood circulation to clear it out. Lymphatic fluid, however, circulates through the entire body. It isn’t contained in vessels the way blood is. The Lymphatic system is like the waste/sewer system of our bodies. As the lymphatic fluid circulates, it picks up all of the debris (toxins) that our tissues are trying to clear. Promoting this movement in our breasts helps to prevent this fluid from getting slow or stuck which can cause toxins to build up. This is why avoiding tight fitting bras is helpful because when breasts are not contained, they can move with the body allowing that movement of fluid. Especially since the lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump (like the heart is the pump for our circulatory system), it relies on our daily movement to move the fluid.

Did you also know that manipulating the breasts can affect your menstrual cycles? Say whaaaaat! That’s right, the breast are connected to the menstrual cycle according to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory. So much so, that you can even influence the flow of your periods by manipulating the breasts in a certain way. In addition, the idea that breast shape cannot be restored after pregnancy and breastfeeding, or changes in weight, that is actually a myth. Specific breast “rejuvenation” techniques can be done via self massage to improve their shape. I was absolutely mind blown when I learned that my breasts did so much for me and that I could do so much for them!

There is a really beautiful course that I took a couple of years ago that introduced me to all of these concepts. I found it so eye opening and helpful that I wanted to share the course with you. The Ultimate Guide to Breast Rejuvenation Course from “The Way of Yin" (which I really recommend following) is available to anyone that wants to learn more and Kris, the creator, was so generous, she shared a special offer for my readers. If you use promo code SHARETHELOVE you get 15% off the course!

Treat Your Breasts to a Mask

The same way that you can apply a detox mask to your face, you can also apply it to your breasts and underarms. Clay masks, pull circulation towards the skin. Lymphatic fluid circulates under the skin so applying detox masks on the skin of the breasts help to draw a lot of the impurities into the lymphatic layer where the lymphatic system can better clear them out. Details on how to use a detox mask to benefit the breasts are also part of the Breast Rejuvenation Course .

Consider Thermography

While a lot of diagnostic screening can be perceived as being rooted in fear, it may become necessary to have a more in-depth look at what is happening under the surface. While Mammograms are recommended by most doctors, it can be a very stressful procedure that produces a lot of discomfort and even trauma to the breast tissue. I am a fan of recommending Thermography instead. Thermography uses thermal imaging to display areas of concerns or “hot spots”. Thermography requires no radiation and no compression of the breast tissue making it safer and more comfortable than a mammogram. You can read more about Thermography from a local provider here .

That being said, Thermography might not be best when there is already an active concern in the breast tissue. If there is an existing lump or bump, a diagnostic ultrasound or MRI may offer more clarity, with less trauma to the breast tissue.

Aren’t breasts amazing?! It goes without saying that a healthy diet and non-toxic lifestyle are also very beneficial for all parts of the body. My intention with this post is to present less obvious suggestions that I don’t see discussed often. If you found this information helpful, please share with someone who has breast tissue so that they can learn as well.

*Post contains affiliate links

Enjoy Coffee without Stressing Your Body

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 19:15:48 GMT

Tea Time with Jo|How To Enjoy Coffee without Stressing Your System

Coffee is one of those beverages that people seem to either love or hate. Some people can’t live without it and some people really don’t tolerate its effects very well. Those who do love it, and drink multiple servings a day, run the risk of taxing their adrenals; and most of us don’t need any help doing that already. So how can we enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee that gives us all of the benefits while not stressing our adrenals or causing jitters? Read on to learn some of the ways that you can optimize your brew!

The Quality of Your Coffee Matters

Cheap, commercially produced coffee, is cheap for a reason. One of the biggest concerns with coffee is the presence of Mycotoxins (mold) which the U.S. does not regulate in the coffee industry. That is why it is important to invest in coffee that is actually going to aid in your health (hello antioxidants!) rather than work against it. While I don’t support any particular brands, it is my understanding that those that value the wellness of their customers, will happily advertise about the testing they perform on their beans.

If you love coffee but opt for decaf, it is really important to use a brand that doesn’t use a chemical process with solvents to extract the caffeine. Look for a water processed variety instead. It is important to note that a lot of the negative effects individuals experience with caffeine (jitters, anxiety, etc), may actually be more related to the quality of the coffee and how it is enjoyed rather than the caffeine itself. Read on for more…

How You Brew Your Coffee, Also Matters

Cold brew coffees are popping up everywhere including the grocery store. Cold brew refers to the method of brewing coffee in which cold water is poured onto the grinds and allowed to soak for several hours before being strained. In contrast, hot brewing, involves pouring hot water over the grinds and the resulting liquid is consumed right away. So what are the benefits of cold brewing versus regular “hot” brewing? Cold brew allows for the extraction of caffeine and antioxidants without the release of acid. This makes the coffee much easier to digest especially for those with sensitive stomachs or a tendency to heart burn/acid reflux. This is my preferred method for brewing coffee. I usually make a larger batch of cold brew and store it in the fridge. Since the acid is not being released, it can keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. When I am ready to enjoy a cup, I simply pour the amount I want into a pot and heat it up on the stove. If you have an espresso machine with a steamer, you can also use the steam to warm up your coffee. Since the beans/grounds have already been separated by this point, your brew won’t become acidic after heating but you can still enjoy a nice hot cup. If this sounds like too much to do in the morning, you are going to want to continue reading to learn how your coffee routine also makes a difference in how you feel. Hint: Making time for coffee is a game changer!

In Addition…Quantity Matters

There has been lot of debate as to whether or not coffee is “healthy”. Besides caffeine, there are concerns about the nutrient “leaching” that coffee can cause. There have been some studies that suggest drinking an excessive amount of coffee actually causes leaching of Magnesium (a very important mineral that a large part of the population tends to have low levels of) and reduced circulating B vitamins. In order to keep coffee as a beneficial part of one’s lifestyle, it is important to moderate the consumption so that we get all of the benefits without damaging our mineral and vitamin stores. Since “excessive” consumption looks different from person to person, it is important to listen to YOUR body. General recommendations are to keep it to no more than a cup (8oz) per day.

Optimizing Your Coffee

Do you feel jittery after consuming any amount of coffee? Does it make you feel “wired”? Perhaps you feel ok after having a cup but you find yourself having to have multiple servings a day to sustain your energy? It is possible that you are not optimizing your coffee consumption in order to get the most out of it. We have already discussed purchasing good quality coffee and cold brewing it to preserve its antioxidant benefits, but we can further optimize our coffee by consuming it with healthy fats.

While it became really trendy to add MCT oil and grass fed butter to coffee, a few years ago, adding fat to a hot caffeinated beverage has been around for hundred of years, if not more. Adding fat to your coffee is one of the best ways to get the most benefits out of your brew. One of the ways it does this is by slowing down the way that caffeine is released in your system. This prevents the harsh rise and fall which can lead to serious energy crashes throughout the day and also mitigates some of those “jitters”. Adding grass fed butter or ghee, and coconut oil or MCT oil (or a combination of both butter and oil) can be a really tasty way to boost the benefits of your cup. Remember that butter and ghee are basically solidified milk so it is almost like adding cream to your coffee. Just make sure to use a frother or blender to really incorporate the fats into a foam. Otherwise, you’ll just have a layer of fat floating on top of your coffee and that may not be appealing.

Ritual vs Habit

What are you doing when you are drinking your morning cup? Are you slowly making your way to your coffee pot/machine, picking out your favorite mug, and looking forward to sitting down and enjoying your cup quietly and calmly before starting the day? Perhaps, you are rushing to get to work and are quickly and stressfully pouring a cup into a thermos and running out the door. Maybe, you are rushing to leave home so that you have enough time to swing by your favorite coffee shop and then inhale it on your commute.

The state that your body is in plays a role in how your body metabolizes anything it consumes. When we consume food during a moment of high stress, our bodies can’t divert as much attention into digestion. This can lead to indigestion, bloating and discomfort. Consuming coffee is no different.

When we are in a rush or feeling the pressure of time, we start stressing. Consuming a caffeinated beverage during this time is going to add another layer of “stress” to our bodies because it triggers our adrenals (who area already dealing with the stress we were perceiving to begin with) to produce more adrenaline. This is going to trigger a lot more of the jittery sensations or anxiety some individuals say they experience with coffee. However, it is possible that the stress of the environment is having a much bigger impact than the coffee itself. This can be true even when it is being consumed with a healthy fat that slows the metabolization of caffeine.

If you ask individuals who really enjoy the ritual of preparing and drinking a cup of coffee, they often see it as more of a relaxing experience and not a stressful, fast paced one. In addition, there is a lot to be said for the benefits of being mindful when preparing something you are about to consume versus just inhaling something someone has mindlessly prepared for you (looking at you barista who spelled my name wrong).

To Sum Things Up

How our body’s feel in response to coffee may have far less to do with caffeine and more to do with other factors such as quality and stress levels at the time of consumption. Before you write it off because it makes you feel anxious or upsets your digestion, consider trying some of the suggestion above and see how you feel. There are definitely ways to enjoy your favorite brew while also not stressing out your body.

Enjoy!

First Trimester Survival Guide

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 20:23:28 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | First Trimester Survival Guide

So it happened, you got a positive test…now what? Before you go down the Google rabbit hole, here are some helpful suggestions of what you can do to optimize your wellness during this time.

Adjust Your Nutrition

A lot of people are not aware that “morning sickness” (which can really be anytime sickness) doesn’t tend to develop until some time between 6-10 weeks. They also don’t realize that you can prevent the nausea and vomiting, to some extent, by adjusting your nutrition.

The most important suggestion that I can offer is to start releasing the idea of 3 meals a day and opt for smaller meals or snacks every 2-3 hours. The early stages of pregnancy are an extremely metabolically challenging time. Your body is working hard to build things like baby’s muscles, bones and teeth! As fascinating as that is, it takes a lot to keep your body fueled for this task AND keep up with your daily demands. Rapid crashes in your blood sugar, from going too much time without eating, are largely responsible for the nausea.

This can be improved upon by eating something nutritious every couple of hours, with emphasis on protein and healthy fats, in order to sustain you. Since you may go for several hours without eating at night, it is often recommended to keep snacks by the bed side so that you may eat something as soon as you wake. Even if you get up to use the bathroom during the night, it is not a bad idea to have a handful of something before going back to bed.

I should also mention that you may not feel hungry or like your appetite has changed at all; and that is completely normal. We are used to certain cues that tell us when we need to eat but all of that changes with pregnancy. Often times, nausea is the new cue, and by the time that develops, you don’t really feel like eating, and the lack of eating gives you more nausea, and the cycle continues. Thwart the craziness by eating smaller, more frequent meals as soon as you know that you are pregnant.

Le arn to Embrace Rest

The desire to nap may be real! Again, making another human is exhausting work. It is a good idea to start scheduling breaks throughout the day, and even nap times. This means actually taking a lunch break rather than just eating at your desk or working straight through the day. If possible, push back your start time at work so that you can get a bit more rest in the event of a night disturbed by multiple trips to the bathroom or other discomforts. This also applies to adapting your exercise routine. During the first trimester, it is imperative to allow your body to prioritize its resources for the pregnancy rather than recovery from a workout. While some light to moderate exercise may be totally ok for some, others will struggle just to get out of bed. There is often too much societal pressure to maintain a certain exercise routine in order to not “gain too much weight” or “grow a big belly” and these ideas are completely erroneous. How much weight you put on or how big your belly gets is largely tied to genetics. Getting enough rest allows the body to recharge and this can make a tremendous difference in how you feel, not to mention, you can get back to your exercise routine once you enter the second trimester and your energy stabilizes.

Release Food Guilt

It is common place in my practice to ask patients to reduce or eliminate inflammatory foods in the process of TTC. However, it is possible that you can only stomach eating raw salads, string cheese or bread/crackers (dairy or gluten containing foods) during the first trimester…and that is ok! It is far more important for you to eat than it is to go hungry because the only option you had was something you had considered “off limits” until this point. Go ahead and eat your toast without guilt. It will probably help to settle your stomach and you will feel much better. It is also ok if that only water that you can drink is iced water. Again, it is much more important for you to stay hydrated.

It is also worth noting that there are so many dietary restrictions placed on pregnant folks in the U.S. that would be considered absolutely ridiculous in other countries. Coastal countries and island nations don’t restrict fish during pregnancy because it might be the most available source of animal protein and fats. While no one wants to be exposed to listeria, salmonella, or other food borne bacteria, things like “eating too many mushrooms” should be taken with a grain of salt. What is “too many” varies from person to person.

In other cases, someone doesn’t realize that they are pregnant until they are 6-7 weeks in and start to worry that the cocktails they had last weekend, or the extra glass of wine they had with dinner, is going to harm the baby. Take a deep breath! Placenta develops around 8 weeks, until then, the baby is getting it’s nourishment from your uterine lining which does not transfer any significant amount of alcohol.

Schedule your OB/Midwif e Appointments

Once you have a positive at-home test, you can schedule an appointment with your OB or Midwife to begin prenatal care. Most OB’s offices will offer to schedule the first appointment between 8 & 10 weeks. The initial appointment is just a “confirmation” appointment in which they have you do a urine test in the office to confirm pregnancy. The first ultrasounds are usually scheduled after that. There are certainly offices that will do ultrasounds sooner but it is typically best to wait until at least 6 weeks (calculated from your last period). This is the time the heartbeat often develops. Having an ultrasound too soon will require you having to go back to confirm the heartbeat and the wait can be agonizing for some parents.

If you would like to have some kind of monitoring to see how things are progressing, you can always ask your provider about doing Beta HCG blood work every 48 hours for 3 consecutive tests, in order to see that your HCG (pregnancy hormone) levels are rising appropriately for a healthy pregnancy.

Schedule Your Acupuncture Treatments

Acupuncture by a qualified practitioner is extremely safe and has tons of benefits. I like to see my patients weekly during the first trimester. This allows us to work on any symptoms that may develop, including nausea and vomiting, fatigue, changes in bowel regularity, insomnia, etc. Treatments can also be done to prevent miscarriage. I know, I know…this is a scandalous thing to say. Most Western medicine practitioners will argue that miscarriages come as a result of chromosomal abnormalities but here’s the thing…embryos do a lot of self repair in-utero. You read that right, embryos are capable of repairing certain chromosomal abnormalities; however, they need the right conditions to do so. Acupuncture can increase the blood flow into the reproductive organs which brings more resources into the uterus for the embryo to thrive.

Threatened Miscarriage, also known as bleeding prior to 20 weeks for gestation, can also be treated. Acupuncture and Moxa are very often combined to help stop the bleeding and promote more warmth and circulation to support the pregnancy.

Hire a Doula

So many expecting individuals and couples have lots of questions regarding their pregnancy wellness, the labor/birthing process as well as postpartum. A Doula is trained to offer a great deal of perinatal support and childbirth education. There are so many things that happen during a hospital birth that most people are unaware that they can request (such as delayed cord clamping and cutting) or that they can deny (such as repeated cervical checks). Even if you feel like you don’t need a Doula present for the birth, the amount of education they can provide is priceless and absolutely worth the investment, in my opinion.

Consider Other Holisti c Services

There are lots of specialties that can ease the discomforts of pregnancy. Some of my favorites include Prenatal Bodywork and Prenatal Chiropractic care. Your Acupuncturist and/or Doula can be a great source to get referrals to trusted practitioners in your area.

While these recommendations are just the tip of the iceberg, I hope that they will help you get through the first 12 weeks.

Glossary of Fertility Abbreviations

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 23:08:42 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Glossary of Fertility Abbreviations

Here is a list of the most common fertility related abbreviations that you might see on this blog. Hope this helps make some sense of the terms you may see floating around in the interwebs.

2WW -2 Week Wait. The time between ovulation and a period due date in which one waits to discover if they are pregnant. Also the luteal phase of the cycle.

AF -Antral Follicle Count. The amount of follicles seen on ultrasound at the beginning of a cycle.

ART -Assisted Reproductive Technology. Procedures including IUI and IVF.

BBT -Basal Body Temperature. An individual’s temperature when as soon as the awaken.

BETA -Beta hCG. Blood test that checks for the presence of pregnancy hormone hCG.

BCP -Birth Control Pill.

CD1 -Cycle Day 1. The number can be replaced according to context. Example: “I ovulated on CD16 this cycle”.

CM -Cervical Mucus. Aka Cervical Fluid (CF), Vaginal Discharge.

EWCM -Egg White Cervical Mucus. The clear and stretchy cervical mucus that appears just before ovulation. Often likened to the appearance of egg whites.

DPIUI -Days Post IUI

DPO -Days Post Ovulation

DPIVF -Days Post IVF

ER -Egg Retrieval

ET -Embyo Transfer

FET -Frozen Embryo Transfer

HPT -Home Pregnancy Test

ICSI -Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection. The process by which fertilization is facilitated by an Embryologist injecting a single sperm cell into an egg.

IUI -Intra Uterine Insemination. Procedure in which sperm are placed in the uterus near the fallopian tubes, via a catheter.

IVF -In Vitro Fertilization. Procedure in which embryos are created in a lab.

LMP -Last Menstrual Period

OPK -Ovulation Predictor Kit.

PCOS -Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome

PGT-A -Pre-implantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy (formerly known as “PGS” Pre-implantation Genetic Screening). Test in which a biopsy of a blastocyst is used to check for chromosomal abnormalities.

PGD -Pre-implantation Genetic Disorder. Test in which biopsy of a blastocyst is used to check for genetic disorders/disorders.

PIO -Progesterone in oil.

RE -Reproductive Endocrinologist. Often referred to as the "Fertility Specialist”.

RI -Reproductive Immunologist. Specialist who treats reproductive immune disorders.

RPL -Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

SA -Semen Analysis

TTC -Trying To Conceive

U/S -Ultrasound

Acupuncture and IVF Transfer

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 22:09:47 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Acupuncture and IVF Transfer Day Treatments

Did you know that Acupuncture performed on the same day of Embryo Transfer can increase the chance of implantation and live birth? A study published in 2002 ( https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(01)03273-3/fulltext ) stated that patients who received a specific Acupuncture protocol before and after embryo transfer had a 16.2% increased rate of pregnancy (as defined by the presence of a fetal sac during ultrasound at 6 weeks after transfer) over those who did not have the Acupuncture protocol. To put that into perspective, 42.5% of the Acupuncture group became pregnant versus only 26.3% in the non-Acupuncture group.

An article published in “Acupuncture Today” in 2007 ( https://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=31604 ) provides a lovely summary of several studies conducted in the U.S. surrounding Acupuncture treatments and pregnancy. The overall results conclude that Acupuncture increases pregnancy rates (including in the rate of “take home babies”), reduces the incidence of ectopic pregnancy, and reduced rates of miscarriage.

IVF is generally a very expensive procedure here in the U.S. Even when the procedure is covered by insurance, often times the medicines are not, and those alone can run upward of $3000 per IVF cycle. For those who do not have any insurance coverage, the whole shebang can cost upwards of $15,000. So now I ask…if you are willing to invest several thousands of dollars in a procedure that does NOT guarantee success, would it not be worth it to invest just a little more in a treatment that has clinically been shown to improve outcomes and, at the very least, reduces stress?

Even in an ideal cycle, in which Acupuncture is received for 3 months prior to egg retrieval, with 2 subsequent Acupuncture treatments according to the transfer day protocol; the total cost of the Acupuncture is on average 1/10th of an IVF cycle. With a fraction of the cost, and an increase in just about every parameter, it makes sense to protect your financial and emotional investment by considering adding Acupuncture, by a qualified Fertility Acupuncturist, to your IVF prep.

Hormonal Bloodwork Demystified

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 16:57:26 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Hormonal Bloodwork Demystified

It makes sense to want to have blood work drawn to check for hormonal balance regardless of whether the patient is trying to assess hormonal health or looking to conceive. Unfortunately, most of the time when patients go to their doctors and request bloodwork, the response they get from their provider is more likely related to what the insurance will pay for and not what the patient actually needs. Furthermore, even if the provider agrees to run the bloodwork, they may not run a full panel and the patient has no way of knowing this because they are trusting their provider to do a thorough job.

I think a well educated patient is in a better position to advocate for themselves. Below, I will list the hormone levels that I like to see for the majority of my patients. I will also list an average of the healthy ranges I like to help my patients achieve. Before we begin, it is imperative to know that, unless otherwise specified, the following bloodwork should be drawn on day 3 of your cycle (CD3) if you are still menstruating. If you are not having regular cycles or have stopped menstruating altogether, you may run the blood work whenever you wish. The values suggested below refer to an unmedicated cycle (without hormonal birth control, IUI or IVF drugs).

It is important to note that this post is not exhaustive and should not be used to self-diagnose any potential health concerns. Working with a qualified provider is highly recommended.

E2-Estradiol

Estradiol is secreted by developing ovarian follicles. This measurement is used to assess ovarian reserve and also aid in identifying where the person is in their cycle. For CD3 testing, healthy values may range from 10-80 pg/mL . High levels may indicate the presence of a cyst.

LH-Luteinizing Hormone

Produced by the pituitary gland. Induces the release of a follicle. On CD3, normal levels should be below 7mIU/mL. LH levels increase as ovulation approaches and can reach levels higher than 20mIU/mL when within 48 hours of ovulation.

FSH-Follicle Stimulating Hormone

Produced by the pituitary gland. Ripens/Matures the eggs before ovulation. Also used to assess ovarian reserve. On CD3, levels should be below 10 mIU/mL. Levels significantly above 10mIU/mL may indicate low ovarian reserve especially when coupled with low E2 levels.

AMH-Anti Mulleiran Hormone

Secreted by developing follicles, AMH plays a role in follicles moving from primordial to primary stage (recruitment for ovulation). This value is widely used as the most important factor in determining ovarian reserve. However, it is important to note that AMH levels can fluctuate with every cycle despite most providers saying that it doesn’t. Please do not be discouraged if your levels are not as high as your provider thinks you should have for your age. I often see low levels being used to push patients into IVF unnecessarily. Healthy levels have a wide range depending on many factors. I like to see at least 0.8ng/mL . Levels that are high (above ~4ng/mL, may indicate PCOS, see below for more details). AMH can be tested at any time.

Prolactin

Produced in the pituitary gland. Stimulates breast milk production. Abnormal levels can interfere with ovulation and cycle regularity. Healthy levels, when not pregnant or breastfeeding, should be below 24ng/mL . Can be tested at any time.

TSH-Thyroid Stimulating Hormone

One of the factors used to measure thyroid function. While the range for “normal” is quite wide, a level of 1-2.5mIU/L is better for fertility, in my experience. Can be tested at any time.

LH:FSH ratio

The relationship between these two values can be very helpful in determining if a patient has PCOS. Normal LH to FSH ratio is ~1:1. If LH values are twice as high, or higher, than a healthy FSH value, this may indicate PCOS, especially if coupled with a high AMH. The best time to see this ratio accurately is CD3.

Cycle Day 21 (CD21) aka Progesterone (P4)

Progesterone levels are very indicative of the process of ovulation during the cycle. The value is close to zero on CD3 and increases post ovulation. Doctors often will refer to this test as Cycle Day 21 testing because the test should be drawn 7 days post ovulation. Since ovulation is grossly assumed to happen on cycle day 14, it is assumed that cycle day 21 is the best time to check for P4. In actuality, the ideal time to test this hormone is 7 days after you suspect you have ovulated . For example, if you ovulated on CD20, then you should test for P4 on CD27, not CD21. If you have been tracking ovulation with your BBT or Ovulation Predicting Kits (OPKs), narrowing this day down might be easier (stay tuned for a post on that). Normal levels when taken 7 days after ovulation should be greater than 10ng/mL . Please note that this level may change depending on how close you are to 7 days post ovulation. If you tested 6 days after, rather than 7 days after, your levels may be lower, for this reason, I prefer patients to test for progesterone later, rather than earlier. Since progesterone levels can confirm whether or not ovulation has actually occurred, I would rather a patient have their blood drawn 8 or 9 days after ovulation (if they can’t make it to the lab on day 7).

While there are other tests that can be drawn, these are what I consider to be the most vital in assessing fertile health, which tends to be ideal for menstrual health. If you are not having periods, and are not peri-menopausal, you may want to consider having other hormones tested such as Leptin, Testosterone, DHEA-s, and SHBG. You are within your rights to request that your provider run these labs for you and include as many of them as you can do at one time. I don’t know about you but if you hate having your blood drawn, they might as well get as much info as they can in one go, amirite? At the end of the day, each one of these labs is just a checkmark the provider needs to add to their requisition form from the lab. If you are not working with a provider, I highly suggest finding a Functional Medicine practitioner, Naturopathic Doctor or Fertility Acupuncturist (obviously), that can help navigate these results with you. You may also want to look into online or independent labs that will run these tests for you for a lower out of pocket cost than going to the doctor’s office. You can take control of your own health and baseline bloodwork like this, is a good place to start.

Frequently Asked Questions

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 16:57:26 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ideal time in the cycle for treatment?

You can start treatment at any time in your cycle. Acupuncture optimizes each different phase of the menstrual cycle by working on the foundation. This means that what we do during the menstrual phase will set the stage for the ovulation phase. What we do in the ovulation phase will set the stage for implantation; so on and so forth.

If I am having IUI or IVF, when should I plan to start Acupuncture?

It takes at least 3 months to affect egg and sperm quality so, in an ideal world, regular treatment should begin at least 3 months prior to any kind of A.R.T. However, there is a protocol that was studied several years ago and shown to improve chances of implantation when performed on the day of IVF transfer (clinically significant results may be seen up to 72 hours before the transfer). Acupuncture has also been shown to improve blood flow into the reproductive organs, therefore, planning treatments around IUI can also be beneficial.

Can I bring someone with me?

For the initial consultation, you are encouraged to bring anyone that makes you feel safe or offers you moral support. We do encourage couples to come together for fertility related appointments. Please do keep in mind that treatment rooms have a limited size, so it is preferable to only bring one person with you.

For follow up appointments, you can certainly have a support person present as long as they do not keep you from relaxing (the whole point of the treatment is to get your body into a relaxed state to facilitate healing).

Newborn babies are also welcome for postpartum appointments especially to facilitate treatment around nursing schedules, etc. It is not recommended for children who require supervision to accompany patients to Acupuncture appointments as it will be very difficult to relax and look after them at the same time. These session should be treated as “you” time where you can come to disconnect and get some rest.

Should I bring lab work?

You are welcome to bring any lab work that you have regarding the health concern you wish to address but they are not required for your initial appointment unless specified by the provider.

Do I need to be diagnosed first?

Chinese Medicine uses a very different type of analysis that is rarely influenced by Western Medicine, if at all, therefore, diagnosis is not required prior to your consultation unless requested by the provider.

How long should I expect a visit to last?

Initial consultations are thorough and in depth. You can expect the appointment to last up to 2 hours. Follow up visits can vary, but generally last 60-90 minutes.

Should I eat first?

Yes. It is recommended that you have a light meal or a snack prior to your visit. Fasting prior to your appointment may cause lightheadedness, dizziness and possible fainting.

What concerns can we address?

Chinese Medicine looks at the body as a whole so we can address any health concerns you may have. Often we find that, what seems like 3 separate complaints, are actually all related and can all be addressed simultaneously. Most common complaints include menstrual issues, digestive issues, pain, insomnia and low energy.

How do I know the treatments are working?

Chinese Medicine works very differently than Western medicine, therefore, the way we track progress is much more subtle. If the main complaint was pain, obviously a good marker of progress would be that the pain decreases. When it comes to fertility, it becomes harder to track things like egg quality. It’s not exactly something that you can feel improving. However, you should start to see improvements in different areas of your life such as better quality sleep, improved digestion, better energy, smoother menstruation, reduced PMS, etc. All of these are signs that progress in moving in the right direction.

Does Acupuncture hurt?

Acupuncture causes a lot of sensations (warming, buzzing, tingling, electrical, heaviness, numbness, etc). The most common description is “it feels weird”. That being said, it is not generally painful. Sometimes, you feel nothing it all. Occasionally, there will be some tender areas that may elicit some brief discomfort. Most patients agree that have any kind of hair removal (wax, plucking, threading), or getting a tattoo, are much more painful than Acupuncture.

What To Expect During An Initial Appointment

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 16:57:26 GMT

Tea Time with Jo | What to Expect During an Initial Consultation

Our initial session together is where I learn all about you; not just your medical history, but you as a person. Once all the data is gathered and your assessment is complete, we will move into your initial treatment. Below are some helpful suggestions for how to prepare for your visit and what you can expect.

Prior to your visit:

I recommend having a light meal or a snack within an hour of your visit. You are also more than welcome to bring some snacks with you, just in case.

Please avoid drinking coffee the day of your visit.

Avoid brushing or scraping your tongue on the day of your appointment.

Wear loose fitting, comfortable clothing. If the weather is warm, shorts and dresses are ideal as they allow access to the abdomen and legs. In the cooler months, wear whatever you need to feel comfortable. You will have the opportunity to change out of any layers and be covered with a towel or sheet prior to receiving Acupuncture.

Remember to submit your paperwork early and bring in any relevant lab results that you would like to discuss.

During your visit:

The initial assessment begins with us having an in depth discussion of why you are seeking Acupuncture? After you have had the chance to explain your concerns and any other therapies that you have received, we will get to discussing your medical history. At this point, I will ask you all of the questions that I need to assess what is happening within in your body, through the lens of Chinese Medicine. It is likely that I will ask you more than any practitioner has ever asked you before. We will discuss all areas of the body as well as menstrual cycles (if applicable), nutrition, sleep, emotional/mental health, lifestyle and more.

Once we have wrapped up with the consultation, I will check your pulse and tongue. This is why I ask that you not scrape or brush your tongue on the day of your visit. Not doing so allows me to see an accurate representation of your tongue, which says a lot to me from a Chinese Medicine perspective.

You will have the opportunity to use the restroom at anytime throughout the consultation and prior to receiving the Acupuncture. Once you are ready, the treatment can begin.

The Acupuncture process:

Once you are ready, I will ask you to lay down on the massage table (which I do my best to make very comfortable for all bodies). We will adjust any items of clothing to allow access to the areas that are needed for treatment (usually arms, legs, hands, feet, abdomen or back). The head and ears may also be used. You will always be draped or otherwise covered to your comfort level and modesty preferences.

At this point, the Acupuncture will begin. I will open sterilized packages of disposable needles and begin to insert them in the Acupuncture points that I feel are best suited for our goals for that session.

Acupuncture needles are very thin and flexible. They don’t feel like any other needle you may have ever received (much smaller than hypodermic needles used for blood work and even thinner than most needles used for tattoos). You can expect to have different sensations with the Acupuncture. You may feel numbness, heaviness, buzzing, warming or even electrical sensations. Most people liken the initial pinch of the needle to the sensation of a mosquito bite. Some people feel absolutely nothing. All of these sensations are completely normal. In the majority of cases, if you feel any of them, the sensations are brief and dissipate after the needle has settled in its position. Occasionally, there might be some tender areas in which the sensation may be more obvious but it should not impair you from being able to relax.

After all the needles are in (you can expect as few as 4 to as many as 25, all depends on your assessment and comfort level), you can just relax and take a little nap for approximately 30-45 minutes. Remember that the needles are flexible so they are designed to ebb with your body. If you relax and your feet roll slightly outward or your hands slide off your body and onto the treatment table, that is perfectly ok. In most cases, a heat lamp will be placed over your abdomen, back or feet for therapeutic purposes but also for warmth and comfort.

If you prefer I leave you to rest, I will set a call button near your hand or within comfortable reach, that you may use at any time. Pressing the button buzzes me on a pager and lets me know that you would like me to check in on you.

If you prefer to not be left alone during the resting phase, I am more than happy to sit in the room with you. We can further discuss any concerns you have or any sensations you experienced. Alternatively, I can just sit there, in the quiet, if that is what makes you comfortable.

Once the appropriate time has elapsed, the needles will be gently removed and disposed of. Removing the needles usually causes very little, if any, sensations.

After your appointment:

You should be feeling relaxed, and it is possible to feel a little disoriented, similar to how someone feels after a relaxing massage. It is important to take your time getting up from the treatment table slowly and taking a minute to gather your senses.

Once you are ready, you are free to carry on with your day as you normally would.

I highly suggest not exercising after your first Acupuncture session or engaging in any intense activities, until you know how your body reacts to the treatment. For some, they are super energized and feel like tackling their to-do list. For others, they feel really relaxed and prefer to be cozy and rest for the remainder of the day.

Either way, it is highly recommended that you hydrate with electrolyte water and have a healthy meal to fuel your body’s healing capabilities. Most people have a really restful night of sleep when they have received Acupuncture that day.

If the purpose of your session was to address a particular pain, it is possible to still have some pain after your treatment, or for the nature of the pain to change, before it begins to improve. It may take several days for your treatment to “unfold” and for you to begin noticing any differences. It is also important to note that Acupuncture is not a one-time-fix-all solution. It is a process worthy of your commitment in order to achieve the best results.

Within 48 hours, you should receive a follow up email from me with a recap of all that was discussed during your consultation along with any recommendations that work towards achieving your health goals. Treatment frequency and regularity will be discussed during your session and/or noted in the email. The most common recommendation is to receive Acupuncture once a week for approximately 12-16 weeks. This will vary tremendously on a person by person basis depending on the progress each individual makes and the goals each individual has.

That’s It!

That sums up what it is like to have an initial evaluation with me. Follow up visits generally consist of a brief consultation in which we discuss any changes, challenges and updates from the previous visit and then jump into the Acupuncture portion. Over time, most patients come to really look forward to their “Acu Nap”. Some really enjoy listening to a meditation, podcast or audiobook during their sessions. This is encouraged so long as it helps you relax and the volume doesn’t disturb others. Remember that the whole point of the session is to place your body in a state of “rest and digest” so that it can focus on healing.