Bernadette Yu Acupuncture & Wellness

05/08/2022

Happy mother's day to all the wonderful mothers on earth!

05/18/2021

Does acupuncture work?
Studies using videocapillaroscopy show that increased oral microcirculation is observed in patients with Burning Mouth Syndrome after acupuncture treatments. A significant reduction of the burning sensation after the therapy was reported for the following 18 months of follow-up visits.

Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) refers to a chronic burning, numbness sensation in the mouth or tongue. Patients may also experience unusual taste, and a dry mouth. In my clinical practice, patients who suffer from BMS often have coexisting health issues such as anxiety, insomnia, allergies, and nutrit...

05/17/2021

Ancient Chinese medical philosophy believes that the human body was filled with an invisible life-giving force which we call “Qi”.
When the body has an injury, the Qi flow is blocked, which results in pain. One good example is carpal tunnel syndrome...

Can acupuncture treatments relieve wrist pain and restore loss of muscular function of the hand due to carpal tunnel syndrome? In ancient times, when analgesics were lacking, Acupuncture was the primary modality used to treat pain. Traditional Chinese acupuncturists would insert fine needles into th...

05/12/2021

Can having enough sleep during pregnancy reduce the chances of preterm birth and lead to a happier and smarter baby?

There’s a lot of interesting studies on insomnia while you’re pregnant. Pregnancy does lead to sleep problems. Physical discomfort, changing hormones, stress, and anxiety can disturb sleep. Around 50% of pregnant women experiences insomnia as other pregnancy symptoms increase. So, how does lack ...

05/11/2021

Preventing vaginal infection is one of the keys to conception success...
Can Lacto-fermented foods help prevent infection and contribute to conception and pregnancy success?

Preventing vaginal infection is one of the keys to conception success... The human body is a holobiont consisting of us, the host, and multi-species of microbes. For example, our intestinal tract contains many beneficial bacteria which supply us with neurotransmitters such as GABA, serotonin, dopami...

05/09/2021

Happy Mother's Day to you all!!

05/02/2021

A family history of early menopause is a high-risk factor for Early Ovarian Aging....

Early Ovarian Ageing (EOA) As the trend of delayed child bearing rises, incidences of infertility diagnosis are also trending upward. Many couples use IVF as a method to conceive. This gives scientists a better understanding of EOA and its relationship with unexplained infertility, poor egg quality,...

04/26/2021

Is a low-fat diet helpful when you’re trying to conceive?

Pregnancy loss within the 1st trimester? How can you reduce the risk? With over 60% of the world’s population being overweight, a large selection of weight loss plans are available these days. Many of them advocate eating a low fat diet. Is a low fat diet helpful when you’re trying to conceive? ...

04/24/2021

When it comes to infertility treatment, is there a ONE-SIZE-FIT ALL solution, such as "IVF"? I was trying to conceive when I was 32. Luckily I was young, despite having some common issues such as cysts, fibroids and tubal obstruction to work on, I did have eggs. After years of trial and error, I fin...

03/31/2021

Diet and ovarian reserves - what’s the connection?

Eating clean means eating more fruits and vegetables, which often contain higher amounts of antioxidants to help neutralize free radicals; lean proteins, whole grains and healthy fats which supply amino acids and energy to restore cellular functions; and limiting the amount of processed foods, sweets and take-out foods, which often contain higher amounts of free radicals.

Foods that contain polyunsaturated fatty acids are susceptible to oxidative damage when they are heated at high temperatures. Once the fats have been oxidized, they contain high amounts of free radicals, which are associated with ovarian aging.

Free radical damage is known as a major contributing factor to poor egg quality and low ovarian reserves. Free radicals also re**rd embryonic development following fertilization, leading to early pregnancy loss.

Among various cooking methods, frying, broiling, roasting, grilling, and BBQ can create higher levels of free radicals than boiling and steaming.

Free radicals can damage our gastrointestinal tract and increase permeability. Free radicals can reach and pe*****te our ovaries.

Have you been advised that you have low egg reserves or enlarged ovaries? It’s time to protect your precious eggs and ovaries from free radical attack by eating clean.

11/04/2020

Have you ever wondered if the size of your baby’s head may determine your baby’s IQ later in his/her life?

To answer this question, some clinical researchers decided to measure and study thousands of babies' heads at birth. They even followed up with their parents, all the way through to these babies becoming adults. They tested these children's levels of intelligence at various ages. They even looked at their academic records and achievements. This is what they found…

An average male baby’s head circumference is approximately 35 cm, while a female baby’s head circumference is approximately 34 cm at birth.

At birth, a baby’s head is approximately ⅕ of their body size. While the body develops fast, the head continues to expand. By age 5, the skull grows to over 90% of the adult size.

The expansion of the head and its growth within the first year is most important to the baby’s neurocognitive development.

In fact, only prenatal growth and growth during infancy (within the first year) were associated with subsequent IQ.

After studying 633 term-born children, this is what they realized….

At 4 years, a child’s full-scale IQ increases by an average of 2.41 points for each standard deviation increase in head circumference at birth.

The child’s full-scale IQ also increases an average of 1.97 points for each standard deviation increase in head growth during infancy, conditional on head size at birth.

By 8 years of age, head size at birth is no longer associated with IQ, but head growth during infancy continues to influence subsequent IQ, with full-scale IQ increasing an average of 1.56 points for each standard deviation increase in growth.

Baby’s with a bigger head does tend to perform better at tasks related to intelligence.

The brain volume a child within their first year of life helps lay a foundation for their IQ. Growth in brain volume after infancy may not compensate for poorer earlier growth.

Having said that, are you wondering if creating a baby with a bigger or a smaller brain is something you can control?

So, are you curious to know how you can create a baby with a bigger brain at birth? If so, stay tuned for my next post!!

11/02/2020

[Fun Quiz] How Likely Are You To Conceive Twins?

The birth rates for twins is rising all over the world! Will you give birth to multiple babies? Take this quiz below to find out!!

1. Did your parents or grandparents have a history of giving birth to twins?
a) Yes
b) No


2. What’s your age?
a) I’m between 18 and 25
b) I’m between 26 and 35
c) Over 35


3. How would you describe your weight?
a) I’m underweight
b) I’m in my normal weight
c) I’m overweight
d) I’m very overweight

4. What nationality are you?
a) I’m White
b) I’m Asian
c) I’m Hispanic
d) I’m African-American

5) What’s your pregnancy history? Please choose the answer that best suits your situation.
a) I have never been pregnant.
b) I already have one or more children.
c) I have given birth to fraternal twins.

6) Which of the following do you eat often?
a) Meat
b) Fish
c) Dairy

7. Which of the following best describes your situation?
a) I’m not actively trying to get pregnant.
b) I’m trying to get pregnant naturally without the use of fertility drugs.
c) I’m taking fertility drugs to help increase my odds of a pregnancy.


If your answers to the questions above have two or more of the followings, congratulations!! You have a slightly higher chance of having twins in your next cycle!

ANSWERS:

1) Yes
2) Over 35
3) Very overweight
4) I’m an African-American
5) I have given birth to fraternal twins
6) Dairy
7) I’m taking fertility drugs to help increase my odds of a pregnancy

Having identical twins is not genetic. On the other hand, fraternal twins can run in families. One of the reasons for having fraternal twins is hyperovulation. In this situation, the body releases two or more eggs during an ovulation window. This gene of hyperovulation can be passed down from your family. So, if you have parents or grandparents who have a twin sibling, you may have a higher chance of conceiving fraternal twins.

Does age affect the chances of having fraternal twins? As you become more mature, hormonal imbalances may cause irregular ovulation. Hormonal imbalances can encourage the body to release more than one egg during ovulation. When both eggs are fertilized and both are implanted, bingo! You are likely to welcome two pairs of tiny feet in one go!

Hormone imbalances can also be induced by taking fertility drugs. According to studies, drugs such as clomid can increase your chances of having twins by 7%, while taking femara can increase your chances by 5%. If you’re taking a fertility drug to increase your chances of conceiving, be prepared - you may also give birth to multiple babies.

Women with a body mass (BMI) index of over 30 often have higher than normal insulin-like growth factors. This excess hormone can affect your reproductive system. As a result, hyperovulation - releasing more than one egg - can happen more often than expected. This makes obese women more likely to welcome two bundles of joy than skinny women.

Of all the races, African women as compared to other nationalities have a higher chance of conceiving twins. That said, if you are a white woman who is over 35, you have the highest chances of conceiving more than one baby. In some cases, triplets or more.

Diet also influences your chances of conceiving multiple babies. Dairy products contain insulin growth factors that stimulate women’s reproductive systems. If you eat lots of dairy products, you may have a higher chance of having twins.

Another study shows that yams can overstimulate your ovaries to release more eggs during ovulation. Eating lots of yams may increase the probability of you conceiving multiple babies as well.

Previous studies concluded that vegans are less likely to have twins. Those who are very underweight also have a tendency to experience infertility issues. So start eating real food if you want to conceive a healthy baby!

03/29/2020

New online course to help hopeful mothers to conceive has been launched!!
Due to the current coronavirus outbreak, I have temporarily shut down my Acupuncture practice as of 10 days ago. My office is closed. However, since many of my existing patients come for both nutritional consultation and Acupuncture treatment to integrate with their IVF and drug treatments, to assist those who need my service to conceive a baby, I have created an online self-paced training program for you. This program contains 11 lessons. Each of them gives one big take away which can help boost conception and pregnancy success rate by up to 400% (based on positive clinical results worldwide and my clinical practice experience). To access this training program, you can visit this site here --> https://courses.conceptionsuccess.com/

During this turbulence time, many have lost jobs. To help support those who have problems fulfilling the most basic needs, a portion of the profit from my program sales will be donated to Mississauga Food Bank. (https://www.themississaugafoodbank.org/).

Thank you all for your support and please stay safe!! 🙏🙏🙏

Discover How You Can Increase Your Chances Of a Successful Conception And Pregnancy By Up To 400%

03/26/2020

With everything going on in the world right now, when it comes to conceiving a baby, what's your single biggest challenge, frustration or concern?

03/25/2020

Hello! This is Bernadette Yu here. Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, to avoid contracting the virus and spread to others, I have temporarily shut down my practice as of last week. My apologies for the inconvenience to you!! However, if you are one of those who are looking for TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and dietary therapy to boost your chances of a successful conception / pregnancy naturally or to integrate with your IVF treatments, I've created a new online training program for you! This program was in the past only offered to my patients who visit me in my office. It is now available online. If you are interested in finding out more about this program, you can follow the link below. In the meantime, please stay home, stay safe and have a wonderful day!!

https://courses.conceptionsuccess.com/

03/18/2020

Acupuncture: Everything you need to know before you try it
https://cnet.co/2W8klrQ
We offer Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine & Nutritional Therapy. Visit us at www.bernadetteyuwellness.com for more information.

The science behind the ancient treatment that's still popular today.

03/12/2020

Is Acupuncture Painful? All Your Questions About the Chinese Medicine Practice Answered
http://bit.ly/33jd2z2
We offer Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine & Nutritional Therapy. Visit us at www.bernadetteyuwellness.com for more information.

If you’re needle-phobic, the thought of getting acupuncture—where thin needles are inserted into the skin—may seem unnerving. But, the traditional Chinese medicine practice has been around for centuries, and now it’s often used along with western medicine to treat a variety of conditions.Ple...

03/04/2020

How to Eat When You Have Cancer
https://wb.md/2HtntFQ
We offer Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine & Nutritional Therapy. Visit us at www.bernadetteyuwellness.com for more information.

A good diet is key when you have cancer. WebMD has tips that can help when food is the last thing on your mind.