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The Point - Acupuncture & Holistic Medicine, 645 E Evans Avenue, Denver, CO (2025)

02/28/2023

Acupuncturists have WAY MORE education and training than you probably think they do.

I recently got my doctorate degree and a lot of people are asking me why I chose to do that when I have so many years of experience under my belt.

There are many reasons and one of them is I think having the credential of Dr so-and-so is an easy way to convey that I have a ton of training, and I think that’s good for our profession and good for patients.

Additionally, my doctorate program had a focus on integrative and functional medicine and now I can order and interpret labs in my state of CO, and I’m very excited about that.

I made this video to spread the word about how much training acupuncturists have. There’s some variation (some acupuncturists aren’t trained in herbs or “dry needling” the way I am, for example). And of course, as in any and all professions, there are better ones and not-so-great ones. But generally, acupuncturists deserve way more respect.

It makes me bananas when someone underestimates the education and training involved to become an acupuncturist. Because it underestimates the medicine. We’re not just pokin’ people where it hurts, it’s a very complex and sophisticated system of pattern differentiation and root cause identification. THAT’s where the power is.

Which is why, as I see other professions trying to steal pieces of our medicine (ahem, dry needling), I can’t help but roll my eyes because they’re practicing such a superficial fraction of our medicine (while also claiming that it’s “better” or different or “more medical” than what we do). While they may get a muscle to release (one of the many ways that we work) without addressing the underlying cause of the problem, it will continue needing treatment. It’s rude, ignorant, and cultural appropriation to not give credit where credit is due and whitewash it by calling it more medical. I didn’t mean for this to be about dry needling, but I guess that’s where we ended up, haha!

Acupuncturists have so much education and training. We address pain AND internal underlying root causes. Get one on your team!

03/15/2022

And as a result, under-eating is a common cause of health, hormone, and fertility struggles too. ⁠⠀
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In Chinese Medicine, we think that under-eating damages the Spleen (so does over-eating, but people often forget the under-eating piece, which is SO COMMON). ⁠⠀
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We need Qi for peristalsis to happen and to digest food (amazing how sometimes chronic constipation or IBS goes away when people simply start eating more). Our liver needs Qi and energy to do its job (amazing how much better people sleep and feel less anxiety and less PMS and signs of a sluggish liver when they simply eat more). ⁠⠀
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If we chronically under-eat our brain goes into energy-conservation mode and raises levels of Reverse T3 which slows down our thyroid and metabolism and the rate at which our cells are burning energy, using energy, and functioning. Do you want your cells to under-function? No, not what you want.⁠⠀
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Who has been taught to restrict & diet since a young age? WOMEN. (Studies show that 40% of elementary school-aged girls have tried to lose weight, omg ELEMENTARY school-age!!) And who has a way higher likelihood of having hypothyroidism? Also WOMEN. (Women are five to eight times more likely than men to have thyroid problems; one woman in eight will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime.) Related? Maybe.... it makes sense when you know that under-eating can slow the thyroid. ⁠⠀
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Just some food for thought. Speaking of FOOD, please it eat, lol! Regularly and often (ideally within 1 hour of waking and every 3-4 hours through out the day).

03/08/2022

If the health message you're receiving is "do more, eat less, restrict more, try harder, you're toxic, force yourself"... then it's the wrong message. ⁠⠀
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You're already worthy. Your body is so wise. Honoring our biology and supporting our health is about nourishing ourselves. Truly deeply nourishing. All of ourselves. ⁠⠀
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I love that Chinese Medicine has known this FOREVA. Ok maybe not forever, but for thousands of years. Everyone else is just catching on. And I'm glad that they are :o) I hope you're catching this message too. If not, go see your local acupuncturist and they will lovingly share it with you.

02/23/2022

I think that weight (and age too to a certain extent btw) is not a root cause and I will go so far as to say that it is even detrimental to focus on it.

Can we please stop shaming and blaming people, and get to focusing on what really matters and will move the needle?

02/22/2022

I've been thinking a lot about how and why I get so excited about the nerdy science behind things, even things that are very, well, obvious and apparent. ⁠⠀
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The science behind simple, daily, experience-able things like how light affects our brain and circadian rhythm.... what a simple walk does to our body... how important sleep is.... what walking in a forest does to our physiology... it's all fascinating to me!⁠⠀
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But whyyyy does the science make a difference when I can literally FEEL what sleep, walks, light, nature... do to me. I can feel the benefits almost immediately. Perhaps it's silly, really, then... that a research study makes any difference. ⁠⠀
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Same goes for acupuncture. There are studies showing how it affects our physiology, which I think are so COOL. But... whyyyy.... why do we need them? When you can immediately FEEL it. ⁠⠀
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Is the focus on studies slightly racist and the centering of Western Medicine? Maybe? Maybe it's the way many of us are just used to thinking? I don't have the answer, haha! But I think it's worth thinking and talking about. ⁠⠀
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I also, of course, love the poetic metaphorical language of Chinese Medicine, how deep it is, how it illustrates the connections within us and to the natural world. So vast, so wise. Forever more to learn.

02/16/2022

That's what my team of acupuncturists and I do at The Point... come see us in Denver!⁠ ACUPUNCTURE is AMAZING for FERTILITY. ⁠⠀
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And that's also what you do yourself inside the Becoming Mama online program, from the comfort of your own home.

02/15/2022

"Infertility" (I prefer to call it sub-fertility actually) the vast majority of the time is caused by underlying issues that are often improve-able holistically. ⁠⠀
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So if a patient comes to me and she's been struggling to get pregnant or has a history of miscarriages - we take a DEEP dive into detecting and addressing these root imbalances rather than just slapping a temporary bandaid on it.⁠ in addition to asking these functional medicine questions, I’m also of course honing in on a TCM diagnosis. ⠀
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It doesn't change overnight, because it likely didn't develop overnight but from *years* if not decades of underlying causes. It typically takes about 3-4 months. ⁠⠀
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But if you want to improve your fertility, it's imperative that you look at the bigger, DEEPER picture! And it's a really good idea to get a pro on your team instead of just trying to Dr. Google it yourself :o) That's what me and my team of acupuncturists do at The Point and what I help you do inside the Becoming Mama program.

02/08/2022

Coffee in moderation and when done right isn't so bad. It's metabolically stimulating, has antioxidants, and can promote estrogen metabolism and the effect of progesterone and thyroid hormones. ⁠⠀
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But when you wake up in the morning, you've fasted all night long. Your liver can only store 8 hours of glycogen (stored glucose) and is running low in the morning. Coffee on an empty stomach depletes you further and can push you into a stress-state and disrupt hormones (spike cortisol and adrenaline which can then block progesterone). ⁠⠀
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In Chinese Medicine we think that coffee depletes our Yin stores. It gives us energy without real nutrition so it's like spending energy on a credit card and causes us to dip into our battery reserves.⁠⠀
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So you only want to have it in moderation. Best with a healthy fat (yin!). And only WITH or AFTER a meal. ⁠⠀
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Too many people have coffee BEFORE breakfast or act like it IS breakfast - it is NOT a meal!!!⁠⠀
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Food before coffee, please. ⁠⠀
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For fertility, I recommend limiting it to only 1 (literal) cup a day, with a meal, and before 9:30am, not after.

02/03/2022

Did you know there are two forms of vitamin A?⁠⠀
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Pro-vitamin A (carotenoids) are what most people think of when they think of vitamin A. This type has to be converted to retinol (the active form), and this conversion rate is quite low for many people. ⁠⠀
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Pre-formed vitamin A (retinol) is the active for that is utilized by the body. ⁠⠀
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Most of us have been taught that plant foods are a good source of vitamin A, but it’s important to recognize that plants don’t contain true pre-formed vitamin A (retinol) and that your body must convert carotenoids into retinol, and this conversion rate is often quite low.⁠⠀
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Vitamin A is important in pregnancy and for fertility - it helps regulate gene expression and fetal growth. And Vitamin A is also important for thyroid health, iron, and inflammation levels - it affects the cells' sensitivity to thyroid hormone. It also assists in loading copper to its bioavailable form which regulates iron metabolism, copper-dependent antioxidants to fight inflammation in the body, and with energy (ATP) production in the mitochondria of our cells. ⁠⠀
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So Vitamin A is kind of a big deal, and it's hard to get enough of it on a vegetable-only diet. ⁠⠀
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In a large study from the Netherlands, it was found that women who ate liver—a rich source of retinol—almost always consumed adequate vitamin A, while 70% of women who avoided liver failed to meet the RDA. (European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 1996).

02/02/2022

Did you know that they thyroid is called "the third o***y"? ⁠⠀
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Every cell in the body needs thyroid hormone to function properly, and especially the ovaries and egg cells. The ovaries and egg cells within them have receptors for thyroid hormone. ⁠⠀
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Having a healthy thyroid is crucial for fertility. Here are a few ways low thyroid function can affect fertility: ⁠⠀
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- Hypothyroidism prevents activation of the granulosa cells, the helper cells that support developing eggs. This can lead to anovulatory cycles⁠⠀
- Ovarian reserve - in studies of patients going through IVF, a TSH below 3 is associated with a significantly higher ovarian reserve⁠⠀
- Elevated anti-TPO antibodies are associated with increased miscarriage rates⁠⠀
- Hypothyroidism and low progesterone often go hand in hand⁠⠀
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It's really important to detect any potential thyroid issues (that so often go missed, even in labwork) and the good news is there's so much we can do to support thyroid health holistically. This is part of why the Becoming Mama program is so great for fertility outcomes. And part of why the Mend Your Metabolism program, while not designed specifically for fertility, also supports it!

01/31/2022

PSA! A number on a scale is NOT an indicator of health or wellness. ⁠⠀
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There are so many other far more important indicators of your health, and we should be focusing on those. ⁠⠀
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Healthy and sustainable weight loss (if that's a goal, which I'm not saying it necessarily should be) is a side-effect of focusing on wellness. Focusing on a number on the scale is usually harmful for our health, generally leads to restriction which ironically study after study shows leads to weight gain not loss.
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Stop focusing on that number and start focusing on how you FEEL and what your body is telling you. That's all that really matters.

Support your Qi and the rest will follow. I love teaching this and giving you a path to follow in my Mend Your Metabolism course. And of course we support all aspects of health and Qi with acupuncture treatments in our Denver clinic. Links in bio to book or enroll:

01/28/2022

The metabolism affects fertility in two big ways: ⁠⠀
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1) hormones - think thyroid health and progesterone levels especially; and 2) mitochondria - which affects egg quality.⁠ ⁠⠀
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Our egg cells contain a HUGE amount of mitochondria, more than any other cell in the body. To compare, a heart cell has 1000-2,000 and our eggs have 100,000 - 600,000 so our eggs have truly 100x more mitochondria than other cells in our body. Why? Because conception is a high energy process! ⁠⠀
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I'm 41 years old, and if I were trying to conceive again right now the first thing I'd do is focus on my metabolic health and supporting my mitochondria. In Chinese Medicine we'd call this "Jing" or "Essence".⁠⠀
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The mitochondria is the "powerhouse" of the cell and produces the energy (ATP) our cells need to function. Our egg cells have to sustain so much growth after fertilization. Keep in mind, a fertilized embryo isn't plugged into our uterus for about 8 days after ovulation, so it has to sustain on its own energy stores for those 8 days as it divides, grows, and travels through our fallopian tubes and into the uterus. It needs really healthy mitochondria to fuel it! ⁠⠀
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Low levels of mitochondria and poor mitochondrial health impact an egg's ability to divide and grow and is linked to miscarriage and chromosomal abnormalities. ⁠⠀
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One interesting study looked at 142 fertilized and unfertilized eggs (oocytes) and tested their mitochondrial content. It found that the mean mitochondrial count for eggs that fertilized was 250,454 whereas the count for the eggs that didn't fertilize was 163,698, and that the count for the eggs that degenerated and never made it to fertilization was 44,629. Mitochondrial DNA content is critical to fertilization outcome and is an important marker of egg quality. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2005.09.017 Mitochondrial content reflects oocyte variability and fertilization outcome. In Vitro Fertilization, vol 85, iss 3, Mar 2006.⁠⠀
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Our mitochondrial health is very much linked to our egg quality and fertility. And know what's linked to our mitochondrial health? Our metabolic health. Our metabolisms. Literally how we make, store, and use energy.

01/26/2022

Fish is in my Becoming Mama and Mend Your Metabolism meal plans every single week. And salmon is my favorite fish, for good reason. It’s low in mercury and full of so many good nutrients.
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My favorite easy yummy hassle-free way to prepare it is I just sprinkle a little sea salt and generously cover it with Herbs de Provence seasoning and pop it in the oven for about 15 minutes - so easy! so yummy! So good for you!⁠⠀
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How do you like your salmon?

01/24/2022

Nope, of course not. ⁠⠀
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Your thyroid needs fuel to function properly. Your liver needs fuel to detoxify and function properly. Your brain needs fuel. Your digestion needs fuel to function (so often constipation and IBS resolve when people simply start eating more). Your ovaries need fuel to ovulate. The list goes on.... YOU NEED FUEL. ⁠⠀
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Can we pah-lease stop with the restriction dieting?⁠⠀
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So many of my patients are under-eating and not realizing it. Yep, even (especially) people who are overweight! ⁠⠀
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In Chinese medicine, we say under-eating depletes our Spleen Qi, which is central to... pretty much errythang!!

01/20/2022

Before you start popping antacids or thinking you have IBS, try these simple and often life-changing things first...⁠⠀

Strategies that have been supporting Spleen Qi and digestion for thousands of years (no big deal), don’t doubt ‘em till you try ‘em cuz I see them work magic all the time.

P.S. what’s good for the digestion is good for metabolism because it directly relates to how your body assimilates nutrients and turns food into burned or stored energy.

P.P.S. the First Burp is an Ayurvedic tip

01/18/2022

Often the results are obvious and speak for themselves - less pain, insomnia is gone, no more PMS & cramping, positive pregnancy test. ⁠⠀
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But sometimes, the progress is less tangible - less irritability, more confidence and assertiveness, more joy, feeling actually nourished by things that should nourish us. ⁠⠀
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And sometimes, even with the very tangible and measurable, people forget how they used to feel and don't see their progress! I just had a patient who used to have 10 hot flashes a day, now she's down to 2 a week... and she was shocked to remember and reflect on how it used to be 10 a day! Good thing that was written in my notes, lol. ⁠⠀
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For some people, it's the opposite, they see their progress but hadn't realized how bad they had been feeling until they started to feel better. I had a patient say to me yesterday, "Wow, I guess it turns out people aren't always fatigued and bloated! I can't believe I suffered through what I thought was "normal" for so long."⁠⠀
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So funny how that works. It reminds me of that quote about how people are like butterflies - they can't see their wings and how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can.

01/16/2022

Just a reminder that it's usually best to get your nutrients from food rather than a pill, when possible.

01/13/2022

Generations before us knew how to eat based on hundreds (thousands?) of years of accumulated and passed-down knowledge. This wisdom was disrupted and supplanted in the mid-1900s with the industrialization of agriculture and food production. Advertisers convinced us that processed-food was superior to the real nature-made foods our ancestors have been eating for thousands of years. We can still remember how our grandmother's ate... crazy to think that generations to come may not have a memory of a time when people ate mostly REAL FOOD 🤯

And so messed up that it’s a privilege to even have ACCESS to real food in some places (meaning it’s not all individual-choice-based, there’s a systemic piece to food choices and social determinants to health that I think are often too ignored in the oft holier-than-thou wellness space) 💗

The Point - Acupuncture & Holistic Medicine

02/28/2023

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