Lotus Center for Integrative Medicine

04/01/2026

How would you rate Rena and Wendy’s perimenopausal IDGAF faces? For those of you going through the same transition, at some point in time you might notice improved emotional stability, less anxiety and/or less caring about what others think. Why? The amygdala is the brain’s emotional processing center and is activated when we feel fear or a threat, a warning system for initiating fight or flight. It is also a storage area for memories with strong emotions. This part of the brain changes as women age. In perimenopause, the fluctuating estrogen levels create a hypersensitivity resulting in mood swings, irritability and anxiety. But as time goes on and hormones stabilize, the drop in estrogen causes the amygdala to downregulate. This means women become less reactive to negative stimuli. At the same time, the prefrontal cortex becomes more active leading to better control over emotional responses. Ultimately, this manifests in less anxiety, better emotional regulation and a lot more I don’t give a f #.

Perimenopause and menopause are fascinating physiological transitions from a Classical Chinese medicine perspective. Let us know if you’re interested in learning more!

01/28/2026

We haven’t had a lunar new year gathering for a while (since 2017!) so we thought we’d bring it back for the year of the fire horse. This time around, we plan to have a relaxed afternoon/evening event with tea tasting, mah jong, small bites, good intentions and community. To keep things cozy and comfortable, we’ll be limiting the number of guests. Please RSVP by sending us a DM!

01/22/2026

A few months back a post by inspired a deep dive into seed oils’ impact on fertility. Although seed oils as a category do not directly cause infertility, one particular seed oil does. Gossypol is a natural compound that is secreted from the cotton plant as a natural defense mechanism against predators but it also causes infertility in insects. It’s used to control rat populations by interfering with both s***m production and motility (PMID 26227499) as well as degenerating ovarian follicles (PMID 25540815). Human studies in China, Africa and Brazil have found gossypol to be an effective male contraceptive at relatively low levels and the effects can be irreversible in over 20% of cases (PMID 12020773).

There are industrial processes in place that render cottonseed oil “safe” for human consumption but you can make that decision for yourself. Check your ingredient lists. Cottonseed oil is often lumped into the category of “vegetable oil” in processed foods. It’s used as the oil to lubricate delicious rice noodle rolls aka cheung fun for most of the rice noodle rolls in Asian supermarkets in Southern California.

01/08/2026

Many people check in with their primary care doctors at this time of year and so many patients ask us what additional labs they should ask their doctors for. Lots of people are using as they have a very comprehensive panel, but if you want to run it through your insurance plan, here are the ones we recommend.

CMP
CBC
Lipid panel
25(OH)D
Thyroid panel: TSH, free T3, free T4
HbA1c
Insulin
Uric acid
Hcy
CRP
ApoB
Lp(a) - this generally needs to be tested once in a lifetime
CA-125 (in females)

This also doubles as a nudge to check in with your Western medicine doctors too! Tag or send to a loved one who needs this reminder.

10/25/2025

Today is National Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine day. Can we still say that? Anyway, we are grateful to all of our patients and followers who have an interest in this magical and incredible medicine. For over 25 years, we have seen so many patients and this healing modality literally never ceases to amaze us practitioners. We love that each patient presents with so many different symptoms, tongues, pulses, medical histories, environmental exposures, lifestyles, dietary patterns. Every day it’s like a puzzle to figure out where each patient hides their pathologies and how it got there. It’s even more gratifying to find the various acupuncture points and customized herbal formulas to promote balance and resolution.

We love what we do and will never be bored. Thank you for being receptive to this ancient art and placing your trust in us.

10/16/2025

Last month, Consumer Reports issued a report about boba. Sorry to say the results weren’t great. They tested boba from Gong Cha and Kung Fu Tea (both are huge chains) as well as packaged boba products including the Trader Joe’s boba kit and they found lead in EVERY sample. Although levels weren’t considered to be above their level of concern in one serving, we know that some people have a rather unhealthy several-times-a-week boba addiction and lead can accumulate. This heavy metal is typically found in the brain, liver, kidneys, bones, nervous system and reproductive systems so we should definitely not make boba a daily habit. Boba is made from tapioca which is derived from cassava root. It would be nice if the local boba shops who make their own housemade boba can test their tapioca flour (hint hint). And it’s not just boba! Remember tapioca is in a lot of products so be sure to check your ingredients for tapioca starch, syrup and flour in your processed foods and drinks.

BTW pictured is housemade boba with soft serve from in Milpitas. Delicious but lead level unknown!

09/30/2025

Celebrate the mid-autumn moon festival with us on Monday, October 6 at 6:30 pm. We’ll taste slivers of a variety of locally made mooncakes, sip some hot beverages and gaze at the full moon. Reservations are limited so please DM to RSVP.

09/24/2025

Back in the stone ages when people used to blog, we posted about Tylenol and autism. At this time it’s worth repeating here that although so far there has only been shown a correlation between Tylenol (aka paracetamol or acetaminophen) use and autism, there are indeed mechanisms by which this could occur. Some of these include:

✅ Depletion of glutathione. This is an incredibly important antioxidant that protects brain cells from oxidative damage and inflammation that could contribute to neurodevelopmental issues.
✅ Disruption of the endocannabinoid system which regulates mood, social behavior and brain development. Low endocannabinoid levels have been found in subgroups of kids with autism.
✅Mitochondrial damage through its metabolite NAPQI. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been repeatedly linked to autism and other developmental conditions.

Studies show kids exposed in utero have up to 20-30% higher odds of ASD or ADHD. There are very few to any situations where Tylenol is essential, and as we said back in 2016, “Our recommendations continue to be to avoid fever reducers as they impair your immune system. The best treatment of a fever is to support the body through hydration and rest. If your child’s symptoms are making you nervous, Chinese herbal medicine has been used for thousands of years to safely reduce fevers while inhibiting the microorganisms causing your body to respond with a fever.”

08/19/2025

It’s that time of year and we were nominated for Best of Pasadena (even though we are Pasadena adjacent) again! Please help vote for us as best acupuncturist. Thank you in advance!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BestofPasadena2025?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwMQ9s9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABpzF_9iI70TtLnwdcER-GHHHjTFCAUzUtvzuecEcOfatTpLWy6mGDF-V59xaP_aem_f_fHV4Xc402uKfZTANQa6Q

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01/09/2025

We have literally lost count as to how many patients and loved ones we know have lost homes. We are so sorry to all of those affected. We’ve also had so many patients ask how to mitigate the toxic air pollution from structure fires dusting all of our surfaces in LA. Here are our current guidelines:

✅ Make sure you have an excellent HEPA air filtration system. The pictured IQ Air has gotten us through over 20 years of moxa smoke, Santa Anas and every single LA fire but there are lots of other great companies out there.
✅ Shower or at least change your clothes after being outdoors.
✅ We love our AQI meters to tell us what our indoor air quality is. As you see, our AQI even with a leaky door is 23. This is a good brand as is the one we listed in our highlights.
✅ Unearth those good quality COVID-era masks. Surgical masks have too many gaps so at least use an N95 when you’re going outdoors.
✅ Please don’t exercise in this weather. If the air quality inside of the home is poor, consider yoga or something gentle and avoid HIIT, running, cycling, etc.
✅ The Japanese like to gargle with green or black tea for pollution-induced itchy irritated throat.
✅ If you have a Tesla, drive in biohazard defense mode to activate the HEPA filter. BTW did you know this mode also eliminates gases, viruses and pollen?

Teas: White tea, phoenix mountain oolong tea (a good source is ), eucalyptus, mullein, chrysanthemum, loquat leaf (clean the fuzz and LA dust off first), mint, citrus peel/zest

Supplements: Antioxidants are your friend. Vitamin C, E, NAC are some examples

Foods: Juicy pears, almonds, persimmons, white sesame seeds, watercress, daikon and daikon sprouts, bamboo, cucumber, bok choy, white cloud fungus

Lastly, we heard from a firefighter that LA might be getting ready to shut down gasoline lines so in case this is imminent, fill up your gas tanks!

We are here for you if you need herbs or treatment. Please share this post with loved ones.

12/06/2024

You probably have a friend or family member who needs a nudge in being proactive about health. Consider a gift certificate for the holidays!

11/11/2024

Finally! An in-person event at Lotus. Please join us for an intimate Gong Fu style tea tasting with and next Saturday, Nov 16 at 6:30 pm with tasty snacks. Spaces are limited so RSVP soon. is a renowned tea expert and source master and always delivers the goods. E-mail wyu@lotuscenter.email to reserve your spot.