Beachside Community Acupuncture

07/16/2025

We see quite a few fertility patients at our clinic, ranging from those wanting to regulate their cycles before even thinking about having a baby to those deep in assisted reproductive technology (ART).

Some of our patients have shared that they were overwhelmed when listening to their doctor discuss the various fertility treatment options. Our most recent blog post was written to clear up some of the confusion!

If you've ever wondered about the difference between IUI and IVF or wanted to know what other options are available before getting to that stage, this post is for you:

https://www.beachsideacupuncture.com/blog-fertility-treatments/

Western fertility treatments can be very helpful for couples struggling with infertility, but they can also be very confusing! Read this post for an explanation of common options.

07/02/2025

We don't close the clinic very often, but Kathleen will be in Finland all of next week. Beachside will therefore be closed from this Friday - Happy 4th of July! - through Friday, the 11th, and return to our normal hours on Monday, the 14th.

Some fun facts about saunas because Finland invented them:

🔥 "Sauna" is the only Finnish word commonly used in the English language, and most of us pronounce it incorrectly. (It should sound like "sOWna".)

🔥 Saunas traditionally have steam even though most in America are dry. The steam is such an important element that the Finnish language has a word for it ("löyly").

🔥 There are a host of health benefits associated with regular sauna use, including cardiovascular and respiratory improvements, pain relief, and stress reduction.

06/16/2025

Beachside moved to McKinney in December, and our Licensed Acupuncturist is finally moving here as well!

We will close early tomorrow - last follow-up starting at 12:00 - and be closed all day on Wednesday.

We'll be back to our regular hours for Thursday and Friday, though, so there are still plenty of appointments available this week.

06/10/2025

The number of people with blood sugar issues has increased over the years, and we see plenty of patients whose doctors warn them about their blood sugar, even if they do not yet have an official diagnosis of diabetes or pre-diabetes.

Blood sugar regulation is heavily influenced by diet and lifestyle, but sometimes the recommendations given by health professionals can seem overwhelming or incomplete.

Use our latest blog post to gain a basic understanding of blood sugar and use that information to comprehend why adjustments to eating and day-to-day activities can help with its balance.

https://www.beachsideacupuncture.com/blog-blood-sugar/

Blood sugar issues like insulin resistance, diabetes, and pre-diabetes are heavily influenced by diet choices. Simple nutrition principles can go a long way in managing blood glucose.

05/29/2025

Cravings can sometimes give you information about what is going on in your body, so they're worth noticing 👀

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), different "tastes" correspond with different organ systems, so if you find yourself gravitating toward salty foods, bitter foods, etc., tell your acupuncturist!

From a Western nutrition perspective, every food has a unique array of nutrients (e.g. if you're craving oranges, maybe you need vitamin C). Often the craving will go away if you eat enough of the food to meet your body's needs.

Of course, the cravings we're discussing are ones for whole/natural foods and beverages. Sugar is physiologically addictive, as are a lot of chemical additives. Once you've cleaned your diet of these addictive substances, the "true" cravings can kick in.

That being said, keeping track of the "bad" cravings can help identify patterns and triggers. If you can't get by without a candy bar every afternoon, you probably need to adjust your breakfast and lunch for more sustained energy... If you have to have a glass of wine at the end of the day to relax, it might be a good idea to investigate stress management techniques...

Your body is constantly trying to adapt to the challenges it meets, and it's also constantly giving you clues as to what it needs. Pay attention to these clues to accelerate your journey to better health!

05/20/2025

Our world today often exists out of communion nature. Commuting on highways, walking in paved-over cities, and spending free time indoors on screens have become a norm.

Unfortunately, this disconnect can take its toll on health as nature provides healing benefits from multiple angles...

🌱 Sunlight
🌱 Negative ions
🌱 Blue Mind state
🌱 (Many others!)

Getting back in touch with nature doesn't have to involve extremes, and can be easily accomplished even while maintaining modern conveniences. Read our latest blog for examples:

https://www.beachsideacupuncture.com/blog-nature/

The human body has an innate healing response, and spending time in nature can help restore it.

04/25/2025

A "wild" foot is one that doesn't have structural or functional inhibitions.

🦶 Can you lift your toes from the ground?

🦶 Can your toes splay like your fingers do?

🦶 Are your toes curled or squished when your foot is at rest?

If your answers to these questions indicate restrictions, it's worth researching exercises, stretches, shoe modifications, etc. Some of our favorite accounts are:

Gait Happens
The Foot Collective
Anya’s Reviews

If that's too much right now, you can simply start by kicking off your shoes and walking around your yard barefoot this weekend :)

04/22/2025

We live in a beautiful world ❤️🌎

04/11/2025

When going through a health history with a new patient, we often hear the reply "just the normal" in response to our questions. Headaches, menstrual cramps, back pain, fatigue, etc. shouldn't be considered normal....

Ideally, a person would wake up feeling energized after a night of restful sleep. He would feel hungry for meals and get full when he eats. She would have the physical and mental energy to navigate any minor challenges that happen through the day and then fall back to sleep for another good night of rest. If there is pain or an emotional response, it should be appropriate to what caused it.

Does everyone feel like this everyday? Of course not - things happen! In a balanced body, though, a symptom can be traced back to a trigger and then remedied (e.g. not sleeping well because of caffeine too late in the day or having a headache because of too much screen time with not enough breaks). Persistent symptoms don't mean something is normal, just that something is persistently stimulating the body to react in a certain way or that the body is out of balance.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), symptoms clue us in to deeper imbalances that we can correct with acupuncture, diet therapy, herbs, and other modalities. In this way we can both work on symptoms - "normal" or not - and root causes to get patients feeling great throughout their days again.

04/03/2025

While all of the five kingdoms of life contain interesting and amazing organisms, and while the Animal kingdom in particular has a lot of critters that we all know and love, the animals that call the ocean and other bodies of water their home hold a special place in our heart 🌊

Some are silly. Some are scary. Some dazzle us with their bright colors. Some awe us with their gentleness. Consider giving to your favorites - search online for sanctuaries, rehabilitation centers, or other charities that focus on research and preservation - or find a nonprofit whose mission involves general marine health.

Our health is intimately tied to that of our planet, and donating to organizations that conserve, protect, and improve the quality of our oceans and beaches and the creatures that live in them has been part of our business plan from day one. Any day is a great day to give back, but little holidays like these serve as gentle reminders to remember those with whom we share this wonderful Earth ❤️

03/13/2025

Journaling, or freewriting, has been shown to lower blood pressure, improve liver function, and decrease anxiety, among other things. Writing without thinking can allow you to move past the walls set up by the conscious mind to access deeper emotions and desires, tapping into the subconscious to sift through trauma and self-imposed limitations.

If you've been feeling stuck, starting a journaling practice might be a valuable key in figuring out the root reasons so that you can move forward. Learn how to do it - it's very easy! - in our latest blog post:

https://www.beachsideacupuncture.com/blog-journaling/

Journaling or freewriting can help with the processing of stuck emotions, tap into subconscious desires, promote gratitude, and more! Plus it's very easy to do - learn how in this blog post.

03/10/2025

Is the time change hitting you hard? Reinforcing melatonin production at night can be helpful:

🌜 Dim lights as it gets dark.
🌜 Limit screens in the evening.
🌜 Stop eating and drinking at least an hour or two before bed.

Many people don't consider the other half of the sleep-wake cycle! Just as melatonin slowly ramps up after sunset to make us sleepy, cortisol slowly ramps up in the morning to get us active again. Help the body fully wake up (and keep cortisol regulated):

🌞 Expose yourself to sunlight or bright light on waking.
🌞 Exercise, or intentionally move around a little.
🌞 Eat within an hour of waking.

If you want to balance your circadian rhythm for better sleep, focus on both your evening and morning routines.