Meditation can wipe away the day’s stress, bringing with it inner peace. Health benefits of meditation include relief from stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome and acute respiratory infection.

It increases IQ, pain tolerance and helps in weight loss. It is also beneficial in maintaining blood pressure. Some forms of meditation can improve depression and create a more positive outlook on life.

See how you can easily learn to practice meditation whenever you need it most.

Anyone can practice meditation. It’s simple and inexpensive, and it doesn’t require any special equipment.

Understanding meditation

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. Meditation originally was meant to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life. These days, meditation is commonly used for relaxation and stress reduction. There are certain techniques used by those who practice meditation.

These techniques include focused attention, a specific body posture and no attention or openness to distractions without much of a response or reaction.


Meditation is considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine.

During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. This process may result in enhanced physical and emotional well-being.

Types of meditation

There are many types of meditation and relaxation techniques that have meditation components.
Ways to meditate can include:

• Guided meditation
• Mantra meditation
• Mindfulness meditation
• Tai chi
• Yoga

Health Benefits of Meditation

Stay Focused

Learning to sustain one’s attention through mindfulness seems to improve the overall ability to focus and maintain attention during everyday tasks.

Reduces Stress

Stress reduction is one of the most common reasons people try meditation. Research suggests that mindfulness-meditation training not only reduces stress and anxiety following a stressful episode but that practicing it can actually help mitigate stress in the moment.

Normally, mental and physical stress cause increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This produces many of the harmful effects of stress, such as the release of inflammation-promoting chemicals called cytokines.

Lowers Blood pressure

The benefits of meditation also help managing blood pressure levels. A research study suggests that practicing transcendental meditation may be beneficial in decreasing blood pressure.

Controls Anxiety

It reduced symptoms of anxiety disorders, such as phobias, social anxiety, paranoid thoughts, obsessive-compulsive behaviors and panic attacks. Meditation may also help control job-related anxiety in high-pressure work environments.

Boost Gray Matter

By spurring the growth of gray matter in various brain regions, mindfulness may improve learning, memory, and emotional regulation, several studies over the last decade have shown.

Promotes Emotional Health

Some forms of meditation can improve depression and create a more positive outlook on life. Research shows that maintaining an ongoing habit of meditation may help you maintain these benefits long term.

Treats Insomnia

Lack of sleep can lead to serious health implications including fatigue and lack of appetite. Persons suffering from insomnia rely on sleeping pills to assist them in sleeping.
A study suggests that regular practice of mindfulness meditation may help in developing ways to work with nocturnal symptoms and waking consequences of chronic insomnia.

Avoid Colds and Flu

Mindfulness meditation may help boost immune function. In a study, researchers showed that mindfulness meditation is about as effective as exercise for reducing the occurrence of acute respiratory infection, which includes colds and seasonal flu.


Don’t judge your meditation skills, which may only increase your stress. It takes practice to be able to enjoy the benefits of meditation.

If you want to learn about other ways to improve your health you check out our article 10 things you can do to improve your health right now
Photo credit: Pexels

The post 8 Remarkable Benefits of Meditation appeared first on Dr Zhou’s Acupuncture Clinic in Madison and Milwaukee Wisconsin.

Detoxing has become a popular trend in recent years. Many people are looking for ways to cleanse their bodies of toxins and improve their overall health. One way to achieve this is through detox diets that incorporate specific foods to help rid the body of harmful substances. However, did you know that you can detox with foods alone?

Warning Signs Your Body Needs to Detox

• Fatigue
• Digestive issues and inconsistencies
• Depression/ Anxiety/ Mood Swings
• Brain Fog
• Arthritis/ Joint pain
• Underactive thyroid
• Migraines/ Headaches
• Poor quality sleep
• Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue Syndrome or Auto-Immune Disease

Avoid or Limit

When we talk about “toxic foods” we are talking about foods that are known to increase inflammation, wreak havoc on the G.I system, slow metabolism, perpetuate malabsorption and increase risk of chronic illness. If these foods are eaten in limited quantities, a strong constitution can handle the insult, however, most people feeling “crappy” are consuming these foods on a regular basis and are not aware on the chronic damage that is happening inside the body. The toxic foods I’m talking about are alcohol, sugar, trans fats, gluten, dairy, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and caffeine. The best way to clean your system and have your body run with efficiency is to avoid:

• Pre-Packaged Foods
• Alcohol & Caffeine
• Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners
• Inflammatory Foods (Gluten & Dairy)
• GMO Foods (Soy, Corn, Canola Oil, Hydrogenated Oils)

Caffeine:

Caffeine is not necessarily evil or toxic, it’s usually the things we add to our coffee that are the bad guys. However, our dependence on coffee is what is so “toxic.! If you are relying on coffee or caffeine to start your day in the morning or to stimulate a morning bowel movement, these are subtle signs that your body is not performing at it peak, and attention is required.

Alcohol:

Alcohol is the ultimately refined carbohydrate (a dose of alcohol is like a dose of straight sugar), it breaks down quickly into sugar making it very hard to regulate healthy blood sugar levels. It suppresses the central nervous system and often leads to a weakened immune system. Excess alcohol intake may also lead to leaky gut, interfering with nutrient absorption, which could then lead to deficiencies. In addition, those looking to lose weight may want to put down the wine, it has been shown that nightly consumption of alcohol can inhibit weight loss by up to 70% over the next 24 hours!

Sugar:

Excess sugar is toxic for numerous reasons! Sugar is often the cause for insulin resistance, weakened immune system, ravenous food cravings, fatigue, insomnia, inflammatory responses and foggy brain. By reducing your sugar intake you can drastically change your system! Once you’ve cut out the sugar your blood sugar can reestablish balance and your sugar craving will subside. If you are quitting sugar but need to use a sweetener try using organic stevia.

Gluten:

No matter how you look at it, gluten causes inflammation. When we eat gluten, it acts as a fuel source for the “bad” gut bacteria. If there is worse than good gut bacteria we have set the stage for a cascade of inflammatory processes, as well as negative immune responses.

Dairy:

Dairy is known to be one of the top five food allergens and is seen to significantly increase inflammation in a large percent of the population. It is one of the main triggers for digestive symptoms such as gas, bloating, indigestion, constipation and diarrhea as well as other symptoms including acne and nasal congestion. It is considered to be “damp” in Chinese Medicine, meaning it is mucous producing and creates accumulation in the system, slowing metabolism and inhibiting weight loss.

One of the best foods for detoxing is leafy green vegetables such as kale, spinach and chard. These vegetables contain chlorophyll which helps to remove harmful toxins from the liver and digestive system. Additionally, they are rich in vitamins and minerals that support overall health.

Another important food for detoxing is garlic. Garlic contains allicin which helps to boost liver function by eliminating harmful substances from the bloodstream. It also has antibacterial properties that help to fight off infections in the body. Incorporating garlic into your diet can be as simple as adding it to salads or using it as a seasoning in your cooking.

These are the perfect lifestyle changes to start today to optimize your health and re-spark your energy! If you are looking for assistance in regaining your health and reducing your risk of disease we can offer guidance and other options in our office to help you succeed. We are a comprehensive wellness center offering Acupuncture, Functional Medicine, Holistic Nutrition, Lab testing and Hypnotherapy. Please call our office today to let us help you feel AWESOME again!

The post Easy Ways How to Detox with Foods Alone! appeared first on Dr Zhou’s Acupuncture Clinic in Madison and Milwaukee Wisconsin.

Chinese herbs can help you lower cholesterol naturally without the use of pharmaceuticals. If you are already on cholesterol-lowering drugs, you have the option to address the root causes of your high cholesterol naturally. This may lead to being able to reduce or eliminate taking cholesterol-lowering drugs if you work with your doctor while being treated by us.

In Chinese medicine, I like to class high cholesterol in the following 3 stages, each stage presents slightly differently and we use slightly different herbs to address high cholesterol depending on your case.

Three Stages of High Cholesterol

Mildy High Cholesterol: Stage 1 is Dampness
Your cholesterol is starting to creep up, and you may have slight to moderate weight gain. You are concerned, but not enough to change your diet or start taking drugs for it. In Chinese Medicine, we consider this stage an excess of dampness.

​Moderately High Cholesterol – Stage 2 is Phlegm

Your cholesterol is definitely too high, and you have gained a lot of weight or already are carrying a significant weight gain. Your doctor wants you on statins and you either are taking them or are considering it. In Chinese Medicine, at this stage, the excess dampness has thickened and turned into “phlegm”.

Severely High Cholesterol – Stage 3 is Blood Stasis
You have high cholesterol and are probably taking a statin or other drug to control it, but you have not changed anything to address the root cause, you are just treating the symptoms. When excessive amounts of cholesterol are present in the body, they may deposit on the inside lining of arteries, leading to a number of coronary heart disorders and/or fatty liver, or other cardiovascular diseases. This is what we call “blood stasis” in Chinese Medicine.

Chinese Herbs to Lower Cholesterol

There are several Chinese herbs that can help lower cholesterol naturally. There is a science to back up the efficacy of Chinese herbs in treating high cholesterol. You can check out the abstract on one research study of the herbs listed below here.

Shan Zha
Shan zha (hawthorn fruit), treats high cholesterol as well as hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary artery disorders, and angina. It improves blood circulation and promotes the digestion of red meat and greasy, fatty foods.

Jue Ming Zi
Jue ming zi (cassia seed), reduces high cholesterol and atherosclerosis. It has a diuretic effect and lowers blood pressure. Studies show that 98 percent of subjects with high cholesterol were within the normal range after six weeks of treatment with jue ming zi.

Ze Xie
Ze xie (Oriental water plantain rhizome) is good for dampness and phlegm because it has a diuretic effect, regulating water circulation and reducing edema. It helps you to lower cholesterol, reduces arteriosclerosis and treats fatty liver. Ze xie may also help lower blood pressure and reduce dizziness and vertigo.

Dan Shen
Dan Shen (salvia m) removes blood stasis and promotes blood circulation, as well as relieving pain and restlessness. Dan Shen is widely used to treat patients with coronary artery disease in China.

In conclusion, Chinese herbs offer an excellent, natural way to lower cholesterol levels. Not only are these remedies effective but they are also quite economical and easy to obtain. As with any health treatment, however, it is important to speak with your physician before beginning a course of Chinese herbs or other natural remedies. With proper monitoring and guidance from a medical professional, you can lower your cholesterol levels naturally and safely with Chinese herbs.

The post Easy Ways to Lower Cholesterol Naturally with Chinese Herbs appeared first on Dr Zhou’s Acupuncture Clinic in Madison and Milwaukee Wisconsin.

Here are some helpful tips that you can help to optimize the health of your Thyroid:

1. Remove Processed Foods.

We strongly recommend that our patients start off by removing all processed foods, sugar and gluten from their diet. We know that processed foods are filled with anti-nutrients such as chemicals and preservatives.

These ingredients burden the thyroid health, an endocrine gland that is very sensitive to any toxins. As for sugar, balancing our blood sugar becomes a key goal in helping the thyroid health and to function optimally.

The research on gluten has shown us that it can be a major factor in auto-immune diseases, especially Hashimoto’s. The data suggest that the molecular structure of gluten very closely resembles thyroid tissue, and the body starts attacking it in response to gluten exposure.

2. Eat Sea Vegetables Twice a Week.

Sea vegetables are a very good source of food-based iodine. This is important for proper thyroid health function. This can be done by adding a piece of Kombu to a pot of beans or soup during cooking. Sprinkle kelp granules over salads or hot dishes as you would use salt. Use nori as a wrap (instead of gluten-containing wraps).

3. Eat Butter. Don’t be afraid of using butter.

The endocrine system loves organic grass-fed butter. After decades of butter-bashing, it’s high time we look at butter for what it is – the forgotten superfood!
a.) CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid, which helps reduce belly fat, protects against cancer and encourages muscle growth
b.) Vitamin A to help maintain thyroid health, adrenal and cardiovascular health
c. )Vitamin K2 to support bone density and possibly reverse arterial calcification
d.) Vitamin A, D and E, all key anti-oxidants that are essential to good health
e. )Key health supporting nutrients and minerals including lecithin, selenium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iodine and more


The best butter to buy is raw organic and grass-fed. Not surprisingly, butter produced from pasture or grass-fed animals – those animals who feast on leafy greens every day — will be higher in nutrients than butter from factory-farmed animals raised on cheap, nutrient-free GMO “feedstuffs,” grains and antibiotics. Kerry Gold is easy to find grass-fed butter.

4. Cook your Cruciferous Vegetables.

Raw Cruciferous veggies, such as kale, Brussel sprouts, cabbage cauliflower, and broccoli contain goitrogens. Goitrogens are substances (whether in drugs, chemicals, or foods) that disrupt the production of thyroid hormones by interfering with iodine uptake in the thyroid gland.

Women with thyroid health problems definitely should not avoid them — instead, enjoy them steamed or cooked, as the heat alters the isothiocyanates’ molecular structure and eliminates the goitrogenic effect.

5. Eat Slowly……Chew Your Food Well.

Because your Thyroid is the Master of your metabolism, we want to eat slowly and without stress so that your thyroid can have time to send the correct messages to the rest of your digestive system. It is the Thyroid that sends signals to the stomach, pancreas, and small intestine to start producing hydrochloric acid, digestive enzymes and to start the process of peristalsis.

Because the Thyroid is located right in the throat area, it literally connects the body and the mind. If you rush while you are eating food, it moves too quickly from your mouth to your stomach.

This does not allow enough time for the proper communication to take place. This is a major contributor to the digestive dysfunction that we see in our practice.
thyroid health has a direct correlation to complaints such as bloating, gas, burping, and constipation.

6. Do Yoga!!

For a long time now research has supported the practice of yoga for improving many aspects of our health. There has been a particular focus on yoga and thyroid health as well. There are many yoga asanas (poses) that support and stimulate thyroid function as well as the entire endocrine system.

Shoulder stand and/or Supported shoulder stand are especially beneficial for stimulating the thyroid gland. We recommend to that our patients start to incorporate thyroid-specific asanas into their daily routine. As little as 10 minutes a day has been to show to improve thyroid health function.

7. Find Your True Voice

As we have pointed out, anatomically the Thyroid gland is located in the throat. This is the epicenter of our ability to communicate. Often times we find that we “hold down” our thoughts, feelings, and needs. It can be very healing for us to learn to speak our truth with love, kindness, and compassion. Working with a facilitator who teaches Non-Violent Communication skills can be a wonderful way to learn this skill of finding our voice.

People who practice NVC have found greater authenticity in their communication, increased understanding, deepening connection, and conflict resolution.

8. Support Your Adrenals

The Thyroid gland and the Adrenal Glands have a mutually dependent relationship. When one of these glands is overburdened or under-functioning it affects the other immediately. It is important for people suffering from any thyroid disorder to find out the status of their adrenal function.

There cannot be the resolution of thyroid health without supporting and correcting Adrenal dysfunction. In our practice, we often do a saliva test called an ASI ( adrenal stress index ) to determine if we need to support the Adrenal Glands.

The post Thyroid Health: Holistic tips for improving health appeared first on Dr Zhou’s Acupuncture Clinic in Madison and Milwaukee Wisconsin.