• • Eat more green, colorful, leafy vegetables – Vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, chard and other commonly found vegetables have a multitude of antioxidant effects, minerals and other nutritive value that everyone can benefit from.
    Chinese medicine dietary theory emphasizes eating slightly cooking vegetables, not raw, as light sauteing or stir-frying can make digestion and absorption easier.

• Reduce or eliminate processed sugars from your diet – High sugar intake is now known to cause inflammation in the body, as well as lead to the well-known issues of insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus. Chinese medicine describes sugar as harming the Spleen, which helps absorb nutrients from food (basically the digestive system) as well as distribute fluids throughout the body.
  Keeping your Spleen system healthy is one of the main objectives in maintaining a healthy body and mind.
• Switch from coffee to green tea– If you really need that “pick-me-up” in the morning, green tea is the way to go over coffee.  Coffee’s vasoconstrictive qualities can lead to health problems in the long run, like hypertension, and increasing anxiety and heightening our reaction to stress.
  Green tea, whereas it does have some caffeine estimated at about the same amount as a similar-sized cup of decaffeinated coffee, the antioxidant and other herbal effects are more beneficial to people than coffee.
• Go for a walk with co-workers on work breaks – The benefits of work breaks and movement throughout the day have recently been shown to be very important to overall health.
  I’m sure many people have seen the studies showing sitting even 1 hour per day is detrimental to health.  Help offset these effects by taking an active work break at least once daily, or more times if possible.
• Schedule time for relaxation and time for yourself – Everyone can benefit from taking their minds off the stress of their work week, or simply taking 30 minutes to lie down and do nothing. Carve some time out of your week to nurture yourself, as often as possible. Downtime can help you be more productive.
• Use at least one wellness treatment to help prevent illness – A holistic health care system like Traditional Chinese Medicine, such as the Natural Health & Fertility Center offers, stresses the importance of illness prevention. These systems often can detect and treat imbalance before there are symptoms.
  Treatment often involves acupuncture, herbal supplements, dietary suggestions and other self-help approaches to help you maintain your health. Treatment plans for helping maintain health vary by the individual, but can include weekly treatments during allergy season, to quarterly check-ins to help the body through the seasonal adjustments our bodies make throughout the year. Call at 608-236-9000 for a free consultation about health prevention.
• Try to get a good night’s sleep whenever possible – The real reasons we sleep, or how sleep affects our health, has not been well known until some recent studies have revealed sleep benefits the brain and memory, influences weight loss, and many other reasons.
  Some people look at sleep as a nuisance, and could supposedly get by on very little, whereas others cannot function without it.  Knowing now that the brain needs sleep to flush out wastes from an active day contributes even more to the other important reasons that sleep is very important to maintaining health. Don’t look at sleep as annoying, look at it as a way to nurture your best self and health, even as a way of extending your life!
• Join a tai ji or similar approach like yoga that focuses on teaching breathing techniques – Breath is vital to the health of everyone, in fact the Chinese word qi (氣) is closely tied to air and breath. Approaches to regulating and benefiting the breath can help us respond in better ways to stress and help us live fuller, healthier lives.
  Tilopa Tai Chi Qigong Center is a great local organization where you can learn taiji. The Faith, Health & Wellness Center’s own Yoga Sanctuary in the Solomon’s Porch building offers a wide variety of yoga approaches to fit everyone’s needs.
• Keep laughter around you– Laughter has been shown to have many short term and long term effects on the body, from deactivating the stress response and improving relaxation, to actually improving immunity, relieving pain, and improving overall mood. Find more ways and time to laugh in your life, and be healthier as a result!
• Massage acupuncture point Stomach 36 every day – Massaging this specific acupoint located just below the knees, is something suggested by Chinese medicine to help promote health and longevity.

The post 10 things you can do to improve your health right now appeared first on Dr Zhou’s Acupuncture Clinic in Madison and Milwaukee Wisconsin.

Western medicine offers various pharmaceuticals like Ambien, which could potentially cause side effects like depression, dizziness, difficulty breathing, unusual excitement or irritability, and even rebound insomnia.

What Happens During Sleep & What Can Affect Sleep?

According to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, sleep is an important function for cell repair and growth, and creates balance and homeostasis within the body. Sleep was once considered a time when your body and mind “turn off,” and science has proved otherwise. Some processes are most active during sleep, such as the increase of growth hormone. Muscle growth, tissue repair, and protein synthesis also occur during sleep.

Stress is the biggest factor that I see in practice that interferes with people’s sleep. Overthinking, worry, fear, and anxiety can disrupt and disturb your sleep. Our bodies are programmed to respond in stressful situations, so if you are stressed, your body prevents itself from going into deep sleep as a protective mechanism.

Pain is the second biggest factor, where pain prohibits you from sleeping in certain positions or the severity of pain actually wakes you up. Medications such as beta-blockers or antidepressants, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, hormones, diet and exercise can also affect your sleep cycles.

Sleep and Disease Risk:

Harvard Medical School Division of Sleep Medicine explains that lack of sleep on a regular basis is linked to many long-term health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

Obesity: People who sleep 8 hours have the lowest BMI (body mas index), and those who sleep 6 hours or less have higher BMI’s. Poor sleep leads to an imbalance of important hormones that balance the control of appetite, energy metabolism and glucose processing. It leads to an increase in the production of cortisol, or the “stress hormone.”

It also increases insulin release after a meal, which is responsible for glucose metabolism and fat storage. Lack of sleep is linked to lower levels of leptin, a hormone that tells your brain you’ve had enough food, and higher levels of ghrelin, a biochemical that stimulates appetite. All of this can lead to food cravings and overeating.

Diabetes: Researchers have found lack of sleep linked to Type 2 diabetes because it influences the way the body processes glucose (the carbohydrate that cells use for fuel). Numerous studies have found that adults who sleep less than 5 hours per night have an increased risk of having or developing diabetes.


Heart Disease and Hypertension: Studies have shown that even 1 night of poor sleep in someone who already has high blood pressure can cause elevated blood pressure the entire next day. Studies have also shown too little (less than 6 hours) or too much (more than 9 hours) can increase the risk of heart disease in women.

Mood Disorders: Chronic bad sleep can potentially lead to long-term mood disorders, and have been linked to depression, anxiety, and mental distress.

Immune Function: Substances produced by the immune system to help fight infection also cause fatigue, so it makes sense to sleep more when you are sick. It is believed that during sleep you are better able to fight the infection. Lack of sleep can inhibit these processes and may take longer to get well.

Four Ways to Master Sleep

1) Acupuncture:

There is not one “prescription” for sleep problems or insomnia in Chinese Medicine. Instead, we look at the symptoms and factors of each individual as a whole and treat the pattern. Symptoms arise if there is an imbalance somewhere in your body.

We use points on specific channels and specific organ systems to help correct that imbalance. The idea is by allowing the energy in the channels to be unblocked or re-directed, your body will correct itself, and your sleep patterns will be resolved.

The great thing about acupuncture is there are no side effects. Most people also report less stress overall. Acupuncture literally calms your nervous system, reduces cortisol, and regulates proper hormone and biochemical function.

A 2004 study showed that in patients with anxiety, acupuncture increased nighttime melatonin production and total sleep time, fell asleep faster, and were less restless during the night.

A 2008 study concluded that acupuncture plus medication was superior to medication alone for insomnia.

2) Sleep Herbs:

Many people underestimate the power of herbs. Herbal medicine has been around for thousands of years, and the University of Maryland Medical Center explains how ¼ of all prescription drugs come from botanicals. Many clinical trials are emerging showing their effectiveness, and some countries in Europe even classify herbs as drugs and are regulated.

Similar to acupuncture, TCM uses a variety of herbal formulas for different patterns of sleep. Depending on the root of the problem, people with insomnia will have various symptoms such as trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and/or waking up early, which call for different herbs to re-regulate their circadian cycle.

One of my favorite sleep formulas is a variation of Suan Zao Ren Tang, which helps with trouble falling asleep and promotes a calm and restful mind. Consult with your acupuncturist about either recommending a good formula for you or customizing a blend of herbs to fit your needs.

NOW® Sleep : My favorite sleep herb formula that I take every day! It has Valerian, Hops, GABA, and passionflower – Western herbs that are all really great to promote restful, deep, good sleep.


Chamomile is a sedative herb that helps with restlessness and irritability, especially in kids. Chamomile tea is the most common, while the oil can be diluted and used in a bath or massage oil.

Hops (found in beer) has long been used for sleeplessness, nervousness, and is often added to other herbal formulas for sleep. They also make hops pillows! For fun, you can always make your own.

Lavender: I always use lavender oil in my practice for its calming and soothing effects. You can make a bedtime spray out of a few drops of lavender oil mixed with water and spray on your sheets before bed. You can also massage your feet using lavender oil which will have a grounding and calming effect.

Passion flower, Valerian, and Kava Kava: used on their own or often combined with other herbs and are great for insomnia caused by nervous exhaustion, trouble falling asleep, mental worry, and restlessness.

3) Sleep Supplements:

Dr. Hyman MD describes magnesium as the “most powerful relaxation mineral available.” It is responsible for over 300 enzyme reactions found in all of your tissues, but mostly bones, muscles and your brain. Most people are deficient in magnesium because our typical diet lacks enough seaweeds, nuts, greens, and beans. Most people can take 400-1000mg per day. The most absorbable forms are magnesium citrate, glycinate taurate, or aspartate. Avoid the others which are the cheapest and found and found in most supplements.

* Supplement Tip! One that is highly advertised for sleep, but that I don’t really recommend that often is a melatonin supplement. Melatonin is what your body naturally produces to control your sleep-wake cycle. However, I’ve found that for many people (not all, but many), melatonin only works initially: for 1-2 weeks or if you are jet-lagged. In the long-term, it can put you to sleep initially, but it actually wakes you up, and you are so wide awake you are unable to fall back asleep.
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• Potassium as an important complement with magnesium. This also helps with nighttime leg cramps! Citrate or potassium bicarbonate are recommended. Don’t megadose on this one – all potassium supplements affect the heart, but 100-200mg is safe for most people. Consult your health practitioner.
• GABA is what your brain uses to shut itself down, so it’s really great to use for relaxation before bedtime.

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4) Night-Time Environment & Routine

These three were the last addition to my list, but by no means the least important.

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• Screen Off Rule: You need to phase out your day from blue-screens from computers, phones, and ipads that mess up your melatonin production, and prevent you from getting sound sleep. I turn off or turn down all lights an hour before sleep and turn off all screens 30 minutes before sleep. This really helps my body get ready for bed. I have zero electronics in my bedroom.
• Black out Curtains: I have also recently purchased black out curtains, which makes my room completely pitch black when I sleep, and allows my body to feel like it should be asleep, and not awake with outside lights.
• Temperature control: Your body sleeps better when its comfortable. Although this may vary from person to person, most people sleep better in cooler temperatures. Get a fan and/or a temperature topper on your mattress to keep it cool and comfortable.

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Seems like a lot of changes, but trust me a few small shifts will make a world of difference. Don’t get intimidated by the suggestions, but pick one or two to start with that resonate with you. Like most things, it’s the culmination of many things, versus one single thing, that gives you the result you are looking for. In a nutshell, reduce stress and pain, customize your night-time routine, eat well and promote a lifestyle that supports a good sleep system, and be open to trying a few supplements along the way.

The post Four Ways to Master Your Sleep appeared first on Dr Zhou’s Acupuncture Clinic in Madison and Milwaukee Wisconsin.

However, many people may not realize that their diet plays a crucial role in boosting their immune system. Incorporating certain foods into your daily routine can help to strengthen your immune response and keep you healthy. Winter often brings on sniffles, coughs and sometimes the flu. Beyond a flu vaccination, what else can you do to stay healthy?

Food That Fight Illness and Boost Your Immune System

As the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to take steps to ensure our immune system is in optimal shape. One of the most effective ways to do this is by consuming foods that are known to boost your immune system. Here are some of the top foods you can add to your diet to help you boost your immune system a much-needed boost.

One of the best ways to boost your immune system is by eating fruits and vegetables high in Vitamin C such as oranges, grapefruit, kiwi, red bell peppers, spinach etc. This vitamin helps to increase the production of white blood cells which are responsible for fighting off infections in the body. Additionally, including garlic in your diet can also help strengthen immunity as it has anti-microbial properties that fight bacteria and viruses.

Antioxidants help stabilize free radicals, which can damage the body’s cells and compromise the immune system. Different fruits and vegetables contain different types of antioxidants, so it’s important to eat a colorful variety, Farnsworth says. Stock up on green leafy vegetables, broccoli, garlic, citrus fruit and berries. Dark berries such as blueberries are especially potent, antioxidant powerhouses.


Vitamin C can help protect you from infection by stimulating the formation of antibodies and boosting immunity. Although vitamin C can’t prevent colds, it may help shorten your cold and make the symptoms milder. So incorporate citrus foods such as oranges and tangerines in your meals. Red bell peppers, papayas, strawberries and tomatoes are also rich sources of vitamin C. Get creative. Put them in salads or enjoy as them as a snack.

Vitamin A (beta carotene) helps keep your skin and tissues healthy. This can help protect you from infections that get in through cuts in your skin. Vitamin A is found in sweet potatoes, carrots, kale and spinach, among other foods.

Vitamin E helps the immune system fight off bacteria and viruses. In addition, vitamin E helps widen blood vessels and prevents blood clots. Vitamin E is found in vegetable oils, nuts, sunflower seeds, greens such as chard, spinach and broccoli, as well as in pumpkin, papaya and mangos.

Be Wary of Supplements
It’s so much easier to pop a vitamin tablet than to eat a healthy diet and exercise. Yet few studies validate the effectiveness of supplements. For example, a major study that reviewed 60 years of published scientific data on the effects of vitamin C tablets on the immune system concluded the tablets offered no benefit in preventing influenza.


Another popular supplement, Super Chlorella, boasts of including all the vitamins and antioxidants needed to strengthen the immune system and prevent the flu. Unfortunately, there is no scientific data to back this up. The same thing goes for many other supplements such as elderberries, garlic tablets and Echinacea.

Despite their contents, supplements don’t mimic all of the nutrients in whole fruits and vegetables. Substituting an orange with a Vitamin C tablet simply doesn’t have the same health benefits.

In general, your best bet is to eat a balanced diet so the immune system-boosting nutrients you need come from real food, Farnsworth says. “If you’re not sure, see a dietitian to find out which nutrients you’re lacking,” she suggests, “and what you can eat to get that nutrient in your diet.”

And don’t forget to exercise and get enough rest. A healthy diet, adequate sleep, and regular exercise have been scientifically proven to reduce inflammatory markers.

In conclusion, there is a wide range of foods that can help to boost your immune system. Eating a balanced diet full of nutrient-dense and antioxidant-rich food will help support your body’s natural defense against illness. Incorporating foods like yogurt, mushrooms, citrus fruits, garlic, leafy green vegetables, nuts, and seeds into your regular diet can help provide key vitamins and minerals that are essential to boost your immune health.

The post Unbelievable Foods to Boost Your Immune System appeared first on Dr Zhou’s Acupuncture Clinic in Madison and Milwaukee Wisconsin.