There is so much written these days about food…which foods are good for us…which foods are bad.  And then, the ones that we thought were good for us turn out to be bad, and vice versa.  There are so many contradictions…it’s all very confusing.  Wouldn’t it be great if there were a system of selecting foods that made some sense?

Well fortunately, there are two excellent systems.  And guess what?  They’re over 2000 years old!  The dietary medical systems of ancient China and India are very similar and not only appeal to our common sense but provide deep insight into the subtle mysteries of the human body.

According to both of these ancient medical systems, foods are not labeled as “good” or “bad”.  On the contrary, any food can be good or bad, depending on who’s eating it.  We’ve all had this experience in our everyday life. Two people go out for dinner at an Indian Restaurant and have the spicy Lamb Vindaloo. One of them sleeps like a baby all night and the other is tossing and turning with heartburn.   The next week the same two friends decide to splurge on a triple ice cream sundae.  The one with heartburn the week before, sleeps soundly and wakes up feeling fine.  But the one who had no problem with the spicy Lamb, sleeps poorly and wakes up with abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Let’s apply some of our own common sense with the ancient wisdom of the East and see if we can solve some of the current contradictions in nutrition. For example, what about a raw foods? Are they good for us or not?  Well, again, the question we need to ask is, “Who’s eating them?”  For someone with a strong digestion and plenty of internal heat, a raw foods diet is fine.  Likewise, if someone is heavy or has accumulated toxins from the environment or improper diet, raw foods could be helpful for a period of time. But for people who are cold, thin and deficient in their constitution or who are weak from a recent or chronic illness, raw foods will only aggravate their condition.

What about fats?  Are they good for us or not? Again, let’s first look at the person who is eating.  If a person has high cholesterol or tends to be over weight, it is common knowledge that fats need to be reduced or avoided until the condition improves.  But if a person is thin, and has normal or low cholesterol, fats, and especially the right kind of fats are very important to restore or maintain good health.

What about alcohol?  Is a glass of wine good for us or not?  Well, traditionally, wine is warming in quality.  If we already have a lot of internal heat, alcohol will only serve to create an imbalance or aggravate an existing imbalance.  But if we have a larger frame and an even internal temperature, a little wine can aid the digestion and enhance our health.

As a general rule, people who have fair skin, thin hair, ruddy complexion or athletic build tend to have plenty of internal heat and need to be more careful about inflammation.  For these individuals, it is recommended that they avoid hot spicy foods such as garlic and cayenne and maintain adequate intake of fluids and Omega-3 fatty acids.  A diet rich in vegetables, fruits and some dairy is ideal.  Fried foods and alcohol are not a good idea for these people.

People who have a thin frame, are frequently cold, have dry skin and a nervous disposition need more warmth and moisture.  These individuals will do better with a warm diet of well cooked foods, heavier protein and more fats.  A vegan diet or raw foods can make this person very uncomfortable and aggravate their imbalance. Likewise, coffee and alcohol can be too stimulating for this person’s sensitive nervous system.

People who have large frames or who naturally gain weight easily and have a slow and even disposition and oily skin, also have an abundance of moisture and  tend to accumulate dampness and mucous easily.  These individuals do well on a fresh juice or a raw foods diet and respond well to more stimulation in their diet with warm spices like ginger, cayenne and garlic, all in moderate amounts.  A moderate amount of alcohol and coffee are well tolerated by a person in this category.

What about exercise.  Is it good?  And if so, how come some people can easily add it to their daily routine and others can’t seem to get going? In general, it is important to move the body and stretch the muscles every day.  In doing so, we help the circulation of energy and fluids and assist the body in the elimination of toxins and waste.  Yet it is important to moderate our exercise in order to fit our body type and any particular imbalance that may exist.  For example, if a person has a large build or feels cold most of the time, vigorous daily exercise with ample perspiration is usually beneficial.  Bicycling, jogging or any other aerobic exercise program is appropriate.  But if a person has a thin build or feels warm most of the time, heavy perspiration may deplete body fluids that are already deficient.  In this case, light exercises such as walking, swimming, Qi Gong or Tai Qi are more appropriate.  Likewise, if we have a serious health condition, it is important to exercise carefully and not over do it.

There are hundreds of choices we make every day about what to eat, how to exercise, how to respond to our environment, etc.  Unfortunately, it is impossible to design a formula that will fit everyone because, we are all unique and have different needs.  What is important is that we get to know our own bodies and what works for us.  The general principle in the ancient medicine of China and India is that “like increases like”.  In other words, foods or activities that share the same qualities of a particular imbalance will increase or aggravate that imbalance.  Likewise, foods or activities having the opposite qualities will help to restore balance.

From this perspective, it is important for us to get to know some basic facts about ourselves.  Do we feel warm most of the time or cold?  Do we tend to gain weight easily or do we tend to be thin? Is our skin moist and oily or dry.  Do we feel calm and even tempered most of the time or are we easily excited and have trouble turning off our minds.  If we are warm and have a strong digestion, favor foods that feel cooling to our system.  If we are dry, favor foods that are moist and contain essential fats.  If we tend to gain weight easily, favor foods that are light and stimulating (spicy).  If we are mentally nervous, favor foods that are heavy and more grounding.

It may take some time to develop an understanding of our unique body type.  And a lot of trial and error is a natural part of the process.  But if we can learn about our body and choose foods and activities that actually support our health and happiness, the benefits will be enormous and life long.

If you are interested in the idea of food as medicine, and want to learn more, here are some excellent books to hang out with:

Staying Healthy with the Seasons, Elson Haas, M.D., Ten Speed Press

Healing with Whole Foods, Paul Pitchford; North Atlantic Books

The TAO of Healthy Eating, Bob Flaws, Blue Poppy Press

Perfect Health, Deepak Chopra, M.D., Harmony BooksEating for

When we have physical problems, we naturally look for help so we can feel well again.  But in the confusing maze of therapies and supplements, all of which emphasize our physical needs, we often forget to look inside to our spiritual and emotional needs.  In so many cases, our physical pain is a reflection of deeper conflicts that are seeking to be resolved.  I know this has been the case in my own life and I have seen it with many of my patients.  In the west in particular, the very nature of modern life makes inner conflict almost unavoidable.

Inner conflict or spiritual disharmony…what does this mean?  It simply means that we are not in harmony with ourselves.  Our bodies and minds are going in one direction, but on a deeper level, we really want to go a different way.  As a result, our energy is flowing against itself and in the process, we are burning up valuable Life energy that could be used to heal our bodies and to move our lives forward in a positive direction.

There are many types of inner or spiritual conflicts – certainly more than can be covered in this article.  But if this notion rings a bell, here are some basic questions that are always worth asking.

1) Are our relationships healthy?  Do the people we spend time with bring out the best in us?  Do we like who we are when we are with them?

2) Are our emotions healthy?  Anger, resentment, envy, guilt and fear can poison us more deeply and more profoundly that toxic substances we might ingest in our food or drink.

3) Is our behavior healthy?  Our actions have an even more profound effect on us than our emotions.  If we act out of impulse or negative emotions, we not only suffer immediately with regret, but also later when the result of that action comes back to us.

Inner conflicts like these profoundly affect our physiology.  First they drain or block our vital energy.  It takes energy to go against ourselves.  Also, negative emotions create a lot of tension in the body, which blocks the natural flow of Life giving energy.  Second, negative emotions and conflicts change the chemistry in our bodies, create toxins and actually accelerate the aging process.

Often, just seeing the inner conflict is enough to resolve it.  Just seeing that we are harming ourselves is enough to stop the cycle.  It can be that simple and that quick.  But if we find that we are unable to resolve the conflict or stop the damaging behavior, then we need to seek help from family, friends, from our spiritual practice or from a professional counselor or therapist.  Also, acupuncture can be very supportive in helping to balance the emotions and break destructive behavior patterns.

In every moment, our behavior, our speech and our emotions offer an opportunity to nourish us or to generate toxins within us.  Whenever we have a physical problem and the cause is not something obvious, we all need to survey our inner landscape and if necessary make whatever changes are needed to bring us back into harmony with our selves and our destiny.

Many scholars believe that acupuncture evolved out of the ancient Chinese practice of bloodletting and that it did not appear on the scene in its present form until after the first century A.D.  While archeological evidence supports this conclusion, it fails to acknowledge the influence of India and Tibet during that time.  In spite of the geographical barriers, it’s a fact that the peoples of China, India and Tibet have exchanged goods, technology since history began.

In his book, Tao and Dharma, Robert Svoboda points out that texts on Ayurveda (the ancient medicine of India) were spread throughout China not only with the arrival of the Buddhist monks during the first century A. D., but in fact, much earlier.  For example, the Chinese surgeon Hua Tuo (110 – 208 A. D.) is recorded as the first physician in China to use a decoction of hemp as surgical anesthesia.  Yet Ayurveda was using surgery with hemp anesthesia as early as 600 B. C.  Mr. Svoboda goes on to show many other similarities in medicine, religion, astrology and art between India and China, some dating back to 400 B. C.

In his book, The Lost Secrets of Ayurvedic Acupuncture, Dr. Frank Ros writes that the ancient Ayurvedic text Suchi Veda is translated as “the art of piercing with a needle” and deals entirely with acupuncture. Dr. Ros goes on to point out that the terms “needling” and “burning” (moxibustion) were utilized by Charaka, the ancient Ayurvedic physician, not only with reference to surgery but also to non-surgical medical modalities.  Likewise, the ancient Tibetan text, 4^th Shastra, states that Tibet received knowledge of Acupuncture and herbal medicine from India.

If these influences from India did in fact occur, why have scholars largely ignored Ayurvedic literature in their search for the roots of acupuncture in China?  One possible explanation is that the ancient Ayurvedic texts refer to their use of acupuncture in the category of surgery and the acupuncture terminology is not distinct from surgical terminology.  In contrast, the Chinese texts separate the two modalities into two distinct arts with separate terminology.

From the the connections drawn by these two scholars, it’s apparent that Chinese Medicine evolved during a period when there was considerable influence from India. It’s even possible that the practice of acupuncture itself originated in India and was brought to China during the period from 600 to 400 BC.

Most people who come to my acupuncture clinic in Portland, OR are expecting to be treated with needles. Most people don’t realize that there are several non-needle techniques, which are frequently used by acupuncturists. In fact, an acupuncturist will sometimes do a complete treatment without using a single needle.

One of the most common of these “non-needle” techniques is moxibustion, a form of heat therapy in which the dried herb Mugwort (artemisia vulgaris), is burned on, or near, the skin in order to stimulate and warm specific points and to trigger a number of healing reactions. Moxibustion is at least as old as acupuncture, with records of the practice dating back many centuries B.C. Although it may sound painful, moxibustion actually feels very comfortable for most patients and the therapeutic effects are significant.

Japanese scientists have found that stimulation from moxibustion, at specific points, can dramatically boost the body’s immunity and trigger other profound healing effects. In clinical practice, we find that moxibustion is effective for painful or stiff muscles and joints, arthritis and certain auto-immune disorders. In addition, I have found that moxibustion lifts the spirits and is very effective for many types of depression or fatigue.

Another important tool of the acupuncturist is cupping: the application of suction or vacuum cups to the surface of the body. Like moxibustion, cupping goes back thousands of years.  Cups are small glass bowls (1″ to 3″ in diameter) which are applied to the body with vacuum suction.  The vacuum is created either by means of heating the air inside the cup or by mechanical pump.  The suction from the cup causes the blood to gather at a particular site near the surface of the body, thus affecting circulation.

Nothing helps to relax stiff and tight muscles faster and more deeply than cupping. Also, cupping influences the function of the internal organs and is indicated for a wide array of digestive or gynecological problems which are caused by blood stagnation. For example, if a patient is suffering from congestion in the lungs or abdominal cramps, cupping will bring almost immediate relief.

Finally, shiatsu is perhaps the most common non-needle technique used my acupuncturists. Many people think shiatsu is a form of massage, but actually it’s quite different. Shiatsu consists of rhythmic, single point pressure applied with the hands and fingers, along the traditional “Qi” energy meridians of the body. Shiatsu is simple, safe, non-invasive and at the same time, very helpful in the treatment of many common disorders of our modern society.

Based on research in Japan, it has been documented that shiatsu helps to calm the sympathetic nervous system and improve the function of the muscles, nerves, blood vessels, lymph nodes, endocrine glands and internal organs. In addition, it has been shown that shiatsu assists the body in eliminating toxins and metabolic waste.

So, for readers who might be attracted to acupuncture but are nervous about needles, moxibustion and cupping are some of the alternative methods that an acupuncturist might use. And who knows?  After you experience some of the benefits of these ancient techniques, you may want to try the needles.

About 8 months ago, I learned Pan Gu Shengong. This is a particular form of qi gong which was founded by master Wen Wei Ou. After practicing this simple exercise for 8 months, my health has improved, my sleep is better, my mood lighter and more even. As a licensed provider of acupuncture and shiatsu in Portland, I recommend Pan Gu Shengong to all my clients. It’s easy to learn and only takes about 20 minutes a day in order to maintain your practice.

Qi gong is a system of energy cultivation which serves to achieve an innate balance of energy in the body and mind. Qi gong formally appeared in China around 400 BCE. According to Master Ou, qi gong “is an effective way to absorb Qi from the universe, including core energy and basic elements (the fundamental particulate materials essential to life), which fight disease and improve health.”

There are several teachers of Pan Gu Shengong in greater Portland. For more information on Pan Gu Shengong, call Peggy O’Donnell at 360-693-9450, or go to http://www.pangu.org

As an acupuncturist in Portland, Oregon, I am constantly reminded of the fact that health care in the U.S. is badly broken. Currently, the U.S. has per-capita health care costs many times higher than other industrialized countries. At the same time, the general health of our citizens is declining. We rank 6th in infant mortality and 1st in obesity. The answer is not in universal health insurance or reducing doctors compensation or capping malpractice liability. The answer lies in public education and a return to public responsibility. We as citizens must take a greater role in our own health.

My whole philosophy is to teach and support my clients to become more independent regarding their health care. I spend a lot of time emphasizing diet, lifestyle, home remedies and physical therapy that my clients can do on their own in order to improve their overall health and well being.

Over the last 40 years, westerners, and Americans in particular, have become lazy with regard to their health care. They’ve become dependent on practitioners and pharmaceutical drugs to solve all their problems. And the Naturopathic movement that has emerged over the last 25 years, seems to have fallen into this same well established rut, merely substituting herbs and supplements for pharmaceutical drugs. The underlying belief is that we don’t really need to change the way we live and our relationship with our bodies. All we need to do is to take a bunch of pills and we can continue with the same self destructive patterns to which we’ve become accustomed.

For these same reasons, I’ve become increasingly skeptical of the supplement industry. It’s now approaching a trillion $$ industry and the mark up on many supplements is indefensible. In spite of all this huge amount of money and energy going into “Natural Healing”, I don’t see people getting any better. True herbal medicine certainly has a place in health care, as do pharmaceutical drugs. But these are for short term application, in order to correct a specific imbalance. Not for long term use, or a substitute for proper nutrition.

If we are to create a sustainable public health program, it will depend on mass education about health maintenance and disease prevention. This means understanding about proper nutrition and the importance of exercise as well as learning to avoid things that we now know are toxic such as tobacco, drugs, excessive alcohol, trans fats and sugars.

But education alone is not enough. Health care professionals will have to change the way they provide care. They’ll have to spend more time with their patients and not rely on expensive tests to take the place of old fashion physical examination and diagnosis.

Government and health care administrators will have to find more ways to incorporate alternative and complimentary medicine such as acupuncture, herbal medicine and naturopathic modalities. These natural methods have been used for centuries to address many health problems and are very cost effective. Greater use of alternative medicine, where it has proven to be effective, could save billions $$ every year.

Congress will have to get involved and tackle the difficult taks of rationing medicine, allocating our resources where it best serves the public interest. From a legal perspective, we need a no-fault liability system so that people are adequately compensated for medical mistakes without putting undue stress on the providers.

All of us as citizens and health care professionals have to collectively take responsibility to see that our health care dollars are spent wisely. As a nation, we don’t have the resources to administer health care as we have in the past.

Whether a sustainable model can emerge in the next decade is anyone’s guess. But the consequences of failure are enormous and will impact our freedom and well being as a nation.

In Portland, we have some of the finest practitioners of natural healing along along with some of the most advanced western medicine available in the U.S. For example, Japanese style acupuncture and shiatsu are readily available in Portland and are often used side-by-side with conventional western modalities. From this perspective, Portland is really where East meets West and represents the best of both worlds.

In an article titled, “Acupuncture, a Powerful Integrative Oncology Tool“, researcher Jack Bleeker shows how acupuncture and other natural healing modalities are becoming mainstream as complimentary treatments along with conventional western medicine in the treatment of cancer. Below is a segment of his article.

“Integrative Oncology is the combination of “mainstream” care and evidenced-based complimentary therapies to control cancer-related pain and symptoms [source: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Integrative Medicine]. Complementary therapies, while not given the attention that more traditional cancer therapies may receive, are perhaps equally important while undergoing treatment for certain types of cancer. Patients diagnosed with difficult to treat malignancies will often use these types of therapies in conjunction with traditional treatment options, which include surgery, chemotherapy, or radiology, to form a more comprehensive and effective treatment regimen. Among the most effective alternative therapies utilized by those diagnosed with cancer is acupuncture.

Acupuncture has long been utilized as a general pain reduction method for thousands of years, originating in the Far East and gradually being utilized throughout the world. Effective cancer treatment often depends on the patient’s ability to not only defeat the cancer through various methods but to also maintain their health and mental spirit throughout the course of treatment.

Often, the symptoms and effects of the cancer itself on the body are insignificant compared to the pain and other side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation are often fatigued, experience a lack of appetite and weight loss, and may become depressed.  For cancer patients experiencing these and other side effects, acupuncture is extremely beneficial. According to the ancient theories of Chinese medicine, “qi,” or “life energy,” flows through energy channels within the body known as meridians. These channels connect the body’s internal organs, and if these meridians become “blocked,” or an individual’s qi cannot flow properly, disease will set in. Acupuncture is said to relieve blockages and restore the natural flow of qi, and ultimately restoring one’s health.

Cancers such as mesothelioma, which are often unable to be removed by surgical means, are often treated with some combination of chemotherapy and radiation [the combination of chemo drug Alimta® and anti-cancer drug Cisplatin® is a popular treatment for cancer patients with mesothelioma]. While these potent drugs can be effective in eliminating some of the tumor mass and growth, they also profoundly affect the health of the surrounding tissue. Symptoms experienced by those undergoing mainstream cancer treatments include fever, nausea, and debilitating pain.

Patients who undergo acupuncture in conjunction with mainstream cancer therapies have experienced dramatic reductions in pain and feel that their energy and mental wellbeing was restored. Cancer patients who feel energized, are pain-free and have a solid state of mind are more likely to withstand traditional methods of cancer treatment and have an increased survival rate. Acupuncture is said to be so effective, in fact, that the World Health Organization [WHO] has recognized acupuncture as a successful intervention for adverse reactions to radiation and chemotherapy. The National Institute of Health [NIH] also agreed that acupuncture may relieve nausea and pain experienced by cancer sufferers, and the organization supports acupuncture clinical trials.”

Jack Bleeker, Research Coordinator
June 17, 2009

Japanese Acupuncture and Shiatsu in Portland, OR

As an acupuncture and shiatsu practitioner in Portland, people often ask if acupuncture and shiatsu will help with this or that particular problem. The answer is usually “yes…but”. The “but” is that while acupuncture and shiatsu are excellent treatments for a wide range of specific health issues, they are also extremely beneficial for overall health maintenance.

Medical studies in Japan have shown that acupuncture and shiatsu help to balance the autonomic nervous system because they specifically calm the sympathetic nerves.  During acupuncture and shiatsu, the entire autonomic system relaxes, allowing the peripheral blood vessels to expand and nourish the body on a deep cellular level. At the same time, toxins are released and flushed from the cells throughout the body. This effect alone allows the body to release stress and make hundreds of corrections on a chemical and cellular level.

In this country, people understand the benefits of having their car serviced on a routine basis, even if there are no particular problems. It’s called routine maintenance. But what most people don’t understand is that the body too needs routine maintenance in order to reduce stress, eliminate toxins and correct imbalances in the circulation of qi energy and blood. And these benefits are cumulative with regular treatment.

So, yes, acupuncture and shiatsu are very effective for specific disorders such as headache, anxiety, depression, acute or chronic pain, insomnia, stomach or intestinal problems, fatigue and fibromyalgia, just to name a few. But in my opinion, the most important benefit of acupuncture and shiatsu is the overall relaxation and balancing of the autonomic nervous system. This is why I recommend regular acupuncture and shiatsu as part of everyone’s routine health care program.

Acupuncture is rapidly becoming a common alternative therapy for various physical disorders. But most people may not realize is that acupuncture has been used for centuries as a method to calm the spirit, balance the emotions.

According to one ancient Chinese medical text, there are three classes of acupuncture. The first and most basic class of pertains to earth and deals with the removal of painful symptoms. The second class pertains to humankind and deals with balancing the patient’s constitution and preventing future disease. The third and highest class pertains to heaven and deals with nourishing the individual’s destiny in order to prolong life in alignment with Divine Will.

The basic premise of Japanese acupuncture is that we are all born with a specific set of constitutional tendencies which include certain inherent weaknesses and strengths that manifest in all areas of life – the body, mind and personality. As physicians, our first job is to examine the patient and try to make a determination of his or her inherent weakness. We call this weakness the “sho” or the inherent pattern of imbalance. It may seem somewhat negative to just look for the weakness and ignore the strengths, but actually this makes perfect sense. In order to make a chain strong and lasting, we need to find and strengthen the weakest links. We don’t need to worry about the strong ones. Likewise, in dealing with the health of the person, if we can identify and strengthen the person’s weakest energy meridian, a whole array of symptoms will automatically be resolved and many future diseases will be avoided.

We find the “sho”, or pattern of imbalance, not so much by listening to the complaints of the patient but by listening to the body. Our tools for listening are our senses. We touch the abdomen, listen to the quality of the voice, feel the texture, moisture and temperature of the skin, look at the colors of the skin, nails and hair, palpate the pulses and even smell the skin. From these examinations, we can determine the underlying imbalance and proceed to treat it.

Often, the pattern of imbalance is hidden or complicated by overlying imbalances which obscure the core issue. This is where the experienced physician can look through all the confusing signs and symptoms and zero in on the underlying pattern of imbalance. And then, it is a simple procedure to strengthen the particular meridian that is weak and disperse the excess energy in any meridian that might be too strong. This is called the root treatment. A skilled physician will make the diagnosis and perform the root treatment in about 10 minutes.

After balancing the meridians, we are then ready to listen more closely to the patient’s complaints. This is the second phase of the treatment in which we address the branch of the imbalance, or the patient’s symptoms. If the patient is experiencing fatigue, depression, insomnia, or any other symptoms of spiritual imbalance, there are specific techniques to remove the symptoms quickly. Sometimes, several treatments are needed. But for the most part, these methods will give the patient some relief until the root treatments can begin to take effect. Both the root and the branch treatment are important in order to maximize the overall effect of the treatment.

Having strengthened the person at his or her foundation, the body and mind will respond, the spirit will again shine and destiny will be fulfilled.

Insomnia is becoming a major health problem in our modern society. And here in the Portland, the problem is particularly pervasive in the summer when daylight arrives as early as 5:00 A.M.

There are many possible reasons for insomnia. But in all these cases, the common factor is too much activity in the brain at night, during sleep time. In traditional acupuncture terms, the heat in the body is not grounded and is rising to the head at night. In western medical terms, there is an over stimulation of the sympathetic nerves leading to an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system.

Acupuncture and shiatsu work well together to balance and ground the body’s energy and often this is enough to restore a normal sleep pattern. But sometimes, a client will come to me after years of sleep disturbance and several other therapies. In cases like this, insomnia is usually more stubborn and in addition to acupuncture and shiatsu treatments, I will suggest diet and lifestyle changes and possibly herbal supplements for a brief period, to help correct the imbalance.

If you have difficulty getting a restful night’s sleep, here are a few home remedies that can be helpful.

1) Diet – For many people it’s important to avoid all stimulants, particularly after the noon meal. Aside from the obvious stimulants such as coffee, tea, chocolate and soft drinks, certain spices stimulate the nerves or create heat in the body, which can disturb our sleep. Try to avoid spicy foods or at least try to eat them in the middle of the day, so that by bedtime, their effect has diminished. In the evening, eat a lighter meal and avoid fried, broiled or greasy foods, alcohol, black pepper, cayenne, ginger, cloves and garlic. Also, try to keep salt to a minimum.

2) Supplements – People with insomnia often have a calcium and/or magnesium imbalance. First, I suggest magnesium citrate (200 mg in the morning and 200 mg before bed). If magnesium alone does not help after a few days, add 200 to 400 mg calcium at bedtime, either in the form of coral calcium or calcium citrate.

3) Exercise – Of all the self-help advice, nothing is more effective than daily exercise in order to balance the body’s energy, improve the circulation and assist in the elimination of toxins.  If you have a serious health condition, it is important to exercise carefully and not over do it.  Discuss exercise with your health care professional in order to design a program that is best suited for your particular body type and condition. But for sleep problems, avoid exercise after 6:00 P.M.

4) Hot Footbath – Soak the feet and ankles in a bucket or tub of hot water for 20 minutes before bed.

5) Foot Rubbing – Before bed, sit cross-legged, or in a chair, and stroke one foot at a time (with the opposite hand) lengthwise and with medium to strong pressure, at least 200 strokes.  Use two drops of sesame oil on each foot during this process.  Then put on some old socks and go to bed.

6) Avoid napping during the day, avoid eating after 7:00 P.M., avoid exercise after 6:00 P.M. and avoid hot baths. (Warm baths are fine but hot baths are counter productive)

7) Above all, if you can’t sleep for a few nights, don’t worry. No one ever died from insomnia. Even if you just lay quietly in a dark room for 6 to 8 hours, you are getting more rest than you might imagine. And the next day, you’ll probably function better than you think.

If you have tried these suggestions and still can’t sleep, a series of acupuncture and/or shiatsu treatments can be very helpful. Or consult with an Ayurvedic or Chinese herbalist.