June Newsletter

It is June and I am not sure if the rain is ever going to stop. As I look at our rain I think of my family back in the Midwest where the rain is causing flooding of epic proportions. I hope that the rains back home stop before much more damage is caused. It seems that winter does not want to give up this year. The chill damp of the Northwest is taking a toll on all of us. It is time to have warm dry weather, to dry out and get the chill out of our bodies! With July just around the corner I look forward to the warmth of summer and the joy that brings. Let’s hope the warmth of last weekend comes back with the first day of summer this Saturday. Along with the first day of summer comes my wife Katja’s birthday and her graduation from medical school (7 years and three beautiful sons later!). When it rains it pours! As a celebration of Katja earning her doctoral degree in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University, she will begin a monthly column in the newsletter. That way everyone can get to know her before she joins me here in the fall. Look for Doctor’s Notes later in the letter.

This month I decided to dedicate my newsletter to an aspect of health that acupuncture excels at: women’s health. To list all the aspects of a women’s life that acupuncture can help with, would take up multiple newsletters. I would say PMS, menstrual cramps, menstrual irregularity, and infertility are the top four. As a woman goes through menopause, normal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats are easily treated as well. In this issue I will discuss women’s cycles as viewed by Chinese medicine and how best I can help you or those you love.

Women are yin in nature. Yin is water, night, calmness, compassion and stillness. Being related to water and night a women cycles with the moon and the ocean. These cycles are part of the natural rhythm of being a woman. You are closely linked to nature and the natural world in your cyclical patterns. When a woman’s body is stressed these patterns can change and then come the symptoms. This stress comes in many forms from external stressors like weather and work environment, to internal stressors like negative thoughts and illness. To end the suffering you must find a way to rebalance your cycle. Chinese medicine is a great way to rebalance the cyclical pattern and bring the body back into alignment. A combination of herbs and acupuncture taken over three cycles is the usual course of treatment. I will work with you to help your cycles flow smoothly and consistently. This may mean that you will need to take different herbs for different parts of your cycle. And I will often change the acupuncture treatment as well.

At home the best thing you can do for yourself is to respect your power as a woman. The power to change with the moon is awesome. At times you will be at your best and unstoppable and at other times you need to rest and recuperate. You have the ability to purge the buildup of some environmental toxins every month- what a great gift in the world we are living in! Make time to get plenty of rest when you need it most. When you are premenstrual, go to bed an hour early. Stay warm during this time. One of the major causes of cramps is invasion of cold, don’t wear a bare midriff in the winter and don’t go swimming in mountain streams during this time. When you are on top of your game at the middle of your cycle, get a little more done so you can rest and take more breaks as the end of your cycle comes. Respect and honor what your body is telling you and teaching you and you will find peace in the flow of nature.
DOCTOR’S NOTES: Hello to all of the wonderful patients, friends and family who read this newsletter! I’ve been reading along with Carleton these past few months, but I am happy to have an active voice now. I am eagerly anticipating sharing graduation excitement with our out- of -town family and finally having that N.D. after my name. It’s something I’ve been dreaming of and working towards since I was a little girl. This summer I’ll be busy studying for my medical boards, but I look forward to seeing you in the office and as patients in the fall. In Washington, Naturopathic Physicians are licensed as primary care doctors, able to perform annual exams, school physicals, well child care and prescribe most medicines as well as herbs and supplements (and so much more!). I plan on focusing my practice on women’s and children’s care as those are my passions, and I am also confident in treating and helping to heal any member of your family or group of friends. See you soon, Dr. Katja Magus.


A little prose to think on…

"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a
single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a
deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental
path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to
dominate our lives."
Henry David Thoreau

Not only do we need to walk many times in thought to make a path but in health as well. Any wellness program starts with thought and continues as you walk the path of taking care of yourself. Build those paths deep into your mind and you will live happy.

For the scientific minded please see the link below…

www.alpineacupuncture.com/Menopause.htm
www.alpineacupuncture.com/Infertility.htm
www.alpineacupuncture.com/Dysmenorrhea.htm
www.alpineacupuncture.com/Gynecological Disorders.pdf

I have attached the printable version of this newsletter please distribute it to your friends and family. Anyone who would benefit from this information.

A Word on Coffee…

Coffee, or really espresso, is that northwest phenomenon that has swept the world. And having just swept the world Traditional Chinese Medicine does not have a medicinal tradition for it. Many acupuncturists look at if from the negative lens of known side effects. ‘Excessive caffeine intake can lead to a fast heart rate, excessive urination, nausea, vomiting, restlessness, anxiety, depression, tremors, and difficulty sleeping.’ Excessive caffeine from coffee is defined as more than three cups a day of coffee. I will write an article in the future highlighting all the pros and cons of coffee. Today I would like to speak on it as an acupuncturist. We look at herbs from the perspective of taste and quality. Coffee is bitter, warm, and drying; it goes to the heart and kidneys. This means that it is good at helping us adapt to the northwest winter. Our cold wet winter soaks into our bodies and minds. It weighs us down causing dampness internally and leaving us feeling heavy. This is where the warm and dry of coffee comes in it warms us up and dries us off. It is also a diarrhetic (causes urination) another good way to fight dampness. Because of this effect you must drink an additional cup of water for every cup of coffee you drink. In the summer on the other hand you should drink tea it is cooler in nature and won’t dry you out like coffee. Our climate becomes warm and dry so drinking an herb with those natures could create problems. The bottom line one to two cups a day of coffee in the winter followed by green tea or nothing during the long warm days of summer and you should be OK.