Acupuncture Health Insights » Weight Loss

The Nine Biggest Weight Loss Mistakes

Lynn Jaffee — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:25:17 +0000

Several years ago, I worked with Ralph, a guy in his mid forties who was experiencing back and leg pain. Ralph came for acupuncture once a week for quite a while. After his treatments, his back and legs would be better for a few days, but the pain always came back. The problem was that Ralph was carrying around a beer gut that had to weigh about 50 pounds, and it was putting an incredible strain on Ralph’s back and the back of his . . . → Read More: The Nine Biggest Weight Loss Mistakes

An Ephedra Story

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:41:11 +0000

Lisa, a fit woman in her early thirties came to my clinic a couple of weeks ago to be treated for anxiety. Her anxiety was out of character, out of control, and punctuated by full-blown panic attacks that landed her in the emergency room on a couple of occasions. Her symptoms ranged from shortness of breath and chest pains, to irregular heartbeats.

Lisa was frantic and afraid. She feared having another panic attack, especially while she was driving. This anxiety was consuming her life, . . . → Read More: An Ephedra Story

Obesity, Dampness, and Chinese Medicine

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:40:50 +0000

Imagine for a moment a farmer’s field in the countryside that’s green and rolling. With the right amount of sunshine and rain, the field produces healthy crops. In fact, when it rains, the plants in the field are nourished and turn a little greener and grow a little taller. But then it rains some more. And it keeps raining. And raining. After awhile that field becomes saturated. The moisture settles in puddles in the low spots, creating muddy areas. The plants in those muddy . . . → Read More: Obesity, Dampness, and Chinese Medicine

The Chinese Restaurant Diet

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 20:56:57 +0000

One of the components of Chinese medicine is food therapy. This means that I frequently talk with my patients about their food choices. Occasionally, a patient will ask me, “Exactly what should I be eating?”, and my answer is to eat lots of veggies, a little protein, and whole grains. However, more and more frequently my answer is to eat like you’re in a Chinese restaurant.

You may not think that the deep fried sesame shrimp from your local Chinese restaurant is the healthiest, . . . → Read More: The Chinese Restaurant Diet

Treating Eating Disorders with Chinese Medicine

Lynn Jaffee — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:05:48 +0000

Occasionally I am asked whether acupuncture can treat someone with an eating disorder, such as anorexia, bulimia, or obsessive overeating. As with any condition, there is no one size fits all—everyone is different and heals at their own pace and in their own way. That said, I have worked with a number of patients who have suffered with eating disorders and who have been helped—sometimes dramatically so—from acupuncture.

Many years ago I worked for a non-profit agency whose mission was to promote women’s health . . . → Read More: Treating Eating Disorders with Chinese Medicine

Thirteen Truths About Weight Loss

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:53:49 +0000

Weight loss is a popular topic and a multi-billion dollar industry for a reason. I have found that it is the rare person who is perfectly happy with their weight. Most people are either trying to drop a few pounds, lose a lot of weight, or trying hard simply to maintain their current weight.

Why are so many people struggling with the numbers on their bathroom scale? There are so many answers—we live in a land of abundance, we eat the wrong foods, we . . . → Read More: Thirteen Truths About Weight Loss

Ten Things that Make You Fat

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:05:44 +0000

I have no problem saying the F-word in front of my patients. In fact, many want to say it too. They’re getting Fat and many can’t understand why. Yes, the obvious culprits are eating too much and not exercising, but many of my patients are eating appropriate portions and exercising, but still seem to be gaining weight.

Here’s a list of some reasons you may be gaining weight; some may surprise you:

Stress. In Chinese medicine, weight gain due to stress is considered a . . . → Read More: Ten Things that Make You Fat

Ten Secrets to Making Changes that Stick

Lynn Jaffee — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:48:28 +0000

Several years ago, a woman came to me for acupuncture treatments to help her lose weight. She told me she had tried all kinds of things to lose weight from crazy diets to hypnosis, but nothing had worked. At her first appointment, I did a careful intake exam and health history, and then treated her with acupuncture. A week later, when she came back for her second treatment, the woman informed me that over the course of the week, nothing had happened. She had . . . → Read More: Ten Secrets to Making Changes that Stick

Stress, Belly Fat, and Chinese Medicine

Lynn Jaffee — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:49:08 +0000

Claire is a patient who came to see me for acupuncture a couple of years ago. She was deeply unhappy and stressed out in her present job, and was struggling with mild depression. She also complained that she was gaining weight around her waist, and it was hard for her to eat healthfully because she had such strong cravings for sweets.

This trio of symptoms—emotional upset, sugar cravings, and belly fat—is a pattern that I see in many of my patients. They come to . . . → Read More: Stress, Belly Fat, and Chinese Medicine

Dr. Oz Likes Acupuncture for Weight Loss

Lynn Jaffee — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:39:37 +0000

One of the most frustrating patients I’ve ever had was a woman I’ll call Emily, who came to me for weight loss. She was in her late fifties, about 50 pounds overweight, and told me that she had tried every diet imaginable. She said that she had gained and lost hundreds of pounds, and was trying acupuncture as a last resort.

I spent a great deal of time talking with Emily about weight loss from the perspective of Chinese medicine. I described what would . . . → Read More: Dr. Oz Likes Acupuncture for Weight Loss