Happy New Year 2014

Happy Chinese New Year!! Its the year of the horse and that one of my favorite characters in  Chinese zodiac! It is energetic, intelligent and of course warm hearted. It is a sign to try and better educate ourselves, I love that. I have really been enjoying reading blogs and watching podcasts on nutrition this year. I must say that everything I have been teaching to friends and family has been confirmed in print over the last few months so its been fun to say " I knew somebody would prove that someday!!" Well here we are learning again that we should eat more fiber, increase our probiotics and reduce inflammatory foods.
Whats an inflammatory food? Intuitively we answer quickly to what we know doesn't agree with us, and intelligently we answer with processed foods, high sugared foods and white food ( white rice, white flour and white sugar). Most foods that are white exist that way because they have been bleached and I don't know about you but bleach is something we should not ingest.
To take that one step further white clothes, white coffee filters, white things all together are generally bleached and should not be kept close to your body or used by something you will ingest.
but back to food... Instead of noodles and fiber low carbs try spiraling some vegetables and making a noodle like dish out of zucchini or squash. Food processors have a blade to cut them into a spiral like curly fries. Then sauté with seasoning for a new take on vegetables.
This is a way to increase your fiber and reduce processed food.
Lets start the year with learning that food is meant to keep us healthy and strong and its never too late to start.
Happy New Year!

Top 10 For Menopause

10 essential supplements to help you through Menopause

The average menopausal woman experiences night sweats and hot flashes for up to two years. In some cases, these symptoms can last up to ten years. It is hard to break into sweats, have unreasonable mood swings, sleep poorly, and experience brain fog. Those are just a few of the top symptoms that plague a menopausal woman. Additionally, low sex drive, poor vaginal secretions, palpitations and anxiety may occur. One wonders what can be done to lessen the frustrating effects of menopause. As women, we try many combinations of supplements to feel better. My experience has led me to a list of things to do with very good success. Everybody is different so dosages and steps towards menopausal relief may vary. I strongly suggest the following supplements. (In no particular order)

1. Fiber I am a strong supporter of fiber. It helps to cleanse and detoxify your body. It acts as a sponge and scrub brush to soak up wastes and help them pass through your bowel. It also bulks up your stool to keep your intestines healthy. The best part about fiber is that you can find it naturally in some of your food. Count 25-35 grams a day. Do not assume you are getting fiber because you eat salads. Count your grams and make sure they add up. (Most salads have 1-2 grams total) One type of food that includes 4 grams of fiber and omega three is

3. Maca This is another source of Fiber but it is so helpful in hormone regulation and supporting the adrenals that I felt it needed to stand-alone. Everyday someone asks me how to help them with adrenal fatigue and finally there is an alternative to B and C vitamins. A Study done in 2008 in Australia used Maca to treat menopausal women and found it decreased anxiety and depression, as well as helped with improving sexual function. This study expressed the fact that Maca supported the postmenopausal women independent of estrogenic or androgenic activity. Menopause. 2008 Nov-Dec;15(6):1157-62.

3. Iodine Most of us are iodine deficient. There is a strong correlation between breast cancer and iodine deficiency. Both of these have a higher incidence post menopausal. Since hormones can be stored in the fat its important to keep our fat cells healthy. Breasts require iodine to stay healthy, 12 mg of iodine a day has been shown to be beneficial. NHANES. National Health and Nutrition Survey showed iodine levels have declined 50% in the US. CDC National Center for Health Statistics. CDC. gov 2000

4. Krill Oil Krill are shrimp-like crustaceans eaten by blue whale. The oil extracted from these crustaceans contains important omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA found in fish oils. Krill oil also has a high amount of a potent antioxidant called astaxanthin along with small amounts of vitamin A and vitamin E, and perhaps small amounts of other beneficial compounds.

5. CoQ 10 This is a antioxidant that is protective for the heart. It definitely has a connection to breast cancer but the studies vary with what to recommend except it’s connection so keep healthy and take CoQ10 so your body can fight heart disease the number one killer or menopausal women.

6. Vitamin C Another antioxidant that is good at helping cells function and reduce oxidative stress. Vitamin C helps with adrenal function, it helps with cell detoxification and has had many books written about it. The Linus Pauling Institute is a wealth of information. Do not forget the basics, Vitamin C is necessary for life. 500-2000 mg a day.

7. Daily Max This is a vitamin that includes DIM and indole 3 carbinole(I3C) which are known to balance estrogen levels in the body. This contains an absorbable calcium and vitamin D to meet your daily needs. Indoles are needed to have 300 mg to oppose and modulate estrogen . You can find I3C kinds of vegetables up to 5 pounds a day. Cancer patients need more. DIM is converted form of I3C and for people with out the adequate stomach acids dim is a good way block the unopposed estogen.150 micrograms of Viatmin K in this formula take the excess calcium out of the blood stream. J Vasc Res. 2003 Nov-Dec;40(6):531-7. Epub 2003 Dec 3.Tissue-specific utilization of menaquinone-4 results in the prevention of arterial calcification in warfarin-treated rats Spronk HM, Soute BA, Schurgers LJ, Thijssen HH, De Mey JG, Vermeer C.

8. Progesterone cream This is the magic lotion that prevents your estrogen from being dominant and balances your hormonal life. It’s the yang to your yin. Progesterone and estrogen are partners in the women’s cycle and the ratio between them needs to continue for women to feel good. Progesterone has been used to treat depression and it makes women feel better. Dr John Lee has written several books to address the benefits of Progesterone “What your doctor never told you about menopause” is a great place to start.

9. Magnesium This is another magical mineral. Most people do not know that magnesium is deficient in most people. Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis Rude RK. Magnesium deficiency: A cause of heterogeneous disease in humans. J Bone Miner Res 1998;13:749-58.

10. MelatoninMelatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. It helps regulate other hormones and maintains the body's natural daily rhythm. Melatonin also helps control the timing and release of female reproductive hormones. It helps determine when a woman starts to menstruate, the frequency and duration of menstrual cycles, and when a woman stops menstruating (menopause) Some researchers also believe that melatonin levels may be related to aging. For example, young children have the highest levels of nighttime melatonin. Melatonin has strong antioxidant effects. Preliminary evidence suggests that it may help strengthen the immune system. Several studies suggest that low melatonin levels may be associated with breast cancer risk. For example, women with breast cancer tend to have lower levels of melatonin than those without the disease. Laboratory experiments have found that low levels of melatonin stimulate the growth of certain types of breast cancer cells, while adding melatonin to these cells slows their growth. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/melatonin-000315.htm#ixzz1nilrTesE

Low Dog T, Riley D, Carter T. Traditional and alternative therapies for breast cancer. Alt Ther. 2001;7(3):36-47.

Cos S, Sanchez-Barcelo EJ. Melatonin, experimental basis for a possible application in breast cancer prevention and treatment. Histo Histopath. 2000;15:637-647

I must get better at blogging! I just forget about the whole process then I read others and I am sparked onward to begin again! Well it has been a great year at Point of Origin we are averaging 2-3 pregnancies a week now. It is amazing for women to constantly share there joy and hope of pregnancy with me. I am blessed and I really enjoy "needling to success" I feel sad for those who grow tired of the struggle after a few short weeks or even 2-3 months because acupuncture is so extremely successful. One of my patients has had a very difficult time conceiving for the last two years I have treated her on and off. Consistently for 5 months this year and now she is 10 weeks pregnant. It is very rewarding to see that happen. I treat all kinds of cases, IVF patients, young women and infertile men. The journey is a hard one full of ups and downs with frustration every month when a period shows up. There really is nothing that prepares you for that disappointment every month. The toll it takes emotionally can be overwhelming. Acupuncture can really change everything. It makes your body more responsive, it helps with the moods and the cycles. The women who see me have excellent outcomes.That means the ones that persevere become pregnant. God's blessing really falls on and around all who see me at Point of Origin. The success is unprecedented and I love being a facilitator. I encourage the broken hearted to come and try again for awhile, lets see what can be done!

Summer update

Well Summer is in full swing now! I am busy and life is good. I am 6 months into my Clinical Doctorate program in Los Angeles and I feel pretty good. I still need to do clinical hours at a few clinics but beside that I am keeping up. I have had an average of 5 IVF patients every month with another 5 acupuncture fertility patients start up this month. I have had 4 patients over the age of 40 conceive last month with just acupuncture and herbs. That has been very exciting. It takes hard work and diligence to both herbal medicine and acupuncture to be successful. I have appreciated acupuncturists across Montana this month with three clients traveling for IVF from there and I have been give the opportunity to work on patients where the ground has been laid out beautifully. I have been learning about PCOS, endometriosis and bleeding in a whole new way. Taking more education and seeing better results. Come and try acupuncture it is amazing!

Happy New Year. I am starting my Doctorate program this weekend and I am very busy with my preparations. Today my website crashed, and insurance companies caused me nothing but grief. I am ready for a new day. I have treated a lot of new patients with some amazing success stories this last quarter. I had six patients that got pregnant with the first three visits. 18 patients pregnant on their own with regular acupuncture. And 25 successful pregnant patients that have had some help with IVF or IUI since August. What a great fall and winter it has been. I hired another acupuncturist and opened another office downtown. So life has been great.
This week I treated a woman whom has been trying to conceive for three years. I recommended some diet changes like eat full fat diet, no coffee, no soda,decrease refined sugar, no soy, no green tea. I also offered her advice on changing her aerobic exercise to a yoga fertility class. I then started her on supplements and Chinese herbs. She is very happy one cycle later to be pregnant. Yahoo.

Well, August is almost over and I have not even completed all the changes to my website. I am very slow to finish. The time races by and I have had a lot of fun at the office the summer. June through August has been very pregnant times, for many women and to some extent for the business because we are all about new growth and development. LOL. Well I have stimulated 4 labors this month all with healthy deliveries with in 24 hours. That is always fun.

I have also been busy with a new run of sprains, and back pains and headaches like crazy. It has been great to repeatedly help people eliminate pain from their life. Acupuncture works so well for pain that I have really had more referrals from physicians this month for post surgical pain. A women came to see us for her foot pain after surgery and called to tell us nothing had ever worked that well before. My favorite story this month has been a woman suffering with severe menopause symptoms that after two treatments told me she was calling the newspaper to tell the world how great it is to get treatment here at Point of Origin. She said she feels like she's "returning to her real self" that is so terrific I love to see people get better!

Hydrotherapy is up and going, it has been excellent at skin problems and anxiety issues this month. It never ceases to amaze me as I watch people feel better. Anyway I have to go back to work. Call me... Coleen

Old post from my website.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009Summer News
Well it is a hot and terrific summer. We have had 5 pregnancies in June and 4 in July. Its a great time to conceive. I have also noticed some great improvements with our PCOS cases, a regular cyle is a beautiful thing!! My web page is undergoing some changes so I will be shifting the blog to its own site and I will be adding more power point presentations, a map and saliva testing to the web site. I am busy so its not happening as fast as Id like it but it s progressing. I also am starting to offer hydrotherapy at my office. I will be adding a new staff member, a nursing student to start providing this therapy. I have been cleaning and moving things around getting a new treatment room ready to start therapy August 10th. So call today and lets work together to increase fertility. Every day counts!!
7:55 pm est
Thursday, May 14, 2009May
Happy May to all! This has been a great month with 5 successful pregnancies and 4 birth announcements received. The women doing acupuncture here as well as IVF with Dr Robbins have all completed their cycles so far we are awaiting results on one more to have all successful pregnancies. I have been to visit the Deaconess midwives and gave a presentation on acupuncture and pregnancy. I am going to try and attach that presentation to this website. I will keep you posted.I have also been working on a new presentation for fertility and acupuncture. The research component is good so it should come together easilyBusiness is good, Acupuncture is amazing we will have our first Happy Hour Thursday June 4th Between 5:30-6:30. This is a drop in for anyone who may want to try acupuncture but is afraid, nervous,or just curious. The cost is $20.00 there will be tea and cookies and a presentation or two. No diagnosis just a three needle treatment for stress and anxiety. A way to experience acupuncture and try it out for low cost. Drop by. Well see you soon Have a great day and stay healthy!!
4:01 pm est
Tuesday, March 17, 2009March Madness
Well, the weather here in Spokane leaves a lot to be desired. On day its snowing.. then windy.. then rainy. It has been really quite awful. In this tumultuous climate headaches have become a prominant issue with chronic aches and pains flaring up. Acupuncture is very effective at relieving these ailments for many clients. On the fertility front, March is off to a good start with three women carrying babies after frequent miscarriages. Acupuncture is really good at helping women carry to term. Both herbs and acupuncture can assist in pregnancies that have been difficult or just impossible to hang on to. I think it is a worthwhile alternative for women who are afraid to conceive because of frequent loss. Here at Point of Origin a baby is the goal that I work very hard to obtain. I am now working with some really difficult cases with poor ovarian reserve, endometriosis, and PCOS just to name a few. Every month I see some of these women concieve. It is phenomenal to to see miracles happen. Looking forward to working with you. Coleen
3:30 pm est
Monday, February 16, 20092009
Well its February and time is rushing by. I have been busy helping women through there in-vitro regiments with great success. February has brought us 3 more pregnancies through natural means. It is very exciting so see more studies published that have proved the benefits of acupuncture with in-vitro. A large study was just included in the last reproductive endocrinology textbook to further Chinese medicine as inclusive treatment with ART. Acupuncture is shown to be helpful at increasing the number of births especially in the "tough cases" like advanced maternal age, high FSH levels. Exciting news for many couples trying to conceive. It is very beneficial at reducing stress also during the entire process. Well that is just fabulous news!!On another front we have been busy with all the residual pain of shovelling snow, people hurt there backs, elbows and necks through our heavy snow season. Acupuncture is amazing at resolving aches and pain. Come and see us soon don't put it off any longer you will feel better faster!!! Talk to you soon Coleen
3:23 pm est
Sunday, October 12, 2008Thankful Fall Greetings
Fall has brought us more pregnancies and a whole lot of deliveries. I hope to update my site with some baby pictures soon and some new testimonials. It has been a very fruitful fall. Acupuncture and herbs can help women undergoing any ART or IVF treatments. It is so exciting to see couples experience new life when they thought it just wasn't going to happen. Unexplained infertility is a frustrating diagnosis and sometimes a new alternative like acupuncture and herbs can turn your life completely around. Try it today. Acupuncture is not scary, or painful, it is relaxing and enriching and it can be life changing. What are you waiting for give us a call.
5:12 pm est
Tuesday, June 10, 2008June
Firstly I apologize for not being a better blogger. I need a ghost blogger because as I try to write it comes out all silly or gung ho over the top but with that being said please read on and bear with me. This year has been a blur of activity. I have been studying to become a Fellow of The American Board of Reproductive Medicine and that became a reality in March. After allot of hard work I traveled to Austin and passed the exam. I am now Board Certified!!!
My practice is getting busier with more fertility challenged couples and results have been great. More babies, are coming and hormones are balancing. IVF patients are slowly but surely hearing more about acupuncture and how it helps with their success rates and their treatments. It has been wildly successful. I have had patients with a history of frequent miscarriages have conceived and carried to term. At Point of Origin I make your treatment fit your needs, I will use a formula that is created just for you or none at all if you are undergoing allot of drug therapies during IVF cycles. Considering the outcomes that you desire and the journey you are on, acupuncture is a fantastic therapy to add to your life.
4:09 pm est
Wednesday, January 23, 2008New Year Joys
January has been a fantastic month with many successful pregnancies. 10 babies will be expected this fall and that is very exciting. I have been so busy learning and working that I have just forgot to blog. We are at our new location and I have Yoga daily, massage therapy, and I am currently looking to add Qigong as well. January has brought a new crowd of people with a myriad of problems like back pain, PMS, neck pain as well as insomnia and dizziness. As usual I have seen miracles happen over and over. I have received many phone calls this month from patients to cancel appointments and thank me for the amazing relief from pain. It is always rewarding to see pain go away. I love acupuncture. If you have not decided to try it come on in or call the office and talk about it because hope is just around the corner. Infertility treatments are expensive and extreme so why not add acupuncture to lighten your anxiety and increase your success. Thanks Look forward to seeing you at the office. Coleen
6:39 pm est
Wednesday, September 19, 2007Fall News
I have had an incredible September.
KREM2 News came to the office and will include Point of Origin on a Women’s Health special airing Sept 24th. I hope it goes ok but I was disappointed that I could not speak more about acupuncture regulating ovulation, increasing uterine lining and overall improving the success rate of all reproductive technology. Anyways, Last month we have had 4 pregnancies. Yahoo!!
If you are considering acupuncture, remember you do not have to believe in it, it is not for the highly suggestible, it really works even if you don't expect it to.
Any questions just call the office at 509 928-2777 See You Soon Coleen