by Beth Heller, M.S.

Nutrition was a big topic at this year’s American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference.  Concepts under discussion included the potential role of inflammation in both male and female fertility and the possible value of antioxidants like resveratrol and omega-3 fatty acids in reversing damage done by environmental toxins.  Another very simple yet compelling idea was presented by Dr. Gil Wilshire from Missouri.  Dr. Wilshire contends that many women, even obese women, are not getting sufficient nutrition for good fertility.  Put simply, the typical low-fat, USDA Food Guide diet that we have all been programmed to eat, is low in essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins that are essential for our body’s health and reproduction.

Dr. Wilshire was preaching to the choir on this one.  That the poor quality of our modern diet – from the over consumption of fast foods and overly processed meals, to the belief that “low-fat means healthy” – puts all of us at risk for less than optimal nutritional status  is a cornerstone of our fertility nutrition programming at Pulling Down the Moon.  What was especially compelling, though, was Dr. Gil’s use of the concept of “feeding up” in his discussion.  This idea is old as the hills but almost universally accepted in the medical community:  women get pregnant when they are “feeding up” rather than paring down.

The female body is keenly aware of “energy balance,” an evolutionary mechanism that ensures the survival of the human species.  When calories are scarce, bodies begin to shut down non-essential body functions…like reproduction.  Food, however, is much more than calories.  It is also the way our body gets essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fats needed for healthy body function.  If a woman is consuming a diet rich in calories but poor in nutrients, she can become malnourished.  Hence an obese woman who lives on processed foods can have plenty of calories but still be “starving.”  And the slender woman who has been told by her fertility doctor to gain some weight in order to conceive may benefit more from shifting to a highly nutritious diet and lowering the intensity of her activity than from simply packing on pounds.

Rather than “feeding up,” we like to say that women get pregnant when they are “nourishing up.”  Importantly, the process of nourishing up can take place without the gain or loss of a single pound.  It begins with a very healthy diet and  good digestion so that essential nutrients are not only present, they are being absorbed and assimilated.  Calorie counting is secondary to this objective, even for the obese woman who needs to lose weight.  In general we believe that certain nutritional supplements  (including a high-quality prenatal vitamin, a probiotic to support digestion and omega-3 fats) can help support the objective of “nourishing up” but the focus should be a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean protein, minimally processed grains and healthy fats.

We also know that nourishment can come in many ways – including the nourishment of true relaxation that comes with yoga practice, nourishment through channeling chi throughout the body during an acupuncture session or the healing touch of massage and reiki.  Changing the intensity and intention of our exercise program from “burning and racing” to “energizing and strengthening” can also make a difference.

At a high-tech conference like ASRM it was encouraging to see nutrition on the table, so to speak.  It was clear, however, that nutrition will never get the attention of research dollars.  Many more people attended the class on Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) than the class about nutrition.  Doing nutrition research is complicated and funding is scarce because unlike drug research, where there’s potential to patent and produce a pharmaceutical drug that will make billions of dollars, a healthy diet can’t be patented and won’t make anyone rich.  Conflicts of interest are everywhere.   Governmental agencies that are charged with making nutritional recommendations are also charged with protecting the economic interests of food manufacturers.   Our national nutrition association, the American Dietetic Association, is partnering with companies like Coca Cola to get women to drink more Diet Coke in order to prevent heart disease.  Yikes!

So what are we to do?  In the face of misinformation we must begin to live the truth and spread the word.  Have you made changes to your diet that fly in the face of the Dietary Guidelines for America?  Have you switched to full fat dairy and sworn off fat-free yogurt?  Have you switched to a more nourishing lifestyle through yoga, acupuncture or other practice?  If you have, please share your stories and we will feature them in our blog and on via social media.  Send your storied to beth@pullingdownthemoon.com subject line:  Nourishing Up.  You can include your name or let me know that you’d like to remain anonymous.

Anna Pyne, LAc, MSOM, FABORM

Inflammation is a common disorder which can be a contributing factor or sole cause of infertility.  Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has many treatment options that may be used exclusively or in conjunction with Western medical therapy.  Inflammation of the pelvic organs can occur in diseases such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis, and salpingitis (inflammation of the fallopian tubes).  I have successfully treated many patients with these conditions that are in the middle of or are about to go through a medicated fertility treatment cycle, as well as those trying to conceive naturally.

According to TCM there can be a number of different causes for inflammation to occur in the body and each can manifest in very individual ways.  Not only will PID, endometriosis, and salpingitis be identified and treated separately, but each one on its own has a number of different potential causes.  I will be able to assess the specific cause of the disorder by observing the tongue, feeling both wrist pulses, and reviewing the intake form with the patient.  By gathering all this information together I am able to then discern the TCM pattern and treatment plan going forward.  If you have any questions about TCM’s treatment options in regards to inflammation hindering fertility, please feel free to email us or if would like to make an appointment please call the office.

by Pam Policastro, L. Ac.

Eastern medicine views the individual as a whole being with body, mind, and spirit interconnected and supported by an underlying energy system.  Good health depends on a balanced circulation of Qi, or vital life energy, throughout the body.  Keeping this concept in mind, I will now discuss the TCM(Traditional Chinese Medicine) view on physical exercise.

First of all, there’s the sweat.  In Chinese medicine one of the functions of the Heart is to control body fluids.  Sweat is considered the “fluid” of the Heart, if you sweat a lot you are actually unbalancing the Qi, or energy, of your Heart.  In the case of perspiring too much and losing too much fluid, you are creating a deficiency of the Heart, which can prevent this organ system from functioning well.  What does this mean in terms of fertility?  The Heart and Kidney energies control the process necessary for female fertility.  The Heart “governs” the blood and is an integral part of the production of blood, therefore contributing to nourishment of the endometrium and embryo.

Then there’s the issue of the tendons and ligaments.  These areas of your body are dependent upon sufficient blood from the Liver to nourish them.  Strenuous and excessive exercise, such as intense aerobic and running workouts, is hard on the joints(tendons and ligaments).  When you overwork your joints, the Liver must send more blood to help restore them, and on a continual basis this depletes the Liver’s energy.  The Liver is a very important organ in terms of women’s fertile health.  This is because blood is stored in the Liver, especially when the body is at rest.  Some of this blood must be passed onto the uterus before preparation for pregnancy or menstruation can occur.  If the Liver Blood is deficient, then menstruation may be scanty, infrequent, or missing…compromising fertility.

Chinese medicine sees intense physical exercise as spending precious internal energy that is very difficult to replace, and not creating true health.  It is also detrimental to fertility. Wouldn’t  it make sense then, to pursue a form of “exercise” that actually increases life-enhancing energy instead of using it up?  Meditation, Qigong, Taiji, and Yoga have been shown to create positive changes in the areas of the brain linked with emotion as well as increase immune function and blood flow as well as decrease blood pressure.  PS…these more holistic forms of exercise support healthy fertility.

by Anna Pyne LAc FABORM

One aspect of medical theory in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) includes the system of the five elements; wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. They can be used to differentiate TCM physiology, pathology, and treatment plan.  Each element corresponds to a specific emotion and an individual TCM organ.  The Earth element is affiliated with the worry or rumination emotion.  When our minds are busy over-thinking it hinders us from being grounded and impairs harmony between the mind-body connection.  The earth element is also associated with the spleen (not the same as Western medical spleen), which has to do in part with the digestive system.  A person with a poor digestive system usually cannot think clearly, hence the importance of a well functioning spleen.   When the spleen is working properly it means the earth element is being sufficiently nourished so that the mind can remain grounded.   This enables us to reduce stress, keep life in perspective when it gets tough, and can help maintain optimal physical health.

At Pulling Down the Moon we have numerous treatment modalities to ensure that the earth element comes into and stays in balance.  The therapies offered are acupuncture, herbal therapy, yoga, meditation, diaphragmatic breathing exercises, reiki, massage, and nutrition all of which can be used either individually or in combination.  If you have any questions regarding the earth element according to TCM, feel free to contact me via email (anna@pullingdownthemoon.com) or make an appointment for acupuncture/herbal therapy by calling the office.

by Beth Heller, M.S., RYT

On April 26 we are offering a free Laughter Yoga class at Pulling Down the Moon in honor of National Infertility Awareness Week .  I can imagine that some people might be offended by the idea.  Infertility is no laughing matter.

On some level that’s true – but on another it couldn’t be farther from the truth.  I can remember sitting out on the steps in front of my RE’s office after a bad ultrasound the day before Mother’s Day early on in my fertility journey.  I ran into my friend Heather at the office – she was starting her second IVF cycle – and she sat with me as I cried.

“On the bright side, Beth,” she said.  ”We can go out together on Mother’s Day and drink martinis and eat raw fish!”   The need to avoid sushi was something that had concerned both of us about being pregnant back in the days when we thought pregnancy would be easy to achieve.  Now raw fish was our consolation prize.  I don’t know why but that struck us both as enormously funny at the time and we laughed until we could barely breathe.  Sad as I was that my cycle had failed, I felt worlds better after that laugh.

The ability to laugh is one of our most profound self-healing skills.  Little kids laugh simply because it feels good and it makes them happy.  As adults we lose this spontaneity and, in turn, lose connection to the well-spring of physical, emotional and even spiritual benefits of laughter.  ”Mirthful laughter” has been shown to help reduce chronic pain, improve immune response, alleviate depression and improve cardio-vascular health.  To thicken the plot, it seems that laughter may improve IVF outcomes.  Researchers in Israel followed 229 women and found that a 15 minute visit from a trained “medical clown” immediately after embryo transfer increased the  pregnancy rate to 36%, compared with 20% for women whose embryo transfer was comedy free.

So how might laughter help fertility?   Perhaps by stimulating the relaxation response.   When people are stressed they tend to take shallow breaths. Extending the exhale (which is exactly what laughter is –  HA HA HA HA – gasp for breath – HA HA HA HA) has a profound effect on blood chemistry.  Breathing patterns that emphasize the exhale increase blood CO2 levels.  This change in blood chemistry relaxes blood vessels and promotes blood flow to the brain as well as the release of oxygen from the hemoglobin into the tissues.   In addition, laughter stimulates beta-endoprhins, our feel-good chemicals.  Interestingly, these are similar benefits to those believed to result from acupuncture treatment that is also associated with improved success of IVF cycles.

From the yogic perspective, laughter plays an equally important role.  Inside each of us, yoga teaches, is a core of joy.  This core is clouded by negative thought patterns and what we have allowed to become the daily grind of our existence.  If we can connect to that spark of  joy, yoga teaches, it can begin to transform – even “burn away” – the negativity that has grown up around it.  Laughter sparks that joy.  It begins a profound process of coming back to our own innate radiance.

So, come and join us for Laughter Yoga on Tuesday April 26 from 7 to 8 p.m.  The class is free.  This class will combine breathing and spontaneous laughter that will create an amazing shift in the chemistry of your body and brain.  We provide a silly, safe and nurturing environment for you to explore this wonderful practice and leave smiling.

Click here to register!

http://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ws.asp?studioid=3556&stype=-8&sTG=23&sVT=169&sView=day&sLoc=0

We hope you will take the time to read this wonderful article by Jenny Rough from Bethesda Magazine.   In the article Jenny shares her personal journey, interviews Reproductive Endocrinologists and speaks to women who used techniques like yoga, nutrition and Traditional Chinese Medicine to support their fertility journey.

We’re also excited to share that Jenny will be offering a FREE writing workshop at Pulling Down the Moon in Rockville on Saturday March 26 from 1 to 4 p.m.  Read more about this event here.

The Heart’s Role in TCM & Conception

The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) “Heart”, totally different than our Western Science Medicine (WSM) definition, encompasses the mind and the activity of the hypothalamus and pituitary, the glands which control the entire cycle.  Of course, there are a number of TCM organs that play a role together in the healthy functioning of the cycle, but my focus for today is on how special the Heart organ is in TCM and conception.

In old Chinese medicine texts the description of the Heart is “the master controller” or “the Emperor” of the other organs.  It is interestingly similar to the hypothalamus and pituitary in WSM which often refers to these glands as the master controllers of other glands in the body.   It is imperative that the Heart function properly, in other words that the mind is stable, in order for the hypothalamus and pituitary to work normally.  This then will lead to a healthy ovulatory cycle, and hopefully in the end a conception cycle.

Acupuncture, herbal therapy, yoga, meditation, reiki, and massage can all help impact a stable mind or healthy Heart in TCM, which can in turn benefit the cycle.  This is only one aspect of one organ system in TCM that participates in a very intricate process with many other organ systems to make a healthy cycle.  If you have any questions about the Heart please feel free to contact me via email or call the office to make an acupuncture appointment.

Anna Pyne LAc, MSOM, FABORM

By Pamela Policastro, L.Ac.

So, when you go for your weekly fertility acupuncture treatment and your practitioner breaks out the little cups, she’s not proposing a toast (unless you’ve just gotten a + Beta!).   When the cups come out, it’s likely she’s looked at your tongue, taken your pulse and identified excess heat or stagnant energy that needs to be shaken up or dispelled from your system.

Fire cupping is a form of  traditional medicine found in many cultures around the world.  It involves placing cups containing reduced air pressure(suction)onto the skin.  The earliest record of cupping is in Ebers Papyrus, one of the oldest medical textbooks in the world.  It describes that in 1,550 BC, Egyptians used cupping.  Archaeologists have found evidence in China of cupping dating back to 1,000 BC.  In ancient Greece,  Hippocrates used cupping for internal disease and structural problems.

In traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), cupping is a method of applying acupressure by creating a vacuum on the patient’s skin.  The therapy is used to dispel stagnation, stagnant blood and lymph, thereby improving qi flow.  Cupping is used to treat respiratory diseases such as common cold, pneumonia and bronchitis.  It is also used on back, neck, shoulder and other musculoskeletal  conditions.  Cupping  can be a very useful technique for women going through Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), too.  I use cupping on fertility patients to release excess heat if overstimulation occurs during an IUI or IVF cycle.

The cups themselves are of various shapes and sizes.  Plastic and glass are the most common materials used today, replacing the horn, pottery, bronze and bamboo cups used in earlier times.  The low air pressure required may be created by heating the cup or the air inside it with an open flame or a bath in hot scented oils, then placing it against the skin.  As the air inside the cup cools, it contracts and draws the skin slightly inside.  Cups are normally used only on softer tissue that can form a good seal with the edge of the cup.  They may be used singly or in large number to cover a larger area.  They may be used by themselves or placed over an acupuncture needle.  Skin may be lubricated, allowing the cup to be moved across the skin slowly.

Depending on the specific treatment, skin marking is common after the cups are removed.  This can vary from a simple red ring that disappears quickly to a bruise that fades within a few days.  Gweneth Paltrow has been sighted with cupping marks on her back…smart girl!

About Pam:

Pamela received her Masters Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Southwest Acupuncture College in Santa Fe, N.M.  She is nationally certified by the NCCAOM in Oriental Medicine, and is a licensed acupuncturist in the state of Illinois.  She received her Bachelors Degree in psychology from SUNY at Stonybrook, N.Y.  Additionally, Pamela has studied Chinese Herbal Medicine, Oncology Acupuncture at Memorial Sloan Kettering, N.Y.C., and fertility with Dr. Berkley from The Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness, N.Y.C.

Pamela is also nationally certified in Chinese Herbal Medicine.  Combining herbs with acupuncture, Pamela strives to attain the best possible results with all her patients.  Specializing in fertility, Pamela works to restore a mind/body balance to optimize natural conception and assisted reproductive therapy.  She is also affiliated with Mercy Hospital.

“There is a soul force in the universe which, if we permit it, will flow through us and produce miraculous results.”   Ghandi

If you would like to book an appointment with Pam for acupuncture, click here.