Acupuncture and Lifestyle Or, How Not To Diet

By Rachel Strass, DOM, LAc

Spirit Point Healing

. https://spiritpointhealing.com

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Acupuncture and Lifestyle Or, How Not To Diet

Working with an acupuncturist can help you to understand your nutritional and lifestyle needs more clearly. Acupuncturists are trained not only in acupuncture, but also in nutrition, movement, and meditation, as well as other lifestyle enhancing practices.

How many times has each of us told ourselves we need to go on a diet? Most people I know probably have been on at least 10 diets by the time they are 30 years old. In the world of Chinese medicine, there is no such thing as a diet. There are only lifestyle choices to adjust or errors to correct gently. Each person has his or her own unique body type, genetic make-up, and family history that dictates their relationship to food and movement. There is no guidebook included at birth, so each person must find his or her way. Chinese medicine can help us write our own rulebook, using the wisdom of doctors who lived a thousand years ago or more.

Certainly, there are rules of thumb, such as limiting intake of sugar, wheat, and dairy products. But most people don't realize that our cravings tell us a lot about where we most need support. For instance, someone with candy cravings has different needs than someone with potato chip cravings or someone with hamburger cravings.

Ever have a broccoli craving? Truth be told, we can have a hunger for just about anything, once we get used to it. After the body has learned to get sustenance from a food, it starts asking for more. This can happen with anything from circus peanuts to kale. Most people who have switched their foods mainly to vegetables and lean protein are surprised to discover new cravings for foods they once avoided. It's just like acquiring a taste for bleu cheese or olives.

After creating a lifestyle that suits your individual needs, you may find that you start to crave a nice walk, a bowl of soup, or an early night. It's all about finding where you need support and creating a structure in your life that gives it to you on a daily basis. Diet? No thank you.