If you are overweight and/or have elevated blood sugar levels (pre-diabetic) you are at an increased risk for developing Diabetes, Heart Disease, Cancer, and Dementia.  The two most important things you can do to control of your health is change what you eat and perform regular exercise.

As part of a comprehensive program that includes acupuncture to reduce food cravings, improve digestion and lower cortisol levels, I recommend High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or Burst Training.

Don’t be intimidated by the name. The intensity is relative to your own physical capabilities. The focus of the program is not only to lose excess weight but improve important health markers: hip to waist ratio, blood sugar levels, blood pressure.

(HIIT) or Burst Training is an effective form of exercise for weight loss, blood sugar control and anti-aging. The best part about it is that you can do it almost anywhere, you don’t need any special equipment, and it doesn’t take very much time.  You only need 20-30 minutes 2-3 times a week.

You can do it in a stairwell, on a hill, or just plain old walking or running.  If you have access to a gym or exercise equipment, you can use a stationary bike, elliptical or rowing machine.  Any type of movement will do as long as you can perform periods of intense work followed by a period of rest.

*Always check with your doctor before beginning a new exercise program.

Basic HIIT or Burst Training

  • Begin at a light pace to warm up your muscles for 5 minutes
  • Increase intensity to the maximum you can sustain for 30 seconds. (If possible increase resistance, not speed to prevent injury)
  • Return to a light pace/resistance or no exercise for approximately 2 minutes
  • Repeat #2 & #3 4-5 times in a row
  • Finish off with 2 minutes at a light pace/resistance

The key is to find the resistance level or intensity that leaves you exhausted by the end of the 30 second high intensity interval.  If you are new to exercise you can begin with 10 second intervals and work your way up to 30 second intervals.  Work at your own pace. It is always better to use higher resistance rather than increasing speed to reduce the risk of injury.

I like to use a stationary bike which allow me to easily switch intensity for the rest and intense periods.

What form of exercise do you like to use for Burst training?

Tech Neck or Text Neck are terms used to describe Anterior Head Syndrome or the forward position of the head relative to the shoulders.  This pattern is becoming prevalent in many people due to excessive use of computers, tablets and mobile phones.  You are at risk of developing this pattern if you spend a lot time gazing down at a screen.

Every one inch of forward head posture away from neutral increases the weight of your head on the structures of the neck and upper back by 10 lbs.  Neutral or normal position is when the center of the ears line up directly over the shoulders.

Even though people have traditionally looked down to read and write for a considerable amount of time in a typical office job, they would typically take breaks and assume a normal posture.  With the advent of smart phones and tablets, people now spend a lot of their time away from the desk, after work, and weekends looking down at their tablets, smart phones or laptop computers.  This increased strain on the neck over time can lead to various undesirable symptoms.

Symptoms or Injuries Related to Text Neck

  • chronic headaches
  • upper back pain
  • shoulder pain
  • neck pain
  • increased curvature of the spine

 

Helpful Tips:

  1. Take frequent breaks
  2. Hold mobile devices at eye level so you are no straining the neck
  3. Do neck stretches and corrective exercises daily
  4. Use posture centered exercises like yoga, chi kung, pilates or gyrotonics

 

Therapeutic Solution:

Acupuncture to correct muscle imbalances with corrective stretches exercises to restore correct posture.  Frequency of treatment should be 1-2 times per week depending on severity of symptoms for a period of two months

Neck Stretches:

#1 Chin Tuck: Tuck your chin back while elevating the top of your head.  Hold for 10-20 seconds.  repeat several times.

#2 Rotating Side to Side: Start by looking straight forward. (Your neck should be as close to neutral as possible- see step #1) Rotate your head to the right looking over the shoulder, hold for 10 seconds. Return to center.  Rotate your head to the left looking over the shoulder, hold for 10 seconds.  Repeat several times.

#3 Lateral Stretch: Start by looking forward. Gently drop the right side of your head towards the right shoulder.  (Ear to shoulder) You can place you right hand on top of your head to increase the stretch.  Hold for 10-20 seconds. Return to center and repeat on the left side. Repeat several times.

Corrective Exercise:

#1 Squeeze Shoulder blades together- Simply roll your shoulders back and squeeze your shoulder blades together.  This should naturally push your chest out.  Hold this position for 10 seconds.  Repeat several times.

#2 Lift chest and head– Lay on your stomach with hands by your sides on a solid surface.  Gently raise your head and chest off the floor while reaching with your hands towards your feet. Hold for 10 seconds or as long as you are comfortable. Repeat several times. (A variation of this exercise can also be done while standing and facing a wall with your torso against the wall.)

#3 Wall Angels- Stand with your heels 6-12 inches away from the wall and your back against the wall. Your sacrum, shoulder blades and back of your head should all be touching the wall. Extend your head upward while tucking your chin back.  You want try and elongate the spine as much as possible.

Next extend your arms out to the side with your elbows bent at a 90 degree angle. Hands up and palms facing forward.  Your arms should be in a L shape.  If possible your elbows and the back your palms should touch the wall. At this point, most people will feel a stretch in their chest muscles in this position.

If you feel comfortable in this position, you can begin raising your arms up around 45 degrees in a slow deliberate movement. Arms should stay touching the wall or as far back as comfortable. Then bring the arms back down to the original 90 degree position.  Repeat this up and down motion for one minute or for as long as it is comfortable.

There are many instructional videos online that show different variations of the “Wall Angel” exercise.  Just do a web search for “Wall Angel Exercise”.

Another site that has some great information on corrective stretches and exercises is http://www.wikihow.com/Correct-Forward-Head-Posture.

There are three main sources of stress that negatively affect your health:

  1. Emotional Stress

  2. Poor Lifestyle Choices

  3. Chronic Pain and Inflammation (Known and Unknown)

If continued unchecked, emotional stress, poor lifestyle choices, and chronic pain have a cumulative effect, making you more susceptible to allergies, infections, inflammation, and toxicity. Chronic stress causes your adrenal glands, which are charged with producing hormones to help you adapt to stress, to “burn out,” leading to fatigue, depression, weight gain, sugar cravings, and hormone imbalance.

Below is a list of the top ten emotional stressors that contribute to adrenal exhaustion. How many have you experienced in the past year? Throughout your life?

  • Death of a loved one

  • Divorce or end of relationship

  • Relationship difficulties, frequent arguments

  • Change in residence

  • Overwork, or termination of employment

  • Pregnancy

  • Addition to family

  • Outstanding personal achievement (graduation, promotion)

  • Financial stress (mortgage, loans)

  • Personal injury or illness

Poor lifestyle choices also take a toll on your health. Do you engage in any of the below habits?

  • Frequent skipped meals

  • Regular consumption of refined sugar (processed foods, sweets, candy, sodas)

  • Need caffeine (coffee, colas) to get going

  • Too much or too little exercise

  • Poor sleep habits

Pain is the most obvious response from the body that something is out of balance. But you may also be experiencing chronic inflammation as a result of poor diet or undetected infection. When your adrenal glands have been functioning in overdrive for a period of time due to poor lifestyle habits or unchecked stress, other body systems begin to suffer as a result of the imbalance. Do you experience any the following symptoms?

  • Frequent colds, infections

  • Joint or muscle pain

  • Allergies

  • Digestive difficulties: constipation, diarrhea, bloating, indigestion

  • Chemical sensitivity

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you feel Fat, Fatigued, Depressed? Do you have a Hormone Imbalance (PMS, Hot Flashes, Infertility, Headaches) or Digestion Problems (IBS, GERD, Food Sensitivity, Constipation)?

What do these symptoms all have in common?

They can all be caused by chronic exposure to stress.  Over time, if you are exposed to high levels of stress your body will eventually break down in a predictable fashion, leading to an imbalance in Adrenal and Female Hormones.

The three main sources of stress that negatively affect your health are:

  1. Emotional Stress
  2. Dietary Stress
  3. Chronic Pain and Inflammation (Known and Unknown)

What’s the Solution?

 We custom-design individual health programs based on the results of lab tests that can easily be done in your home; most tests require stool, saliva, or urine samples. These health programs are based on lab tests that assess the function of three key body systems: Hormonal, Digestive and Detoxification.

Functional Medicine consultations are available at Costa Acupuncture with Michael Costa, L.Ac.   Consultations are conducted in person at our West LA clinic or over the phone for your convenience.

To get started on your individualized health program based on lab results, give us a call or e-mail us to set up a consultation.

 

 

brentwood2

As of May 2015, Costa Acupunctue has moved back to its original location, at:

10200 Venice Blvd, Suite 109B, Culver City, CA 90232.  The clinic can be reached at 310-914-9700

We are only about 5 miles from our Wilshire location, two short blocks east of Motor Ave.

Costa Acupuncture is grateful for the opportunity to serve you, our patients. To show our gratitude during the Thanksgiving holiday, we’re offering this special deal:

Two Acupuncture Treatments for $50!

This special is only available for purchase from Monday, Nov 25th through Saturday, Nov 30th, one per person only, please. Promotional value expires Dec 31, 2013; actual cash value never expires.


(If you plan on visiting our clinic during the holiday weekend, we recommend purchasing the deal in person.  The option to purchase the deal online has been made available for those who are not able to come in during the holiday week.)

To schedule an appointment now, click here or call us at one of our two locations:

Culver City: 10200 Venice Blvd., Suite 109B, Culver City, CA 90232 / (310) 838-2817

Brentwood: 11918 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 212, Los Angeles, CA 90025 / (310) 914-9700

 

We have a temporary schedule change at our Brentwood Clinic this week only.

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience.  We will be available for our full schedule at our Culver City office during this time.

Changes for our Brentwood Clinic This Week Only: We will be closed Monday, August 19th, and Saturday, August 24th.  We will be open on Wednesday, August 21st,  from 3-7 p.m. only.  We will be open all other times this week as regularly scheduled.

To see the most up to date schedule at both our locations,please visit our online scheduling system anytime.

I wish more doctors adopted this line of thinking not only for mammograms but all medical procedures.

“In order to make better informed decisions, I provide my patients with all of their screening options, their strengths and weaknesses, and I reinforce that they have a right to utilize those options. Some of the options may include; self and clinical breast exams, thermography, ultrasound and/or MRI. My role as a doctor is to diagnose and treat, but I am also an educator. I want my patients’ focus to be on prevention to improve their health and well-being.”

There is a great article written by Johnnie Ham, MD on Mercola.com discussing the overall effectiveness of mammograms and risks associated with the procedure.  You can finde the full article here: Mammography: Are There Pros, or is It Just a Con?

Here are some of facts and concerns around the use of mammograms:

  • Are incorrect 80 percent of the time (providing a false negative or false positive)
  • Require repeated ionized radiation that can cause cancer
  • Use compression, which can damage breast tissue or potentially spread cancer
  • Are not effective for up to 50 percent of women (women with dense breasts or implants)
  • Can lead to over-diagnosis and over-treatment of non-invasive cancers
  • Can lead to the disturbing practice of “preventative” double mastectomies

This a must read for every woman! 

“…many women are completely unaware that the science backing the use of mammograms is sorely lacking, and that more women are being harmed by regular mammograms than are saved by them. Many also do not realize that the “new and improved” 3D tomosynthesis mammogram actually delivers even MORE ionizing radiation than the older version.”

Dr. Ham shares my own opinion when it comes to making health decisions: “The advice I give all of my patients is to be your own health advocate, do your own research and always ask questions before agreeing to any therapy or treatment, screening and/or procedure.”

What are your options?

Dr. Ham recommends regular thermography screenings, even for younger women, to determine a baseline reading in conjunction with patient education. Self and clinical breast exams, ultrasound and/or MRI are also recommended as part of a preventive approach to screening for breast cancer.

Only 3 Day Left:  2013 Healthy Life Summit!

This FREE online virtual conference is happening until March 30, 2013. Listen to 35 of your favorite health experts, authors, doctors, bloggers, farmers and activists from the comfort of your own couch!

Don’t have time to listen live?  Own all the recordings for 60% if you purchase before March 30th! 

I haven’t had a chance to listen to all of the recordings yet.  Some of my favorites so far are:

  • THE 21-DAY SUGAR DETOX by DIANE SANFILIPPO
  • WHY PRE-CONCEPTION & PREGNANCY DIETS MATTER by KRISTEN MICHAELIS
  • HEALING THE MIND AND BODY WITH FOOD by JULIA ROSS
  • MOVEMENT FOR ELIMINATING CHRONIC PAIN AND WEIGHT LOSS

    by ROBIN KONIE

 Click here to sign up now for the remaining presentations — it’s FREE!

If you are unable to join online the week of March 24th, you can order the entire Healthy Life Summit to listen anytime, anywhere at your own pace.

Don’t  miss the 2013 Healthy Life Summit!

This FREE online virtual conference is happening March 24-30, 2013. Listen to 35 of your favorite health experts, authors, doctors, bloggers, farmers and activists from the comfort of your own couch!

 Click here to sign up now — it’s FREE!

When you sign up, you’ll get an email with log in information. Then come back on Sunday, March 24th and listen all week for free.

If you are unable to join online the week of March 24th, you can order the entire Healthy Life Summit to listen anytime, anywhere.