Here at CalmPoint Acupuncture we undertook a little pilot study towards the end of 2015. The aim of this pilot research study was to assess the effectiveness of auricular (ear) acupuncture as a treatment for stress and anxiety. I’m happy to say that I now have some feedback from the pilot study. I have been very fortunate to have had assistance looking at and analysing the data from an academic and lecturer from the Psychology Department at Strathclyde University.
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In summary, acupuncture treatments were carried out by me over a four week period in my clinical practice based in Paisley. Tiny acupuncture needles were inserted into specific points on each ear and participants were encouraged to sit quietly for the 20 minute duration of the treatment.

​Unfortunately, the numbers taking part in the study were far too small to provide statistically significant or meaningful analysis of the acupuncture treatments. Also, some participants had to leave the study early due to ill health (mainly flu virus & migraine) and this change in numbers also affected the ability to meaningfully analyse the data. However, although there was no statistically significant difference between the treatment groups (ie those receiving acupuncture treatment vs those receiving a placebo acupuncture treatment), the data does provide very useful information to help inform my future research studies.

The good news is that there was a difference in stress levels for everyone taking part – stress levels reduced significantly regardless of which treatment they had or which treatment group they were in (group treatment or 1-2-1). For research/statistically-minded people the p-value was p<0.001. For non-statistically-minded people that’s quite a big improvement! Some participants’ stress scores came down by more than half… though perhaps not such good news for me as I was hoping that the study would show that it was the acupuncture that reduced the stress levels…  Here are some of the comments participants made on their feedback forms at the end of the four week study:

“I can definitely report feeling more calm and more in control of my emotions. I have had situations over the last few weeks which would normally see me nearing breakdown, but I’ve managed to be calm and rational and able to relax”

“I still felt calm and relaxed – even when I was cooking and feeding 12 people on Christmas day – I would normally have high stress levels.”

“For the first time in a long time my Christmas was happy”

There are so many variables that can influence the results of research studies like this, not least the very subjective perception of stress levels. However, I’m more than happy that participants’ stress scores changed so significantly – especially in the busy four weeks leading up to Christmas. Just by volunteering to take part in the study, thinking about and having an awareness of their stress levels in order to ‘score’ them each week for the study did have a significant and positive impact on how participants felt and how they scored their stress levels over time. My experience tells me that this is that happens when people do stop and pay attention to how they are responding/ reacting to life and situations around them – that pause creates a space for new ways of coping, thinking and feeling to make themselves known. Even something as simple as taking a little time out to be still and just breathe… helps tremendously. So I would most definitely encourage participants and everyone else(!) to keep doing that.

So, in summary then, the numbers were far too small to say anything about the acupuncture treatment – whether it worked or didn’t work. What the data does tell us is that everyone who took part felt less stressed whilst taking part in the study.

My plan is to conduct a bigger research study later in the year with assistance from Strathclyde University. Studies like this are particularly (notoriously….) difficult to carry out. The gold standard would be a ‘double-blind’ study where neither the participant nor the acupuncturist know which treatment is being given and which group is being treated. This is definitely going to prove a challenge in future studies we carry out and I’m not so sure that it’s possible do this as a completely double-blind study.

I’d like to personally thank everyone who volunteered to take part and those who did take some time out during that busy time of year to assist me with my research. Personally, I was in my element as it is so important to me that the treatments I provide are effective. The results of this pilot study have given me lots to think about and given me some challenges for future studies!
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If you would like more information about the study and/or the data analysis please don’t hesitate to contact me.

I’ve seen so many clients recently who have had a variety of problems both physical and emotional that they, or their health care professionals, initially didn’t contribute to the menopause or peri-menopause. Because menopause wasn't considered as a cause these women ended up being prescribed lots of treatments, medications, even surgery to help cure the unidentified ‘illness’.  To choose the right treatment (and not take any unnecessary treatments or medications) it's important to know the cause of symptoms you're experiencing.

Here are just a few symptoms that can be caused by the hormonal changes at this time of life:

• Fatigue
• Weight gain
• Heart palpitations
• Dizziness
• Anxiety/Panic attacks
• Low mood
• Poor concentration/foggy thinking
• Feeling less sociable/increased need for time alone
• Thinning or dry hair
• Reduced/Increased libido
• Painful intercourse
• Hot flushes/night sweats
• Insomnia
• Urinary/bladder problems – frequency, leaks when coughing, sneezing.
• Heavy/irregular periods
• Dry eyes/eye strain

The hormonal changes taking place in your body can affect so many different body systems it’s no wonder that symptoms are so varied. It can be a relief to know that many of these symptoms are a normal part of the menopause and that help is available. I often ask clients to think back to the roller coaster puberty years when your body was being flooded with hormones – menopause can be just like that except during the menopause hormones are reducing.

First and foremost, if you have any symptoms that are concerning you, I would always recommend that you schedule an appointment to see your health care professional for advice. Even if your health care professional has advised taking medication or other treatment there are still lots of things you can do to lessen the symptoms. I use a combination of hypnosis, acupuncture, neuro-linguistic programming and emotional freedom techniques to help support my clients but there are also lots of things you can do yourself too.

Here are 10 tips that I recommend to help you sail through this time of change.

Rest and or sleep.

Whenever you need to.  Fatigue can be a huge problem during the menopause, sometimes because night time sleep has been disturbed due to hot flushes, and many women struggle on and try to keep going regardless of how tired they feel.  Go to bed earlier – the hours between 10 pm and midnight are when you’ll get the best quality sleep.  Take power naps in the afternoon if you can.  Stop during the day and have a proper lunch break.

Eat as clean a diet as possible.

Sugar, highly processed foods, carbohydrates, caffeine and alcohol are all known to trigger menopausal symptoms. I know that even 1 glass of wine is enough for me to experience more tropical moments.  Eat as clean a diet as you possibly can – plenty fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and pulses.  If you’d like to find out more about how to eat a sensible, no-nonsense diet for maximum health and wellness I’d recommend Mad Diet by Suzanne Lockhart 

Take good quality food supplements

It your diet’s not as good as it could be you may find supplements are helpful. Vitamins Bs, C, D, and E, as well as magnesium, omega 3 oils, pre and probiotics have all been recommended as being beneficial during this time of life. The 2 books I've recommended in this blog (Mad Diet and The Wisdom of the Menopause) will give you lots of information and advice on what supplements and herbal remedies you can take.

Exercise and Get Moving  

The menopause is often seen as a time of slowing down and that’s what many women do; they stop exercising, getting out and about and generally become less active. However there’s absolutely no reason to slow down, or indeed any evidence to suggest that it’s helpful – quite the reverse!  Slowing down, exercising less etc has been shown to speed up the aging process. So, get moving – dance, yoga, tai chi, jogging, cycling, walking… whatever floats your boat. Movement will keep your joints flexible and help keep your muscles toned (no chicken wings!).

Take Time Out

Taking some time every day to practice mindfulness or meditation can be great ways to help recharge your batteries, reduce anxiety, help you sleep better and get some alone time.  There are some great apps out there that can help you with this – Headspace is one that’s popular. You can also read the Headspace book by Andy Puddicome.

Drink more water

It goes without saying that a well hydrated brain and body functions much more efficiently that one that’s dehydrated.

Look after your skin

Lots of women are concerned about facial wrinkles and lines as they get older. The decrease in estrogen and progesterone at this time can accelerate the aging process. Sagging, thin skin, lines and wrinkles, age spots and facial hair can all be caused by the changing hormone levels. You might find that you have to regularly review and change the skin care products you’ve been using for years in order to keep up with the fluctuating hormones and to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy.

Exercise your pelvic floor muscles.

The reduction in hormones can affect pelvic muscle tone resulting in bladder problems and painful sex.  Get to know your pelvic floor muscles and exercise them often and regularly. If you are experiencing some urinary incontinence Diary Dolls are pretty pants with a secret waterproof lining are great for life’s little leaks. You can find more information about these clever pants at Diary Doll, you can also purchase them direct from Amazon.

Stop smoking

You already know all the reasons why.... and your skin will love you for it.

Find support

You’re not alone. Share your experience with friends, partners and colleagues and/or professionals who understand.

If you’d like to read more about the menopause and find out how to best manage this important time in your life, I’d thoroughly recommend Christiane Northrup’s book The Wisdom of the Menopause. You can also read more on my other blogs Maybe it's the Menopause and Maybe it's the Menopause.. part 2  

Menopause gets a bad press and is often associated with lots of negative aspects of getting older.  However, menopause can be a time of wonderful empowerment where women have moved on from dedicated child care and career roles to having more time to care for themselves, 'find' themselves again and enjoy the wise, experienced and more confident woman they’ve become.

​Time to take back your power and shine!

A while ago I wrote a blog post about the menopause and 34 symptoms you might not immediately think were caused by the hormonal changes taking place at this time of life. You can read it here Maybe it's the menopause...?.  I thought I'd give you a little update and tell you about one of my favourite treatment choices for my clients.  I regularly see women who experience a whole variety of different menopausal symptoms and very often these women haven't suspected that the changes happening to them could be related to the hormonal changes that are taking place in their body during the menopause.

Women often come with aches and pains, feeling that they're not coping as well as they usually do, they often complain of feeling more emotional and tearful, have experienced weight gain, loss of libido, headaches..... the list goes on.  I usually start with a full case history and suggest changes that can be made with nutrition, supplements and some lifestyle changes. Acupuncture is my first treatment of choice in these situations - mainly because I can treat a variety of different symptoms using acupuncture, it's very effective, very safe and generally free from negative side effects.

Earlier this year I had a client who came to see me for acupuncture for back pain.  When we completed the case history it transpired that she'd been experiencing quite a number of the problems I mentioned earlier.  I treated her back pain by placing needles on a variety of points on her back and legs. I then used ear acupuncture to help reduce stress levels, balance hormones and generally help her feel stronger and better able to cope. I then placed 2 little magnetic pellets on each ear and gave her instructions on how to use these when feeling stressed or anxious. When I saw her a week later her pain score had come down from 7 out of 10 to just 1, she was feeling much better in herself with a reduction in most of the symptoms... and had noticed an increase in libido :)

Who'd have thought that sticking a few tiny needles in someone's ear could help with so many different 'problems'.

Ladies - please don't ignore those changes!  I've heard so many women say that they thought they were going crazy or were worried that something more sinister was going on in their body  because so many different things seemed to be going 'wrong' at the same time. There are lots of things you can do to help ease the symptoms you're experiencing during this time in your life.  Acupuncture is just one of those treatment choices but there are plenty of other 'natural' treatments that can help you balance and support your body and surf the menopausal waves.  Do a little research, contact local natural/complementary therapy practitioners - ask for an initial chat before you commit to treatment, most professional practitioners will welcome this opportunity to meet you and answer your questions.  It might take a little time to find the best treatment for you but when you find it you'll definitely feel the benefit.  As one client said to me "I've got my mojo back!"
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Happy Menopause :)

A real passion of mine is food – no surprises there then! I also have a passion for using food medicinally to help relieve chronic and other health conditions, in cancer care as well as for health and vitality.  I know that just small changes can make a huge difference to your health and energy levels.

A recurring theme for clients coming to see me is the issue of food, diets and healthy eating. What comes across clearly to me is that people are confused - they want to eat food that's healthy, nourishing and nurturing for their bodies but they read and hear so much about what's 'good' or 'bad' to eat don't know where to start. Just think about the huge variety of 'diets' that claim to offer amazing health benefits, or the warnings that certain foods are bad for us, advice from well meaning friends who've found the 'perfect' diet, as well as the slimming diets that promise amazing weight loss – not to mention what the glossy photos promise in the way of happiness, glamour, wealth, love… Is it any wonder that we lose motivation to change our eating habits, or worse still, become so confused about the whole issue of food that fears and phobias develop. The situation can become even more complicated if you are the main person in your family doing the cooking and feeding your family - "what do I feed my children?" "is it bad for them, am I damaging my children?"

Time to take a deep breath and get back to basics and remind ourselves what ‘normal’ eating is.......

What is Normal Eating?

I like this explanation from the Ellyn Satter Institute:
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“Normal eating is being able to eat when you are hungry and continue eating until you are satisfied. It is being able to choose food you like and eat it and truly get enough of it – not just stop eating because you think you should. Normal eating is giving yourself permission to eat sometimes because you are happy, sad or bored, or just because it feels good. Normal eating is three meals a day or it can be choosing to munch along the way. It is leaving some biscuits or cookies on the plate because you know you can have some again tomorrow, or it is eating more now because they taste so wonderful when they are fresh. Normal eating is overeating at times: feeling stuffed and uncomfortable. It is also under-eating at times and wishing you had more. Normal eating is trusting your body to make up for your mistakes in eating. Normal eating takes some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one important area of your life. In short, normal eating is flexible and varied, in response to your emotions, your schedule, your hunger and your proximity to food.” .

Ok, let’s be clear that I’m not condoning eating everything in sight giving no thought to your health!  I am however, wholeheartedly and passionately encouraging you to make a conscious choice to ENJOY your food - food can be a powerful sensual experience that engages all of your senses, allow yourself to be seduced by the sight, smell, taste, and touch of it - savour the flavour, texture and the appearance, make time to prepare your food with care and love, give yourself permission to enjoy your food.  If you do decide to make changes to your diet – either to eliminate certain foods or just eat less then don’t be too hard on yourself.  Slip-ups happen and are okay!  Think of trying to push a cart up a hill. If it slips a bit, and you catch it and keep pushing, you haven’t lost much. If it slips and you let it slide, you’ll have to go back down the hill and start all over again.  It’s the same in weight loss. If you eat the chocolate cake at lunch and keep pushing, you haven’t lost much. If you let the chocolate cake kill the day for you, you’re back at the bottom of the hill…  Accept the tiny slip and keep pushing.

A good place to start....

Practice mindful eating.   Mindful eating is allowing yourself to become aware of the positive and nurturing opportunities that are available through food preparation and consumption by respecting your own inner wisdom.  Choosing to eat food that is both pleasing to you and nourishing to your body by using all your senses to explore, savour and taste.  Acknowledge your responses to food (likes, neutral or dislikes) without judgement.  Learn to be aware of physical hunger and satiety cues to guide your decision to begin eating and to stop eating.

Here are a few easy things you can do that will make a huge difference and you’ll notice the positive benefits very quickly:

1. The most important first step – get your bowels moving!  Ideally, at least once a day!  The other tips will help you do this....
2. Every morning have a cup of hot water with a slice of lemon, this is great for purifying the blood and a good tonic for your liver. It’s also great for relieving constipation and bloating.
3. Eat more whole foods (food in its natural state), fresh fruit and vegetables, grains & pulses, nuts and seeds (these are great as snacks).
4. Decrease your caffeine intake.  Switch to good quality herbal teas (don’t confuse with fruit teas) such as camomile, peppermint, ginger and green tea.  The medicinal and therapeutic benefits of herbs are well known.  
5. Avoid artificial sweeteners, refined sugary foods, highly processed and manufactured foods.
6. Decrease the amount of carbohydrate (bread, pasta, cakes) in your diet - favour more good proteins (salmon/tuna, eggs, chicken) natural fats and oils (olive, sesame, coconut).
7. Take good quality multivitamin and vitamin C supplements.
8. Drink more water. Water helps transports nutrients and oxygen around your body, helps detoxify and protect your body.  Your brain consists of 90% water.  If your brain doesn’t get enough water you can experience headaches, lack of concentration and fatigue. 

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Everything I’ve learned over the years as a therapist and Life Coach I’ve tried to include in my life; slowly but surely changing the way I think about things, the way I deal with stress, the way I care for myself and those around me, but the biggest change I’ve made is in what I eat.  Like most people I work hard and have a family as well as juggling all of the other demands life - it hasn’t always been easy to make those changes. I’m in the business of helping others change so you’d think it would be easy for me... nope!  Still a blissfully happy chocolate addict – I’m just a more mindful one ;)  I can honestly say that changing my diet is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Just have a wee look at some of the delicious goodies below - if they can't entice you to make a few changes....  If I can change then anyone can!

The Blissful Breathing Technique 

Now, to learn how to achieve this balance, place your left hand on your chest and your right hand on your stomach and inhale.  As you inhale through your nose, allow the  abdominal muscles (your belly) to expand naturally and notice the rise of your hand on your belly as you inhale and then the hand on your chest rising as you fill the chest  completely with the new air. Imagine filling a balloon - your lungs - they fill with air from the bottom up.  Then, as you exhale, out through your mouth, allow your belly to naturally relax as the chest softens and relaxes too.
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Take 3 of these deep breaths and notice how you feel.  It can often feel difficult at first to breathe in this way. However, the more you practice the easier it will become.

Test Yourself
To check yourself and make sure that you have got the hang of this relaxing breathing technique do this simple test.  Place both hands on your tummy at waist level with the fingertips touching. When you take a diaphragmatic breath - which means that you allow your belly to expand on the inhale - your fingertips will naturally separate as the air rushes into the belly and then fills the chest. As you exhale, the tips of your fingers will come  together again and touch.  Repeat this several times. Train the body how to do this and let go of the old hypnotic  program of, “stomach in, chest out”.

The Benefits of Blissful Breathing 

As well as activating the relaxation response, with practice you’ll notice other benefits such as renewed vigour and energy, more clarity of thought which helps you to concentrate on tasks at hand and be more focused.

Side effects 

When you are learning diaphragmatic breathing and beginning to practice the technique you may get a little light headed.  If this happens, it simply means you are changing the  mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your lungs. You are increasing the oxygen and lowering the carbon dioxide.  If you do feel light headed know that it will pass and you will begin to feel refreshed.

Developing the Habit 

As you can see, diaphragmatic breathing is easy to learn and to master. Get into the habit of taking these deep breaths at a special time(s) each day.
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• Take six or eight deep breaths upon waking in the morning,
• Then repeat them after lunch and once more after dinner.
• Every time you reach for a door handle take a big deep belly breath.
• Before you pick up the telephone to make or answer a call, take a deep breath and add a smile.
• When you stop in traffic, for any reason, breath deeply several times to reduce your stress and remain balanced.
• Practice breathing this way as you speak. You will develop a better voice and reduce tension throughout your body at the same time.

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Keeping the body, mind and spirit in balance and filled with usable energy is only a deep breath away. You can manage the stress of everyday life. One way is to make the  commitment to practice this technique for a month.  Chart your results.  You will notice an improved quality of life, more energy and find that you can more clearly use your intuition to guide you on a regular basis.

A recurring theme for clients who come to see me for help and advice is that they want to know how to manage their cravings – especially for unhealthy, processed and sweet food and drink.   In the dark days of winter and as we begin a new year, many of us are thinking about areas in our lives we’d like to change or improve.   There’s no doubt about the many benefits to our health when we choose to eat a healthier diet. 

Lots of people describe sweet cravings as one of the hardest aspects of balancing weight and I use a variety of therapies and techniques to help people – hypnotherapy, EFT and Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).  I’d like to give you a little information about managing cravings from the TCM perspective.  According to TCM all foods have a distinct energy and characteristic properties that either help to balance our bodies and make us healthy, or create imbalances which ultimately result in sickness. Bear in mind that TCM views our body systems and organ functions quite differently from Western medicine so when I talk about your Spleen I’m describing it from a TCM perspective.

The first thing perhaps to say is that according to TCM a craving for something sweet is usually driven by a need to feel nurtured and to nourish our ‘Spleen’. Think about how you feel when you crave something sweet… sad, perhaps fearful, unloved, feeling the need to nurture and comfort yourself. The Spleen’s function in TCM is to transform water and food into ‘qi’ or energy.  The Spleen meridian is associated with the sweet flavour hence the reason that so many of us crave sweet things if we are feeling weak or tired.  In TCM the Spleen also reflects how grounded and safe we feel.  When the Spleen is functioning well we have a good appetite, strong digestion, and vibrant energy.  When this function is weak you will see issues such as bloating, reflux, fatigue, diarrhoea, poor appetite and/or malnutrition.  When the Spleen is out of balance it often manifests as someone being overweight or underweight.  We can also feel:

• drained, depleted, 
• lacking a sense of comfort and well-being,
• difficulty setting boundaries within ourselves and with others,
• fuzzy headed, unable to think clearly,  
• worry, ruminating thoughts and a tendency to obsess. 

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So, our craving of sweet foods is our body’s way of trying to help bring us back into balance - it's asking (craving) 'sweet' food to help restore energy levels . The aim of TCM is to work with our cravings – welcoming them and satisfying them in a healthy way to restore balance.  In TCM therefore, fundamentally it is not what we need to avoid but in fact what we need to include that balances us.  Instead of ‘nurturing’ our Spleens with refined sugar and processed foods (these may taste sweet but confuse and actively deplete our Spleens), there are some healthy ‘sweet’ alternatives you can add to your diet that will help nurture your Spleen and manage those cravings:

warm and cooked - thick hearty stews and soups, squash, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, ginger, cauliflower, sprouts, cabbage, peppers, onions, oats, rice, quinoa, pearl barley, beans and pulses, olive oil, chicken, turkey, white fish, salmon, eggs, mangoes, apples and berries.

Experiment with different ingredients.... you can be as imaginative as you like. Here are some dishes I make regularly during the winter months to feed my Spleen :) 
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