DAAN Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese medicine can help you maintain a healthy weight:

Chinese medicine believes that every body part is connected to others. This is opposite to western medicine, which treats every problem in a vacuum, according to Greg Johnston from the Dancing Crane Center for Chinese Medicine in Salem.
Chinese medicine has five areas: acupuncture, bodyworks, herbs, nutrition and exercise.

The basic idea of acupuncture deals with lines, or meridians, on the body which connect parts. For example, the stomach is connected to the face, Johnston explained, which is why some people tend to break out when they eat certain foods.
An important part of Chinese medicine, which has been around since 500 B.C.E., is that it involves a completely different way of thinking from western medicine. Western medicine’s job is to fix people after they are broken, while Chinese medicine is meant to prevent problems, Johnston believes.

Johnston and other acupuncturists choose points on the body that relate to specific organs. They then put small needles into those points. The patient then relaxes in dim room for 20 to 30 minutes.

Many kinds of problems, even emotional eating, can be helped with acupuncture, Johnston said, because they can be traced to a certain organ which is at fault. Emotional eating is tied to stress, which can be dealt with by balancing the liver. The stomach, however, helps with good digestion and restrains an overactive appetite when balanced.

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