Natural Fibers for Natural Health

Why are Natural Fibers Better for Both Your Family and the Environment?

Much attention has been given to organic, sustainable agriculture and the Slow Food movement. A bit less has been given to natural fibers. So what is it about plant fibers like cotton, hemp, bamboo, coconut, flax, jute and sisal, especially when farmed organically and sustainably, that is so great? Not to mention natural wool from sheep, alpacas, rabbits and camels? They can cost more, be harder to find, and might not look as fashionable as items produced from more commercially-available fabrics.

Natural fibers are better for the environment, producing less waste and toxicity than their conventional counterparts and can even help return nutrients to the soil, especially when organic and, even better, unbleached. Don’t fear, there are some great natural dyes out there for those of us who love bright colors.

Natural fibers also produce less allergic reactions. Babies and those of us with sensitive skin fare better when less has been added to our clothing. Think about reading the labels on your food products. Conventional fabrics often go through chemical processing, just like conventional foods. If you wouldn’t eat that way, why dress that way? If you think you’re allergic to wool, try some that has not been treated commercially and you might find that it’s an additive or artificial processing to which you’ve been reacting.

Natural fibers are more breathable than synthetics and can do a great job at insulating your body. Think about the intense warmth of a down comforter. Wool is also an amazing insulator; it keeps you warm when you’re cold and cool when you’re hot, and is great not only for clothing items but for bedding. It also absorbs moisture naturally, like all those high-tech fabrics we buy at sporting goods stores, but without all the processing and chemicals being released into the environment. It also naturally reduces odor, so makes a great layer for exercising. You can use wool diaper covers (also called “soakers” or “longies”) for about a week w/o washing them, as long as you give them some time to air out, thus lowering your environmental impact even more (cloth diapering may keep our babies from contributing to landfills, but there is still the water and energy impact of washing your nappies and covers). When using wool for waterproofing purposes, you will occasionally have to re-lanolinize it, but this is as simple as washing the item in a detergent such as Eucalan.

There is also an energetic component to wearing natural fibers. They interfere less with your body’s energetics and allow you more access to your own groundedness. Those who practice yoga, martial arts, and other meditation practices can testify to this. It sounds a bit esoteric if you haven’t experienced it yet for yourself. Try it the next time you meditate or need to do some deep thinking: wear all natural fibers and sit on something made of them too, like a cotton or sheepskin rug. At the very least, you can rest assured that you’ve made a more conscious, sustainable choice that supports both responsible economy and environment.

Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine for Insomnia During Pregnancy

Strategies for Sleep Success

As you move through the weeks of pregnancy, you are likely to find yourself suffering from insomnia. While it’s true that soon you will be waking up with your baby throughout the night, it’s nice to get sleep while you still can. Difficulty sleeping can be addressed with acupuncture and herbal medicine but there are also some simple things you can do for yourself to help address this issue.  Remember, if you are going to take herbs during pregnancy, make sure to consult with a knowledgeable practitioner first.

Proper sleep posture can do a lot to alleviate sleeplessness and body pain. As your pregnancy progresses, sleeping on your back can cause your growing uterus to compress your blood vessels, interfering with blood flow and leaving you with a feeling of breathlessness or vague discomfort. Since sleeping on your belly is out for obvious reasons, getting comfortable on your side is important. You can use a couple of regular pillows or one long body pillow for support. Place one of the pillows between your knees and hug the other pillow. You can also sleep with your bottom leg straightened out and place the first pillow under the bent knee of your top leg. Switch sides throughout the night to avoid compressing your bottom hip. You might also find it helpful to wedge a folded towel under your growing belly as you get further along.

Make sure to keep yourself well-fed. Eat healthy foods at regular intervals. Have a snack close to bedtime or when you find yourself awake late at night. Something light, like cereal, can often help you fall back to sleep. Remember that your calorie requirements are higher in pregnancy and that you may be happier eating multiple small meals through the day. It’s not unusual for your body to wake you at night up for a snack. It could even help allay morning sickness–one of the tricks to fighting nausea in pregnancy is to keep your stomach from ever being completely empty.

Go to bed at the same time every night. Give yourself some time to unwind. Turn off all electronic equipment, especially the TV and computer, about a half hour to an hour before bedtime. Try meditation, yoga, tai chi or qi gong to practice relaxation. Make sure to get plenty of exercise. The optimal time for these activities varies per person, so try doing them at different times of the day if you’re experiencing sleep difficulties.

Remember that you’re not the only pregnant woman out there who can’t sleep. Combined with the fatigue of early and late (and for some of us middle too!) pregnancy, this can affect other areas of your life. If you find yourself struggling to cope, or if you’d like to treat yourself to some rejuvenating relaxation, go see your acupuncturist.

Acupuncture for Depression During Pregnancy & Postpartum

How to Beat the Baby Blues

Depression during pregnancy and in the postpartum period occurs quite frequently. During pregnancy, a woman’s hormones are in a very different state of balance, with about 100 times the estrogen and 10 times the progesterone of a non-pregnant woman. These are the hormones that cause premenstrual mood swings and bring to mind the image of the hysterical pregnant woman that resounds through our culture–now she’s laughing, now crying, now raging mad; look out! The changes take some getting used to. It’s good to keep in mind that they are helping our bodies become the perfect environment for growing and raising a strong, healthy baby. Postpartum, these hormones suddenly swing back towards where they used to be, unsettling us once again. Almost every woman has at least a mild case of “baby blues” and finds herself crying easily or without reason. Having a new baby can be overwhelming and difficult to prepare for. Also, due to the collapse of the extended family structure, women find themselves without much support. Others often focus on the newborn baby to the exclusion of the mother. This shift in attention can be a bewildering and difficult transition for some. In addition, most new moms aren’t getting enough sleep and may be struggling with other issues, such as difficulty breastfeeding and relationship stress.

More and more data suggests that the less we rely on pharmaceutical solutions for issues during pregnancy, the better. Pharmaceuticals always carry the risk of side effects. Many drugs used during pregnancy have never actually been tested for their safety during pregnancy and are given out based on “expert opinion.” Why no testing? Since it’s unethical to test drugs on pregnant women, no one designs the tests. Yet pregnant women are given drugs with the hope that nothing will go wrong. Much of the time, nothing does. However, the track record does have some disturbing moments: DES and thalidomide, once commonly given to respectively prevent miscarriage and treat morning sickness, both caused horrible birth defects. Thalidomide babies suffered malformed limbs that often resembled flippers. DES babies suffered malformations of their reproductive tracts, effects which have even been shown to pass on to the grandchildren of women who took it.

There has been recent research on the use of antidepressants during pregnancy which shows that newborn babies suffer withdrawal symptoms and side effects including agitation, altered muscle tone, and breathing and suction problems. There is also evidence that these effects can occur through breastmilk transfer. The side effects are not just of concern for our babies, but for ourselves.  Depression has a varying range of severity and may require differing levels of treatment. The more we learn, the more desirable non-drug methods of treatment become in less severe cases. This may include personal therapy, support groups, yoga, exercise, massage, and acupuncture and Chinese herbs. A recent study found at least a 50% reduction in depression to be almost 20% higher when treated with acupuncture alone versus a sham treatment or massage.

Get in touch for questions or to schedule an appointment and experience the uplifting qualities of acupuncture yourself.