Bridging East and West: My Journey to Integrating Acupuncture and Functional Medicine at Root & Stem

Today, I want to discuss the intricate dance between two distinct medical approaches: acupuncture and functional medicine (I practice both). While you might think these fields seem worlds apart, they interlace beautifully. By looking at the big picture (your unique genetic, biochemical, and lifestyle factors) through a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and functional medicine lens, I can offer more effective tailored treatment plans and work with you to achieve outstanding results.

A Threefold Approach to Healing

At Root & Stem, I use a threefold approach combining comprehensive lab testing, the time-honored art of acupuncture, and functional medicine principles. It's a balance I've honed over time. I've come to appreciate the value of in-depth scientific analysis combined with acupuncture and TCM diagnostics and Chinese herbs for creating individualized paths to wellness for my patients.

So how does it all come together?

The Power of Modern Diagnostics

Every health journey begins with understanding. To bring the complete picture of your health into focus, I use modern lab tests (blood and saliva testing) as a critical first step in my functional medicine practice. These tests allow me to assess your health at a granular level, uncovering anything that may be causing imbalance or disease.

As a functional medicine doctor, I interpret test results through a unique lens. While your conventional doctor might look at the same tests and pronounce them "normal," my training allows me to see nuances and make inferences from small details and patterns traditional Western medicine commonly overlooks.

Tailored Treatment with Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine

Guided by these insights, I create a personalized treatment plan with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. I use acupuncture to address your specific concerns, rebalance the body's energy, or 'qi,' reduce inflammation, and help you relax and rejuvenate. When needed, Chinese herbal medicine comes into play to address imbalances and support acupuncture treatments.

Herbs like Huang Qi (Astragalus) to boost the immune system, Bai Shao (White Peony Root) for harmonizing the liver, or Ren Shen (Ginseng), to name a few, synergize with acupuncture to stimulate and enhance your body's inherent ability to heal.

As valuable as modern diagnostics are, they only provide part of the picture. This is why every acupuncture treatment begins with a traditional Chinese pulse and tongue diagnosis.

Lifestyle Guidance as a Pillar of Health

Functional medicine recognizes that our daily habits and choices are pivotal to our overall well-being and physical health. I offer customized lifestyle guidance to support and enhance your health journey. This might include suggestions for a nourishing diet, physical activity, stress management techniques, or restorative sleep practices.

In Practice: A Case Study

To elaborate: Let's say we have a Root & Stem patient grappling with chronic fatigue. Conventional medicine might prescribe stimulants or pain relievers, focusing on treating the symptoms without uncovering and addressing the root cause. I take a different approach.

For example, lab test analysis might reveal an imbalance in the patient's thyroid hormones (often the case in chronic fatigue cases). A detailed analysis of the patient's lifestyle might also uncover high-stress levels and poor sleep patterns.

In response, I would create a multi-pronged treatment plan: acupuncture to enhance energy flow and reduce pain and stress, targeted herbal remedies to support thyroid function, and lifestyle modifications such as stress management techniques and dietary adjustments to promote restful sleep and overall well-being. 

The goal isn't just symptom management but a comprehensive overhaul that helps the patient reclaim vitality and get back to feeling their best.

The Path to Wellness

My journey in both acupuncture and functional medicine is about stepping into your shoes so I can offer a well-rounded, empathetic perspective on health and well-being. I firmly believe that our bodies are complex symphonies, not isolated notes. By focusing on the interrelationships and balance between body systems and leveraging the therapeutic potential of acupuncture and Chinese herbs, my goal is to build resilience, diminish or eliminate discomfort, and guide my patients toward optimal health.

At Root & Stem, we're passionately committed to the principles of acupuncture and functional medicine. This integrated approach empowers us to offer you the most holistic and effective care possible.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive approach to health or struggling with a stubborn issue that conventional Western medicine has failed to address, book an appointment at our Oakland or Nevada City clinic and get started on your path to optimal health!

Dealing with Chronic + Acute Pain through Acupuncture

One of the biggest reasons we are so adamant about offering sliding scale services, is to create greater access to chronic and acute pain relief. We believe so strongly in the power of this medicine and we know that it is key to guiding people out of unnecessary suffering. With little to no side effects, acupuncture is proven over and over again to be safe, effective and clinically relevant for pain management. A 2016 study found that 93% of 89,000 people reported successful treatment for musculoskeletal pain, Yet only 23% of patients with chronic pain found opiates effective, according to a 2006 survey by the American Pain Foundation and a recent review found that opioids at guideline recommended doses were not effective for low back pain.

With that said, come check out Brooke at our sliding scale clinic today from 3-8 at our @shopharborside location!!

The Revolutionary Body Clock!

There is nothing I love more than when Modern Medicine catches up with the teachings of Ancient Medicine. Eastern Medicine relies on a system where specific organs self regulate at different times of the day. This body clock has been used to diagnose and treat for thousands of years, and is especially helpful with sleep issues. 🌚 ☯️

During a 15 year study of the impact of light on the health for more than one billion people, it seems that we now have substantial evidence of how our internal clocks transmit their timing information AND how our organs read time and do different tasks at specific times!!!!!!! 🤯🤯🤯

As you see in the image of the Eastern Medicine clock, each organ has a period of about 2 hours in which it is "on" and processing. Notice that the Liver time is between 1-3am. This is one of the most common times for anxiety insomnia. 😩

I call it anxiety insomnia because it seems to be a wakeful time where we spend an hour or two (or more!) laying in bed thinking about any possible stressful issue that we could possibly bring into our heads instead of sleeping. When that happens it is a sign that the Liver is imbalanced and unable to process and detox correctly. This is just one area where this helpful clock can be used in the treatment of so many issues. We can use this clock for so much thanks to the teachings of Ancient Medicine! 💪🏽🙏🏼👏🏿

Summer Celery Juice Cleanse Recipe

Enjoy this special celery juice recipe (from the amazing @brookie.mackie) to stay cool and also cleanse your body this summer! 😎 🌞It's so important to remember that as the daylight hours and temperatures increase getting hydration from our foods --- as well as from drinking plenty of water is important for our health this season.

The Celery Juice Cleanse 🌱

Have you heard about drinking celery juice for health? It’s all the rage right now and has been promoted by the Medical Medium for its many health benefits such as cleansing the liver of toxins and viruses like Epstein-Barr and Shingles, combatting chronic acid reflux, reversing auto-immune diseases, and recovering from SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth). While these are undoubtedly amazing healing effects from a humble bunch of celery, if you plan on joining the ranks of juice guzzlers, consult your acupuncturist first! Most of us in the modern Western world need some liver detoxification due to stress, alcohol, caffeine and processed food consumption along with exposure to environmental toxins. However, you should make sure your digestion is strong and not affected by Cold or Damp pathogens, as we would say in Chinese Medicine. If your Spleen or Stomach tend to have deficiency, cold, or damp, celery juice, which has a cooling effect on the GI, could worsen the problem, leaving you a bit too “cleansed“, if you get my drift!

If you get the okay from your practitioner that it could be helpful for you, consider adding this amazing vegetable-herb-medicine to your morning health routine!

You’ll need a juicer and plenty of fresh celery! I drank 16 ounces each morning and waited 30 minutes before consuming any other food. If you include the leaves, it is beneficial, but makes the juice more bitter. Enjoy cooling and cleansing this summer, and pay attention to how you feel to make sure it’s a good medicine for you!

Hydrate Through Foods + Liquids this Summer!

Hope you all had a great Summer Solstice last weekend! 🌞

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Not that you need a reminder ... don’t forget to

REPLENISH 💚

Through both hydrating foods and drinks of course. Doesn’t this cucumber water look yummy?! 🥒

{lil vid + tip courtesy of Lyssandra Guerra of Native Palms Nutrition.}

Food, Lifestyle + Getting to the Root Cause of Diabetes

Something that really stuck out to me during my time as an acupuncture resident at Highland Hospital in 2016 was the conventional treatment of Type II Diabetes. 💉💊

I saw so many well-meaning docs and residents discussing pharmaceutical treatments with absolutely zero mention of food or lifestyle changes. 🤷🏻‍♀️ There are so many challenges in our health care system that make this a difficult reality for our conventional docs, but food as medicine should not be considered an “alternative” course of treatment for any issue. 🥗🍋🥒

Diabetes, according to Eastern and Functional Medicine, goes beyond a simple diagnosis of Type I or Type II. We call diabetes “Xiao Ke” or “Wasting and Thirsting disease”, and there are approximately 7 patterns that can cause this issue. 👣💭Since diabetes has an impact on every part of your body, it is important to try a therapy that takes a holistic approach to health. 📍

Acupuncture, along with other holistic health choices and lifestyle changes, can be highly effective, sometimes even making medications unnecessary. Really getting to the root cause of any issue will take time and effort, and changes that may seem hard at first!

➡️The best approach to controlling your diabetes is to work with a team of health care providers who can address the many aspects of diabetes.

Spotlight on Marya Vohryzek

We’re shining the light on practitioner Marya Vohryzek @rootandstem 💗

Marya specializes in working with people during chemotherapy and radiation. + Those who use acupuncture often say that it helps them feel relaxed and improves their overall sense of wellbeing. ✨ 📍

No matter what the diagnosis, acupuncture can help increase the quality of life for any individual, and find a sense of calm and peace during what can be a very stressful and painful process. The main areas of research show promising results for relieving symptoms of cancer and the side effects of chemo, such as nausea, insomnia, hot flashes, lymphedema, body aches, joint pain, depression, neuralgia, skin pain, and burns.

#acupunctureworks #acupuncture #acupunctureforpain #acupunctureforcancer #functionalmedicine #wellbeing #oaklandproud #rootandstem #cancersupport #chemotherapy #radiation #feelbetter

Careful not to overdo it this summer on sugar!

It’s definitely summer ... but careful not to overdo it on the sugar! 🍡🍧🍨🧁🍦🍭😕

What Sugar Does: **Disclaimer: This message is not intended to shame or make anyone feel stressed about food! You know that I’m an avid believer of “everything in moderation including moderation” and I totally enjoyed a chocolate croissant today. ❤️

It’s all about the process of being more mindful with sugar 😉

Sugar makes fluids in the body thicker; it causes swelling in joints, and increased joint pain. Increased mucus in the lungs, throat and sinuses and impairs fluid circulation causing increased swelling.

. . .

Sugar robs the body of minerals that calm the nervous system and leads to increased insomnia, restlessness, and anxiety. . . . 🤒Sugar lowers the immune function: it slows white blood cells as they move toward bacteria and viruses to destroy them

. . .

Sugar creates a climate where “healthy” bacteria can no longer grow in the vagina and intestines causing increased yeast infections. “Healthy” bacteria in the intestines make Vit B which the body uses to make stress hormones. . . .

Coming off sugar may cause low energy, depression, feelings of alienation, lack of coordination for 1-5 days, but it will get better! 🤸🏽‍♂️

#sugarmoderation #sugarawareness #functionalmedicine #healthydiet #balanceddiet #rootandstem #eatwell #moderationnotdeprivation #moderationmovement

Brooke's Homemade Chocolate Scones

We’re loving these 🍪❤️ grain-free treats from @brookie.mackie **sans refined sugar** so you get all the flavor but without the sugar crash! 😀 👏🏽

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Grain-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Scones ☀️

I call these “cookie scones” because while originally intended as a cookie, they came out with the light, airy crumb of a scone and not as sweet as your usual cookie. With almond flour, eggs, and butter as the main ingredients, these pack a lot of protein and fat for a treat—not just empty carbs. Also, since there’s no refined sugar here, you get to enjoy the flavor and experience of a “sweet”, without the roller coaster effect on your blood sugar. The sweetener here is honey and a scant amount of stevia (very scant as any more can push the flavor into a strange bitter territory). Also, as an option you can add some coarsely chopped dried fruit; I used dried apricots.

🌱Opt for grass-fed butter if possible. Eaten in moderation, a dessert like this that’s high in healthy fats and with a touch of sweetness can nourish the yin of the body—the part that keeps us feeling juicy, grounded, and calm. 💗

Makes approximately 30 cookie scones (I usually double the recipe)

½ cup butter, softened

¼ cup honey (can increase for a sweeter cookie scone)

½ tsp stevia powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg + 1 egg white (save the other yolk for an omelet)

2½ cups blanched almond flour

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp sea salt

1 cup chocolate chips (I use a bar of dark chocolate low in sugar, chopped)

1 cup coarsely chopped dried fruit like apricots, cherries, dates (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Mix butter, sweeteners, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. Mix in eggs until well combined.

3. Stir in almond flour, baking soda and salt and mix well. Gently stir in chocolate chips.

4. Drop heaping tablespoon-sized dough onto baking sheets two inches apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

5. Enjoy! Preferably not all in one sitting!

Chinese Herb Spotlight - Peonies

Chinese herbal spotlight on the beautiful Peony! 🌺🌱 These babies are really popping up all over right now in this extended spring. Not only are Peonies one of my favorite flowers, they are also make one of my favorite Chinese herbs, Bai Shao! ❤️

#BaiShao is made from the root of this plant, and used to help harmonize the #Liver and reduce heat. This herb is commonly used in formulas that treat, abdominal pain, cramping, irregular menstrual cycles, irritability, and night sweating! . . .

There is also some great research that suggests this amazing herb has benefits in treating #autoimmune disease and #inflammation.

Eating with the Seasons

Eating with the seasons doesn’t just taste good it’s good for YOU and the planet! 🌱🥕🥦🌎🌍🌏🍒🍑

Buy local and organic, from your farmers markets if possible or stores that sell foods from local producers! Right now we’re seeing herbs like cilantro, mint, parsley, and veggies like fennel, carrots, beets, radishes, cucumbers, the first summer squash and even peaches, nectarines and strawberries locally (and so many more goodies)!

Cortisol Levels and Coffee

I really, really, REALLY love coffee. ☕️I love the ritual of a thick, warm beverage in the morning. 🌞 I recently had my own labs analyzed and my cortisol levels are totally out of whack. I have high levels of cortisol upon waking, and in the afternoon and into evening my levels totally crashed. I wondered if this had to do with my caffeine consumption, so I decided to take a break from coffee and switch to green tea. I’m already noticing so many benefits! I’m not crashing at all in the day and I have a great level of energy without that slump in the afternoon. My stomach is less upset, and I swear the dark circles under my eyes are vanishing! 🤩

My plan is to keep this up and re-test in the next 3-4 months to see if my cortisol levels have improved. I’ll keep you posted! I’m still enjoying my cup-o-joe on the weekends, but for now I’ll try to switch it up!

Do you know about Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture?

Do you know about Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture? 📍

It is a non-surgical method of reducing the signs of the aging process and has been shown to help with : * deep wrinkles

* fine lines

* bags under the eyes

* sagging + puffiness

* drooping eyelids

* double chin

* large pores

* dry skin or acne.

A study in 1996 in the International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture reported that 90% of the 300 cases treated with Cosmetic Acupuncture had marked effects including the leveling of wrinkles, improved facial muscle elasticity and overall rejuvenation. 💗

***INQUIRE FOR MORE DETAILS + PACKAGE PRICING AVAILABLE*** To book your session with Marya Vohryzek please visit our Book an Appointment page.

p.s. we do recommend at least 6 sessions for maximum results.

To take supplements or not?

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with how many supplements you have to take in a day? 😧

I often find that people are taking waaaaaaaay too many supplements. I have been there too, trying to keep my body in balance and thinking that I need every possible supplement that will make me feel good and stay young, when all of a sudden I realize I’m taking handfuls of pills. Yuck. 👎

. . .

While I do think that the power of herbal remedies and vitamins are so important for boosting our health, it is really easy to over do it. One of the things I love the most about blending Functional Medicine with Eastern Medicine is that we are looking deep to see how your body can be in its most balanced state and function in a healthy way without the continued addition of supplements. 👏🏽💗 Sometimes we totally need the boost, but ultimately let’s work to find out what your body needs to work its best on its own. 😃

Connecting the Dots

One of the biggest dots 🔅that Functional medicine helps connect for people is the that we are seeing symptoms earlier than a conventional doctor. 📊📋👩🏻‍🔬

When your conventional doctor looks at lab work they are looking to see if you are in a diseased state. 🦠😦

We can have symptoms {before they are “abnormal”} and Functional and Eastern Medicine focus on preventing and reversing issues before the get out of control. 😃💪🏾💪🏼

✔️When we look at labs we are looking to see where your body is already in balance and where it needs support.

✔️We are looking to see if your body is absorbing enough nutrients, or getting enough electrolytes, and we can use food, acupuncture, and herbs/supplements to support your body’s ability to function as best as possible on its own.

Beneficial Foods for Spring!

I love this rundown from @phasesacupunture of all the beneficial foods for the spring time! . .
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Here are 5 foods recommended to eat throughout the season of spring

🥬Green Foods: During spring, it is recommended to eat foods green in color and rich in chlorophyll that help accelerate rejuvenation of the liver. This includes things like alfalfa, spirulina, chlorella, parsley, wheat grass, kale, Swiss chard and collard greens.

🌿Spring Vegetables and Herbs: peas, watercress, asparagus, barley grass, and radishes-all of these help move liver Qi and open up the liver meridian.

🍋Sour Foods: lemons, limes and grapefruit are all good choices that help cut fats that may have been stored up in the body during the winter months, while also keeping the liver Qi moving smoothly. Other sours include dill, kombucha, pickles, vinegar, and kimchi. 

Naturally fermented sour foods are also beneficial as their live enzymes improve digestion.

🌱Pungents: Spring onions, garlic, scallions, turmeric, basil, cumin, fennel and pepper can help be the extra kick we need to get things flowing.

🥕A Little Sweetness: Think young vegetables such as young carrots and beets. This nourishes the blood and helps keep you vital during all the new activity. Just make sure you're cooking by stir fry or steam grilling in order to allow your body to easily digest all of the nutrients!

📍And acupuncture can help address any imbalance or health issues that are occurring due to diet, stressors, autoimmune disorders, or injury.

Face the spring with hope! ❤️ 

Spotlight on Bitter Melon!

Bitter Melon! 💗

I love the bitter melon, it’s somewhat unusual to come across in the grocery store, but you might start to see it available as organic more often this time of year. 💫Bitter Melon is a blood sugar regulator: several studies show positive results in decreasing glucose and hemoglobin A1c in people with diabetes. 📋We think that it helps our tissue use glucose in a more efficient way, allowing for a more effective secretion of insulin and less sugar cravings. 🤸🏽‍♂️

Packed with nutrients: full of Vit C, A, folate, potassium, zinc, iron, and fiber!

🙅🏽‍♂️Full of antioxidants: Several studies using concentrated amounts of bitter melon extract have shown that it is effective in killing off a variety of cancer cells.
💪🏼Supports healthy metabolism: High fiber + increasing glucose breakdown = efficient metabolism
😋Yummy!: Stir fried, salad, sauced, 

Ready to rejuvenate for Spring?

Ready to feel more rejuvenated and refreshed from the inside out for Spring? 🌱💗

* Get acupuncture and Eastern medicine treatments to help you regain VITALITY💫
* Learn how to eat clean in a way THAT fits your lifestyle + budget
* Gain new insights on your own unique makeup (are you deficient in some essential vitamins and do you have excess in others?) through Comprehensive Lab Analysis
* Learn how to adjust your diet or lifestyle accordingly to feel YOUR BEST
* Sleep better, look better and THRIVE 🌟

-Empower Yourself Around Health -
6 Weeks to Glow, A New Kind of Wellness Program 
with Dr. Jessica Parker + @lyssandra_nativepalms of Native Palms Nutrition
Message us to learn more OR email us : info@oaklandrootandstem.com
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#rootandstem #6weekstoglow #springdetox#springcleanse #springreset#functionalmedicine #acupuncture#acupunctureworks #nutrition #cleanse#detox #wellnessprogram #sixweekstoglow

How to get healthier hair!

Your health shows not just in your digestion, but in your skin, hair, mood & more! 🧜🏽‍♀️🥥 wisdom from Lyssandra Guerra our partner at Native Palms Nutrition ⬇️
・・・
hair loss, hair regrowth, brittle hair, damaged hair, oily hair... HAIR! ... are you undergoing major stress, malnourishment, gut and hormone imbalance... maybe you're eating pretty dang healthy but things aren't changing...

Your hair is made of protein, so eating the right types of protein with the essential building blocks can help your mane become stronger and therefore grow...types of clean protein include organic pasture raised poultry, grass-fed beef, wild caught oily fish, some cheeses, non-gmo'd tofu and quinoa. Protein is just a one of many nutrients your body needs for not only your hair but also your other systems... GET TO KNOW WHAT YOU (!!!) NEED...

We can help you evaluate your eating habits to see what may be lacking - and give you a whole health boost in our 6 Weeks to Glow program for Spring 🌱✨💗 ping us or learn more under services here! . . .

#sixweekstoglow #healthboost#rootandstem #healthyskin #healthyhair #betterdigestion #fertility #cleanse#healthreboot #springcleanse #detox #acupuncture #functionalmedicine #labwork

The future looks bright!

Thank you to the amazing residents at SF General for having me last week! It was so great to connect and we had such a lovely conversation about integrative medicine. The future of medicine is looking bright! .
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#residentlife #doctorsofinstagram#acupuncture #oaklandacupuncture#functionalmedicine #healthcare #wellness#easternmedicine #futuredoctors