What is Oriental Medicine?

Oriental Medicine is a whole system of medicine that integrates many therapies, and is applied by practitioners to treat illness and diseases. It has been scientifically determined that human beings are unique bio-energetic systems. For thousands of years Oriental Medicine has acknowledged that there is a vital life force that flows through all things which is called “Qi” (energy). Energy (Qi) flows along pathways in the human body, which are related to the organs, the muscular system, and nervous system. When the balance of this energy is disturbed due to trauma, poor diet, medication, stress, hereditary conditions, environmental factors, or excessive emotional issues, then pain or illness results. Oriental Medicine focuses on correcting these imbalances, which stimulates the body’s natural ability to heal itself. In other words, Oriental Medicine focuses on treating the factors that cause disease.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a medical system that has been used to diagnose, treat and prevent illness for over 2,000 years by balancing the flow of energy (qi) within the body. Acupuncture is proven to remedy acute or chronic ailments, relieve pain, enhance recuperative powers, and strengthen the immune system by insertion of very fine needles into specific acupoints located just below the skin in an effort to restore health. In an Oriental Medicine assessment, your practitioner will diagnose, or differentiate, your condition with a through examination, which will include an interpretation based on medical history, pulse and tongue diagnosis. Your practitioner may also use the following adjunct techniques within your session; moxabustion (heat), Gua Sha (scraping), Cupping (suction), Auricular Therapy (ear acupuncture), electrical or laser stimulation, or even manual manipulation of the points.

How does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture is based on the idea that health is determined by a balance flow of Qi, or energy. Qi is circulated through the body via energy pathways called meridians. Each of these meridians through which Qi flows is linked to an internal organ system. There are over 1,000 acupoints on the meridian system it can be stimulated to enhance the flow of Qi. Acupuncture addresses illnesses by finding and repairing Low levels and blockages of Qi and the body’s meridians. Special needles are inserted into the acupoints, which are located just below the skin. Inserting these needles helps correct the flow of energy within the body, relieving pain and restoring health.

Will I get better?

Conditions related with pain are usually alleviated rapidly by acupuncture. However, conditions that have arisen over many years require the longer course of treatment As in any form of healing, the patient’s attitude affects the outcome of the course of treatment. Patients are always encouraged to participate in their healing process. At enlightened health we understand the huge problem in the food industry that as a nation we suffer from. We are eating excessive poor-quality foods and making us overfed and undernourished. Therefore in addition to help you move energy around to restore your health, we may also recommend whole food and/or herbal medicine supplements if needed in an effort to feed that starving body of essential nutrients needed for optimal health.

Is it acupuncture painful?

Acupuncture rarely causes any pain. Acupuncture needles are very fine and flexible, about the diameter of the human hair. In most cases, insertion by a skilled practitioner is performed without discomfort. A patient may experience a sense of heaviness or electricity in the area of insertion. Most patients find the treatments very relaxing and many fall asleep during treatment. A patient’s reaction to acupuncture treatment is as unique as the patient.

Is acupuncture safe?

When performed by a qualified professional, acupuncture is one of the safest medical procedures in the world. A licensed and certified practitioner is one who has completed a three to four year program at a nationally approved school, passed national certification exams, and actively seeks continuing education. A licensed and certified practitioner’s office carries liability insurance like most other healthcare professionals. Acupuncture needles are sterile and dispose of after treatments. When you utilized, moxibustion (or moxa for short) is always directly supervised by a practitioner as are the electro-stimulation and cupping.

What is Detoxification?

Detoxification is an essential process for the health of the body. A detoxification program enhances the elimination of many common pollutants and toxins that we are exposed to everyday. These can include the toxins associated with makeup/cologne, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoke, prescription drugs, synthetic vitamins, workplace/household chemicals and heavy metals.

What does the liver have to do with detoxification?

Our liver helps defend us from toxicity by neutralizing potentially harmful substances that are made in the body, come from the environment, or found in our diet. These substances must be detoxified (neutralized) by the liver in order to become harmless and removed from the body.

My liver doesn't’ bother me and my blood tests are fine, why do I need to detoxify?

Typically, we are not eating the foods that support optimal liver function. For example, if you are not eating food such as: red beets, kale, and Brussels sprouts, then you may be at risk for sub-optimal liver function and not even know it.

What can I expect during my detoxification program?

For some people, the frequency and quantity of urination increases. This is a normal reaction as the body begins to burn fat and natural insulin levels drop. This will level out after a few days.

Some people also notice an increase in the quantity of bowel movements. This too is normal. Most people today have forgotten what a complete bowel movement entails.

In rare instances, some people experience a throbbing sensation in the head, generalized aches, itchy skin, or fatigue. These are normal occurrences as the body detoxifies and will pass after a day or two.

What can you expect after detoxification?

Upon the completion of your recommended program, you will have a different mindset about food, your body, and your health. You may experience some or all of the following.

• Weight reduction
• Increased energy/vitality
• Improved health
• Improved digestion
• Improved physical appearance
• Removal of food addictions
• Clearer thinking
• Improved elimination

Over the past 21 days, you have taken the time to learn about your body and its needs. Now, adapt the principles you have learned from your program into your lifestyle. Choose to heal your body each and every day by consuming pure foods rich in vitamins and minerals. You have the power to heal your own body.

What makes Dr. Maria Delgado's 21 Day Detox and Lifestyle program so unique?

-This is a guided program by Dr. Maria Delgado. No two bodies are alike, therefore she individualizes each program to suit your body's physiological needs.

-Our exclusive use of Physician use Whole Foods & herbal supplements, coupled with a nutritional consultation tailored to your specific needs.

-Clinical studies validate that healthy lifestyle changes, such as this program, have beneficial effects, including reducing the risk of diabetes, heart attack and some cancers.

- The use modern technology such as the Bio Meridian to measure toxicity levels in your body. Read more

-With a whole food based program, you are feeding the body, which makes it a gentle process and is supportive of the body’s physiology.

-Supports phase I, phase II detoxification pathways clinically proven to be effective.

-Our detailed and easy to understand detox manual, including pre-detox, detox, and post-detox information.

What is clinical nutrition?

Clinical nutrition is the study of the relationship between food and the well-being of the body. More specifically, it is the science of nutrients and how they are digested, absorbed, transported, metabolized, stored, and discharged by the body. Besides studying how food works in the body, our practitioners are interested in how the environment affects the quality and safety of foods, and how these factors influence health and disease. We believe that given the proper nutrition and balanced energy, your body has amazing capabilities of keeping itself healthy. Combining nourishing eating habits with a regular exercise program and a positive mental attitude has been shown, time and again, to be the best bet for a healthier YOU.

What are nutrients?

Nutrients are substances that are involved in the creation of every molecule in the body. The body needs more than 45 nutrients, and the ways that nutrients are used are as varied as the molecules, cells, and tissues they help to create. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats (called macronutrients) are broken down (metabolized) to give the body energy. Vitamins and minerals (called micronutrients) are not themselves metabolized for energy, but they are crucial in helping the macronutrients convert to energy.

What are nutritional supplements?

The term "nutritional supplement" refers to vitamins, minerals, and other food components that are used to support good health and treat illness. For example, plant compounds known as phytochemicals (found abundantly in tomatoes, for example) have powerful disease-battling properties. If the planting, protecting and shipping of whole foods requires extreme care and effort, imagine how much more is required to protect and preserve the nutritional quality of a concentrated food supplement. If the manufacturer’s commitment to quality is not foremost, then there is no reason to swallow their pill. From the ground up, how a nutritional supplement is built will determine if it will have the desired therapeutic nutritional effect, or if it will cause more problems in the long term. When evaluating a nutritional supplement ask yourself this questions?

Does the label list the foods that are concentrated?

Are the foods organically grown and in the peak of freshness when processed?

Are low-temperature drying and extraction methods indicated?

The best drying methods are vacuum dehydration (the most gentle) or slow, air drying (for low moisture plants). Methods such as flash-freezing damage cell structure because the expanding water bursts the cell wall. Any method involving heat can denature proteins, and destroy enzymes, vitamins, and other heat-labile factors. At Enlightened health we exclusively use in our dispensary Standard process products because each supplement formula is built on this holistic paradigm. They contain unique combinations of whole foods (whole plants, animal tissue extracts and concentrates, and botanicals), and minerals to provide optimal health. Nutritional scientists are continually discovering this health benefits. Micronutrients, both known and unknown, found only in whole foods are more essential to health than synthetic vitamins and mineral taken away from their complete food matrix.

Natural vitamin VS synthetic vitamin?

Consumers are generally unaware of what supplement label data and potency claims actually mean. For instance, the most widely sold vitamin tablet in the world is vitamin C. However, according to government labeling laws, the legal definition of vitamin C is “ascorbic acid.” Therefore, because only ascorbic acid may be called vitamin C, only ascorbic content needs to appear on label data. However, ascorbic acid is only part of the whole C complex. It is to the C complex as a peel is to the banana: it protects the functional parts of the C complex from oxidation while in the growing plant. Taken alone it can provide an acidifying effect, something that can be obtained more cheaply- without creating imbalance-from apple cider vinegar. The whole vitamin C complex, as it is structured in nature, is a combination of many substances such as organically-bound copper, bioflavonoids, and rutin that help activate vitamin C and keep blood vessels and capillaries strong and prevent bruising. These factors go unmeasured in the legal definition of vitamin C. However, because of the legal definition, manufacturers simply make a tablet with ascorbic acid and claim a high potency. This practice might be considered relatively harmless, but high dosages of ascorbic acid-an isolated chemical-can create a deficiency of its synergists. In fact, it has been repeatedly demonstrated that prolonged use of high doses of ascorbic acid, without the rest of the C complex, causes mutation and degeneration of DNA within the cell, something that a natural vitamin complex could never do. The most significant difference between natural and synthetic vitamins I s that the natural vitamin complex acts as a co-enzyme- it becomes part of the living cellular process. But the synthetic vitamin merely stimulates the body without becoming part of the cellular process. In essence then, a mega dose of a synthetic or isolated vitamin has a pharmacological effect, while a balanced food concentrate has a nutritional effect and supports physiological processes. The body’s rapid elimination of synthetic vitamins via the urine illustrates the temporary pharmacological action. The body treats natural vitamin complexes from food, not as waste products, but as nutrients.

What constitutes a nourishing eating habit?

If we take a look at how our ancestors ate 100 years ago, then we can find a better example of what is a nourishing food. For example, 100 years ago there was no such thing as low-fat anything and vise versa there weren’t such diseases and ailments as we are seeing them now in the 21st century. The food was whole, contained bone broth and animal fats. Best of all it was cooked the traditional way with slow cooking methods to preserve their vital nutrients. In today’s cooking we find just the opposite. We use hydrogenated oils that turn rancid very quickly, pasteurization, refined white flour, and harmful chemicals that extend shelf life. We eat in a hurry, and we never have time for anything. Certainly there is much to learn from those days.

Can nutritional supplements cause nutritional deficiencies?

It may surprise you that the answer to this question is a definite yes. That is why our practitioners have made extensive studies of various manufacturers and their techniques in order to offer formulas made entirely from raw food rather than from heat-processed foods, or synthetic chemicals. Enlightened health makes available to you products which are whole food concentrates, containing intact enzyme systems, made from foods that are organically grown on balanced, chemical-free soil. Scientific research has demonstrated than an excess of an isolated vitamin or mineral can produce the same symptoms as a deficiency of that vitamin or mineral. For example, high doses of isolated B vitamins can cause depletion of other B vitamins. Another example is zinc which, in excess, causes symptoms of zinc and manganese deficiency. As always, balance is the key. Just as the human hand gets its dexterity from the relationship of the fingers to the thumb, a hand of all thumbs would be useless. Isolating nutrition factors from a whole complex creates imbalance, which stresses the body with toxicity and deficiency. In foods, natural forms of micronutrients are always low-dosage but high in potency because of their completeness.

Do supplements cure specific diseases?

No. Our practitioner’s uses supplements to provide for your special needs. Real food supplements give the body the fuel and protective it needs for proper cellular function, repair and maintenance. Supplements, like wholesome foods, support health rather than fight disease.

What about supplements for children?

The physical demands of growth can exhaust all but the best nutritional diets. Most children today are eating a chemical concoction of nutritionally empty “non-foods” the likes of which no generation in history has consumed. The inadequacies and chemical contamination of our modern food supply makes sound nutritional supplementation an important contribution to the growth and development of children.

Does my insurance policy cover nutritional or herbal supplements?

No. Unfortunately insurance policies are not covering cost of supplements. We accept check, cash, or credit cards for your convenience.