Village Squire, 1980-04, Page 11and acupuncture
Acupuncture is not a new trend or fad - it's been used
for 5,000 years. Dr. Ong, a London medical doctor,
has been using this method locally with successful results.
is released in greater quantities than
normally. The hormone, secreted from the
pituitary gland, acts as a natural, built-in
pain killer and sedative. When stimulated
by needles and small electric shocks the
hormone, said to be 100 times stronger
than morphine, is sent to the needed areas
of the body. It's endrophin's qualities that
help the dieter.
"ALL IN YOUR HEAD"
Many non -believers of acupuncture and
its use in dieting claim that "it's all in your
head." In a sense they are right. Different
points in the ear are believed to relate to
different points in the body. Tiny pins that
look like coil springs are placed in each ear.
When electrically stimulated by the doctor
or gently pressed by the patient, extra
endrophin is sent to the portion of the brain
where the desire to eat originates.
Basically the extra endrophin helps to
control the addictive cravings for sugar and
salt.
By simply scratching your ear however,
those excess pounds won't instantly
vanish. Dr. Ong, who studied acupuncture
in China in 1945 and is a graduate of the
University of Toronto, stresses that the
only way the diet and acupuncture will
work is if the patient is personally
motivated to lose weight.
Acupuncture isn't an easy way oui. it is
not a miracle treatment, but Dr. Ong says
that if it is used correctly and proper food is
eaten, a patient can lose up to eight pounds
a month.
"You can't eat whatever you like. You
'must follow a certain plan," he tells his
patients.
While the acupuncture needles are
changed every two weeks in a 10 minute
check-up, Dr. Ong strictly enforces a basic
800 to 1,000 calorie a day diet plan for his
patients to follow.
SIMPLE PLAN
The plan is simple. It stresses a high
intake of fibre and roughage in the daily
menu and unprocessed bran is taken three
times a day. Dr. Ong believes that if you
eat high fibre foods, like whole wheat
cereals, lettuce, cabbage and potatoes with
skins on, calories won't be easily absorbed.
With a high intake of fibre, food passes
through the body at a quicker rate than the
average 48 hour period and fat has less
time to develop.
To lose weight, we shouldn't eat more
than 1,000 calories a day. However, Dr.
Ong explained that certain African people
consume 3,000 calories a day and don't
gain weight. This he says is because their
high calorie diet also includes a high intake
of fibre and roughage. He also noted that
they suffer from fewer incidents of
truberculosis, heart disease and cancer of
the colon.
HEART DISEASE
It seems however that in our society the
rate of heart disease, cancer, hypertension,
arthritis and diabetes are continually on
the rise. Many now think that the food we
eat. the egercise we lack and the vitamins
and nutrients we don't get, may be some of
the reasons for this increasing rate.
Medical nutritional research is finding
that our high consumption of salt and sugar
may be causing many of our health
problems. Sugar and salt are addictive, but
they are strictly forbidden to most of Dr.
Ong's patients.
Lowering sugar consumption has shown
positive effects on Dr. Ong's patients. One
woman from Goderich who was treated
with acupuncture for migraine headaches
and followed the weight loss program
believes that lessening her sugar intake
helped relieve her lifelong headache
problems. She had been seeking medical
advice for years, but acupuncture and
following a correct diet seemed to help
where other drugs hadn't.
A Clinton woman found that
reducing her sugar and salt intake not only
helped her lose 20 pounds, but also seemed
to make her less irritable and tense.
Dr. Ong feels that our salt and sugar
intake can be reduced by eating fresh fruits
and vegetables. Nearly all canned and
processed foods contain sugar, salt, or,
both.
Processed foods are often filled with
additives and lack vitamins and minerals.
Dr. Ong thinks the additives in our food
today may be one of the causes of our high
cancer rate, but he says that eating bran
and other high fibre foods can take the
processed food and additives out of the
body before much damage can be done.
"You need Vitamin C every day and the
body doesn't produce it," he says. "It is
only found in fresh fruit and vegetables and
you need an extra supplement of Vitamin
C."
Dr. Ong says Vitamin C can help break
up additives in the body and help protect
the body from pollution. He thinks that
Vitamin C is needed in greater quantities
since it is easily destroyed by nicotine and
stress.
Taking Vitamin A, Dr. Ong says, may
prevent cancer. Regular mineral supple-
ments will help to keep the arteries clear
and Vitamins B and C can help relieve
stress.
Vitamins and minerals are gaining more
popularity today and Dr. Ong says that
people are more health conscious than they
have been in recent years. No one is
exempt from weight problems, which
affects men, women and children of all
ages. The long term answer is basic, good
eating habits with a high fibre diet, vitamin
supplements and daily exercise.
The use of acupuncture in the diet plan I.
not a new fad and chances of its harmful
effects are few. The long practiced form of
medicine uses no drugs that could cause
harmful side effects. Instead it makes use
of one of the protective hormones already
present in the body.
Acupuncture however is not magic. It
does not cure diseases and it does not
instantly give slim physiques. However
when used for a short time in combination
with a safe, sensible, lifelong diet, it seems
to help many people who want to restore
and maintain healthy and happy bodies.
'VILLAGE SQUIRE/APRIL 1980 PG. 9