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There are two main reasons we appreciate NIAW (National Infertility Awareness Week – April 20 - 25):
Chinese medicine isn’t just about acupuncture and Chinese herbs, it is lifestyle medicine. How you live affects your health and these are aspects of your health we can work on. We are here to help you with the physical aspects of the medicine (the herbs, the acupuncture) but also be that much needed cheerleader when you begin making these healthier choices because change can be hard and when you have support, anything is possible. Infertility is so common and the struggles are shared by many. If you have a story to tell, feel free to send it and we can post it (with or without your name), to give hope or at least to let people know that they aren’t alone. Let’s shine a light on infertility and support those struggling during this week and every week.
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5 Quick Tips for Picking A Prenatal 1. Observe Daily Serving Size This means how many pills you'll be taking per day. Servings can range from one to even up to six pills daily. Confirm that the daily number of pills listed is realistic for you. 2. Avoid a Gummy Option Gummy vitamins may be easier (and more fun) for some but ,many essential nutrients are either missing or they are provided at a lower than recommended dose. Iron is not at all found in a gummy vitamin. In addition, key prenatal nutrients like DHA, iodine, zinc and others are also not adequate in a gummy. 3. Consider your personal preferences and/or medical needs, ie. cultural, religious, or medical. Options are available. For example: Does the prenatal need to be vegan/vegetarian, kosher, gluten free, allergen-free? 4. Compare Cost Keep in mind that some bottles will only cover one month or many times 2-6 months. Sometimes what appears to be a higher cost is actually the best deal! 5. Look for the following key nutrients on the label: In addition to folate, growing research is supporting the importance of many essential vitamins and minerals in pregnancy. See more below!
WHEN Prenatal vitamins are very beneficial taken daily prior to fertility treatment, pregnancy, and preferably 3 months (or more) before conception. If you’re actively trying to conceive, start the prenatal regimen now. STILL NEED HELP?
CONTACT US TO FIND OUT WHICH PRENATAL IS BEST FOR YOUR GOALS AND LIFESTYLE  Here are a few tools we are offering via a tele-medicine (phone or zoom) appointment. We are able to offer assistance with:
Economic hardship: we obviously recognize that many people are undergoing economic hardships and uncertainty. Please be in touch if you are needing sliding scale consideration. What to expect:
Curbside Pick up We are also doing curbside pick up of herbs/supplements on Ellis St on Mondays and Fridays if there is anything you need. For online orders we're using Wellevate  1. Practice self-compassion. Know that your feelings are normal and valid, and that it’s OK to feel whatever you’re feeling. Remind yourself that what’s going on is temporary and try to find comfort in knowing that we are all going through these tough times of uncertainty together.
2. Lovingly renegotiate your personal space. At this time, you may be spending your entire day in a home with your partner, children, or multiple roommates. This is a time to discuss boundaries and needs within the spaces we share. When we are proactive about re-negotiating our space, there’s an opportunity to get on the same page and mitigate conflict. 3. Stay connected. In times of high stress, staying connected with our loved ones and our communities is crucial. Just because we are physically isolated, doesn’t mean we have to be socially isolated. Fortunately, we live in a time where there are many ways to stay connected via technology. Take advantage of them! 4. Maintain routine. Routines keep us steady. These actions seem small, but a little peace and comfort can go a long way. In times like these it can be easy to throw your routine out the window, but routine is what keeps us level-headed when things are shifting around us. As best you can, keep your same wake-up and bed times, brew your favorite drink in the morning, put on new clothes, do an at-home workout, and read a chapter in your favorite book at night. The key is to find the balance of keeping a regular routine and over scheduling yourself. 5. Limit your media exposure. While most of us want to stay informed, the constant talk about the virus in the news and on social media can be overwhelming and can feed into our fears and anxiety. Limit the amount of information you consume by intentionally setting boundaries around what you watch and read.  We've been using Diagnostic Solutions as our go to lab for comprehensive gut evaluation. We were so excited to see that they just rolled out a COVID19 testing option for providers. Read below to get the most up to date information on this testing option. We are now ordering these tests for patients that meet the criteria - click here to book a phone or video consultation with us.
*Patients who present with nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting are more likely to accurately test positive or negative Ten percent of patients presented with diarrhea and nausea one to two days before they developed fever and respiratory symptoms. And in some cases, digestive symptoms were the primary symptom of COVID-19. Further, GI symptoms with COVID-19 may indicate a more severe course of illness. For example, abdominal pain was reported more frequently in patients admitted to the intensive care unit. SARS-CoV-2 can also be detected in fecal specimens of asymptomatic patients. References: https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2020/03/26/negative-coronavirus-test-result-doesnt-always-mean-you-arent-infected/ While this has been a difficult decision, I feel wholeheartedly that it is the right one. Out of an abundance of caution SFIM will be temporarily closing our physical practice starting tomorrow, March 17th, 2020.
We will take this in 2 week increments as we all learn more. Just like you, we am hoping this blows over quickly and we are trying to control as much as we personally can at this point. In order to ensure that happens, now is the time for leadership and setting an example in our personal and professional lives. The work we do is in close proximity with others and involves multiple patients coming in and out of the same room. While as much as we don’t know about this virus we DO KNOW that any of us can be asymptomatic and still be shedding virus. While we have always maintained a sterile, well ventilated, sanitized and clean office, we are simply not set up for infectious disease containment on this level. While the work we do is important, it is time for all of us to do a hard ego check. I am following the lead of most other non-essential medical offices. The time is NOW for us all to do our part to flatten the curve before it is too late. This will have major financial implications for most. In light of that I am offering complimentary or pay by donation/what you can no questions asked herbal or phone consultations. We can do this over the phone or skype/facetime. Chinese Medicine excels at immune strengthening and even treatment of onset of symptoms as an adjunct in this case to your work with your medical doctor. We can also do corrective exercise instruction for those of you experiencing musculoskeletal pain. Further, if the whole social distancing thing is starting to wear on you, if you’re lonely, afraid or even just need to chat we are here for you anytime. ***If the situation is more acute, please contact us as well, we are seeing a limited amount of patients in the office who are in need***. Click here to book an online appointment In good health, Elanita and Jennifer  To stay healthy, avoiding the bad stuff is key- refined sugar, processed foods, additives, excess alcohol and beverages stored in crushable plastic. But you can also up your nutrient game by crowding your plate with these veggie wonders- packed with vitamins and minerals that boost your body’s immunity. Some of these foods have particular constituents that can inhibit the coronavirus such as kaempferol, phycocyanobilin, and beta-glucans (1, 2, 3).
Include these often and try eat a colorful variety of whole, seasonal foods each week.
 The coronavirus is all over the news, and the stats seem to get worse each day. Similar to SARS, it’s categorized as moderately contagious. As you know, antibiotics cannot treat the virus. Fortunately, there are simple, proven steps you can take to protect yourself. Read on for our prevention AND treatment suggestions.
The coronavirus spreads from person-to-person in close proximity, similar to other respiratory illnesses. Primarily spread through coughing and sneezing, the droplets can travel several feet and stay suspended for minutes. So how can you protect yourself? CDC recommendations to avoid contracting the Coronavirus:
We stock all of the items below and are ready to help you stay healthy - you can also order online through wellevate PREVENTION
If you are sick, fear not: Check out this natural viral fighting gladiator!!
Keeping our Clinic Safe and Clean At San Francisco Integrative Medicine, we are using CDC advised methods to keep the clinic a clean and safe environment. In that spirit, we ask that if you are experiencing symptoms such as cough, fever or shortness of breath, that you please stay home. We will be waiving our late cancellation fee while the coronavirus is active. That does not mean we cannot help you if you are feeling sick! Please feel free to email us directly at admin@integrativemedicinesf.com to get our suggestions. We have a portal at Wellevate.com that makes it super easy to order things we carry online. The BART is empty! Trader Joe's isn't giving samples! Whats going on!!
I know that you all are thinking about safety during the current coronavirus spread. We are writing today not to alarm you, but to put you more at ease in knowing the steps we are taking at SFIM to keep you safe and healthy. The virus is likely to cause only mild symptoms in most of us, but it is crucial that we all do our part in preventing its spread. There are new measures we are now putting into place and have always done to minimize patient risk. Because we have patients of all ages and levels of immunity, we are choosing to use the utmost precaution to make sure you are not exposed when you visit SFIM. CLEANING AT SFIM:
VISITING SFIM:
LIFESTYLE AND SUPPLEMENTS TIPS TO BOOST IMMUNITY
Thanks in advance for your understanding and patience as we navigate implementing best practices during this time. We have immense love and gratitude for each of you. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. Meantime, be well and enjoy your day! In Health (And sickness) Elanita and Jennifer  Menopause is not an event that many women look forward to. The “Change of Life” is shrouded in stories of hot flashes and insomnia that accompany the ending of menstrual bleeding. No woman can know what kind of menopause she will have, but if her biological mother had a menopause, then her experience can be a guide. My own mother had a hysterectomy in the 1970s, and back then they took your ovaries too. Her menopause happened very early and was not helpful to my own expectations for myself. Turns out menopause came really early for me in my 40s. I was feeling hot all the time and went into the western doctor to see if I had some kind of low grade fever/infection. I was totally surprised when my FSH (Follicle stimulating hormone) was at 121. FSH is a hormone your body makes to induce ovulation. But! When there are no more eggs left, your body keeps making the FSH because it doesn’t get the feedback that ovulation happened. As a result, FSH keeps going up and up. A menstruating woman’s FSH ranges from 4-20, then in peri-menopause goes up to 30, and then once you have stopped menstruating completely the number goes up to 130. I was shocked and for a time, a little sad, and had to grieve the end of my menstruating self. As a pragmatist above alll else, I needed to set about how to relieve the symptoms that were so foreign to me, like suddenly being hot all the time. I have spent my life freezing to death and ceaselessly shopping for the perfect cashmere sweater. Now I am hot and sweating and looking for caftans.  I dove back into my Chinese Medicine books with a renewed and intimate understanding of what “steaming bones” and “yin deficient fire” meant. Chinese Medicine serves women’s health in detail and with a deep understanding of constellations of symptoms. I engage the medicine everyday in treating women for all manner of menstrual irregularities, and this includes menopause too! I found a formula that worked really well right away. My hot flashes and sweating reduced, and I was able to sleep through the night.
I also had a more thorough hormone test done with a new company that does dried urine testing. The more data I could collect on my hormones the more focused my treatment could be. It would also spare me the expense of purchasing a whole bunch of supplements and just using trial and error to figure out what made me feel better. With the merging of Chinese medicine formulas, 1 hormone test, and 3 supplements, I have gotten my symptoms under control. I still have a hot flash here and there, but I’m not wondering if I will burst into flames at any moment. I am also not expecting that I can stop the natural flow of aging. Growing old is a privilege. I look really do forward to my hair graying and carrying the accumulated wisdom and experience that I have earned through these years. By Dr Jennifer Bezjak Photo Credit - Mahle Air Cooling |
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