My husband often expressed how good it was to be “free” of us Brits and the mess they left behind!
In return for my husband’s banter,  on Sunday I took him to see a film that is showing at a few theaters called “Food Inc”
We went to the noon showing as we had a busy timetable that day … there were about 25 people there.
My husband looked around at the few males and commented “a chick film”. At the end of the showing, he said “not a chick film, but what we should all care about it”  however, he refused to talk anymore about the film.This morning he told me he was still angry about the film, we started to discuss why.
He felt helpless about how food has changed so much.  I pointed out that it is our individual choices that matter, the film was not done to make us feel helpless but to empower each and everyone of us in making choices that are good.

Something clicked because he said he was going to tell people go see it and act on it. This from a man who I do not even try and influence when it comes to food, because he will do the opposite (he is naturally slim, nothing to do with me, although I would like to take the credit!)

I am almost afraid that folk he tells will have his reaction and warned him to tell them it is the end messages that empower us.
If you feel strong enough to be able to handle truths about food that you otherwise will not know, go see Food Inc.
It will change the way you make food choices forever and contribute to your good health!
Tibha, Nutritionist at www.berkleycenter.com

It is hard to miss the Michael Jackson story with all the media time on it. It reminds me of when Princess Diana died, I was living in UK then and all the
London newspapers and media had nothing else to report.

The church bells on that Sunday morning were going wild, but I did not click until I had a phone call to turn on the radio. Next morning on the tube (subway) the silence was deafening, even more so than usual.
That night, my aged mother told me of the flowers and the banners saying “goodbye Diana” when she went out grocery shopping. What struck me was her remark, that the “Princess” left behind a message that she hoped everyone remembered - if each of us can bring a smile to just one person each day with a joke or a kind word, we would accomplish just as much as Diana did within our individual capacity and in turn our own being would benefit and radiate the joy.

Princess Diana could bring a smile to others despite her own private sorrows and the constant media attention on them. For many folk, a Michael Jackson song brings a moment of fun and joy.  That is why the media gives much of the air time to the songs, to remind us of a very talented being.
For me thesurprise was the “chemicals”  (the many medications) that Michael Jackson took. I had no idea. How have we as a society got to a point where we rely on pills for all our hurts and pain?
Who convinced Michael Jackson that was the answer instead of showing him the more fundamental ways to cope with life’s sorrows such as stress buster body poses, breathing, meditation? But that is for another blog… time to go to work.        

Have a “smiling” day,  Tibha, Nutritionist at the www.berkleycenter.com

That was JoAnn telling me why she is almost back to square one.

She lost over 120 lbs in total in the last 5 years with various approaches -  from one meal a day weight loss plans to fasting to the Weight Watchers plan and the South Beach Diet.
But in those 5 years she has gained back 85lbs from the times in between when she stopped her diets.  I would love to hear your experiences keeping weight off long-term.
Tibha, Nutritionist at the Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness

She wants to get pregnant and understands that for regular periods she needs to lose at least 30 lbs, but has reached a stalemate, the weight will not budge. As JoAnn says, it wants to stick to her body!

Could it be true that it is her genes?

There is some truth in her statement, all of us have different metabolism and we can change our metabolism by how much we exercise and what we eat.
Each of us responds differently to stressors (for example, not enough fiber in our diet or and under-load or overload of a particular nutrient.  Recent research points to methylation response by our DNA to nutrient exposure that in turn will affect cellular function.

For JoAnn, following “diets” rather than sustainable lifestyle changes with a balance in nutrients could be a cause for JoAnn’s  body weight swings.
With testing to check specific nutrient utilization by cells and where there maybe need to modify, JoAnn could learn to eat for “her body” and be able to enjoy food that makes her feel good rather than a “diet”.

Tibha Patel, Director, Nutrition Services, The Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness

212-685-0985

No, I don’t mean Mayor Bloomberg, I mean colorful plants and flower blooming in pots, in parks, on sidewalk gardens.  Every where I look there are nature’s miracles where only 8 weeks ago there was bare soil or nothing.  The East Coast is boasting it’s beauty, with perfect weather to nourish the plants with sun, rain and fertilizers. 

The effort and forward planning that give New Yorkers the colors of summer requires patience and “knowing” that the small plants will soon transform into sensational masterpieces of nature.

It reminds me how our bodies too love the sun and proper nourishment to blossom. When we feed our bodies and soul with the right nutrients, laughter and nourish our soul with stress reduction techniques, the body responds by giving us optimal health.

Make the effort into planning to nourish your body correctly and know in your heart the patience will be rewarded.  You will feel the results as your body transforms in ways that energize and make your life rewarding as you discover new zest.

Balancing nutritional choices takes effort, but it is worth it when you see the difference!

Pratibha Patel, Nutritionist at the Berkley
Center for Reproductive Health

Even the strongest umbrella could not protect from the heavy downpour. Anyone caught in it got drenched, a few hours later you would hardly know that there were rivers flowing down the street.

When it pours like that, the normal
New York noise disappears, the only sound is the rain. The cars and yellow taxis move at a slower pace, the honking is replaced by the sound of windshield wipers. And there is no-one walking and talking on their cell phone.

It is as if nature is telling the city to take time out, to slow down and just be, to slow down from the frantic pace and the whirring minds.

Today I am going to try and carry that through the day, see if I can slow down and, so that my hormones are not raging with the fast pace. I am going to remind myself it is good for my cells and thus ultimately my overall zest for life!

Tibha, Nutritionist at Berkley Center for Reproductive Health

June 8, 2009 

Dear Dr. Berkley, 

Earlier this year I began searching for practitioners who could help me through my struggle to get pregnant. Your name came up several times from friends and family members in your field; I am writing now to concur with every bit of praise you received and to express my heartfelt gratitude for helping me through this journey. 

At a young age I was informed that I would have a hard time conceiving and that when I was ready, I would need to seek fertility treatment. This became a growing fear, which came to fruition last year. My husband and I realized that we would probably not conceive naturally on our own and we didn’t waste any time to begin working with a fertility doctor. Despite all the warnings I had been given that this would likely happen, one can never really mentally prepare for the frustration and anxiety that comes with fertility difficulties.  

From the moment I stepped into your office, you demonstrated a combination of professionalism and warmth. Your calm demeanor and breadth of knowledge made me feel immediately comfortable in your care. After several months of medical treatments, I experienced a massive migraine attack, which had me in-and-out of the hospital for several months. This refractory headache forced me to put my hopes of pregnancy aside while I attempted to aggressively treat the pain. Though I could not move forward with medical fertility treatments, I continued to return to your office each week. I found that it was the only place where I could truly relax, and maintain a sense of hope that some day my pain would stop. 

As we discussed my difficulties with fertility, you also addressed my headache with creativity and flexibility, always thinking of alternative treatments for me to try. Even when I lay crying throughout treatments you were always patient and reassuring. You helped me to think positively, and that alone was a gift.  

Three months ago, I discovered that I was pregnant…and you were one of the first people I chose to contact. It feels like a miracle that we were able to conceive during such a difficult time. Though my headache persists and I continue to work with my doctors to get some relief, the fact that I know that I have a little baby on the way gives me a level of strength to cope that I didn’t know I had. 

Thank you for your unending compassion and support throughout this past year. I have no doubt that you played an important part in this miracle. My husband and I will be running to your office again when we are ready for our next miracle.  

With warmth and gratitude, 

Gloria 

SCH or Subchorionic Hematoma is a gathering of blood between the membranes of the placenta and the uterus. A more technical name is the chorion. Some doctors will also just refer to it as a blood clot.

Causes of Subchorionic Hematoma

There is no known cause for a SCH but many researchers speculate that during egg implantation, the egg slightly separates or tears from the uterus causing a bleed. There is nothing a woman did or could have done to cause or prevent them. SCH occurs to pregnant women of all ages and races.

Women with SCH are at greater risk for placental abruption or abruptio placenta. Placental abruption is when the placenta tears away from the uterus. This is an extreme pregnancy complication that requires immediate medical attention. If the placenta separates from the uterine wall, the health of the fetus is in danger.

SCH is a risk early in pregnancy because the clot itself can cause a miscarriage. The clot can release completely from the uterus and cause the fetus and placenta to miscarry.

Recently, I had a patient come to the clinic with this presentation. She was eight weeks pregnant at the time.  As there is no cure for this pathology and imminent miscarriage is expected, I decided to treat aggreesively with traditional Chine medicine.

My diagnosis was ‘malign blood congesting and congealing in the lower jiao’ and my treatment principle was to ‘nourish blood and engender the new and break malign blood to transform stasis’. 

My first acupuncture treatment consisted of the following: ren 14 downward to stimulate the govenor of blood to move heart qi and blood downward through the bao mai to fill the placenta with new blood. This in and of itself will help dispel static blood.

Ren 9 to flush downwards.

Ren 6 to boost the qi to enable the commander of blood to quicken the channels and collateral and move static blood.

Stomach 30 to stimulate the movement of qi and blood locally and to stimulate the movement of placental blood by activating the chong mai which is inextricably linked to the zigong or fetal palace.

Zigongxue to more strongly access the fetal palace and invigorate qi and blood thereat.

I did e-stim bilaterally from zigongxue to stomach 30 to invigorate qi and blood and break malign blood.

Stomach 36 the harmonize the center and regulate qi and blood.

Spleen 8 upwards to move the qi within the blood to quicken the qi and blood and transform stasis.

Liver 5 downward to regulate the pivot of qi. In other words using spleen 8 upwards and liver 5 downwards creates the proper flow of qi and blood.

Spleen 6 to nourish and harmonize the liver, kidney and spleen and…

Liver 3 + Large intestine 4 to move qi and blood.

I prescribed to following herbs:

Ba zhen tang with the following additions:

san leng, 9

e zhu, 9

su mu, 6

Cu chao xiang fu, 9

This formula follows the method of tonifying qi and nourishing blood to engender the new to dispel the old as well as invigorating qi and breaking malign blood. I replace bai zhu in ba zhen tang with mi zhi huang qi as this herb has its utility in toniying qi to engender blood.

After 2 acupuncture treatments and two weeks on this formula the fetus was growing and the hematoma was shrinking. This was revealed by trans vaginal ultra sound.

Mike Berkley, L.Ac., FABORM

Founder and Director, The Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness

…you know that word that begins and ends with an e and gives a high to some and is hated by others?

Exercise!  What comes to mind? For me it is skipping (honest!) and swimming. For my neighbor it is the rowing machine at the gym… these routines, jogging, cycling, fast walking and swimming are aerobic (cardio) exercises.

 Now what do you think about stretch and strength exercises? Do they matter? Strength ones demand upper and lower body routines, personally I get tired lifting a bag of flour more than 4 times…  but I am good at stretching, makes me feel like a dancer!  Does anyone have tricks they want to share on how I can get myself to do enjoy strength training?
To get a balance it would be nice if I could get my act together and like all three types of exercise. As I told Sarah, who is 6 months pregnant, after the first 3 months of pregnancy, it is important get into a routine with cardio, stretch and strength body moves to remain fit, flexible and maintain strength.Strength training is essential for the demands of being a new parent. A new mother needs to be strong for all the carrying and lifting in the next few years. Her swimming is great for cardio, but it is the strength training that will reduce aches and pains, back pain, increase energy levels, and make birth easier.

And after the birth, it will certainly help get back the body in shape more quickly.
So she is going to start with 2lb bags of sugar and for her legs, hubby is there to support her as she lies down and walks her feet up the wall.

Best wishes.

Tibha Patel, Director of Nutrition Services, The Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness

212-685-0985

Infertility and being fertile are associated with age, certain conditions as well as our eating patterns.
What we eat and drink creates our cells and that influences fertility. 
On April 21st we are doing a free talk on food fertility, come discuss and learn what affects fertility.
For details go to: http://tinyurl.com/c77bxs

The more subtle causes for infertility are overlooked, because they are too common, a part of daily life and habits. These common causes cannot be diagnosed with tests or high-tech procedures. They are not treatable with pills, capsules and other procedures.

Thus although nutrition can play a vital role in infertility and ensuring that the pregnancy itself results in a healthy baby, it is often overlooked. We eat a few times a day, food is too common and there are too many jumbled nutrition messages, so “why bother”?
  All our body cells renew themselves, and sperm and eggs take 3 months to mature.
Since each tiny cell in our body is created from what we eat, drink and to a certain extent our lifestyle habits such as exercise and outlook, it is no surprise that our urban diets and lifestyles result in poor sperm and egg quality and may influence our hormones.

Add the body weight ingredient and nutrition becomes a crucial part of the puzzle.
Just gaining or losing 10% weight can make a woman fertile again and decrease the risk of a miscarriage. As for pregnancy itself, research shows under nutrition and over nutrition in the womb are linked with health risks in infancy and risks of chronic diseases in later life, such as cardiovascular disease.   

So is it a case of familiarity breed contempt or is it that with over 30,000 grocery choices it is hard to choose the correct foods?

Tibha Patel, Nutritionist,  www.berkleycenter.com

212-685-0985