Artist of the Month: David Stichweh

ARTIST STATEMENT

The photographs in the exhibition are weeds and faded flowers photographed on a light box.  Why focus on weeds and faded flowers – plant forms we mostly ignore and discard?  Because once we truly “see” them we discover the beauty of shape, line, pattern, movement.  The photographs focus attention on these visual elements and gives voice  to the unique forms and structures of  these often overlooked subjects, and hint at the forces which shaped them.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

I taught photography in the Art Department at Otterbein University for thirty years retiring in December, 2009.  I have a Bachelor of Arts from Otterbein, A Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary, and a Master of Fine Arts from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Why Am I Not Losing Weight?

This topic never seems to go away. This week an article by Dr. Melina Jampolis was circulating on Facebook that had some good practical ideas of what contributes to not being able to lose weight. Weight loss is still incredibly challenging for most people, as evidenced by the growing global obesity epidemic. At Urban Acupuncture Center we see people come in seeking help with weight loss, and it is a problem that we can help you with. With acupuncture, we can help you with sugar cravings, stress eating, help stimulate metabolism, and improve digestion. Please contact us if you have any questions about how acupuncture can help you with weight loss. Below are a few points from the article ‘Why Am I Not Losing Weight.’

According to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics, more than two in three US adults are considered overweight (de?ned as a body-mass index over 25), and of those, 36.5% of US adults fall into the obese category.

According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, approximately half of overweight and obese adults report that they are trying to lose weight.

You have calorie ‘amnesia’ Put simply, people often eat more calories than they realize.

Total calories consumed matters when it comes to weight loss, despite what some popular diets claim. People frequently forget about the little things during or between meals that add up calorically and can interfere signi?cantly with weight loss.

You relax your diet too much on weekends

This is another very common issue that is a bit more challenging to ?x, as weekends are generally much less structured and more social than weekdays. Three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) of more relaxed eating (and in many cases drinking) can easily erase four days of more focused effort.

Your medication is working against you

According to Dr. Caroline Apovian, president of the Obesity Society, frequently prescribed medications that may cause weight gain include Benadryl, Ambien, benzodiazepines, older antidepressant and antipsychotic medications, Paxil, beta-blockers (for high blood pressure), several diabetes medications including insulin, sulfonylureas and thialidazones, and some contraceptive methods, especially Depo-Provera.

You eat too much of a good thing

It is true that recommendations concerning dietary fat have changed in the past decade, and nutrition science has found that unsaturated fat, including nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil, plays an important role in a healthy diet.
Why your diet should include more fat However, you can easily eat too much healthy fat along with other healthy foods, including whole grains. Fat has more than double the calories of carbohydrates or protein, so fat calories, even if they are healthy, add up more quickly. Whole grains have three times the number of carbohydrates as non-starchy vegetables per serving, so again, portion size matters.

Your body is resistant to insulin

Dr. Michael Rothkopf, president of the National Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists, con?rms is an often overlooked reason for weight loss failure. It may also require specialized testing to uncover. According to the CDC, approximately 30% of adults and nearly 70% of overweight adults have metabolic syndrome, a constellation of abnormalities strongly associated with insulin resistance and excess insulin production. Insulin suppresses the release of stored fat and promotes the formation of fat from sugar. The metabolism of a person who has insulin resistance or insulin excess will be shifted away from fat loss and toward fat storage. There are other potential reasons why the scale may not be budging: short sleep duration, excess sedentary behavior, overeating after workouts, stress eating and eating a highly in?ammatory diet ?lled with processed food and inadequate fruits and vegetables. But the above list should get you started ?guring out how to get the scale moving in the right direction.

Kari Rich LMT, CNMT

We are excited to have Massage Therapist, Kari Rich join our team!

Kari’s Bio:

Kari Rich LMT, CNMT graduated from the American Institute of Alternative Medicine in 2017. Offering multiple services such as Swedish therapeutic massage to ease the body and mind, Neuromuscular Therapy, and Cupping. Deep tissue doesn’t always have to be deep pressure. Durning an NMT treatment the goal is to normalise neuromuscular functioning in the body to alleviate pain and increase mobility.

Jeff Mango, Acupuncturist

We are excited to have new Acupuncturist Jeff Mango join our team!

Jeff’s Bio:

I have always loved helping others in any way I can. So strangely enough it has been my study of the martial arts, that has led me to the healing arts. During my study of ju-jitsu we were taught to use acupressure on each other to prevent injury and improve overall health. The idea of a holistic therapy improving someone’s health with touch was amazing to me, it prompted me to leave my job as a draftsman and become a massage therapist. Over the next decade I mostly helped people manage musculoakeletal pain through massage therapy and acupressure, it was during this time that I began studying a martial art based on internal focus and the flow of energy called BaGuaZhang. This led me on an amazing journey of self discovery and transformation. My eyes where opened to more than just points on the body and began to see an interlacing web of communication throughout the world and our existence in it.

Then the doors of opportunity opened, and led me to the acupucture and Chinese massage program at The American Institute of Alternative Medicine to broaden my ability to use this web in ways I didn’t know where possible. In 2014 I graduated Magna cumme laude and became a licensed acupuncturist. Continuing my education, I was lucky enough to learn from Dr. Richard Tan. He showed me the beauty of balance style acupuncture based on the Ba-Gua, the ancient organization of energies, just like the art of BaGuaZhang that brought me down this path. How wonderful and beautiful the connections of the tapestry life can be.

In my spare time I enjoy cooking, being out in nature in any way I can, Latin and ballroom dancing, playing music, meditation, and of course BaGuaZhang.

After spending the last few years in private practice in Lancaster, Solon, and Columbus, I am now honored to practice this ancient art of healing and communication with the awesome team and community at urban acupuncture.

How to Help Cure Insomnia with Acupuncture

Insomnia Treatment with Acupuncture

When you cannot get the right amount of rest, everything can turn topsy-turvy. We try everything from pills to hypnosis, relaxation techniques, counting sheep, but sleep is elusive and insomnia does not take a hike. In many parts of the Asian continent, people have been going back to their roots in the treatment of physiological and mental issues. Acupuncture has proven to be advantageous as it looks into the minutest of problems associated with the body and mind. In the context of insomnia, strategically placed sterilized needles in various points of the body helps to balance the yin and yang. Through the structured method, used by licensed practitioners, energy flows through specific pathways of the body. During the treatment that deals with symptomatic causes, the health of the body of the individual is effectively balanced. Any flow of energy that is blocked for some reason or the other, causes a disruption resulting in the mind and the body rebelling unable to function as a whole. This ancient Chinese science ensures that negative energy that blocks the natural pathways causing one not to be able to sleep at all is effectively removed. Through the release of these blockages, a stimulus is evoked, healing the negative chi that is the cause of myriad physiological issues.

Treatment for insomnia

The science used by acupuncturists improves the body’s functions which get the natural self-healing process going. Needles placed in certain medians of the body increases the blood flow. It also improves the nervous system, cardiovascular, immune, and endocrine and digestive systems. Using it as a medium to curb stress from within to treat insomnia is a great way to get the rest one deserves. It can get quite unnerving when there are needles involved that need to be positioned on the acupoints in the body. The needles are very thin, and while they can cause you to break out in a sweat, the tiny prick does not even cause any pain, unlike an injection! The execution must be proper to ensure that the patient is free of the triggers that bind her/him resulting in sleep apnea. During the session, many patients may even fall asleep as a feeling of relaxation takes over. In medical terms, the methodology stimulates melatonin production, as there is a reduction of anxiety in favor of relaxation.

Mixing it up with mainstream and alternative treatment

The ancient science has crossed over to mainstream medication where doctors have also taken note that acupuncture works effectively. One must ensure that s/he approaches the right practitioner. A fly by night operator may insert the needles too deep, which can cause serious injury to the nerves adding additional issues. The big picture, therefore, lets on that whilst other forms of treatment are available to treat insomnia, acupuncture is the proven solution for sleepless nights. To put it in a nutshell, the magic is in the needles, provided it is used by a licensed practitioner, period. Head out to the clinic in Columbus, OH and get rid of your insomnia once and for all.

Contact Us For More Information

For more information about how acupuncture, massage therapy and other alternative healing treatments can help you, please contact the Urban Acupuncture Center Board Certified Licensed Acupuncturist’s team at Indianola Ave, Clintonville (614) 725-2488    |    Main St, Westerville (614) 426-4406 or  click here. Taking new patients in and around greater Columbus, Ohio.