May 23, 2022 Digestive imbalances can be stressful and stress can cause more digestive woes. Microbiome Labs offers a complete lines of products to help you get back on track and feeling fantastic. Here at Picture Of Wellness, our patients have been thrilled with the results of these supplements for 8 years and counting.
I will highlight just a few of our favorites...
MegaSporeBiotic™️ is a 100% spore-based, broad-spectrum probiotic clinically shown to maintain healthy gu
t barrier function. It has been shown to clinically reduce leaky gut by 60%. This unique all-spore formula effectively RECONDITIONS the gut by promoting microbial diversity and maintaining key health-promoting, commensal gut bacteria. MegaSporeBiotic™️ boasts a 5-year shelf-life, does not require refrigeration, and maintains efficacy during antibiotic therapy.
As 2020 has demonstrated, life is unpredictable! If you do happen to get sick, despite your greatest efforts, MegaViron™ is here to help. This 15-day supply of potent herbs and antioxidants is designed to give your immune system the boost it needs to handle the job. In addition to providing a boost, this formula is designed to s
upport further surveillance, cellular clean up, and important de-escalation to facilitate a comprehensive response. This product is packed with curcumin, quercetin, NAC, olive leaf, andrographis, tinospora, boswellia, Chinese skullcap, Beta glucans from Reishi mushrooms, and more. The all-natural ingredients in MegaViron™️work synergistically to increase the speed at which your immune system can detect and eliminate foreign invaders, prevent viral replication and boost the body’s ability to detect viruses. MegaViron™️ is a triple action immune formula designed to prevent viral entry and replication, boost Take control of your health and gain peace of mind with this all-natural, triple action, immune-boosting support.
Total Gut Restoration (TGR) Program:
The three fundamental aspects of gut health include: the microbial population, physical structures, and regulatory immune function. The 3-Step Total Gut Restoration Program focuses on each of these key areas. MegaSporeBiotic™️
is the first step in the Total Gut Restoration system which RECONDITIONS your gut and restores balance to your gut bacteria by increasing microbial diversity and maintaining key health-promoting gut bacteria. MegaPreBiotic™️ REINFORCES the beneficial microbial changes created by MegaSporeBiotic™️ to promote a strong and diverse microbiome. MegaMucosa™️ is the first complete mucosal support supplement of its kind, formulated with key amino acids to REBUILD a healthy mucosal barrier.
MegaMycoBalance™️ is formulated with undecylenic acid and bee propolis to support healthy yeast and
fungal balance in the body. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found a direct correlation between vaginal yeast infections and simultaneous overgrowth of Candida in the digestive tract. MegaMycoBalance™️ can support a healthy balance of vaginal flora by restoring balance to the intestinal flora.
Call us today to get our clinic code for a discount and link to order :)
THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE
April 24, 2022 Healthy Eating for Spring
Spring is a time of renewal, regeneration, growth and energy. Plants and animals awaken from their slumber during the cold winter months, and vital nutrients stored in the roots of the plants and bodies of the animals come to the surface as life becomes more vibrant and fluid.
Human beings are no different. Humans stay indoors more during the winter months, and tend to pack on a little extra weight in the process. As the weather warms, humans become more gregarious and spend more time outside enjoying nature. This is just a natural process.
Therefore, it makes sense that what was observed by the ancient Chinese should still hold true today. Humans are supposed to take their cues from nature. As a species, humans should be more active during the warmer spring months. And to do this, we need proper nourishment. Qi (pronounced “chee”) is sometimes translated into energy. This Qi is the vital substance that keeps our bodies functioning until the day we die. To keep the Qi plentiful, we need to eat the proper foods at the proper times.
During the spring, we should be eating foods that have upward energies, such as green, sprouting vegetables. But we also need foods that will provide the extra nourishment for the increased amounts of activity that accompany the season of spring. This is where sweeter foods play a vital role. Foods such as fruits, nuts, yams, carrots and potatoes can provide the extra energy needed during the spring. But be careful not to overdo it. Too much sweet can overload the body and make it sluggish.
Sweets should be countered with pungent foods. Pungent foods aid in the movement of Qi upwards and outwards through the process of perspiration. Pungent flavored foods include scallions, onions, ginger, radishes, garlic, leeks and chives.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, spring is the season of the liver and the gallbladder. These organs regulate a smooth flow of energy throughout the whole body. However, they are prone to stagnation because we do not take proper care of ourselves. This can manifest as anger, irritability, depression, insomnia and even pain. Stagnation can occur when people eat too many poor-quality foods that may be full of chemicals.
Foods that help ward off stagnation include foods rich in chlorophyll, such as wheat grass, spirulina, chlorella, parsley, kale, Swiss chard and collard greens. All of these foods are abundant during the months of spring. It is also a good idea to have a glass of warm water with a slice of lemon first thing in the morning. This will help detoxify the liver and gallbladder to start the day off fresh. Lastly, foods that have a slightly bitter taste can help ward off heat in the liver. This includes foods like asparagus, quinoa, romaine lettuce and dandelion tea. 
If you are curious about how to eat according to Chinese Medicine call for an appointment for an Acugraph complete body analysis. This analysis will provide diet recommendations, acupressure points and herbal remedies specifically for you. Picture Of Wellness is the only clinic in the upstate to offer this comprehensive analysis.
March 29, 2022 Thermography is and has been near to my heart since I added it to my holistic clinic 12 years ago. It has led to life saving discoveries in many of my patients. It has also helped me uncover medical mysteries in myself and my patients allowing early treatments from a natural and holistic approach. Thermography is essential to my holistic healing practice as it allows me and my patients to see what therapies are effective and where more or less attention needs to be placed. So I ask you...."Are You A Picture Of Health?" Thermography is a painless, non-invasive, radiation free way to find out.
Here are some interesting medical studies about Thermography.
Breast Thermography and Cancer Risk Prediction MICHEL GAUTHERIE, PHD,' AND CHARLES M. GROS, MDt
Thermography makes a significant contribution to the evaluation of patients suspected of having breast cancer. The obviously abnormal thermogram carries with it a high risk of cancer. This report summarizes the results of patients with questionable or stage Th 111 thermograms. From approximately 58,000 patients, most of whom had breast complaints, examined between August 1965 and June 1977, the conditions of a group of 1,245 women were diagnosed at initial examination as either normal or benign dis- ease by conventional means, including physical examination, mammography, ultrasonography, and fine needle aspiration or biopsy, when indicated, but nevertheless categorized as stage Th 111 indicating a questionable thermal anomaly. Within five years, more than a third of the group had histologically con- firmed cancers. The more rapidly growing lesions with shorter doubling times usually show progressive thermographic abnormalities consistent with the increased metabolic heat production associated with such cancers. Thermography is useful not only as a predictor of risk factor for cancer but also to assess the more rapidly growing neoplasms. Cancer 45:Sl-56, 1980. Link
Effectiveness of a noninvasive digital infrared thermal imaging system in
the detection of breast cancer.
Arora N, Martins D, Ruggerio D, Tousimis E, Swistel AJ, Osborne MP, Simmons RM.
Department of Surgery, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell, New York, NY, USA.
BACKGROUND: Digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) has resurfaced in this era of modernized computer technology. Its role in the detection of breast cancer is evaluated.
METHODS: In this prospective clinical trial, 92 patients for whom a breast biopsy was recommended based on prior mammogram or ultrasound underwent DITI. Three scores were generated: an overall risk score in the screening mode, a clinical score based on patient information and a third assessment by artificial neural network.
RESULTS: 60 of 94 biopsies were malignant and 34 were benign. DITI identified 58 of 60 malignancies, with 97% sensitivity, 44% specificity, and 82% negative predictive value depending on the mode used. Compared to an overall risk score of 0, a score of 3 or greater was significantly more likely to be associated with malignancy (30% vs 90%, P < .03).
CONCLUSION: DITI is a valuable adjunct to mammography and ultrasound, especially in women with dense breast parenchyma. Link
If you suffer with digestive problems, you are not alone. According to a recent survey, almost 75 percent of adult Americans complain of chronic gas, bloating, cramping, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and heartburn. Medical thermography can oftentimes show us the patterns of digestive problems.
Early changes seen in the hands involving blood sugar handling issues. 
Call or book an appointment online today!
January 10, 2022 
Winter is upon us and for many of us, especially those in the northern climates, this means preparing for winter, the right way. Historically, one of the most important ways to prepare for the winter was to preserve food and one of the oldest ways to preserve food is by pickling.
The word pickle comes from the Dutch word Pikel, meaning salt or brine. Salt has been an important tool used for food preservation throughout history. In places that had large deposits of salt, like ancient Mesopotamia, people cured meat with salt. Pickling was also used all over the ancient world, either with a salt brine or through a fermentation process. People in India are credited with the pickling of the first cucumbers over 3,000 years ago, while the ancient Chinese used vinegar brines for pickling much of their meat.
Today, pickles continue to be a beloved worldwide treat, with many delicious variations and flavor innovations. Whether pickled in salt and/or vinegar or fermented (which imparts the extra probiotic benefits), there are many healthy reasons to indulge!
Before sharing an easy at-home pickling recipe, let's take a look at some of the Chinese Medicinal aspects to the 2 basic pickling components: salt and vinegar
*Salt is a flavor that is associated with the kidneys, and in moderation can help with kidney function. It is known to help regulate water in the body, dissolve masses, counter toxins, and balance acidic food.
Speaking of acidic food…
*Vinegar is endowed with the ability to regulate blood, in that it both moves stagnant blood and helps to stop bleeding. And like salt, it helps to resolve toxins in the body.
Recipe:
Pickled Daikon Radish with Chinese Peppercorn & Garlic
Ingredients:
1 small daikon
1 Tbsp salt
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon Chinese peppercorn
½ cup rice vinegar
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
Glass jar
Directions:
1) Wash and peel the daikon
2) Cut the daikon radish into bite-size shapes of your choice
3) Massage the salt into the freshly cut radish.
4) Let them sit for 15-30 minutes while it draws out the bitter water. Rinse after 15 minutes.
5) Arrange radish in a jar with some sliced garlic and Chinese peppercorn dispersed in layers.
6) Place the salt, sugar, vinegar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil
7) Pour the hot mixture carefully into the jar until all the radishes are covered
8) When cool, put on the lid and refrigerate
*you can eat them as soon as the next day, and they will last in the fridge for about 2-4 weeks.
While your mouth waters anticipating the flavor explosion you have just set yourself up for, take a moment to delight in the health benefits of the additional ingredients.
*Daikons reduce food stagnation and break up phlegm.
*Garlic is often used as an anti-pathogenic agent as it can help kill harmful bacteria, viruses, parasitic and fungal infections.
*Chinese Peppercorn is in the medicinal category of “warming the middle” meaning it supports the digestive fire.
Both the garlic and peppercorn are known to tonify yang in Chinese medicine. The combined warming qualities of the garlic and peppercorn are balanced by the cooling nature of the radish, making it safe for even hot constitutions. All in all, it's balanced, healthy and tasty.
December 26, 2021 Stress and the Acupuncture Oasis
According to the Oxford dictionary, stress is “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.” At this point in our cultural (d)evolution, I think we can all agree that simply the requirements of survival, of ‘keeping up’ in our very complex world, constitute “very demanding circumstances”. The past 20 months of living through a pandemic certainly qualify humanity on a whole as worthy of some much-needed stress relief.
In Acupuncture terms, stress can be thought of as a traffic jam, a blockage in the free flow of energy. This can be caused by external or internal forces. The Liver is the main organ in charge of processing stress and maintaining the healthy circulation of qi and blood in the body. Other Organs are also involved in the stress response in part because they hold emotional energies. While the Liver is mostly associated with the feeling of anger and frustration, the Spleen holds worry, and the Kidneys fear. These emotions are all natural and expected in certain amounts, but if healthy expression is restricted by stagnation, it can stir up or exacerbate stress.
Acupuncture is a powerful tool that serves to redirect traffic. Point locations are chosen based on each person’s unique pattern in order to bring their individual system back into an open flowing state. From a Western medicine standpoint, Acupuncture can help us shift from a sympathetic to a parasympathetic state (from fight or flight to rest and digest). It has been shown to increase our natural painkillers and other happy hormones such as serotonin and dopamine while decreasing cortisol, our main stress hormone. It is also associated with enhanced reception of GABA, a neurotransmitter in the brain that tells our mind and body to relax. The other major stress-relieving power of acupuncture is its ability to increase heart rate variability, which is basically our flexibility in responding to and recovering from stress.
What kind of stress-relief you can expect from acupuncture:
While it won’t necessarily solve the world’s problems (at least not immediately), it will:
● Decrease the severity of the stress response
● Shorten the recovery time from stress
● Provide an opportunity to rest, sleep or meditate comfortably, usually in a peaceful environment
● Occasionally stimulate the release of previously obstructed emotions which often results in a feeling of ‘lightening the load’
● Help to relieve physical pain that contributes to stress levels
● Generate a sense of well-being
It is very common to leave the acupuncture office feeling much more at ease and at peace than when you arrived.
In between acupuncture sessions, it is important to find ways to limit exposure to environmental toxins and external sources of stress while developing better coping skills through healthy communication and practices such as breathwork and meditation. Exercises like tai chi and qi gong can help to keep energy pathways open and flowing to reduce internal tendencies toward stagnation. A point commonly used to support the Liver function of maintaining a smooth flow of qi is known as Tai Chong (LV 3) which translates to ‘great surge’. You can find it on the top of the foot in the depression between the meeting place of the first 2 toe bones. When feeling stressed, try to remember to take a moment to breathe into the abdomen, and massage this point if accessible until you feel a sense of calm begin to replace the tension.
November 14, 2021 
From a Speech By Angeles Arrien
Fact: With each flap of a wing, a goose creates an “uplift” for others to follow. When you see geese fly in a “V” formation it allows the geese to fly 71% further than if each bird flew alone.
Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier when they are working together.
Fact: One of the reasons geese honk is to encourage those in front to keep up speed.
Lesson: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. When we are working with others, encouragement is often helpful to get the job done smoothly and quickly.
Fact: If a goose happens to fall out of formation, it will suddenly feel the resistance and drag of flying alone and fall back into place.
Lesson: If we are on a certain path, and we attempt to go at it alone without help or support, our efforts may be reduced. It is easier to accept the help of those who are going in the same direction, and give help to others along our route.
Fact: When the lead goose tires, it will fall out of formation and move to the back of the flock, allowing another to fly in the point position.
Lesson: Everyone has different skills, resources, and unique gifts to offer. It is important to take turns and share the hard tasks.
Fact: When a goose is wounded, shot or sick, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help protect it. They stay until it is able to regain strength enough to fly. Then they catch up with their flock or join another formation.
Lesson: If we have enough sense as the geese do, we stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.
Transcribed from a speech given by Angeles Arrien at the 1991 Organizational Development Network.
October 11, 2021 Picture Of Wellness Is Thrilled to Offer Microneedling & Nanoneedling
What Can Microneedling Treat?
* Hair Growth
* Wrinkles, Scars, Age Spots, Acne Reduction
* Stretch Marks
* 3,000% Increased Serum And Topical Absorption
Micro-Needling creates micro channels in the skin. When those channels are created the skins own repair response is to start producing collagen and elastin, this is to heal that controlled injury that was just created. That in turn make our skin tighter
and smoother. This treatment can be done once a month.
Nanoneedling allows up to 97% product absorption.It is great for fine lines & wrinkles, swelling, or sagging skin. It uses 81 silicone tips, no needles :)
Nano-Needling only affects the epidermis, treating within the upper .15 mm of the skin. The benefits of this serum infusion treatment include pigmentation reduction,
increased cell turnover, skin rejuvenation and an immediate glow with no downtime. This treatment can be done weekly.
As with most therapies, micro or nanoneedling takes at least 4 treatments to see changes.
Average Cost Per Treatment:
Los Angeles Pricing: $455 (Acupuncturist)
New York Pricing: $699 (Acupuncturist)
San Francisco Pricing: $775 (Acupuncturist)
Beverly Hills Pricing: $1,000 (Skin Care Clinic)
San Diego Pricing: $300-$600 (Med Spa, Skin Care, Acupuncturists)
Average Nationwide Cost: $650/Treatment
Picture Of Wellness LLC : $300/treatment
Red LED light increases collagen reproduction by 200% and can be added to your treatment for $30.
We also incorporate ancient holistic, vegan Chinese Medicine topicals as well as apple stem cells to improve your results.
Call Today For An Appointment! (315) 643-2013
