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6A – Daily News – Monday, January 3, 2011 Vitality & health BALTIMORE (MCT) — Constant headaches and migraines had Diana Schulin considering acupuncture, but she found herself tensing at the thought of sitting alone in a room while being poked by a dozen needles. She finally took the plunge, and she's glad she did. The needles remain. But at least now she has company. The health care informa- tion worker is among a small but growing number of people experiencing the ancient Asian treatment in a group. Some come for the lower cost, while some, like Schulin, are drawn by the camaraderie. "Because the other peo- ple are there, you feel relaxed," said Schulin, a Baltimore resident. "It makes you feel more com- fortable. "Traditional acupuncture clinics are a lit- tle more tense. You are there by yourself. When you are in the room with other peo- ple, there is a sense of calm." Acupuncture — the practice of inserting needles in specific spots of the human body — is nothing new. But the concept of community acupuncture is relatively rare in this coun- try. There are about 200 community acupuncture clinics in the U.S.; a majori- ty is found along the coasts and in larger cities, accord- ing to Fred Wolfson, who opened Acupuncture for All in Baltimore's Mount Wash- ington neighborhood nine weeks ago after working at a similar practice in Freder- ick, Md. Wolfson said the concept is modeled after group clin- ics in Asia, which have his- torically been low-cost. Community acupuncture patients say they are drawn to the clinics because of the combination of low cost, accessibility, and the com- munity concept. Patients at clinics such as Wolfson's pay between $20 to $40 a treatment. (Traditional prac- tices charge up to $90 per visit.) Wolfson goes an extra step and offers a slid- ing scale. He never chal- lenges the amount of money he receives. Payments are deposited in a drop box in the clinic. "Patients pay what they can afford," he said. "Every- Pin-point treatment with group acupuncture MCT photo Fred Wolfson, owner of “Acupuncture For All,” treats several patients at a time in a peaceful, communal room, which keeps the costs down to what a normal acupuncture procedure costs. one's financial situation is different. There are people who ask if they can pay below that $20 fee because of their financial situation. That is fine. I don't turn any- one away." Low cost is the biggest draw of community acupuncture businesses, according to Karen Jack- son-Williams, a licensed acupuncturist who works at Honey-Bee Free Acupunc- ture in Greenbelt, Md., and Tai Sophia Institute in Lau- rel, Md. Jackson-Williams, who has been following the com- munity acupuncture model for the past two years, said lower cost helps expose more people to the treat- ment. "If anything, it would be a benefit to a traditional practitioner," she said. "Peo- ple get to have a good first experience at a reduced price. Then they have the opportunity to later use a private practitioner if they want." The lower price also allows patients to receive frequent treatments, which maximizes the benefits of acupuncture, Wolfson said. "Because of the low cost, patients are unable to do the follow-up treatment," Wolf- son said. "That is an impor- tant piece of community acupuncture. It is not about just getting enough money for an acupuncture treat- ment. This model allows people to go through a whole course of treatment. They are able to see if acupuncture is a modality for them." And community acupuncturists are able to treat a larger number of patients in a shorter amount of time. At most community clinics, each visit typically lasts about an hour. An intake questionnaire is com- pleted so that the acupunc- turist can individualize the proper plan for each patient. After customers roll up their sleeves and remove their shoes, they are ready for the treatment. "The needles stay in on average 45 minutes," Wolf- son said. "The nice thing about the clinic is that peo- ple who want to stay longer can stay. But most people feel done after 45 minutes." Despite Acupuncture for All's high-volume mission, the clinic is surprisingly quiet. The gurgle from a water fountain meshes with relax- ing music playing overhead. Seven reclining seats are arranged in a circular fash- ion. The walls are painted with a cobalt blue and adorned with framed pic- tures of exotic locations. A large oriental rug in the cen- ter of the room pays homage to the technique's origins. The dimmed lights give the room a relaxed feel. "It's like being in your living room," Schulin said. Wolfson encourages a tranquil environment. "A majority of people fall asleep," Wolfson said. "We may whisper a little bit as I am putting in the nee- dles. But generally the treat- ment room is very quiet." Tuesday night, there was a constantly flow of patients, including Lynn Hunobice, an activity direc- tor for a local retirement community, who visits the clinic at least once a week. Hunobice sought out acupuncture because she needed a source of relief from arthritis and the daily stress involved in her job. "I needed to bring a bal- ance to life," she said. "I have a very intense job. I can get overwhelmed." Wolfson stresses that community acupuncture and acupuncture in general is not for everyone. "Acupuncture is not going to be the treatment that helps everyone," he said. "If they can't do a con- sistent course of treatment and the treatments become sporadic, then they can't decide if this is the treat- ment for them or not." Our Health: Create healthier eating habits (MCT) — This sounds like a no-brainer, and it's a topic that gets written about every new year. So why should we be different? I'm talking about losing weight. The latest article on the subject is in the Janu- ary/February issue of AARP magazine. Is this because the older you get, the chunkier you seem? "I'm not sure that obesity is tied to aging," said Gabrielle Redford, editorial projects manager for the magazine. "What it is, prob- ably, is we don't move like we used to and there is food all over the place, including fast food. "We eat mindlessly. We need to trick ourselves into eating mindfully." Q: How do you trick yourself about food? A: Use a 9-inch salad plate instead of a 12-inch dinner plate. You will auto- matically eat less. Use tall, thin glasses instead of short, wide ones. You will pour almost 30 percent less liq- uid. Keep the main serving dish on the counter or stove. You are less likely to eat seconds. Studies show a decrease of 19 percent less food consumed when this trick is used. A couple more: Store all your snacks in small, single- size bags so you're not reaching into that big sack of chips, for example. You'll eat 20 percent less. Q: You say there are "danger zones"? A: Yes. Meal stuffing — overeating at meal time; desktop and dashboard "speed eaters"; restaurant indulgers who eat out often and are used to enormous portions; snack grazers who reach for food just because it is there and then eat more than they should. Q: So how do you change your food lifestyle? A: You have to make your own changes based on what works for you. Write your food intake down on paper, as well as your dan- ger zones. See how many changes you adhere to. A lot of diets fail because they ask you to give up too much. Do three small things at a time and slowly change your eating habits. • The article quotes James O. Hill, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He says the trick is to make subtle changes in our environment — changes that cut out 100 to 200 calories a day — so we gradually alter our eating habits and lose weight. The best diet is the one you don't know you're on. Here are his tips: • Include a fruit and a vegetable with your lunch and dinner. • Don't eat white foods at dinner (i.e., a baked potato). • Use the half-plate rule — fill half your plate with veggies. • Have a sweet or salty afternoon snack only if you eat a piece of fresh fruit. • Drink one glass of water before every meal or snack. • Use the "restaurant rule of two": Limit yourself to two items other than your entree. • Never eat in front of the TV. • Eat a piece of fruit on the way to work every day. • Save desserts for week- ends. • Freeze half of what you make and serve the other half. And if you live alone, find yourself a diet buddy. A diet buddy is someone to call or e-mail every day and admit if you broke down and ate that chocolate Grand Marnier souffle (which I did at Christmas dinner). Big question: Who wants to be my buddy? Mark's Fitness * Get into Shape, Get Healthy, & Enjoy a Good Quality of Life!* *Private Personal Training - FREE Consultations! ! * Public Spin Class: M-W-F @ 6 PM - Ask about monthly FREE classes! ACE Certified & Senior Fitness Assn. Certified Personal Trainer (530) 941-2832 821 Walnut St. Red Bluff fitness How to … Help kids make healthy New Year's Resolutions (MCT) — Children can benefit from resolutions as much as adults, whether they aim to exercise more, eat more vegetables, brush their teeth twice daily or wash their hands before eating. "Making resolutions is a great way to help kids focus on making positive deci- sions throughout their lives," says Sam Fabian, a par- enting expert with Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk, Va. Some tips: Collect ideas. Ask your child for input. For a list of resolutions for all age groups from the American Acad- emy of Pediatrics, go to www.aap.org/advocacy/releas- es/jankidstips.cfm. Make resolutions positive. Instead of "eat less junk food," go for "eat three servings of fruits or vegetables a day." Focus on what a child wants to be. Write down goals. List resolutions on paper — you can draw pictures for very young kids — and post them on the refrigerator or the child's room. Then brainstorm strategies for how to meet those goals. Be specific. "Practice multiplication facts for 10 minutes a day" is better than "work harder at math." You can adjust those daily actions as the year goes on. Make it realistic. Help tweak goals that would be difficult to meet. If a child wants to ride his bike daily for 20 minutes, for example, talk about alternatives for when a parent can't supervise or the weather is bad — maybe do jumping jacks inside or play an active video game. Celebrate small steps. Recognize streaks of good behavior or positive results such as a good math grade or better fitness level. Stress patience. Make sure a child knows that slip- ping up is common — and he shouldn't give up. Be a good role model. Help support your child with your own behavior.