Dr Maggie Ju Acupuncture London Chelsea, North Kensington, Notting Hill, and Richmond

Energy is the fundamental force that powers all living organisms, allowing them to perform essential functions necessary for survival and growth. In the case of humans, understanding how the body obtains and utilizes energy is crucial for maintaining overall health and well-being. We will explore the intricate processes by which the human body acquires and utilizes energy. The human body primarily relies on three main sources of energy: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Each of these macronutrients plays a significant role in providing energy for different bodily functions. Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the body's primary and preferred source of energy. They are broken down into simple sugars, such as glucose, through digestion. Glucose then enters the bloodstream and is transported to various cells to be used as immediate energy or stored for later use in the form of glycogen in the liver and muscles. Fats: Fats, or lipids, are another essential energy source for the body. The...

The human body is an intricate machine, requiring a constant supply of energy to function properly. The process of transforming the food we eat into essential nutrients and energy is accomplished by the digestive system. This remarkable system encompasses a series of organs and processes, each with a unique role to play in breaking down and absorbing the nutrients from the food we consume. We will explore the journey of food through the digestive system and explore the pivotal role of the organs involved. The Digestive System - A Complex Pathway The digestive system comprises a chain of interconnected organs working together to break down food and extract nutrients. It begins in the mouth and continues through the throat, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. Together, these organs form a long pipe-like structure where food travels and undergoes various stages of digestion. The Mouth: Where It All Begins The process of digestion commences as soon as we...

Everyone has mood changes in some degree, however too much mood changes could be caused by ill health and further affects one’s health. Mood expressions include positive scales like "activity, joy, contemplation, calmness" and negative scales like "anger, irritation, depression, fatigue”. Patients with chronic disease supposed to have dominant negative mood scales. Do you know acupuncture can help you improve mood changes. A research has shown that there was an immediate, fast suppression of unusual slow high amplitude EEG waves in response to acupuncture needle rotation. Also there was a significant improvement on positive mood scales and a decline in negative mood scales after 10 acupuncture sessions. Patients with chronic pain reported a significant decrease of pain intensity after 10 sessions. Acupuncture is cost-effective compared with counselling or usual care alone in treating depression There is emerging evidence that acupuncture is effective for treating patient...

Fatigue is a very common complaint. How to boost energy and reduce fatigue with acupuncture? Blood circulation is a key step to boost energy. Blood circulates throughout the body and brings the energy to the cells to function. If blood circulation is poor, the nutrients will not reach the cells which need energy to do the work. You will see symptoms of fatigue. System circulation is the part of the cardiovascular system. Microcirculation is blood circulation in the smallest blood vessels which comprise arterioles, capillaries and venules. Arteriole wall is made up of smooth muscles, while there are no smooth muscles on the capillary and venule wall. Lymphatic circulation consisting of lymphatic capillaries also contributes to the microcirculation function. It carries oxygenated blood away from the heart through the arteries, capillaries to the tissues of the body. It provides the functional blood supply with oxygen and nutrients to the cells to all body tissue. It picks up carbon dioxi...

Although the brain is only about 2% of the total body weight in humans, it receives 15-20% of the body's blood supply. Because brain cells will die if the supply of blood which carries oxygen is stopped, the brain has top priority for the blood. Even if other organs need blood, the body attempts to supply the brain with a constant flow of blood. The blood brings many materials including oxygen, carbohydrates, amino acids, fats, hormones and vitamins necessary for the brain to function properly. The blood also removes materials including carbone dioxide, ammonia, lactate and hormones from the brain. This function is performed by many blood vessels. The head’s blood supply comes mainly from the external and internal carotid arteries. The internal carotid artery travels up from the aortic arch just outside the heart. It travels into the brain to provide oxygenated blood to the eyes, the front of the brain, and portions of the scalp. The external carotid artery helps supply part of the...

Stress causes changes of many systems in the body. In response to stress, the level of various hormones changes, such as glucocorticoids, catecholamines, growth hormone and prolactin. This allows the body to cope with stress situation. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis consists of a serial of endocrine organs including hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal glands. In response to stress, this axis is activated to promote survival. Stimulation of this axis results in hypothalamic secretion of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF). CRF then stimulates the pituitary to adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), 8-lipotropin and 3-endorphin. Plasma levels of these hormones can increase two- to fivefold during stress in humans. ATCH stimulates adrenal glands to produce glucocorticoids which are a class of steroids. cortisols stimulate the formation of glucose and activates antistress and anti-inflammatory pathways. Stimulation of the pituitary-adrenal axis is also related to release of catecholamines...

I am very tired. It is not a rare complaint. Everyone must ever feel tired sometimes, but the tiredness would go away after rest or sleep. If it does not go away, it is a problem. Constant fatigue is the main symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). CFS refers to severe exhaustion during and after daily activities or to a lack of energy which is prolonged for 6 or more months and resting and sleeping cannot make fatigue go. CFS affects about 1 in 300 people in the UK. It is about three times as common in women as in men. Most common age group developing CFS is 20-45 and it occurs more in women than in men. Apart from constant fatigue feeling, there are also other symptoms associated with severe fatigue, such as muscle and joint pain, headache, insomnia and poor short term memory etc. The cause is not clear but there are a few theories including: a viral infection, immune system problems, neuroendocrine dysfunction causing hormones imbalance and psychiatric problems, such as stress ...