51 Renato Court, Suite E

Redwood City, CA 94061

Tel: 650-369-0374

July, 2004

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful summer. Thank you for all your support during the last year. So much has happened since I wrote to you last.

I’m writing this letter to let you know about new programs I’m developing and treatments that have been especially effective. Also, I want to comment on some of the media coverage of health topics recently.

I’m progressing toward establishing more written handouts and a web site so that you can look up various topics at any time. It will make it easier for you. I know that trying to remember what we talked about after you’ve gotten so relaxed from an acupuncture treatment is not always possible.

I specialize in pain relief and internal medicine. By internal medicine I mean: nutrition, acupuncture, herbal medicine and exercises used to treat symptoms of: fatigue, infertility, menopause, high Prostate Specific Antigen scores, thyroid imbalances, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, post-chemotherapy & radiation and others.

HERBS

The biggest news is how well custom herbal formulas are working for these various complaints. I am starting my third year of weekly private sessions with a Chinese master herbalist trained in both western and Oriental medicine. Each week we discuss any patient’s case that is not progressing as I would expect. My teacher gives me suggestions for a different approach or different herbs to use from his over 50 years of experience. I currently use 220 herbs in my pharmacy. I make custom formulas for each patient. This gives me a lot of subtlety for treating each person with their individual complexities.

Part of the reason herbs work so well is that herbs are absorbed by the body like food. In fact, without herbs in our diet, we are missing some of nature’s nutrition. These herbs are especially easy to take. Even my busiest patients can manage to put powdered herbs in hot water and drink it in the morning. If you need the herbs in capsules, we can do that too.

FOOD THERAPY

Nutritional or food therapy is another way we have gained very positive results recently. If you have any food cravings, weight gain or weight loss, your body is telling you that there is some nutrition that you are missing. When we figure out what is missing, you will feel calmer and well nourished without overeating. This method has allowed recovery for many patients from severe fatigue, weight gain, and allergies. Sinus congestion is usually related to a diet that is in some way not best for you.

NEW TOOL: ENERGIZING OVERWORKED SYSTEMS

My new electrical moxa machine warms acupuncture points with infra red light. This energizes weak systems in your body, while relaxing you. It treats fatigue, pain, cold, digestive weakness, and phlegm. Results happen much more quickly than with only acupuncture and/or herbs. The mid-section weight gain that doesn’t respond to calorie restricition or increased exercise responds to the moxa machine. Osteomyelitis and fibromyalgia are two complaints that have responded very well also.

HOT TOPICS

Heart disease and strokes are referred to in the media as if they pop up out of nowhere. Actually, there is usually a build up of arterial plaque over at least a 10 to 15 year period of time. Your pulse reveals this gradual change. This gives us plenty of time to use herbs and other gentle supplements to decrease the thickening of the blood that leads to plaque deposition. We have seen choresterol levels decrease dramatically with this approach.

Cancer tumors also usually develop over 5 to 10 years. There are some immune markers of tumor formation now available through blood tests. Herbal treatment of symptoms related to tumor formation are highly developed in China and almost unknown in the US.

Infra-red thermal imaging has been shown to reveal areas of heat on the skin that can be predictive of tumor formation 5 to 10 years in advance. This method is particularly good for breast cancer prevention.

I have developed a progream of methods for decreasing the risk of breast tumor formation. It involves exercise, dietary modifications, herbs and acupuncture. This program has decreased thermal imaging markers indicating increasing risk of breast tumor formation after being used for 2 months.

The possibilities for preventing the symptoms of these and other diseases using herbs, acupuncture, and nutrition are exciting and very much within our reach!

To maintain good health, most of us need to balance the yin and yang in our lives. (Restorative yoga does wonders!) The balance for stress and activity, is rest and beauty or enjoyment. Peace and harmony are at the core of what we all desire.

Best wishes to you all,

Claudia Benvegnu, L.Ac, Ph.D.