Verma Zapanta's ACCHS Blog

Biochemistry Final: TCM & Biochemistry As I continue on this journey of becoming a Chinese medicine practitioner, the rhetoric of having to justify and validate the efficacy of our medicine in the West is the norm; regardless of thousands of years of scientific literature produced on TCM in ancient China.  Since this is the case, biochemistry within the scope of Western Medicine is our best friend as practitioners. One useful tool is an online database called, "Evidence Based Acupuncture"  (EBA). They are a community group of research volunteers that collect literature and scientific data on the health effects of acupuncture. (Although, many of us at ACCHS already know this!). I've included a list below outlining common conditions that Evidence Based Acupuncture has provided research for.   According to their studies, there many signaling and biochemical pathways that play a critical role in the clinical effects of acupuncture, in particular a process call...

Tardigrades! A stormtroop riding the back of a tardigrade. 😂 Why am I just learning about these adorable creatures? Some scientists refer to these creatures as moss piglets or water bears! 😍 Sounds like an up and coming Pokemon character. Haha! I am curious to see what direction researchers will take upon their continuous study of the tardigrades and their ability to not only survive harsh environments, but also "hibernate" for years before coming to life again. I was reminded of our discussion on biomimicry in biology earlier in the trimester and was almost positive that companies have attempted to mimic the tardigrades fascinating ability to survive dehydration. Here's what I found on the Biomimicry Institute's website: "The water bear, a tiny tardigrade, has inspired a couple of products that greatly reduce the need for refrigeration.  Conservation Magazine   recently published a story about one of these companies,   Biomatrica . Biomatrica h...

Ultra Processed American Diet The chart above seems to be the common view on what processed foods look like. But what fails to be seen in this image is the increase in ultra processed plant-based food items.  I don't know how many times I've written about the Impossible Burger in my blogs, but I just find it relatable to many topics that have surfaced in both biochemistry and biology. I think its also because I am one of many consumers who were tricked into believing that the being vegan is an healthier and ethical alternative to eating meat. 😩 I have come to learn....HELL NO! With the mass push to sell processed and ultra processed food in order to save a buck, it is imperative that all folks (no matter what diet you have) should have the agency and knowledge to know where their food comes from. But back to the Impossible Burger... I read an article published just two months ago by the Center for Food Safety  who found that the Impossible Burger is genetically m...

Cell Biology + Radioactivity I never really understood the extent of my exposure to radiation outside of a microwave oven or my own cell phone.   The biggest surprise was the chart that showed how much radiation we are exposed to when traveling on an airplane. It never crossed my mind how being at higher elevations make you more susceptible to exposure to radiation from the sun. Wild! I was also left with such heavy thoughts about individuals in constant contact with high doses of radiation like those tasked to clean nuclear waste or those who work at power plants.   The story one of our classmates shared about employees dying of cancer at a plant in Wisconsin was just heartbreaking. Is there a conversation happening around ethics and our excessive exposure to radioactive material?   It seems that every scientific discovery and/or creation by humankind is easily bastardized by greed and power.   Things seem to be worsening with the Trump administration’s push ...

Chemistry of Life Discussion + Reflection Our discussion on air pollution particles found in hearts of city dwellers was alarming.  I was aware that air quality in massive cities like Mumbai and Beijing had poor air quality, but the article we read in class stated that more than 90% of the world population lives with toxic air. We are so fortunate in the Bay Area that our air quality is great, though the fires have had a significant impact on it these past few years.  I didn't realize how sensitive my lungs were to the fires. I had asthma growing up and it hasn't bothered me until the fires.  I started thinking about that business that sold canned air in China.  What started off as a gimmick selling a ziplock bag of air for about a dollar, their sales sky rocketed after Chinese consumers began to buy it online. You can find the article here .  It boggles my mind that our society is at a point where they are harvesting and profiting off air. AIR?...

Kitchen Sink Cabinet Findings We have a quite a range of cleaning products and materials underneath our kitchen sink.  The most environmentally friendly product we have is dish soap from Costco named, "Kirkland Signature Environmentally Responsible Ultra Liquid Dish Soap."  Through this blog assignment, I actually questioned what constitutes "Environmentally Responsible" from Costco's perspective. I found a review on a blog called, "Apartment Therapy." Here's what the author wrote: "Costco is forthcoming about what’s  not  it the detergent: phosphates, dyes, optical brighteners, or bleaches. They’re also not tested on animals, and they “feature” biodegradable cleaning agents and plant-based formulas. But are they entirely free of petroleum products? Other than the bottle, which is still (petroleum-based) plastic, it’s hard to say." We try our best to be environmentally conscious with other cleaning products, but still have a long ...

pH Balance: Acids + Alkalis + Anti-Oxidants I believe there is a correlation between the development of certain health conditions and mild acidosis.   However, I don’t completely buy into fad diets; the alkaline diet being one of them. It’s just another way to sell products and ideas, which prey on people’s insecurities about their health.   I doubt lowering pH levels in your body can completely deter you from developing chronic illnesses, which oftentimes is how diet fads are sold to people. A “cure all, end all” solution.   There also needs to be a conversation about lifestyle choices, genetic inheritance of health issues, environmental factors, socio-economic conditions and other key factors that also play an integral role in maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.  This article on Healthline broke down the science behind the alkaline diet and helped me understand why it became so popular.

Loafing Around Without Feeling Guilty I need some sort of rubric to measure my effectiveness in loafing.  I thought it would be an easy feat considering I fell quite ill during our time off. I caught a cold over the weekend which progressively worsened and triggered my asthma. I haven't had an asthma attack since elementary school and didn't realize how terribly my body was feeling. It felt like I was breathing through a straw for two days and I experienced terrible hot flashes and migraines. With the help of a nebulizer, lots of soup and two weeks of rest, I was able to slowly regain my normal breathing rate. You would think through this experience that loafing would be easier, but I found myself still feeling guilty for resting while sick. I stubbornly ran errands, studied and found the rest time quite maddening at one point. (I couldn't leave the house for several days). Since going into the line of healing work, I'm actively trying to transform my relationship ...

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Use in the Bay Area For some reason, I had some trouble accessing the link in our packet on the mole, so I decided to post on hydrogen fuel cells.  The idea of using hydrogen fuel as an alternative to fossil fuels sounds promising. I just saw an article published earlier this week that a start-up is launching a hydrogen fuel cell airplane by 2020!  The Bay Area seems to be leading the way in how to integrate the use of hydrogen fuel cells in commuter cars, buses and ferries.  From my understanding, not all hydrogen fuel extractions are created equal and eco-friendly. The cheapest, most common form of hydrogen extraction still uses fossil fuels at some capacity. With the challenges in creating a solid infrastructure for hydrogen fuel cells for "everyday" folks, I hope more companies (in and outside of the fuel/automotive industry) will invest in research and roll out.

Colors of Food in My Diet I was traveling this past week, so did not have the opportunity to explore the colors of food in my kitchen.  However, I was able to document the color of food in my diet while traveling and was surprised (and somewhat ashamed) at the outcome.  I ate out everyday of the week and noticed that a majority of my meals consisted of carbs, proteins, oils and very little vegetables and fruits.  Most of my meals fell into the red, orange, yellow and sometimes green categories and consisted of what I call "dead" foods (i.e.: meat and processed foods with preservatives.  In relation to the chakra system, many of the foods in my diet this week are associated with the last four chakras (i.e.: root, sacral, solar, and heart); an abundance of fire, vitality, and intensity. My mood this past week definitely reflected those emotions. I felt anxious, creative, and a little on edge. I'd like to experiment in the future and see how a change in color in my d...

Transitional Metals of the Week: Zinc and Copper I registered into our chemistry class late, so missed out on the discussion related to this assignment. I'm going to assume that we were to identify a transitional metal on the periodic table that we engaged with for the week.  I chose two transitional metals, zinc and copper, which combined make brass.  (My question is if those transitional metals are combined to make an alloy metal, is it still considered a transitional metal? I had trouble answering this question in my research.)   I've been building my relationship to different elements as a way of re-grounding and re-connecting to the earth. Brass in particular is special to me because I wear a set of bracelets and a necklace from the Philippines made by indigenous groups on the islands. They are adornments from two different tribes, the Igorot (Northern Luzon) and T'Boli (Southern Mindanao) who use brass to construct jewelry and instruments.  They ...

Element of the Week: Bismuth I chose to bismuth as my element of the week because of its strange properties (and how cool it looks! 😍).  It is the heaviest, non-radioactive metal on the periodic table. Bismuth is also diamagnetic, meaning you can place a magnet between two pieces of bismuth and it will levitate.   Bismuth, specifically bismuth oxychloride is commonly found in cosmetics because of it is a cheap filler for products, adheres to the skin well and provides make-up powders with a pearlescent, shimmer. The FDA added bismuth as a color agent in 1977 for use as an synthetic ingredient. There isn't much data yet, but some people argue that bismuth may be toxic because it shares similar chemical compounds to arsenic.  Many make-up companies are now manufacturing products without bismuth oxychloride. 

Are you eating Monsanto weed killer for breakfast? How scary is it to know that 90% of corn and soybean crops are treated with glyphosate!  I've developed a soy allergy and try my best to steer clear from it. I stopped cooking with corn oil and REALLY try to stop eating corn.  However, it seems virtually impossible to avoid both soy and corn if you are eating out.  In relation to this article, even if you were to avoid soy and corn, neighboring organically certified crops and even animals will still be exposed to pesticides, if not have higher traces of the toxic chemical. I remember in the 90's when videos surfaced of woking conditions in the farms. There were heart wrenching images of deformed limbs of farmworkers and their children due to exposure of pesticides.  It took labor organizers and the general public decades to put pressure on Congress to tighten restrictions on pesticide use.  Although visibility of the impacts of pesticides isn't as e...

Introduction Greeting ACCHS Western Sciences Community,     My name is Verma Zapanta and I am a first year student at ACCHS. Although I've been attending the course since the beginning of the trimester, I just enrolled in the class and am slowly catching up with the workload in all the Western Science courses that Larry is teaching. =) I worked in education for ten years prior to attending ACCHS as a history teacher, college professor and in youth leadership development.  I transitioned out of teaching because the work became unsustainable and had a significant impact on my wellbeing. I found myself drawn to mental health work and holistic medicine because it supported my own healing.  Acupuncture was the introduction to other modalities of healing and re-connected me to the medicines that exist in my ancestral land of the Philippines.  My goal as a practitioner is to not only practice Chinese medicine, but to continue conversations on wellness within spac...