Puzzle Exchange

tjennychen
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Weekly

2 doctors eat ramen together and discuss the most difficult questions in medicine.

  1. You Can't Force Sleep: A Sleep Psychiatrist x TCM Doctor on Insomnia - Puzzle Exchange Podcast

    6d ago

    You Can't Force Sleep: A Sleep Psychiatrist x TCM Doctor on Insomnia - Puzzle Exchange Podcast

    A sleep psychiatrist and a Chinese medicine doctor sit down to answer the question we both hear every week: why can't I sleep, and why does everything I try make it worse?Dr. Nishi Bhopal MD is a psychiatrist and sleep medicine physician in the Bay Area. I'm Dr. Deb Ma (PhD, LAc, OMD), an acupuncturist in San Francisco. We treat the same 3am patients from two directions, and we kept landing on the same answer: you can't buy sleep, and you can't force it. Sleep is like a cat. It only comes when you ignore it.The practical takeaway: two wrist acupressure points for a racing mind, PC7 (大陵 Daling) and HT7 (神门 Shenmen). Chapters0:00 Cold open0:25 Meet Dr. Nishi Bhopal, sleep psychiatrist1:28 How a sleep doctor and a TCM doctor read your sleep4:14 Insomnia isn't always insomnia5:47 The $5,000 mattress question6:28 Iron, fiber, blood sugar: what to rule out7:58 Sleep trackers: helpful or harmful?10:18 Regularity beats duration12:59 The 8 hours myth15:12 Sleep is like a cat: why effort backfires16:42 Naps and the 3pm dip18:10 Waking at 3am is ancient, not broken20:40 Ayurveda: good sleep starts in the daytime22:30 FEEM: the four causes of insomnia23:53 The feng shui a sleep doctor signs off on26:12 Twenty years of insomnia, better in weeks28:48 Melatonin is not a sleeping pill30:10 Sleep comes when your body feels safe30:48 Two wrist points and a head massage33:43 The 15-minute walk trick35:12 Where to find Dr. NishiPuzzle Exchange is the podcast from Puzzle Acupuncture in Bernal Heights, San Francisco. Read the companion post on the Puzzle blog: https://www.puzzlesf.com/blog/acupressure-points-for-sleep-insomnia Find Dr. Nishi Bhopal at https://www.pacificintegrativepsych.com

    36 min
  2. Longevity Lab: 3 Doctors on Why Your Wearable Isn't Making You Healthier

    May 24

    Longevity Lab: 3 Doctors on Why Your Wearable Isn't Making You Healthier

    Everyone in the room had a wearable. The 3 doctors on stage didn't.That gap is the whole conversation. This is the Executive Longevity Lab, the first in a new series from Puzzle Exchange. Cross discipline, clinician led, and a room small enough to actually think. 3 founders from 3 different practices sit down to pull apart what longevity has become in San Francisco, and what it actually takes.It opens with Dr. Deb leading Ba Duan Jin, a 900 year old qigong practice, and lands on the simplest advice in the room: move with people you like, try new things, and listen to your body.Chapters:0:00 A 900 year old warm up: Ba Duan Jin1:16 Meet the panel2:03 The wearable in the room: the data doesn't match how you feel3:05 Pain is information, not a verdict6:50 Why two of the doctors don't wear one10:30 A sleep score of 85 and still tired: what Chinese medicine reads11:20 Simple, sustainable, self directed: it has gotten very capitalistic13:45 Regenerative medicine and peptides: tools, not miracles16:02 Where the money should go: community, sidewalks, and food21:08 Hype vs tradition, and starting kids early30:00 The AI question: anxiety, self diagnosis, and a fragmented system36:10 Chinese medicine as the original holistic model46:56 Closing advice: move with friends, try new things, listen to your bodyThe panel:Dr. Deb Ma, licensed acupuncturist with 17 years in Beijing, now at Puzzle Acupuncture in Bernal Heights, San Francisco. https://puzzlesf.comDr. Lindsay Stephens, chiropractor and physical rehab specialist, co-founder of Motus. https://motusclinic.comDr. Veronica Jow, sports medicine physician and internist, founder of Avid Sports Medicine. https://avidsportsmed.comHosted by Jenny Chen, Puzzle Exchange. https://puzzleexchange.spaceMore from Dr. Deb on what Chinese medicine looks for instead of a score: https://puzzlesf.com/blog#Longevity #ChineseMedicine #Wellness #Wearables #Acupuncture #PuzzleExchange

    51 min
  3. Software is solved. Are we going to be okay? Puzzle Exchange No. 14

    May 18

    Software is solved. Are we going to be okay? Puzzle Exchange No. 14

    I hosted a panel in SF with a therapist, a philosopher, and an engineer. Three takes that almost agreed, then sharply didn't. David Khalili (therapist): VCs are buying therapy session data. The pitch to therapists is free premium software in exchange for access to every client session. John Coyle (philosopher and engineer): "Every question of technology is a political question." Pushed back hard on the inevitability framing. Rayyan Zahid (engineer): Spent 10 billion tokens last month. Felt more relaxed than he had in a year and a half. His agents now teach other agents. The takeaway: The future isn't optimistic. Jobs will go. Governments will give the bare minimum to survive. We should not treat any of this as inevitable. That refusal is what makes us human. Recap with interactive takes: https://puzzleexchange.space/ Subscribe to the calendar for the next one: luma.com/puzzleexchange.

    52 min
  4. Geek Therapy: How game can bring you safety and control

    Feb 13

    Geek Therapy: How game can bring you safety and control

    00:00 Introduction 00:35 Therapeutic Approaches in Gaming 00:53 Understanding the Geek and Gamer Community 02:58 The Role of Creativity in Therapy 05:08 Challenges Faced by Gamers and Artists 07:28 Parental Perspectives on Gaming 09:40 The Impact of Gaming on Mental Health 12:16 Building Relationships Through Gaming 14:47 The Importance of Communication in Therapy 17:07 Exploring the Game: Source of Dreams 19:21 Therapeutic Role-Playing and Personal Growth 21:24 The Five Resources for Overcoming Stress https://www.puzzlesf.com/ https://www.hiddenquesttherapy.com/

    21 min
  5. What Burnout Really Looks Like | Unpacking with Therapist & Mind-body Clinicians | Panel

    Feb 11

    What Burnout Really Looks Like | Unpacking with Therapist & Mind-body Clinicians | Panel

    Burnout doesn’t always look like collapsing. Sometimes it looks like pushing through… until you can’t.In this panel, 3 clinicians unpack what burnout actually is, why it can be hard to recognize in time, and what helps in real life.What we cover: How clinicians define burnout (and why it’s more than “stress”)Why burnout can feel sneaky—and the early warning signs people missThe “system” piece: how culture, work, and expectations shape burnout3 simple tools you can try today:PanelistsA clinician panel featuring a chiropractor/somatic practitioner, a homeopath, and a sex therapist. Moderate by a tech founder who's been through burnout. Kathleen Scheible — trauma-informed homeopath Dr. Kim Makoi, DC, PhD — mind-body chiropractor, NET expert, author David F. Khalili, LMFT — therapist, sexologist, founder of Rouse Relational WellnessModerated by Tingyi Chen from Puzzle Exchange Podcasthttps://www.puzzlesf.com/https://rousetherapy.com/ https://www.bernalhomeopathy.com/ https://www.drkimsf.com/

    47 min
  6. Sciatica Relief That Actually Works: “Test-Retest” PT Method + Acupuncture Perspective

    Jan 7

    Sciatica Relief That Actually Works: “Test-Retest” PT Method + Acupuncture Perspective

    What if the reason your sciatica isn’t improving is simply that you’re doing the wrong exercises: too many, too soon, without knowing what helps? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Ashley Mak, a physical therapist who specializes in sciatica pain.Dr Ashley breaks down his simple “test–retest” approach: try one movement, observe what changes, and double down on what reduces symptoms.Dr Ashley also shares how he built iFixer Sciatica to make education and recovery more accessible, including a library of 200–250 exercise videos. In this conversation, we cover: Why “more exercises” can make sciatica worse (and what to do instead) The test–retest framework for finding what your body responds to PT vs. acupuncture: different lenses, same goal—and how to integrate both How to return to activity without falling into the post-rehab “danger zone” Dr Ashley: https://ifixyoursciatica.com/Dr Deb: https://www.puzzlesf.com/

    21 min
  7. Burnout, Belonging & Asian Caregiving with therapist Caitlin Blair and acupuncturist Dr Deb

    12/31/2025

    Burnout, Belonging & Asian Caregiving with therapist Caitlin Blair and acupuncturist Dr Deb

    In this episode of Puzzle Exchange, we sit down with Caitlin Blair, a psychotherapist and founder of Tiny Cottage Therapy, to talk about the real (often invisible) weight of burnout, cultural identity, and the unique pressure many AAPI caregivers carry. In this conversation, we cover: Why AAPI caregiving expectations can be heavier, and how to set boundaries without collapsing into guilt How stress often shows up first as sleep + digestion issues (and why we ignore mental signs until the body forces our attention) Somatic tools for “always-on” urgency: mindful movement, walking, and simple bilateral stimulation exercises How to find a therapist (and why “vibe + trust” matters more than perfect credentials) Therapy stigma in Asian families—and the “good kid” mask that keeps us bottling everything up Caitlin Blair runs Tiny Cottage Therapy and specializes in anxiety, burnout, and cultural identity. She also facilitates an AAPI caregiver support group designed especially for adult children caring for aging parents. https://www.tinycottagetherapy.com/Dr Deb is an acupuncturist from Puzzle Acupuncture at Bernal Heights, SF. Her whole philosophy is gentle care that actually works. https://www.puzzlesf.com/

    55 min
  8. Your Feet Tell a Story: a Gentle Reflexology and Acupuncture session

    12/20/2025

    Your Feet Tell a Story: a Gentle Reflexology and Acupuncture session

    Guest: Belinda Hanart Host: Dr Deb 00:00 Opening Thoughts and Reflections04:42 First Experience with Acupuncture05:38 Understanding Acupuncture Techniques08:01 Exploring Emotional Connections to Physical Pain08:29 Transitioning from Corporate to Holistic Healing12:29 Reflexology and Body Awareness12:43 The Power of Acknowledgment14:42 Understanding Body Signals22:02 Crystals and Energy Protection25:03 The Vagus Nerve and Stress Response29:07 Reflexology as a Healing Tool35:50 Emotional Processing and Relationships https://www.puzzlesf.com/blog/your-feet-tell-a-story-what-acupuncture-and-reflexology-actually-have-in-common

    37 min
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About

2 doctors eat ramen together and discuss the most difficult questions in medicine.

Information

  • Creator
    tjennychen
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © tjennychen
  • Show Website
    Puzzle Exchange