February 15, 2010
What is happening in America? Subsequently, countless people are living with hypertension (high blood pressure) and are not improving. Obviously, this ailment is not understood except to treat the symptoms rather than the underlying problem. American Heart Association stats indicates just how this condition is not improving:
High blood pressure (hypertension) killed 57,356 people in the United States in 2005.
As you can see this is a serious epidemic in the U.S. and it seems we are not taking a deserving all out attack on this enemy. This is a more extreme threat than any terrorist attack. This is where the money and research needs to be focussed. Wouldn’t you concur?
Ignorance of how we are polluting our bodies, obviously contributes to our not discovering an essential solution to high blood pressure.
The UNDERLYING CAUSE
DO YOU HAVE TOXIC BLOOD? HOW DOES THE BLOOD BECOME TOXIC?
When the blood becomes saturated with unfiltered blood then its ability to maintain body systems and organs is compromised. Blood quality determines every cell’s capability to carry out its function. The blood has the potential to nourish or pollute the entire body. As we age, over-stress, ingest a poor diet, etc. blood elements can back up unless detoxification is utilized or the principal blood cleaners in the physical body are sustained enabling their function.
If the blood remains toxic for too long then an acidic environment is created. The result is a breakdown of vascular walls. The condition results in a scarring process where components of blood (fibrin) fill in the inflamed or damaged areas. This backing up of toxic blood potentiates, makes for blood sluggishness, and further, obstructs the cleansing process. When circulation vessels are clogged then all body organs become deficient thus impeding the life extension process. Its important at this stage that balance is re-established before established damage occurs.
There are different conditions that are involved with causation of toxic build-up. From a Chinese medicine perspective, the body can involve singular or multiple constitutional conditions. The primary (6) body types are:
cold<—————>hot
damp<————->dry
deficient<——–>excess
At what time, the physical body or its internal organs develop into one of the constitutional conditions (above) then toxicity happens. In order to move the imbalance or over toxicity to a balanced or neutral status, the body or its organ(s) need help to move in the other direction of the continuum.
Additionally, Its very important to discern which constitution is primary so treatment priority can be arrived at before tackling obvious symptoms. Again, the goal of the correction process is to achieve balance or neutral status. That is the mid-point between cold and hot, damp and dry, and deficient and excess. Establishing the center of these continuums brings about optimal health where the symptoms subside, health anchors.
Summary: Excess constitution with heat and dampness characteristics stemming from over-ingestion of rich, greasy, spicy, refined, intoxicating foods. Foods: excess red meat, eggs, cheese, fried foods, salt, excess sweet, refined & stale flour and oil products, chemicals, drugs and acoholic drinks.
When the body becomes overwhelmed by the above foods then the blood, organs and body becomes toxic and malfuctioning. The excess wears the body down into deficiency resulting in conditions of arthritis, tumor, diabetes, etc. The blockages in vasularity produces heat and pressure resulting in the following conditions - high blood pressure, constipation, excess weight, stroke and circulation ailments. The remedy is purging and cleansing.with bitter herbs and foods. Bitter cools and reduces dampness in the body. There may be exceptions which require a seasoned Master herbalist’s (traditional chinese herbs) input.
“Sweet makes you bitter while bitter makes you sweeter” Nei jing
For more in-depth knowledge on the cause of High Blood and Food Therapy that benefits this condition go to: High Blood Pressure Herbs & Food Therapy
February 11, 2010
Low back pain doesn’t happen overnight and once understood, can resolve quicker than you realize. We have to look at our lifestyle, nutrition, how we think & feel, etc. to undo the ailment. You could take a pain reliever but still the underlying imbalance will be there after the relief is gone. The key word for low back pain is DEFICIENCY.
Contributing Environment: Our work and personal life may be stressing us out to the degree that our circulation is constricted not allowing nutrients to feed our organs and toxins to be eliminated. Our dietary preferences in the U.S. are excessive while empty of nutrients, full of preservatives, pesticides, hormones and processed with additives. This generation endures more stress, changes and emotions keeping us up later and/or deep sleep is not achieved. The result is we lack the necessary energy or life force to be our best. This further makes us irritable in our relationships which worsens all the scenarios described before.
As we break down our energy, immunity and support, our self image and esteem parallels our internal organs ability to weather the challenge. In particular our kidneys and adrenals become weakened or deficient requiring us to take back what has been given up to regain our essence, vitality, our quality of life.
To begin, we need to construct successful strategies in the areas of nutrition, sleep, and lifestyle. This article was wriiten to suggest successful alternatives enabling the reader to rapidly acquire anti-aging versus aging strategies.
The source of deficiency stems from 4 main areas:
- LEFT KIDNEY DEFICIENCY
- RIGHT KIDNEY DEFICIENCY
- KIDNEY ENERGY DEFICIENCY
- EXTREME CHRONIC FATIGUE
FOOD THERAPY: LOW BACK PAIN
This issue may involve not only low back pain but also sciatic pain complicated by other syndromes such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, Epstein Barr, etc. Below are the 4 main causes of pain in the low back and leg weakness.
There are several categories based on Chinese medicine nutrition and Traditional Chinese herbs that support and correct low back pain:
LEFT KIDNEY (yin) DEFICIENCY:
Characteristics: Heat symptoms, dizziness, ringing in the ears, dry throat, dry mouth, fever, low backache, weak legs, involuntary seminal emission, spontaneous sweating, red tongue, emaciation, deep shiny red tongue
Foods: millet, barley, tofu, string bean, black bean, black soy bean, mung bean, mung bean sprouts, kidney bean, azuki bean, and most other beans, kuzu root, watermelon and most others, blackberry, mulberry, blueberry, huckleberry, water chestnut, wheat germ, potato, seaweeds, spirulina, chlorella, black sesame seed, sardine, crab, clam, eggs, pork, cheese
Herbs: marshmallow root, rehmannia root, Asparagus root, aloe vera gel, colloidal silver (If the constitution is cold and/or most or low back & sciatic is cold and/or moist then choose from the groups below)
RIGHT KIDNEY (yang) DEFICIENCY:
Characteristics: cold symptoms in the body such as cold extremities, weakened knees, weakened lower back, avoidance of cold environments, pale skin, depression, lethargic thinking, deficient libido, intermittant menstruation and clear vaginal fluid
Foods: walnuts, black beans, onion family (onion, garlic, chives, scallions, leeks), quinoa, chicken, lamb, trout, salmon
Spices: cloves, fenugreek, fennel seeds, dried ginger
Avoid cooling foods, fruit, raw foods, excessive salt, use seaweed cautiously.
KIDNEY ENERGY (qi) DEFICIENCY:
Characteristics: low energy, low back pain, weak knees, pale tongue, minor cold signs, frequent urination, incontinence, inability to urinate, dribbling, involuntary seminal emission, other seminal/urinary problems.
Foods: wheat berry, sweet rice, parsley
Herbs: rose hips, oyster shell, clam shell, schizandra berry, raspberry and blackberry leaves, gravel root
EXTREME CHRONIC FATIGUE (Jing Deficiency):
Characteristics: deficiency of the essence such as ear ringing, hair loss, lower back weakness, knee pain, lightheadedness and loose teeth
Food: micro-algae (chlorella, spirulina, wild blue-green), fish, liver, kidney, brain, bone and its marrow, human placenta, cereal grasses, wheat grass,solomon seal, almonds, ghee (clarified butter), goat’s milk, nettle leaves, royal jelly, bee pollen, Doddler seeds, millet, wheat, black sesame seeds, soybeans, chestnuts, mulberries, raspberries, strawberries, seitan, walnuts
Herbs: deer antler, deer horn velvet, Deer Placenta, Lycium fruit, Polygonum multiflorum root, Eucommia bark, Dendrobium stem, Cinnamon bark, white ginseng, semen cuscutae, astragali seed (complanati), cordyceps, astragalus, codonopsis, reishi, morinda, eleuthero root, paeonia , gambir, gecko, cibot rhizome, tianshan snow lotus, tibet carthami
For final decision on which foods to choose for your condition, please consult a trained master herbalist with in-depth knowledge of Traditional Chinese herbs and food therapy, American herbology and other nutritional systems.
July 14, 2009
Introduction to Chinese Medicine
When you first start learning more about Chinese Medicine the one thing that will hit you is that many of the notions that you have about traditional medicines will change. What we understand about Traditional Medicine is far different from the facts and ideas used in Chinese Medicine. The philosophy of Chinese Medicine aims to tune up the spirit, mind and physical body. The proper alignment of the spirit, mind and body leads to balanced energy flowing through the body that in turn ensures good health.
The Principles of Eight Methods
Having there own unique approach, there is basically eight different methods to Chinese Medicine. It is however possible to use more than one Chinese Medicine method at the same time. Unlike Western medicine these are not invasive and they also benefit you by ensuring no side effects.
Meditation and Qigong
As an individual the first type of Chinese Medicine that you should become aware of is one that you can perform yourself. Among other methods, meditation is one that is often used and it is also effective in providing suitable healing. Another method worth learning more about, Qigong is an ancient way in which energy is moved. Other methods include exercise and tailoring the diet so that you get sufficient nutrients into the system.
Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine and Moxibustion
In case the above mentioned methods fail to do the trick then you can try other Chinese Medicine treatment methods which help to align the body properly. One of the best examples of this is Acupuncture. Other methods include herbal medicines and moxibustion which is the burning of different herbs.
Regardless of the type of Chinese Medicine you use you can be sure that the different methods provide holistic treatments that can benefit you immensely. It will certainly pay you to check out Chinese Medicine if you want to become more energetic.
To find out more about Chinese Medicine Visit ChineseMedicineAndAcupuncture.com
February 21, 2009
Sometimes it’s difficult for us to understand the school of Chinese medicine because we generally view religion and science as being completely polarized. However, in traditional Chinese medicine, the mind, body and universe are all connected and disturbances in the body are seen as manifestations of imbalance. Maybe we’re not taking time out to meditate and relax, or we’re ingesting all sorts of toxins into the body, or perhaps we’ve had too much or too little change in our lives that sends our bodies out of harmony.
Ancient written texts such as, “A Treatise On Cold Damage,” and “Basic Questions of Internal Medicine” were written 3,000 years ago, and were the results of oral traditions that started 5,0000 years ago.” In the 1930s, the Nationalist government forbade doctors from practicing what was then called classic Chinese medicine because they feared missing out on scientific progress. However, thirty years later, Mao Zedong chose ten highly respected doctors to create a traditional but standardized practice called Traditional Chinese Medicine. Not only is TCM taught in all Chinese schools, but schools in England, Russia and the US are opening.
One of the basic principles of TMC is the Taoist idea of “Yin and Yang.The school of Chinese medicine uses the term to describe series of opposites; for example, dark and light, movement and stillness, hot and cold. Just like the changing of the seasons or the fading of day into night, the body goes through constant motion as well. The body naturally breaks down if the cycle of equilibrium is disrupted by an excess or deficiency of something.
Another principle in traditional Chinese medicine is the idea of the “Five Elements” which are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. It is believed that these elements are in constant motion and work in an interdependent relationship, as do the various organs and systems within our own bodies. According to the Five Elements chart, if you’re feeling fearful, then it means you need more calm in your life or if you’re angry and frustrated, then you need more patience. The Five Elements Theory is further defined by the Zang Fu Theory, which explains the functions and interaction between various body parts in more detail.
In addition to medical procedures like Chinese acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine covers things like herbal remedies. TCM practitioners say the answers are easier than one would think. You don’t need Lunesta to help you sleep. Instead, a chamomile tea and some light meditation just before bed will help you fall asleep right away and you will wake up feeling rejuvenated. Or instead of Tums for your bellyache, a mint leaf could do the trick.