Posted by DAAN on May 16, 2009 under Culture, General | 
Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese martial art, can be very good for your health, especially if you are older:
Tai chi is a mind-body exercise that was first used by Chinese monks to improve concentration and physical well-being. This low-impact aerobic exercise combines breathing exercises with slow and gentle movements. The graceful and precise body movements can enhance strength and coordination while helping you achieve better body awareness – and maybe even inner peace.
Tai chi won’t make you huff and puff. It is ideal for many people who are elderly or have disabilities. You can often do tai chi even when you use a wheelchair or walker. Many of the movements can be adapted and be done from a sitting position.
Benefits of tai chi
Tai chi may help to:
* Enhance your stamina
* Make you stronger
* Help you breathe easier
* Achieve better balance
* Improve your posture
* Lessen joint stiffness
* Increase flexibility
* Raise your energy level
* Relieve stress
Research shows that the most effective plan to prevent falls among older adults is activity that improves strength, movement and flexibility. Tai chi may help to achieve these goals. In one study, older people taking part in a 15-week tai chi program reduced their risk of falling by almost half. After the course, many were no longer afraid of falling.
Posted by DAAN on March 26, 2009 under General, Traditional Chinese Medicine |
Qi Gong, the practice of cultivating and enhancing one’s Qi (or life force) , shares similarities with massage therapy:
Massage and qi gong are two complementary approaches to bodywork. It is said that qi gong balances the energy, blood and body fluid flow from the inside, and massage strengthens the flow from the outside. Qi gong uses intention and particular body movements to guide the qi in healthy directions, while the physical pressure and body manipulation of massage help to do so from the outside. Daoist masters and early Chinese medicine doctors saw the value of this internal-external approach to balance the body and harmonize the interior and exterior.
Early medical texts from the Daoist canon recommended massage and qi gong, particularly for muscle tension, locomotive and circulation issues, digestive disorders and psychosomatic disorders. Self-massage developed as a means of self-treatment and as warm-up exercises for meditation and qi gong practice, while professional massage therapists were still consulted when treatment was required.
Massage techniques became an integral part of qi gong practice early on. Self-massage warms the body, which stimulates the flow of blood and body fluids. Any qi gong practice that follows is said to be more powerful after circulation has been stimulated in this manner. The physical stimulation of massage will also help the practitioner to feel, and ultimately guide, the qi flow in the body. When you begin a qi gong practice, you start by visualizing the movement of qi until you can feel the flow of qi in your body. Once you can feel the flow of qi, you can then guide it. Thus, massage is a key technique to enhance and accelerate your ability to cultivate and circulate your energy. Likewise, self-massage techniques can loosen tight or stiff muscles that arise from our mostly sedentary lifestyle. If you do not rub or stretch these areas before qi gong exercises, you run the risk of injuring yourself.
Posted by DAAN on March 24, 2009 under DAAN, General |
Spring is here! Despite what the fashionistas are promoting in their store windows, most of us are still changing back and forth in our winter and spring collection. With the precarious weather and temperature fluctuations we are having, it is easy to be caught in the wrong season.
The simple solution to this is to have a scarf or a wind breaker (preferably with hood) handy in the car, office, or handbag. Under the Five Element Theory in TCM, spring corresponds to “wind”. A scarf or wind breaker can protect you from the “wind-evil” element. When you are exposed to too much wind, you are more susceptible to headaches, and if the “wind-evil” is trapped within your body, you are apt to feel lethargic.
In addition to bundling yourself up when it is windy or cold, warming up with ginger tea or a warm bath/shower is also a great idea. For those who are still feeling bouts of headaches and lack of energy after recovering from a cold/flu back in February, it might be because the wind-evil has once again penetrated through your porous “wei-qi”, otherwise known as the “defensive energy”. When this happens, the formula, Ge Gen Tong is often used to force out the wind-evil trapped inside. Once you feel more energized and have no more headaches, it is time to strengthen your defensive energy with qi tonics like Astragalus or ginseng.
With these simple tips, hopefully everyone can enjoy the bountiful colors spring brings, without the headaches.
Ginger Tea
Ge Gen Tong
Astragalus
Astragalus
Ginseng
Posted by DAAN on February 22, 2009 under General, Herbs |
Chinese herbs can help with hay fever:
Chinese herbal medicines, including bupleurum, Chinese skullcap, ginger, licorice, and ginseng, have a history of use in China and Japan for the treatment of hay fever. Other products may contain magnolia derivatives.
Chinese herbal remedies have been used to combat hay fever and other allergies for centuries. Studies on the efficacy of herbal and acupuncture treatments of Chinese medicine in treating hay fever have been published in medical journals. This field has not been widely explored, but there is evidence of the efficacy of traditional Chinese medical treatment of hay fever.
A German study published in the journal Allergy found that hay fever sufferers who received weekly acupuncture treatments and took three daily doses of Chinese medicinal herbs showed fewer symptoms and were less likely to say their hay fever was infringing on their daily activities than people who received placebo treatment.
After six weeks, it was found that 85 percent of patients showed overall improvements in their hay fever, compared with only 40 percent of the placebo group.
Try some of these products for relief of hay fever, colds, and nasal congestion:
Posted by DAAN on January 16, 2009 under Acupuncture, General, Women's Health |
Acupuncture is bringing serenity to one’s life
I’m more than 12 weeks pregnant and it took a year-and-a-half of trying naturally and three IVF embryo transfers over six months to get there. But what did it really take? Of course, many different things had to come together. Timing is a tricky business.
People said I’d fall pregnant when I relaxed. I agreed. But it’s like the Seinfeld episode in which George’s father, played by the inimitable Jerry Stiller, walks around flailing his arms in the air shouting “Serenity Now!” with a look of furious desperation on his face. The more you try to force relaxation, the more absurdly under pressure you feel.
Posted by DAAN on November 23, 2008 under General, Immune system, Uncategorized |
Herbal tea is shown to boost immune system
This week a leading study from Queensland University, in Brisbane, Australia, revealed that drinking three cups of green tea a day for eight weeks may lower blood pressure and shrink fat cells, confirming the long-held belief of herbalists in the therapeutic effects of a warm brew.
Posted by DAAN on November 8, 2008 under General, Herbs |
A nice article describing some traditional cures for various conditions:
Herbs were the first ‘drugs’ and primary medicine used by man.
Medicine men and folk healers learnt the medicinal use of herbs and animal matter by observing their effects on humans. Medicine has since come a long way from such simple trial and error.
Here are some common health supplements used in Western alternative medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and some significant related research findings.
Gingko
Gingko biloba is a popular herbal supplement widely promoted as a memory enhancer.
Last month, The New York Times reported that new research suggests a daily dose of gingko biloba may help prevent brain damage after a stroke.
The findings, published online in the medical journal Stroke, have been shown only in mice but researchers said the studies supported theories that the herb may help stroke patients.
St John’s wort
This plant has been traditionally used to treat anxiety, depression and mental disorders.
Last month, it was reported that an analysis of previous studies found that St John’s wort can effectively treat symptoms of major depression.
Extracts of the herb tested in different trials were better than placebos and as effective as standard anti-depressants with fewer side effects, the researchers reported in the Cochrane Reviews, a medical and scientific studies journal.
Fish oils
Fish oils are a source of omega-3 fatty acids and are thought to be beneficial for the heart.
Studies on fish oil therapy have had mixed results. In September, The New York Times reported that a clinical trial in Australia, published last year in The Journal Of Developmental And Behavioral Pediatrics, found improvements in parents’ ratings of their children’s hyperactivity and inattention but no difference in teachers’ assessments.
Meanwhile, an Oxford-Durham study in Britain, published in the journal Pediatrics in 2005, reported remarkable improvements in reading and spelling among children treated with omega-3 fatty acids.
It is important to buy only purified pharmaceutical-grade fish oil to minimise the risk of mercury contamination.
Posted by DAAN on November 7, 2008 under Food, General, Herbs |
Traditional Chinese medicine believes food is an important component of health:
Healthy food choices and good digestion are the building blocks to good health and well-being. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that food is a form of medicine. Daily meals are an opportunity to nourish, build and heal our bodies. To benefit from wholesome food choices, however, the body has to digest those foods properly. Fatigue, gas, bloating, constipation and loose stools are signs that your body is out of balance and unable to acquire the full benefits of your diet.
The proper amount and flow of qi, or life energy, constitute the foundation of health, according to TCM. Digestive complaints are signs of imbalance, commonly due to either insufficient qi or a compromised flow of qi. Poor diet or working too much can lead to too little qi, while stress is a common cause of improperly flowing qi.
Acupuncture is a technique used in TCM that utilizes hair-thin needles inserted at precise locations to manipulate the body’s qi and remove blockages, allowing it to flow more freely. Clinically, acupuncture successfully alleviates many digestive complaints by increasing your body’s digestive energy.
Posted by DAAN on November 4, 2008 under General, Immune system, Uncategorized |
Acupuncture can help you quit smoking
EAGLE COUNTY, Colorado — The American Lung Association states that 400,000 people die every year from health complications or diseases caused by smoking. We all know that smoking and chewing tobacco are harmful. We all know they cause cancer and eventually lead to death. All who use tobacco products also know they should quit, but it is one of the most addictive substances and it is difficult to quit using. What to do? Well, put simply, quit!
Posted by DAAN on under Culture, General, Uncategorized |
Improving digestion with Traditional Chinese Medicine
Healthy food choices and good digestion are the building blocks to good health and well-being. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that food is a form of medicine. Daily meals are an opportunity to nourish, build and heal our bodies. To benefit from wholesome food choices, however, the body has to digest those foods properly. Fatigue, gas, bloating, constipation and loose stools are signs that your body is out of balance and unable to acquire the full benefits of your diet.
