Feb 22

Getting back into the swing of things

Health and fitness No Comments »


Chinese New Year is the biggest holiday in Asia, with most people taking at least a week off. After a layoff like that, how do you get back to work? With a luxurious spa treatment designed to restore your body’s balance.

The concept of general inner body harmony, jingluo (main and collateral channels inside the human body), has been adopted by spas and health centers across the country.

“During the holiday, it is common for women to neglect their skincare regimes when they are busy with outings and visiting friends and family and it is worsened by staying up late and heavy eating,” explained Xiao Ying, manager of Sanyuechun Chinese Medicine Health & Beauty in Beijing.

According to Chinese traditional medicine, the face is the mirror of the five internal organs (heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys). Any unhealthy part of the body will be reflected on the relative part of the face. “For example, if there is something wrong with your stomach, due to over-eating, it is most likely that you will develop acne or pimples on your face,” Xiao explained. “Many women tend to have facial problems after the holidays, which is actually a signal given out by their inner body.”

Many Chinese spa treatments utilize such theories and are prescribed based on facial problems. A traditional Chinese medicine bath and jingluo massage can balance positive yang and negative yin energies and smooth channel connections between the face and internal organs, according to Xiao.

Traditional Chinese medicine baths should be individualized, based on diagnosis by traditional Chinese medicine experts, she added. Warm water quickens the process of medicine absorption by the skin and internal organs, therefore making a medicinal bath an efficient and direct method to cure post-holiday problems.

Tibetan medicine also offers a back-to-work remedy with an emphasis on herbal baths. As one of the few Tibetan-style spa facilities in Beijing, Padma Chumig’s five amrita Tibetan herbal bath focuses on restoring and preserving inner health and is recommended for people unwilling to return to work, according to general manager of the spa, Wang Hong.

Wang explained that Tibetan medicinal baths involve more than a simple dip in medicinal water and include guests lying on a hot bed built with bricks that have been immersed in herbal medicine beforehand. Toxins can be eliminated through sweating, while the herbal medicine in the bricks is absorbed by the body that is opened by the heating power of the bed. Tibetan essential oils mainly made from saffron and white azalea are then applied through slow and gentle massage, to block pores opened during the bath so that the body will not be attacked by the cold outside and giving the medicine enough time to be absorbed.

“The bath originates from the traditional Tibetan medicine bath with a history of more than 1,300 years,” Wang said, adding that herbal baths are an important part of Tibetan medicine and are widely applied to clinical practice in terms of adjusting, improving and curing internal diseases.

Tagged with: •
Feb 04

How TCM can help you stay young and healthy

General, Health and fitness No Comments »

Traditional Chinese medicine can help you stay young, this article explains how.

OUTWARD signs of ageing are typically an indication of some imbalance within the body.

For instance, wrinkles, black spots or hair loss might be due to weakness in one’s organs, such as kidney or liver deficiencies, a weak digestive system, or blood stagnation problems.

Excessive fats, on the other hand, might be due to an accumulation of phlegm in the body.

“Treating these root issues with Chinese herbs, coupled with acupuncture and acupressure, can help to slow down the process of ageing,” said Ms Duan Qian Mei, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) physician and acupuncturist at Eu Yan Sang Specialist TCM Centre.

The 42-year-old, who has over 18 years of experience in the field, says that 70 per cent of those who visit her for ageing problems are female.

TCM methods, she said, are a great remedy for such problems because they are safe, and definite results can be seen with consistent treatment and an accurate initial diagnosis.

For instance, patients who see her for weight problems generally can see a drop of up to 4kg in four weeks. However, she warned that the amount of weight lost depends on the patient’s willingness to cooperate on treatment and his or her body constitution.

Jan 22

How a healthy liver can mean healthy eyes

Health and fitness No Comments »

Did you know that if you want a pair of healthy eyes, you need to also take care of your liver.

Why a Healthy Liver Equals Healthy Eyes
Anyone can struggle with eye problems. However, the connection between the liver and eyes means that those with liver disease are more prone to declining eyesight. Luckily, there are strategies to support both of these valuable organs.

by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

Many people assume that a decline in eyesight is an unavoidable part of the aging process. According to the well-respected system of medicine known as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), those with liver damage are even more vulnerable to waning eye health than those with a fully functioning liver. While some individuals are certainly more susceptible to eye problems than others, a growing number of healthcare practitioners recognize that several approaches can strengthen and even restore eye health.

TCM
According to TCM, diseases involving the eye are closely related to a liver imbalance. Whenever studying TCM theory, it is important to recognize that a reference to an organ includes the actual organ, but also incorporates the accompanying meridian and its energy. Thus, disharmony in the actual liver or its associated energetics could be at the root of a visionary decline. Although TCM’s terminology may sound foreign, the connectedness between these two organs has been confirmed repeatedly for thousands of years.

As described by Giovanni Maciocia in The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, the following TCM liver imbalances are behind a variety of eye-related problems including:

· Liver blood deficiency – Liver blood is believed to nourish and moisten the eyes. When the liver blood is deficient, common problems include blurry vision, myopia, “floaters” in the eyes, color blindness or dry eyes. From a Western medical perspective, liver blood deficiency can be a result of anemia or scarring of the liver that reduces blood flow through this organ.

· Liver heat – When there is heat in the liver (and associated energetics), the eyes are likely to be bloodshot, or feel a painful or burning sensation. From a Western medical perspective, liver heat can be a result of local inflammation.

· Internal liver wind – Usually a result of extreme heat in the liver, internal liver wind may cause the eyeball to turn upwards and move involuntarily (nystagmus). From a Western medical perspective, internal liver wind can be a result of uncontrolled high blood pressure or enormous emotional stress.

Antioxidants
Since a healthy liver typically benefits the eyes, a nutrient that is helpful to one organ is generally beneficial to the other. Known to support both eye and liver health by scavenging cell-damaging free radicals, antioxidants are typically advised to support the health of both the liver and the eyes.

Two antioxidants in particular have demonstrated success in protecting the eyes: lutein and zeaxanthin. Both of these compounds are called xanthophylls, which are carotenoids related to beta-carotene. Lutein and zeaxanthin are both found in large quantities in the lens and retina of the eyes. Their function is to protect the eyes from damage caused by free radicals, which can interact with and break down healthy tissue. In addition, lutein and zeaxanthin help protect the eyes by filtering high-energy blue light. By filtering blue light, the pigment protects underlying cell layers from potential light damage. Supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin has demonstrated the ability to prevent macular degeneration.

Another antioxidant, alpha lipoic acid is known to support both eye and liver health. Alpha-lipoic acid increases glutathione levels in the body – a naturally produced antioxidant that protects against cataracts in the eye and helps dissolve toxic substances in the liver.

Eye and Liver Strategies
Whether your vision is less than stellar or your liver function is subpar, there are several strategies that can improve the health of both organs.

· Diet – By consuming great quantities of foods high in lutein and zeaxanthin, nutritionists believe that your sight will benefit. Since these substances are also potent antioxidants, the liver will also gain strength in defending against potentially hazardous toxins. Foods high in these compounds include carrots, dark, green leafy vegetables like kale, green leaf lettuce and beet greens, egg yolks, squash, peaches and sweet potatoes.

· TCM – A practitioner of TCM typically uses acupuncture and herbs to correct any given imbalance. In the case of an eye problem, TCM treatment strategies to tonify a liver blood deficiency, cool liver heat or extinguish internal liver wind will likely be employed.

· Supplement – Supplementing with the antioxidants described (lutein, zeaxanthin and alpha-lipoic acid) are another way to support liver and eye health. For a more specific and comprehensive approach to eye health, a supplement like Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula may be able to reverse eye dysfunction already in existence.

Although those with liver disease may be more prone, getting older does not have to mean eyesight troubles. Due to the liver’s connectivity to the eyes, those with liver disease who custom tailor their eating habits, receive TCM treatments or ingest high-quality, vision-supportive supplements are especially likely to notice an improvement in their vision and overall eye health.

Tagged with:
Jan 16

Many looking to alternative medicine for answers

Alternative therapies, Health and fitness No Comments »

Many individuals are turning to alternative medicine as part of their healthcare needs.

About 38 percent of adults and 12 percent of kids use some form of complementary or alternative medicine. But for everything like fish oil and flaxseed that has strong scientific backing, there are other, unproven treatments.

A few things to consider before trying any dietary supplement or nonconventional treatment:

• Complementary medicine isn’t the same as alternative medicine. It’s complementary when a nontra- ditional treatment is used with conventional care. Hospitals sometimes offer these treatments. Alternative medicine is a substitute, usually discouraged by health professionals.

• Even “natural” herbs and supplements have side effects. They can interact with prescription drugs and each other, yet only about one-third of patients tell their doctors about supplements they use. And people tend to take multiple supplements, or more than the recommended dose, says Dr. Melinda Ring of the Northwestern Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness. Be wary of supplements that don’t list side effects.

• Popularity isn’t proof of effectiveness. Gingko biloba is just the latest hot-selling supplement whose health claims failed to measure up in high-quality clinical trials.

• What’s on the label might not be what’s in the bottle. Not all supplements list their active ingredients, and the amount of these ingredients can be much higher or lower than listed. Supplements also can be contaminated with substances such as pesticides, metals and prescription drugs, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Loose herbs sold in bags are especially susceptible to contamination and should be avoided, says Barrie Cassileth, chief of the Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

• Supplements don’t get the same scrutiny as prescription drugs. Dietary supplements are defined as food, not drugs, by the Food and Drug Administration. So they are considered safe until proven otherwise — the opposite of the way prescription drugs are evaluated.

Jan 14

Chinese clock and liver health

Health and fitness, Traditional Chinese Medicine No Comments »

By following the Chinese clock can greatly enhance your liver health.

Stress of modern living and our standard American diet, which includes alcohol, fried food and fast food, strain our health, especially our Liver. Stopping eating by 7 pm may be the best thing we can do for our health. Looking to ancient Chinese medicine we find a clear explanation of why this is. In Chinese Medicine, qi, or energy, runs though the body through a series of twelve main channels, or meridians. For each meridian there is a two hour time period for which the energy is strongest.

According to Chinese Medicine, digestion is controlled by the Earth element. The organs which correspond to the Earth element are Stomach and Spleen. The Stomach meridian`s energy is strongest in the morning between 7 and 9 am, and the Spleen is strongest between 9 am and 11 am. Therefore 7 am to 11 am is the best time to eat because our digestive energy is strongest.

Twelve hours later the energy of our digestive organs is the weakest, and we should stop eating by 7 pm. Light meals of fresh fruits and vegetables or fresh juices are best if we are hungry in the evening since these foods are simplest to digest.

Digestion is naturally slower in the evening as the energy is weakest in those meridians at that time. Food stays in the stomach and tends to ferment leading to gas, bloating and discomfort. Energy is drawn from other organs to help digest food. Overnight from 11 pm until 3 am the energy is strongest in the gall bladder and liver. These organs cleanse the blood and control sleep. They become taxed when we eat late at night. We get indigestion, insomnia and a feeling of not being well rested in the morning. In addition, our joints may ache or become arthritic. Toxins get stored in our organs and joints when the liver cannot function properly.

Eating late at night strains our liver, drawing energy from it to help us digest food. There are liver flushes and herbs such dandelion and milk thistle to cleanse and regenerate the liver. Yet one of the best things we can do for the liver is to stop eating by 7 pm. Once the liver energy is not being drawn away toward digestion, the liver is able to function and heal.

When we stop eating at 7 pm, many symptoms, even those which seem unrelated to digestion such as pain and arthritis, will disappear. People often lose weight quickly as the body is able to rid itself of toxins. The meridians balance and naturally become stronger when energy is not drawn into digestion overnight.

Tagged with:
Jan 14

Use Chinese medicine to achieve balance and health

Alternative therapies, General, Health and fitness No Comments »

How Chinese medicine can help you achieve harmony and health.

Chinese herbal medicine is one of the oldest forms of medicine with the earliest known written herbal formulas dating back to the 3rd century BC. Prior to being written down, herbal remedies were passed down by word of mouth and may date back as far as 3500 BC. Chinese medicine teaches that people are either in harmony or out of harmony. Disease is caused by disharmony and cured by restoring harmony to the body.

It is believed that we are sustained by a life force called “qi” (pronounced “chee”). It is believed each person is born with a fixed amount, called Yuan Qi, which is inherited from our parents. We can nourish it, but cannot add to it. We can also deplete it through unhealthy living. Chinese medicine works to unblock the flow of qi if it is stuck or nourish it if it is lacking.

Qi is found everywhere in our body; qi protects us from disease and fights it when we get sick. Qi keeps our organs healthy, transforms our food into essential bodily substances, keeps our body warm, and is the source of healthy growth. According to traditional Chinese medicine, blocked or weak qi can prevent our organs from working properly and lead to disease.

While qi is found everywhere in our bodies, there are 12 main pathways, called meridians, where chi flows. The 12 main meridians correspond to the 12 main organs in the body such as liver, heart, lung, stomach, and kidneys. For medicinal purposes, an organ includes the meridian that is associated with it. For example, the liver meridian runs from the big toe up the inside of the leg through the genitals into the liver. Organs also have general body responsibilities. The liver is also responsible for the general flow if qi in the body, digestion, and stable emotions. Treating the liver can fix problems anywhere on the liver meridian as well as the general body functions it is responsible for.

In traditional Chinese medicine diseases are classified as being caused by wind, heat, damp, or cold. A Chinese Herbalist will seek to identify which organ is the source of disease and whether it is caused by wind, heat, damp, cold, or a combination. An herbal prescription will include multiple herbs. Some of the herbs will be used because they have been proven to work for a given condition, and some herbs will be chosen to fit you personally because Chinese medicine believes each person and condition are unique.

Jan 09

Ways to stay warm

Health and fitness, Immune system No Comments »

Here are some ways to beat the cold weather:

While we don’t have much of a traditional winter here in Florida, it can get quite cold and gloomy at times. A more severe form of the winter blues is called Seasonal Affective Disorder, and the symptoms can become debilitating. Those symptoms include lack of energy, depression, increased need for sleep and weight gain. About 70 percent to 80 percent of SAD sufferers are women; usually they are older than 30.

Don’t let chilly temps and shorter days get you down. Try these tips for staying warm and comfy during the winter.

• Get a good hat. A large percentage of body heat loss occurs from the head, so it’s important to keep your head covered.

• Warm your insides with soup. Stay warm from the inside out with great soup recipes at http://tinyurl.com/makesoup.

• Eat at home. Cooking and eating at home will keep your oven and stove going, which will add extra heat to your living space.

• Exercise. What a great way to multitask – you’ll get warm, take care of your heart, tone your body and increase your serotonin levels (that’s the feel-good hormone) at the same time.

• Drink hot green tea. Get your antioxidants and warm your insides with green tea. Studies show that drinking green tea daily can protect against heart disease. In a study of 133 heavy smokers, drinking four cups of decaffeinated green tea daily for four months reduced the signs of DNA damage by 31 percent.

• Put down a rug or carpet. Covering cold tile or wood floors can keep your feet and the room warmer.

• Get cozy with your pet. If you have a dog or cat, snuggle up. The fur and body heat will help you stay warm, and your pet will love the extra attention.

• Try a humidifier. Warm mist humidifiers can make a room feel warmer because they boil water before expelling it into the air. The humidity does wonders for your skin, too.

Tagged with:
Jan 08

Headache treatments

Disease, Health and fitness No Comments »

Acupuncture is one of the four treatments that have been found to be effective in treating headaches.

The feeling is familiar: a band cinching your skull, a dull ache in the back of your neck. It’s a tension headache, and it’s by far the most common type—about 90 percent of women and 70 percent of men will experience one during their lifetime. Neurologists don’t completely understand the reason your head hurts, but they do know that many headaches are linked to stress, contraction of the neck muscles, poor sleep, and, in women, monthly hormonal fluctuations. Which is why most headache experts recommend relaxation techniques, exercise, limiting caffeine and alcohol (which interfere with sleep), and, for women, discussing birth control pills with a gynecologist. Here, four approaches to treating headaches.

Neurology
The first thing a neurologist would do is order a CT scan or MRI to rule out potentially serious causes such as a tumor, aneurysm, or stroke, says Marc Sharfman, MD, director of the Headache and Neurological Treatment Institute in Longwood, Florida. If those are ruled out, then, besides the nondrug treatments above, Sharfman might suggest biofeedback: He connects patients to devices that monitor muscle tension, blood pressure, and heart rate, then has them practice breathing patterns to identify what helps them relax. Drugs—over-the-counter and prescription—are part of a neurologist’s arsenal, but Sharfman notes that patients do best by combining nondrug approaches with minimal medication use.

Acupuncture
A primary goal for an acupuncturist is to wean the patient off prescription and over-the-counter painkillers that can trigger rebound headaches (people who regularly take these medications can suffer a headache as soon as the pills wear off), says Daniel Hsu, a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine and founder of New York AcuHealth, an acupuncture clinic. Acupuncture can help patients relax as well as transition off medications; what’s more, a recent review of research found that the technique could halve the number of days a month a person experiences head pain.

Homeopathy
Along with prescribing a remedy for the headache, a homeopath will typically offer advice on improving diet or, say, reducing exposure to chemicals in the environment, says Dana Ullman, who runs Homeopathic Educational Services in Berkeley. Because homeopaths believe the body’s response to an illness is the correct one, they give heavily diluted substances—often the herbs nux vomica and belladonna for headaches—that are supposed to mimic the patient’s symptoms, thereby helping the body defend and heal itself. (Though these two herbs are poisonous, the doses contain no toxins.) Often, the patient can begin to feel much better after one treatment, Ullman says.

Tagged with:
Jan 07

Detox your body the natural way

Health and fitness No Comments »

Here are some suggestions on how to cleanse your body the natural way.

This is the main reason why everybody must go for a natural body detox once in a while. There are a lot of natural ingredients that work well for human body. But there are some very effective ones too. Following is a list of natural ingredients that you must have in your kitchen.

Alfalfa in Arabic means “father of plants”. Alfalfa plants have their roots going down very deep, around 20 to 30 feet. These roots have essential minerals that are not available on the earth. That is why this plant is perfect to clean our system. The plant con tains vitamins A, K, B6, B1, and C. This not only cleanse the whole body but gives special attention to the liver and blood.

Fruits! They are tasty, and are a must when following a detoxification routine. Noon is the best time to have fruits, because the body has been cleansing itself since last evening. And better still you can have fruits for breakfast. There are some fruits that provide better cleansing facility than the other fruits. They are tomatoes, lemons, pineapple, grapefruits, oranges and mandarins. Do not eat the fruits that are acidic in nature when you are sick. As the body is itself carrying out natural body detox to get well, acidic fruits will make your body too clean.

Ginseng is another important ingredient for a natural body detox. Ginseng tea is very popular in Chinese and it has been there since the primordial times. Drinking ginseng tea was said to provide good health. The scientific studies have revealed that ginseng does provide a lot of benefits to the human body. The scientist found out that ginseng is a kind of “adaptogen”. Basically, it helps in refurbishing of human body and provides no side effects even if one drinks more than a suggested quantity.

It is suggested by the professionals that a normal diet must include 8 to 10 portions of vegetables in a day. The vegetables must also be eaten raw and if possible with the skin, as suggested by the professionals. When you eat the veggies raw the essential vitamins, enzymes and minerals are all retained and it helps in detoxification. You can also have vegetable juices, they are easier to digest and have a good flavor too. There are some vegetables that are much better for natural body detox. Eating Soybeans and soy products are best option for the body. Whole grains like wild rice, brown rice, whole wheat bread, lentils, peas, legumes, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and radish are an excellent choice for detoxifying your body. You can also eat onions and garlic but always keep a mint with you.

Finally it is not about these ingredients, you have to stick to the detoxifying routine to keep your body healthy. And these are some important ingredients that you must have in your kitchen if you want to detoxify your body.

Tagged with:
Jan 05

How to be healthy, wealthy and wise in the new year

Health and fitness No Comments »

The new year is upon us, let’s learn how to be healthy, wealthy and wise in 2010!

As the New Year approaches, it is a great idea to focus on maintaining sound finances and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Without excellent health, we may be unable to enjoy financial freedom.

Tips

1. Make good health your priority.

2. Save during your earlier years to pay for medical expenses later on in life.

3. Maintain a balance between saving for your future and enjoying life today.

The modern approach to medical care has an emphasis on a holistic view to health that involves the mind, body and soul. According to Dr Donovan Christie of Anwan Medical Centers in Atlanta, “As we get older, it becomes more important to utilise nutritional supplements as a regular part of our diet. It is well documented that one just can’t get enough nutrients from the food we eat.

The main reason for this is that our current food supply has fewer nutrients.” Studies have revealed that having proper lifestyle practices and taking supplements with natural herbs, vitamins and minerals can add a significant number of healthy years to the average person’s lifespan.

Christie notes that hardening of the arteries can be reduced with antioxidant, vitamins A, C and E. Jamaican women and friends of the Caribbean can easily obtain fresh garlic and according to Christie (who is board certified in Preventive, Internal and Paediatric Medicine), those who eat garlic have a five per cent reduction in plaque formation while women who do not include garlic in their diet have a five per cent increase in plaque build-up.

Diet plays a vital role in maintaining great health. When someone has cancer, it tells us that that the immune system has failed. We have cells dividing in our bodies every minute to seconds and Christie explained that studies show that the best way to prevent cancer is through proper nutrition.

Meaningful Collaboration

During his annual trip to Africa, he has seen first-hand medical problems similar to those in women throughout the Caribbean. He and his team are committed to continue his medical work internationally, including in Jamaica in the future.

In Jamaica and throughout the other Caribbean region, we enjoy temperate climate all year. This allows us direct access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Remember The What What What Approach – ‘What you do with what you have determines what you become’.

Previous Entries
 
preload preload preload