DAAN Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture » Immune system

Tea is the elixir of long life

DAAN — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 10:09:55 +0000

Tea, especially green tea has so many health benefits, which includes enhanced immunity and longevity.

Lengthen your years, starting with this one simple tip: drink more tea. Delicious, low-calorie and brimming with antioxidants, tea is one of the most commonly enjoyed beverage by centenarians around the world, second only to water. Even in the US, its popularity is rapidly growing. With the healthy longevity benefits you stand to gain, you too will want to drink up.

Acupuncture for cancer patients

DAAN — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:03:51 +0000

The benefits of acupuncture is not a secret and in a recent study, it has been shown to be effective as a treatment for cancer patients.

Pain Management: Acupuncture is very effective for managing pain related to tumors, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and inflammation. Cancer itself is a painful disease and the treatments for cancer cause pain, swelling and inflammation. Additionally, many of the treatments for management of cancer pain cause side effects such as constipation, confusion, nausea, difficulty urinating and respiratory depression. Patients who receive acupuncture may be able to use lower doses of pain medications.

Immune System Modulation: Many cancers and many cancer treatments cause a suppression of the bone marrow, the source of blood cells that are the army of the immune system. Acupuncture increases blood cell production and enhances Natural Killer Cells and Lymphocytes which leads to increased immune response and decreased risk of infection.

Gwyneth Paltrow uses Chinese herbal medicine for allergies

DAAN — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 13:13:02 +0000

Hollywood superstar Gwyneth Paltrow has found Chinese herbal medicine in helping with her allergies as well as restoring her energy level.

It seems allergy season has hit Gwyneth hard. She writes in her latest GOOP newsletter:

This week, Adele Reising shares thoughts on spring from a Chinese medical perspective and provides tips for those of us who are suffering from allergies.

Love, Gwyneth
Here are a few of Adele’s tips for starting spring detoxed and full of energy:

- Try getting up just before dawn, when the black night sky slowly turns to blue. The sun rises in the East, and the blue color of dawn opens to our eyes and we experience the new day. Spring is like this.

Vitamin D and Chinese herbs can prevent asthma

DAAN — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 10:58:07 +0000

A recent research has identified vitamin D and Chinese herbs can help with preventing asthma.

Researchers have discovered that African American children with asthma in metropolitan Washington, DC, are significantly more likely to have low levels of vitamin D than healthy children.

This study supports recent research that suggests vitamin D plays a greater role in the body than just keeping bones healthy. Vitamin D deficiency has been recently linked to a variety of non-bone related diseases including depression, autoimmune disorders, and now asthma.

The research team found that 86 percent of the children in the study with asthma had insufficient levels of vitamin D, while only 19 percent of non-asthmatics had these low levels.

Only 5 to 37 percent of American infants meet the standard for vitamin D set by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Although breast milk is the perfect food in every other way, it’s often low in vitamin D. Since humans originated in equatorial areas with year-round sunshine, babies in the distant past wouldn’t have needed to get vitamin D from breast milk. Many mothers also are vitamin D-deficient. Based on these facts,researchers now recommend that most babies should take a daily vitamin D supplement, reports USA Today.

In addition, Mothering Magazine offers several tips on how natural medicine can strengthen immune function to prevent asthma attacks.

Oriental medicine and Chinese herbs have the ability to directly strengthen immune function. The disadvantage of herbs is their bad taste, and the most effective strategy for children is to mix liquid extracts of herbs with juice to improve their taste.

Allergy? Chinese herbs to the rescue

DAAN — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:59:34 +0000

It’s that time of the year again where allergies can many lives filled with itchy, watery eyes and runny nose. Chinese medicine can help you alleviate the symptoms of allergies.

Itchy, watery eyes, running nose, an aching head, and sinus congestion. Sound familiar? You may be among the 37 million people in the United States who suffer from allergic rhinitis or sinusitis. Consider combating your springtime woes naturally with these time-tested self-healing techniques.

Allergens in the Air When your sinuses, the air-filled hollow cavities around your nose and nasal passages, become inflamed, fluid can accumulate and interfere with normal drainage of mucus in the sinuses. This condition is known as acute sinusitis. The result? You may have trouble breathing through your nose and feel your eyes and facial tissue swell up.

Your symptoms may include a headache, fever, a nagging cough, post-nasal drip, thick green or yellow discharge, and a feeling of facial “fullness” that gets worse when you lean forward; during a severe sinus infection, some people even experience a toothache.

This uncomfortable condition has many possible causes, including bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, allergies, or a deviated septum. Synonymous with spring, allergic rhinitis, commonly called hay fever, is the inflammatory result of your immune system’s overreaction to allergens in the air.

Pollen is one common offender. Other allergens include dirt, pollution, animal hair, food particles cloth fibers, and mold.

Take time this winter to boost your energy

DAAN — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:51:04 +0000

The cold, dark winter months may make us feel like hibernating. Take this time to build up and replenish your energy using some principles of Chinese medicine:

Feeling tired and drained? You’re not alone.

“Lack of energy” is one of the top five complaints doctors hear.

According to Oriental medicine, the cold months are the perfect time to recharge and generate vital energy – Qi – in order to live, look and feel better.

The ancient Chinese believed human should live in harmony with the natural cycles of their environment. The cold and darkness of winter urge us to slow down. This is the time of year to reflect on health, replenish energy and conserve strength.

Winter is ruled by the water element, which is associated with the kidneys, bladder and adrenal glands. The kidneys are considered the source of all energy or “Qi” within the body. They store all of the reserve Qi in the body so that it can be used in ties of stress and change, or to heal, prevent illness, and age gracefully. During the winter months it is important to nurture and nourish the kidney Qi. It is the time where this energy can be most easily depleted.

The Nei Ching, an ancient Chinese classic, advises people to go to sleep early and rise late, after the sun’s rays have warmed the atmosphere a bit.

Eating warm hearty soups, whole grains, and roasted nuts help to warm the body’s core and to keep it nourished. Sleep early, rest well, stay warm and expend a minimum quantity of energy.

Seasonal acupuncture treatments in winter serve to nurture and nourish kidney Qi which can greatly enhance the body’s ability to thrive in times of stress, aid in healing, prevent illness and increase vitality.

Here are some dietary suggestions that can lead to an increase in vitality and radiant health.

Drink ample water. Eat kidney-shaped foods such as black beans and kidney beans. Eat blue and black foods, blueberries, blackberries, mulberry and black beans. Eat seeds. flax, pumpkin, sunflower and black sesame along with nuts, especially walnuts and chestnuts which have been found especially effective for increasing kidney Qi. Eat dark, leafy green vegetables along with asparagus, cucumbers and celery.

Ways to stay warm

DAAN — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:54:16 +0000

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.

Dr. Oz recommends American ginseng to fight off H1N1

DAAN — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:11:40 +0000

Your best defense against H1N1, according to Dr. Oz, may be American ginseng.

DAAN offers quality ginseng products for your needs.

Worried about the swine flu? Worried about the H1N1 vaccination?

Staying healthy during the holidays is tough enough which is why Oprah’s favorite doctor, Dr. Oz, is giving tips on how to stay healthy this holiday season – Specifically recommending North American Ginseng.

“No matter where you’re going or how you are getting there, I recommend you always carry a travel kit,” says Dr. Oz. “Which includes hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes and North American Ginseng.”

He adds, “North American Ginseng is the one thing that we have shown to be correlated with reduction in flu. In populations where people take it, there seems to be a lower incidence of viral spread.”

Dr. Oz offers other tips for how to fly safely and how to protect yourself and your loved ones when staying a hotel room. Read the full article from Us magazine

How integrative medicine can help you cope with holiday stress

DAAN — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:10:53 +0000

Integrative medicine can help you relieve stress in the holiday season. DAAN’s Relaxation Tea is your stress reliever so you can enjoy festivities with less stress!

I am stressed and tired this holiday season. Many people at work have been laid off, and I have to pick up the slack. I am not sure if my job is secure, and I am dreading the holiday shopping and gift-giving due to finances. How do I stay healthy and keep a handle on my stress and fatigue this time of year?

The economy has been tough this year, and the added pressures of the holidays have been stressful for many of our patients. Here are a few simple things you may be able to do to create a healing and holistic holiday for yourself:

Singapore using TCM to fight H1N1

DAAN — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:37:09 +0000

China and Singapore are using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to ward off H1N1. DAAN’s Immune Booster can help you bolster your immunity and protect you against cold and flu.

PUTRAJAYA: The government may use traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to fight the infectious influenza A (H1N1).

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said a working group with the health authorities in China had been formed after it was found that China’s usage of TCM was successful in preventing the spread of flu.

“Apparently, Chinese medicine can prevent H1N1. They say a lot of work has been put into the research and application of Chinese medicine in H1N1.

“I will be looking into it and obtain details from China on how to do it.”

He added that they would be using the research that the Chinese had undertaken to apply it to Malaysia.