February 25, 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.
Clearly, there is a severe 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 the time and place where the funding and exploratory research requires focus. Wouldn’t you agree?
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 forecasts each cell’s capacity to manage successfully its tasks. Normally, blood feeds the body. However, when the blood is in excess, it pollutes the entire body. As we age, over-stress, ingest a poor diet, etc. blood components can build up unless detoxification is employed or the primary blood filters in the body are supported to do their function.
If the blood remains toxic for too long then an acidic environment is created. The outcome is a deterioration of circulatory vessel walls. The condition results in a scarring process where components of blood (fibrin) fill in the inflamed or damaged areas. This build-up complicates the process of cleansing. If the circulatory plumbing is not cleared out then all organs suffer while the aging process speeds up. 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
When the body becomes or specific organ become extreme in one of the constitutional conditions above then toxicity occurs. 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. Anchoring the body’s constitutional center, makes possible, peak health where the symptoms fall away, health re-establishes.
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 log jam in circulation generates higher body temperature and flow pressure causing the following conditions – high blood pressure, constipation, excess weight, stroke and many more 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
December 28, 2009
Chinese herbs and medicine is a 4000 year practice as far as recorded history (between 2100 – 1700 B.C.) goes. Most likely, Chinese herbs have been farmed, provided that humans have been in this region of the planet. The application, almost certainly, began in the pre-history of China’s populating. Given there is considerable argument here, we’ll agree, its been a long time. In general, the practice of Traditional Chinese herbal herbs fits prominently in Chinese medicine practices. In fact, if you specialize in this area alone, you could be very busy and well known for helping a lot of people. In this article, the focus will be to present Chinese herbology in its proper position and its function in this modality’s framework. The purpose of showing this order is to encourage customers to view physical conditions and their solution in a graduated process. By living in our fast paced life-style with high stress, long work hours, reduced family contact, fast food, low nutrition, reduced energy, etc., our immune system becomes extra challenged. It doesn’t come about suddenly and so the care is suggested to be at the same pace as the conditioned was entered. The exception occurs while the infirmity is urgent and life-threatening.
TAM (Traditional Asian Medicine) CARE
(Four Tiers of Asian Medicine)
- Food Therapy
- Herbal Therapy
- Exercise: Tai Chi & Qi Gong
- Acupuncture & Cupping
I. FOOD THERAPY
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
– Hippocrates circa 431 B.C.
Traditional Chinese Medicine first employs food as a therapeutic tool. Why? Because we are very pre-occupied with food. Our stomachs will let us know that we are hungry, so most of us, unless we are imbalanced, will eat 1-6 times per day unless food is not available. Given that, we eat, its imperative to think about what we are eating due to the fact, food has a major effect on the fitness of our bodies. If we drink pop, alcohol, eat desserts, cheese, candy, red meat, bread, processed foods, etc. then guess what happens to the body? It clogs up and gains weight and we get sick. If we eat vegetables, fruit, water, fish, then what happens? We share our emotions, lose weight to balance and leanness and we can get well. The effective TAM practice will include food therapy with the knowledge of what food works best with a particular constitution. Has anyone ever pay attention to of, “You are what you eat”? What that means, is that certain foods will definitely determine the cell quality in the tissues of your body. Food, ideally, provides substance to make energy from, benefitting the cells so they can do their job. The more energy, the more capacity your cells have to do their jobs. If they are obstructed with poor choices, that fit your wants, then the result will be illness. Foods that balance your ailing constitution, are essential to re-establishing your health. Master herbalists, sophisticated in this specialty, will recommend this strategy in order to form a foundation for other traditional Asian medicine. Regardless of whatever remedial strategy, allopathic or naturopathic, treatment can be disrupted, if food remedy does not consistently accompany the therapeutic course of action. For that reason, food therapy is vital to reinstatement of your health. Though food is a more subtle remedy, its gradual nourishing effect, has the power to restore, unnoticed, only because it takes more time. Thus, when we get sick, it is difficult, to connect the dots as to how we got in that condition.
This discussion of the Four Tiers of Chinese Medicine is further covered at Longevity Mountain. For those of you who desire to know the prioritized next 3 levels, Chinese herbs, Chinese medicine exercise and Accupuncture/Cupping.
November 27, 2009
Most of the menopause products are created based on 3 strategiess:
- a single supplement/herb wonder
- a combination of past researched supplements/herbs with an addition of the latest fad herb
- in most cases a newbie manufacturer/distributer copies another company’s product that is selling well
The result is that it is difficult for the consumer to determine what works. So how do you know what works?
Anybody can produce testimonials but long term repeatable, sustainable results are very challenging to produce. The research on the research demonstrates that women are not getting the truthful facts but rather a marketing spin to get you buy their product or one where they share in the proceeds. In most cases, the manufacturer may truely believe they have a formula that will work based on misinformation on a herb’s benefits.
The right herbs for menopause will primarily 1) raise the body’s energy, 2) nourish the blood, 3) cool the body and 4) normalize the body’s thermostat. And indirectly, because the underlying imbalance is corrected, the menopause symptoms will begin to dissapate within 2 hours.
Most discoveries about herbs have come from Chinese herbal medicine but revealed to the American public in an incomplete manner. The American manufacturers share the info about an herb as a solution for everyone who has a particular symptom. Nevermind, all the body of Chinese medicine and theory that understands that there are different body types or constitutions that may accompany those symptoms. Menopause is a hot body type condition requiring specific emphasis on cooling the liver.
Chinese herbs which have proven to be effective for hundreds of years on millions of patients. Most Chinese master herbalists understand that after millions of subjects there isn’t much need to research what is obvious, tried and proven. Its essential to apply the right formula to the right constitution and symptoms, not just the symptoms. In addition, in order to discern this relationship between body constitution and herb formulation, it is essential to choose the most knowledgeable practitioner.
A Practicing Master Herbalist Knows More About Herbs Than Any Other Profession?
A seasoned master herbalist (10 years+) who works with herbs every day is the best source for herb medicine. The time element is critical to allow the practitioner to get the kinks out and test his/her knowledge. What is taught in our traditional Chinese herbs and herb medicine schools is only a beginning knowledge and needs to be tested. Better yet, graduates need long term apprenticeship before they are ready to correct imbalances with their clients. Medical doctors rely on their Physician’s Desk Reference for information on herbs which is truely a beginning base source.Rarely does one herb or two , three herb compound work for the whole public. They may work for a quarter of the population or people who have a similar constitution but not everyone. For instance, the Chinese herb, Black Cohosh, has been exposed as unsuitable for menopause. Its used for fevers.Notwithstanding, American supplement makers have discovered a method to take advantage of the half truths provided to everyone and so the tale carries on. Never mind that its short term benefits decay in 2-3 weeks.A proven improvement with other homeostatic herbs would be to ingest bupleurum.
In summary, the best choice of herbs for menopause will take into consideration the woman’s constitution or body type when constructing a formula. Additionally, herbs that have a long established record for hundreds to thousands of years must be perceived with greater preference over herbs with a minimal account. I encourage everyone to seek a seasoned source in herbal medicine.