Health Preservation Articles Archive
The ancient Greeks understood that important chemical changes took place during fermentation, calling it “alchemy.” As with dairy products, preservation of vegetables and fruits by the process of lacto-fermentation has many advantages beyond simply maintaining the edibility of fresh food. The increased vitamin and micronutrient levels in fermented foods are significant factors in the promotion of health.
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I have heard it said by several people that cancer patients should not receive acupuncture, as it can "spread the cancer". There is, as far as I can tell from a fairly extensive literature search, conversations with others, and many years of experience, absolutely no grounds for such an assertion. In my experience, cancer is far more likely to metastasise (spread) when the patient’s overall health deteriorates. If we can give regular, sustained, long term acupuncture, the effects are invariably positive.
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During pregnancy, the focus is often on supporting the health of the mother as it directly affects the growth and development of the fetus. But in traditional Chinese medicine, maintaining a woman's health is also highly emphasized in the postpartum period and the care a woman receives postpartum, in particular the first 4 months after delivery, often sets the scene for her state of health far into the future.
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A most significant part of healing lies in the renunciation of the
victim position and the assumption of 100% responsibility for
ourselves as embodied by the actual choices that we make. A
goal of any healer in a spiritual tradition of medicine, one that
recognizes the primacy of spirit, must be to assist in liberating
the patient’s choosing faculty from the fears and desires of the
ego. Simply put, freedom means “free to choose” as opposed
to being a slave to the mechanism of a conditioned mind. Free
to choose what? Free to do the right thing. When it comes to
the “spiritual practice of medicine,” positive change in behavior
is far more significant in assessing efficacy then a change in a
patient’s feeling state.
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These days, chicken soup has exploded far beyond its historic confines of folk medicine and Grandma’s version of natural healing. Entire genres of self-help books promote themselves as supplying chicken soup-quality wisdom for virtually any topic of modern life, and even Harvard studies have pitted this ageless household remedy against the common cold. Chicken soup has survived the ultimate test of time across most cultures, and chicken soups made with Chinese herbs are arguably the most delicious illustrations of Chinese medicine’s venerable tradition of “nourishing life". Perhaps the epitome of this tradition is the simple but classic ginseng chicken soup, which provides a delicate flavor and a wonderful boost for both mind and body.
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In order to eliminate jet lag the body clock must be reset allowing the horary cycle to function the same time as the local time of their destination. Stimulating specific horary points on the body allows the energy to transfer from one meridian to another, thus helping the biological clock update itself in mid-flight. People who use this system report arriving at their flight destination feeling like they are connected to the time zone of their newly arrived destination, as opposed to the time of their departure location.
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Winter is the ideal time for nourishing the Kidneys, and soup is the perfect winter food. Bone broth is prepared in cultures around the world as both a tasty, healthful soup and an easily digested medicinal food. The prolonged cooking of bones in water results in a broth rich in nutritional constituents that promote strength, tonify blood, nourish in times of sickness and rehabilitation, and help to prevent bone and connective tissue disorders.
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Shan Yao, or Chinese wild yam (Dioscorea opposita, Dioscorea oppoistifolia, Dioscorea batata) is both a nutritious food and a medicinal herb, tonifying the Spleen, Lung and Kidney qi. The dried herb can be bought and used in cooking or in raw herb formulas, but you can also find the fresh tubers in many Asian grocery stores. Better yet, grow the hardy, easily propagated perennial in your garden!
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Ju Hua, or Chrysanthemum, makes a pleasant flower tea that can be consumed daily. It is a frequently used medicinal herb that clears wind and heat and calms the Liver, and is also a common perennial, garden plant, easy to grow with pretty blossoms in the fall. The benefits of long-term consumption of Chrysanthemum tea have been recognized throughout the history of Chinese medicine. It is said to prevent aging and to be a favorite of Taoists and poets, with many benefits that are achieved with drinking the tea over a long period of time.
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Food is medicine. In ancient China, nutritionists enjoyed the highest status of all medical practitioners. During the Tang Dynasty (608 to 906 CE), Sun Si Miao maintained that diet and lifestyle changes were the best first line of treatment for illness. In a well-known quote, he said that only when dietary treatment is not sufficient to effect a cure should the doctor reach for needles and herbal medicines.
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