Chinese Herbal Medicine

Why Take Chinese Herbal Medicine?

Acupuncture is known to be the main source of treatment used among the Chinese and now has been introduced to the United States. In addition to acupuncture, Herbal medicine is known for continual treatment and is widely used for Chinese Medicine.

 

This written document regarding Chinese Herbal Medicine take us all the way back 2,500 years ago. It is slowly becoming popular and now patients in the West are greatly reaping the benefits from Herbal Medicine.

 

Differences between Western Medicine V.S. Chinese Herbal Medicine

Western herb treats diseases or symptoms.  But Chinese Herbal Medicine is based on a diagnosis of individual’s life pattern as well as the disease.  Patients would then receive a custom written herbal prescription which will treat not only the symptoms but also catch the root cause of the disease.

Western herb uses single or group of herb(s) that treat the same symptoms or disease for everyone.

Chinese herbal medicine uses multiple of herbs in one formula addressing the main symptoms as well as their particular pattern.

 

Source of herbs that go into the formula

All three kingdoms (animal, plant and mineral) are used as ingredients and make up the formula for Chinese Herbs. However, the majority are derived from plant sources including: roots, barks, leaves, flowers, twigs, and stems. These are just to list a few from the various vegetable parts used.

 

Conditions can be treated

Chinese herbal medicine treats the full range of human disease. It treats acute diseases, like the flu and common cold as well as chronic diseases such as allergies, gynecological disorders, autoimmune diseases, chronic viral diseases, and degenerative diseases due to aging. In particular, Chinese herbal medicine is especially good for promoting the body’s ability to heal and recuperate.

 

Side effect

Chinese herbal medicines rarely have side effects if formulas are correctly chosen and written.

Most of Chinese herbs have low toxicity compared to common, over the counter Western drugs.

 

Raw herb, Pills, Powder

The most common and effective method of taking Chinese herbal medicine is as a decoction. This means that the raw herbs are boiled for 30 minutes to an hour or more, strained, and made into liquid so that it is drinkable. However, herbal pills and powder extracts are for those who might not have the time or cannot handle the taste for traditional decoctions.

These herbal decoctions tend to taste very bitter because they are made mostly from roots and barks where the strongest medicinal ingredients are found.

 

Results of taking herbal medicine

In acute conditions, results can be expected in matter of hour.  In chronic conditions, some results should be seen within two weeks. Chronic conditions on the other hand, may require taking Chinese herbal medicine for a long time, signs that the medicine is working will be noticeable almost from the very start.

 

Five natures of food

In Oriental medicine, food has been an important healing force for several thousands of years. One of the oldest texts, the “Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic” states that “herbal medicinal is used to fight evils while grains are used to nourish the body, and fruits, vegetables and meats aid in this effort – all five tastes working together to supplement the Qi and essence.” In other words, grains should be the mainstay of the diet while vegetables, fruits and meat should be eaten to support the dietary “foundation” that grains set.  The standard “American Diet” is opposite if this.  Most Americans don’t consider it a “meal” unless there is some type of meat present on their plate.  Meat is difficult for the body to process and constantly eating so much protein places the body under undue stress as it continually attempts to absorb it.  Grains, on the other hand, enter the spleen and stomach and act as Qi “generators,” to our bodies rather than “energy-depleters.”

Herbal medicinal and food share the same source. Some commonly eaten foods that are also used in herbal medicine are:  ginger, cinnamon, red dates, licorice, barley, malt syrup, bean sprouts, rice, fermented soybeans, vinegar, honey, mandarin oranges, orange peel, gelatin, egg yolk, seaweed and scallions.

Oriental medicine divides all food into five natures; those are cold, cool, neutral, warm and hot. Someone whose body‘s constitution is cold as well as pathologically cold should avoid cold nature foods and should eat warm nature foods. Someone whose body’s constitution is hot as well as pathologically hot should avoid hot nature foods.

Here aresome examples.

Hot: dried ginger, cayenne pepper, jalapeno, black pepper, soybean oil, cotton seed oil

Warm: chicken, butter, shrimp, lamb, walnuts, peaches, cherries, and onions

Neutral: chicken eggs, milk, beef, white rice, rye, string beans

Cool: whole wheat, barley, millet, mung beans, tofu, pears, lemons, spinach

Cold: Seaweed, kelp, watermelon, bananas, tea, salt, clam, crab

Source: The Tao of Healthy Eating

              Author: Bob Flaw

Emotional Factors that Cause Physical Imbalances

Why is it so difficult to make positive changes when experiencing chronic diseases?
You may eat healthy, exercise, get enough sunshine and rest … all of this may help, but somehow you still suffer with chronic illness.  One reason is that you may have a predisposition toward an illness if you inherited it from a parent.  However, not all chronic illnesses can be explained this way.
 
From a Chinese medicine point of view, the mind and body are not separate entities.   Every emotion brings a physical response from the body. When a person gets nervous,  his heart rate increases and he may sweat.  When a person is happy,  their eyes widen, their facial muscles lift and they open their chest more.  Health is directly connected to emotions.  All your life history is stored in your body as memory.  Unresolved negative emotions block the flow of your Qi. Later, it affects your body and may become actual disease.  At some point in time, spend time revisiting some of those old, unresolved memories and emotions.  Acknowledge them and try to understand why you might feel that way. 

If you feel you are eating healthily, exercising, getting enough sunshine and rest, but you are still not feeling your best, here are some physical manifestations and their emotional factors or “mind patterns” which may be causing physical imbalances:

• Imbalances with the eye: not wanting to or not being able to go inward and see what the “real issues” are in your life. Not wanting to see other people’s view points. Anger towards society.

• Hearing problems: not wanting to or not being able to hear the inner voice that is trying to get your attention. Wanting to shut out the rest of the world and not hear about any problems. An unresolved fear to hear what is really going on around you.

• Problems with turning neck: not wanting to see anyone else’s point of view or idea

• A stiff neck symbolizes stubbornness and refusal to bend one’s view point. Swelling in the front of the neck means you are not able to express your viewpoint.

• Shoulder problems: excessive burden in life.  Having a difficult time with making decisions in life.  Cannot digest and absorb things in life.
 
• Imbalance in the chest:  feeling of excess weight from life, not being able to breathe in all that life has to offer.

• Problems with the stomach: difficulty with absorbing and assimilating the energies of life.

• Liver problems: if we are not able to release anger, over a period of time we will not be able to see and understand clearly. Our viewpoint becomes muddled and may set up further problems.

• Knee: afraid of going forward in one’s life.

• Wrist: lack of love in one’s life and or not being able to release sadness.

• Back:  no support in your life, excessive fear

• Buttocks: get off your butt and make some decisions in your life!

Source: Esoteric Acupuncture II
Dr. Mikio Sankey, Ph.D., L.Ac

How to Stay Healthy in the Summer Heat.

Summer is a “yang season,” and therefore, everything expands and grows abundantly.   Summer belongs to the fire element and its color is red.  Summer is connected to the heart and its emotions are joy and love.
  
  Element:  Fire
  Color:  Red
  Nature:  Yang
  Organ:  Heart
  Emotion:  Joy

In the summer time, the body tries to expel heat from the inside because as all of nature expands and grows, so our body does, too. You need to be active so the body can expel the Qi it stores up. Sweating out all the toxins you carry is good for you.  If you stay in an air conditioned room all day, your body will suffer in the fall.  Fall is the season that your body’s Qi will shrink.  Even if you want to sweat out the toxins in the fall, the toxins will not come out as easily as during the summer time.

 When the body gets warm in the summer, only the surface of your body heats up—not the inside of your body.  The inside of your body is actually cold during this time. If you drink too much ice cold water, it can cause stomach pain or diarrhea.  Drink room temperature water to prevent your insides from becoming too cold. To experience coolness, drink hot water, so the cold Qi inside your body will “escape. “

In summer, the sun rises early and sets late. Therefore, since we are a “micro universe,” ourselves, we should also follow nature’s rhythm. Get up early and stay up late, but do not stay up after midnight.  Since you get up early and stay up late, take a short nap in the midday.

To sweat out the heat and toxins from your body, you need to add pungent tastes to your diet. It will warm up your interior.  To warm up the inside of your body, cook chicken with ginseng and garlic. Ginseng has warming properties that enter the heart area. It is the best herb for restoring an exhausted body.  However, be careful!    Too much sweating can make your heart become depleted. The red insides of watermelon will enter the heart meridian and help your heart Qi. Eat plenty of watermelon in the summer. 

It is very common to have restless sleep or have difficulty falling asleep because the heart becomes very active in the summer time.  Try to stay calm toward evening, so your Qi can settle down.  Sheng Mai San is a good herbal formula for summer. It stops excessive sweating and generates fluid. It calms the mind so it helps insomnia and palpitations.

Once again, here are some ideas for staying in “tip-top” shape all during the summer:

1. Stay active to release heat from the body
2. Do not stay in an air conditioned room all day
3. Do not consume too much cold food or drink
4. Get up early and stay up late during the summer, but not after midnight
5. Rest during the midday because the heart meridian time is noon.
6. Add pungent tastes to your diet, like ginseng and garlic
7. Eat ginseng chicken soup and watermelon often

Spleen Organ System

In Chinese Medicine, the spleen takes care of the digestive system.  The spleen is paired with the stomach. The Stomach receives all the food and liquid and the stomach transforms this to an essence called “Gu Qi.”  “Gu Qi” is the foundation of Qi and blood. If the Spleen is not in balance, the body will not be properly nourished.  

The most common signs of Spleen imbalance:
• Sleeping problems, such as insomnia
• Bruising easily
• Allergies
• High cholesterol
• Digestive problems such as diarrhea, loose stool, abdominal distention, bloating, and poor digestion
• Lack of appetite or heavy appetite
• Fatigue
• Muscle problems
• Menstrual bleeding problems, such as spotting
• Migraine headaches
• Anemia
• Cold and/ or sweaty hands and feet
• Worry, too much thinking

Things that can injure Spleen “Qi”
-Cold food
-Cold fluids
-Too many raw vegetables
-Excessive dairy products
-Too much worry

Food recommendations for a Spleen imbalance
-Barley
-Red dates
-Cinnamon
-Ginger
-Lotus seed
-Papaya
-Peanuts
-Radishes-white or red
*Avoid raw vegetables (save “Qi” by digesting cooked ones)

Helpful hints for Spleen Qi
-Hot pack on stomach area for fifteen minutes a day
-Breath with abdomen for five to ten minutes a day.
-Drink warm ginger tea

Source from Nan Lu, OMD, MS, L.Ac 
Traditional Chinese Medicine, Publisher: Harper Collins Publishing Inc

Kidney Organ System

In Chinese medicine, the role of the kidney is vital. This is the organ where our inborn “qi” is stored. The kidney holds the key to the body’s “energy foundation.” It is the whole body’s “power engine.”

Most common signs of Kidney imbalance:
• Hair loss
• Bones that break easily
• Forgetfulness
• Frequent urination
• Thyroid problem
• High blood pressure
• Knee pain, heel pain, neck pain, and chronic lower back pain
• Ringing in the ears
• Constant thirst
• Constant cold, especially of the hands and feet
• Loss of sexual desire
• Infertility and low sperm count
 
The activities that can waste kidney qi:

-exercising too much
-staying up past midnight
-drinking cold things on a regular basis
-taking a cold shower after exercising
-too much sex

Food recommendations for kidney imbalance:

• Bone soup
• Black sesame seeds
• Black beans
• Cauliflower
• Cinnamon
• Sesame and walnut oils
• Shell fish
• Toasted pine nuts
• Toasted walnuts

Some other helpful hints to strengthen kidney qi:

-Bite your teeth together lightly, fifty times.
-Rub your ears
-Breathing exercises and meditation

Five element theory:

1. Element: Water
2. Organ: Kidney
3. Viscera: Urinary Bladder
4. Open:  Ear
5. Tissue: Bone
6. Emotion: Fear
7. Season: Winter
8. Environment: Cold
9. Sound: Deep sighing
10. Color: Black
11. Taste: Salty
12. Direction: North

Source from Nan Lu, OMD, MS, L.Ac 
Traditional Chinese Medicine, Publisher: Harper Collins Publishing Inc

Lung Organ system

In Chinese Medicine, the lung governs formation of “Qi” and distribution of “Qi.” The lung is paired with the large intestine. The lung produces “Zong Qi” which becomes the basis for other “Qi” that is nourishing, moistening, warming and protecting.

Common signs of lung and large intestine imbalance:

• Asthma
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Skin problems of any kind such as acne, rashes, dry skin, blemishes
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Cold limbs and hands
• Sweating
• Fatigue
• Easily catch cold
• Sinus problem

Food recommendations for lung/large intestine imbalance:

• Lily bulb
• Peanuts
• Almond
• Pears
• Fennel
• Sesame seed
• Mint

 

“Qi” conserving tips for Lung Meridian

• Keep your chest and neck covered, especially in cold and windy weather
• Do not have a facelift.  It’s like cutting off the roots of a tree. Vital energy pathways can be damaged.
• Do your breathing exercises and meditation

 

Source from Nan Lu, OMD, MS, L.Ac 

Traditional Chinese Medicine, Publisher: Harper Collins Publishing Inc