Emergency Treatment of Cardiac Arrest
By Luke Douglas
Dealing with a heart condition is one of the most difficult things in the world – for the doctors, for the patients, and their families. This is why avoiding any potential problems and minimizing the chances of heart failure in the first place is so important. However, in case something does end up happening and you might be forced to be admitted to a hospital, you’ll need to undergo emergency treatment. What does this treatment include in case of cardiac arrests, is there something you can do yourself, and what does the outcome look like?
No warning
The biggest problem each one of us faces when it comes to cardiac arrest is the fact that it can occur with no previous warning at all. You may be focused on your everyday activities, relaxing at your own home, or walking to your favorite store – and suddenly start experiencing the symptoms of cardiac arrest. That’s when you’ll probably either lose your responsiveness, start having problems breathing, or temporarily lose your consciousness.
Some of the other symptoms of cardiac arrest include the feeling of discomfort in your chest, sudden weakness, or an elevated heart rate. Feeling these things will probably scare you, and that’s quite normal and expected, but what you shouldn’t do is panic and lose your cool. If that happens, though, the symptoms will probably get even worse and you’ll start feeling even less comfortable because of that. Therefore, try to remain calm, think happy thoughts, and be patient because help is surely on the way.
Treating cardiac arrest
Whether it’s you, someone you know, or a person you’ve never met in your life, as soon as you notice something’s wrong, you need to react. Calling for help is the first thing you should do, especially if you’re home alone or with someone you can’t seem to help on your own. Once the medical professionals arrive at the scene, they’ll do some tests and check if you’re dealing with cardiac arrest or something else.
Still, before they arrive, there’s a simple technique you can perform and make a huge difference in the outcome.
CPR is a combination of chest compressions and rescue breathing you can perform on another person and possibly save their life. In case that doesn’t seem to work, the emergency medical team will take the patient to a hospital where the doctors will use defibrillation. This is a procedure that uses a defibrillator to issue electric shocks in the patient’s chest, trying to help the heart start beating on its own once again.
Getting certified
If someone in your family – from your partners and your parents to your children or your cousins – is struggling with cardiac arrest and experiences problems every once in a while, taking things to a new level is the best way to go. This means getting certified and learning how to deal with this problem professionally and effectively that won’t just minimize the consequences of cardiac arrest, but actually help the patient feel better than ever.
One of the ideas you could explore is taking an Advanced Cardiac Life Support course and learning all the tips and tricks that will allow you to help different people at the same time. The course you’ll take and the certification you’ll get will make you an expert in this field, which will, in turn, mean the people in your life struggling with cardiac arrest have nothing to worry about in the future.
Help yourself
Another huge issue with cardiac arrest is not being able to rely on someone else to help you. If you’re living alone or simply happen to be alone once you start feeling the aforementioned symptoms, you may get frightened and not know what to do. That’s why you need to learn a few techniques that will help you remain calm and start feeling better – at least until someone comes back home or the ambulance arrives your way.
One of the most popular solutions you can find online is the so-called cough CPR, but you need to keep in mind that this procedure isn’t the safest and most effective in the world. On the contrary, it could lead you to further issues and delay medical help that could save your life. Instead, what you need to do is take a minute, relax, sit down, and take a dose of glyceryl trinitrate. These come in tablets and spray, and could effectively prevent further damage to your heart. After you do that, you need to wait five or six minutes and repeat the process in case you remain feeling breathless.
In the end, no matter what happens, remember to call for help because cardiac arrest is a serious matter that should be treated by professionals. Still, if you know how to react and what to do, you’ll be able to save someone’s life, and that’s all that matters!
Luke is a lifestyle blogger. He is editor in chief at blog Ripped.me and one of the contributors at blog Trans4Mind. He follows the trends in fitness, gym and healthy life and loves to share his knowledge through useful and informative articles.
Connect with him on Facebook & Twitter
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Chinese Medicine To Support Sensible Weight Loss
By Sally Perkins
According to the CDC, around three-quarters of all American adults are overweight. With around two-thirds of these trying to change their eating habits and lose a few pounds, it’s no surprise that weight loss plans and programs are big business, with a huge range of suggestions and options touted as providing miraculous results – some with more success than others. Chinese medicine offers the opportunity for mindful, realistic and sustained weight loss, so if you’re looking for a sensible solution for an ongoing, healthy lifestyle, here are some changes you could consider making.
Food and Functionality
Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on many principles relating to food consumption, metabolism and digestion which can aid weight loss and improve your relationship with eating. Excessive weight gain is thought to relate to the accumulation of ‘dampness’ – a condition that occurs when food intake, absorption, digestion and transportation are not balanced. Take the festive season as an example – if you eat too much, or consume food higher in fat, your spleen and stomach will struggle to transform your food, and any excess will be left sitting stationary, leading to an accumulation of dampness.
Elimination of dampness is the main tenet of traditional Chinese weight loss programs, and there are a number of ways to achieve this. According to the guidelines, cultivating a diet of bitter, sour and pungent foods can aid with achieving a healthy body shape, and help you avoid fluctuating weight that can have an impact on your mood, wellbeing and budget – having to invest in different clothes of different sizes gets expensive, and has a negative impact on the environment too. Whether you’re ensuring your favorite bikini will fit exactly come the summer, aiming to eliminate health conditions exacerbated by weight, or simply want to adopt a more mindful lifestyle, changing the way you eat can make a real difference.
Antioxidant Assistance
Many Chinese people drink tea every day, and it is thought to have a number of health benefits. Polyphenols are an antioxidant found in tea and may help to maintain a healthy metabolism whilst you lose weight, repairing cells and easing digestive issues. Green tea, Jiaogulan tea and Oolong all have a soothing flavor and a good level of antioxidants, and just one cup a day is enough to make a difference – something that can be easily incorporated into most daily routines. There are also various herbs known to support weight loss by suppressing appetite, burning fat, and boosting metabolism. He Ye (lotus leaf), Fu Ling and Huang Qi are some of the most well-known, but there are others that may also be suitable, depending on your lifestyle, goals and commitment to weight loss. Consulting a Chinese medicine practitioner can help you to tailor an individual treatment plan based on your personal needs.
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Changing the way you eat and drink and supplementing with appropriate herbs is not just about losing weight; it’s about improving your overall wellbeing and health as well. Making one or two small changes at a time can support you to develop positive food habits that’ll balance your body and leave you feeling fit and functional – as well as helping you to stay that way.
Featured image photo by Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on Unsplash
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Treating Nerve Damage With Acupuncture
By Sally Perkins
At present, it is estimated that nearly 20 million people in the USA are living with various degrees of peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage) can be caused by infections, traumatic injury, genetic disorders, exposure to toxins, and metabolic concerns. It has also been found that diabetes is one of the most common causes of the condition. Although there are a number of treatment options that exist, including a range of prescription medications, Traditional Chinese Medicine - and acupuncture, in particular - can also be used with great effect. Many individuals living with neuropathy turn to acupuncture to not only relieve their pain, but to stimulate blood flow and restore nerve damage as well.
Acupuncture can bring immense relieve
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture is used to relieve pain and treat discomfort. When the needles are inserted into the various pressure points in the body, the nervous system is stimulated, which releases endorphins and in turn, changes the body’s response to pain. Apart from performing acupuncture, a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner can also prescribe a range of herbs that can help speed recovery and aid in addressing pain and discomfort.
What about nerve damage caused by tattoos?
While the chance of getting nerve damage from a tattoo is very small, it is possible. Any good tattoo artist should know, however, how far the needle can be inserted into the skin to prevent damage from occurring. In order to further avoid tattoo-related neuropathy, avoid having tattoos done on parts of the body that have the biggest bundles of nerve-endings. These include the groin area, the head, the face and ears, behind the knees, the hands, the feet, the fingers, and the lips. Should nerve damage occur despite all the necessary precautions being taken, acupuncture can be used with great success to treat the underlying neuropathy.
If you have a fear of needles, don’t despair
Even if you are afraid of needles like approximately 50 million other Americans, you can still turn to TCM for relief from neuropathy. Acupressure offers similar benefits to acupuncture but without being nearly as invasive. Acupressure involves massaging or applying pressure to the various acupuncture points in the body in order to stimulate the various energy pathways. Acupressure may help to relieve many of the symptoms associated with neuropathy, including a tingling or burning sensation, a ‘prickly’ feeling, and the loss of sensation that is typically associated with nerve damage.
Acupuncture can prove to be very useful in treating neuropathy. When used alongside a selection of prescribed Chinese herbs, it can even be more efficient than many traditional courses of treatment.
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Acupuncture for Weight Loss
By Dr Bruce Stafford
For over a millennium, health practitioners living within the Far East have been using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to help their patients with their mind, body and spirit. Studies have shown that within recent years, more people within western countries are now searching for ‘alternative’ methods to improve their general health – particularly towards acupuncture for weight loss. Acupuncture helps identify with the root causes of the weight loss to help your body deal with it
accordingly:
Here’s how acupuncture can help you finally lose the weight:
Repairing Your Digestion
If your digestive system is not functioning properly, this will also inhibit your body’s ability to lose weight. You will know if it’s not working properly if you experience symptoms of bloating, reflux, nausea, constipation, lose bowels or IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
This is because your body will be producing an excessive amount of ‘Damp’ or ‘Phlegm’ in Chinese Medicine terms (The closest term we can use to explain this would be ‘inflammation’) and you’ll know if you have a lot of Damp or Phlegm if you experience sinus problems or chronic allergies, if you feel exhausted or lethargic in the mornings, have loose bowels, feel sluggish and tired and experience bloating.
Acupuncture for weight loss helps return your digestion back to normal by stimulating your body’s natural blood flow to your stomach and spleen to strengthen their function so they start to work properly again which is important for weight loss as not only will you be able to lose weight more easily, but you’ll also feel lighter and have more energy.
Balancing Your Natural Hormones
The body naturally produces fat-producing hormones such as cortisol, estrogen and insulin as well as fat-burning hormones such as adrenaline, human growth hormone, testosterone, insulin growth factor and glucagon. For many people, their fat-producing hormones are over-stimulated and much too active, while their fat-burning hormones are under-stimulated and not active enough.
Acupuncture for weight loss corrects your organ function, particularly your Liver, Kidney, Stomach and Spleen which are all crucial in the synthesis and secretion of the correct number of hormones for weight-loss.
Furthermore, Acupuncture may also assist with better sleep, reduce your pain and stress levels, which will in turn reduce the amount of cortisol (a key fat-making hormone) your body is producing to help you lose weight. When all these organs start to function properly again, your natural fat-controlling hormones will start to stabilize making it easier for you to lose weight.
Making Weight Loss Easier
Acupuncture for weight loss is also used in appetite suppression, to prevent you from feeling hungry all the time and to stave off cravings (especially for sweet or savoury foods) and keep you ‘cool’ and relaxed while you lose weight.
Whilst it’s extremely important to get your digestion and hormonal balance working in balance, you will also need to watch what you eat. It is this combination that makes acupuncture for weight loss so effective.
Correcting the Root Cause of Weight Gain
Not only does acupuncture for weight loss help you to lose weight, it is also helps facilitate in the identification of the root cause of the source of the problem and why you gained weight in the first place.
On top of this, acupuncture is also helping to improve your overall health. So if you want to lose weight and feel great doing it, acupuncture may be the answer you’ve been looking for.
Here is a handy infographic with 5 Chinese Medicine Weight Loss Secrets.
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Author Bio
Dr Bruce Stafford (Chinese Medicine) is the owner and founder of Emperor’s Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine in Melbourne, Australia
He has trained with some of the world’s best-know Masters in Australia, Taiwan and the USA. Bruce has treated thousands of patients using acupuncture for weight loss at Emperor’s Acupuncture and Chinese herbs to help improve organ function to rebalance the body’s natural fat-controlling hormones.
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Supporting a Safe and Healthy Pregnancy Using Traditional Chinese Medicine
By Sally Perkins
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnoses are now included in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) of the World Health Organization (WHO) beginning 2022. The inclusion is good news for practitioners and patients, as TCM is increasingly becoming a part of global health care. One of the areas where TCM can help is during pregnancy where a woman can manifest symptoms that need intervention or treatment. Chinese medicine, when used properly, could offer a safe option to ensure a healthy pregnancy.
Herbal Medicine for Expectant Mothers
TCM has several components such as acupuncture and herbal medicine. Much in the same way that traditional medicine can assist in improving fertility rates and eventually in conceiving, it can also help during the gestation period. Pregnant women can take herbs such as ginger, chamomile, or peppermint that reduce the symptoms of early pregnancy specifically nausea or morning sickness.
However, it should be noted that there are other complications that may arise if you are pregnant. As the body undergoes hormonal changes, you will also experience side effects. For example, the placenta produces hormones that can contribute to an accumulation of glucose in the blood. If your pancreas cannot produce enough insulin, sugar levels will increase and a pregnant woman might develop gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Fortunately, it resolves once a woman has completed pregnancy or has given birth.
In the meantime, there are several things that you can do to control GDM. If properly used, herbal medicine can help bring down glucose levels. Other ways to manage the symptoms of GDM include wearing of stockings for good circulation, paying attention to diets, and exercising.
Acupuncture to Consolidate Energy
Acupuncture is another key component of TCM that can benefit pregnant women. It should be noted that the usual precautions apply - avoidance of infection and dangerous pressure points.
For expectant moms, you don’t want to touch pressure points that can induce any pain, touch vital organs, or puncture the fetus. In addition, there is a list of acupuncture points that must be avoided because of their oxytocic effect which may induce the mother to go into labor or at worst, a miscarriage. Overall, acupuncture may be practiced using gentle needling that will aim to enhance a woman’s energy without over stimulating or disturbing the pregnancy.
TCM can benefit a pregnant woman in several ways. It can consolidate her energy, improve mood and enhance overall health contributing to a safe and healthy pregnancy.
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The Five Best Ways To Boost Your Fertility With Traditional Chinese Medicine
By Aimee Laurence
Trying for a baby is a time to build a closer connection with your partner and to focus on what life will be like with another member of the family. Though when you feel you have been trying for a long while, your fertility starts to come into question. This can put pressure on couples and families, lead to lower self-worth and prolong increasing your family. There are many natural ways that women and men discuss that aid fertility; these are five tried and tested methods that use Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to help you have a baby.
1. Focus on your health: diet and exercise and mindfulness
A woman’s reproductive system requires the whole body to be in balance and good health for a balanced and healthy pregnancy to occur. Men’s reproductive systems also require the body to be in optimal health to produce healthy and strong sperm. Diet and lifestyle are key. TCM takes a focus on bettering the health of the entire body alongside targeting the reproductive organs.
With age, we are more exposed to potential health hazards and toxins in our environments and may make poorer dietary and lifestyle choices. Eliminating mucous-promoting foods such as gluten and dairy will improve the health of your reproductive tract. Minimize caffeine, alcohol and white foods – sugar, salt and flour.
“Foods that increase sperm quality are seafood (especially squid, eel and cuttlefish), Chinese yam and ginkgo biloba. Alcohol has a negative effect on sperm quality and sex drive is increased with zinc-heavy foods such as peanuts, chicken and eggs,” says Lee Connolly, traditional Chinese medicine expert at Academized and Assignment Service. Fertility can be reduced when taking part in intense exercise more than four times a week. On the other hand, gentle and regular exercise is brilliant for the health of the blood – vital for good fertility.
Photo by Also take time to promote a positive mindset in your life. Keep a healthy sleep hygiene and stay present. This will help you avoid stress if you have been trying for a long time.
2. Find a TCM specialist
There is a huge range of resources that can teach about TCM, but the best place to go for advice is someone properly educated in it. AcuFinder and the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine are great reputable places to look. An ideal practitioner will be experienced in understanding women’s health and fertility.
3. Knowing when there is a problem
If you have been experiencing a lack in fertility for more than a year and are under 35 (and your partner is under 35), or if you have had this issue for at least six months and are over the age of 35, it may be in your best interests to simply go to a doctor. This could be a TCM practitioner or medical doctor. Identifying if there is an issue early will increase your chances of having a baby.
4. Understanding hot and cold foods
Internal heat is developed when a person has too many “hot” foods. And there are many ailments that are caused by an over-consumption of “cold” foods. This isn’t about temperature, but about the actual properties of the food substances. “Neutral foods stimulate the spleen, appetite and enhance nourishment. Always keep moderation in mind when thinking about your diet,” says Karen West, health writer at Big Assignments and Ox Essays.
Photo by Nadine Primeau on Unsplash
5. Warm your abdomen
In TCM, the lower abdomen is seen as carrying the fire of the body. Infertility can, therefore, be caused by a cold abdomen affecting the uterus. This can easily be counteracted by using a hot water bottle or heating pad each evening after a period up until ovulation. Ovulation pains or severe cramping can be aided with using castor oil to accompany the heat. TCM is one of the oldest medicines in practice and has grown from millennia of use, encompassing nutrition, sophisticated herbalism, tui na and qigong as well as acupuncture. Aside from fertility, a woman’s reproductive cycle is a major indicator of her health – talk to
a TCM specialist for more information on this and for personalized advice. TCM can be as beneficial as stimulating ovulation in women with no periods, helping make cycles more regular and reducing endometriosis.
Image from Chatelaine Magazine
Aimee Laurence can be found offering her expert insights as an educator at Essay Writing Service and BoomEssays, where she mostly writes about college life. Aimee also tutors at Essay Roo academic service.
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Chinese Medicine Aids Deep Sleep to Revitalize Mind and Body
By Sally Perkins
It is widely recognized that sleep is essential for good health, and new research confirms that irregular and insufficient sleep can lead to a greater risk of experiencing metabolic disorders. Chinese medicine places importance on preventative measures to help the body remain balanced and free from disease, and its treatments and formulas have been shown to be effective in aiding deep and restful sleep. This is when critical body restoration takes place, resulting in increased immunity, the correction of internal imbalances and the strengthening of organ function. In addition, quality sleep, during which REM is experienced, can help stimulate and heal the mind.
Sleep to Stimulate The Mind
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Reaching the REM stage of sleep is important as this is when neural connections essential to health and well-being are made. REM only takes place after 90 minutes of sleep, so to aid a deeper sleep, jujube seed is often prescribed as it strengthens circulation and calms the mind. REM is also the period of sleep where dreams most often occur, as activity in the brain resembles that seen during wakefulness. During REM sleep, it becomes possible to stimulate lucid dreams where control can be exerted over the unconscious self and the fabric of its surroundings. As the wonders of the mind are explored, lucid dreaming can promote emotional healing, help overcome fears and encourage problem solving. Occasionally, even when the REM stage of sleep is successfully reached, some people may experience REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) where they act out their dreams physically, so disrupting their sleep. However, studies have shown that, as well as aiding restful sleep, herbal remedies are as effective as tranquilizers and antidepressants in treating RBD.
Rest to Repair The Body
Sleep is vital for the body to grow and repair muscles, organs and other cells, so ensuring a good night’s sleep is essential to avoid serious health issues. For over 2000 years, a variety of Chinese medicines and formulas have been successfully used for the treatment of insomnia and other sleep disorders. In Chinese medicine, insomnia is typically linked to heart function and so the heart tonic Fu Ling is recommended as it also has a sedative effect. As well as herbal remedies, studies show that acupuncture can improve the quality of sleep. It triggers the release of neurotransmitters including serotonin, which helps to regulate sleep patterns and induce REM sleep.
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A good night’s sleep is vital for health and well being. Herbal medicines and alternative treatments aid restful sleep, and once the body and mind are relaxed, balance and health can be restored.
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Incorporating Chinese Medicine Into Your Weight Loss Program
By Sally Perkins
Half of Americans say they are trying to lose weight. That’s over 163 million people in the United States alone who are unhappy with their weight, and that doesn’t take into account the rest of the people around the world who are also trying to be healthier. Traditional Chinese Medicine has many principles that contribute to weight loss and a healthier lifestyle, as it relates to food consumption, digestion, metabolism, and other bodily functions that relate to weight. There are many of these principles you can incorporate into your daily routine to aid your body in processing fuel and help with weight loss.
Definitely Your Cup Of Tea
Many people equate tea, especially green tea and black teas like oolong, with Chinese culture. This is for good reason, as many Chinese people drink tea every day, and it is thought that drinking tea has many health benefits. Tea contains polyphenols, a specific type of antioxidant, which can help keep your metabolism from slowing as you lose weight. Polyphenols can also assist with digestive issues, and, as with other antioxidants, help repair cells. You can reap the benefits of polyphenols by drinking just one cup of tea per day. You can easily add this to your daily routine; just brew one cup every morning as part of your morning ritual. Just like other small habit changes you can make to improve your health, like drinking more water, standing instead of sitting at work, or going to bed half an hour earlier in order to get more sleep, this is a small modification that can yield great benefits. Sometimes the best way to make positive changes for overall health is to make one or two small changes at a time, allowing those changes to become habits before taking on more.
Eating For Energy
Qi is the energy that runs through our bodies, and maintaining a healthy, balanced qi is essential for proper health. Habits that drain your energy can be detrimental to your weight loss efforts. Unhealthy habits like eating late at night, eating raw, cold foods, and skipping breakfast can stress your digestive organs and cause your qi to become unbalanced. Something as small as adding breakfast to your daily routine can help to restore balance to your body and increase your energy, making it easier for your body to lose weight.
Joseph Gonzalez
Supplement Your Diet
In addition to eating the right foods for your organs and to aid in digestion and energy levels, there are many Chinese herbs that can help with weight loss. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is believed that excessive weight is caused by an accumulation of “dampness,” and therefore attempts to lose weight are made by relieving this dampness. Herbs that help to balance this condition and aid in weight loss include Bao He Wan, He Ye or lotus leaf, Fu Ling and Huang Qi. You can develop a supplement plan with a TCM specialist, and by adding your personalized combination to your diet, you can help restore your body’s balance.
Traditional Chinese Medicine can assist with weight loss, whether you subscribe to TCM principles completely and transform your lifestyle, or simply incorporate some of them into your existing routine. You can use TCM to aid you with a particular issue, or to achieve a generally healthier way of life. Traditional Chinese Medicine can be highly customized to create a specialized regimen for your body and your lifestyle and weight loss needs. The more research you can do on Chinese medicine and the different ways it can improve your body’s functionality, the more ideas you can integrate into your life.
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Living in Harmony with Spring According to Chinese Medicine
By Emma Suttie, D.Ac, AP
Chinese Medicine Theory
Chinese Medicine has such a beautiful way of looking at us - human beings, our place in nature and in the universe. We are part of a greater whole and are inseparable from it. In Chinese Medicine, we are healthy when we are in harmony with our surroundings, and for much of human history, we have honed the skills needed to be able to feel slight changes in our environments, so that we could change behaviours, to remain in balance. In our modern world, we seem to be losing this connectedness to both our natural environments and ultimately, ourselves. Chinese Medicine can teach us how to regain this connection by giving us some simple guidelines on how to live in harmony with the seasons.
Spring - The Season of the Liver
Spring is the season associated with the Liver and the emotion of Anger. Its energies are expansive - moving upward and outward like newly budding plants, flowers and trees. It is a time for growth and renewal. Spring is the best time to strengthen the Liver, and to deal with any unresolved feelings of Anger or frustration as they can build up and cause stagnant Qi or energy in the Liver and elsewhere. The colour associated with Spring and the Liver is green. Eating green foods in the Spring strengthens the Liver. To keep your Liver healthy, be sure to be in bed and asleep before 11pm.
The Liver is the organ associated with Spring. In Chinese Medicine the Liver has the following responsibilities:
- Opens Into the Eyes
- Controls Planning
- The Flavour that Supports the Liver is Sour
- Houses the Hun (Spirit) The Liver is the organ associated with Spring.
- Stores Blood
- Responsible for the Smooth Flow of Qi & Blood
- Controls the Sinews / Tendons
- Manifests in the Nails
Behaviours in Spring
- Engaging in uplifting and creative activities that expand our energies and consciousness (journaling, meditation)
- Seek personal development and growth
- Cooking should be of shorter duration and at higher temperatures
- Sautéing with high-quality oil over high heat, or light steaming with water is best in Spring
- Manage Anger (and frustration) - excess, intense and unexpressed anger congests Qi in the Liver
- Liver time is between 1am-3am - this is the best time to strengthen the Liver
- For optimum Liver health, go to bed before 11pm (the Gallbladder time - it is the Liver’s Yin/Yang partner organ)
- Eat green foods to strengthen Liver
Photo by Dariusz Sankowski on Unsplash
Activities in Spring
- Engage in activities that feed your creativity - drawing/painting/writing/photography/making music/dancing
- Making plans for the future
- Spring cleaning of your internal environment - physical, emotional, spiritual
- Acknowledging, processing and releasing any unresolved emotions, especially Anger & frustration
- Any activities that push our self-imposed boundaries
- Gentle exercises on a daily basis, especially stretching as the Liver controls the smooth flow of Qi as well as the tendons
- Walking meditation in nature (gentle exercise, feeding the spirit and taking in the green of new Spring plants through the eyes)
- Avoid stimulants like caffeine, spicy foods, alcohol, tobacco, recreational drugs
Beneficial Foods in Spring
- Lemon
- Lime
- Grapefruit
- Sprouted Grains, Beans, Seeds
- Many Green Foods Nourish the Liver
- Radish
- Daikon Radish
- Tofu
- Fermented Food
- Legumes
- Seeds
- Dandelion Root
- Milk Thistle
- Mung Bean
- Lettuce
- Quinoa
- Cucumber
- Watercress
- Celery
- Millet
- Seaweed
- Mushroom
- Beet
- Carrot
- Onion
- Mustard Green
- Rye
- Romaine Lettuce
- Asparagus
- Alfalfa
- Amaranth
Photo by Scott Eckersley on Unsplash
The Liver and Anger
Photo by We've all seen that impressive display of anger. Someone losing it in the lineup at the bank, an exasperated parent yelling at a child having a tantrum, or someone, after being on a plane for a bazillion hours being told that they have missed their connecting flight and that the airline has lost their luggage. Yeah, we've all seen that. And it is most of our instincts' to back away a few steps because of how powerful that anger can be. That, my friends, is your Liver talking.
Now in the West, this doesn't make much sense. The liver, we are taught, is the body's filter, making sure that we stay clean and toxin-free. But in Chinese Medicine, each of the organs has an emotional component, which is just as important as its physical functions in the body - and the emotion of the liver is anger.
When the liver is balanced and healthy we are able to move freely because of the liver's responsibilities of governing the smooth flow of Qi in the appropriate directions. You may wonder what happens when Qi flows in the wrong direction? Well, each of the organs has a natural direction in which its Qi flows. For example, the Qi of the stomach flows downward, helping to move food and drink through the digestive system, but when the flow of that Qi is reversed due to pathogenic factors it causes belching, hiccups, nausea and vomiting. A healthy liver means a strong immune system because the liver is responsible for the body's resistance to exterior pathogens. Because the liver opens into the eyes, if you have a healthy liver your vision will be clear and your eyes moist. If your liver is in a state of balance you will have strong nails, recover quickly from physical activities, your movements will be smooth and your body flexible. Those with a healthy liver will also have great courage and resoluteness, and will easily be able to plan their lives wisely and effectively with a clear sense of direction.
Photo by Victor Freitas on Unsplash
Some Symptoms of Liver Stagnation & Imbalance
- Frustration, depression or repressed anger
- Hypochondriac pain
- A sensation of oppression in the chest
- A feeling of a "lump" in the throat
- Abdominal distension
- Women - pre-menstrual tension, depression, irritability, distension of the breasts
- Belching, sour regurgitation, nausea, vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Bitter taste in the mouth, belching, jaundice
- Contraction and/or spasms in the muscles and sinews, impaired extension/flexion, numbness of the limbs, muscle cramps, tremors
- Dark, dry or cracked nails
- Blurred vision, myopia, floaters, colour blindness, a feeling of dryness or grit in the eyes
- Bloodshot, painful or burning sensation in the eyes
- Irritability, outbursts of anger, red face, dizziness, tinnitus, headaches
- Lack of direction in life, feeling of being stuck
Chinese Medicine gives us many ways that we can help our bodies, mind and spirits stay balanced and healthy - in every season. Eating green foods, spending more time turning inward, processing our emotions and being in bed by 11pm are only some of the ways we can live in harmony with the spring season, and keep our energies flowing freely so we can be happy, healthy beings all year long.
Beautiful featured image photo by Sylwia Pietruszka on Unsplash
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Keeping Cool this Summer with Chinese Medicine
By John Voigt
Keeping Cool
Here are some techniques from Traditional Chinese medicine to help beat the summer heat. (If you have a fever, or other health problems see a professional medical practitioner.)
First some common sense suggestions: drink a lot of water, keep cool. Do your body a favor and stay in the shade. Nothing beats a pleasant stroll in a forest (just have the bug repellant on). If you must be in the sun cover yourself as much as you can. Watch non-human animals for cues on what you should be doing.
Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash
Food.
Never put icy cold things in your mouth. Avoid lamb, fatty red meat, alcohol, tobacco, garlic, onion, scallion, and coffee as these are warming in Chinese Medicine. Eat less food and drink, drink lots of room temperature fluids--except never any sugared juice drinks, or sodas. Replace any lost salt … lost from heavy sweating.
To reinforce yin, and clear heat: Watermelon, Mung beans.
Also: Apple, Banana, Crab, Mango, Pears, Pineapple, Tofu.
Try drinking mint, chamomile, chrysanthemum teas; and also a weak green tea with a touch of lemon and honey. These are cooling to the body and build yin.
Photo by Anda Ambrosini on Unsplash
Chinese Herbs
American Ginseng.
This image from ernestherbal.com
Check with a health professional knowledgeable about Chinese herbs if you have health issues. Dosage: Usually American Ginseng extract is about 200 mg per day containing at least 4 to 7% ginsenosides. 0.5 to 2 g of dry root per day on a short-term basis, with the ginseng taken in tea form or chewed. Capsule formulas are generally prescribed in a dosage of 100 to 600 mg per day, usually in divided doses. [from] <http://www.online-health-care.com/herbal-medicines>.
Internal Qigong.
In the cycle of Seasons, this is the time to prepare for winter. Sit in meditation and visualize it is winter all around you. Take the hot yang energy on the surface of your body and with your mind and breath direct and guide this heat into the energy storage battery in your lower abdomen, the Dantian. Do from five to fifteen minutes.
Self Acupressure.
- Kidney 1 (Yong-quan)
- Kidney 2 (Ran-gu)
- Bladder 40 (Weizhong)
Kidney 1 is one of the most powerful points in the body and is located between the balls of the foot in the depression. It is a very strong point, so be gentle. It is excellent for building yin and cooling the body as well as being a powerful tonification point for the entire body.
Photo by Cristian Newman on Unsplash
Kidney 2 is located on the inside (medial) aspect of the foot along the border of the red and white skin (where the skin transitions from the soft part on the top of your foot to the tougher type of skin you have on the bottom of your foot.)
Image from wanderingdawn.com
This point is located behind the knees at the midpoint of the crease. It is very sensitive, so always be gentle.
Gently press and massage the Kidney 1, and 2 points, then the Bladder-40 points for about three to five minutes (or longer).
Putting ice on the Bladder 40 wěizhōng points works to cool you down too.
External Qigong.
With fingers pointed down and knuckles facing each other almost touching, raise hands up center front -- go above head and open palms up to the heavens. With palms facing downward, fingertips pointed at each other, bring hands down the center line,. Repeat six times. Softly sound “Sheee.” (Or just hear it in your head.) This harmonizes the body’s organ functions, the “Triple Burner".
John Voigt
john.voigt@comcast.net
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