China :: Health :: Medicine

Do you have enough energy to stay ahead of the game? You can if you know the rules of the game. Building, storing and keeping energy are the keys. But todays fast paced, multitasking world creates many different stressors on our bodies.Often physical and emotional stress can drain us. With so much on our plates, how do we take enough time to give our body the fuel it needs to cope in our ultra-fast, get it done yesterday environment? Eat well, build muscle and fat to store energy and then our bodies have enough to survive and thrive. These rules have always applied, but getting the right, high octane fuel is not so easy in our modern world.This is where coffee comes in handy.It is the perfect natural stimulant, right?Its cheap, works fast and gives us that energy boost we desire.Yet, coffee does not contain anything that PRODUCES energy, it simply causes your body to release adrenaline into the blood. Adrenaline is a hormone that produces the fight or flight response.It is also known a...

The worlds largest pharmaceutical manufacturer is settling more lawsuits over it's menopause drug. Pfizer's hormone-replacement drugs called Prempro and Premarin have been linked to breast cancer. Today Pfizer added $68 million dollars (according to the Securities & Exchange Commission filing) to a reserve of $772 million for the lawsuits pending.. More than 6 million women have taken Prempro to treat symptoms including hot flashes and mood swings before these Prempro and Premarin were linked to cancer. We will never know how many women these drugs have truly harmed, many have died in previous years and cannot bring their cases to trial. Wyeths still sells these drugs for menopause symptoms and some women don't know alternative exists beyond hormone replacement therapy. Chinese herbal medicine has been used for over 2000 years but the drug companies can't patent it, so they are not going to tell you about it. Try A Natural Alternative Used SAFELY For Centuries ...

Curcumin is one of my favorite Chinese herbs. It is really a wonder drug, so great for a variety of afflictions not to mention the prevention of many afflictions. Known for it's spicy pungent flavor, curcumin (otherwise known as tumeric) can induce the flow of bile to break down fat, help our heart by reducing plaque in arteries, and has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. In fact, curcumin is well known for its a nti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and cell protector abilities. I recommend it for cancer patients as curcumin has been shown to influence many cellular factors. (More on Curcumin and breast cancer here.) But, the most important consideration when buying herbal supplements such as curcumin is to make sure you are getting a high quality, bio-available herbal supplement. This means, a product your body recognizes and can break down easily and absorb. Sometimes fillers in the products can interfere with the bodies ability to absorb the herbal supplement, o...

Are you a skeptics when it comes to herbal medicine that you have never heard of before? For example, the Chinese herb called Codonopsis. Have you heard of it? (Click on it to find out more) If the answer is no, does this make it "Snake Oil" ? Snake Oil has been used as a derogatory name meaning fake or phony medicine. Some say the term comes from the 19th-century American traveling salesman selling cure-all elixirs they called Snake Oil back in the day. Should herbal medicine get a bad rap just because you haven't heard of every one of the 6,000 plus, herbal substances in existence? Even though Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a history going back to about 400 BC, those who dont understand what these herbal remedies can do may still refer to it as Snake Oil. Regardless of the origins or use of the term "Snake Oil", the skeptics may want to re-think the term when applying it to Chinese Herbal Medicine. Here's why. Snakes may hold a key substance...

The Guiness Book of World Records has a new entry. The largest medicinal garden in the world has now been entered into the Guiness Book. Where else would the largest garden of herbal medicine be located, China of course. China uses more herbal medicine to keep it's 1.3 billion people healthy, than anywhere else in the world. China is also home to the oldest recorded medicine system in the world, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM has been practiced and perfected for over 3000 continuous years. The new botanical herb medicinal garden is a perfect way to celebrate the medicine the Chinese have given the world. TCM is practiced just about every country in the world and the herbs used in TCM have a long and rich history of providing the world with some of the most effective natural medicine known to man. Ginseng is one of the 6000 herbs growing in the garden. One hundred of the medicinal plants are endangered varieties and over 30 of the herbs are new varieties. The garden also ...

Does Japan know something we don't, about BPA's in paper receipts and in aluminum cans? Why did Japan phase out BPA use over 10 years ago? BPA's are dangerous chemicals that mimic estrogen in our bodies. A study just published in the journal of Environmental Science and Technology says people handling receipt paper often, like store clerks, are at a high risk for BPA exposure. (If you are a cashier, consider using gloves.) BPA's, also known as Bisphenol A, are chemicals that act like estrogen and can cause hormonal imbalances, PMS, irregular menstrual cycles and they have been linked to problems with reproduction and sexual development. Even behavioral and developmental problems in young children and some kinds of cancer have been linked to BPA exposure. Should you care about cash register receipts? YES! This is another easy way to avoid excess exposure to BPA's. If you don't need the receipt don't touch it. Also always wash your hands before eating just in...

Does Japan know something we don't know about BPA's in receipt paper used in grocery stores, printer paper and aluminum cans? Japan phased out BPA's in paper receipts over 10 years ago. Why care about receipts? BPA's are dangerous chemicals that mimic estrogen in our bodies. A study just published in the journal of Environmental Science and Technology says people handling receipt paper often i.e. grocery store clerks, are at a high risk for BPA exposure. (If you are a cashier, consider using gloves) BPA's, also known as Bisphenol A, are chemicals that act like estrogen and can cause hormonal imbalances, PMS, irregular menstrual cycles and they have been linked to problems with reproduction and sexual development. Even behavioral and developmental problems in young children and some kinds of cancer have been linked to BPA exposure. This is just another easy way to avoid excess exposure to BPA's. If you don't need the receipt don't touch it. Also always w...

The Herb Salvia Miltiorrhiza Used in an Extract Helps Osteoporosis. New evidence now exist about the Chinese herb, Salvia Miltiorrhiza. This herb has been used for thousands of years and has been praised for its benefits for cardiovascular disease. The latest study on Salvia Miltiorrhiza indicates that this Chinese herb can also be beneficial to those suffering with osteoporosis, a thinning of the bones or loss of bone density over time. The recent osteoporosis study results showed Salvia Miltiorrhiza (also known as Dan Shen) "significantly reduced the decrease in bone density." The researchers believe the preventative effect of this Chinese herb was "due to its anti-oxidative stress via modulation of osteoclast maturation and number." The researchers went on to say it "appears Salvia Miltiorrhiza could be a promising new osteoporosis therapeutic natural product." As women age and go through menopause they often begin to worry about their bone density. Ch...

Hey folks, Ive got a few articles on particular Chinese herbs from the archives coming your way cleaned up and ready for consumption. But in the meantime, I wanted to let you know that the newest issue of Chinese Medicine Quarterly is up. This time, writers were asked to think about the concept of Wind in Chinese medicine. Who hasnt considered Wind as they study Chinese medicine? Such a strange concept do we really mean WIND? And whats with the association with wood? So many types of wind! How do we defend against it? What happens when a person is impacted by it? Ive always had so many questions I cant guarantee your questions about wind will be answered with this issue, but you will enjoy yourself nonetheless. If youre interested in reading more about the issue, just click this link. Oh, and this time around you can get your issue in print, if you so desire. Thats new! Thanks for reading, Eric

Using Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for menstrual cramps has overdose risks Acetaminophen also known as Tylenol, causes severe liver toxicity and slightly too much can be fatal A study released on Nov. 22, 2011 in the UK showed repeated doses of "slightly too much acetaminophen" can be fatal. The study was published online November 22 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. "On admission, these staggered overdose patients were more likely to have liver and brain problems, require kidney dialysis or help with breathing and were at a greater risk of dying than people who had taken single overdoses," senior author Kenneth J. Simpson, MBChB (Hons), MD, FRCP (Edin), from the University of Edinburgh and Scottish Liver Transplant Unit in the United Kingdom, said in a news release."They haven't taken the sort of single-moment, one-off massive overdoses taken by people who try to commit suicide, but over time the damage builds up, and the effect can be fatal,...

FDA just approved a subligual Ambien for "insomnia in the middle of the night followed by difficulty returning to sleep" It has taken a few years, but the FDA has now approved Intermezzo, a low dose drug with the same active ingredient as Ambien. Zolpidem tartrate will now be in a sublingual tablet form rather than the sleeping pill, Ambien. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, said Shakespeare and in this case Intermezzo is still Ambien and the side-effects are the same. For people who have difficulty staying asleep and can't fall back to sleep we recommend an herbal sleep aid that has been used for centuries, safely. If you are looking for a completely safe and natural sleep aid that can be taken in the middle of the night and works without side-effects you owe it to yourself to try Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine. The herbs in our iSleep Herb Pack have been used safely and effectively for hundreds of years and clinically tested on thousands of patients...

The results of a study by the Guttmacher Institute were just released. It tells an interesting story about why American teenage girls are choosing birth control pills for noncontraceptive reasons. The study points out that little data has been gathered previously on the use of oral contraception for purposes beyond that of preventing pregnancy. The federally funded survey done from 2006-2008 titled the "National Survey of Family Growth" examined the reasons why women and teens are using the pill for noncontraceptive reasons. The Guttmacher Institute estimated from this survey that 1.5 million women in the U.S. are using oral contraception for noncontraceptive purposes. This includes reasons such as acne, primary dysmenorrhea, prevention of migraines, fibroids, excessive pelvic pain, bleeding and other "side effects" of menstruation. The Guttmacher institute says "The reliance on birth control pills for noncontraceptive reasons is highest among pill users who ...

Todays blog Im looking for some feedback, because, people on all continents, for thousands of years have used the power of herbal remedies. After all these years of use, and thanks to modern chemistry, we know which plants produce what compounds that makes it effective as an herbal sleep aid , an herb for energy, an antimicrobial or for whatever therapeutic results is intended. Today we farm these herbs all around the world, including in California as my last post described the growing of Da Zao, the Chinese herb well known for digestion. But, is there a difference between an herb (Chinese herb or Western herb) which is farm raised compared to one which grows naturally in the wild? Wild crafted herbs were historically the only ones used for healing benefits. Agriculture is a fairly recent event in the 60,000 years since Neanderthal man. Plants growing today in nature obviously live in a more hostile environment than those living on a farm. Farm raised herbs are protected by the farme...

A slightly unusual yet inspiring story appeared on the front page of the LA Times today. It is about a farmer in California's Central Valley near Fresno, who has been growing out of the ordinary produce. He is growing one very common Chinese herb called Jujube fruit. This fruit is fetching higher than average prices within the Asian community who understand the value of this Chinese date. It's a touching story, I'm just surprised it made the front page of the LA Times. Used in many traditional Chinese herbal formulas, Da Zao as it's referred to in Mandarin, is often added to improve the digestability of other herbs in formulas. Jujube is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to improve digestion, improve energy and to nourish the blood. This is one reason you can find it in our Energy Booster Herb Pack. It can be eaten right off the tree or dried and used in a tea, congee, (hot cereal) or used to sweeten rice or other foods. Jujube like many Chinese herbs doubles as bo...

The health benefits of Lycium fruit, otherwise known as Goji berries are nearly unmatched by any other berry. While Western countries are just recently discovering these incredible antioxidants, Chinese medicine has been using them for centuries. Many foods and herbs overlap in Traditional Chinese Medicine, (TCM) and goji berries is one of these, a food used in herbal remedies. Today we are finding goji in energy drinks , energy bars and as a stand alone dried fruit in many health food stores. A recent study at the University of Basel in Switzerland showed lycium to have " antioxidative properties and some interesting pharmacological activities in the context of age related diseases such as atherosclerosis and diabetes."1 Lycium berries have a long history of use in Chinese medicine. They are commonly seen in cooking recipes from soups to congee (hot cereal) to stews. Goji berries are known as a tonic herb for the blood, considered a liver protector and especially beneficial...

If there was a drug to prevent children allergic to peanuts or to prevent other allergies in children surely it would be big news. When Chinese herbs to do the same thing, it does not hit the front of a single newspaper. It's hard to believe, especially since food allergies have been on the rise in children. If I child goes into a anaphylaxtic shock as a result of a peanut allergy it is always a serious event. A study recently done on two Chinese herbs; Rubia cordifolia ( Qiancao ) and Dianthus superbus ( Qumai ) has the potential to save lives. Researchers at Mount Sinai Medical Center have studied how these herbal extracts can suppress IgE production and prevent peanut-induced anaphylaxis. Study Results "Rubia cordifolia and Dianthus superbus inhibited the in vitro IgE production by a human B-cell line in a dose-dependent manner and the in vivo IgE production in a murine model of peanut allergy without affecting peanut-specific-IgG1 levels. After challenge, all mice in the...

One of my great passions is to practice Chinese herbalism as close as possible to the way it was practiced when the great texts of our medicine were compiled. I may not always practice that way, and Im not so arrogant to think its the only way, but for now it is my dearest wish and something that brings me (and my patients) great satisfaction. Because of this passion, I have always been keenly interested in the way individual herbs are prepared and the way those individual herbs are then offered to patients. One facet of that interest revolves around the difference between prescribing bulk herbs versus prescribing granules. Tim Rudowsky of Green Tea Apothecary (at Cookmyherbs.com ) shares my passion and has turned it into a business! In this months podcast, we dig into the issue and have a good deal of fun along the way. This podcast also features a new musical intro by one of my favorite new electronic music artists, Oleg Mokhov. Show notes 1. Green Tea Apothecary : www.cookmyherbs.c...

Anyone wanting a good price for acupuncture might be interested in community acupuncture. But what does this term mean and is this the McDonalds of Chinese medicine? A quick look at a website from a community acupuncture association called ACMACs (the association of community and multibed acupuncture clinics) states its all about affordability for the patient. A practical example of this is the community acupuncture network ( http://www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org/ ) . They state it is a non-profit organisation based in America that gives a price range from $15-$40 per treatment. Google community acupuncture Australia and you might find a site that has cheap acupuncture, cash only. A basic dictionary definition of community is a group of people with a shared interest. When I asked a couple of friends about this in the context of acupuncture they came up with ideas like: not for profit, or a volunteer service by people to help others. Surely thats how it would be so ...

1. Chinese Her bal Medicine is Used by One Third of Earth's Population Are you part of the 33%? If you use Chinese herbs to help you sleep, give you energy or just provide you with relief from menopause hot flashes and night sweats, you should know you are part of the growing world wide explosion of use of Traditional Chinese Medicine. As populations increase more and more people world wide are looking to the medicine they know their ancestors trusted and depended upon. Western doctors are not trained in herbal medicine and are often intimidated by the 6. Herbs are synergistic; they work with our immune system. Many herbs, like ginseng, for example, are all in one, immune-stimulant, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic and anti-oxidant. Herbal formulas often work on multiple organ systems to improve overall health. No prescription drug can do that. Ginseng is one of the main herbs in our Energy Booster Herb Pack. 2. Herbal Formulas Have Been Studied and Tested Imagine how much more ...

The time is upon us, folks. If youve been mulling over joining the course now is the time. Less than half of the Founding Member spots remain and I will be closing registration at 12:00pm PST (GMT -8) tomorrow (Thursday October 20). If you want to sign up, just click this link to go to the sign-up page. We have people from nearly every continent, from a variety of professions (veterinarians, stay-at-home-moms, lay herbalists, Chinese medicine practitioners with decades of experience, brand new Chinese medicine practitioners, students) and everyone is very excited to get started. Join us check out the course page today to learn more. C ontact me with any questions. PS: Im recording a new podcast today, and hope to have it posted before the end of the month! If you havent listened to the podcasts before, check out the Deepest Health podcast archive.

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month Can green tea help reduce the risk factors for breast cancer? A study recently published in Molecular Food & Nutrition Research examined the relationship between the consumption of green tea and breast cancer. Green tea has been associated with lowering circulating estrogen levels and may be one of the many mechanisms to reduce cancer risks. Green tea is just one of hundreds of herbal remedies used in Chinese medicine and as part of a healthy lifestyle through out Asia. Interestingly, Asian women have the lowest incident of breast cancer in the world. Green tea has been evaluated for it's protective factors in connection with cancer in many studies. Tea polyphenols have been shown to prevent the binding of estrogen to its receptors in breast cancer cells. Green tea is rich in tea catechinsepigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin (EC), and epicatechin gallate (ECG)which possess cancer chemoprotective attributes. EG...

The Australian newspaper checked out the boot camp the day I was down there a few weeks ago! I didn't get a mention as I was actually training, but Hugh Jackman did, check it out! Here's the link for the article as well: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/boot-cramp/story-e6frg7mf-1226167073165

Im excited to say that the Shennong course is enrolling (almost 1/4 of the Founding Member spots are filled up already!) and we have an incredible community of students building. Once all this enrollment business is done, I will get back to reposting the best of Deepest Healths old blog content as well as adding new podcasts, some video & a couple of blog posts that have been in the works for several weeks. Many people have had questions about the course, and so Ive updated the sign-up page to reflect my most clarified understanding. But, to make things simpler for people, I am listing the answers to those questions here in question-answer format. You might find a question you had answered here so look through. Above all, get your registration done sooner rather than later Im only accepting 50 people into this Founding Member class and Ive been frankly surprised at how fast those spots are going. Frequently Asked Questions How long is the course? Whats the pace? What if Im busy ...

Did you hear the news, a new study on ginger root found this Chinese herbs helps reduce colon inflammation and may reduce colon cancer risk. The interest in Chinese herbs is growing all the time. New studies on the cancer prevention properties on herbal remedies which have been used for centuries are multiplying. Westerners are learning some of the age old practices well known in Asia for centuries. Ginger is used both as a food and as a medicine in Asia cultures. "Interest in this is only going to increase as people look for ways to prevent cancer that are nontoxic and improve their quality of life in a cost-effective way," said lead author Suzanna Zick in a news release. Zick is a naturopathic doctor and a research assistant professor at the University of Michigan Medical School. This latest study on ginger root supplements found that evidence of ginger's benefits (2 grams daily) after just 28 days of use. The participants were at normal risk for cancer of the colon, th...

This is going to be a brief update I wont take much of your time. First I apologize for the recent bombardment with podcasts! The good news is that the podcast is fully updated, and new episodes are already lined up through October, November and December! Listening to those old podcasts is very interesting for me, and Ive heard its helpful for listeners as well. You can check out the new, improved podcast archive page by clicking this link. Second and maybe most importantly Im excited to announce that the Shennong Chinese Herb Learning Course is live and ready for new students to enroll. Enrollment will be limited to 50 Founding Members ( as described on the sign-up page ) and will only be open until October 20. The first module will be posted to the site on October 25, 2011. Theres plenty to do between now and then, though, including downloading the syllabus, getting your accounts set up, interacting with your fellow students, and getting PUMPED for the course. So sign up soon - s...

I am practicing acupuncture and herbs from Gp on Ebley in Bondi Junction. This is a very dynamic and progressive general practitioners surgery with a range of specialists working from it. Here's a snap shot of me on their website :) Great to be a part of it :) This is there website: http://www.gponebleymedicalcentre.com.au