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Food wisdom

Food wisdom

by | 1717,Aug, 2021 | Harmony and health

Universal principles for healthy eating

If we look at how different peoples eat around the world, we find a dietary wisdom that transcends sociocultural differences.

Factors related to the land, climate, and culture of each people influence how they eat and prepare their food. First, individuals naturally tend to prefer what their mothers fed them during their early childhood.

The environment also plays a role. People living by the sea will consume more seafood. Those who make their living from animal agriculture will naturally consume more meat.

However, all peoples of the world have always consumed grains, roots, legumes, vegetables, and fruits.

Collecte du riz

Universal ancestral practices

Throughout the world, we also find consistent methods in the preparation of certain foods to preserve them: salting, drying, smoking. Similarly, milk is frequently consumed curdled or soured. This is primarily intended to reduce bacterial contamination and improve its nutritional quality.

The same is true for the lactofermentation of vegetables. This also allows them to be preserved while increasing their nutritional value. This process is now making a comeback.

Green leaves are widely consumed around the world, whether amaranth, pumpkin, sweet potato, and cassava leaves, or wild salads such as dandelion, lettuce, etc. These leaves are rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), iron, and calcium. People have always naturally consumed foods that are beneficial to their health, just as animals do.

Similarly, sprouting legume seeds is an ancestral practice. It helps increase their bioavailability and therefore the body’s absorption of nutrients such as iron, zinc, magnesium, and certain amino acids. This practice is also becoming very popular again among those looking for a healthy diet.

Tradition to the test by the agri-food industry

 

The traditional diets of most societies in so-called “poor” countries are good diets. They contain many protein-rich foods: insects, snakes, monkeys, dogs, cats, seafood, snails, etc. They also include wild fruits, rich in vitamin C. All of these foods are very beneficial.

With the arrival of urbanization and the development of the agri-food industry, dietary wisdom has been undermined. Basic products have become increasingly refined (sugar, flour, etc.), packaged with heavy amounts of salt, sugar, glutamate, and more or less toxic additives.

Furthermore, television and the media relentlessly promote these products, to the definite benefit of the agri-food industry, and in defiance of dietary wisdom. This has led to significant changes in eating habits, including in poor countries. As a result, we are witnessing a significant deterioration in health.

Reconnecting with natural foods

Furthermore, due to social pressure, some countries have begun consuming too much meat, seafood, eggs, and other animal-based foods. These excesses have led to an increase in cholesterol and even cancer.

It is crucial today to return to dietary wisdom. To counter the propaganda and aggressive marketing of junk food vendors, it is important for influential figures to speak out publicly to restore balance. The internet can also play a valuable role in re-educating.

Returning to dietary wisdom means understanding that commercial interests never go hand in hand with altruism and the health of people. It means reconnecting as much as possible with fresh and natural products, preferably grown without chemicals. This also means taking the time to prepare and cook them yourself. Similarly, when it comes to babies, it is essential to favor breast milk and local, natural products.

The principles of Chinese dietetics

family meal

The universal wisdoms teach us to:

  • Eat fresh food
  • Have meals at regular times and in peace
  • Eat little
  • Take time to eat and chew
  • Eat fresh vegetables and fruits in large quantities
  • Consume animal products in moderation
  • Abstain from refined sugar and alcohol
  • Ban fried foods

The anger

The anger

by | 1111,Aug, 2021 | Traditional chinese medicine

Anger is associated with the Liver

Anger expressed

The anger is related to the energy of wood, and therefore to the organ of the Liver. It is a rising energy, powerful and explosive. Think of the power it takes for a seed to sprout and become a tree! In TCM, anger is therefore an energy of movement and creativity.

This energy will become pathological when anger is expressed excessively, over a long period of time, or repeatedly, or conversely if it is repressed. The unspoken is a source of imbalance of the liver.

Anger in the broadest sense encompasses many emotions such as irritability, aggressiveness, impatience, resentment, irritation, bitterness, hatred, resentment, rage…

Anger causes a rise in qi, which manifests itself as a red face. In TCM, this rise in energy is called “Liver fire”. This can sometimes generate headaches.

Repressed anger

Conversely, repressed anger or frustration leads to another type of imbalance, “liver qi stagnation.”

Symptoms of frustration, irritability, anxiety, chest fullness, menstrual problems, and indigestion can then occur. Over time, these symptoms develop into premenstrual syndrome, depression, chronic fatigue, and, in some cases, hepatitis.

Anger or frustration can therefore lead to liver imbalance, and conversely, liver imbalance can produce symptoms of anger or frustration.

Pathologies

The liver manages energy and ensures its harmonious distribution in the body. According to the control (or attack) cycle, if the wood element is out of balance, it can attack the earth element. This will affect the functions of the spleen and stomach. Over time, if this imbalance continues, it can spill over to the water element and create weakness in the kidneys. And so we…

Repressed anger generates a stagnation or an emptying of the liver energy, which is accompanied by digestive problems (bloating, constipation, gas…), mood swings, fatigue and even depression. It can also generate menstrual disorders in women.

The Liver Qi rises and the Lung Qi falls. If they are both in harmony, the Qi flows freely and smoothly. However, sometimes the Liver Qi does not rise and does not diffuse; this is one of the main causes of Qi stagnation.

This can occur in various parts of the body, such as the hypochondria, epigastrium, abdomen, uterus, throat and head. It can affect the Lung, altering the descent function of the Lung Qi, (which results in a feeling of distension in the chest, depression, coughing and shortness of breath.

The rise of Liver Qi can also become “rebellious” (rise of Liver Yang), reach the head and cause headache and irritability; it can also disturb the descent of Lung Qi and cause coughing, shortness of breath, and headache. Liver Fire can have the same effects, plus redness of the eyes.

All the pathological conditions described above can be found in the Five Elements theory under the term “The Liver Outrages the Lungs.”

The descent of Lung Qi causes Qi and fluids to descend to the Kidneys and Bladder. If Lung Qi cannot descend, it will stagnate in the chest and cause coughs and asthma.

The Liver is also associated with the eyes. Any imbalance in the liver can therefore cause vision problems. It is also associated with muscles and tendons. An imbalanced liver can therefore affect muscles and tendons.

Treatment

If the liver is out of balance, Chinese medicine can treat the organ with a proper diet, herbs and acupuncture. But if the patient lives in a situation that regularly triggers anger and leaves him or her feeling angry all the time – whether or not this anger is conscious or expressed – the liver will continue to be damaged.

In this case, outside medical help may not be enough to bring it back into balance, and the patient will also have to reduce the factors that trigger anger, and also learn to manage this anger. Breathing exercises, relaxation, techniques like yoga, meditation, qi gong will be beneficial.

Foods that are harmful to the liver

Junk food

A good diet is essential for liver health. Liver and gallbladder diseases are often caused by excessive, indigestible, and unhealthy diets. The liver’s main enemies are: Sugar (and alcohol)

Sugar (and alcohol)

One of the liver’s main enemies in our diet is sugar, particularly refined (white) sugar. It is, of course, consumed in excess (4 times too much on average). Glucose is a vital fuel for our body, but in very small quantities. Any excess will lead to liver imbalance.

Processed Foods

The food industry offers us a whole range of processed foods containing colorings, flavor enhancers (flavorings, sugar and salt, vanilla), and preservatives. These synthetic substances contain a large number of chemical molecules that overload our liver. They should ideally be eliminated from our diet.

Stimulant Drinks

To boost our physical and/or mental abilities, we consume alcohol, tobacco, tea, chocolate, and coffee, which are certainly stimulants but also toxic. Their active ingredients (theine, caffeine, and theobromine in chocolate) are part of the alkaloid family, which are poisonous to our liver.

It seems that the “boost” felt after consuming these “foods” is actually our body’s reaction to the stress caused by these toxic molecules, which it seeks to eliminate. Furthermore, these substances block digestion and promote fermentation.

Low back pain

Low back pain

by | 55,Aug, 2021 | Traditional chinese medicine

Low back pain (or Yāo tòng) as seen by TCM

The Chinese term yao tong refers to back pain, whether unilateral or bilateral. Low back pain is often encountered in clinical practice. It is not uncommon for this seemingly simple complaint to conceal other complications such as:

  • a lumbar disc herniation,
  • a lumbar disc protrusion (collapse of the vertebral discs),
  • kidney stones,
  • spinal osteoarthritis (degeneration of the intervertebral disc).

Sciatica or back pain (particularly in the lower back) affects between 50 and 70% of the population. The origins vary, lasting from a few days in the acute phase to several years. Traditional Chinese medicine links these conditions to the kidneys and bladder.

Low back pain is back pain that originates in the muscles located on either side of the spine (the quadratus lumborum). Spasms of these muscles cause significant pain. This pain begins below the last thoracic vertebra (L1), descends through the buttocks, extending behind the thigh, then behind the knees, and sometimes to the toes.

Less well-known is cruralgia, a pain that focuses on the front of the thighs and outer buttocks and can extend to the front of the knee, shins, and toes.

Both types of pain are often felt on only one side of the body.

Etiology

These low back pains can have very diverse origins:

  • Excess of physical activity
  • Unsuitable physical activity
  • Bad posture (or prolonged position)
  • Sudden movement (without respect for joint physiology)
  • Exaggerated repetition of a movement
  • Heavy loads lifted
  • Traumatic injuries
  • Lack of physical activity
  • Excessive sexual activity
  • Pregnancy and childbirth
  • Overwork

Clinical signs

Chinese medicine identifies through its diagnosis different syndromes at the origin of the pathology:

  • A cold wet wind: this is a pervert that can invade the Bladder meridian. The cold contracts the muscles of the back. Moisture hinders the circulation of Qi and Blood, thus causing obstruction, which is a source of pain.
  • Heat-humidity: when pathogenic factors (heat – humidity) penetrate and stagnate in the body, there is a feeling of heaviness.
  • The stagnation of Qi and Blood: localized, it causes muscular contractures, and therefore pain.
  • Emptiness of the kidneys: this reinforces the impact of the above-mentioned perversions, as the kidneys can no longer nourish and strengthen the back muscles.

Depending on the syndrome, the pain may have different characteristics:

  • acute or chronic,
  • sensation of cold or heat,
  • heaviness,
  • more intense during the day or night,
  • at rest or in motion,
  • tingling, numbness,
  • fixed or erratic,
  • dull or sharp,
  • revived by emotions,
  • more intense after effort…

The lumbar region, home of the Kidneys

Low back pain is pain in the lumbar region, an area that is connected to the Kidney, Bladder, Governing Vessel and sometimes the Belt Vessel meridians.

According to TCM, the lumbar area is connected to the Kidney. This organ is also coupled to the Bladder. The Bladder meridian is a long meridian that runs down the spine, continues behind the thigh, joins the calf and ends on the side of the foot at the little toe.

“The lumbar region is the home of the Kidneys and the root of the Qi.” Their deficiency promotes the penetration of perverts into the lumbar region. The Zu Tai Yang (Bladder) meridian as well as the Du Mai (Governor) meridian run through the lumbar region. If perverts invade and obstruct these meridians and the Kidneys fail to defend their home, lumbago occurs.

The invasion of external perverts

Sweating, living in a cold and humid environment, working in water or in a humid environment, etc. can all make the body susceptible to external perverts such as Wind, Cold, and Damp. If other internal factors are added, such as excessive consumption of hot, spicy, and greasy foods, these perverts can, in a second stage, transform into Damp-heat.

When attacked by these external perverts, the meridians become blocked. Wind is a Yang pervert that often begins in the Yang meridians when it invades the body.

Cold and Damp are Yin perverts, which often begin by attacking the feet and then spread upward.

The latter two do not necessarily cause lower back pain, except in cases of Kidney Yang Deficiency.

If you sweat a lot or work in a cold and humid environment, your body may be prone to these attacks. Wind is primarily responsible because it is a Yang pervert that attacks the Yang meridians, namely the Bladder and Gallbladder meridians.

The attack, however, will remain superficial, mainly affecting muscle tissue.

Riziculture

Mechanical trauma

Lower back pain can develop gradually following trauma to the lumbar vertebrae, such as an accident. It often develops following prolonged muscle tension related to: tension, stress, poor posture, an accident, or carrying excessive weight.

In the event of a sprain or strain, local meridians are affected, leading to Qi stagnation and blood stasis, and consequently pain.

The consequences can be more or less serious, including the displacement of a vertebra or the pelvis.

Without prompt intervention, the body can quickly compensate by correcting posture, thus creating new tension and therefore new pain.

It is then recommended to consult an osteopath or physiotherapist to restore correct posture.

Emotions and Aging

Any intellectual overwork or sexual excess can affect the Kidney organ, draining its energy and thus impacting the lower back. Strong emotions related to the Kidneys, such as fear and anxiety, can trigger delayed lower back pain.

Chronic illness will also consume Qi and Blood, as will aging. Kidney Qi and Yang function to warm and circulate Blood so that it fills the meridians and nourishes muscles, tendons, bones, tissues, etc.

If Qi and Blood are weakened, they will be unable to fulfill this function, which will generate internal cold and a buildup of mucus. As a result, the lower back will receive less warmth and nutrition. This will result, among other things, in lower back pain.

The Kidneys also govern the bones. Weakness in this area can, of course, trigger lower back pain.

If Qi and Blood are weakened, they will not be able to fulfill this function, which will generate internal cold and a buildup of mucus. As a result, the lower back will receive less warmth and nutrition. This will result, among other things, in lower back pain. The Kidneys also govern the bones. Weakness here can, of course, trigger lower back pain.

Therapeutic techniques

Acupuncture and moxibustion can provide quick and satisfying results. The work involves clearing heat, warming the meridians, and dispelling cold to eliminate perverse conditions. It is also important to regulate Qi and Blood to nourish the Kidneys.

It is important to use Chinese medicine to enhance the work of acupuncture. Qi gong is highly recommended for strengthening and nourishing the kidneys and promoting the circulation of Qi throughout the body.

We also use cupping and Chinese Tuina massage. However, using Chinese medicine is essential.

The duration of treatment depends on the individual’s situation. An acute attack can be relieved in a few sessions. Chronic lower back pain will take longer to heal. The results will be faster and more lasting if the patient makes the appropriate changes in their lifestyle.

Indeed, it is important to adapt your lifestyle (diet, sports activities, etc.) while limiting stress factors.

Osteopathy and exercise

Ostéopathie

​A number of tests should be performed to identify muscle hypertonia or hypotonia, and localized or distal osteoarticular imbalance.

Low back pain can therefore manifest itself as a result of various physical conditions:

  • an improperly treated ankle sprain,
  • trauma to the knees (ligaments, menisci, etc.),
  • a frozen shoulder,
  • hypertonic quadratus lumborum (which accentuates lumbar lordosis),
  • hypotonic abdominal muscles, etc.

Osteoarticular adjustments should therefore be performed to restore balance, allowing the free circulation of blood and energy, and to relieve pain.

Physical exercises are also recommended to strengthen the back and abs (especially static exercises).

Treatment of eczema

Treatment of eczema

by | 2828,Jul, 2021 | Traditional chinese medicine

Chinese medicine treats the cause

Eczema is a common and rapidly disabling condition. Its causes are multiple, but most often related to blood disorders. Unfortunately, the patients who consult us often have long-standing eczema. We cannot stress this enough: any condition should promptly be consulted by a traditional practitioner to prevent it from becoming chronic.

It is therefore necessary to consider the history, appearance, and progression of the lesions to understand their significance and develop the most appropriate treatment. In the acute phase, it is necessary to cool the heat, disperse the wind, and eliminate humidity. In the chronic phase, it is necessary to nourish the blood and moisturize the dryness.

It’s also important to look for possible damage to one of the eight extraordinary meridians and adjust your diet.

Finally, it’s essential to address the emotional aspect of eczema, as the skin organ is linked to our emotional state.

Our history and our relationship with our parents, especially our mother, also influence our emotions.

Some people retain intense anger from their adolescence, others great sadness, or a strong bond of emotional dependence.

Chinese medicine treats eczema after identifying its origin. It is difficult to get rid of it. The creams and treatments offered by Western medicine may relieve the symptoms, but they do not address the cause and often cause side effects.

This is why many people suffering from eczema turn to traditional medicine, which, according to its holistic approach, will identify and treat the cause of this condition.

TCM uses pharmacopoeia in conjunction with acupuncture to achieve this goal. However, the Chinese medicine practitioner will also advise their patient on their diet and ask about their lifestyle, as poorly managed stress and recurring emotional disturbances have a significant impact on eczema.

The patient will therefore need to adapt their lifestyle in parallel with the treatment they are receiving to support the treatment and promote healing.

In all cases, and especially if the eczema has been present for some time, it will take time to get rid of it.

The patient will therefore have to commit to the long term and not give in to discouragement. However, improvements can be felt quickly, and therefore the discomfort significantly reduced. Since each case is different, it is impossible to predict precisely how and after how long this improvement will be felt.

Causes

Several possible causes or “perverse” factors can be identified that can lead to eczema: heat, wind, humidity, or dryness. The nature of the lesions provides clues as to the origin.

Heat

The skin is red with a local burning sensation, and it is swollen. The origin is what TCM calls Fire, which comes from within.

This Fire can come from an unbalanced diet, including excessive consumption of so-called fatty or hot foods (fried foods, spices, alcohol, dairy products, etc.). This first generates excessive stagnation in the stomach, then Fire in the stomach or gallbladder.

Emotional disturbances can also generate Heart and Liver Fire. Finally, blood heat can turn into dryness with yin deficiency and the release of heat.

piments

Dryness

The skin is dry with scales and crusts. Eczama in this case is linked to a lack of body fluids, due to blood deficiency, or kidney yin deficiency, or sometimes due to lung or liver yin deficiency.

Irritation cutanée

Wind

In cases of pruritus (itching), the origin of the condition will be related to wind. If this wind is of internal origin, it is often the result of a lack of blood. In this case, the itching is less intense but chronic, worsening at night.

If it is of external origin, the itching is intense and widespread, generally on the upper body. It is generally improved by cold.

The origin can also be Wind associated with Heat. The eczema will then be dry but itchy, and the tongue will be very red with a white coating. It is generally the result of stagnation of Liver Qi, itself generated by annoyances, pent-up anger, and frustration.

Dampness

Dampness, like dryness, is often associated with wind or heat. The lesions are sticky, sometimes purulent, and present with vesicles or blisters.

Its origin can be external (accumulation of dampness-heat or penetration of wind-dampness) or internal.

Internal dampness is often linked to an energetic imbalance in the Spleen, such as a Qi deficiency. The origin is often dietary (excessive consumption of cold or sugary foods that exhaust the Spleen).

Treatment

As for any pathology, after a diagnosis to identify the cause(s) of the eczema as precisely as possible, we immediately combine acupuncture with pharmacopoeia. We encourage our patients to go directly to a traditional pharmacy to receive herbal ointments.

During one or more sessions, we also offer an examination of the patient’s eating habits in order to help him/her find a suitable and, if possible, pleasing diet. Finally, we invite our patients to follow the precepts and techniques of Yǎngshēng, the Chinese medicine art of living for health and longevity.

As with any chronic illness, we propose qi gong as a fundamental support for the proper management of one’s emotions. Finally, it is important for each person to identify his or her own priorities in relation to health. It is gratifying to note that those who decide to do everything possible to get out of it, obtain results.

Let’s not forget that each person is his or her own doctor!

The effectiveness of TCM on eczema

Pharmacopée chinoise

Three studies conducted between 2006 and 2008 at the Ming Qi Natural Health Center (New York, USA) aimed to evaluate the impact of Chinese medicine on eczema.

In one study, 37 young patients with eczema were given a herbal decoction, while the other group received a placebo. At the beginning of the study, more than half of the participants had severe symptoms. Those who received the treatment experienced greater symptom relief than those who received the placebo.

“Improvement in symptoms and quality of life was seen by the third month,” says researcher Julia Wisniewski. And after eight months of treatment, most had mild symptoms. Eighteen of the patients experienced a 90% or greater reduction in their eczema.

In another study, several participants drank a Chinese herbal decoction. They also took herbal baths, and applied herbal creams to the affected areas. Finally, they received acupuncture sessions. This combination of therapies significantly reduced the symptoms of most participants, who started the study with severe eczema and ended it with very mild symptoms.

Participants also reported a reduction in the use of antibiotics steroids and antihistamines within three months of their TCM treatment.

“Chinese medicine is a very good alternative to conventional treatment for patients with eczema,” the researchers concluded.

The sadness

The sadness

by | 2929,Jun, 2021 | Traditional chinese medicine

It is associated with the metal element in TCM

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), sadness is associated with the lungs and the metal element. This emotion is more difficult to experience than joy, as it is often associated with loss, grief, or events experienced as painful.

And yet, sadness is part of the range of human emotions and must therefore be fully experienced. Seeking to suppress it, or perceiving it negatively, can only lead to repression and, ultimately, energy imbalances.

Conversely, experiencing sadness with too much intensity, or remaining trapped in it for too long, can also affect energy balance and lead to pathologies of the lungs, or even the large intestine, the bowel associated with the metal element.

The ability to experience grief, to feel and accept sadness, to let tears flow wisely, will therefore guarantee a good balance of the metal element, and therefore harmonious functioning of the lungs and large intestine.

Function of the lungs in TCM

The lungs are responsible for inhaling clean, oxygen-rich air and for expelling carbon dioxide and toxic waste. The lungs regulate the Qi inhaled with the air and distribute it throughout the body. They contribute to the circulation of blood and Wei Qi (protective Qi).

The lungs help Qi and fluids move down into the intestines. They are responsible for the excretion of bodily fluids in the form of urine and sweat.

In TCM, the lungs also control the skin, regulating the opening and closing of pores and the activity of sweat glands. For example, during exercise or in hot weather, the pores will open to allow perspiration. Conversely, in cold weather or in windy conditions, the pores will close to protect the body from these external aggressions.

The pulmonary system also regulates the sinuses, bronchi, nose, throat, and voice. The ability to feel and speak with a clear voice depends on him.

Poumons

Lung pathologies

Since the lungs are closely connected to the heart, they also have an impact, along with the heart, on the proper circulation of blood in the blood vessels. For this same reason, certain lung pathologies can develop into heart disease.

Since the lungs control breathing, lung disease can manifest as shortness of breath, coughing, chest tightness, lack of desire to speak, a weak voice, dyspnea, or even asthma.

Since the lungs control the skin and hair, an imbalance can result in dry or flaccid skin, thinning or dull hair. Since the sweat glands are poorly controlled, spontaneous perspiration, night sweats, or hot flashes can result.

In TCM, the lung is said to “open to the nose.” Therefore, colds, rhinitis, and anosmia (disturbances or loss of smell) can occur in cases of lung imbalance. Finally, since the lung controls the “waterways”, a lung dysfunction can cause oliguria (infrequency of urine) or edema.

The Po or corporeal soul

Since the large intestine is the bowel associated with the lung in TCM, in the metal element, poorly managed sadness can also lead to diarrhea or constipation.

On a subtle level, the lung houses the Po, or “corporeal soul,” which is the most material part of the human soul. It allows for sensations: hearing, sight, touch. It is thanks to it that we perceive heat, cold, itching, and pain.

It is therefore particularly important to take care of our sadness so that it does not lead to lung pathologies.

A full breath

The corporeal soul, or Po, is closely linked to breathing. It is affected by emotions such as sadness or grief, which block its movements. We may then observe short, shallow breaths, and breathing localized in the upper chest.

To take care of our health in general, and our lungs in particular, it is crucial to relearn how to breathe fully. A newborn’s natural breathing is abdominal. But the older we get, the more tension and poorly managed emotions restrict our breathing. Where we should be using our breath to recharge our batteries, we breathe barely enough to stay alive.

It is therefore essential to become aware of our breathing and restore its full mobility. To do this, we should practice abdominal breathing daily, inhaling and exhaling as slowly as possible, in a relaxed manner. Practicing pranayama in yoga, or practicing qigong, frees our breathing, allowing the Breath of Life to fully animate us!