A Short History on the Medicines of Nature

Way back in the early 1900s, vegetables, cereals and fruits were simply things to eat. Everyone including doctors only thought of these things as substances that will satisfy one's appetite and at the same time supplied fuel to the body. Beyond this fact no one had the slightest knowledge of the healing effects it have on our bodies.

But with the introduction of biochemistry as one of the topics overed in medical schools, human kind began to discover the fundamental, that health and strength do not depend so much on the specific substances we ingest as food, as they do on the vital organic and mineral contents of these substances!

Tomato

When first cultivated, the tomato was thought to be poisonous even by medical men of standing, was considered as a cause of cancer, and partaken of by few people. With its development into a large, luscious fruit-vegetable, the old idea was thrown into the discard with many other erroneous popular opinions, and the tomato was accepted both as wholesome food and as a delicacy. What is the real, though generally unknown reason for its popularity? Nothing less than its richness in organic and mineral elements, possessing as it does, an average of Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, Phosphorus, besides other valuable elements.

Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard, once not even considered either herb or vegetable, but a weed, is now almost as great a favorite as broccoli. Its contents include Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Phosphorus, and other elements just as valuable though less in quantity.

Celery

Celery is possibly one of the most universally appreciated vegetables. Not so long ago it was considered an herb, splendid as a tea for the nervous. Celery, like the tomato and the apple, has developed from a favorite medicine into a food.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb is another vegetable that was considered a medicine of value in constipation. Gradually it was accepted as good material for delicious pies, then as an appetizing sauce, and finally, splendid for the making of wine!

Lettuce

Lettuce, formerly good food for cattle and chickens, is now a universal favorite and is preparable in many forms.

Beets

Beets once were once cattle food, but due to their appearance and appeal to the appetite, gradually found their way to the table as food for man also.

Onions

Onions, universally liked and as universally despised, are rich in Potassium and Phosphorus. They are the ideal remedy in the onset of colds and all bronchial trouble. These vegetables are all accepted as desirable. 'A hundred and fifty years ago practically every mother knew how to roast or hake onions until soft, then squeeze out the juice and sweeten with honey to give to the children for colds, coughs, even Croup or Pneumonia. It has lost none of its virtues. The family doctor was called only as a last resort.

Mushroom

This was once considered a fungus pure and simple, also a poison. Now it is a great favorite with almost all people. Its richest element is Iodine and it therefore is the ideal food:for those suffering from under-development and goitre.

Seaweed

Seaweed, also known as Irish moss and by various other names, has the same value as the mushroom. It is rich in germ-plasm and Iodine.

Herbs

Next to be considered are a few of those plant products which still are classified as herbs. White Oak bark was a universal favorite with the early physicians. Potash is part of its mineral elements. Gout, rheumatism, intermittent fevers and chronic diarrhoea and other sympathetic maladies were treated with it. Broom Herb, the kidney remedy of the herbalists, also contains Potash. Shave Grass, the favorite kidney remedy is rich in Calcium and Silicon.

Juices

Who is there who does not like fruit and fruit juice drinks? Until lately, fruits helped to satisfy appetite and fruit drinks were considered as soothing in fevers. Fruits also made appetizing wines. What are the real facts. Wild cherry juice, whether fermented or unfermented, was always considered a tonic. The reason for this is its richness in Iron Oxide, Potassium Oxide and Phosphoric Acid.

Fust as wild cherry was known as a tonic, so the juice of the black currant became known as an antiseptic, purifier of the blood and restorative of the nervous system, and an equally valuable remedy in anemia, malnutrition and general debility. Why? Because it is rich in vitamins and positive alkali and contains, among other mineral elements.

Parsley

Consider the lowly parsley once used only to give an added taste to food. Now we know that it is rich in Calcium, Iron, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin and Ascorbic Acid. It is recognized by many doctors as valuable in the treatment of high blood pressure.

Returning to the subject of herbs, their tinctures or other preparations of them. It was not so long ago that that their use as medicines was thought of as an old wives tale. There has been a decided change in this concept and many physicians are replacing the chemical and synthetic preparations with them. To learn more about the benefits of herbs, check out Herbal-Nutrition-Supplements-Guide.com.

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Ayurvedic Remedies - Modern and Other Medicines Embrace Ayurveda

Ayurvedic Remedies as an holistic approach

Ayurvedic Remedies come from ancient traditions that have been widely used in India for 3,500 years. In its purest form Ayurveda involves an entire approach to life, not merely a formulary of treatments for illness. Ayurvedic medicine accentuates disease prevention within the framework of one of civilization's oldest ways of life.

Ayurveda means "longevity through knowledge" in Sanskrit. The concepts guiding ayurvedic medicine involve a five-element view of nature. The five elements include earth, air, fire, and water like ancient Greek science. Ether, Ayurveda's fifth element, actually counts as the first: the essence of emptiness or the luck of evidence of the existence of other elements in that emptiness/space defines ether's place.

In Ayurvedic medicine these elements are combined variously into three doshas, or biological energies:

• Vata - combines air with ether.

• Pitta - mixes fire with water.

• Kapha - blends water with earth.

In Ayurveda each individual has uniquely mingled doshas. In balance they make you healthy, but out of balance they wreak havoc on you. Applying ayurvedic therapy means applying different treatments and exercises designed to restore balance to your doshas. This subsequently restores your health.

For maximum effectiveness Ayurvedic doctors study you personally, identifying your unique ideal dosha balance. Full ayurvedic treatment means integrating combinations of massage, meditation, yoga, diet, natural cleansing, herbal remedies and breathing exercises into your lifestyle. Purists only accept a full Ayurvedic treatment regimen, but you can still benefit from Ayurvedic medicine even if you value modern science over ancient wisdom.

Consider something western medicine calls NETI, an acronym for Nasoendotrachial Irrigation. Modern western medicine recognizes NETI as valid symptomatic treatment for conditions such as upper respiratory infections, allergies and sinusitis. Simply put, NETI means preparing a salt and water solution, snorting it through your nose, and spitting it out without swallowing. Singers use NETI for obstructed nasal channels. It clears them out, restoring optimal tone to their voices.

This illustrates that whether or not you believe that snorting salty water up your nose restores your dosha balance, it still restores your breathing.

Ayurveda always treated head colds and some breathing maladies this way, just as Western medicine eventually learned to. However Ayurveda might include different infusions of herbs or oils, breathing exercises, heat treatment or massages, depending on specific symptoms and body type.

In cases when the prescribed treatment fails to cure the condition permanently, an Ayurvedic doctor might argue that neglecting part of the program limits overall effectiveness. Most Western doctors would say the same thing about a regimen of antibiotics, fluids, and bed rest. Leaving one out, they argue, diminishes results.

Ayurvedic treatments take a comprehensive, holistic, approach when treating patient. The physical emotional and spiritual aspects are all taken into consideration when treating the sick. To address these aspects of the patient, Ayurvedic remedies, such as herbs, oil and herb massages, breathing exercises and meditation are prescribed. In Western Medicine there are some doctors who include meditative practices mimicking Ayurveda to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Autism.

Patients with ADHD or Autism may, however, need medications before such methods can be added. Ayurveda, in such cases, would not likely use meditation alone either. It would include Ayurvedic remedies such as herbal therapy combined with some or all the other means mentioned above

A qualified therapist, when treating such persons, might add relaxation techniques, especially to those who are prone to stress. She or he will instruct you, the patient, to sit or lay down, close your eyes, and, instead of focusing on whatever vexes you, focus on your toes or fingers. Imagine, they might suggest, a calming wave flowing through your distal limbs. They then extend that calming image centrally, drawing it ever closer towards the solar plexus. Eventually you calm down completely.

Some other ancient cultures had discovered Ayurvedic remedies on their own. The classical Ayurvedic treatment for substance abuse, for example, includes steam baths. Native American's therapy for treating alcoholism and drug addiction includes sweat lodge rituals that proved to be very effective. Some physicians, assigned to work within these communities, do not even understand how and why sweat lodges achieve the results that they do, but they cannot argue with their success.

Modern science decides validity by what it cannot prove wrong. Failing to prove something wrong requires experimentation, and ayurvedic medicine doesn't bother itself with it. Ayurvedic therapy of modern days relies on over 3,500 years worth of trial and error to know what works and what does not. Even so, when they clearly do no harm, Western medicine is now ever more open, ever more ready to accepts Ayurvedic Remedies to augment "scientific" treatment, even without understanding how these Ayurvedic Remedies actually work.



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Insomnia Treatment with Chinese Medicines

In Chinese medicine, insomnia is a result of excessive conditions and elements in the body. Food stagnation, liver fire, and heart fire are the common underlying causes of insomnia. Insomnia may also be a symptom of other bodily deficiencies such as the qi deficiency, heart yin deficiency, and blood deficiency.

To treat insomnia through Chinese medicines, it is important that the heat is cleared. A good concoction would be the Emperor's Tea. This tea is a combination of several sedating and nourishing herbs that removes heat from the body, leading to total relaxation. Relaxation, as everybody knows, is conducive to sleeping properly. Other than the Emperor's Tea, other effective Chinese medicines used for insomnia are An Shen Bu Xin and Mien Pien.

Acupuncture is also a good Chinese remedy for insomnia. The application of acupuncture needles on the corresponding points could sedate the person enough to make him feel sleepy. These points are found on the ear, between the eyebrows, and the wrists. It is best that the patient request for acupuncture treatment late in the afternoon. That's the ideal time for this treatment in order for them to enjoy a peaceful and refreshing sleep throughout the night.

For people who regard the idea of being pricked with needles as not really enticing, they could go for the equivalent treatment procedure called acupressure. The elements and the modes of treatment between these two methods are the same. The only difference is that with acupressure, the points in the body is not punctured but are just pressed with a relative amount of force.

Traditional Chinese medicine is governed by the five elements: earth, fire, water, metal, and wood. The whole concept of the Chinese treatment procedures revolves around the positive flow of energy throughout the meridians of the body. The correct interaction of the body organs is also essential in achieving one's perfect health.

The common Chinese herbal remedies used to treat insomnia include lemon balm, lavender, passionflower, and chamomile. Teas made out of these herbs are the perfect home remedies for insomnia. And because these treatments are naturally occurring, they are regarded as natural cures for insomnia.

Cure Insomnia With An Shen Bu Xin Wan

This formula has the ability of treating a person's sleep disorder fast and easy.

Mother of pearl shells is the chief ingredient of this formula as it can settle the heart and calm the spirit. Take An Shen Bu Xin Wan pills three times a day for you to have enough sleep every time you want to relax. You can discontinue taking the pill if stomach irritation or indigestion occurs.

Emperor's Tea remedies For Insomnia

Emperor's tea can remove the toxins in the heart blood and the yin. It can also clear out heat deficiencies. The emperor's tea contains an ingredient called schizandra berries that is capable of increasing your body's resistance to diseases. It also improves the body's capacity in handling stress.

Emperor's tea should be taken for as long as one month to have long-last effect. Take 8 pills 3 times a day.

An Mien Pien For Insomnia Treatment

This Chinese medicinal pill contains two chief ingredients - the ziziphus seed and the polygala root. These two ingredients have a sedative, hypnotic, and nourishing effect to the body, while calming the heart. It can help address anxiety, restlessness and insomnia. Take 4 tablets three times a day.

But more than these effective Chinese medicines, a change in one's lifestyle would also help lot in correcting the problem. Don't take caffeine or sweets a few hours before bedtime. You should also avoid stimulations during the night. This means there should be no computer or television in the bedroom that could otherwise disturb your sleep or prevent you from sleeping at all.



The author is the owner of MyChineseMedicine - www.mychinesemedicine.com [http://www.mychinesemedicine.com]. For more information about Insomnia treatments with Chinese Medicines visit www.mychinesemedicine.com/treatment/insomnia.aspx [http://www.mychinesemedicine.com/treatment/insomnia.aspx]




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Chinese Medicines For Low Blood Pressure

The heart pumps blood for good circulation in the body. The circulatory process is called blood pressure. Whenever a person gets excited, afraid, and angry - the blood pressure increases or decreases. Blood pressure is also related to pulse rate. Whenever there is too much or too less blood flow in the body, there comes a deficiency or disease.

Hypotension is a deficiency pertaining to low blood pressure. This sickness is more common to young women. Even if one has low blood pressure, one should be alarmed because this is a serious condition. In some cases, this condition is caused by improper functioning of the endocrine glands or by the circulatory system.

How will a person determine that one has hypotension? If one is experiencing headaches, dizziness when getting up, not being energetic or weak pulse may have hypotension. However, this is not a symptom of ill health. In many cases, people who have low blood pressure enjoy healthier and longer lives than individuals whose blood pressure is closer to average.

There are countless treatments for this circumstance. It could be taking prescription medicines or any form of detoxification may be helpful. Nevertheless, there is an option or more affordable way to prevent or to treat hypotension. This is through Chinese medicines.

There are herbs that could help treat hypotension. These include ginseng, oats, and hawthorn berries. In addition, there are traditional Chinese medicines that are useful for blood circulation improvements. These include Dang Shen, Huang Qi, Dang Gui,Huang Jing, Bai Zhu, Wu Wei Zi, mix-fried Ma Huang, Zhi Ke, Sheng Ma, and mix-fried Gan Cao. The advantage of taking these medicines is that one can get them simply at their on backyard. This also could prevent from frequent doctor and hospital visits. No matter what the case may be, a good medical examination is still best move to determine the condition in order to treat and prevent low blood pressure.

Other Chinese remedies are:

Cure Low Blood Pressure With Dandelion Root Powder

Dandelion root is known as an effective blood purifier because of its nutritive salts building up in the blood. Polysaccharide insulin is also found in its root and it has immune-boosting properties for white blood cells. Take 1 teaspoon of this medicine 3 times a day depending on the severity of your health condition.

Pu-Chung-I-Chi-Tang remedies For Low Blood Pressure

This Chinese medicine formula is a combination of ginseng and astragalus, which is an herb tonic. This combination is good for one's blood pressure when taken regularly. The formula can be consumed as tea or taken in powder form. As tea, put half teaspoon of shredded roots in a cup of water then boil it for one and half minutes. Let it stand for 20 minutes and drink it once or twice in a day. As powder, mix one gram pulverized roots in three tablespoons of water and take two to three times daily.

Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan for Low Blood Pressure Treatment

Tian wang bu xin tan is a traditional Chinese medicine that helps in treating low blood pressure. It serves as a tonic for the heart blood. This formulation is effective because of its natural content that comes from different Chinese herbs. Take this with guidance of a doctor for best result in maintaining normal blood pressure.



The author is the owner of www.mychinesemedicine.com [http://www.mychinesemedicine.com].

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Chinese Herbal Medicines For the Common Cold

We've all heard it said "We can land spaceships on Mars, but can't even cure the common cold." The cold seems to be a humbling curse that is mankind's burden forever.

Despite the frustrations of science, some people claim to cure a cold with an amazing variety of stuff like garlic, ginger, zinc, and vitamin C. These never worked for me. I found that once my cold started, I was in for a week of suffering.

That is, until an acquaintance gave me a vial of Chinese pills and told me to take them if I felt a cold coming on. A few days later, I awoke with a sore throat. Before leaving for work I remembered the pills, and took them.

That evening, I realized that my budding cold had vanished, gone without a trace. What was that stuff?

The stuff tuned out to be Yin Chiao. Was this a fluke? How could no one know about this? As it turns out, it was no fluke. Since that day, Yin Chiao and similar Chinese remedies have ended most of my colds. Perhaps medical science hasn't cured the common cold, but it appears that Chinese herbalists did it hundreds of years ago. The formula for Yin Chiao was first published in the eighteenth century. It's hard to understand why it would take the West so long to discover them. I imagine if bad news travels quickly, good news must travel slowly.

Different ideas, no matter how good, are met with resistance. That's why it took us about a thousand years to discover Chinese food. With pharmaceutical cold medicines proving to be harmful, let's hope it doesn't take another thousand years to discover Chinese herbal medicine.

Not only are they safer, but Chinese herbs are simply more effective. When you discover them, you'll never even think about drugs for colds or visiting the doctor for a cold.

When the Western civilization discovers them, it could turn our medical establishment upside down, easing suffering and preventing millions of needless trips to the doctor. This might be bad news for doctors, but it's very good news for everyone else.

Though ancient Chinese herbalists knew nothing about germs, they knew that respiratory diseases were caused exterior wind evils. Evils that caused serious diseases like influenza and measles were called wind-heat evils. Common colds were caused by wind-cold evils.

Our bodies are protected from wind evils by defensive energy, known as wei qi. With adequate wei qi, you can be exposed to disease without getting sick. Herbs such as astragalus can be used to boost the wei qi, protecting us from invaders. They block the entry of wind evils.

Expelling these evils requires herbs that release exterior conditions. Some of these are ginger, mint, kudzu root, and many others. Some of these herbs protect against wind-heat evils; others defend against wind-cold invaders. These herbs are rarely taken alone, but are combined in formulas that greatly increase their potency.

Some of the most popular Chinese cold formulas appear work on any kind of wind invasion, hot or cold. However I have found that certain formulas work better on different parts of the body.

For example, colds originating in the throat seem to respond best to Yin Chiao, which is taken at the first sign of cold. Keep them with you during cold season; the sooner you take them, the better they work. Yin Chiao contains remarkably simple and safe herbs. They are: honeysuckle, forsythia, balloon flower, peppermint, edible burdock, crested grass, schizonepeta, fermented soybean, and Chinese licorice root.

For colds that begin in the nose, I prefer Gan Mao Ling. Use it alone or combine it with Yin Chiao when nasal or sinus congestion is present at the onset. Gan mao ling contains: Ilex Root, Chrysanthemum Flower, Vitex Herb, Isatis Root, and honeysuckle flower

To relieve colds which are too far developed to stop, or to relieve colds that begin with body aches, fever, and chills, I believe the best remedy is Zong Gan Ling which contains: kudzu root, hairy holly root, vervain, woad root, wormwood, gypsum, and notopterygi.

Preventing a cold requires a different formula altogether, one that strengthens the body's defensive energy. The most famous of these formulas is called Jade Windscreen or Jade Shield. This formula is used to build defensive energy (wei qi) and protect against cold, flu, and other invasions. Jade Screen contains astragalus, Atractylodis, and Siler.

Many of these formulas are available in natural food stores, particularly on the West Coast. If you can't find them at your local health food store, you can certainly find them on the web. I strongly suggest that you try them. They will open your eyes to the potency and reliability of Chinese herbals. And unlike many of the drugs at your drugstore, all of these are safe for children.

Remember that a mere hundred years ago, no one in the West had even heard of Chinese food. Today there are Chinese restaurants everywhere. I can assure you that Chinese cold medicines work, and will become as valuable to our culture in the 21st century as Chinese food became in the 20th century.



Joel Harvey Schreck, L.Ac. is an acupuncturist and herbologist. Schooled in Hong Kong and San Francisco, he's been practicing since 1987. He is co-founder of the Shen Clinic, http://www.drshen.com/berkeleyacupuncture.htm and co-founder of the popular Dr. Shen line of natural medicines, sold nationally in many natural food stores. Joel has published articles in the California Journal of Oriental Medicine and online on acupuncture.com. He is also adjunct faculty member and lecturer at AIMC, Berkeley's Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College. Visit http://www.drshen.com/




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