In America we are lucky to live in an environment that is generally clean and safe, with good water and sewage systems. Other places in the world that are less fortunate than we are see an abundance of sickness and death. It’s a concept that we think is pretty logical — keep your environment and water clean and you’ll be healthy. However, most people don’t realize that their body’s inner environment requires the same needs as our external environment. Korean Constitutional Medicine believes that our water and sewage systems need to be well kept, too.
As we examined in our last article, the body procures water not only from the water we drink, but also from all of the foods we eat. This water is processed through the small intestine, liver and kidneys and is transformed into the water we need for life and the essential fluids we need for cell support. Good, fresh, organic intake, free of toxic materials, populates the body with a healthy supply of water to create healthy fluids and cells.
When this water is extracted from foods, the digested food flows through the large intestine where any remaining nutrition is gathered. That which is left is now waste and is considered toxic by your body. The waste is ideally eliminated from your body at least once a day, but in many people who suffer slow bowel movements or constipation the waste stays in the body, permeating your whole system with toxins.
These toxins begin to travel through your blood and lymph nodes and then start to contaminate your organs. At this point, you begin to feel pain.
For instance, if your gallbladder is contaminated your neck and shoulders will hurt; if your kidneys are contaminated you will feel tired, and have back, knee, and heel pain; contaminated lungs result in allergies, coughing, difficult breathing, and skin problems; pancreatic contamination results in diabetes; and intestinal contamination provides bloating, gas, distention, diarrhea, and constipation, all resulting in a lack of nutrition in the body which then leads to weakened bones.
If contamination is left untreated, your immune function becomes low and is no longer able to fight off cancer cells by itself. It is then that the area of weakness will develop cancer.
The initial cause of contamination is poor intake, and far too much of it. Many people eat an overabundance of food (and not very good food) and eventually it becomes a situation of “too much in, not enough out.” But how much is enough? And which foods are best? Try keeping a food diary for a few months, logging your meals and how you feel after you eat them. Be sure to write down in detail if you felt good in the hours after a meal, or if you felt bad, gassy, etc.
To help calculate the amount you need, gauge your hunger. If you happen to feel hungry five hours after lunch, try eating a bit more for lunch the next day. Contrarily, if you feel overly full after lunch, try cutting back the next day. Learn what your body wants and how much it likes by being mindful of the signs it gives you throughout the day.
That said, if you are obese or have a food addiction, learning how much your body wants can be a lot harder to gauge since your body’s mechanism of informing you if you’re full or not is no longer working properly. In this case, acupuncture and herbs are best to help retrain your system.
The same goes for any people who still cannot quite get their body back on track after logging and adjusting their lifestyles for a few months. Remember, it was a slow process to disrupt your body’s balance and it can be a slow process to get it back on track, but it absolutely can be done.Intake and output are so important in keeping healthy. Lifestyle changes aren’t always easy, but they are important to make. Avoid making excuses based on a hectic schedule. Your health should be your top priority because it will keep you in top shape so that you may complete the multitudinous things you have to do in a day quickly, easily and with limited stress. But most importantly, it will keep you alive, healthy, and happy for those who love and need you most.
(Originally published, April 23, 2009.)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Urine- A Gauge of Overall Health
Each day we go through life accomplishing the myriad of things we have to and most times we overlook some of the most amazing things around us. Whether it be the gorgeous day, our beautiful natural surroundings, or even the incredible mechanisms we use, the list is great. One of these amazing and much overlooked things is our own body.
We cram food in it, attempt to get it enough rest, and push it to its limits all the while never stopping for a moment to understand the incredible way it works. One example is how our body processes water. It's not just “in one way and out the other.” According to Korean Constitutional Medicine, urine is not toxic waste water.
As in most everything natural, our foods contain much water. We take food in through the mouth and it travels to the stomach where it is processed. Gastric juices break down the food and prepare it for its next destination. When it reaches the small intestine the water that is contained in the food is extracted. The essence or energy of the water is absorbed into the blood and the remaining food then travels to the large intestine which extracts the last remaining nutrients before it turns into waste material and is eventually discarded.
Meanwhile, the blood that now contains the new water essence travels to the liver where it adjusts the water and sends it where it is needed. The liver turns the water into the other essential liquids the body requires, i.e. blood, bone marrow, gastric, joint, and other bodily fluids. Blood then flows through the kidneys where it is filtered. The kidneys also control the water levels in the body and send excess water to the bladder.
Most people view the bladder as the final destination of liquid waste, when in actuality, it serves more as a holding tank than a waste station. Think of it as a dam. Water is collected and held until the levels become too high, in which case a certain amount of water is released to allow room for the new water to flow in. It's the same concept for the bladder. If your body requires more water throughout the day, it will procure it from the bladder, of which there is always some supply, even after urination.
During each cycle of intake (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) more liquids enter the body and the bladder signals to the brain that it needs to be emptied to make room; so off to the bathroom you go. Urinating five to six times a day is normal. More or less than this would be a sign of weak bladder function. If you are suffering from incontinence, this is an indication that your kidney function is weak. The traditional surgical methods that assist this problem are not needed. Strengthening the weakened organ functions with acupuncture and herbs will easily solve this problem naturally.
Another common problem related to water is edema. In this case, the excess water is not being sent to your bladder, but being distributed to other areas of your body where it is contained in the cells in that location. Unfortunately, this water is no longer beneficial to the body and cannot be used. The difference is that the bladder stores the water in its ideal environment, acting much as a refrigerator does. Storing the fluids anywhere else is akin to leaving food out on the counter for storage; it will soon spoil and mold. The same goes for water stored in other areas of the body. It becomes toxic water.
The filtered water that has come into the bladder has an ideal color. Urine should be mostly clear with a slight yellow tinge to it. If it is totally clear, this is a good indication that you're drinking too much water. If it is darker yellow and malodorous this means that your bladder is overheated (heat creates the darker yellow color and odor) and stressed. It could be an indication that your fluid intake is low, or the presence of another problem especially if it is paired with an especially bad odor or blood in urine, in which case you should seek medical assistance.
For healthy people urine is an excellent gauge of your water intake. If you're exercising a lot and your urine is darker and smelling, you need more water. On the flip side, if you're not exercising much and not producing exercise-related sweat and your urine is usually clear, you're drinking too much water.
Getting used to the idea that urine is not toxic waste is new for Western thinkers, I know. However, it is really the fascinating end result to quite an amazing bodily process and another helpful way to gauge your health.
(Originally published, April 9, 2009.)
We cram food in it, attempt to get it enough rest, and push it to its limits all the while never stopping for a moment to understand the incredible way it works. One example is how our body processes water. It's not just “in one way and out the other.” According to Korean Constitutional Medicine, urine is not toxic waste water.
As in most everything natural, our foods contain much water. We take food in through the mouth and it travels to the stomach where it is processed. Gastric juices break down the food and prepare it for its next destination. When it reaches the small intestine the water that is contained in the food is extracted. The essence or energy of the water is absorbed into the blood and the remaining food then travels to the large intestine which extracts the last remaining nutrients before it turns into waste material and is eventually discarded.
Meanwhile, the blood that now contains the new water essence travels to the liver where it adjusts the water and sends it where it is needed. The liver turns the water into the other essential liquids the body requires, i.e. blood, bone marrow, gastric, joint, and other bodily fluids. Blood then flows through the kidneys where it is filtered. The kidneys also control the water levels in the body and send excess water to the bladder.
Most people view the bladder as the final destination of liquid waste, when in actuality, it serves more as a holding tank than a waste station. Think of it as a dam. Water is collected and held until the levels become too high, in which case a certain amount of water is released to allow room for the new water to flow in. It's the same concept for the bladder. If your body requires more water throughout the day, it will procure it from the bladder, of which there is always some supply, even after urination.
During each cycle of intake (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) more liquids enter the body and the bladder signals to the brain that it needs to be emptied to make room; so off to the bathroom you go. Urinating five to six times a day is normal. More or less than this would be a sign of weak bladder function. If you are suffering from incontinence, this is an indication that your kidney function is weak. The traditional surgical methods that assist this problem are not needed. Strengthening the weakened organ functions with acupuncture and herbs will easily solve this problem naturally.
Another common problem related to water is edema. In this case, the excess water is not being sent to your bladder, but being distributed to other areas of your body where it is contained in the cells in that location. Unfortunately, this water is no longer beneficial to the body and cannot be used. The difference is that the bladder stores the water in its ideal environment, acting much as a refrigerator does. Storing the fluids anywhere else is akin to leaving food out on the counter for storage; it will soon spoil and mold. The same goes for water stored in other areas of the body. It becomes toxic water.
The filtered water that has come into the bladder has an ideal color. Urine should be mostly clear with a slight yellow tinge to it. If it is totally clear, this is a good indication that you're drinking too much water. If it is darker yellow and malodorous this means that your bladder is overheated (heat creates the darker yellow color and odor) and stressed. It could be an indication that your fluid intake is low, or the presence of another problem especially if it is paired with an especially bad odor or blood in urine, in which case you should seek medical assistance.
For healthy people urine is an excellent gauge of your water intake. If you're exercising a lot and your urine is darker and smelling, you need more water. On the flip side, if you're not exercising much and not producing exercise-related sweat and your urine is usually clear, you're drinking too much water.
Getting used to the idea that urine is not toxic waste is new for Western thinkers, I know. However, it is really the fascinating end result to quite an amazing bodily process and another helpful way to gauge your health.
(Originally published, April 9, 2009.)
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The Yin and Yang of your Body's Bacteria
There's been a lot of consciousness towards probiotics lately; that is, the good bacteria that populate your digestive system. Many commercials and new food products advertise things to help restore the good bacteria into your system, but you might not be aware of what is so important about probiotics.
Thinking back to the sign of the yin and yang, we are reminded that we need balance in every aspect of our lives. The same goes for the balance between the good and bad bacteria in your system.
Our bodies are in constant internal motion, processing that which we take in every day. The foods we eat travel through our digestive systems, eventually passing through our large intestines, rich with bad bacteria as they are now waste products.
It is during this time especially that good bacteria are needed to ensure proper function of the large intestines. These areas are prone to problems due to the fact that they are, in essence, our body's garbage collection center. Good bacteria protect the lining of the large intestines and colon, assist in breaking down and eliminating waste in a timely fashion, and also help maintain cleanliness and health in this area.
Common signs of a bacterial imbalance are gas, constipation, diarrhea, insomnia, dizziness, and even allergies. Allergies due to bacterial imbalance occur because the buildup of toxins (bad bacteria) reduces the proper function of the lung energy which works in tandem, in a kind of husband/wife relationship, with the large intestines.
The lowering of the large intestine energy pulls down the lung energy, and you are left with allergies such as coughing, sneezing, itching, and other skin allergies. Gas and constipation occur due to a lack of good bacteria that break down and move the waste materials.
Diarrhea is a result of the over population of bad bacteria and your body's need to eliminate it in a fast and thorough manner. (Taking anti-diarrhea medication is a very bad idea, as it allows the toxins that reside in your intestines to further permeate your system and cause additional problems.)
Your body shifts out of the proper bacterial balance due to improper diet rich in processed and fast foods. These foods are a very poor source of nutrients, especially fiber, which helps populate your system naturally with good bacteria.
Eating more organic foods rich in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and seaweed, will assist your body in balancing good and bad bacteria. Eating properly and ensuring your body is full of good bacteria is especially important if you happen to be taking antibiotics, which kill both types of bacteria and can sometimes lead to diarrhea as well.
As always, it is so important to eat the right foods. Making certain that your body has the proper nutrients it requires will help it to do its job well, efficiently, and naturally, without the assistance of any additional supplements or medications.Your body is an amazing machine, capable of doing all it needs to help you live a happy and healthful life. Once again, balance is key. You help your body and your body will help you.
(Originally published on March 26, 2009.)
Thinking back to the sign of the yin and yang, we are reminded that we need balance in every aspect of our lives. The same goes for the balance between the good and bad bacteria in your system.
Our bodies are in constant internal motion, processing that which we take in every day. The foods we eat travel through our digestive systems, eventually passing through our large intestines, rich with bad bacteria as they are now waste products.
It is during this time especially that good bacteria are needed to ensure proper function of the large intestines. These areas are prone to problems due to the fact that they are, in essence, our body's garbage collection center. Good bacteria protect the lining of the large intestines and colon, assist in breaking down and eliminating waste in a timely fashion, and also help maintain cleanliness and health in this area.
Common signs of a bacterial imbalance are gas, constipation, diarrhea, insomnia, dizziness, and even allergies. Allergies due to bacterial imbalance occur because the buildup of toxins (bad bacteria) reduces the proper function of the lung energy which works in tandem, in a kind of husband/wife relationship, with the large intestines.
The lowering of the large intestine energy pulls down the lung energy, and you are left with allergies such as coughing, sneezing, itching, and other skin allergies. Gas and constipation occur due to a lack of good bacteria that break down and move the waste materials.
Diarrhea is a result of the over population of bad bacteria and your body's need to eliminate it in a fast and thorough manner. (Taking anti-diarrhea medication is a very bad idea, as it allows the toxins that reside in your intestines to further permeate your system and cause additional problems.)
Your body shifts out of the proper bacterial balance due to improper diet rich in processed and fast foods. These foods are a very poor source of nutrients, especially fiber, which helps populate your system naturally with good bacteria.
Eating more organic foods rich in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and seaweed, will assist your body in balancing good and bad bacteria. Eating properly and ensuring your body is full of good bacteria is especially important if you happen to be taking antibiotics, which kill both types of bacteria and can sometimes lead to diarrhea as well.
As always, it is so important to eat the right foods. Making certain that your body has the proper nutrients it requires will help it to do its job well, efficiently, and naturally, without the assistance of any additional supplements or medications.Your body is an amazing machine, capable of doing all it needs to help you live a happy and healthful life. Once again, balance is key. You help your body and your body will help you.
(Originally published on March 26, 2009.)
Balance Brings Anxiety Cure
Life can be difficult. It’s a fact of nature. As the old axiom goes, “Sometimes life gives you lemons…” but not all of us feel we always know how make lemonade, so to speak.
When life gets momentarily bad we might panic or want to hide away for a bit, which is all very natural, but what happens when you feel this panic and anxiety very often? Then it is no longer a matter of life giving you lemons, but a matter of imbalance. Anxiety is your body’s way of directing your attention to the fact that something is wrong and it needs adjustment. But don’t worry, fixing it is not nearly as difficult as one might assume.
Allow me to explain what happens when someone is prone to anxiety. Let’s consider the body as a government. We will assume that the heart is the president and the other organs are the cabinet members.
The president, of course, cannot work alone to ensure that his country, in this case your body, runs in the best way possible. He relies on his cabinet to tell him what is going on, advise him on the best ways to solve a problem, or give advice on any situation when necessary. The same goes for the relationship between your heart and organs.
Let’s say, for instance, that one of these cabinet members has their own agenda or decides to slack off on their job. Obviously, when this happens, less of the proper advice and information is being relayed to the president. All of this upsets the rest of the cabinet and perhaps they start getting a bit out of line as well. Eventually the president is going to be feeling upset, confused, and out of control, as do you when you have anxiety.
Anxiety is your inner president (heart function) getting panicky and paranoid because it is not receiving the proper support and information from his cabinet (other organ functions).
Anxiety originates from an imbalance in digestion energy. If you have a history of improper intake — meaning you do not consume enough of the proper constitutional foods you require and overload your system with foods preferred for other constitutions (or none at all) — your digestion energy becomes stressed, fatigued, and weak; thus the chain reaction of complaints and disease begins. When digestion energy can no longer properly support kidney function (which works in tandem with your heart energy) you see the initial effects of a problem with anxiety.
It might begin with a tendency to over-worry, or you might be feeling generally dissatisfied with life. Over time, if left untreated, it can develop into panic attacks, which can be quite life altering and may lead you down the dark road to depression.
So what is to be done if you have anxiety? First, you need to calm down your digestion energy. Be a good overseer to its function by eating the correct constitutional foods on time, every day.
After this, your now strengthened digestive function is able to properly support your kidney function, which in turn calms down your heart function. Your inner president is then able to preside over his cabinet and keep its members in line and feeling secure and happy.Remember, the way to care for your health and the cause of poor health is not as mysterious as most people think. We are natural creatures who are meant to live natural lifestyles. Give your body the natural, organic materials it needs and it will do the rest for you, just as it was made to.
(Originally published on March 11, 2009.)
When life gets momentarily bad we might panic or want to hide away for a bit, which is all very natural, but what happens when you feel this panic and anxiety very often? Then it is no longer a matter of life giving you lemons, but a matter of imbalance. Anxiety is your body’s way of directing your attention to the fact that something is wrong and it needs adjustment. But don’t worry, fixing it is not nearly as difficult as one might assume.
Allow me to explain what happens when someone is prone to anxiety. Let’s consider the body as a government. We will assume that the heart is the president and the other organs are the cabinet members.
The president, of course, cannot work alone to ensure that his country, in this case your body, runs in the best way possible. He relies on his cabinet to tell him what is going on, advise him on the best ways to solve a problem, or give advice on any situation when necessary. The same goes for the relationship between your heart and organs.
Let’s say, for instance, that one of these cabinet members has their own agenda or decides to slack off on their job. Obviously, when this happens, less of the proper advice and information is being relayed to the president. All of this upsets the rest of the cabinet and perhaps they start getting a bit out of line as well. Eventually the president is going to be feeling upset, confused, and out of control, as do you when you have anxiety.
Anxiety is your inner president (heart function) getting panicky and paranoid because it is not receiving the proper support and information from his cabinet (other organ functions).
Anxiety originates from an imbalance in digestion energy. If you have a history of improper intake — meaning you do not consume enough of the proper constitutional foods you require and overload your system with foods preferred for other constitutions (or none at all) — your digestion energy becomes stressed, fatigued, and weak; thus the chain reaction of complaints and disease begins. When digestion energy can no longer properly support kidney function (which works in tandem with your heart energy) you see the initial effects of a problem with anxiety.
It might begin with a tendency to over-worry, or you might be feeling generally dissatisfied with life. Over time, if left untreated, it can develop into panic attacks, which can be quite life altering and may lead you down the dark road to depression.
So what is to be done if you have anxiety? First, you need to calm down your digestion energy. Be a good overseer to its function by eating the correct constitutional foods on time, every day.
After this, your now strengthened digestive function is able to properly support your kidney function, which in turn calms down your heart function. Your inner president is then able to preside over his cabinet and keep its members in line and feeling secure and happy.Remember, the way to care for your health and the cause of poor health is not as mysterious as most people think. We are natural creatures who are meant to live natural lifestyles. Give your body the natural, organic materials it needs and it will do the rest for you, just as it was made to.
(Originally published on March 11, 2009.)
The Economy of Health
It’s rare to pick up a newspaper or scan the news online without seeing some mention of the poor economy. It’s clearly a difficult time for the greater majority of people, but as in most events, positive can be found within a negative. In which case, let this be the first positive article you read on the economy today.
Think of the world situation as a financial yin and yang. If the economy is currently very yin, then it’s a good time to find the yang within it, so to speak. So, let’s look at the flipside.
In a good economy, it can be easy to “let yourself go.” By this I mean that we tend to spend too much, purchase things we really don’t need, and forget that our greed and overconsumption has detrimental effects on the environment, as well as our own bodies. Happy economic times may be great for our financial stress levels and good times but it can be a very negative situation when you take a moment to look deeper. For instance, let’s look at our food consumption. Yes, in a good economy, we do tend to eat more — especially out.
Whether you’re just going out for a good time on a Saturday night or popping in to some restaurant or fast food establishment on your lunch hour, more food is consumed when you have more money to spend on it. In our society, doing so is considered a small luxury; a sign of prosperity. It also happens to be very convenient. Other things we spend more money on are processed and pre-packaged convenience foods. All of these “luxuries” are not good for your health. Within all of these examples lie ingredients you would not automatically assume were there. Genetically modified ingredients and chemicals run rampant through modern foods. Over time, eating this way will cause you to have disease or other bothersome complaints; fat being at the top of that list.
Too much fat on the body is very taxing to your organs. It’s not just the stress you may feel on your joints or your lack of energy; it runs much deeper than that. When your organs are not functioning the way they are meant to, you start to feel discomfort and have health complaints and disease, as disease comes from a poor diet. Improving your diet, eating according to your constitutional needs, and losing fat will mean feeling great, having much more energy, emotional stability, less (or no) pain, and clean, healthy blood that feeds your organs so they can do their proper job and keep you healthy for a very long time.
Eating a constitutional diet helps digestion, reduces fat, and maintains health. Firmly adhering to a constitutional diet, for even one year, will eliminate most diseases and complaints you may suffer from naturally and without any medications.
To reiterate the four types with a sampling of their ideal foods: So Um In types do best with brown rice, spinach, potatoes, chicken, tomatoes, and mangoes; So Yang In types require barley, cabbage, cucumber, shellfish, shrimp, bananas, strawberries, and pork; Tae Um In types function best on white rice, carrots, radishes, apples, pears, and beef; and finally Tae Yang In types, the ideal vegetarians, thrive on oatmeal, green leafy vegetables, green grapes, cherries, and shellfish. (For further information on the four constitutional types, visit my blog and read my past articles. To discover more foods ideal for your type, consult your Korean Constitutional Medicine practitioner.)
You can save a great deal of money by buying fresh (ideally organic and locally grown) foods and cooking them at home, yourself. Packaging up your own homemade lunches to take with you to work or school is another way to save money and eat better. Food portions for all meals should be smaller, far less than what you would be served in a typical restaurant. Food should also be eaten at the same time each day, with breakfast being moderately sized, lunch being your largest meal, and a smaller dinner being eaten preferably before sunset (if your schedule allows).
Remember, an economic crisis can be an ideal time to get back to basics. Reorganize, reprioritize, and trim the fat in all manner of life. After all, you can always earn more money or get a new job, but what good is a better job if you’re not healthy enough to take it?
(Originally published on February 26, 2009.)
Think of the world situation as a financial yin and yang. If the economy is currently very yin, then it’s a good time to find the yang within it, so to speak. So, let’s look at the flipside.
In a good economy, it can be easy to “let yourself go.” By this I mean that we tend to spend too much, purchase things we really don’t need, and forget that our greed and overconsumption has detrimental effects on the environment, as well as our own bodies. Happy economic times may be great for our financial stress levels and good times but it can be a very negative situation when you take a moment to look deeper. For instance, let’s look at our food consumption. Yes, in a good economy, we do tend to eat more — especially out.
Whether you’re just going out for a good time on a Saturday night or popping in to some restaurant or fast food establishment on your lunch hour, more food is consumed when you have more money to spend on it. In our society, doing so is considered a small luxury; a sign of prosperity. It also happens to be very convenient. Other things we spend more money on are processed and pre-packaged convenience foods. All of these “luxuries” are not good for your health. Within all of these examples lie ingredients you would not automatically assume were there. Genetically modified ingredients and chemicals run rampant through modern foods. Over time, eating this way will cause you to have disease or other bothersome complaints; fat being at the top of that list.
Too much fat on the body is very taxing to your organs. It’s not just the stress you may feel on your joints or your lack of energy; it runs much deeper than that. When your organs are not functioning the way they are meant to, you start to feel discomfort and have health complaints and disease, as disease comes from a poor diet. Improving your diet, eating according to your constitutional needs, and losing fat will mean feeling great, having much more energy, emotional stability, less (or no) pain, and clean, healthy blood that feeds your organs so they can do their proper job and keep you healthy for a very long time.
Eating a constitutional diet helps digestion, reduces fat, and maintains health. Firmly adhering to a constitutional diet, for even one year, will eliminate most diseases and complaints you may suffer from naturally and without any medications.
To reiterate the four types with a sampling of their ideal foods: So Um In types do best with brown rice, spinach, potatoes, chicken, tomatoes, and mangoes; So Yang In types require barley, cabbage, cucumber, shellfish, shrimp, bananas, strawberries, and pork; Tae Um In types function best on white rice, carrots, radishes, apples, pears, and beef; and finally Tae Yang In types, the ideal vegetarians, thrive on oatmeal, green leafy vegetables, green grapes, cherries, and shellfish. (For further information on the four constitutional types, visit my blog and read my past articles. To discover more foods ideal for your type, consult your Korean Constitutional Medicine practitioner.)
You can save a great deal of money by buying fresh (ideally organic and locally grown) foods and cooking them at home, yourself. Packaging up your own homemade lunches to take with you to work or school is another way to save money and eat better. Food portions for all meals should be smaller, far less than what you would be served in a typical restaurant. Food should also be eaten at the same time each day, with breakfast being moderately sized, lunch being your largest meal, and a smaller dinner being eaten preferably before sunset (if your schedule allows).
Remember, an economic crisis can be an ideal time to get back to basics. Reorganize, reprioritize, and trim the fat in all manner of life. After all, you can always earn more money or get a new job, but what good is a better job if you’re not healthy enough to take it?
(Originally published on February 26, 2009.)
Monday, February 16, 2009
Yin Deficiency
Every organ in your body has both yin and yang energies. The balance between these two energies reflects the health of that organ. If the energies are both in harmony, the organ is healthy, but if the energies are out of balance, problems with that organ become apparent.
In my last article I spoke about a condition that Korean Constitutional Medicine refers to as yang deficiency, an imbalance in the system resulting in the overall cooling of the body and the effects that stem from that. Its opposite, yin deficiency, is generally the converse of that condition.
Yin refers to the body’s fluid supply. By fluids, I am not speaking about the fluids you intake, but rather fluids such as blood, tears, spinal fluid, bone marrow, gastric fluids, joint fluids, and so on. Most people think that these juices are created from the water we drink, as we know our bodies are primarily made up of water, but drinking more will not replace these fluids.
Bodily fluids are procured from the foods you eat but created by your organs. When your internal organ function is weak it cannot produce enough of these fluids. Just as in a car, if it does not have the proper amount of oil and cooling fluids, it will eventually overheat, creating damage within its system, and a shorter life span. When this occurs, your mechanic will simply say it happened because “your fluids were low,” but in Korean Constitutional Medicine, we say that you have a yin deficiency.
Yin deficiency is primarily caused by improper intake of foods. Bad foods that go into your body produce bad function. When your system is not receiving what it needs, it becomes tired and ceases functioning at its optimum. Your body starts to slack off, so to speak, and doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do. In this case, it stops making the proper amounts of fluids.
When this happens you might start feeling abnormally hot. Hot flashes are very common complaints to begin with as are very warm hands and feet. Other symptoms include dry, cracked, itchy skin, rashes, and/or other skin issues, dry mouth, dry eyes, eye pain, constipation or dry, hard bowel movements, dry sore throat, dry cough, digestion problems, sweaty genitals, nighttime hot flashes that lead to sleeping problems, hair loss, dry or cracking nails, excessive thirst, or a feeling like you cannot swallow much water.
These problems are the result of the weakened organ that is related to the problem, i.e. skin issues are related to lung function, so in this case the yin energy of the lungs is low.
The solution for yin deficiency is simple. Constitutional acupuncture and herbs help reduce heat and help organs to function better and assist with proper fluid production, storage and distribution. A change in lifestyle might also be necessary or helpful for lasting balance away from treatments.
As in all things in life, balance is key. The practice of harmony and balance in every aspect of your daily living is essential not only for your overall health, but your peace and happiness as well. Next time you see the symbol of the yin and yang, remember this and take a moment to center, reflect and recalibrate.
(Originally published February 12, 2009.)
In my last article I spoke about a condition that Korean Constitutional Medicine refers to as yang deficiency, an imbalance in the system resulting in the overall cooling of the body and the effects that stem from that. Its opposite, yin deficiency, is generally the converse of that condition.
Yin refers to the body’s fluid supply. By fluids, I am not speaking about the fluids you intake, but rather fluids such as blood, tears, spinal fluid, bone marrow, gastric fluids, joint fluids, and so on. Most people think that these juices are created from the water we drink, as we know our bodies are primarily made up of water, but drinking more will not replace these fluids.
Bodily fluids are procured from the foods you eat but created by your organs. When your internal organ function is weak it cannot produce enough of these fluids. Just as in a car, if it does not have the proper amount of oil and cooling fluids, it will eventually overheat, creating damage within its system, and a shorter life span. When this occurs, your mechanic will simply say it happened because “your fluids were low,” but in Korean Constitutional Medicine, we say that you have a yin deficiency.
Yin deficiency is primarily caused by improper intake of foods. Bad foods that go into your body produce bad function. When your system is not receiving what it needs, it becomes tired and ceases functioning at its optimum. Your body starts to slack off, so to speak, and doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do. In this case, it stops making the proper amounts of fluids.
When this happens you might start feeling abnormally hot. Hot flashes are very common complaints to begin with as are very warm hands and feet. Other symptoms include dry, cracked, itchy skin, rashes, and/or other skin issues, dry mouth, dry eyes, eye pain, constipation or dry, hard bowel movements, dry sore throat, dry cough, digestion problems, sweaty genitals, nighttime hot flashes that lead to sleeping problems, hair loss, dry or cracking nails, excessive thirst, or a feeling like you cannot swallow much water.
These problems are the result of the weakened organ that is related to the problem, i.e. skin issues are related to lung function, so in this case the yin energy of the lungs is low.
The solution for yin deficiency is simple. Constitutional acupuncture and herbs help reduce heat and help organs to function better and assist with proper fluid production, storage and distribution. A change in lifestyle might also be necessary or helpful for lasting balance away from treatments.
As in all things in life, balance is key. The practice of harmony and balance in every aspect of your daily living is essential not only for your overall health, but your peace and happiness as well. Next time you see the symbol of the yin and yang, remember this and take a moment to center, reflect and recalibrate.
(Originally published February 12, 2009.)
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Yang Deficiency
The sign of the yin and yang is something recognizable to many people in a variety of cultures. A black and white circle, with a bit of black in the white and a bit of white in the black, to symbolize that there is always a bit of each in both, and in functioning together they create balance.
Yin and Yang is not just a symbol, however. It is energy that exists in the body. It’s that which keeps you balanced. When the Yin and Yang become unbalanced, however, problems arise and you’ll notice it.
These problems manifest in many different ways. In this article we will be discussing Yang deficiency which occurs when the Yin energy is too high. (Yang deficiency is most common in women, though not exclusive by any means.)
Symptoms of Yang deficiency are vast, but most always are first noticed with a feeling of being cold all the time. After this, it is common to feel that your hands and feet are always cold as well, in any type of environment or weather. This is due to blood circulation that is weaker than that of a warmer person. If this coldness in the hands and feet has spread up to your elbows or up to your knees, this is indeed a serious problem that needs to be addressed quickly.
Other symptoms of Yang deficiency include uncomfortable digestion, gas, bloating, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, diarrhea, poor bowel movements and frequent urination, numbness or pain due to weak blood circulation, back pain, sciatica, chronic fatigue, weak immune system, decreased sex drive, low energy, rapid or irregular heartbeat, chronic coughing, irregular sweating, difficult breathing, edema, overproduction in phlegm, weakness in the lower limbs, and slow walking.
People with a Yang deficiency also feel as though something is wrong or “off” with their health, something they feel they cannot pinpoint, although their doctor may say that they are in normal health. They are also prone to negative thinking and feeling dissatisfied, as if something is missing in their life.
The treatments for Yang deficiency are to build this energy to balance the high Yin energy. It’s easily done with proper constitutional food, Korean Constitutional acupuncture, and herbs that help warm the body.
In my next article, I will discuss Yin deficiency, but until then, as always, keep healthy, happy, and balanced.
(Originally published January 28, 2009.)
Yin and Yang is not just a symbol, however. It is energy that exists in the body. It’s that which keeps you balanced. When the Yin and Yang become unbalanced, however, problems arise and you’ll notice it.
These problems manifest in many different ways. In this article we will be discussing Yang deficiency which occurs when the Yin energy is too high. (Yang deficiency is most common in women, though not exclusive by any means.)
Symptoms of Yang deficiency are vast, but most always are first noticed with a feeling of being cold all the time. After this, it is common to feel that your hands and feet are always cold as well, in any type of environment or weather. This is due to blood circulation that is weaker than that of a warmer person. If this coldness in the hands and feet has spread up to your elbows or up to your knees, this is indeed a serious problem that needs to be addressed quickly.
Other symptoms of Yang deficiency include uncomfortable digestion, gas, bloating, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, diarrhea, poor bowel movements and frequent urination, numbness or pain due to weak blood circulation, back pain, sciatica, chronic fatigue, weak immune system, decreased sex drive, low energy, rapid or irregular heartbeat, chronic coughing, irregular sweating, difficult breathing, edema, overproduction in phlegm, weakness in the lower limbs, and slow walking.
People with a Yang deficiency also feel as though something is wrong or “off” with their health, something they feel they cannot pinpoint, although their doctor may say that they are in normal health. They are also prone to negative thinking and feeling dissatisfied, as if something is missing in their life.
The treatments for Yang deficiency are to build this energy to balance the high Yin energy. It’s easily done with proper constitutional food, Korean Constitutional acupuncture, and herbs that help warm the body.
In my next article, I will discuss Yin deficiency, but until then, as always, keep healthy, happy, and balanced.
(Originally published January 28, 2009.)
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