The Middle Way

H. pylori

2011-08-31T14:10:00.001-07:00

Helicobacter pylori, more commonly known as H. pylori, is the bacteria that is responsible for most ulcers and chronic gastritis (stomach inflammation). It is a common bacteria that weakens the protective coating of the stomach, which allows gastric juices to irritate the stomach lining.

H. pylori is passed from person to person, usually through the mouth, and can remain dormant for years. Weakened stomach function and stress tend to ignite the bacteria and symptoms begin. They include: abdominal pain, indigestion, feeling too full after meals, bloating, gas, nausea, vomiting, and feeling very hungry one to three hours after a meal. If symptoms are left untreated, they lead to ulcers, and if those persist, stomach cancer can develop.

Western medicine commonly prescribes antacids and antibiotics to kill H. pylori. The problem with this is that the bacteria usually returns and the antibiotics kill all of the good bacteria living in your digestive system. This leaves you with an even less ideal stomach.

Korean Constitutional Medicine does not worry about the bacteria. Instead, it focuses on the symptoms and strengthens stomach function to provide an environment that is not conducive to H. pylori’s needs. Acupuncture and herbs are used to bring the patient back to health, and the bacteria either goes back into hiding, or the patient’s immune system eliminates it. Even if the bacteria goes into hiding, a healthy stomach prevents H. pylori from reemerging.

Treating H. pylori in a natural manner will help preserve the good bacteria in your digestive system, allow stomach lining to rebuild, and inflammation to disappear. In this manner you can get your stomach back in shape faster and with no side effects.

(Originally published September 1, 2011.)

Hypothyroidism

2011-08-26T00:01:00.001-07:00

My last article discussed a condition known as hyperthyroidism or “over-active thyroid”. This article will discuss the opposite condition, hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland is not producing enough thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormones are responsible for maintaining metabolism and the rate of energy throughout the body. The lack of energy creates a host of bothersome problems. Common complaints and symptoms of hypothyroidism are: feeling tired, chronic fatigue syndrome, feeling cold easily, muscle spasms/shaking, weight increase, dry skin and hair, hair loss, husky or hoarse sounding voice, lower heart beat, depression and other emotional complaints, facial edema, constipation, migraines, and menstruation pains for women. Typically, women seem to have more of a problem with hypothyroidism than men do.

The reason for this condition is the opposite reason we discussed in my last article. Instead of high yang energy throughout the organs in the body, high yin energy is responsible. Yin is the energy associated with inactivity. It needs to be in perfect balance with yang energy (which is associated with activity) to create a healthful atmosphere and proper circulation. When yin energy is too high and circulation is poor, toxins stay in the body which cause the symptoms mentioned and a variety of other diseases.

Korean Constitutional treatment of hypothyroidism concentrates on rebuilding the yang energy in each organ. For symptoms of constipation, the intestines need balancing. For coldness, the lung and heart energies need building. For muscle spasms/shaking, the liver energy needs to be balanced. For weight gain, we address the digestion energy. For dry skin, hair problems, and vocal issues, the lung energy needs balancing. For a slow heart beat, we look towards the heart, and we also balance that area and the lung energy to assist with depression and emotional problems. All of these areas can be treated with acupuncture and herbs.

While seeking treatment, patients will need to remain on their hormone medication if they have begun taking it. Then, as treatment progresses, a tapering off is recommended. After that your hormone production should return to normal and there will be no further need to supplement your hormones.

In most cases, hypothyroidism is a lifetime condition. It is fortunate that through means of Korean Constitutional Medicine it can be corrected naturally so that you may live a freer, healthier, happier life.

(Originally published August 18, 2011.)

Hyperthyroidism

2011-08-17T14:21:00.001-07:00

The thyroid is one of the largest endocrine glands in the body found at the base of the neck. It controls the way your body uses energy by producing thyroid hormones, which regulate metabolism and affect the rate of other systems in the body. When there is a problem with the thyroid, it usually presents itself in conditions called hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.

Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland produces too much of the thyroid hormone. Some refer to this condition as “overactive thyroid”.

To picture its function a bit more visually, one could relate it to the gas pedal in a car. Pressing down hard on the pedal for a continuous amount of time creates more heat within the engine, burns gas more rapidly, and uses up other fluids faster as well. This is the concept of hyperthyroidism.

Symptoms of this condition include a very skinny frame, abnormal hunger, requiring a lot of food, frequent bowel movements (several times during one day), rapid heartbeat, being easily overheated, sweating easily and a lot, thin hair prone to breakage, weak muscles occasionally shaky, a protruding of the thyroid gland, and for women a menstruation cycle longer than 28 days and usually with minimal bleeding and a lot of pain. (In some rare instances hyperthyroidism can make you overweight from excessive over-eating; taking in more food than you can burn.)

Korean Constitutional Medicine diagnoses hyperthyroidism as an overabundance of yang energy within the organs. Yang energy controls activity within the body, whereas yin energy controls inactivity. Together, in a healthy body, they balance to produce the perfect level of activity in your system. When the yang is too strong, and yin too weak within several organs, this produces symptoms of hyperthyroidism like palpitations and rapid heartbeat, sweating, burning food quickly, hunger, etc.

The treatment for this is to build the yin energy in the organs with acupuncture and herbs. When the organs become balanced, they will naturally balance the thyroid on their own. It may take a little bit of time, but balance can be restored naturally and symptoms will disappear.

My next article will discuss the opposite of this condition- hypothyroidism.

(Originally published August 4, 2011.)

Circulation Exercise

2011-07-27T14:04:00.003-07:00

Trees have an amazing life system. When the breeze or wind blows and their leaves rustle and move, this activates a “pump”- like circulation system within them, bringing water from its deep roots to the very tips of each leaf. Without this shaking, the tree’s nourishment could not ascend the tree and supply all its areas with what is needed.

Your body works in much the same fashion, only upside down. Its head is like the roots and its feet like the leaves. The movement of your feet through daily activity and exercise acts like the wind through the leaves and branches of a tree, pumping blood throughout the full length of your body.

As the rule goes, what goes up must come down, but as you age, it becomes more difficult for the body to pull the blood back up. This is the main reason for circulatory issues, swelling, and varicose veins. More energy is needed to pull the blood back up and for most people, they see a decline in energy as the years roll by.

Happily, there is something simple you can do that will be a helpful addition to your daily exercise routine. It is also easy for those who cannot exercise easily due to injury, advanced age, etc. Along the back of the leg above the ankle runs a set of muscles that, when massaged, act as a circulatory exercise for the body.

Lying down on a bed or flat surface, place a round bar or glass bottle of sorts under the Achilles Tendon in your lower leg, located several inches above the ankle. Move your legs up and down, as if kicking while swimming, tapping the area repeatedly on the bottle or bar, then roll the bottle or bar back and forth massaging that area. Doing so for about five to 10 minutes a day is a great way to give your circulation a boost. It helps the heart and gets the blood flowing. It is also a very simple task to work into a nightly before-bed routine.

(Originally published July 21, 2011.)

Warning Systems

2011-07-27T14:04:00.001-07:00

Your body has an amazing system of notification and warning, one that is at work all the time. This may come as a surprise, since the majority of people ignore these indications every day. However the stiffness, aches, and acute pains you’re feeling are all part of the language of your body.

When you’re feeling that type of discomfort, your body is sending you a message that it is not happy on a cellular level. The communities of cells where you’re experiencing these annoyances are becoming inflamed and require you to do something about it. Unfortunately, most people don’t like to “baby” their systems. They prefer to work and push through the pain, taking over-the-counter medications to numb these sensors and get back to life as usual, which is never the best idea.

If you remain inattentive to your inflammation, over time the cells begin to react erratically and infection sets in. If this is left untreated, the cells begin to mutate and create abnormal societies of cells we commonly refer to as cancer.

There are other ways that indicate your cells are not in their happiest state. Strange growths like warts, poor skin condition, dark spots, and pre-mature aging are great visual indications that your cells need some attention.

In Korean Constitutional Medicine, we pay close attention to bodily fluids that help support ideal cellular function. After all, the body consists of over 70 percent liquid, so its importance can’t be ignored.

If we consider our body like farmland, it’s much easier to understand its cellular process. We want abundant crops, sweet fruit, beautiful vegetables, and big leafy greens. All of which means that we need to care for the land and the crops in the best way possible. We need the proper fertilization and water (intake) and we need to make sure our irrigation systems (the liver which acts as blood/fluid storage, the kidneys which act as the body’s plumbing, and the lungs which serve as a kind of sprinkler system for bodily fluid) are in top working order. If we water the plants too much, they will drown, but if we slack on their watering they will wither and die as well. The right balance must be achieved. In addition to this, we also must make certain the farmer (the heart) is overseeing everything properly.

To do this, we, like the crops, must make our intake top priority ensuring that we are eating the best quality food possible and the purest water available. Our bodies need the most natural ingredients which means organic foods and nothing processed. Ideally, food should be cooked at home using conventional methods. Grains should be in their original state instead of being precooked and prepackaged, vegetables should be fresh and never cooked/steamed in plastic, and the stovetop should be used in place of a microwave to avoid destroying nutrients or leaching harmful chemicals (from packaging) into the food. It may not be the most time-wise method of cooking, but in the long run it will pay off in the health and vitality of you and your family.

In addition to this, however simplistic it seems, pay attention to your stiffness, aches, and pains. Get massages, spend some leisurely time in a hot tub, stretch or do some yoga, and get plenty of rest. Common sense is the best prescription for these occasional annoyances.

If you find you need extra assistance controlling pain and inflammation especially, Korean Constitutional acupuncture and herbs can help keep your “farm” in tip-top shape.

(Originally published July 7, 2011.)

Summer Colds and Flu

2011-06-29T15:47:00.001-07:00

There seems to be a lot of colds and flu going around right now, which is common during a seasonal change. Going from cooler weather to warmer weather (or vice versa) in a sudden way, as often is the case in this part of California, can be a bit tough on people with weaker functioning immune systems.

Korean Constitutional Medicine does not believe that viruses are the cause of obtaining colds and flu. Viruses are around us all the time, constantly attempting to invade our bodies. The healthier your body is, the less likely you are to “catch” one of these viruses because your body is doing a fine job of disallowing the virus from entering and/or taking over. Should you catch a cold or flu, we believe this is due to a weakened immune system; the virus is secondary.

When one’s organs are balanced and strong, they create a high-performance immune system. When they are imbalanced and weak, the immune system is made weak, too. Organ damage (as from cancer, etc.) also contributes to weaker immune systems, as does disease (digestion problems, organ stress, infection, contaminated blood, heart and kidney problems, etc.).

Weather changes require the body to recalibrate, so to speak. During this period of adjustment, the body can be more open to catching a cold or flu should the immune system be functioning at less than capacity. This is a common reason for acquiring a cold or flu around the beginning of summer or winter.

If you are prone to getting sick, extra care should be taken and these people need to keep a watchful eye on their health. Checking for organ damage or imbalance frequently is highly recommended. A lifestyle change is also beneficial; adjusting your diet to include higher quality, unprocessed, organic foods is very important as well as limiting stress, getting extra rest and relaxation, the proper amounts of exercise, acupuncture, and herbs if required. Those over 40 should pay extra close attention to their systems if you are prone to sickness.

Should you feel a bit “off”, like you are coming down with something, it is important to get rest immediately and get rid of stress, as rest is a great immune system builder. During this stage, before the classic symptoms set in (symptoms are evidence of organ damage by the virus), it’s possible to prevent the illness from coming on with some TLC. If ignored, the symptoms will worsen and you’ll find yourself sick and riding out the full length of illness.

Remember, a healthy lifestyle makes for healthy blood which makes for a healthy body. Stay well!

(Originally published June 23, 2011.)

Blood Health

2011-06-29T15:46:00.001-07:00

Blood tests are never enjoyable. In fact, they are something that most of us dread, even though we know they’re beneficial. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to return from a doctor’s visit with the knowledge that your blood is less than perfect. But, never fear! You are capable of improving your subsequent test results yourself, (and in many cases) without making any further trips to the pharmacy.

Korean Constitutional Medicine maintains that we all have the ability to keep ourselves healthy (barring accidents, environmental catastrophe, calamities of war, etc.). We believe healthy blood is the key to health. But, the reverse is also true: unhealthy blood is the key to an unhealthy body.

Intake is the first step to creating healthy blood, and for a lot of people, it’s also the most difficult. The foods available in our modern times are extremely different than what our ancestors had. It is no secret that the changes in food we have seen just within the past generation or two have wreaked havoc on our bodies. So much of the common diet is processed and loaded with chemicals and preservatives that should never be introduced into our blood stream. Food has become very far from natural and we can no longer trust that conventionally grown fruits, vegetables, and grains are grown in the way nature intended. So much produce is sprayed, laden with pesticides, and genetically modified. A diet rich in all of these problems will leave you rich with health problems, too.

It is important to turn back the clock with your eating habits and choose the same foods your ancestors would have- fresh, organic, unprocessed foods. (Eating a constitutional diet is even better. Visit your doctor of Korean Constitutional Medicine to find out what your constitution is.) Not only will they improve your health tremendously, but they will taste better, too. Cooking your own foods is not only healthier, but also cost-saving. In addition to this, starting a backyard garden is a simple, economic, and enjoyable way to introduce organic foods into your lifestyle. Maintaining the garden is also a beneficial form of exercise.

Exercise is, of course, very important, and something most people slack on. Getting the right balance of exercise is important. People who exercise too much should decrease their routine, and people who don’t exercise enough should increase it if possible. Exercise gets your blood flowing, increases circulation which encourages nutrient delivery and toxin removal, strengthens your body, and improves general well being. Too much exercise can tax your body unnecessarily, increase cellular oxidation, and lead to injury and other problems.

The third step to healthy blood starts in your mind. Having a positive, peaceful mind goes a long way to health and happiness. It encourages healthful energy to flow throughout the body and eliminates emotionally-based problems and diseases. It’s not something many people can change instantly; one has to work at it just the same way a body builder would need to build their muscles each day. It takes practice, but the end results are always profitable. Not only will your health be improved, but everything around you becomes more beautiful with a positive outlook. It makes for a generous, gentle spirit that keeps love and gratitude flowing and encourages others to do the same.

Keeping your blood healthy, well nourished, free of unnecessary medications (opt for holistic treatments whenever possible), and properly circulating is key to lasting health and well being. It is truly worth all the effort!

(Originally published June 9, 2011.)

Nighttime urination problems

2011-06-29T15:45:00.001-07:00

After a long day at work or play, we all look forward to a nice restful sleep; but for some people, obtaining rest, even when tired, is not so easy. Frequent nighttime urination is a problem that can impair general function into your waking hours. These people travel back and forth to the bathroom several times a night, which limits their quality of sleep dramatically.

Some people label this situation incorrectly as incontinence, but it’s not quite the same thing. This particular problem is stress-related and much easier to correct.

There are two root causes of stress related frequent urination, aside from general stress. The first cause is from a stressed liver. From there, a chain reaction begins. The stressed liver function leads to an overheated heart function, which in turn upsets the small intestine function, which then bothers the kidney function, and finally results in weakened bladder function. When the bladder is stressed, it sends indications of it feeling full and opens for elimination early.

The second root cause is usually found in those persons who are overtired or who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome. These people have a tendency to feel cold often with cold hands and feet. They also have weak yang energy and tired kidney function. Weak yang energy also means that there is too much yin (cold) energy present. When kidney function is cold, there is more draining of water in the body. This poor kidney function then upsets the bladder and you feel the signs of a full bladder ready to be emptied.

Frequent urination creates more than just sleep deprivation; it also creates a lack of nutrition. The bladder contains urine, which consists of excess nutrients the body borrows from as needed. When this is constantly being flushed out, there is less nutrition being circulated throughout the body. In addition to this, the lack of sleep is more than just a problem of daytime fatigue and fuzzy thinking. Sleep at night is also a time of rest for your organs. They need this nightly period to rejuvenate so they can be alert and well-functioning for the day ahead. Just as running a car and never turning it off will limit its lifespan, the same can be said for your own system.

Treatment for these conditions begins not with the bladder, but in the area of the root cause- the liver and heart function or kidney function. Balancing these areas with herbs, acupuncture, and a proper diet restores normal function to the bladder.

For those suffering with incontinence, surgery is usually the first answer, but acupuncture and herbs can be helpful for that as well. Even though it’s not as easy to fix as frequent urination, it might just be the non-surgical fix you need.

A lack of sleep is nothing to ignore. While some sleep problems are temporary and easy to fix on your own, some are lasting and problematic. Fixing them as early as possible will help keep you clear, happy, focused, and feeling great.

(Originally published May 26, 2011.)

Disorders of the Kidneys

2011-05-18T13:42:00.001-07:00

The kidneys are an amazing pair of organs. They work to filter the blood and liquid in your body, keeping it clean and directing waste water to your bladder.

When this function is compromised by renal impairments, you start to see the warning signs, which can be quite noticeable; they include lower back pain, lack of urination, and swelling/edema, among other issues. If the problems persist, you could be at risk for dialysis and in a worst case scenario, transplantation.

At the beginning of a kidney disorder, lower limbs begin to swell and urination tapers. In this case, your kidneys are not sending enough liquid to your bladder and the liquid keeps circulating through your body. At this point, there is also a lack of albumin in the veins, which functions to keep water inside your veins and arteries. Liquid begins to seep out and causes swelling and edema. People can also have swelling in the upper regions of the body due to stressed heart function. Some patients have swelling in the upper regions only, some in both the upper and lower; it depends on the person. Most people don’t pay much attention to the swelling and reach for an over the counter diuretic which only causes more stress for the kidneys and bladder.

In addition, when your kidney function has a filtering problem, contaminants remain in the blood and toxins accumulate in the body. All of these situations make for serious problems.

The cause of kidney malfunction is due to the kidneys having too much cold energy; in this case, Korean Constitutional Medicine says their yang energy is deficient, which makes renal function weak. The lack of albumin is attributed to the liver function. All of these functions need to be rebalanced with herbs, which are very good for kidneys, improve heart function, and help create healthy blood circulation. A different combination is prescribed depending on your body’s needs. Proper diet is also extremely important, as well as limiting stress.

The proper balance of water is also important. People with renal issues should not detoxify with large amounts of water as it can make for even more stress on kidney function.

People with renal issues need to take them seriously and visit a medical practitioner suited to your needs and wishes. However, in addition to this, some helpful at-home recipes can help take care of minor water drainage issues of the kidneys. Korean Constitutional Medicine recommends boiling corn silk or pumpkin, and drinking the water as a tea.

Kidneys are a very important part of your body and deserve the proper care, attention, and maintenance. Being mindful of your body’s function is extremely important, so that you may sidestep anything serious.

(Originally published May 12, 2011.)

Addiction to Sleep Medication

2011-05-18T13:41:00.001-07:00

Quitting any addiction is usually pretty daunting thought. It is automatically assumed that it’s going to be a difficult journey, but when it revolves around an element that’s vital to everyone’s life, it seems even harder.

As far as addictions, it’s not the first that comes to mind, but addictions to sleep medicine are common and people can be dependent on them for decades.

Kicking the habit usually entails side effects like sleeping problems, anxiety, fear, headaches, nausea, dizziness, and depression; but quitting with the aid of Korean Constitutional Medicine can help you eliminate your addiction and all the side effects in about a week.

Sleeping problems can originate in a variety of ways inside the body, but the end result is always the same- the lack of oxygen and nutrition to the brain.

The heart is usually the culprit for this, though the reasons vary per person. Your heart is like an engine and it “overheats” when it is overtaxed. It can overheat due to general stress, stress from the liver, and stress from the lungs. Whenever the heart is not doing its job there is a lack of oxygen and nutrients to the brain which results in sleep problems.

When a person has stress, the liver overworks itself and “overheats”. The liver is not able to provide enough blood support for the heart, which creates stress on the heart that results in the lack of support to the brain.

If imbalanced lung energy is at fault, it’s because lung energy, which is a cooling energy, has been weakened for some reason and is no longer able to “cool off” the overheating heart enough to balance its function. The imbalanced heart function again causes a lack of brain support.

Having low chi is also a common cause of lack of brain support as all of the essentials are not being circulated upwards to the brain.

Discovering where the problem originates- if it’s in the liver, the lungs, or low chi- is the key to rebalancing the body. Once the stress is taken off the organs your heart is able to function happily again. Oxygen and nutrient delivery to the brain is replenished and your sleep patterns are thus restored. Both acupuncture and herbs assist this process and also eliminate the side effects that come with removing your dependency.

Wherever your addiction lies, acupuncture and herbs are usually very helpful tools in beating the habit. Whatever road to non-dependency you take, it’s important to keep trying and find the avenue that’s right for you. Always have faith that success will be yours!

(Originally published April 28, 2011.)

Stress Hives

2011-05-18T13:39:00.001-07:00

Everyone is familiar with stress, though its effects differ from person to person. With some people, their emotions might flare up, others might see pain, but for some, stress takes on a more visual aspect in the form of hives.

Hives are not only visually unappealing, but are also quite bothersome. These swollen, red, raised areas on the skin can appear out of nowhere and even disappear suddenly. They are often itchy, burning, and/or stinging and do not help your stressed situation at all.

Stress hives are cause by a yin deficiency and an overabundance of yang energy which “heats” the blood. In Korean Constitutional Medicine, we sometimes refer to blood as being too hot or too cold, though it hasn’t anything to do with an actual number on a thermometer, but rather the balance of elements and toxins present in the body.

When there is a higher level of yang energy internally, this disrupts lung function which controls the state of your skin. The imbalance weakens the skin and allows for all sorts of oddities to occur. Underneath the skin there is, of course, blood circulation. If the blood has more heat than normal, hives and rashes of varying types emerge.

With hives, the swelling is due to water toxins trapped beneath the surface of the skin. Because of the restricted lung energy, the proper nutrient delivery and toxin removal systems aren’t functioning properly to prevent this from happening. The toxins and heat congest in areas and sort of “clump around” instead of circulating evenly.

Treatment for stress hives is obvious in that you need to reduce your stress. However, we sometimes need to face the facts that we cannot always easily remove certain stressors. For these occasions, acupuncture and herbs are very helpful. They work to relax the body and balance the organs, especially the lung and liver functions. In addition to this, making the blood “cooler” by increasing the water element and decreasing the fire element helps balance the yin and yang energies in the body. All of this combined helps the skin to return to normal, and also helps with how daily stress is processed by your system.

Even though signs of stress are sometimes easy to manage, it’s important to view them as little messages from your body indicating that it is not happy. Letting stress and symptoms persist over time can lead to much more serious problems that are far more difficult to eliminate. Catching and fixing problems early on will increase your quality of life immeasurably.

(Originally published April 14, 2011.)

Hot Flashes

2011-05-18T13:37:00.001-07:00

Hot flashes are a part of life that no woman looks forward to. They are an uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing attribute of menopause that are usually accompanied by facial flushing, sweating, emotional changes, and sometimes a rapid heartbeat.

Western medicine defines hot flashes as a result of a hormonal imbalance during menopause. Korean Constitutional Medicine defines it as imbalanced kidney and heart functions.

The kidneys control the element of water throughout the body and the heart controls the fire element. Water is a heavier, downward moving energy and fire is an upward moving energy. In a healthy, menstruating woman, fire and water are balanced and ever circulating, but as a woman enters her menopausal years this balance is thrown off. The water energy is no longer being pushed upwards by the fire energy, and the fire energy is not drawn downward by the water energy.

The effect of the body’s fire energy not being pulled downwards causes the hot flash, facial flushing, sweating, and rapid heartbeat. In this instance, the over abundance of fire energy disrupts the lung energy which controls the skin and pores. If this energy is lowered, the skin’s holding energy becomes weak and allows for the sweating that accompanies the hot flash. The fire energy also disrupts liver function which causes emotional changes like anger and anxiety.

Some women opt for western medicine’s approach, which is hormone replacement. Studies have shown that these women have a higher risk of cancer, but Korean Constitutional Medicine believes this risk is increased if the woman’s energy is already quite imbalanced at the time she begins hormone replacement.

Happily, the treatment for hot flashes is very effective. Building the body’s water energy is the first step. This is done with acupuncture and herbs. Balancing this energy naturally builds and controls the fire energy as well. In addition, these treatments also work very well for other menopausal symptoms and allow for a smooth change of life.

Menopause is a natural occurrence and it is best to treat it as naturally as possible. Being kind to your body, listening to its needs, and maintaining its balance will see you more pleasantly to your next stage of life.

(Originally published March 31, 2011.)

Hepatitis

2011-05-18T13:36:00.001-07:00

Hepatitis is seen a bit differently in eastern and western medicines. Western medicine describes it as an inflammation of the liver caused usually by viruses. Oriental Medicine and Korean Constitutional Medicine (KCM) recognizes, but does not function by diagnosing viruses; rather it reads the patient’s symptoms to determine a root problem and a course of action to restore health.

KCM diagnoses hepatitis by viewing it as a liver problem. Poor digestion issues accompany this, including lack of appetite, nausea, gas, diarrhea, and vomiting. Other indications and symptoms include a tight feeling in the right side of the ribcage (from inflammation), feeling tired, bruising easily, veins/arteries enlarged and blue, jaundice, headache, body aches, darkening of the facial skin, Charlie horses, and twitching. (Emotional upset, especially anger, is a symptom of the liver being stressed as well.)

KCM’s theory states that toxic, damp energy that is present in the area is the cause of hepatitis. This causes circulation problems which inhibits the body from functioning normally. Eliminating this damp energy and improving digestive function is the basic treatment for hepatitis and other liver issues.

The liver is a blood storage tank, so to speak, and has energy that is like a vacuum. It pulls in nutrients and distributes them to the rest of the body through the blood. In addition to this, it also helps detoxify the blood, and supports the heart which supports the rest of the body. When the function of the liver is impeded, all of the body suffers.

People need to have free flowing energy within the central portion of the body, particularly in the area between the digestive organs and liver. When there is a restriction in this area, damp energy occurs, which makes the liver tired and impedes the production of healthy blood. Damp energy also comes from alcohol, which is one of the other causes of hepatitis.

The hepatitis virus can be caught in the manner of other viruses or can be present at birth and “hide” within the body. When you become run down and your body is fragile to infection, it can present itself. Even if the virus is hiding, if you maintain good health, your immune system will do its job and keep you free of the problem.

The Korean Constitutional treatment of hepatitis is to build up digestion energy and increase circulation to eliminate the damp energy present in the stomach/liver area. During treatment, and as digestion improves, more nutrition is able to be delivered, which releases stress on the liver. The liver is then able to create healthy blood which builds the immune system naturally and wards off the virus.

Herbs also work to help restore liver function. Using KCM and western methods together can be a very effective treatment for hepatitis, depending on the severity. Keeping emotionally happy (as emotional upset lowers digestion energy), eliminating alcohol and toxic medications, and maintaining a healthy, organic constitutional diet are also key.

Whether or not you have hepatitis, it is very important to keep your liver in excellent shape. It is such an important organ that feeds your whole body through the nutrients it gathers for the blood. It is always good advice to keep your liver clean and in excellent working order. Doing so will help keep you free of many diseases and problems.

(Originally published March 17, 2011.)

Ancient Oriental Tool for Life Planning

2011-02-17T21:17:00.001-08:00

In America, and other western countries, when you want to know something about yourself or your future, you consult a psychic. In eastern countries, you consult your Sa Ju.

Sa Ju means four pillars and eight characters. The four pillars are the basic foundations of an individual’s life. The pillars represent characteristics of the moment you were born; the year, month, day, and time. Each of these pillars has two characters representing the basic elements (wood, metal, fire, water and ground).

By looking at your Sa Ju you can see much about your life, but its main purpose is to consult you on matters of business/material wealth, health, and relationships. It does not have anything to do with your state of happiness on a whole. Happiness is a momentary decision.

Each of these pillars and characters contain a grouping of elements. You may have five water elements, one metal, one ground, and one fire, for instance. The goal is to balance this energetic grouping with the energy of the year.

The Sa Ju divides a human life into ten year spans. (The ten years begins the day you were born. It does not follow chronological calendar decades, for instance 1950-1960, unless you were born in 1950.) In each decade has what is termed an “umbrella” over it. This umbrella consists of energy that is either helpful or not helpful to you. If you have a decade of helpful energy (helpful Young Shin), everything in this time period will run well for you. If you’re a student, your studies will be good, businesspersons will enjoy good profits and/or promotions, etc. If the umbrella contains unhelpful energy (unhelpful Young Shin), then the student will have a more difficult time with their studies, businesspersons will see a decline or lack of promotions. (Within this umbrella are also smaller umbrellas of each individual year. This will also affect the energy of the overall decade.)

If the person being read has eight characters that balance well with incoming helpful Young Shin, the Sa Ju is a very good one. During this time period you will see very positive occurrences and have generally no big problems. This is a good time for starting or increasing the size of your business, for promotions, investments, major purchases, and the like.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, should your eight characters not balance well with the decade’s incoming energy, this is read as a time period to “reel in” life. Within this umbrella, even trying to excel will see you not achieving your goals or getting you where you want to be. We do not see this as a negative time period, but only ten years of taking a step back, keeping calm, and holding onto your money. At this time, it is best to analyze what you want in life and take quiet, slow steps to that goal. It is a time for reflection and learning, but not for action. It does not necessarily mean that horrible things will come your way, but is only to serve as a helpful tool to plan your future with. Anyone who goes through a time period when they feel they “just can’t get a break” will understand what this time period is like.

Health can be read using the Sa Ju as well. Unhelpful energy years should be watched closely. Health will be more difficult to cure should anything go wrong in these years. On the flip side, any health problem will be easily fixed should it occur during a time period with helpful Young Shin.

The Sa Ju can also tell you much about relationships, especially that of husband and wife. The Sa Ju is about 90 percent effective at telling you whether or not you have chosen the right partner. It can also tell you when the ideal time to marry is. At one point (before birth control and abortions) the Sa Ju was also highly effective at predicting the number of children you will have, as well.

In addition to this, the Sa Ju is also effective at showing you where your talents lie. The energy you have points to certain talents. For example, should you have a lot of metal energy in your Sa Ju, you would make a good doctor or surgeon. Other mixes of elements would point in the direction of someone scholarly, artistic, or perhaps best suited for firefighting/law enforcement.

The Sa Ju is meant to be a helpful tool for life planning. It should not be used as an indication of things to come. Having helpful Young Shin does not mean that good fortune will come your way without effort. You will not win the lottery. Even in a decade with unhelpful energy, this should be seen as a time of learning through your experiences. It is not a time for disappointment, nor should it be viewed as a dark cloud over your life.

In addition to this, it should be noted that, though helpful, the Sa Ju will never take the place of human intuition. This is your best tool for judging which direction to take. It is your life meter. Meditation and chanting cleans this life meter so that you may see it better.

Every life has its ups and downs, but this is what brings balance. One cannot enjoy life’s graces without knowing what setbacks feel like. Remember, life isn’t about what it holds for you, but rather what you bring to it.

(Originally published February 17, 2011.)

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

2011-01-26T14:26:00.001-08:00

Some ailments are better known as “old people’s diseases”, but in fact can strike at any age. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is one such affliction.

Juvenile arthritis usually presents itself around the age of 6 months. Symptoms include: swelling in joints, fever, rashes, stiffness, soreness, and limping. Knee, wrist, ankle, finger, and toe problems are most common. Oddly, JRA seems to affect girls more than boys. On average, girls begin to show symptoms three years before boys do.

JRA is usually temporary and only in rare cases does it last a lifetime. Most commonly, it disappears as the child matures. This is due to the strengthening of the child’s immune system and energy over time.

Though we don’t know exactly what causes JRA, Oriental medicine refers to it as an immune response due to organ energy imbalance, usually pertaining to the liver and spleen functions (tendons are controlled by liver energy and muscles to spleen energy). The body is giving a wrong immune response to fluid and joint tissue. When it should be protecting these vital materials, it begins to fight them as if they were foreign particles. It’s very much as if there has been some wrong programming in the child’s immune response.

Oriental philosophy traces these negative responses to the child’s conception and gestation. It is believed that pregnancy should be a planned process with both parents being in ideal health condition prior to conception. The proper weather on the day of conception also plays a part, as well as the energy of the parents, which also includes genetic influences. Stress, anger, medications, vaccinations, emotional problems, drinking, and drugs all affect the child throughout conception and gestation. These factors cause the parent’s energy to be imbalanced and it is passed along to the baby, which presents itself as a weakness of some sort after the baby is born. This is one of two philosophies behind all infantile-early childhood diseases. The other stems from environmental problems, i.e. radiation from electricity, poisons/pollution in the environment and household, toxins in food, and poor nutrition.

The best treatment for these children is daily massage of the affected areas, better nutrition, reduced stress, light acupuncture and moxibustion treatments, herbs, and added love and affection. The parents and baby should also play games that involve the use and stretching of the hands and fingers. This movement helps improve circulation to the area and also helps develop the brain and prevent further joint problems. Other joint exercises and heating the affected areas also bring relief. It should also be noted to ensure that the spinal column is in good alignment. Massage of the spine helps, too.

Positive thinking also plays a big role in the speedy outgrowing of JRA. It increases the body’s natural healing abilities, which children have more than adults. In fact, positive thinking helps us all, in all matters of life, at all ages!

(Originally published January 27, 2011.)

Understanding Gluten Intolerance

2011-01-26T14:19:00.001-08:00

You may have been hearing more about gluten lately, but perhaps have not been certain what it is or why a lot of health foods are labeled “gluten-free”. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley and is indigestible to some people. A more advanced intolerance is called celiac disease and is ever increasing.

Gluten issues commonly cause chronic diarrhea, bloating, gas, and constipation as well as a host of other issues such as joint pain, abdominal pain, malnutrition, infertility, fatigue, and the list goes on, varying per patient.

Western medicine says that those with gluten intolerance or celiac disease cannot digest this protein, and when eaten it triggers an autoimmune response, provoking the body to attack itself and destroy healthy tissues, especially the villi in the small intestine.

Korean Constitutional Medicine attributes gluten intolerance to a lack of heat in the intestines, which is common especially amongst So Um In constitutional types.

Wheat, rye, and barley are termed “cool foods” that are not on the constitutional list for So Um In types, but rather on their opposite, So Yang In types. For So Yang In types, their intestinal area is already hot, and they have general problems with heat, so these foods are better for them. For So Um In types, however, they have issues with lower organ temperature and need “hot foods”. In the grain department, they thrive on brown and white rice, especially. Other foods that are better for the So Um In constitution are (but not limited to): honey, leeks, ginseng, dates, ginger, garlic, onions, curry, and spicy foods, which all increase the temperature in the intestines.

When the temperature in the intestines is too cold, your body can no longer take all the nutrients from the food you eat and the food becomes only partially digested. Coolness creating a malfunction in the small intestine causes gas and bloating, and the digestion process is rendered incomplete. When this occurs, the large intestine becomes stressed, and it slows down to create constipation in some sufferers. In others, the liquid that was not properly removed in the small intestine remains, and causes diarrhea when it hits the large intestine. For many with gluten intolerance, these issues are unstable, and can vacillate from constipation to diarrhea often.

When the intestines are no longer taking the nutrients that they are supposed to, and are instead dumping them, this causes a lack of nutrition in the blood, which makes organs weak, and causes fatigue. The blood also cannot cleanse itself as well any longer, which leads to a buildup of toxins in the joints that creates pain. Having coolness in the lower abdomen also makes fertility difficult.

To deal with the effects of gluten intolerance and celiac disease, it is essential for the sufferer to build their immune system with acupuncture and herbs. Limiting stress, exercising, and keeping a happy mind is ideal for all types. Constitutional food is also a must. Keeping a food diary is also a helpful thing to do, so that you may track how you feel after meals and really get to know what your body likes and dislikes; one body is always different from the next. Over time, your immune system will improve and build strong organs and things will go back to a healthy normal.

So Um In types should also always eat on time, to a schedule, and consume smaller meals throughout the day. (Do not skip meals as this stresses out your organs.) Larger meals can be difficult on this constitution’s digestive system. Buffets should also be avoided as the temptation for larger meals is so much higher.

It is a new year, and a great resolution to make is that of your health. Improving your immune system eliminates so many problems including gluten intolerance.

(Originally published January 6, 2011.)

Diet & Children’s Behavioral Problems

2010-12-29T13:47:00.003-08:00

It seems there has been a dramatic rise in children’s behavioral problems over the past few decades. The primary reason for this has to do with chemicals present in their diet.

The modern diet commonly consists of processed foods laden with chemicals, fast food, produce sprayed with chemicals, genetically modified foods, and other unnatural man-made foods that were not in existence during the first half of the 20^th century, more or less. This compounding of chemicals in the body causes your system to react in ways that are otherwise abnormal to how they would be on a natural diet our ancestors favored. They create a wide variety of problems and diseases, but often initially show up in children as behavioral problems.

(Other causes can also include, but are not limited to: vaccinations, medications, delivery complications, complications during pregnancy, environmental chemicals, and inherited parental energy.)

A poor diet and/or an environment filled with chemicals makes the blood dirty, which brings about organ weakness. Eventually, support (nutrition and oxygen delivery and toxin removal) to the brain declines and changes in your child become evident. This is the root of childhood behavioral problems including ADHD, depression, stress and violent tendencies, and slow comprehension/learning (this excludes conditions like dyslexia, etc.).

One of the most common issues is ADHD. In this case, Korean Constitutional Medicine believes that the brain chemicals and cells have changed; KCM does not believe it is a problem with the brain in general. Sometimes ADHD can be a little difficult to detect by parents until they are placed in an atmosphere with other children. The differences can then present themselves and, in comparison to the other children, you may notice that the child is prone to fidgeting, being over-active, has a difficult time concentrating, and is too talkative. If this lasts for 6 months or so, the child is usually diagnosed with ADHD. Drugs and behavioral therapists are usually prescribed at this time but do little to cure the root problem.

In the case of a child with ADHD, they have weakened kidney and bladder organs (water energy) and their yang energy, which is an upward moving energy, is too high making them hyperactive. The deficient brain support also creates a difficulty in concentrating. These children need to cleanse the blood of impurities and toxins, strengthen the kidney and bladder organs, and create a balance in yin and yang energies to create a normal, calm level of activity and concentration.

The opposite of ADHD would be a child who is overly calm, slow, and depressed. In this case their yin energy, a downward moving energy, is too high, and they have imbalanced organs that vary per type of depression.

Children who are prone to lashing out and have a lot of stress have imbalanced lung and liver energies. Being young and having a diet that allows for poor support to the brain, they’re not as equipped to understand and reason their stress. They don’t know why they’re feeling the way they do and the organ imbalance causes increased holding energy that makes them ball their emotions up inside them. When things get too much, they act out violently. Kids with this situation need to cleanse the blood, release the holding energy of their liver, and help the lung energy to disperse their “emotional ball”. After this they will regulate.

The last common behavioral problem of slow comprehension is also caused by dirty blood. In these children, their digestive organs have weakened and brain support is lessened even more. These children need to balance their digestive organs and cleanse the blood as well.

Each of these behavioral situations are different but require the same prescription: better intake, and herbs to match their constitution and individual problems. Usually within three months, child and parents will see a significant change.

I can’t stress the importance of intake enough. Nourishing your children with a high quality, unprocessed, organic diet is insurance for the rest of their life. In addition to this, if your child does have a problem, be especially patient with them and give them lots of love. The care and support you give them will help them through any difficulties of childhood and make them happy adults.

(Originally published December 23, 2010.)

Hyperemesis Gravidarum and Pregnancy

2010-12-29T13:47:00.001-08:00

Korean Constitutional Medicine believes in the theory that life and health is a five element cycle (fire, ground, water, metal, and wood). Wood creates fire. Afterwards, the fire leaves ash which helps nourish the ground. Metal creates beneficial minerals and, and water ensures growth. The proper balance of this cycle ensures ideal health in all times of life.

When this balance is disrupted, problems arise, some of which won’t present themselves for some time to come. These problems can be especially difficult on the pregnant mother, those looking to get pregnant, and those who have recently delivered.

It is common for pregnant women to experience nausea and vomiting early on in their pregnancy. These symptoms fade, usually after the first trimester, but for some it only intensifies and lasts up to the full nine months.

In a situation like this, the mother, prior to getting pregnant, had weak, borderline problematic ground energy. (Ground energy controls the digestive organs- the stomach, pancreas, spleen, and intestines- and is a downward moving energy.) When ground energy is weak, wood energy (which is an upward moving energy) increases and begins forcing the digestion energy upwards. When the mother conceives, this weakened ground energy has to begin serving two bodies, which exacerbates the weakness. Ground energy gets weaker and wood energy gets stronger and begins causing symptoms that include lasting severe nausea and vomiting, an inability to eat, dehydration, weight loss, light headedness and fainting. Western medicine calls this condition hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).

For those with HG lasting the entire length of the pregnancy, all symptoms usually leave upon delivery. This is because the ground energy is back to serving only one body and so reverts to its pre-pregnancy state.

HG can be treated with acupuncture and herbs to return strength to the mother’s ground energy and eliminate the problem. For those with a history (or family history) of HG, it is a good idea to ensure proper ground/wood energy balance prior to conception.

Planning and preparing for conception is always a smart route for any soon-to-be parent. Checking to ensure both parents have ideal energy, organ balance, emotional health, and that the mother’s uterus and menstrual cycle is healthy is important. Any problems can be fixed first to ensure a comfortable and successful pregnancy and, most importantly, a healthy baby. Herbs also help for good pushing energy to avoid c-sections. Old Asian custom also recommends conceiving on a day with calm, peaceful weather.

Care after delivery is most important, too. Toxins remain in the mother’s body and organs tend to be imbalanced at this point. Herbs flush out toxins (which can hide in the body and create future problems) and help return the mother to her pre-pregnancy shape. Herbs also help for healthy milk production, or ease of pressure for those who are not or no longer breast feeding.

Taking care of your body before, during, and after pregnancy is very important. The business of new life is not that of 18 years, but that of 100, ideally. Starting the next generation out on the right foot is always a smart idea.

(Originally published December 9, 2010.)

Managing Multiple Sclerosis

2010-11-24T11:53:00.001-08:00

Being diagnosed with a disease like multiple sclerosis is a very scary thing. Patients with MS know there is no cure, and often think that there is no hope for them. To them, the chances of an effective treatment look bleak.

Oriental medicine believes that with every disease there is a way to heal; the trick is to discover it and ignite your body’s own healing energy. All bodies work differently and, what works for one may not work for another, but to keep searching is important. Korean Constitutional Medicine may be one successful avenue to take.

Multiple sclerosis occurs when the immune system has malfunctioned and begins considering the proteins that cover the nerves as an enemy. It attacks this protective layer, and weakening of the nerves takes place. Nerves that are weakened in the spine correspond to the area of the body these nerves control, which causes those areas to misbehave mechanically. In addition to this change, the nerves can no longer help blood travel to all areas of the body. The lack of blood means that cells cannot survive. The oxygen, nutrition, toxin elimination, and hormone control your body is used to has ebbed and your body becomes weaker.

Symptoms of MS commonly present themselves first in the eyes as the nerves in the eyes are so small and delicate. Other symptoms include: muscle spasms, loss of balance, numbness, pain, functional difficulties, tremors, memory/brain function issues, dizziness, and problems walking.

Where Korean Constitutional Medicine is concerned, MS is a disease best treated early on, however it is effective even in chronic patients. It works to reestablish the connection between the brain and the damaged area. In a healthy person, the nerves and brain have proper connection which allows the brain to determine where support is needed and send whatever is necessary to that area. In a person with MS, the nerves are weak and the brain no longer knows how to connect with the area. Acupuncture helps the brain find alternate ways of delivering the essentials to the area, thus allowing for the continued maintenance of the affected areas and the rebuilding of the attacked protein layer. One could compare it to using back alleys if the main roads have been blocked. Moxabustion is also an effective treatment.

Herbs and a proper diet plan are also in the regimen for treating MS. The herbs and recommended nutrients help to rebuild the nervous system and reverse damage.

In those recently diagnosed with MS, a continuous regimen of acupuncture, moxa, herbs, and a constitutional diet will allow you to live well without feeling affected by MS. In chronic sufferers, improvements will be seen. These treatments also help with the emotional changes that occur with any type of suffering.

Unfortunately, most people with multiple sclerosis live with no hope of treatment, and take muscle relaxants and steroids to manage their disease. However, it is important to keep hope alive and to search for new directions in healing. Finding the right path to your body’s healing energy is worth the journey.

(Originally published November 18, 2010.)

Eliminating Sciatica

2010-11-10T14:17:00.001-08:00

The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest nerve in the human body. It begins in the lower back, runs through the buttock and down the leg and delivers sensation to the leg and foot. Being such a large nerve, it is more prone to upset than others.

Sciatica is relatively common and its symptoms include pain, numbness, muscular weakness, difficulty controlling movement in the leg, sensations of pins and needles and/or tingling, difficulty walking, walking bent over, and/or dragging the leg.

The general cause of sciatica is due to the spine and sacrum being out of balance, which creates a narrowing in the gap between vertebrae. When you move or have some range of motion, the nerve becomes pinched and leads to the previously named symptoms. However, the cause of the spine/sacrum imbalance is due to weakened muscles that are no longer supporting straight bones because of weakness in organ function.

Each organ controls different muscles in the body. If these organs have become weak, their “job performance” lacks and they’re no longer doing what they’re supposed to do. If your muscles aren’t helping keep your bones properly in place, you begin to notice problems here and there. This is primarily why some patients still have pain even after surgery has been performed to relieve the sciatica.

Acupuncture works to balance the organs so the muscles can once again support the bones properly. Over a short time, your structure becomes properly straightened and realigned, thus relieving the compression of the sciatic nerve.

Those with acute pain, or sciatica due to pregnancy, will only need a couple sessions before they find relief. Others, who have chronic sciatica, may need between one and three months of treatment. For these patients, acupuncture with acupressure work to control the central nerves that run to the sciatic nerve, and adjust kidney and liver functions which are stressed and have made the muscles weak and also created a circulation problem. Herbs are also prescribed to eliminate organ stress, feed muscles better, and eliminate toxins from them as well. The acupuncture works to mechanically restore proper function, while the herbs work internally for organ and muscle longevity.

If your sciatica stems from an injury from an accident and you have already had surgery, acupuncture can also help to aide recovery and eliminate any continuing pain.

Whether your sciatica is acute or chronic, there is no reason to live with pain as acupuncture is very successful at eliminating the problem and restoring your quality of life.

(Originally published November 4, 2010.)

Taking the Fear out of Panic Attacks

2010-10-30T20:43:00.001-07:00

Panic attacks can be very scary, and often go misunderstood by those who do not suffer from them. Unfortunately, the person experiencing them rarely understands them either, and because of this, a real fear can develop. With so much misunderstanding, living on either side of panic attacks can make for conflicting emotions. It is my hope that this article takes the fear out of the affliction and also helps to clear up the mystery behind panic attacks.

Panic attacks come on suddenly. Its symptoms commonly include (among other things) an inability to breathe, heart palpitations, sweating, hot/cold flashes, chest pains, faintness, and make you feel as though you are having a heart attack and/or going to die. They can last anywhere from seconds to hours. If they are frequent, they can be life-consuming and cause panic disorder and agoraphobia. Claustrophobia is also commonly associated with panic attacks.

There is no shortage of articles written about panic attacks. Western medicine has a lengthy list of causes, but Oriental medicine reduces it to one situation. We believe it is damp energy creating a momentary blockage of heart and lung chi, created by the insufficient support of these organs by the liver and gallbladder. (The liver and gallbladder act as husband/wife, yin/yang organs that maintain strong heart and lung energies.) The lung chi blocks which causes a difficulty in breathing, lack of oxygen, faintness, etc. The heart chi blocks causing tightness and chest pain, palpitations, hot flashes, sweating, etc. Damp energy also creates a lack of oxygen and healthy blood to the brain which alters brain chemicals. This is why it’s more difficult to get a handle on your thoughts at this time.

Though there is one root cause of panic attacks, the things that trigger them vary and are associated with energetic weakness in different organs. For example, if your panic attacks are triggered by general external noise, inner ear issues/dizziness, and loud crowd noise, this is related to weak kidney energy. If your panic attacks are set off by crowded places, too much sugar, too much caffeine, high/low blood sugar, feeling overwhelmed, feeling out of control, feeling as though there isn’t enough time to plan, or a lack of food, these issues are related to the spleen and digestive organs. Heat waves, anxiety, having too much energy, enclosed places, bad memories, and things not turning out as you want them to are issues related to weakened heart function. Fatigue is also a common trigger, associated with weakened lung energy, and fear and strange lighting due to weak liver and gallbladder energy can also bring about a panic attack. Mental triggers are assisted by the lack of nutrients, toxin removal, and oxygen to the brain. When the chemicals in the brain have altered, you are more prone to negative and/or out of control thoughts.

Weakened organs and chi stagnation occur for many reasons, most of which involve intake and stress. High alcohol consumption, medications, smoking, poor eating habits, being overtired, and disease all disrupt your flow of chi.

Fixing the problem of panic attacks varies per school of thought. In Western medicine, mood altering medications might be prescribed to assist because the doctors are unable to observe the flow of energy in the body to cure the core problem. Treatment also typically includes some form of therapy in the regimen, which encourages retraining oneself. This can be difficult for the patient to do because they have a tendency not to trust themselves any longer. Though talking your feelings/problems out is a good idea, neither treatment is hugely beneficial because they still don’t treat the root problem of panic attacks.

Korean Constitutional Medicine (KCM) builds liver and gallbladder strength in order to protect the lung and heart energies. KCM also locates (through pulse diagnosis) and strengthens the weaknesses in the other organs that triggered the chain reaction and returns your body to harmony in a holistic manner.

There are many combinations of herbs that eliminate dampness from the lung and heart, and help to strengthen all of the organs for lasting health. A constitutional diet is also very important for those recovering from panic attacks. Providing your body with the best nutrients helps you maintain health, organ strength, and healthy blood. Exercise, stress relief, and eliminating any pre-existing diseases are also important factors of staving off panic attacks.

When your organs are strong and well cared for, the big and little things in life are managed with much more ease. With continued dedication to your overall health through proper diet and exercise, panic attacks can easily become a thing of the past.

(Originally published October 21, 2010.)

Getting Your Precious Eight Hours

2010-09-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

It’s been known to happen even to the best of us. You lie down after a long day, hoping for a deep rest, but instead pass your sleeping hours listening to the tick of the clock. Night after night, the tick-tock chorus continues, and you’re left to face facts- you have insomnia.

Oriental medicine defines insomnia as occurring more than three times a week, with a lack of sleep on the nights you’re able to rest, difficulty getting to sleep, ease of wakefulness, feeling tired during daylight hours, and feeling like your daily activities are more difficult to accomplish than usual. If these symptoms last for one month, you have insomnia. Emotional sensitivity, headaches, mental issues, and hormonal problems also go hand-in-hand with this affliction.

There are multiple causes for insomnia, with stress topping the list. Other causes include, but are not limited to: caffeine, supplements taken too late in the day, medications, noise and poor sleeping environment, physical problems in the brain, asthma, heart and lung disease, and pain in muscles, joints, and/or bones.

Though there are a variety of factors that can land you with insomnia, they all share stressed heart function in common. In Oriental medicine, we consider the heart like a fish. Fish need the proper surroundings to live. Taking the oxygen out of the water, removing the water, or polluting the water will kill the fish.

As I’ve discussed in my previous articles, your organs work together to assist all areas of your body, which includes the support the heart. If one or more organs are not pulling their weight, the heart becomes stressed and stops supporting cells (including brain cells) as well as before. Brain cells require oxygen and nutrients to assist rest just as they allow for efficiency in your daily activities. Limiting these creates insomnia. In addition to this, the proper organ balance also balances the body’s yin and yang energies. In this case, the yin is like a truck containing the essentials for life and the yang is the driver. With an imbalance, the driver is not making as many scheduled stops to the brain as he used to.

Stressing your heart function is not hard to do. An irregular and/or poor diet disrupts the stomach, small, and large intestine functions; people who take any form of medication, alcohol, or drugs stresses the liver; drinking too much water or other liquids stresses the kidneys; and air pollution and smoking disrupt lung function which also decreases oxygen supply to the heart.

Insomnia is very possibly cured on your own. The best method is to locate the cause of the problem. Eliminate stress, improve your sleeping environment, change your diet, discontinue the use of alcohol and medications (if you’re able to), and do what you can to eliminate pain. Try to fix the problem before turning to sleep medications that can often become addictive and leave you feeling foggy or lethargic in your waking hours. Using these does not eliminate the problem that created insomnia, but only masks it.

If you’re unable to achieve those precious nightly eight hours on your own, acupuncture and herbs can help. Korean Constitutional Medicine uses holistic diagnosis to find and cure the core problem. It also works to assist your heart function, decrease stress, balance your organs, balance yin and yang energies, and help to flush toxins.

Prolonged insomnia is not something that should be ignored. Over time, it can put far too much stress on the body and the potential for serious disease rises. Treat your body kindly and keep your sleep cycles in check. Your body will thank you!

(Originally published, September 23, 2010.)

Heart and Coronal Artery Health

2010-09-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

Your heart beats about 100,000 times a day, which is about 35 million times in a year. During the average person’s lifetime, the heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times and pump about 1 million barrels of blood. With so much activity, it’s important to keep your heart healthy and catch tiny problems before they become big ones.

Oriental medicine uses pulse diagnosis to detect the small symptomatic signs of issues that occur before they can be picked up by Western equipment, such as an EKG or stethoscope. We liken it to a tree. In a typhoon, you can see all parts of a tree moving- the big, heavy branches, and the sturdy trunk- but with a small breeze you see only the top and outer leaves moving. Pulse diagnosis is the detection of the small breeze, long before the typhoon hits. At this stage of discovery, problems are very easy to fix.

The coronal arteries deliver blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the heart, which keeps it and all the neighboring vessels soft, supple, and healthy. When these arteries are weak, the blood flow slows and the muscle is no longer being fed. If the heart begins to beat more, in exercise, stress, or other activities, these hardened, inflexible passages can’t open when the area needs more oxygen (this can be due to blockages of fat, cholesterol, and/or other toxins). The lack of oxygen and nutrients causes conditions such as angina, and in severe cases when the muscle halts altogether, heart attack.

Signs of arterial problems include: difficulty breathing, pain in the chest, cold and sticky sweating, fatigue, and inability to walk too far without feeling out of breath. The main reasons for heart issues are toxin buildup and circulation problems. Ground and sky energy imbalances have made the arteries tighter and weaker, and the oxygen and nutrient supply has plummeted.

Korean Constitutional Medicine prescribes herbs that return the arteries to their former, soft and flexible selves. The herbs also flush cholesterol and other toxins and allow the body to break them down and eliminate it through sweat and urine, unlike Western cholesterol medications which leave cholesterol floating around the body. Other herbs like Gaegi (cinnamon) are prescribed to increase blood circulation, Back Jak Yak to make muscles soft and smooth, and Hyun Ho Saek to eliminate pain.

Acupuncture also helps to improve lung function which populates the blood with oxygen; improves liver function to help hold, supply, and clean the blood; improves kidney function to filter the blood; improves spleen function to recycle the old blood for new; and improves bone marrow to make more blood. As you can see, all organs function to make the blood and keep it fresh, clean, and circulating. A diet of constitutional food is also recommended.

This regimen very often saves people from heart surgery, but for those who have already had surgery or who still require it, taking these herbs will improve heart function, save you from surgical side effects, and even save you from more future surgeries.

If you have a family history of heart disease or issues in this area, it is most important to keep a good watch of your heart health. Being mindful of its condition may save you from future pain and problems.

(Originally published, September 9, 2010.)

Fibroids

2010-08-28T22:04:00.001-07:00

Fibroids are the most common benign tumors in females. They usually occur during the mid- to late-reproductive years and are typically asymptomatic. However, they can grow and cause discomfort and other feminine problems, as well.

Every month, a layer of nutrients forms inside of the uterus and flushes out if no pregnancy takes place. This cycle usually occurs every 28 days, but sometimes clot-like substances form, which are called fibroids.

Fibroids are caused by a lack of blood circulation aided by stress. Stress "stresses out" the liver which supports the blood flow to the uterus. This blood flow decreases and causes the cells to grow abnormally. It is very important to have good circulation in the uterus. Slow blood circulation in the uterus is also caused by coldness in the area. Arteries become restricted and stagnation occurs in the area, which prevents it from doing its job optimally. Diets plentiful in estrogen or hormone-enriched foods such as soy are also prone to fibroids, due to the body's overdose in hormones.

Women who have a lot of PMS issues — pain, blood clots, irregular menstruation and blood circulation problems — are more apt to get fibroids. Family history plays a part as well. Those who are prone to fibroids typically also have digestion issues to go along with it. Oftentimes, obese women complain of fibroids, as well.

Fibroids grow in stages. These stages can be felt by pressing down on the uterus. If the fibroids are in their beginning stage, they can be pressed on and they will feel soft and move when touched; the secondary stage finds them movable, but harder; and the last stage finds them harder, thicker and immovable. Bleeding also sometimes occurs with fibroids.

Preventing fibroids is important. Keep your lower abdomen warm, manage stress, eat a proper diet rich in organic, unprocessed foods, keep your weight down and exercise often. Acupuncture and herbs also assist with fibroids as they build liver function, increase heat, and break down fibroids. Different herbs are prescribed for the different stages of fibroids, which can be eliminated in a matter of months. (For a reference, fibroids that measure around 7 cm usually take about three months to get rid of.)

Women who have been recommended a hysterectomy due to their fibroid issues should consider acupuncture and herbs first. Saving the uterus is important. It is very necessary for harmony and balance. Korean Constitutional Medicine calls it the "lower brain," as it is in close communication with your brain. Hysterectomies can bring about mental and emotional change (think of the related word, hysteria) and should be viewed as a final option, not the first. Retaining your uterus helps maintain hormonal and emotional balance, decreases your risk of breast cancer, and if you're young, allows for pregnancies to occur, of course. Menopausal women have a natural decrease in estrogen. When this happens, fibroids usually cease growing or become very infrequent.

In any event, women should always keep an eye on their monthly cycles. If you have difficult or irregular periods, keep an extra eye on things to make sure nothing negative happens in the future.

(Originally published August 11, 2010.)

Varicose Veins

2010-08-28T22:01:00.001-07:00

Most people think of them as an unfortunate visual product of aging, but in reality, varicose veins serve as a window into the healthful state of your body.

They usually show up first on one’s lower legs and over time spread in a northerly direction, growing larger and more bluish in color in the process. These unsightly veins are a visual indication of the rest of your circulatory system that lies underneath them and deep within your body. They represent the whole, and tell a tale that should be heard.

Varicose veins occur when your blood’s circulation slows down. When this happens, the likelihood of toxins being flushed out of the body as effectively as they once were diminishes greatly. Blood that is rich in toxins and slow to circulate causes your veins and vessels to enlarge and weaken. They are not being fed well enough to maintain the tension they once had, and so they become larger and more pronounced over time.

Those with varicose veins also have a weakened ascending energy due to the buildup of dirty blood. Their organ function is weak, usually due to stress in the kidney, heart, and lung functions. When lung function is weak, the blood can’t be oxygenated properly, which further decreases the quality of the circulating blood. Bad blood also causes arthritis and osteoporosis, as well as a host of other diseases.

Acupuncture can help dramatically with reducing or eliminating varicose veins. It increases the tension of the vein, much in the same way as when one has had an IV too frequently and finds that their vein(s) have suddenly become harder to locate or have disappeared entirely. It creates something of a “trench” for blood to travel better. When paired with herbs, acupuncture also helps restore circulation and organ function so that toxins may be flushed from your body more efficiently. Kidney, heart, and lung function improve which also makes your skin better, eliminates age spots, strengthens nails, makes your hair nicer and more abundant, and eliminates muscle pain. Reducing/eliminating varicose veins usually takes about 20 sessions of acupuncture.

Another helpful hint for those who have varicose veins and slow ascending energy is to sit waist down in a hot bath or Jacuzzi. The heat helps the ascending energy and even helps bowel movements, too. Be sure to get out when you start to sweat a little.

Your body is always communicating with you and telling you what it wants and needs. Its methods of communication can be found in your state of comfort, as well as in the visual indications located on the exterior portions of your body. If it wasn’t there once, you can well assume that it’s your body’s way of writing you a little message, telling you maintenance is required.

(Originally published, July 2010.)

Acupuncture Before and After Surgery

2010-08-28T22:00:00.001-07:00

There are some occasions when the body becomes broken or harmed in some capacity. If you’ve been in an accident, suffered an injury, or have something more seriously wrong with you, you may, at some point, find yourself requiring surgery.

It’s never a fun reality to consider; you know there will be pain, some measure of suffering, and probably a long road to recuperation ahead. Fortunately, acupuncture can greatly ease these concerns if used before and after surgery.

Surgery, however minor, is quite difficult on the body. During a surgical procedure, the body’s circulation slows down, which keeps toxins (both pre-existing, as well as toxins from anesthetic and other medications) locked into the body. This is especially bad around the area operated on, because in this region, the body has been changed mechanically and circulation is even worse. The buildup of contaminants, along with the shock the body has sustained, makes your organ function weak. Reparation of the body now takes more time. These are all reasons why it can be a long journey back to normalcy after surgery.

As you get older, recovery time increases. This is due to a lowered jung gi (life sustaining energy). Children often bounce back much faster than adults after surgery because their jung gi is strong. Increasing ones jung gi through acupuncture and herbs prior to surgery cuts recovery time and increases your capacity for healing. Continuing this regimen after surgery dramatically decreases your time recuperating.

Acupuncture also maximizes the body to work with pain medication. Often times, the body is so weak post-surgery that even strong pain relievers don’t work, but pairing the two drives the medication to the right areas (by using acupuncture meridians) to work properly. The same goes for antibiotics which don’t always work post-surgery for the same reason.

In addition, acupuncture also helps to quickly repair the meridians damaged after surgery, thus restoring proper circulation and nutrient delivery to the body, and especially the area affected. It also increases cell work and maintenance, further assisting your journey back to health.

It is always best to avoid surgery if you can and treat any surgical procedure as a last ditch effort. Listen to your body; if it’s complaining, do your very best to find a solution before the problem gets out of hand. Seek out alternatives and see what works best for your system. Maintain good ground energy (food intake), sky energy (positive thinking), meridian health, and jung gi, and your chances to stay surgery-free are much increased.

However you may end up requiring surgery, remember that it is a traumatic event for your body. Baby your organs and take extra care of yourself. After sustaining such an impact, you deserve it!

(Originally published, July 2010.)

Herbs are Soldiers in the War on Illness

2010-08-28T21:58:00.001-07:00

In most of my articles, you’ll hear me recommending herbs to pair with acupuncture to treat or cure a problem. I’ve written about different herbal at-home recipes and other prescribed herbal concoctions that go by various Korean names, but in this article, I’d like to elaborate a bit on how herbs work and why they are so effective.

When there is a problem in the body, such as knee pain for example, we can consider that the body is at war with something in the problematic area.

If our body is a country and we use World War II as a reference, we can assume that the Axis nations have infiltrated our knee. The Allied forces need to overtake the enemy, but to do so, there has to be a secure battle strategy (diagnosis).

In order to develop this plan, we must know what the terrain of the area is like in order to send out the appropriate forces and equipment. Is it mountainous? Is it surrounded by ocean? Is it a desert? Hot or cold? Dry or damp? What is the enemy fighting with? All of these indications need to be accounted for in order to devise the best plan of attack.

The herbs serve as our soldiers. Some soldiers are stronger than others. Some are armed with guns, others with tanks, missiles or explosives. Knowing what you’re fighting and where the fighting is taking place indicates which soldiers to send out.

Oriental medicine is like war. You need all the enemy information you can acquire to form the best strategy. Then you need the ideal weapons and equipment to attack, win the war, and return the country to peace. Oriental medicine is also used to maintain peace and avoid future battles; we refer to this as preventative medicine.

Western medicine has a very different outlook. Often, to win the war they skip the strategic battle and go directly to dropping an atom bomb (surgery). In this instance, the war might be over, but the land has now been altered and is no longer in its natural state. Life in this area is now forever changed.

Once a proper diagnosis (battle strategy) is made, I prescribe the various herbs that will win the war but leave the terrain intact, just as it was found before the fighting began.

Some herbs are stronger than others, some are beneficial to a specific organ, and some increase or decrease an element or “weather” issue. Having the correct strategy tells me if herbs are needed to eliminate heat, dampness, dryness, etc. or which organ needs aid.

I design the mix of herbs and have them created especially for me, tailored to the individual constitutions as well as the patient’s needs. I primarily use liquid herbs, as they are distributed throughout the body quickly and easily. I prefer them over capsules of powdered herbs because pills are slower to disperse and can often end up being wasted by the body more than they are used.
Nobody wants war, but unfortunately in most generations war is inevitable, both externally and internally. Peace is always the best strategy, but should your own “country” begin fighting, it’s good to know that you have access to the best military for proceeding to victory.

(Originally published, June 16, 2010.)

Stroke revisited

2010-08-28T21:56:00.001-07:00

In my last article, I discussed strokes and the symptoms leading to them. I wanted to elaborate a little more on the subject, because there are several other symptoms to keep in mind pertaining to strokes.

The brain is an area of the body that requires a lot of oxygen and nutrition, which is why cervical arteries are large in size. Without the proper circulation of nutrition and toxin elimination, the brain and its cells become poorly supported and over time become weak and fragile; thus becoming easy victims of stroke. Knowing when this is occurring is not as difficult to gauge as it may sound, though one may attribute some of the symptoms to other issues.

Dizziness, low blood pressure, chronic cold feet, abnormal disconnection (twitching, numbness in one side of your body without physical damage), depression, and anxiety are signs that the brain is not receiving enough oxygen and nutrients. This lacking causes the chemical changes in the brain that produces the latter two symptoms. Other more serious signs of potential stroke are Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and any other dopamine-related problems.

Prevention is the best medicine for stroke. Making certain that your intake is ideal will stave off stroke as well as many other diseases. Eating pure, organic, unprocessed foods is your best prescription for health. Ideally, they should be in accordance with your constitution as well. Eating properly keeps the organs well supported and the toxins flushed from the body. Maintaining clean blood is the key to health.

If an improvement in your diet does not seem to eliminate these signs of stroke, then acupuncture and herbs are needed to reawaken and redirect the body to health. Acupuncture is also very good for assisting those who have had a stroke. It helps to revive the connection between the brain and malfunctioning nerves so that they may regain normalcy faster (combined with physical therapy).

If one knows a tsunami or typhoon is approaching, one can prepare and do whatever they can to bring themselves to safety. The same is true of stroke. Listen to your body, be mindful of your internal experiences, and answer its requests. Learning the language of your body can ensure a happy, healthy, long life.

(Originally published May 2010.)

Stroke

2010-08-28T21:55:00.001-07:00

A stroke can come on silently and unexpectedly, but the truth of the matter is that the cause of a stroke has been a smoldering fire, growing in size over time… almost literally.

A stroke occurs due to the poor function of the heart and kidneys, which results in bad circulation of the body’s fire and water chi elements.

Ideally, the two need to be kept in constant movement, with one pushing energy upwards and the other pulling it downwards to create an almost gravitational pull of proper energy flow. When this is disrupted, the heat travels too far upwards and problems begin. In someone with advanced fire/heat circulation problems, the heat (which causes pressure) travels to the brain and causes weakened veins and arteries to break which disrupts the blood flow to the brain, thus resulting in stroke. (Veins and arteries become damaged with stress and improper care over your lifetime, usually assisted greatly by diabetes, cholesterol, and blood pressure medications which weaken them quite a bit. A blood deficiency and blood clot also weakens the area by disallowing oxygen and nutrition to this location.)

The good thing is that your body gives many warning alarms before a stroke occurs. Each alarm is part of your body’s line of defense. In a stressful moment when your body’s fire energy rises, it causes pain in the chest area. You can press in the area of your breastbone and test for pain here. If pain in that area goes ignored and your life continues on as it has, your defense line weakens and the next line of defense is located in the shoulder area between the spine and scapula. If pain here is ignored, the next alarm is neck pain, and the last alarm is behind the ear pain. Pain in this area is very dangerous and when it occurs, a stroke is usually imminent, typically within the night you feel pain there. It is very important to get to an emergency room if you’re feeling pain here.

Another lesser sign of a fire/water management problem that you should also keep an eye out for is coldness in the body in and below the abdomen. This means the heat that should be traveling through down to your feet is residing in your upper body instead of completing the cycle of circulation throughout your entire body. In a healthy person, the body will keep the brain area cooler and the feet warmer, with everything in between at a comfortable temperature.

Stroke is something that is very important to prevent. After you have had a stroke, your body malfunctions and it is very difficult to work your way back. If you are recovering from a stroke, it is very important to pair your physical therapy with acupuncture as your body needs to be balanced, well circulating, and receptive for the retraining.

For those who have had warning signs and are preventing stroke, a lifestyle change is necessary beginning with stress management as stress needs to be seriously limited. In addition, constitutional food, acupuncture to help detoxify the blood, and herbs all help to restore the proper heat and water circulation in the body. Tae Um In types do well with Gal Hea Gi Tang herbs, So Um In types need Kan Jung Tang herbs, and So Yang In types require Yang Kug San Whoa Tang herbs to assist the process.

The body’s aches and pains are often brushed off as general aging, but it is important to see them as your body’s way of communicating problems to you. Covering them up with medications and ignoring them is not the right approach. Listen to your body and it will tell you all you need to know.

(Originally published May 2010.)

Tackling Eating Disorders

2010-08-28T21:54:00.001-07:00

My usual articles often target the negative effects of overeating, in some small way or another, as those who overeat tend to take in more toxins than someone who doesn’t. However, in this article, I’m going to switch gears and talk about those who don’t eat enough, which is a disorder as well.

When someone throws out the term “eating disorder”, thoughts of anorexia or bulimia come to mind; but this term covers wider ground than that. Sometimes, an eating disorder can arise from many years of bad eating habits or from poor organ function causing a lack of hunger. The advice in this article lends itself to eating disorders of that variety. However, for those who are working their way back from disorders like anorexia or bulimia, the contents will be helpful as well (but they do not address the mental or emotional issues pertaining to the cause of those ailments).

The human body is like a car. When its fuel gauge gets toward E (empty), we take notice and fill it up. The same principle works for people. When we feel hungry, we fill up our “tanks”, typically every 5 hours or so. In an individual with an eating disorder, the gauge is malfunctioning and there is no clear indication of when that person is “riding on fumes” or not.

The cause of this situation is usually a lack of proper eating habits that has been carrying on for a good while. If, for instance, the person lives a hectic and busy lifestyle, always on the go with never enough time to slow down and eat, they have trained their system to ignore the feelings of hunger. The same is true of those recovering from anorexia; their indications of hunger have been ignored for so long that they continue to malfunction and make it difficult to regain proper eating habits.

Another common cause of eating disorders lies in the small intestine. If the small intestine is functioning at an abnormal temperature, it stops processing food correctly and begins producing gas because of it. The gas builds up and puts pressure on the stomach making it think it’s full, and overrides the body’s request for food.

The more either of these problems go on, the vaguer and intermittent your body’s hunger indications become. If left over time, the lack of nutrition wears down the organs, which leads to very serious diseases, weak and brittle bones, and declining brain function.

Curing the problem begins in the kitchen as food is the most important treatment. The key is eating the right constitutional foods on time, whether or not you feel hungry. In this instance, you have to treat your body the same way as you would treat a car with a broken fuel gauge. You would need to continuously calculate the miles you travel and the gallons of gas you purchase to make sure you don’t run out. Decide on a time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and stick to those times every day (don’t eat between meals). Soon your body will come to expect food at those particular intervals as the process of timing your meals is like exercise for your stomach.

The ratio of foods you intake at these mealtimes is also important. Korean Constitutional Medicine looks to the design of the teeth to determine the amounts of grains, fruits /vegetables, and meats /fish you should have per meal. The bulk of our teeth are grinding teeth, followed by slicing teeth, and then 4 canines. The proper ratio is 5:2:1- grains, vegetables and fruit, meats and fish. The foods you select should be organic and unprocessed, not too sweet and not too salty. If you are bored with the foods you’re eating, change them up. Variety is the spice of life, as they say.

Create a happy eating environment. Sit down, relax, and perhaps put on some enjoyable music. Create an environment that is calm and happy. Don’t mix eating with work or any other activity or stress.

Liquids are another thing to pay attention to. Some people do better not having liquids with their meal. If you feel discomfort after you eat, try for a week postponing liquid intake for an hour or so after you eat. If you see improvement, stick with it.

Also, be sure to chew your food a lot. Chewing helps brain activity, strengthens teeth, and improves liver, gallbladder, and pancreas function. Doing so sends the proper indications to your organs of what is coming down. They will release the proper amounts of acids and bile to break down those foods efficiently.

Another important thing to watch for is stagnation in the torso, which is simple to check for. Lie down and have a spouse or friend press down in the area between your ribcage and around your stomach. If you feel pain this is a sign of stagnation which needs to be eliminated with acupuncture.

(It should be noted that children who don’t like to eat recover best with one month of Tae Hwa Whan herbs. After which, the child will have a healthy appetite and grow stronger because of the proper levels of nutrition.)

Whatever may be the cause of your eating disorder, it is important to consider your long term health and remedy the problem as soon as possible. Understanding that food is life may help to put things in perspective. The better the food and nutrition, the better your life is.

(Originally published April 2010.)

Acid Reflux for So Um In and So Yang In types

2010-08-28T21:52:00.001-07:00

In my previous article, I spoke about acid reflux, how it begins, and how it’s cured in Tae Um In types. I will address acid reflux and how it affects the other two types, So Um In and So Yang In.

In a healthy individual of any type, each organ has either has upward moving energy or downward moving energy which we call the chi of that organ. The stomach naturally has a downward moving energy. When a healthy person takes in food, the stomach receives indications that food is on its way in and the cardiac sphincter valve begins to produce acid to break it down. When the process has been completed or no food is inbound, the acid production stops.

In a person who suffers from acid reflux, the stomach is producing an upward chi and is not receiving the proper indications from the brain and body; it then releases acid as it pleases and the upward moving chi helps it climb the walls of the stomach and esophagus. For an early sufferer, it may result in feelings of nausea, but as time goes on it gets worse and the acid rises further up the esophagus and begins to burn.

For So Um In types, their ascending energy (from the spleen and pancreas) is weak, so they are not prone to getting acid reflux. When they are bothered by this problem, however, it is due to an energy blockage in the middle part of the small intestine. The small intestine requires the right temperature to complete its job of fermentation correctly. If it’s lower than normal, the job isn’t done quite as well which creates gas in the area. If there isn’t enough descending energy in the intestines, the gas begins to bother the pyloric sphincter valve. The pressure it causes begins to fool the stomach into thinking that it is filled with something, and so the acid starts to flow. In minor cases, it causes nausea, pain, and discomfort, but if left untreated, over time it can result in acid reflux.

Acupuncture is used to strengthen the descending energy and Korean Constitutional herbs called Bak Ha Su Kwan Gae Yi Jung Tang are also prescribed for one month. These help to increase fermentation in the small intestine and increase the descending energy.

For So Yang In types, it is the opposite; their descending energy (from the kidneys) is very low but their ascending energy (from the spleen and pancreas) is very high. When these types are imbalanced, similarly to acid reflux problems in Tae Um In types (see my last article), the ascending energy prevents the natural downward motion of proper digestion and causes acid problems. This high ascending energy makes for a very energetic person, but it also causes other problems like ADHD and puts stress on the upper organs like the lungs, heart, and brain.

Happily, acid problems are quickly solved in So Yang In types. Acupuncture to increase energy on the kidney meridian as well as work on the stomach meridian eliminates the problem fast. Yang Gyek San Whoa Tang herbs also help to increase the body’s descending energy.

With both types, proper daily maintenance is an important component (along with the prescribed herbs) that will rid the body of acid reflux for good. That of healthy, constitutional foods, eating with a happy mind, eating on time, proper chewing, the right ratio of foods (Large breakfast, moderate sized lunch, and a light dinner- all meals containing the 4:2:1 ratio of grains, vegetables, and meat/fish), and only drinking when thirsty.

Acid reducing medication makes the body’s acid production fail somewhat and prevents the proper breakdown of food. Taking these medicines creates a weak stomach function in all constitutional types. It is best not to try to control a problem with chemicals, but rather retrain the body naturally to do its job correctly after the root cause of any problem is found. It makes not only for lasting elimination, but also a lasting life as well.

(Originally published in April 2010.)

Acid Reflux for Tae Um In types

2010-08-28T21:50:00.001-07:00

Acid reflux is a complaint we hear about often, especially in commercials that are trying to sell something that will relieve or prevent it. It might be a pill to take before you eat or something that dissolves quickly after you eat, but either way they don’t seem to heal the real problem.

Ba Jung Kong Sa is the philosophy of Korean Constitutional Medicine. Ba means care in growing or cultivation, Jung means healing energy, Kong means to break, destroy, or eliminate, and Sa means bad chi, the cause of disease, or virus. So in essence the focus of Korean Constitutional Medicine is the “Cultivation of healing energy to destroy disease.”

In the case of acid reflux, this cultivation of healing energy needs to begin in a different area for each constitutional type. This article will focus on the Tae Um In type, while two other types will be addressed in upcoming articles.

In a healthy individual of any type, each organ has its chi that either has upward moving energy or downward moving energy. The stomach naturally has a downward energy. When a healthy person takes in food, the stomach receives indications that food is on its way in and the cardiac sphincter valve begins to produce acid to break it down. When the process has been completed or no food is inbound, the acid production stops.

In a person who suffers from acid reflux, the stomach is producing an upward chi and is not receiving the proper indications; it then releases acid as it pleases and the upward moving chi helps it ascend the stomach and esophagus. For an early sufferer, it may result in feelings of nausea, but as time goes on it gets worse and the acid rises further up the esophagus and begins to burn.

For Tae Um In types, their lung energy is weak. This does not necessarily confine this weak energy to the actual lung organ, but to the area of the lungs — in this case, the upper trunk. Balanced lung energy emits an open, dispersing, down energy, which is why it resides at the top of the body. Someone weak in this area is prone to stagnation and lack of nutrition here, which causes the valve to become stressed, tighten, and open and close irregularly.

Acupuncture is used to strengthen the lung energy, which then sets off a happy chain reaction of healing. The sphincter valve relaxes and more nutrition is delivered to it. It then begins to detoxify and resumes its proper function.

Korean Constitutional Medicine heals using Sa Am acupuncture to build lung energy. Herbs, either Tae Um Jo Wui Tang or Gal Guen Hae Gi Tang, depending on the patient, are also given for one month. From then on, proper daily maintenance of healthy, constitutional foods, eating with a happy mind, eating on time, proper chewing, the right ratio of foods (large breakfast, moderate sized lunch, and a light dinner — and only drinking when thirsty will keep acid reflux gone forever.

Usually, covering a problem with a temporary “quick fix” isn’t the best avenue to take. Acid reducing medicine may work in the moment, but they do make stomach function weak and cause stress to the liver, heart and pancreas. It is always better to take a little bit of time to clear up a negative situation thoroughly and responsibly, in health and in all other manners of life.

(Originally published March 24, 2010.)

Crohn’s Disease

2010-08-28T21:48:00.001-07:00

Western medicine defines Crohn’s Disease as an inflammatory ailment that affects the gastrointestinal tract. Its main symptoms are abdominal pain and diarrhea although it can often cause skin problems and slow growth and maturation in children.

Western doctors usually prescribe long term use of medications that suppress the immune system as well as antibiotics and steroids; all of which may or may not work, but will definitely populate your system with needless toxins.

Oriental medicine doesn’t define a group of symptoms by one name, but instead looks to see where the source of complaints come from. In the instance of Crohn’s Disease, it is a lack of ground energy caused by weakened digestive organs.

Ground energy comes from intake; it includes grains, vegetables, fruit, fish, and meats. When your digestive tract is weak, it cannot take the usual amount of nutrients out of these foods as it did when you were healthier. Without nutrients, your organs don’t receive all they need to maintain their strength and balance.

Let’s take a look at what happens inside the body. When you eat, food travels into your stomach which more or less “cooks” the food and breaks it down in preparation for the small intestine. In the small intestine are arteries and veins that suck out the liquid from that food. In an ideal situation, all of the liquid will be removed by the small intestine, but in a person with Crohn’s Disease, it is not. The small intestine needs to function at a certain temperature in order for it to do its job correctly. It acts as a factory for fermentation, which of course, requires the right parameters to get the job done. If it falls short, the rest of the process does, too.

In this case, much liquid is left in the food, which then travels to the large intestine and eliminates itself in the form of diarrhea that is full of wasted nutrients. When this happens, the balance of bacteria is disrupted in the large intestine; good bacteria is no longer being populated, while bad bacteria is thriving. This damages the lining, which is where pain and the presence of blood in the stool originates.

With this lack of nutrients come other complaints that begin with fatigue and decreased growth and sexual maturity in children. If prolonged, the other organs become weakened and circulation slows which inhibits the elimination of toxins. This leads to problems with skin, eye dryness and infection, arthritis, and central nervous issues that usually result in fever.

Acupuncture, constitutional food and herbs, and moxibustion treatments help restore the proper temperature to the small intestines as well as assist your body in repopulating the good bacteria in your digestion tract. With these things back in order, your organs can start to rebuild their strength and balance themselves once more. Crohn’s Disease sufferers usually see a dramatic change within three months and a complete elimination in about six to seven months. Though it takes a little bit of time, it is always better to naturally eliminate the root problem rather than contribute to it.

(Originally published in March 2010.)

Fibromyalgia

2010-02-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

Fibromyalgia is a debilitating disease with many symptoms. Western medicine focuses on each of the symptoms in order to find a medication or treatment for the ailment, which more often than not, misses the mark when it comes to relieving or curing fibromyalgia. On top of that, often the many medications prescribed eventually make fibromyalgia worse due to the fast build up of toxins in the body.

Even though the problems fibromyalgia causes are lengthy, there is only one root cause of the symptoms; that of poor circulation which causes weakening in all of the body’s organs.

As I have mentioned before in many of my articles, poor circulation leads to poor health. Nutrients are not as able to reach their destination as they would be in an individual with healthy blood flow. In addition to this, toxins that are ever present are not able to be flushed out of the body as well and become locked in your body which leads to pain and inflammation. Let’s take a look at how circulation affects the common symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Many people complain about lack of energy and pain in their skin, joints, and muscles, especially in the mornings. When your body has been at rest and kept in a small number of positions, the lack of circulation is greater than it would be during the rest of the day when you’ve been moving about. Toxins become lodged throughout your body even more which makes you feel more pain and discomfort. Just like an old car, it can take a while to warm up in the mornings.

Chronic headaches are caused by the lack of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. This also causes general memory problems as well as difficulty in holding on to short-term memory.

Problems with eyesight also occur from lack of circulation to the eye area. If you consider your eyes like a flashlight, blood serves as the batteries to it. When battery power lowers, the function of the flashlight declines.

Chest area pain and the lack of circulation throughout that area upsets the heart and lungs by causing constriction. From this, several of fibromyalgia’s symptoms occur. With all of the body’s organs inter-connected, one function can lower another’s. In this case, commonly the kidney function is also disrupted by the tightness in the chest area. Lung function helps distribute nutrients to areas like the skin. When both the lung and kidney functions are bothered, edema can occur in both your upper and lower extremities. The lowered kidney function also causes bladder problems like cystitis and frequent urination.

Acid reflux is also a problem associated with tightness in the chest area. In this case, beneath the sternum, the stomach’s cardiac sphincter valve is tightened through the lack of circulation, and so causes a weakness in performance. Soon it begins to malfunction, which leads to acid problems.

Excessive sweating is also a byproduct of a disrupted lung function. With excess sweating comes loss of nutrition. When this nutrition isn’t reaching the internal areas of your body, it causes fatigue and a general lack of energy.

Another common set of complaints in female fibromyalgia sufferers is PMS and menstruation pain. This disease causes a weakness in all your organs. The liver function, which is responsible for blood retention in the body, becomes even weaker with the monthly loss of blood in the body. This also helps decline the kidney function even more.

As you can see, there is great suffering with this disease, but it is very possible to cure it naturally. Constitutional acupuncture relieves pain, while opening the channels in your body to facilitate circulation. With the assistance of constitutional herbs and a proper diet, toxins will be flushed from your body, and healthy circulation will return. Once this is established, your organs can now rebuild their proper function to bring you back to a happy, healthy, pain-free existence.

(Originally published February 25, 2010.)

Asthma in children and adults

2010-02-25T14:33:00.000-08:00

Asthma is a common ailment in children and adults alike. It affects and limits many parts of living, often throughout your entire life.

Asthma in children is especially difficult both on the child and the parent. It makes concentration more difficult which is caused by the lack of oxygen to the brain. This also causes a lack of energy, emotional sensitivity, restlessness, a lowered immune system and in some cases, growing problems as well. School work tends to lag in an asthmatic child and makes their school career all the more trying.

Asthma is caused by heredity, bad food, or environmental problems like airborne toxins from agriculture, industry, and even household cleaning products. Determining the cause of your asthma is important, and worth checking into; often times discovery easily leads to the elimination of asthma. But, never fear. If your asthma is not so easily remedied, acupuncture can help.

When someone has asthma, it is usually a situation involving more than the lungs. To be able to inhale deeply is actually the result of proper kidney function. It allows you to pull air in deeply, but to exhale the air is entirely due to proper lung function. For most patients, inhaling is the most difficult and they use inhalers to assist the problem. The problem is, inhalers build up toxins in the body, and over time, weaken the immune system, and create imbalance in the organs which leads to a variety of other problems and situations. Inhalers are only a temporary solution.

Constitutional acupuncture helps each individual type of person with tailor-made treatments including food regimens, herbs, and acupuncture all designed to eliminate asthma.

Tae Yang In types don’t normally have asthma due to their strong lung energy and ability to keep themselves fairly well balanced internally. Tae Um In types with asthma need to open their bronchial tubes more. So Yang In types have a naturally weak kidney function and have problems with inhaling, so their kidney function needs to be strengthened. So Um In types also need their bronchial tubes opened only they also require their digestion energy to be strengthened as well.

Within three months, asthma should be gone. Continuing proper general maintenance of your body with constitutional foods and exercise will manage asthma without inhalers. Children will also be given the promise of a good education because their bodies will be strong and healthy enough to absorb the knowledge needed for success.

(Originally published February 11, 2010.)

Protecting the king of your body

2010-02-25T14:31:00.000-08:00

Korean Constitutional Medicine believes that the heart is the king of the body. Much like in war, the king or leader is always protected. When that protection is invaded, the country fighting becomes weak or even overtaken if the king is killed or captured. There is no difference with regards to your body.

Common problems of the heart, like anxiety, shortness of breath, chest pain, and insomnia are signs of war in the body. To better understand what is happening in the body with each issue, we will examine them one by one and list the fix. Oriental Medicine is the best medicine for issues relating to the heart, especially before surgery.

In wars there are strategies on either side, each to win the war. One of the strategies on the side of disease is anxiety. This is usually the first sign that there is something going wrong with your “country”. Disease begins causing much dis-ease by creating feelings of anxiety, anger, anxiousness, or restlessness. It is one of the ways your body is trying to inform you of a problem. To combat this, in addition to discovering the root of the problem, you can be prescribed herbs to help calm you down and keep you cool and steady.

Shortness of breath is caused by weak lung energy that keeps your exhaling short. It is usually accompanied by weakened kidney energy (kidney energy, like gravity, pulls breath down) that disallows you from taking in deep breaths. Lung and/or kidney strengthening herbs help you to breathe deeply and clearly.

Chest pain is the result of the muscles of the heart tightening. Though it may sound ironic, the cause of this is due to a lack of blood in these tissues. The arteries aren’t feeding the heart muscle with enough nutrition or oxygen, and the muscle tightens, much the same as a cramp. Herbs that help open coronary arteries to assist in circulation and nutrition delivery can be prescribed to fix this problem.

Insomnia is a problem you might not guess is associated with the heart. This occurs because the heart is not calm, much like the leader of a country in war. It feels it can’t relax, be calm, and get some sleep. This is caused by blood that is rich in toxins, which slows circulation in the body. Support is then lost to the brain and insomnia occurs. Detoxification herbs are needed to cure insomnia. When the blood is clean, more nutrition and oxygen can circulate to the brain cells which will then allow for a deep sleep.

In fact, all of these problems are caused by toxins in the blood. When blood cannot support an area it becomes weak and begins to work poorly which sets off a chain reaction of improper function in the organs. Proper intake will keep your blood clean and working to deliver all the essentials to every area of your body. Constitutional medicine strives for harmony and balance of the organs to create a healthy body and uses the correct food, herbs, and acupuncture to help you achieve that balance naturally.

(Originally published January 28, 2010.)

Understanding Coughing

2010-02-25T14:29:00.000-08:00

With fall and winter comes the cold and flu season, and with these illnesses occasionally comes the problem of coughing, which tends to linger long after your other symptoms have subsided. With some strains of viruses that have been going around this year, a lingering cough seems to be prevalent, some lasting weeks and others months.

Coughing is due to weakened lung energy. The kidneys and lungs control the water distribution in the body; the kidneys act more like a piping system for water, while the lungs control water via something more similar to a process of steam and evaporation.

When colds, flu, allergies, or even weather cause a cough, it occurs because the lungs’ “steaming process” we will term it, becomes heavy and sticky and is not able to evaporate into the rest of the body. Lungs become congested and you are then left with phlegm and the like. In truth, phlegm is filled with nutrients and this substance is what would circulate through your body to nourish it. But, as you can easily tell, circulation of this product becomes impossible due to its thicker, stickier texture. Because it has become a generally useless product for the body, gathering in the lungs, your body works to expel it through coughing and a runny nose. Though it can be annoying and cause discomfort, we should be thankful for the cough, which is working to save us from a bigger, more serious situation like pneumonia.

Happily, with Korean Constitutional herbs, the fix is fast and easy especially if caught early. In its early stages, a cough’s root is focused in weakened lung energy. If left for a long time, other organ weakness is involved. Depending on the organs involved, a number of herbs are prescribed, and mixing a few recipes of herbs together, the patient is instructed to drink the mixture and usually within 20 minutes, the cough is gone for good. For patients with chronic cough, it can take up to a day or two to see lasting results.

After the cough is eliminated, the lungs return to normal and assist the other organs back into balance, like a domino effect. However, it is very important for the patient to continue to boost his or her immune system after the elimination of the cough. Taking immune boosting constitutional herbs, eating the proper food, getting plenty of rest, limiting stress, and generally taking care of yourself is imperative.

After a tough cold or flu, it is comforting to know there is something out there that’s an easy and natural solution, especially one that will assist your body in getting back on the road to lasting health.

(Originally published January 14, 2010.)

Incontinence

2010-02-25T14:26:00.000-08:00

Aging is a fact of life that brings with it a variety of problems and situations you didn’t live with in your younger days. Some come suddenly and others creep into your life slowly, but even though we can’t escape aging, we can still fix some of the problems that commonly come with it.

Many patients have problems with urinary incontinence, which is a problem of either urinating too often or not being able to hold it and having “accidents”. The main reason for this issue is that the bladder holding muscle is weak due to weakened kidney function.

The bladder serves as a holding tank for surplus fluids in the body. Though considered waste materials by many, urine, in fact, is essential fluid for your body. More than just water, it has been purified through your organs and infused with nutrients and minerals that are the mainstay of your body. It sits in your bladder ready to be used if needed and is eliminated when more fluids arrive.

The kidneys take this fluid and circulate it to the organs that require it. When kidney function is weak, our body becomes unable to recycle the water in the reserve tank. Over time your organs and bones become weakened due to the loss of nutrition and minerals which leads to a variety of other problems like osteoporosis.

Other symptoms of weakened kidney function are: weakened body and spirit, being easily tired, lack of motivation, reduced sexual energy, and hair loss.

Western medicine usually prescribes drugs and surgery to fix this disease. Happily, incontinence and weakened kidney function are easily remedied with acupuncture and two Korean constitutional herb recipes, Chuk Chen Whoan and Sang Pho Cho San. Taking these two herbs increases holding energy.

Though many people might put incontinence down to aging, it is something that can be easily fixed. It’s important not to ignore or live with a problem if it can be improved or remedied naturally.

(Originally published December 17, 2009.)

Walk your way to health

2010-02-25T14:23:00.000-08:00

My last article discussed the importance of exercising the joints as a daily ritual. One other important habit to form is that of walking properly.

The highest healthful goal is to reach the age of 100 with the ability to walk tall and straight without assistance, though most people don't reach advanced old age being able to do so.

Proper alignment is an attribute of health because the spinal column is straight which helps the organs to receive ideal circulation and properly balance themselves.

Korean Constitutional Medicine considers the spine like a tall pine tree trunk and the organs its branches. A straight trunk can properly support its branches, whereas a bent trunk is weaker and more prone to stagnated circulation. By the same accord, a curved spine puts pressure on the heart and lungs. When you have poor posture, your muscles tighten and pull your bones into a different shape. This bothers the nerves and causes issues like pinched nerves, sciatica, neck, back and shoulder pain.

Proper alignment begins in the jaw. If the jaw is out of place, it creates a domino effect of misalignment that travels down your spine, through your hips, and down through your ankles. It's a little bit difficult for the average person to gauge if their jaw is out of alignment, but one way to encourage proper alignment is to chew evenly on both sides of your mouth; don't favor one side over the other.

Another key to a lifetime of healthful alignment is working mindful walking into your daily routine. Imagine tribal women who carry heavy items on their head. Standing straight and tall like this, start to walk forward. Begin with your heel, moving your weight to the outer sides of your feet in a rolling motion, and feel the pressure of the forward movement first hitting your little toe and rolling towards your big toe. Doing this massages the meridian points on the bottoms of the feet to help clear and increase circulation, lower blood pressure, help diabetes, and promote healthy heart function. Try to walk a mile like this every day on a flat road with flat shoes that are well fitted and provide the necessary support. As you walk, concentrate on your feet and the rolling massage motion of your weight being supported. If you can't work in an hour of this, try to fit it in where you can: park a bit further away from the store and squeeze some of your walking time in there, walk around mindfully at work or at home while doing your daily routine. The average person walks quite a bit in one day, so squeezing in this exercise is not difficult.

It is also important to sit straight at the desk, dining table, or while driving. Developing a habit of this is wise. For women, alternating the shoulder they carry their purse on is very important as most favor one side. Over the years this starts to curve the body some, which compresses the organs on that side of your body and commonly causes ovary pain and bladder and bowel movement problems.

Though posture may not seem like that big of a health benefit, over time it is very important. Walking straight and standing tall are simple things to keep in mind all the time, just like your mother always told you.

(Originally published December 2, 2009.)

Easy exercise your body loves

2010-02-25T14:21:00.000-08:00

Many of my articles focus on diseases which are caused by contaminated blood. While it is important to clean the blood by eating proper foods, receiving acupuncture, taking herbs, and eliminating toxic medications it is also important to exercise. Exercise opens up the body and allows for more ease of movement within. Korean Constitutional Medicine recommends isometric joint exercises.

Joints are junction areas that connect bones to each other. These areas are made of bands and circulation can be difficult getting to these areas, especially if you’re older or your blood is contaminated as that causes stagnation. Blood stagnation is called Uh Hyul in Korean. Doing these exercises makes for less Uh Hyul and helps keep the blood clean.

As you do the following exercises, it is important to do them rhythmically and counting out loud. The act of counting out loud attaches your brain to the action and is a much more effective and harmonious way of exercising rather than listening to some music and having your body do one thing while your brain focuses on another. Each set should be done eight times one way and eight times the other. This is easy to remember as the number 8 is also the symbol for infinity; a continuous flow of energy (which is our goal!) in a figure eight. In Korea, the number eight, or Pal Ja, is very important and is regarded as a life blueprint. It holds eight elements within it: Gon Gi (ground), Yang San (mountain), Gam Su (ocean/water), San Poung (wind), Jin Noi (lightning), Uie Wha (fire), Tea Teak (lake), and Gan Chen (sky).

When we exercise, we start from the neck and work our way downwards. Begin with neck rolls eight times to the left and eight times to the right, followed by looking left for a set of eight, and right for a set of eight. Finishing the neck area, look down eight times and then look back tilting your head back eight times.

Moving down to the shoulders, do a set of shoulder rolls frontwards, then backwards, and press your arms back as if closing the area between your scapulas together for a set, then doing the opposite movement widening that area by reaching forward widely, as if to hug a tree for another set of eight.

Our next joint area is the elbows. Move the arms in a rowing motion, to the right for a set and then to the left for another set. Follow this with pressing the elbows backwards for a set of eight, and then frontwards as if punching the air for another set.

The wrists are next. Do a set of wrist circles in either direction and follow this with pressing the wrists upwards for one set, and then downwards for another. Finish up the wrists by moving them both to the outside and then to the inside for another two sets.

The finger joints are very important to exercise as this is a common area for stagnation. The fingers and hands also carry a lot of acupuncture points and it is important to keep these areas free from congestion. Open your fingers wide for a set of eight, then close them from a wide position for another set of eight. Open and close your fingers rapidly for another set, exercising all the joints in your fingers.

The lower back is next. Placing your hands on your lower back for support, move your hip/pelvis area in circles for a set in either direction. Follow pressing your backside out for a set of eight, and then pressing your hips forward for a set of eight. Complete the back area with a set of side bends pressing the hip out for another set on each side.

The socket where the hip connects to the femur is another important area to keep free of stagnation as this area has a lot of big arteries and requires ample lubrication and circulation to keep these areas moving freely. When this area gets too tight, arteries become stressed, sciatica becomes common, and if the clearance between the femur and hip compresses, the two begin to grind against each other and make hip replacements necessary. Rotate the leg, concentrating on the sockets for a set on each leg. Push the hip out vigorously on each side for another two sets.

Working downwards now to the knees, crouch down slightly, placing the hands on the tops of the thighs above the knees and circle the knees to the left for a set and then to the right for another set. Stand and bend the knees for another set and then do a similar motion with an effort to stretch the knees “back” for another set.

Ankle rolls are next; one set on each side. Follow the rolls with a set of eight heel lifts and then a set of toe lifts. Moving down to the toes, open and close them for a set, curl them closed for a set of eight, and curl them open for another set.

After this, jump up and down for one set to awaken the body, tapping your trunk to enliven your organs. At this point, all joints will be relaxed, stretched, awake, and open allowing ease of fluidity and motion. Doing this helps nutrients to flow into these places and toxins to flow out making it much easier on the heart because congestion anywhere in the body makes the heart work harder.

If you are using these exercises in conjunction with your regular exercises, doing them before your stretches is advisable as well as after your cool down stretching. The great thing about these exercises is that it takes up no more room than you do, so you can do them anywhere at any time of day to keep your joints flexible and happy.

Remember, the speed and position with which you do these exercises depends entirely on your comfort level. Safety and lack of pain should always be your top priority, so if performing any of these stretches is difficult at first, begin slowly and work up to them. You may also sit for many of them if you’re unable to stand. The more often you do them, the better.

(Originally published November 19, 2009.)

Hypertension

2010-02-25T14:18:00.000-08:00

There are some ailments people are diagnosed with that have become so common that they don’t seem quite so serious to the patient, especially when there is a quick fix with medication; hypertension is one of these conditions.

The vast majority of people who are diagnosed with hypertension are advised by their Western doctor to take a medication to regulate blood pressure and more often than not, the patient will do so. Though medication works very well to bring blood pressure to a more normal level, long term use of hypertension medications diminish the body’s support of the brain and lower immune system function which ushers in a host of more serious problems including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer. What is so often overlooked is why your blood pressure is high to begin with. Hypertension exists for a reason and finding the cause is much more important than treating the result.

Hypertension is caused by both an inside and outside reason. The outside reasons vary, but are usually either stress and/or weight gain related. The inside reason is diminished organ function.

Stress related hypertension is caused when stress makes the veins and arteries in the body tighten. Blood pressure is forced to rise in order to continue to deliver the body the nutrients and toxin removal it requires from moment to moment. Over time, the impact on your organs is great and they begin to weaken. When weak, they are no longer able to support the body as well as they were when you were healthy. Due to this imbalance, the body begins to build up toxins from both medication and lifestyle which builds further pressure in your veins and arteries. Those who develop stress-related hypertension also tend to grow very tight and hard around the neck and shoulder area. This is a physical indication of how your body is doing inside and needs to be paid attention to. In a moment of great stress, chi quickly rises to the top of your head. In a healthy individual it lowers safely and in a timely fashion, but in someone with that hardness and stagnation, the chi cannot descend easily or fast enough which leads to stroke. Keeping this area of the body soft and supple through exercise, stretching, and massage is very important.

Individuals who are overweight develop hypertension because their heart is trying to support the extra weight. Some might not take into consideration that the extra fat and flesh needs to be nourished and supported like any other part of the body. The heart becomes stressed and begins to beat faster and harder in order to nourish the usual areas it serves in addition to all of the extra portions of you. When you alter this process and bring your heart rate down to a more normal 120/80, those extra areas are no longer supported as well as before. Over time, the lack of nourishment and contaminate removal leads to a build-up of toxins in the body which create a host of other serious ailments. Losing weight with proper diet and exercise will eliminate the surplus areas of your body to support and your heart will return to a more normal rate naturally. By going this route, you’ve not only treated your hypertension but likely staved off other diseases that accompany being overweight.

Lowering your blood pressure on your own is a worthwhile venture. Think of your body as a 5 story office building. If the second and third stories in your building were reporting low water pressure on their floors, just doing a quick fix so those two floors received ample water would be taking away water from the other floors. Those workers would no longer be able to function properly without water on those levels. This is the logic of hypertension medication. Instead, fixing the water pressure on the second and third floors properly so that it gives all floors exactly the right amount of water is the best fix. It’s the same with your body. Just covering a problem is never the best solution.

One of the most fascinating mechanisms on earth is the human body. Its remarkable ability to heal itself is impressive, if only given the opportunity.

(Originally published November 5, 2009.)

Keeping the Immune System Strong- Tae Um In Types

2010-02-25T14:16:00.000-08:00

In my last two articles, I spoke about the flu and how it affects the So Yang In and So Um In constitutions. This week we will focus on how the flu affects the Tae Um In constitution, and recipes that you can prepare and drink to combat the flu within 24 hours.

Keeping your immune system strong is the key to preventing you from catching colds and flu. If you haven't been able to maintain a strong immune system and you feel an impending flu, the best thing you can do is to get plenty of rest and make the below recipes.

They are tailored for specific flu symptoms that are more prone to affect one constitution over another. It might be handy to have these herbs readily available prior to the flu season, so that you are prepared should you get sick.

The recipes are comprised of a variety of Korean herbs that may be found or ordered from any good Korean herbalist. (If one is not found in your area, an online search may prove successful.) The herbs use the phonetic English spelling of the original Korean names and may vary slightly.

There are two separate flu recipes for this constitutional type; one for flu symptoms fever, headache and sore throat, and one for flu symptoms including coughing, phlegm, fever, headache and stomach ache.

Each recipe should be prepared as follows: Place all ingredients in 16 ounces of clean, cold water and boil for 30 minutes. Let cool and divide into two. Drink the first half 30 minutes after breakfast and the second half 30 minutes after lunch. If your symptoms have not improved, repeat.

The recipe for flu symptoms that include fever, headache and sore throat is called “Gal Kuen Hae Ki Tang” and is comprised of:

15 grams of Gal Kuen

10 grams of Sueng Ma

7.5 grams of Whang Kuen

7.5 grams of Ko Bon

7.5 grams of Haeng In

5 grams of Gil Guang

5 grams of San Cho In

5 grams of Beak Gi

The recipe for flu symptoms with coughing, phlegm, fever, headache and stomach ache is called “Tae Um Jo Hui Tang” and is as follows:

15 grams of Ui Ei In

15 grams of Kuen Ryul

10 grams of Na Bok Ja

5 grams of Oh Mi Ja

15 grams of Maek Mun Dong

5 grams of Suek Chang Po

5 grams of Kil Keaung

After drinking these herbs, your flu should be gone, usually within 24 hours (if not, prepare and drink another batch). After which, it is very important to continue to support and strengthen your immune system for the next 30 days.

The flu is quite taxing on your organs and it is during this time that your body is most susceptible to the reoccurrence of colds and flu. The recipe for immune system support and recovery is called “Dae Bo Tang” and is comprised of:

10 grams of Maek Mun Tong

10 grams of Ui Ei In

5 grams of San Yak

5 grams of Chun Mun Tong

5 grams of Oh Mi Ja

5 grams of Haeng In

5 grams of Gal Kuen

5 grams of Sueng Ma

5 grams of San Cho In

5 grams of Whang Kuen

This recipe should be taken twice a day, 30 minutes after breakfast and 30 minutes after lunch for 30 days.

Tae Um In types have weak lung function and strong liver function so consuming foods that support your lung function will help balance all of your organs and keep you in good shape.

Proper constitutional foods are: rice, wheat flour, beans, potatoes, yams, radishes, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, onions, beef, dairy foods, apples, pears, apricots, tangerines, watermelons, walnuts, pine nuts, coffee, and Vitamins A and D. They should stay away from green vegetables, shellfish, alcohol, chocolate, and colas.

Other foods may or may not be good for Tae Um In types and need to be tested for their compatibility with your organs. A quick visit to an acupuncturist who practices Korean Constitutional Medicine will determine this.

(If you're not able to order the above herbs in time for the flu, they can be picked up pre-prepared from my office.)

Pairing these recipes with proper constitutional food, some massage of the chest/lung area, and other areas that are aching (especially around the neck/shoulder/upper back area) to increase circulation and eliminate energy stagnation will help speed up the elimination of the flu even faster.

(Originally published October 23, 2009.)

Keeping the Immune System Strong- So Yang In Types

2010-02-25T14:13:00.000-08:00

In my last article, I talked about the flu and how it affects the So Um In constitution. This week we will focus on how it affects the So Yang In constitution and recipes that you can use to combat the flu within 24 hours.

As I have stated before, the wisest thing to do where the flu is concerned is to keep your immune system working at its peak to prevent you from catching any cold or flu to begin with. If you are feeling an oncoming flu, the best thing you can do is to get plenty of rest and make the below recipes. They are tailored for specific flu symptoms. It might be handy to have these herbs readily available prior to the flu season, so that you are prepared should you get sick. The recipes are comprised of a variety of Korean herbs that may be found or ordered from any good Korean herbalist. I will be using the original Korean names of these herbs with the corresponding phonetic English spelling.

So Yang In types have high ascending chi and low descending chi, which allows them to get fevers quite easily. Because of this, fevers usually accompany other flu symptoms.

There are two separate flu recipes for this constitutional type; one for flu symptoms including high fever, headache, and full body aches and pains with sweating and one for flu symptoms with these issues plus a lot of coughing, phlegm, and chest congestion. Each recipe should be prepared as follows: Place all ingredients in 16 ounces of clean, cold water and boil for 30 minutes. Let cool and divide into two. Drink the first half 30 minutes after breakfast and the second half 30 minutes after lunch. If your symptoms have not improved, repeat.

The recipe for flu symptoms including high fever, headache, and full body aches and pains is called “Hyoung Bang Pae Dok San” and is comprised of:

5 grams of Hyoung Kea

5 grams of Bang Poung

5 grams of Kang Whaol

5 grams of Dok Whaol

5 grams of Shi Ho

5 grams of Jaen Ho

5 grams of Jauk Bong Ryung

5 grams of Ji Kol Pea

5 grams of Saeng Ji Whayong

5 grams of Cha Jaeng Ja

The recipe for flu symptoms with coughing, phlegm, and chest congestion is called “Hyoung Bang Do Jaek San” and is as follows:

15 grams of Ji Whyong

10 grams of Mok Tounge

7.5 grams of Hyun Sam

7.5 grams of Goua Ru In

5 grams of Jaen Ho

5 grams of Kang Whyoal

5 grams of Dok Whyoal

5 grams of Hyoung Kea

5 grams of Bang Poung

After taking a round or two of these herbs, your flu should be gone, usually within 24 hours. After which, it is very important to continue boosting your immune system for the next 30 days. The flu weakens your organs and it is during this time that your body is most susceptible to the reoccurrence of colds and flu. The recipe for immune system recovery and boost is called “Hyoung Bang Ji Whyouang Tang” and is comprised of:

10 grams of Shuk Ji Whyang

10 grams of Shan Shu Yu

10 grams of Baek Bok Ryaung

10 grams of Teak Sa

5 grams of Cha Jaen Ja

5 grams of Kang Whyoal

5 grams of Dok Whoal

5 grams of Hyoung Gea

5 grams of Bang Pung

This recipe should be taken twice a day, 30 minutes after breakfast and 30 minutes after lunch for 30 days. So Yang In types have weak kidney function, so consuming foods that boost your kidney function will help balance all of your organs and keep you in good shape. Proper constitutional foods are: barley, whole wheat, green beans, green vegetables, melon, Chinese vegetables, pork, shellfish, banana, vitamin E., cucumber, and berries like blueberries and strawberries. So Yang In types need to avoid potatoes, brown rice, apples, ginseng, spicy foods and spices such as cinnamon, ginger, etc., vitamin B, and penicillin. Other foods may or may not be good for So Yang In types and need to be tested for their compatibility with your organs. A quick visit to an acupuncturist who practices Korean Constitutional Medicine will determine this.

(If you’re not able to order the above herbs in time for the flu, they can be picked up pre-prepared from my office.)

Pairing these recipes with proper food, some massage of the chest/lung area and other areas that are aching (especially around the neck/shoulder/upper back area) will help restore circulation and eliminate the flu that much faster.

My next article will cover flu recipes for Tae Um In types, so stay tuned!

(Originally published October 8, 2009.)

Keeping the Immune System Strong- So Um In Types

2010-02-25T14:07:00.000-08:00

It’s September, and while most people don’t start panicking about the flu for another couple of months, the media has been keeping it in their top stories for the better majority of this year, thanks to the H1N1 flu.

The smartest thing to do where the flu is concerned is to keep your immune system working at its ideal state to prevent you from getting sick at all. Second to this, is to boost your immune system prior to the flu season, but if you’ve missed both of these boats and you feel flu approaching, never fear.

Over the next few articles I will be giving readers recipes based on their constitutional type that will knock the flu out, usually within the first 24 to 48 hours. They are comprised of a variety of Korean herbs that may be found or ordered from any good Korean herbalist.

This week we will concentrate on So Um In types. There are two separate flu recipes for this constitutional type; one for common flu symptoms (coughing, chills, fever, headache, sore throat, stomach ache/vomiting, body aches, etc.) with sweating and one for flu symptoms without sweating.

The recipe for flu symptoms with sweating is called “Whang Ki Kea Gi Tag” and the ingredients are:

15 grams of Gea Gi

15 grams of Beak Jak

10 grams of Whang Ki

5 grams of Ha Su Oh

5 grams of Dang Gui

5 grams of Ja Kam Cho

3- 1/4 inch slices of fresh ginger

2 Dae Chu nuts

The recipe for flu symptoms without sweating is called “Chung Kung Kea Gi Tang”, and is as follows:

15 grams of Gea Gi

15 grams of Beak Jak

5 grams of Chuong Kung

5 grams of Chang Chul

5 grams of Jin Pi

5 grams of Ja Kam Cho

After taking a round or two of these herbs, your flu should be gone, but it is very important to continue boosting your immune system for the month that follows.

The flu is very taxing on your organs and it is during this time that your body is most susceptible to the reoccurrence of colds and flu. The recipe for immune system recovery and boost is called “Shib Jun Tae Bo Tang” and is comprised of:

5 grams of Ginseng

5 grams of Ha Su Oh

5 grams of Whang Ki

5 grams of Beak Chul

5 grams of Beak Jak

5 grams of Dang Gui

5 grams of Chuong Kung

5 grams of Jin Pi

5 grams of Ja Kam Cho

5 grams of Koan Kuea (dry cinnamon)

3- 1/4 inch slices of fresh ginger

2 Dae Chu nuts

This recipe should be taken twice a day, 30 minutes after breakfast and 30 minutes after lunch for 30 days. Constitutional foods like chicken, brown rice, potatoes, corn, seaweed, radishes, green onions, ginger,

garlic, persimmons, tomatoes, oranges, apples, mangoes, honey, ginseng, and

vitamin B should also be eaten.

So Um In types need to avoid barley, cucumber, pork, egg whites, shellfish, banana, melon, beer, ice, and vitamin E. Other foods may or may not be good for So Um In types and need to be tested for their compatibility with your organs. A quick visit to an acupuncturist who practices Korean Constitutional Medicine will determine this.

If you have the flu, in addition to taking the above recipes, it is also helpful to massage the area of your neck and spine in the C1 to C3 area, as well as your lung area and the rest of your back. Keeping the circulation flowing in these areas is important as the flu affects the lungs mostly. Also, be sure to keep your neck and shoulders covered and/or wear a hood as these areas are most sensitive to the flu and need to be kept covered. Keep your hands clean, too.

Be certain also to get plenty of rest, especially bet-ween the hours of 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. One hour of sleep before midnight is the equivalent of four hours of sleep after midnight as your organs are most relaxed during this period of the day. Acupuncture and cupping will also help eliminate the flu quickly and easily.

(If you’re not able to order the above herbs in time for the flu, they can be picked up pre-prepared from my office.)

Stay tuned for flu recipes ideally suited for the other constitutional types. Until then, do your very best to keep your immune system functioning at its peak and the worry about flu will be eliminated entirely.

(Originally published September 23, 2009.)

Chest Area Pain

2009-09-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

It’s widely known that stress can cause chest pain, but there are other factors that contribute to pain in this area; that of pain caused by negative emotional stress.

There is an axiom all over the world that, while it may differ in words, is used to represent pain in the chest area- a “broken heart”. Of course, when you have a broken heart, it doesn’t mean that the organ is broken, but it quite clearly illustrates the feeling one gets that covers their chest area in times of emotional stress. It should be noted that a broken heart can be caused by situations that are not love-related, as usually come to mind with that term. It can be any shock or occurrence that makes you feel as though you have lost something very important; for example, loss of a job, loss of money, loss of a loved one, loss of something you were hoping to have, etc.

Korean Constitutional Medicine adheres to the idea that the brain and chest area are closely connected. When the brain processes some form of bad emotion, it sends indications to the chest area that result in tightening, pain, or a hollow feeling. Each emotion tends to bring its own form of chest ache or problem: too much emotional excitement causes your chi to widely disperse, thus leaving you with an empty feeling in the chest that is accompanied by fatigue; stress that is caused by too much concentration or overwork of the brain causes your chi to tighten, which especially affects your digestion; too much sadness gives the feeling of a deep chest ache that weakens your lung energy, which in turn lowers your immune system function and opens you up to disease and makes catching colds and flu quite easy. Other problems of negative emotional stress are: sleeping problems, acid reflux, hypertension, breathing problems, and diabetes.

It is important to be aware of this particular type of chest pain because it is something we do have some control over. Its cause is not due to your improper bodily care or an accident of any kind, but results in the way you process negative emotions.

While I recommend following through your emotions naturally to an extent (don’t repress!), long term chest pain of this variety can be quite harmful. It results in organ disease and cancer of the chest (lung, breast, liver cancers, etc.). Chest congestion in women is especially key to developing breast cancer. The lack of circulation to support the breast tissues allows toxins to stay in this area, instead of being removed through the body’s natural processes.

Oriental medicine is all about stressing the need for balance in every area of life, and this one is no exception. To protect your chest organs, it is highly important to control your emotions; don’t be too excited, too sad, too worried, or even too happy. Balance is key.

If you have a difficult time controlling your emotions, for example if you have anger management issues, the following assist can be quite enjoyable. Picture your anger (or leading negative emotion) as having a size and volume. If it is as big as a large beach ball in your mind, then you need a larger (anything bigger than the beach ball) opposite emotion to override the anger. The opposite emotion would be happiness/ peace/calm. Cultivate these emotions to your liking. Watch comedies, read things that are funny, go dancing, laugh and smile often, and do whatever else it may be that makes you feel light-hearted. If you’re not into all of that, try meditation, carving out time for yourself to read something enjoyable or work on your favorite hobby, visit places of peace like nature, a church or temple, listen to the trees, whatever you enjoy. Make your emotions of happiness and/or tranquility larger in volume than your anger. Be aware, that as in everything, it takes practice. You cannot build muscle without practice and you cannot build happiness without it either. Pairing all of this with light massage of the chest and back area will be of considerable help.

If none of this advice works, a lifestyle change may be needed. Korean Constitutional food, herbs, and acupuncture can quickly eliminate chest pain and help balance your emotions naturally.

Your health is your responsibility. Being mindful of what goes on in your body- from your brain to your other organs- is very important. Taking these small steps throughout the course of your life will lead to longer, happier, healthier living.

(Originally published September 10, 2009.)

A pain in the neck

2009-09-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

A complaint I commonly come across in patients is pain in the neck and shoulder area. Most attribute it to sleeping in a strange position, which could very well be a possibility, but there are other situations that lend to pain in this area that people should perhaps be more cognizant of.

Aside from some type of accident, common causes of neck and shoulder pain are: The flu (usually straight down the back of the neck), hypertension (with pain usually down the sides of the neck, behind the ear area), and holding one’s neck in one position for too long (computer work, watching television, driving, holding the phone, even musicians holding their head in an awkward position). Poor posture also makes the eyes easily tired, creates heart function and respiratory stress, and back pain. Neck and shoulder pain that is indeed caused by improper sleeping position can be helped by staying away from pillows that are either too hard or too soft.

Other causes of pain can be due to the location of the patient. Sometimes, people who live in damp areas by the sea or windy areas see stagnated circulation. It is important for these people to travel to places with opposite climates from where they are currently living, for example, the mountains, desert, etc. While there, make some time to exercise your muscles and joints to restore circulation to these areas.

Do note that chronic neck pain is a sign that you may be prone to stroke. Sharp pain in the area behind your ear and underneath the skull in that region is very dangerous. It means that your head is experiencing a lot of pressure. If this is compounded with a high blood pressure condition, chance of stroke is even higher. If you experience sharp stabbing pain in this area, do not hesitate, call emergency immediately and see a doctor as soon as possible. If you are having a stroke, lightly stabbing and bleeding the area of pain gently with a clean needle will alleviate pressure in this area, and thus save you from brain cell damage, but do call 911 first. It is always better to be safe than sorry. (It may be of note to add that pain or differences you see in the body that are only happening on one side of your body may be a sign of pre-stroke. Don’t ignore these little signs. Take a period of extreme rest until your chi is balanced.)

At-home treatments for neck and shoulder pain are simple. Rest your muscles. If you do hold one position throughout the day, be certain to exercise the neck in the opposite position to help balance the muscles. Stretching and exercising the neck and shoulder muscles daily is also very beneficial. Stretching, massage, and heat to the area are also very helpful tips. Pointing a hairdryer at the area of heat is an easy way of delivering some quick and easy warmth to the area of pain as well. Also, keep your hair dry. Damp hair that falls over this area is another common cause of pain.

It is important not to ignore pain of any variety. Try your best to find the cause. If you have exhausted all of the physical reasons for pain and home cures, then a lifestyle change that includes constitutional foods, acupuncture, and herbs may be necessary. Internal reasons for neck and shoulder area pain are usually attributed to a small intestine issue, though pain in the left shoulder blade area is linked to the heart, and right shoulder blade pain to the liver.

Remember, it is always best to catch a problem in its early stages before it robs you of your quality of life. Being mindful of your body’s ebb and flow and being proactive in its treatment will save you from disease (and medical bills!) in the long run.

(Originally published August 27, 2009.)

Tongue Diagnosis

2009-09-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

In medicine’s past, one of the first requests from a doctor to his patient would have been to “Stick out your tongue, please.” Why this was exactly, the patient probably did not know, but the doctor did, as many doctors of the past have in both eastern and western forms of medicine.

The tongue is really a fascinating part of the body, telling a tale of your state of health. One who is capable of “reading” the tongue can gauge what exactly is going on in your body, as it reflects the health and condition of your body and organs.

Korean Constitutional Medicine divides the tongue into a map with each location determining the health of the organ associated with it. For instance, the tip of the tongue is related to the heart; just above this area is the section that’s relative to the lungs; the center is related to the stomach; the back area is relative to the kidneys; and the sides of the tongue show the function of the liver.

When any of these areas show signs of veering from a healthy tongue (which should ideally look as close as possible to a baby’s tongue) it becomes a helpful indication for the doctor to more accurately diagnose and treat a problem.

Health-related changes to a person’s tongue usually result in a change of color or in the natural coating found on all tongues. Redness found in any of those areas indicates that that organ is overworked and overheating, in much the same way as a car would. It means there is stress on that organ and a yin deficiency.

If this stress is located in the region associated with the stomach, for instance, the patient might be experiencing abnormal hunger or digestion; in the lung area it would usually be accompanied by nose congestion, phlegm, etc. A gray or whitish appearance to the tongue would indicate a yang deficiency tied to complaints of a cold body.

The coating on the tongue is natural, and on a healthy person should appear even over the entire surface area. It is there to provide care and moisture for the tongue and the natural amount is regulated throughout the day by talking, eating, and drinking.

However, when this coating collects in areas, this also speaks of issues with the associated organ. A yellowish coat to the tongue also indicates overheating of the organs. The darker the yellow, the more problematic the situation is. Yellowing is also accompanied by bad breath and being overly hungry.

A sticky white, almost butter-like, coating is a sign of bad digestion and low immune system that could be leading to a pre-cancerous condition. No coating with a dry, red tongue indicates a yin deficiency.

Other tongue variations of note are teeth marks along the sides of the tongue. This is due to fatigue, which causes the tongue to become slightly thicker than normal due to decreased circulation. Temporary teeth marks are all right, but if this situation persists, it’s beneficial to seek some help.

Small pimple-like textures on the tongue are related to the overheating of the heart, which is usually paired with chest pain.

These issues, if occasional, are nothing to be too concerned about. It is only when any of these situations become continuous that one should seek medical help.

The wonderful thing with the tongue is that you can be somewhat of your own doctor; peering into your body’s health on your own time and monitoring the changes that occur. If there are problems, eliminate some stress in your life, eat better, and get some extra rest and/or exercise — a great prescription for anyone in every state of health.

(Originally published August 12, 2009.)

Acupuncture- What is it good for?

2009-09-04T20:52:00.001-07:00

We are very fortunate to live in a time where options are all around us. Though we often take options for granted, it was not very long ago when people lived in a time of limitations, especially where health care was concerned.

Back then, the only option you might have to get well was the local doctor, who may or may not have gone to medical school, or some “miracle potion” that was touted at the time. Education on health care was extremely limited, and people had no choice but to take what was offered.

Modern times have proven to be a wonderland of education and options. Instead of the town physician, we have the ability to draw our health-care needs from a variety of mindsets, practices, and cultures that span the globe.

All of these options allow medicine to be tailored to the patient, to fit both their needs and personalities. Still, for some, the variety of options can be confusing, and they might find themselves asking, “What does Oriental medicine handle better than Western medicine?”

Western medicine is great for a variety of things, and the use of both practices together is an extremely beneficial partnership in a lifetime of health care. For instance, Western medicine is ideal for the physical repair of the body, should any accidents befall you.

Some Western medications work very well for internal problems as well, but if you prefer a natural health-care route, Oriental medicine is the best avenue, as it focuses on long-term maintenance and disease prevention.

Chronic disease is related to the imbalance of the internal organs. Oriental medicine serves your organs through acupuncture and herbs that assist your own body in fixing its own problems naturally, thereby benefiting you with long-term health and disease avoidance.

Ailments that are particularly well served by Oriental medicine are (but not limited to): stress, fatigue, hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular problems, chronic back, muscle and nerve pain, mental/emotional problems. Feminine health issues are also well addressed by acupuncture.

Women between the ages of 40 and 50 generally have big changes in hormones and are impacted negatively in physical and emotional ways.

They often complain of chest congestion, increased heartbeat, edema, facial redness, low energy, chronic fatigue, cold feet and hands, bone aches, numbness, being easily scared/ jumpy, headaches, sleeping problems, emotional sensitivity, hysteria, dizziness, dark vision, ear ringing, frequent urination, incontinence, sexual insensitivity, menstruation cycle changes/problems, dark under eye circles, and makeup being more difficult to apply than in the past.

These symptoms all come from unhealthy, toxin-rich blood, which causes changes in circulation and proper hormone production.

When a person is suffering from irregular fear, sadness, depression, excitability, or mood swings, these symptoms require a change of lifestyle. You should incorporate into your life the things you really like.

Remember what inspired you or made you happy as a teenager, before life got in the way. Right exercise is also needed, like stretching and good long walks.

Find a new hobby and build good friendships. Acupuncture and herbs (along with constitutional food) and a change in lifestyle all help to restore a healthy condition.

Menopause can also be made easier in advance by creating a smooth transition between a woman's “summer” (adolescence through 30s) and “winter” (menopause years and beyond) by allowing for an “autumn” (40s, prior to meno-pause), using these years as a time of healthful preparation.

Acupuncture and herbs are also great when used in conjunction with Western medicine. They help in faster healing and strengthening of the body before and after surgical procedures.

Whatever your health-care preference, it is important to choose one that both works well and feels right for you. Not every body is built the same, so it can be worth your while to research the available options until you get the perfect fit.

(Originally published July 29, 2009.)

Why a cancer fight should start with a good Jung Gi

2009-09-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

One of the worst things anyone can hear is that they have cancer. Most people know that it is the beginning of a very long and difficult road that will hopefully lead to recovery, but throughout this process it can be difficult to understand how you developed cancer and how it operates.

Life with cancer requires a very different mindset, especially one that Western thinking has not easily adopted.

In my previous column, I talked about cancer being caused by contaminated blood. Korean Constitutional Medicine believes that it is a disease that one gets almost entirely due to one’s own actions.

The few exceptions to this rule are cancer caused by environmental hazards (such as airborne chemicals) and cancer in young persons, where the responsibility falls on the parents or genetics.

What occurs in the body is simple to define. We all have cancer cells within our bodies all the time. Happily, our immune system, which carries cancer fighting natural killer cells, keeps cancer from forming. If it is not permitted to form, it is not a threat because with cancer, the axiom “there is strength in numbers” strongly applies.

When one’s immune system becomes weakened, however, so does the function of the natural killer cells. Without the support of these systems, cancer is able to form a posse, so to speak, on whatever area of your body is the weakest. From here, if you are not able to strengthen your body’s natural cancer removal cells, cancer will keep growing and spreading and will become too strong for your weakened immune system to overcome.

Western medicine usually recommends a couple of options when fighting cancer: surgical removal and/or chemotherapy. There has been success with these treatments, of course, but there is one aspect to keep in mind when considering these methods: the energetic state of your body, or life force known as jung gi. A person with a good, strong jung gi can handle surgery and chemo. A person with a considerably weakened jung gi needs first to strengthen it prior to surgery and/or chemotherapy.

The reason for this is that chemotherapy not only destroys the cancer cells in your body, but every other good cell as well. It is like a slow, internal atomic bomb. Without a strong jung gi, your body will be left a veritable wasteland with little chance of rebuilding a strong and healthy future.

If your jung gi is strong enough to take you through these methods, you will eventually be able to bounce back from it and re-populate your body with essential cells, provided you make the correct lifestyle changes that are necessary for good cell production and function, which include constitutional food, herbs, and acupuncture.

Good jung gi is exhibited in how well you feel. If you feel good and strong even though you have cancer, this is a sign you’re in good energetic shape. If you’re on the other side of the fence, it’s better to take some time to get your jung gi into shape before you attempt Western treatments. It will leave you better off in the long run.

Killing cancer cells and stopping its spread is important, but building the jung gi is of higher importance. The normal cells in our bodies need more support than cancer cells do. If our good cells are growing faster than the cancer cells do, the cancer will not continue to grow and damage our organs.

It is quite possible to co-exist with cancer for a very long time, though Western thinking does not usually allow for this option. Instead of having the mindset of “kill, kill, kill,” perhaps one might consider a peaceful co-existence and just renting a small space out to the cancer for a time (in addition to monitoring it). In the mean time, if you do all that you can to strengthen the jung gi, over time, the cancer might very well pack up and leave because your body and immune system is now too strong for it to exist any longer.

Remember, the best time to prevent cancer is right now. Though lifestyle changes can be limiting and perhaps tedious for many, it is really what your body craves. Treat it right, and it will reward you with a long and healthy life, free of diseases including “the big C.”

(Originally published June 3, 2009.)

Moxa- An ancient healer, and key to Oriental Medicine

2009-09-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

In Asian languages, the word that defines acupuncture is actually made up of two words: needle and moxa. Indeed, the two work so well together that from these two simple things, a healing art was born. Over time, the pairing has evolved into the different forms of Oriental medicine.

Moxa, which is derived from the mugwort plant, is an ancient healer dating back many thousands of years. During the Stone Age, stones were sharpened into points to perform the earliest forms of acupuncture, and moxa was used to burn on the skin to heal ailments. In addition to this, moxa has a vast history that finds itself in everything from age-old fables to recent factual events.

A Korean fable tells about a king who descended from the sky. He was in search of his queen and a competition was held. The final two candidates were a bear and a tiger. The competition stipulated that both nominees were to live in a cave for 100 days and eat nothing but moxa and garlic. After only a few days, the tiger emerged, unable to complete the challenge. However, the bear served its 100 days, strong and healthy from consuming the moxa, and became queen. The pair produced a son, Dam Kum, the first king in Korea.

In more factual, modern times, mugwort was the only plant to sprout up after the nuclear attack on Hiroshima during World War II; a testament to the strong life energy of mugwort. In fact, its energy is so strong that a Korean saying evolved from it. When something is disorganized, messy, or generally ugly, they say that one has “made a mugwort field” out of the situation. This is due to the fact that one small plant of mugwort will completely overtake a beautiful, organized garden in just a year.

How moxa works is not precisely known; what is known is that it has tremendous success in healing a vast array of ailments from warts and tiny infections to cancer. It cures the incurable and slows the aging process. Moxa creates an increase in cellular activity. It causes the cells to inhale and exhale, sends more oxygen to the area treated, increases circulation and toxin removal, builds the immune system, and balances the nervous system, hormones and organs. In addition to this, it also helps with the relief and management of stress.

Moxa comes in several different forms: A fluffy substance, or small sticks, tightly packaged in a shape that resembles a tiny cigar. Each is preferred for different applications.

A tiny cone of moxa is placed on an acupuncture point (or point of injury) on the skin and burnt with a small flame. The fire helps connect the acupuncture point with the associated organ, which builds strong healing energy. The reaction of the burning moxa with the skin also causes increased circulation and cell activity. The heat also helps to rid the body of infections and cancer, as both cannot survive with heat. The administration of moxa is known as moxibustion.

I realize in written form, moxibustion sounds a bit scary and quite painful, but in actuality the burning sensation lasts but a second or two and is instantly replaced with a good feeling. There is little or no pain in the days that follow a moxibustion treatment, though a scab does form, which will eventually leave a tiny scar. For some ailments, moxa works immediately and few if any further treatments are necessary, though with other more difficult situations like cancer, it is the case of “slow and steady wins the race.” It’s not a fancy cancer treatment, though it yields excellent results, is all natural, and has no side effects.

As you can see, needles and moxa have a long history of working beautifully together. Whether it be the Stone Age or the Modern Age, the effectiveness of moxa is undeniable. It is truly one of nature’s greatest healing gifts.

(Originally published June 17, 2009.)

The immune system is vital, but so often overlooked

2009-09-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

The immune system is a fascinating thing. It is probably one of the most important, yet overlooked functions in the body. It is strong, smart, and savvy and works to ensure that we have a long and healthy life — provided we take good care of it.

When someone thinks about their immune system, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is probably cold and flu season, as it is the time when we pay it the most attention. In actuality, our immune system is constantly at work, doing far more than just waiting around for seasons of illness.

Korean Constitutional Medicine believes that blood is life. It gives life, protects, defends, and supports our bodies, circulating nutrients, bodily essentials, and housing our immune system.

From the moment we are born, our immune system begins protecting our bodies from all of the millions of particles that we come into contact with every day. In the beginning, provided that you’ve had a good start to life with nothing to inhibit your immune system, it works in a strong and efficient manner keeping your body healthy. The trouble is that over time its function begins to slow or become a bit misguided.

Within our immune function there is a system of education, cells that are trained to recognize what is good and what is bad based on past contact with these particles. It is the system that is at work when we recall that we can only get the chicken pox once in life. We may come into contact with the chicken pox virus numerous times, but these smart cells recognize them and keep them from entering and affecting our systems.

This clever defense works constantly, not just for the chicken pox, but for everything you come into contact with. Think of your body as a party, and this line of defense is the bouncer, checking invitations and only letting in those invited to the festivities.

The bouncer’s work can be difficult though, for the uninvited can be a tricky bunch. They can mutate into unrecognizable guests, essentially making fake invitations to fool your body’s inner bouncer into giving it entrance. When situations like this arise, the blood analyzes this new visitor and decides whether it is friend or foe, and the immune system kicks out or kills the unwanted visitor. If your body opts to kill the visitor, this is a state of sickness, and all of your symptoms occur in an effort to remove the enemy. Fever tries to burn out the enemy, coughing tries to expel it, and sneezing and running noses attempt to force it out with your body’s “flooding” system.

While you may be somewhat in agony or at least discomfort during this time, it is important to remember that, if possible, riding out this time is really better than medicating it away. By shutting these systems down, your body will need to work harder to exterminate the enemy, which can lengthen the duration of the fight. It really is best to let your body’s natural elimination functions work to eradicate the problem itself.

But colds, flu, and viruses aside, what happens when your body’s bouncer gets a bit confused as to who is invited and who isn’t? When this happens, it is your education system becoming a bit misguided. In these times, your body starts to react negatively to things that really aren’t negative particles. This is the true definition of allergies and arthritis. You may not really have a problem with the pollen or dust in the air, but because it’s misinformed, your body thinks you do, and it starts overreacting and leaves you sneezing the days away. It is the same with arthritis, only instead of outside particles confusing the bouncer, it is elements inside the body and the fighting leaves you with pain and stiffness.

Our amazing immune system also works to keep cancer from forming within our bodies. While we’ve always got cancer cells floating around inside of us, our immune system keeps them from forming into masses. When cancer cells are allowed to form together due to a weak immune system, they become stronger as there is always strength in numbers, and overpower your immune functions. Of course, as we know, there is a downward spiral from here.

In order to keep this brilliant system functioning at its highest levels, we must ensure that our intake is ideal. Good intake makes good clean blood, which makes a well functioning immune system. If your system is already quite weakened, some extra assistance might be needed (acupuncture and constitutional herbs) to help rebuild your weakened organ function so that it can process nutrients to make strong blood.

Remember, as always, good intake equals health in all regards. Ideal intake results in ideal bodily function. The longer you adhere to this principal, the longer and happier your life will be.

(Originally published May 7, 2009.)

How toxins manifest into cancer and other diseases

2009-04-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

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.)

Urine- A Gauge of Overall Health

2009-04-11T22:12:00.000-07:00

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.)

The Yin and Yang of your Body's Bacteria

2009-04-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

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.)

Balance Brings Anxiety Cure

2009-04-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

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.)

The Economy of Health

2009-04-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

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.)

Yin Deficiency

2009-02-16T17:33:00.000-08:00

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.)

Yang Deficiency

2009-02-07T22:07:00.000-08:00

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.)

A Different Slant on Teeth

2009-01-25T23:43:00.000-08:00

In Korean culture, there are five lucky wishes one hopes for in life: Financial luck, healthy children, personal health, a long life, and healthy teeth. If you have all five of these, you are indeed a most lucky person. Even the wealthiest or most celebrated of people cannot always say they have obtained all five of these “lucks.”
You might be thinking that the luck of healthy teeth seems like an odd luck to have, but think of it this way — you need teeth to eat, food to live a healthy life, and you can derive enjoyment out of that food and the healthful results that it produces.
Teeth are one of those parts of the body that most people feel a certain disconnect from. Somehow the idea became popular that your teeth are just “there” in your mouth, that they’re not connected to anything else in your body, and that if you damage one that’s the end of it. All of this, of course, is quite untrue.
Teeth are related to the function of your body. A healthy body provides you with healthy teeth, and vice versa. Korean Constitutional Medicine says that teeth are relative to kidney function, which controls bone health in your body. If your kidney function is healthy and balanced, all of the bones in your body, including your teeth, will be strong and well maintained.
Damage to teeth, such as cavities, is caused by a poor diet, toxins in your system, and a sugary diet. It is worth clarifying that sugar against the teeth is not the issue, but sugar in your system is quite bad and is a main contributor to organ (especially kidney) weakness, which thus causes the deterioration of your teeth. If your organs are weak, and your diet is poor, your body will begin to leach the essential nutrients it needs from your bones and teeth. This leaves both brittle. Think of cavities as osteoporosis of the teeth. It’s really the same thing.
It might also be noted that teeth are the first to see the effects of poor bone health, as they are used daily. If you’re prone to many cavities and brittle teeth, do pay attention to your overall bone health as well.
Korean Constitutional Medicine also divides the teeth into two meridians — the upper teeth reside on the stomach meridian, and the lower teeth on the large intestine meridian. Due to this, both sets have their likes and dislikes. For instance, the lower teeth do not like cold food, and the upper teeth do not like hot food. The extreme temperatures of both help damage the teeth. Warm foods make both sides happy.
To keep your teeth healthy, first and foremost you need a proper constitutional diet. Secondly, teeth need the right stimulation. A variety of foods are needed to keep them happy. If people have a diet that is mainly soft food, or mainly hard foods, this is either too little or too much stimulation for them. A healthy variety is best.
Another way to help stimulate your teeth is to tap on the outside of the mouth, then directly on the teeth 100 times in the morning. This “wakes up” those meridians and stimulates them to care for your teeth. In addition to this, it also stimulates stomach and large intestine function, which aids in digestion and bowel movements. Another related benefit of tapping is that it gently vibrates your brain, which promotes clear thinking and brain health.If you’re experiencing problems with your teeth, before the dentist, stop at your acupuncturist. Filling, removing, or operating on a damaged tooth will not fix the underlying problem of weak kidney function. Instead your acupuncturist can give you a tooth powder that helps to build kidney function, eliminate pain, and may save you from costly and painful procedures. Regular acupuncture combined with proper constitutional diet will build kidney function, which will repair weakened teeth.Remember, bones can be strengthened and so can teeth. Damaged teeth are not a lost cause, and neither is your health. Both can be improved at any stage in life to help you achieve at least two or three of our Korean lucks.

(Originally published January 14, 2009.)

A Sweet Smelling New Year

2009-01-25T23:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! It is now 2009, and hopefully you’ve already made your New Year’s Resolutions. If you have or haven’t, there is one resolution you probably have not made yet — to be sweet-smelling.
I know, it’s a very odd resolution to make, but let me explain.
Being a naturally pleasant-smelling person is a good indication of how your internal body is doing. Just like babies always have a naturally sweet or pleasant natural aroma, so can you. Babies have this because they are fresh and healthy, so to speak. They have not had years of internal bodily abuse and neglect from poor nutrition or chemicals, so they stay sweet-smelling until they get a little bit older and have been introduced to all the many bad things we take into or put onto our bodies every day.
Our internal organs are always communicating with us in a language of their own. They speak in problems and how you feel. If you feel great with no complaints whatsoever, your organs are telling you they are happy. If you have small complaints here and there, your organs are trying to guide your attention in their direction, hoping that you’ll fix the problem.
If you have big complaints, however, your organs are quite frankly yelling for your attention, hoping desperately that you’ll help them out before it’s too late. When you understand this language, you will be less apt to squelch their “words” with pain killers, ointments, and other medications.
So, let’s take a moment and focus on your body’s language of smell.
A bad smell in general is an indication of contaminated blood. Toxins from food, chemicals and medication cause cell death, which in turn makes you smell poorly. People who smell poorly in general also have a tendency to have dry and itchy skin as well as dandruff.
To remedy these problems, it is advisable to pay close attention to what you’re eating. Processed foods contain all manner of chemicals, preservatives, and other synthetics that all contaminate your blood. As far as medications go, if you can find natural alternatives that work for you, all the better.
If perhaps your malodorous breath is your only poor scented problem, the place you need to look is not always in your mouth, but in your stomach. Bad breath comes from poor stomach function. It causes a rotten smell that comes up through your esophagus and out of your mouth resulting in an unwanted taste in your mouth as well as halitosis. To remedy this problem, you need to build your stomach function up with proper constitutional foods, acupuncture, and herbs.
Other unfortunate smelling problems include particularly bad smelling bowel movements. If you suffer from this, it is an indication of the poor function of your large intestines; if you have abnormally bad smelling armpits, this indicates that something is wrong with your lymphatic system; people with bad foot odor, especially around the toe area, also suffer from contaminated blood with weak circulation preventing the spread of vital nutrients to all areas of your body, especially the smaller areas such as toes. Acupuncture, herbs, and a constitutional diet will eliminate these problems and help support your organs for lasting health.More than money or possessions, your health is the most valuable thing you have. Always keeping it at the top of your list of priorities will assist you in all endeavors that fall underneath it.
Think of your health like a fine wine. To make a really great wine you need to first begin with high quality grapes (your food intake). Next you must be certain that the processing (organ function) of your wine is done well. Lastly, wine storage (body temperature, stress management, care and treatment, and emotional/mental state) is a must for keeping your wine in lasting good condition. These three components work together to form a great wine.To all of my readers, have a very happy, prosperous, and healthy New Year! Thank you for reading!

(Originally published January 8, 2009.)

Headaches

2009-01-25T23:38:00.000-08:00

We’ve all felt them creeping up from out of nowhere. They begin as an annoying, dull pain, and soon blossom into a full fledged headache, or worse yet, a migraine.
If one malady unites us all it is the headache. Since the dawn of man, we have had the displeasure of experiencing them, enduring them, and doing most anything possible to relieve them.
Most might classify headaches as being a relatively uninteresting topic, but Korean Constitutional Medicine delves a bit further into the how and why of this pain, which can possibly help you familiarize yourself with their cause.
Though caused primarily by improper circulation due to chi stagnation (and sometimes a stiffness in the neck muscles), head-aches are designated by their location: front, top, sides, or back of the head. Where your headache is located determines the area in which you are stagnated. Headaches located in the front of the head are related to your stomach function; head-aches located on the top of your head are related to your liver and kidney function; pain located on the sides of your head is related to your gall bladder and san joi function (the area around your heart); and finally, pain felt in the back of the head is related to your bladder and kidney function.
We are going to concentrate primarily on headaches located on the front of the head, as they are the most common. The more detailed symptoms of headaches in this area (besides general pain, of course) are a cold or heavy feeling pain, pain near or behind the eyes with a feeling of heat in this area, difficulty opening one’s eyes, more pain when you are more tired, sharp pain in one location, and sweating. All of these symptoms are caused by the poor function of your digestive system. People who often become gassy or have other common indications of poor digestion are typical sufferers of headaches in the frontal area of the head. Sometimes, simply testing yourself by paying attention to which foods set off your headaches and avoiding them can be an excellent self-cure.
People who have aching in the eyes and temple area have headaches that are usually due to stress. When one is stressed, your liver function becomes heated, which causes the pain. Stress is also the cause of most migraines as well as a build up of toxins in the body which causes poor blood circulation. Women sometimes experience migraines around menstruation due to the changes that are taking place in the blood circulation.
Now, of course, the easy “cure” is to reach for an aspirin or some other pain reliever. While this normally eliminates the pain, it does not actually eliminate your headache- just your ability to feel the pain. Pain, though uncomfortable and annoying, is your body’s way of informing you that a problem exists somewhere and it is urging you to address that problem and hopefully fix it. Popping a pain killer turns this informative process off, but does not help the situation; in fact, over time, it can exacerbate any problems you might have. Finding the cause of your headaches is important as well as searching out natural cures that really do assist your body. Acupuncture and herbs work beautifully for headaches and even migraines. People who suffer from serious and frequent migraine problems require 1-3 months of weekly acupuncture and herbs along with a lifestyle change of eating the proper constitutional foods.
While the cure may take a little bit more time than popping a quick pill, you can be certain that the real problem is being fixed so that there won’t be a need to pop a pill ever again.

(Originally published December 17, 2008.)

Head Massage Contributes to Wellness

2008-12-09T23:11:00.000-08:00

Decades ago (and beyond), brushing one’s hair 100 times was a common beauty ritual. It was thought that it kept hair healthy, smooth, shiny and lovely, but there was another factor that was also very beneficial to that age-old practice — head massage.Head massage might not be quite as common as a shoulder or back massage, but it is healthfully beneficial as well as enjoyable. It can assist greatly with hair loss issues, mental diseases, headaches, memory loss, eyesight issues, most upper body diseases, as well as urination and reproductive problems.When you brush your hair or massage your head, it stimulates your skin and organs through a variety of acupuncture points that are found on your head, especially down the middle of the top of your head. This area is known in Korean Constitutional Medicine as the “Hundred Meeting Point,” as it is a meeting point for your body’s chi.As you brush your hair, you may not be aware of which acupuncture points need to be addressed, but they are stimulated nevertheless. This is why most people tend to feel quite nice after they visit a salon to get their hair done. Stimulating these points does everything from relieving pain and pressure to eliminating stagnation that is contributing to other problems.Hair loss is another issue that can be reversed or staved off with hair brushing and massage. It should be noted first that hair loss in most cases is caused by heredity. In this event, it is not possible to eliminate the oncoming of hair loss entirely, but these methods (plus acupuncture, herbs, and constitutional diet) can slow its progression or hold off the onset for many years, if caught early on. If your hair loss is unrelated to your genetics, it is primarily caused by a weak blood condition. Korean Constitutional Medicine believes that weak functions of the kidneys, lungs, and blood cause poor hair condition.Hair receives its nutrition from the blood, so if the nutrients it needs are not plentiful, you will begin to see itching and dandruff, dullness in your hair, a thinning out in the hair shaft, thinning of the hair generally, and easy breakage. Noting these conditions is a great sign of your inner health. If you suffer from these problems, it’s advisable to address your nutrition and kidney and lung functions.Alopecia is another issue involving hair loss. It is caused by stressed organs or virus and is relatively easy to fix with proper constitutional nutrition, acupuncture, and herbs.The best start to proper hair brushing is to begin with a wooden comb or a brush with natural fibers for bristles instead of plastic. Brush your hair, being certain to press firmly without hurting yourself down the length of your head, then through the length of your hair. Do this all over your head about 100 times at a moderate pace. If you are massaging your head, press firmly, working all over your head in circles. Pay more attention to the areas where you feel a slight “sinking.” Stagnation likes to reside in these areas. Doing this while you shampoo or condition your hair is convenient.Another form of scalp stimulation is to firmly tap your head (again, don’t hurt yourself) with the tips of your fingers, moving all over your head, but being certain to stimulate the Hundred Meeting Point area. This particular method is a great way of quickly energizing yourself in moments of mental or physical fatigue. Practicing this on a bathroom break is advisable so as not to make yourself look ridiculous in front of your friends or co-workers. Remember, beautiful hair (and as much of it as you can genetically maintain) comes from the inside out. Your physical appearance is always a great indication of your inner health, so take care.

(Originally published on December 4, 2008.)

Poor Nutrition Can Trigger Weakness in Young Children

2008-12-09T23:09:00.000-08:00

Childhood should be a happy time in everyone’s life.As we look back, most of us have memories of running, playing and enjoying the gift of vibrant and lasting energy.Unfortunately, times have changed, and modern children are much more sedentary; childhood obesity rates rise by the year. In addition, children are being energetically weakened.Children require a good foundation of health to build strong bodies that will sustain them throughout their adult life.In essence, there is not much difference in theory between the foundation of health and the foundation of a building.The better the foundation, the higher, sturdier, and longer lasting the building will be. Sometimes, however, cracks in the walls might be ignored or passed off as the building’s character when a deeper underlying problem exists.The issue of weak organ energy is one that can often be misconstrued as personality or behavioral problems.Being emotionally oversensitive, prone to irrational fears, a very small and picky eater, and the type to complain more than average are all common indications of the underlying problem of weakness.In addition to these, the more obvious indications are less than normal height and weight, a younger mental age, an overall sickly appearance lacking in the glow of health, night sweats, excessive sweating when exercising, bed wetting, bloody noses, bowel movement problems, motion sickness, and an inability to sit still.Food is the main cause of organ weakness. Children’s snacks are loaded with chemicals, preservatives, sugars, and synthetics and the modern diet is filled with microwaveable meals and items purchased from fast food restaurants. Even simple staples like bread or milk can be tainted with synthetics and pesticides that disrupt your health. Feeding your child well balanced meals of proper constitutional food is key, as well as feeding them on schedule. A large breakfast, medium sized lunch, and light dinner are beneficial to health. Combining these lifestyle changes with acupuncture and about one month’s worth of herbs will build healthy, strong sky and ground energy to ensure a sturdy foundation. When your child’s energy is strong, their overall health improves greatly. The immune system is boosted and they are no longer prone to illness no matter what environmental changes occur, be it emotional, viral or extreme temperature change. Moods become even and content, restlessness or fatigue disappear, and your children are free to build the happy, energetic memories of childhood. Remember, the investment of a gift of health is far greater than money or any tangible possession you can pass on to them.

(Originally published on November 20, 2008.)

Sleep Position Plays a Role in Getting a Sound Sleep

2008-12-09T23:08:00.000-08:00

Our days are full of work, family, finances, and (hopefully) health. We do our best to cram all of our daily requirements in, until the happy time when we lie down for some much needed decompression and sleep. But, just when you think that's the end of your day's responsibilities, one remains: how you're going to fall asleep tonight.Korean Constitutional Medicine stresses posture at all times. When you stand, stand straight and tall like a pine tree; when you sit, sit with a firm and balanced base and proper posture like a bell; and when you sleep, sleep like the bow of a bow and arrow.Something you probably have never considered is the effect your sleep position has on your internal body. Whether you're a stomach, back or side sleeper, certain areas of your body are affected by the compression of your body against the bed.If you are a stomach sleeper your body is pressing mainly on the heart, lungs, nose and mouth. Your neck position is also poor in this position. Those who sleep mainly on their back usually sleep with their arms on their chest which also presses on the heart and lungs. Back sleepers also have the issue of the tongue blocking your air passage which causes mouth breathing, dry mouth, irritated throat, and snoring. It is important to breathe through your nose as the nose filters and warms the air in preparation for its intake into the lungs.The ideal way to sleep is on your side, preferably your right side. Left side sleepers compress the heart, but any compression that happens on the right side is actually beneficial.When you sleep on your right side, it puts pressure on your liver, which according to Korean Constitutional Medicine functions as the blood storage area. Sleeping on your right holds the blood while also freeing up your heart to function with ease. It also puts pressure on the valves in your digestive tract, which increases the circulation in this area. Sleeping on your side, in a kind of modified, elongated fetal position is also beneficial to your spine. Your spine is curved in a relaxed position and is comfortable. This is why animals primarily sleep on their sides.Of course, it goes without saying that you are going to move as you sleep. The average numbers are somewhere between 20 to 50 times per night. Though you can't much control what your body does while you sleep, you can decide on the position you fall asleep in (or fall asleep in again if you happen to wake during the night).Often, keeping the thought of how you would like to sleep in your mind before bed is enough to train your body to keep this position as much as it needs to during the night. It should be a natural training. Don't force it, and if you experience any pain, it is better to sleep in the position that offers you the most comfort. (Note: This advice is for adults only. A different theory exists for babies.)While we're on the topic of sleep, it is also worth mentioning again that constitutional color is very important. Paying attention to the color of your sleepwear and sheets and ensuring that they are your ideal constitutional color will also help to strengthen your organs as you sleep.Keeping all of these things in mind will help extend longevity, and when used in conjunction with a proper constitutional lifestyle will allow you to wake up feeling rested and refreshed. Here's to your health and to a restful night's sleep!

(Originally published on November 6, 2008.)

Intestinal health is the core of health

2008-10-24T00:32:00.000-07:00

If there’s one thing that’s been in health-related news more and more in recent years, it’s colon health. From herbal remedies in the stores, infomercials on television, and even celebrity fads, the colon is on people’s minds.
So, is the colon something to pay so much attention to? In a word, yes.
The colon might not be one of those things you consider much in a day, but it is one of the more sensitive parts of your body. If you think about it, all of the toxins your body takes in pass through it, so it can harbor bad energy more than any other area in the body. With this stagnation of bad energy comes weakness which, in turn, sets off a chain reaction that works its way upwards.
Issues like constipation are a good indication of a storm of bad energy brewing. All of those toxins that should be eliminated from your system are staying inside of you, festering and slowly causing problems. Because the colon is not a body part to complain immediately, problems can go unnoticed over the years, but if this situation becomes frequent, the storm could begin turning into a hurricane.
When this hurricane of bad energy increases, it moves upwards throughout the body, weakening your organs one by one. Toxins move into your bloodstream, enter into the lymph nodes, and begin weakening your immune system. Later, you may begin to notice swelling in the face and feet in the morning. This is caused by the trapped toxins migrating their way into your lungs. Your lungs then create a buildup of liquid in your body which produces swelling.
If the hurricane is left to do further damage, you might also notice shoulder pain. Finally, if all of these warning signs have been overlooked, your body is left prone to more serious situations like stroke.
So what to do? The logical theory would be to purchase some type of colon cleansing or constipation medication. These might work wonderfully well in eliminating blockages, much like a plumber would, but if used too often, they can do far more harm than good. Just like pipes in your house can be weakened by chemicals and numerous visits from the plumber, so can your own “pipes.”
The best way to keep your system running smoothly is to make it do it itself. After all, that’s its job.
It goes without saying that proper constitutional foods are the key to great health. Simply eating a food that is not right for you, even if it could be great for another person, can be enough to block you up. In addition to eating properly, massage is a great natural way to keep your intestines doing their job. For the healthy person, massaging their lower abdomen in a circular fashion 100 times clockwise, then 100 times counterclockwise, then 100 times in an up-sweeping fashion, and gently pounding on the area 100 times (start lightly and if you feel comfortable with it, you can get harder; the key is to stimulate your intestines, not beat them into submission) every morning can keep their insides doing the right thing on their own.
For people who aren’t as healthy, the more times throughout the day you re-peat this exercise the better. Incidentally, for someone who is experiencing body stiffness in the morning, doing this exercise daily before getting out of bed can decrease and often eliminate stiffness entirely.Good intestinal care means good overall health care. Eating properly, massage, acupuncture, and herbs can keep your pipes running smoothly and efficiently. Remember, the definition of health is your body doing its myriad of jobs properly on its own, without the aid of any medications.

(Originally published October 23, 2008.)

How your spine influences your organ health

2008-10-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

In my last column, I pointed out the importance of maintaining proper alignment of the jaw. We learned that if the jaw is out of balance, it sends a ripple effect through the brain and down the back, misaligning the spine.
One of your body's many meridians runs down your spine. If your spine is in less than perfect shape, it causes a compression on this meridian. The flow of chi throughout the area becomes stagnated and problems begin to arise. Where this compression/stagnation occurs determines what these symptoms will be.
The spine is divided up into five sections: The upper most area located in the neck called the Cervical Spine, the mid-back area called the Thoracic Spine, the lower back called the Lumbar Spine, and the lowest areas of the back and pelvis called the Sacrum and Coccyx. In medical terminology, each vertebrae has a designated letter and number attached. For the Cervical area a C is assigned, for the Thoracic a T and so on.
Each one of these vertebrae affects a certain area or organ function in your body. We won't be focusing on the Cervical portion of the spine for now, but focusing our attention on the Thoracic and below.
Chi stagnation in the area of T1 causes asthma, coughing, being easily out of breath, voice, and esophageal problems; T2 stagnation results in heart problems and cholesterol buildup; T3 stagnation causes lung and chest area diseases including breast cancer and makes the patient prone to catching colds, bronchitis, and flu easily; stagnation around the T4 area creates issues like gallstones, acid reflux, and herpes found around the torso; T5 stagnation causes liver and blood circulation diseases, arthritis, and joint issues; stagnation in the T6 area results in digestion problems and stomach pain or weakness; T7 stagnation results in pancreatic and abdominal issues, diabetes, infections and ulcers; chi stagnation in the area of T8 and T9 causes kidney function issues, adrenal, renal, and dermatology problems like hives; stagnation in the areas of T10 and T11 are also related to kidney and skin problems; finally, stagnation in T12 is related to the small intestine and lymph node circulation problems.
Chi stagnation in the Lumbar area of L1 is related to issues with the large intestine and groin area problems; L2 issues include appendix and pelvis problems and weak vein circulation; L3 problems include the reproductive system or genital problems, bladder or urinary issues, and knee pain; L4 stagnation causes issues with the prostate as well as knee pain; stagnation in the L5 area causes limb problems, as well as issues concerning the soles of your feet, and general circulation problems; finally, any stagnation in the areas of the Sacrum and Coccyx cause rectal, anal, and large intestine problems like hemorrhoids.
It's important to practice balance in every way in your daily life. Exercising with proper posture, meditation posture, and even dressage posture all help to keep your vertebrae in alignment.
For women, consider how you wear your purse. If it's pulling on one side of your body, causing you to have one shoulder higher than the other, remedy this situation. For everyone, pay attention to how you hold your phone while you talk and multitask. Even things as simple as alternating ears with a Bluetooth, chewing evenly on both sides of your mouth, and avoiding food that is too difficult to chew are important to keep in mind. It may also be of note, if you're suffering from teeth grinding, this is a good indication of jaw misalignment. It is actually the body's way of trying to heal this situation.
If we support our structure and are mindful of its mo- ment to moment condition it can go a long way to not only our present state of comfort, but our long term health and vitality. Living in the present and observing all that is happening in it, both around us and within us, is always a good place to be.

(Originally published October 9, 2008.)

It's all about the jaw!

2008-10-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

Most everyone takes something for granted in their life. We overlook the little things on a daily basis. For some, it could be the relationships around them, and for others it may be their health. As a doctor, I see things a bit differently from the average person. While one person might take for granted a certain everyday feature of their health, to me it is vastly important. One such detail, for instance, is the jaw.
The jaw is one of the most commonly used structures in your body, and also the most commonly misaligned. You use it every day to talk, eat and swallow, and yet its importance be- yond that is not as apparent to the individual. What one might not take into consid- eration is that it is at the apex of your body’s align-ment. The condition it’s in determines the condition of the rest of your body’s bal-ance, and even overall health.
If we consider our body’s skeleton as the structure of a building, we know that we need a strong, balanced structure to hold us up properly, as well as keep the residents in-side (our organs) safe and protected. If that structure is unstable, it will begin to falter and eventually topple.
In fact, our bodies are similar to a home. A house that is older has more needs than a house that is newer. However, if we protect our brand new home from the beginning, being certain that it receives the pro- per care and maintenance it requires, by the time that home is 80 years old, it’s still in excellent condition.
So why does the jaw hold so much importance? The position of your jaw is related to both the brain and spinal cord. If it is out of alignment, your spine will follow suit. Misalignment also opens the door to problems like middle ear imbalance, brain issues such as memory problems, blood pressure or hormone control, and diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. For now, let’s concentrate on its effects on the spinal cord.
One of your body’s meridians runs down the spine. If your spine is in less than perfect alignment, it compresses on this meridian. Where the compression exists deter-mines the symptoms you will begin to feel. For most people, a problem begins with emotional or mental issues as well as organ weakness. As the problem progresses, it is followed by back pain.
Normally, at this point, the suffering person will go off to a chiropractor or osteopath. Most of the time, these doc- tors can help the problem with adjustments, physical therapy, or supplements, but they frequently overlook the alignment of the jaw. Pain and discomfort may subside, but until the initial problem of the jaw is addressed and repaired, the initial fix pro-bably won’t last long.
Being the most used mus- cle, the jaw is easily put out of balance. Something as simple as chewing on something that’s too hard, chew- ing unevenly (always favoring one side), or getting hit can misalign your jaw.
Remedying the situation is different for everyone. The readjustment of the jaw is an acute technique and takes time, but can most definitely be corrected. Chi test-ing needs to be performed to determine if the jaw is out of alignment and which side has the problem. A jaw in perfect position reads perfect chi. A jaw out of balance reads more difficultly and unevenly.Once balanced, it is important to take preventive care for the maintenance of your alignment. This includes good constitutional diet, proper posture, chewing evenly on both sides of your mouth, and meditation with perfect posture.In our next article, we will delve into the effects a misaligned spine has on the rest of the body. Until then, do as your mother told you, and stand up straight!

(Originally published September 25, 2008.)

The Woes of Acne

2008-09-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

We’ve all looked in the mirror at one time or another and discovered something unwanted — pimples. For some people, pimples and acne were just something they had to deal with as teenagers, and for others it is something that has continued into their adulthood. Both teenagers and adults alike repeat the question, “Why?,” and reach for the latest solution in a bottle. Some people think it’s caused by hormones, and others think perhaps they’ve eaten too many greasy foods or chocolate. But what really causes acne is the same thing that causes anything else that goes wrong in your body; mainly, organ imbalance.
The skin is the visual representation of the state of your overall health. Healthy, clear, glowing skin that is soft and supple tells the story of healthy and balanced organ function; whereas sallow, blemished, discolored, dry, or oily skin is a strong indication of organ imbalance.
What most people don’t realize is that the skin, your largest organ, breathes. It functions similarly to your nose; it inhales oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide as well as other toxins. If the pores become congested, much like a stuffy nose, they aren’t able to breathe. Clogged pores result in pimples.
Breakouts are created for two main reasons. For teenagers who are going through puberty, their bodies are heavily active with cell splitting. The more cell splitting that occurs, the more toxins that need to be eliminated. If their cell splitting is functioning at an abnormal rate, acne appears due to an overabundance of toxins trying to release themselves from the pores. The pores clog with toxins and a pimple is born.
For others, another common reason for the formation of pimples is an overproduction of waste products due to organ imbalance. Put simply, the body eliminates toxins far too rapidly for the body to dispose of properly. The toxins become trapped and infection or pimples occur. It’s like a city full of trash, with only one trash man and one trash truck to help dispose of it.
The underlying problem that both of these causes share is a problem with timing. The body has an innate sense of timing. It knows when to deliver what where and in whatever quantities are needed. For skin, which needs moisture, oil, oxygen and toxin elimination, the body supports the timing of these requirements. When you have organ imbalance, you begin to see the signs through an overproduction of water (sweat), lack of moisture, too much or too little oil, infection or pimples.
The key to fixing these problems is, of course, balancing the organs. Circulation needs to be restored to the face as well. Through proper constitutional foods, acupuncture and herbs, the organs can be balanced and your timing restored. For the average acne sufferer, a cure usually comes within two to three months of treatment, which includes approximately 10 sessions. But, for lasting results, a lifestyle change is needed. As with any problem, sticking to the foods that are correct for you, having proper exercise and a positive mind will bring you lasting health and happiness.

(Originally published, September 11, 2008.)

Pressure diagnosis can help identify ailments.

2008-08-31T22:16:00.000-07:00

Korean Constitutional Medicine uses a variety of tools to diagnose a patient. Where western medicine uses machinery and scientific testing, Korean Constitutional Medicine (KCM) relies both on patient's complaints and bodily indications to inform the doctor of the problem(s). Things like pulse diagnosis, visual indications, body noises, tongue diagnosis, body measurements, digestion condition, color, muscle, and metal testing are the tools of the trade. Another such tool is pressure diagnosis.
Down the length of the abdomen reside 12 points that your KCM practitioner presses on to check for pain. Pain is the body's way of expressing chi stagnation which is the reason for most complaints. We will be covering four main points in this article.
The abdomen is divided into four sections: Upper, middle upper, middle lower, and lower. The upper point is located on the solar plexus, in the center of the breastbone area. The middle upper point is located between the upper point and the belly button. The middle lower point is located about two inches below the belly button, and the lower point is located about two inches lower than that.
Pain or discomfort in the area of the upper point means stagnation in the heart, lung, and/or bronchial areas. Patients with pain here normally complain of a variety of problems including palpitation, anxiety, feeling easily shocked or frightened, hot flashes, shoulder pain, insomnia, asthma, a numbness in the hands, breathing problems, headaches, heartburn, or coughing.
In the area of the middle upper point, pain or discomfort means stagnation in the stomach, spleen, liver, pancreas, and/or gallbladder. Patients with stagnation in these areas often complain of chronic fatigue, chronic digestion problems, headache, stomach pain, heat, dry or bitter mouth, pancreatic problems, spleen tightness, gallstones, or hepatitis.
The middle lower point indicates the small and large intestines. Chi stagnation here would result in bowel movement problems including constipation and diarrhea, shoulder pain, chronic fatigue, ovary cysts, groin area pain, sciatic nerve issues, or edema of the face and hands. When problems arise in this area, it is sometimes attributed to the heaviness of your organs. When your organs are weak, they lack the ability to hold themselves up in place properly. Over time they begin to press lower and lower on other organs, impacting their functions and preventing the proper circulation of chi and blood down to the lower portions of your body.
Finally, pain or discom- fort in the area of the lower point indicates stagnation in the kidneys and/or reproductive system. Symptoms in this region are pelvis area pain, a weak reproductive system, irregular bleeding, bladder problems, disten- tion, ovary problems, a coldness in the area, build up of fat, groin area pain, weakness in the lower limbs, knee pain, back pain, sciatic nerve issues, infertility, menstrual pain, or frequent urination with pain.
All of these issues, happily, can be eliminated with pro-per treatment of acupuncture and herbs. Both clear the areas of chi stagnation and allow for a healthy flow of blood and nutrients to restore your organs to a healthful state and thus remove any complaints.
One of the benefits of pressure diagnosis is that you can perform it on yourself at home. Using two fingers and pressing down the very cen-ter of your body, work your way down these areas checking for pain. If you notice any pain or discomfort, it is a good idea to inform your doctor of Oriental medicine as soon as you can. Preventa- tive medicine is always the best.

(Originally published August 28, 2008.)

Depression

2008-08-31T22:13:00.000-07:00

Humans are emotional animals. They feel a variety of emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, but there are some people who can no longer feel life’s positive emotions. Depression is a serious situation that is best addressed at the onset of its grip. For those who have suffered with depression for some time, there are natural solutions to help you regain both freedom and control of your emotions.
For the bystander who has not suffered from depression before, it can often be difficult to understand what a depressed person is going through. A simple way to illustrate it is to look to the weather. We’re used to the fluctuation of days that are hot, cold, sunny, rainy, beautiful weather, and bad weather. We embrace the seasonal changes in our environment as they add variance and vitality to our lives. Living with depression is like turning that variance off, and all you’re left with is bad weather. There is no more beautiful weather, no more sunny days, and you feel there is nothing that can be done about it. You’re stuck in a rut that you can’t get out of, and eventually the weather can slowly worsen to something dangerous.
The ironic thing is that many people who suffer from depression don’t realize it. It can be so slow to take over, that with all the distractions of daily life, you don’t realize the change. One thing you might take notice of, though, are the reactions of the people around you. You might be frequently questioned, “Are you okay?” “Is something the matter?” and people might tell you that you seem different, or not as happy as you used to be. These remarks are very important to take notice of. It’s important to delve into yourself and ask these questions open and honestly. If you think that you could be suffering from depression, it’s best to take action immediately.
Other symptoms of early depression that you can keep a watch out for are: chronic fatigue, pain, loss of appetite (less common are those who over eat to “fill a void”, but this is also a symptom), perversion of the truth, sleep disorders, numb hands and feet, dizziness, dry mouth, shoulder pain, constipation, and headaches.
People with extreme depression tend to become very sensitive people who have deep feelings of guilt. They don’t share their feelings easily because they often feel that they don’t want to burden people with their issues. They feel useless and are bored with life, and feel like they’re making the lives around them worse by living. Eventually these feelings of self loathing and complete hopelessness can lead to suicide.
The beginning stages of depression, like so many other ailments, are due to the imbalance of your internal organs. Imbalanced organs make emotional change. What is most interesting is that your emotions are related to different organs. If your depression is rooted in sadness, this points to an imbalance in lung energy. If it is rooted in fear, there is a kidney energy imbalance. Those with depression rooted in self-anger have liver energy imbalance. Melancholy depression is related to an imbalance in the spleen, and depression rooted in anxiety and fright is related to an imbalance in your heart and kidney energies.
Treatment for depression is important at any stage. Acupuncture clears your blocked meridian channels. When they are blocked, it’s like being emotionally color blind. When you unblock these channels, a world of color returns to your life. Proper constitutional diet cannot be stressed enough as a treatment and lifestyle change. Eating the proper organic and natural foods for your body type will improve your organ health and balance. Constitutional herbs can give them that extra push towards health, as well.
People who are already on anti-depressants may continue on these medications if they choose, but they should always be supplemented with the aforementioned treatments. You can slowly wean yourself off of the medications as you become healthier and feel stronger. Those who suffer from extreme depression should continue anti-depressants and natural treatments as well, but be certain to have 24-hour care. Therapy sessions with a professional or even trusted friends and family members can also be of great assistance at any stage.
For people who have been touched with depression, it is important to realize that it is an ailment and can be cured, like many others. Depression is not a hopeless situation, but just one of your body’s many ways of giving you a nudge, or a large push as the case may be, towards the health and balance that it craves. With some determination and lifestyle changes, it is absolutely possible to return to your old self, or maybe even a much happier and healthier you.

(Originally published July 3, 2008.)

Tonsils are far from a useless body part.

2008-08-31T22:11:00.000-07:00

For many years, the tonsils were considered by many doctors as a useless body part. In decades past, it was common practice to remove the tonsils, as they were thought to serve no function and also to prevent against a possible future attack of tonsillitis.
In fact, even now, the average person still considers them a useless body part, as they do the appendix.
However, the tonsils serve a very important function as the first line of defense against germs and unwanted substances going into the body.
Whether modern western doctors are 100 percent certain of their function, it is common belief now that they are a part of the lymphatic system that also serves the immune system. Korean Constitutional Medicine believes the tonsils are a very important part of your body and that they aid immeasurably in helping fight and prevent illness.
As discussed in a previous column, the energies that help us sustain life are ground and sky energies. Most of these energies are taken in through the mouth (food) and nose (air). The tonsils lie in between these areas and our lower organs and serve as an inspection and investigation base for all of the incoming ground and sky energies. They let the good pass, fight against the bad and warn the other organs of incoming substances in which they will need to protect against.
Our bodies are constantly trying to fight off the enemy (germs and unwanted substances). They are in a constant war with the environment around them, fighting for your health and vitality. All around your body you have the lymphatic system. These lymph nodes serve as military bases, filled with soldiers ready to take on the enemy; the largest bases found around your throat, armpits, and groin area. Think of your tonsils as an army camp on the front lines. The enemy is closing in on them from both sides (mouth and nose), and it’s the tonsils’ duty to prevent them from entering the rest of your country (body). With the tonsils’ work, the rest of the army is alleviated of much of a burden, and prepared to go into action to eradicate the remainder.

Like any other body part, it’s important to keep your tonsils healthy. Weakened tonsils make for easy nose congestion, sinus problems, asthma, and skin disease. All of these problems stem from one root — the lungs. Tonsils are like the gateway of the lungs. The lungs are considered the Chi Sea in Oriental Medicine, and support the whole body with vital energy for life. If your tonsils are not doing their job properly, the state of the lungs can be in jeopardy and problems arise.
Another wonderful function the tonsils serve is as a cooling system for your body, like that of a radiator in a car. Your lungs and heart can be easily overheated and overworked due to organ imbalance and stress. When this irritation or infection sets in and you come down with pneumonia, for example, heat is trapped in the upper trunk area hoping to rise to the top of your head. The tonsils trap the heat where it is, preventing it from working its way up to your brain and thus stopping very serious situations such as stroke. When you get tonsillitis, it is because your tonsils are working to prevent this heat from rising.
People who get tonsillitis often need to cool their lung and heart energies through proper constitutional diet, acupuncture, and herbs. It is also important to breathe through the nose. Proper breathing through the nose filters the air and makes it the proper temperature for your lungs. People who breathe primarily through their mouth overwork their tonsils, which in turn weaken the lungs.For those of you who have already had your tonsils removed, fear not. In a tonsillectomy, only the problematic portions of the tonsils are removed; roughly about one-third. This does mean that your army on the front lines has been reduced by one-third, as well. People who have had their tonsils removed should be extra certain to take care of themselves and take over some of the responsibilities for the loss of army in order not to overtax your lungs. Eating appropriately and breathing in clean air are essential. The Chi Sea supports all of your organs, including the brain, so it is important to take care of these processes lest we be overcome with illness.Think of your body as an antique car. The ones that have clearly been taken care of properly and retain all of their original parts in good working order are always the most valuable.

(Originally published August 14, 2008.)

Ground and Sky Energies

2008-08-31T22:08:00.000-07:00

In my last column, I discussed how the digestive function is one of the most important components to giving you a long, healthy life. However, there is one other aspect that works in tandem with digestion to bring you to health and happiness; that of the ground and sky energies. Good digestion is not simply good food and water. The proper sky energy is also needed to give you optimum function.
Humans live between the ground and the sky and are supported by the energy of the two. When both the ground energy and sky energy are balanced and uncontaminated, this is Oriental Medicine’s definition of health and harmony. In contrast, when either (or both) energies are contaminated, this is a state of unhealthiness.
The easiest way to define the two energies is to make the distinction of what is tangible and intangible. Ground energy is taken from the foods you eat, the water you drink, and the things in your environment, all tangible. Sky energy on the other hand is taken from your thoughts, your beliefs and religion, your relationships, the air you breathe, sunlight, and the energy made from exercise, all things which are unseen.
When all of these components are good — proper constitutional foods, clean water, positive environment, positive thinking and proper exercise — the energies work together to cause a circulatory balance of chi in your body. Your organs are balanced and working in harmony with each other and you’re in a state of health.
When the ground and sky energies you intake are bad — poor food, chemical ridden medicines, contaminated water and air, bad environment, stress and negative thinking — balance is lost as well as your state of health and problems occur.
It is a delicate balance. For example, you could be feasting on a delicious healthy dinner that you favor, but if in the course of this meal, you receive bad news or see something disgusting, you lose your appetite and begin to feel sick. This is an example of good ground energy and bad sky energy. The two conflict and suddenly you’re not feeling so well.
Training yourself, bit by bit every day to take in the proper ground and sky energies is so important. By doing simple things like eating right and even perhaps creating a lovely environment in which to eat, for example, flowers on the table, calming background music, nice dishes and happy conversations, you will be taking steps to a longer, healthier life.
When you maintain healthy ground energy, you don’t hold onto weight, get diabetes, hypertension, heart, kidney and lung diseases or bone problems. Healthy ground energy prevents all of these ailments. When healthy sky energy is maintained, you are happy, you manage relationships and stress well, and become a spiritually happy and positive person. With both maintained, your organs are happy and working well and your support energy is strong. The outcome is a happy, healthy, long life.
It’s not easy to maintain both energies. We eat at least three times a day and live lives filled with stress. However, acknowledging that our good health allows us to accomplish all of the things we do in a day and maintain the relationships we keep, it’s clear that it should be put at the top of our list every day.

(Originally published July 30, 2008.)

How digestion affects everything.

2008-08-31T22:05:00.000-07:00

Most people find it difficult to live in the present. Their days and weeks are scheduled long in advance, and it seems that there are never enough hours in a day. A lifestyle like this can make you neglect and take for granted that which helps you accomplish everything you do in your life — your energy and your digestive system which feeds and maintains it.
The average person sees their digestive system as merely a thoroughfare for food; in one end and out the other. They eat whatever tastes good to them, quenches their thirst, satisfies their hunger and on with their day they go. Normally, the nutrients in food aren’t held in much regard and most definitely the true function of the digestive system is not on that person’s mind.
So, what’s so special about your digestive system? Let’s start at the beginning. According to Oriental medicine, when babies are born, they are born with energy that we term “original energy,” which is inherited from both of its parents. If the parents donated strong energy to their child, it lasts for some time and that person feels as though they always have energy to spare. As time passes, the child grows into adulthood, and sooner or later it begins to notice a bit of a slowing down. This is when the secondary, or “support energy,” becomes more valuable. Support energy is obtained through your digestive system and it is created by the foods you eat. The better the foods, the better energy you have. This support energy “charges” your original energy and keeps you going throughout the years.
Using a car as an analogy, your original energy would be the battery and your support energy, the alternator. The battery itself has energy, but only a specified amount, and if it is drained, it will no longer function. The alternator serves as a charging system, generating electricity back to the battery and running all electrical components of your car. It converts mechanical energy (food) into direct current electricity (energy) and the battery stores it and is thus recharged.
Ideally, the better foods you intake, the better your body will run. If you exist as most people, mindless to their body’s functions and needs, and feed yourself poorly with diets low in nutrients and rich in chemicals and other man-made ingredients, expect your vehicle to run at far less capacity, with lots of problems, and limited longevity.
Like any systematic function, problems can occur. The digestive system frequently experiences blockages and a generally weak function. When one has a blockage, the area hurts when pressed on firmly. Acupuncture and herbs serve to eliminate the blockage and return the system to its proper state. Those persons who have a generally weak digestive system feel weak and can’t consume much food. The weakened digestive system can’t absorb the proper essence from the foods that are eaten. Problems like these can be treated with acupuncture and herbs which help to support the function.
To maintain good digestion, there are some simple things to keep in mind. Eating the proper constitutional foods is key. Give your body the food it needs to run optimally.
Chewing what you eat thoroughly is also extremely important. Thorough chewing is the beginning of the digestive process. It not only breaks down the food, but it also sends messages to the brain, which in turn informs the organs to prepare the necessary amounts of digestive juices, bile, insulin and enzymes needed to process and distribute the nutrients in each bite of food you’re eating. When we go for decades not chewing our food properly, the organs don’t know the exact amounts they need to produce in order to process the food correctly, so they will over or under produce, eventually making them stressed. Over time this can lead to problems like diabetes and gallstones.
Eating on a daily schedule is also beneficial to easing the stress of your organs. If your body knows when to expect food and always receives it at that expected time, your organs work at a steady, stress-free pace.Learn which foods make you feel great, which make you feel bad, and in what quantities your body functions best. Also think happy thoughts while you dine. Appreciate the food you are eating and be thankful for what it is doing for your body.Your original energy is made to last roughly 100 years. The better you charge that battery over the years, the better and longer it will run. Remember, good digestion and a proper diet are not just key in maintaining good energy, but also are important to keeping you free of disease and other medical problems. Being mindful of what your body needs will keep you on the path to health, happiness and longevity.

(Originally published July 17, 2008.)

Remember your bones.

2008-08-31T22:04:00.001-07:00

Osteoporosis is a silent disease that many people don’t take seriously enough. Often you’ll have no advanced warning of its onset until you have a bone fracture. It is an ailment that moves from bone breakage, to artificial replacements, to a wheel chair. It limits your mobility and exercise, which can open the door for other diseases like diabetes or stroke. Paying attention to the causes of osteoporosis and doing your best to prevent are two very important steps for lasting bone health.
Osteoporosis affects more women than men, due to the fact that men naturally have higher bone density than women. Heredity plays a key role in determining if one inherits osteoporosis, but in men both heavy drinking and use of steroid medication bring about this disease. In both sexes, rheumatism, MS, hepatitis, diabetes, lupus, and depression all help to usher in osteoporosis as well. For women, the average person reaching the age of 85 already has some spinal compression.
Let’s consider our bones as a big storage warehouse for phosphorous, magnesium and calcium (inorganic materials), all of which it needs to remain strong. When we are young, our bones are growing and building up these storerooms filled with essential nutrients. As we get older, however, the rest of our body taps into this storage supply to support its function, thus destroying cells and depleting the nutrients needed for proper bone health. Common causes of this are lack of nutrition, anxiety, emotional stress, steroid medications and depression.
Another cause of osteoporosis is being underweight. Women who strive to be skinny, especially those who are not naturally on the thinner side, will most likely see an earlier development of osteoporosis due to their lack of proper nutrition weakening their bones earlier in life.
The good news is that osteoporosis is easy to avoid. If you build your bone cells, the inorganic will return to the big storage warehouse and keep your bones strong and lasting. Supplements to build bone health are effective, but it is most important to exercise and eat according to your constitutional type. Be sure you are getting the nutrition your body needs. If you are already on the road to osteoporosis, acupuncture and herbs can help by building the kidney and liver chi to make strong bones.
In your journey to health and vitality, remember not to forget your bones. They are the frame that supports the beautiful picture of your healthy body.

(Originally published June 18, 2008.)

Menstruation- Part 2.

2008-08-31T22:01:00.000-07:00

My last column examined irregular menstruation — both early and late — but there is one other form of menstruation cycle irregularity, which we term “no menstruation.” The Korean Traditional Medicine’s definition of no menstruation means that the woman would skip three or more months of her cycle (unrelated to menopause). Anything less than this would fall into the category of late menstruation.
We learned in the last column that the liver controls the hold and release of the blood in the uterus. This is what we call the “blood sea.” An inadequate sea level, so to speak, is brought on by two main root causes — bad digestion energy (primarily the stomach and spleen) and weak kidney yang (heat) chi.
When your digestion energy is poor, your body is unable to extract the nutritional essence from the food you eat or deliver it to your organs. When the organs lack the proper nutrients, it causes a deficiency in blood, which will cause the menstruation cycle to cease.
When your kidney yang chi is weak, it raises the cool and damp energy within the body. This causes slower blood circulation due to stagnation. Your body can become cold for many reasons including poor nutrition, stress, child birth, and obesity. Obese people have more damp energy than others, which causes the spleen yang to become tired. The spleen serves as a transportation system for nutrients, and if the spleen chi is weak, it cannot support this function. Blood then becomes unhealthy and a lack of menstruation occurs.
Women with either poor digestion energy or weak kidney yang chi more often than not suffer from these due to poor eating habits, emotional stress, miscarriages, accidents, surgeries or blood loss. Other indications of weak liver function are spasms, cramps, or Charlie horses in the lower limbs, all due to lack of blood circulation.
Different women will have different symptoms leading to the lack of menstruation. The most common first symptoms are less discharge followed by a sudden stop of flow, being overly fatigued, dizzy, a ringing in the ears, and back pain. Some women have a chi that is too dry which will cause symptoms of heart palpitation, fatigue, loss of appetite, hair loss, bone pain, hot flashes, night sweats, hot hands, feet and face. Occasionally some women with much stagnation of the chi and blood also will feel anxious, easily angered, depressed, experience chest stiffening, a heavy feeling on their sides and chest and their lower abdomen hurts if pressed on. Obese women will commonly have a white slippery and sticky tongue, phlegm, white discharge, nausea and vomiting.
Women with a lack of menstruation should seek help as soon as possible. Constitutional food, herbs and acupuncture will remove stagnation, return the blood to a healthy state, improve circulation and balance the chi. After the body is healthy and balanced, your cycle will return. For those who are not able to seek treatment, a good place to begin is in the kitchen. Be sure you’re eating the foods that are proper for your constitution and eat in proper ratio — 5:2:1 of grains, fruits and vegetables and meats and fish. Doing so is important for any individual seeking health and a happier, well-balanced life.

(Originally published June 4, 2008.)

Menstruation- Part 1.

2008-08-31T22:00:00.001-07:00

Most women experience some pain during menstruation, which is normal. This is the body’s way of telling you that it needs to slow down and relax. However, with some women, the pain can be lasting and intense, and their cycles can either be too early, too late or with an abnormal flow. All of these symptoms point to an irregular cycle, and the sooner these issues are addressed, the better.
In Oriental medicine, we say a women’s cycle is related to the phases of the moon; its progression from sickle to full moon — just as it is with the female cycle. If we take a moment to consider what would happen if the moon’s cycle were off, we can see clearly that having an irregular cycle would have abnormal effects on your own body.
Most menstruation problems point to a sign of low chi. The liver function controls menstruation, as it dictates the holding period of the blood. If the liver chi is weak, it cannot hold the blood properly and causes it to discharge either too early, or too late. Causes of weak liver chi are typically a poor diet, too much stress, chronic fatigue, chronic disease, surgery or tired and unhealthy blood.
The menstruation cycle should take, on average, around 28 days. Periods that arrive seven to 10 days sooner are a sign of low yin energy or high yang energy, which causes heat.
Symptoms of low yin energy include the blood being a thinner and unhealthy color with a heavier flow, dizziness, extreme fatigue, no energy in your lower limbs, loose bowel movements, pain, weak pulse and a concave abdomen.
Some symptoms of high yang energy are darker-colored sticky blood with clots, dry mouth, anxiety and temper, rapid pulse, harder bowel movements, a red face, lower abdomen distention, chest pain, a urine color that is more yellow, a tongue that is coated dark and red, a bitter taste in the mouth and pain generally on the sides more than the front of the abdomen.
On the other end of the spectrum, those women suffering from late periods, which come seven or more days late, suffer from high yin energy or low yang energy. Symptoms of this include slow circulation due to a colder body, cold hands, feet and lower abdomen, lighter flow with a darker color and clots, loose bowel movements, reduced sexual energy, aging problems, negative thinking, depression, sadness, anxiety and no motivation.
Thankfully, these menstrual problems can be cured naturally. Acupuncture and herbs, as well as a diet that follows the patient’s constitution will build digestion energy, balance the yin and yang energy, and release pressure in the upper chest and abdomen.
For those looking for at-home remedies that can assist you, look to or look away from spicy foods. Those with an early flow should definitely look away from spicy foods as your heat (yang) energy is already elevated. Those with late periods should eat more spicy foods to help increase your heat energy.
Balancing out your cycle is very important and can save you from additional problems in the future. It is especially important for younger women as it will help with easier pregnancies and menopause, but every female will benefit from regulating their cycle. It will lead to a calmer, less painful and happier life.

(Originally published May 22, 2008.)

Meditation can ward off the damage of modern life.

2008-08-31T21:59:00.000-07:00

Eastern philosophies have always stressed the importance of meditation in our daily life. For the most part, this practice has not been so quickly adopted in the Western world. So much importance is placed on keeping up with the rapid pace of modern life that people don’t feel they have time to spare to even think about meditating.
Nevertheless, meditation is a healthfully beneficial practice that should be part of each day.
Contrary to common lifestyles, the body is really not meant to be functioning at such rapid rates. More than ever before, we are taking in mass amounts of information, more stimuli, and our senses are working overtime as we move through space and time.
Modern science has given us many conveniences, but it seems as though the days and years are getting shorter, and there just isn’t as much time in a day as there once was. The end result to all of this is stress, aging, and health problems.
Meditation helps against this common problem because it essentially brings your mind and body back into peaceful alignment.
Consider primitive man, or even the way our ancestors lived: quiet, slow-paced lives filled with steady, physical work. This is how the human body has functioned for thousands of years and how it still wants to function. Society has changed dramatically in the past century or so, but our bodies, reasonably, have not evolved so quickly to the change.
While we may not be able to turn back the clock, we can give our minds and bodies a well-deserved break through meditation. Taking at least 15 minutes or so every day to meditate can improve your overall health dramatically.
Many might wonder why such a simple act as quieting the mind can do so much for your overall health.
As you go through your day, you take in oxygen. The more you work, the more oxygen you need. Too much oxygen, however, like too much of anything, is not beneficial.Think of it like food. You need food to live. You need the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to build a healthy body. But too much food causes problems. The same goes for oxygen.Too much oxygen intake, through overwork and overeating, causes the cells to oxydize, become tired, and eventually die out. (This is one reason why incorporating antioxidants in your daily diet is also important.)An even worse contributor to cell fatigue and death is stress. Daily meditation slows your mind and body down, eliminates stress, slows down cell aging, and centers your mind, body, and soul.For those of you who have never tried meditation, the practice is simple.After finding a quiet spot where you can relax, concentrate on your breathing and put everything else out of your mind. Turn your focus inward to feel the inhale of your breath coming into your body through the abdomen and travel up and out of your body through the nose. Do this daily for at least 15 minutes. Incorporating yoga or qigong into your weekly regimen is also highly beneficial.While preventing all stress is impossible, as stress comes with every life, making room in your day to practice these simple techniques will do you and your body a world of good.

(Originally published May 7, 2008.)

Acupuncture and herbs help aid infertility.

2008-08-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

Times have changed since our parents were starting their families. Women of today are focused more on careers and finances and aren't settling down as early as they once did. More and more women are putting off starting a family into their 30s and even their 40s.
While it's true that putting off pregnancies can increase your risk of problems, it doesn't have to be something that determines whether or not you decide to have children. Contrary to a lot of misinformation out there, women can give birth safely, naturally, and successfully well into their 40s.
Though the best uterine condition for pregnancy is in the mid 20s, this does not necessarily mean that those having children in their 20s will escape all problems.
Pregnancies are relative and differ per woman in any age. The main difference between a pregnant 20some-thing and a pregnant 40something is that the older mother must be more mindful about the condition of her health and that of the fetus, as well as planning in advance for pregnancy and delivery.
Though her internal organs are more tired in comparison, if we pay more attention to their condition, the success rates of conceiving are much higher. Korean Traditional Medicine uses acupuncture and herbs to reverse the organ aging process by 10 years, thus changing the uterine condition and increasing fertility.
The Western theory of infertility relies primarily on the overall look and condition of the uterus as an organ. Eastern theory compares it more to soil and seed. One needs good soil to grow good plants. Dry, neglected or frost-prone soil will not produce good plants, if any at all.
Most uterine problems stem from blood stagnation and a uterus that is too cold for the fetus to grow. Women who have had surgeries, IVF, or difficult or irregular menstruation with clots, etc., can also see infertility problems. Acupuncture and herbs remove the stagnation and increase uterine temperature for a natural pregnancy. With regular visits, it typically takes between three to 12 months to get the uterus into good fertile condition.
Fertility issues with men typically stem from stress, too much weight gain, and weak kidney function (as the reproductive system is re- lated to kidney function). Though men, as women, are more fertile in their 20s, acupuncture and herbs can help build production and quality of sperm.
People in their 20s may have younger and less tired organs than parents who start their families later in life, but the late-starters have their own advantages. Older parents typically have more of a desire for family, are more apt to take optimum care of their children, and have a better economic environment. They also have far more life experience, better emotional stability, and environmental security.
No matter what your age or how your life-plan has played itself out, the promise of a future with children can be very bright.Being mindful of your health throughout the course of your life will assist you in a successful pregnancy, and those who have found trouble conceiving can use this natural technique for not only a healthy baby, but a healthy you, too.

(Originally published April 24, 2008.)

Live food and the importance of eating organic.

2008-08-31T21:54:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of talk over the past several years about eating organic and fresh foods. Many people are confused about the difference between organic and conventional foods, and don’t realize the importance of eating organic.
Organic foods, what Oriental Medicine calls “live foods”, are grown differently than conventional foods, called “dead foods”. Farmers who grow conventional produce apply chemical fertilizers, insecticides, and synthetic herbicides. Organic farmers use natural techniques to feed and build the soil with natural fertilizers, use insect predators and barriers to keep insects out of their crops, and apply crop rotation, tillage, hand weeding, crop covering, and mulches to control weeds. Organic farming is not only clearly better for the environment, but far better for you, too.
Conventionally grown foods are often tainted with chemical residues which are harmful to your health. They have been known to cause disruption to your endocrine system, carcinogenicity, immune system suppression, and reproductive problems. Not only that, but conventional practices decrease the nutrients in your food.
Most conventionally grown and genetically modified foods go into the creation of the processed and instant foods that Americans eat on a near daily basis. When food is processed, you lose the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and yeast. When foods are fried or cooked at high temperatures, as most processed foods are, you literally kill all of the nutrients in the food. It is all processed to be tasty, easily digestible, and in most cases, addictive.
Easily or quickly digestible food means, basically, that there is nothing for the body to benefit from, so it runs through your system quickly. The problem with this is that your organs are built to take 4-6 hours, from tongue to intestines, to digest. When this process is sped up, or overfed, your organs are not ready to digest the food and a build up of glucose occurs in the blood and the stomach works harder and harder. Blood goes to the digestive organs, away from other areas of the body to assist, causing the body to be cold. This eventually leads to fat. Simply put, a cold body cannot burn off the food or fat.
There are good rules to follow, in addition to eating organic and fresh foods: Listen to your body. One over eats when they stop listening. Stop eating when you begin to feel full; Eat slowly. Chewing aids in digestion. It addresses the envelope, so to speak, and informs your brain, serving as the post office in this instance, where the food is supposed to go. In turn, your brain informs your organs and they prepare for digestion. This also aids in the enjoyment of food, and thus leads to a happier mind frame; Finally, consider food ratio. Oriental Medicine has a theory that makes you look no farther than your own teeth. Providing you have a full set (wisdom teeth included), you have 8 frontal teeth, 4 side teeth, and 20 back teeth. The frontal teeth are used to chew fruits and vegetables, the side, fang shaped teeth, are used to chew proteins like fish and meats, and the back teeth are used to chew grains. Eating foods in this ratio- 2 percent, 1 percent, 5 percent- is beneficial for your body.
Keeping healthy is built of simple, logical practices. Following them, and especially choosing the best foods for your health, will ensure a healthy and happy life.

(Originally published December 20, 2007.)

Allergies can be treated without medications.

2008-08-31T21:51:00.000-07:00

With the passing of March, we have seen winter come to a close and a gorgeous spring begin. The wildflowers are in bloom, temperatures are warming up, and allergens are in the air.
Spring, though a beautiful time, is primarily the season most people suffer from allergies. Most allergies come from pollen, weather changes, chemicals, food, dust, or pet dander. Regardless of whether your allergies are seasonal, they can be cured with acupuncture and herbs.
When allergies hit, the average person will likely reach for their allergy medication, antihistamine, or cough syrup. While this method relieves your allergies for as long as the pill is active in your system, this does nothing to cure the root of the problem. In fact, it only worsens your long term health. Avoiding your known allergens is effective as well, but still does not treat the cause.
Allergies are caused by weakened organs and poor immune system memory. The root of allergies is not simply in the pollen or dander, but it is how your immune system has been, in effect, defaulted to react to these types of substances. Either by heredity or at some point in your life while your body was in a weakened state, your immune system decided to view the problematic substance as “bad.” Whenever that substance comes across your nose, your defenses go into action, and your allergies are in full swing. The trick to getting rid of your allergies is to reprogram your immune system.
Your immune system is like your body's military system. It fights and kills off invaders who try to break through their borders. It also serves as your body's alarm system, much like a simple car alarm. When something goes wrong in your body, it sets off an “alarm” and lets you know that something is trying to break in. Your body's reaction to most allergies is like those occasions when you simply walk by a car, and its alarm sounds; it's an overactive, overly sensitive alarm that needs to be fixed, not turned off.
The problem with long-term allergy medication use is that it disconnects your body's “alarm” and interrupts your ability to determine if you have a deeper problem. If someone is breaking into your car and no alarm sounds, how do you know there's a problem? By the time you realize, it might be too late.
Let's take a look at what is really happening in those moments when you reach for a tissue. The symptoms of allergies, like sneezing and a runny nose, for example, are not just instantly created in the moment you're bothered by them. These fluids are actually the “essence” of your lung function. They serve the areas of your body, like the skin, which require this moisture. When your lung function is not working properly, this essence gets stored, and instead of going where it is needed, it becomes stagnant. As we all know, stagnant fluids turn bad and can become moldy. In an effort to stop this, your body expels them through coughing, sneezing, congestion, and running nose.
During this time, you are more than likely not receiving ample oxygen. Limited oxygen intake immediately affects brain performance. In children, you see its effects with an inability to concentrate, diminished grades, and throat infection (from mouth-breathing). In adults, it is often brushed off as mental aging or general fatigue. Most allergy medications just exacerbate these problems.
Allergies really are nothing to be sneezed at. In fact, they can be something quite serious. Lasting allergies and frequent medication intake cause a domino effect to the organs, weakening them as the years roll by so that disease can take hold. Catching allergies at the onset of the problem is best, but if you can't catch them at the beginning, it's best to get off the medications and treat the root of the problem. As they say, better late than never.

(Originally published April 9, 2008.)

Diagnosing health issues by feeling your pulse.

2008-08-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

Modern Western medicine has developed many amazing treatments and technologies that allow us to fight bacteria and disease and see right into the human body. They can view everything from a fetus to the tiniest cancer cell and diagnose and treat many diseases with precision and speed. Their technologies are developed to see each part of the body down to the tiniest minutiae. However, sometimes, despite all of these medical advancements, not every problem has the ability to be diagnosed. For those situations, Korean Traditional Medicine furthers the medical investigation.
Western medical labs test your blood and urine for signs of disease, MRIs and CAT scans see right into the body and an EKG records the electrical activity of the heart over time to see that it is within a healthy range. Many of these technologies use a numerical “range” to determine if a person has a problem or not. If the patient’s blood pressure, for example, is out of the normal range, then the proper steps are taken to resolve that issue. This works with numerous other health situations with beneficial results. Western medicine hones in on a specific problem and attempts to cure it. On the other hand Korean Constitutional Medicine looks at the body as a whole and at how the internal organs are working together in concert to obtain maximum health.
There are many people who have illnesses that have yet gone undiagnosed. The patient’s numbers might be in the healthy range, and yet their complaints persist. Most Western doctors, for lack of a named disease, attribute most of these mysterious complaints to stress. Without the ability to diagnose a problem, they lack the standard procedure to treat it. Korean Traditional Medicine differs here, in that we do not rely on numbers, but on indications the body gives us on how each organ is working in that moment. We do not use sophisticated machinery, but use only our three fingers to diagnose organ function through pulse diagnosis.
Pulse diagnosis is performed at the beginning of a patient’s regular visit to his or her acupuncturist. It involves the doctor placing his first three fingers on one’s wrist, similarly to how one would check their own pulse, for several seconds. Even though he is feeling the one artery in the wrist, all the pulses attributed to each organ have a different sensation. On the left wrist, he is able to assess the patient’s heart, small intestine, liver, gallbladder, and left kidney. On the patient’s right wrist, the lung, large intestine, spleen, stomach, and right kidney are assessed. Though it sounds impossible, and tough to compete with Western technologies, the wrist gives an accurate and firm indication of how these organs are functioning. If the pulse is too high, too low, too weak, irregular or stiff and wire-like the doctor is able to diagnose where your complaints stem from and can then proceed to remedy the situation.
For example, if your pulse is slower than normal on any organ pulse point, this can mean that that organ is cold or weak. If the pulse is too fast, it, in contrast, means that the organ is too hot or overtaxed. In the patient who has very high stress levels, the pulse points will feel taut like a wire. In some emergency cases, the doctor is even able to stave off an impending stroke or heart attack in his patient by quickly determining the problem through pulse diagnosis prior to acupuncture.

(Originally published March 27, 2008.)

A little Asian trick to help keep the fat off.

2008-08-31T21:48:00.000-07:00

Fat is a major concern for most people. Conventional wisdom tells us to stay away from fatty foods, fast food, drink a lot of water and get plenty of exercise in order to stay trim. All of this is, of course, a smart way to live. But there are some tricks that people can use to help the body not store fat in the first place. There is one very simple one, common to those in Asian countries (and even our Western Chinese restaurants!) that can be of assistance in your quest to avoid obesity and achieve health.
Have you ever wondered why hot tea is served with your meal in Chinese restaurants? Chinese food is well-known for being fried and greasy, but what most people don’t know is that the hot tea assists the body in processing the fat you take in. The idea revolves around keeping your body at a steady internal temperature allowing the body to focus on one thing, digestion, instead of three.
Normally, when you eat, you have a hot meal and pair it with a cold beverage. When you drink that cold beverage your body loses the heat (energy) it needs to digest the food properly, expending that energy to heat the liquid you drank, and readjusting your core temperature because of the cooling effect of the beverage on your body. The fat you have eaten in that bite of hamburger has been cooled down with the intake of an ice beverage and becomes a firmer substance, which is somewhat more difficult for your body to break down. It is then stored in the cooler areas of your body. Fat accumulates in cold areas of the body. (You won’t find fat around the heart, simply because the area is too hot for fat to reside.)
When you eat cold foods, like salads, the same thing occurs. While you might not be consuming fat (dressings aside), you’re still cooling your body down, which makes weight loss more difficult. Have some warm soup instead.
The same is also true for people who over-drink. We all know the recommended daily allowance of water is eight, eight-ounce glasses a day, which is fine if you happen to be free of health problems, exercise often and are in great shape. But for everyone else, the rules should be a bit different. Beverages of any kind cool the body down. A cold body not only stores fat in an effort to retain warmth, but it also leads to health problems. For these people, it is important to listen to your body. Drink what you feel it needs and drink it slowly. Ideally keep your beverages hot, and of course, don’t let yourself dehydrate.
If you keep your food and beverages hot, you will not be robbing your body of the precious heat it needs to function optimally. All of this is not to say that just consuming hot foods will keep you slim, but it will make your daily exercises worth more by allowing the muscle you develop to burn off fat instead of cooling down all that newly-made heat.
And remember, eat in moderation. The more you eat, the cooler your body becomes because it has to spend so much of its energy digesting all that food.
Combining all the proper tools of eating right, rest, exercise and fluid intake along with maintaining body heat will go a long way in the battle against fat and extending your lifespan.

(Originally published March 14, 2008.)

Cosmetic Acupuncture gains awareness in the Western world.

2008-08-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

Cosmetic acupuncture is slowly gaining awareness in the Western world, but it is nothing new in the world of Oriental medicine. In fact, cosmetic acupuncture has been around since 400 BC. It is preferred over cosmetic surgery in China, Korea and Japan, not only for its outward benefits, but for its internal benefits as well.
Your looks are a reflection of your organ function, whether you look tired, sick, have dark circles under your eyes, sagging skin, wrinkles, liver spots or a myriad other common appearance complaints. Traditional Western cosmetic surgery only changes the exterior look; it does nothing for your internal organs. Cosmetic acupuncture changes your body at the core level, safely and with no side effects.
Cosmetic acupuncture works from the inside, out. It cleanses and detoxifies your body, cleaning out veins, arteries and lymph nodes that store and circulate impurities that contribute to aging. In addition to this, it makes your organs healthier, dissolves fat in your body, plumps flat or sunken areas, tightens skin, changes the curvature of the figure, returning the body to its original form.
Acupuncture controls the flow of chi and blood in the body. It creates a pathway for fat and toxins to be “guided” out of the body through urination and also helps cellular split. When you age or are stressed, cellular activity decreases. Korean traditional cosmetic acupuncture uses only needles to create more cellular activity and build up the body’s natural spontaneous regeneration without any side effects. Skin becomes softer and healthier, supple and tighter, has better color and a youthful glow.
A lifestyle change goes along with cosmetic acupuncture. Eating healthy and exercising is, of course, always good for your body, but for those who have a more difficult time eliminating vices, Chinese herbs are also of great assistance. They help stop your cravings for things like sugar and alcohol, so you can more easily work on a healthier lifestyle.
The procedure for facial cosmetic acupuncture and body shaping consists of a two-hour session once a week for 10 consecutive weeks. Results show in eight to 25 days, depending on how quickly your body naturally regenerates skin. Follow-up maintenance sessions are recommended once every 10 weeks or so. Results typically make the patient look at least 10 years younger. There is also a “light” ver- sion, whereby in one treatment you are given a “little face lift,” which is ideal if a special occasion is coming up. It restores a healthy radiant shine to the face, giving you a bright and youthful glow. This is typically done seven to 10 days before the special event.
With restored health and beauty, you will feel more energetic and vital and be back on the right track to a longer and happier life. Internally you will feel younger and externally your face and body will reflect a healthy internal organ system and leave you looking radiantly healthy and beautiful and years younger.

(Originally published February 24, 2008.)

Emotional health starts with happiness.

2008-08-31T21:44:00.000-07:00

Most of the patients that come to my clinic suffer from emotional problems. While acupuncture and herbs work very well to balance emotional problems, you can do much for yourself on your own journey to emotional health and happiness.
As simple as it sounds, happiness is the most important thing one can do for one’s health. Not only does happiness improve our daily life, but it also cures diseases and brings about emotional balance and overall health. Health is both physical and emotional. Often, Western medicine segregates the two.
In Korean Traditional Medicine, disease is divided into three causes: external, internal and genetic/unknown reason. External reasons would be things like accident, or bad weather (the extreme temperature changes ushering in disease). Internal reasons are emotional. There are seven different emotions: Excitement, anger, sorrow, pleasure, fear, contemplation and worry/anxiety. It is the “up and down” of these emotions that cause imbalance. Too much or too little of any emotion causes disease. If you are overexcited, the heart function becomes imbalanced; if you are filled with sorrow, the lung function becomes imbalanced; if you are angry, your liver function becomes imbalanced; if you are fearful, your kidney function becomes imbalanced; if you are too pensive, your spleen function becomes imbalanced; if you are prone to worry or anxiety, your stomach function becomes imbalanced; and even too much pleasure can cause your heart function to be imbalanced. Imbalance brings disease.
How you feel emotionally even influences others around you. Your family, friends, co-workers and even random people you meet in a day are all affected. Bad moods are toxic not only to yourself, but to everyone around you. It acts as a virus of sorts, passing on from one person to the next, only to be broken by someone making a positive difference in that person’s day. People can actually be either a living “virus” or “cure.”
Most people strive for happiness. There are, of course, some people who are content in their anger or discontentment, and not much can be done about that. For the rest of us, it is important to understand that happiness is a direct result of how we think. Our viewpoint and mind frame determines every experience that we have.
There is a story I’d like to share that illustrates this point. There were two Korean High Buddhist priests, Won Hou and Hui Sang, who were traveling abroad in China to study Buddhism. One night, during their journey, they happened upon a cave to sleep in for the night. During the night they became thirsty and went searching around the cave for water. A bowl of water was found and the two drank from it. They remarked to each other how cool, refreshing and delicious the water was before returning to sleep. In the morning, the two went back to look for the water in the daylight. When they found it they were repulsed. The vessel from which they had drunk the water during the night was a skull. They began retching and vomiting. As they continued on their way, Won Hou began to wonder why the water was so delicious the night before, and had suddenly become so vile in the morning. The water was the same; it had not changed throughout the night, so what happened? He then realized that the only thing that changed was his viewpoint. The way he thought determined his experience. Won Hou was so taken with this new idea, he went back to town, gave up his studies and began studying how his own mind worked in relation to this theory. He wrote many books and eventually became a teacher, teaching his students about his findings.
We will always find ourselves in bad situations throughout life, but if you succumb to the virtual “forest” of negative, then there’s no way out of the situation. If you stay above the situation, you can see the pathway out. For example, if you happen to lose $100, the negative person will sink down into anger and sadness, but the positive person will remain balanced and say, “Well, I’m glad it wasn’t $1,000!” This type of attitude is the key to health and harmony. Being positive, helping people, and being a loving person all plant the seeds of a positive life and will usher in more positive to you, as like attracts like. We call this karma.
Happiness means that the seven emotions are in a balanced state. There is one method that you can use to help control and maintain your emotions when they’re getting out of control. Most people have one happiest moment in their life. (If you cannot think of one, invent one.) Choose your happiest moment. Use your five senses to return to that moment and really feel that you’re there again. Take a snapshot of this moment and frame it. This is your new “Mind Frame.” Give this framed picture a simple name, one that you can say anytime to call the frame to mind. When you begin to feel emotionally imbalanced, whether you become sad or angry, call on that name and allow the picture to come to mind and let it balance you. (It may be of note that research has shown that when it comes to the activity in your brain, there is no difference between actually being in a moment experiencing a situation or remembering it. This is one major reason why this technique works.) Make yourself a goal to practice this technique many times over the period of 100 days and you will see results. This is usually the amount of time it takes for you to retrain your brain.
Remember, happiness is not a gift. You created it yourself through practice and perseverance. We’ve all heard the axiom, “Money doesn’t grow on trees,” and in this case, neither does happiness. You have to work to achieve both.

(Originally published February 6, 2008.)

Can emotional shock cause disease?

2008-08-31T21:42:00.000-07:00

I’ve talked a lot in my previous columns about the importance of keeping a happy mind. Certainly the road of life is not free of bumps, but it’s how you take those bumps that can mean the difference between health and disease. What most people fail to realize is that your emotions play a major role in the development of diseases, especially cancer.
Cancer is not only the effect of mistreating your body, but is also the effect of an emotional shock. A traumatic emotional experience, whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a job, an unexpected medical diagnosis, sudden loss of income, a severe and sudden worry or any other threat or panic, causes extreme stress on a physical and emotional level. This then causes very real physical changes in your body.
If you consider your body as a computer, a power surge can easily blow your system out. It is always recommended to plug your computer into a power strip with a surge protector to stop the additional power from running directly into the computer and burning it out, in the event of a surge. Your body works in much the same way. An emotional shock, as in an electric shock, sparks a change in the body, yet your body does have naturally built-in surge protectors that can be your best indication of an underlying problem. Often we don’t know just how hard an emotional shock has hit us, or how deeply it is affecting our body.
Tiredness, insomnia and pain are the most common of your body’s “surge protectors.” All three of them act as a slowing down mechanism of sorts. Most people turn to what we can term “bypass medicines” to mask these surge protectors. Pain medicine, sleeping medicine or caffeine and energy drinks all serve to temporarily eliminate these bothersome symptoms so that we can more easily get on with our day. However, the more you bypass your body’s surge protectors, the higher you risk burning out your system and getting cancer and other diseases.
Disease that develops is not random. Your personal constitution most often determines your weak points. If you are a Tae Yang In or a Tae Um In individual, your weak points are your lungs and liver. If you are a So Yang In or So Um In individual, your weak points are your kidneys and stomach. Knowing your own emotional proclivities also gives you indication of your weak points. If you have a lot of sadness in your life, this damages your lungs. Those with short tempers who carry a lot of anger are prone to liver damage. People who live with much fear are prone to kidney damage, while those who worry a lot or over-think things suffer damage to their stomach.
It is so important to pay attention to your body’s built-in surge protectors. Don’t mask their presence, but rather, find their root before it turns to disease. The solution is not to treat the physical symptoms, but instead to get to the bottom of the emotional conflict, and heal yourself emotionally. Healing the emotional situation puts a halt on the growth and festering of disease so that physical healing can occur.
If you are currently in a place where you know that you have suffered an emotional shock, the very best thing you can do is to be kind to yourself. Get plenty of rest, eat the right foods, exercise, seek out acupuncture, be with friends, get counseling, take a vacation, do the things that make you happy and essentially pamper yourself while you work through your emotional problems. Treating yourself kindly during this time serves as a protective and healing mechanism and prevents the shock from turning into disease.
Learning how to live in the moment is also very helpful. Try this simple breathing exercise to help train your mind to concentrate on the here and now: While lying comfortably on your back, place your fingers two inches below your belly button. Close your eyes, and with your mind’s eye, watch the position of your fingers. Watch them rise and fall with each deep inhale and exhale. Train your mind to silence and watch and think only of your breath and the rise and fall of your fingers. Relax and center yourself. Doing this for a little while every day will help to train your mind to live in the present and assist you in working through your past or current emotional situations. Remember, your mind, which you have total control over, rules over both your genetic and cellular expression.
If you listen to your body and these fundamental laws of nature — to live a conscious life, to eat healthy foods, exercise, deal with your emotional hurdles naturally, and strive for balance in your life — it will go a long way toward keeping you out of the doctor’s office and helping you prevent cancer altogether.

(Originally published January 24, 2008.)

Finding the key to cure yourself with healing energy.

2008-08-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

It’s January 2008, and we’ve all just celebrated the arrival of a new year. For most, it is a happy time of looking forward, self-improvement and resolutions. Unfortunately, for others who have been diagnosed with terminal disease, 2008 may be their last year … or is it?
What does having a terminal disease really mean? Simply put, it means medical or human knowledge is limited, not that your disease is incurable. Every body is created with the ability to heal itself. For a sick person, it’s the locked door for which you must find the key.
Humans have healing energy. We can’t describe how healing energy works because it is a super-science, but no doubt you have heard of its many wonders throughout your life. There are many cases of someone having an incurable disease; they eat tons of some food they believe will cure them, for this instance, let’s say guava. Magically, at their next doctor’s appointment, they receive the wonderful news that they are now healthy individuals, and their disease is gone. Was it the guava? No. It was their thinking. The way you think is your strongest weapon to annihilate any disease.
Let’s take a look at the beginning of your journey. You’ve been sick. You don’t feel well, and inside somewhere you know that something is wrong. You go to the doctor’s office and they run all the tests. You wait with knots in your stomach. Before you know it, you’re sitting across from the doctor as they grimly deliver your diagnosis. They use words you hate to hear. Cancer. Inoperable. Incurable. Estimation of time you “have left.” Somehow you make it home, feeling afraid and hopeless after such an incredibly negative experience. You’ve been given a death sentence, and in most cases, resign yourself and wait to die, or give it a bit of a fight.
All of the negativity of that experience reaches deep into your subconscious. You live each day reminding yourself in some fashion that you’re sick and going to die soon. The more you do this, the more you affirm your illness, and eventually, it will kill you.
The way you think determines how your body will act. Your subconscious controls the chi, blood and hormone circulation throughout your body. A negative subconscious will produce negative results, and a positive subconscious will produce positive results.
If you look at the onset of disease as a positive thing- as an opportunity to put your life back on the right track — the outcome can be much different. Instead of watching your life wind down to an end, upgrade it. Like it or not, your lifestyle — the way you think, your poor diet, too much stress, not enough exercise, etc. — is probably what landed you with disease to begin with. Accept responsibility for this, find the lifestyle-based cause of your illness, and believe if you got yourself into this mess, you can most certainly get yourself out of it. Don’t be discouraged at your diagnosis. Your doctor might not be able to cure you, but you can!
When we’re sick, we realize that humans are weak. When we’re strong and healthy, there is a tendency to feel indestructible. Sickness reminds you that you’re delicate, and in turn the subconscious tells your body to help maintain health. At this point, open yourself up to healing.
It is most helpful to begin your journey back to health with some simple techniques. Start with a quiet and peaceful place. Relax, and talk to your body. Say, “My hands are heavy,” three times. Speak, and listen. Imagine you’re holding a heavy metal bucket in each hand. As simple as it sounds, this begins your concentration. Say, “My shoulders are getting warm.” Feel as though you have hot towels on your shoulders. Follow with, “My breathing is peaceful.” Imagine you’re in the mountains, or at the ocean, breathing in and exhaling fresh air. Feel it moving throughout your whole body. Say, “My heartbeat is regular and healthy.” Listen to your heart beat. Say, “My abdomen is warm,” and imagine the sun shining on your abdomen.” Follow with, “My forehead is cool.” Imagine cold Alaskan air rushing over your forehead. At this point your body should be totally relaxed, and responsive to your affirmations. If you have heart disease, say “My heart is healthy. My heart is cured.” Picture your heart, imagine it healing to perfect health. Watch it beating in your mind’s eye. Do this for whatever your ailment may be.
Practice this as many times a day as you can. Remember, 100 percent and 99 percent are very different. There is only one degree between success and failure. You can’t put out a large fire with just one bucket of water. Keep throwing water on the fire until it’s out.This year can be a fresh start for you, regardless of your diagnosis. Just believe.

(Originally published January 10, 2008.)

Staying warm is more important than you think.

2008-08-31T21:31:00.000-07:00

The temperature is quickly dropping as the year comes to a close. You might have already pulled out your winter clothing, your scarves and gloves, all in preparation for the cold weather, but not many have stopped to think about what being cold can do to your body.
Such a simple little thing as being internally cold can cause many bothersome and severe ailments.
You might have noticed it before — the first indication of internal cold. It could be a lovely day outside, or a comfortable temperature indoors, but you just feel cold. Not cold to the touch, but internally cold.
Left untreated, the symptoms begin to change. Perhaps you feel normal, but your feet, hands, or stomach are quite cold to the touch. It’s important to pay attention to this — the calm before the storm.
Pain, dry mouth, constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, frequent urination, discharge, palpitations, anxiety, numbing, anemia, depression, headaches, ringing in the ears, menstrual pain, back pain, nerve pain, skin bruising, hemorrhoids — these are some of the many annoying complaints most people deal with on one occasion or another.
As time goes on, your complaints can become much more serious, turning into diabetes, stroke, hypertension, brain issues and heart disease. These symptoms are all caused by insufficient internal heat due to poor circulation.
The body’s circulation system delivers all of the nutrients and essentials to your body. It helps keep every portion your body at a healthy 98.6 degrees (or thereabouts). Proper circulation also helps your body adjust to outside temperature, and clears energy stagnation that can lead to those many annoyances.
When you’re colder, the activity of your organs lowers, and often subtle lifestyle choices assist this process.
Our modern culture supports the cooling of the body. Air conditioning, cold water dispensers, soda vending machines, ice cream parlors and salad bars have all become a part of daily living. Even clothing, especially for women’s more open, less clothed styles, promotes the cooling of the body.
When we’re feeling unwell, the medicines we take all promote cooling of the body. If we have a fever, we take medicine to bring it down. Fevers actually make undesirable conditions for the virus to live, and quite simply burn the virus out. Colds, viruses, and even cancer prefer colder conditions (have you ever wondered why you never hear of the warmest part of your body — the heart — getting cancer?).Overeating makes the body cold, too. The stomach works more when you overeat. More blood and energy are used to assist the organs in digesting the food, and in doing so, takes heat away from other areas of your body that need to be warm.When problems occur, most people visit an appropriate doctor, i.e.: an orthopedic doctor, OB/GYN, ENT, cardiologist, etc. They treat the symptom, but Oriental medicine treats the cause.Herbs, specifically designed for your constitutional type, can assist the body in heating up, and help regulate the circulatory system so that it functions properly again. It’s not about just eating hot, spicy foods (though So Um In types can benefit from this), it’s about supplying heat to your whole body.One simple way you can help your body yourself is to stay away from stress and be a kind and happy person. Loving, smiling, laughing, joking and doing good things make you feel good, which in turn causes the body to warm. It’s small wonder why a mean person is termed “cold” or “icy” and a kind person is a “sweetheart” or “warm hearted.”

(Originally published December 6, 2007)