“Indeed, timing is one of the most important factors in preserving health,” TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) Practitioner said. “TCM observes and studies the laws and patterns of nature well and applies them to the human body. It regards the human body is a microcosm of the universal macrocosm. Therefore, in order to achieve healthiness, we shall follow the laws of the Universe.”

Here are some examples suggested by TCM Practitioner:

Best Timing For Exercising: Early Evening
“Since the readings of blood pressure in general are higher in the morning, while physical activity also makes blood pressure go up, the best timing for workout is in early evening, especially for people with high blood pressure,” TCM Practitioner said.

Although doing exercise in the morning for people who have normal blood pressure is totally fine, intense workouts can lead to fatigued during the day.  Workouts in the evening, on the other hand, provide a direct effect on getting a good night sleep. “It is because physical activity raises our body temperature above normal.  If we do exercise in the evening a few hours before bed, our body temperature will start dropping just as we are getting ready for bed.  This decrease in body temperature actually serves as a trigger that helps us fall into sleep,” TCM Practitioner said.

Best Timing For Eating Fruit: Between Meals
Different food categories depend upon different digestive secretions. For instance, while protein foods require protein splitting enzymes, carbohydrate foods need carbohydrate-splitting enzymes. As for fruit, not only its acids prevent carbohydrate digestion, but also produce a fermentation. That’s why we should avoid eating acid foods and carbohydrate foods at the same meal.

“The best timing to have fruit is between meals, say one hour before or after meal shall be fine,” TCM Practitioner said. “However, some fruits, like fresh pineapple, contain Proteolytic enzymes (proteases) that will hurt stomach wall when eaten with empty stomach. It should be eaten after meal.”

Best Timing For Having Shower: Before Bed
Warm water dilates blood vessels, allows more blood and oxygen flow into tight and stressed out muscles throughout the body. “Warm water releases muscle tension that keeps the body relaxed and comfortable, a feeling that tells the brain it’s time to start winding down and preparing for sleep,” TCM Practitioner said. “In addition, metabolic functions such as heart rate, breathing, and digestion will be slowed down caused by the drop in body temperature [after a warm shower], which helps initiate a sleepy and tired feeling.”

Image by M.V. Jantzen

“The indoor temperatures are usually relatively high in winter.  If you wear thick socks or even with wool fleece boots, you likely to sweat.  When your sweat is absorbed by your socks and shoes and hasn’t evaporated promptly, once you step outside, your sweaty feet will get cold much more quickly since water has 25 times the thermal conductivity of air,” Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioner said.

Thick socks, furthermore, may create another problem. “If your shoes weren’t bought for wearing thick socks, there will be a lot less room inside the shoes for blood to circulate,” TCM Practitioner warned.  “What happens is your compressed shoes actually prevent the free circulation of warming blood to the feet that causing them even colder!”

Despite the fact that your feet probably can’t get warm immediately when you put on a pair of normal thin socks in chilly winter, they will not be in danger of getting even colder later on induced by poor blood circulation.  The rule of thumb is your shoes should be a comfortable fit and your feet are uncompressed after you put your socks on.

Image by beautyredefined / Kristin

You also know that in order to combat the coughing, you need to drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest.  Unfortunately, when you go to bed, you can’t drink; then when you cough, you won’t be able to rest, so your coughing gets even worse.

“Coughing is our body’s response to an irritant,” explained Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioner.  “In fact, on the mucous membrane in our airways, there are many many little sweepers—cilia—help clean the dust and microorganism that we breathe in.  When we have cold, the respiratory secretions, bacteria, and damaged white blood cells build up, which stimulate our mucous membrane and cause us to produce more coughs to clean the waste.”

Furthermore, when we are in sleeping position, the mucus from the nose and sinuses can drain down our throat and trigger coughs.  That’s why coughing gets worse at night time that compromises our sleep and prolongs the healing.

So, is there anything that we can do to mitigate our coughs during sleeping time besides taking medicine?

“Actually there is,” TCM Practitioner said.  “You can prop up on pillows or sleep on two to three pillows to help ease post-nasal drip, which reducing the need to clear your throat.”

However, we must pay attention to one important thing when we do so.  TCM Practitioner warned that we shouldn’t just lift up our head; our neck and back must also be raised all together in order not to hurt the spine.  We can simply sleep atop a slope created by several pillows, or use two pillows to create a “T” form to support our spine.

“After all, a “pillow slope” can not only ease night coughs, but also help relieve indigestion symptoms as it prevents stomach acid from ascending up into our esophagus, ” TCM Practitioner continued.

Image by congalaconga / Fabiana Boiman

Misfortunes never come singly—most fuel rates have risen, and people who use oil or propane to heat their homes will pay the most.  Therefore, for a less pricey winter, we must find ways to minimize the heating bills.  Tips like using a space heater in the room you are hanging out and keep your house cool is one of good practices.

As for slumber time, you can still have good nights sleep and save on your bills.

“Many people go to bed wrap themselves in a thick, heavy blanket.  Nonetheless, it never is as good as snuggling down under two thin blankets; they not only are lighter and comfier, but also warmer,” Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioner said.

Since air is a poor conductor of heat energy, if you cuddle under two thin blankets, a layer of air will be formed between the two blankets, which can increase the effectiveness of thermal insulation.  As a matter of fact, even though the combined weight of two thin blankets are as same as a thick one, the former definitely will provide better thermal performance.

“In addition, if you constantly feel tired and have stiff limbs after night-long sleep but otherwise healthy, go check your blanket see if it is too thick and heavy,”  TCM Practitioner continued.  “If it is, replace it with two thin ones, or else, your health will be affected in a long run resulting from a poor circulation of blood and low-quality sleep.”

Image by ohsohappytogether / Jessica

Every time you eat, especially hot, sour, and spicy food; brush your teeth; or even talk to someone, the pain reminds you that happiness in itself cannot be granted, even the “little” ones.

According to Western Medicine, the causes of aphthous ulcers include impaired immune function, infections, nutritional deficiency, and Vitamin B Group insufficiency. In general, they can be healed in seven to 10 days.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), on the other hand, regards that our facial organs correspond with our internal organs.  Take tongue and mouth as examples; while the heart opens into the tongue, the spleen leads to the mouth, suggesting that tongue and mouth diseases are mostly related to heart and spleen.  In fact, the mouth as a whole is the sensory organ linked to the spleen and actually a branch of the spleen meridian extended to the bottom of the tongue.  As for the tongue, in particular the tip, is connected to the heart.

Having said that, when a TCM Practitioner makes a diagnosis of the disease, the first thing he/she needs to do is to determine whether the condition is “excess” or “deficiency” (Yin, Yang, External, Internal, Cold, Hot, Deficiency, and Excess all belong to the “Eight Principles”, one of the most important diagnostic systems in TCM.)

Although both are aphthous ulcers, the symptoms that patients experience are rather different.  “Excess-type aphthous ulcer is red in color and painful; it has swelling around the rim with yellow discharge.  In addition, patients usually are accompanied by bitter mouth, bad breath, constipation, swollen gums, etc,” TCM Practitioner said.  “This type of aphthous ulcer likely is induced by heart/spleen accumulated heat due to improper diet such as excessive spicy and deep-fried food, or staying up late.”

As for deficiency-type aphthous ulcer, it mostly is caused by a weak stomach and kidney function.  Despite the ulcer area has little pain and color, it persists for a long time and recurs constantly.  Sufferers generally are accompanied by loss of appetite, lack of energy, and insomnia.

“According to TCM, aphthous ulcer actually is an indicator that the environment in our body is imbalanced,” TCM Practitioner said.  “In TCM’s approach, in conjunction with medicating the ulcers, patient’s lifestyles and general constitution will be properly modulated (with herbal medicine and other treatments) as they are brought to light, so that the contributing factors of the problem can be diminished.”

There are two DIY home remedies, though, that can mitigate your aphthous ulcers.  Whether you prefer “salt” or “tea,” either one is simple and convenient.

Pour boiling water into a cup with five teaspoons of salt OR one teaspoon of black tea leaves.  Rinse your mouth with the water after it turns warm.  Twice per day, one in the morning and one at night.

“Both salt and tea can help reduce inflammation and kill bacteria; which are able to ease the pain of the ulcers and speed up wound healing,” TCM Practitioner continued.  “If the condition is more serious, rinse can be done a few more times a day.  However, if the ulcers show no sign of improvement over a week, one should go to seek medical treatment immediately as it might be a warning of mouth cancer.”

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Indeed, most of the long-lived people in the world live in the subfrigid zone such as Japan and North Europe. With population just more than five million, Georgia (a republic in Asia Minor on the Black Sea separated from Russia by the Caucasus Mountains) has over 2,000 centenarians.  Such phenomenon partly is contributed by the cool-climate living environment.  In fact, studies have shown that compared with the same species living in warmer climate, the cooler the temperature, the longer the lifespan animals inclined to have.

Nonetheless, to preserve health with low-temperature environment should not be interpreted as to lower human body’s temperature, but rather reduce the speed of cell metabolism so as to delay the aging.

“In addition to stressful living, lack of sleep and heavy diet also contribute to modern people’s ‘torrid life’,” TCM Practitioner said.  “In fact, many of them have syndrome of Yin (the energy being accumulated, assimilated and stored for later use) deficiency with internal heat that lead to illnesses.”

According to TCM, fall is just the best season to begin this healthy practice.  “Let me give you an analogy,” TCM Practitioner explained.  “What is the best time to water a dry plant?  If you do it at noon, much of the water will be vaporized; the most suitable timing is at dusk.  Similar to that, fall, when the Yin energy starts to accelerate, it also is the perfect season for us to exercise how to preserve health with low-temperature condition.”

However, as mentioned above, we can’t simply putting on less clothing and achieve the longevity.  Instead, we should pay attention to four aspects: Diet, environment, sleeping, and physical exercise.

Diet
First, cook with low temperature.  Low-temperature cooking not only can reduce the chance of carcinogens release when cooking with high heat, but also preserves the greatest amount possible nutrition in food.  Second, eat more food in “cool” nature.  Examples are animals with lower body temperature such as fish and shrimp; aquatic plants like rice, lotus root, and bamboo shoot; fungi that flourish in shady habitat; fruits ripe in winter such as mandarin and pear.  Third, always stop eating when you are 80% full.  In doing so, you reduce the total intake of calories and generate less heat.

Sleep
Go get a “low-temperature” sleep.  It doesn’t mean you should throw away your blanket and turn the air conditioning up.  Our body temperature varies throughout the day.  While it starts to drop at 9 to 11pm and reaches its lowest at 1 to 3am, it begins to rise gradually at 8am and comes to its highest at 7 to 9pm.  “If we want to preserve health, we should be in bed sleeping when our body temperature is dropping.  The bottom line is don’t stay up late, not to mention all night,” TCM Practitioner said.  “In addition, sleep in a dark environment.  In fact, when sleeping with the lights on, our metabolism will be disturbed resulting from a higher body temperature.”

Environment
Surround yourself with greens.  Grow plants in your own home and workspace to lower the room temperature.  Also, use more furniture made from rattan, bamboo, and wood in cool color.  As for the lighting, switch off the overhead lights and turn on your task lighting such as bedside light, desk lamp, or floor lamp.  In this way, you not only reduce overall lighting demands by putting the light where it is needed and make your room cooler, you actually are saving energy and your electricity bill.

Physical Exercise
Move your body.  Do more slow exercises like Tai Chi, yoga, pilates… .  When our body overheats, the excess heat energy from the body will be used to evaporate the sweat.  Therefore, to use up that heat energy will cool our body down.  “Take a trip to the river, lake, woods, or mountain is another good idea to preserve your health,” TCM Practitioner said.  “Your body will benefit from absorbing the Yin energy released from the natural world.”

Nonetheless, we are once again reminded that preserving health with low temperature is a comprehensive approach and should not be simply regarded as cooling down our body.  According to TCM Practitioner, TWO mistakes that we should always not to fall into:

1. Wear fewer clothes than we need to.  In fact, we should put on appropriate clothing accordingly.

2. Consume icy drink / food.  TCM suggests that we should take icy drink / food as less as possible, preferring instead to consume meals that are close to our body temperature.

Image by Dan Foy

“In fact, the treatment approach for cold syndrome basically is contrary to that of hot syndrome,” TCM Practitioner said.  “A right treatment cannot be administered if the cold/hot principle is not figured out up front.”

As most of us know that the commonly accepted average core body temperature is 98.6 °F (37.0 °C).  But what makes us be able to keep a constant temperature?  The answer is our body fluid.  While “Yang Qi” (positive energy) inside our body keeps us warm, the main function of body fluid on the other hand is to moisten our overall body by lowering the temperature.  “When we have good health, our Yang Qi and body fluid can adjust with each other and maintain a steady body temperature,” TCM Practitioner said.  “Yet, if we get sick, our body will be incapable of achieving this balance.  As a result, syndromes of being too cold or too hot develop.

Take common cold as an example.  If you catch a common cold and have a pale complexion, cold limbs, diarrhea; and shiver continually, you likely have a cold-syndrome common cold.  However, if you have a common cold along with a high body heat, flushed face, thirst, and dry mouth, yours probably is a hot-syndrome common cold.  You yourself can tell even if you are not a TCM Practitioner.

“Basically, patient who has cold-syndrome common cold should be given treatment that helps warming his/her body up, whereas treatment that facilitates lowering body temperature will be administered to patients who have hot-syndrome common cold,” TCM Practitioner said.

So next time when you have a common cold, in addition to medicine, you know exactly whether you need an ice bag or a hot-water bottle.

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While hundreds of thousands of girls are obsessing with the bloodsuckers in a fantasy world, many of them suffer from anemia in reality.  In fact, up to 10% of people have anemia in the US alone, and the rates are even higher in other countries.  Due to regular menstrual bleeding, young women are twice as likely to have anemia than young men.

“In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there is no such term of ‘anemia;’ it is called ‘blood deficiency’ instead and not very much identical,” TCM Practitioner said.  “TCM regards our heart to govern, liver to store, and spleen to unite the blood.  As a result, when we treat blood deficiency, patient’s heart, liver, and spleen are to be modulated all together.”

Generally, blood deficiency is classified as either chronic or acute.  It is not defined as a illness itself and may not be easy being identified by the sufferers.  Not sure if you have blood deficiency?  Read on the symptoms.

• Dim skin color; pale lips and nails
• Dizziness often occurs
• Repeatedly have had palpitations recently
• Poor sleep; frequent insomnia without cause or reason
• Have numb limbs every so often
• Light menstrual blood color and fewer in volume than usual

“If you find three or more symptoms from the list that match your condition, you likely have blood deficiency,” said TCM Practitioner.  “For women who have blood deficiency not only always feel tired, but also age faster and even have premature menopause.”

Therefore, blood enrichment becomes so important for women who want to keep in good health.  Below are some what you should do.  Relax, you can still be a fanatic of vampires.

Be Happy

“Many people aren’t aware that feeling unhappy actually can lead to blood loss,” TCM Practitioner said.  “It is because if you often in a sulk or lose temper, you will develop a stagnation of the liver-Qi that contributes to blood consumption.” Now you have one more good reason for developing a cheerful and optimistic attitude, and stay in a good mood.

Take Good Care Of Your Eyes

According to TCM, the blood of the liver specifically takes care of nourishing the eyes and tendons.  “If you overwork your eyes such as often staring at a computer screen for too long, your liver will be harmed and affects its function of storing blood and regulating the volume of blood in the whole body,” TCM Practitioner said.  “Make sure to take the time to look away from the screen every 10 minutes for just a few seconds, and rest your eyes by closing them for a minute every half hour or so.”

Eat Black Fungus

“Blood deficiency and high blood pressure absolutely can occur at the same time, especially for many middle-age women,” TCM Practitioner said.  “Luckily, there is a common and inexpensive food to combat both, and that is black fungus.”  According to TCM, black fungus is “neutral” in nature.  It can enrich blood and replenish “Qi” (essential energy), fight tired body and numb limbs.  On the other hand, it is able to lower blood viscosity and cholesterol, as well as to prevent arteriosclerosis.

Why not let this simple recipe—Stew Black Fungus Red Date (Dried Jujube) Soup—to do the dual duty for you?

Image by cainmark

“Unfortunately, herbal medicine is one of the core elements of TCM that you hardly can avoid when receiving TCM treatment,” TCM Practitioner said.  “Fortunately, there is a way to minimize the bitterness.”

There are about 10,000 taste buds on our tongue.  While the sides of the tongue tend to be sensitive to sour and salty taste, and the tip of the tongue to sweet, the sensitivity to bitter taste is highest at the base.  The lesser the contacts between food and taste buds, the weaker the flavor of food you sense.

So, how to reduce the contacts between the herbal medicine and the taste buds?  The answer is to use a straw to drink the medicine.  “Stick the straw way down deep.  In doing so, the medicine can travel through from the cup to your throat without contacting too many taste buds.” TCM Practitioner said.

Now you may ask how you are able to drink the medicine with a straw as the liquid is so hot.  “Well, you should know that when the temperature of food is close to that of our mouth (96.8-98.6 degree Fahrenheit / 36-37 degree Celsius), the sensitivity of our sense of taste is at its highest; whereas the sense will be less sensitive when food’s temperature is higher or lower than this level,” TCM Practitioner said.  “However, medicine with temperature higher than 100.4 degree Fahrenheit / 38 degree Celsius would be too hot to suck up; the best way is to wait until its temperature drops to between 68-86 degree Fahrenheit / 20-30 degree Celsius).”

No matter how much you hate bitterness, there is one worst thing that you should never do: To add sugar to your herbal medicine like you do to the coffee!  “This is because different flavor of herbal medicine produces different efficacy.  For instance, while medicine in bitter flavor drys dampness and purge fire; sweet, on the other hand, replenishes “Qi” (essential energy) and blood, and relieves pain,” TCM Practitioner explained.  “If sugar is added to the medicine, the property of the medicine will be altered.”

Furthermore, the chemical composition of herbal medicine is rather complicated.  When the protein and tannin that herbal medicine contains interact with the iron and calcium in sugar (especially brown sugar), a chemical reaction may occur, causing some effective components coagulate, and generating turbidity and precipitation.  As a result, not only the efficacy of the medicine is affected, it may also lead to diarrhea.

Last but not the least, some herbal medicines are administered to stimulate the release of secretion from digestive gland through the flavor of bitterness.  “The extremely bitter Rhizoma Coptidis, for example, is used for boosting the gastric secretion in order to invigorate the stomach,” TCM Practitioner said.  “If you add sugar in it, this function is destroyed and so is the treatment.”

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“The components of an effective herbal bath comprise not only the right ingredient (herb), but also the right water temperature,” TCM Practitioner said.  “The liquid is absorbed through the bather’s skin and respiratory system and takes effect by activating the potential life functions in his/her body.”

Today, herbal baths are commonly suggested for conditions such as arthritis, fever, fungus infections, itchiness, pain, skin sores, wounds, and even beauty treatment.  And the choice of herbs would be based on individual condition.

In fact, you can try it at your own home.  Here are some formulas provided by TCM Practitioner.

For Improving Skin Texture

Ingredients: Ginger juice (1 ounce / 30 ml), vinegar (0.5 ounce / 15 ml), wine (1.7 ounces / 50 ml)

Method: Pour all ingredients into warm water (around 100 degree Fahrenheit / 38 degree Celsius) and soak for 30 minutes.

For Enhancing Blood Circulation And Promoting Metabolism

Ingredients: [For 10 times use] Pilose asiabell root (1.2 ounces / 35 grams), angelica root (1.2 ounces / 35 grams), safflower (4.2 ounces / 120 grams) and rose (4.2 ounces / 120 grams)

Method: Grind all the ingredients into a powder mixture.  Pour 1 ounce / 30 grams into warm water (keep the water temperature between 102.2 – 107.6 degree Fahrenheit / 39 – 42 degree Celsius) directly and soak for 20 minutes.  Take the bath daily, 10 times as one cycle.

For Easing Tiredness And Preventing Common Cold

Ingredients: Dried tangerine peel (1.4 ounces / 40 grams); fresh tangerine (4 pieces)

Method: Use a gauze bag stuffed with the dried tangerine peels and put into warm water (around 100 degree Fahrenheit / 38 degree Celsius).  Cut the fresh tangerines into slices (with skin) and also put into water.  Soak for 20 minutes.

For Treating Insomnia

Ingredients: Jasmine (0.5 ounce / 15 grams), rose (0.3 ounce / 9 grams), processed poria (0.5 ounce / 15 grams),  nutgrass (0.5 ounce / 15 grams).

Method: Grind all the ingredients and pour into warm water (keep the water temperature between 100 – 107.6 degree Fahrenheit / 38 – 42 degree Celsius) directly and soak for 30 minutes. It can calm the mind and smooth the flow of “Qi” (essential energy).

When having herbal bath at home, a rule of thumb is to set the water temperature between 98.6 – 107.6 degree Fahrenheit / 37 – 42 degree Celsius.  Steep in the water for not more than half hour while slightly rub the body surface, then rinse the body with clean water.  Drink a glass of water to replenish body fluid after a 30-minute rest.

“Herbal baths are easy to use and generally safe.  They don’t carry the impacts that oral medicines usually bring to the oral cavity, mucous membrane, digestive canal, and stomach; they also reduce liver’s burden of its detox system.  However, they are not suitable for children, the aged, and seriously ill people,” TCM Practitioner noted.  “Also, for person who has heart, kidney, or lung problems; or a tendency to bleed easily, he/she should consult a Practitioner first.”

Image by Mikel.B

Having Fruit First In The Morning

The level of sugar in our blood normally would be at the lowest point after a long-night sleep.  So it is better to have low GI (Glycemic Index) fruits like apple, blackberry, cherry, grape, peach, pear, and raspberry.

However, we should avoid eating acid-type fruits as they may stimulate the stomach to secrete hydrochloric acid in gastric juice and upset our stomach.  Furthermore, in order to protect our spleen and stomach, it is always good to eat something warm beforehand.

Having Fruit Between Meals

An adult should eat two portions (a portion is about the size of a fist) of fruits every day.  The best time of eating them is before meal or in between meals, especially between lunch and dinner.  It is because the level of sugar (glucose) in our blood at this time usually is relatively low; to have a piece of fruit can help replenish the blood sugar.

Having Fruit After Meal

It definitely is not an ideal timing to have fruit right after a full meal.  The reason is since the foods such as meat, grain, vegetable, etc. in our stomach need longer time to be digested compared with fruits (nutrients of fruits are easily being broken down), the fruits that we eat after the meal would be easily fermented and could impair our health.

Yet, if you really want to have fruit after meal, you better wait for two hours.  In doing so, you also avoid having your blood sugar risen sharply.

Having Acid-type Fruit And Sweet-type Fruit Together

It is a bad idea to eat acid fruit and sweet fruit together.  In fact, due to chemical reactions, when you have both types of fruits at the same time, the respective nutrients would be degraded or canceled.  As a result, you may experience indigestion, flatulence, and wear out your pancreas in the long run.

Not sure which is which?  Read on.

Acid-type Fruit: Grapefruit, green apple, kiwi, lemon, orange,  pineapple,  strawberry, etc.

Sweet-type Fruit: Banana, custard apple (sugar apple), durian, fig, honey melon, longan (dragon eye), persimmon, etc.

Sub-acid-type Fruit: Apple, apricot, cherry, mango, papaya, peach, pear, etc.

For the sub-acid fruits, they can be eaten together with acid or sweet fruits.

Having Cooked Fruit

Although the most heat-sensitive nutrients in fruits such as the water-soluble B group vitamins and vitamin C are reduced by the effects of cooking, not all nutrients are lost in the heating process.

Take apple pie as an example.  When the apple is peeled for the pie, some fiber is gone.  Also, some vitamin C is lower too during baking.  Potassium, on the other hand, is a mineral and like calcium that will not be lost in cooking.  So, an apple pie should contain the majority of nutrients as a fresh apple does.

In Chinese culture, some dishes featured cooked fruits are purposely for preserving health and easing symptoms as some kinds of folk remedies.  Double-steamed Pear With Rock Sugar Soup to moisten the lungs and eliminate phlegm; Double-Steamed Papaya With Snow Fungus Soup to moisten the lungs, preserve beauty and “Yin” are two of them.  In fact, since water-soluble vitamins tend to leach into water, so when choosing double-steamed cooking method and use the water to make soup, you won’t just throw vitamin-enriched water down the sink.

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In general, four to five hours after eating, food will have been digested and enter small intestines from the stomach.  Afterwards, the waste will pass through the large intestine and excrete from the body as fast as six to seven hours and as slow as 24 hours.  “Although most of us take around one day to complete the process of digesting food, assimilating nutrients, and excreting wastes, healthy transit time can range anywhere between 24 to 48 hours,” Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioner said.

However, the longer the waste or stool stays in the GI tract, the more fluid is re-absorbed into the body and the stool becomes harder and dryer.  As a result, the stools are even more difficult to be passed and can lead to constipation.

“If you have a problem with constipation, steer clear of products that claim to help relieve constipation as many of them contain artificial ingredients,” TCM Practitioner said.  “It is best to stick to all-natural methods of keeping you from experiencing constipation.”

The following are some DOs and DON’Ts of preventing constipation suggested by TCM Practitioner.

DOs

Eat Natural Laxative Foods

When we eat something, the acid in our stomach breaks it down into two parts: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.  The soluble part quickly absorbs water and turns into gel-like sponge.  As it enters the bowel, it helps in softening the stool resulting in better and easier bowel movement.  Natural laxative foods are those rich in soluble fiber and bring the same result.  They include avocado, almond, aloe vera, cabbage, coconut, date, dried apricot, fig, grape, hot tea with lemon, mango, olive, papaya, peach/apricot, pear, pineapple, plum, prune/prune juice, soybean, walnut, etc.

Include Proper Amount Of Oil In Meals

Some health conscious people on one hand eat great amount of high-fiber food, but on the other hand stringently control their oil and fat intake or even cut them out.  “Unfortunately, this only makes defecation difficult,” TCM Practitioner said.  “The fact is, our intestinal canal does need some oil as a lubricant and we shouldn’t abstain from.”  The rule of thumb is to have total fat intake (mainly unsaturated fat) at 25–35 percent of our total calories each day.

Be Physically Active Every Day

“Regular physical exercise is important to a healthy excretory system,” TCM Practitioner said.  “If you are not physically active each day, you should have your lifestyle modified.”  Nonetheless, being physically active doesn’t mean you must hit the gym; alternatively, you can walk to work, park your car farther away, or get off the train/bus one or two stops early, take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator to increase your daily steps.

“In addition, there are two acupuncture spots that actually can facilitate the intestinal peristalsis,” TCM Practitioner said.  The first pair is Tian Shu Point, which is located two inches from the center of the navel on both sides.  The other one is Guan Yuan Point that locates three inches below the navel.  “To press both pair/point 30 times once a day with your thumb or index finger helps promote healthy bowel movements,” TCM Practitioner added.

DON’T

Eat Too Much Fiber

It may sound conflicting to us.  Are we supposed to have lots of fiber to maintain a healthy gastrointestinal system?  “Of course dietary fiber is very important to a healthy diet, but a balanced diet must contain carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, mineral salts, and fiber AND in the correct proportions,” TCM Practitioner said.  “If you eat large amount of high-fiber foods in particular insoluble fiber but fail to drink enough water, you only increase the chance of developing constipation or worsening the condition.”

Over Consume Drug/Medicine

Even though they are legal and governed, some drugs/medicines do cause considerable side effects—constipation is one of them.  In fact, some slimming pills contain laxatives which lead to diarrhea.  Due to water loss through the stools, constant diarrhea not only disturbs the digestive process but also causes dehydration.  Some laxatives are even so strong that destroy the normal bowel movements.  If taken over a long period of time, slimming pills can prevent the ability to produce normal stools.  “Another medicine that can induce constipation is codeine based cough syrup,” TCM Practitioner said.  “In addition to relieving coughs, this kind of cough syrup also may make your body dependent on it with prolonged use, making your constipation a chronic problem.”

Image by theogeo

While the 12 Standard Meridians go along the hands and the legs, six are related to hands connecting 23 relevant acupuncture points.  Moreover, there are additional 72 acupuncture points not connected by the 12 Standard Meridians.  “That is to say, our hands have 99 acupuncture points in total; to rub or press these points almost can improve any health condition,” TCM Practitioner said.

Followings are some acupuncture points that you can easily manage to promote health anytime, anywhere.

Laogong Point

It locates between the 2nd and 3rd metacarpal bones, proximal to the metacarpophalangeal joints (MCP), in a depression at the radial side of the third metacarpal bone.  It is the spot where the tip of your middle finger lands when you make a fist.  To massage this Laogong Point can treat epilepsy, vomiting, bad breath, hiccup, etc.

Yuji Point

You can find Yuji Point at the radial side of the midpoint of the first metacarpal bone, at the junction of the red and white skin, in the depression close to the first metacarpophalangeal joint.  To massage this point can treat sore throat, loss of voice, cough, hemoptysis; and relieve headache and fever.

Shaofu Point

It is located between the fourth and fifth metacarpal bones when your palm faces upward.  And when you make a fist, the point is where your tip of the little finger rests.  It can treat palpitations, chest pain, enuresis, and dysuria when Shaofu Point is being massaged.

“You shall use either your thumb or index finger when massaging the acupuncture points on your palm gently and slowly in circle motion,” TCM Practitioner said.  “However, if soreness, pain, or swelling occurs after the first massage, it indicates that you applied excessive force and should cut it down the next time.”

Since there are many acupuncture points on our hands as mentioned above, aside from massaging one or some points for specific health conditions with your finger, you actually can use a comb to “comb” your palm to overall enhance your health.  All you need to do is to prepare a round-teeth comb, and apply some body cream or lubricant on your palm.  First comb your palm from top to bottom, next from left to right, then clockwise.  Subsequently, do it from bottom to top, right to left, and finally anti-clockwise.

“Try to make this exercise as a daily habit.  After a period of time, you shall notice the results of having both your energy and health improved,” TCM Practitioner added.

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The abnormal taste we are talking here is a distorted sense of taste, or phantom taste perception.  That is a lingering taste— whether it is sweet or bitter, sour or salty—even though you have nothing in your mouth.

Taste, in fact, is a response to chemical stimulation that enables our tongue to detect flavors.  It is produced by the stimulation by various substances of the taste buds on the mucous membrane of the tongue, which eventually convey impulses to the taste center in the brain.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), if abnormal taste occurs, it could be a signal of latent health problems (a symptom rather than a disorder) and should get our concerns if condition persists.

Sweetness

Even if you have a sweet tooth, you don’t always necessarily have a sweet taste in your mouth.  Nonetheless, if you have, it probably is caused by a disorder of the digestive system that disturbs the secretion.  “For instance, if the amylum in saliva increases, your taste buds will detect sweetness,” TCM Practitioner said.  “In addition, due to a high glucose levels in the blood, the sugar level in the saliva also increases accordingly, causing people who suffer from diabetes have sweet taste lingered in their mouth.”

Sourness

It’s like you are eating lime or lemon even though you are not having any sour food?  “If it happens to you, you might have chronic gastritis or peptic ulcer caused by an excessive amount of gastric acid output,” TCM Practitioner said.

Bitterness

“Our gall bladder is the only organ that can produce bitter taste.  If bitter taste lingers on your tongue, it indicates that the problem likely is from your gall bladder,” TCM Practitioner said.  “Often consume dry and heat foods such as fries and chips also induces “fire” from the liver, which will dry out the body fluid.  The result?  A bitter mouth.”

Saltiness

If your tongue keeps sensing a taste of saltiness, it may suggest that it comes from a rise of renal fluid caused by a weak function of kidneys.

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Not sure whether you really have bloating?  Find a plump area, push down with a finger.  If the spot rebounds very slowly, it indicates that besides fat, you have bloating.

“We should understand the cause of bloating so that we can get to the root of the problem,” Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioner said.  “According to TCM, our spleen, kidneys, and lungs all play their own part in contributing bloating.”

In fact, spleen is like a fluid processor.  If it doesn’t operate well, the absorption of the fluid that you have taken will be affected, resulting in water retention in the body. As for kidneys, their function is to discharge water from the body.  Thus, if the kidney function is not strong enough, bloating may occur or deepens.  Lungs, similarly, discharge sweat from the body.  If the lung function is not in its best shape, bloating forms.

Many people suffer from bloating may seem lazy to us as they don’t like to move much.  As a matter of fact, their limbs are just too weary caused by the bloating.

“Thankfully there are a number of foods actually do a pretty good job on easing bloating.  Coix seed, vigna umbellata (rice bean), and winter melon are some of them,” TCM Practitioner said.  “However, you should consult a doctor if your bloating is serious and constant that may due to other medical problems.”

Following recipes will help you mitigate bloating while curbing your hunger.

Coix Seed Porridge 

Ingredients (1-person portion) :

• 30 grams coix seeds
• 50 grams rice

Method:

• Wash all ingredients and put them in a pot.
• Add water and bring it to a boil.  Then simmer over low heat until porridge forms.
• Eat twice a day, morning and night.

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Water Melon Soup

Ingredients (3-person portion) :

• 1,000 grams water melon
• 3 pieces dried scallops
• 3 pieces dried duck kidneys
• 150 grams lean pork
• 80 grams vigna umbellata (rice bean)
• 4 pieces preserved jujubes (Chinese date)
• 1 piece dried citrus peel
• 3 slices ginger
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash all ingredients.  Let dried scallops, dried duck kidneys, and vigna umbellata steep in water (just enough to cover)  for 1 hour.  Then drain.
• Tear dried scallops into shreds.  Cut dried duck kidneys into pieces.
• Skin winter melon, remove seeds, and cut into pieces.
• Put all ingredients in a pot.  Add 2,500 ml (10 cups) water.  Bring the water to a boil, then simmer over low-heat for 2 hours.
• Add salt and serve.

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While strength means the physical energy that one has or the quality of being physically strong, spirit means a person’s feelings or state of mind.  “So, when we talk about preserving health, we shall preserve ‘Shen’ as strength and spirit are interdependent,” TCM Practitioner said.

In fact,  according to TCM, “Shen” governs the human body’s life activities, including controlling and regulating our limbs, facial organs, organ meridians (distinct channels that circulate “Qi” [essential energy] and blood throughout the body), physical and mental activities that are closely related to the heart and brain.

“Observation of Shen” is one of the most common practices of “Observation Diagnosis” in TCM.  Practitioners are able to get an initial diagnosis of the disease by observing the patient’s complexion, coating on the tongue, expression, speech, consciousness, etc.

“There are many factors that can influence one’s ‘Shen,’” TCM Practitioner said.  “If our heart is disturbed, our ‘Shen’ wouldn’t be stable neither.”  In fact, aside from illness that weakens “Qi” (essential energy), blood, and organs; unemployment, love failure, pressure from job, insomnia, and overwork also affect our “Shen.”

So, how on earth can we preserve our “Shen?”  “I think you pretty much have the idea,” TCM Practitioner said.  “Adopt a healthy diet, get enough sleep and exercise, avoid having excessive emotions, and maintain an optimistic attitude all help.”

Of course you can always do more to preserve your “Shen,”  such as to do Tai Chi or Yoga, and make yourself a cup of Ginseng Dried Longan (Dragon Eye) Tea.

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While extreme weather events brought economic losses to many communities, sudden drop in temperature might also increase cold and flu risk.  In fact, being cold, particularly shivering, depresses the immune system as our body’s resources go toward raising our temperature instead of warding off bacteria.

“That explains why focus on keeping warm is so important,” Traditional Chinese Practitioner (TCM) said.  “Also, make sure you have fresh ginger available at home throughout the cold season.”

Reasons? According to TCM, ginger is pungent in taste and relates to lungs, spleen, and stomach.  In general, it is able to promote circulation of blood, facilitate sweating, dispel cold, stop vomiting, disperse phlegm, and cease cough.  That’s why aside from delicacy and spice, ginger is commonly consumed by Chinese as a medicine in many forms.

“Following are three usages of ginger that can save you from a severe cold winter,” TCM Practitioner suggested.

DRINK to fight common cold/flu symptoms

Place a few ginger slices to a pot with water and bring it to a boil for a while, then drink it.  It can mitigate cold/flu symptoms, such as sneezing, sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, muscle aches, shivering, and coughing by facilitating sweating and dispelling cold.

SOAK IN to simulate the circulation of blood

Since our blood is shunted to the body’s core in cold weather, our extremities (especially the feet) get cold first.  For people who have a weak “Yang Qi” [the energy being expended in order to create a manifest action] or have a poor circulation of blood and “Qi,” their limbs not only get cold first, but also stay cold all the time.

“Soak the feet in warm-to-hot water can improve the flow of blood and promote metabolism,” TCM Practitioner said.  “But if you can add a few large slices of ginger into the water, the result will be even more obvious and lasting.”

RINSE to cease coughing

Due to dry air, common cold, or flu, winter is the time of year to produce more coughs than summertime.  “For relief of cough, make a rinse by mixing water with a few pieces of ginger, then rinse your mouth with your head upward,” TCM Practitioner said.  “Alternatively, you can peel a small piece of ginger and chew on it slowly; your impulse to cough should disappear in either way.”

Ginger, before being brought back from the Middle East to the Westerns that eventually became gingerbread cookies, was originally used as preservatives and medicine, like those in China.  Although gingerbread cookies evoke pleasant holiday feelings, we hardly gain the health benefits of ginger by munching on a few pieces of them.  So, let’s continue to enjoy the refined bites, and at the same time, appreciate and utilize the raw side of ginger.

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The Food Pyramid basically has four levels:

• At the lowest and widest (4th) tier, it is the foundation of a healthy diet, or the largest percentage of what we should consume.  It comprises bread, grains, and cereals.
• At the third tier of the Pyramid, we can find two food groups—vegetables and fruits—combined together.
• There are also two food groups: milk and meat occupy the second tier.
• At the top and the smallest tier of the Pyramid, there are fats, oils, and sugars.

In fact, the Food Pyramid represents what the nutritionists regard as the most certain and dependable healthy diet recommendation that has been gone through substantial researches and studies.

Over the years, the Food Pyramid has been adapted for ethnic preferences, such as Latin American diet, Mediterranean diet, and even Asian diet.  In China, based on the Food Pyramid, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioners and nutritionists have designed a “Numeric Diet” as a healthy diet advice according to Chinese physique and eating customs.

Here is what the numbers guide us:

1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil.  Its unsaturated fat has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, which in turn may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.

2 Pieces / portions of fruit that provide fiber and vitamin C.  Fiber not only helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease, it also is crucial for proper bowel function.  As for vitamin C, it is important for growth and repair of body tissues that helps heal cuts and wounds.

3 Bowls of grains including rice, noodles, and bread.  Grains provide many important nutrients, such as dietary fiber, vitamin B, and minerals like iron and magnesium.

4 Plates of vegetables.  The more variety they are, the more nutrients you will get.  Also, the darker green the leaves, the more nutritious.

5 Servings of proteins.  The best combination is 50 grams of lean meat, 50 grams of fish, 200 grams of tofu or bean products, 1 egg, and 1 cup of milk or yogurt.  Not only this mixture is more economical, but also is healthier with larger amount of proteins come from vegetables and smaller amount from animals.

6 Grams of salt (not to exceed six grams).  While a small amount of salt is crucial for health which helps to maintain the correct volume of circulating blood and tissue fluids in the body, too much of them can cause high blood pressure and many other health conditions.

7 Kinds of seasoning plants, such as green onion, ginger, garlic, pepper, anise, etc.  In addition to adding flavor to dishes that improves appetite, these plants can also detoxify and kill bacteria.

8 Cups of water to prevent dehydration, clean out the body, and promote metabolism.

Although this “Numeric Diet” is designed for Chinese according to their physique and eating customs, you may find the principle is similar to the Food Pyramid.  “Healthiness to a large degree is universal; what’s bad for me often would not be good for you,” TCM Practitioner said.  “So, feel free to follow this ‘Numeric Diet’ if you look for an alternative to the Food Pyramid; it is fun and so easy to remember.”

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In Western Medicine, it tends to isolate physical factors as the cause of disease: bacteria, viruses, and chemical compounds are blamed for most illnesses, such as flu.  TCM, on the other hand, regards many of the causes only are the triggers.  It is because if a certain organ is weak and incapable of resisting outside invasion, it will be therefore prone to be attacked and the body eventually gets sick.

Aside from internal emotional factors (also read That’s When Emotional Is Too Emotional), TCM attributes the cause of most diseases to external cosmological, a.k.a. “Six Evils” that are governed by the meteorological conditions of season and climate.  The “Six Evils” are wind, cold, summer-heat, dampness, dryness, and fire.

Back to flu, TCM believes that there are three types of flu.  The first one is caused by a chill (evils of wind and cold).  Symptoms include light fever without sweating, headache, body aches and pains, stuffy and runny nose without sore throat, and feeling very cold even though body temperature rises.  “In addition to herbal medicine, to combat this kind of flu, we must keep the body warm while bringing down the fever,” TCM Practitioner said.  “To cover the body with layers of blankets, soak the feet in hot water, and use hot-water bag also help bring down the fever by means of sweating.”

The second kind is caused by “wind-heat” (evils of heat and wind).  “Patients with this type of flu usually have higher degree of fever along with sweating, headache, thirst, and sore throat,” TCM Practitioner noted.  “Apart from using sweating as a medium to bring down the fever, patients should also replenish their body with a lot of water.”

The last one is caused by summer wetness (evils of summer-heat and dampness).  This flu often happens in summer time when the weather is hot and humid and attacks people who are generally prone to edema.  “Patients will have symptoms of heavy head, lack of strength, as well as vomiting and diarrhea,” TCM Practitioner added.  “It is of utmost importance for the patients to restore a normal gastrointestinal function.  To do so, the patients should have diets that are easy to digest.  Also, in order to expel the dampness from the body, patients can eat more food like bitter melon, water melon, green bean (mung bean), and mint that promote the circulation of body fluid.”

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According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there are two factors contribute to cold limbs.  The first one is having a weak “Yang Qi” [the energy being expended in order to create a manifest action] that is not capable of warming the whole body.  As our feet and hands locate at the farthest part of the body, a weak “Yang Qi” just won’t be able to create enough heat to reach these extremities.

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For people who have this condition, they should pay attention to keeping warm, especially the legs and feet.  “If the lower part of the body is warm, the whole body feels warm,” TCM Practitioner said.  “Soak the feet in warm-to-hot water before bed usually makes a good night’s sleep so achievable.”

In order to boost the ability to withstand the cold, people can eat more foods in “hot” nature, such as beef, lamb, chicken, garlic, chili, and ginger.  “Also, to massage an acupoint—’Yongquan’ (where it is located at the center of the sole)—helps, too,” TCM Practitioner suggested.  “Use the thumb to massage this acupoint in quick motion 100 times every morning and night and the feet as well as hands should get warm immediately.”

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On the other hand, there are people who don’t suffer from a weak “Yang Qi;” instead, they have a poor circulation of blood and “Qi,” which causes a stagnation of “Yang Qi” that cannot pass through to the limbs.  Consequently, they have unusually cold feet and hands even though their body feels very warm, particularly after standing or sitting for some time.  For this people, they should do more exercises to boost the blood circulation.  Furthermore, they can eat more foods that facilitate the flow of blood and “Qi,” like hawthorn, citrus, etc.  “Last but not the least, don’t wear clothes that are too tight; they hinder you from having a smooth circulation of blood before you know it,” TCM Practitioner added.