Astragalus/Ginseng Herbal Combination

Aloha Everyone,

During my current studies,I discovered an interesting root known as Astragalus. Also known as Huang Qi, this Traditional Chinese Medicine root has the benefit of stimulating Chi( energy) into the extremities, warming the body's trunk and can assist those recovering from chemo therapy. Astragalus may increase immunity strength by stimulating white blood cell production from bone marrow. It also may have the benefit to stimulate the central neverous system and nourish the kidneys. If you suffer cold extremities or often succumb to colds or flu very often astragalus might be for you. There's a precaution when dealing with astragalus. If you suffer from internal heat or high blood pressure, you may want to steer clear of this one.

Ginseng is an ancient chinese remedy who benefits are legendary and innumerable. Some benefits include are anti-fatigue, immune enhancement, tonies the digestive system, and sharpening the mind. Similar to astragalus root, ginseng also stimulates Chi in the body and at a celluar level can also enhance both DNA and RNA. Ginseng cal also improve mood and lessen the effects of both mental and physical stress. It can return strength back to the body from its deepest level.

I've recently combined astragalus root tea then added ginseng extract to the tea, and I found myself feeling re-energized and awake. However, I did not find myself overstimulated as I have been when drinking coffee. As with any herb, it would be best to make sure you are able to consume them by checking with a qualified doctor or herbalist. Thank you for your time. Aloha.

HEALTHY FATS

Fats, the very mention of this word evoke images of clogged arteries, heart attacks, images issues, and eating disorders. It has spawned a cornucopia of yo-yo diets and disinformation, promising freedom from this monster. Yet, fat like many myths and legends has some kernels of truth and pounds of disinformation that has been fed to us over the years.  It is true that fat can
create conditions such as, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and arteriolosclerosis; but fats also serve as an anti-inflammatory agent against arthritis.  They oxygenate our blood and increase internal lubrication, easing constipation and promoting healthier hair, skin and nails.  Our brains are actually comprised of sixty-percent of fat. The next time someone calls you a fat head you don’t have to consider it an insult. You may ask how something so harmful can also be beneficial. I choose to examine fat through Dr. Udo’s Erasmus’ “Fats That Heal Fats That Kill”.  According Dr. Erasmus, fats are categorized as:

·      SATURATED FATS: are considered hard fats due to its mostly hydrogen
and partly carbon linear structure. They have a higher melting point and can be
found in all fatty foods, such as red meat, and oils. These fats tend to be sticky
and clump together promoting cardiovascular disease when digested in excess.

·      SUPERUNSATURATED FATS (OMEGA 3): are double bonds of carbon atoms in their molecular makeup and separated by three carbon atoms known as methylene, distinguishing them from their counterpart (Omega 6). This molecular difference is important because Omega 3 and Omega 6 support different functions in the body. A deficiency or an excess of either one of the fats can be detrimental to our health. 

·          POLYUNSATURATED FATS:  are fats that contain two or more carbon
   atoms in their molecular chain, altering their form and function within our
   bodies. These are usually considered Omega 6 and can be found through seeds
   and nuts.

·        MONOUNSATURATED FATS: are chains of fats, which makes them more liquid oils. Their melting point is at lower temperatures, allowing these fats to disperse and move apart. This ability to flow freely allows molecules to move in and out of our cells and    promote important chemical reactions. Essential Fatty Acids are considered monounsaturated fats. 

         Fats that heal are also known as Essential Fatty Acids, because our  bodies lack the enzymes to convert saturated fats into healthy fats. Also our bodies are unable to create them, so they must be obtained from food sources in proper ratios.  Essential Fatty Acids are categorized as Omega 3, Omega 6, and Omega 9. They are responsible for a multitude of functions necessary for human life, which I will summarize below:

      OMEGA 3:  is usually found in fish, such as mackerel, salmon, and tuna and in flax seeds and walnuts to name a few. Its contains two components known as DHA and EPA, which supports brain functions, improving good cholesterol, blood thinning to prevent clogging of arteries, and improving the skin.  It also has benefits for eye function as well. Lack of
 this essential fatty acid has been linked to mental disorders such as depression, ADHD, memory loss, hostility, possible Alzheimer’s.  Omega 3 may increase your metabolism and increase your energy.
OMEGA 6:  this essential fatty acid can be found usually in vegetables oils, such as, flaxseeds, borage, soy, and hemp.  This particular oil is the  forerunner to a hormone-like substance called prostaglandins 1 needed for the immune system, anti-tumor, kidney health, and lowering cholesterol. Omega 6 provides cellular energy and promotes
 thermo genesis (fat burning), aids in brain functions, enhancing bon marrow, myelin sheath insulation for nerve fibers and serves as anti-inflammatory.
OMEGA 9: this essential fatty acid can be found usually in Olive oils, which is the one few mass produced and commercial available oil that Dr. Erasmus recommends, although only in Virgin form since this would the less refined oil. Only in excess can this fat be considered harmful.

            Saturated fats are the fats that kill and are derived from consuming in excess red meat, fried and baked goods, candy, and ice cream. They cause red blood cells to clump together, forming thick masses that pressure the heart to pump harder to circulate the blood. With less blood circulating, our organs functions are diminished. This would be akin to squeezing a water hose while water is traveling through it. Less water merges from one end as additional pressure is constricting the area where the blockage is located. Saturated fats also increase the levels of triglycerides (long chains of fatty tissues), that raise our unhealthy LDL cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, priming us for a heart attack or stroke. Besides our cardiovascular system being affected by an overabundance of Omega 6 fatty acid, our livers are bombarded by fat.  The liver, essentially our waste management system, filter the blood from most impurities and serves as a reservoir of blood for the human body.  It also produces a very potent antioxidant known as SOD, a free radical scavenger, which capture and neutralize these toxic cells before they destroy our healthy cells. If the liver is clogged by saturated fat, its capacity is diminished. 

            High triglycerides fats also contribute to other diseases including heart and renal failure, various cancers, and other life-threatening diseases.  Since the mid 1800’s, our consumption of saturated fats has increased dramatically as well as many of the diseases listed above.  According to Dr. Erasmus, the over consumption of Omega 6 has doubled over the last fifty years, and it is this increase which has led to many of our modern day diseases.  Our cooking oils also contribute to this epidemic. During the expeller process, our cooking oils are exposed to both heat and light, which alter their nutritional components, rendering them deficient. These cooking oils are further destroyed during cooking where they are exposed to very high temperatures. Along with whatever fat may be in the food we are cooking, we are now consuming fat that has been chemically altered to degrade our health.

There are many more benefits for increasing good fats than avoiding them in our diets much to the chagrin of the weight loss industry and unfortunately government agencies.  For more than twenty years, the message has been to decrease fat in our diets. Our supermarket shelves have been stacked with fat free foods for years, yet obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure has increased.  Why? Unhealthy fat has been hidden within most our everyday foods slowly increasing our waistline and an early death. From processed fast foods stacked with saturated fats invading our bodies to environmental pollutants to everyday stress flooding us with free radicals, without the proper balance of Omega Oils to counteract the fats that kill we are surely killing ourselves.

            As a health advocate, I would advise my clients to decrease their consumption of fake, processed foods and utilize healthier alternatives. Slowly, the food manufacturers are now providing healthier alternatives to appease a growing market. Also, I would advise them not to fear fat. It is necessary, crucial component of our health. Consumed in the proper ratios, Omega oils can heal and stave off many of the diseases that our modern society has been plagued by. I believe as a nutritional advocate we are custodians of our clients’ health. We should not only advise them but also educate them to help eliminate the confusing and often mis-leading information that is being fed to the general public. Being healthy is not a privilege for a few but for us all.

Tai Chi as a Holistic Health Regimen

Legend says . . . A Taoist monk walking in the woods came upon a snake and a crane fighting. He stood and watched the exchange between these two creatures. As the crane advanced upon the snake, it would yield coiling its body, waiting for the crane to advance. When the crane did, the snake expanded itself at its enemy, but the crane merely slapped the serpent aside using its wings and the snake's momentum.  The battle continued for some time until both creatures realized neither one would win, and they went their separate ways. And from that battle, the monk created Tai Chi Chuan.  Tai Chi Chuan, which means into GRAND ULTIMATE FIST is an ancient internal martial arts that emphasizes slow moving exercises, performed smoothly and accurately, with the muscles as relaxed as possible and the mind absorbed in each movement. Embodying Taoist philosophy, Tai Chi utilizes a balance of YIN (yielding) techniques and YANG (expanding) techniques, which uses abdominal breathing as a focal point to garner a meditative state of mind. By focusing the mind in this manner, we balance our thoughts in the here and now rather than the past or future, reducing the anxiety created by too many thoughts bombarding the mind. Also according to Chinese theory, the abdomen or DAN TIEN is the storehouse of CHI and the center of our body's balance. Abdominal breathing allows the practitioner to fully exercise their lungs, allowing for greater oxygenation of the blood and thereby increasing energy.
Deep breathing can also reduce strain upon the heart by engaging the diaphragm in the respiratory process.  Based on spherical movements, Tai Chi postures emphasize the full range of motion of our joints, releasing the compression between them, enhancing posture, and strengthening our ligaments and tendons. By strengthening our ligaments and tendons, a relaxed strength (absent of muscular tension) is cultivated by the practitioner. This allows the body's energy or Chi to flow freely, cultivating a balance between the mind, body, and spirit.  Most practitioners begin to feel their Chi as a warm tingling energy that permeates the hands and soles of the feet. With time and practice, this warmth can be directed throughout the body, showering the practitioner in euphoric energy. Tai Chi is not designed to promote muscular size or enhance physical endurance as Western exercises emphasize. Instead, it is used to stimulate the internal organs gently to enhance their ability to evacuate toxins and promote youthfulness, longevity, energy, and mindfulness.  However, Tai Chi is an excellent addition to Western exercises. Through combining of the mind, body, and spirit in the present, anyone can learn to meditate an action. Any activity, such as bodybuilding, cardio training, walking can become an expression of moving meditation . . . an expression of Tai Chi. One does not just experience the activity, one becomes the activity.  Clinical studies have shown that Tai Chi practice can lower blood pressure, reduce nervous tension, and benefit the immune, digestive, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. It is self healing through energy placement, and it is an important part of Chinese medicine. By practicing Tai Chi, a practitioner can achieve excellent health of the whole being and transcend the stress of the modern world. Prepare to be calm like a mountain and flow like a river.

STATE OF MIND

What we put into our bodies is important . . . food, supplements, herbs and so on. However, we may forget what we put into our minds is equally important. For thousands of years, meditation has been employed in enhancing the mind, body, and spirit. The human brain emits five different brain waves, which are stimulated by the activity we are engaged in at that moment. These brain states are known as: alpha, beta, gamma, theta, and delta. As meditation deals with relaxation, I will discuss alpha and theta brain waves.
Alpha brain waves occur within the range of 8-12 Hz and is often experienced during daydreaming or visualization. By inducing alpha we can reduce the harmful effects that stress has on us. In turn, alpha stimulates the release of anti-aging hormones DHEA and melatonin. DHEA increases the adrenal glands ability to deal with stress. It can also increase oxygenation of our muscles, as well as, glucose being transported into the muscles for fuel. Increased DHEA helps stave off disease, such as, Alzheimers, cancer, and heart disease. Alpha state has also been shown to enhance hemispheric synchronization of left and right sides of the brain.
Theta waves occur within nether region of the mind awake/body asleep state moments. Theta occurs within the range 4-8HZ and is experienced, during extreme relaxation, as well as, meditation. As with alpha, melatonin is and DHEA are stimulated. Theta also assist in reducing the anxiety produced by too many racing thoughts and producing a calm state of being. This calmness in turn reduces the effects of stress and free radical production, which causes many diseases and causes premature aging.
Both alpha and theta states can be consciously stimulated through activities, such as, yoga, qigong, tai chi, and other meditative activities. By employing some form of meditative art in our everyday life, we can not only enjoy a healthy body, but a calm state of being as well.