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A natural form of medicine which can do no harm or have any side effects surely has to be the medicine of choice when it comes to properly looking after your health.

Treating the Whole Person

The benefits of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs in treatment for the infertile couple can be found in early Chinese medical literature dating back to the 11AD. Not only do these techniques assist in regulating the menstrual cycle and invigorating the sperm, but they also serve to enhance the function of the whole body. This “whole body” health approach, in turn, provides a key to unlock unlimited potential in healing. Furthermore, herbal formulas that tonify the Kidney energy (renal and adrenal function), and Kidney essence (jing) are especially beneficial in raising sperm count and motility. Whether you are planning to use high tech fertility treatments, or take the more natural approach, acupuncture can increase your chances of achieving a pregnancy and a Take Home Baby.

Acupuncture uses the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as well as herbal prescriptions for maintaining a balanced system. Our goal is to allow patients to conceive naturally. By strengthening the patient’s health, it allows the inborn ability of conception to take place. A healthy more balanced body will conceive more naturally. Many women feel a sense that their “biological clock” is running out, it stands to reason that pregnancy is more likely to occur in a “healthy” 40 year old versus an “unhealthy” 40 year old. It will take more than three months to improve the quality of your internal and external health. This doesn’t mean lost time; it means giving your body a head start. If you do not conceive naturally and decide to use ART, IVF or IUI; you can rest assured that the time spent on improving your health will give you the best possible outcome. There are several advantages to using Traditional Chinese Medicine as an approach to heightening a couple’s fertility.

Some Advantages of Using Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM for short), which includes acupuncture and herbal therapy sees the person as an integral Mind/body organism, thereby does not treat just symptoms/diseases. TCM ventures to stimulate the body’s natural healing potential by treating root causes rather than just symptoms.

TCM, used in the treatment of infertility, minimizes undesired side effects and accumulated toxicity from invasive procedures and drug therapies, known and unknown.

Traditional Chinese medicine may be used to strengthen and balance one’s general health so that IVF, GIFT, ZIFT, ICSI, ART, IUI and TET procedures are more effective. The TCM patient derives general health benefits and endocrine system balancing from specific acupuncture and herbal regimes. Pregnancy becomes easier to achieve and postpartum recuperation happens faster. Medical studies have been done in China to verify this type of whole body health enhancement in bringing about pregnancy.

The widespread use of TCM suggests that it is a complete traditional medical health care system and can be used very successfully with or without the integration of Western medical techniques.

This is how Traditional Chinese Medicine can Enhance Fertility it regulates the menstrual cycle,

regulates hormones by reducing stress, Improves ovarian function; encourages production of follicles; enhances their quality, Improves blood flow to ovaries and uterus, reduces miscarriages, enhances immune system, lessens uterine contractions after embryo transfer, improves thickness of uterine wall lining, lessens side effects of medications, improves sperm parameters (takes 3 mon.), improves quality of oocytes (immature female reproductive cells) (takes 3 mon.) In part 2 next week we will continue and explain the involvement of liver congestion and its impact on fertility.

Three body meridians are essential to the treatment of eczema – the lung, spleen and liver meridians. These three organs have direct influence on the skin. A person should also avoid drinking alcohol and orange juice because these foods can induce heat in the body causing the skin to heat up thus aggravating the itch. I would advise eating more cooling foods as well like pears, grepafruit and watermelons The choice of acu-points in the spleen meridian is of primary importance for eczema patients and it takes a qualified practitioner to identify them correctly. In the hands of an expert the procedure isn’t painful and most patients gain immediate relief from itching. The TCM treatment of eczema aims for more than temporary relief. The ultimate goal is 100% cure.
Herbs and Acupuncture

In the Chinese medical system there are some 10,000 herbs that are used for medicinal purposes. About 1,000 of these are used in daily practice. The selection of herbs is highly sophisticated and it takes knowledge and experience to make the optimal choice for each particular patient. Rarely does one prescribe the same herbs for different patients. This is true even if patients suffer the same disease. In my own practice I have found the Chinese herbal formula Jin Ju Di Dan Wan to be very effective in the treatment of eczema due to heat toxins in the blood.
Blood plays a defensive role by delivering nutrients and removing metabolic wastes, toxins and pathogens from the body. In the case of chronic eczema, I have observed that some patient’s blood is deficient and the immune function is weak. I can detect this by observing the colour of the patients tongue, Chinese doctors have a saying that “the tongue never lies” and indeed Western doctors years ago used to look at the tongue as well for signs of ill health, but his was long before the drug companies and other so called modern methods took over their methods and their medicine. Eczema is a skin problem that is not that difficult to resolve. Herbs with properties of cleansing and enriching are safe, effective and economical. When taken as prescribed along with acupuncture they can be highly effective. A healthy lifestyle and diet is of utmost importance to prevent re-occurrence of eczema.

Allergens

Anything that aggravates the symptoms should be avoided. This includes food allergens; although food allergies are a very individual matter, common irritants may include wheat, corn, dairy, soy, peanuts, eggs, beef, and lamb. As well, patients should avoid skin irritants such as wool and lanolin. Exposure to environmental triggers can also worsen symptoms, as can exposure to water, changes in temperature, sweat and stress. Dry skin often makes the condition worse. When washing or bathing, patients should keep water contact as brief as possible and use no soap The herbal wash I prescribe for eczema called Liu Wu Xi Yi is a very effective shampoo and shower gel for the body and is a combination of Chinese herbs designed to treat itch and clear away heat toxins from the skin. It is also very important to apply Huang Qin Gao which is a high quality Chinese ointment to treat skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis. Mainstream medicine generally depends on drugs for the treatment of eczema, this approach only temporally alleviates the symptoms, and it ignores the underlying causes of the disease. In addition, the drugs often have very negative side effects and could also maybe be addictive as well.

http://www.naturalnews.com/031043_flu_vaccines_quackery.html
So much for the big flu vaccine delusion that “everybody needs a vaccine.” As UK health authorities are now blatantly admitting, that was all just a fairy tale that crumpled the instant they ran out of excess vaccine inventory.

Chinese Medicine

Chinese medical books describe six types of pathogenic qi or viruses–wind, heat, cold, dampness, dryness and summer heat. The first three are most important for understanding the common cold. The clinical manifestations of the pathogenic factors mimic the actions of their counterparts in nature. Wind arises quickly and changes rapidly. It moves swiftly, blows intermittently, and sways the tops of trees. In the body, it creates symptoms that come on suddenly, change rapidly, move from place to place, and affect the top of the body first like the head nose and eyes, and maybe the neck and shoulder muscles. Wind carries things in nature, such as leaves or dust viruses, and in Chinese medicine, it is often the vehicle through which cold and heat invade the body driven by the wind, hence the reason for so many colds and flu’s at the change of season from autumn to winter. The discovery of viruses as causative agents in disease was a rather recent event in the history of science. Ancient systems of Chinese medicine had developed different concepts for explaining disease. In spite of the fact that these medical systems evolved before man developed a technology that allowed him to extend his senses into the microscopic realms, the Chinese treatments of disease are often remarkably effective, a fact now corroborated by modern science. Research has shown, for example, that acupuncture enhances the functioning of the immune system, increasing cellular and humeral immunity.

My Own Cure

Here is my own natural cure for the cold that I advise my patients to combine with Chinese herbal and acupuncture treatment and it works great in my experience. At the first sign of a sneeze or a sniffle get 2 slices of lemon, chop up ginger root (enough to fill a large tablespoonful), get some cloves from your local supermarket, get 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 teaspoonful manuka honey, and a little whiskey or brandy, put it all in a pot of boiled water and gently simmer for 5 minutes to infuse and allow to cool for a few minutes before drinking/ sipping, when finished eat the ginger root! Entirely! You must repeat this at least 6 times a day for it to be effective, re-use all the ingredients again (except the ginger of course which you have just eaten) and just add more ginger root and whatever else seems depleted for the second infusion, the second infusion is usually better that the first one, do not do a third infusion, use all new ingredients for the third infusion.

The ginger will drive out the cold from the body and help the accumulation of dampness in the stomach which could lead to nausea. Lemon is very antiseptic and cleansing and will help the throat as well.

Prevention

In the language of Chinese medicine, if the qi of the body is strong, it is much more difficult for pathogenic factors to get a foothold. Hence, Chinese medicine can be used preventively, which is particularly good news for those of us who catch colds frequently. In China people would always have an a course of acupuncture treatment just before the change of season from Autumn to Winter to guard against the cold and also from Winter to Spring to guard against the wind.

Yu Ping Feng Wan is a commonly used herbal formula to prevent frequent common colds, and allergies. This herbal formula treats a deficient weak immune system, which makes an individual vulnerable to a common cold, flu, and allergies. An individual who is frequently sick or suffers a lot from allergies has a weak Wei Qi Field; (immune system) this protects the body from external pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and allergens. Wei Qi is the body’s first line of defence against any infectious disease. A person with weak Wei Qi more easily catches cold; more frequently catches colds, and is more susceptible to allergies, such as hay fever. It is a very good idea to undergo a course of Acupuncture with Yu Ping Feng Wan to prevent colds and flu at the change of the seasons but  just to have the immune system strengthened at any time of the year would be beneficial and would go a long way to increasing your overall health.

Peptic ulcers are open sores or erosions in the lining of either the duodenum these are called duodenal ulcers or in the stomach (gastric ulcers). The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine just after it leaves the stomach. Ulcers are caused by stress, which leads to Helicobacter pylori infection. When the stomach’s natural protections from the effects of digestive juices (including acid and pepsin [an enzyme that helps breakdown protein]) stop working or the acid production is too overwhelming for these protective defences to work properly, these acids can burn the stomach lining and you can get an ulcer. There are a few different ways this happens.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori),a bacterial organism, are responsible for most ulcers. This organism weakens the protective coating of the stomach and duodenum and allows the digestive juices to irritate the sensitive lining below.

Anti Inflammatory Medicine

The ongoing use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is the second most common cause of ulcers. It has been known for some people to even have part of their stomachs removed as a result of the over use of anti-inflammatory drugs. Some of the most common symptoms of ulcers are-abdominal pain with a burning or gnawing sensation, pain 2 to 3 hours after eating, pain that is often aggravated by an empty stomach; night time pain is common, heartburn indigestion (dyspepsia), belching, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite and weight loss. Excessive alcohol intake can also overheat the liver causing over acidity to the stomach lining plus eating over acidic soda breads and confectionaries and all the usual junk foods or too much fried foods.

A Natural Remedy

Try and start every single day with a glass of lemon juice in lukewarm water preferably mineral water not fluoride infested tap water! Seemingly acidic fruits such as lemons and limes are acidic in their basic state, but once metabolised by the body have an alkalising effect on the stomach. The high alkaline mineral content of these lemons and limes means that once consumed and metabolised they increase the alkalinity of the cells of the body. A lot of alkaline elements are found in the lemon. Vitamin C is found in abundant amounts in the fresh juice of lemons. If left exposed to the air for long periods of time, most of the valuable vitamin C in the juice is lost – for this reason, fresh juice should be preferred. Important nutrients such as the element potassium and the vitamin B1 are also found in high amounts in the lemon.

Make sure you REALLY wash the lemons if they are not organic because the pesticides and chemicals could leach out of the rind and into your water if they are left soaking for too long. Given the choice organic lemons is the way to go, or just peel the non organic ones.

Chinese Medicine

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine stomach ulcers are classified as stomach heat, how does this heat occur? Well as I stated earlier the root cause of all stomach upsets is usually stress related.

In Chinese medicine stress creates heat in the liver; this excessive heat then rises upwards and invades the stomach causing heartburn and various other digestive upsets. Acupuncture points to eradicate this liver heat are used in conjunction with cooling and calming herbs. In my own clinics I use two very important acupuncture points on the feet in the treatment of all ulcers; these points are specifically indicated to drain excessive heat from the stomach and they also calm the heat coming up from the liver, I once cured a patient with these points who had ulcers for over 15 years, he had tried all western drugs available at the time for his condition but none worked, after about 12 acupuncture and herbal treatments all his pain and symptoms disappeared and then he had a further endoscopy (an endoscopy, is when a narrow, flexible tube with a fibre-optic light and camera at the end, is put down the throat and into the stomach to have a look for the presence of ulcers) to confirm if the ulcers had healed or not.
To the surprise of the surgeon the test confirmed that the ulcers had indeed been healed.

Acupuncture works by enhancing the function of two neuro-endocrine pathways that regulate many bodily processes, including metabolism.

It lowers body weight, body fat, insulin levels, and lipid levels in the blood

It decreases excessive appetite and makes it easier to satisfy your hunger with less food.

It decreases menopausal weight gain in one study; acupuncture took off 10 pounds in 2 months – that translates to 60 lbs in a year!

Combined with diet control, and aerobic counselling it not only takes off the pounds and body fat, but keeps them off, especially if you’re diligent with the exercise. Overweight means an excess of body weight. This excess weight may be muscle, bone, fat, and/or body water. Obesity refers specifically to an abnormally high proportion of body fat. You can be overweight without being obese – for example, a bodybuilder or other highly muscled athlete, or someone just a few pounds overweight. But many people who are overweight are also obese.

Depress Cravings

Acupuncture releases endorphins into the body, which has a relaxing effect to reduce the sort of stress that triggers overeating and bingeing on high calorie foods. Also endorphins affect the digestive and hormonal systems so acupuncture can help rebalance the organ systems (e.g. metabolism) that are running too slow. The theory behind Acupuncture for weight loss is that it helps to curb appetite, depress cravings, rid excess water, and stimulate the pituitary gland to burn off extra calories.

Problem #1 (Enzyme Deficiency): Modern digestive science explains that when your body can’t digest a food, you crave more of it – you’re not getting what you need from it. This leads to a cycle of craving and over-eating the exact foods you can’t digest. Problem #2 (Low Blood Sugar): Another vicious cycle happens when you can’t digest complex carbs, so your blood sugar is low, so you eat simple carbs that raise your blood sugar which raises insulin, which lowers your blood sugar again, and you’re stuck eating donuts and feeling horrible.

Acupuncture

Solution:  Acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas can help you digest your food and break both of these cycles. With acupuncture treatment the stomach/spleen system can be strengthened allowing the proper digestion of all foods thus interrupting the food craving cycle, which in turn will balance the digestive system, eliminate cravings and lead to an overall reduction in weight.

Eat a low fat sensible diet, and don’t miss breakfast! Weigh yourself regularly, and exercise an hour a day. Start by walking a few minutes each day, or take the stairs at work. Don’t overdo it! Remember the rubber band if you stretch it too quickly it will bounce back. Get some aerobic exercise help- a public class, or private aerobic counselling.

In my own clinics I treat people all the time for weight loss, one woman who followed my instructions lost one stone! In 4 weeks! This in my opinion was too much too soon, but was good testament to the effectiveness of acupuncture for this particular problem.

Constipation Stops Weight Loss

Constipation can also be a major factor that blocks weight loss and I usually try to treat this problem first and foremost to put the bowel in good working order to pave the way for weight loss. The Chinese herbal formula Ma Ren Wan is excellent to treat this condition, and is not a laxative nor does it have a laxative effect, it moistens and moves the bowel in a very natural way.

We sell the world famous Fei Yan Diet Tea and Swan Slimming Tea in our clinics, this is a traditional Chinese herbal tea that is excellent for slimming and weight loss and we always sell out of this very fast.

It is the most popular pure herbal slimming tea in the UK market at the moment.

It suppresses the appetite, detoxifies the body, gets rid of extra fat and improves the metabolism. Fei Yan slimming tea also has a mild laxative effect which can help detoxify and improve bowel movement.

It was named after one of the most beautiful woman in Chinese History, Feiyan Zhao, she has legendary status in China as it was said that her figure was the most perfect in all of oriental history.

Multiple Sclerosis means “many scars”. These scars are a result of destruction of the myelin sheaths that protect and insulate the nerve fibres that surround the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. It’s thought to be an autoimmune disease; the bodies own defence system attacks myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibres in the central nervous system. When any part of the myelin sheath or nerve fibre is damaged or destroyed, nerve impulses travelling to and from the brain and spinal cord are distorted or interrupted, producing the variety of symptoms that can occur. Statistics indicate that this debilitating disease is on the rise, but it is possible that the higher numbers reflect an increased ability to diagnose MS, rather than an actual higher disease rate.

Western Medicine

Western medicine still continues to search for ways to diagnose and treat MS, doctors prescribe many drugs including ACTH and Cyclospasmol or Interferon Beta 1a to control symptoms, but they are often only effective for a short while in some patients

Chinese medicine can be extremely useful as an alternative method for managing symptoms. In my experience, traditional Chinese medicine can effectively reduce flare-ups, reduce disease progression, and improve quality of life for MS sufferers. Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment for multiple sclerosis focuses on treating symptoms as they arise while strengthening the Spleen, resolving Dampness, and nourishing the Kidney and Liver. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), multiple sclerosis is associated with a Wei or flaccidity syndrome, which results in muscular weakness. This is an association, not a classification, however; Wei syndromes generally do not result in pain and some symptoms of MS may be painful. Aspects of MS are associated with Bi or blockage syndrome of the joints and muscles as well.

Case Study

In this article I present a typical case, and discuss the Chinese medicine approach to this case. My belief is that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are effective modalities to control the progress and reduce the discomfort of MS. When this patient came to me, I evaluated him by taking his history and then looking at his tongue and checking his pulse. Tongue and pulse signs are very important diagnostic tools in Chinese medicine. In traditional Chinese medicine, I classified his pattern of disharmony as Phlegm/Dampness Blocking the Meridians. Chinese herbs that open the meridians and counteract damp conditions are commonly used for this pattern. After a long course of acupuncture treatments and using the Chinese herbal formula Tian Ma Wan, he noticed that suddenly he could read books better, and his eye coordination was improved. He no longer woke up at night with muscle spasms and pain. His eyes where steadier his balance improved and his concentration was a lot better. But more important than that, the progress of the disease halted and his quality of life is now more manageable and vastly improved, and he his back playing golf again. after having twice weekly treatments for about 6 months, he then was able to reduce this to weekly treatments for another 6 months, and then reducing further to fortnightly and then eventually to monthly maintenance treatments. A comprehensive treatment plan like this would be quite normal for a severe debilitating chronic disease like M.S.

Conclusion

As soon as a person is diagnosed as having M.S. the sooner they should receive acupuncture and Chinese herbs. This will ensure that results will be faster and more effective. The longer one has the disease the slower the improvements will be, but the good news is improvements will still happen but only just taking a bit longer. To treat M. S. successfully requires a commitment from the patient to undertake lengthy regular treatments. For other articles please visit www.naturalhealthireland.com

One of the huge advantages of organic foods is that they haven’t been doused in pesticides. Organic farms ban artificial pesticides. In the UK alone, 31,000 tonnes of pesticides are blasted on to farmlands every year, and 25% of food carries residues of these chemicals, created to kill pests and weeds. Non-organic fruit and veg is covered in the stuff and it won’t all wash off. Pesticide residues turn up, not just on fruit and vegetables, but in bread, baby food and other products. Governments claim that there’s no risk to health from these pesticide traces, but wouldn’t you rather feed yourself and your kids on food that’s pesticide free? Governments are also lobbied by the large farmers and growers as well as supermarkets and the large food producers and they are not going to come out and say that non-organic produce is bad for your health and they may (as is the norm today) even have some junk scientists on board to make you believe that it is safe.

What’s in your Food?

Do you really know what goes into your food?

Take an onion for instance; your normal non-organic variety has 28 different pesticide and insecticide sprays, including benomyl and captan which are banned in three countries. Non organic onions are also full of extremely hazardous organophosphates, how’s that for a for a nice toxic cocktail of chemicals disguised as an onion, all in the name of producing the most onions at the cheapest prices. Who would want to eat that? Why is this information hidden away? why is there not advertisements telling us about the dangers inherent in the simple onion. Why are these foods not labelled like all other produce in the supermarket? The answer to this is that mass production and mass profits will always take precedence over your health and also the fact that if these chemical sprays were listed it would scare people away from what is perceived as normal food. The good news is that there is now in supermarkets a very real demand for higher quality food and there are lots of organic choices available. Again as always it’s your choice that equals your health.

In the rush to produce more and more crops to satisfy growing demands producers have had to resort to using a lethal cocktail of pesticides to control disease and insect attack. Good news for their bank balances perhaps but not good news for your health; this is why you need to be informed of the advantages of organic food and the inherent dangers that exist in non-organic food.

Did you know that if you consumed an average apple you would be eating over 30 pesticides, even after you have washed it? The quality of food has definitely gone down compared to the way it was back in the 50s and 60s.  Before the advent of the large supermarket, people and small groceries sourced their produce from local farmers and it’s a true fact that our parents where brought up almost exclusively on organic food! It’s no wonder all sorts of cancers and modern diseases are now on the increase. Pesticides in food have been linked to many diseases including: cancer, obesity, Alzheimer’s and some birth defects. If the body becomes too acidic and overloaded with toxins then it can no longer fight disease. Eating organic food will make your body more resistant to disease as it will have higher levels of the essential nutrients it needs to fight off infection.

What you should know

Here is good information about what’s in some of the most common foods that we mistakenly take for granted to be healthy.

Lettuce: non organic lettuces are typically sprayed up to 11 times with pesticides.

Meat: organic animals are usually a little older and more tasty and have a better life plus better living conditions. Non organic meat contains high levels of antibiotics and the animals graze on chemical laden fields. Sheep are given organophosphates. Beef and pork may contain lindane and dieldrin residues

Fish: traces of pesticides are found in most species due to water contamination. Farmed salmon and trout may be fed artificial colourings and antibiotics or fungicides. Buy wild or from the sea because believe it or not organic salmon is farmed.

Potatoes: ah! This one will surprise most of us, is our common supermarket non organic potato  healthy? Read on

Up to 38 chemicals may be used on non-organic potatoes, can you believe 38! Why so many? They include one’s found on the World Health Organisation’s list of hazardous chemicals.

How can we help to change this situation? Well we can start by sourcing organic produce whenever out shopping, organic food is now less expensive than it used to be because more and more farmers are changing to organic growing and this brings the price down. The more we support the growth of organic food the cheaper it will become and eventually the nasty chemical growers will wither up and go away, they will only stick around if we keep supporting them.

In Inishowen and Derry North West Organic (http://www.nworganic.com/) delivers organic produce right to your doorstep and you can order online, they are a great source and service to the community. It’s all out there you just have to source it.