Finding the Yin Within

As we are now officially in the holiday season many of us are feeling overwhelmed. Gifts may still need to be purchased. The house has to be prepared to accommodate guests. Holiday cards haven't been completed. Special holiday cookies remain to be baked. The list seems to become longer with each passing year. Many of us are glad when the holidays are over and life can return to normal.

I would like to remind everyone that the holiday season is a season of giving and the best gift one can give is the gift of oneself by being fully present with friends and family. Many of us have a hard time staying focused in the present at this time of year because of all the frenetic activities that we are allowing to invade our lives. We may be thinking about all that we have to do that day and the list that has to be accomplished the next day rather than being fully present right now. I know that many times when I have too many things to do I am not fully present and therefore am unable to fully give of myself. I am living in my head. I can be with someone I really care about, but my monkey mind has taken over and I am barely aware of what they may be saying to me. When I’m in this state, I can neither give of myself nor receive the love and attention others may want to give to me.

The best way I have found to overcome this “monkey mind” is to reserve a few minutes each day to shut down, close my eyes, concentrate on my breathing and focus on my breath. Something very profound happens when I am able to still my mind. A sense of peace exudes from the very core of my being and I feel a sense of connectedness with life. I am finding the “yin within”.

The whole principle of Chinese medicine revolves around yin and yang. Yin nourishes and yang activates. Blood is yin and nourishes the body. Qi, or life force, is yang and moves the body. Yin and yang cannot exist without each other just as the body cannot move without the vital presence of blood. We restore this balance between yin and yang by eating, breathing and sleeping. We can upset this balance by too many activities which depletes our yin.

Yin and yang also apply to the seasons of the year. Winter begins in late December which means that we are entering into the most yin period of the year. It is the time of quiet and stillness. The earth is at rest. Most wildlife has either migrated to warmer climes or has burrowed in for protection from the cold. To be in concert with nature, we, too, should seek that sense of quiet and calmness by limiting our activities and reserving time to reflect and contemplate.

From a physical standpoint, western medicine has recognized the benefits of meditation as lowering heart rates, decreasing blood pressure, increasing the cortical density of the brain, and reducing the probability of Alzheimer’s disease. Meditation can be as simple as sitting quietly in a chair for seven to ten minutes, breathing deeply and concentrating on each breath. By bringing attention to each breath, the focus is on the body rather than the “monkey mind”.

May you find the “yin within” and have a glorious holiday season.

The Benefits of Green Tea

I receive a quarterly journal, The Journal of Chinese Medicine that reserves a section of the journal exclusively to studies that have been conducted around the world that would be of interest to practitioners of Chinese medicine. It’s amazing to me how many interesting studies are performed outside the United States that actually focus on something other than pharmaceuticals.

Two studies that I found interesting concerned the effects of green tea on breast health and cognitive decline. The one about breast health showed a 20 percent reduction in risk of developing breast cancer with high green tea consumption. There were no comparable results with consumption of black tea. Apparently, the anti-cancer benefits of tea are linked to the presence of water-extractable polyphenols that are much higher in green tea than black tea.

In the study on cognitive decline, according to a study conducted in Japan of more than 1000 adults in their 70’s, those that consumed two or more cups a day of green tea were half as likely to show cognitive impairment as compared to those adults who consumed two to three cups of green tea a week.

Although the study couldn’t clearly show a connection between consuming green tea and mental acuity, it may help explain why there is less dementia, especially Alzheimer’s in Japan as compared to Europe and North America.

These studies have certainly convinced me to increase my intake of green tea. My all time favorite tea supplier is Teavana that has a store in Tysons Corner. You can also order on line from them. All of their tea is loose and once you sample one cup of brewed tea, you’ll never go back to tea bags.

Building Protective Qi.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, there are fifteen types of qi or life energy flowing in the body. The protective qi or wei qi is the body’s most active or most yang qi. It is controlled by the lung and constantly circles the periphery of the body protecting it from viruses, germs and other environmental invaders. From a Western perspective, wei qi is the immune system.

Here are some simple suggestions to support the immune system.

Exercise. Regular exercise helps body metabolism and increases the production of endorphins which improves the immune system and gives a general feeling of well-being.

Diet. Limit the intake of processed foods, avoid eating late, eat whole foods and a simple combination of grains and vegetables.

Environment. Surround yourself with a supportive and healthy environment. This includes an orderly work environment, a pleasant home, positive friends, an ample intake of sunlight and fresh air, and, large quantities of filtered water to flush toxins out of your body.

Positive Attitude. Having a positive attitude is key to maintaining a healthy immune system. Spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, affirmation, visualization help focus the mind and smooth the flow of qi through the body which in turn helps the protective qi of the immune system.

A Maintenance Manual for Longevity

Unfortunately for us, we do not arrive in this world with a maintenance manual. If we want to achieve as long and healthy a life as possible, we need guidance on basic lifestyle factors such as controlling our emotions, sleep, diet, exercise, and so on.

Chinese medicine has long believed that it is far easier to maintain health than it is to cure disease. An ancient Chinese saying which has become my mantra in practicing Chinese medicine states that “maintaining health is ultimate wisdom; to cure disease is like digging a well when you are thirsty, or forging weapons when the war has begun.”

With that in mind, I encourage patients to do their own self-examination as to how their daily life choices impact their health. As I so often point out to patients, they are only in my clinic for an hour; the choices they make outside of my office have a far greater impact than anything that I can do for them.

Modern research on life choices has gained momentum over the past few years as pharmaceutical remedies have failed to adequately address serious chronic health issues. Western medical journals are now beginning to include clinically based studies on life style choices and how it impacts health.

I believe that health is based on the interaction of mind, body and spirit. How we interact with others, the dialogue that is playing in our mind on a moment-to-moment basis, and our general outlook on life play a far greater role on our physical health that modern science is just now beginning to recognize. There is now ample evidence that avoiding intense negative emotions, calming the mind, laughing, and cultivating generosity contribute to good health and longevity.

Recent studies have shown that happiness and laughter are clearly beneficial to health. Blood flow was significantly increased in research subjects after they watched comedy film clips, but was reduced after watching violent films. Another study of women subjects showed a decrease in stress levels and an increase in immune response after watching a humorous movie. A study of subjects with type 2 diabetes showed an increased ability to process sugar after watching a comedy show. These studies prove that feeling happy has virtually immediate effects on the immune system. They show that within 20 minutes of happy thoughts being experienced, the immune factor found in saliva doubles and remains raised for at least three hours.

By contrast, studies show that anger has the most powerful and harmful impact on the body. Loss of temper can trigger a stroke within two hours. Men with anger prone personalities are at greater risk of atrial fibrillation and have a 20 percent greater risk of dying from any cause than men with a cooler temperament. The ancient Chinese saying that, “Anger speeds up aging, laughter makes you younger” is now scientifically validated.

Although our modern world has indoctrinated us that acquisition offers happiness and fulfillment, satisfaction and a sense of well-being has little to do with our possessions. A survey comparing the Masai tribe in East Africa to 400 of the richest Americans according to the Forbes list shows about an equal sense of satisfaction and well-being. The Masai live in dung huts and have no electricity or running water.

Compare this to a study which indicates that generosity and altruism benefit health. In a five-year study of 423 older couples, of the 134 individuals that died during this time frame, almost two-thirds of these individuals had said they do not help others compared to the one-third that were known to be helpful and giving to others.

Meditation is now recognized as a valid means of calming the mind. A short, eight-week program of mindfulness meditation showed long lasting changes in the left frontal region of the brain, an area related to positivity and optimism and the function of the immune system. Prostrate and breast cancer patients who meditated were found to enhance overall quality of life and decrease stress. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome who meditated twice a day for fifteen minutes had a significant improvement in symptoms. Those who continued to meditate for a year continued to improve.

Research now validates the Chinese medical text classic saying of 2000 years ago that says,” In caring for life, the wise must adapt themselves to the fluctuations of cold and heat in the four seasons, live peacefully and practice temperance in joy and anger; balance between yin and yang, strength and gentleness. Hence no outward evil can impair their health and they will enjoy long lives.”

Arthritis Eased by Acupuncture

Just ran across this interesting research being done in Germany using acupuncture as a modality to treat arthritis.

A study by a German team of researchers may give hope to the more than 46 million people who suffer from some form of arthritis. The study, published in the November 2006 issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism, suggests acupuncture can help reduce pain and improve quality of life, which is particularly encouraging news for the millions who suffer from arthritis and would like to avoid conventional medical approaches to treatment, which usually involves drugs.

The 3,633 participants of the study were divided into three groups: an acupuncture group (357), a control group (355), and a nonrandomized acupuncture group (2,921). All of the patients were allowed to continue their regular medical care during the study. The two acupuncture groups received 15 sessions within the first three months; while the control group was offered the acupuncture treatments in the final three months. A symptom and pain questionnaire was completed by all subjects at the beginning and end of the six-month period.

Survey results showed that patients who received the initial round of treatments experienced a sustained improvement during the next three months. Those who underwent the second round of sessions had comparable improvement at the end of the three months. Also, those who continued their routine medical care demonstrated a significant improvement in their quality of life, which included pain reduction and increased mobility.

Resource
Witt C, Jena S, Brinkhaus B, et al. Acupuncture in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip: a randomized, controlled trial with an additional nonrandomized arm. Arthritis and Rheumatism 2006;54(11):3485-3493.

Nuts to You


This month’s Cooking Light magazine, a staple in our house, offered a good comparison of almonds and walnuts. Although all nuts are sources of “good” mono- and polyunsaturated fats, almonds and walnuts particularly stand out for their individual merits.

An ounce of almonds contain almost half of the recommended daily intake of vitamin E which helps boost your immune system. Almonds also have almost twice the fiber intake as compared to walnuts and more than double the calcium of walnuts.

However, where walnuts shine is in their content of omega-3 fatty acids. An ounce of walnuts offers 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. Compare this to the daily intake recommendation for men of 1.6 grams and for women of 1.1 grams.

Here’s an easy analysis of walnuts and almonds:

Almonds Walnuts

164 calories 185 calories
14 grams fat 19 grams fat
3 grams fiber 2 grams fiber
7 milligrams vitamin E 0 milligrams vitamin E
70 milligrams calcium 28 milligrams calcium
0 grams omega-3 fatty acids 3 grams omega-3 fatty acids

Remember, an ounce is only a small handful. Calories from nuts add up quickly given their fat content. Three handfuls would almost be a meal from a calorie standpoint.

The Nose Knows

Fall is the time of the lung according to Chinese medicine and the facial feature most prominently associated with this time of the year is the nose. To honor the debut of fall, this month’s column will focus on the shapes and sizes of noses and the personality traits associated with the various sizes and shapes according to Lillian Bridges' book on Chinese face reading.

Face reading is part of our own historical development. Plato and Aristotle wrote about personality types associated with facial characteristics. It is also documented that Abraham Lincoln chose his cabinet based on facial characteristics.

The ancient Chinese associated large noses with nomadic ancestors who came from cold climates. Noses had to be large and long to warm the air before it entered the lung so as not to damage the lung. Living in such a cold climate required an ego that would sustain the belief that one was supposed to survive which gave the individual ambition to work hard in order to live. Thus, someone with a large nose probably has a healthy ego and a long nose will probably belong to a person who is ambitious. The effects of a cold climate could also isolate people so large noses can also imply a longer mentality and an independent spirit.

A person whose nose comes off their face by over an inch can be thought of as a trailblazer. Protruding noses usually belong to individuals who like to do things in new and different ways. The Chinese were amazed at the size of the noses of the first Western sailors that landed on their shores and actually nicknamed them “big noses”. The Chinese were impressed with how far their noses came off their face, as this was a rare trait to be found among the Chinese. They believed that the Western sailors had to leave the comfort and security of home to explore the unknown because of the size of their noses.

By contrast, smaller noses belong to people whose ancestors came from warm climates where the air was warmer and easier to breathe. Food was more plentiful and people did not have to struggle to survive. Consequently, people with small noses usually are more passive and group oriented. They live socially and cooperatively with their neighbor and prefer to blend in and not stick out in a crowd. They prefer an easier life and a relaxed work environment. Play is an important part of life. These individuals enjoy group activities and being part of the crowd. People with small noses are not personally ambitious.

Flatter noses belong to people who are content to live life as it has always been lived. They do not readily grasp innovative ways to change and definitely prefer the tried and true methods to new ways. These individuals conform and are not adventurous. They prefer to travel with someone or with a tour group. They prefer to live adventures vicariously rather than first hand. These individuals may have security issues and prefer the anonymity of groups.

The ancient Chinese also considered the nose to be the “moneybox of the face”. The bridge of the nose shows how much energy a person has to earn money. A wide bridge indicates an individual who has extra energy for making money. Money comes in easily and in large quantities. A narrow bridge indicates an individual who has less energy to expend and money is earned in smaller increments.

A bump on the bridge of the nose indicates a person who likes to be in charge. This person is not a good follower, but makes a good leader. If the nose turns upward at the end, this individual is more of a follower. The Chinese believe that an upturned nose indicates someone whose work will pay off to them later in life.

The base of the nose, which includes the nostrils, shows how much money can be saved. A fleshy nose indicates materialism and often belongs to someone who appreciates and accumulates things. A bulbous nose may indicate overindulgence in physical pleasures and someone who accumulates for the sake of acquiring things.

People with thin or narrow noses belong to people who value ideals over money. These individuals care more about quality than quantity and would rather do without than “make do” with something inferior. A bony nose indicates a person who lives simply and eschews material things. These individuals prefer hardship to pleasure and often live a monastic life.

The nostrils are also considered part of the “moneybox”. Wide nostrils indicate a person who spends money and energy easily. Narrowed nostrils often can be found on individuals shopping at warehouse discount houses and at sales. They indicate an individual who will spend money, but they want to save at the same time. Small nostrils belong to people who want to hold onto their energy and money. It does not mean that people with small nostrils are cheap, it just means that they are very aware of how much things cost and how long they have to work to earn the money to purchase items.

Stress Rehearsal

This time of year is considered a time of transition according to traditional Chinese medicine. Summer, being the most yang time of the year, is slowly turning and entering into the yin cycle of fall and winter. The fire element of summer will slowly give way to the metal element of autumn. Most of us have taken our vacation and have enjoyed the relaxed lazy days of summer when it was too hot to do anything but stay inside. With the cooler days, comes a renewed sense of purpose. Unfortunately, this renewed sense of purpose for many of us translates into additional stress to get things done. As I believe that stress is a huge contributor to illness, I offer the following self-evaluation so that you can determine where you are on the stress continuum.

I obtained this little test from a newsletter to which I subscribe from the Heart Math Institute. The Heart Math Institute has done significant research into how our emotions and mental state of well being plays a significantly larger role on impacting our health than otherwise subscribed to by conventional medicine. They do fascinating work and you may want to visit their website which is easily found by searching under “HeartMath Institute.

Low Stress Levels:

I feel well
I am able to relax
Physical recreation brings me pleasure
Increasing pressure enhances my performance
My thinking is clear and I learn easily
I am able to say “No”
Others see me as adaptable and approachable
Others see me as energized and successful

Moderate Stress Levels:

I feel driven, hyperactive, and restless
I tend to make snap decisions but with errors
I feel over-burdened but can still say “No”
I often feel tired but am taking steps to recover
I often try to squeeze a few extra drops out of my performance
Discipline, fitness, social pressure and stimulants play a greater role in my ability to perform
My sleep is just about adequate
Others see me as tired yet successful

High Stress Levels:

I often lose perspective
I feel irritable and on edge
I complain and grumble regularly
I work longer hours but get less done
My home/work balance is suffering
I have repeated minor ailments, aches and pains
I don’t think as clearly as I used to
I have sleep problems
I feel like I’m operating in survival mode

If you’re more on the high end of these stress levels, you may want to remember that it’s not life events that cause the stress, it’s how you react to them. Take a few moments every day to focus on the area around your heart, take a deep breath and recall a positive time or feeling in your life. Shifting to a positive feeling is a quick stress buster and a good way to deal with the petty annoyances that crop up.

Reducing Blood Pressure Naturally

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Association claims that nearly one-third of Americans suffer from hypertension or high blood pressure. Blood vessels are like thin-walled hoses holding too much water pressure and become stretched and fragile. This intense pressure can also endanger other organs leading to heart and kidney failure, strokes, or blindness.

For those of you with blood pressure readings higher than the norm of 120/80 and lower than 140/90, you are considered prehypertensive. Any reading of 140/90 or higher is considered hypertensive and any physician will recommend medication in order to lower these readings.

If you are in the “prehypertensive” category, you still need to take steps to reduce your blood pressure so that it doesn’t continue climbing. The two best interventions to lower blood pressure is reducing body fat to less than 20 percent and a vigorous exercise program which includes three hours of cardio workout and two hours of resistance training per week.

Prehypertensives should reduce salt intake, restrict refined carbohydrates, and limit alcohol. Smoking should be avoided at all costs. Eating a diet rich in potassium found in bananas, nuts and figs and magnesium found in leafy green vegetables, seafood, whole grains and nuts are beneficial. A magnesium supplement of 300 to 500 mg is also beneficial. Eating cold-water fish such as salmon and sardines as both of these fish are rich in omega 3 fatty acids that help to reduce blood pressure. Combining fish with garlic helps the assimilation of the omega 3 fatty acids.

Another good whole food for a hypertensive to include in their diet is olive oil because it contains polyphenols that is a compound that helps reduce inflammation. Polyphenols also increase the production of nitric oxide that is a gaseous molecule that relaxes blood vessel walls.

Dr. Roundtree, an integrative physician who writes the “ask the doctor” column for Alternative Medicine also recommends taking olive leaf extract supplements as olive leaves contain oleuropein, a chemical shown to lower blood pressure. Olive leaf extract supplements usually come in 500 mg capsules. He recommends taking three to four a day. He also recommends taking L-arginine, an amino acid at 2 grams twice a day folic acid, a B-complex vitamin, at 1,000 mcg daily.

Drinking hibiscus tea also helps reduce blood pressure. A study published in Phytomedicine in 2004 revealed that patients suffering from mild to moderate hypertension were able to reduce their blood pressure by drinking 10 grams of hibiscus tea as effectively as taking captopril, a leading drug for hypertension.

Research News from the World of Alternative Medicine

I ran across some interesting research news from the world of alternative medicine that I found in the May 2006 Alternative Medicine magazine.

Arthritis Sufferers:

Recently the media has trashed the use of glucosamine/chondroitin supplements for relief of arthritis based on the Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial study results. Obviously, interpretation is in the eye of the beholder because after close examination by the American College of Rheumatology it was found that glucosamine/chondroitin did indeed provide significant relief to study participants. Relief from glucoasmine/chondroitin was also the end result of a European study.

End result - if taking glucosamine/chondroitin gave you relief then continue taking them. If you don't get relief, you may want to switch brands as not all products contain the levels of glucosamine/chondroitin listed on the labels.

Chicken Soup: Good for the Body and the Soul:

A study conducted at Dartmouth Medical School that people who ate lots of chicken (the precise amount was not recorded) have a significantly reduced risk of colorectal cancer compared to those who ate the least.

The study also concluded that there was no association between fat intake or eating red meat with the risk of developing adenomas in the colon which can be the precursors of colorectal cancer. Processed meats such as hot dogs, bacon, and lunch meats posed a significant risk possibly because of the nitrates and nitrites used to preserve them.

To be continued. . .

Living in Balance with the Season

Autumn is the time of year when the full yang of summer wanes and the earth begins its yin cycle into the full yin of winter. The energy of the earth has turned downward and has begun its descent into the bowels of the earth. One can witness this event by looking at the falling leaves and flowering plants shriveling and becoming dormant. The animal kingdom follows suit. Birds begin to migrate, squirrels and chipmunks gather food for their nests and burrows.

As we are part of this cycle, the energy in our bodies has also begun to descend downward. We are no longer as carefree as we were during the warm days of summer. Now, we have to concentrate on work and preparing our homes for the colder months ahead.

What can we do to make this transition into a new season? One way to support this descent is to change our food intake. The emphasis of eating raw produce, melons, and salads belong to the summer months when we need to cool down our bodies. Now the emphasis needs to shift to warming the body as the days become cooler. Including root vegetables in our diet such as carrots, parsnips, potatoes, and squashes promotes warmth. Denser, heartier foods need to be incorporated including whole grains, protein and fat.

Another way to transition into the season is to pay attention to our lungs. Autumn is the season of the lung according to Chinese medicine. The lungs are a major player in the strength of our immune system and if there is an imbalance it will more than likely begin to show up now. It may be in the form of frequently catching colds, coming down with sinus infections or reacting to environmental allergies.

A qi gong exercise to strengthen the lungs involves nothing more than swinging your arms in unison to the front and back of the body. This activity stimulates the first acupuncture point on the lung meridian located in the front of the shoulder. The optimal number of times to swing your arms is 300 to fully strengthen the lungs; however, as little as a minute or two of exercise would still be of benefit.

The taste associated with autumn is pungent or spicy. If you feel that you are coming down with a cold, try eating pungent food. I prefer Indian food because of all the wonderful spices. Drinking ginger tea will also help clear the lungs and lift congestion.

The emotion associated with the autumn is one of sadness or melancholy. Many people are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder at this time of year as the days get shorter. Try to go outside during daylight so that exposure to the sun can promote the body’s natural production of Vitamin D which in turn will promote the production of serotonin levels.

The Principles of Yin and Yang

What do you think of when you hear the words "yin and yang". If you're like most people you think of opposites. For those of us practicing Chinese medicine, yin and yang is the whole foundation of our medicine. When yin and yang are in balance, there is health. When out of balance, there is disorder and disease.

Ancient Chinese culture used the description of yin and yang to describe the existing agrarian way of life. Yang relates to activity and the growing cycles of life. The sun is yang. The seasons of spring and summer are yang. On the other hand yin relates to the quiet, contemplative time. The moon is yin. Night time is yin. Autumn and winter are the yin cycles of the year.

Ancient Chinese physicians borrowed from this concept of yin and yang and used it as the foundation for traditional Chinese medicine. Yin relates to blood; yang relates to qi, or energy. The bodies organ systems are either defined as yin or yang depending on their function. Yin and yang form the first of the eight basic principles of Chinese medicine. The remaining six are subsets of yin and yang. The remaining six are cold and hot; deficiency and excess; and, interior and exterior. Cold, deficiency, and interior are considered yin. Hot, excess, and exterior are yang.

What does that mean? Say, you just caught a cold from being outside and you're running a slight fever. If you went to a Chinese health practitioner, your diagnosis would be a yang exterior condition with heat present. If this condition worsened and became pneumonia leaving you fatigued and chilled, then the diagnosis would be a yin, interior cold and deficient condition. The principle of treatment is to restore the yin and yang balance and thus restore health.

So, rather than thinking of opposites the next time you hear the term yin and yang, think of balance and health.

May you live in balance!

An old Chinese saying says that a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. This is my "first step" into the world of blogging.

I wanted to start blogging in order to reach out to my client base and share any interesting tidbits on health and well being that I run across in my work.

For instance, I recently ran across an article in "Alternative Medicine" that eating a red grapefruit on a daily basis can significantly lower cholesterol levels based on a study done in Israel at Hebrew University. The volunteers used in the study all had a previous history of high blood cholesterol. They were divided into three groups: one ate a red grapefruit daily, one ate white grapefruit and the third ate a standard lowfat diet. Both grapefruit groups were better at lowering cholesterol than the lowfat diet group, but those volunteers eating the red grapefruit significantly reduced total cholesterol as well as LDL levels and triglycerides.

Maybe some food for thought for those of you battling cholesterol problems.

In health and wellness, Linda