What’s Curcumin Got to Do With Breast Cancer?

Posted by Cathy on

Breast Cancer has been spreading faster than wildfire for over three decades.  A new discovery recently published explains how the Chinese herb Curcumae Radix, can possibly help prevent breast cancer and can be used for breast cancer therapy.

Top doctors are studying breast cancer treatments around the clock and yet there is little  in the way of PREVENTIVE strategies.  The reasons are complicated but it may be partly due to the fact the breast cancer is not one disease.  There are several different types of cancer cells which all cause breast cancer, some are more aggressive while others spread slower.   To understand which cancer cells a patient has, doctors must analyze the cells individually. Once this is determined, treatment options can be customized, including herbal treatments for breast cancer.

The recent study from the University of California, San Diego,  published in the British Journal, Nature, has discovered a molecule called RANKL, found in aggressive breast cancer cells that predicts more deadly, lethal and life threatening disease.  The findings from these recent studies suggests that herbs with the correct chemicals can block RANKL and may be effective in preventing both the early stages of breast cancer and the advanced progression of the disease. Research has also shown the active ingredient in the Chinese herb, Curcumae root  (small quantities found in the spice Turmeric) has properties that also reduce the expression of these deadly molecules within cancer cells and can potentially slow the spread of breast cancer.

This new research demonstrates that when a  protein molecule called RANKL (Receptor Activated Nuclear Factor Kappa Ligand) is present in breast cancer cells in high amounts, these tumor cells are more activated, more aggressive, more likely to spread and more likely to kill.  RANKL is produced by regulatory T-Cellsthat modulate our immune response.  High levels of these T-cells means high levels of RANKL, high levels of inflammation and aggressive high risk disease.

Dr. Bharat Aggarwal, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX is one of many respected researchers and experts who has published many studies on the effects of curcumin on cancer cells.  According to Dr. Aggarwal

“Curcumin has a very special nature which will work both for cancer prevention as well as for cancer therapy.”

Turmeric (Curcuma longa or Curcumae radix) is one of the most potent cancer fighting foods. Curcumin, the active ingredient in this common medicinal and culinary herb has been widely studied.  It is recognized as a potent cell protectant, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.  Turmeric has been used for centuries to support cancer patients in Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine and Indian Ayurvedic Medicine.  Now modern science demonstrates why it works.  Curcumin has been shown to influence many cellular factors, including lowering RANKL.

Blocking tumor promoting RANKL can block the spread of breast cancer cells to other parts of the body.  This new information gives women hope that using the natural substance, Curcumin can be used as a preventative, and can lower inflammation, lower RANKL, thereby lowering breast cancer risk.

As with any potent botanical medicine or Chinese herbal medicine, the use of curcumin should be used under the supervision of a knowledgeable licensed Acupuncturist and herbalist or other licensed professional.  Countries such as India use turmeric  frequently in their daily diet and have lower rates of many cancers including prostate cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer.  Turmeric can be safely added to your food as a cooking spice to add anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties to your daily diet.

Disclaimer: Please consult a physician before making any decisions regarding breast cancer treatment.

See the study at the link below.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16219905  Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) down-regulates expression of cell proliferation and antiapoptotic and metastatic gene products through suppression of IkappaBalpha kinase and Akt activation.

Also check out this link at the Linus Pauling Institute research on curcumin for breast cancer.   http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/curcumin/

More helpful links on Curcumin: ” Curcumin for Prevention of Colorectal Neoplasia”   American Botanical Council               http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbclip/442/091152-442.html


Contact Us  if you need help finding a Licensed Acupuncturist or herbalist in your neighborhood.


A Natural Alternative To Hormones and Hot Flashes

Posted by Cathy on

Natural Menopause treatments I was so thoroughly impressed with Carolyn's article below I had to re-post it.  If you're one of the millions that suffer from menopausal hot flashes and night sweats you should know there is a natural solution.  Traditional Chinese Medicine has been using combinations of herbs, (herbal formulas) for over one thousand continuous years successfully.   Our Menopause Relief Herb Pac  is based on  one of these formulas.  Written originally in 1113 AD, it's the synergy of the herbs working together that makes the difference.  The 12 herbs in our Menopause Relief gently restore your body's natural "thermostat".  The tea taste delicious and results are guaranteed.  There is a better, safer answer for menopause symptoms than HRT  and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has embraced it for centuries.  Just because you live in the West does not mean you can't experience the healing power from the East.  We didn't recreate the wheel here, we just repackaged it for you.  Now for the Nag!

By:  The Ethical Nag – Carolyn Thomas

How is it possible that half of all gynecologists are still prescribing hormone replacement therapy to their patients for uses that are clearly unsupported by evidence – despite the alarming warnings of the largest randomized, placebo-controlled trial of HRT ever performed?

This reality is “curious”, according to Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman at Georgetown University Medical Center, in a new study* examining 340 medical journal articles about HRT. Her research was published yesterday in the journal, Public Library of Science Medicine.

But even more curious are her findings that the majority of the doctors who have written pro-HRT papers for medical journals have been funded by the very drug companies that manufacture hormone replacement drugs.

These companies were financially hurt by 2002 results of the massive Women’s Health Initiative study, which meant an almost immediate catastrophic loss of sales revenue for manufacturers of all HRT drugs. Prescriptions dropped by 80% – a major blow to companies like Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, whose HRT drugs Prempro and Premarin had earned the company over $2 billion just one year earlier.

Dr. Fugh-Berman now explains how pharmaceutical companies may have successfully begun to address and even reverse this loss of income by attempting to influence what doctors are learning about HRT since the WHI findings went public:

“The pharmaceutical industry has supported publication of articles in medical journals for marketing purposes. For example, of the 10 journal authors we studied who had written 4-6 articles each:

* eight were found to have declared payment for speaking or consulting on behalf of menopausal hormone manufacturers or for research support
* seven of these eight were speakers or consultants for the drug company

In addition:

* 30 of 32 medical journal articles (90%) evaluated as promoting HRT were authored by those with financial conflicts of interest
* journal articles promoting the use of HRT were almost two and a half times more likely to have been authored by authors with financial conflicts of interest as by authors without conflicts of interest
* in articles from three authors with financial conflicts of interest, some of the same text was repeated word-for-word in different medical journal articles

We know that physicians read medical journals, and Dr. Berman reminds us that about half of gynecologists still continue to distrust the results of WHI while prescribing HRT for uses that are not supported by evidence.

She reported that common themes in journal articles, editorials and letters that were identified as “promotional” included:

* attacks on the methodology of the WHI
* arguments that clinical trial results should not guide treatment for individuals
* arguments that observational studies are as good as or better than randomized clinical trials for guiding clinical decisions.
* arguments implying that the risks associated with hormone therapy have been exaggerated and that the benefits of hormone therapy have been or will be proven.

WHI, a major independent 15-year research program begun in 1991, reported that the demonstrated risks of HRT outweighed benefits in asymptomatic women. Risks were so clearly demonstrated that the HRT study was stopped early. These findings on the use of estrogen-progestin and estrogen-only HRT drugs were alarming, according to Dr. Fugh-Berman’s team:

“Both therapies increased the risk of stroke, deep vein thrombosis, dementia, and incontinence; estrogen-progestin therapy also increased rates of breast cancer.

“Neither therapy reduced cardiovascular risk, and neither markedly benefited health-related quality of life measures.”

A follow-up study by the Canadian Cancer Society found there was a significant decrease of 10% in the rate of new breast cancers among post-menopausal women between 2002 and 2004 — coinciding with a huge drop in the use of HRT after the WHI study was published.

But the WHI results were no surprise to many women’s health organizations, according to Kathleen O’Grady of the Canadian Women’s Health Network:

“We have been following the questionable methods used to promote the prescription of HRT to healthy midlife women. Short-term use of HRT has been documented in a variety of studies as a useful treatment for alleviating the temporary symptoms associated with the onset of menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. However, long-term use of HRT (more than 5 years), and the practice of prescribing HRT to healthy women—those not experiencing severe menopausal symptoms—is another matter.

“The WHI results are only the latest in a long series of studies demonstrating that longterm use of HRT should be considered only with extreme caution.”

If you’re like me, and you question even the term “hormone replacement therapy” – which somehow implies that, when diagnosed with the medicalized “disease” of menopause, our hormones need “replacing” in the first place – you’ll be interested in reading Dr. Fugh-Berman’s paper in the Public Library of Science Medicine. Or learn more on the Women’s Health Initiative FAQs page.

*Fugh-Berman A, McDonald CP, Bell AM, Bethards EC, Scialli AR (2011) Promotional Tone in Reviews of Menopausal Hormone Therapy After the Women’s Health Initiative: An Analysis of Published Articles. PLoS Med 8(3): e1000425. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000425

http://www.ethicalnag.org

Rheumatoid Arthritis Responds Well To This Herb

Posted by Cathy on with 1 Comment
thunder-god-vine Chinese herbsIf your suffering with Rheumatoid Arthritis or know someone who is, this should interest you. 
 
A study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in August 2009 on a Chinese herb used for rheumatoid arthritis, (RA). This study found that after six months of taking this herbal remedy  more patients in the Chinese herb group had improved, than the group taking a sulfasalazine.   
 
The Chinese herb used in this study was a single herb known as Lei Gong Teng or Thunder God Vine. Herbal remedies such lei gong teng or in latin Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) have been used and documented for treating inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.   It’s understandable that people with RA are looking to treat their disease with herbal remedies such as Chinese Medicine and Chinese herbs because Western medicine has no cure for RA, only symptomatic relief with many side effects to the medications.  
 
The only limitation to this study was it’s duration. The studies time frame was too short to show whether lei gong teng helped to prevent joint destruction.
 
Reference
http://www.annals.org/content/151/4/I-36.full

Chinese Medicine and Insomnia Symptoms

Posted by Cathy on
no insomnia with chinese herbs

Insomnia, whether for a prolonged time or a short duration is a dreaded cycle that can drive us to the brink of insanity. There nothing worse than being so tired all day long that we just can’t think straight. When you finally hit the pillow you sleep only a few hours  and can’t get back to sleep. People cope with insomnia in different ways, some start their day at 4 AM  because “there is just no sense in staying in bed” others rely on prescription drugs. Regardless of how you decide to cope with the lack of sleep here’s a quick look at insomnia from the Chinese medicine perceptive. This little insight or different perspective,  may help you change whatever is going on in your life that’s affecting your sleep patterns

 

Chinese Medicine, practiced continuously now for over 2000 years, categorizes insomnia into 4 main groups.  

1.       Insomnia due to over-thinking or disharmony between work and rest. When it’s time to sleep your mind should not be thinking of all the days plans, all that worries you or what needs to be done tomorrow. Your mind should simply not be talking to you. Your mind should be active during daytime hours and quiet at night.  There are many techniques in Chinese medicine to help you quiet your mind such as Tai Qi, meditation, exercise and other stress reducers.  A proper discussion of these techniques will be addressed in another article. Herbal medicines can help stop these over thinking habits and help quiet your mind without being addictive. 

2.      Insomnia due to sickness or advancing age. When we are extremely weak and/or recovering  from an illness it is not uncommon to have sleeping difficulties. During this time both qi and blood are deficient which nourish our heart, kidney and spleen channels of Chinese medicine. Rebuild and replenish yourself with a proper diet and supplements and this pattern will subside.

3.        Insomnia due to panic, anger and excessive worry will gradually lead to chronic insomnia. This pattern is especially worrisome because of  it’s chronic, (ongoing) nature. Emotions that are buried and not addressed during the daytime hours may in a sense, haunt us at night. These emotions cause a deficiency of heart qi  and transform and flare up disturbing the mind at night. Dealing with emotional problems during waking hours will prevent this type of insomnia.

4.    Insomnia due to spicy, fatty, raw and even cold food late at night. This type of insomnia is the easiest to change. Simply stop eating 3-4 hours before going to bed. Over eating from a Chinese Medicine perspective  leads to phlegm and  heat and both interfere with restful sleep. The body cannot optimize digestion late at night. Your body needs time to process the foods eaten during the day and clean itself out.

These four patterns cover the gamut of sleeping problems in Chinese medicine. Some people suffer from just one pattern, (typically # 1)  others suffer from a combination of them. Once you identify your pattern you can take steps in your life to make the necessary changes to give your body and your mind the rest it needs.

Avoid a Human Energy Crisis

Posted by Cathy on

Do you have an energy crisis every afternoon or even once in a while?  Our busy lifestyles can create havoc for our endocrine systems, our bodies energy fund and storage bank. Chinese herbs work  naturally and effectively to replenish your energy at the source of the problem, targeting  your endocrine system.

The endocrine system acts like the main control panel in our body. It secretes hormones which act as messengers telling the body how to  function properly.  We depend on our endocrine glands for all our energy.  They are responsible for your mood, mental function, immune system, physical growth and reproduction.  If something throws off the control system you may feel tired, depressed, gain weight, experience infertility, digestive issues and have trouble with body temperature regulation regardless of the outside temperature. 

The endocrine system includes the adrenal glands, thyroid gland, pituitary gland, pineal, pancreas, and reproductive glands.  All areas of your health are effected by your endocrine glands. 

This is where Chinese herbs work best.  If your tired in the afternoon, ginseng and other herbs in our Power Booster can give you refreshing boost of energy  when you need it.  No caffeine or sugar, just natural Chinese herbs. They work and have been proven to work for over 1000 years. This is not some new 5 hour energy mix of caffeine and sugar. This is botanicals, a natural source of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, carbohydrates, saponins and other compounds  your body recognizes and needs.

If your experiencing hot flashes or night sweats it’s the endocrine system running low on natural coolant.  Whether it’s your car or your body, you’ve got to feed it what it needs.  When your low on coolant herbal remedies such as our Menopause Relief can help rebuild it and nourish it.

Low Energy is a Sign of Compromised Health

The cornerstone of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s viewpoint of health has always been maintaining health and wellness by preventing illness through a healthy life style and proper nutrition.  If proper food is not enough then herbs are added to the diet to supplement one’s health.  When the body’s natural intelligence  is awakened with Chinese herbs, it can restore the natural balance and  your body will respond by providing  the energy you need to feel good all day, everyday.


Herbal Sugar Options – Choices You Should Know About

Posted by Cathy on with 1 Comment

Have you seen the TV ad on sugar?  It says the body can’t tell the difference between cane sugar and corn sugar.  Well if you were ever going to trust a TV commercial, I would not choose this one.  

Want to know what’s safe and what’s dangerous in the sweetener world?  Looking for a natural alternative to satisfy your sweet tooth?

High Fructose corn syrup (HRCS)  is made by processing some of its glucose into fructose to produce a desired level of sweetness. But because of its processing, some brands can contain mercury  a known neurotoxin.  What’s worse, is studies show it suppresses the “full sensation”  causing people to over eat.  Studies in rats proved this theory. 

Fructose comes from the sugar in fruits. .. but it also contains glucose and fiber and other nutrients. 

Today, some 70% of packaged foods contain sugar, most of it the HFCS type.   According to the Journal of the American Medical Association,  sugar and simple carbohydrates like refined grains and HFCS may increase your risk for heart disease and stroke through fat accumulation, metabolic syndrome, obesity, premature aging, and type 2 diabetes.  This is nothing new.  We’ve all heard that sugar is bad for us. 

Here are some better natural choices when it comes to satisfying  that sweet taste you love. 

Stevia is a South American herb that is estimated to be some 150 to 400 times sweeter than sugar.  Coca-Cola is even using it for a few of their low calorie drinks now.  We added a little to our Menopause Relief after 100% of our taste testing women loved it with stevia.  Sometimes Chinese herbs can be just a little off, but with stevia everybody can drink and enjoy Menopause Relief Herb Pack.

Xylitol and Erythritol:   They look like sugar and taste like cane sugar, though some people find that xylitol has a laxative effect. Xylitol was originally isolated from birch sap. Erythritol occurs naturally in fruits and fermented foods.

Inulin:  Isolated from Jerusalem artichoke, it is available as a powder or as artichoke syrup. Inulin is a long-chain polysaccharide that is mostly too long a sugar to absorb into the blood stream.

Lo Han Guo: Made from a Chinese herb.  It’s a fantastic non-glycemic sweetener  It is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat cough and laryngitis and is a common tea in parts of Asia. Because it can be difficult to find and it’s great for my diabetic patients.

Honey (raw, organic) is always the natural sweetener of choice. Look for wild honey because it is lower in free fructose and higher in trace mineral content, especially the richer dark varieties.

Maple syrup:  Love it, always have. As a kid I worked harvesting and cooking the sap.  It’s  the only sustainably-harvested, large-scale, forest sweetener in the world. Maple is one of the richest source of minerals found in any sweetener. Look for organic maple syrup and maple crystals as an ingredient. YUM

Unsulfured, organic sugarcane molasses:  It’s rich in vitamins and minerals and has been purported (like fresh sugar cane) to have “anti-stiffness factors” that break down detrimental calcification.

Coconut palm sugar:  Now available as a sweetener. It is usually heat-processed, so try to find raw coconut palm sugar.

 

 

 

 

Chemical Additives in Your Herbs. To Sulfur or Not to Sulfur

Posted by Cathy on

When purchasing dried fruit, 9 out of 10 people will pick the bag that looks prettier than the one that has fruit turned brown.  Go beyond the beautiful color because that beautiful color is deceiving,  it may even carry toxins. Sulfur dioxide is used to prevent discoloration in dried fruit and has significant side effects on some people. The most common reactions are diarrhea, allergies, headaches and asthma.  

Now what about the herbs you buy? 

Do your herbs contain sulfur dioxide (SD)  and does SD effect the fundamental quality of the herbs? 

Chinese herbs are derived from natural plant and mineral products.  Like any natural product, they are vulnerable to mold and insect infestation. To control the decay and mold many herbal products and natural supplements are sprayed with sulfur based fumigation. This process kills bacteria, mold, insects and may also be used for bleaching/ cleaning raw herbs.  

But can it change the chemical constituents of a particular herb?  In some cases we know for a fact the answer is YES!  Pac Herbs products are not fumigated with SD!  We believe the byproduct of fumigation is unacceptable as it often changes the nature of the herb. 

Sulfer dioxide is commonly used by some farmers to cosmetically improve the appearance of the herb Dioscorea, (Shan Yao) Pueraria Root ( Ge Gen) and dried ginger (Gan Jiang).  In high sugar content raw herbs SD causes the herbs to taste more acidic, in herbs containing fatty oils such as persica (tao ren) used in our PMS Relief, fumigation leaves a pungent oil odor.  Fragile herbs such as Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua) should never be fumigated with sulfur dioxide because it damages Chrysanthemum's fundamental qualities.

As a preservative, sulfur dioxide is often used in dried fruit because it's antimicrobial properties preserve freshness, reduce rotting and help maintain the appearance of the fruit.  Sulfur dioxide is an important compound in wine making. It serves as an antibiotic and antioxidant, protecting wine from spoilage by bacteria and oxidation.  The Center for Science in the Public Interest  lists  two food preservatives, sulfur dioxide and sodium bisulfate as being safe for human consumption except for certain individuals who may be sensitive to it, even in small amounts.

Our labs conduct sulfur dioxide residue tests before our herbs are processed to insure the our natural herbal products are sulfur free. When I visited wholesale herb markets in China, the un-sulfured herbs were noticeable different  in color and price  (see above picture)  from the same herbs treated with sulfur.  Untreated herbs were always more expensive, what does that tell you?   
 

 Center for Science in the Public Interest.. http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm#sulfites

What’s Eating You? Rantings on Diets and Chinese Herbs

Posted by Cathy on with 2 Comments

Three weeks into the new year and you've got it figured out right?  I'm talking about your weight loss diet plan of course!!

Judging by the calls and emails, lots of folks are looking for that proverbial Chinese herb or herbal remedy that will  help them lose weight. No matter how many millions of weight lose web sites and diet plans you read, this simple fact remains.

What's eating you, is much more important, than what you're eating. 

Since your body is a mirror of all your thoughts, your diet starts in your head.  When you feed your body the wisdom of self love and self respect, you will never eat anything that doesn't match that intention.  Simple as that.  What I find ironic is that most diet /meal plan companies from Weight Watchers, to Jenny Craig to Nutrisystem, spend so much time focusing on what you eat, they often miss out on focusing on what's eating you?   How much food do you consume mindlessly?  All the contestants on the Biggest Loser when asked why they gained so much weight, admit to unconsciously eating their way to their large size.

For the Record:  Healthy weight starts in your head.  We can help you with Chinese herbs which can help clear out the poop chute. ( I know a very cute 8 year old who laughs hysterically at this phrase.)  They won't help suppress your appetite, although drinking herbal tea may help fill you up.  Chinese herbs are commonly used for both constipation and diarrhea.  If either is a problem, call or email us for a phone consultation. 

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctors commonly use the ancient formula called  "Run Chang Wan" (Moisten Intestines Pill.)  Our version includes Huo Ma Ren (marijuana seeds), rehmannia, (shu di huang) and unprocessed Chinese rhubarb root (da huang) and a few other herbs.  This herbal remedy for constipation maximizes laxative properties while still being safe and mild. Call us for more information.


Bamboo’s Anti-Oxidants – Herbal Medicine in Asia

Posted by Cathy on

I just finished reading the most interesting article called “Bamboo as Medicine” By Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon.  Asia has over 300 species of bamboo (Also known as Zhu Ru) and many different parts of the plants are used in Chinese Medicine.

The leaves are used for fevers, the inside whitish-greenish middle is used for convulsions and vomiting.  Dried sap from the joints of bamboo are used for fevers and  coughs with phlegm and even epilepsy. The stem of small bamboo are used in Japan for  urinary retention and blood in the urine.  Bamboo leaves can also be made into a beer. (I’m not sure that’s medicinal or not.) Most importantly bamboo contains known antioxidants.

This article has excellent comparisons and characteristics on functions of  different bamboo species, something I never learned in school.

There are several species which are specifically for phlegm misting the brain, a term we generally use when referring to someone who would be diagnosed in Allopathic terms as delusional or schizophrenic.    In Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine bamboo has many uses including as an aphrodisiac.  Since there’s no shortage of bamboo in the world and chemical constituents in bamboo are known antioxidants, seems like a win-win situation to use bamboo as medicine. One more bamboo fun fact.  In ancient China, bamboo was used for writing tablets.  A wonderful Chinese teacher I had in my Masters program for Oriental Medicine, when faced with a difficult student question on conflicting material, he would always answer with “Bamboo Problem” which always got a laugh. The meaning was, some very old bamboo reeds survived with ancient text about Chinese Medicine but some disintegrated and written words were lost forever. So bamboo as medicine is great but there’s a reason we don’t still use bamboo for writing tablets.

For more information you can check out: http://www.itmonline.org/arts/bamboo.htm

Ginger after Exercise For Less Pain

Posted by Cathy on

If you ever read about numerology today's date,  1.11.11  is a date which points to new beginnings all around. My new beginning is to get a bit more exercise.  Yes, I know.. we've all said this one before.  Good news though, if you workout and are feeling a bit to sore, ginger can help you feel less pain.  According to a study recently published in the Journal of Pain, people who exercised and took a 2 gram ginger supplement  (about 4 capsules) had 25% less pain than those who took a placebo. 

If you're not into popping the ginger pills, you could also add a little fresh ginger to your diet.  Ginger root has been used in Chinese medicine for several thousand years. It's warming properties are quite famous and it's very good nausea, altitude sickness and overall good digestive health and great if you get a cough or cold with mucus.

Below is a great winter soup recipe which includes ginger!  It's delicious,  warming and super easy to make.  

Whatever and whenever you choose new beginnings, remember your body is constantly changing and evolving so whatever you've done in the past, is reversible in the future.   

 

Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger

Cut one butternut squash in half, bake at 375  for 35 min.

Melt 2 tbs butter in a saucepan  and add cut up veggies you like,  1 leeks  2 carrots, 2 celery stalks and 3 tbs sliced GINGER root!, Saute for 5 min.

Remove squash from oven, scoop out inside flesh and add to saucepan for 10 more min of simmering, add 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth. 

Add more broth as needed for desired consistency.  Puree all the ingredients in a food processor. Add salt, pepper & garlic to taste.

Some people serve it with a dollop of creme fraiche… I prefer just a little sprinkle of parsley.

Chinese Herbs and Self Breast Massage for Breast Health

Posted by Cathy on

prevent breast lumps with self love, self massage and herbsBreast tissue is made up of fat cells which include mammary glands, ducts, lobes and adjacent lymph ducts and nodes.  Keeping this tissue just as healthy as any other body part and be done easily with self massage and herbs to move the flow of qi, or energy in this tissue.

Many well known herbs such a ginseng and astragulus are beneficial at moving qi, but did you know there are also some very good herbs which can specifically help with benign breast pain?   Many breast lumps are small and movable and may be more pronounced during menstruation as a result of fluctuations in hormones.  Traditional Chinese medicine treats these as stagnant qi, or stagnant energy that has been blocked.   There is a terrific protocol for self breast massage at EssentiallyPink.com.  Do this massage at least once a week or as needed when you have minor pain in the surrounding lymph nodes in the armpit and breast area.  This is a free and easy way to promote self breast health.  Just as brushing and flossing becomes routine so should self breast massage.

In addition to massaging the breast tissue,  combination of Chinese herbs has been used successfully throughout Asia for hundreds of years for breast problems.  Herbal formulas can help relieve the stagnation and stress that may accumulate in the chest.  Herbs such as tangerine peel, bupleurum, white peony and vaccaria seeds create a synergy of actions that help move the stagnate Qi in the chest.  Vaccaria seeds are especially good at helping invigorate the blood and reduce pain and swellings in the breasts. These seeds alone are also very good at promoting lactation, but only for women who are already lactating.  Creating breast health should be a priority in every women’s life.  It’s time for a shift from a fear based breast cancer model to one of self love and breast health.  Being proactive is up to you. 

The Doctor Will See You Now, If There Is Enough Time?

Posted by Cathy on

best natural sleep aidsWhich is more valuable, time or money?

When you go to your doctor, does your doctor have time for you?  Do they listen to you, i.e. why you're not sleeping, why you're so fatigued and does your doctor have time to hear you and respond? 

We all know our health care system has many advantages and disadvantages, I find Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) doctors to be one of the huge advantages.  If you have the opportunity to visit an Integrative or Alternative Medicine practitioner such as a Naturopath, Homeopath or Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncturist or Herbalist you can find a plethora of caring, responsible health practitioners that have THE most important piece of the health care solution, they have TIME for their patients.

So many good doctors are hampered by insurance company payment systems they simple can't afford to give you their time.  Today, visiting a Homeopathic office I overheard the questions the doctor of Homeopathy was asking his patient.  In depth questions, about the patients stress levels, menstrual cycle, sleep and herbal supplement use.  Although I only heard  a minute of the conversation I knew this doctor was giving the most important medical attention possible.  He was taking the TIME to really listen to his patients problems. 

One reason I believe so many good people are turning to alternative therapies such as Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, Herbalist, Naturopaths and Homeopathic doctors is simple for this reason of "Time".  When a CAM doctor hears you have a sleeping problem they won't just scribble the name of a sleep aid pill on a piece of paper and rush out the door.  Rather they actually take the time to investigate your entire health history and look for the root cause of the problem. 

Time can make all the difference.  Wishing you lots of it in 2011.