Summertime brings up the enduring quest
for looking good in a bathing suit. Most of
us have an "Uh, oh!" moment as we see ourselves
in the mirror. We are happy to say that Tao of
Wellness has a plan just right for you.
Traditional Chinese Medicine advocates maintaining
a healthy and balanced body system rather
than succumbing to fad diets. A healthy weight
can be sustained when the body is working
optimally, stress is low and the spirit is peaceful.
When the body is out of balance, adipose tissue
(fat cells) accumulates, digestive weaknesses arise
and your metabolism shifts into weight gain mode.
To look slim and fit, practice these enduring
weight management fundamentals.
According to Chinese Medicine, summer is the time of Fire or Yang energy, which is associated with heat and expansion. When it’s hot, most people crave fresh, light and cool foods, and this is natural. As the temperature rises, the foods that nature abundantly provides have a cooling effect on the body. The good news is: cooling foods also help you stay slim and trim.
Tuina, literally translated as push-grasp, is an ancient system of massage that withstands the test of time. From 2300 B.C., The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine records tuina among the five major therapies of the time. Oracle bones dating back to 1700 B.C., show that tuina was used to treat children’s diseases and adult digestive complaints. By 600 B.C., tuina was included in the Imperial Medical College as a separate department.
The media frequently reports on childhood
obesity, naming three major culprits: sugar,
fats and salt. Let’s focus on sugar.
The reality is, most children just love sugar. Sugar
not only tastes good, but the brain requires sugar
in order to function. However, for an important
reason, consuming refined sugar is detrimental to
a little person’s health. The reason is that sugar
produces a hormonal roller-coaster in the body.
With the focus of infertility being so
heavily placed on the female members of
our population, it is surprising to hear that male
infertility accounts for 50% of infertile couples.
What is more surprising is that a recent study
conducted in Scotland on 7,000 men showed
that sperm counts have decreased by 30% since
1989. There appears to be unanimity within the
medical scientific community with respect to
sperm counts: they are on a downward trend
worldwide. So why is this happening?
Let’s look at some possibilities.
Traditional Chinese Medicine associates hyperplasia of the prostate with damp heat and kidney deficiency.
After the age of 40, men’s vital energy in the kidney system decreases, resulting in a disturbance of the
sex hormones. Sexual energy decreases, affecting circulation in this area and the function of the prostate.
To compensate for the decline of prostate function, men in China have historically used acupuncture treatments to improve the
circulation and energy in the prostate.
Every day, we normally shed up to 125 hairs. We are familiar, however, with the comic character who runs around and pulls out his hair while enduring a stressful situation. You may be amazed to learn there really is a connection between stress and hair loss.
In Chinese philosophy, there are two main
categories of natural energy: Yin and Yang.
The universe is an integration of these two
interacting, mutually assisting and also some what
opposing forces. All life appears to be made of
opposite yet complementary aspects: dark and
light, cold and hot, receptive and creative, female
and male, and so forth. Yang is the primary
mover, the productive, the expansive while
Yin is recessive, the cooperative, the sustaining.
When Yang moves, Yin becomes apparent, as
these two energies cannot exist separately.
Dr. Mao offers sunburn remedies and more for treating your skin
with extra, special care. Your skin is your largest organ, and it takes a daily beating from
the sun, air pollution, chemicals and other harmful pathogens. To
restore and protect your skin, try these healthy tips and remedies.
InfiniChi is the newest offering
at Tao of Wellness and
is based on the oldest foundations
of Chinese medicine.
InfiniChi is the Ni family practice
of medical energy healing,
where a practitioner reads and
manipulates the internal and
external energies of a patient
to bring about healing and
balance. Taught at Yo San
University, InfiniChi is one of
the practices in the long healing
tradition of the Ni family.
We are proud to announce
the publication of Dr.
Mao Shing Ni’s newest book,
Second Spring: Dr. Mao’s
Hundreds of Natural Secrets
for Women to Revitalize and
Rejuvenate at Any Age (Free
Press; April 7, 2009). Dr. Mao
has created a tip-filled guide for women to
enhance energy, sexuality and health during
the second half of life. With uncomfortable
symptoms of perimenopause - the premenopausal
period—beginning as early as
age 35 for some women, it’s important to
get ready for the big changes ahead!
Although 50% of the population in the United States will be over 65
by the year 2025, aging does not have to mean lower productivity and
quality of life. In order to stay healthier longer, many people are
seeking out the time-tested wisdom of Chinese Longevity Medicine. AGING
MAY BE INEVITABLE, BUT POOR HEALTH IS NOT!
A
person’s immune system may be hyperactive and may identify pollen as
something harmful. From this moment on, the immune system will produce
proteins called antibodies that will identify pollen as a pathogen.
Pathogen-fighting chemicals such as histamine will be released into the
blood stream. Increasing the permeability of the capillaries to white
blood cells and other proteins, histamine allows an engagement with
foreign invaders, i.e. pollen, in the affected tissues.
Many women begin their journey toward menopause long before they
reach 50. Some of the symptoms of perimenopause begin to manifest in the
40s. These symptoms can be warm flashes, menstrual irregularity, weight
gain, hair loss, dry skin, decreased libido, increasing fatigue,
increasingly disturbed sleep, increased body hair, increased
premenstrual tension such as moodiness, breast tenderness and
constipation. By addressing these symptoms early on, you can balance
your body’s endocrine system and prevent major health issues associated
with menopause.
As a practitioner of natural medicine, I am
a true believer in naturally assisting the
immune system to protect and defend the body
against pathogenic attack. I also believe antibiotics
and antipyretics are valuable, life-saving
drugs. However, I do not believe in using them
repeatedly to fight conditions that can be
resolved with natural therapies first. Each time
your child naturally fights off a cold, flu, or an
ear infection, the foundation for a stronger, more
effective, immune system is being built. Here
are some useful, natural childhood remedies.
Although microwave cooking is convenient,
some nutrients are lost. Animal studies indicate
that immunity, cholesterol, hemoglobin, and
white blood cells are adversely affected. People
who eat heavily microwaved food have a slightly
higher incidence of stomach and intestinal
cancers, digestive disorders, and lymphatic
malfunctions. All of these are controversial
and inconclusive, so more studies are needed.
In the meantime, reduce intake of microwaved
foods except for heating purposes.
Did you know that love not only gives
meaning to your life, it brings health
benefits? Human touch, long recognized as a
powerful technique, increases the production of
endorphins, growth hormone, and DHEA, all
of which lengthen your life span and lower the
negative impact of stress. Studies have also found
that patients who are regularly touched recover
faster than those who are not touched. So give
that special someone a hug or massage and feel
both of your moods—and health—improve.
The Path of Constructive Life is a paradigm
for happy, healthy and prosperous living.
It teaches that the source and path of a peaceful,
healthy life of universal harmony lies in the
constructive engagement of each person with
Mother Nature. Natural conditions provide for
the health of all people. Those who wish to enjoy
a peaceful, healthy and bountiful life may choose
to master the Five Powers. By achieving health
of body, mind, spirit, morality and finance, you
will have the power to manifest your life the
way you envision.
The Path of Constructive Life is a paradigm
for happy, healthy and prosperous living.
It teaches that the source and path of a peaceful,
healthy life of universal harmony lies in the
constructive engagement of each person with
Mother Nature. Natural conditions provide for
the health of all people. Those who wish to enjoy
a peaceful, healthy and bountiful life may choose
to master the Five Powers. By achieving health
of body, mind, spirit, morality and finance, you
will have the power to manifest your life the
way you envision.
Welcome to the Chinese New Year of the
Ox, which begins on January 26, 2009,
according to the Chinese lunar calendar. Many
people who paid attention to last year’s forecast
told me they benefited from avoiding some
of the pitfalls I warned about. The system of
forecasting that I use is based on ancient Taoist
energy science that looks at the dynamics of
elemental and cosmic influences. Its usefulness
lies in guidance that helps us avoid negative
impacts while encouraging us to utilize positive
trends. I hope that in this time of turmoil and
instability, this forecast will help you and your
family weather the storm. Like all storms,
though destructive and fearsome, this one shall
eventually pass, and peace and contentment will
be restored once again. The key is to cultivate
your strong roots to withstand the tempest.
Click here for Dr. Mao's 2009 new year's forecast!
In 2009, let’s keep our life simple by looking at the things that truly help us to be happy and more peaceful. For each of us, that may be different. For some, it may mean reading spiritual books like the Tao Teh Ching; for others it may mean exercise, tai chi, or meditation. Every day, try doing something that makes you feel free and happy.
At the onset of menopause I felt like a Mack truck had hit me. It
started with night sweats, then my skin got very dry all over my body,
especially on my face. I couldn't put enough crème on to moisten the
ever increasing scales. My energy plummeted, which came as a huge shock
as this was not my normal modus operandi. Then my waist started to get
bigger, and I mean bigger, with a 50 pound weight gain I grew from a
size 10 to a size 16.
In today’s modern age we
increasingly rely on our eyes in our daily lives. We constantly stare at
computers, TVs, cellular phones, PDAs, papers, etc. Consequentially, by
staring at small prints and spending more time reading from this type of
medium, we are straining our eyes. This has created much eye fatigue and
an increase in the incidence of age related eye problems. Since
good eye health provides us with better life quality, it is important
for us to examine ways in which we can improve our eye health and keep
our eyes healthy for many years to come. The following are ten ways to
improve our eye health and prevent eye diseases.
Cravings are natural? Why do they occur? How can I reduce them? What benefits
do I get from the foods I crave? Is sugar an addictive substance? How do cravings relate to addiction?
There are five tastes as recorded in
The Yellow Emperor, a famous Taoist
and medical text written over 5,000 years ago. The five tastes are sweet, pungent,
salty, sour and bitter. Each taste corresponds to a different organ system, pathology and element.
The importance of tactile sense for health and natural solutions for
neuropathy
Did you know that orphaned babies stop growing and even die from the lack of touch and love?
Similarly, researchers have long observed that unconscious patients who are regularly touched
recover faster than those who do not receive touch. I can confirm this through my own personal
experience of being in a coma for a month, after an accidental fall from the rooftop of our
three-story house when I was a kid. The loving touch from my parents kept me alive and fighting
for my life. So, touch literally saved my life.
Did you know that Chinese medicine can help you knock that cold on
the head? Acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy are second to none in
their effectiveness at treating the common cold and the flu. When I
started formally studying Chinese medicine I was amazed that we had to
study a 400 paged classic called the Shan Han Lun, which explains how to
treat the common cold at its various stages, 400 pages on the
common cold!
It is around 2 a.m. in the morning. Your child is crying even though
you notice the diaper is clean and you have just finished feeding not
too long ago.
The agonizing scream overwhelms your sense of hearing and strikes a
painful cord in your heart string. You then notice that your child is
pulling her ear. If this sounds familiar to you, then you are not alone.
Ear infection is one of the most common conditions that affect babies
and children.
5 Senses = 5 Tastes = 5 Elements
The Touch of Life and Healing
Have you lost your sense of smell?
Sense of Hearing: Enjoy affection, stop ear infection