Everyday Health 每天康

Chinese Herb Prices

2011-11-09T16:53:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed that prices for Chinese medicinal herbs have gone through painful cost increases. We feel the pain too, and have done the best we can to make sure herbs are affordable for your patients. But the reality is that the days of cheap Chinese herbs are gone forever. However this increased cost comes with many benefits. The money goes to pay for:

Higher standards for correct species identification, correct growing area, herb farms with Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification
Herbs free of pesticides and preservatives, including sulfur, as well as testing and documentation.
Exclusive contracts with growers and herbs grown to specification, which ensures fresher herbs. Other pharmacies may buy herbs from distributors with no exclusive contracts, which means they must buy herbs on the open market. The Chinese herb market is huge, and herbs may change hands many many times and sit in storage for months and years before they make their way to the U.S. Fat Turtle is at the tail end of a very short supply chain, from grower to processor to distributor to us and on to you and your patients.
Higher wages and benefits for the workers who labor in the field to grow our herbs, and for the people who wash, slice, dry and package the raw herbs for pharmacy use. Many of us here in the U.S. are aware that our habits of buying and consumption have the potential to be ruinous to the health of our brothers and sisters on the other side of the globe. This awareness has led to the development of fair trade programs for products as diverse as coffee, chocolate, soap and cotton. Although there are not yet any fair trade certifications for Chinese herbs, you can be sure that part of your herb dollar goes to support healthy communities in the environments where they are grown and processed.

Chinese Herbal Pharmacy Terms of the Day: Chong Fu 冲服 and Rong Hua 溶化

2011-08-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

Chong Fu (chōngfú 冲服) is an instruction typically added to written formulas to indicate that the herb in question should not be decocted, but ingested whole along with a swallow of the herbal decoction. Usually the herb is powdered to make this process easier, so the whole instruction might say yán mò chōngfú 研末冲服, which means "grind to powder and take drenched."

"Take drenched" is the translation from the World Health Organization term set, and it works for me even though it doesn't automatically conjure up an image. I like that we're using two words for two characters.

Herbs that are typically taken Chong Fu-style are expensive herbs like Lu Rong 鹿茸, Ge Jie 蛤蚧, Hai Ma 海马 and Dong Chong Xia Cao 冬虫夏草. (When dealing with an unfamiliar pharmacy or one in which you don't have complete confidence, a savvy herb customer should ask to see the herb in question before it is powdered. Of course, that assumes that you are somewhat familiar with how to differentiate authentic herbs and different quality levels - for more on these topics, keep an eye on Eric Brand's blog at the Blue Poppy website.)

A similar but very different instruction is Rong Hua (rónghuà 溶化), which simply translates as "melt" or "dissolve." An herb that is marked "Rong Hua" is added to the hot decoction after the cooking process has finished, but should dissolve completely when stirred in. Examples are the gelatins: Lu Jiao Jiao 鹿角胶, E Jiao 阿胶, Gui Ban Jiao 龟板胶. By contrast a powdered Lu Rong will never dissolve, and therefore must be ingested and chased with decoction for the best medicinal effect.

This is part of our ongoing series on Chinese pharmacy terms. Previously we've covered Hou Xia 后下, and we'll be covering more in the future. I would love to see more Chinese medicine doctors start appending these terms to their prescriptions. It makes your prescription more precise, it helps your herbal pharmacy, and it helps your patients!

ACTCM student Brenda Hatley on the U.S. Wushu Team

2011-07-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

A student at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine has won a spot on the U.S. Wushu team. Her name is Brenda Hatley and you can read all about her at this website.

The U.S. Wushu Team is not super well-funded, so if you can please make a donation so that Brenda can go compete at the Wushu World Games in Turkey this fall!

There is a lot of cross-over between the worlds of martial art and Chinese medicine. Both developed from the same philosophical framework of Yin and Yang, the five phases, bagua, and so on. Many famous martial arts masters were also Chinese medicine doctors. Two that come to mind are Wong Fei Hung and Wang Ziping.

Wong Fei Hung has been portrayed extensively in film and television but is most famous in the U.S. from the Once Upon a time in China film series starring Jet Li. The movies are a lot of fun to geek out to if you are a fan of both martial arts and Chinese medicine - Wong is seen doing martial arts heroics and saving lives with acupuncture. There is even a scene where he educates Western doctors in acupuncture.

Wang Ziping (1881-1973) of Cangzhou in Hebei province, and was an expert in several martial arts including bajiquan, piguaquan and xingyiquan. He was also an expert bone-setter and traumatologist. You can learn more about him at this website. His daughter Wang Jurong also became a well-known martial artist, and his granddaughters are also continuing the family tradition.

My martial arts teacher, Dr. Alex Feng, is also a Chinese medicine doctor, and was my original inspiration for going into the Chinese medicine field. Tom Bisio and Frank Butler are both martial artists with successful Chinese medicine practices, and Tom Bisio wrote a popular book on how to treat martial arts and other sports injuries using Chinese medicine. The list goes on and on.

As a practical matter, knowledge of the body and how it moves is essential in both martial arts and medicine. Observation, timing and sensitivity are all skills that are strengthened and reinforced by cross-training in martial arts and Chinese medicine. If you're studying one, consider studying the other as well.

One of the coolest things we saw at Mayway's facility in Hebei, China -

2011-05-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

- the complete process of how a whole herb gets from the field to us here at Fat Turtle. Keep in mind this is leaving out the whole process of quality control in the field, which we'll cover in another blog post. There is a whole host of site visits, macroscopic examination (which essentially means having a master herbalist/agronomist examine the herbs and see if they have the correct morphology), microscopic examination, testing and et cetera to make sure the herbs are the correct species and fall well under the limits for heavy metals, pesticide residue, et cetera.

(We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the facility, which is too bad, because they had some very cool-looking equipment in there - I'll be supplementing with pictures from the internet.)

Once a batch of herbs has been accepted, it goes something like this:

Herbs are washed with water from Mayway's on-site well, which is quite deep, although I don't remember if they ever told us exactly how deep.
When we were there, they had uncut Ze Xie 泽泻 (alisma) banging around in a stainless steel washer that looked something like a concrete mixer that was open at both ends - roughly cylindrical, with jets of water shooting in.
The next step is soaking - most herbs have to be thoroughly soaked to make slicing possible.
From there it's on to the slicing. Each herb has a particular way it has to be cut. When we were in there blue-suited workers were feeding long uncut pieces of Sang Bai Pi into a machine that looked quite similar to this one. A blade at the end comes down at regular intervals and turns it into the familiar-looking orange and white piece we use at the pharmacy.
From there it's on to drying. Just as there are several different slicing machines for different herbs, there are a few different drying machines. Some can be dried relatively quickly at high heat without any damage - this machine looks something like a huge industrial bread toaster, similar to this thing. Others, like Ju Hua 菊花 (chrysanthemum) and other flowers, have to be dried gently at relatively low temperatures. These herbs are dried on racks in temperature- and humidity-controlled cabinets that look like this.
After that it's off to sorting. We walked in on a roomful of blue-suited workers hand-sorting Bai Zi Ren 柏子仁 (biotae)... huge piles of tiny seeds on stainless steel tables. If they saw one that was off-color, they threw it out. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Next, weighing and packaging. There are at minimum three people involved in packaging any one half-kilo package of raw herb. One person scoops an approximate amount into a bag. The next one weighs it and adjusts it to half a kilo. The third http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifperson takes the correct-weight bag and seals it, usually in a vacuum process that sucks all the air out. Mayway then takes another step and double-bags, injecting nitrogen into the space between the two bags. This is to cushion the herbs during transport.

Then the herbs get taken downstairs, where they wait until they've accumulated a shipping container full. The herbs are then trucked to Tianjin, the nearest port city, and it's off to Oakland...

What does all this mean? For one, now we understand why Chinese herbs are relatively expensive. It's only because of the low cost of labor that herbs don't cost more than they already do.

It also has important ramifications for the domestic herb industry. High Falls Garden in upstate New York and the Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm in Northern California are producing small amounts of Chinese herbs every year, and at some point we'll need a facility that can process the herbs. Just as the growth of clinical Chinese medicine pushes the growth of the Chinese pharmacy industry, people who farm or gather Chinese herbs will spur an herb-processing industry.

Just as ranchers need slaughterhouses if they raise cattle on any kind of large scale, the U.S. herb industry will need processing facilities if they hope to grow to a sustainable size. What will these facilities look like? Will herb farming ever become a large enough industry to support such a venture? Maybe the answer is vertical integration - a farm with a processing facility on site, owned by the same people. These are important things to think about for the future. If you have any ideas, please share!

Mayway Factory Tour in China

2011-04-15T06:44:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting on a plane at LAX hoping desperately to get this blog post off before the crew tells me I need to turn it off. I'm on my way to Beijing, and then on to Anguo, Hebei province, about two hours south and west by bus from Beijing. Mayway is opening the doors to their herb processing facility for a tour! Mayway is one of the oldest and biggest Chinese herb companies in the U.S., and one of Fat Turtle's trusted partners.

Fat Turtle remains open during this time - Annie, Hieu and Yiqun are ready to assist you and fill your orders. I'll be back in a week, hopefully having learned a lot and with lots of pictures to share.

Subscribe to Chinese Medicine Database

2011-03-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Note: today's post comes to us from Jonathan Schell, the driving force behind the Chinese Medicine Database, an online resource for doctors/practitioners, students, scholars, researchers and translators. If you are involved in Chinese medicine on any level and haven't heard of this wonderful resource, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

This was originally a post from the facebook page for the Chinese Medicine Database and has been reprinted in its entirety, with permission.

Today I am feeling especially driven. Maybe it was because I was sick for a week, and maybe it is because of the Tsunami in Japan, but I so passionately want -- to have so many more Chinese medical texts translated! We have the people just waiting to work, but just lack the funds.

I believe that the more texts that we translate, the more face of what we know as Chinese or Asian medicine will be changed. The thing is I need a few hundred people like yourselves to stand with me and bring this to fruition! A number of... you subscribe already, but I ask those of you that don't what would it take for you to subscribe?

I am not asking for me. I have yet to make money on the Database. I ask because what Book makes you salivate enough that you are willing to throw down your $20.00 per month to make it happen? Economy be damned. I believe that we are reaching a pivotal point with our field. We are big enough to be noticed, but not organized enough to fend for ourselves.

And so here it is -- my passionate howl into the vastness of Facebook -- In my opinion we are heading as a profession towards being absorbed. I put a time of 20 years to it. If you talk to people at the schools there is always more emphasis being put on Western techniques and less time in teaching Chinese medicine. The incentives are on merging Chinese medicine with Western medicine. And as with the most recent financial crisis -- we know that the incentives dominate the course of events.

I am not just passionate about the Classics because I am a big history buff, and love to talk about the past. No in fact I am a clinician just like the majority of you. The Classics serve to prod me into other states of consciousness which provides me with alternative insights. But why as a profession should we care about them? Because in my opinion, they are the only leg that we will have to stand on that irrefutably defends the uses for and the mechanisms of Chinese medicine. No person or organization can doubt 2,000 years worth of written material if it is readable in your own language. But if it is another person's language, we in the West have a tendency to think of things as primitive.

So when we are struggling to not be absorbed in 20 years, and we are all struggling -- it will be too late, my friends, to ask that our academics translate the texts to justify our position. There will be no time left, it would be like trying to raise wheat in winter. No, the time to bear the brunt of this work is before we need it, when we are strong and fresh, and not embattled defending our techniques -- loss of this to PT's, loss of that to Chiropractor's, loss of this other thing to MD's.

I am sorry to say that I don't have the $13 million dollars to translate the 400 main texts in my possession, because if I did I would spend it towards that purpose. But each of you has $20.00 and I have $20.00 and over the years 1,000 of us putting together our collective $20.00 will start to make a dent in that $13 million.

In 20 years I want to be able to say to my son, and your children -- "You know -- everyone said it was impossible -- that it would never happen -- but we pulled together as a community -- and WE MADE IT HAPPEN!" That would be truly awesome! And I think would change the face of Chinese Medicine as we know it.

I am one man, with a team of translators ready to work. I ask you whether you believe in the project or not, would you join me -- to say that you were part of it? To say to your children that we made something so amazing happen that it changed the way our profession understands the medicine? I built this system for us, to be used by us, so that we are never in the dark again.

This is what I am passionate about, and the fire to "Get to work" rages inside of me. I am tired of limping along, I want to start this Wonder of the World now!

Register at www.cm-db.com -- each of us can contribute a little bit to this project and together we can make it happen. I give you my word, which in my world means that I will make my word happen.

Mu Xiang Liu Qi Yin 木香流气饮

2011-02-23T15:41:00.000-08:00

An acupuncturist called me yesterday and wanted to know more about Mu Xiang Liu Qi Yin. I had never heard of the formula, and we had already established that it wasn't in either the Bensky or Chen formula book, so I did a quick google search. A few scattered references to the formula in one of Macioca's books and a few others came up, but no clues as to the ingredients or dosages. Then I did a search in Chinese. Ta-da!

It's from the Song dynasty text Taiping Huimin Heji Jufang, which also gave us such famous formulas as 四物汤 Si Wu Tang and 四君子汤 Si Jun Zi Tang.

There are actually two formulas given, and as far as I can tell the first one is the original as written in the Song dynasty. The second version has modern dosage amounts (grams rather than liang) so I'm guessing this is the version most people use today.

Here is a translation of the ingredients from the first version of the formula:

半夏（汤洗七次）二两，Ban Xia 2 liang
陈皮（去白）二斤，Chen Pi 2 jin
厚朴（去粗皮.姜制.炒）、青皮（去白）、甘草、香附（炒.去毛）、紫苏叶（去枝.梗），各一斤； Hou Po, Qing Pi, Gan Cao, Xiang Fu, Zi Su Ye, each 1 jin
人参、赤茯苓（去黑皮）、干木瓜、石菖蒲、白术、白芷、麦门冬，各四两； Ren Shen, Chi Fu Ling, Mu Gua, Shi Chang Pu, Bai Zhu, Bai Zhi, Mai Men Dong, each 4 liang
草果仁、肉桂（去粗皮.不见火）、蓬莪（煨.切）、大腹皮、丁香皮、槟榔、木香（不见火）、藿香叶，各六两； Cao Guo, Rou Gui, Peng E, Da Fu Pi, Ding Xiang Pi, Bing Lang, Mu Xiang, Huo Xiang, each 6 liang
木通（去节）八两。 Mu Tong 4 liang

Here's my stab at the actions:
Original: 调顺荣卫，通流血脉，快利三焦，安和五脏。
Translation: Mediate and organize the Ying and Wei, connect and flow the blood vessels, quicken the triple burner, calm and harmonize the five zang organs.

I'm running out of time here, got to get back to work. I'll translate the rest of it later - including indications and directions. Remember folks, there is a huge amount of information on Chinese medicine that hasn't been translated into English, this is just one formula! Heed the words of Bob Flaws and learn your Chinese - you'll have access to so much more information. It advances the profession and helps your patients too!

Fat Turtle Herb Company Profile on Yosan Alumni Page

2011-02-01T13:09:00.000-08:00

Nini and I transferred to Yosan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from another school, and we're glad we did. Take a look!

Pharmacy Term of the Day: 后下 Hou Xia

2011-01-23T13:32:00.000-08:00

When you write a Chinese herbal formula and send it to Fat Turtle, it's a little bit like telling the cook exactly how you want your eggs. Over easy? Over hard? Scrambled? Sunny side up? Maybe you want something fancy like benedict?

This is the first in an occasional series highlighting the special instructions you as a Chinese medicine doctor can give to us, the herbal pharmacy, to make sure your patient cooks the formula correctly.

Today we'll be looking at the term "Hou Xia" (hòu xià 后下). "Hou" means behind or at the end. "Xia" means down, lower, underneath. A crude translation would be "throw down at the end", giving you the picture of herbs saved off to the side and then "thrown down" into the pot when the cooking is nearly done.

Some typical herbs that are packaged separately and labeled Hou Xia are:

Mu Xiang 木香 Aucklandia Radix
Sha Ren 砂仁 Amomi Fructus
Cao Dou Kou 草豆蔻 Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen
Da Huang 大黄 Rhei Rhizoma et Radix (when used as a purgative - when used as a blood mover Da Huang should be cooked together with all other herbs)

The rationale for preparing herbs in this way is that there are volatile oils in these herbs that cook off very quickly. Cooking for 5-7 minutes can release these active ingredients into the formula, while cooking longer than that boils them off into vapor.

The vacuum packing service that Fat Turtle offers necessarily cooks all the herbs together at once, even Mu Xiang and Sha Ren. Does this reduce the efficacy of these herbs? Surprisingly, the answer is no. In fact, the effectiveness may even be increased.

An article published in the Zhejiang Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine (浙江中医杂志 Zhe Jiang Zhong Yi Za Zhi, Vol‐9. 2005; Weiqing Liang, Junxian Zheng, Jinbao Pu, Kemin Wei) found that extraction of flavonoids and alkaloids from herbs decocted in vacuum cookers is higher than traditional stove top cooking. The extraction of alkaloids from Mu Xiang from traditional cooking was 0.045%, while with vacuum cooking the extraction rate was 0.094% - more than double.

Ginseng Plant

2011-01-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

This is a nice picture of a ginseng plant. Note the bright red berries.

Study: Alcohol more lethal than heroin, cocaine

2010-11-01T17:06:00.000-07:00

Alcohol does terrible things. David Hasselhoff does too.

A recent study in the British medical journal The Lancet (here's a link to a news story summary) shows that alcohol is more lethal and does more overall harm than heroin or cocaine.

According to Chinese medical theory, alcohol is hot, acrid and toxic. In small amounts it can be beneficial as it moves the blood and warms the channels. Alcohol tinctures are a big part of Chinese herbal medicine, although they're not used extensively in the U.S. In large amounts, however, it can create Damp Heat and cause one to "forget oneself".

Alcohol is processed by the liver. In Chinese medical theory, the Liver is the home of the 魂神 Hun Shen, or ethereal spirit (The Liver stores the ethereal soul - gan cang hun 肝藏魂 from Statements of Fact in Traditional Chinese Medicine by Bob Flaws). If the Liver is working properly qi flows easily in the body and you feel at ease.

("Liver qi stagnation" is a common translation, some would say mistranslation, of 肝氣郁 gan qi yu - Bob Flaws and Nigel Wiseman prefer Liver qi depression as the more accurate translation. "Depression" here does not mean the Western medical condition mental depression - rather it indicates a kind of improper or lower-level functioning of the Liver qi. It may or may not be "stagnated" in the sense of a blockage. With that caveat...)

If, however, Liver qi becomes depressed (see previous paragraph), a small amount of alcohol may help to move things along. This is why people drink in social situations - besides the ritual of engaging in a common activity, the substance itself, in this case alcohol, dissolves barriers and loosens tongues. The key is knowing when to stop... excessive alcohol can lead to ugly situations like this and this.

Is Physiologic Reserve the Biomedical Equivalent of Jing?

2010-10-30T22:14:00.000-07:00

Tu Jin Sheng probably has a lot of Jing...

I just found out about this concept called "physiologic reserve." From the New York Times:

Physiologic reserve refers to excess capacity in organs and biological systems; we’re given this reserve at birth, and it tends to decrease over time. In an interview, Dr. Lachs said that as cells deteriorate or die with advancing age, that excess is lost at different rates in different systems.

The effects can sneak up on a person, he said, because even when most of the excess capacity is gone, we may experience little or no decline in function. A secret of successful aging is to slow down the loss of physiologic reserve.

“You can lose up to 90 percent of the kidney function you had as a child and never experience any symptoms whatsoever related to kidney function failure,” Dr. Lachs said. Likewise, we are born with billions of brain cells we’ll never use, and many if not most of them can be lost or diseased before a person experiences undeniable cognitive deficits.

Sounds a lot like Jing, right? Also similar to the function of the extraordinary vessels. Take a look at the full article here.

I Am A Seaweed - Medical Qigong with Dr. Alex Feng

2010-09-05T23:49:00.001-07:00

Take a look at Dr. Alex Feng's new instructional DVD, I Am A Seaweed Medical Qi Gong - An Introduction.

This DVD, an original work of Dr. Feng, is an accumulation of his study and teaching of Medical Qi Gong over 4 decades. Qi Gong is an ancient practice that combines mind, body, and awareness of energy to promote health. The first of a series, this DVD presents an introduction to Dr. Feng's classic teaching, I Am A Seaweed Medical Qi Gong. The form introduces the quintessential principles of Qi Gong that will help the practitioner continue to develop in all areas of Qi Gong practice - not limited to one particular style. Its magic lies in its simplicity and yet the depth of the teaching is utterly profound.

越南肉桂 Vietnamese Rou Gui

2010-08-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

Watch this video in full screen HD on youtube

Today's Post By Gichin Funakoshi Sensei

2010-08-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

This is taken directly from the preface to Gichin Funakoshi's autobiography Karate-Do: My Way of Life. Funakoshi Sensei systematized Shotokan karate from many different indigenous Okinawan martial arts styles - the very name Shotokan comes from the pen name he used when writing poetry. Here he gives us some excellent health advice.

As I look back over the nine decades of my life - from childhood to youth to maturity to (making use of an expression I dislike) old age - I realize that it is thanks to my devotion to Karate-do that I have never once had to consult a physician. I have never in my life taken any medicine: no pills, no elixirs, not even a single injection. In recent years my friends have accused me of being immortal; it is a joke to which I can only reply, seriously but simply, that my body has been so well trained that it repels all sickness and disease.

In my opinion, there are three kinds of ailments that afflict a human being: illnesses that cause fever, malfunctions of the gastrointestinal system and physical injuries. Almost invariably, the cause of a disability is rooted in an unwholesome life-style, in irregular habits, and in poor circulation. If a man who runs a temperature practices karate until the sweat begins to pour from his body, he will soon find that his temperature has dropped to normal, and that his illness has been cured. If a man with gastric troubles does the same, it will cause his blood to circulate more freely and so alleviate his distress. Physical injuries are, of course, another matter, but many of these too may be avoided by a well-trained man exercising proper care and caution. Karate-do is not merely a sport that teaches how to strike and kick; it is also a defense against illness and disease.

Bay Area Acupuncturists

2010-08-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

Dr. Alex Feng
3824 Macarthur Boulevard
Oakland California 94619
510-336-0129
www.alexfeng.com

Tina Chin-Kaplan
300 Brannan St., Suite 302
San Francisco California 94107
415-640-2341
www.needlesandtea.com

Susanna Puelles
568 Monterey Boulevard
San Francisco California 94127
415-710-4537
www.amaruwellness.com‎

Anne Park and Kirstin Lindquist
4341 Piedmont Ave 2nd Fl
(between Gleneden Ave & John St)
Oakland California 94611
www.energymatterseastbay.com

"The Boards"

2010-08-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

One year ago...

The California Acupuncture Licensing Exam is upon us once again! At this very moment hundreds of anxious test takers are hunched over their tables in a cold, cavernous convention center in Sacramento. Some might be done already.

I sincerely hope that in the future, acupuncture schools in the U.S. and worldwide will focus on transforming students into excellent Chinese medicine doctors, rather than teaching to pass the licensing exams. The exams, as anyone who has taken them will tell you, are in no way a measure of how good a doctor you are. It's a multiple choice test! Fill in the bubbles! All it does is ensure basic knowledge of theory and book learning - certainly an important milestone, but not at all something worth spending four years and tens of thousands of dollars preparing for.

The best teachers I had in school would give a nod towards the exam but focus their time on what they considered most important for the medicine. In California, for instance, that means studying more than the 63 herbal formulas that are on the test. Dr. John Pai once said "The exam is like an old stinky shoe. Use it once and throw it away." Which sums it up pretty well!

Dangerous Supplements?

2010-08-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

News story: some supplements are dangerous. But why? How much is dangerous? How do you ascertain purity?

Three of the supplements listed are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine: aconite (附子 Fu Zi), bitter orange (枳壳 Zhi Ke), and coltsfoot (款冬花 Kuan Dong Hua). When used in the framework of a Chinese medicine diagnosis, these herbs are very safe. A large part of the problem is when these plants become divorced from the traditional knowledge that governs their use. No one in the TCM world simply prescribes an aconite pill - it doesn't make any sense. This is what happened with 麻黄 Ma Huang (ephedra) - in TCM it's used sparingly for respiratory conditions. But some doofus discovered that it makes you sweat, and decided to put huge doses of it into pill form and market it as a weight-loss supplement. As a result, a man died, and professional Chinese medicine doctors very nearly lost the ability to use this important herb.

When you take something in pill or powder form, you're putting your faith in the company. You're trusting that the label is correct. Companies that have been around for years and years and only sell to health care professionals are a notch up, in my opinion, from those that sell in supermarkets. At Fat Turtle Herb Company, we do business only with industry leaders who carry the very best products. You can learn more about our suppliers here.

Nini Mai L.Ac has a great story from her college days at Berkeley - about a friend who took an ordinary aspirin to the lab and analyzed it to see what was really inside. Hopefully I can convince her to share the story here!

(Thanks to Karen Wright L.Ac for the link!)

Wow, You Can Juice Anything

2010-07-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

"Jews ear" is another name for 黑木耳 Hei Mu Er, or black wood ear fungus. Hei Mu Er is a strong yin tonic. You can just see the edges of the characters at the top of the picture. See the original page and some unfortunate misunderstandings in the comments section: Wow, You Can Juice Anything - Engrish Funny: Engrish Pictures That Is Your Funny Engrish

Meet the Herbs: Sang Shen

2010-06-15T15:46:00.000-07:00

Chinese: 桑甚
Pin Yin: Sang Shen
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Mori Albae
English: White Mulberry

Strongly tonifies Blood and enriches Yin, goes to the Heart, Liver, and Kidney, and treats constipation due to Blood deficiency in the elderly. What more could you ask for?

It does a handful of other things too, but more importantly, it tastes great! It's like having the satisfying mouth-feel of eating soft granola with the sweetness of dried berries and the texture of fibrous buds popping in my mouth. Did I make that sound appealing? Probably not. But really though, it's that good.

Sang Shen is known to contain high amounts of iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, sulphur, and anthocyanins. It also contains resveratrol, a polyphenolic phytoalexin also found in grapes that has been shown to be an antioxidant, antimutagen, and anti-inflammatory. According to Wikipedia, the "unripe fruit and green parts of the plant have a white sap that is intoxicating and mildly hallucinogenic."

I bought a bag of them in NYC last weekend and have been munching on them everyday since.

Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan for Infertility

2010-05-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

五子衍宗丸 Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan is an interesting formula I'd like to share. It's not found in either Bensky & Barolet or the Chen & Chen formula books, nor is it mentioned in Jiao Shu-De's formula book translated by Wiseman et al. (I don't have the 2nd edition of Formulas & Strategies so it may be in that book).

Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan consists of five herbs, all seeds:

菟丝子 Tu Si Zi
枸杞子 Gou Qi Zi
覆盆子 Fu Pen Zi
五味子 Wu Wei Zi
车前子 Che Qian Zi

I first encountered this formula in the Yosan clinic as an intern. My supervisor, Dr. Jin, used it as a base formula to treat infertility in a woman in her early 30's. The full formula had more than 18 herbs, but Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan was where we started. Without any English-language texts that I know of to go on, I'll take a stab at the functions of this formula.

Tu Si Zi tonifies Yang and is often used in fertility formulas. Gou Qi Zi tonifies the Liver and Kidney, Fu Pen Zi and Wu Wei Zi are both in the category of 固涩 gu se, translated as "stabilize and bind" or "astringe". Che Qian Zi is a draining herb but there are several interesting paragraphs in the 2nd edition of the Bensky et al Materia Medica on the use of Che Qian Zi as a Kidney tonic, particularly when used together with herbs that astringe. I won't retype it all here - it starts on page 278, take a look.

So what happened with all that Fu Zi you were taking?

2010-04-21T05:24:00.000-07:00

Watch this video in full-screen HD on youtube.

Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic

2010-04-19T05:20:00.000-07:00

This is a video I took in March 2010 at the Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic. Watch in awe as the pharmacist bangs out a prescription quickly and accurately using a traditional brass hand scale.

My herbal prescription from Bai Yun Guan

2010-04-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

Watch this video in full-screen HD on youtube.

For more about 火神派 Huo Shen Pai, here is a link to Heiner Fruehauf's website (appears to be down for updates at the moment, but I'm sure it'll be back up soon). If you can read Chinese there is much more information available, as is always the case with Chinese medicine.

Mao Zedong's Gold Needle Treatment

2010-04-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

Watch this video in full-screen HD on youtube

Apparently Mao Zedong was treated for some kind of eye condition with golden needles. The tour guide mentions "jin zhen (something something)" - the jin zhen is 金针, but all that means is that the needles used were made from or more likely coated with gold. The second part of the phrase probably describes what was being done with the needles. If anyone knows what she's talking about please let me know!

I took this video at some kind of "Chinese medicine center" which was way out in the middle of nowhere near the Ming Tombs, north of Beijing. I had exactly the experience of Acupuncture Carl - you can read his comment following Bob Flaw's post here. They wouldn't write me a prescription but said I should spend 350rmb for some pills, which is like US$50. No thanks! I never pay retail for herbs if I can help it.

Professional Diversity in the TCM Field

2010-04-02T22:25:00.000-07:00

Pharmacy counter at the Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Eric Brand makes a very important point in a recent blog about professional diversity in the U.S. TCM field. The recently-released NCCAOM survey says that over 93% of people in the field describe themselves as "practitioner" rather than educator, administrator, or funded researcher - "pharmacist" wasn't even an option, that's how few of us there are! Eric comments:

This stat is also very interesting because it appears that nearly 94% of the people in our profession essentially have the same job. In the Asian world, the profession is much more diverse. Many professionals in Asia are funded researchers, pharmacists, merchants, scholars, advisors, etc. In the NCAAOM survey, 91% of respondents said that they were self-employed, while 30% were both self-employed and employed by others.

Overall, these numbers suggest to me that we tend to focus too much on a single model of a professional identity and lifestyle. Over 35% of respondents said that they felt “poorly prepared” in terms of marketing and PR, and we constantly hear complaints that students find difficulty finding work after graduation. Perhaps we are too focused on the idea that private practice is the ultimate goal of all graduates. Many graduates like to work for other companies rather than fending for themselves, and there are many potential industry jobs available in areas such as herbal quality control. Unfortunately, our teaching programs rarely introduce students to career tracks and lifestyle models beyond private practice. We often have little training in areas such as research or advanced herbal pharmacy, and there is hardly any competition for the jobs in these sectors. Unfortunately for the academic community and industry, there are relatively few graduates that have the skills to fill these jobs.

Hear hear! This is exactly why Nini and I started Fat Turtle Herbs. As the TCM field grows in America, there will be a corresponding need for the specialized field of TCM pharmacy to grow as well. Successful Chinese medicine practitioners simply don't have the time to be their own pharmacist - on top of being your own secretary, business manager, insurance biller, janitor, and assistant, imagine assembling raw herbal formulas or granule formulas for every single patient. It's just not do-able. This time crunch leads many people to rely on pills or simply give up on herbs altogether, which besides being very sad is doing your patients a disservice.

That's where we come in. You might not have the capital or the space for a front office person or insurance biller, but you can always send your herbal formulas to us. In the L.A. area we have a convenient pickup location close to the 405 freeway, and we ship all over the United States (regular shipping arrives the next day in Southern California, two days to the Bay Area).

I was fortunate to have Tom Leung as my Herbs 3 teacher at my TCM school in New York - later I was able to work at his herbal pharmacy Kamwo, which is a traditional Chinatown herb store that's been modernized, upgraded and made friendly to non-Chinese speaking practitioners. That's when I looked around and realized I was surrounded by people who had deep knowledge of herbs, herbal formulas, over-the-counter herbal remedies, herbal preparation and TCM theory. They knew much much more than a new graduate of a typical acupuncture college, were involved in Chinese medicine every day of their working lives, and yet none of them ever touched a needle or treated a patient.

When I moved to Los Angeles to finish my TCM schooling, I looked around for a Kamwo equivalent. Surely there must be one, I thought, this kind of herbal pharmacy is so vital to the TCM community. Herb King in Santa Monica used to perform that role, but the owner unexpectedly died in a car crash and it was bought by the owners of a medical marijuana dispensary, who quickly started selling pot there. The owner of the building then booted them rather than risk having his property seized by the DEA, and that was the end of Herb King. Although they still sell Chinese herbs, it's truly a side line - the vast majority of their business comes from marijuana.

(I worked for a little more than a year at the successor to the Herb King, and I can tell you from personal experience that Chinese pharmacy service is little more than window dressing for them. There are certainly good, earnest L.Acs working there who will assemble an herbal formula for you, but without the support of upper management the Chinese herbs displayed are, as I say, window dressing. Fat Turtle is truly focused on professional Chinese herbal pharmacy services - we don't sell pot. I support medical marijuana and I'm glad it's available to those that need it, but it falls into a special category that L.Acs legally have absolutely no jurisdiction over, and associating ourselves with medical marijuana does nothing to advance the profession or help our patients.)

Whenever I tell L.Acs and TCM students what I do, and that I don't treat patients, I get one of two reactions. 1) The students and newer practitioners get a look on their face like they heard someone died, and say "Oh, wow. That's... I mean..." 2) The more experienced practitioners say "Wow, that's great! How do I order?"

The students and new practitioners are thinking of themselves - everyone is afraid of being "one of those" who doesn't end up practicing, who puts in four years of study and borrowed money and "doesn't use it." I'm here to tell you, don't worry about it! Yes, we need lots of wonderful doctors. But we also need teachers, administrators, researchers, and yes, pharmacists, all working in the TCM field. So if you're halfway through TCM school and are realizing that you don't want to be a doctor, come talk to me. I may have a job for you.

Widely Used Agricultural Pesticide Causes Sex Change

2010-03-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

There is something strange in the water indeed!!

In my previous life as a scientific researcher, I spent hours and hours conducting studies on atrazine and it's effects on the endocrine system. Last year the EPA approved of its continued use despite results from various laboratories throughout the country arguing that more stringent regulation may be necessary. This past Monday, the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America published an article from my former laboratory called: "Atrazine induces complete feminization and chemical castration in male African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis)"

From the title of the paper you can probably guess what they were able to find.

Male frogs not only showed signs of demasculinization, but actually became fully female and had the ability to lay viable eggs. Essentially, they had a chemical sex change through environmental exposure! If that isn't crazy enough, the levels at which these frogs were exposed to atrazine are thousands of times below the level currently allowable in drinking water.

Read the abstract from PNAS.

Here are some quotable quotes from around the news world:

About 75% of stream water samples and 40% of groundwater samples contain atrazine, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, detected atrazine in 90% of tap water samples from 139 water systems. Inexpensive faucet-top water filters can remove the chemical" - USA Today, March 1, 2010

Atrazine can be transported more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the point of application via rainfall and, as a result, contaminates otherwise pristine habitats - AFP, March 1, 2010

Approximately 80 million pounds (36,287 tonnes) are applied annually in the United States alone, and atrazine is the most common pesticide contaminant of ground and surface water.

The negative impacts on wild amphibians is especially concerning given that the dose examined here (2.5 ppb) is in the range that animals experience year-round in areas where atrazine is used as well within levels found in rainfall, in which levels can exceed 100 ppb in the Midwestern United States - Reuters, March 2, 2010

Atrazine was banned in the European Union (EU) in 2004 because of its persistent groundwater contamination. In the United States, however, atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides, with 76 million pounds of it applied each year, in spite of the restriction that used to be imposed. It is probably the most commonly used herbicide in the world, and is used in about 80 countries worldwide. Its endocrine disruptor effects, possible carcinogenic effect, and epidemiological connection to low sperm levels in men has led several researchers to call for banning it in the US. - Wikipedia

Men with higher levels of three commonly used farming pesticides—alachlor, atrazine, and diazinon—in their bodies were much more likely to have a low sperm count than men who showed low levels of the pesticides. - National Geographic, April 2005

9000 Needles

2010-02-26T11:03:00.000-08:00

9000 Needles is the story of Devin Dearth, a champion bodybuilder and family man from Kentucky who suffers a devastating stroke. After a hospital stay and physical rehabilitation, he is sent home, still with limited mobility. Desperate for further treatment, Devin's family searches and somehow has the good fortune to find Dr. Shi Xuemin and the Tianjin acupuncture hospitals he is affiliated with. And then...? I don't know, all I've seen is the trailer above.

I admit that I am excited about the possibility that this film could bring greater awareness of how effective acupuncture is and can be. I'm also looking forward to watching interviews with the famous acupuncture doctor Shi Xuemin. However, the film also looks like an incredibly moving story about a family struggling through some tough times. The film was actually made by Devin's brother Doug Dearth.

It's coming to L.A. for two screenings in the next few weeks. One is a benefit screening in West Hollywood (tickets are $40), and the other is at Oasis Theater on Wilshire (tickets $10). I'll be going to one of them. If you're an acupuncturist, acupuncture student, acupuncture school administrator, or just enjoy a good movie, be sure to watch!

On the web:

9000 Needles Official Website
Where to Watch - a list of upcoming screenings.
Acupuncture for Stroke Rehabilitation: Three Decades of Information from China featuring an article on Dr. Shi Xuemin and his particular method of acupuncture for stroke. (Google Books link)
Dr. Shi Xuemin's profile on the website of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Huang Qi

2010-02-24T22:52:00.000-08:00

Huang Qi (黄芪 astragalus) and Mi Zhi Huang Qi (蜜炙黄芪 honey-fried astragalus)

At Fat Turtle Herb Company, Huang Qi is one the most popular herbs. Because it's generally safe in dosages up to 30 grams, practitioners freely prescribe Huang Qi in many different formulas. Yu Ping Feng San (玉屏风散 Jade Windscreen Powder) and Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang (补中益气汤 Tonify the Middle and Benefit the Qi Decoction) are two of the most popular base formulas that use Huang Qi.

According to an article in Hei Long Jiang Zhong Yi Yao (黑龙江中医药 Heilongjiang Chinese Medicine & Pharmacology), translated and abstracted by Bob Flaws and available for free at Blue Poppy's TCM Infoline, regular Huang Qi is used in Yu Ping Feng San to help secure the exterior, disinhibit water and disperse swelling. Mi Zhi Huang Qi is used in Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang to "upbear yang & lift the fallen, secure the qi & restrain desertion."

Benksy, Clavey and Stoger's 3rd Edition Materia Medica says that honey-fried Huang Qi

induces the astragalus to travel internally, and to specifically tonify and raise the clear qi of the middle burner. It is also somewhat moistening and is therefore more appropriate when the pattern involves blood deficiency, or dryness of the Spleen.

Chen and Chen's Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology says

unprocessed Huang Qi (fresh or dried) has qualities better suited to treat exterior disorders, as it tonifies wei (defensive) qi, stops perspiration, regulates circulation of water, reduces edema, and promotes generation of flesh. The honey-processed herb has an enhanced ability to treat imbalances of the interior, such as Spleen and Lung qi deficiencies and yang deficiency. It is also commonly used to treat chronic cases of fatigue, diarrhea, organ prolapse, and all cases of deficiency.

When writing prescriptions, make sure you're using the right type of Huang Qi for the condition. Fat Turtle Herb Company carries regular Huang Qi and Mi Zhi Huang Qi in both raw and granule powder format.

More Discussion of Herbal Dosing

2010-02-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

Carl Stimson, an American acupuncturist living and working in Tokyo, has some interesting observations on medicinal dosing - you can read part one and part two here.

Running a Chinese pharmacy, I see all different levels of dosing. Some of our practitioners use 12-15 different herbs for each prescription, with 9-15 grams for each herb. Others use as little as 4 herbs and doses of 3-9 grams maximum. Some want their patients to take one bag of raw herbs per day, others one bag every other day. If you're not getting results, dosage might be one aspect of your treatment to consider (obviously a correct diagnosis is number one).

In previous posts, I've recommended using one bag of raw herbs per day, or its equivalent in granule form. While I still feel this is the best option, I have seen many practitioners get results with varied dosage forms, and results are what matter most. Heiner Fruehauf, a member of the Fire Spirit school of Chinese medicine, uses Fu Zi in almost every formula, and in this article cites his teachers in the Fire Spirit school as saying that if a patient feels palpitations and dizziness after taking Fu Zi it's most likely because the dose was too small rather than too high (he's also very specific on the type of Fu Zi used - it must be from Jiangyou County in Sichuan province).

Here's Carl:

When I was a student I remember reading a debate on dosages between several practitioners on a TCM internet discussion group. The argument that American patients did not need as much herbs as Chinese patients because they had not developed any tolerance to herbs was being discussed. One practitioner countered that if a doctor traveled to an isolated island where the inhabitants had never been treated with aspirin or antibiotics, the doctor wouldn't reduce his dosage because of this, he would continue to dose based on weight and severity of the illness. At the time I thought this was a wonderful argument. It illustrated the fact that we are all humans with the same biology and chemistry. I still think the point is an important one, but now I wonder about a related question. I think there is no doubt that a foreign doctor arriving in a new country / culture would continue to dose using the standards he was trained in. However, if the local doctors were given this new medicine, would they continue to follow the same dosage standards after many years of practical experience? It seems, based on what we have seen with acupuncture and pain medication, that there is no guarantee the local doctors would not develop different dosage standards.

So why does this happen? After all, the human body is the human body, no matter if it is American, Chinese, or any culture. It is subject to the laws of science no matter what national borders the body is living in. I believe that differences in dosage standards across cultural lines has very little to do with science, and mostly involves differences in each culture's relationship to health and medicine. In China, many patients will not be satisfied with an acupuncture treatment that is not painful, while in the US and Japan, a practitioner is unlikely to be in practice very long if his/her treatments cause much pain. Perhaps the Chinese have more faith in the "No pain, no gain" principle. The difference in pain medication dosages between the US and Japan probably reveals the fact that being able to withstand suffering without complaint is highly valued (and expected) in Japanese society. I have also heard that US doctors start to give medication for blood pressure and cholesterol at lower levels than Japan. This could reflect a tendency of Americans to be more proactive in using outside means to control nature. It could also reflect the pervasive paranoia about liability in America.

While it is true that we are all human beings and subject to the laws of science, let's remember that the laws of science are essentially a crude way of describing the laws of nature. The Daoist tradition has a much more elegant, somewhat less exact but much more complete way of describing nature, based on the the concepts of Wu Ji, Tai Ji (yin and yang), the five phases, ba gua and so on. When you look at humans from this perspective, it helps you remember that people get sick in different ways all over the world. So when the hypothetical doctors arrive on the island, why are they giving out aspirin and antibiotics in the first place? What criteria are they using to evaluate local people and their illnesses, and are those criteria valid?

There is a trope in Chinese medicine that Northerners (northern Chinese) come from a cold climate and therefore need higher doses, take to warming tonics better, and when they catch wind (cold) need stronger exterior-releasing herbs. Southerners (southern Chinese) come from a warmer climate and therefore usually need lower doses, and when they catch wind need a different treatment strategy. So of course people in places as different as China, Japan and the U.S. need different dosages.

In a heterogeneous society like the U.S., you'll treat all different body types and all different ethnicities. Some of your patients were born in faraway places, some were born around the corner from your office. Don't get caught up in dogma, whether it relates to dosing, diagnosing, or anything else. Evaluate each patient individually and decide what's appropriate for their situation.

See also: How much is in a qian? by Eric Brand

Roasted Vegetable Stew

2010-02-16T20:01:00.001-08:00

Over the past few months, I've been prescribing slow-cooked root vegetables as an addition to many of my patients' diets. Root vegetables, particularly yams and sweet potatoes, are very nourishing and tonifying of Spleen energy. The Spleen in Chinese medicine falls under the domain of the Earth element, creating the foundation for the production of new, utilizable energy and all of the physiological processes in the body.

I realized today that all this time I have failed to provide any good recipes to go with my advice!

Here's a delicious and simple recipe for a Roasted Vegetable Stew that I've adapted from a recipe I found in a book on soups:

4 Parsnips, cut lengthwise into 4 pieces and then quartered

2 Red Onions, cut into thin wedges

3 Garnet Yams, cut into chunks

1 Large Leek, cut thickly

1 Fennel Bulb, cut into chunks

3 Celery Stalks, cut into diagonal slices

1 Butternut Squash, skinned, seeds removed, and cubed

2 Whole Heads of Garlic

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Herbs du Provence (or just Thyme), Salt, and Pepper for seasoning

4 Cups Vegetable Broth

Handful of Cherry Tomatoes

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Put all of the cut veggies into a large roasting pan (I need to use two separate 9" x 13" pans for this recipe, but that's only because I don't have a bigger pan!). Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the Olive Oil over the veggies and toss to cover evenly. Put the last tablespoon of olive oil in a little bowl or mug and dip each whole head of garlic into it, being sure to entirely coat it. Place the two oiled heads of garlic on top of the pan of veggies, and moderately sprinkle Herbs du Provence over everything. Place the pan in the oven for at least 45 mins, or until the veggies are roasty browned and tender.

While you're waiting for the veggies to cook, you can make some delicious bread to go with your stew!

1 Loaf crusty bread, I would recommend Ciabatta or Thick Baguette

3 Tablespoons butter or butter substitute (I use Earth Balance)

2 Cloves Raw Garlic, chopped

4 Pieces Sun-dried Tomato

Paprika, Parsley, or in my case Mexican Spiced Chili Seasoning for taste and color

Take your loaf of crusty bread and cut diagonal slits into the bread without cutting all the way through. Mix 3 Tablespoons of butter stuff with the chopped garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Use a butter knife to stuff and spread the mixture into the slices of the bread. When you're done, sprinkle some seasoning across the top of the loaf and put the bread back together, wrapping the whole thing in foil. When you're ready to bake, put the foiled loaf in the oven at 400F for 10 mins covered so that it can get flavorfully buttery infused, and then uncovered for 5 minutes so that it can get golden brown. I would recommend waiting until the stew is done to toast the bread so that you can serve it up immediately all warm and delicious and whatnot.

Once the veggies are done and you've removed them from the oven, take one head of garlic and squeeze the roasted cloves out. Save the other head for serving with your meal. Take half of the roasted veggies with the squeezed garlic and mash it all up with the 4 cups of vegetable broth with either a food processor or blender until it is almost smooth. Mix the rest of the roasted veggies into this stew and heat on the stove until boiling. Add salt and pepper to taste. When ready to serve, place a few cherry tomatoes on top and garnish with some herby green things (like thyme or rosemary sprigs) for looks and aroma.

It's plenty meal for 4-6 people when served with toasty bread and roasted garlic. What's more, when made with Earth Balance this recipe is vegan!

Tonight we complemented our meal with peach champagne avec fresh strawberries for a fun and tasty beverage. Bon apetit!

Dr. Chao's Herbal Drink

2010-02-08T12:56:00.000-08:00

Just got a sample of this from a neighbor. No sugar, no calories, made with Chinese herbs, and no, it's not disgusting. It's actually quite sweet. I'm guessing that's because of the Luo Han Guo (罗汉果 Fructus Momordicae). From Chen's Materia Medica entry on Luo Han Guo, page 722:

Because mogroside VI is approximately 256 to 344 times sweeter than cane sugar, it is commonly used as a sweetening agent in drinks. It is also used as a sugar substitute by obese individuals or those with diabetes mellitus.

Hmm, I guess it's only a matter of time before someone patents a chemical copy of mogroside and markets it as a sugar substitute, eh? Anyway, back to the drink.

Ingredients: Water, Cordyceps, Saffron, Fructus Momordicae, Herba Hyperici Japonici, Herba Houttuyniae, Rubus Suavissmus, Lavender, Citric Acid.

Cordyceps (冬虫夏草 Dong Chong Xia Cao) is a parasitic fungus that grows out of the body of an insect which it infects and eventually kills. Bad for the insect, good for us! The wild product is unimaginably expensive, but cultivated cordyceps is available. Cordyceps is used as a general tonic herb that is good for the lungs and the immune system and has very few side effects.

Saffron is the common name of 红花 Hong Hua, which in Chinese medicine is considered a blood-mover. I've never heard of it being used for stress, but blood stasis could certainly contribute to stress, so... Fructus Momordicae, besides having that magical sweetening effect, is good for coughs. Hypericum (贯叶连翘 Guan Ye Lian Qiao) is the Chinese name for St. Johns Wort. Chen puts it in the category of Clear Heat Eliminate Toxin and notes:

Historically in China, this herb was used as a heat-clearing agent, to treat various types of infectious and inflammatory conditions. In Europe, it was used more as a nerve tonic, to address anxiety, depression, and restlessness.

Now we get to an odd one: Herba Houttuynia, or 鱼腥草 Yu Xing Cao. I have no idea what this herb is doing in a stress formula. It's also a Clear Heat Eliminate Toxin herb, generally used for infections. It also promotes urination and drains pus.

Rubus Suavissmus is a new one on me. It's not in my herbal medicine books, but googling it turns up a variety of research studies. Apparently its common name is Chinese sweet tea.

Lavender is a western herb used for relaxation. Citric acid is a preservative.

Well, I drank it, and I'm not dead. I don't know how much it retails for, but I probably wouldn't pay for it. I'm not much into exotic drinks. I stick with the basics: Chinese tea, Vietnamese coffee, water, beer, wine.

Dr. Chao also has some other drinks: Adult Drink, an aphrodisiac type of drink; Lady Drink, for the ladies; and 21, for the drinkers.

Ling Zhi

2010-02-04T02:37:00.001-08:00

My former roommate with some Ling Zhi

Eric Brand has a good blog post about about Ling Zhi (灵芝 ganoderma, aka reishi mushroom). Some key points are that although Ling Zhi is mentioned from way back as a very important herb, it does not appear in a single classical formula. Does that mean it was meant to be taken only by itself? Only on special occasions? Who knows?

The modern TCM functions, covered in Eric's blog post, suggest that it could be a useful addition to Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan or Yu Ping Feng San. Many people swear by it to prevent and/or as an adjunct therapy for cancer (see what Wikipedia has to say about it), but beware of the internet - it's full of shady sites that will claim to cure your cancer/AIDS/etc. with their special blend of super-extracted reishi mushroom (this blog post may automatically generate Google ads for some of these same sites). As always, the best way to determine how to use Chinese herbs is by visiting a trusted herbal doctor, or at the very least very careful and thorough self-directed research from authoritative sources.

A few years ago I took a trip to Chinatown and bought one of the large whole mushrooms, about a foot in diameter (that's it in the picture above). I took it home and looked at it for awhile, took pictures of it. Then I tried slicing it - very difficult. It turned out that the easiest way for me to decoct it was to break off pieces in chunks. I didn't bother weighing it since it was for personal use. I cooked it as do most tonics - low and slow with plenty of water, about 2 hours in all. It was late afternoon when it was done. I drank a mug. It was certainly bitter, but something about the taste appealed to me, like clean spicy dirt. About twenty minutes later I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep right there on the couch and woke up feeling slightly drugged but also very very refreshed.

Pao Zhi Herbs

2010-01-29T12:35:00.000-08:00

Bai Shao and Chao Bai Shao. For more pictures of pao zhi herbs, follow the #paozhi tag on twitter

Pao Zhi 炮制 refers to the preparation of Chinese medicinal herbs. All herbs are prepared in one way or another by the time they appear in your local Chinese herb pharmacy. Some are simply washed, cut in a particular way and dried. Others undergo a more intensive preparation process to reduce toxicity and enhance medicinal effect.

Ban Xia 半夏, for instance, is prepared with either lime (calcium oxide) or ginger juice for several days before it takes on the appearance we're used to seeing. Turning Sheng Di Huang 生地黄 into Shu Di Huang 熟地黄 involves steaming the cut pieces over wine for several hours until they become much darker and deeper black (if you have an I.D. test, don't fret over Sheng Di vs. Shu Di - Sheng Di usually always has a little bit of brown somewhere on it. Shu Di will be deep black all over).

Other herbs can be processed with liquid adjuvants. The most obvious example is Gan Cao 甘草 and 炙甘草 Zhi Gan Cao. Zhi Gan Cao, of course, is prepared with honey, making it much sweeter and a stronger qi tonic than regular Gan Cao (or Sheng Gan Cao 生甘草, as it's sometimes called, to distinguish it from its honeyfied cousin). Cu Chao Chai Hu 醋炒柴胡, or vinegar-fried bupleurum, is used to direct the action of the herb to the Liver channel (because vinegar is sour and sour is the flavor associated with the Wood phase) and according to Bensky enhances the ability of Chai Hu "to soothe the Liver, harmonize the blood, and stop pain." I would guess that it also warms the herb considerably (regular Chai Hu is cool to cold).

Fat Turtle Herb Company makes many of these herbs available for your use as practitioners. Below is a short summary of the major differences between the processed and unprocessed versions of some of these herbs. For more information in English take a look at Philippe Sionneau's pao zhi book, translated by the ubiquitous Bob Flaws. The end section of each herb monograph of the third edition of the Materia Medica by Bensky et al also has good information on different herb preparations. I haven't had a chance to look at it yet, but I would be surprised if Eric Brand and Nigel Wiseman's Concise Materia Medica didn't have some excellent info on pao zhi as well.

Bai Shao: Bitter and sour, slightly cold. Settles the Liver, downbears yang, nourishes the Liver, restrains yin.
Chao Bai Shao: Bitter, sour, astringent, neutral temperature. Soothes the Liver, harmonizes the Spleen, stops diarrhea.

Bai Zhu: Sweet, bitter, warm. Fortifies the Spleen, dries dampness, disinhibits urination, disperses swelling. Better at drying dampness.
Chao Bai Zhu: Sweet, bitter, warm. Fortifies the Spleen, supplements the qi. This is a better Spleen qi tonic.

Huang Qi: Sweet, slightly warm. Secures the exterior, stops perspiration, disinhibits urination, disperses swelling, outthrusts pus and toxins.
Mi Zhi Huang Qi: Sweet, slightly warm, slightly moistening. Supplements Lung qi, tends to moisten dampness, supplements vacuity.

There are many more pao zhi preparation available. Licensed acupuncturists and students at TCM colleges call 310-691-5226 or email orders@fatturtleherbs.com to check if the herb you want is available.

Note: granule practitioners don't feel left out! We have many pao zhi preparations available in granule format as well.

Wildcrafted Gan Cao and Dan Shen

2010-01-25T14:54:00.000-08:00

Let's face it: plants don't naturally grow in rows. We put them there because it's easier to harvest and can maximize yield. A licorice plant sitting in a field among thousands of other licorice plants is like a lion in a zoo - it's still a lion, but does it behave like a lion would in the wild? Of course not. While it's much easier to observe animal behavior than it is to see what's going on with the chemical constituents of a plant, you can bet that a plant you pick from the wild is going to be much more robust than a plant you grow on a farm.

Wildcrafting is an intermediate step between farming and simply gathering. Standards vary from place to place, but essentially you put the plants in their natural environment and do as little to them as possible. No chemicals, no weeding, no grow lights, no animal traps. When they're ready, you harvest some and leave the rest to keep growing. Take a look at this ginseng company in Western Maryland for a good explanation of how they wildcraft their American ginseng.

Fat Turtle Herb Company currently carries wildcrafted Gan Cao and wildcrafted Dan Shen as our normal everyday inventory. No need to ask for the good stuff - it's in every order!

The Story of Kam Wah Chung

2010-01-19T15:52:00.001-08:00

We've posted about Kam Wah Chung before, but this video is much better. It's more detailed and is much better quality. Take a look and learn about Chinese medicine in 1850's Oregon!

Stress and pH

2010-01-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

Today on the radio I heard an interview with Marcelle Pick, a nurse practitioner who has a new book out. She was talking about managing yeast overgrowth in the body. Yeast overgrowth can manifest in many different ways - skin rashes, gas, bloating, a general sense of unease. In TCM yeast corresponds to Dampness and is usually accompanied by Spleen Qi Deficiency.

She went through some excellent dietary advice, such as avoiding vinegar and sugars both added and naturally-occurring. Ms. Pick also noted that it's important to stick with a yeast-elimination diet for at least a few months to give it a chance to work.

At the very end of the interview she threw in this bonus - stress plays a huge role in yeast, because increased stress can lead to increased pH, which is a breeding ground for yeast. If you reduce your stress (by changing how you react to stressful situations), you can literally affect the chemistry of your body. How cool is that? No need for pills, or even herbs. Just take a deep breath, try some meditation, exercise - all these things are proven to reduce stress. You might enjoy one more than the other, so try them until you find something you can stick with. Then, enjoy the benefits of alchemical control over your internal body processes...

Fat Turtle Herb Company: We're Just Like Google

2010-01-15T13:01:00.001-08:00

Fat Turtle Herb Company is under cyberattack from China! Or is it?

Last night I got this email:

from: Robert Meng
date: Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 9:24 PM
subject: Urgently-fatturtleherbs Domain names Announcement

(If you are not the person who is in charge of this, please forward to the right person/ department, this is urgent, thank you.)

Dear CEO,

We are the department of registration service in China. we have something need to confirm with you. We formally received an application on Jan.14, 2010, One company which is called " Tatief Trading Co.,LTD. " is applying to register "fatturtleherbs" as brand name and domain names as below :

fatturtleherbs.asia
fatturtleherbs.cn
fatturtleherbs.com.cn
fatturtleherbs.com.hk
fatturtleherbs.com.tw
fatturtleherbs.hk
fatturtleherbs.in
fatturtleherbs.net.cn
fatturtleherbs.org.cn
fatturtleherbs.tw

After our initial checking, we found the brand name and these domain names being applied are as same as your company's, so we need to confirm with your company. If the aforesaid company is your business partner or your subsidiary company, please DO NOT reply us, we will approve the application automatically. If you have no any relationship with this company, please contact us within 7 workdays. If out of the deadline, we will approve the application submitted by " Tatief Trading Co.,LTD ." unconditionally.

Best Regards,

Robert Meng
Senior consultant

A range of thoughts and emotions went through me, in roughly this order:
1. Okay, is this spam?
2. Wait, it looks pretty real. Shit!
3. What's the difference between a copyright and a trademark?
4. Damn the Chinese!
5. Man, we're so big that someone wants to cybersquat on some associated domain names. Oh yeah....

I looked up Tatief Trading Co. Nothing. I looked up FoWa, the company where the email originated from - it seems to be a domain-registration company based in Shanghai. I noticed that the email from Robert Meng came from a .com address, whereas FoWa has a .org address. So I sent an email to the general inquiries desk at FoWa, rather than replying to Robert (what if, by replying, I install some sort of weird virus or tracking software on my computer?). Of course I told them that we are NOT affiliated in any way with the aforementioned company.

After about a half hour, I calmed down. Who cares if someone takes those domain names in Taiwan and China? We're not planning on opening up operations overseas. Pharmacy is a very local business - patients need herbs, now. And I'm not about to pay to reserve "fatturtleherbs.whatever" for every single country, because there are a zillion of them.

So, in closing, remember that www.fatturtleherbs.com is the only legitimate web address for Fat Turtle Herb Company. Thanks!

Eating GMO Corn Proven To Be Hazardous To Your Health

2010-01-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

A new study published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences showed that three different varieties of genetically modified corn from Monsanto are toxic to the liver and kidneys.

The difference between their study and the ones conducted by Monsanto? Monsanto manipulated the results of their experiment by using statistical analyses that would favor the safety of their product, as opposed to utilizing all tools available to them to fully analyze the data to determine whether or not there were signs of toxicity.

Another difference? Any sign of toxicity should have elicited a need to continue collecting data past the 90 days Monsanto had designated for the length of their study, since 90 days is no where near long enough to determine long-term effects and chronic illness. The authors of this recently published paper, on the other hand, are extending their experiment for up to two years in light of their results.

Makes me wanna smash things.

The thing that gets me is that these products have been deemed safe for human consumption based on the powerful truth that is science. However, the research itself is up for sale, whereby some laboratories have been paid to produce specific data and, conversely, paid to stop experiments when the data conflicts with what the agropharma companies want to see. It makes me angry.

Anyway, I'm done with my ranting. Just don't eat any GMO foods if you can help it, ok?

Small Changes Lead to Big Changes in Preventing Diabetes

2010-01-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

Tim and Paul Daly, identical twins. One has diabetes, one does not.

Here's an inspirational story about beating diabetes. Tim and Paul Daly are identical twins who were inseparable up through young adulthood - they even joined the Army together. Later they took different paths, and while Tim kept playing basketball every week with friends on Tuesday night, his brother didn't do any exercise at all.

In 1996 Paul was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. His identical twin Tim was pre-diabetic. Then...

Tim volunteered to take part in a huge national research study aimed at determining exactly what it takes to prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes.

Like him, all of the 3,234 volunteers in the study were at high risk of developing the disease. The volunteers were broken down into three groups.

Tim was randomly assigned to the "lifestyle intervention" group. He received intensive counseling from a dietitian and motivational coach who helped him develop a plan to eat less and exercise more.

A second group of participants took a diabetes medicine called Metformin twice a day. These volunteers received information about diet and exercise, but they didn't get motivational counseling. A third group received placebo pills instead of Metformin.

Researchers wanted to know which intervention would work best to prevent diabetes and all of the complications that can develop as a result: loss of vision, kidney failure, amputations and a substantial increase in risk of heart disease and stroke.

As it turns out, the study found lifestyle changes to be twice as affective as the medicine.

Twice as effective!! Keep that in mind when you read the possible side effects of Metformin:

Metformin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe, do not go away, go away and come back, or do not begin for some time after you begin taking metformin:
diarrhea
bloating
stomach pain
gas
constipation
unpleasant metallic taste in mouth
heartburn
headache
sneezing
cough
runny nose
flushing of the skin
nail changes
muscle pain

Some side effects can be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon, but if you experience any of them or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately:
chest pain
rash

Some female laboratory animals given high doses of metformin developed non-cancerous polyps (abnormal growths of tissue) in the uterus (womb). It is not known if metformin increases the risk of polyps in humans. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking this medication.

Metformin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

Just more evidence that exercise is good for nearly everything. The audio version of this story, available for free on the NPR website, has more detail than the printed version.

Preventing Diabetes: Small Changes Have Big Payoff by Allison Aubrey
Diabetes Prevention Program Study Repository
Medline Plus: Metformin

Case Study: My Shoulder

2009-12-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

This isn't actually a full-length case study, considering that I didn't really have to do much to fix the problem. Basically, I went to Kenpo study on Monday night and somehow threw out my shoulder. By the time I got home, it was really painful and nearly impossible for me to move my arm behind me and away from my body. I was too lazy to needle myself, so I opted to use an herbal medicated plaster instead.

That first night I used 701 Plaster, which I found in the past to be very useful for pains related to bone structure and joints. I woke up the next morning with it still kind of sore, and proceeded to go about my day at the office. By the end of the day my shoulder hadn't improved much in terms of range of motion or pain sensitivity, so I tried Wu Yang Plaster instead.

I placed a piece of that sticky herbalicious magic on my shoulder directly over the site of pain, and when I woke up this morning it was so much better. I put on a fresh patch after my shower and have continued to wear it all day. Right now I don't feel any shoulder pain at all with normal movement, and only minimally when I try to throw a forceful lock-out punch in the air. Even stretching my arm out and clasping my hands behind my back doesn't produce any pain. Yay!

The interesting thing is that I currently have 5 - count 'em 5! - patients who all have this same type of shoulder pain. They all developed the pain from doing different things, with two of them from doing nothing at all and suspecting it's from sleeping funny. I wonder if shoulder pain can be contagious? All I know is, everyone is going to be prescribed Wu Yang Plaster this week.

Using the TCM Pharmacopeia to Make Western-style Drugs

2009-12-13T23:39:00.000-08:00

This 2007 article from Chemistry World reminds me why I'm glad to be doing Traditional Chinese Medicine. The key difference between TCM and Western medicine is not in the implements or the ingredients, but in the diagnostic view.

At least 1.1 billion adults and 10 per cent of children around the world are now overweight or obese, according to the International Obesity Task Force. As more people become heavier, they become vulnerable to type 2 diabetes, a potentially fatal condition. Hotamisligil's investigations have uncovered the key pathway that leads to diabetes.

Obesity makes unusual demands on fat cells - they become stressed. When a person piles on the pounds, a cellular organelle called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is forced to work harder than usual to process the surplus fat. To cope with the extra workload, the ER normally counts on a built-in pack of chemical chaperones that help process fats and proteins.

But if the ER still feels the strain, it starts faltering, igniting a chain reaction that eventually shuts down insulin pathways and precipitates diabetes. The Harvard team hopes to prevent ER stress by supplying cells with extra chaperones. They tried supplying the ER with tauro ursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) and another small molecular drug PBA (4-phenyl butyric acid) as potential chaperones in two sets of obese mice.

The results were pretty spectacular: the compounds alleviated ER stress, and after one week of treatment, glucose levels in both sets of obese mice returned to normal. There was a benign effect on the liver too, reducing the presence of fatty deposits that often lead to cirrhosis.

Seriously?? If you want to reduce the strain on the endoplasmic reticulum, wouldn't losing weight via exercise and dietary regulation be a much better option than taking TUDCA and PBA? As an emergency treatment for someone with advanced type 2 diabetes, this could be very useful. But taking black bear bile and then continuing to lead a sedentary lifestyle and eat excessive amounts of sugar and fatty foods is not a prescription for health.

Personally I hate taking any kind of medicine - I don't like getting acupuncture, I don't like taking bitter herbs, and I don't like eating bland food. I do love to move, and that's my usual medicine - lots and lots of exercise. So I don't understand why people could be content with taking powerful drugs every day for the rest of their lives. To me, it defies comprehension, but I have met people like that - "yeah, I'm sick, I have such-and-such condition, but the doctor gave me a prescription, so now I'm taking Tulupa (hexomethacripulate 600mg)" - and that's the end of the story. Really? So, how long will you be taking that for? "I don't know, the doctor didn't say." EEEEERRRRRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!! It's just odd to to me. I don't get it. Why do you want to poison yourself like that? Medicine is not benign. There are always side effects - get out your magnifying glass and read the package insert. Chinese herbs tend to have much milder side effects, which is why when I'm sick that's my first option.

Take a look at the whole article here.

[Note: there is no such drug as Tulupa. As far as I know.]

How Does Acupuncture Work? New Study May Point The Way

2009-12-10T08:38:00.000-08:00

This looks very promising!

New groundbreaking research shows that the insertion of an acupuncture needle into the skin disrupts the branching point of nerves called C fibres. These C fibres transmit low-grade sensory information over very long distances by using Merkel cells as intermediaries. Dr. Morry Silberstein of the Curtin University of Technology will publish his research in the Journal of Theoretical Biology later this year.

Take a look!

Circles

2009-12-10T08:18:00.001-08:00

There's a good article on the circle in the NY Times, which uses Vasily Kandinsky as a jumping off point.

This being December, I’d like to honor Kandinsky through his favorite geometry, by celebrating the circle and giving a cheer for the sphere. Life as we know it must be lived in the round, and the natural world abounds in circular objects at every scale we can scan. Let a heavenly body get big enough for gravity to weigh in, and you will have yourself a ball. Stars are giant, usually symmetrical balls of radiant gas, while the definition of both a planet like Jupiter and a plutoid like Pluto is a celestial object orbiting a star that is itself massive enough to be largely round.

On a more down-to-earth level, eyeballs live up to their name by being as round as marbles, and, like Jonathan Swift’s ditty about fleas upon fleas, those soulful orbs are inscribed with circular irises that in turn are pierced by circular pupils. Or think of the curved human breast and its bull’s-eye areola and nipple.

Our eggs and those of many other species are not egg-shaped at all but spherical, and when you see human eggs under a microscope they look like tranquil suns with Kandinsky coronas behind them.

Full article here.

Coming Soon To Fat Turtle: Yincare!

2009-12-06T19:34:00.000-08:00

Fat Turtle Herb Company will soon be carrying Yincare, an extremely useful TCM product. Yincare is China’s most widely used topical/intravaginal wash for gynecological as well as general bacterial, fungal and viral skin complaints. The formula is comprised of both the water-extracted and essential oil materials of the herbs listed below and can be quite effective in small concentrations (5-10%). It can be effectively applied as a wash, rub, sitz bath or compress.

蛇床子 Cnidium - She Chuang Zi
薄荷 Mentha - Bo He
金银花 Lonicera - Jin Yin Hua
栀子 Gardenia - Zhi Zi
黄柏 Phellodendron - Huang Bai
黄芩 Scutellaria - Huang Qin
苦参 Sophora - Ku Shen
地夫子 Kochia - Di Fu Zi
茵陈蒿 Artemisia - Yin Chen Hao
独活 Angelica - Du Huo
苍术 Atractylodes - Cang Zhu
石菖蒲 Acorus - Shi Chang Pu
艾叶 Artemisia - Ai Ye
土荆皮 Pseudolarix - Tu Jing Pi

Yincare retails for $19.95, with a substantial discount for licensed acupuncturists and students at TCM colleges.

Altruism

2009-12-01T16:57:00.000-08:00

Turns out that we're born with the innate desire to help each other out.

Additionally, giving has a profoundly positive effect on one's health.

Parasites - Good or Bad?

2009-11-29T23:28:00.000-08:00

Isn't he cute??

Tonight I heard an excellent radio program on parasites, courtesy of Radiolab on WNYC. There's an interview with parasite expert and science writer Carl Zimmer, and a fascinating segment on a fellow who had chronic asthma and decided to treat it by purposefully acquiring a hookworm. Spoiler alert: it totally worked!

To paraphrase the program: autoimmune diseases such as asthma, type 1 diabetes, lupus, et cetera are virtually unknown in the developing world. Why? We might be a little too clean. If you use antibacterial products in your home and eat only irradiated food, you've essentially eliminated an entire class of organism from your life - organisms which have developed in concert with human beings for thousands of years.

Granted, sanitation and hygiene are important. No one is advocating that doctors stop washing their hands. But listen to this program for a slightly different take on parasites - and just maybe learn to appreciate them!

At the age of 100, Xing Yi Master Wang Ji Wu Describes His Principles of Living a Healthy Life

2009-11-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

This gem was brought to my attention by licensed acupuncturist and tai chi teacher Robert Martinez of New York City. Thanks Robert! It has wonderful words of wisdom for anyone interested in health, and for doctors and martial artists in particular.

I believe it may have been taken from this book, Xing Yi Nei Gong.

The Heart is Calm, Quiet as Still Water
My own history is from the end of the Qing Dynasty, through the period of the republic to the People's Republic, already a hundred years. My life has seen its share of ups and downs, times of poverty and hardship, honor and dishonor, the changes of the seasons, all of which have left a deep impression on me. After the founding of the People's Republic, my life became stable, but with the Cultural Revolution, disaster once again overran the country and I was forced out of business. All of these events served as a means of cultivating my spirit, and afforded me the opportunity to practice the "gong fu" of living in the world.

One must always maintain a calm heart even when influenced by the Seven Emotions; joy, anger, happiness, worry, sadness, fear, and surprise. The heart must remain as calm as still water, never allowing any personal desires to stir up a ripple of disturbance. My thoughts are pure; in spirit I seek to forget myself and transcend the common affairs of the world, keeping my life simple and my desires few. With a clear heart, I do not contend with others or make demands upon the world, but rather seek to contribute what I can for the benefit of all, aiding those in need and protecting those in danger.

Without desire one is strong, without desire one is quiet, without desire one may return to that which is natural, without desire one returns to the Original State. With a heart like still water, from the extreme stillness will spring action, from the Void comes that which is alive, yin and yang are in harmony and the qi flows unimpeded. With a heart like still water, the qi is sufficient and the spirit full. When the qi is sufficient and the spirit full, the Organs function normally, the blood is nourished, the meridians, nerves, digestion, and circulation are all healthy and the metabolism stimulated. When the factors that prevent aging are all strong, one may prevent illness and live a long and healthy life.

Humans are holistic beings which are possessed of a certain vitality. The spirit and flesh are inseparable and form a complicated entity. The human vitality supports, influences, and is responsive to the person as a whole, while the spirit is the leader and controller, the "commander-in-chief" of the being as a whole. Under certain circumstances, it can be said that the spirit, "pulls one hair and the whole body follows," or, at the slightest stirring of the spirit the whole being responds, and each movement of the spirit has a real effect on the individual. Therefore, I put special emphasis on the spirit as leader, ever strengthening my resolve to cultivate the spirit, maintain calmness of heart, and become as pure as light without a speck of dust. This is akin to the Song Dynasty poet who wrote "to understand the highest virtue" applied to the present time. Better yet, this cultivation of the spirit and heart will improve the physical constitution of the people, protect their health, and contribute to a long and healthy life.

Live an Enthusiastic Life, Serve the Public Good
I have traveled the long road of life, experiencing hardship, difficulty, and I know the sentiment of man is often as thin as paper. I have seen corruption and those whose only concern is realizing their own desires. Because of this, I have striven even harder to live a practical life, willing to sacrifice even more for the good of the people. After the founding of the Republic, I spent my time working in the streets as a doctor, treating anyone who came to me for help with wholehearted enthusiasm. When one finds happiness in serving others, one will be full of the spirit of life, seeing things as they are with a calm heart. Thus, one may reach the state where the spirit is preserved within, the body is healthy and the spirit full, the intellect wise, decisions made adroitly and reactions made spontaneously. Consequently, the life energy will be strengthened and increased while promoting the health and longevity of the body.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Luriko Ozeki L.Ac in the Dominican Republic

2009-11-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

Luriko Ozeki recently returned from a trip to the Dominican Republic, where she provided acupuncture treatments as part of a multi-disciplinary medical team. Click here to read her blog about the trip.

Luriko practices in West L.A. - click here to visit her website.

Open House Tonight!!

2009-10-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

Apologies to our readers, but this is why we've been MIA from the blog.

We'd love it if you can make it tonight!

Where: 11965 Venice Boulevard, Suite 207
Los Angeles, CA 90066

When: 7-9 pm

What: Please join us for drinks and snacks and to celebrate the Grand Opening of our brand new clinic.

See you there!
Jonah and Nini

Cycles: Pi, Phi, Fibonacci, and the Yi Jing

2009-10-12T06:45:00.000-07:00

Fascinating fascinating fascinating story in the New Yorker this week. It uses a profile of financial trader Martin Armstrong to explore the idea of cycles as they apply to historical, political and economic events (Armstrong predicted, to the day, the stock market crash of October 1987). The article does a wonderful job of exploring the many different types of cycles and their various proponents, but ends up portraying Armstrong as a bit of a nutjob.

(Which is probably the safe route. As the article itself notes, financial traders who use the idea that financial markets move according to fixed cycles, rather than the idea that the market is relatively unpredictable, generally don't talk about it in public. "'It's too embarrassing to explore in modern economics,' another trader said. 'These topics are not fit for polite conversation in most circles.'" I suppose if the writer had appeared to take this Armstrong character more seriously, he might have risked looking crazy himself. This is also a very interesting phenomenon, but I'll have to save it for another day...)

How does this relate to Chinese medicine? Chinese medicine is part of an epistemological system that incorporates many different philosophies from different periods of Chinese history. Part of the genius of Chinese society is that instead of discarding old systems and modes of thought (philosophical, mathematic, scientific) for new, the old is built upon and improved. The very very oldest system that Chinese medicine (and by extension, all Chinese philosophy) relies upon is the Yi Jing (aka I Ching), which is essentially a forecasting tool.

The Yi Jing is both very simple and very complex. (I'm hardly qualified to write on the subject - if you're seriously interested, please consult your local library, bookstore or website.) A series of eight trigrams represent all the phenomena in the universe, and by putting two together you get a hexagram. The hexagram can then be interpreted in various ways to give you guidance on a present situation or future event. There's actually a whole branch of Chinese medicine which incorporates the Yi Jing into treatment.

Cycles are found everywhere in nature. What is the most obvious? The cycle of day and night, sun and moon. After that, the cycle of the four seasons. Most people never go beyond this. But suppose it was possible to observe a longer cycle? A cycle of eight years, or twelve, or sixty, or a hundred and eight? Natural cycles come and go, and staying in harmony or "going with the flow" of the seasonal universal energy is an excellent way to maintain and improve your health. Some of these practices come naturally, such as wearing more clothes in winter and less in the summer. Many have been largely forgotten and seem anachronistic in the modern world, which some scientists still maintain is governed purely by matter and not energy. After all, why not drink ice-cold water with your meal? The more esoteric require some calculation and the services of an expert, such as picking an auspicious date for opening a business or the right spot for building a home.

I'm not good at ending these posts. It's a great article, and whoever runs martinarmstrong.org has posted the full New Yorker profile (pdf) on their website. Take a look. Then learn more about the Yi Jing.

Run Barefoot!

2009-10-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try this... as soon as I can find a place to run that is relatively free of glass and/or dog poop... so it may be awhile.

Runners are baring their very soles - L.A. Times
Running Barefoot

Bruxism

2009-10-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

Bruxism, aka teeth-grinding, is on the rise. A New York dentist noticed:

One of his patients lost hundreds of thousands of dollars invested with Bernard L. Madoff. Another reported that he had lost a job with a seven-figure salary. A third, a single mother with a floral design business on Long Island, said she was working twice as hard for half as much.

“All three are grinders, directly affected by what’s going on out there,” Dr. Butensky said, gesturing outside his Midtown office window.

For the L.A. perspective, let's talk to Dr. Alex Rivkin of Westside Aesthetics:

“For, I’d say, 85 percent of the people who come to me complaining about headaches, jaw soreness and pain, Botox injections into the masseter muscle on both sides of the face is the answer.”

If you're not keen on getting botulism toxin injected into your face, try acupuncture. Acupuncture is especially effective for teeth-grinding, as it can not only relax the jaw muscles but also deal with the root causes.

Full article: When Stress Takes a Toll on Your Teeth

Doctor Steven Park

2009-10-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting website - doctorstevenpark.com. He's one of those open-minded western-trained doctors. Much of what he says in this article about anti-aging medicine resonates with me -

Here’s my personal advice – do what feels right. If you truly believe in something, do it with all your might. Science actually invalidates one individual’s experiences and can only generalize based on large population studies. Since everyone responds differently, your only way to know whether or not it’s going to work is to try it (within reason, of course). Rather than trying to exclude the placebo effect that most studies try to do, take advantage of your body’s natural ability to heal itself, no matter which option you choose.

However, realize that that one pill, supplement or exercise regimen is not going to make you younger. Eventually, something will work for you, but without changing your mindset and daily habits, your health problems will return and you’ll be back to square one.

For some reason he reminds me of Doctor Pai. I don't know why. Maybe it's the tie?

Grind Your Own Beef

2009-10-06T00:41:00.001-07:00

Or don't eat beef at all. That is all. (Full Story - E. Coli Path Shows Flaws in Beef Inspection)

Now, Let Me Tell You About My Appendectomy in Peking...

2009-10-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

Many people have heard of the 1971 New York Times article by James Reston about his experience with acupuncture in his recovery from an emergency appendectomy. Reston was in China at the time, which was quite unusual in the first place. In 1971 China was in the grip of the Cultural Revolution, and very few foreigners were allowed into the country. He had an appendectomy the standard biomedical way, but for post-surgical pain was treated with acupuncture and moxibustion:

However, I was in considerable discomfort if not pain during the second night after the operation, and Li Chang-yuan, doctor of acupuncture at the hospital, with my approval, inserted three long thin needles into the outer part of my right elbow and below my knees and manipulated them in order to stimulate the intestine and relieve the pressure and distension of the stomach.

That sent ripples of pain racing through my limbs and, at least, had the effect of diverting my attention from the distress in my stomach. Meanwhile, Doctor Li lit two pieces of an herb called ai, which looked like the burning stumps of a broken cheap cigar, and held them close to my abdomen while occasionally twirling the needles into action.

All this took about 20 minutes, during which I remember thinking that it was a rather complicated way to get rid of gas in the stomach, but there was noticeable relaxation of the pressure and distension within an hour and no recurrence of the problem thereafter.

Reston's article provoked great interest in acupuncture. In 1976 California became the first state to license acupuncture, where just two years earlier pioneering acupuncturist Miriam Lee was arrested for practicing medicine without a license. My martial arts teacher Dr. Alex Feng was one of the first acupuncturists licensed in California (his license number is 297 - mine is 13299).

In 2006 a Chinese publication, the People's Daily, wrote a follow-up which had an interview with some of the original doctors mentioned in Reston's article.

Hope you enjoy this bit of acupuncture history: Now, Let Me Tell You About My Appendectomy in Peking... (full article)

Herbal Remedies for your Gym Bag

2009-10-04T19:34:00.001-07:00

Our poor neglected blog is coming back! Take a look at this article featuring Tom Bisio and Frank Butler's Zheng Gu Tui Na physical medicine: Herbal Remedies for your Gym Bag.

Fat Turtle Herb Company carries most of the products mentioned in the article, so give us a buzz at orders@fatturtleherbs.com or 310-691-5226 if you want to try these in the clinic or for yourself.

Nini and I will be attending the Zheng Gu Tui Na seminar in San Diego in a few weeks. This is excellent stuff to know and will be immediately useful in practice. I actually met Tom Bisio when I was working at Kamwo - he seems like a nice guy.

Fitting That It's Shaped Like A Frown

2009-09-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

Hello! My name is Menaflex.

Is it a rainbow? No.
Is it a broken piece of pottery? No.
Is it part of one of those thingies that go on the inside lid of jars? No.

Is it an orthotic for shoes? Not quite... but that's a little closer.

This, my friends, wins an award for Most Anger-Inducing Thing Of The Day.

Further deteriorates my already sour view of politics.

Ginseng Cooker

2009-09-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

Check out this sweet electronic ginseng cooker. It's like a rice cooker, but for ginseng! Nini and I found this out in San Gabriel after dim sum.

Sanging in Illinois

2009-09-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

No video? Watch it at youtube

Gathering wild American ginseng has been a hobby for many and occupation for some for hundreds of years (originally learned, I'm guessing, from Native Americans - they were here first, after all). Ginseng is a very rare and precious herb, and getting more rare as the years go by. That makes this video all the more remarkable. As the narrator says, for someone to show you where he collects ginseng is almost unheard of. Take a look.

Third Root Community Health Center in Brooklyn

2009-09-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

Third Root Community Health Center just celebrated its one-year anniversary! In their own words:

Third Root Community Health Center is a worker-owned cooperative business providing accessible, empowering, and collaborative healthcare in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. We want holistic medicine, the oldest form of healthcare, to be available to everyone, as it has been for millenia. Our Center is shaped by our very own clients, community, and students, who inform us about their needs and what would help them feel the most at home at Third Root.

Third Root offers community-style acupuncture, private acupuncture appointments, herbal medicine, yoga, massage and health workshops. Take a look!

John Patrick Halpin L.Ac

2009-09-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

John Halpin L.Ac, far left.

John Halpin, licensed acupuncturist, is a caring, meticulous health care practitioner in New York City. He practices on West 21st St. in Manhattan. Make an appointment today!

19 W. 21st Street, Suite 904
New York, NY 10010
Telephone: 917.536.3388
Fax: 212.229.1330

Acupuncture in Minnesota

2009-09-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

Minnesota, home to Prince and two acupuncture schools! Take a look at this article, which has links to two TCM schools in the Twin Cities.

Anne Park L.Ac

2009-09-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

Anne Park, licensed acupuncturist and Yosan alumnus, is available for appointments at her office in Emeryville, California (Emeryville is a tiny little city sandwiched between Oakland and Berkeley and is most famous as the home of Pixar studios). Her practice is named Energy Matters.

Anne Park is an excellent healer. When she was in Los Angeles I had several treatments with her, always with great results. Her contact information:

Energy Matters is located in the Emeryville Health and Wellness Center at
1240 Powell Street, Suite 2A
Emeryville, CA 94608
510-597-9923
info@EnergyMattersEastBay.com

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Chinese Medicine Times

2009-09-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

Take a look at Chinese Medicine Times, a free ejournal maintained by Attilio D'Alberto. It's really an excellent resource, with original articles as well as links to all the latest scientific studies on acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

Chinese Medicine Times
You can also follow CMT on Twitter.

To Prevent Osteoporosis: Exercise, Exercise, Exercise

2009-09-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

Think Wang Pei Kun has a bone density problem? Please.

What is osteoporosis? According to the Merck Manual:

Osteoporosis is a progressive metabolic bone disease that decreases bone density (bone mass per unit volume), with deterioration of bone structure. Skeletal weakness leads to fractures with minor or inapparent trauma, particularly in the thoracic and lumbar spine, wrist and hip.

You've heard of the little old lady who falls down and breaks her hip? She's got osteoporosis. Fortunately there are a number of things that the little old lady can do to increase bone density and prevent fractures without the need for poisonous pharmaceutical drugs such as Fosamax, which can actually cause mandibular osteonecrosis. "Mandibular osteonecrosis" is a fancy way of saying that it kills your jaw bone. Let's not play Abel to Fosamax's Cain, okay? (Ironically, Fosamax is a product of the Merck pharmaceutical company)

Important to note is that osteoporosis is what the Merck Manual calls a "metabolic" disease. This means it is not caused by any external bacteria or virus. You can't catch osteoporosis from anyone. Your own body can create the condition of osteoporosis, and it can also therefore reverse that condition.

The number one thing that you can do to increase bone density and decrease the risk of osteoporosis is EXERCISE. Numerous studies have confirmed that even gentle exercise such as taijiquan can increase bone density. If you're not crazy about taiji, try yoga, or weightlifting, or jogging or even walking. Here's a sample of the literature on bone density and exercise:

Tai Chi May Help Maintain Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women
Bone density sharply enhanced by weight training, even in the elderly
The American Society of Bone and Mineral Research says: "Research helped us to understand the need for weight-bearing exercise to build and maintain bone in order to reduce fracture risk. Falling can be reduced by strength-building exercise that increases balance and flexibility." Unfortunately they contradict themselves in the very same document (PDF) when they say "Research identified and demonstrated a variety of drugs that can reduce bone loss and fractures and even build new bone. Thirty years ago there was no treatment for osteoporosis." If weight-bearing exercise increases bone density, isn't that a treatment for osteoporosis? Unless I have been sorely misled, exercise wasn't invented less than thirty years ago.

According to Chen and Chen's formula book, there are four formulas one can use to treat osteoporosis. Obviously your options are not limited to these four formulas (独活寄生汤 Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang, anyone?) but it's a good starting point.

Kidney Yin Deficiency: 左归丸 Zuo Gui Wan
Kidney Yang Deficiency: 右归丸 You Gui Wan
Kidney Jing Deficiency: 龟鹿二仙胶 Gui Lu Er Xian Jiao
Spleen Qi Deficiency: 参苓白术散 Shen Ling Bai Zhu San

Fat Turtle Herb Company can fill all these formulas to your exact specifications in different formats: raw herbs, pre-cooked vacuum packs, granule and capsule.

p.s. The occasion for this post was a NY Times article on osteoporosis which ignores even their own archives. As my nephew Joey would say, with his hands on his head: Ai yai yai yai yai!

Jiao Gu Lan to Save the Day!

2009-09-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

Have I ever told you how much I like 绞股蓝 Jiao Gu Lan tea? The taste takes a little getting used to - after the first time I didn't try it again for about six months - but if you give it a chance I think you'll find it to be a marvelous addition to your daily or weekly routine.

Chen and Chen categorize Jiao Gu Lan (gynostemma pentaphyllum, also known as "panta") as a qi tonic (Bensky doesn't mention it). The properties are slightly bitter and cold, making it one of the few qi tonics that aren't warm in nature. The official functions are a pretty amazing list of contradictions both internally and between each other. Observe:

1. Moistens Lung, Promotes Generation of Body Fluids, Dispels Phlegm A qi tonic that dispels phlegm! Think of it! This makes it perfect for weekend warrior athletes who work out hard and expend a lot of energy but also tend to overeat sweet and oily foods.

2. Clears Heat, Eliminates Toxins, Reduces Inflammation Jiao Gu Lan tonifies qi AND clears heat and eliminates toxins!!! 清热解毒 Qing Re Jie Du are functions you would expect to see among your Pu Gong Ying (dandelion root), your Ban Lan Gen (isatis root), your Lian Qiao (forsythia fruit), not among qi tonics.

3. Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Many studies have demonstrated the powerful effect Jiao Gu Lan has on hyperlipidemia and hypertension. The FDA prohibits making specific medicinal claims about products not regulated by the FDA, but Chen gets away with it because they're writing in a Chinese medicine textbook, not for marketing purposes.

Here are a few jaw-dropping quotes from the text:

Jiao Gu Lan has a general effect to nourish and strengthen the body. It is commonly used to treat chronic disorders, such as asthma, migraines, neuralgia, impaired function of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, and syndromes characterized by deficiency...

Clinically, it treats gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, hyperlipidemia, nodules, cystitis, herpes zoster and other conditions characterized by dampness, heat and toxins. Jiao Gu Lan has also been used to treat various kinds of cancer and to help inhibit the spread of tumors.

I hope you can see now why I love this stuff so much. It's a very general tonic for the whole system, at the same time cooling and anti-phlegm, AND anti-cancer! And at the same time gentle enough to drink up to one tea bag every day. Fat Turtle Herb Company carries Jiao Gu Lan in loose form for use in formulas by students and licensed practitioners. The recommended dosage is 5-12 grams in decoction. If you're interested in ready-made tea bags, we can get those for you as well.

Happy Labor Day from Fat Turtle Herb Company!

2009-09-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

Hope you're staying cool and enjoying the long weekend...

Bump: Wright Therapies

2009-09-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

Our classmate Karen Wright L.Ac will be starting her practice at the In Focus Wellness Institute in Santa Monica, California. Take a look at her website and make an appointment today!

Treatment of Sprains and Strains with TCM

2009-09-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting article from Alon Marcus on the treatment of strains and sprains with Chinese medicine. It goes into great detail on the different types of sprains and strains but is oddly lacking when it comes to acupuncture treatment strategies. Perhaps these will be covered in part two?

Curiously, the only herbal formula he mentions includes a highly toxic substance, 蟾酥 Chan Su, or toad venom. He neglects to mention the two most famous formulas for the treatment of external injury, 跌打丸 Die Da Wan and 三黃散 San Huang San. Die Da Wan, or "hit-fall pill", can be taken orally directly after injury for 2-3 days. San Huang San, or the "three yellows powder" consists of Huang Qin, Huang Lian and Da Huang powdered and mixed together in equal amounts (one popular modification adds Pu Gong Ying, Shan Zhi Zi and Hong Hua). This powder can then be mixed with green tea, water or egg white and spread in a plaster on the affected area. For details on these formulas, take a look at Tom Bisio's A Tooth From the Tiger's Mouth.

Bump: Stephanie Yong L.Ac

2009-09-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

Our classmate Stephanie Yong has opened her acupuncture practice in Torrance! I highly recommend her for all your health needs. No website yet, but here is her contact information:

Stephanie Yong, L.Ac
Torrance Medical Plaza
3655 Lomita Blvd., Suite 308
Torrance, CA 90505
310-341-0210

Break Time

2009-08-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

Herb I.D. Go! No it's not Gua Lou!

Hey everyone, we're taking a little break from blogging. We'll be back at the beginning of September!

Gamma Brain Waves

2009-08-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

No video? Watch it on youtube's site.

Take a look at this video of qi gong pracititioner Peng Her hooked up to a biofeedback machine. I'm not sure why he's shaking like that... maybe it has to do with the qi gong?

Anti-Aging

2009-08-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this video from the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.

Health Care Reform

2009-08-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

Famous ancient Chinese physician Hua Tuo

If you follow the news at all, you've heard something about this "health care reform" thing people seem to be all excited about. You've read the editorials, you've seen the politicians speechifying. Maybe you've seen the video clips of people shouting things like "We are ALL afraid of Obama" and crying things like "I want my country back!" (What does this have to do with health care? I don't know either.) You've heard the phrases "death panels" and "public option".

So far the debate seems to be framed as "Health Care For All - For or Against?" People on both sides loudly declare the other side stupid, or evil. I'd like to point you towards a voice that asks us to focus on a different aspect of this whole debate - the very nature of the medicine that people either want to extend or not extend to the whole country.

But what's missing, tragically, is a diagnosis of the real, far more fundamental problem, which is that what's even worse than its stratospheric cost is the fact that American health care doesn't fulfill its prime directive -- it does not help people become or stay healthy. It's not a health care system at all; it's a disease management system, and making the current system cheaper and more accessible will just spread the dysfunction more broadly. -Dr. Andrew Weil: The Wrong Diagnosis at the Huffington Post

This is an extremely important point. The health care system is broken, and getting the last 40 or 50 million uninsured Americans into this same system is not going to improve the health of our nation.

It reminds me of a story I heard during my TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) education. There was a doctor in ancient China who became famous for saving lives. He could cure diseases in their most advanced state, when a patient was near death. Everyone called him a genius, some even said he had magical powers.

The doctor laughed when people praised him. "My skill is actually quite low. I can only cure disease when it has gone nearly out of control, and I have to use severe herbs and acupuncture techniques. I have two older brothers who are much better at medicine than I am."

Of course people went in search of these brothers. When they found the middle brother he said "I'm still not very good at medicine. I can only catch diseases in their initial stage. I still have to feel the pulse and look at the tongue before prescribing mild herbs and acupuncture. If you want to know real medical skill, you should find our eldest brother."

Of course the people went to search for this wonder-worker. When they found him he said "When people come to me I use neither acupuncture nor herbs. I do not feel their pulse or look at their tongue. I diagnose them by observing the color of their face and the tone of their voice. I tell them how to eat in accord with the seasons and their locations, and sometimes I give them some simple exercises to do. However, if they could sit quietly every day and listen to the natural wisdom of their own body they would not even need my advice."

The eldest brother was the only one practicing real health care - the other two were doing different forms of disease management. Of course we can't abandon those who are already in advanced disease states, but we should put equal and perhaps even more emphasis on encouraging health - what the chinese call 養生 Yang Sheng or "nourishing life."

Say Hi To Your Body

2009-08-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

Chinese medicine is by nature not merely physical. We recognize that the 'self' is more than just a pile of meat and bones arranged into a human body, and overcoming health challenges requires healing of the mind, body and spirit.

In these modern times, many people aren't in touch with their bodies. On top of television and the internet, we now have little computers in our pockets (Iphone and its cousins the Crackberry and the Palm Pre) that give us access to almost everything all the time. If you're an office worker who sits in front of a computer all day you may be using your mental faculties in a very intense way, while completely ignoring your body. This can lead to back pain, neck and shoulder tension, headaches, even gastrointestinal distress.

A wonderful example of someone getting "back into their body" can be found in this blog post by Bridget Pilloud. Please take a look and try her suggestions. (Thanks to Becca Seitz for pointing me towards this)

L.A. Times Article - Does it matter what the doctor weighs?

2009-08-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

Dr. Regina Benjamin with President Barack Obama

Here's an interesting article from the L.A. Times on the personal health of doctors. Does it matter? Do medical health professionals need to be healthy to be effective?

"A doctor doesn't need to be perfect, but it'd be hard for me to take financial advice from a CPA who had just filed for bankruptcy," said Dr. Timothy Harlan, medical director of the Tulane University School of Medicine, who says he believes physicians should make a genuine effort to be healthy.

Personally, I believe it's my responsibility to be as healthy as possible. I'm kind of a health nut. This morning Nini and I had vegetable juice for breakfast, as we usually do: carrots, beets, cucumber, ginger, and an apple (on the weekends, when we have time, we like to follow that up with bacon and eggs with tomatoes, onions and cheese). Most mornings I'm out at Mar Vista park doing taijiquan or qigong. I drink a lot of green tea.

I don't usually advertise these activities, because people sometimes don't react well to hearing about them. Instead of "hey, good for you" it's some hardcore eye-rolling and "well of course YOU do that. You're healthy! I could NEVER be as healthy as you are."

The fact is, there's no hard line between a "healthy person" and an "unhealthy person." I haven't always had these habits. I only started juicing about a year ago (note: I'm talking about this kind of juicing, NOT this kind). I only started exercising every morning during the past month, when I finally had the freedom to organize my own schedule. I drink green tea because I like how it tastes and how it makes me feel - I'm not choking it down because it's good for me. In the future I may not have the time to exercise every morning, or make juice and then clean the juicer (which takes awhile and is kind of a hassle but still worth it - if you've never had ultra-fresh juice straight from the juicer it's like a punch in the taste buds - much better than anything you could buy in a bottle. Besides that there are all kinds of health benefits which have to do with how fast the nutritional content of juice degrades when you let it sit around - for best results drink within two to three minutes of juicing).

My general philosophy is that you should enjoy life. If life isn't enjoyable, what's the point? I've tried drinking, and cigarettes, and various recreational drugs. I've tried all different kinds of exercise. I've tried not exercising. As a patient, I've tried acupuncture, massage and herbs. I've tried meditation and talk therapy and EFT. For myself, I have found what works, and continue to discover new things all the time. Through learning and teaching martial arts and four years of formal TCM education, I have tools that can help me to understand what works for others. I encourage you to experiment, and find what works for you. If you want to change something about your health, or your life, your body, your mindset, try something different. Don't be afraid to ask questions or seek guidance in unexpected places.

Find a doctor that you connect with. Everyone needs help with health challenges, so don't be afraid to accept professional help. But the best doctor is within yourself. Go look for him or her. They're in there.

We Are Out of Here... Temporarily

2009-08-03T21:50:00.001-07:00

Isn't he cute? I call him the Sacramentoad.

We are off to take the California Acupuncture Licensing Exam. We'll be back next week. Toodles!

Have a Good Weekend

2009-07-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

Medicine Hunter

2009-07-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

No video? Click here.

The quality of this video isn't good, but the message is terrific. Chris Kilham of Medicine Hunter is on CNBC spreading the word:

"My mission is to get more people using safe, effective plant medicines and fewer people using toxic, potentially lethal pharmaceuticals."

Me too. (thanks to Cathy Margolin L.Ac of PacHerbs)

Click here to watch a higher-resolution version on the CNBC website.

HR 646: Acupuncture For Everyone!

2009-07-29T10:45:00.001-07:00

Obama's 8 Principles for Health Care Reform

Read the Bill, also known as The Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act

How HR 646 can support Obama's Plan

Act now to help make it happen!

We Need A Better Health Care System

2009-07-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

I just spent over four hours waiting to get an annual reproductive health examination, and I was one of the fortunate ones who had an appointment scheduled. I couldn't believe it.

The waiting room was full of 20-somethings, men and women, all uninsured. Some people had waited over two hours just to pee in a cup, and were still waiting after I left!

I emphatically commend the low-cost health care providers of this country. They have to handle such an incredible work load, with so much paperwork and bureaucracy, it's ridiculous.

Eating Your Way to Health: Chè Đậu Xanh Phổ Tai

2009-07-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

Perfect for summer! Đậu Xanh, or 绿豆 Lu Dou, also known as mung bean in English, is an herb that is sweet and cold. It is commonly used in decocted formulas to dispel heat and toxin, and is an effective antidote for overdose of many toxic substances. It can be used topically as well! When I was little, my mom taught me how to mash up some raw mung beans to use as a paste whenever I got a cold sore.

According to Chen's Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology:

Lu Dou is commonly used as a food or dessert in the summertime to clear heat, relieve thirst, alleviate restlessness, and lower body temperature. It is also effective to prevent heat stroke due to summer-heat.

Viet Nam is a hot country, and it's no wonder that a ton of our desserts use mung bean. Here's a recipe you can try that includes not only mung bean, but also two other ingredients used as herbal medicinals: lotus seed and seaweed.

1 cup mung beans, soaked in cold water overnight
1/3 cup dried lotus seeds, soaked in cold water overnight
1/4 cup dried seaweed, best with bladderwrack or kelp
1/4 cup pearl tapioca
1/3-1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
7 cups water

You can find all the ingredients at any Asian food market.

Combine water and beans in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cook uncovered till beans are tender (about 2 hours). Add lotus seed, seaweed, tapioca, and sugar. Cook until soup thickens a little and lotus seeds are tender, but not mushy (20 minutes). Add vanilla and allow the soup cool down. If it's really hot out, you can add some shaved ice before serving. Some people like to add some coconut cream on top. Enjoy!

Dao of the Day: The Universe is Colorful

2009-07-24T10:00:00.001-07:00

Photo from the Chandra space telescope. Watch a really cool video here.

Be brave in daring: kill or be killed;
Be brave in not daring: live and let live;
One of the two brings gain, one harm.
But which man knows what heaven condemns,
What precedents it is guided by?

The way of heaven masters all:
It prevails though striving not,
It replies though speaking not,
Comes although uncalled,
And gives good counsel though affected not.
Heaven's net, cast far and wide,
Seems slack yet nothing slips outside.

- Dao De Jing, Stanza 73
Translation and Commentary by Moss Roberts

Treating Winter Diseases in Summer

2009-07-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

Children getting herbal plasters

Here's an interesting story about the use of herbal plasters in the summertime to prevent illness in the winter. It might strike you as an odd idea, but here's the theory...

With the cold weather in winter, the human body tends to contain excessive yin energy due to insufficient yang energy, which makes people liable to attract diseases such as bronchitis, rheumatism, bronchial asthma and cold in the spleen and stomach.

Treating winter ailments in summer means that summer, a season when yang energy peaks, is the time to nourish yang energy for winter, thus relieving and preventing those chronic cold-related ailments that plague people during the chillier months.

You can read the whole story here...

Study Finds Chinese Herbal Formula Effective for Endometriosis

2009-07-22T17:00:00.001-07:00

Picture: Amber, one of the main ingredients of Nei Yi Wan No picture? Click here.

Nei Yi Wan has just three ingredients, according to ITM: turtle shell (鳖甲 Bie Jia or 龟板 Gui Ban), vinegar-treated rhubarb (醋炒大黄 Cu Chao Da Huang), and succinum (琥珀 Hu Po). From Reuters:

"I think the positive message is that Chinese herbal medicine may offer equivalent benefits to conventional medicine but with fewer side effects," lead researcher Andrew Flower, of the University of Southampton in the UK, told Reuters Health.

Here's a link to the original study, from the Cochrane Library: Chinese herbal medicine for endometriosis

Finally and most interesting to people in the TCM world, an exhaustive article by Subhuti Dharmananda of the Institute of Traditional Medicine, detailing the many different Chinese herbal approaches to endometriosis: Chinese Herbal Therapy for Endometriosis.

TCM Diet by Xu Xiangcai

2009-07-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting article from Xu Xiangcai on the Traditional Chinese Medicine view of food and nutrition. It answers the burning question "what should I eat?"

Chinese healthcare experts have always advocated light and simple diets. They believe that such diets can prevent diseases, strengthen the body and prolong life. Consumption of heavy, greasy, and sweet foods over a long period of time produces heat, phlegm, and dampness within the body and tends to cause illness. The Nei Jing says, “Heavy and greasy food causes a change that may result in serious illness.”

Take a look at the full article: "Traditional Chinese Health - A Simple and Light Diet"

Xu Xiangcai is the author of one of my favorite TCM books, Complete External Therapies of Chinese Drugs.

The Importance of Sleep

2009-07-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

The importance of a good night's sleep can't be overstated. We need sleep like we need air and water. Some of our modern American torture techniques include sleep deprivation, which when prolonged can lead to hallucinations and irritability. According to a recent study, night-shift workers have an increased incidence of cancer, possibly due to the disruption of the natural sleep cycle.

The pineal gland secretes melatonin, which is thought to play an important role in regulating sleep cycles. The Chinese medicine explanation for sleep involves blood circulation, the Heart and the Liver. During the day the 神 Shen, or spirit, resides in the Heart, giving us the spark of life that connects us to the outside world. At night the Liver is said to "store the blood", and the Shen goes with the blood to the Liver.

Insomnia can be due to a number of factors, including stress, constitutional deficiency, overeating or eating too close to bedtime. In TCM diagnosis this may correspond to Liver Qi Stagnation, Liver or Heart Fire, Liver Blood Deficiency, or Food Stagnation.

Another cause of poor sleep could be sleep apnea. If the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep, your breathing will be obstructed, there could be very loud snoring, and you won't get adequate oxygen. In this case you may need a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which covers your mouth and nose at night and helps to keep your airways open. While not an ideal solution for the long-term, a CPAP machine can greatly improve the quality of your sleep. To determine if you need a CPAP machine, you may need to stay overnight at a sleep center, where they will observe you while you sleep.

Insomnia is one of the things that acupuncture and Chinese medicine are most effective at treating. If you have occasional or chronic insomnia, go see your local acupuncturist.

Also on the web:
Daytime Lullaby by Verlyn Klinkenborg in the New York Times
Sleep-deprivation.com
Effect of sleep deprivation on driving

A1/H1N1 Flu Prophylactic

2009-07-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

金银花 Jin Yin Hua, 板蓝根 Ban Lan Gen, 甘草 Gan Cao, 薄荷 Bo He

The four herbs above are currently being used in China to make a drink that prevents the flu due to H1N1 virus. Below is the full story from CCTV.com:

A type of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to prevent the A1/H1N1 influenza, dubbed the “flu prevention drink”, goes on sale on July 2, in every drugstore and hospital dispensary for TCM medicines.

The prescription was formulated and issued by the Committee of Experts for Flu Prevention and Control under Beijing Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine to cope with the A1/ H1N1 influenza and the recent hot weather. The daily adult prescription consists of 3 grams of Honeysuckle, Woad root, Liquorice root and Peppermint. After it is mixed with boiled water, it can be gargled or drunk as a tea substitute. It can be used for seven consecutive days. According to experts from the administration, the prescription can be used by people of all ages, children and even pregnant women. If people don’t like the taste, they can add rock sugar or honey to it, without altering the effect of the medicine. It can be purchased in every drugstore or hospital dispensary for TCM medicines and a daily dose will only cost little more than one yuan.

Disease Smells

2009-07-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

This short National Geographic video here shows how dogs can smell certain diseases and can be trained to help those in need. One researcher in the video talks about how one day we humans might even be able to use the dogs' sniffing skills to diagnose disease.

Chapter Four of the Huang Di Nei Jing had stated thousands of years ago that a medical diagnosis could be made or confirmed by the presence of certain smells, ones that humans can detect. According to the five phases theory:

In the five odours, the odour of liver is stink. (urine)

In the five odours, the odour of heart is scorching.

In the five odours, the odour of spleen is fragrance.

In the five odours, the odour of lung is stinking. (fishy)

In the five odours, the odour of kidney is rancid. (rotten)

The above was quoted from: Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine by Wang Bing (Tang Dynasty), translated by Wu Liansheng and Wu Qi.

I've found that after I leave a patient in the room with the door closed, their distinctive smell is always much more noticeable when I come back. I've definitely smelled the scent of burnt or scorched, but I haven't yet encountered a person smelling like stink and urine during treatment. That's probably a good thing.

Exercise Prevents Senility

2009-07-15T20:03:00.001-07:00

Master Guo Lian Ying (aka Kuo Lien Ying)

Yet another reason to exercise...

For the past week I've been getting up at roughly 6 a.m. and going to Mar Vista park to stretch and engage in a little "physical culture." I've been doing a mix of kung fu exercises, qi gong, tai ji quan. People get out early to this park - there's a dedicated group of middle-aged Chinese women who are out practicing their tai ji sword form, and occasionally you see others doing different kinds of tai ji. The basketballers and the soccer players are out pretty early too. People are there with their dogs, too, but mostly they let the dogs play for them.

It's been a long time since I've dedicated myself to practice everyday. The difference is incredible. My digestion is better, my energy is flowing and relaxed at all hours of the day, my jokes are funnier and my mood is better. This is one of the benefits of running your own business - you can set your own hours.

This Is the End of the World

2009-07-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

We're done for. See for yourself.

California Acupuncture Licensing Exam on August 5th, 2009 in Sacramento

2009-07-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

It's coming.

I'm taking it.

Nini's taking it.

We're studying. We finally got in our studying groove. Right now I could rattle off the ingredients to almost all the 63 board formulas, or most of them. Other random facts: 威灵仙 Wei Ling Xian can be used to dissolve fish bones stuck in the throat. 陰溪 Yin Xi (HT6) and 復溜 Fu Liu (K7) for night sweats. Posterior pituitary releases ADH and oxytocin, anterior pituitary releases all the other ones, LH, FSH, prolaction, ACTH, etc. In case of a broken needle, remove with forceps. If below the skin, contact a physician (seriously, that's the law).

By September 5th, we'll know the results. My personality dictates that I treat this exam as an enemy to be destroyed, and right now I'm deep in training. Wish us luck!

Chinese Herbs on Twitter

2009-07-10T13:03:00.000-07:00

People are talking about their Chinese herbs on Twitter. I like to highlight what patients say about their herbs - here's a selection... You can follow us on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/fatturtleherbs.

CyclistOnChemo: The Disgusting Chinese Herbs tasted OK this morning. Wonder if it's because I was concentrating on something or if my taste is changing
Jul 10, 2009 08:21 AM GMT · from TwitterFox · Reply · View Tweet

msservalan: Found my seat, realised I left my chinese herbs at home! Sigh... Wonder if it's worth getting them sent to meet me?
Jul 10, 2009 03:42 AM GMT · from TwitterBerry · Reply · View Tweet

HerbalPatricia: It's official. Brenda 43 is pregnant. FSH was 34, one ovary was partially removed with a cyst. 5 months of Chinese herbs and success today
Jul 10, 2009 01:21 AM GMT · from web · Reply · View Tweet

iPewp: Chinese herbs are crazy old fashioned. Hurts the nose.
Jul 9, 2009 04:36 AM GMT · from txt · Reply · View Tweet

Time Magazine on Placenta Consumption

2009-07-09T12:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a humorous article about eating your own placenta from Time Magazine.

For more information on placenta, take a look at our previous post, Human Placenta Consumption, from April 16th.

Chinese Rice Wine

2009-07-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Ever tried Chinese rice wine? Apparently some of it is pretty good! This company imports high-quality rice wine for drinking (not cooking or degreasing engine blocks) from China.

I don't remember when I first tried 白酒 bai jiu, but I remember that it takes some getting used to. First of all, it's usually 100 proof or more. The kind I'm familiar with has an acrid, sharp smell that feels like it's going to make your eyes bleed if you're exposed to the fumes.

Bai jiu, it should be noted, can be made from a variety of different grains, typically sorghum or barley. Although the characters can be translated as "white wine", a more accurate description would be Chinese-style vodka. It's very useful for making herbal liquor - the higher proof helps to extract the active ingredients of the herbs.

Someday I'll have to try the rice wine this guy is selling. I wonder if it's at Ranch 99.

123TCM.com

2009-07-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting website of original TCM products. The company is based in Hangzhou, China.

Besides the usual product descriptions, there are also stock quotes and the local weather in Hangzhou. Here's a highlight:

You wanna order our products?

Please before you do send us an email for which kind of desease you want to use.

Send us your clinical picture discribe your symtoms as good as possible your complete health situation. Why? We want make sure which products are the best for your way back...........

Enjoy.

Dao of the Day - Preventive Medicine

2009-07-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

Tackle difficulties when they are easy.
Accomplish great things when they are small.
Handle what is going to be rough
when it is still smooth.
Control what has not yet formed its force.
Deal with a dangerous situation while it is safe.
Manage what is hard while it is soft.
Eliminate what is vicious
before it becomes destructive.
This is called
"attending to great things at small beginnings."

A tree so big it can fill the span of a man's arms
grows from a tiny sprout.
A terrace nine stories high
rises from a shovelful of earth.
A journey of a thousand miles
begins with a single step.
Thus, one of integral virtue
never sets about grandiose things,
yet he is able to achieve great things.

-Dao De Jing, Capter 64
From The Complete Works of Lao Tzu, translation and elucidation by Huaching Ni.

Summer Drinking

2009-07-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

Nothing says booze and summer like the Fourth of July. Why not make yourself a nice, refreshing alcoholic infusion with herbs? It could prove to be delicious and nutritious!

The infusion above was made with 薄荷 Bo He, 生姜 Sheng Jiang and 枸杞子 Gou Qi Zi, popularly known as mint, ginger, and goji berries.

Yumbo!!

Be merry, be safe, and enjoy the holiday.