Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese remedies have more than withstood the test of time — TCM encompasses many different practices, including acupuncture, moxibustion, Chinese herbal medicine, TuiNa, Food Cures, Tai Chi and Qi Gong (specific movements or postures incorporating breathing, mental focus and balance).
TCM is based on the following concepts:
- The human body is a miniature version of the larger, surrounding universe.
- Harmony between two opposing yet complementary forces, called yin and yang. An imbalance of these two forces results in disease. Ideally, the closer they are to each other the more harmonised and healthier you will be.
- Five elements—fire, earth, wood, metal, and water—symbolically represent all the stages of human life, and explain the functioning of the body and how it changes during disease.
- Qi, a vital energy that flows through the body, and helps perform multiple functions in maintaining health.
Thousands of herbal formulas are used in China today. As much as a million tons of herbs are used every year in China. There are about thirty main herbs, and one widely known herb licorice root tops the list at 86,000 tons consumed in a year. To many of us westerners this information may seem astonishing, we see herbal medicine as a new development in healing. But no! A fairly complete pharmacy stocks about 450 different individual herbs.
TCM practitioners and Acupuncturists use a variety of techniques in an effort to promote health and treat disease. In North America, the most commonly used approaches include Chinese Herbal medicine and Acupuncture. Chinese Herbal medicine can be as simple as addingGoji berries to your morning oatmeal. In Asia, goji berries have been eaten for generations in the hopes of living longer. Goji berries are used to treat many common health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, fever, and age-related eye problems. Goji berries can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried (like raisins) and are used in herbal teas, juices, wines, soaps, cereals, salads and medicines. Eating goji berries — like blueberries, acai berries, cranberries, strawberries, and cherries — offer some great health benefits. Berries like the goji berry are filled with powerful antioxidants and other compounds that may help prevent cancer and other illnesses, including heart disease. When you have a diet high in antioxidants you can boost the immune system and lower cholesterol.
Goji berries also have compounds that are very rich in vitamin A, good for use in anti-aging remedies. These special compounds help boost immune function, protect vision, and may help prevent heart disease. Goji berry extracts may boost brain health and may protect against age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Other studies using goji berry juice found benefits in mental well-being, and calmness, athletic performance, happiness, quality of sleep, and feelings of good health.
As with any medicine there may be some possible herb-drug interactions such as if you take warfarin (a blood thinner), you may want to avoid goji berries. Also they may interact with diabetes or blood pressure drugs and some allergy medication.
Chinese herbs are usually mixed with other herbs to make a formula. These formulas can be taken as teas, soups, pellets or pill form. Whichever you choose.
Price: Based on Treatment