I have had a lot of patients come in after seeing other health care practitioners still limping or hurting and complaining of no improvements. To their surprise, I usually tell them to stop icing their injuries. Chinese medicine usually advocates heat and movement. Have a look at this article in Macleans that discusses this exact topic.
http://www.macleans.ca/society/the-end-of-the-ice-age/
Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND, R. Ac.
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Showing posts with label Traditional Chinese medicine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Traditional Chinese medicine. Show all posts
Chinese Medicine says to wait a couple of years between babies! Scientist may now be saying the same thing. . .
I read an interesting study in the journal of Pediatrics that suggests that it may be prudent to wait 2 years between having children. The authors found that having babies less than two years apart increases the risk of the second child being diagnosed with autism. The researchers looked at birth over a decade (1992-2002) in the state of California.
This is an interesting study, but doesn't prove anything yet. It's interesting though that Traditional Chinese Medicine has long stated that it's best to conceive children at least 2-3 years apart to allow time for the mother to recover. Mothers are prescribed certain foods and are given a number of remedies/herbs to boost and revitalize them after giving birth. Ginseng as described by The Star is one such herb.
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Visit us on our new Facebook page!
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
This is an interesting study, but doesn't prove anything yet. It's interesting though that Traditional Chinese Medicine has long stated that it's best to conceive children at least 2-3 years apart to allow time for the mother to recover. Mothers are prescribed certain foods and are given a number of remedies/herbs to boost and revitalize them after giving birth. Ginseng as described by The Star is one such herb.
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Visit us on our new Facebook page!
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
Chinese patent herbal medicines - Potential Hazards & What to look for
Traditional Chinese medicine with the use of herbs, acupuncture and body manipulation techniques have been around for hundreds of years. Having been brought up using Chinese medicine & having incorporated it within my naturopathic practice, I know that it works.
Warning
However, health care practitioners & their patients should be aware of some of the less than legitimate products out there on the market. In Asia, there are many patent medicines available and are quite effective at treating different conditions. However, there are also medicines which have hidden ingredients not listed on the packaging. Sometimes, steroids are incorporated into creams claiming to treat eczema & at other times, laboratories have found erectile dysfunction drugs such as viagra in chinese patents claiming to cure sexual dsyfunction. There are also instances where heavy metals such as lead have been found in both Chinese & ayurvedic products. Lead is toxic to the body and can accumulate over time.
Health Canada Warning (June 25/08.)
Health Canada is advising consumers not to use several Chinese herbal products sold as treatment for erectile dysfunction because they have been found to contain sildenafil, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction & some also contain glibenclamide, a diabetes drug.
The products are: Nangen Zengzhangsu (may also be known as Nangen or Nangeng); Sanbianwan; Jiu Bian Wang; Tian Huang Gu Shen Dan; Zui Xian Dan Gong Shi Zi, and Power Up.
Look for a Drug Identification Numbers (DIN)
Many effective Chinese patents cannot be found legitimately in Canada, but they are sometimes sold anyway. These patents are without Drug Identification Numbers (DIN) & have not been assessed by Health Canada. Even though the products may be legitimate (ie. free of toxins & does what it claims to do), without a DIN, health care practitioners cannot assure their patients that the medicine is safe for consumption and free of drugs & heavy metals. All prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications & medicinal herbs are required to have a DIN.
Warning
However, health care practitioners & their patients should be aware of some of the less than legitimate products out there on the market. In Asia, there are many patent medicines available and are quite effective at treating different conditions. However, there are also medicines which have hidden ingredients not listed on the packaging. Sometimes, steroids are incorporated into creams claiming to treat eczema & at other times, laboratories have found erectile dysfunction drugs such as viagra in chinese patents claiming to cure sexual dsyfunction. There are also instances where heavy metals such as lead have been found in both Chinese & ayurvedic products. Lead is toxic to the body and can accumulate over time.
Health Canada Warning (June 25/08.)
Health Canada is advising consumers not to use several Chinese herbal products sold as treatment for erectile dysfunction because they have been found to contain sildenafil, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction & some also contain glibenclamide, a diabetes drug.
The products are: Nangen Zengzhangsu (may also be known as Nangen or Nangeng); Sanbianwan; Jiu Bian Wang; Tian Huang Gu Shen Dan; Zui Xian Dan Gong Shi Zi, and Power Up.
Look for a Drug Identification Numbers (DIN)
Many effective Chinese patents cannot be found legitimately in Canada, but they are sometimes sold anyway. These patents are without Drug Identification Numbers (DIN) & have not been assessed by Health Canada. Even though the products may be legitimate (ie. free of toxins & does what it claims to do), without a DIN, health care practitioners cannot assure their patients that the medicine is safe for consumption and free of drugs & heavy metals. All prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications & medicinal herbs are required to have a DIN.
Winter Nutrition: A TCM Perspective
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and naturopathic medicine are similar in that they both adhere to the principle of balance. You’ve heard of yin and yang, good and evil. Well, the same concept applies to the foods that we eat: “hot” foods versus “cold” foods.
A general premise during the winter season states that because the outside environment is cold, we need to ingest foods that are more warming to the body and avoid foods with a cold nature. Foods with cold properties include raw fruits and vegetables and treats like ice cream. In TCM, the properties of foods can be changed by the cooking process, so TCM does not advocate avoiding fruits and veggies, it merely states that a balance has to be struck. It’s still important to get in your intake of fruits, but rather than eating cold salads or greens, it is preferable that you cook your vegetables. Warming foods include soups, meats, peppers, ginger and spices like turmeric (the yellow colour found in curry dishes).
Here is a basic congee recipe to keep you warm during the winter season. Congee can be viewed as a substitute for chicken noodle soup. Enjoy!
Basic Congee Recipe:
1 cup rice
9 cups water
1 tsp salt
ginger, garlic, etc… (optional)
Preparation:
In a large pot, bring the water and rice to a boil.
When the rice is boiling, turn the heat down to medium low.
Cook on medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice has a thick, creamy texture of porridge (1 – 1.5 hours). Garnish with green onions or add chopped coriander leaves at the end.
You can add anything to congee from different meats, seafood, vegetables and spices. If adding meats, do so at the beginning.
A general premise during the winter season states that because the outside environment is cold, we need to ingest foods that are more warming to the body and avoid foods with a cold nature. Foods with cold properties include raw fruits and vegetables and treats like ice cream. In TCM, the properties of foods can be changed by the cooking process, so TCM does not advocate avoiding fruits and veggies, it merely states that a balance has to be struck. It’s still important to get in your intake of fruits, but rather than eating cold salads or greens, it is preferable that you cook your vegetables. Warming foods include soups, meats, peppers, ginger and spices like turmeric (the yellow colour found in curry dishes).
Here is a basic congee recipe to keep you warm during the winter season. Congee can be viewed as a substitute for chicken noodle soup. Enjoy!
Basic Congee Recipe:
1 cup rice
9 cups water
1 tsp salt
ginger, garlic, etc… (optional)
Preparation:
In a large pot, bring the water and rice to a boil.
When the rice is boiling, turn the heat down to medium low.
Cook on medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice has a thick, creamy texture of porridge (1 – 1.5 hours). Garnish with green onions or add chopped coriander leaves at the end.
You can add anything to congee from different meats, seafood, vegetables and spices. If adding meats, do so at the beginning.
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