Index to Articles
Making a decision regarding what type of healthcare service to use reveals the deepest belief systems a person has. The saying “would you bet your life on it?” is not an exaggeration when it comes to important medical decisions.
With the prevalence of colds and flus during the winter months, it is no wonder that all around the world, we still call such infections “colds.” Around the world, it has been thought that the weather condition of cold would somehow get in the body and cause the symptoms of chills, fever, etc., as the body fought to expel the cold...
Ephedra is a twiggy herb that has a definite medicinal effect. In Chinese it is called Ma Huang, which is translated as either “Hemp Yellow” or “Numb Yellow.” The FDA has announced that at the beginning of April, 2004, it will be banned from interstate commerce due to potential dangers when misused.
In my clinic, I usually finish my initial intakes by asking my new patients to make 3 goals for their health and life. More than anything else people say "to have more energy." If you'd like more energy too, then this column is for you. (Caution: contains surprise twists one may not expect from an acupuncturist)
Did our primitive ancestors have superior diets of raw food that gave them immunity to many diseases of modern civilization? Did the adoption of modern diets and lifestyle introduce disease and tooth decay to tribal people? According to followers of various raw foods diet plans, the answer is an emphatic and proven “yes.” However, this school of dietary philosophy is in contrast to the teachings of modern nutrition, public health, and also Traditional Chinese Medicine. In this article, I will look at the history and questionable research behind the raw foods philosophy.
There are thousands of substances that have been used in Chinese Medicine-plant, mineral, animal, and more. There are many ways to categorize these substances: by plant part, by the Latin names, etc. The traditional Chinese categories are based upon their actions in the human body. This article goes through the categories (in the traditional order most herbals are written in) and briefly describes what the category does.
As an acupuncturist and herbalist, many people assume that I also practice and support homeopathy. In fact, I’ve noticed that many people equate herbology with homeopathy. I’ve certainly learned much about homeopathy and talked with many homeopaths over the years of my education. I’ve even tried homeopathy a couple of times. One of my teachers, who practiced homeopathy and radionics, liked to use this quote from Voltaire: “The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while Nature cures the disease.” Unfortunately, that’s very close to the truth for many alternative therapies. To be more accurate, it could be said that the art of many alternative healthcare providers, especially homeopaths, consists of profiting from the patient while they hope nature will cure the disease.
