Although the 2008 Chinese New Year is still several weeks away (February 7), it’s never too early to begin ‘celebrating’ the Year of the Rat by using medicinal remedies and treatments that have been proven effective for hundreds of years. The Chinese people rely on a myriad of natural herbal remedies to cure virtually all types of physical complaints and diseases ranging from allergies and skin conditions to problems associated with aging and sexual dysfunction.

Regarding remedies involving herbs and other natural plant products, some of the most common ones are those many people use on an almost everyday basis. These include cinnamon bark and powder, ginger root, ginseng (which is actually three different kinds of roots), garlic, and of course a number of medicinal teas. Ginseng roots in particular are used in wide variety of remedies ranging from capsules, teas, ointments, and other forms. The most common variety is what is known as panax ginseng radix or Oriental ginseng is very much in demand in Chinese medicine. It is a favorite among athletes and others needing remedies to increase physical endurance. Due to its being a natural product, it is accepted by international authorities monitoring athletic competitions. Oriental ginseng is also effective in nourishing the spleen (one of the body’s main supplier of blood cells), the lung, and in replenishing vital body fluids.

Another common Chinese herb, ginger root, called Gan Jiang in Chinese, is used to treat a number of conditions including nausea, motion and morning sickness, flatulence (bloated feeling connected with overeating and constipation), and for upper respiratory infections including coughs and bronchitis. It is especially effective for cancer patients who suffer from nausea when undergoing chemotherapy treatments. Ginger can be drank in medicinal teas, taken in capsule form, or simply eaten raw. Ginger is also an important spice and taste additive in Chinese and other types of foods.

Cinnamon is a common spice that is also widely used in Oriental medicine. Cinnamon bark and powder is used to warm the body and stimulate the kidneys as well as reproductive organs. It is widely drunk in teas and is easily prepared by simply boiling pieces of cinnamon bark in water.

Flowers are also widely used in Chinese medicine, with the chrysanthemum flower (the national flower of Japan) being widely used to cure sinus congestion and to aid digestion, especially after eating heavy, greasy foods. It is often made into a tea and is a refreshing drink on a hot summer day.

Virtually all kinds of plants and animal products, including fungus, bones and deer antlers, and marine plant and animal products are used in Chinese medicine. Due to their usage for more than 3,000 years, one can find a Chinese medicinal remedy for virtually any type illness.

The guava fruit (psidium guajava) is a pungent, strong smelling tropical fruit that usually appears on grocery and fruit market shelves in late summer to early fall. A native of Central and South America, as well as Asian countries like India, this yellow pear-shaped fruit grows on trees that can be as high as 80 feet in tropical rain forests. In addition to its many nutrients, including calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus and potassium, guava fruit has one of the highest amounts of vitamin C of any fruit or vegetable with as much as 180 mg of vitamin C to every 100 grams of fruit, or five times that of an orange or lemon.

In addition to vitamin C, the fruit contains large amounts of vitamin A, vitamin B, and niacin.

In India, guava trees are found with fruit having a reddish pulp which is said to be much sweeter than the Western varieties.

Not everyone likes guava fruit due to its very distinct odor. There is an old saying that if you want to eat alone at work, bring several guavas with you. That also goes for saying that if left too long in the ‘fridge, everything with smell like guava fruit. So, with most people, it’s either love them or leave them in respect to the fruit’s appeal.

Taking this very minor shortcoming into account, the fruit’s benefits far outweigh its “anti-social” shortcomings. In addition to the high vitamin C, guava fruit are high in anti-oxidants and flavonoids which help prevent aging. Many anti-aging preparations contain guava concentrate in their ingredients. Eating guava is also good for people who have bowel irregularity problems, as the fruit pulp and large seeds have a laxative-like quality. Guavas also are said to be as beneficial as tomatoes for men suffering from BPH or benign prostatic hyperplasia since the fruit contains an enzyme similar to that which is found in tomatoes.

Women suffering from prolonged menstruation have found to fruit to be very beneficial.

Other parts of the guava tree are very beneficial, including the leaves (used to treat diarrhea) and the bark (used to treat heart problems). The bark and leaves are also used in making dyes and in tanning leather.

Guavas can either be eaten fresh, dried, or made into jams and chutney. Like any fruit the maximum health benefits are derived when the fruit is eaten as soon as possible after picking.

From extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the “stuff” in our lives affects our world and our communities at home and abroad in ways that are sometimes hard to comprehend. Yet most of this is intentionally hidden from the public view.

The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled, behind-the-scenes look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns in today’s society. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental, health, economic and social issues, and calls us together to create a more just and sustainable world.

It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, it will raise your awareness and it just may change the way you look at all the “stuff” in your life forever.

www.StoryOfStuff.com

Have you ever walked by a vacant lot and wondered what types of plants were growing there. Many of these plants, referred to most people as common weeds, are actually edible and can add an interesting addition to your green salad or can be cooked and eaten like spinach. Swiss Chard, and other greens. Natural foods and plants expert Ewell Givens once said that he could exist for two weeks on the “weeds” that grow in the average vacant lot. Just to give you an idea what can be found growing in the average vacant lot, here are just a few of these plants and what one can do with them.

1. Several varieties of grasses, including Bermuda (both regular and African), wild oats and wheat, and that demon of many lawns, crab grass. Though most folk wouldn’t think of eating the same plants that cows and other hoofed animals seem to love, there are tender parts that can be either cooked or eaten raw in salads.

2. Common dandelions are often found in vacant lots as well in many yards. The Greens can be cooked if soaked a bit first in salt water to remove the bitter taste. The flowers can be made into dandelion wine, once a popular drink of our great-grandparents.

3. Thistles are actually cousins to the artichoke and their roots and parts of the flowers are edible.

4. Sheep shower is another common plant that has a sour taste and the leaves and flowers can either be eaten raw or boiled like spinach.

5. White Man’s foot or broadleaved plantain is a very common weed found all over the U.S.A. It was named White Man’s foot by Native Americans as it appears to have been brought over from Europe by immigrants who used the plant as a medicine to cure a variety of ailments ranging from epilepsy to ulcers.

6. Milkweeds, are called that name due to the milky white sap in the plant’s stems. Though non-edible, the flowers are an important source of pollen for bees to gather for making honey.

In addition to the above a number of plants such as wild cabbage and wild onion can be found in vacant lots, as well as several varieties of flowers including wild poppies, marigolds, and of course goldenrods and rag weeds, those plants which cause many people to be miserable in the fall when the plants’ pollen and seeds are blown everywhere.

American writer and early environmentalist Henry David Thoreau also described many of these plants and the animals which relied on them for food in his book about Walden Pond. Even he appreciated the value of simple plants that most people often take for granted.

Acupuncture is an ancient medical technique that involves inserting and manipulating very thin needles into the body to create a sensation of warmth that is alleged to bring relief from pain. The technique is said to have originated in China, and variations are used around the world In Mandarin Chinese, the technique is called Zhen Jiu and Chinese and other Asian practitioners often use acupuncture needles together with a special herb called moxa or mugwort herb. The treatment is used extensively by alternative medicine practitioners and proper use of acupuncture needles has been found to give relief to a number of conditions where pain is often involved, included muscle aches, neck and back pain, feet and leg problems and headaches.

The theory of acupuncture revolves around the idea that the body has a number of “pain points” and pathways that carry sensations of discomfort and pain from the body to the brain. By manipulating the inserted needles, a sensation of warmth is created that rids the feeling of pain and gives comfort to the affected area. Acupuncture is so relied on in countries like China that it is often administered to patients who are in pain or who are having surgery. The Chinese believe that there are 12 main pathways or meridians that can be tread by manipulation of the acupuncture needles at certain pressure points. These meridians or channels are know as yin and yang channels and they represent opposite forces that affect a person’s well being. Both the arms an legs have important acupuncture channels, but the major body organs, including the heart, lungs, liver, etc., have acupuncture points as well. The warmth and sensation created by the needles are said to be carried by these body channels to the brain.

By listening to the reactions of the patient to the insertion of the acupuncture needles, the practitioner can know whether or not they have been inserted correctly and whether or not the correct condition is being treated.

People suffering from cardio-vascular problems are said to receive much benefit from acupuncture as the revolving needles help to remove blockages in the blood vessels and reduce pain. An experienced acupuncture practitioner is trained to observe the various body signs or “inquiries” to indicate an illness or condition. These signs give the practitioner an indication as to where the insertion of the needles where do the most good. In traditional Chinese medicine, the use of acupuncture is considered to be an individualized treatment based on a person’s body signs. Together with other forms of treatment, acupuncture has proven to be successful treatment that is gaining in popularity all over the world.

The Indian Subcontinent, aside from being one of the most populous regions of the world, also contains many of the most beneficial medicinal herbs known to man. From the country’s northern mountains to it’s lush southern regions, medicinal herbs have been grown and used by the country’s 1+ billion population for thousands of years. The herbs are both cultivated and found growing wild in virtually all regions, and are used to treat a wide variety of illnesses and complaints including arthritis, cancer, heart disease, intestinal complaints, skin conditions, sexual impotency, and even snake bites.

In this virtual “garden of earthly delights” the herbs are picked and processed into a variety of preparations, many of which are sold worldwide. The names of these herbs are as exotic as the country from which they come; and just a few of them are noted here:

Andrographis paniculata: an extremely bitter tasting herb usually found in southern and southeastern India. This herb is used extensively in treating various types of cancer, inflammatory conditions, and as a treatment for snakebites.

Ashwagandha: Also known as winter cherry, this herb is used to treat a variety of health problems including nervous and stress disorders, anemia, infertility, and is also used to coagulate milk.

Neem tree: A shrub-like tree found in a number of locations ranging from tropical to mountainous, the Neem’s leaves, roots, and berries are used to treat a number of skin disorders ranging from boils to leprosy. It is a very important element in natural or Ayurvedic medicine.

Shatavari plant: A climbing plant found mainly in northern India, the Shatavari is used to treat a number of respiratory ailments including bronchitis, as well as diarrhea, dysentery, and other gastric related problems.

Triphala plant: Also known as “three fruits” the tripahala plant is used extensively to treat conditions of the liver and gall bladder, and is also widely used as a laxative. Due to its cleansing properties, it is often referred to as “nature’s body cleanser”. Due to a high vitamin content it is often used as a food supplement.

Tulsi plant: The tulsi plant is a basil-like herb that has long been used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine. Many refer to it as the “queen of herbs” and its value as a sexual enhancer was even mentioned in the Kama Sutra, the classical Indian work on sexual techniques. The tulsi is also used to treat lung congestion, skin diseases and malaria. It is also a popular spice and is added to a number of food dishes, including curries.

Tumeric plant: Turmeric plant is a popular food enhancer spice that has been used in India for centuries. It is also used to treat a wide range of stomach problems, including gastritis and ulcers. Its benefits in treating cancer is also being studied.

These are just a few of the many kinds of medicinal herbs and plants found on the Subcontinent. There are many more and these can be found in stores and websites specializing in holistic remedies and natural products.

Have you ever passed a park of beach front in the morning or evening and seen people doing what appears to be a slow motion martial arts exercise? That “exercise” is most likely Tai Chi also known as Tai Chi Chaun; an exercise that has been known in China since the early 1800’s and more recently in western countries.

Though generally called a martial art, like Karate and Kung Fu, practitioners of Tai Chi, said to actually be a “hybrid” of earlier martial art forms, consider their science to be an internal exercise discipline that helps people maintain skeletal and muscular agility long into advanced old age. In fact in China it is not uncommon for people in their 90’s to practice Tai Chi which is considered to be a soft-style martial art intended to improve not only the posture but also to coordinate the opposite Yin and Yang extremes of the body. Practicing traditional Tai Chi involves learning a series of “warm up” postures, known as forms or taolu, and afterwards the more known movements that many refer to as boxing and as “Oriental meditation”.

The physical attributes of Tai Chi exercises include helping people deal with stress as well as increasing the body’s blood and lymph circulation. The three main objectives of Tai Chi are health, meditation, and martial art. Good health is primary focus of Tai Chi as the other objectives, especially martial arts, cannot be accomplished if a person is not in good health. There are five main forms of Tai Chi: Chen style, Yang style, Wu Hao Style, Wu Chuan-Yu ,and Sun style. The most popular style that most Westerners are familiar with are the Yang and Wu chuan styles. These are the styles most seen when observing a group of people practicing the science in parks and other public places. History says that Tai Chi was first taught by a Taoist monk named Zang Sanfang and taught in monasteries in the Wu Tang Shan province of China.

The martial arts technique of Kung Fu is said to be a derivative of Tai Chi Chaun and observations of both techniques show their similarities to each other. If practiced correctly, it can be a very effective form of self defense as well as fighting technique. Modern versions of Tai Chi are becoming very popular in America and many parks and playgrounds in large American cities, as well as beaches often have many people practicing these exercises in groups as by individuals.

Much is being said these days over the difference of organic foods, especially meat, fruit, and vegetables over those produced with chemicals, and additives. Most supermarkets offer both organic and “regular” produce, and what most people notice first off is that organic fruits and vegetables are usually much smaller and not as “plump” as the ones grown with the assistance chemical fertilizers, insecticides, and other additives. This also is true for meat, with organic chickens much smaller and leaner than commercially produced ones, and organic beef much darker and with less fat. Of course the price of organic produce is also much more than non-organic varieties.

But in order to really appreciate the difference in organic versus non-organic foods, you really have to taste them Organic vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, etc., have a much more distinct taste; i.e., a tomato tastes like a one grown in your backyard garden, and not one that hardly has a taste at all. Fruit, especially seasonal summer fruit like plums, peaches, cherries, etc., really taste like the ones our grandparents used to grow. They may be smaller and not as well formed, but from a taste standpoint, the difference is clearly evident. Organic food scientists who have made a study in comparing the two types say that organic produce have anti-oxidants and flavinoids, which are not only much better for you from a health standpoints (they helps prevent cancer and heart disease and keep people looking younger) but they also help sharpen peoples taste buds.

Perhaps it is for this reason the organic wines are also gaining in popularity. Red wine, for instance is now acclaimed to be very healthy and helps reduce cholesterol levels due to the amounts of antioxidants and flavenoids found in the skin of the grapes. And if the grapes from which the wine is made form just happen to be organic, then they will have even more of these anti-aging ingredients. Those who have tasted grapes grown on a home grape arbor will agree that they taste much different, and better, than those found in supermarkets.

As for meat like poultry, a small, “free-running” chicken not only looks pinker but many attest that it tastes like a wild fowl. All those vitamins and antibiotics that commercially produced chickens have only make them look fatter and larger. One taste will definitely make a difference.

As more and more people turn to organic grown and produced foods, they see that quality is definitely better than quantity in regards to the foods they buy, making it good sense to choose organic grown foods.

Feng Shui, or wind-water, is an ancient Chinese philosophy that is centered around making a harmonious balance between Man and the natural elements. This philosophy, which is said to have been in existence even longer than the sayings of Confucius, believes in the concept of living in harmony with the earth’s natural forces instead of trying to oppose them. In China and other eastern countries, many businesses or new homes will not be occupied until a Feng Sui practitioner is invited to come and make sure that items such as furniture, plants and other greenery are arranged in a an order that is most compatible with the natural elements.

The Five Elements of Feng Shui are wood, fire, metal, earth and water, and each element in represented by a particular color. Fire is red color and is usually located in the south. Water is black color and is located in the north. Wood is green color and is located in the east. Metal is either a white or gold color and is located in the west. Earth, the last element, is yellow and located in the center.

In a house for instance the location of doors and windows are important for allowing the maximum admission of natural light and air circulation. Other things such as lamps, paintings and pictures, and even the colors of walls and ceiling should be coordinated to create a more pleasant and light filled effect. In Feng Shui, importance is made towards the creation of happy, pleasant surroundings, which will help to create the same feeling in the lives of those who live there. This concern for pleasant effect in the environment results in making sure that doors and mirror are positioned properly and that certain rooms will have green plants, while other rooms will have flowers or other symbols of natural beauty. Colors representing the previously mentioned Five Elements are arranged in each room according to the items placed there and their appropriate directions.

In Feng Shui there are two main energy forces, Chi (chee) which is a spiritual or supernatural force, and Sha which is a nard of natural energy. As these energy forces are constantly opposing each other with both “good” and “bad” energy, the arrangement of items in rooms, plus the positions of doors are important in respect to which energy force is dominant and thus controls our lives. It is almost as if one is talking about electromagnetic fields or other forces that can have an effect on the balance of harmony in our lives. For example, if a door is not positioned properly, or is left open unnecessarily, Feng Shui philosophy will say that this supposedly insignificant thing can upset the balance between our Chi and Sha energy fields.

Many people have a false belief that it is difficult, if not impossible to effectively practice Yoga exercises once they are over 60. While it is true that the human body is not as limber in old age, and is not like it was at age 30, there is no reason that with the right technique and step by step concentration, an older person can not only be successful but even increase their “real age” lifespan by as much as 6 to 10 years.

Older people, especially senior citizens, often feel very neglected and unwanted. They also have a greater fear of death than younger people, which only adds to their frustration. By offering them a healthy exercise discipline, they not only invigorate the body but the mind as well. Although older people require more time and much patience on behalf of the instructor, with the right assistance they can realize a big change in their outlook on life. One of the best Yoga techniques for older persons is one known as Yoga Nidra. This technique is well suited even for geriatrics as it does not require them to lie on the floor, but allows them to perform many exercises while sitting in a chair. The exercises are done at a much slower pace and careful consideration is made for the participant’s physical limitations. By practicing simple breathing exercises, especially from the abdomen, those who have problems such as depression and insomnia often find much needed relief.

For those who are not aware, Yoga Nidra, otherwise known as Yoga of Clear Light is designed to bring people to a spiritual, emotional and physical level of consciousness through trance and meditation. The ultimate aim is bring a person to an ultimate state that is in direct communion with the Devine energy. The state of absolute relaxation is so wonderful that those who practice this technique say that only half and hour of Yoga Nidra meditation is equivalent to three hours of normal sleep. It is for this reason that it is highly recommended for older people who often suffer from sleeping disorders, particularly insomnia.

For this age group, more simple Yoga Nidra techniques are taught in order for participants to be able to get the most benefit and not become discouraged. With patience and proper guidance older people can practice Yoga Nidra exercises until they are 90 – even more.