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Kidney Stone Flush, Colon & Parasite Cleanse/Flush

Here are 3 more cleanse/flushes for kidney stones, parasites and the colon. In Chinese medicine cleanses/flushes utilizes the purging technique in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) herbology. Purges are only to be used for robust patients with excess conditions, and are contra-indicated for deficiency (fatigue, pale complexion and other signs). Please consult with a TCM practitioner prior to commencing a flush/cleanse to be certain it is an appropriate technique to use with your constitution. See comments about this issue included with the comments about the liver cleanse in the previous post. KB KIDNEY CLEANSE ¼ cup dried Hydrangea root ¼ cup Gravel root ¼ cup Marshmallow root Black cherry concentrate 4 bunches of fresh parsley Goldenrod capsules or herb Vegetable glycerine Ginger capsules Uva Ursi capsules Vitamin B…

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Liver Detox Cleanse/Gallstone Flush

Periodically I get requests for liver detox cleanses and gallstone flushes. The detox cleanse is an idea in western holistic medicine, and is not a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) concept. However, with all the environmental toxins we are exposed to I wouldn't say that the practice is contraindicated: in the correct situation may indeed be beneficial. A colleague has researched various flushes and recommends this one to his patients. I thought I would post it here for those who are interested in doing a liver flush, as I believe this one is rather safe. I do suggest consulting with an acupuncturist prior to commencing a flush. We can support you with herbs and acupuncture with to enhance the results of the detox process. Importantly, there are situations,…

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With Herbs and Foods, Form Dictates Function

Chinese medicine holds the concept the the shape of a plant or the climate it grows in dictates its medicinal properties. Like causes like. Here's something that has been circulating on the Internet that demonstrates this concept with foods. It's an interesting read. I would offer the caveat that i have not verified all of the info presented here. I am sharing it to illustrate the concept. But what i can verify is correct: carrots benefit the eyes, walnuts (in Chinese medicine theory) benefit the brain because it is shaped and looks like a brain, kidney beans nourish the kidney because they look like kidneys. Enjoy KB A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...…

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Chickpea-Garlic Soup Mmm, Mmm Good

Here's my newest, favorite soup recipe. Is it ever delicious. I garnished it with a dollop of raw/cultured red cabbage that I found in a package in the refrigerator section at Earthfare. The red color popped beautifully popped in the bowl of the golden yellow soup, as did it's tartness pop the flavor of this creamy potage. The recipe is from the cookbook of my favorite vegetarian restaurant in NYC: Angelica's Kitchen. Peter Berley, the author of my 2nd favorite vegetarian cookbook: The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen, was a prior chef at Angelica's Kitchen in earlier days, and is credited for recipe development. I see similarities and influences in the recipes and cooking styles of the 2 books.I keep an herb garden with staples like rosemary, sage, oregano,…

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Homemade Applesauce: Healthy and Guilt-free Dessert

Apples have been on sale recently at Earthfare and Greenlife, so I bought a few pounds and made a easy applesauce, mmm, mmm. My grandmother used to make this and I still remember how much I loved eating it. We used to eat it with cinnamon graham crackers. It's also tasty over ice cream. Though, as an acupuncturist, I avoid frozen, sugary concoctions, such as ice cream.I've been enjoying the applesauce over millet and walnuts in the morning for breakfast, or as an after-meal snack.I used my version of my grandmother's recipe. She used to can it in jars. I haven't yet learned canning.7lbs apples - I used a blend of macs and granny smith: they were both on sale. The granny smith added a tang, so…

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Studies Show 'No Benefit' of Clomid or IUI's in Increasing Chances of Pregnancy

Fertility treatments 'no benefit' Two common treatments for fertility problems do not work, an Aberdeen University-led study suggests. UK guidelines recommend the drug clomid and artificial insemination for couples who have trouble conceiving despite no known cause for their infertility. But trials of 580 women in Scotland found the treatments were no better than trying to get pregnant naturally, the British Medical Journal reports. A third of couples who struggle to get pregnant have unexplained infertility. It means, despite a battery of tests, doctors cannot find a reason why they struggle to conceive. “ It sends a positive message that the chances of success spontaneously are pretty convincing ” Professor Siladitya Bhattacharya, study leader The options listed by the National Institute of Clinical and Health Excellence (NICE)…

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Excerpts from Washington Post article about Acupuncture Efficacy

The following is an excerpt from an article in the Washington Post about acupuncture. These are comments from doctors and patients about their experiences with acupuncture. KB By Ellen Edwards Washington Post Staff WriterTuesday, March 17, 2009; Page HE04 ') ; // --> lternative Medicine Millions Embrace Acupuncture, Despite Thin Evidence A study found that 3.1 million adults and 150,000 children used acupuncture in 2007 for such ailments as headache, back pain and insomnia. (By Dominic Bracco Ii For The Washington Post) . . . Brian Berman, director of the University of Maryland center, came to acupuncture after feeling that something was missing in his practice of family medicine. "I was well trained with acute problems such as an asthma attack, trauma, heart attack," he said. "But…

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Pentagon researches alternative treatments

Pentagon researches alternative treatmentsBy Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAYPosted 10/7/2008 11:45 PMWASHINGTON — The Pentagon is seeking new ways to treat troops suffering from combat stress or brain damage by researching such alternative methods as acupuncture, meditation, yoga and the use of animals as therapy, military officials said."This new theme is a big departure for our cautious culture," Dr. S. Ward Casscells, the Pentagon's assistant secretary for health affairs, told USA TODAY.Casscells said he pushed hard for the new research, because "we are struggling with" post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) "as we are with suicide and we are increasingly willing to take a hard look at even soft therapies."So far this year, the Pentagon is spending $5 million to study the therapies. In the previous two years, the Pentagon…

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MD Speaks About Acupuncture Anesthesia for Surgery in Address to National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) News Advisory Noted Author, Surgeon To Address "Chinese Medicine, Western Science and Acupuncture" at NCCAM's Inaugural Stephen E. Straus Distinguished Lecture What: National Book Award-winning author and surgeon Sherwin B. Nuland, M.D., discusses his experiences in China observing major surgery conducted without anesthesia, aided by acupuncture—and whether its effectiveness can be explained by current biomedical science. Dr. Nuland, author of The Uncertain Art: Thoughts on a Life in Medicine, and clinical professor of surgery at Yale University, will be the featured speaker at the inaugural Stephen E. Straus Distinguished Lecture in the Science of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. His lecture is entitled "Chinese Medicine, Western Science and Acupuncture." Why: This lecture series was established in honor of Stephen E.…

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Random Acts of Kindness Improve Health

I was just watching Dr. Wayne Dyer's Power of Intention on PBS this afternoon. He highlighted some interesting medical research on the health benefits of preforming acts of kindness. Apparently researchers have studied the effects of acts of kindness on both the giver, receiver and the witnesses and have concluded that preforming acts of kindness increases serotonin levels and strengthens immune function in both the giver, receiver and witnesses of acts of kindness. Serotonin's are brain neurotransmitters, a type of endorphin. Increased levels in serotonin's are seen in happy people: increased endorphin levels are the brain chemicals responsible for the 'runners high'. Many of the anti-depressant drugs function to increase brain serotonin levels.According to Dyer, researchers have found that witnessing, giving or receiving acts of kindness will…

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