Combining TCM dietary recommendations and herbal formulas can lower blood pressure. Seaweed, mung beans and hawthorn fruit are part of natural treatment for hypertension.

Hypertension is a problem for many people, In addition to hereditary factors, stressful lifestyles and poor diet can contribute to high blood pressure. Traditional Chinese Medicine combines Western theory and classical Chinese assessments to treat hypertension. While there are some basic dietary recommendations that can be tried, seriously high blood pressure should be evaluated by a physician. A qualified TCM practitioner can be of great help with these cases.

How TCM Sees Hypertension
TCM assessment tends to be more descriptive and colorful than western medicine. Imagine being diagnosed as having Liver Fire Upward Blazing. And yet, this assessment paints a picture of an angry, explosive personality who easily goes red in the face. It might otherwise known as the heart attack waiting to happen. And it would be a pattern that is often associated with hypertension.

But other people may develop hypertension from a different Chinese pattern-Deficiency or Vacuity of Yin. Most people understand the concept of Yin (feminine) and Yang (masculine) being in balance. The person who has Deficiency of Yin will be one who has plenty of nervous energy but underlying that they feel completely exhausted.

There are other TCM patterns that can result in hypertension, but the following information will be helpful no matter what Chinese medicine patterns a person shows.
Using Foods to Control High Blood Pressure

A multi-level approach can be used to combine western diagnosis with traditional Chinese concepts
1. Eat foods that are known to lower blood pressure. Foods that are shown to reduce hypertension include seaweeds, mung beans, hawthorn fruit, bananas and persimmon. Making a tomato and celery soup or steamed clams may also help get those numbers down.

2. Eat foods that lower cholesterol. High cholesterol levels are often linked to hypertension so foods that either help lower cholesterol or are themselves low in cholesterol should be chosen. This true from both the TCM perspective and the western view. For high cholesterol, the recommendations are similar east and west. A diet with less animal based protein, substituting vegetable oils such as sesame or olive oil instead of animal fats is the starting point. The good news for mushroom lovers-shiitake mushrooms help lower cholesterol.

3. Eat foods to “soften” the blood vessels. This is the Chinese way of saying reverse arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Some choices here include the kelp, sea grasses, mung bean sprouts, and fruits.

4. Drink Chrysanthemum Flower Tea which appears to help lower blood pressure.

5. One other thing to consider, Traditional Chinese Medical theory indicates that for certain types of hypertension, the Liver Fire type, celery is very helpful as it aids the liver. This is somewhat at odds with western medicine where the amount of sodium in celery is a concern but it has worked for many years in China.

When Diet is Not Enough

These dietary suggestions are not a substitute for individual assessment by a qualified Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner. For people already taking blood pressure medication, the TCM practitioner should be told about those medications so that a formula can be designed that will work in synergy with those medications. At the same time the physician involved should be made aware of the herbal formula so that the two practitioners can work together to help control the client’s hypertension.
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The copyright of the article Chinese Herbs for Hypertension in Chinese Medicine is owned by Dawn M. Smith. Permission to republish Chinese Herbs for Hypertension in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

When summer heat or allergies bring sinus congestion and eye irritation, chrysanthemum flower Chinese tea can help. It may also counteract some of the effects of VDT exposure.
Chinese teas are made from a variety of plants for a variety of reasons. Chrysanthemum flower tea is one very common type. Drunk with meals it helps to aid digestion, especially of greasy foods.
It is also commonly taken to help strengthen the lungs and relieve head congestion.In China, chrysanthemum tea is now being recommended for office workers exposed to Video Display Terminals (VDTs).
Chrysanthemum flowers (Chrysanthemum morifolii), known as Ju Hua, have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries. They are found in many ancient formulas. But simple chrysanthemum flower tea is also a very common beverage in China, as the Chinese take into account the health benefits of the food and drink they consume. Ju Hua is classified as a cool, acrid herb which is good for relieving heat of the upper body-i.e. head and chest, being especially helpful for red, itchy eyes. It enters the Lung Meridian.
White and Yellow Chrysanthemums
White chrysanthemum is best for soothing the eyes while yellow chrysanthemum is better at clearing heat, so your tea should be chosen accordingly. When making the tea from dried flowers, the flowers can be taken from the pot and allowed to cool. They can then be placed over the eyes to soothe redness and itching. Keep any extra in the refrigerator for quick relief. Chrysanthemum tea bags can be used in the same way.
Because chrysanthemum flower Chinese tea is not a medicine in the Western sense, it can be safely drunk on a regular basis. It can help in the early stages of feverish type upper body flu. It may also help relieve certain types of headaches, blurred vision and dizziness, but the effect on those symptoms will vary dependent on the underlying cause.
Studies have shown Ju Hua may have a beneficial effect on high blood pressure. However, when considering using Chinese herbs for serious or chronic health issues, a qualified Chinese herbalist should always be consulted.
VDT Usage and Chrysanthemum Tea
While the jury is still out on the effects of VDT radiation exposure, it would not hurt to drink chrysanthemum flower tea at work if you spend a great deal of time in front of a computer. Easing the eyestrain alone is good and if, as it is being recommended in China, chrysanthemum flower tea helps counteract side effects of the low levels of radiation coming from your computer screen, so much the better.

The copyright of the article Chrysanthemum Flower Chinese Tea in Chinese Medicine is owned by Dawn M. Smith. Permission to republish Chrysanthemum Flower Chinese Tea in print or online must be granted by the author in writing. This article was first published on Suite101.com

Herbs, Acupuncture and Diet Can All Be Used to Help Arthritis Sufferers

Inflammation of the joints, called arthritis in western medicine, causes suffering for many people. But the ancient Chinese health system known as Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM has been aiding people with arthritic joints for centuries. A combination of herbal formulas, dietary changes, acupuncture/acupressure and massage may help deal with arthritis symptoms.

Herbal Formulas
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, arthritis is one of several possible patterns of Impediment (known as Bi). Osteoarthritis is most commonly Wind Damp Cold Bi. In this case, the arthritis flares up on cold, damp days, and a formula to warm and dry is appropriate.

For example, cinnamon, a common household spice, is found in many of the herbal formulas for cold, damp arthritis. But it will be one of 6-15 ingredients, carefully chosen to suit the individual.

Rheumatoid arthritis is more often a result of Heat Bi. Hot swollen joints need a more neutral formula. A Traditional Chinese Herbalist will spend a lot of time asking questions about overall health before developing a formula for an individual.

Most importantly, in all cases the underlying issue is the Impediment, so all arthritis formulas work to move the Blood and Qi.

Dietary Changes
While western medicine focuses on diet to control weight gain, which puts pressure on arthritic joints, a TCM herbalist utilizes foods to enhance the effects of the formula. Invigorating foods such as turnips, which stimulate both Blood and Qi may be suggested. Other foods which, from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective may help warm or cool the body as appropriate, would also be suggested.

Acupuncture and Acupressure
Acupuncture is routinely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine arthritis cases. Needles are placed at appropriate points along the meridians to move Blood and Qi. Other specific points may be needled depending on other aspects of the client’s health. It will generally take several weeks for long term relief from arthritis to occur but often clients feel better after the initial treatment.

Don’t like needles? Acupressure may be the answer. Finger pressure over the same points, while not as powerful as acupuncture, will help do the job. One point, called Kunlun Mountain, is also known as Aspirin Point. It is located within the area between the Achilles tendon and the ankle bone. Massaging the area between two fingers may provide some relief from arthritis pain.

Tui Na
Traditional Chinese Medical massage is based on the same principles as acupuncture and herbal therapy. The appropriate channels or meridians are massaged to stimulate Blood and Qi flow and strengthen weaknesses. This is the form of massage on which reflexology is based. A Tui Na therapist will often use cinnamon based oils when massaging cold damp arthritic joints.

As an alternative to, or in conjunction with, western medicines, these Traditional Chinese Medical treatments may help arthritis sufferers.

(This article was first published on Suite101.com)
The copyright of the article Chinese Medicine And Arthritis in Chinese Medicine is owned by Dawn M. Smith. Permission to republish Chinese Medicine And Arthritis must be granted by the author in writing.

Why Traditional Chinese Herbalists don’t expect the latest fad diets to work for everyone
Controlling weight can be a frustrating process. Especially when there are so many different diets with conflicting information about what works and what doesn’t. Each weight loss program has its proponents but no diet plan works for everyone.
Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine has long been helping people lose weight. Following the philosophy of bringing the body into balance, foods are used as another tool to enhance wellnes while individual differences are taken into account.
Salads May Not Be Right For Everyone
Salads are a staple of a number of weight loss diets and raw foods in general are growing in popularity for various health reasons. But these choices may be wrong for some people, especially those who tend to feel cold and fatigued.
Viewed from the Chinese perspective, the digestive system is like a wood burning furnace. If the fire in the furnace is low, putting cold, wet wood on it will damp it further, perhaps even put it out.
For people with poor digestion, raw foods are like that damp wood. The furnace has to work very hard to burn them. Warming or partially cooking foods may help tremendously in these cases.
It isn’t necessary to cook things to death, simply sautéing or lightly steaming vegetables can enhance the ability to digest them. Most herbs and spices are warming. Adding them to foods will also aid in the digestive process.
For non-vegetarians with poor digestion, it is important to cook meats well and keep the quantity low and quality high. Think of that furnace, partially burned wood is easier to burn. Hardwoods burn more slowly-meats fall into the hardwood category.
Soups and stews are a staple of Chinese diets and are especially useful for those with weak digestive systems. The food is cooked slowly so less nutritional value is lost and yet the end product is easy to digest. Marinating meats is another way to ‘season the wood’ so it burns more readily.
Some people will, however, benefit tremendously from the raw food diet. Those with strong digestive systems tend to feel warm and have more energy than those with poor digestion. They are the ones likely to do well on raw diets. Ideally those who decide to pursue the raw food diet for healthy weight loss should use locally grown organic vegetables where possible so that the quality and safety of the food can easily be monitored. It is important to remember to wash raw vegetables before eating no matter what the source.
When an Herbal Formula May Help
For some, these basic tips will not be enough. If the body has gotten too far out of balance it help to work with a Chinese herbalist who will provide an individual formula to enhance weight loss with herbs. The herbalist will also work with the person on specific foods that may benefit their overall health. But resist the temptation to just pick up an OTC Chinese herbal weight loss preparation. These are some of the Chinese medicines that have been contaminated, often with western drugs.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine there is no magic weight loss diet but there are ways of enhancing healthy weight loss utilizing Chinese herbs and food theory.

(This article was first published on Suite101.com)
The copyright of the article Chinese Methods for Weight Loss in Chinese Medicine is owned by Dawn M. Smith. Permission to republish Chinese Methods for Weight Loss must be granted by the author in writing.