Meridian Therapy

Meridian Therapy greatly benefits a person's well being by keeping the meridians balanced. The procedure for meridian therapy becomes so simple with the use of the Multifunctional Headcare Apparatus of Tiens that has cogs with smooth ends that will not cause scratches on the skin.  The gadget is simply scanned or combed along the direction of the meridian from a starting point, as shown by the photos below:

There are 3 meridians shown on the photo at the left. The HEART meridian, the CONCEPTION meridian at the middle of the trunk, and the LUNG meridian. Scanning the comb gadget on the paler or lighter side or YIN side of the arm will touch two meridians, the HEART and the LUNG at the same time. Scanning or combing lightly should begin at the starting point of the meridian.  

On the YANG or outer or darker side of the arm are another two meridians, the LARGE INTESTINE and the ENDOCRINE GLANDS meridians. The starting points of these two meridians are found on the fingers, upwards.

Therefore, the comb may be scanned upward on the darker side then flip the arm and continue scanning downward on the lighter side. It is assumed that a person has no fever when this is done and the objective of the therapy is simply to keep the meridians normal or balanced.

The same procedure goes for meridians that run on a person's legs like the SPLEEN and LIVER meridians that start from the foot. The STOMACH, GALL BLADDER and BLADDER or Urinary Bladder on the other hand, start from points near the eyes, upward to the head then downward to the foot. In this case, combing or scanning may be divided in two or even 3 sections of the body, for example the head, trunk and legs.

Improving the Liver's Functions

A lot had been said about taking care of the liver and this post hopes to add more options to choose from.  I can guess that one of the best options is drinking a delicious juice that can improve the function of the liver. 

Wash, slice, then juice the following preferably using a slow juicer:  one apple, one medium sugar beet and one stalk of celery.  Drink  the juice immediately to avoid oxidation of the nutrients  Drinking this regularly cleanses the liver, improving its function.  

Another way to cleanse the liver is the TCM way of stimulating the acupoints of the liver found on the foot as shown on the photo.  This can be done by soaking the feet in the following boiled mixture:

1.  Sliced ginger (without peeling).
2.  Used tea bag of Tianshi Lipid Metabolic Management Tea (drinking two cups of this tea twice a day is also very good for the liver and the heart).
3,  Two or more liters of water, enough to soak the feet so that all acupoints are soaked (see photo).

Test if your feet can withstand the heat before soaking the feet, but the hotter the better.  Soak until the heat is gone.  You should feel the heat going up your body.

A traditional way of stimulating the acupoints of the liver to improve its functions is through acupuncture or acupressure.  There is now a modern way, through electro-acupuncture using state-of-the-art gadgets like the one from Tiens called Acupoints Treasure Multifunctional Apparatus.

Lastly, emotions greatly affect the organs of the body, each kind of emotion affecting each vital organ. The emotion affecting the liver is anger so people should not allow anger to linger in them. Lingering anger is usually the root cause of cancer because of the hormones secreted by anger which stimulates the growth of cancer cells.

Electroacupuncture to stop smoking

A lot of studies on the effectiveness of electroacupuncture have been published and we're lucky that a high-quality gadget in this category is already available. This gadget is the Tiens Acupoint Treasure Multifunctional Apparatus which uses electroacupuncture pulse technology.

One of the most common concern that will highly benefit by using this apparatus is in quitting smoking.  By using the Tiens Acupoints Treasure Multifunctional Apparatus regularly on an acupoint called "Tim Mee", and every time there is a craving to smoke,  a smoker will soon stop smoking.

"Tim Mee" is approximately one inch on top of the base of the "hole" formed near your wrist in line with the thumb, when you spread your thumb away from the other fingers. To those who are familiar with acupoints, "Tim Mee" is between the "hole" mentioned earlier and LU7 acupoint which is at the tip of the index finger of the other hand when base of two thumbs are crossed against each other in between the thumb and index finger.



Please watch the video to help you locate it. and use the Tiens Acupoint Treasure Multifunctional Apparatus which is much easier to use.

A delicious milkshake!

A combination of fruits and/or vegetables always makes a great recipe.  A milkshake that proved delicious was one that the class of my special child made and liked so much at Resources for the Blind and it was a mixture of bananas, mangoes and apples.  I experimented on that combination with a revision of the proportion of fruits and added a fruit that really made it the most delicious milkshake I've ever tasted, and that is kiwi.

Here's the proportion that I used:

2 bananas

1 mango

1 big apple

1 big kiwi

1/4 cup sugar

Around 150 ml. of milk (I used small tetrapacks so I can switch to low fat milk for me and my husband)

Procedure: 

Peel, slice and blend the above ingredients in a blender until smooth (that will take less than a half minute), transfer in a bowl then set aside.  Crush the ice small enough to be blended till fine or if you're using an ice crusher or something like a Matstone juicer that has an ice shaver like the one I used, you can use tube ice.

Pour a glass of shaved ice on the blender and add one cup of the blended fruit mixture in the blender and blend for 10 seconds. More milk may be added for the children before blending.  That can be good for 2 persons. I think I was able to produce 6 glasses all in all.

Taking care of the Gallbladder

I found a simple article in the internet about taking care of the gallbladder, but I had to edit it not only to shorten it but to make it fit to the lifestyle of Filipinos who are workaholics and wouldn't usually notice the time.  I therefore prioritized the hows of taking care of the gallbladder according to the lifestyle I just mentioned:

1.  Know What Time It Is

In TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine, every organ is seen to have 2 hours out of every 12 where its Qi is at its peak. The time when the Gallbladder’s energy is its most abundant is between 11pm-1am. During these 2 hours, it is helpful if you can refrain from drinking alcohol or other intoxicants, as they place unnecessary stress on the Gallbladder. It also helps the Gallbladder if you can rest the body as much as possible in these 2 hours.

2.  Avoid Greasy, Fatty, Rich or Spicy Foods

Sharp abdominal pains after eating these types of foods points to Gallbladder stones and other problems. Because the Gallbladder is responsible for releasing bile which helps break down fats, you want to keep intake of these foods to a minimum and not overload your Gallbladder.

3.  Express Emotions Freely

This may be easier said than done, but any stagnation or blockage in TCM is what causes disease and pain. This includes emotions, so it is important to have a healthy emotional life, and always try to express what you are feeling instead of allowing it to build up. Emotions specific to Gallbladder are anger (frustration, resentment, etc..) associated with its partner, the Liver. Emotional changes such as depression (which is considered anger turned inward) can also point to a Gallbladder imbalance.

4. Eat Foods that are beneficial to the Gallbladder

• Broccoli
• Rocket
• Beetroot
• Oranges
• Jasmine tea
• Green tea
• Radishes
• Basil
• Garlic
• Cayenne (eat moderately)
• Dill
• Chive
• Cardamom
• Lemon
• Dandelion root
• Licorice root
• Cumquat
• Grapefruit
• Kale
• Carrot
• Celery
• Peppermint tea
• Chrysanthemum tea
• Tea with orange peel

5. Exercise and Keep Moving

The Gallbladder meridian runs bilaterally along the body starting at the outside corner of the eye (at the end of the eyebrow) and runs along the side of the body, ending at the corner of the nail bed of the 4th toe. Therefore, any exercise that stimulates the sides of the body are beneficial for the flow of Qi and to help remove any blockages in the Gallbladder  organ and meridian. Side stretches are ideal. There are many Chinese internal as well as external martial arts that are excellent for mind, body and spirit. Tai Chi and Qi Gong are 2 examples of internal martial arts that are beneficial for moving Qi in all of the meridians, as well as strengthening the body and the mind. Movement is the most important aspect for keeping your Qi from stagnating, so even by just walking the Qi will keep moving.

6. Avoid foods that hurt the Gallbladder

• Deep fried food – (Greasy)
• Alcohol – (Damp)
• Spicy foods (may be eaten in moderation)
• Hot foods like lamb and beef
• Lamb
• Beef
• Curry

It is also beneficial to cleanse these organs by drinking lots of water and eating things like fresh greens to nourish the Gallbladder and Liver.

If you are experiencing any Gallbladder symptoms, or have been told by your doctor that you should consider surgery, explore the non surgical options to rebalance your body and heal your Gallbladder.

The wonderful thing about TCM is that it was developed to be a system that focuses on prevention. That is why, it is not only the oldest medical system on earth, but it teaches an entire way of life, teaching how to live in harmony with nature, eating with the seasons, moderation in work and play, exercise and emotional wellness. By practicing these basic principles, the Chinese believe that you can maintain optimum health so that illness never has a chance to develop.

What is CRM?

In a retail store, customers come and go. The store owner recognizes an old customer by seeing a familiar face, but never knowing any other information about that customer, not even his name. That scenario should be in the past, no longer at present.

Today, an application on managing information about customers can be found from different developers around the world. This application is called CRM or Customer Relationship Management. Here is a definition of CRM that I found in Webopedia:

"CRM entails all aspects of interaction that a company has with its customer, whether it is sales or service-related. While the phrase customer relationship management is most commonly used to describe a business-customer relationship, CRM systems are used in the same way to manage business contacts, clients, contract wins and sales leads."

Leads originate from several sources like seminars, trade shows, or even a simple chat in Facebook or other social networking sites. It would be good to record not only the information about a lead but also the source for statistical analysis later.

When a negotiation with a lead is made, such as sending a quotation to a lead, the lead should be converted to an account if it is a company, or a contact if it is a person. This conversion process can be automated by a CRM application. The nature of the negotiation made with the account or contact, like the quotation sent, should be recorded as a “Potential”.

As long as a “Potential” is not categorized as a “closed sale”, the expected revenue is not final and the “Potential” will be in the “Pipeline”. A good CRM application can show these types of transactions so that they can be monitored and followed-up.

The essence of a CRM I believe, is not only knowing what a customer will need based on information that was recorded about him, but also making each time spent on a customer valuable and can be a possible source of a potential revenue or customer experience.

Russian Salad

I think I have to say "time out!" from SOME on the list of my cancer prevention regimen, since I have an obligation to fulfill especially to the Diaz side members of my clan, which is to serve the traditional dishes of the clan. I had to temporarily remove the traditional desserts that take long to cook because of the high electricity rate, so I was left with just one traditional dish: Russian Salad.

The recipe was passed by my mother to me, so we assumed it was passed by her mother, the late Remedios Diaz-Balolong. In 1993, I saw an article in Sunday Times Magazine authored by a culinary expert, Benjie Diaz (the sister of Gloria Diaz and Mom's cousin), featuring some dishes for Christmas with recipes, and I was amused to see it included some of our traditional dishes like ham and Russian salad. I didn't bother though to check what ingredients were used in her recipes.

This is the version of my recipe with slight change from the original...

Boil the following until soft enough to be pricked with fork, cool then peel and cube:
1 kilo potatoes
1/2 kilo carrots
1 medium sized sugar beet
100 grams kidney beans (Baguio beans)
150 grams green cabbage
150 grams red cabbage
1 small breast of chicken, boil separately with salt, flake after cubing, removing any bone that may be present

Chop the following:
One small red onion
One small yellow onion
1-2 stalks celery

Mix all the above in a large bowl and add the following:
2/3 to 3/4 of the contents of a 700 ml. Miracle Whip (80% less fat)
2 tsps. pickle relish
1 can medium sized drained pineapple tidbits
3 juiced calamansi (remove the seeds), this serves as preservative
1/2 tbsp. salt

Thoroughly mix all the ingredients and get a portion on a saucer and taste whatever is lacking. Add salt only if lack of it is significant, or mix some more. The taste can change after a while, when the ingredients react with each other. Chill before serving and don't use a bowl that is too large for serving so that a fresh batch from the ref is always served.

This should be yummy! Serves 10-15 people.

Tiens Herbal Toothpaste

This is another amazing product that I should have shared a long time ago in this blog, but I didn't perhaps because I was ashamed to describe how I was helped by this product. The first time I was helped by Tiens Herbal Toothpaste was when I had a "blister" inside my mouth, more known as "singaw" in Tagalog. It was the first time my "singaw" was cured in just one day, by just brushing my teeth in the morning and evening as usual!

The second time this product helped me, I had a pimple on my face, and usually, I can't stand a pimple and would squeeze it. Instead, I applied this Tiens Herbal Toothpaste on my pimple and the next day it dried up and what could be seen was just a dot of the dried-up pimple. Looking at its ingredients, it has Tea Tree Oil, Red Algae and Wild Chrysanthemum among others. When I "googled" these three herbal ingredients, I was amazed by their benefits and understood why my pimple easily dried-up. I read that Tea Tree Oil is used to treat acne, boils and burns. I used to bake a lot in the past, one reason why the Tiens Herbal Toothpaste was an indispensable product in our house. I can't remember how many burns on my arms I've treated with the Tiens Herbal toothpaste, they were many for sure but I can't find a single scar of any burn now.

I was astonished to learn that Red Algae can control the growth of Candida Albicans and Herpes Simplex, and heal skin irritations. No wonder why some use the Tiens Herbal toothpaste on their private parts, LOL! In my case, it cured my persistent skin irritation that was very uncomfortable because it was on the inside of my thighs. I was ashamed to tell my story because during that time I had fat thighs that would easily perspire during the hot season. I'm slimmer now, so it's the best time to tell this story, haha.

What about the Wild Chrysanthemum? I just read that it can be used for toxic carbuncles, furuncles and other external applications. Wow, that means that no matter how big the acne is, the Tiens Herbal Toothpaste can help in its treatment. Wild chrysanthemum is also used to treat gingivitis or stomatitis, a good news especially to the elderly suffering from gingivitis. My late mother-in-law was so thankful that this toothpaste cured her gingivitis.

My special child's halitosis had been a "mystery" for many months, we thought it was normal since it was her age to have tooth decays and time for her temporary teeth to be replaced. But my sister who is a dentist said she couldn't say if it was caused by the tooth decays so my husband decided to just use the Tiens Herbal Toothpaste for this child. After just a few days, it was like magic that our special child's halitosis was suddenly gone. I also found out that she didn't really have significant tooth decays. Perhaps what my special child had was periodontal disease.

It goes without saying that the Tiens Herbal Toothpaste has been a big part of a comfortable life at home for us. Thank you Tiens Biotech Group, for a wonderful product!

Quick Gindara Steak

I just learned that Gindara takes time to absorb marinades so an overnight marinating is usually required for this fish. But all I had inside the ref was the gindara slices and I've planned to try to make steaks out of them so I started to experiment, and it was quicker than I thought.

Here's the instant recipe:

1 tsp. sesame oil for every one tbsp. of light soy sauce for "instant marinating" (good for 5 to 6 gindara slices)
2 cloves garlic for every slice of gindara, chopped
1 tsp. oyster sauce per side of gindara slice
Salt and pepper

After the gindara slices are completely thawed, lightly sprinkle salt and pepper on each side of the gindara slices. In a pan using low heat, pour one tsp. of sesame oil and 1 tbsp. of light soy sauce, and add the gindara slice. Simmer for 30 seconds per side without increasing the heat. This process takes the place of marinating the fish and precooking it. Set aside the simmered slice. Repeat for the remaining gindara slices.

Saute the chopped garlic using the remaining oil on the pan (this will include the oil extracted from the gindara while simmering), for about one minute, no need to brown, and retain the same low heat. Set aside the cooked garlic.

Without removing the oil left on the pan, pour one tsp. of oyster sauce on the pan and simmer each side of the gindara slice again for 30 to 45 seconds (spread 1 tsp of oyster sauce on the exposed side of the slice while cooking the other side). Turn over and while the other side is cooking, top the cooked exposed side with cooked garlic. Place on a platter and serve.

Note: The regular soy sauce is saltier than the light soy sauce so it is not advisable to use it as substitute. DP (Datu Puti) Premium Lite Soy Sauce is usually available in the Philippine supermarkets.

"Pinakbet" without meat

"Pinakbet" is a favorite dish of the Ilocanos of the Philippines, but is usually cooked with "bagnet" a deep-fried part of pork. For those who are health conscious however, they would omit the meat, but what an expensive omission because "bagnet" is expensive. So why not just omit the meat in the recipe? That's what I did, and here's my recipe, based on the photo shown:

1 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1 small red onion
6 large or 10 medium ripe tomatoes
2 tbsps. mackerel sauce ("Bagoong Balayan")
1 cup of sliced squash, around 1/4 inch thick
1 medium sized eggpplant, sliced as big as the thumb
2 medium sized organic bitter gourd (like the smaller one in the photo or just one bigger size), sliced as big as the thumb



Slice the garlic, onion and tomatoes for sauteing. Use low heat (400 W) which will take a little longer to saute if you're using olive oil for a healthier option, and use the same heat throughout your cooking.

Saute the garlic, followed by onions and then the tomatoes. Simmer until the sauce of the tomatoes come out. Transfer to a pot with cover then add the "Bagoong Balayan". Add the squash, cook for a few minutes then add the bitter gourd (ampalaya). Simmer for a few minutes then shake the covered pot up and down with your thumbs pressing tightly on the cover to avoid spilling of the contents. Simmer for a few more minutes then add the eggplant and simmer for another few minutes. You may shake the pot again or if the bitter gourd is almost cooked, just mix with a spoon to at least half cook the eggplant. Remove from heat and leave the pot covered to completely cook the eggplant if preferred that way.