A life saving chart

This is again the chart of the 5 elements in TCM, but it is not exactly the same as the one I published more than a month ago in this blog. I've manually written on the chart the relationships among the elements so anybody may readily refer to the chart after understanding some basic principles.

The elements are usually represented by the following YIN vital organs which are the solid organs (the YANG organs are hollow and have active movement in the hollow space like the small and large intestines):

1. FIRE (hot and upwards): Heart
2. EARTH (nurturing and nourishing): Spleen
3. METAL (contracting and descending): Lungs
4. WATER (cold and downwards): Kidney
5. WOOD (growing, expanding and straightening): Liver

The sequence from one element to another is very important so I thought the number before each element could help. Knowing the role of each element to the next element is also important:

1. WOOD YIELDS FIRE (without wood, fire will burn out)
2. FIRE GENERATES EARTH (fire creates ashes which can be used to nourish the earth)
3. EARTH PRODUCES METAL (metal is mined from the earth which helps it to form)
4. METAL GENERATES WATER (by acting as a conduit for water to move)
5. WATER PRODUCES WOOD (plants cannot live without water)

Another important basic principle is the CONTROLLING or RESTRAINING function of one element to a specific element:

1. WOOD controls the EARTH (Wood keeps the Earth in place).
2. EARTH controls the WATER (Earth acts like a sea wall or dam).
3. WATER controls the FIRE (Water prevents Fire from getting out of control by cooling it down).
4. FIRE controls the METAL (Fire moulds the Metal into shape).
5. METAL controls the WOOD (by cutting and shaping the Wood).

I am just a layman and at this point, I can't help but translate the 5 elements to the representing organs because I noticed that some very recent medical findings or even ongoing Western Medicine studies prove that there are such relationships which I feel we should all be aware of, to improve our lifestyles and prevent illnesses.

1. The LIVER supports the HEART and controls the SPLEEN.
2. The HEART supports the SPLEEN and controls the LUNGS.
3. The SPLEEN supports the LUNGS and controls the KIDNEY.
4. The LUNGS supports the KIDNEY and controls the LIVER.
5. The KIDNEY supports the LIVER and controls the HEART.

For example, if we have Hypertension (an illness originating from the HEART), we should take care of our LIVER and KIDNEY. Unfortunately, when we take medicines for hypertension, the LIVER and KIDNEY are gradually damaged. The best therefore, is change in lifestyle, so both the liver and kidney can eventually control the hypertension.

The emotions found in the chart can also affect our health as follows:

1. Anger or Depression => harms the LIVER
2. Overjoy or Upset => hurts the HEART
3. Over-thinking or Stress => drains the SPLEEN
4. Sadness or grief => damages the LUNGS
5. Worry or Fright => wear the KIDNEYS out

Now you know why the pants of your frightened friend got wet!

Holistic detoxification

I read this dozen ways to detoxify your personal environment from about.com and called it holistic detoxification because it also involves the mind, spirit and emotions. I'm republishing this for the people I care for.

1. Eat a balanced diet that emphasizes plant-based foods and minimizes animal products as well as refined sugars.

2. Boost your immune system by walking or exercising about 30 minutes a day.

3. Avoid air pollution, such as tobacco smoke and industrial fumes, whenever you can.

4. Walk or sit in the sun for at least 20 minutes a day, for a dose of Vitamin D.

5. Clean your indoor environment of toxins, using natural cleaners.

6. Air out any dry-cleaned clothing or fabrics before using them to minimize contact with PCE (Perchloroethylene) and TCE (Trichoroethylene).

7. Use natural insecticides and organic fertilizers in your garden.

8. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water everyday.

9. Cook food in glass, ceramic, iron, or steel containers instead of plastic made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride).

10. Choose skin products that contain no estrogens, placental components, phtalates, or parabens.

11. Resolve emotional issues, lower your stress levels, and surround yourself with positive, supportive people to make your body a stronger, less hospitable field in which cancer may grow.

12. Set aside regular time to relax, write a journal, meditate, or pray, away from all of your electronic devices. Reconnect with your true self and clear your mind and spirit.

The Mother of Lungs

Based on TCM, the spleen is a vital organ and is the mother of lungs. The spleen filters the air to transport only pure air up to the lungs and transports impure air down to the stomach. However, there are times the spleen couldn't function well when exposed to outside factors like cold drinks or very cool environment. That is why we catch a cold when we're outside in the cold, and why hot chicken soup is good for colds. The hot temperature will help the spleen recover, so even just drinking hot water (one part hot water, one part tap water) will do the same good job.

The spleen is important to the lungs, so it should be taken cared of. Too much thinking will also affect the spleen. Coupled with sadness or grief, sooner or later, you'll hear that grieving person coughing. Grieving for any loss, whether material thing or a loved one will affect the lungs.

Eating spicy foods moderately will also help the lungs. The spleen likes sweet foods, but too much sweets will also harm the spleen. That is how holistic TCM is, each vital organ has a mother or a son, can control another organ and be controlled by another organ, is affected by emotions and even by the tastes of food.

Sunlight

It seems that in the past, nobody had thought that God will provide to mankind a very easy way to prevent or solve most health problems. In fact, that solution was enforced to mankind because all a person has to do is to get out of the house and stay outdoors for a few minutes while there is sun.

People are aware now that sunlight can stimulate the body to produce Vitamin D. I learned that from my first years in school. But for more than a half of my lifetime, assuming I will live till age 80, I feared the sun. Part of those years, was mainly because I feared cancer. I was not aware that it's also exposure to sunlight that is the best prevention for breast cancer. Other cancers can be prevented as well, like prostate cancer which most men feared, colon cancer and rectal cancer. When a cyst was found in my ovary, I saw to it that it will not stay in my ovary for more than 5 years so it became my main reason to undergo total hysterectomy. I had no idea that just 15-30 minutes stay under the sun everyday can stimulate the production of Vitamin D which can inhibit the growth of my cyst and prevent it from becoming cancerous. More benefits can be derived from sunlight and here's a summary:

=> Reduces stress, anxiety/tension, depression and migraines
=> Reduces fatigue, sleep disturbances and sleep disorders
=> Reduces alcohol and food cravings
=> Reduces violence and aggression
=> Lowers cholesterol levels, blood pressure
=> Improves alertness, energy and productivity
=> Increases calcium absorption
=> Improves immune system function and cardiac output
=> Improves concentration, academic performance and visual acuity

The best time under the sun to stimulate production of Vitamin D is 9 A.M. to 10 A.M. Avoid staying under the sun between 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. which is the horary time for the heart because in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), the heart represents fire and might overact during peak hot hours.

A Tip for Runners: The Leg Three Miles

Have you heard of the Leg Three Miles? It's an acupoint found below the outer part below the kneecap. It's easy to locate because there is a depression in that point, between two bones. The tip for runners is if you're tired but haven't reached your endpoint, just press that point with the tip of your thumb, release then press again, alternatingly for one minute and you're ready to run for another three miles.

This acupoint is called ST36 and is part of the Stomach meridian. It is said to be the most important acupuncture point because it can treat all diseases. It is now the runners' turn to share this amusing tip to others.

Food for Yin or Yang People

The ideal state of a person is a balanced Yin & Yang energies, based on the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM. Excess or deficiency in either Yin or Yang can bring about illness so a person should know his or her current state and the ways to achieve Yin and Yang balance. One basic way is to know the right food to eat whenever one is Yin and the right food when one is Yang.

Common indicators for a Yin state are cold hands and feet, a pale face and feeling weak. On the other hand, too warm hands and feet or a warm feeling, a red face and always raring to go are indicators that a person is Yang. A balanced state is just in between the indicators mentioned.

Yin people should eat warming foods like a warm soup and steamed vegetables even for salads. Raw vegetables are cooling foods and therefore more appropriate for Yang people, otherwise Yin people who will eat raw veges will become more Yin.

More warming foods for Yin people: cherry, chicken, coconut, cinnamon, clove, eel, green onion, ginger, guava, leeks, rosemary, lamb, shrimp, squash, radish, turnips, vinegar, walnut, wine

More cooling foods for Yang people: black beans, kidney beans, sweet potatoes, potatoes, oysters, clams, fish. String beans, lemons, chicken eggs.

Best food to beat cancer

What can be a better amusing tip than the best food to beat cancer? In the past, death becomes scary when a person has a chronic illness like cancer. I guess not anymore, thanks to the internet generation because people can now be aware of the possible solutions to fight and defeat cancer. Thanks too to my learnings in TCM, for making me aware of the holistic approach to prevent and fight cancer. But let us focus first on the food that can help us beat cancer:

The first rule is to avoid creating the habitat for cancer which is an acidic body. That means that meat and dairy products such as too much milk, ice cream and butter should be avoided because they turn into acid. The best food is vegetables because they are alkaline. Here are some of cancer fighting foods:

1. Broccoli - its sprouts are my favorite source of sulforaphane which is an antioxidant that can prevent breast cancer and prostate cancer. It also stimulates natural detoxifying enzymes.

2. Garlic - have you tried broccoli with garlic? I can live eating just that everyday 'cause the combination is just yummy!

3. Carrots - aside from beta-carotene, carrot has falcarinol, an antioxidant that inhibits the growth of tumors, especially colon tumors. Carrot can be eaten raw so why not eat strips of carrots for snack? Carrots can also be boiled and that makes falcarinol more absorbable.

4. Red beetroot - has Betanin that prevents chemical-induced liver, skin and spleen cancer, even at a very low dose.

5. Red onion - like garlic, has sulphur, and also quercetin, both capable of inhibiting the growth of tumors. Carrots, red beetroot and red onions are familiar ingredients in some salads, you can create variations like adding curcumin or tumeric which is more well known to have anti-cancer properties, so you can eat that combination often.

6. Spirulina - the world's richest natural source of vitamin B-12 and contains a whole spectrum of natural mixed carotene and xanthophyll phytopigments. In vitro, studies suggest the unique polysaccharides of spirulina enhance cell nucleus enzyme activity and DNA repair synthesis, inhibiting the growth of various types of cancers. It can shift the immune system towards mounting a cell mediated immune-response instead of a humoral response thus also effective for autoimmune diseases.

Spirulina is my favorite supplement and I'm lucky that Tiens, where I am a distributor, manufactures high quality Spirulina powder in capsules, and for that, Tiens or Tianshi was given an award for “Best Healthcare Food for Astronauts” by Russia.. The powder tastes good so it may be removed from the capsule and sprinkled on food. I always do that on oatmeal.

Ten Tips for Taking Criticisms

This shouldn't have taken too long to publish after my previous post on John Maxwell's Ten Tips for Giving Criticisms, so my only consolation is hoping that the timing is right for most people who will read this. These tips are again from John Maxwell:

1. Understand the difference between constructive and destructive criticisms.

When you are criticized, it usually feels destructive, but when you criticize, you're doing it to help, so it is constructive. You need to determine the true motives of the critic so you have to ask yourself some questions:

Was it done in public? If yes then the critic's motive can be to destroy you.

Is the critic a very close relative? If yes then it should be constructive.
If it was done in public, that relative wanted you to learn, by all means!
But he should know Maxwell's tips on giving criticisms.*

2. Don't take yourself too seriously. Blessed is he who can enjoy his blunders.

3. Look beyond the criticism and see the critic.

4. Watch your own attitude toward the critic. A negative attitude toward criticism can be more destructive than the criticism itself.

5. Realize that good people get criticized.

6. Keep physically and spiritually in shape.

Physical exhaustion has a tremendous effect on the way we act and react; it distorts the way we see and handle life.

7. Don't just see the critic; see if there's a crowd.

8. Wait for time to prove them wrong.

If you know your action or decision was right, hang in there. Time will prove you out.

9. Surround yourself with positive people.

Enough quality time with positive people will minimize the effect of negative criticism.

10.Concentrate on your mission – change your mistakes.

Most people do exactly the opposite - they change their mission and concentrate on their mistakes. If you run from your task each time you make a mistake, you will never accomplish anything. You will always be in a state of frustration and defeat. The only real mistakes in life are the mistakes from which we learn nothing. So instead of dwelling on them, count on making them, learning from them, and moving on to finish the job.

* Except for the statements under item number 1, all statements were taken from John Maxwell's "Be A People Person".

10 Tips in Giving Criticisms

I kept on forgetting to share these ten important tips in giving criticisms by John Maxwell. Important because people tend to hurt other people through criticisms. They knew they are giving constructive criticisms and therefore helping the person concerned, but they didn't know that there is a right way to do it. I was guilty of that, as a mother to my kids, as a wife, and as a friend. Through these tips, I've realized my mistakes, and I hope that others will too, as soon as possible, because the sharpest knife that can hurt a loved one is your own tongue.

1. Check your motive.
The goal of the confrontation is to help, not to humiliate.

2. Make sure the issue is worthy of criticism.

3. Be specific.
When you confront you must be tactfully explicit. Say exactly what you mean and provide examples to back yourself up.

4. Don't undermine the person's self-confidence.
Try to find at least one area in which you can praise the person before you expose the problem.

5. Don't compare one person with another. (A lot of people make this very common mistake).
Deal with people on an individual basis. Comparisons always cause resentment and resentment causes hostility.

6. Be creative or don't confront.
Look beyond the problem and see if you can help find some solutions.

7. Attack the problem not the person.

8. Confront when the time is right.
The right time is just as soon as you know something is wrong.

9. Look at yourself before looking at others.
Instead of putting others in their place, put yourself in their place.

10. End confrontation with encouragement.
Always end confrontation with the "sandwich treatment". Sandwich the criticism between praise in the beginning and encouragement at the end.