spring cleaning isn't just for your house

Observing the change of season, spring bursts forth in explosive new growth while the cold, reflective quality of winter begins to fade. Traditional Chinese Medicine has known for centuries how the body relates to the unique qualities for each time of year. Spring is the season of the liver and gall bladder as well as the emotion of anger. Seasonal harmony and balance are supported through the use of diet, bodywork and connection with nature.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the wood element predominates during the vitality of spring. This element is closely tied to the energy of growth in living things such as trees, plants, and physical bodies. The liver and gallbladder also fall under the domain of the wood element. Our ability to have clarity, focus, and make sound judgments are governed by this element as well. When the liver is out of balance, one can experience depression or explosive rage along with irritation, frustration, and aggression. The body may be prone to numbness, dry eyes, vertigo, and headaches. When the liver and gallbladder are functioning properly, one is able to manage anger and stress in a positive, healthy way.

The use of nutrition is strongly indicated in TCM to maintain free-flow of energy (Qi ) in the body. Bitter foods such as asparagus, dark leafy greens, romaine lettuce, rye, amaranth, and quinoa all help promote healthy liver/gall bladder Qi. Herbs such as basil, garlic, cayenne, dill, chive, and cardamom are also useful. Additionally, herbal teas that calm excited energy include peppermint, chamomile, jasmine, chrysanthemum and orange peel. An abundance of light, raw food can be happily consumed during the yang expression of spring.

Detoxification is most effective during the spring by powerfully clearing away the stagnancy of the winter months. Eating lightly with a focus of easily digestible foods such as sprouts and freshly made vegetable juices all support the rejuvenation of the liver and gall bladder. Carrot/apple and beet/leafy green juices are especially good for springtime cleansing. Cereal grass green drinks, sea vegetables, spirulina, and chlorella assist the body in ridding accumulated waste. Toxic heavy metals, environmental pollutants, and the byproducts of over-indulgence during the slow winter months are removed from the body with cleansing. This is the time to limit meat and dairy along with fatty, processed and high-sodium foods.

For those without heat signs (constipation, red face, and thirst), unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with a small amount of honey is an excellent liver tonic. Combine both in a glass of water and consume first thing in the morning. This simple drink helps to unblock liver stagnancy. If heat signs are present, substitute lemon, lime or grapefruit juice for the vinegar.

Bodywork is important during spring to keep the energy channels flowing while assisting in detoxification. To calm an overactive liver or invigorate a stagnant one, walking, hiking, or swimming in nature is beneficial. According to TCM, the color green brings harmony to the liver/gall bladder energy meridian. Natural spaces connect one with the vividness of spring while supporting balanced vitality. Qi gong in nature is extremely effective for promoting emotional equanimity. Acupuncture can also be of benefit as it works specifically with the energy of the season to maintain equilibrium of Qi. Moreover, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a very potent tool for healing emotional imbalances such as anger.

As springtime erupts with renewed growth and vibrancy, an opportunity is at hand to revitalize health and well being. Through the gentle encouragement of a balanced wood element within the body, the liver and gall bladder are rejuvenated; anger, frustration, and aggression are healed.

Sources for this article:

"Healing with Whole Foods", Paul Pitchford, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California. Third Edition (2002).

"Enjoy the New Energy of Spring-Chinese Medicine Health Tips", Steven Sonmore, Ezine Articles. Retrieved on March 10, 2011 from, http://ezinearticles.com/?Enjoy-the-New-Energy-of-Spring---Chinese-Me...

"Spring into Wood", Sonia F. Tan, BA BAH, RAc, Red Tree Wellness. Retrieved on March 10, 2011 from, http://www.redtreewellness.ca/newsletter-0703.htm

"Changing with the Seasons using Chinese Medicine", April 10, 2010, Henry Jun Wah Lee, L.Ac. Retrieved on March 10, 2011 from, http://www.henryjunwahlee.com/2010/04/10/changing-with-the-seasons-us...

"From and Eastern Perspective", Linda Lloyd, Acupuncture.com. Retrieved on March 10, 2011 from, http://www.acupuncture.com/education/theory/springliver.htm


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Gallstones and kidney stones more stuff

The Chinese name Jin Qian Cao applies to two different herbs capable of dissolving gallstones (One is actually called Guang Jin Qian Cao). However, both are known as Coin Grass. The most popular of these herbs is the Jin Qian Cao herb (Lysimachia christinae). However Guang Jin Qian cao herb (Desmodium styracifolium) is also very effective. Either one works so well it is hard to say which is best. Many formulas use equal parts of both and this seems to be the most efficient.

A 2,000 year old story, widely accepted as history in China states: "A loving couple lived in a small village in China. The husband developed a pain below his ribs. After a few days he died. The wife was so upset she begged to have an autopsy done on her husband. A stone was found in her husband`s gallbladder. In determination to find out why this stone killed him, she hung the stone on a string around her neck. One day after walking back from gathering flowers to put on her husbands grave she noticed the stone was less than half the size and was crumbling. Apparently she had carried the flowers, with Coin Grass as a part of the arrangement, back with her while the Coin Grass was resting against the stone around her neck. The herbalist in the village learned of this and proclaimed, "We have discovered a cure for stones in the gallbladder"."

The herb was called Jin Qian Cao or "Golden Coin Grass". Herbalists later found that Coin Grass will dissolve kidney stones just as proficiently. More recently, herbalists have found that adding Gravel Root (Eupatorium purpureum ) to Jin Qian Cao can work a bit better on kidney stones than Jin Qian Cao can by itself.

In TCM, dissolving stones is accomplished by clearing damp heat. The best way to use this method is to take Jin Qian Cao as a strong tincture and combine it with the classic TCM patent herbal formula in pill form known as Long Dan Xie Gan Wan. This will assure you get enough Jin Qian Cao in the protocol. Patent herbal pills for Gallstones will often not contain enough of the Jin Qian Cao herb.

The "Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine" reported Jin Qian Cao had dramatic effects in the treatment of gallstone through case reports of a study involving 52 patients with cholecystitis. Jin Qian Cao herb alone was given and over 76% of patients showed complete recovery.

Gallstones are formations of crystals, composed of either cholesterol or calcium salts, in the gallbladder or the bile duct. In the United States, up to 20% of people over 65 have gallstones. Patients with gallstones in the gallbladder usually remain asymptomatic, while patients with gallstones blocking the bile duct may experience severe or life-threatening infection of the bile duct, the pancreas, or the liver. Risk factors of gallstones include female gender, old age, obesity and a Western diet.

Jin Qian Cao is now available in better herb stores. Remember to combine it with the Chinese herbal patent, Long Dan Xie Gan Wan. Also remember to add Gravel Root with Jin Qian Cao or buy the combo if you are trying to dissolve kidney stones.

Sources:
Chinese Herbal Cures by Henry C Lu
Dr. Wen Zi - U of A Medical Center
http://oneearthherbs.squarespace.com/diseases/gallstones.html
http://www.encognitive.com/node/5298



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gallbladder - lets clean house

Our livers, the chief detoxifiers for our bodies, are being overworked. Our stressful lifestyles, drugs we consume, and chemical food additives are just a few of the stressors. Free roaming toxins can burden our hearts, reduce available oxygen, and, consequently, become trapped and stored to produce bile clumps, also known as gallstones. The body forms gallstones for our protection by preventing the toxins from being absorbed through the intestinal wall and back into our bodies. Our bodies function well following this design - until they become clogged with too many gallstones. Because too many gallstones can have a negative effect on our bodies, flushing gallstones from the liver and gallbladder becomes essential to maintaining our health.

Why would we want to flush the stones out of our systems? Normally, heavy metals and radioactive elements are snatched out of our blood by the bile and are escorted out of our bodies, thanks to the natural fibers that we ingest. Unfortunately, trapped gallstones inhibit bile output, which also effects digestive functions, like nutrient absorption. Both a lack of bile and digestive malfunctions can lead to many diseases and ailments. The presence of gallstones, along with a lack of bile, inhibits the body's free-flowing energy. Blocked energy can lead to anger, fear and other debilitating emotions. Since gallstone flushing ensures bile output can function normally, it stands to reason that flushing is essential to maintaining our overall health.

Gallstones aren't perfectly smooth like marbles. They have pockets and crevices that welcome viruses, bacteria, parasites, and the residue of drugs, ensuring continual infections for us from within. Gallstones, amazingly, are made inside our livers long before they scoot into the gallbladder, where they continue to grow. Often, the number of gallstones in the liver will far exceed those within the gallbladder. As a result, the removal of our gallbladders does little to eliminate the problem. Flushes, even after surgery, will produce thousands of gallstones. This proves that gallstones aren't only in our gallbladders; they are within the thousands of bile ducts within our livers.

Expelling the gallstones from our gallbladders and our livers ourselves at home is safe, simple, and inexpensive. We alone will profit. Taking malic acid pills or drinking apple juice for a week softens the stones. On the night of the actual flush, we will drink magnesium sulfate to open the bile ducts and olive oil to coax our gallbladders and livers to release bile, bringing the stones with it. We can do one flush a month for up to ten months in a row, or until we have two flushes in a row without any gallstones. We could confidently take a year or two off before starting another round of flushes; take the time to examine lifestyle and diet habits and alter them to keep the health of our livers in mind.

It is believed that the stones embedded within our livers affect us differently according to the placement of the stones. After each cleanse, we may notice various ailments disappearing. We can take an oxygen blood testing instrument and test the oxygen levels of our blood before and after the flush to see the oxygen improvement gained after the flush. Conversely, improved health may be noticed without any instruments. Eliminating gallstones can result in healthy skin, in ailments clearing up, and in our body's vibrations increasing. Our liver ducts will now be more open, allowing energy to flow. This affects all levels of our systems - benefits that confirm the gallstone flush is essential for maintaining health.

http://www.breathing.com/articles/liver-cleanse.htm

http://www.ener-chi.com/liverarticle.htm

http://www.erica.biz/2008/liver-flush-liver-cleanse-gallbladder-flush...

http://www.4optimallife.com/Liver-Cleanse-And-Detoxification-Procedur...

http://www.honow.com/digestive-detox-why-you-need-it.php.)


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gullbladder

Five hundred to seven hundred thousand people have a cholecystectomy, which is the removal of the gallbladder, every year in America. They may do so believing that all their gallstone-related troubles will be gone after the surgery. What many do not realize is that a cholecystectomy can bring complications and require lifelong dietary changes for those choosing the operation. Because gallbladder removal can create problems, patients should consider a gallstone flush as a better first step toward restoring health.

Cholecystectomies are usually performed laparoscopically, meaning by placing tubes, a special telescope, and instruments in the abdominal wall through four small incisions. The gallbladder also can be removed in the traditional manner via a six-inch cut into the abdomen. Scars are left behind after either procedure. Either way, removal of the gallbladder comes with consequences, including complications due to the surgery itself. On the other hand, flushing the gallstones out over time has neither complications nor scarring.

During the surgical procedure, arteries may accidentally be cut, leading to bleeding. Unfortunately, in some cases, the hepatic artery (a main artery that supplies blood to the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and duodenum) is cut. Not only is bleeding a concern, but also possible liver failure through the lack of blood supply to the liver may occur. Another problem that can occur during the surgery is the accidental cutting of the gallbladder itself. When that happens, stones and bile spill into the abdominal cavity. Even if a surgeon believes he or she has collected all the loose stones, patients may be required to use antibiotics longer in order to prevent abscesses from forming. Antibiotic use leads to other digestive problems through the killing of good bacteria. Postoperative nausea may also result from the anesthesia. With flushing, however, no bleeding, antibiotic use, or anesthesia use occurs.

The common bile duct drains bile from the gallbladder to the small intestine. This duct is often injured during traditional gallbladder surgeries and neighboring organs are sometimes cut when the gallbladder is removed laparoscopically. Sometimes additional surgery may be required to repair these cuts. Inflammation and infection can occur as a result of leaking bile from a surgical error. With flushing, the stones leave without the use of knives or injury.

All surgeries, including this one, come with common complications like blood clots, bleeding, infections, pneumonia, and heart problems. Side effects for cholecystectomies also include flatulence, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, pancreatitis, and weakness. From nearly constant emptying of bile into the small intestine, diarrhea can happen in some people after eating fatty foods just after surgery. For others, diarrhea becomes a chronic condition. Avoiding deep fried foods, ice-cream, alcohol, chocolate, margarine, and caffeine assists the flushing process; however, abstaining is a choice. Some patients, who have their gallbladders removed, may never have the choice as they may never be able to tolerate these foods again.

The most common reason to have a gallbladder removed is because of gallstones causing pain and obstructing the bile. Another reason is due to suffering from a malfunctioning gallbladder in general. Both groups may find their conditions helped by taking a year to do gallstone flushing, for doing so may help them avoid surgery altogether.


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