Keys4Healing Essence

5 Benefits of Lemon Water For such a simple drink, the benefits of lemon water are impressive. Even if you’re not a big H2O drinker, you might find yourself reaching for a glass when you check out how awesome it is for your body and mind! 1. Aids in digestion and detoxification Because lemon juice’s atomic structure is similar to the digestive juices found in the stomach, it tricks the liver into producing bile, which helps keep food moving through your body and gastrointestinal tract smoothly. Lemon water also helps relieve indigestion or ease an upset stomach. The acids found in lemon juice also encourage your body to process the good stuff in foods more slowly. This drawn-out absorption means insulin levels remain steady and you get more nutrients out of the foods you consume. Better nutrient absorption means less bloating. Lemon water also enhances the enzyme functions in your body, stimulating the liver and flushing out toxins. Because it’s a mild diuretic, you migh...

Wonderful insights on breathing from my teacher, Master Chunyi Lin: Not only does breathing give us life, but also the quality of our breathing affects the quality of our lives. It is the major source of the energy that allows our body to function. The better we breathe the better the energy is that we take in and process to help our body function. And obviously, breathing is what keeps us alive. After three days of going without food we may feel hungry, but we are not dying; however, if we go without breathing for twenty minutes, we will die. This is how Chinese medicine understands breathing: When you inhale, the lungs get energy that is divided into three parts. The first part goes directly to the kidneys to help strengthen the life force. The second part goes to help digest the food we take in. The third part goes to help purify the blood. If the lungs get good energy, it means every part of the body gets good energy too. ...

Hello, my friends, Today's post has information from TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) as it relates to foods, more specifically, flavors. The five flavors of food include sweet, sour, pungent, bitter and salty. Sweet foods , such as sugar and honey, will neutralize the toxic effects of other foods; however, they also affect the stomach and spleen, and they can cause digestive disturbances and lead to weight gain. Sour foods ,  such as pears and plums, can prevent diarrhea or excessive perspiration within the body, and they affect the gallbladder and liver. Pungent foods , such as parsley and chives, affect the large intestine and lungs and promote the circulation of energy within the body. Bitter foods , such as lettuce and hops are important for the small intestine and heart and are recommended to reduce body heat. Salty foods , such as kelp and seaweed are know to affect the bladder and kidneys, and they can prevent hardening of glands and muscles and are used to tr...

Hello, my friends, This is a little late, but Happy Chinese New Year!  Here is my annual letter which contains advice and predictions from my Chinese Masters. Enjoy! Happy New Year of the Goat (or Ram or Sheep)!
 2015 is the year of the goat, but you may see it referred to as the “Year of the Sheep” or ‘Ram” too. The confusion stems from the Chinese character “yang”, which means ‘horned animal’. The Chinese zodiac calendar is based on the lunar calendar, and in 2015 the New Year officially began on February 19th. When we look in the rear view mirror, most will breathe a sigh of relief to leave behind the hectic pace and confrontations characterized by the horse year. Based on the ancient wisdom of the I-Ching, the Year of Ram, in 2015, represents Wood and Earth Elements. Each Element possesses unique characteristics. Wood and Earth elements are oppositional energetically, leading to continued conflicts, earthshaking disasters and dry weather. Additionally, the year of the R...

Hello everyone, By now you have started your New Years resolutions. The hard part of sticking to any diet plan is craving sweets. As I'm sure you are aware, cravings for comfort foods like ice cream or chips can endanger your waistline. But researchers in Sweden say that a common vegetable contains natural compounds that can ease your unreasonable hunger. A study at Lund University in Sweden shows that spinach contains green leaf membranes called thylakoids that can lower the risk of cravings and binge eating by 95 percent. In the 3-month study, the thylakoids increased weight loss among overweight women by 43 percent. Scientists call food cravings “hedonic hunger” because these desires are for unhealthy foods that are overly sweet and salty like cookies, ice cream and fast food.  These cravings, warn the researchers, often lead to obesity and poor eating habits. The Swedish study demonstrates that the thylakoids in spinach support the production of hormones that ...