Keys4Healing Essence

Colder temperatures can mean aching joints for many people with arthritis. Here are 5 ways you can reduce that pain: 1. Drink Tea - Research has shown that green tea is rich in  polyphenols - compounds that suppress a key gene involved in arthritis inflammation. Black tea is made from the same leaves and may be as beneficial. Drink one or two cups of hot or cold tea daily. 2. Boost you C and D - Vitamin C is believed to slow the loss of cartilage due to osteoarthritis, while a diet low in vitamin D can actually speed the progression of osteoarthritis. In a recent high-profile study, doctors discovered that patients who ate a diet high in vitamin D (or who took supplements) reduced their arthritis by 75%. Another study of over 25,000 people concluded that a low intake of vitamin C may increase the risk of developing arthritis. Food's rich in vitamin C include strawberries, lemons and oranges, chili peppers, red bell peppers and papayas. If you prefer supplements, take supplemen...

As you read this, consider how you are holding your neck. Is it sitting on top of your frame, evenly balanced between the front and back of your body? Or is it positioned forward with your neck muscles keeping it from falling forward?
 The neck must do a great deal of work. The muscles in the back of the neck bring the head backward. The muscles on each side of the neck bend the neck laterally and they also rotate the head and neck. The muscles in the front of the neck bring the head forward. The muscles between the shoulder blades support the weight of the head.
 An average adult head weighs 10 to 15 pounds. Poor posture with improper positioning of your head can add pounds of weight strain to your neck. For example, leaning your head 45 degrees forward for extended periods of time will more than triple the weight burden to your neck, up to 49 pounds. Leaning 60 degrees forward will have you carrying the equivalent of a 60-pound bag of dog food at the back of your neck! Then there’...

Bu Tong Ze Tong, Tong Ze Bu Tong. This phrase, taken from the The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine written around 200BC, translates literally as: “when open there is no pain, when there is pain, it is not open.” This is one of the basic principles of my practice as a pain/massage therapist.  If we can allow the energy (qi) to take it’s natural course of healing, then it pushes against the blockages or stagnation until there’s enough energy pushing on it that it clears it out. Think of river with a dam in it. On one side of the dam, the river becomes a pool of stagnant and rotten smelling water, while the other side dries out, devoid of all life and energy. When the water is flowing, the river is healthy and self cleaning. It's the same with your body, flowing energy means healthy cells and tissue. Body awareness is another of my guiding principles for living a pain life. In my Tai Chi and Qigong classes, I am constantly urging my students to take a moment to just breathe...

Brown Rice is Good for the Body Many of you know that I love Chinese food, I consider it my comfort food! And now most Chinese restaurants will give you two choices for the rice dish, white or brown.  I recommend the brown rice. Rice has been a staple in the diet of many cultures for centuries and natural brown rice has been considered a magical healer since way back around 2800 B.C. It was believed to be nature's most perfect healing food because of its delicate, natural balance – offering an optimal yin/yang balance. The ancients viewed brown rice as a food of inner peace, tranquility and divine health. Early folk healers noted the calming serenity brown rice promoted and viewed it as a gift from the gods. What the ancients knew instinctively has largely been confirmed through analysis. Natural brown rice protein contains eight (out of a total of eleven) essential amino acids, is a valuable source of the B-complex vitamins, plus minerals like manganese, selenium, magnesium, phos...

 Vitamin C may help you see better , according to a new study that found people with high vitamin C intakes had a decreased risk for cataracts. Cataracts, a clouding of the eye’s lens that can occur during aging, are the leading cause of blindness around the world. Researchers of the study, which was published in the journal   Ophthalmology,   looked at data from 2,054 female twins, ages 50 to 83, who participated in the TwinsUK cohort study. Participants completed food frequency questionnaires about their vitamin C intake (from foods and supplements), and about their intake of other nutrients. Researchers used digital imaging to examine the participants’ eyes for cataracts at the beginning of the study. Then, around ten years later, researchers followed up with 324 of the twins to examine for cataracts again. Researchers also tested the participants for a genetic predisposition for cataracts to understand which factors contributed to the development of cataracts. At the...

2017 Year of the Rooster Predictions -a Taoist Perspective 
by my teacher Master Zhongxian Wu

 This Spring Ushers in DingYou 丁酉 - Fire Rooster
From a cosmological perspective, the DingYou year will be an uneasy and challenging year on many levels, with much of the world experiencing unseasonal climate conditions. Given the stormy global political landscape lately, I am sure that this news comes as no big surprise.  The current state of affairs has helped me broaden my understanding of the Daoist concept of Tian Ren He Yi (天人合一) , the union of human beings and Nature. Perhaps the ways of humans and nature are mirrors of each other more than we care to believe? Conflicts between Fire and Metal There are inherent conflicts between Ding (Fire) and You (Metal) that will lead many of us to experience heart-break and grief this year. In your clinical practice, expect to...

Happy Chinese New Year, every one! I know for many of you, last year ranged between crazy or just plain awful! 2016 was a Monkey year, and monkeys bring chaos. Thankfully, Saturday, Jan. 28 starts the year of the Rooster. Here's what to expect: 2017 Year of the Fire Rooster The Chinese Red Fire Rooster Year extends from January 28th 2017 to February 15th 2018. This Rooster Year is ruled by the fire element and it is a Yin year. The fiery temperament of the Rooster is expected to infuse more enthusiasm and energy into all activities, increasing hopes for better prospects for everyone. This is also the year to work hard and persevere in order to achieve your desired goals. Family/Relationships
 : The tenth Chinese zodiac sign, the Rooster, gives 2017 the characteristics of ambition, pride, the desire to be admired, punctuality, courage, passion and a well-developed disposition for love and seduction. In regard to love, the desire to overwhelm loved ones and to be overwhelmed by ...

Happy 2017 everyone! As we start the new year, many people set resolutions to improve their health. This week I am going to talk about vitamin supplements. First, how much do you really need? The reality is most people don’t actually know how much of each nutrient they need. Here are Harvard Health’s recommended levels of daily intake for several important nutrients. Calcium: 1,000–1,200 mg, don’t go over 2,000 mg Folate: 400 mcg, don’t go over 1,000 mg Iron: 8 mg, don’t go over 45 mg Vitamin A: 700 mcg, don’t go over 3,000 mcg Vitamin B6: 1.5 mg, don’t go over 100 mg Vitamin B12: 2.4 mcg, upper limit has not been established Vitamin C: 75 mg, don’t go over 2,000 mg Vitamin D: 600-800 IU, don’t go over 4,000 IU Vitamin E: 15 mg, don’t go over 1,000 mg   The best way to get your nutrients is from food. We all need a variety of nutrients daily to stay healthy. That includes calcium and vitamin D to protect bones, folic acid for the production and maintenance of...