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Never Say Die: The Warrior Mindset of a TCM Practitioner

Plum Dragon Podcast Series, Episode 2: Kenton Sefcik, R. Ac.

The Warrior Mindset of a Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner

“I have really learned that if I can just have a stubborn ‘stick-it-out-ed-ness,’ I will survive, I will win. I will be able to influence my community with health and healing, and I will be able to feed my family. This mindset took a lot of time, and it took a lot of other people’s involvement in me, mentorship in me. There’s no way that I just kind of woke up one day and said, ‘Oh I am the never say die kind of guy.'”

Welcome to the new Plum Dragon Herbs Podcast Series “Staying in the Game.” In this podcast series, we will have conversations on achieving greater health and fitness and natural ways to manage pain. In this, our second episode, we’re talking to Kenton Sefcik, a seasoned acupuncturist and TCM practitioner as well as martial artist, author, and mentor. Kenton is also the creator of TCM Graduate TV where he provides online education to up and coming acupuncturists and naturopathic doctors.

Kenton discusses how his ‘never say die’ attitude has served him well in life, and how developing this warrior mindset of mental toughness didn’t happen overnight and took a lot of time, effort, and mentorship.

Listen to our Podcast on iTunes:

EP02 Never Say Die: The Warrior Mindset of a TCM Practitioner

Or, on Youtube.

View the complete transcript of the show (at the bottom of this post)

Show Notes:

0:42 Introduction to how Kenton got into acupuncture and martial arts

5:14 How acupuncture school impacted his martial arts training

6:38 Traditional Chinese Medicine principals: The body has an innate ability to heal itself

“The body has an innate ability to heal itself. All that i think I am doing it is reminding it and coaxing it back to health. We don’t really force anything to happen.”

9:10 How Chinese medicine zooms out on the person to see the whole picture

11:24 Most gratifying experiences as an acupuncturist and TCM practitioner

17:28 “Never say die” attitude in life and his mantra: “Whoever lasts the longest wins.”

19:05 Being patient with people who struggle to have a positive mindset

24:23 Getting your mindset right takes time; what to do while developing mental toughness

29:00 Some patients aren’t ready for change; their fixed mindset is serving them somehow

30:40 Being patient and developing rapport with patients to help them adopt new healthy practices and mindsets

“I learned that not only could I hurt somebody, I could also heal….so a big part of martial arts is self-defense. Putting somebody down. Getting control of them. And the Chinese medicine is the other side of that coin. It’s the helping healing member of your community…so they definitely compliment each other….so you’ve got the hurting and the healing, if you will. They really compliment each other. The yin and the yang.”

31:42 Teaching the importance of “BPM” (breathing, posture, movement)

35:30 Using acupuncture and practicing BPM on himself

39:20 The role of Chinese herbs in his practice and his experience with Plum Dragon products

40:00 Dit Da Jow has been around forever and has played a huge role in martial arts training

42:50 Pain is bad but discomfort is good

43:40 Why the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) doesn’t work

46:30 How to get in contact with Kenton and not be afraid to approach him on any health topic

Links and Resources Mentioned

Find out more about Kenton Sefcik and connect with him on Instagram

Shop for Plum Dragon Herbs Dit Da Jow

Connect with Plum Dragon Herbs:

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Thank You For Listening!

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Full Transcript of Podcast:

Janelle: You’re listening to “Staying In The Game,” a Plum Dragon Herbs Podcast, where we have conversations on achieving greater health and fitness and natural ways to manage pain. I’m your host, Janelle Leatherwood. Joining us today is Kenton Sefcik, a seasoned acupuncturist and martial artist, author, and mentor. He is also the creator of TCM Graduate TV, where he provides online education to up and coming acupuncturists and naturopathic doctors. We’re thrilled that he can join us today. Kenton, welcome to our podcast. We’re so glad to have you here with us today.

Kenton: Thank you.

Janelle: And I would love to have you introduce yourself to our guests.

Kenton: I’ll do my best. So my name is Kenton Sefcik. I’m a registered acupuncturist and I’ve been practicing acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. I’m in my 11th year. I’m also a martial artist. I’ve been practicing traditional Chinese kung fu for 24 years.

Janelle: Wow, that’s amazing.

Kenton: So I got started…my usual story, how I kind of tell everybody how I got in all these things, many patients asked me, “So how did you get into acupuncture?” And I say, “Well, I have to back you up to when I was 14 years old.” When I was 14 years old I was living in my parent’s basement. And a commercial came on at about 2 am. And it was a white-haired guy beating up ninjas on a bridge.

Janelle: That’s great.

Kenton: So I woke up the next morning. And I said, “Mom, you have to take me to this kung fu school.” And she said, “No, way. You’ve quit soccer. You’ve quit piano. You don’t ice skate anymore. There’s no way that I’m taking you to a kung fu school.” But my mom’s a little bit of a softy for me. I’m adopted. I’m an only child. It only took me about an hour. I was joked at. I won her over pretty quickly. And you know, within a couple of days she talked to my dad and said, “Okay, fine. We’ll take you to this kung fu school.” And I’m so grateful that she did because, you know, here I am 24 years later. You can do the math on how old I am there. And I’m still practicing Chinese kung fu, martial arts. I’m obsessed with movement. Martial arts has been a great way for me to relate with the world of today.

And it was through martial arts that I made a very good friend by the name of David Rose, who practices in Calgary, Alberta Canada. And Dave and I became really good friends. And he was the one… He was thinking about Chinese medicine in college, of all things. And he said, “I don’t even know where to start.” And he wasn’t very internet savvy at the time. And so I jumped on the internet and found a website. I said, “Well, there’s this school, the Alberta College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in Calgary. This is the only place that’s here.” So he started going to school there. And it wasn’t until he was in 3rd year. And I wasn’t really too sure what I wanted to do with my life.

And he was the one that kind of put it back on me. And he said, “You have to go talk to the dean at my college.” And I went and talked to the dean (excuse me)..and that’s kind of where that happened. I had also had a skateboard injury. I grew up skateboarding and listening to punk-rock, and hip-hop in Calgary. And I hurt my foot really, really badly on sliding off a curb, and I went to the usuals. You know, I went to the medical doctor. I tried copious amounts of physio. Nothing was happening. Then we rewind the clock again. So Dave was not in third year. He was in first year. He says, “You have to go see a 3rd-year acupuncturist. It’s only $20.” I said, “I could afford that.”

I went in there for two sessions. They put like two or three needles in the ball of my foot, and I’ve never had any pain in my foot since. So you kind of put all this up in the air into the mix. And that’s how I got into Chinese medicine. And that was the dean of the college. I was completely blown away. I thought, “Wow, this has helped my foot pain. I can help everybody else’s foot pain.” And I learned very quickly that Chinese medicine was a complete medical system. And I could treat anything from sleep, to digestion, to fertility, to mood. It is a phenomenal system. So yes, so that’s kind of my story and on how I got into all this stuff.

Janelle: Oh, wow, that’s amazing. And so you enrolled the next year?

Kenton: Yes, so we kinda got…

Janelle: Or did it take you time?

Kenton: No, I enrolled immediately. And so I talked to the dean. And that fall I was in there. I was just super passionate about the programs and it became…it came a little easier to me. And later on, I wondered why? And I figure it’s due to the fact that I spent so much time training Chinese kung fu. I would go hang out in Chinatown. I’d read Taoist and Buddhist texts. And I think that’s had a huge impact on my life.

Janelle: Right, because they’re all integrated to some extent. And the philosophies really work well together of martial arts and alternative medicine.

Kenton: For sure.

Janelle: How did that education shape your view about martial arts? Did it impact your training at all?

Kenton: It did in the sense that I learned that not only could I hurt somebody, I could also heal. So, a big part of the martial arts is self-defense, putting somebody down, getting control of them. And the Chinese medicine is the other side of that coin. It’s the helping, healing member of your community, all those sorts of things. So, they definitely compliment each other. I didn’t have the opportunity to learn. You know, what’s really cool is that I’ve met lots of people that have partook in kung fu classes.

And their instructors taught them some form of healing. Oh, well, you hit your partner. They’re a little sore. They ask the partner to come over they do a little [inaudible 00:06:02]. They do a little bit of, you know, acupressure, that sort of thing. And that was maybe part of their martial arts education. I didn’t get to have that. So the other side of it was that I went to Chinese medicine college. I got to have it from that side. So, you’ve got the hurting and the healing, if you will. So, they really compliment. The yin and the yang, they complement each other.

Janelle: Yes, definitely. So tell us what are some of the most fascinating things that you find with Chinese medicine?

Kenton: That’s a great question. The most fascinating things about Chinese medicine? That the body has an innate ability to heal itself, and all that I think that I’m doing is just kind of reminding it and coaxing it back to health. We don’t really force anything to happen. I can’t force a patient to have their menstrual cycle return. But, I can maybe build up enough blood stores so that their body can facilitate that. We often hurt ourselves really, really fast. But, it takes time to heal. Chinese medicine has taught me patience, perseverance, one foot in front of the next. And, martial arts has done that, too, on martial arts practice.

So, the other thing that’s totally amazing about Chinese medicine is the things that it can help. I often tell my patients if you are a tree, because in Chinese medicine you are not different from nature. You’re a part of nature. When the pressure changes outside, and all of a sudden it goes from plus 10 to minus 10 Celsius in a matter of hours, people get headaches. And, so, we are totally affected by the seasons, by what’s happening and going on outside. So, we often relate human beings to being a tree. If your branch is broken or on fire, you need to go to the hospital because Western medicine is phenomenal at treating that kind of life or death or very serious concerns. But, if you have a slow growing fungus on your tree, there’s not a very good chance that Western medicine is going to take care of it. It’s just not built for that sort of thing.

So, I absolutely love how Chinese medicine really fills in the gaps and complements Western medicine in these situations. So, that’s what I really, really love about Chinese medicine. And what’s amazing for me is no two days are the same. No two hours are the same. A new patient is coming in. They might have headache just like somebody I saw last week. But, we have a saying in Chinese medicine. Same disease, different treatment. Different disease, same treatment. Now, what this means is, we’re diagnosing according to the branch and the root, again using a tree metaphor. So, I’m zooming out and looking at a patient as a whole person. Western medicine is phenomenal because it zooms in as far as it can go. And, it fixes very small parts. It doesn’t look at the whole system. And that’s okay. But, Chinese medicine zooms out. And it says, “Well, these three branches of the tree are actually related to the same root cause.” So, that’s why we have that saying.

So, if I have a patient that has headache again, and I can line up five people that have headache, well, three of them might have the same mechanism root cause. And, two other ones have two different causes. So, I have to approach them from a totally different angle from a Chinese medicine point of view. However, if I had somebody who has a headache, I have somebody else who has pain from menstruation, I have somebody who is very irritable and they’re having lots of irritability symptoms, I can line all those three people up, and I can treat them the exact same way. So, Chinese medicine has caused me to do what I call like the “zoom out” on. So, I zoom out on my life. I zoom out on relationships. I zoom out on situations. It allows me to see the bigger picture. So, that’s definitely how it’s influenced my life and what I love about it.

Janelle: I love thinking of it like that. And it is true because Chinese medicine is addressing the whole body and the whole person and looking at all the factors that could be influencing their pain and whatever affliction they have at the time. And I…you know, it’s interesting and good to hear you talk about how it compliments Western medicine, as well, and that it can work together and each play a role in person’s health.

Kenton: Definitely, I think one thing that doesn’t serve us as Chinese medicine practitioners is to poo-poo anything really. I’ve had a couple of hernia operations. Western medicine has, you know, kind of, if you will, saved my life, so to speak, or made my life a lot better. And Chinese medicine has made my life a lot better. So I think that I think they need… you know, I think we just all need to get along. And, we need to know what our strengths are and what our weaknesses are. And, then we can help each other out.

Janelle: Yeah. What are some of the cases that you’ve had that have been interesting and fascinating for you to try and heal? And what was your approach in trying to help those people?

Kenton: My approach to help anybody is to try and put myself in their shoes. What I try to do is think about, if I was this patient with my knowledge and experience, what acupuncture points would I perform on myself? What herbs would I prescribe for myself? Would I prescribe myself a movement therapy, whether it’s qi gong or tai chi? Would I eat certain foods?

So that plays a huge part in my practice, and I’m very passionate and almost aggressive, if you will. I really like to get in there and do things, especially when I’m training martial arts and that sort of thing. So, that approach is what I take in my clinic. So, what I’m saying is when I put myself in my patient’s shoes being the impatient, passionate, aggressive wanna get stuff done guy that I am, I’m always thinking about, “I want my patient better yesterday.” And, so, that’s a huge thing for me.

One of the most… there’s been two cases over the last 11 years that have been the most gratifying, if you will. One gentleman, he was over 80 years old, and he had had four back to back strokes. And he went from driving his car to when he walked in my clinic, he was using a walker. And, I was probably in my second year of practice and feeling still pretty green in both things. And he said, “Can you help me?” And I said, “I have no idea. But let’s try.” And, I’m the let’s try guy. I’m not the used car salesman type. You don’t come to see me three times a week for the rest of your life. I’m not gonna try and sell you something. If you’ve got something serious, let’s try three. four, five treatments, whatever your time and your financial ability you can stand. He came in for no [inaudible 00:13:30] like four acupuncture treatments. And he was driving his car again.

Janelle: I love that.

Kenton: He got his license back. So that was, like, completely mind-blowing. And you know, I often tell my patients this. and I tell upcoming practitioners this. When we’re trying to communicate to our patients how long it’s gonna take for them to heal, oftentimes we don’t know. We have good ballpark figures. So, you know, most conditions once a week for 8 to 10 weeks. Menstrual conditions, once a week for 12 weeks. So, that ends up being, like, three cycles, if you will. You know, skin conditions, hair growth, alopecia in women, you know, can take up to 30 weeks of treatments.

And we have to like almost like build blood from the base. And, that’s really difficult to do with just acupuncture alone. Herbs help a lot. So here I had a patient, four strokes, four treatments, back driving his car. I remember having a patient in student clinic, tennis elbow of all things. She was a draftsperson at nine acupuncture treatments. And, then, she’s just started to get results. So you know, where the logic in that is I have no idea, but, again, influencing the body to heal.

Another really, really cool story was I knew a gentleman that also practiced martial arts. But, I didn’t know his background. Him and his wife had been trying to get pregnant for years, and they had two failed IVF’s that they paid obviously out of pocket for thousands and thousands of dollars. And, they were even looking at adoption. Like I said, I’m adopted, and adoption has changed so much over the last, you know, 30, 40 years. And, I remember him lamenting to me that there almost were treating him like a criminal.

And, he almost just wanted to give up because the adoption process was so caustic, and costly rather. And, I just said to him, I said “Do you know what I do for a living?” “Yes,” and I said, “Why don’t you try. I think, like, let’s just try it.” So I said, “The best is when we don’t blame everything on the woman.” So, I treat a lot of fertility concerns. But, if all of a sudden only the woman’s coming, I said, “No if you want top results, both parties involved should come.” Two acupuncture treatments, each: twins.

Janelle: Oh, my goodness.

Kenton: So…

Janelle: That gave me the chills.

Kenton: These things just completely blow me away. So those are, you know, the gentleman with the stroke, the couple who had two failed IVF’s and were unable to get pregnant, and it was, you know, two acupuncture treatments later. You know, those are great victories in my practice. And, at the same time patients have come in for tennis elbow, nine treatments, back pain… can’t fix it. And, they’ll find out… oftentimes, when I can’t fix something, however, I find out that it’s broken, if that makes sense. It’s not a functional problem. A lot of times we have somebody who comes in with knee pain. But, you find out that they’ve completely torn their tendon or you find out that somebody has broken their back. You know, those are quite serious. And that’s when again you go see your Western medical professional because that’s their specialty, but yeah. So, I’ve had my victories and I’ve had my losses in clinic, for sure.

Janelle: Yeah. I love those stories. That is really amazing. And I can’t believe the changes, you know, that occurred in those people’s lives from the acupuncture treatments. That’s really cool. So, let’s see. I wanna talk to you a little bit more about who you are and what makes you tick, Kenton.

Kenton: For sure.

Janelle: Tell me a little bit about your mindset and philosophy in life.

Kenton: I have a never say die attitude. And, in business, in life, I kind of have a mantra that I can repeat over and over. It’s whoever lasts the longest, wins, because one of the elephants in the room that I talk about on, you know, on Instagram, on podcast and all these things is that the elephant in the room is that when the Chinese medicine graduate passes their provincial or state examination, they are officially a small business owner. They’re officially an entrepreneur. And this is extremely disconcerting for lots of people. And, I’ve torn down and built practices a few times in my career so far, and I have really learned that if I can just have a stubborn, stick-it-outedness, I will survive. I will win. I will be able to influence my community with health and healing. And, I’ll be able to feed my family.

This mindset took a lot of time, and it took a lot of other people’s involvement in me, mentorship in me. There’s no way that I just kind of woke up one day and said, “Oh, I’m the never say die, guy.” Like, no. It took a lot of personal and self-growth to kinda get to the point where now when I make a decision, it’s just as fast as a light switch. And, I have to be very cognizant of the amount of personal growth that I’ve had because if a patient comes to me and says, “I wanna quit smoking,” my quick flippant response is, “Well, quit smoking already because if you said you want…” And they say, “Well, it’s addictive, and my friends smoke, and my partner smokes, and I like smoking on break.”

I said, “But, wait a minute, you just told me you wanted to quit smoking. So why don’t you just quit smoking?” And, I know it’s more complex. And, being you know, a Chinese medicine practitioner and a healer, I know it’s more complex than that. But due to mindset training, if you will, I almost… I have to… I’m always trying to figure out how I can get my patient to do what I do and do what other people do, and that’s make quick decisions. So, that’s kind of my mindset and like I said it… I think we’re all on a journey, and I think that it takes time. If you want something, keep at it. It’s worth it.

I have absolutely no problem telling people that it took me about a year and a half to two years to get really, really good at acupuncture, like, out of school. Like I…but that was due to the amount of mentorship that I had. But, it took me over 20 years to get good at martial arts, kung fu. And that was due to the lack of mentorship until I got to about year 20, and I met a gentleman by the name of Suki Gosal out of DC (originally from the U.K). And, he was a huge influence on mindset training. He was a big believer in mindset first, conditioning second, and then skill sets third, in that order.

Janelle: Can you repeat his name for our listeners?

Kenton: Yeah. Suki Gosl S-U-K-I and then G-O-S-A-L.

Janell: Okay.

Kenton: And, just a phenomenal martial artist. If you Google his name, you’ll come up with…I’ve interviewed him for, you know, martial arts magazines. He was instrumental in my martial arts career, and he put me kind of on a path to reaching out, if you will, and looking for mentors from afar, I would call it. So, while, you know, we would send e-mails, they wouldn’t be e-mails. They’d be novels. And then MSN Messenger was a big thing and then texting, of course, and FaceTime and all this sort of thing. So. he spent countless hours over an eight-year plus period with me mentoring me, helping me. But, that kind of influenced my ability.

You know, I did a lot of research on a gentleman by the name of Geoff Thompson, who is a top U.K. martial artist, and that led me to Al Peaseman [SP], the top U.K. martial artist. And, these gentlemen were really, really big on mindset. Of course, that kind of led me to people like Eric Thomas. Also, he was known as the hip-hop preacher. And, I watched his journey in the early days of, you know, quitting his job and going on YouTube and creating inspirational and motivational videos. And now he’s got contracts with the NBA and the NFL, and he goes in and he does motivation. He doesn’t really call himself a motivational speaker, but that’s the best way to describe him, and his mindset affected me.

And then, of course, there’s people like Gary Vaynerchuk, who is a big proponent of “Consume my stuff. But eventually, you’re gonna have to stop consuming my stuff and you gonna have to go do what I do.” I follow him on Instagram. Syatt Fitness, who is Gary Vaynerchuk’s personal fitness trainer, he’s a hoot to watch on Instagram. But, again, he’s got a similar message like, “Don’t watch what I do. Do what I do.” So yes, so when it comes to the mindset, I’m always looking at the winners, the people who are affecting change. I’m a huge Tony Robbins fan. I think that, you know… His stuff led me into like researching an NLP (neuro-linguistic programming).

I think anybody who’s been a martial artist for a long period of time, you know, does these things and starts to branch out because initially, you think that… at least I thought, and people are probably along the same boat as me, but initially, I thought that by learning a kung fu skill, I would be good at kung fu. And, you kind of get into this… I got into this thing where I was thinking all the time, “If I just learned how to do this properly, if I just learned this new technique, or if I just learned this new approach, I’ll finally get good.”

And there is a part of that because if you learn crap martial arts, you can get into trouble, and you don’t function well when you’re against somebody who you’re pressure testing with. But, a huge part like [inaudible 00:24:13] said was just mindset. So, once I got my head right… and he knew that it would take me time to get my head right. So, what he told me to do initially was run hill sprints, skip rope, you know, push ups, sit ups, heavy bag, lift weights, do stuff. And, so that was the conditioning process.

Remember, like, mindset, then conditioning, then skill set, in that order. But, when we approach things, we approach it generally in reverse. First, we get the skill set and then through training the skill set, then you get your conditioning. And then those combined over a long period of time and hopefully in situations that are healthy for you, that builds your mindset. So, it’s kind of a funny way of going about things. We kind of go about it in reverse. And, maybe we should go about it the other way. And, maybe we should have everybody in all types of fields and their mindset first.

Janelle: Yeah. And that isn’t easy to learn. Like, you said it took you a lot of…

Kenton: It takes time.

Janelle: Yeah, it took time and mentorship. Do you feel like, you know, one of your other hats that you wear is being a therapist because…

Kenton: Right.

Janelle: Yeah, you’re trying to explain you know, how your patients’ mindsets can affect their overall health.

Kenton: Right, and one big things that I do in clinic… I’ll never forget, kind of a light bulb moment went off for me. I was teaching for a Chinese medicine college, and I had one of my students who is actually a physiotherapist who was going back to learn Chinese medicine, which was a phenomenal idea. And, she said to me when we got out of… she watched me perform acupuncture on a patient coming into the student clinic, and I was helping the students learn how to do acupuncture in the clinic.

And she said to me, “Have you ever noticed the language that you use in the clinic room?” I said, “What do you mean?” She says, “You say, ‘Perfect. Great job. You’re doing a phenomenal job. This is what this acupuncture was.'” She said the language that you use is always positive, uplifting. You’re always complimenting the patient on how they’re putting up with you, putting stainless steel inside their body, etc. And, that was kind of a light bulb moment for me when I realized “Wow, in a therapeutic exchange there is so much going on.” We know that when we go see any type of medical practitioner, Eastern, Western, whatever, if they don’t have good bedside manner, as we kind of call it here in the West, then we’re not really gonna get along with them.

And we kind of poke fun at the specialists or, you know, the anesthesiologist who has a bedside manner of a door. But, these things really, really matter. So, when you talk about what happens in clinic, I’ve really put a lot of effort into, after that light bulb moment went off of me, I have put a lot of effort into the language that I use, the body language that I use. And, how I do this is I point a finger back at myself and I say, “How do I feel my patient wants to view me? Do they want the Kenton that just got cut off by three people on the way to work and, you know, had a fight with you know, his best friend? Do they want that Kenton? No, they don’t want that Kenton. They want the Kenton that is going to uplift them, exact change. And we have to match those.

And if I have a patient that came in that just put down their golden retriever, I’m not happy, bubbly Kenton. But, I’m compassionate. But, I may be one notch above them, instead of five notches above them, because I still want them to benefit from that therapeutic exchange. I have absolutely no problem with placebo. I think that saying that placebo is a dirty word is wrong. When I walk in, again, to a medical office and see a medical doctor, if they’re meek and shy and they think, they say, “I think we should do this…” What do you mean you think?”

Janelle: Yeah, exactly.

Kenton: It kind of puts me off. So, the therapeutic exchange used in the clinic is important, and there’s a dance there happening, for sure.

Janelle: Yeah. Definitely, you don’t wanna go to a practitioner who is not sure what they’re doing to treat you. I’ve been in that situation. It’s not very fun and it’s not comfortable. And then you don’t trust the therapy.

Kenton: Yes.

Janelle: And, I think that, in itself, will, can affect whether you heal or not, if you don’t believe in what is happening for you.

Kenton: Yeah, I mean, it all plays a part. I tell my patients all the time, “If it’s you versus me, you win. If it’s you versus my herbs, you win.” So there has been a handful, five patients in my career, let’s say, where I’ve actually you know, let them go or, “Do you really wanna get better? Is this pattern of emotional disharmony, if you will, is that pattern serving you?” Yes, it is serving me.” “Okay, well, when you decide that it’s no longer serving you, you come back and see me.”

I can take the biggest skeptic off the street and make them a believer. The trick is, if you will, with any therapy… and, just like you said, they’ve got to want to get better. “Do you wanna get better?” There are people… and, I don’t fault them, because of whatever happened in their childhood or their life situation or whatever, they might be stuck in a pattern that is serving them. But, when they decide that that is no longer serving them and that their patterns are actually damaging to their health or their life situation, that’s when I think that anything and everything can really benefit them.

Janelle: Yeah, yeah, that’s so true. So Kenton, when you are talking to your patients, what are some of the advice that you give them for daily practices of health? And what do you do yourself to stay healthy?

Kenton: Yes, that is kind of a two-parter. I’ll talk about my patients first. One thing I try to not do is proselytize anything to my patients. I try to have a very organic conversation with my patients. We talk about compliance a lot in Chinese medicine and Western medicine. “Oh, are your patients compliant? Are they taking their pharmaceuticals? Are they taking their herbs? Are they eating what you told them to eat and not eating what you told them to stay away from,” and all these sorts of things. I think having those conversations with our patients takes time. And, it takes rapport.

So, I would absolutely love nothing more than my patients to switch out their diet for eating what I call real food, to adopt a movement practice, to belly- breathe. I have my own personal acronym that I share with my patients. And it’s called…and when I teach qi gong or tai chi or even kung fu, it’s called BPM. And, it’s breathing, posture, movement. And, I really believe that if we have a breathing practice where we have… we can control our abdomen and we can do diaphragmatic breathing, I think that’s extremely beneficial.

Posture. Adopting a very good posture, head up high, shoulder blades back and down, butt tight, which neutralizes the lower spine, soft knees. And keeping this alignment that is taught through Chinese martial arts when we pull our lawn mower, when we pull our snowblower, when we lift groceries out of the car, I think this would help a lot. Squatting to pick up a pen that you dropped instead of bending over at the waist, this is important. I think learning how to lift weights is extremely helpful. When you learn how to squat and dead-lift, when you learn how to do a pull-up or chin-ups, these body mechanics are present in through daily life. And, then, last but not least, movements. And, I kind of talked about that already, but having some sort of movement practice.

So I would absolutely love to just hit my patients with everything. You need breathing, posture, movement, and a clean diet. But, I can’t because exercise and diet especially are emotionally-charged topics. So, what I have to do or what I try to do in clinic is I just start to develop a rapport with them, but exacting change through acupuncture and Chinese medicine therapies that hopefully builds rapport. And then it opens the floodgate to having this dialogue where somebody says, “Well, why do you think I have so much phlegm?” Well, looking at your tongue and your polyps and all these other symptoms, do you consume any dairy products? “Yes, I consume lots of dairy products. I have dairy products seven times a day.” Okay, so do me a huge favor. Let’s just try no dairy products for six weeks. “Okay.” And, so, sometimes I get some compliance because they just wanna get better, darn it. And they’ll try anything.

And sometimes I’m met with, you know, an obstacle “Well, but you’re not gonna make me give up cheese. I love cheese.” But, that at least we start the dialogue, you know, and magical things happen when that…when a patient starts walking a certain path. And, patients have shocked the heck out of me by telling me, you know, three or four treatments in, “Hey, guess what? I stopped eating dairy. I have no more post-nasal drip, and I found a yoga studio that is convenient for me, and it’s on the way home from work, and I’m absolutely loving it.” Wow, I’m totally floored.

So, that’s, kind of, to answer your question. So, I do have these dialogues with my patients when I have built rapport. And, I am very careful to tippy-toe around these conversations because the minute you tell somebody that they can’t eat something or that they have to exercise, we view it almost as I guess shaming. And, I am extremely careful. I think that everybody is just perfect and beautiful in their own way. That’s the yin. And then the yang is, improve yourself, darn it! So, you know, I play that card with myself too. I say I’m great the way I am on one side of the coin on the inside. And, then on the yang side is I still have lots of room for improvement. So, I see that with my patients. And I’m always trying to do a little bit of a dance to not offend them while stoking a little bit of a fire, while trying to be a catalyst for change, as Bruce Lee would have said.

My own personal practices include breathing, posture, movement and a lot of self-acupuncture. We have a saying in Chinese medicine, it’s probably present in lots of other medicine or practices is, “He who treats themselves has a fool for a patient.” And, that’s something that I was taught in Chinese medicine college. And, it’s something that I think is wrong. As a health professional, how am I to know what works on my patient, if I don’t even know if it’s gonna work on myself, so to speak? So, I think it’s important for me to practice on myself. And the older I get, the better I get at Chinese medicine because eventually, you become, I don’t know, 32 years old, and you get shingles for the first time. And, because you have a totally stressful episode in your life and you get shingles for the first time, well, I know how to treat this with Chinese medicine.

But, maybe I’ve never treated in the clinic before this or the other things you treat yourself, and one of the best things that happened to me is I worked in a multi-disciplinary clinic for almost 10 years. So, I got to work alongside naturopathic doctors and massage therapist and physiotherapist and doctor of chiropractic. And, you really learn how to, kind of, heal yourself. So, a big part of my health routine is to give myself acupuncture anywhere from two to three times a week, and this would just look like me sitting down watching Netflix and putting a few needles in me to, you know, just to relax muscle tension, to help digestive motility, those sorts of things.

I train martial arts, and I move my body a lot, and, you know, you’re not gonna find me downtown at the club getting into a fight, getting drunk, all these kind of things. I’m in a, you know, totally different zone in my life now. You’re either gonna find me out doing martial arts, you’re going to find me at work, or you’re going to find me at home. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I don’t do drugs. I don’t gamble, I don’t do anything that I feel would affect my martial arts practice. My martial arts practice is like huge for me. And, when somebody calls me up and they say, “Hey, you wanna train Sunday morning at 8 am,” I can say, “Yes, I can,” because I’m not gonna be hung over. And, so martial arts has become a movement practice for me now in the latest, in the kind of middle-age stage of my life. I just recently took up hip-hop dancing for the first time.

Janelle: That’s so cool.

Kenton: I’ve never danced a day in my life. Of course, when you know, six years old and you go to a wedding and your mom is like, “Oh, you’re such a good dancer,” that’s your mom saying you’re a good dancer. You don’t know if you’re a good dancer or not. But, I took up hip-hop dancing, and that has been phenomenal for my Chinese kung fu practice, my Brazilian jiu-jitsu practice. It is making, you know, we have this beautiful shell that we’ve been given for an undetermined about of time. We should figure out what we can do with it.

Can I pick heavy stuff up with it? Can I pick my body up with it? Can I dance with it? Can I punch and kick and grapple with it? What can I do with my human body? So, yeah, so the movement, eating real food and, you know, giving myself lots of self-acupuncture and taking the old Chinese herbs when I know exactly the pattern that’s going on in myself. I don’t mess around too much. Those are ways that I keep myself healthy.

Janelle: How much did your training involve Chinese herbal medicine when you went to the acupuncture school? I assume it goes for a lot of it.

Kenton: Yeah, there was a huge amount. When you go to Chinese medicine college, you learn single herbs. Then you learn how to pair herbs. Then you learn what’s known as Chinese patterns. So, those are little black balls you get down in Chinatown. And, then you learn formulas. So, there’s a huge amount of Chinese herbs. I’ve used the Plum Dragon products. I absolutely love them.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the package of the Dit Da Jow… I wrote this on my Instagram and I said, “You know, I’m not getting paid for this. Like, I don’t want anybody think like I’m endorsed by this or something like that.” But like, I really wanted to try the products. I’m a huge fan of Chinese medicine in general and old practices. You know, Dit Da Jow has been around forever. And it’s always been a huge part of health and healing, especially in a martial artist’s life. And the first thing I noticed when I opened the Dit Da Jow was the smell. It smelled like Dit Da Jow. It didn’t smell like camphor or menthol in some, you know, kind of our usual rub, a 535 stuff.

It smelled like, you know, Chinese rice wine and herbs that have been sitting in a vat and fermented. You know, really potent stuff. And, it just brought me back, you know, to… I don’t know. It just brought me back to like old Kung Fu days. Especially, you know… so, that was the first thing I noticed. I apply it to… we do a lot of punching in Wing Chun kung fu and non-classical kung fu who was… Bruce Lee’s first student was Jesse Glover. And, Jesse Glover taught Suki Gosal. And, he taught me some Wing Chun’s stuff, but mostly the non-classical kung fu punching [inaudible 00:41:05]. So, there’s a lot of action happening with my knuckles. So, I apply the product before I punch, especially when I punched the focus mitts, and I apply after it, and my recovery time is a lot faster.

And that is a huge thing because if I’m gonna do a lot… Like I said, I’m probably training martial arts five to six times a week. I’m punching mitts. I’m punching mitts. I’m punching mitts. It’s really, really important. I’m lifting weights. Maybe I strain my knee, and I’ll put some Dit Da Jow on my knee after because I’m already putting it on my hands. So, it’s definitely helped my recovery time. That’s not something that’s in my head. I’ve been at martial arts for long enough to tell. You know, as a martial artist who wants to train and has to train, if you will, multiple times during the week, recovery is what it’s all about. So you know, not only do I have to get good sleep. I’ve got to stay hydrated. I’ve got to eat real food. I’ve got to watch comedies, stay positive mindset, all that kind of stuff. If I can get a little bit of an edge with something like a Dit Da Jow, I’m on it.

Janelle: Yeah. It’s so fascinating to me how, like you said at the beginning of our conversation, you know, your job is to heal people. But, you’re also in a form of art that hurts people and hurts yourself. And, so, your life revolves around pain basically.

Kenton: You know, I don’t know if I can jump in there. But, you know, what I think is really important is that and it’s something that I try to teach people that train with me or that maybe I have a long-standing rapport in the clinic with, is that pain is bad. There’s no question. If I have lots of weight on the bar and I squat and my knee screams at me, we’re done for the day. I have to figure out what I’ve done wrong. Did I not torque my legs over? Like, I’ve got to figure out what I did wrong. Discomfort is not a bad thing.

We have a saying in Chinese medicine that, “Ice is for dead people.” And, that is why I like herbs like that Dit Da Jow have in it are usually, they’re very hot. They promote blood circulation because they’re very hot. If I sprain my ankle the first thing that we’re gonna do is we’re gonna put ice on it. But, in Chinese medicine, we say “No, that’s not right.” And Dr. Mirkin back in 2015, I think, on his website… if you go to drmirkin.com, He’s the guy who created Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, the RICE acronym that got written into all of the physiotherapy and medical textbooks. He recanted his statement and said, “I am wrong.” So, it’s been in there since the ’70s. How are we gonna change that? But, what I’m trying to say, get to, is that Chinese Medicine says, “Ice is for dead people. Put heat on it.”

So we’re big proponents of heat. So, hot water bottle, Magic Bag, Moxa, which is the burning of mugwort to heat the area. If you…if the boss…if I sprained my ankle, and I’ve got swelling and heat and pain, and I have pain because I have heat and swelling, what’s gonna happen when I put heat on my ankle? It’s going to increase my body’s ability to heal. Mirkin said, “I’m wrong with the ice. It slows the body’s ability to heal.” I’m sore. Well, let’s put heat on it. Well, guess what’s gonna happen? The pain level’s gonna go up. The discomfort is gonna go up. We are a weak bunch of human beings, I tell you, Janelle. We wanna move away from discomfort. We should move away from pain. There’s no question.

But we want to move away from discomfort. But, where discomfort is, that’s where the magic happens. I would say where the discomfort is, that’s the gap. Don’t move towards pain. That’s bad. But discomfort? You wanna go get a doctorate? You wanna go get a Ph. D.? That’s gonna be uncomfortable. You wanna go get acupuncture done, and I’m gonna create deqi a little bit of an agent sensation? That’s gonna be a little uncomfortable. You want to get your black belt in a martial art? That’s gonna be uncomfortable. You want to raise a bunch of wrangly teenage kids into adulthood? That’s gonna be uncomfortable. But where the discomfort lies, that’s the magic. I really, really think so.

Janelle: You know, it’s interesting, you’re talking about the practice, the common practice to ice things. We actually have a blog post, “Why ice is not nice” that I wanna send you.

Kenton: Right on.

Janelle: Well, before we wrap up, was there anything that you wanted to share with our listeners or any anything that you felt like you had come prepared to talk about and haven’t talked about yet?

Kenton: I don’t think so. I don’t think so. We covered so many things. I almost warn people, if you’re gonna get me talking about Chinese medicine or Chinese martial arts, I’m gonna have a hard time shutting up. So, I think we’ve covered a lot of ground. At the end of the day, you know, I try to…I’m trying to be here to help. So, if anybody has any questions about Chinese medicine, Chinese martial arts, feel free to reach out. I use Instagram a ton on TCM, so Traditional Chinese Medicine. Tcmgraduatetv is my handle on Instagram. And, I have lots of people, I do, you know… I help the up-and-comers in the Chinese medicine field. This is kind of my goal.

I want people to feel more confident in the medicine that they went to school for. That’s a big shtick of mine. I feel like I was mentored so heavily in martial arts land and also in Chinese medicine land that… and, not in a pompous ass way, but I feel like I have this…I had this or maybe I have [inaudible 00:47:11] for advantage. And, I feel like people aren’t being mentored enough these days. I think that mentorship is an important thing in life, in business, in finance, in martial arts, in Chinese medicine. So, yes, so don’t be shy. Feel free to send me a DM or ask a question on one of my posts. And I will respond.

Janelle: Yeah, and I can vouch for that. And, being an avid reader of your Instagram posts, you know, I can also vouch for the fact that there’s no question that you won’t answer. Like, you’ve talked about, you know, whether it’s fertility issues or backaches or neck pain, you know, you’re able to help people with their questions and problems. And, you don’t avoid any topics, which I love. That’s great.

Kenton: No, I don’t, and when I teach, you know, for continuous education seminars or conferences and that sort of stuff, I really try to develop rapport quickly with the audience, because I want them to ask me about the pee and the poop and the fertility and the business side. And, let’s have honest conversations about everything, because I think that just helps with everybody’s growth.

Janelle: Yeah. Yes, raw honesty.

Kenton: Yes.

Janelle: That’s great.

Kenton: With compassion.

Janelle: That’s true. It’s so true. Well, thank you so much. I know we appreciate your raw honesty and being so real and sharing your thoughts with everyone that’s listening to this podcast and on your social media platforms and letting us take a peek into your life. And, that’s been fun for me, and I’m sure it’ll be fun for other people as they hopefully start to follow you and see what you’re all about and to learn from all that you can teach them about acupuncture and Chinese medicine and how you’ve grown with martial arts.

Kenton: Perfect. Well, thank you, for this opportunity. It’s super fun. I hope we get to chat again.

Janelle: And, thanks to all our listeners for joining us today. For more great stuff from Kenton Sefcik, be sure to visit us at PlumDragonHerbs.com. We will post show notes and ways to connect with Kenton. And, if you like the show, send us a comment on our YouTube channel. Until next time.

The post Never Say Die: The Warrior Mindset of a TCM Practitioner appeared first on Plum Dragon Herbs.

from Plum Dragon Herbs https://plumdragonherbs.com/never-say-die-the-warrior-mindset-of-a-tcm-practitioner/

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plumdragonherbs · 5 years

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Gut Health: A Key To Reduce Inflammation

The West is just beginning to catch on to something that the East has known for thousands of years: your gut health is at the center of the action for your health and healing.

Eastern traditions have recognized the abdomen as the “center of spiritual and physical strength” (the hara), “the honored middle” (the onaka), the “elixir field” (the dan tien) and even as housing the center of the “vital life force” (the qi).

Western science is finally catching up.

In the last article, we discussed the good and bad sides of inflammation and the risks of trying too hard to suppress it. Now we’re going to add another piece to that puzzle: what happens to your gut health when you try and suppress inflammation with pain killers, and what happens to the rest of you if your gut health gets screwed up.

One of the ways that Western research has complemented Eastern traditions is by revealing the bizarre symbiosis we have with the bacteria living in our gut, and how essential the right balance of bacteria (called your “gut flora”) is for optimal gut health.

In preindustrial times, our gut health would have largely taken care of itself by the absence of antibiotics, industrial pollutants, and processed foods and by the presence of soil bacteria on produce and the natural fermentation of unrefrigerated foods. Today, all that is flipped on its head. We are full of toxins, drugs and processed foods, and gut health problems abound.

Now, if disruption of gut health were just an issue of having indigestion and being gassy, we wouldn’t need to write this article. But, there are powerful direct links between your gut health and your immune system, and between your gut health and your brain. If you throw off this tender balance of gut flora, you are priming the pump for problems with your nervous system and immune system (which, among other things, can mean problems with healing and recovery).

An effectively functioning gastrointestinal system is necessary for:

healing

vitality

positive feelings

nutrient absorption

muscular growth

and, a lot more.

In fact, the intestines are known as the “brain’s peacekeeper” since the microbiome housed in the gut acts as such an influential communicator to the brain, the nervous system, and the immune system. Concern about gut health is not just for hipsters and their brand-named kombucha anymore. It’s also for athletes and anyone else interested in optimal health and peak performance.

A Slightly Closer Look at Gut Health: What’s Going On Down There?

Our intestines are host to over 1000 different species of bacteria, weighing over 2 pounds. Their combined genetic diversity outweighs yours by 160 to 1. Given how quickly they can evolve, there’s something profound and a little disquieting about that. There’s more of them than there is of you, and they can adapt much faster.

The gut microbiome plus the gastrointestinal barrier compose the mucosal immune system and the enteric nervous system (ENS). The ENS is every bit as strange. If you took all the neurons of your ENS out and balled them up on a scale, they’d weigh more than your brain. It’s alarmingly independent from what you typically think of as your nervous system; and, it’s the only part of your body that makes decisions and gets things done without consulting your brain. It’s an independent operator for almost all major functions of the gut and communicates with the central nervous system more like an equal. These are all reasons why it’s being called your “second brain” and it’s not a metaphorical meaning.

So what does gut health have to do with pain and pain killers?

The short answer: Chronic use of pain killers can seriously harm your gut health.

Now for the long answer: NSAID’s do their job by reducing inflammatory biochemicals, which sounds fine at first blush, but they reduce both the good ones and the bad ones.

If you recall from our previous article, parts of the inflammatory process are essential for healing (arachidonic acid, prostaglandins on the COX-1 pathway, etc). Many functions of the Cox-1 and cox-2 pathways that are suppressed by NSAIDS are vital components to a healthily functioning gut. To cite just one example, the prostaglandins released by arachidonic acid (the fatty acid associated with pain) are vital for keeping the integrity of the lining of the intestinal tract. Without an optimally functioning intestinal lining, you’ll get things like:

leaky gut (where partially digested food particles and toxins leak into the blood, triggering alarm reactions)

poor nutrient absorption

altered mood

chronic inflammation

hormone disruption

Left this way long enough, you can even contract autoimmune diseases, when the immune system gets so overwhelmed with foreign substances that it starts attacking you own cells and tissues. Many autoimmune diseases are deadly in the longterm.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, Tylenol, and Aleve are some of the most widely used medications in the U.S. Nearly 20% of Americans use NSAIDs on a chronic basis (to qualify for this group, you have to take an NSAID three or more times a week for at least three months). And, over 100,000 of these chronic users end up in hospitals each year because of serious gut health problems. (Have you read the warning labels on these? They’re pretty serious.)

How NSAIDS Affect Your Gut Flora

Along the Cox2 pathway, if functionality is stopped by the use of NSAIDs, the type and number of bacteria within your intestine is altered for the worse: you can end up with reduced amounts of beneficial bacteria and increase numbers of antigenic bacteria. Then, ironically, chronic inflammation is triggered by pathological bacteria signaling in the intestine.

In other words, when done consistently, your efforts to lower inflammation and pain in one area, using OTC anti-inflammatories, can ultimately result in more inflammation everywhere else. And that new kind of inflammation is the bad kind–it brings no healing agents along with it, but plenty of trouble.

In order to aggressively stop this secondary inflammation, the bacteria in the intestine have to be killed. In the short term, this may not seem to be such a big deal. You can just eat some more probiotics and balance things back out when you are finished taking pain medication, right? Well, scientists are finding that it may not be that simple.

Optimal Gut Health is Not as Simple as Popping More Probiotics

Probiotics have to pass through the small intestine (which is far more acidic) before they are able to reach the large intestine. Compared with the billions of bacteria that live in the large intestine, there are only trace amounts living in the small intestine, and they’re of a very different sort. You don’t want them growing like crazy, and you don’t want the wrong sorts trying to live there. It’s a little like asking a bunch of salt water tropical fish to live for a little while in a fresh water creek. Either they’ll die (in which case you’ve wasted your money on probiotics meant for the colon) or they won’t die, in which case you’ve managed to convince your small intestine to be a little more like salt water. Over time, this can change its environment for the worse. And once colonic bacteria hear the rumor that there’s pristine frontier property in the small intestine, they’ll try to colonize it and remake it in their image. This is a disease state called SIBO (small intestine bacteria overgrowth) and it causes a host of serious problems, including neurological disorders from toxic byproducts that cross the blood brain barrier.

It’s not as well understood, but it is known that it’s two related problems. It’s not just that there’s too many bacteria, there’s also too many of the wrong kind and then the pH balance is thrown off as a result. Scientists are a long way off from understanding all the benefits associated with a healthy gut, and how to repair a gut-brain axis that is malfunctioning.

In the meantime, the straightforward approach is to avoid inflicting damage, as much as possible, to the delicate balance of bacteria and prostaglandins within the intestines.

In short: don’t use NSAIDs unless absolutely necessary. For routine maintenance, manage pain with herbal remedies like dit da jow and keep your gut safe and healthy.

References:

Alotibi, M., Saeed, A. and Almuzaini, H. (2017). Study of Analgesic Intake among Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain and Their Side Effects. The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 69(3), pp.2128-2132.

Ferranti, E., Dunbar, S., Dunlop, A. and Corwin, E. (2014). 20 Things you Didn’t Know About the Human Gut Microbiome. The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 29(6), pp.479-481.

HIRSCHOWITZ, B. (1996). Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs and the Gut. Southern Medical Journal, 89(3), pp.259-263.

Konkel, L. (2013). The Environment Within: Exploring the Role of the Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease. Environmental Health Perspectives, 121(9), pp.A276-A281.

Roth, S. (2012). Coming to Terms with Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Gastropathy. Drugs, 72(7), pp.873-879.

Tallima, H. and El Ridi, R. (2018). Arachidonic acid: Physiological roles and potential health benefits – A review. Journal of Advanced Research, 11, pp.33-41.

Upreti, R., Kannan, A. and Pant, A. (2010). Experimental impact of aspirin exposure on rat intestinal bacteria, epithelial cells and cell line. Human & Experimental Toxicology, 29(10), pp.833-843.

The post Gut Health: A Key To Reduce Inflammation appeared first on Plum Dragon Herbs.

from Plum Dragon Herbs https://plumdragonherbs.com/gut-health-reduce-inflammation/

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plumdragonherbs · 6 years

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Manage Pain Naturally: A World Champion’s Story

Welcome to the new Plum Dragon Herbs Podcast Series “Staying in the Game.” In this podcast series, we will have conversations on achieving greater health and fitness and tips to manage pain naturally.

“We all have this fire inside of us. And sometimes we don’t even feel that it is there.

All it takes is for something to ignite that flame.”

–Tomm Voss

World Champion Stick Fighter Tomm Voss Wearing Gold Medal, Standing with Grandmaster Felix Roiles

In our first episode, we’re talking to Escrima stick-fighting gold-medalist Tomm Voss.

Listen to our Podcast on iTunes:

EP01 Never Give Up! World Champion Martial Artist Shares His Story on Perseverance

Tomm discusses his battle with chronic pain and how he used the ancient Chinese practice of Qigong and the herbal medicine Dit Da Jow to help manage pain naturally and aid in his recovery. (Qigong incorporates relaxation techniques involving meditation, intentional breathing and coordinated movements.) Tomm believes in the power of the body to heal itself using natural methods including Chinese herbs. Through these natural methods, Tomm was able to wean off of his prescription medicine and find lasting relief from his health problems.

During the time that Tomm worked on regaining his health, he was introduced to the Filipino stick-fighting art called Escrima (also known as Arnis) through a student of Bruce Lee’s training partner. Tomm tells how he began competing and went on to achieve victories against fierce competitors in the 2016 and 2017 world stick-fighting championships. He discusses the importance of vision and commitment, and his motto “Never Give Up” is a strong theme in the interview.

Show Notes for “Manage Pain Naturally: A World Champion’s Story”

EP01 Never Give Up! World Champion Martial Artist Shares His Story on Perseverance (45 minutes)

01:38 Tomm Voss, World champion martial artist: on learning about the art of Escrima through a student of Bruce Lee’s training partner, Dan Inosanto

02:28 On meeting teacher Grandmaster Felix Roiles who encourages Tomm to compete.

02:58 On experiencing a health breakdown and being told there is no cure; choosing to believe the body is capable of healing itself with natural remedies and modalities to manage pain naturally and recover.

04:42 On discovering Qigong and with the help of Grandmaster Zhou Ting Jue (Master Zhou), a Qigong healer and practitioner, healing in 3 months time, including coming off all medications.

07:07 On enjoying renewed health and in response to Grandmaster Felix’s relentless encouragement. Deciding to compete.

08:05 On competition — a reawakening for Tomm.

09:30 On finding what we are good at in life and how that then becomes our passion.

09:50 On setting the intention to begin competing for the World Champion stick-fighting competition in the Philippines, the origin of the art.

11:15 On visualizing standing in the finals.

12:25 On the many personal obstacles causing Tomm to feel like he isn’t going to be able to compete. The help of friends to enable Tomm to purchase his tickets four days before the fight.

17:00 On being paired up against some of the best fighters in the world at the 2016 Stick-fighting World Championship in Cebuhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_9an_G0F0Q, Philippines; never giving up during the hardest fight of his life.

22:00 Tomm describing his techniques to prepare for competition, including Qigong and other methods of relaxation/meditation to handle competition stress.

27:30 On arriving in London for the 2017 World Championships and finding a surprise. Winning the gold medal in the single-stick welter weight competition. Team Luxembourg winning a silver medal in the finals.

32:00 On being fully present in the moment is what really matters.

“You have to see. You have to hear. You have to feel.

And then what determines the outcome is your ability to respond to whatever comes at you.”

33:45 On current involvement with mentoring, private life coaching… teaching teens how body language is important. The most important communication you have in life is communication with yourself.

35:50 Advice to other martial artists on making progress. Importance of finding a great teacher and being patient with yourself instead of getting stressed out.

“Do the best that you can every time. It’s not a race. It’s a marathon.”

38:15 On the importance of great teachers: Grandmaster Felix, Grandmaster Joe, and close friend Michael Jai White who is a well-known actor and martial artist that he often trains with.

39:10 On setting intention and the power of vision as keys to success.

39:49 Other endeavors including acting and film-writing.

42:25 How Plum Dragon Dit Da Jow has helped Tomm protect his joints, heal from bruises and manage pain naturally. (Learn more about Bruise Juice.) Also how these herbal analgesics have been used since ancient times for healing. Gives his parents Plum Dragon’s Ancestors Advanced Dit Da Jow for arthritic pain. (See also, Tomm Voss’s video review of Plum Dragon Dit Da Jow.)

Links and Resources Mentioned

Find out more about Tomm Voss (http://tommvoss.com)

Shop for Plum Dragon Herbs Dit Da Jow (http://plumdragonherbs.com/product-category/dit-da-jow/)

Connect with Plum Dragon Herbs:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9khil2I2hJgHk02fbp_T-Q | YouTube

https://www.facebook.com/PlumDragonHerbs/?ref=br_rs| Facebook

https://www.instagram.com/plumdragonherbs/ | Instagram

https://twitter.com/plumdragonherbs?lang=en| Twitter

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-ball-9679a713/ | LinkedIn

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Understanding Pain – Part 1

Take a second and think back to the last significant injury you had–one that really shut you down. What was your first instinct?

For most of us, it was about racing to get rid of the pain and discomfort to get back to doing everything we want to do.

But is that really the best for our training and wellness goals? Think of it this way: if you’re driving at night, and you see warnings lights flashing up ahead, would your first thought be, “help me shoot these lights out, I want to go FAST!”

Is pain simply a nuisance to be masked, or is it something much more functional? Something we should stop and listen to? “No pain, no gain” may be a popular training cliché, but just how necessary is the pain process to muscular training, the healing process, and our general wellness?

In this multi-part series, we will dig in to the physiology of pain and the essential aspects of healthy pain management.

How Safe are Over the Counter Pain Killers?

While the sensation of pain can be an important signal that you’ve damaged something or been training too hard, it can also simply be par for the course on the road to achieving individual training and wellness goals. So you have to be discerning. When pain is always seen simply as a nuisance to be silenced, it’s easy for pain relievers to become a nasty habit.

It’s been known for a while that popping too many pain killers is harmful, but new research is indicating that shutting down the body’s pain-signaling pathway is doing even more harm than was previously thought. Frequent use has been shown to have damaging effects on muscle repair, the intestinal wall, brain chemistry, and even our body’s ability to protect itself from cancers. In our daily lives, the damaging effects of habitually using NSAIDs to alter the pain-pathway can show up as:

muscular degeneration

recurrent injury

chronic soreness

altered mood

reduced cognitive function

tumors

ulcers

an intestinal lining that has reduced ability to absorb nutrients in food.

Not exactly the distinguishing characteristics of a peak-performer.

How Does the Body Process Pain?

People are all-too familiar with the end result of the pain process, but they typically don’t give much thought to the mechanisms of the process and necessity of pain as part of healing. So here are the basics of how muscular pain in the body happens:

When a skeletal muscle cell is damaged through injury or athletic exertion, fatty acids within the cell (called Archidonic Acids or ARAs) are triggered to send messages for the body to respond with increased blood flow to the area. This increased blood flow creates inflammation and swelling, which trigger sensations of pain.

As you know, the sensation of inflammation is often uncomfortable and, if left completely untreated, can interrupt your training schedule. But if you try and “power through” it to stay on schedule, it can land you with further injuries when nearby muscle groups overcompensate for the weakened area.

Why Pain is and Essential Part of the Healing Process

So there are no shortcuts, because it turns out that this type of inflammation is a necessary part of the healing process. To get a little more specific, the response happens in three essential phases:

Distress Signal: ARA’s release a hormone signal (a prostaglandin) along something called the COX2 signaling pathway, which acts like a flashing beacon to the brain

Emergency Response: The brain responds by activating the inflammatory response, which produces the sensitivity and swelling we all know and love

Result: within the fluids surrounding the injury are restorative agents that stimulate the regeneration of cells and other parts of the healing process

Here’s the key point: we now know that if the ARAs are prevented from creating those important prostaglandin messengers and inflammation fails to occur, muscle cells degenerate rather than heal and adapt. And it turns out that ARA is essential for a lot more than just that.

Why Inflammation (ARA) is Essential for Healthy Nerves, Muscles, Gut health, and Immunity

Current research has shown the ARA fatty acid that triggers the inflammatory response is essential for a healthy nervous system, particularly for the brain and cognitive function.

ARA’s role as an inflammatory mediator has also been shown to be a key player in optimally functioning immune and muscular systems. In fact, its role is so vital for immune function and muscle development that scientists are now recommending pregnant women and newborns be given supplementary ARA to meet the needs of newly developing bodily systems (Tallima, 2018).

The inflammatory cascade, triggered by the fatty acid ARA, has been found to be essential for an optimally functioning gut lining and even for the prevention of colorectal cancer.

In the brain, ARA possesses a neuroprotective role that is an important part of its function and structural composition. In fact, scientists found that ARA, together with DHA, makes up as much as 20% of the dry weight of the brain!

Similarly, ARA has been found to make up 17% of the fatty acids found in skeletal muscle. Clearly, ARA is a vital mediator to the brain.

The Benefits of Inflammation

So we can see that not all inflammation is created equal: short term inflammation is actually beneficial to the healing and repair process, but it’s been known for some time that ongoing inflammation impairs health and wellbeing.

Unfortunately, scientists don’t yet fully understand how the body differentiates between restorative inflammation and degenerative inflammation, but it is clear that our bodies send distinct signals in the form of prostaglandins for these very different types of inflammation.

We also know that when the process of inflammation is tampered with as drastically as it is by the use of NSAIDs, the cascade that sends messages to restore and repair cells is shut down and regeneration is stopped. While this makes us feel more comfortable in the short term, we will eventually feel the negative effects in ways we might not be on the lookout for. The negative effects of an artificially blocked inflammatory response can surface as:

poor nutrient absorption

failure to reach training goals

recurrent injury

digestive issues

tumor growth

So, when inflammation persists, stronger pain management options are called for to mitigate these negative effects without interrupting the process of regeneration. A healthy inflammatory response, supported through the use of whole plant medicines to ease discomfort, is better able to repair and rejuvenate the body.

Whole Plant Pain Management: DIT DA JOW (TOPICAL PAIN RELIEF)

For this reason, Plum Dragon offers a variety of pain management options with plant solutions that possess varying degrees of anti-inflammatory potency. The all-natural anti-inflammatory agents in these products have been the mainstay in traditional Chinese medicine and their importance is being increasingly recognized by conventional medicine.

Unlike the too-potent effects of NSAIDs, the plant formulations in Plum Dragon’s products support the body’s restorative inflammatory response while still providing relief from aching muscles and tissues. Whole plant analgesics, such as the ones found in Plum Dragon’s signature blends, have been shown to help facilitate the body’s natural healing process while still providing relief from the negative symptoms of inflammation.

Plum Dragon’s formulations use centuries old Chinese medicine solutions made from the highest quality plants. The all-natural analgesics present in Plum Dragon’s topical formulas will not negatively impact the delicate balance of fatty acids along the PGE2 cascade needed for muscle repair, athletic training, gut health and neuroprotection.

References:

Bost, J., Maroon, A. and Maroon, J. (2010). Natural anti-inflammatory agents for pain relief. Surgical Neurology International, 1(1), p.80.

Coetzee, M., Haag, M., Claassen, N. and Kruger, M. (2005). Stimulation of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production by arachidonic acid, oestrogen and parathyroid hormone in MG-63 and MC3T3-E1 osteoblast-like cells. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 73(6), pp.423-430.

El Aidy, S., Dinan, T. and Cryan, J. (2014). Immune modulation of the brain-gut-microbe axis. Frontiers in Microbiology, 5.

Greenhough, A., Smartt, H., Moore, A., Roberts, H., Williams, A., Paraskeva, C. and Kaidi, A. (2009). The COX-2/PGE2 pathway: key roles in the hallmarks of cancer and adaptation to the tumour microenvironment. Carcinogenesis, 30(3), pp.377-386.

Ho, A., Palla, A., Blake, M., Yucel, N., Wang, Y., Magnusson, K., Holbrook, C., Kraft, P., Delp, S. and Blau, H. (2017). Prostaglandin E2 is essential for efficacious skeletal muscle stem-cell function, augmenting regeneration and strength. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, p.201705420.

Meirer, K., Steinhilber, D. and Proschak, E. (2013). Inhibitors of the Arachidonic Acid Cascade: Interfering with Multiple Pathways. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, 114(1), pp.83-91.

Miyoshi, H., VanDussen, K., Malvin, N., Ryu, S., Wang, Y., Sonnek, N., Lai, C. and Stappenbeck, T. (2016). Prostaglandin E2 promotes intestinal repair through an adaptive cellular response of the epithelium. The EMBO Journal, 36(1), pp.5-24

Montrose, D., Nakanishi, M., Murphy, R., Zarini, S., McAleer, J., Vella, A. and Rosenberg, D. (2015). The role of PGE2 in intestinal inflammation and tumorigenesis. Prostaglandins & Other Lipid Mediators, 116-117, pp.26-36.

Takafuji, V., Evans, A., Lynch, K. and Roche, J. (2002). PGE2 receptors and synthesis in human gastric mucosa: perturbation in cancer. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids (PLEFA), 66(1), pp.71-81.

Tallima, H. and El Ridi, R. (2018). Arachidonic acid: Physiological roles and potential health benefits – A review. Journal of Advanced Research, 11, pp.33-41.

Wang, F., Shi, L., Zhang, Y., Wang, K., Pei, F., Zhu, H., Shi, Z., Tao, T., Li, Z., Zeng, P., Wang, X., Ji, Q., Qin, L. and Xue, Q. (2018). A Traditional Herbal Formula Xianlinggubao for Pain Control and Function Improvement in Patients with Knee and Hand Osteoarthritis: A Multicenter, Randomized, Open-Label, Controlled Trial. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2018, pp.1-10.

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Natural Pain Relief Remedies for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a medical disorder characterized by chronic pain that seems to “move” or “travel” all over the body. The debilitating condition interferes with the way pain receptors in the body respond to pressure, and this is what results in widespread pain across the body. Besides pain, those suffering from this condition often experience extreme tiredness, sleeping difficulties and memory issues. Other symptoms can include muscle tiredness, irritable bowel syndrome and headaches.

What causes Fibromyalgia?

The exact cause of this condition is not known. Most medical experts, however, link it to changes in the way pain signals are processed by the nervous system and an increase in certain chemicals within the brain. Fibromyalgia can also be triggered by traumatic events that are either physical or emotional in nature. These may include car accidents, childbirth, the loss of a loved one or even a break-up. Infections, physical injuries and food sensitivities (such as undiagnosed celiac disease) have also been found to either trigger or aggravate the condition. Other conditions such as lupus, osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis can increase the likelihood of developing fibromyalgia.

Who is affected by Fibromyalgia?

Anyone can suffer from the disorder, although women are at a higher risk for the syndrome than men. Fibromyalgia typically develops in adults between the ages of 30 and 50, although it can develop in children and seniors as well. The exact number of people suffering from the disease is unknown in part due to the fact that there is no standard test for fibromyalgia. Additionally, since the symptoms are very similar to those of other conditions, many people could be suffering from fibromyalgia without even knowing it.

Why Fibromyalgia hurts so much

Those who suffer from fibromyalgia experience changes in their brain as a result of the condition. Repeated nerve stimulation as a result of the condition increases the concentration of certain chemicals within the brain that are responsible for pain reception. An increase in these chemicals causes the brain to overreact to pressure and pain signals, therefore, resulting in the sensation of greater pain from the same signals.

Treatment for Fibromyalgia

Since there is no known cure for fibromyalgia, treatment strategies are aimed at dealing with the symptoms. Western medicine physicians often recommend painkillers for the physical discomfort associated with fibromyalgia and anti-depressants for the emotional challenges caused by it. Since these strategies involve the introduction of chemicals into the body, which, in turn, can lead to an increase in the concentration of toxins in the body, there can be harmful risks associated with this approach, especially if used longterm.

The body also has a way of developing resistance to some of these medications as a result of continued use. Those who rely on such medications may find they need higher and higher doses of the drugs to achieve the same effect they had originally. The dependency and increasing need for medication can be very frustrating for individuals who simply want to feel better and healthier again. This dissatisfaction often leads people to explore more natural alternatives.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers fibromyalgia suffers a more holistic approach that not only tackles the symptoms of the condition but also works to improve the individual’s overall health. These natural remedies include herbs, healthy dietary habits, and eastern therapies. Let’s now take a look at some of the TCM-inspired strategies to deal with fibromyalgia.

Chinese Herbs

Turmeric has been used effectively as an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving agent for centuries now. This versatile herb adds yellow color and mild flavoring to curry and other Indian dishes. The main ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which is now well-known as powerful pain reliever. When consumed or applied topically, turmeric releases curcurmin into the body, which travels to sources of pain and reduces inflammation and swelling. With oral consumption, turmeric may need to be taken in large quantities to experience its amazing medicinal effects. It also needs to be combined with black pepper for proper absorption. The digestive tract is slow to digest turmeric and the pain-relieving effects are not felt right away. A faster option for pain relief is to apply turmeric topically. Alcohol-based liniments, like Plum Dragon’s Ho Family Dit Da Jow, are especially optimized for for quick absorption and delivery of the pain-relieving effects of this great Chinese herb.

Cayenne Pepper is another herb that helps with pain relief. The active component in cayenne pepper is capsicum, which can cause a burning sensation when consumed and applied topically. You might think that the heating action of capsicum would result in more pain, but the opposite is true. Capsicum compounds relieve some of the nerves that transmit pain signals and this blocks the pain. Cayenne pepper should, however, if taken internally, should be taken moderately as the burning sensation can be quite uncomfortable if you take too much of it. When taken regularly and moderately, cayenne pepper can help ease the widespread pain caused by fibromyalgia. This is another very important ingredient in Plum Dragon’s Ho Family Dit Da Jow, so if you or someone you love would like to experience the benefits of capsicum for pain relief without ingesting the pepper itself, this is the perfect solution!

Massage therapy

Muscle tiredness and tightness is one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia. The muscles also develop tight knots that are quite painful and uncomfortable. Massage is one of the recommended methods to loosen the knots to bring about pain relief. A specialized technique known as myofascial release is the best way to deal with this condition. It entails the application of slow and sustained pressure on the trigger points within the muscles. This technique breaks up the knots in the muscles, which in turn brings about pain relief and eliminates muscle stiffness in the affected muscles. A study carried out in Europe also found this technique effective in treating fibromyalgia pain for a period of up to 6 months. Plum Dragon offers Flexibili-Tea and Flexibility liniment that can help to relax tight muscles especially when combined with massage or stretching techniques.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture works on the belief that pain and other disorders arise as a result of imbalances in the body. By piercing the body at various points, acupuncture stimulates trigger points and restores balance and harmony in the body — this helps alleviate the pain. According to TCM, fibromyalgia pain is caused by excess fluids that build up in the body (dampness) which rise across meridians as heat, causing inflammation and chronic pain. As a result of the disharmony, fluids don’t flow freely in the body, causing stagnation. The stagnation is what caused the heat which manifests itself as pain across the body. Acupuncture helps with fibromyalgia by improving circulation and pain management. Enhanced circulation ensures that there is no stagnation and this greatly reduces inflammation. Acupuncture needles trigger the production of endorphins that help bring about pain relief. Plum Dragon’s Bruise Juice formula has a cooling effect on the body and strongly promotes circulation, so it may provide assistance in relieving pain associated with Fibromyalgia.

Conclusion

Fibromyalgia is a painful and perplexing disorder. The fact that it seems to have no cure makes finding ways to deal with the symptoms very important. TCM provides some of the most effective techniques to deal with the symptoms, especially the symptoms of pain and tight muscles. Herbal remedies, massage therapies and acupuncture will help to ease some of the pain and not only make life a little bit more bearable, but much more comfortable! Try all three approaches for the best probability of positive results.

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Discover the Benefits of Astragalus Root

For those well-versed in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it can be quite frustrating to hear astragalus root being described as a one of the more beneficial Chinese herbs to be recently rediscovered. After all, practitioners of TCM and others who rely on Chinese herbal medicine have long known about the many benefits of astragalus root, or Huang Qi.

Learn Your Chinese Herbs

As one expert wrote, “There are more than 2,000 species of Astragalus. But only two of them are used medicinally.” This tells us that it is a plant that has long been studied and tested, and now it is the roots of the two most effective varieties that are primarily being used in Chinese herbal medicine. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine describe it as entering via the spleen and lung channels and as having sweet and slightly warm properties. If you are not familiar with Chinese herbal medicine, though, you may not immediately recognize what such behaviors or properties mean, nor how the herb might be used.

Modern medical experts are also looking at Astragalus in many ways. They see it as boosting immune system function and helping to counteract the worst side effects of certain kinds of chemotherapy. It is also seen as helping the kidneys, offsetting symptoms of diabetes (such as eye damage), and working as an antiviral agent. It is also been studied for fighting tumor growth. This can be a lot to take in, and if you are eager to learn about Chinese herbs, it is important to first understand the main difference between the TCM and western allopathic methods and terminologies.

TCM vs. Western Medicine Approach

Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at herbal ingredients differently than western medicine does. In TCM, the herbs are known by the organ channels they affect, the physical properties of the herbs themselves, and how each herb works within the body to support optimal health. Furthermore, TCM rarely emphasizes the use of a single herb to address a single symptom. This is primarily because TCM does not treat single symptoms, but works to restore health and balance to the entire body. However, it is a very common contemporary western approach to medicine to prescribe a single remedy or ingredient in order to address a single symptom – i.e. an OTC pain reliever with one major active ingredient prescribed for the pain of a sprained ankle.

When the OTC pain reliever temporarily relieves the pain symptom, the western allopathic model considers this a successful treatment as the single ingredient counteracted the single symptom. The TCM model prefers to address the body’s signals (symptoms) more holistically. Using the same example of the sprained ankle, the TCM model would want to address more than just the pain, and therefore, would create a more complex remedy from a group of herbs (rather than a single ingredient) to address the body’s various needs for healing the ankle. A good formula would include herbs to invigorate blood circulation, to strengthen connective tissue, to relieve pain and inflammation, to provide increased nutrition to the cells that need to do the repair work and more.

While the TCM model aims to support and enhance the body’s natural healing abilities, much of western medicine focuses on subverting or bypassing the body’s natural responses. There are some specific positive uses for this kind of western intervention, especially for severe trauma and disease situations, but for most every day injuries and even for many cases of chronic pain caused by overuse injuries, etc., the mechanics of most western OTC pain relievers can actually counteract the body’s natural abilities to heal. Nearly all western pain relief medications work by disrupting the body’s natural pain signaling responses, so that drugs like aspirin and even prescription pain pills tell your brain “everything is fine…nothing to see here.” In doing so, these drugs prevent the natural production of healing enzymes and compounds and prevent them from reaching the area of injury or irritation.

Temporarily treating the symptoms of pain by circumventing the body’s natural healing responses can allow for the root cause of the pain to worsen over time, thus causing the effectiveness of the single drug approach to decrease, and too often, leaving you with the same or worse pain, discomfort and health problems you began with.

Traditional Chinese Medicine does not work that way. It never ignores root causes by focusing on relief of symptoms. Instead, Chinese herbs and Chinese herbal medicine have centuries of knowledge to share, and even more importantly, a holistic approach that aims to relieve symptoms by supporting and strengthening the body’s natural ability to heal itself from the original cause of the symptoms. (Plum Dragon’s best-selling topical pain relief products can be found, here).

Looking at the whole person enables practitioners of Chinese herbal medicine to find far more effective solutions. They turn to herbal remedies like astragalus root because they understand the pathways it follows in the body, the properties it brings to specific organ systems, and the ways it interacts with the whole of the body system.

Supporting Health with Astragalus Root

How do TCM practitioners use Astragalus root for supporting a healthy body?

As we learned, the dominant channels that Astragalus root works on in the body are the spleen and liver channels. We also discovered that the herb is slightly warm and sweet. What does that tell us? Balance is the key, and experts in TCM would use remedies with properties that could provide a counterbalance to the symptoms. Thus, a slightly warm remedy is meant to balance a cooler condition. The flavor corresponds with an organ and phase, with flavor being used to work therapeutically. A sweet flavor would moisten, supplement and harmonize.

Such descriptions can be difficult for someone untrained in Chinese herbal medicine to understand. Essentially, the properties given to the remedy explain what properties you can expect it to deliver to the body, and which channels or pathways it will follow to do so. We know that astragalus is good for the immune system. That means it would have to work with the filter systems in the body, such as the liver or spleen; which it does. We know it brings its slight warmth, thus “colds” and infections that de-energize, i.e. cool the body, are treated with it.

This is a major oversimplification, but it is useful to consider that this is one way to view astragalus and how it works in the world of TCM as a very reliable remedy to immune problems, kidney issues and more.

Chinese Herbs and Adaptogens

It is also helpful to understand that Astragalus is one of nature’s adaptogenic herbs, meaning that it is a botanical ingredient that improves your body’s ability to adapt to stressors. In other words, it doesn’t alter anything about your mood or attitude necessarily, but simply boosts or strengthens your body’s physical ability to handle the internal, bodily effects of both brief and prolonged periods of stress. Adaptogens, like Astragalus, are given this name because of their superior ability to support your body’s and mind’s abilities to quickly adapt to stress without becoming imbalanced.

Astragalus is recognized by both western medical practitioners as well as experts in TCM for its ability to support the immune system even under times of great stress. As one report indicates, Astragalus “is one of the best-researched immune system stimulants now available. It …increase [s] the number and activity of immune cells. However, astragalus concentrates on building the immune system…”

Astragalus can be used alone, but, in line with TCM principles, it is often combined in formulas with other immune strengthening Chinese herbs such as ginseng.

Modern science has identified that Astragalus contains high amounts of two very potent constituents – saponins and polysaccharides – that are claimed to be the source of the herbs powerful immune-enhancing properties. Yet, while it’s true these natural chemicals provide amazing immune system support, it is also important to remember that “traditional herbalists believe there likely dozens of other active, synergistic, or supportive components” in the plant. Astragalus has been shown to “heighten the efficiency of virtually every component of the immune system.”

So, we can see that Astragalus is an energizing herb that improves health through immune support. Is that the only reason so many practitioners rely on it? No, it is also commonly used for those suffering with kidney disease. Many studies and reports have looked at the effects of Astragalus on kidney health and found that it “may help to decrease the Serum Creatinine, reduce the amount of protein lost in the urine and diminish the effects of some complications, such as anemia and malnutrition…”

Offering tremendous support to the body’s natural defenses, from immune function to supporting the health of your kidneys, and also working as an adaptogen to help during times of stress, Astragalus root is a remarkable herb. Generally considered safe for adults to use on a daily basis, it can be a perfect ongoing supplement for those with concerns about the impact of daily stressors on their health and well-being.

Plum Dragon has Huang Qi available, and the roots are taken from four-year-old (or older) plants that are robust in health. They also carry Reishi and Astragalus Chai Training Tea, which can deliver more of a holistic benefit from the combination of several herbs in the formula. The tea is designed to boost your energy and immunity, support healthy adrenal function and blood sugar levels, and flood your body with an army of anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals it needs to repair the daily damage being done by strenuous athletic activity.

If you are eager to balance out your immune function, support your kidney health or to reduce the effects of stress (from everything from your job to chemotherapy treatments) on your body, it is a wise idea to consider this herb. Proven through centuries of use, and now modern science, Astragalus is an immune system and kidney health support remedy.

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Natural Remedies to Fight Inflammation

Inflammation is one of the body’s first lines of defense against internal and external injury. It is also one of the body’s ways of stopping the invasion of harmful micro-organisms such as bacteria and viruses. Most people have come to think of inflammation as a bad thing, but the truth of the matter is that we all rely on it to ensure that we heal properly from injuries and infections.

As part of the body’s biological response to injury and harmful stimuli, inflammation takes place in three stages to ensure relief from pain and infection. The first stage, known as irritation, kicks off the healing process. It is characterized by an itchy feeling around the wound or injury. It is then followed by a suppuration stage that involves the discharge of pus around the injured area. The last stage is the granulation stage whereby new tissues are formed in the wound to complete the healing process. This three-stage healing process demonstrates the importance of inflammation in protecting wounds that would otherwise serve as an entry point for germs and bacteria. Problems can arise, however, when the immune system overreacts to harmful stimuli or when the body triggers inflammatory responses in the absence of threats or foreign invaders. When this happens, the body often damages its own cells and tissues resulting in autoimmune diseases such as arthritis.

Treatment for Inflammation

Inflammation can be treated using over-the-counter medication or with several natural remedies like Chinese herbs, as well as certain fruits and leafy vegetables. The former can be effective in temporarily eliminating the pain of inflammation but it does so manipulating certain natural body functions and, unfortunately, without dealing with the root cause of the inflammation. In this case, recurrent treatment is often needed, creating a vicious cycle of treatment and temporary relief. This cycle introduces chemical compounds into the body that can harm the liver and digestive tract over time. To avoid all this and to try to treat the underlying cause, it may be advisable for individuals suffering from inflammation to switch to Chinese herbal remedies. Made of natural ingredients that serve to enhance and support various natural body functions, Chinese herbal remedies can help keep inflammation at bay. For the best results in fighting inflammation, Chinese herbs should be incorporated alongside a healthy diet.

Dietary Recommendations for Healing Inflammation

Increase your fiber intake.

Fiber contains active phytonutrients that are helpful in reducing inflammation. A diet that is rich in fiber will supply you with enough of these compounds for this purpose. Fruits, vegetables and whole foods such as barley and oatmeal will supply you with enough fiber to fight inflammation.

Consume a lot of fruits and vegetables.

Color-rich fruits and green leafy vegetables are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Try eating more fruits and vegetables–such as berries, spinach and kale–in their raw form to get the most protection against inflammation.

Crucifiers and alliums are good for inflammation.

Crucifiers (such as broccoli and cabbage) and alliums (including garlic and onions) are full of antioxidants that help reduce inflammation. Try to make crucifiers and alliums part of your daily anti-inflammatory diet.

Reduce your calorie intake.

Too many calories increase your chances of getting heart diseases and inflammation. You should, therefore, strive to reduce your calorie intake as much as possible. Reduce your consumption of red meat; season what red meat you do eat with herbs and spices to reduce the toxins in it.

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are the best.

This includes fish and nuts. Omega-3 fatty acids help in dealing with diseases such as arthritis and cancer that are associated with inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids can also be supplemented with fish oil capsules or cod-liver oil.

Avoid refined sugars.

Food items with refined sugars such as high-fructose corn syrup are responsible for increased inflammation in the body. They are also responsible for increased blood pressure and instances of liver disease.

Trans fats are bad for you.

Trans fats increase the levels of C- reactive proteins that are responsible for increased inflammation. Avoid them as much as you can.

Specific Anti-Inflammatory Chinese Herbal Remedies

Diet alone will not prevent all inflammation, especially if you are already experiencing high levels of inflammation. Your body can greatly benefit from using Chinese herbal remedies to provide additional anti-inflammatory benefits.

Wild Ginger

The main compound in ginger is gingerol, which is a powerful antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent. It limits the inflammatory-producing genes in the body thereby reducing inflammation in the body. Also check out Plum Dragon’s Ginger, Orange, Peach tea for a powerful anti-inflammatory combination of Green tea, ginger, and vitamin c rich fruits!

Green Tea

Other than its refreshing properties, green tea is full of antioxidants that help fight inflammation in the body. Catechins that are found in tea leaves improve the anti-inflammatory property of green tea and the regular intake of such tea will help keep inflammation at bay. Plum Dragon carries specialty green teas as well that are loaded with healing benefits like: Reishi-Green Chai Training Tea and Citrus-Green Tea Blend varieties

Turmeric

Turmeric has been used to add spice to food for some time now. Other than its amazing flavor, turmeric can help with inflammation due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It blocks the production of inflammatory enzymes in the body that are responsible for joint pain, liver and heart disease.

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne is a spicy pepper that has been used as a Chinese herbal remedy for ages. The natural compounds in cayenne are called capsaicinoids, which are powerful anti-inflammatory agents. Add a dash of cayenne to your meal to help fight against inflammation. You can also benefit from cayenne by using a topical herbal pain-reliever such as Ho Family Dit Da Jow, Plum Dragon’s #1 best seller!

Cinnamon

Its rich flavor makes cinnamon one of the best spices for baked treats, but you can also take cinnamon for its anti-inflammatory properties. Add cinnamon to tea or coffee to fight inflammation or use it in topical applications for healthier skin.

Clove

Clove flower extracts are helpful in treating stomach complications and nausea. They have also been found to possess anti-inflammatory qualities. that help deal with inflammation of the throat and mouth. Add ground clove to baked goods or stews or apply to skin topically to garner the benefits of this powerful remedy. A powerful anti-inflammatory combination can be found in Plum Dragon’s Chai Training Tea as well, and the fall and winter are the perfect time of year for this nourishing tea!

Dit Da Jow (Topical Pain Relief)

Plum Dragon’s Bruise Juice is one of the most potent topical anti-inflammatory remedies on the market. If you are suffering from intense inflammation or swelling, give Bruise Juice a try. It is also helpful for bruising and swelling of acute injuries. If you are suffering from the pain of arthritis, however, Ancestors Advanced Conditioning formula has proven itself time and again to be in a class by itself for it’s unique ability to help the body overcome arthritis pain.

Conclusion

Keeping inflammation in check is key to helping you heal quicker from injuries and avoid chronic disease. Whether you suffer from arthritis, train athletically or just want to keep your body in good shape, using natural remedies to fight inflammation should become a daily habit. The more you can incorporate healthy foods and anti-inflammatory Chinese herbs into your diet, the healthier and stronger you will feel.

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Stop Ruining Your Gains with NSAIDs – A Better Way to Treat Muscle Soreness

Muscle soreness is par for the course for athletes, body builders, and anyone who sticks to a healthy workout schedule. In fact, those achy, tender feelings the day after a good workout even have a name – DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness. For many people, this feeling is a sign that they’ve done their best to keep their body in great shape, and they may even chase this feeling on purpose.

For others, though, DOMS can seriously hinder their daily activities. It’s become common to grab a few ibuprofen pills the day after a workout, and no one has thought much of that practice…until now. In a recent study by Swedish scientists, NSAID pain killers like ibuprofen have been shown to have a negative impact on muscle gains.

What Are NSAIDs?

If you’ve ever visited the pharmacy at a supermarket looking for a basic pain reliever, you’ve seen row upon row of NSAIDs. Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, Advil, Tylenol, and medications like these are all NSAIDs, which stands for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They are the over-the-counter (OTC) alternative to pain relievers that only a doctor can give, and can be bought without ever talking to a health care professional.

People pop OTC pain relieving pills to cure everything from a simple headache to serious pain from medical conditions. So, for athletes, taking an easy-to-buy pill that helps them stay on track with their workout schedule seems like a no-brainer.

The Study

To study the effect that NSAIDs have on muscle gains, the scientists separated participants into two groups. The first group took ibuprofen to combat the pain of muscle soreness after doing leg workouts. These included exercises like knee extensions that were done two to three times every week during the study. Any time this group felt muscle soreness, they were instructed to take an NSAID pain reliever.

The second group followed the same workout regimen, but only took a low dose of aspirin to combat any muscle soreness. The results? At the end of the study, group two experienced more than twice as much growth in the quad muscle as group one, despite all groups doing the same workouts for the same length of time.

The Reason

The reason that NSAIDs appear to hinder those muscle gains is because of the way NSAIDs attack pain. Their primary method of pain control is to reduce inflammation because lower levels of inflammation take pressure off your nerves, which in turn reduce the pain you are feeling. Additionally, lowered inflammation is better for your overall health because it helps protect your heart and even reduces your chances of getting certain cancers.

That being said, the inflammatory process is actually vital to building bigger muscles. If you’re trying to get bigger, your muscles need the inflammatory part of the break down process in order to build back up. By hindering this process, NSAIDs can actually negatively impact your gains.

That was the short and simple version of why NSAIDs hinder muscle gains. Let’s dig a little deeper into the science. First, let’s start with how DOMS works.

When you work out, you are actually causing micro-tears to form in your muscle membrane. These micro-tears cause nutrients, like calcium, to escape from the muscle itself, which makes the muscle fiber even more weakened. At that point, damaged fibers begin to get stiff as proteins and nerves interact while the body tries to repair itself. This is what causes the pain of DOMS – that sore stiffness of the muscles. The swelling that is experienced is part of the body’s healing process. The tissues swell as a defense mechanism, to protect themselves while they put themselves back together. This specific defensive action is caused by an enzyme family known as cyclooxygenase, or COX. However, that swelling actually causes us even more pain, because pressure is put on those nearby nerves.

Now, here’s how NSAIDs work: In order to relieve pain, NSAIDs inhibit the activity of the COX enzymes, effectively paralyzing the muscle so that it cannot swell. This relieves the pressure on the nerves, so we feel less pain.

But here’s the problem: When COX enzymes are working to protect your muscles, they convert a natural acid in the muscle tissue into prostanoids, compounds that are important in all the swelling business going on in your muscles. These prostanoid compounds have another important role to play as well: they stimulate the process by which muscles start to synthesize protein for growth.

So, putting it all together, this means that when NSAIDs inhibit the COX enzymes from creating prostanoids, the muscles lose out on an important ingredient in the way they start to pack on growth.

Do NSAIDs Affect Muscle Strength?

One question that several experts had right away was: if prolonged usage of NSAIDs impacts muscle gains, does it also have an affect on strength? The study showed that with high doses of anti-inflammatory NSAIDs, muscle strength was, in fact, impaired slightly, compared to lower doses. It was not a profound difference, but it was a statistically significant difference. This is important news for body builders, professional athletes, and competitors who want to be at the absolute peak of their game at any given time and are considering all ways to gain competitive advantage.

The Verdict

Popping an ibuprofen here or there won’t counteract the hard work you’ve put into your muscle gains so far. However, the study did show strong evidence that long-term, consistent use of NSAIDs for pain relief can make it harder to get those gains.

The take away from this study is that you may need to find a new way to deal with the pain of DOMS if you want to avoid hindering your gains.

Other Studies and Proof

It may sound like a very big leap to make with just one study backing up the idea that NSAIDs are bad for gains, but there are actually other studies out there that show very similar results in animals.

For example, research that was performed on rodents over many years has shown that reduced muscle development is common in mice and rats that are treated with high doses of NSAIDs over a long period. In fact, long periods of NSAID use in rodents has led to a 50% decrease in muscle growth in one study. This study included both selective and non-selective NSAIDs (ibuprofen vs. aspirin, in other words).

Additionally, a study performed on humans back in 2002 showed that the synthesizing of proteins in human muscle was inhibited as much as 75% when the person was taking high doses of non-selective NSAIDs (aspirin). This seems to back up the most recent Swedish study’s findings, although the 2002 study was not replicable.

A Better Way

Since this study was released, many young athletes are searching for new ways to manage pain without sacrificing their gains or strength building goals. One effective method is through herbal topical pain relief liniment like those from Plum Dragon Herbs. Plum Dragon offers three different treatments for sports-related injuries and pain that have been shown to help reduce the effects of DOMS, without reducing the gains you experience.

The first is Ho Family Dit Da Jow, a powerful topical pain reliever with a mild anti-inflammatory agent that works to relieve the pain from over training soreness and tissue strains. This is our most effective pain reliever that even knocks out nerve pain with analgesic herbs in a balanced all natural herbal formula based on centuries of knowledge. This formula is best for muscle injuries, tendonitis, and significant pain conditions.

The second is Ancestors Advanced Conditioning Formula, which is designed to not only relieve pain, spasms, numbness, and tightness, but is also known for unblocking energy imbalances and reinvigorating the athletic body. This topical formula has the lowest dose of anti-inflammatory ingredients we offer, and is perfect for long-term use in regular training regimens to condition and strengthen your bones and ligaments to support your muscles, so you’ll feel less pain over time and prevent injury. This formula is best for older injuries to bones and ligaments that are slow to heal, arthritic conditions, and other cases of degeneration.

The third is Bruise Juice, which helps to relieve the pain caused by bruising and significant inflammation. While this topical liniment does contain very strong anti-inflammatory ingredients, it does not block the COX enzyme like the typical NSAID pain reliever. This topical formula is designed to work with the body and to enhance its natural healing abilities instead of circumventing them like NSAIDs. Use this product to relieve pain, reduce bruising, ease acute strains and sprains, relieve DOMS and reenergize the athletic body.

These three products are created with authentic Chinese formulas in a traditional manner, using only the highest quality Chinese herbs. They are 100% guaranteed to reduce pain and help you meet your fitness goals. When you are ready to make the shift from NSAIDs to a better method, Plum Dragon Herbs has the tools you need.

Sources:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170828125123.htm

https://www.t-nation.com/training/do-pain-pills-impair-muscle-growth

https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/high-doses-ibuprofen-can-hurt-muscle-growth

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10 Effective Chinese Herbal Remedies for Acne

Acne is one of the most common skin conditions affecting people. Characterized by pimples and breakouts on the face and other parts of the body such as the chest and back, acne not only occurs in adolescents but is also suffered by adults. Acne breakouts often occur as a result of hormone changes, stress, trigger foods and poor skin care routines . Although acne is usually viewed as a mild medical condition, severe acne attacks–especially those that occur on the face–can leave not only physical scars, but emotional ones too. Treating acne is, therefore, very important for cosmetic purposes as well as for maintaining a sense of well-being and self-confidence.

To treat acne, most people try over-the-counter medicated creams and skin care products. These treatments are often ineffective because they do not address the root cause of the attacks. The result is, at best, temporary relief from acne with the condition reappearing at the slightest provocation. Recurring acne often leads people to try prescription creams and drugs, which can, unfortunately, pose serious side effects and health risks. These unsatisfactory treatments are leading people to explore more natural methods for getting clear and healthy skin. A safer, holistic approach is to use Chinese herbal remedies to address acne. This approach takes into account many factors in the person’s health which may be contributing to the cause of acne. Additionally, Chinese herbal remedies do an amazing job at reducing the appearance of blemishes and rejuvenating the skin.

Chinese Herbal Remedies for Treating Acne

Traditional Chinese Medicine treats breakouts through a combination of Chinese herbs, acupuncture, and dietary suggestions. According to Chinese herbal medicine, the body is divided into meridians, and acne is viewed as ‘heat’ in the stomach and lung meridians. The stomach meridian begins on the face and extends to the chest area, while the lung meridian is the region from the chest area to the middle of the body. Greasy and spicy foods create a lot of undigested metabolites in the body that produce more heat. When there is excess heat in the body, the heat rises to the face. Therefore, excess heat in the stomach and lungs results in acne on the face and chest area. Counteracting this excess heat is one objective of Chinese medicine treatments for acne. Let’s now take a closer look at these Eastern remedies.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture helps in treating acne by flushing out the toxins that are responsible for heat buildup in the body. Acupuncture works on the belief that medical problems arise when the energy flowing along the meridians in the body is interrupted. Sterile needles inserted at specific acupuncture points restores the normal flow of energy in these meridians. Acupuncture also regulates the hormones responsible for skin secretions, thereby reducing inflammation and the accumulation of bacteria.

Mung Beans

These beans are full of amazing ingredients that help with skin care. They are full of phytonutrients, healthy fiber, powerful antioxidants and proteins that fight the free radicals on the skin that cause inflammation. They can be taken as a meal or blended into healthy face masks. The regular consumption or topical application of these detoxifying legumes will reduce puffiness and promote healing from acne.

Jin Yin Hua

Jin Yin Hua, also known as the honeysuckle flower, is a powerful Chinese herb with multiple uses in Traditional Chinese Medicine. This flower has a rich fragrance and sweet nectar, but more importantly, it is full of anti-inflammatory and antibiotic elements that make it great for treating skin problems. The medicinal part of the plant is the dried flower bud. When consumed, the cooling and lightweight nature of Jin Yin Hua allows the herbal properties to rise up through the meridians, clearing excess heat in the stomach and lungs and eliminating toxins that cause acne. These characteristics make Jin Yin Hua a highly-beneficial ingredient for face creams. Wash your face regularly with Jin Yin Hua extracts or apply topical creams containing the herb for increased protection from acne-causing agents.

Face Cupping

Cupping is an ancient remedy that has been gaining popularity for exercise recovery and pain relief. This technique is also effective in improving the health of the skin. Dull and damaged skin usually results from toxin accumulation under the skin as a result of poor circulation. The suction technique in cupping promotes proper circulation in the skin to flush out harmful toxins that cause skin blemishes. It also promotes the flow of nutrients to the face which helps keep your skin healthy and glowing.

Zhen Zhu

Zhen Zhu, commonly known as pearl, is one of the treasures of dermatology. In crushed powder form, Zhen Zhu helps deal with stubborn acne breakouts on the face and other body parts. It contains about 18 different amino acids and other healthy minerals that are needed in the production of collagen in the body. Collagen is needed to keep the skin firm and plump, so using Zhen Zhu helps maintain a youthful and glowing skin appearance. People of all ages and genders can use Zhen Zhu. When consumed, Zhen Zhu eliminates the harmful toxins in the blood that are responsible for acne breakouts. It also mnimizes rashes on the skin and relieves skin itching. Other uses of Zhen Zhu include calming the spirit and nourishing the heart, making it one of the most amazing Chinese remedies around.

Gan Cao, Licorice Root

Licorice root helps clear excess heat that builds up in the body as a result of the accumulation of toxins in the body. Extracts of this great Chinese herb can be added to tea or crushed and applied topically on the skin. It also inhibits the production of sebum that is responsible for skin breakouts.

Raw Honey

Raw honey helps detoxify the liver and contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Using raw honey will help free your body of harmful toxins that cause skin blemishes. Try adding a spoonful or two to a glass of water and drinking daily. You can also apply a thin layer of raw honey directly to your face to help fight free radicals on the skin. Try making a mask by grinding one or several of the herbs mentioned in this article with honey and applying to skin for a minimum of 20 minutes.

Calendula

Calendula is one of the potent plant species around. It has a lot of applications and it has been used extensively for medicinal and cosmetic purposes for some time now. Calendula and marigold belong to the same plant species with calendula often referred to as pot marigold. You can take it orally, and for best treatment of acne, apply it topically.. Calendula is a powerful antioxidant and as such, it will fight the free radicals on your skin that are responsible for acne attacks. It is rich in flavonoids that enhance its anti-inflammatory properties, further boosting its ability to fight free radicals on the skin. It is also one of the strongest antiviral Chinese herbs around, making it effective in fighting the pathogens that cause skin blemishes. It seems like there is nothing this powerful Chinese herb cannot do when it comes to skin care and protection. Make calendula part of your skincare routine and enjoy healthy and flawless skin.

Dang Gui

Dang Gui, which is extracted from the roots of the Angelica sinensis plant, is another herb that helps with acne treatment. It often goes by the name “female ginseng” since it is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to regulate female hormones and as a uterine tonic. Dang Gui contains estrogen-like compounds that help lower the acne-producing androgen hormones in the body. Since too much Dang Gui can make the skin more photosensitive, the Chinese herb should be taken in small amounts or as directed by a TCM specialist.

Huang Qi

Huang Qi, also known as Astragalus root, is a widely-used Chinese herb that can be used to treat acne, boost the body’s immunity, improve digestion and cleanse the kidneys and liver. It also helps in preventing the flu and increasing energy in the body. Rich in flavonoids, Huang Qi helps fight free radicals that cause inflammation on the skin. Additionally, Huang Qi contains amino acids that improve collagen production in the body. To help in the treatment against acne and improve skin quality, try using Huang Qi in topical treatments and/or steeping it in a tea.

Conclusion

Each of these herbal remedies provides multiple health benefits. They are not used to simply treat or mask the symptoms of acne and they do not pose the serious side effects that come with prescription drugs. Rather, individuals using Chinese herbal medicine can expect to enjoy improved health and wellness alongside beautiful skin. Try one or several of these remedies to begin seeing healthier skin now!

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Cayenne Pepper for Pain Relief, Improved Circulation and Digestion, and Weight Loss

Cayenne Pepper is one of the most impressive herbs in herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. With its numerous uses and applications, cayenne pepper is no longer just thought of for spicing up food, but it is also gaining popularity for its healing and pain relieving properties–properties traditional healers have understood for ages.

Cayenne pepper, also known as capsicum, is also a great internal cleanser. Regular intake of this powerful herb will help eliminate harmful toxins that build up in the body as a result of metabolic activities. Taken naturally, or in its powdered form, cayenne pepper provides several key nutrients including potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, B6 & E, which work to keep you healthy and free of ailments. But, the amazing benefits of cayenne pepper don’t end there. Cayenne pepper also promotes healthy blood circulation, digestion, weight loss and pain relief. Let’s now take a look at each of these amazing benefits in detail.

Cayenne Pepper Boosts Digestion

Cayenne pepper is one of the most powerful Chinese herbs for boosting the digestive system. It stimulates the production of saliva that is needed for proper digestion and metabolism. Adequate saliva is needed to ensure smooth and seamless digestion, as well as for helping prevent bad breath.

Cayenne pepper also aids in the production of enzymes that are needed for the digestive system to function properly. It helps in the production of gastric juices that are essential in food metabolism and in the elimination of toxins.

Cayenne Pepper Improves Circulation

Studies have found capsicum effective in fighting illnesses of the circulatory system, particularly when combined with Ginkgo Biloba, another powerful Chinese herb. In this combination, cayenne pepper was found effective in improving blood circulation and fighting circulatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, varicose veins and angina pectoris.

Cayenne Pepper Provides Natural Pain Relief

Cayenne pepper brings about natural pain relief when used topically. Its pain relieving capabilities stem from its ability to limit the production of substance P, a chemical compound that is responsible for inflammatory pain processes in the body. Topical products that contain cayenne pepper are ideal for relieving post-surgery pain, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, shingles and many other painful ailments.

Once again, when used in combination with other Chinese herbs known for their pain relieving properties, cayenne pepper will pack an even more powerful punch for pain relief. Plum Dragon Herbs incorporates Cayenne Pepper in its top-selling Ho Family Dit Da Jow. This potent Chinese herbal remedy contains dozens of strong herbs to provide pain relief, decrease stiffness and promote healing from both traumatic and chronic injuries.

Cayenne Pepper Supports Healing from Ulcers

Cayenne pepper is also helpful in treating ulcers. There is a misconception that spicy foods such as cayenne pepper cause ulcers but a recent study found this not to be true. The study by the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program found bacterial infections and the overuse of medication such as Motrin and Advil as the major causes of peptic ulcers. These agents increase the production of acid in the stomach which in turn leads to damage of the stomach lining. Capsicum neutralizes the acid build up in the stomach thereby bringing about relief from the ulcers. Cayenne pepper also helps in repairing the damaged lining. Add half a tablespoon of cayenne into tea to treat peptic ulcers and to protect your colon.

Cayenne Pepper Supports Weight Loss

Cayenne pepper, when taken early in the day, reduces appetite and as such, you eat less food during the day. By eating less, you are able to keep your weight in check. This makes capsicum one of the best ingredients in Chinese herbal remedies for weight loss. It also increases the rate at which excess fats in the body are burned to generate energy. When taken just before a workout session, cayenne boosts fat oxidation by about 42%, greatly reducing the concentration of fat in the body. Add half a tablespoon of cayenne powder to juice just before you work out.

Conclusion

Cayenne pepper boasts amazing properties and capabilities. It is safe for use but it is highly recommended that when taken internally, you take a small portion at first as you build your tolerance levels. This will ensure that you only take an amount your body can handle without interfering with other Chinese herbal remedies that you may be taking. That’s why getting the benefits of cayenne pepper topically for pain relief and reducing inflammation may be the ideal solution for repeated use.

With such an array of health benefits, cayenne pepper remedies should be found in every home medicine cabinet. Don’t miss out on this show-stopping Chinese herb in your self care regime. You can have fewer toxins roaming your body, improved circulation, less pain, a decreased chance of ulcers and more success in maintaining a healthy weight–all from the key ingredient of one tiny pepper!

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12 Chinese Herbs To Support Healthy Hormone Balance

Hormones have an important role to play in the body. They support crucial functions in the body such as food metabolism, cell and tissue growth, cognitive thinking and mood. Produced by glands that make up the endocrine system, hormones are released into the bloodstream where they travel to the tissues and organs they influence.

Hormones are required in specific quantities to influence bodily functions and processes. Any changes to these required amounts can have adverse effects on your health and well-being. Imbalances can make you feel uncomfortable, sickly and agitated, fatigued, and being unwell can wreak havoc on your daily routines. That’s why maintaining a healthy hormonal balance is very important to your well-being and why it’s important to address any causes of imbalance that are within your control.

The body’s delicate hormonal balance can be easily disrupted by both natural and foreign factors. Some of the natural factors affecting the equilibrium of hormones in the body include the onset of your periods, puberty and menopause. These natural occurrences can bring significant changes to a person’s life, but they occur as a normal part of the body’s maturity and aging process. Other factors do not stem from natural occurrences, but rather come from unhealthy daily habits like improper diet and lack of (or even excess) exercise, smoking, drug use (both legal and illegal) and unintended exposure to chemicals.

Foreign factors that contribute to hormone imbalances in the human body:

Processed foods: Such foods introduce harmful toxins and salts into the body that disrupt the balance of hormones

Caffeine and cigarette smoking: Stimulants in caffeine and nicotine alter the balance of hormones in your body by affecting the body’s adrenal gland production.

Chemically-treated food: Consuming non-organic products (especially dairy products) that have been treated with hormones can bring about an imbalance in your hormone system. Herbicides and insecticides also introduce harmful toxins into the body, whether inhaled from the air or consumed with food, and these toxins can affect hormone health.

Chemical-laden products: Chemicals found in beauty, skin care, and household cleaning products can permeate through the skin and alter the body’s chemistry.

Sleep disturbances: Not getting enough restful sleep deprives your body of the chance to detoxify. Less than 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep puts great stress on the adrenal glands and eventually leads to adrenal fatigue and adrenal exhaustion.

Exercise: Healthy levels of exercise, especially weight-bearing exercise, helps to promote the natural production of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone in the body. Don’t forget, however, that exercise is stress on the body. Excessive exercise, especially during a time of other emotional or physical stress can put the body in a state of constant production of stress hormones and lead eventually to adrenal exhaustion.

Now that you’ve learned some of the factors affecting hormone imbalance, you may be wondering how much they are affecting you. So how do you know if your body is out of whack from all of the natural and foreign factors affecting it?

Here are some signs that you are suffering from a hormonal imbalance:

Irregular periods

Lack of sleep and restlessness

Unexplained weight loss or weight gain

Chronic acne and breakouts

Fatigue and low energy levels

Mood swings

Changes in appetite and digestive issues

Hair thinning and even hair loss

Vaginal dryness

Poor sex drive

Infertility

Heart palpitations

Food cravings

As the list above shows, the signs of hormonal imbalance can range from mild to severe. In either case, these imbalances can result in a lot of health complications and challenges. Therefore, keeping your hormones in check is very important if you wish to lead a more healthy and productive life.

Some would think that western medications and treatments are the best course of treatment when it comes to maintaining hormonal balance in your body. Yet, in many cases, the synthetic treatments do little to restore balance and do more to mask symptoms without treating the root cause. The abnormalities created by this western approach allow the imbalances to remain while often creating dependency on the drugs to feel good. Having to regularly use drugs to keep symptoms in check is not only expensive but also potentially harmful to the body. Pharmaceutical drugs often produce many undesirable side effects. The prolonged practice of putting synthetic chemicals into your body puts you at a higher risk for other diseases such as stroke, cancer, and osteoporosis.

Fortunately, this western medicine approach is not the only way to address your symptoms of hormonal imbalance. There is a natural approach that not only addresses the problematic symptoms of hormone imbalance but that also promotes overall health and quality of life. For centuries, this wholesome approach involving the use of Chinese herbs has been helping both men and women alike to achieve a greater sense of well-being. Chinese herbal medicine includes the use of Chinese herbs and proper nutrition to promote wellbeing. Herbs contain bioactive ingredients that act to suppress illnesses and to bring about natural pain relief. They stimulate the production of antibodies that fight toxins in your body. By facilitating healing using the body’s natural functions, Chinese medicine can be much kinder to the body than the use of prescription drugs. Chinese herbs also support other processes and functions in the body at the same time that they are addressing its specific needs.

Let’s explore 12 beneficial Chinese herbs for supporting hormone balance in the body:

Shan Yao (Chinese Wild Yam)

This is one of the ancient herbal remedies that has been used extensively to treat ailments and health complications of the lungs, kidneys and stomach. The roots of Chinese Wild Yam are rich in diosgenin content which aids in the production of hormones such as progesterone, estrogen and steroids. Chinese Wild Yam can be added to tea and used to make healthy chicken soup. It can be used when it is fresh or added in its dry form.

Xi Yang Shen (American Ginseng)

When compared to its Chinese counterpart, Xi Yang Shen or American Ginseng is milder and calmer. Xi Yang Shen is effective in treating gastronomical disorders as well as improving mental health and athletic performance. Xi Yang Shen is one of the Chinese herbs that has adaptogenic qualities and this makes it great for reducing stress and cognitive thinking. The herb also supports the adrenal-pituitary-hypothalamus axis in the body which can boost your mood, improve your sex drive and give you the energy to go about your day or improve your athletic performance. Try adding Xi Yang Shen to stews or brewing it into a tea. It is, however, advisable not to take it at night since it may make it difficult for you to sleep.

Huang Qi (Astragalus Root)

Huang Qi is a powerful herb that has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for some time now. It is sometimes referred to as the “yellow energy” due to the golden color of its roots. This root promotes hormonal balance in the body by stimulating the release of hormones that support various internal processes. Additionally, Huang Qi supports the immune system which in turn increases the body’s ability to fight off foreign bodies. As an adaptogen, Huang Qi helps in dealing with stress and this greatly slows down the body’s aging process. Huang Qi is a warm herb and it can be used to make tea or added to soups and broths. Or try out our Reishi and Astragalus Chai Tea.

Long Yan Rou (Longan Fruit)

Longan Fruit is one of the best Chinese herbs when it comes to maintaining the balance of hormones in the body. This herb is full of healthy components such as proteins, amino acids, iron, and vitamins A and C that are needed for healthy growth. This healthy combination empowers the body to fight toxin build up in the body which ensures that the hormonal balance in the body remains in check. Long Yan Rou also aids in replenishing the blood as well as fighting insomnia and anxiety. All these attributes make Long Yan Rou one of the best herbs in Chinese herbal medicine. It has a rich flavor and it can be added to recipes when making cookies, oatmeal or dessert. It can also be added to teas due to its rich taste.

Gou Qi Zi (Goji Berries)

These nutritious berries help nourish the blood and build yin in the body. They also supply the body with powerful antioxidants that increase the body’s capacity to fight toxic invasions. These tasks help keep the balance of hormones in the body intact, thereby making goji berries ideal for improving the body’s hormonal health. Goji berries have a rich flavor and they can be added into tea or used to make oatmeal. They are also found in our Super-Antioxidant Longevi-Tea.

Da Zao (Chinese Red Date)

Da Zao supplies the body with healthy nutrients that are needed for healthy growth and development. They help nourish the blood and increase energy levels in the body. Regular intake of these dates will, therefore, keep you healthy and strong to face the challenges life throws your way. They can be consumed on their own or added to soups or broths. (Pictured are black dates, please specify red dates in order comments if you wish to purchase red dates. Red dates are currently in stock.)

Bai Shao (White Peony Root)

Bai Shao is one of the Chinese herbal remedies that offers natural pain relief. The potent herb provides relief from headaches and pain related to periods. It is can also be used to deal with appearance issues that result from blood deficiencies such as dull complexion and brittle nails. This healthy root can be added to soups or brewed with tea.

Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes)

Bai Zhu is a warm, bitter-sweet herb known to invigorate and strengthen the spleen and can be used to eliminate night sweats and dampness. This nutritive herb can also be used to regulate blood sugar levels and prevent blood stagnation. One note of caution is that women who are dehydrated may not want to use this herb because of its diuretic effect. White atractylodes is available as a whole herb that can be brewed in tea or found as a powder, extract or decoction.

Dang Gui (Angelica Root)

Dang Gui is a powerful Chinese herb with a myriad of health benefits. It is particularly beneficial to women since it brings about natural pain relief to complications associated with PMS and menopause.

This root helps nourish the blood and restore hormonal balance in the body. It can be added to chicken soups or added to tea. We also carry Angelica Sinensis/Dang Gui Capsules.

Lian Zi (Lotus Seed)

Lian Zi supports the digestive system by activating crucial enzymes within the tract. This ensures that the digestive system is functioning properly and this promotes the balance of hormones in the body. It also aids in reducing irritability as well insomnia. It can be added to vegetable stews or added to homemade snacks when baking.

Hei Zhi Ma or (Black Sesame Seed)

Hei Zhi Ma nourishes the yin of the liver and kidney. In doing so, Hei Zhi Ma prevents hormonal imbalance since it is these two organs that are responsible for eliminating toxins in the body. It also fights dryness in the body and this helps preserve a healthy skin appearance.

Zhi Zi (Fructus Gardeniae)

The fruit of the Gardenia, also known as “Cape Jasmine Fruit”, is a bitter, cooling herb that can lower blood pressure. It is also sometimes called the “Happiness Fruit” as it is used to reduce irritability and restlessness. This amazing fruit also has analgesic properties that can be used to reduce aches and pains, another common complaint of menopausal women. Zhi Zi can be used in teas or soups or eaten directly. In powder form, the fruit can be blended into a poultice or liniment and used topically.

Topical Pain Relief Formulas

Topical application of herbs can also provide immense relief from pain and discomfort associated with hormonal changes. Plum Dragon Herbs specializes in combination herbal products that were formulated using the wisdom of ancient practices and modern science to produce the greatest health benefits.

Many of the top herbs discussed in this article are found in Plum Dragon’s Ho Family Dit Da Jow. This topical pain relief liniment is great for reducing aches and pains, as well as for strengthening bones and improving blood circulation to help ease the effects of hormone fluctuations in the body.

Conclusion

Chinese herbs have a lot of health benefits and creating a hormonal balance is just one of them. Making Chinese herbs part of your daily diet can contribute to your overall health and improved longevity. To garner the most benefit from Chinese herbs, try them in combination formulas which produce a synergistic effect to address multiple hormonal needs.

The post 12 Chinese Herbs To Support Healthy Hormone Balance appeared first on Plum Dragon Herbs.

from Plum Dragon Herbs http://plumdragonherbs.com/12-chinese-herbs-support-healthy-hormone-balance/

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