Enjoying the little Pleasures in Life (Bridging the gap between Vices and Good Health)

So you have a vice and you can't quit to save your life.
Many people quit only to put themselves in a physiologically vulnerable position and end up returning to the vice with unexpected repercussions.

Instead of being so Black and White about life why not find the grays that you can deal with on a realistic level. You know you might drink, smoke, eat a little more than you should of certain things that throw your body in a more toxic state. In knowing this, understand how to return to cleaner state.
Here's how:

First we must visualize how we see ourselves being in that clear state. I personally see myself as a Buddhist monk/Ninja walking around cool and collected. In reality I may not be so but at least I'm visualizing a positive state. For example, after having a cup of coffee, which was especially tasty, brush my teeth and drink a fair amount of water and then visualize the image I desire to be and switch to something that a Monk/Ninja would enjoy like a Jasmine tea or Oolong tea. Or even grab a Kale juice and the local juicer. Making a conscious physical switch to a cleaner state puts you in the right direction. Often this is difficult to do and sometimes you just need to sleep on it and start the day fresh.

These 'vices' as we call them usually are of an acidic nature. We need to learn how to return our bodies to a more alkaline state. This can easily be achieved by consuming dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale etc. Whoever gave us Popeye had the right idea. Let's take a hint from the Sailor Man! And Sailors drink like fish, or so goes the reputation. Just read that Australians are drinking less beer and more wine. Sure compromises the 'Bloke' reputation.

In Asia the natives are constantly consuming alkaline teas such as Jasmine, Green and Oolong. While it may be difficult for a aggressive business man/woman to exist on the Buddhist Monk influenced diet of  rice and tofu, even though the japanese salaryman has been doing it quite gracefully since WWII, their diet is already well within the alkaline parameters.

As I sit here on this train underneath the streets of Tokyo everyone is taking a nap. Sleep is the most body generating exercise of all! Oh to be able to go in-and-out of that state and the drop of a hat. Sounds like a good theme for the next Blog entry.

On the other hand the Western diet, with it's red meat and processed bread dishes, is already acidic and we wash it all down with even more acidic drinks like coke or coffee. The repetition of an already negative state just propagates takes farther from where we want to be.

If we decide we can accompany that delicious burger with a vegetable that can help break down and balance the already Yang energy of the red meat like a raw spinach salad or even some raw vegie sticks and even a glass of red wine then we can enjoy the meat without worrying about any serious repercussions.

Getting the right Ginseng for you

Make sure you have ascertained which constitution you are.

If you are Fire and you take the most popular and recommended Ginseng, you will over heat, especially if you are taking it in the summer.

The various Ginsengs available each have their own energy. Some are heating and assist in multiple maintenance programs including improving circulation.

There are also the Cooling Ginsengs i.e. American Ginseng which nourishes Yin and assists in those who are burned-out.

Additionally, we have Rheumatism Ginseng and Tienchi Ginseng which have altogether more specific powers.

In conclusion, YES, enjoy taking Ginseng but make sure it's the right one for you!

intake form

testmoz.com/114036

Know thy tongue!

Tongue Analysis:

Tongue Colour: Normal colour is pale - red.
	Pale:	Deficiency of Yang or deficiency of Blood. If a Yang deficiency, tongue will be swollen and slightly wet. If a blood deficiency, tongue will be somewhat dry.
	Red:	Always indicates heat. If predominately on the tip = Heart. If predominately on the sides = Liver or Gall Bladder.
	Purple:	Stasis of Blood, circulation disorder.
Tongue Shape:
	Thin:	Indicates either a Blood or Yin deficiency and a chronic condition.
	Swollen:	Indicates retention of fluids.
	Long:	Indicates a tendency to Heat in the Heart.
	Short:	If pale and wet = Interior Cold (Yang deficiency). If red and peeled = Interior Heat (Yin deficiency).
	Cracks:	Indicate either Heat or a Yin deficiency: Short, horizontal indicates Stomach Yin deficiency. Long, deep midline reaching to the tip indicates a Heart disharmony. Shallow, midline, not reaching tip, indicates a Stomach Yin deficiency. Short, transverse on sides of middle, indicates a Spleen Qi deficiency.
Tongue Coating: A thin, white coating is normal and indicates that the stomach is digesting properly.
	Thick:	Indicates the presence of a pathogenic factor.
	None:	Often called "peeled". Indicates a Stomach or Kidney Yin deficiency. If peeled and red all over, indicates deficient Kidney Yin.
	White:	Indicates Cold (Yang deficiency).
	Yellow:	Indicates Heat (Yin deficiency).
Moisture: A normal tongue is slightly wet.
	Wet:	Indicates a Yang Qi deficiency.
	Dry:	Indicates a Yin Qi deficiency.
	Slippery:	Or sticky, indicates retention of dampness.

republicans are "yang"-democrats are "yin"

back to bananas

radical diet change to whole grains almost 100%.

before excrement was liquidy and often.

now it's once a day, more solid and banana shaped.

i've also cut back on alcohol so we must factor that in.

i haven't completely stopped. just trying to partake

in more controlled amounts.

it may seem unusual but you can learn how healthy you are

by your own stool. there is nothing to be embarrassed about.

who else is usually in the toilet with you anyway???

also, floating stool also shows it has been sufficiently

oxygenated. if your stool sinks....you may be sinking as well!

The Beauty of Beans

In these economically challenged times finding ways to eat

cheaply and wisely is part of the game.

Larger continental cultures i.e. Africa and South America

go to the bean to provide nourishment.

Living in Japan, beef is not the most financially feasible

choice. In fact it's considered a delicacy to an extent.

Beans are more eco friendly as well. Not giving off enormous

clouds of methane, nothing against cows mind you.

My best friend is one.

Why do cultures in the southern hemisphere eat more beans

than those in the north?

Is more land mass exist in the Arctic than the Antarctic?

If so, it is said that the hunters/gatherers, mostly from

the northern territories, rely on meat for nutrition and stamina.

Those in more equatorial regions can do without due to less severe

weather conditions.

Also, blood type Os, northern Europeans, far Northern-Hemisphere

ancestries and those living in cold climates need a substantial amount

of meat regularly due to their hunter/gatherer ancestry which is

essential for building blood and energy.

Legumes regulate certain aspects of metabolism such as water

and sugar and promotes balanced sexual activity and proper growth

and development of the body. Chinese medicine files the bean as the

proper food for the kidney-adrenal functions.

They are drying and diuretic and generally not suitable for deficient

persons so Ayurveda combines with oily foods.

Legumes also balance the excessive, strong, and robust person

with signs of overweight, heat, or damp conditions such as yeasts or edema.

Chinese traditions assign healing value to the Five Element Color:

Fire Element, heart, and small intestines - (red legumes)aduki bean, red lentil, and kidney bean.

Earth Element, spleen pancreas, and stomach - (yellow legumes)garbanzo bean,

yellow pea, and soybean

Metal Element, lungs, and large intestine; (white legumes)lima bean and navy beans

Water Element, kidneys, and bladder - (dark, black, and brown legumes)black bean,

black soybean, and brown lentil

Wood Element, liver, and gall bladder - (green)mung bean, green pea, and green bean

Case study II - HIV

proper nutrition for curbing the progression of HIV into AIDS

the AIDS related membrane of the human immunodeficiency virus

is cholesterol rich. Thus diets that lower cholesterol may assist in

slowing down progression.

high-fiber low-fat diet reduces cholesterol and saturated fats

lots of garlic at beginning stages of HIV but if AIDS already exits

garlic will deplete yin fluids so be informed.

St. Johnswort contains the blood-red volatile oil "hypericin,"

effective against retro-viruses such as HIV and EBV.

Licorice root(Glycyrrhiza glabra; Mandarin: gan cao

harmonizes liver and detoxifies body

may counteract various viruses

Algae regenerates cell structure

Seaweeds cool inflammations and detoxify

part II 甲状腺機能低下症こうじょうせんきのうていかしようのお勧め:

甲状腺機能低下症こうじょうせんきのうていかしようのお勧め:

腎臓のようは弱くなるから援助ウが必要です.

kidney's yang has weakened so needs support.

Frigid Extremities Decoction

陽(よう）を発憤(はっぷん)の製剤(せいざい)

手と足が冷たい。(cold extremities)

下腹(かふく）の痛みが有ります。(abdominal pain)

寒さに兼忌(けんき)が有ります。(aversion to cold)

良く寝たい(desire to sleep)

口としたの感じ無くすかも知らない。

材料(ざいりょう) - ingredients:

アコナイト/鳥兜(とりかぶと) - aconite

生薑(しょうが) - ginger

甘草(かんぞう) - licorice - 蜂蜜(はちみつ)焼きで

アコナイトは体の過程(かてい)を¥動かせます。

生薑と甘草がアコナイトの毒性を弱させます。

Kidney Qi Pill from 'The Golden Cabinet'

水の巡りを情動-じょうどう(especially affects the circulation of water)

尿の失禁(しっきん)-urinary incontinence

口としたの感じ無くすかも知らない。

材料(ざいりょう) - ingredients:

dioscorea - chinese yam

rehmannia - ジオウ -

rehmannia is a cardiac tonic; diuretic; alterative and hemostatic

ジオウ，この製剤(せいざい)の主要部品- (しゅうようぶひん）は腎臓をサポトします。

甲状腺機能低下症こうじょうせんきのうていかしよう

a result of Hashimoto's thyroiditis

western trained docter's have conflicting opinions

presently not acute 急性ーきゅうせいでわない

symptoms - 症状

slightly overweight

漢方の意見は甲状腺機能低下賞の症状イコール

体の中の寒さ。この寒さは腎臓を発病された。

腎臓は体を暖める機能です。

cold has attacked the kidneys, the organ that warms

the entire body.

cold typically:

congests(ふくそうじょうたい、服装状態)

congeals(凝結ぎようけつ)

contracts

energy is unable to flow properly causing weight gain.

イネルギはちゃんと流れってない。

従って重さが増える。

skin pores contract and skin drys out.

細孔は萎縮して肌は感性します。

体の水はちゃんと巡りしない

swelling - しゅだい腫大

漢方は症状を楽にすることが出来ます。

formulaes can relieve symptoms

その上療治も可能性が有ります。

can treat

甲状腺のホルモン補充療法と一生に使います。

can be used along with thyroid hormone replacement therapy

Case study I

甲状腺機能低下症こうじょうせんきのうていかしよう

hypothyroidism

a result of Hashimoto's thyroiditis

western trained docter's have conflicting opinions

presently not acute 急性ーきゅうせい

symptons - 症状

slightly overweight

cold typically:

congests(ふくそうじょうたい、服装状態)

congeals(凝結ぎようけつ)

contracts(

"in vivro" over "in vitro"

medical labels

'dis-ease'

'unification over isolation'

'energetic over symptomatic'

what do these words show us?

are they passive rather than pro-active?

self-victimizing?

allow irresponsibility for ones own actions?

Swine Flu: Media hype and a boon to the pharmaceutical industry

check out Michel Tierra's perspective @:

http://www.planetherbs.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=Swine-Flu-Media-hype-and-a-boon-to-the-pharmaceutical-industry.html&Itemid=141

self-diagnosis

reddish complexion = internal or external heat

tongue - 

white coat looks like cottage cheese = ST heat

toothmarks at side = spleen Qi deficiency

tinnitus = insufficient kidney jing

unclear eyes = liver blood deficiency

acupuncture to help move stagnant Liver Qi

active sex life in winter depletes adrenals resulting in immune deficiencies, & low vitality

hints of lower and mid back pain - kidneys

internal or external heat
effected by coffee, tea a/or smoke intake

polygonatum cirrhifolium (huang jing)

energy: neutral

flavor: sweet

affinity: kidneys, spleen, stomach

TCM: tonifies kidney - and spleen-energy

epimedium sagittatum (yin yang huo)

energy: warm

flavor: pungent

affinity: kidneys, liver

TCM: tonifies kidney-yang; nourishes blood and semen-essence; expels cold-damp and wind-damp symptoms

ginseng(人参エクス）- tonifies Qi

solution:

Yunker D ユンケル

オウセイ横精 polygonatum shizome 1,000mg

イカリソウ epimedi 1,000mg

人参 ginseng    100mg

反鼻ハんビ viper    100mg

ビタミンB2        5mg

ビタミンB6      10mg

ニコチン酸　vitamin B3 5mg

ビタミんE      10mg

無水カフィイン      50mg

hot chest!

been having interesting 'sin'sations in my chest since monday. oh, first i have an arrhythmia. 

was diagnosed in the states before i came to japan, over 15 yrs ago.

actually had heart surgery with a catheter in japan by a western trained japanese doctor about 7 yrs ago at Josei Jidai. it's a women's college hospital specializing in heart problems.

he said he needed to "laser out the bad parts".

well, i let him and i actually had a regular heart beat for a while but then the beat got funky again. consequently i'm easily excited. 

having a 'delayed' childhood due to being the oldest of four i tend to enjoy life to it's extremes.

well my heart increased in size by a third while 'enjoying life' and knocked me out to the point where i couldn't walk to the train station, which is important in tokyo if you wanna get anywhere.

well, i took it as a sign from the universe to 'straighten' up and went to the other extreme and got into Yoga, Chi Gong, vegetarianism and stopped all stimulants, drinking etc.

it was very expanding. at one point my art got a regular beat while in the middle of Meiji Jingu

doing Chi Gong in the early hours after sunrise.

it lasted for about a day and being the Aries/Rabbet i slipped back into 'having fun'.

i did stop taking the western medicine again and became immobile once again always running to western medicine for a quick fix. 

for the last year i've been taking both western and Chinese herbal medicine('kampo' in japanese) and have been 'enjoying life' until monday. having studied up on kampo and comparing all the different products available have decided it's time for a little self-diagnosis.

supposedly, in China, the doctor(漢方医-かんぽうい-kanpoui) is fired IF the patient gets sick. 

in the West it's a bit more passive and we all just do whatever we want until something happens, hoping it's not too late to recover.

now from my research the Western Way started with Aristotelian logic that a circle is a circle and not a square. in the Chinese perspective of Yin and Yang, a circle contains withiin it the potential of a square, and vice versa, and thus dichotomies are avoided.

ok, this posting is already toooooo long. 

will back on what 'self diagnosing' comes up.

kq - aka kampo queen

ekusuri????

what's "ekusuri"?

well, 'kusuri' means medicine and 'e' = 'ii' = 'good'.

it happens to be the pronunciation of my last name and means 'good medicine' in japanese.

thus, in a 'special' way if you are a believer in destiny type, might be the reason i have ended up on this part of the planet.

but this is just the first posting so i don't wanna bore anyone too quickly so,

good nite and let's try to appreciate all this

rain instead of bitch about it, including myself.