A guest post by Kaity
Glad to see that you came back for more! My goal for this article is to share my personal journey with TCM, but also not to overwhelm you with extreme details. *Spare me the details if you don’t mind* Had I written my testimonial fully, I believe it would be a very dull, depressing novel. On the other hand, the sharing of personal success stories allows the receiver to gain varied personal perspectives and health backgrounds, but also to gain curiosity or confidence in the product or practice through relating with others. I’ve crossed my fingers in hopes of balance! My journey began in the pit of despair… In August of 2010 I became very ill; depressed, lethargic, irritable, almost a hollow feeling. At first I thought it was the stomach flu because of the bodily symptoms I was experiencing, and I couldn’t eat or drink anything. All I wanted was to sleep. I felt lifeless, like what I imagine a person on their death bed would feel like. At the time I was only using homeopathy, but I couldn’t bring myself to see my doctor. I just felt like it wasn’t going to solve my problem. After about three weeks (I don’t know how I made it that long), and trying a lot of random self-remedy things, my mom came to the rescue and suggested I look into TCM, which she had just stumbled upon. (Gosh- thank goodness for moms!) At this point I was willing to try ANYTHING. The stomach flu doesn’t last for THREE WEEKS. I knew there was something wrong. The practitioner we decided to go with is based out of Seattle, Washington: David Akrish of Heaven and Earth Chinese Herbs. But wait, I live thousands of miles away, and I can’t just up & fly there like a celebrity up & fly’s across the world. Not to worry- A picture [of your tongue] speaks a thousand words… plus the thousand or so words you will have to write on the consultation form. Apparently the tongue indicates the level of your body’s own immunity and functioning. In a very transcendent way, David is able to diagnose exactly what is going on within your body without even meeting you. I know it sounds crazy, but TCM is magical in that way. So, after the intense consultation that covered pretty much the span of my life history (must be thorough!), and a few hours on the phone, David reported that my body was shutting down. Talk about WHOA. I never thought I would hear that in my life, let alone at age 19. I thought I was in good health, that I was taking care of myself. Guess not. Like the straw that broke that camel’s back, you can only pile so much on until the camel’s back gives out, or rather my body called it quits. Basically, after a long life of unbalance and deficiency, my internal systems could not function any longer and began shutting down. My whole diagnosis is much, much more in-depth, including deficiency & excess, liver and kidney problems, and digestive weakness. But David also covered things that reflected in other areas of my health, for instance my emotions and tendencies, which are affected greatly by our physical state of health. Because of the ill state of health I was in, we had to start from the ground up and rebuild my body. David referred to me as an onion, because there were so many different things going on internally that they can sometimes mask each other. Once one aspect of imbalance was treated, another one surfaced; and so we had to work through the layers of the onion in order to restore balance and wellness. My rebuild regimen mainly focused on diet- because we are what we eat- but also relied upon David’s raw herbal formulas, which you make into tea that tastes like earth. I basically went cold turkey on life as I knew it; I had to stop eating all of the things I loved until my body healed. The one thing I missed the most was PB&J sandwiches and chocolate. Yes it was difficult, but after just three months on the program I already felt better than I had in a long time. Within a year, I felt like a whole new person; no joke. I know that seems like a long time, but keep in mind we are working towards reversing all disharmonies- not an easy task. The process it took to overcome my profound state of ill-health was by far one of the most challenging and intense tasks I have ever been faced with. I know that sounds scary, maybe even a turn-off or discouraging, but sometimes we just have to do things because it’s a matter of life and death, or happiness and misery. Honestly, I’m not sure I would still be alive today had I not gone through with it. I may not have died, but what life is worth living if you’re in & out of the hospital and stuck on toxic pharmaceutical medication the rest of your being? To me, that is the difference between being alive and just living.
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Made by Ortho Molecular Products InflammaCORE is a protein powder designed to alleviate intestinal inflammation. My doctor prescribed this for me, and though it's pricey, it's been a saving grace on my journey from how sick I felt just over a year ago. Packed with ingredients such as flax seed, green tea and turmeric it brings a well-rounded set of herbs to stimulate internal healing. Each serving has 19 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber in addition to 1,000 grams of Omega 3's. On top of it all, it's naturally sweetened with a touch of Stevia and it tastes delicious. Available in cherry, orange and banana creme, I myself prefer the banana creme. It pairs so yummy with all natural blueberry juice, coconut milk or chocolate almond milk with an added real banana as a dessert treat that takes care of my body. Below is a listing from OrtoMolecular on the specific benefits of each herb. I've also seen many reviews on this product about how well it works, being a saving grace for a lot of patients with IBS. I myself can vouch for this product and highly recommend it to anyone struggling with inflammation problems. Visit OrthoMolecular's official site here. Turmeric (Curcumin) This orange-colored spice, used for thousands of years in cooking and medicine, is rich in curcumin. In numerous studies, curcumin has been shown to have strong NFkB-modulating properties. NFkB plays a crucial role in inflammation. High activity levels of NFkB are associated with cell death and tissue damage. This broad-spectrum activity makes curcumin a great choice for supporting balanced inflammation in the body. Skullcap Root Extract Skullcap root has been used historically in Chinese medicine to support balance in the basic inflammatory response function and healthy immune function. Studies show skullcap is a strong scavenger of oxidative radicals, and is also able to promote balanced NFkB activity and maintain normal prostaglandin synthesis. Green Tea Extract (EGCG) EGCG, the most well-researched catechin in green tea, has been shown to protect cells from free radical damage and positively affect inflammatory response markers. Intestinal Reinforcement Efficacious amount of l-glutamine and glycine, amino acids crucial for mucosal regeneration and tissue repair. Immune System Balance Biologically active amount of vitamin D and arabinogalactan for support of proper immune function. A guest post by Kaity One of my goals in life is to help open other’s minds to the amazing world of alternative healing. There are too many common misconceptions floating around out there and I am determined to challenge those that believe otherwise to give alternative methods a chance. One way I do this is through sharing my personal health testimonial with others, which will be a follow up to this article. (Don’t want to overwhelm you all!) Today I want to share with you my health revelation that has forever changed the way I view health and wellness- my rendezvous with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Traditional Chinese Medicine is an ancient healing practice originating from Asia, mainly the Chinese Orient, which involves the application of special herbal blends, diet therapy, and exercise therapy to heal dis-ease. The first known documented material is from the Stone Age, allowing this traditional Asian healing method time to mature. I imagine I would know what I’m doing after being around a couple thousand years. In a nutshell, TCM seeks to restore internal balance and harmony in a natural, non-invasive approach so that the body and mind can function optimally, the way they were designed to. One of the things I like most about Traditional Chinese Medicine is the recognition of individuality. It is so important for any type of doctor to realize that we humans are not created via cookie cutter; we are all unique and therefore require unique healing methods designed to compliment us. Traditional Chinese Medicine isn’t about just poppin’ a few pills to feel better; its purpose lies in making manageable changes to one’s lifestyle in order to cultivate true, lasting health. While a great deal of attention is focused on the diet, TCM also utilizes natural remedies of Chinese herbal formulas. All the different combinations of herbs, in either teapill or raw herbal form, have been developed and refined over hundreds, some even thousands of years. These Chinese herbal formulas, because of their unique and well-thought out combinations, have the flexibility and focus to address a root problem. The healing power of these formulas is unlike any I have ever experienced; it is quite remarkable. In order to diagnose disease, TCM focuses on identifying the root of disharmonies within the body through analyzing patterns. Patterns are descriptions of the organ systems’ environmental state, but also describe the interrelationship between organ systems. TCM draws all disease back to five main organ systems: the Spleen, the Liver, the Kidneys, the Heart and the Lungs. Each of these organ systems have specific responsibilities. In fact, they even rule other organs systems and more importantly, the understanding of how they interrelate is essential to TCM’s success. Another reason why I like TCM is that its practice is founded in nature. All the herbs used are raw, natural, found in nature. Our diet is a natural part of our being and should also be of the earth in order to support our systems properly. You cannot deny that our planet and all its resources and living things were created to sustain and support each other in some way; it is imperative that we respect this and recognize it is essential to our health & wellbeing. This is why TCM has stood the test of time: it is of nature, and that will never change. I have offered only a small taste of the incredible world of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I encourage you to do a little research and just read about the TCM perspective- it is a truly unique way of looking at how bodies and health operate. Heaven and Earth Chinese Herbs offers loads of information, all broken down into various topics, making it easy to read what you are interested in. David Akrish is the TCM practitioner that I worked with through my healing journey. TCM World Foundation offers valuable information that incorporates a more Eastern-spiritual view, but still easy to read & understand. Be sure to read through the different articles that explain the perspectives of TCM! For more in-depth information, the Institute for Traditional Medicine offers amazingly detailed articles relating to TCM and breaks down certain perspectives. So as a health driven girl without the most stellar of immune systems I always try to be aware of herbs and supplements that can help give it a swift and natural boost. Even with cold and flu season behind us, (or ahead of us, however you choose to see it) those of us with compromised or weakened immune systems can always benefit from these friendly earth offerings. Echinacea in capsules or tablets -- I even make my own tea! I get high quality echinacea capsules from my naturopath or from a vitamin store and open them up in hot water. To cut back on the bitterness I usually add in a small teaspoon of organic honey. Taking garlic capsules daily or incorporating fresh garlic in your meals daily is an amazing natural anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. It's especially beneficial to those of us with candida issues as it can help kill it naturally. You can also use blends such as almond oil (do not use if you have a nut allergy) and lavender, or almond oil and thyme essential oils as a blend to massage on your chest daily for added benefit to keeping your immunue system functioning properly. |
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