Seasonal Health Refresher: The Metal Element expresses itself as the Lungs and Large Intestine.  It is one of the five elements in Chinese Medical Theory. As Metal relates to autumn, Water relates to winter, Wood relates to spring, Fire relates to summer, and Earth is the transitional time between all of the seasons. Each element also relates to an organ pair. By having a clearer understanding of the seasons and seasonal living, we can enjoy a more balanced life and good health. Our health depends on understanding the seasons and the five element model empowers us and helps to keep our health optimal.

SPICES!

Fall is a time for spices. It’s a time to purge and detox. The flavor of the Metal Element is Spicy, but not necessarily spicy pepper hot. Spicy can be ginger, garlic, cloves, and cinnamon. As colder weather moves in, we generally transition from being outdoors to spending more time indoors and it’s nourishing and restorative to drink hot fluids, more specifically, hot teas.  Although fall and winter in the South are still mild such that these seasons are lovely to spend time outdoors without the nuisance of heat and pesky insects, this is the perfect season for hot, spiced teas. In the South, we love our hot apple cider with cinnamon during this time of year and we may succumb to decadent baked goods that are baked with spices. However, they can be too sweet and cause congestion and suppress our immune response.

SO… spiced tea is a PERFECT drink choice for this time of year! My seasonal go tos are nettles, ginger and chai.  I typically brew bulk herbs and tea leaves in a tea pot with a removable strainer.  Loose herb and tea are higher quality and lower cost per cup if you rebrew the leaves a few times as they are intended. I brew until there is little color left (all the antioxidants, etc have been leeched).  Often, I brew several batches from the same herbs and store in the fridge for later, sometimes mixing batches for fun. My Chinese Medicine teachers always packed their traveling suitcases with tea and spices.  The ah too true joke with them is that packaged teas that we drink in this country are the sweepings off the factory floors from their country.

Nettles, though not spicy, is especially useful this time of year as it is a well known tonic for seasonal allergies. I often mix nettles with green tea (wake), peppermint (digest), or lavender (calm). Keep reading and give this underused weed a try! Another good choice to brew up is ginger root for colds and flu. Ginger is one of my favorites! Both can we sweetened with a little raw and local honey.

NETTLES

Urtica dioica, also known as Common Nettle, Stinging Nettle or Nettle Leaf, or just as Nettle, is a herbaceous, perennial, flowering plant belonging to the family Urticaceae. Native to Europe, temperate Asia and western North Africa, today it is found globally, including New Zealand and North America. The plant has a long history of use as a traditional medicine, food, tea, and raw material. Stinging nettle does in fact sting because of its tiny hairs on the foliage that contain toxins. If you brush up against the leaves, you’ll get a sting that causes an itchy rash. Interestingly, with a little processing and preparation, it acts an anti-histamine, reducing the reactivity of allergic reactions. Stinging nettle is also used as a highly nutritious and mineralizing ingredient in soups, pastas, wild pate and as a greens side dis. To make the leaves edible, they are harvested while young, then wilted or boiled to neutralize the toxins. Nettles has a long history in treatment of urinary symptoms related to early stage prostate enlargement, fluid retention, gout, anemia and topically for strains, sprains, joint and muscle pain and a whole lot more.

Research and resources for nettles are clickable below.

Nettles nutrition, high in fiber and other nutrients

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4302403/

Nettles used for cardiovascular support and treatment of hypertension

https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=URDI

CHAI:  watch for our winter post on Chai

Let’s explore a few fall herbal teas and how to correctly brew them!

THERMAL NATURE & ORGAN AFFINITY (12 ORGAN NETWORKS)

Cinnamon : Cinnamomum cassia acrid, sweet, warm 

• Twig, gui zhi– (warm) Upper body:
  • heart, lungs, collaterals/channels
  • with fresh ginger for joint arthritis, shoulder pain
• Bark, rou gui – (hot) Lower body:
  • kidney, bladder, spleen
  • tea stomach ache, abdominal swelling with cold signs

Turmeric: Curcuma longa acrid/pungent, bitter, cool

• Invigorates blood and breaks up stasis; Injury due to trauma, internal and external
• Promotes movement of qi: Chest, abdominal pain due to constrained liver qi with heat signs
• Clears heat and cools blood: Hot phlegm obstructing heart: anxiety, agitation, seizures
• Benefits gallbladder: Reduces jaundice improves

Ginger, Zingiber officianale acrid, hot

• Warms the middle jiao and expels cold
• Warms spleen and stomach
• Warms the lungs and transforms phlegm
• Warms the channels and stops bleeding from cold deficiency

Mints, Menta family: catnip, rosemary, oregano, basil

• Light flower floats to upper body.
• Antimicrobial: ECHO virus, salmonella bacteria

Peppermint, Mentha, piperita cool, pungent:

• releases: lungs, liver
• tea plus a little salt for pain (headache, trigeminal neuralgia, pain in mouth, throat, tongue, tooth, nosebleed)
• vents rashes – measles early stage
• common cold due to wind heat – scratchy throat, red eyes, fever
• disperses liver qi – pressure in chest and flank, unstable emotions, gynecologic

Spearmint Mentha spicata warm, pungent:

• calms spirit: heart
• stress induced headache, dizziness

BIOCHEMISTRY:

AntiVirals:  lemon balm, peppermint, elderflower, leaf or berry, cranberry, licorice, ginger, olive leaf, cats claw

AntiBacterial:  cinnamon, clove, oregano, thyme

Digestive:  chamomile, ginger, peppermint                  

Mineralizing and Antihistime:  nettles

HOW TO BREW, INFUSE, & CONCOCT YOURSELF!

Herbal teas deliver botanical medicine.  To free the medicine, we should choose best preparation method, temperature and timing. 

Preparation: add desired amount of tea to best temperature, remove from heat, cover and steep. Warm liquid is tolerated and easily absorbed by the gastrointestinal mucosa, where tinctures, pills and capsules can be irritating.

INFUSION

Definition: the steeping or soaking of botanical parts usually in water of a substance in order to extract its soluble constituents or principles

For what? best for flowers, leaves, and most powered herbs

How much? 1 tablespoon per cup is medicinal

How long? Steep covered 5-7 minutes

Pot? metal or glass

Vessel? glass, stoneware covered to maintain volatile oils

Temperature? hot is by far the common preparation method; cold is appropriate for mucilagenic herbs

HOT water:

peppermint, Menthe piperita leaves;

nettles: Urtica dioica leaves,

chamomile Matricaria chomomilla flowers

COLD water

Slippery Elm Ulmus fulva,

Chia Salvia hispanica

DECOCTION:

Definition: water in which a crude vegetable drug has been boiled and which therefore contains the constituents or principles of the substance soluble in boiling water

For what? best for roots, barks, berries, seeds

How much? 1/2 teaspoon per cup is medicinal

Pot? glass, stoneware covered to maintain volatile oils

Temperature? Boil covered 10-20 minutes, and then steep until tepid

Examples: Dandelion root, Taraxicum officinale; Ginger root, Zingiber officinalis; Licorice root, Glycyrrhiza glabra,  Pau d’arco bark, Tabebuia avellanedae

Teas can be consumed immediately or stored in refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Herbal teas deliver botanical medicine.  To free the medicine, we should choose the best preparation method, temperature, and timing.  Boil or steep the herbs multiple times until there is little color left.  Combine all brews into one large container and drink room temperature or cool from the refrigerator throughout the day or over the next few days.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ABOVE, ENTER YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW FOR A DOWNLOAD LINK TO A PRINTABLE FOR PERFECT BREWING TIPS

Pericardium

The Heart Protector

(Xin-Bao)

心包

The fire element, which peaks during the summer season, not only governs the heart but also the small intestine, triple burner and the PERICARDIUM.

WHAT IS THE PERICARDIUM?

The word pericardium is derived from Latin Peri (around) and Cardium (heart). Known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as the “Heart Protector” or “Circulation-Sex” Meridian, the pericardium is associated with the FIRE element and the HEART. The pericardium protects the heart from emotional trauma, constricts the chest to protect the heart, and helps to express the joy of the heart. The pericardium protects the heart from potential damage caused from the strong fluctuations in energy caused by emotional ups and downs of the day. The pericardium also helps in the regulation of blood circulating in and out of the heart. The pericardium is considered a yin organ paired with the yang organ, San Jiao.

The network of the pericardium includes the pericardial sac, the pericardium meridian, the small intestine, and parts of the brain associated with the pericardium channel.

The pericardium consists of two layers; an outer and inner coat. The outer layer of the pericardium is called the parietal pericardium. The inner part of the pericardium that closely envelops the heart is called the visceral pericardium or epicardium. The tough and thickened parietal pericardium loosely covers the heart and is attached to the central part of the diaphragm and the back of the sternum (breastbone). The visceral pericardium is a double layered with one layer closely adherent to the heart while the other lines the inner surface of the outer coat with the intervening space being filled with fluid. The potential space between these two layers is called the pericardial cavity. This space normally contains 15 to 50 ml of serous fluid, which serves as a lubricant to reduce friction and as a barrier against infection.

The pericardium is  the heart opener, as well as the heart protector.  It relates to both intimacy and trauma, particularly to family dynamics of  adoption, separation, abuse, sexual improprieties, death. If the heart is not protected, love and joy disappear allowing sadness and fear to rise. We lose our spiritual connection and we may experience internal disorder. An unprotected heart may be vulnerable and easily hurt or “heartbroken.” When the Heart Protector is doing its job, it keeps out those things that are harmful and allows those to pass into the heart that are trustworthy, loving, fun, and good for our fire. I went to a continuing education class in Vermont with a practitioner that could detect a divorce in the pericardium pulse position.  For real y’all!.  I haven’t mastered that party trick but it’s possible.

TRUE NATURE RADIO PODCAST

I am once again sharing a podcast featuring Dr. Heiner Fruehauf. This episode of Nature Radio features a discussion of the pericardium network in Chinese Medicine.  Dr. Heiner Fruehauf has studied Chinese medicine for more than 30 years and is a founding professor at my alma mater, the National University of Natural Medicine, Portland, Oregon.

For an audio discussion of the pericardium, give this podcast by True Nature Radio a listen.

PERICARDIUM MERIDIAN

The PERICARDIUM Meridian is a yin meridian and is coupled with the yang Triple Burner Meridian.

Companion Meridian: Triple Warmer

Element: Fire

Physical Imbalances: Heart disorder, chest discomfort, issues with the stomach and mind

Emotional Imbalances: Difficulty feeling and expressing emotions, depression, and phobias

When Balanced: Joy, happiness and healthy relationships

Peak Hours: 7 pm – 9 pm

This meridian begins in the middle of the chest, at the pericardium. A branch descends internally through the diaphragm to the upper, middle, and lower burners – Triple Warmer. From the starting point a branch of the main channel crosses the chest to emerge just outside the nipple. It then ascends on the surface around the front of the armpit and extends down the arm, through the biceps muscle. At the elbow crease, it passes just to the inside of the biceps tendon, then down the middle of the front of the forearm, between the heart and lung channels to the wrist. It crosses the middle of the palm to PC8 where it divides. The main channel continues to the outer corner of the middle fingernail.

Examples of pericardium meridian ailments:

PC1 – Tianchi – Laryngitis, mastitis, breast feeding problems, cough, chest congestion, asthma

PC3 – Quze – Angina pectoris, palpitation, stomach ache, vomiting, diarrhea

PC4 Xi –Imbalances in the heart and circulatory system.

*PC6 – Neiguan – Angina pectoris, palpitation, stomach ache, vomiting, hiccup, insomnia, dizziness, epilepsy, migraine * Click here for acupressure instructions.   We commonly prescribe sea bands – which work on this acupoint – for travel sickness or persistent nausea related to pregnancy or cyclic vomiting syndromes!

PC7 Great Mound –Mental conditions, insomnia, schizophrenia, and bi-polar conditions

PC8 – Laogong – Angina pectoris, palpitation, vomiting, foul breath, oral ulcer, sunstroke, mania, epilepsy, toothache.  This is a master qi gong love emission point! So channel that luminous heart love into the world.

Emotionally, pericardium energy is related to the loving feelings associated with sex and is linked to the physical and emotional aspects of sexual activity.

Pericardium energy is related to the loving feelings associated with sex

Pericardium Imbalances: A pericardium imbalance manifests as chronic unhealthy relationship patterns, chest inflammation and discomfort, fluid around the heart, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, and vertigo and very often irregular heartbeat. Other emotional signs of imbalance include frigid emotions, unhealthy vulnerability, excessive joy, inappropriate and excessive laughter, mental disturbance, phobias, inappropriate sexual behaviors and fear of intimacy, depression. A pericardium excess can give cause uncontrollable laughter, while a deficiency can manifest as profound sadness.

Pericardium Balanced: Like the triple burner, when the pericardium is in balance, a person displays characteristics of emotional joy, healthy sexual lifestyle and personal relationships, mental stability, and emotional joy.

Medical Qigong

Dr. George Love, Jr., DOM., founder of LOVE CHINESE MEDICINE is a Florida licensed primary care physician and certified Acupuncture Physician since 1986. He received his Qigong Master certification from Ju Shi Lin Taoist Scholars Council in 1994. He has been a teacher of Blue Dragon Qigong since 1983. He is author of ten self-healing manuals, producer of multiple Qigong videos and radio talk show host for 20 years.  

Medical Qigong utilizes breathing, meditation, exercise, and self-massage to heal bones, joints and internal organs.

Take a few minutes to check out this video of Dr. Love, Master of Blue Dragon Immortal Qigong, demonstrating exercises for the heart and small intestines meridian and exercises for the pericardium and triple warmer meridians. Typically, Qigong, traditions are rooted in martial or shamanic styles.  This is a martial style.  My training is from a shamanic lineage.  Both styles, activate the meridians and begin balancing the system.  

Qigong is considered an ‘internal’ tai chi.  Meaning, that the focus is on balancing the internal meridian, organs, and body systems. There is evidence for acute physiological and psychological effects of qigong exercise in older practitioners. I am currently working with a Qi Gong sequence from my cohort, Rachel Eppinga, ND, LAc that was gifted to me this February in Hara Mara, Nayarit, México.  When the time is right, I will be sharing this love sequence with our community.  I encourage you to visit her site, explore her story of Love Heals. Period., and be inspired by her love notes and medicine. Dr. Rachel Eppinga’s soul story is told in the film linked below.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR PERICARDIUM

Summer is the season associated with the pericardium, the element is fire, and the taste is bitter. To support pericardium energy, increase activity and play this summer season. Take an early morning walk and enjoy nature, absorb the sunshine, and eat juicy fresh fruits.

Foods that nourish the pericardium include: watermelon, bitter greens, peanuts, cherries, red lentils, nasturtium leaves, radish, rhubarb, oily fish, dates.

Dr. Jennifer Rodriguez is an interventional cardiologist at Cardiovascular Institute of the South in Meridian, Mississippi

Dr. Rodriquez and Dr. Cox

We asked Dr. Rodriquez a few questions about pericardial and heart health. See our Q&A below.

Q: What are the early warning signs for pericardial disease?

A. Symptoms include chest pain, typically sharp, can be worse with deep breaths, and is usually better when sitting up and leaning forward.  A slow build up of fluid, or scarring from prior irritation, can present as shortness of breath or dizziness.  Sometimes people have a flu-like respiratory or gastrointestinal viral syndrome beforehand.

Q: We have both had friends/colleagues with viral pericarditis, how and which viruses damage the pericardium and why does that happen?

A: Pericardial disease can be from a long list of viruses, bacteria, systemic conditions like rheumatology disease, renal disease, malignancy, trauma, radiation, and medication. The mechanism is irritation in the pericardium, which can lead to a fluid collection. The size and rate of accumulation affect how problematic this is. 

Q: What would you like folks to know about cardiovascular health?

A: For cardiovascular health, most risk factors stem from three behaviors (or lack thereof):  diet, exercise, and tobacco use.

THE SEPARATOR OF PURE FROM IMPURE

            As most of the planet is enduring and even setting heat records during the peak of the fiery summer season, in the Southern U.S., we are experiencing an unseasonably cool period this week.  Here we continue with our seasonal theme of the fire element and the elemental organ system. The element of fire embodies the bright, light, energetic essence of yang. However, fire without the grounding influence of Earth easily flares out of control.  The 2nd century dictionary Shuowen jiezi defines the heart as an Earth element, predating the concept of Heart as Fire in the modern Five Element construct.  Anxiety, from the perspective of heart, is most effectively remedied with a counterbalance of downward energy and therapy to settle, calm, stabilize and return to its original nature of yin. Think ‘talking some one down off the cliff’, down time’, and even coming back ‘down to earth’.  The earth provides a multiplicity of glorious medicines for supporting our hearts like

HIBISCUS AND HAWTHORN

Click the link above to learn how modern research supports the use of these traditional plants in cardiovascular health by Dr Tori Hudson, ND

Take a couple of minutes and watch this video from Bennett Nurseries in Huntsville, Alabama about growing native hibiscus in Alabama! 

At Alberta Orchard Wellness, we have successfully grown Red Thai Rosella (Hibiscus sabdariffa)  last summer and Gongura (Hibiscus cannabinus) this summer in our hugelkulture mound. Both are edible and showy plants, requiring little water. From our gardens, we save and replant their seeds yearly as these Hibiscus varieties are annuals in our climate . These flowers may look familiar to you as they are in the mallow (Malvaceae) family, like okra and cotton, and thrive in similar climates. So if you already grow okra, also plant Hibiscus next time!

Supplemental HAWTHORNE is available online at fullscript, our electronic pharmacy, that delivers professional grade supplements directly to your doors (free shipping $50+). It just takes just a minute to create a new account or log into your existing account:

My favorite Hawthorne supplement is Wise Woman’s solid extract 

Small Intestine Meridian

The small intestine meridian is the yang meridian paired with the heart yin meridian.  Like the heart, the small intestine is also associated with the emotions of joy or agitation. The heart is responsible for almost all mental functions, including emotions, thoughts, consciousness, and sleep patterns. These mental and emotional activities rely on our ability to make sound judgments, which is controlled by the small intestine. The small intestine is where most of the physical nutrition of our food gets absorbed into our body.  Likewise, the small intestine asks you to be aware of what is surrounding you. What you are absorbing? What company do you keep? What nourishes you mentally, emotionally, and spiritually?

Much like references to the heart as an emotional organ, the small intestines are also referenced similarly, such as the common expressions of “having a gut feeling” or “butterflies in the stomach”, which indicate a mental and emotional connection.

The Small Intestine Meridian starts from the tip of the little finger and crosses the wrist. It runs up along the back side of the forearm up to the back of shoulder, traversing our “wings” or scapula then crossing the neck and cheek as it reaches the outer corner of the eye, finally ending at the ear.

Image Sourced from Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation

Examples of acupuncture/acupressure for the small intestine include:

SI17 – Tianrong – Tinnitus, deafness, sore throat, swelling and pain of the neck

SI16 – Sore throat, sudden loss of voice, pain and stiffness of the neck, tinnitus, deafness

SI15 – Jianzhongshu – Cough, asthma, shoulder and back pain

SI13 – Quyuan – Shoulder and scapular pain

SI12 – Bingfeng – Shoulder and scapular pain as well as aching and numbness in the upper extremities

Separator of the Pure from the Impure

As the small intestine is responsible for separating clear from turbid on a physiological level, it also governs the mental ability to separate what is right and wrong on a mental level.  Physiologically speaking, the small intestine

• Receives bile from the gallbladder, fluid from the pancreas which includes enzymes and enzyme precursors: anylase, nucleases and enzyme precursors, trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen
• Breaks down and digests carbohydrates and proteins
• Converts fats to fatty acids
• Orders secretions from gall bladder and pancreas
• Kills microbes via lymph follicles
• Absorbs nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and water
• Moves digested food by peristalsis obtaining rhythm commands from the migrating motor complex and mediated by the Vegas nerve during parasympathy (rest and digest)

The small intestine sorts the pure from the impure

When the small intestine is injured with food poisonings or is compromised with low acid,  pharmaceutical acid blockers, weak sphincters, or chronic constipation, parasites may set up housekeeping and we become sick (SIBO). In other instances, the small intestine loses its ability to absorb when the microvilli fingers are flattened as in celiac disease.  Damage or decreased tone of the vagal nerve intervention of the small intestine can manifest as depression, PTSD (gut-brain axis mechanism), as well as inflammatory bowel disease. Hyper reactivity, increased histamine, and food allergies occur when intestinal permeability is present, increasing exposure and response to foreign particles during the digestion process. In my clinical practice, I find small intestine disease very often overlooked and under diagnosed as a culprit of digestive based physical, mental, and emotional symptoms.  So much so that I have categorized these as “mystery diseases” ~ patients still suffer after having been to loads of doctors and yet received no definitive diagnosis or successful treatments.

Ayurveda – Digestive Fire

In Ayurveda, the small intestine and stomach are ruled by the fire element ~ Pitta and is also known as the body’s digestive fire.  While it is the most well known ‘agni’, the digestive agni is just one of the 40 subtypes.  Angi is the divine intelligence present in each and every cell, every process in the body. Agni is any activity involving heat, light, transformation, transmutation, or conversion. Agni is the creative flame of intelligence. Agni is the spark of life, the sparkle in the eye, the light of the heart. The body’s ability to transform external items into fuel, energy and vitality depends on the health and balance of the digestive fire as it physically transforms the food into energy and power.

Keys to keeping your digestive fire healthy:

• Eat moderate amounts based on your constitution, mindfully
• Eat routinely with 90-240 minutes between meals to allow a complete cycle of the migrating motor complex 
• Eat fruit away from other foods
• Avoid cold drinks and minime water with meals to allow for best concentration of digestive enzymes and fluids
• Drink warm herbal teas like ginger, chamomile, peppermint, fennel tea to support digestion
• Eat in a relaxed state 
• Use digestive spices in cooking:  ginger, cardamom, cumin, fennel, cinnamon, turmeric and black pepper.
• Eat like a queen/king for breakfast, a prince/princess for lunch, and a pauper for dinner

Nauli Kriya – fire washing the intestines is an incredibly powerful practice to strengthen the digestive fire and release toxins and negative patterning to encourage unrestricted, natural movement of the internal organs. These videos break the exercise into basic steps that can be developed over time. Note:  not for use during pregnancy, with hernias or intestinal ulcers due to increased abdominal pressure. I have linked both a female and male example of the practice with slight variations that may work for you:

youtube.com/watch?v=wYYGj544mPEhow-to-do-nauli-kriya

youtube.com/watch?v=wYYGj544mPE

Three Levels of Sorting

The small intestine sorts on three levels: physically, mentally, and spiritually; 1) physically, it draws out the nutrients from the food we eat by separating the pure from the impure; 2) it mentally sorts the constant bombardment of our modern environment by eliminating aspects of life such as crime, violence, hatred, and aggression that cause our minds to be impure with negativity; 3) on a spiritual level, our small intestine sorts the deep and dark elements of life that overwhelm the essence of love and joy. The small intestine has the power to separate the goodness from the evil and nasty aspects of life.

FIRE OF THE HEART HEATS UP THE SMALL INTESTINES!

The Small Intestine is indirectly affected by emotions such as anger that causes Qi to stagnate. The fire of the heart heats up the small intestine and signs of excess heat in the small intestine include:

   Abdominal pain

   Small Intestine heat

   Tongue ulcers

   Scanty, dark, painful, or bloody urination

   Heated fluids

   Insomnia, mental restlessness, throat pain, thirst

   Sudden hearing loss

   Red tongue with a swollen red tip and a yellow coat

   Rapid pulse

SMALL INTESTINE DEFICIENCY AND COLD

   Abdominal Pain, relieved by warm and pressure

   Cold obstructing intestines

   Diarrhea

   Weak spleen yang

   Pale and scant urination

   Desire for warm liquids

   Pale tongue with a white coat

   Deep, slow, and weak pulse

SUPPORT YOUR Small Intestine BY TRYING BONE BROTH

Follow this link to a delicious bone broth recipe by Dr Allison Siebecker, ND

for her full text article about bone broth click here

Rich in nutrients, bone broth contains protein, cartilage (remove before cooking if SIBO), calcium and minerals. Our bodies easily digest bone broth, its yummy, and brings a calming and restorative energy to our homes and minds all while repairing our gut lining.

Try bone broth to support the small intestine

“If the spirit is at peace, the heart is in  harmony;  when  the  heart  is  in  harmony,  the body  is  whole;  if  the  spirit  becomes  aggravated the heart wavers, and when the heart wavers the body  becomes  injured;  if  one  seeks  to  heal  the physical  body,  therefore,  one  needs  to  regulate the  spirit  first.”

~ Liu Zhou, a 6th century Chinese philosopher.

Every organ in our bodies has functions and responsibilities. Some are physical while others are psychological and spiritual.  The fire element, which peaks during the summer season, governs the HEART as well as the small intestine, pericardium, and triple burner.  In Chinese medicine, the heart is considered the ruler or empress/emperor of all the other organs. The emotion of joy is associated with fire and when the heart is in balance, it manifests as joy and an enthusiasm for life; while out of balance, it may present as anxiety, depression, emotional coldness or hatred.

Even in our modern society with a focus on Western medicine, we refer to the heart as an organ of feeling and emotion by saying someone has a “broken heart”, knowing something “by heart”, “pulling on our heartstrings” and being “wholehearted”, “coldhearted” or “heartfelt”. And of course, as we say in the South~ “bless your heart” and “bless their heart”. These common phrases speak to an emotional organ instead of a muscle that only pumps blood. 

Joy and Hatred

General symptoms of a heart imbalance may include excess or lack of laughter, emotional coldness and even hatred, reddish/ruddy complexion or a pale face, speech problems, social awkwardness, depression, mental illness, memory loss, poor circulation, weak spirit, and heat intolerance. Fire heats up the blood and organs and too much heat in our bodies, particularly the heart, causes edginess, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, and high blood pressure. The tongue is an indicator of heart healt with a red tip suggesting excess heat or deficiency heat flaring upward. Interestingly, incessant talking, inappropriate laughter, stuttering and an inability to speak also indicate a heart imbalance.  People with healthy hearts are usually friendly, humble, and have a strong sense of mental clarity and propriety.  

The circulation and balance of energy throughout the entire meridian system generates optimum health.

The meridian system, a fundamental concept of Chinese medicine, directs the flow of energy along specific pathways throughout the body much like the circulatory system transports blood. When this energy, also known as the life force, or qi (chi), becomes blocked or out of balance, health issues and disease occur. The concept of yin and yang helps us to understand the meridian system, which is subdivided into yin and yang groups. Twelve primary meridians are laterally and symmetrically distributed along the entire body.  Six meridians, three yin and three yang, traverse each side of our bodies and these meridians connect all major organ systems. The six yin meridians run along the inner side of the body’s limbs, on the chest and abdomen; while the yang meridians run along the outer side of the limbs and along the head, face, and torso.  Each meridian plays a specific and critical role in the health of the entire body.

The heart meridian is relatively short with only nine acupuncture points. The heart meridian starts in the middle of the arm pit, goes down the inside of the arm, to the tip of the pinky finger. The heart meridian is also known as the Hand Shao Yin Meridian, which is connected to the Foot Shao Yin Meridian, the kidneys meridian. The heart represents the fire in the body and the kidneys are water, thus, creating a relationship in our bodies between the heart and kidneys. See upcoming winter posts for more about the kidneys.

An example of common acupuncture points used on the heart meridian  include:

HT-3- clears mucus and heat from the heart

HT-6- helps with night sweats and tones the heart blood

HT-7- The most commonly used point along the heart channel, it is used to treat insomnia, heart imbalances, palpitations, emotional distress, and memory and focus issues. The Shen Men ear point (discussed below) functions in much the same way as the HT-7 point.

The heart meridian extends from armpit to tip of pinky finger.

GET HEART HEALTHY!

Exercises that stretch and strength the arms are recommended for heart health because the heart meridians start in the armpit and extend along the inside of the arm. You can also try a simple exercise of clenching and relaxing your fists! Sit up straight and allow your arms to hang comfortably between your legs. Take even and slow breathes while slowly making fists with your hands. Clench your fists while exhaling and vocalizing the sound of the heart in the back of the throat:  haaaaw. Loosen fists and relax deeply when inhaling. Repeat at least 8 times. This simple exercise stimulates blood flow and activates the heart meridian.

Reverse Heart Disease with Ornish Lifestyle Medicine

The Ornish Lifestyle Medicine program was developed by world renowned cardiologist, Dr. Dean Ornish, the founder and president of the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Ornish is the first physician to prove with scientific evidence that heart disease can be reversed by natural methods, including specific dietary and lifestyle changes. Ornish’s program consists of an ultra-low fat diet, yoga, meditation , therapy/support groups, and no smoking. The Ornish diet reduces blood cholesterol levels and reverses atherosclerosis, or obstruction of the arteries, making it a highly effective therapy for treating and preventing heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The Ornish diet is also a successful weight loss program.

The closest medical provider or facility that uses Ornish Lifestyle Medicine is the St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi. Follow this link for more information about the Ornish program at St. Dominic.

Check out Dr. Ornish talking about reversing heart and lifestyle diseases below.

The Shen

The heart and associated meridian not only control blood circulation but also control our emotional and spiritual realms of consciousness, sleep, memory, and our minds. In Western medicine, we usually think of the heart as an organ that pumps blood, however, in Chinese medicine, the heart is the organ system that houses the Shen. The Shen is defined as our spirit, mind, consciousness or awareness. Some people compare Shen to the “spirit”.  All the spiritual aspects of the organs are called ‘the five Shen’ in Chinese medicine, each representing different aspects of our consciousness.

The Shen of the Heart is an awareness of oneself and living in the moment. It is virtuous. The heart must be at peace and absent of any distressing emotions in order to possess the Shen.  The health of a person’s heart is reflected in their face and a person’s eyes reflect their spirit, or Shen.

Maybe most important for heart health is a focus on reducing stress and fostering joy. A joyful and happy life leads to a healthy heart and body. For a quick and effective stress reliever, I use a simple treatment of Point Zero (also known as Point Wonderful) and Shen Men, a point on the ear that translates to “Gateway to Heaven” or “Spirit Gate”.  Shen Men is located at the apex of the triangular fossa region (the upper mid center of the ear, just above the opening canal and the surrounding concentric folds) of the ear. Used in treating almost any health condition, pressing this point helps to relieve stress, anxiety, allergies, headaches, addiction, inflammation, depression, and pain. Shen Men is similar to the HT 7 acupuncture point along the heart meridian.

I also like to send patients home with “acupuncture to go” tiny, stainless steel balls (originally perilla seeds) taped at Shen Men with instructions to press the seeds multiple times per day.  Simply having the ‘seeds’ set in the ear provide light pressure and activate the heart via the holographic representation of the body on the ear. My patients love this simple tool for decompressing at home and for busy times on the go! In the clinic we have taught many folks to apply these points at home.  We are glad to set ear seeds for you in the office or get you set up with your own home self care kit with seeds, a special prod to check tenderness, and a map of points useful for your unique balance!

In Chinese dietetics, we suggest you keep your heart in balance by eating a healthy diet of heart nourishing red foods such as tomatoes (not recommended for some people with intolerance to the nightshade family), cherries, beets, radishes, strawberries (not for those with histamine concerns), red beans, red lentils, red spices, and locally grown, grass fed beef (in condiment proportions).

Heart healthy red foods.

Fire element ignites life!

Summer, ahh sweet summertime ~ this season of joy is not surprisingly associated with the element of fire. Summer’s fire ignites life! It’s an exciting time of year as our gardens mature with flowers, fruits, and vegetables during these long, hot, summer days. It is the season for adventures and activity; a time when our yang energy is at its peak. Summer’s fire spreads warmth, fosters growth, and expresses itself as life in full bloom. The fire element, in our bodies, governs the heart, small intestine, pericardium, and triple burner. In balance, fire manifests as joy and propriety; while out of balance, it manifests as hatred and coldness. See upcoming summer posts for more about the fire within us. 

Summer superfood:  berries

Berries, generally, are high in polyphenols and anthocyanin providing dense nutrition to our cells with a strong affinity for our heart and cardiovascular systems.  Blueberries, particularly, are a super food with recent research suggesting positive effects in patients with type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and hypertension in addition to blueberries’ antiviral and antimicrobial qualities. They are packed with vitamins C, K1 (a blood thinner), manganese, and fiber. Cooking denatures some micronutrients while some are relatively concentrated by freezing and dehydrating as water content diminishes.  Fresh picked off the bush is the most wholesome and life affirming choice.

Vaccinium sp.

The 4th of July holiday marks the peak season of blueberries at Alberta Orchard Wellness. A plant native to the American woodlands, blueberry (Vaccinium sp.) is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant zones 3 through 10. The bushes thrive on creek and river banks, mountainous terrain, and in slightly acidic soils. In the home garden, seasonal epsom salt applications and pine straw or bark mulching help maintain a slightly acidic pH.

Important Note! At least two varieties of blueberry are required for optimal production by creating healthy cross pollination.

Many of our patients and visitors know about Petals from the Past, a nursery in Jemison, Alabama specializing in native plants and plants that thrive in our native soils. These folks love to share their wealth of knowledge so be sure to check out their educational videos like the one for cultivating blueberries linked here.

We planted the southern boundry of our parking area with several different varieties of blueberries that thrive in our local zone 8 including Tifblue, Rabbiteye, Brightwell, Powderblue, Climax and Premier. A diversity of varieties, which produces fruit at staggered times throughout the growing season, expands our harvest for spring and summer fruitings. This is a plant that we encourage all of our patients to work into their healthy home landscape. Their early spring bell shaped flowers provide pollen to honeybees.  In the summer, their sweet and astringent berries fill our bellies. Not only do we delight in harvesting and eating fresh berries, our feathered and four legged friends also feast upon blueberries ripe off the vine. Their taste is sweet and sour and their nature is warm.  In the fall, their ovate leaves turn firey yellow, rust and red. Plant blueberries against a fence, in a row, or in a clump or grove in a well drained area.  Bear in mind that they will lose their foliage in the winter.  Consider seasonal, companion, under-plantings; we utilize cayenne peppers, potatoes, gladiolas, salvia, parsley, and blue curl as seasonal spots.

Blueberries~a delicious superfood.

A recent study, funded by the United States Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC), found that blueberries may improve joint health by reducing pain, stiffness, and difficulty in performing daily activities due to osteoarthritis inflammation. Another USHBC study of US veterans, in coordination with the Stratton VA Medical Center, in Albany, New York, investigated the effects of blueberry consumption and glycemic control in veterans with type 2 diabetes. It found that daily consumption of 22 g of freeze-dried blueberries for two months results in better glycemic control and lower triglyceride concentrations with improvement in the liver enzymes, all of which are positive effects that may support cardiometabolic health of men with type 2 diabetes. In Chinese dietary medicine, berries are astringent by nature, acting on the  entire qi of the body and rectifying damp pathology. For example, excess dampness or damp accumulations may manifest as chronic sinusitis, yeast or fungal infections, and tumors.  While many fruits are restricted as they are cloying or moisturizing, berries can be freely enjoyed with the assurance that they are quite literally medicine! They nourish the blood and the kidneys, therefore providing support for anemia and all concerns of brain function from ADHA to dementia.

Follow the links below for more research on the superpowers of blueberries.

Hypertension

https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2015-06/blueberries-vs-hypertension

Anti-microbial

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31199652

Antiviral

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31137514

Dry blueberries to enjoy all year long

“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates

Embrace and make the most out of this summer season by rising early and practice movement or yoga that reaches for the sun to nourish us just as its energy and fire make our gardens grow. 

Sunrise yoga:

The Sun Salutation originated as a series of prostrations to the sun, honoring Surya as the source of energy and light for the world. Known in Sanskrit as surya namaskar, Sun Salutation is practiced in several popular styles of yoga, including Ashtanga, vinyasa, and power. Traditionally, it is performed at dawn, facing the rising sun.

Although there are variations and no right way, Sun Salutation generally consists of a sequence of twelve poses, including a symmetrical standing pose (tadasana), lifting the arms, bending to touch the earth, a lunge, the downward facing dog, a prone pose that flows into an upward­-facing lift of the chest, followed by a return to downward dog, another lunge, and once again touching the earth in a forward bend, then lifting the arms, and returning to the initial standing pose. Through each cycle of the series, you move backward, then forward. Use the video below for guidance until you know the Sun Salutation by heart.

If you need more detailed instruction, this video (click here) demonstrates the traditional Sun Salutation.  Brooklyn Yoga School founder, Lily Cushman, gives step by step instruction and no yoga experience is required. 

Sun salutation  (www.BrooklynYogaSchool.com or  www.LilyCushman.com)   

Music “Dawning” by Benjy Wertheimer from Soul of the Esraj album.

Rise early and welcome the sun with a sun salutation.