King Solomon's Seal

Also known as Polygonatum or Polygonum, the King Solomon's Seal plant is related to the lily-of-the-valley, and it certainly looks like a larger version of this, but it can have either white or creamy-yellow flowers.

Polygonatum was first used in the treatment of diabetes in 1930 by Hedwig Langecker. It is effective in fighting nutritional hyperglycemia, though not that caused by adrenaline release, since it contains its glucokinin.

The main elements of Solomon’s Seal tea are vitamins, saponins (similar to diosgenin), and flavonoids. A solution is used in alternative medicine as an astringent, demulcent, and tonic.

The dried roots are a great laxative and restorative, and is does wonders when it comes to inflammations of the stomach, indigestion, profuse menstruation, piles, general debility, bowel issues, and chronic dysentery. 

One variation of Polygonum is used in Ayurveda as an aphrodisiac. It is also used to treat pain, fever, inflammation, allergy, and weakness.

An herbal remedy used in Chinese medicine is a mix of Polygonatum species. It is supposed to strengthen various organs and enhance the chi.

A solution of Solomon’s Seal can be used in case of internal bleeding, indigestion and other stomach and digestive system complaints. 

Solomon's Seal's thus has wide healing potential. Among other things:

• It can help rebuild damaged cartilage and connective tissue.
• Reduces inflammation and speeds up healing of wounds, bruises, and skin irritation.
• Shortens recovery time from bone injuries and associated connective tissue, such as from broken or stressed bones,  and arthritis including osteoarthritis.
• Helps produce synovial fluid to reduce grinding in joints.
• As needed, tightens or loosens tendons, ligaments, joints and attachments associated with repetitive joint stress, injury,  and inflammation
• Soothes gastrointestinal tract inflammation and injuries.
• Loosens mucous in the lungs.
• Regulates the blood pressure.
• Treats and relieves women's issues.
• It is also a good remedy when it comes to kidney problems, heart conditions and sexual problems.

A decoction is also an excellent face rinse, natural makeup remover, or organic face treatment.

You can also apply Solomon’s Seal roots on open cuts or eczema.

Oil infused with Solomon’s Seal can be kept in the medical cabinet, and is great for broken bones or strains, torn ligaments, and joint problems. 

Solomon’s Seal is useful for many things and  has proven its medical and culinary uses.

Alternative Medicine: Mind Body Practices, the Basics

Here are some more important basics of Complementary Alternative Medicine which people want to know about.

The fascinating area of mind body medicine involves the interrelationship of the body, brain, mind, and attitude, with the idea of using mind or intention to bring about proper body function and to promote a healthy mind and body. Different Alternative Complementary Medicine practices use this concept in various ways.

Meditation or imagery techniques for example include different postures, focused attention, or an open flowing mind toward distractions. Meditation can be used to calm down and relax, improve emotional balance, cope with sickness, or enhance overall health and well being.

Yoga is used for health purposes and has different styles like in martial arts. They usually combine postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation. Yoga is used as part of a general health regimen, and also for a variety of health conditions.

Mind body practices also include guided imagery, hypnotherapy, deep-breathing exercises, progressive relaxation, Chi Gong, and Tai Chi.

The concept that the mind is important in the treatment of illness is integral to the healing approaches of traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic Medicine, dating back more than 2,000 years. Hippocrates who is regarded as one of the fathers of modern medicine, also noted the moral and spiritual aspects of healing and believed that treatment could occur only with consideration of attitude, environmental influences, and natural remedies.

I have been doing martial arts since about age fourteen on and off, and even have a black belt in a system of Karate while working on another. I continue today to do both internal and external martial arts whenever I can, and attend classes about 2-3 times per week. I started with Tai Chi and Qigong about 15 years ago, and have never left it since. They are wonderful for maintaining health and well being and particularly useful for the posture and structure of the body. In my work with patients, I usually give them a number of exercises to do, based on Tai Chi and Qigong, which are designed to realign them properly and thus help them with pain relief.

I also began using Guided Imagery, Creative Visualization, and focused meditation about 15 years ago in order to relax, better my life, and to attract abundance and happiness, as well as to help manifest my desires, wants, and wishes. They have proven to be amazing tools, and are most helpful when I don't take them too seriously, and I am just able to let go. When letting go as much as possible, the results are most quick and profound, and usually not at all what I expected. Manifesting actual things in our reality can often take time, as our thoughts are very subtle and operate on the energy level as opposed to our gross physical reality. For health concerns however, they can and should be used at every opportunity, and are very accessible and useful.

A couple of years back, I unfortunately broke and cut the distal phalanx of my right middle finger and was admitted to the emergency ward for stitches. They stuck a hypodermic needle into the base of my middle finger, and then further along the nerve root into the finger along the bone. Though this was an “extremely” painful experience, I applied focused Qigong breathing and was there flowing “with” the pain, very present and in my reality. This made the experience bearable, though the nurse was alarmed and thought I was beginning to hyperventilate, and I had to explain myself and calm him down. I was inspired to do this because of a recent meeting with an old Head Counsellor of mine, who is the founder and director of Kids Kicking Cancer, an international organization that teaches kids and even adults undergoing cancer treatment how to use these techniques in order to deal with intense pain and to overcome it.

I recently developed through my practice, a workshop that I call Six Element Emotional Release. This combines, Qigong / Tai Chi, Guided Imagery, color, focused breathing, meditation, and EMDR with the main purpose of healing and rebalancing the emotions. I have used and taught many of these exercises and techniques for years, and only in the past couple of years came to realize that I actually had a complete system in hand that could be put to good use.

I have also used EFT for the past six years, and it has served as a most useful tool in emotional healing as well. I recommend the techniques often to clients, especially when there are emotional issues at hand blocking the complete healing process, and I either send them to practitioners, or tell them where they can obtain the information and manual online . It can be used for many things, like in order to control itching due to chronic eczema / ringworm / fungus, for instance. I was also treated by at least a couple of different practitioners in the past with an offshoot of EFT called Quantum Techniques. It's also out there and online for you to look at and do.

One significant turning point in my life is when I actually took the ten week course in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction in Toronto due to the recommendation from my Acupuncturist. Different techniques including, yoga, breathing, meditation, and guided imagery were taught and given over, and I continue to use and teach what I learned there. Some of my clients and friends have taken the course as well, and I have one good friend and colleague who is a trained facilitator.

Yoga is technically the first holistic discipline that I encountered at about age eight or nine. I had a private Yoga teacher at least once a week to teach us three siblings and my dad. We studied, breathing, stretching and postures, and it was helpful to us all. I mostly remember learning the lotus position which I do not think I have ever successfully gotten into, as well as alternate nostril breathing, and of course the headstand which I still occasionally do.

Last year I sent someone an online video of how to do the fish pose which is very relieving for sinus issues and infection. It works. So, as a result, my martial arts and Tai Chi Qigong classes usually contain certain Yoga or similar movements or postures either in the warm ups or cool downs and stretching. When I am leading the class I incorporate them to be sure as long static stretching is very healthy for the muscles in the long term.

Alternative Medicine: Natural Products Basics

Alternative medicine may be known sometimes as CAM or Complementary Alternative Medicine, usually when it is discussed or taken into account alongside or with mainstream Conventional Medicine. What exactly is it? What are the basics of it and how can we simplify it? As I mentioned, there are different categories and approaches within Alternative Medicine itself.

Either way, it's still called alternative which has me confused sometimes. Didn't Aspirin for instance originally come from a plant? And isn't Valium for instance originally from the Valerian plant, which is used to relax and to sometimes even get rid of headaches?
These are the kinds of things that make you go, hmmmmmm.......

You see, there exist today, and have existed since ancient times, effective, natural alternatives to many drugs. This may constitute the using of a vast selection of herbs, botanicals, minerals, vitamins, and so called natural products. Of these a lot are available all over as vitamins or so called supplements. Some use dietary supplements like multivitamins to meet the daily needs of nutrition, take calcium to improve bone health...

This may not even be thought of as Alternative Medicine anymore, as they are now part of and even promoted as inherent to our daily living. (In this sense they may even have a more conventional use, in the sense of, “take a pill and you’ll be fine.”, and may even be manufactured and marketed by mainstream drug companies.)

Alternative Medicine natural products may also refer to probiotics or live microorganisms like different types of good / pro bacteria that are the same as those in the body's digestive system and intestines and have positive effects for the body and its health. Probiotics are also found in foods like yogurt or kefir besides for being taken as supplements in capsular form.

There are also many different herbs or botanic products used as medicines. These stem from some of the first attempts to improve the human condition since ancient times. Many different traditions and cultures have their specific folk medicine and “grandma remedy" traditions.
Practices of traditional healers can also be considered a form of Alternative Medicine. Traditional healers use methods based on indigenous theories, beliefs, and experiences handed down from generation to generation. A familiar example in the United States is the Native American healer / medicine man.

Dietary and Nutritional healing approaches may also be considered here of course. Many well known and even popular diets or lifestyle / naturalistic approaches, may be used by individuals to promote the healing and well being of a person. Different healing foods and their uses, specific diets, cutting out allergic foods, and even fasting may be used in a therapeutic sense, and are well known both in our modern age, as well as from ancient times from specific peoples and cultures.

It all depends on what specific health issue you are working on or wish to solve at any given time. There's lots to choose from. So foods, supplements, herbs, or natural products are just one very powerful form of natural or alternative medicine that are part of your massive arsenal for self help and healing.

Women's Health And The Alternative

A very overlooked subject sometimes is Women's Health. Alternative Treatments also have much to offer women for their health and well being the natural way.

The female body is one of nature’s most wonderful and complex creations. It is the origin of all human life. A woman’s journey in life is punctuated by many milestones; childhood, puberty, pregnancy, childbirth, motherhood, and menopause. The reproductive organs specifically, mature during puberty, the stage where a girl becomes a woman and menstruation begins.

A woman menstruates an average of five hundred times during her life, and when she reaches menopause, there is a cessation of all menstrual bleeding. Because women are healthier now, menopause can no longer be indicative of the onset of old age. Nowadays, women can even expect to live a third of their lives following menopause.
 
Women's health care focuses on helping women maintain optimal health as their reproductive system develops and mature. Alternative medicine's aim is to educate women in preventative steps for maintaining overall health, as well as providing natural treatments for symptoms and diseases related to hormonal and physiological imbalances.
 
Women's diseases are those involving the female reproductive system and its parts, areas, and accessory organs in a woman's body. Women of various age can have these diseases but generally middle aged women mostly suffer from them.
 
There are many hormonal and endocrine problems like thyroid problems which are mainly found in women, though the male population is not absolutely immune. Women suffering from female specific hormone problems generally have various similar symptoms such as menstrual periods at the improper time, stopped menstruation or menstruation accompanied by pain, increased or decreased amounts of bleeding during menstruation, backache during the period, headaches, loss of appetite and even depression.
 
Many diseases that affect women at 80% of the population may include, breast problems including cancer of the breast, irregular periods, pre menstrual syndrome / PMS, menopause issues, polycystic ovaries, endometriosis, fibroids, amenoorhea, dysmenorrhea, uterus prolapse, infertility, heavy periods, ovarian cysts / cystitis, sex organ infections, and painful periods.

Other related diseases like bladder infection and urinary track infection, bacterial vaginitis, gardnerella, and sex organ yeast infection etc.
 
These issues may cause various symptoms that irritate or are painful, and this varies from individual to individual depending on the problem or disease. As often symptoms may appear similar, a proper diagnoses is necessary in order to diagnose the problem and appropriate treatment.
 
For example, bacterial vaginitis, or gardnerella, involve change in color, smell, amount, and consistency of the discharge. This usually develops post intercourse, then causes painful intercourse and urination as well as itching. Meanwhile Vaginitis may involve frequent, moist sex organ discharges, odor, vulval or sex organ itching, burning or irritation, and painful urination. There's an overlap and similarity to be seen for sure.
 
Being susceptible to vaginitis. May result from overusing antibiotics, diabetes, pregnancy, oral contraceptives, obesity, improper and excessive douching, B vitamin lack, thinning of the sex organ wall from menopause, and abrasions or cuts to the genitalia.
 
Yeast infection is caused by candida albicans fungus. Besides for on the organ, this fungus can be found in the mouth, digestive track or even on the skin or toes.
 
Amenorrhea, is absence of menstruation,. It is among women's issues that bother women quite frequently. PMS / Premenstrual Syndrome describes physical and behavioral changes that happen to most women seven to ten days before the monthly period.
 
Main symptoms are retention of water, gaining weight, bloating especially the abdomen, tenderness of the breasts, headaches, swelling of the feet and hands, constipation, depression, being irritable, anxiety, mood swings, tension, sex drive change, and concentration issues. Once the period actually begins these recurring monthly symptoms seem to ebb and decrease.
 
Breast cancer is a disease found in many and various areas of the world. It is the 2nd most common type of cancer after lung cancer and the 5th most common cause of cancer deaths. It is a hundred times more frequent among women than in men.
 
Osteoporosis is more prevalent in women over the age of sixty, often after menopause and as a result of female hormonal changes especially estrogen. Osteoperosis is caused by low amounts of calcium and phosphate in the bones, making them porous, brittle causing them to break. Though often not totally understood, it is known that lack of calcium while developing in childhood, inactivity / sedentary lifestyle, and decreased levels of estrogen are risk factors connected to Osteoperosis.
 
Conventional medicine for women's issues often uses surgery and other invasive medical procedures to deal with common physiological functions, like the hormonal imbalances experienced during menopause.
 
Women's health may be treated with alternative medicine resulting in long term positive effects. The unique approach of Alternative medicine helps women with different sorts of gynecological, urological issues, and pelvic pain, receive a thorough treatment protocol for their health concerns.
 
Natural means to treat these issues may involve approaches in nutrition / diet, botanicals, herbs, homeopathic medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, massage and different types of body based work, hydro therapy and counseling. 

The natural practitioner when diagnosing, seeks out the underlying cause of illness and zooms in on how to stimulate the body's own healing abilities. The real goal is to treat in a preventative fashion, helping to avoid the symptoms from cropping up again now and at a later time as well.
 
Also, since natural / alternative medicine stems from a holistic view of the patient's health, each treatment approach respects the deep connection between mind and body. Yoga and other exercise classes have also been initiated to teach women with pelvic pain how to benefit from yoga postures, pelvic exercises, breathing techniques, and meditations / visualizations, for pelvic health.
 
In some cases progesterone therapy or other forms of natural hormone replacement therapy are effective. Mainly though, diet, vitamin and mineral supplements, exercise, stress management and various holistic approaches help women regain their good health and maintain their overall well being.

A good diet for example for PMS includes fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and fish. Bioflavonoids and foods high in phytoestrogens are also highly recommended, as many Asian and African cultures which feature foods high in these vital nutrients, have lower rates of breast cancer, very few menopause symptoms, and do not tend to have transition problems, since the modulating effects of bioflavonoids are beneficial for menopause.

The simple importance of diet, nutrition, and exercise overall can be seen by the fact that many women with polycystic ovary syndrome are insulin resistant, which impairs the body's ability to effectively use insulin. Obesity can make insulin resistance worse. A well instituted diet and weight loss regimen can improve both insulin and androgen levels and may even restore ovulation.

Throughout life, a woman's body and reproductive system follow rhythmic patterns of change, monthly cycles, and the completion of those cycles with menopause. Because of their unique makeup, women in general are more in touch with their bodies and themselves.

Self awareness and self care including breast self exams help women become more responsible and empowered for their own health and well being. By becoming acquainted with the needs, characteristics, and issues of each life phase, a woman can benefit by making proper informed choices about lifestyle and health care.

Diet And Detox: My Basic Shtick

Diet and detox?! Sort of like Scotch and Cigars, eh? Here is the absolute best home body cleanse approach, done very easily.

For years I have experimented with different types of diets and nutrition. Everything from the old Scarsdale Diet to even the Cabbage Soup Diet. I have done a candida diet at least twice as this was suspected related to certain skin issues, though candida did not actually show up in a conventional blood test a couple of years back.

I have been doing a 24 hour cleanse for years starting Saturday evening till Sunday evening, where all I have is water, sometimes tea or herbal infusions, and apple cider vinegar and honey. Good to give your system a break once a week in order to let it recharge and prepare for the week ahead. Rest up and get some of those toxins out.

I have done 4-7 day juice fasts. I eat various clays with and without psyllium for cleansing and for maintaining proper bowel movement, and more recently have started eating Diatomaceous Earth. That's good stuff man!

I learned a technique from one of my Homeopaths for detoxification and cleansing which I sometimes use and tell others about. Before showering while dry, use first a body glove scrubber or luffa, then a shower brush to scrub the whole body. Then in a hot shower, use a fluffy shower scrubber, again to scrub the whole body. This opens up all the pores and helps detoxify and clean out the system. It's important to drink a lot after, as this treatment is quite intense and the sweating may dehydrate you. It's like a sauna and steam bath without having to actually go to one. Seriously.
I was inspired a few years back by a book by Dr. Norman Walker on dieting, where I learned about eating mostly raw foods, and more specifically about food combining. Using this method, it helped me more or less maintain ideal weight.

I have never been terribly obese, but there were times in my life since my youth where I struggled to keep weight off, indulged in too much junk food, and was somewhat chubby and overweight, at times even pushing the envelope of my BMI.

Dr. Walker's method of food combining entails not mixing complex carbohydrates unless it is only with high glycemic fruits. Most fruits, vegetables, and proteins, can be eaten together, but not within a two hour interval of complex carbohydrates. This is a method that I enjoy and find relatively easy to maintain.

I have since come across other similar methods of food combining that are even more specific and strict as to the particular fruits, vegetables, and proteins, etc. and how and when they can be combined. I incorporate these rules into the methodology when I can.

More recently, I took this to an even higher level, by also integrating and maintaining a Blood Type Diet (I have B positive blood just like my attitude) based on Dr. Dadamo's approach. Before this my weight was hovering around the 150 lb mark to my dislike; I am about 5'6”. Since then, I have mostly dropped below 145lbs and am maintaining this weight easily and happily. I usually mix both diet systems, but if I find it too hard, am lazy, or lose patience, I take my pick and use either one which works also.
Plus if I'm at a lavish dinner or party, during the Holidays, or at a wedding or celebration, it may be difficult to actually do both. So based on quick mathematics and logistics I do what's best at the specific given time.

When speaking to my clients about diet and nutrition – and many of them need to lose weight as this is part of what is causing their low back pain or joint pain – I usually recommend both systems and tell them to research both and to start with whichever one they find easier. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

I also tell all my clients to make sure they are drinking at least 2 liters of fluid per day summer or winter (ideally clean water, and not counting beverages with caffeine; a diuretic which makes you lose fluids), as most of them are not drinking enough and have an excess buildup of toxins in their systems which is part of what is causing them pain.

So there's some basic useful tips and hints for detoxing and dieting if that's what you have to do. Just some ideas. The main thing is for you to just do it one step at a time and to avoid the scotch and cigars.

Wake up and start living!

Addiction And The Alternative

Addiction and substance abuse is serious whichever way you look at it, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine has its own specific and unique approaches as to how to deal with it.
Addiction can be defined as “any physical or psychological dependence that negatively impacts a person’s life.” Though a person may be addicted to many forms of behavior, “addiction” is usually used to refer to dependency on cigarettes, alcohol, and both legal and illegal drugs and substances. Even addiction to certain foods may come into play here.

Addictions afflict millions of people in the US and result in an annual loss of productivity with health care costs in the billions.
The alternative field believes that conventional ways fail to treat addicts, because they don't consider the genetic and biochemical imbalances that research has shown to be at the center of addiction.

For example, such biochemical imbalances may be present, like the lack of the brain’s natural stimulants and relaxants, as well as malfunctioning brain neurotransmitters. As a result, addicts may may seek external alternatives to these chemicals they are lacking, and also show a flaw in the brain’s decision making center which may impair their abilities. The brain may then build new neural pathways that are hardwired to and always demand more of these addictive substances.

A genetic predisposition to addiction may also be present that can be triggered by various internal or external factors similar to other diseases such as diabetes.

It is also believed that there is a strong connection between addiction and allergies. Craving for a substance may indicate an allergy in relation to it such as with certain foods, when a vicious cycle is created as we crave the food we are addicted too in order to keep withdrawal symptoms at bay. Withdrawal symptoms for addicts are actually almost identical to symptoms occurring when allergenic substances are removed from the environment or diet.

Malabsorption of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals
along with a more permeable or leaky gut disturbs the normal presence of microorganisms and allows foreign toxic substances to cross the intestinal wall. Undigested particles become toxic once they cross the intestinal wall, to enter the blood, and cause havoc in the body. The liver and immune system become overactive, overwhelmed, and confused, and allergies as well as addictions may develop as a result.

Though many modalities some of which are mentioned here, are helpful in overcoming addiction, focusing on diet is most essential, in order to change a person's neurochemistry and nutrient deficiencies. That and to alleviate an addictive person's issues in processing sugar and carbohydrates.

Through this, people can learn to master their own biochemical and physiological imbalances. The body being what it is with its own memory, once well nourished will kick in again and reestablish healthy function. As and adjunct, taking the proper vitamins, minerals, and other supplements is a vital tool for replenishing the body and its deficiencies and imbalances.

Traditional Chinese Medicine, especially acupuncture and auriculotherapy is very helpful for addicts and results in fewer relapses and readmissions to hospitals and programs.
Using Biofeedback, Neurofeedback, and visualization techniques helps to bring about significant behavioral change in the addictive personality.

Herbal medicine can play an important role in treating addiction, specifically with regard to the liver an organ most damaged by substance abuse, and with various withdrawal symptoms. Various flower essences as well, also make it easier to break the cycle of addiction.

Through Osteopathic or Chiropractic adjustments the body is realigned, giving it the ability to function in a whole way. Any neurological insult that may have been preventing the brain from releasing chemicals in the right sequence is corrected, giving the body its natural sense of well-being and pleasure.

Ayurveda recognizes that addictions often develop while trying to deal with fear and anxiety. Each of the three different Ayurvedic body types deals with this differently, and has certain weaknesses that can lead to addiction.

With all these as tools as a basis, we can use the body's built in tendencies in an orderly and systematic way to help bring about natural healing.