BY Muhammad Ubaid # 93639762
With a history dating back several thousand years, the traditional Chinese health regimen incorporates elements of natural science, human studies, and social science. It distils the experiences of health-preservation from generations of Chinese, and distinguishes itself among traditional regimens throughout the world with its unique theoretical foundation and rich clinical experiences. It has contributed greatly to the well-being and health care of the Chinese people.
Like any other organism, human beings are not above the natural laws of birth, growth, ageing and death. However, efforts can be made to promote growth, improve the physique, and delay the aging process so as to prevent premature death. The key is pro active prevention and timely treatment. According to material by Huang Di Nei Jing written as early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, "A sage cures a disease before it occurs and deals with a disorder before it happens? In other words, a healthy person should take measures to prevent disease, and if one gets ill, he/she should get treatment as soon as possible to thwart the development of the illness. A person who is good at maintaining health often treats hidden damage that may lead to disease and gets rid of all risk factors lurking inside and outside the body.
Chinese medicine emphasizes the unity of man and nature as well as that of all the tissues of the body system. Based on the concepts of Yin, Yang, the five elements, and "man-universe harmony," it views the human body as "being able to resist the harmful qi (pronounced chi)." Harmful qi is essentially any external element that causes disease, i.e. bacteria or environmental toxins. When the vital qi is inside the body (when the body's systems are in balance and immunity is high)" and "inevitably weak where the harmful qi dominates (unable to fight off disease)". Emphasis is put on the principles of disease prevention, which allows for a flexible approach in regards to a patient's prevention program. Conclusions regarding the body's internal condition are reached from observing and analysing the outward appearance of each individual. Thus, Chinese medicine is committed to exploring the secrets of life.
The role of Cleansing, Replenishing, Strengthening and Balancing in the traditional Chinese regimen
As the basis of longevity, health means the absence of harmful matter and factors inside the body. Nowadays, people can be divided into three categories: the healthy, accounting for 5% of all people, the sick, 15%, and the predominately sub-healthy, approximately 80%. The sub-healthy are in a dangerous state characterized by the constant presence of hidden damage, which has yet to cause significant inconveniences. Such people need to CLEANSE the spleen, stomach and intestines, REPLENISH qi, the blood, Yin and Yang and STRENGTHEN nutrition that is deficient so as to reach the health care goal of BALANCING.
The human body is an organic whole, where an imbalance between Yin and Yang will lead to the malfunctioning of the internal organs. When one organ gets damaged, all the others are affected, which results in an imbalance in the human body. Therefore, unfavourable factors should be removed from the body beforehand by restoring balance and strengthening nutrition. As stated above, "the body is able to resist the harmful qi when the vital qi is inside." When the harmful qi enters the body, the vital qi actively combats it; the subsequent struggle disturbs the balance between Yin and Yang in the body or causes the internal organs to malfunction, which results in the operational disorder of qi and blood reflected by a series of pathological changes. If the vital qi prevails and the harmful qi recedes, the disease tends to improve and be cured. If the vital qi is weak and the harmful qi dominates, the disease tends to worsen and even leads to illness and death.
Maintaining good health and "man-universe harmony"
The above shows how important it is for people to preserve their health on a daily basis. Usually, when one does not have any diseases, he/she easily overlooks the pathological factors hidden in the body and considers himself/herself to be healthy. However, "a huge dam can be ultimately destroyed by seemingly insignificant ant holes." The body is like that dam, which can only be saved from harm by ridding itself of latent risks beforehand. However, people often only begin to act after they are diagnosed with a disease. As the saying goes, "A three-foot-thick layer of ice is not caused by one day of wintery rigor." In order to have health that is as strong as ice, one must pay attention to health preservation at regular intervals. Thus one can easily fend off the onslaught of epidemics. How should a person conserve ones health? Everyone needs to understand that because man lives in nature and depends on the interactions of Yin, Yang and the five elements for his balance with nature, adjustments should be made according to differences in season, region and time zones which meet the individual conditions of the patient. Only in this way can "man-universe harmony" be realized.
Yin, Yang, and the five elements; the contradictory unity of nature
The human body is an integral whole. Nothing can exist without Yin and Yang. As the saying goes, "a single Yin does not grow; a lone Yang does not survive." The world is actually integrated as a result of the contradictory unity of Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang represent the properties of matter that are both contradictory and related. Neither man nor nature is separable from the five elements - metal, wood, water, fire and earth. The property of wood is Yang because it grows and connects.
Water is a property of Yin because it flows downward. Fire is attributed to Yang because it goes upward. But Yin and Yang are intermingled. For example, the surface of water is Yang but its bottom is Yin. This explains the integral concept of the contradictory unity of Yin, Yang and the five elements, which interact with man and nature to form a balance of gain and loss by promoting and restricting each other. In a state of balance, for instance, the body's five internal organs (the liver, heart, spleen, lungs and kidneys) promote each other to make the body strong with a prolonged life. On the other hand, damage to any of the organs will affect all the rest.
Yin, Yang, the five elements and the processes of Cleansing, Replenishing, Strengthening and Balancing
The so-called five elements in traditional Chinese medicine, wood, fire, earth, metal and water, are the fundamental building blocks of the world. They correspond to spring, summer, middle (long summer), autumn and winter in nature and the liver, heart, spleen, lungs and kidneys in the human body. Accordingly, we should take the corresponding actions of cleansing in spring, replenishing in summer, strengthening in autumn and balancing in winter to achieve balance among the body, ecology and nature. In today's world, environmental pollution is severe, which inevitably results in harmful substances being contained in our food. When these harmful substances encroach on the body, the first organs affected are the spleen and stomach, which are responsible for digestion and assimilation. They are also the fundamental organs of postnatal development and the source of qi and blood. Furthermore, the extent of damage to the spleen and stomach determines the sufficiency of innate vitality (qi from the kidneys). Energy required by the body is sent all over the body after digestion and assimilation by the spleen and stomach and then adjusts qi and blood in the liver and lungs and supplements vitality in the kidneys, thus preventing the onset of disease. When one uses health care products, one should take into consideration the seasonal influences of climatic changes instead of using them indiscriminately.
Maintaining your health with Tiens Health Products
Cleansing in spring - The land is full of life in spring. Qi and blood circulate smoothly in the human body and all the internal organs and tissues recuperate easily. This is the time to promote the vital qi and clear out unnecessary substances taken in during the winter. In spring, people are susceptible to harmful qi from the wind. The five elements are dominated by wood. One tends to shed tears when facing the wind, which hurts the eyes and induces a sour taste in the mouth. One also tends to be irritable, which hurts the liver and gall bladder. Therefore, health supplements used in this season should clear out fire in the liver and gall bladder. The main goal is to conserve and adjust the liver and rid it of fire, with the complementary goal of increasing nutrition.
Suggested products for a spring cleansing are: Chitosan and Tianshi Beauty Capsules for clearing out toxins; Tianshi High Calcium Drink, Tianshi Vitality Softgel Capsules, Tianshi Beneficial Capsules, Tianshi Viguor-rousing Capsules, Weight Loss Tea, Tianshi Spirulina Tablets, Tianshi Trishomo Tanshinone Leisure Capsules, Tianshi Double-Cellulose Tablets and also for clearing excess fatty matter in the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems as well as elsewhere in the body so as to reduce the burdens of the liver and gall bladder.
Replenishing in summer - In this hot season people are susceptible to the harmful qi from the heat. The five elements are dominated by fire. One tends to be depleted of saliva, perspire frequently, which affects the assimilating function of the small intestine and causes inflammation by fire rising from the heart, with a flushed face and sores in the mouth and tongue. Therefore, one should suppress fire in the heart and adjust the mind. In the heat of midsummer, the body perspires profusely and has a bad appetite, which tends to hurt the heart and spleen. This season is not suitable for taking in major supplements, but fit for adjusting vitality in the organs of the spleen and stomach so as to make qi and blood circulate smoothly. Replenishing the spleen and stomach with qi will result in a sense of vigour and spirit.
Suggested products for midsummer replenishing: The qi and blood circulating machine, the body-fitting girdle, and Tiens' Acupoint Treasure for adjusting the circulation of qi and blood and relaxing muscles and joints; zinc supplements and High-Absorption Calcium for adjusting the spleen and stomach to stimulate the appetite; small amounts of Spirulina and Seabuckthorn oil capsules for the adjustment of the spleen and stomach to increase energy.
Strengthening in autumn - The weather gradually cools down in this season, which is dominated by the dry qi. One tends to feel dry in the mouth and throat and cough with little phlegm, which hurts the lungs. Therefore, one should strengthen Yin-qi and moisten the lungs. If the body functions normally after the cleansing in spring and replenishing in summer, now is the time to supplement appropriate nutrients to fill the body with qi and blood, promote the growth of Yin and Yang and build a strong physique. As many nutrition-supplementing foods contain excessive sugars, fats, proteins, hormones, etc., one should make appropriate choices and use health care foods on the basis of a balanced diet.
Suggested products for "supplementing in autumn to moisten the dryness": Aweto, Spirulina, High Absorption-Calcium concentrate and zinc supplements for supplementing the vitamins, trace elements, minerals, enzymes, etc. that are deficient in food intakes as well as strengthening the lungs, liver and kidneys.
Balancing in winter - In such a cold season, one tends to be weakened by the cold, which hurts the kidneys. One also tends to be less active while taking in more food, resulting in an excess of fatty matter in the body, which, combined with the slow circulation of qi and blood, causes one to be susceptible to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Although the body functions normally now after the cleansing in spring, replenishing in the summer and strengthening in autumn, one should not drop one's guard, for only by adopting an attitude of prevention toward disease can one keep one's body safe from the invasion of the harmful qi from outside. A coordinated combination of the "cleansing, replenishing and strengthening" products is suggested for "prevention in winter": High Absorption-Calcium concentrate, aweto, Spirulina, Chitosan and Zinc supplements for adjusting immunity in both directions; Huo Li Kang (Anti-Oxidant Plus), Wei Kang (Youth & Health) and Yi Kang (Cardio System) for adjusting fats in blood; the qi and blood circulation machine and the acupuncture point set for increasing the circulation of qi and blood; measures to keep out the cold and strengthen the physique for a safe winter. Based on an understanding of the relationship between the five elements and nature, disease potential can be analysed. The factors for the changes in one's body are everywhere, such as changes in location, season, harmful qi, internal organs and tastes. By taking heed of them, one can foresee the future and nip disease in the bud. With prevention, one can strengthen the physique and live a long life. That is the unique feature of the traditional Chinese regimen. In summary, "cleansing, replenishing, strengthening and balancing" constitute a physique-improving regimen. One clears excessive matter out of the body, adjusts the balance of the body & mind and supplements appropriate nutrients to achieve the objectives of preventive health care, physique improvement and longevity. That is the secret of Chinese health preservation.
A brief introduction to the application on the Human Body of the 5 Elements, Wood, Fire, Wate, Metal & Earth, used in Chinese Natural Medicine to explain various physiological and pathological phenomena.
Westerners are always puzzled when they first hear about the 5-element theory. They often find it abstract and hard to understand. It is, in fact, quite plain and accepted as a series of natural laws in China. Now we'll try to explain in an easy way by showing you some examples:
The interactions among 5 elements:
Fire evolved from wood, because wood can catch fire
Earth evolved from fire, as anything on fire becomes ashes afterwards
Metal evolved from earth, because metals are from the earth
Water evolved from metal, as all metals can melt into liquid
Wood evolved from water, because water is indispensable for plants
Wood prevails over earth, because trees grow out of the earth
Earth prevails over water, as earth stops the flood
Water prevails over fire, because it extinguishes fire
Fire prevails over metal, as heat melts metals
Metal prevails over wood, because wood can be cut or sawn by metals
The above, when understood, becomes the first step towards a better understanding of 5-element theory which at first sounds mythical and profound. In fact, with the development of this 5-element theory, it has been endowed with more meaning. The following is an analogy drawn by Chinese scholars majoring in preserving health by comparing the nature of these elements:
Liver associates with wood
Heart associates with fire
Spleen associates with earth
Lung associates with metal
Kidney associates with water
Circulation of Assimilation: liver-heart-spleen-lung-kidney
Circulation of Depression: liver-spleen-kidney-heart-lung
These interactions have been tested and approved by human clinical experiments. For example, spleen turns food and water into nutrition and vigour to nourish the lung. A bad functioning lung will impair the function of the spleen.
