Chinese New Year 2012: The Dragon

As if it hasn’t been turbulent enough recently, it’s almost time for the volatile and fiery Year of the Dragon! This year, January 23rd is the first day of the Chinese New Year, and marks the end of year of the Rabbit, and the beginning of the year of the Dragon. As you might imagine, […]

What is a Superfood?

These days we’ve all heard of ‘superfoods’, but what are they, and do they really do what they say? The simple answer is that there’s no official definition of a superfood, and the term is normally used to try and convince you that a food has special health-giving properties. But as we know, all natural […]

‘Distancing Desires’ – The Taoist way to longevity

“Relish oblivion and obscurity, think less, have little desire and practice economy of speech in order to nourish the Qi.” – Li Dong Yuan (pictured) This quote is from a short chapter in a book by Li Dong Yuan (1180-1251 CE), an influential figure in the development of Chinese Medicice. The book is the Pi […]

Food As Medicine – Thoughts on ‘The Food Hospital’

Here in the UK, Channel 4 have recently been showing a program called ‘Food Hospital’ exploring the use of food as medicine. For all that it’s billed as ground-breaking, I can’t help but feel it’s a missed opportunity. According to the experts involved, all manner of health conditions can be helped by eating a natural […]

Energy Boosting Acupressure: Stomach 36 ‘Leg 3 Miles’

Probably the most used acupoint of them all, a favourite of acupuncturists and tui na massage practitioners, and an essential point for health maintenance, Stomach-36 does it all! This point is called Zu San Li in Chinese, meaning ‘leg 3 miles’ – the curious name gives a clue as to the energy boosting properties of […]

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Tuina, massage and Qi Gong effective for Chronic Fatigue

A systematic review of complementary and alternative treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has come out in favour of Chinese medicine, finding that ‘studies of qigong, massage and tuina were demonstrated to have positive effects.’ Although the data is still limited, and more research is needed, I’m pleased to see scientific evidence that backs up […]

Follow The Qi Of The Seasons To Nourish The Spirit

According to ancient Taoist beliefs, the primary method for achieving good health and contentment is tuning in to the natural changes of life, or in other words ‘going with the flow’. The most obvious natural flows are the changes from night to day and from season to season, and we can follow these changes by […]

Beginner’s Fermentation: Kombucha – Home-made, fermented, probiotic, joy!

In the past I was always a bit nonplussed when it came to kombucha. I didn’t think I liked the taste, and I was sceptical of the claimed health benefits. But now I’ve found out more about it, and discovered how easy and fun it is to make at home, I’m definitely a kombucha convert! […]

Integrated Medicine – ‘Walking On 2 Legs’

Complementary or conventional? Eastern or Western? When it comes to choosing what kind of treatment is appropriate for any given condition, in the UK we have to choose one kind or the other, and never the twain shall meet… Enter ‘integrated medicine’ – an attempt to combine the strengths of both approaches, leading to more […]