Chinese Medicine and its Healing Power

Since I am often suffering from allergy related cough, especially at night time (is it the contaminated toothpaste?), I went back to see my Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Doctor. He said curing allergies is one of the easiest task in TCM. Once a week I get either acupuncture or cupping, accompanied with a gentle neck massage. Further, I am taking tiny white round pills in the morning and in the evening with warm water. But most efficient seems his advice to avoid cold food and drinks. Since I stopped eating ice cream or yogurt or drink cool drinks in the evenings, I have a better chance to sleep well. I will keep you posted about the allergy treatment as results take time.

The other thing I wanted to inform the world wide web about is the healing power of TCM with Parkinson's disease. Lately, I met this man in his 60ies at my TCM 'guru'. He is German and suffering from Parkinson's disease. He came to China to see this Chinese doctor. He got treatment every day for about three weeks. And he felt better! He got massage and acupuncture combined with special exercises and herbal medicine. He felt less stiff and had his extremities better under control. I really do not know anything about that disease (thank god) and how it is treated, but I was curious about the effect of his TCM treatment. So, I recently asked about his well-being after his return to Germany. Apparently the positive effect is still there but has slightly decreased. He still does his exercises and of course needs his western medicine as well. So I guess, Parkinson patients should get continuous TCM treatment. Which is difficult to find in the West as not many doctors are well-trained and seriously practicing TCM. Here in China you pay about 100 RMB (10 Euro, 12 USD) or less for one TCM session and depending on your medicine another 100 - 250 RMB for herbs that last up to two weeks.

And one more last report about the TCM healing Power. My son, almost 4 years, was suffering from frequent respiratory problems. He had already three lung infections (two had to be treated in hospital, one of them in China). In autumn and spring he was suffering from Croup cough (Pseudo-Krupp). He had almost every three weeks one attack. Bronchitis and asthma was often diagnosed. The TCM doctor I am seeing is not specialised in these kind of problems however once a week he works together with another TCM Professor. So I went seeing them with my son. The Professor looked at his tongue and knead his fingers. Then they discussed the findings and asked me questions. Only my doctor speaks English and translated for the Professor. I got a recipe for a herbal tea that included among other 'earth worms'. It smelled and tasted terrible. But luckily I got my son to drink it twice a day for two weeks. At the same time I stopped his cortisone treatment. The first think I discovered was his increasing appetite. Finally he would eat a good portion. I guess, all facts together improved his immune system. He was not sick for two months now. Knock, knock on wood. Saying this, things change, that is Murphy's law with kids. And actually he started coughing yesterday. But different from the other times his immune system seem to be able to battle the infection by itself.

Recently, I learned the following about that Chinese Professor. His grandfather was the doctor of the last Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Wow! That connects my son with the last Chinese Emperor through two persons only! And it did magic.

Safer Food in China

China's former Head of the State Drug and Food Administration, Zheng Xiaoyu, was sentenced to death this week. He took bribe money from the pharma industry to approve untested medicines. In one case 10 people died from fake antibiotics.
This court decision and an announced food-recall campaign are the reactions of the government to the latest food and drug scandals including the fake baby powder milk (13 babies died), toothpaste and pet food (dogs and cats died in the U.S) mixed with industrial chemicals (melamine), the red dyed eggs, the green tainted fish, fish treated with antibiotics etc.

China's Health Ministry reported almost 34,000 food-related illnesses in 2005, with spoiled food accounting for the largest number.

I also red in the China Daily, that a third of China's 450,000 food production companies had no licenses. Also, 60 percent of the total did not conduct safety tests or have the capability to do so.

stall at San Yuan Li wet market in Sanlitun

I started to worry (again) about the quality of life in Beijing regarding the food you eat and the air you breath. Fish, duck and lamb is food to be avoided, according to my TCM doctor. I thought eating fish is something healthy. Probably not in China. (And probably not in many other Asian countries, e.g. prawns from Thailand).

The same day, I read in the newspaper, that Chinese chicken is banned in Europe since five years. Wow ! I was not aware of that. I remember in the beginning of the bird flue I refused every dish with chicken or eggs. This was some years ago. I somehow seem to have forgotten about that and had some chicken lately, although well cooked with spicy sauce. Maybe I should become vegetarian, at least while living in Asia. Especially since I heard yesterday another scary story. An Australian colleague who has lived happily with his wife for years in Jakarta, Indonesia and lately in Seoul, South Korea, has lost his wife. She died fast. From the beginning of her illness to her death it was only three months. They found out she died from the 'mad cow disease'. I was shocked, I new her personally, although briefly. She was so full of life. Apparently you can have this virus in you for maybe 10 years without knowing. In Asia, meat controls like we have them in Europe, do not exist and I doubt that any 'mad cow disease' case would be reported.

So, I better follow the Chinese doctors advise and skip fish, duck (better all poultry) and lamb. As I like my beef 'medium rare' or 'sagnant' I will skip beef too.

Wow. I do not know what to eat anymore. The veggies are treated with pesticides for sure. The water you wash it with, is not the cleanest I bet...

Best time to diet... Wait a moment. I have an idea. Chocolate sounds save! And Italian pasta with oil and parmesan cheese from Italy (import in our hand luggage).

Remark: Now the government is reacting. And the world is watching. I hope, they will take harsh and fast actions (beside killing one responsible). Maybe, we soon can be more comfortable about food in China. Hopefully.
Good night from Beijing.
- Suzie -

Photo: Vendor at Sanyuanli (San Yuan Li) Market in Beijing Sanlitun, copyright -Suzie-

Chinese Diet

My Chinese Doctor says food can change our genes.
If we eat bad food, the cells can change and later the genes and we can become sick. Vice versa, if we eat good food, we are improving the cells and change the genes in a good way and stay healthy.

In order everybody stays healthy I want to share his version of a Chinese Diet.

Foods to be avoided (forbidden):

1. Cold Foods: Foods that are refrigerated or frozen, especially ice cream, cold drinks, ice water
2. Foods of Cold Nature: e.g. green tea, watermelon and pears (food of cold nature cause the body too cool itself)
3. Gas Foods: Oranges, orange juice, sweet potato, soda drinks (e.g. Coke) (cause gas in the stomach)
4. Fried Foods: French fries, fried chicken (KFC) etc.
5. Stress Food: coffee, beer, spicy food
6. Toxic Food: Seafood, lamb and duck


Activities / Exercises to be Avoided (forbidden):

Jumping, running, weight lifting, golfing, tennis, horse riding, sit ups, crossing your legs, computer work;

Visiting Beijing's 'TCM Guru'

I went to see my Chinese Doctor again. I never know in advance which therapy he has for me in mind on that day. Acupuncture, heat therapy, cupping or acupressure massage? It turned out I will have it all.

First acupuncture. I hate needles. I used to almost faint whenever a nurse gave me an injection. Although, acupuncture does not really hurt it is not comfortable for all body areas. That visit, I got two needles in my face, ouch!  Near my nose below the eye - after telling him that my sinus is blocked often.

Then the friendly assistant put warm pillows on my belly where the doctor had put other needles and covered me with thick blankets. Candles, joss sticks and soft Chinese music provided a relaxing atmosphere. After some minutes, the assistant started to give me a very gentle neck massage. In my first session the doctor found that especially the right site of my neck is very stiff which blocks the sympathetic nervous system that leads to my lack of energy. During the treatment I always try to listen to my body and feel the connections between the different areas. Funnily the neck massage caused a warm feeling around the acupuncture needles in my belly. And the warm pillows seemed to burn me,  although with the time the heat should diminish.

After the massage he took out the needles and I had to turn around. I hoped for another massage on my back but gave up when I heard the lighting of a flame. Cupping was on the menu. Today, the cupping did not make me feel like my skin is burning, like it did the first time. Strangely it was a cool feeling. In my opinion cupping must have been a torture tool until they found out that it makes the victim feel better afterwards. It apparently takes out the toxic of the body. And when the spots are dark purple, not only at the border but the whole circle, then it was really time for you to see the TCM doctor. The next session of cupping will show a better result, reddish border only.

40 minutes later my session was over and I got a little bag with herbal medicine from the doctor's wife. Again brown pills for warming up my belly, to swallow with warm water twice a day. There is no doctor's invoice or certificate. I payed cash into a vase on the floor in the living room: 100 RMB for the treatment, and another 100 RMB for any herbal medicine.

Is this TCM treatment cheap? My doctor says, he appreciates that we are willing to pay him 100 RMB out of our own pocket. When we go to western hospitals in Beijing we get charged 90 USD for one consultation only. But this is covered by our insurances and we do not pay anything out of our own pocket. That is why the Chinese medicine students that want to make money follow western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine is dying.

But again, is he really cheap? His 100 RMB per session is about double the price that other Chinese doctors charge. But he is the one who speaks English. Therefor his medical practice is attracting more foreign patients, less locals.

He is smart, he is friendly, and he has a good team. Above all, he is dedicated to his work. He is very popular with expats. Lots of people I know go to see him. Almost every expat has heard of him. He seems to be the ‘TCM Guru’ in town.

Who is he? - Dr. Paul (Jiriu) Lan's background is Osteology, Orthopaedics and Traumatology. He has worked as a resident physician at the Beijing College of Acupuncture for five years and at the Wang Jing Hospital in Beijing from 1997 to 2001. Since 2001 he is a teacher and attending physician at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Since 1998, he is a guest lecturer at the Bio Medica School in Switzerland. In 2003, he has developed his own method, the Yi Fang TCM System, which has refined and integrated various useful theories and techniques on medicine both of the East and the West. The focus of this method is on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases.

Sometimes, he is also teaching expat groups the basics of the logic of Chinese Medicine in his living room. I had the chance to take part in these lessons. A second course was on "Tai Ji": the relationship between Yi Jing, TCM and Qi Gong - and Tai Ji practice, the way to use mind, heart and body.

I would say his "followers" are about 90% foreigners. And out of them about 70% are female. The average age of the female patient is around 40 years. I think this is when you get aware of the limits of your body and need to get some issues solved that western doctors cannot solve that easy because of unclear symptoms. - So far my personal analysis.

And the result after four TCM sessions? - Do I feel better? - Yes, I do feel lighter, taller, more relaxed, more energetic. The result is better than after any traditional reflexology massage that just feels good but does not really do much to the body. So I decided to continue with my ‘TCM Guru’ after the holidays.

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TCM – Traditional Chinese Medicine
100 Rmb = 10 Euro = 12 USD (about)


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Update 2013:
After those two needles, six years ago, I never ever had a blocked sinus again!

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Chinese Medicine against cold and flu

Best thing to prevent a cold or flu is to wrap up warm. Yes, I would have thought so. My Chinese Doctors recommends wearing long underwear. Keeping lower body and feet warm, he says, is more important than keeping the head warm.

But when it’s too late… what else?

• Drink a cup of hot Coca Cola boiled with ginger
• Cook pears with rock sugar and drink the juice (for coughing)
• Qio Li Gao herbal syrup (to mix with warm water for keeping lungs ‘moisturized’)
• Nin Jiom Pei Pa Kao coughing syrup (for all ages when dry cough – my favourite - also available in Thailand! - taste great - also as candy)
• or Chuan Bej Pi Ba Lu coughing syrup
• Liu Shen Wan (black pills for infected throat, voice box or loss of voice)
• Wang Shi Bao Chi Wan (herb for common flu, for children)

My private old "European" recipe from my Dad, also works well:
Squeeze a lemon, add boiled water (1 cup), and honey or rock sugar.

Stay healthy through the winter months!!