CHAPTER 2, Volume 1
Summer is here!
This is the season of the heart, when the element of fire reaches its peak. The heart (xin) in Traditional Chinese Medicine rules the other organs. Like Western Medicine the heart pumps blood to nourish every cell in the body, but in the Eastern tradition it is also involved with mental and emotional health.
Considered the home of the mind and spirit, the heart is the organ most often involved in psychological imbalances. Properly nourished and balanced, the heart maintains our inner wisdom, contentment and emotional resilience.
This is a time of year when heart symptoms are likely to appear. The time of fire can give us abundant, joyful energy, but out of balance it can make us feel emotionally and physically burned out. Disordered heart symptoms include palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating easily, mental restlessness, insomnia, forgetfulness, chest pain, tongue pain, burning urine and mental confusion.
In order to keep the heart balanced and nourished we need to quench the fire with the water element; dip your feet in the creek, swim in the reservoir and spend early morning hours in your garden.
Foods with cool and cold properties clear heat, reduce toxins, and generate body fluids, and can help balance the summer heat. In general, cooling foods tend towards the green end of the spectrum — lettuce, cucumbers, and watercress are some of the coolest. Fish and seafood are also cooling, while most meats and grains are warming.
Long hot days have a huge impact on sleep. Conventional wisdom is to make the bedroom as dark as possible, which can be challenging if a person doesn’t have air conditioning and you need to open the windows. Eye shades can be helpful and I find a cool shower before bed offers some relief. I can help using acupuncture and herbs that nourish the moistening, cooling element of the body and calm the fire.
In my experience one of the most critical factors to assist with insomnia is to reduce inflammation in the body.
Calming Inflammation
Medical practitioners and researchers agree that inflammation can be caused by toxins, poor eating habits, viruses, bacteria, injuries, pain and heavy metals (just to name the most common sources) and long term inflammation can set off chronic illnesses such as heart disease, auto-immune diseases, cancer and Alzheimers disease. Fortunately there is a great deal we can do to calm the fire of inflammation and arrest the progression of disease, or better yet, prevent it altogether.
In my last issue I mentioned the use of olive oil to help cleanse the liver. In addition to this health benefit, extra- virgin olive oil (EVOO) high in one specific polyphenol called oleocanthal has properties that can also help the brain and heart.
Oleocanthal is found in highest concentrations in fresh (under six months old) extra-virgin olive. Oleocanthal is an anti-inflammatory agent that degrades over time, so that old bottle, at the back of your shelf, would be more useful as biofuel.
Oleocanthal is approximately 1/3 of the total polyphenol count in most olive oils. It is proving to be particularly useful for calming inflammation. This anti- inflammatory ingredient of olive oil causes a burning sensation at the back of the throat when swallowed. If you don’t feel that when tasting the olive oil, it doesn’t have significant amounts of oleocanthal.
In “Mediterranean Mystery” from the June 2013 issue of Scientific American, oleocanthal was used in mouse studies. In the mice this polyphenol interfered with the formation of neurofibrillary tangles and beta-amyloid plaques that are found in Alzheimer’s disease.
Oleocanthal can decrease heart disease risk factors by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing blood clotting and improving the health of arterial lining. Polyphenols also lower inflammation, act as antioxidants, reducing oxidation and cell damage. Microbial activity and infections can also be reduced by polyphenols.
Furthermore EVOO lignans, secoiridoids and oleacein have anti-breast cancer properties. I will go into more detail on this in an upcoming post.
For more information please call our office at 303 442-0306
The information in this newsletter is not intended to replace the relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge from research and experience of B. Mahler, LAc.
Barbara A. Mahler, LAc has practiced
Traditional Oriental Medicine
and Nutrition since 1987.
For more information please contact Barbara.