Moxibustion works well with Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical technique for unblocking qi (the energy that allegedly permeates all things) by inserting disposable needles at particular points on the body to balance the opposing forces of yin and yang.

When yin and yang are in harmony, qi flows freely within the body and a person is healthy. When a person is sick, diseased, or injured, there is an obstruction of qi along one of the meridians. Traditional Chinese Medicine has identified some 2,000 specific points where needles are to be inserted for specific effects.

What does acupuncture feel like? Do the needles hurt?

People experience acupuncture differently, but most feel minimal or no pain as the needles are inserted. Some people are energized by treatment, while others feel relaxed.

What is moxibustion?

Moxibustion, or moxa for short, is an ancient form of heat therapy. Moxa uses the ground up leaves of the plant mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris or ai ye in Chinese). The burning of moxa is believed to expel cold and warm the meridians, which leads to a smoother flow of blood and qi.

How does moxibustion work? Does it hurt?

There are two types of moxibustion -- direct and indirect.

In direct moxibustion, a small, cone-shaped amount of herb is placed on top of an acupuncture point and burned. The patient will experience a pleasant heating sensation that penetrates deep into the skin, but should not experience any pain, blistering or scarring unless the moxa is left in place for too long.

Indirect moxibustion is currently the more popular form of care because there is a much lower risk of pain or burning. In indirect moxibustion, a practitioner lights one end of a moxa stick, roughly the shape and size of a cigar, and holds it close to the area being treated for several minutes until the area turns red.

Who is moxibustion good for?

It is used specifically for patients suffering from cold or stagnant constitutions. It should not be used on anyone diagnosed with too much heat.

"It is especially good for women who have joint pains, menstrual cramps, irregular periods, and infertility."

How is acupuncture paired with moxibustion?

When the needles are in the body, the smoldering moxa stick is held a couple inches away from the skin, usually around the inserted needles. The practitioner will monitor the heat level, and work with the patient to provide a therapeutic level of heat while maintaining comfort and safety.

This simultaneous use of moxibustion with the acupuncture needle intensifies the therapeutic benefit of the given acupuncture point.

Can anybody practise moxibustion?

Moxibustion is usually taught as part of a qualified acupuncture or Traditional Chinese Medicine degree programme. It takes skill and caution. "It is equivalent to holding a red-hot coal an inch above someone's skin."

Learn the facts about Acai

One of the most nutritious berries on the market, the acai berry, is found in the rain forests of South America . Arguably the most nutritious berry, the acai (A sci EE) berry has more nutrients in it than any other berry currently on the market.

The berry comes the from the acai palm, where it grows in strings. The palm itself is 15-25 meters tall with multiple trunks. The average palm has four to eight trunks, each one four to six inches in diameter, but palms with as many 25 trunks aren't uncommon. The fruit itself is under an inch in diameter, with a single large seed inside. The palm grows best in low-lit swampy areas, such as are found in the Brazilian rain forest, but it has been spread by animals throughout the Amazon basin. Each trunk produces four to eight bunches of berries throughout the year, with the dry season seeing the largest fruit production. An acai palm generally doesn't start producing fruit until it is about four to five years old.

The acai palm was originally harvested for its palm hearts, taking the place of another palm that had been harvested almost to the point of extinction. The multiple trunks of the acai palm can be removed, and the palm's trunks will grow back. Acai palms now provide most of the world's palm hearts, but over-harvesting is becoming a problem. However, as the palm hearts aren't as profitable as the acai berry juice is becoming, and as palm heart production is sustainable, the palm's berries may save the trees in the long run.

From the acai palm (euterpe oleracea) comes both its berries and the palm heart (a cluster of new leaves, also known as "cabbage). It grows quickly in the swamps of Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname. Not only is it used for food; the fronds themselves are used to thatch homes as well as for weaving.

The juice of the acai berry is also used in the preparation of patients for MRI scans of the gastrointestinal tract as a contrasting agent. Another use is as an astringent, an agent that contracts or shrinks tissues, which decreases secretions and controls bleeding.

The locals use acai to create creams, and in a porridge with manioc meal, bananas, or even fish. The seed makes an excellent fertilizer (it has even started to be used for this in the United States), and can even be seen in local handicrafts (most notably necklaces). Specific parts of the plant can be burned to produce an insect repellent. The palm hearts are used for salads, creams, stuffing, and even the feeding of domesticated animals, and the roots are used in herbal remedies for maladies such as bleeding and worms. Different parts of the acai palm have been used to cure a wide range of diseases such as anemia, diarrhea, fever, liver diseases, malaria, and muscle and menstrual pain.

Most important is the acai berry. Besides being used for juice, it is also used as a flavoring and colorant in wines and liqueurs. The berries are an excellent source of essential fatty acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6) plus oleic acid (Omega-9), which are good for lowering low-density lipoprotein levels. The berry also contains phytosterols (compounds of plant cell membranes), which help reduce blood plasma cholesterol.

The berries contain amino acids and vital trace elements vital to muscle contraction and regeneration, and they also provide dietary fiber (excellent for dietary tract health). Acai berries possess high levels of calcium, vitamins a and e, and phosphorus, as well as high concentrations of polyphenols, making them an excellent source of antioxidants. In fact, it's a much better source of antioxidants than foods such as blueberries, oranges, and even red wine.

Studies show a link between the use of antioxidants and increased longevity, and antioxidants also help in the fight against premature aging, cancer, cardiovascular and ophthalmological diseases, and other age-related degenerative problems. Acai may also help boost brain activity, support healthy cholesterol levels, make the skin healthy and supple, and provide natural energy.

Acai berries may be a proverbial "Fountain of Youth." Comparing them to milk, the berries contain 3 times as many lipids, seven times as many carbohydrates, 118 times more iron, nine times as much Vitamin B1, and eight times as much Vitamin C. They also have the same amount of protein and calcium as milk.

Acai juice is popular among the locals where it grows, and is seen as a "poor man's juice." In a single day, 400,000 pounds of fruit is sold daily in just one city. The juice is served in plastic bags, and goes for about $2 per liter in some areas, making it very affordable for even the poorest families. The fruit itself is also a staple in the diets of many locals, especially when mixed with manioc to create porridge.

In short, the acai palm is used for a number of things from art to repellent to medicine, and its berries are starting to a find their way into a number of dietary supplements. The berries have definite value as part of a healthy diet.

What's Missing Could Be Making You Sick

Here's something you probably don't know. The fruit and vegetables you eat today are not as nutritious as the food from fifty years ago.

Who says so? The USDA. When you compare the Food Composition Tables from the 1950 Agriculture Handbook with the latest version, you'll see the shocking truth.

In fact, that is exactly what researchers Donald Davis, Melvin Epp, and Hugh Riordan did. They compared the data for 43 garden crops. They found that the group of vegetables showed "statistical reliable declines" for many nutrients.

There was less riboflavin, protein, iron, vitamin C, Vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and magnesium, and other nutrients. In some cases the nutrient drop was more than 50%.

The cause of these nutrient losses may have been from changes in the vegetable varieties, according to the researchers. It seems that the plant breeders are more interested in vegetables that ship well and look good on store shelves. Appearance is everything when it comes to creating profits. Nutrition is a secondary consideration.

Not mentioned was the probable lack of trace plant nutrients in soil that has been mined by unsustainable farming practices over the years. This is what the organic farming people have been saying for years.

The nutrition shortage in almost all people is made even worse by our food choices. Instant, prepackaged, processed foods supply refined carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and little else. It's a lot like the farming practices that feed the crops with high nitrogen chemical fertilizers, potassium, and phosphorus and nothing else.

We end up eating bloated, unhealthy, nutrient lacking foods that give us bloated, unhealthy bodies. Could this be the real cause of the growing obesity problem around the world? We're all over-stuffing ourselves trying to get the nutrition our body's intelligence knows we need to be healthy.