Blog entries

End of Summer Tummy Woes

Lesley Tierra — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:36:15 +0100

Digestive issues are up now for many people – this is the time of year people often gain weight and can’t lose it; some may have summer diarrhea or loose stools; or others may get more burping, belching and gas. This is the end of late summer period and, in fact, is actually the Spleen time of the Spleen time of year. (the last two weeks of each season is ruled by the Spleen and since we are at this time, it is now the Spleen time of the Spleen time of year!). This will last through a...

DMSO: What's Good for Your Horse Just May Be Good for You

Michael Tierra — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100

For years I have known and used DMSO for the topical relief of inflammation and pain. It’s unfortunate that even after learning of the wonderful healing powers of a particular herb or substance such as DMSO, for some reason in the pursuit of new or different treatments sometimes we allow those that we once knew to be effective get lost in the fog of the past.

I recently had a problem with my left foot that affected my ability to walk. The verdict by a podiatrist was that it wa...

Treating GERD with Chinese Medicine

Lesley Tierra — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100

As we are well into the season of late Summer, more cases are presenting at my clinic with Spleen and Stomach issues. One of my latest was a GERD client, whom I will call Bob. In his late 40s, Bob has had GERD for over 20 years and has tried everything. He currently is on two medications but still experiences terrible burning at night.

Most GERD cases I see are a combination of the patterns Cold Dampness in the Spleen and Liver Qi Stagnation. The Cold Dampness in the Spleen co...

Eat a Full Fat Breakfast and Lose Weight?

Michael Tierra — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100

I’ve lived through 40 years of fad diets ranging from Adele Davis, living foods, Paul Bragg, juice diets, macrobiotic, low fat, low carbohydrate, Mediterranean, high protein, to the currently fashionable Paleolithic diet. We may be coming around full circle with the recent findings that a high-fat breakfast consisting...

Throwing Down the Gauntlet on Sugar!

Lesley Tierra — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100

I find it extremely annoying that the west has gone sweet – that is, sickly sweet.

This occurs not just in mainstream food products, but in health food as well. Until recently, it was easy to find sugarless products in health foods stores, but several years ago when one major brand that contained sugar in every product entered the health fo...

Summer Soup (Kicharee)

Lesley Tierra — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Summer kicharee is not only great for detoxification, but it is also a light summer soup perfect for the hot months of year. It is balanced in protein and can include as many local vegetables as you wish. As well, you can easily cook up a big batch to eat over three days, or freeze for longer, so your time is spent in the garden or hiking, swimming and so on – you get the idea!

Some are surprised with the lightness of summer kicahree and yet how it fills and satisfies them. Ma...

Late Summer: Season of Earth

Lesley Tierra — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 04:00:00 +0100

We have just moved into time of year that corresponds to the Spleen and Stomach according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. This means that the energy of those organs flourishes now and is at its strongest – or should be. This time lasts from approximately July through mid-September, and while these organs' effects are most strongly felt at the end of the season, now is the time to protect these organs and keep them strong.

The Spleen and Stomach are partners in the Earth Eleme...

Richo Cech, Plant Whisperer and Author of "The Medicinal Herb Grower"

Michael Tierra — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Above: Richo Cech in Zanzibar

Just as a horse whisperer understands the particular needs and psychology of horses, a plant whisperer is one who can receive the subtle communications from plants revealing their special needs for successful cultivation.

In both instances, only s...

Honeysuckle: Taking the Bitter with the Sweet

Michael Tierra — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Each spring, the honeysuckle flowers gather at the end of their stems to trumpet their sweet, gentle scent of purification and renewal. When I lead an herb walk in my backyard, I always pause with my students in homage at the woodbine (honeysuckle vine). After a discussion of the powerful antibiotic, antiviral, ant...

San Qi or Tienqi Ginseng: A Premier Herb to Stop Bleeding

Lesley Tierra — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Now that I’m on to ginseng-like herbs, here’s another one that can be taken during the summer. Its real name is Panax notoginseng, known in Chinese pinyin as san qi, but is best known by its commercial name, Tien qi ginseng.

It is definitely in the ginseng family, but has quite different properties from the ones we u...

Triphala, Honey, and Castor Oil for Healthy Eyes

Michael Tierra — Tue, 25 May 2010 04:00:00 +0100

During the 1970s on one of my trips to Bangalore in southern India, I made it a point to seek teachers, schools and hospitals that were exponents of Ayurvedic medicine, which at that time was still barely known in the western world (particularly the United States).

One Ayurvedic hospital I visited was a mu...

Codonopsis: The "Other" Ginseng

Lesley Tierra — Thu, 20 May 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Although not a ginseng at all, codonopsis has similar tastes, energies and tonifying properties as ginseng. As well, both herbs affect the Lung and Spleen organs and meridians. Yet, because it is milder in action and far less expensive, codonopsis is often called the “poor man’s ginseng.”

Because the body’s f...

Summertime: The Heart Time of Year

Lesley Tierra — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:00:00 +0100

We have now moved into the "Heart time" of the year. It runs from about mid-April through June and encompasses the traditional Chinese medical concept of the fire element and the organs of Heart and Small Intestine. At this time of year everything is surging upward and outward. This includes not only our own outdoor activities, but the body...

Forget H1N1; The real world health threat is Big Pharma

Michael Tierra — Mon, 03 May 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Almost exactly one year ago today, I published a blog post, “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Flu,” about the corporate-made H1N1 fraud.

Now, according to Digital Online, the German news source Der Spiegel published an exhaustive article describing how 30 representatives of Big Pharma met with WHO Director-General Chan and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon at WHO headquarters for the sole purpose of discussing how to move the H1N1 threat to a phase 6 or pandemic lev...

When Does "Health-Conscious" Become "Health-Obsessed"?

Michael Tierra — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 04:00:00 +0100

My first Chinese herb teacher Foon Lee Wong once cryptically remarked: "It’s not good to be too healthy."

Since then I’ve often thought of native peoples throughout the world described by early explorers as remarkable specimens of health. These natives ate the purest foods, drank the purest water, breathed t...

How to Get Sick

Lesley Tierra — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 04:00:00 +0100

There is so much focus on what one should do in order to stay well that I sometimes find switching the tables helps people gain a different perspective of how their habits invite sickness into their lives.

Thus, I offer here the easiest ways to get sick. Have fun!

Eat all the ice cream, candy, pastries, desserts, caffeine and chocolate that you...

Pomegranate compounds inhibit breast cancer

Michael Tierra — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 04:00:00 +0100

The pomegranate (Punica granitum), highly touted these days as an antioxidant-rich superfruit, has an ancient metaphysical and culinary history. In fact, the image of the celebrated pomegranate was carved on the pillars of King Solomon's temple and was referenced several times in the Bible's Song of Songs of Solomon, as in the following verse:

Your che...

Horsetail

Lesley Tierra — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Horsetail photo by Lesley Tierra

Horsetail

Equisetum spp.

Energies and flavors: Cool, astringent

Diet and Herb Tips for Spring Health

Lesley Tierra — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0100

No matter where you live – snowy Michigan or sunny Florida – Spring is upon us. In nature, this energy is represented by sap rising and buds bursting. Likewise, these same energies stir within as we feel drawn outdoors and into more activities. While it is nearly time to enjoy warmer weather, it is also one of the two most su...