The Road Towards Longevity Points East
To western culture, Asia has always been seen as a land of mystery and hidden secrets.
For hundreds of years, adventure seekers have trekked to the land of the orient to find knowledge, health or treasure. Most Asian cultures are centuries old and have long held traditions that seem foreign to our eyes. And yet, we still can't keep from wanting to learn more and more about the people of Asia and their various cultural practices. This shouldn't be too surprising, though, the world is constantly shrinking and with today's technology, you can visit anyplace in the world if you have an Internet connection.
It's hard to believe that only a few decades ago, China was closed off to most modern Americans. Now we are common trade partners. India is the same way. While the British have had a long and sometimes turbulent history with India, Americans only knew about it from books and movies until very recently. Fortunately, we are now catching up with the rest of the world and embracing the accumulated wisdom that has been passed down throughout the ages.
Our fast-paced western culture is not designed to promote long life and extended youthful vitality for its citizens. Sure, there's a huge diet and healthcare industry that thrives on churning out all sorts of information and remedies that's supposed to help us all live longer, but in reality, the dominant culture is very unhealthy. We are
encouraged to work our little fingers to the bone on the job to make sure our company earns enough profits to allow us to keep our job. The pressure to remain highly
productive, regardless of how much compensation we actually receive, is often the cause of much work related stress. And, do we Americans take enough vacation to get away from it all?
Nope. Unfortunately, the majority of Americans don't even use all of their vacation days. That tells you right there that we are not getting enough rest and relaxation time to recharge our batteries. But, we don't even seem to notice this at all. Another thing that is cutting into our longevity is the lack of taking good care of our physical bodies. Eating foods that truly nourish our body and getting in enough exercise is a major problem. Obesity is flourishing among kids and adults alike.
When we look towards Asia, we often see people who are thinner, healthier and aging better than we are. Yet, we have all of this modern technology at our disposal. We like to pride ourselves in being such a technologically advanced country, yet we are also a country that is aging faster and dying younger than everyone else. We are desperate to find the answers that can stop this slide into mental and physical disrepair. When you take all of this into consideration, it's no wonder that the health secrets of Asia are becoming increasingly popular here.
There are literally billions of people in Asia and most of them use some form of holistic remedy to fight off illness, or promote the continuation of good health. The amount of knowledge they have about various herbs, plants, roots and fruits are simply amazing compared to what we know. You see they have had their physicians testing out the components and health effects of these herbal solutions for centuries. Some of these remedies have been used for thousands of years. Sure, we have great technology, but they have the wisdom of the ages on their end.
Because the United States is such a cultural melting pot, it was only a matter of time before some of the more popular holistic medicines and practices entered into our normal lives. But, holistic medicine isn't something new - it's just being revisited. Before
the era of modern pharmaceuticals took over, earlier Americans relied a lot on herbal preparations made from nature. Doctors and average citizens often took plant based remedies for all sorts of ailments. Some worked and some didn't, but it was very common and widely accepted.
As medicine became more sophisticated, people were encouraged by doctors and the medical community at large to turn away from holistic cures, and instead, rely solely on manufactured medications. As more people moved into the cities and away from rural traditions, it was easy to simply pick up a pill or syrup at the corner drugstore that was mass produced. As the population grew, standardization of drugs was needed in order to ensure public safety. Holistic medicine was seen as something "old fashioned" and was pushed aside in favor of synthetic drugs. While holistic medicine never fully went away in America, it was no longer considered mainstream.
With the new cultural openness of the 1960s and 70s, attitudes began to change, and Americans began to look towards the East for healing of the mind, body and spirit.
Today, it is quite common to walk into a drugstore, or health food store, and find all sorts of natural herbal remedies that have their origins in Asia.
We are now still "discovering" holistic healing methods and wonder drugs that have existed in the east for a very long time. In this chapter you will learn about some popular oriental remedies that are making a real splash in this part of the world.
Ayurveda Medicine
In the Indian language Sanskrit, Ayruveda means the "science of life" and is an accurate way of describing the world's oldest existing medical system. Ayurveda is a
combination of practices and treatments that originated in India, Nepal, Persia and
Tibet. It differs from the western version of traditional medicine in that it is completely holistic in nature. In other words, treatment involves the mental, physical and spiritual aspects of an individual. In India, this 5,000-year old medical science is their primary healthcare system. Over 90% of the Indian population uses some form of Ayruvedic therapy.
In the West, Ayruveda has been championed by such well-known people as Deepak Chopra, who himself became a convert after becoming a conventional doctor. Chopra trained to become a traditional westernized doctor and eventually became the Chief of Staff at New England Memorial Hospital. Although very successful in his career and personal life, he also had a lot of stress in his life, drank a ton of black coffee and smoked a pack of cigarettes each day.
In 1981, Chopra met a prominent Ayurvedic physician by the name of Brihaspati Dev Triguna, who told him that his life was moving too fast. He also told him that he was in danger of developing heart disease. Alarmed, Chopra decided to slow things down and become more mind and body aware. Chopra also began to practice Transcendental Meditation daily, which he credits with helping him think more clearly and recover quicker from stressful situations. In 1984 he met the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who advised him to learn all about Ayurveda, which he chose to do.
Only a year later, Chopra became the director of the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center for Stress Management in Lancaster, MA. During this time he also founded the
American Association for Ayurvedic Medicine. Subsequently, he began to devote his life to the practice and consultation of Ayurveda. This led him to write several best-selling books and appear on numerous talk shows. While the U.S. and other western countries would have eventually discovered this ancient form of medicine from other sources, it cannot be denied that Deepak Chopra had a lot to do with the speed of which it has been accepted in the west.
Today in the U.S., Ayruveda is considered to be an acceptable alternative healthcare treatment that supplements traditional medicine. Some of the most popular treatments among Americans are meditation, massage therapy and cleansing therapies. When you visit an Ayurvedic physician, you will not be given a "one size fits all" type of treatment.
The philosophy behind this practice is that each individual must be evaluated according to their own unique body and lifestyle makeup. A full medical history is taken first and then you are given recommendations for exercise, nutrition, personal hygiene, social interactions and other lifestyle elements.
Compare that to the typical visit to a traditional American doctor's office. You go in and the doctor examines you briefly. You may chat about your previous or existing medical conditions. Shortly, you are either sent home with advice to rest and take it easy or you are given a prescription for a medication to address the problem. Any other discussion concerning your personal life is left for chitchat. There is very little discussion, if any, about how your medical problems may be connected to the other parts of your body, or if your sense of contentment with life is out of sorts.
Ayruveda treatments involve the use of numerous medicines derived from herbs, animals and minerals, sesame and sunflower oils rubbed on the body or added to food, head, body or foot massage, herbal facial masks, steam box therapy, detoxification
therapy, acupressure, dietary recommendations, lifestyle and spirituality counseling, meditation and yoga.
It can be an empowering experience to have someone speaks to you directly about your mental and spiritual health in addition to the physical. This isn't about religion, though, it's more about your connection to the divine within and without. It's thinking about your body like it is a temple - and you wouldn't want to mistreat a temple. You are living in the only body you're ever going to get and you are its caretaker. No one else can possibly care about it as much as you do, because you are the only one that really knows what exactly is going on inside of you.
Ayruveda also offers rejuvenation therapy that claims to reverse or slow down the aging process, increases virility and improves fertility. Because the treatment is very individualized, you would need to see a practitioner in your area to find out more about the full range of treatments available to you.
A word of caution: About 20% of the Ayruvedic herbal preparations that are sold in local shops or online contain high amounts of mercury, lead or arsenic. This includes medicines for children. About 80 people, who were known to have used these
medicines, developed lead poisoning and needed chelation therapy to recover. There are two forms of herbal medicines: rasha shastra and non-rasha shastra. A random sampling that was researched found that the there were higher levels of dangerous metals in the rasha shastra medicines. This is largely due to the rasha shastra practice of mixing herbs with metals like lead, mercury, iron and zinc. Gems such as pearls are also added to the mix. Most of these medicines are not tested, so be very careful where you get your Ayruvedic medicines and insist on proof of safety.
Chinese Herbs
For centuries, Chinese herbs have been used to make medicines for the treatment of a wide range of health conditions. Traditionally, Chinese herbs are rated according to their "Qi" or blood energy. This means that each herb has been tested according to the type of energy it produced in the human body. This testing was actually done by Chinese physicians who took the herb themselves and then carefully observed and wrote down the energetic qualities they experienced. As a result, the herbs were categorized and matched up to treat a particular ailment.
It is believed that these herbs can restore a person's energy and this is why traditionally, a Chinese physician will meet with a patient, evaluate them and determine which herbs are needed to cure the affliction. Medicine is often prescribed and formulated on a case-by-case basis. This is much different than how things are done in the U.S. and other western countries. Our medicines tend to be formulated and packaged in a
standardized dosage. Everyone must take the same dose regardless of their body type or personal energy requirements.
Another interesting thing about Chinese herbal medicine is that they are also rated according to four distinct categories: cold, cool, warm and hot. These classifications work in harmony with their concept of "yin" and "yang" or the duality of nature. In other words, cooling herbs are used to cool what is hot and warming herbs heat what is cold. Herbal remedies revolve around how they can create balance in an individual.
Before a physician prescribes an herb, they will consider:
Does the herb have a warming or cooling effect?
What kind of energy does the herb produce – more energy or less?
What part of the body is this energy directed towards?
Most Chinese herbal remedies come from various plants, roots and fruits and are commonly used for both medicinal preparations, as well as, in basic cooking. For instance, a soup dish may contain a favored medicinal herb that promotes a strong immune system.
Chinese herbs have 5 main tastes that include sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent.
Each taste is associated with a particular function. For instance, a pungent tasting herb can speed up the body's metabolism and create a feeling of vitality. A bitter tasting herb removes excessive body heat. A sweet tasting herb brings the body into harmony.
Contrast that to the medicine that you normally taste. If it has any flavor at all, it is to make it go down easier, and not related to what it does in the body.
When selecting which herbal medicines to give their patients, a traditional Chinese physician will take all of these things into consideration. They must first evaluate the energy and specific needs of the patient, and then find the correct herbs that have the right energy combination that can effectively target the problem. Currently,
westernized medicine is turning to these ancient herbal remedies for answers to some of today's perplexing diseases. These herbs are being studied and examined for their
active properties. Some of these herbs are finding their way into new western drug formulations. Still, there is much more that can be studied about Chinese herbs and their relation to healing the human body.
When it comes to longevity, Chinese herbs have a long history here as well. Certain herbs, foods and spices have long been used in China to create medicines that promote
long and healthy living. A few of these have gained popularity in this country and are also used in common meals.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is often used in western countries as a flavor enhancement for dessert dishes.
You sprinkle a little in your favorite fruit pie, or shake it on top of a cup of eggnog or creamy coffee. And, let's not forget our devotion to that classic pastry treat – the cinnamon bun. To us, cinnamon makes things taste better by adding just the right amount of spice. However, in traditional Chinese medicine it is valued as a warm herb that can treat allergies and a variety of blood related illnesses.
Ginseng
For thousands of years, ginseng has been considered a sweet tasting herb that increases energy levels. It is given to people in need of additional energy to fight off disease.
Ginseng tea is a popular tonic for good health and longevity.
Mushrooms
To most westerners, mushrooms are something that you add to a salad, sprinkle on top of a hamburger or pizza or fry in deep batter for a snack. We kind of take them for granted as an optional food source. However, in China they are viewed as something much more. Mushrooms are used in both traditional Chinese cooking and in many medicinal preparations. They are prized for their immune boosting properties.
There are other, less well-known longevity herbs that we are just now finding out
about. One such herb is the medicinal cornel fruit or morinda fruit. This is a sour tasting date that is used to boost the kidney, liver and lung area of the body. In the third
century A.D. it was a major ingredient in a popular longevity medicine called "eight flavored tablets," that was prescribed to treat serious conditions like diabetes and chronic nephritis. It was also given to people suffering sexual weakness.
During the Manchu Dynasty, most emperors were known to live shorter lives due to their lifestyle excesses and stressful political environments. However, there was one emperor who defied these odds and lived to the age of 89, which was the longest lifespan for an emperor up to that point. His name was Qian Long and he lived during the 1700s.
Emperor Qian Long called himself the "long life emperor" and was proud that he continued to have youthful vitality into his senior years. This was even documented by a British ambassador to China at the time that wrote, "When I met Emperor Qian Long, he was already at the age of 83, but he looked as if he was only 60 years old. He was in perfect good health and surpassed young men in energy and spirits."
There are many traditional Chinese physicians who credited the emperor's longevity to herbs and, in particular, medicinal cornel fruit, which he consumed regularly. So, it appears that when taken appropriately, and in the right amounts, Chinese herbal remedies are another way to promote good health and a long life.
Juzen-taiho-to
The Japanese also have a long cultural tradition of using herbal medicines to enhance health, happiness and overall well being. Thousands of years of cultural exchanges with the Chinese have influenced how the Japanese use their own herbal preparations.
However, in modern Japan, herbal remedies must pass through rigorous tests and meet certain standards of safety in order to be officially approved for use.
A longevity formula that is very popular among today's Japanese is called Juzen-taiho-to, which is a medicinal remedy containing 10 herbs that is used to treat a variety of illnesses. The remedy is mainly viewed as a strengthening tonic for those who are sick or elderly. It is commonly taken to address such health problems as chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, anemia, ulcerative colitis, night sweats and circulatory problems.
Right now, if you live outside of Japan, you are more likely to be able to read about this in a book than actually lay your hands on the actual remedy. It's not that wide spread at the moment. There may be some online resources that will help you locate a trusted source, but you should be wary of imitations.
Effects on Immune System
Studies conducted on the health benefits of Juzen-taiho-to show that it does wonders for the immune system and helps the body fight cancer and tumor growth. Laboratory tests
Studies conducted on the health benefits of Juzen-taiho-to show that it does wonders for the immune system and helps the body fight cancer and tumor growth. Laboratory tests