Act on the spleen and lungs, and affect the blood; good for coughs, bleeding and diarrhea.
Preparation: For diarrhea and blood in stools in children, grind 450 grams of glutinous rice and 50 large dried persimmons into powder and mix with red dates to make cake. Steam the cake for young patients to eat.
Notes: An experiment indicated that when persimmon solution was injected into the human body, it expelled phlegm and suppressed coughs, but the injection caused pain that was reduced after protein was removed. Among the 194 cases of chronic tracheitis in the experiment, 71 cases (36.5 percent) were brought under control, 66 cases (34 percent) showed significant improvement, 51 cases (26.2 percent) showed improvements somewhat, and six cases showed no effects. The total effective rate was 96.7 percent.
PLANTAIN SEEDS
Promote urination, reduce internal heat, sharpen vision, remove phlegm; good for blocked urination, blood in urine, and coughs.
PLUM BLOSSOMS
Promote appetite, produce fluids, quench thirst; good for prevention of chicken pox and globus hystericus.
Fvods for Eliminating Sputum 153
RADISHES
Reduce internal heat, counteract toxic effects in the body, promote urination, heal inflammation, expel phlegm, suppress coughs.
Notes: The radish is a native product of China, with over 2,000 years of history, playing an important role in the Chinese diet, next only to Chinese cabbage. There are spring, summer, and autumn radishes, according to their respective growing seasons.
According to a Chinese report, consumption of raw radishes in large amounts can improve the symptoms of silicosis. Some Chinese experts believe that radishes can stimulate the synthesis of vitamin Bj in the intestines.
RADISH SEEDS
Good for coughs, asthma, and indigestion.
SEAGRASS
Softens hard spots, disperses congestion, promotes urination, lowers high blood pressure, reduces internal heat, removes phlegm from the body; used to treat goiter, hypertension, and hernias.
Preparation: To cure scrofula, place 450 grams of seagrass in a bag and soak in rice wine (wine should barely cover the seagrass) for 2 days in spring and summer, and for 3 days in autumn and winter. Drink a glass of the wine 3 times daily. In the meantime, dry the bag of seagrass in the hot sun or bake it and grind into powder. Take 4 grams of powder three times daily. The process may be repeated as long as necessar}^
To cure hernias, boil 20 grams of dry seagrass, 20 grams of kelp, and 40 grams of fennel in water over low heat until the water is reduced by half. Strain it and drink the soup by dividing into two dosages for one-day consumption.
To cure hepatosplenomegaly (enlargement of both liver and spleen), edema, swelling and pain in the testes, abdominal pain in children, and coughs with phlegm, boil 20 to 35 grams of dry seagrass in water over low heat for about 2 hours. Drink the soup every day. *
SEAWEED
Softens up hard spots, disperses congestion, reduces internal heat, promotes urination, suppresses coughs, removes fat, reduces high blood pressure; used for edema, goiter, and tumors.
Preparation: To cure swelling of the thyroid gland or goiter, grind seagrass and seaweed in equal quantities into powder. Take 4 grams of powder once a day for 40 days. Or, simply add seaweed to the diet every day. Or, use brown sugar to preserve seaweed for consumption. Or, grind dried seaweed into powder and take 4 grams of powder three times a day.
To cure chronic tracheihs with cough and panting, boil 450 grams of seaweed roots and 50 grams of fresh ginger in water; add 2 teaspoons of brown sugar when the water is boiling; then turn down the heat to simmer until the water becomes as sticky as jelly. Take 2 teaspoons of jelly, three times daily for 10 days as a course of treatment.
To cure hypertension, boil seaweed with mung beans, 40 grams each, and eat at meals once a day. Or, grind dried seaweed roots into powder. Take 6 to 12 grams of powder once a day for 2 months.
Notes: The use of seaweed to cure goiter in China dates back many thousands of years. The Chinese have always believed that a regular consumption of seaweed is beneficial to maintenance of normal functions in the thyroid gland. It takes a long time to cook seaweed until it is soft, which is why it is wise to soak it in water for half an hour, and then change the water and let it sit overnight before cooking.
A report indicates that seaweed can prevent leukemia and pain in the bones; it can also reduce high blood pressure and suppress coughs. An extract from seaweed has been found to function like an anticancerous agent. Seaweed contains mannitol, which is beneficial to acute weakness of kidney energy, edema in the brain, and acute glaucoma.
SOUR ORANGE PEELS
Remove phlegm, stop vomiting, promote digestion.
SQUASH CALYX
Good for boils on the skin, burns, and mouth cankers.
Preparation: To cure boils on the skin, apply squash calyx powder with sesame oil externally to the affected region.
Foods for Eliminating Sputum 155 To heal burns, apply squash calyx powder with tea oil externally to the affected region; or apply to mouth cankers and ulcers externally to heal them.
Notes: Squash calyx can be baked or dried in the sun and ground into powder for food cures either externally or internally.
An experiment indicated that among 34 cases of late-stage ascites with a light degree of schistosomiasis treated with squash calyx powder, 0.5 grams three times daily for 2 to 3 weeks increased urine production, reduced symptoms in four cases, improved 23 cases, and had no effects in eight cases.
SWEET GREEN ORANGE PEELS
Disperse liver energy and clear phlegm; good for stomachaches, hernias, indigestion, and swollen breasts.
TANGERINE ORANGE SEEDS
Regulate energy flow in the body and relieve pain; used to treat hernias, swollen testes with pain, pain in the nipples, lumbago, and pain in the bladder.
Preparation: To cure hernia of the small intestine and swollen testes, fry 20 grams of orange seeds without oil, boil them in wine, strain, and drink the soup. Or, boil orange seeds, litchi nut seeds, and longan seeds in water, strain, and drink the soup.
To cure brandy nose, fry orange seeds without oil and grind into powder; then grind a walnut into powder, and mix with some warm wine. Make ointment for external application to the affected region.
TEA
Quenches thirst, raises spirits, promotes digestion, increases urination, suppresses coughs, removes phlegm, sharpens vision, facilitates clear thinking, cures mental depression, eliminates grease in foods, heals inflammation, and detoxicates.
Preparation: To cure bad breath, wash mouth with strong tea, or chew tea leaves slowly.
To counteract smoking and symptoms caused by it, such as palpitations and nausea, drink strong tea regularly.
To cure acute enteritis, grind 70 grams of tea leaves into powder; then mix with 35 grams of dry ginger. Take 4 grams two to three times daily.
156 Chinese Foods for Longevity
Notes: Chinese legend has it that the Minister of Agriculture in ancient China many thousands of years ago was poisoned by tasting herbs 72 times each day on the average. How did he survive the poisonings? He did so by drinking tea. Thus, tea was initially used as a medicinal herb to detoxicate.
Tea digests the essence of rice and vegetables, eliminates the grease of meats, counteracts the effects of summer heat, and wakes up sleepy spirits in the evening.
THYME
Good for coughs, particularly whooping cough, acute bronchitis, and laryngitis.
TURNIP SEEDS
Sharpen vision, reduce internal heat, remove dampness from the body; good for jaundice, dysentery, and diminished urination.
WATER CHESTNUTS
Reduce blood pressure; good for coughs with phlegm, sore throats, and bleeding from the anus.
Preparation: To reduce blood pressure and relieve chronic coughs with phlegm, boil 30 to 60 grams of water chestnuts and jellyfish in equal amounts. Take three dosages in one day.
In case of swallowing a coin or other objects by accident, drink water chestnut juice, or eat water chestnuts with walnuts.
To treat broken nipples in women, crush fresh water chestnuts and apply juice externally to the affected nipples.
To relieve sore throats, simply drink water chestnut juice.
To stop bleeding from the anus, drink a large glass of fresh water chestnut juice with a small glass of wine on an empty stomach.
Notes: It is believed that water chestnuts have been grown in China for 3,000 years. It is a uniquely Chinese vegetable that can be cooked in many different ways, such as boiling or frying. Fresh water chestnuts are very fleshy, juicy, and sweet, and can be eaten as a fruit or cooked as a vegetable.
Foods for Eliminating Sputum 157
WHITE OR YELLOW MUSTARD
Warms the internal regions and disperse cold; good for coughs, cold stomachaches, and abdominal pain.
WHITE PEPPER
Relieves cold abdominal pain, upset stomach, and vomiting.
Preparation: To cure cold abdominal pain, grind an equal amount of black and white peppercorns into powder. Take 3 grams of powder with warm vinegar two times daily.
To cure upset stomach with vomiting, grind white peppercorns into powder. Take 3 grams of powder with fresh ginger soup, two times daily.
Notes: Unripe peppercorns are black in color; when ripe peppercorns are peeled, they become white. Black and white peppercorns are similar in functions.
YELLOW SOYBEANS
Heal swelling and relieve pain, remove water from the body, reduce internal heat, dissolve blood coagulations, regulate the functions of internal organs, cure kidney disease, promote urination and blood circulation.
Preparation: Use this simple recipe to prevent common cold: Boil 50 grams of yellow soybeans, 3 grams of dry coriander (or three green onion heads), three slices of radish. Drink the soup at meals.
Notes: Yellow soybeans are regarded as the king of beans; they contain about 40 percent protein, which is comparable to animal protein. For this reason, yellow soybeans are sometimes called "vegetable meat" or "green beef." Yellow soybeans contain 18 to 20 percent fat, which is better than animal fat in quality, because the former has no cholesterol in it.
Foods for Promoting Energy Circulation
Poor energy circulation in the body's internal environments can affect various vital organs and cause pain. These regulating foods are good for promoting energy circulation.
CANTALOUPE SEEDS
Remove phlegm from the body, relieve abdominal swelling and blood coagulations in the abdomen; good for gastrointestinal disorders.
Preparation: Here's a simple way of treating bad breath: grind cantaloupe seeds into powder and mix with honey. Make into tablets as big as a date; take a tablet after brushing teeth in the morning.
Notes: Cantaloupe seeds can soften up hard spots, produce body fluids, and lubricate dryness in the "body. They contain about 27 percent fat and 5.78 {percent glutelin, which is a simple protein soluble in alkalies and diluted acids.
An experiment showed that the ratio of 1:10 cantaloupe seed solution was able to destroy roundworms and tapeworms within 10 to 90 minutes, but when the skin was removed from the seeds, the action slowed and some worms were still not destroyed after 1.5 to 3 hours.
CHERRY ROOTS
Good for roundworm disease.
CHIVES (CHINESE)
Strengthen the stomach, stimulate the nerves, check perspiration, relieve swallowing difficulty and night sweats, heal wounds and swelling, promote blood circulation.
Foods for Promoting Energy Circulation 159 Preparation: For swallowing difficulty, wash a bunch of fresh chives and soak in water for half an hour. Crush into juice, and drink one glass three times daily. In case of injuries, crush fresh chives or chive roots for external application to the wound to relieve pain and swelling, and stop bleeding.
For morning sickness, crush fresh chives and fresh ginger into juice, about 100 grams each. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar and drink.
FIG ROOTS
Good for pain in bones and tendons, rheumatism, numbness.
FINGERED CITRON ROOTS
Good for pain and weakness in limbs.
GRAPEFRUIT ROOTS
Regulate body energy, relieve pain, counteract wind and cold; good for stomachaches, hernia pain, and coughs in common colds.
GRAPEFRUIT FLOWERS
Promote energy circulation, remove phlegm from the body, relieve pain; often used to relieve stomachaches and chest pain.
Notes: Grapefruits blossom in the spring. The Chinese pick flowers to dry in the sun; grapefruit flowers contain 0.2 to 0.25 percent essential oil.
Grapefruit flowers may also be soaked in sesame oil and steamed to grow hair and lubricate dryness.
In the Manchu Dynasty (1644-1911), the Chinese collected grapefruit flowers to extract oil for making cosmetics for concubines in the palace.
GREEN ONION ROOTS
Good for headaches and sore throats.
160 Chinese Foods for Longevity
GREEN ONION WHITE HEADS
Stimulate sweat glands to perspire, inhibit or destroy the growth of bacteria for diphtheria, dysentery, tuberculosis.
Preparation: For common colds, boil 30 grams of green onion white heads with 9 grams of fresh ginger in water. Add 30 grams of brown sugar when the water is boiling. Drink it hot to induce perspiration three times a day.
For acute mastitis, crush a half pound of green onion white heads and boil in water. Strain quickly and use the soup to wash the affected region two to three times a day.
TASMINE FLOWERS
Regulate energy in the body, and balance the internal region; good for abdominal pain, diarrhea, and conjunctivitis.
KUMOUAT ROOTS
Good for stomachaches, vomiting, hernias, abdominal pain in women after childbirth, and prolapse of the uterus.
LADLE GOURD
Promotes urination, reduces swelling, disperses congestion.
Preparation: To heal ascites and edema all over the body, boil 30 to 60 grams of ladle gourd with 30 grams of winter gourd peel and 30 grams of watermelon peel. Drink like tea.
To relieve urination difficulty, reduce jaundice, and lower blood pressure, squeeze fresh juice from a ladle gourd and add honey. Drink a cup of juice two times daily.
LIMES (YOUNG TRIFOLIATE ORANGES)
Remove phlegm; good for chest pain and congestion, edema, constipation, gastroptosis, falling of the uterus, and falling of the anus.
Foods for Promoting Energy Circulation 161
LONGAN SEEDS
Arrest bleeding, relieve pain, regulate energy, remove dampness; good for injuries, hernias, scrofula, and eczema.
MALT
Promotes digestion, balances the internal region, settles energy; good for abdominal swelling, poor appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and swollen breasts m nursing mothers.
Preparation: To stop diarrhea, malt can be fried until black; grind it into powder for consumption.
MANGO LEAVES
Promote energy flow and eliminate congestion; good for abdominal pain and swelling due to energy congestion.
RADISH LEAVES
Promote digestion and regulate energy in the body; good for phlegm, coughs, hiccups, indigestion, dianhea, sore throats, swollen breasts in women, shortage of milk secretion in breastfeeding mothers, edema, and arsenic poisoning.
RAPESEED
Good for abdominal pain in women after childbirth, and blood in stools.
RED BEANS
Regulate energy in the body and facilitate menstruation.
ROSES
Good for discharge of blood from the mouth, irregular menstruation, dysentery, and mastitis.
SAFFRON
Promotes blood circulation and removes coagulation, dissolves congestion; good for chest congestion, vomiting of blood, and injuries.
SCALLION BULBS
Good for chest congestion and dry vomiting,
SPEARMINT
Regulates energy and relieves pain; good for common colds, coughs, headaches, period pain, and abdominal pain.
SWORD BEAN ROOTS
Good for headaches, rheumatism, hernias, diarrhea, and suppression of menses.
TANGERINE ORANGES
Lubricate the lungs, and regulate energy circulation in the body; good for congestion and excessive heat in the chest.
Notes: The Chinese are fond of preserving tangerine oranges; to do this, select fresh oranges, soak them in clear water, and then put them in a plastic bag. Seal the bag and put it in a cool and windy place for several months. Check to ensure that the oranges do not spoil for one reason or another.
Tangerine oranges are sweet and neutral; they can counteract intoxication and quench thirst. However, an excessive consumption will generate phlegm; for that reason, those who catch a cold with cough and phlegm should refrain from eating oranges. Tangerine orange peel can remove phlegm. A celebrated Chinese herbalist in the past said, "That inside and outside of a given food have opposing effects is a common phenomenon. This is the way it is in nature."
Foods for Promoting Energy Circulation 163
TEA SEEDS
Camellin contained in tea seeds is an anticancerous agent; good for abdominal pain and diarrhea.
TURMERIC
Promotes energy circulation, facilitates menstruation, relieves pain; good for pain in the abdomen and upper arms, and suppression of menses.
VINEGAR
Increases appetite, promotes digestion, disperses blood coagulation, detoxi-cates, kills bacteria.
Preparation: To prevent flu, cholecystitis, and meningitis, mix vinegar with water and boil over low heat; inhale before bedtime.
To cure biliary ascariasis, drink 30 grams of rice vinegar with warm water, three to four times daily. Or, mix 30 grams of rice vinegar with 30 grams of water. Drink it when pain occurs, and take anthelmintics after the pain is gone.
To treat hypertension, soak peanuts in vinegar and eat at meals. To cure hepatitis, soak peeled pears in vinegar and eat regularly.
Foods for Promoting Blood Circulation
Poor blood circulation in the internal environments can lead to various painful conditions due to blood coagulation. These regulating foods promote blood circulation.
ARROWHEAD
Good for swelling and inflammation.
Preparation: To heal local inflammatory symptoms, such as swelling, burning, or pain on the skin, crush 60 grams of fresh arrowhead; then add a little fresh ginger juice. Mix thoroughly, and apply it to the affected region on the skin. Change the dressing twice daily.
Notes: Arrowhead is an excellent source of potassium; 100 grams of arrowhead contain 1003 milligrams of potassium.
BAYBERRY ROOTS
Regulate energy in the body, arrest bleeding, dissolve blood coagulations; good for stomachaches, vomiting, hernias, vomiting of blood, vaginal bleeding, and bleeding due to external injuries.
BLACK SOYBEANS
Remove water from the internal region to heal swelling, remove stomach heat, dissolve blood coagulations, and regulate the functions of internal organs; good for stroke, weak legs, and various illnesses in women after childbirth.
Foods for Promoting Blood Circulation 165 Preparation: To treat various kinds of symptoms in women after childbirth, fry 250 grams of black soybeans until smoke begins to appear from the beans. Soak them in a bottle of wine for one day. Drink a half glass of wine two to three times daily.
Black soybeans may be cooked with licorice to drink as soup in order to get various types of toxins out of the body.
CAMELLIA
Cools the blood, arrests bleeding, disperses blood coagulations, eliminates swelling; good for vomiting of blood, nosebleeds, and vaginal bleeding.
CASTOR BEAN ROOTS
Calm the nerves, relieve spasms, disperse coagulahons; good for epilepsy, rheumatism, and scrofula.
CATTAIL POLLEN
Cools the blood, stops bleeding, promotes blood circulation, dissolves blood coagulations; good for injuries, blood in urine, and nosebleeds.
CHICKEN BLOOD
Promotes blood circulation and counteracts rheumatism. The blood of a three-year-old rooster is considered the best for food cures.
CHILI LEAVES
Good for rheumatism and blood coagulation.
CHILI PEPPERS (CAYENNE PEPPER)
Aid in digestion, improve appetite, stimulate the secretion of salivary glands and gastric juices; normally used as a stomachic and carminative to expel gas from the intestines; externally, used as a local skin stimulant to promote blood circulation. Good for frostbite, rheumatism, and lumbago.
166 Chinese Foods for Longevity
Notes: People with hot constitutions should avoid chili peppers. The Chinese have a popular saying to the effect that chili peppers are so good that nobody can eat a full meal without them. There are different kinds of chili peppers, notably, sweet chili peppers, half pungent and hot chili peppers, and pungent and hot chili peppers. Large-size chili peppers are not hot but sweet. They are normally consumed like other vegetables, but they contain large amounts of vitamin C, as much as 198 milligrams per 100 grams.
CHILI RHIZOMES
Reduce cold and dampness, dissolve blood coagulations; good for arthritis, rheumatism, and frostbite.
CHINESE ROSE LEAVES
Promote blood circulation and reduce swelling; good for scrofula, and pain and swelling caused by injuries.
CHIVE ROOTS AND BULBS (CHINESE CHIVES)
Warm the internal region, promote energy circulation, dissolve blood coagulations; good for chest pain, indigestion, vomiting of blood, and nosebleeds.
CORIANDER (CHINESE PARSLEY)
Induces perspiration, promotes digestion, suppresses hiccups, strengthens the stomach.
Preparation: When a child develops measles that don't erupt, coriander can be a good remedy. Boil a bunch of coriander and drink as soup at meals.
Coriander is good for indigestion, particularly coriander seeds, which can be boiled with orange peels and fresh ginger. Drink the juice only. All the ingredients in this recipe are warm, which means that it is good for indigestion due to a cold stomach.
Notes: Coriander has a pungent flavor and warm energy. It is connected with the heart and the spleen internally; externally, it reaches the four limbs.
Coriander can remove all undesirable elements in the body, disperse stomach gas and cold, reduce fever and relieve headache, promote digestion and
Foods for Promoting Blood Circulation 167 reduce abdominal swelling, regulate urination and bowel movements, remove ilm in the eyes, and promote hair growth.
CORN ROOTS
Promote urination and remove blood coagulations; good for stones and vomiting of blood.
CRAB CLAWS
Break up blood coagulation and cause miscarriage; good for abdominal pain in women after difficult labor and childbirth.
CRAB SHELLS
Break up blood coagulation, eliminate internal congestion; good for pain in the ribs and abdomen, mastitis, breast cancer, and frostbite.
Preparation: To treat breast cancer, bake crab shells and grind into powder. Take 7 grams of powder with white wine two times daily for a prolonged period of time (not for pregnant wom^n). The same recipe is also good for twisting injuries to the loins and suppression' of menses after childbirth.
To treat mastitis at its early sta^, bake five crab shells and grind into powder. Take 9 grams of powder with warm water or wine each time. Or, crush a live crab, strain it, and drink with white wine.
To relieve swelling with hard spots in breast cancer, bake a dozen crab shells and grind into powder. Take 6 grams of powder with wine three times daily. Avoid spicy foods.
Notes: About three-quarters of crab shell is calcium carbonate, with the remaining one-quarter containing chitin and protein in equal amounts.
DEER HORNS (ANTLERS)
Calm the liver, reduce internal heat, relieve convulsions, detoxicate; good for delirium, headaches, and dizziness.
DISTILLERS^ GRAINS
Warm the internal region, promote digestion, relieve pain, disperse blood coagulation; good for frostbite and rheumatism.
168 Chinese Foods for Longevity
EEL BLOOD
Increases yang energy in the body and promotes blood circulation; good for dry mouth and eyes, pain in the ears, nosebleeds, and impotence.
EGGPLANT LEAVES
Good for blood in urine, discharge of blood from the anus, carbuncle, and frostbite.
FISH AIR BLADDER
Tones the kidneys, increases semen, nourishes tendons, arrests bleeding, disperses blood coagulations, reduces swelling; good for vomiting of blood, vaginal bleeding, and bleeding due to external injuries.
GINGER LEAVES
Good for blood coagulation and indigestion.
GREEN ONION TUICE
Disperses blood coagulation, detoxicates, expels worms; good for headaches, nosebleeds, blood in urine, parasites, swelling, and injuries.
HEMP
Lubricates dryness, settles intestines, promotes urination, increases blood circulation; good for constipation, diabetes, rheumatism, and irregular menstruation.
KIWIFRUIT ROOTS (CHINESE GOOSEBERRY ROOTS)
Reduce internal heat, promote urination, activate the blood, reduce swelling; good for hepatitis, edema, injuries, rheumatic pain, and vaginal discharge.
Foods for Promoting Blood Circulation 169
LEMON ROOTS
Relieve pain and remove blood coagulation; good for injuries and animal bites.
LOTUS FLOWERS
Promote blood circulation, arrest bleeding, remove dampness; good for vomiting of blood.
LOTUS SPROUTS
Good for vomiting of blood.
PEACHES
Good for lung disease, excessive perspiration, and bleeding.
Preparation: To treat night sweats and discharge of blood from the mouth, boil 10 to 15 grams of dried peaches in water. Drink the soup and eat the peaches.
Notes: An excessive consumption of peaches may increase internal heat and cause skin eruptions.
Unripe peaches can be picked and dried in the sun. They have a bitter taste and warm energy; dried peaches are good for excessive perspiration and bleeding.
PEACH KERNELS
Break up blood coagulation, which is essential in the treatment of many illnesses, including hypertension with headache, injuries, suppression of menstruation, whiplash.
Notes: The medicinal value of the peach consists primarily in its kernel.
Peach kernel has a bitter flavor and a neutral energy. Its main function is to break up blood coagulations so that the blood will circulate throughout the ^ body. It is also good for abdominal swelling, and it can destroy worms.
PEACH ROOTS
Good for jaundice, vomiting of blood, nosebleeds, suppression of menses.
PEONY FLOWERS
Good for irregular menstruation and period pain.
PEONY ROOT BARK
Reduces internal heat, cools the blood, dissolves blood coagulation; good for hypertension and rhinitis.
PLUM KERNELS
Disperse blood coagulation, promote water flow, lubricate the intestines; good for pain caused by injuries, coughs with phlegm, edema, and constipation.
PUMPKIN PEDICELS
Promote blood circulation, and remove blood coagulation.
RAPE
Breaks up blood coagulations, strengthens the loins and legs, heals rheumatism. Rape oil can be applied externally to the head to promote hair growth.
Preparation: To cure lochiostasis in women after childbirth with pricking pain, fry rapeseeds and cinnamon in equal amounts without oil and grind into powder. Make into tablets as big as olive seeds. Take one to two tablets three times daily with warm rice wine.
To cure acute pain in nipples and swelling on skin of unknown cause, boil rape in water or crush it to make juice. Drink a small glass of warm juice three times daily. Alternatively, apply crushed rape externally to the affected region. Change dressings three times daily.
To correct intestinal intussusception (the slipping of one part of the intestine into another part just below it), drink 120 grams of rape oil, or drink 6 grams of cooked rape oil four times a day.
Foods for Promoting Blood Circulation 171
SHARK
Reduces swelling, removes blood coagulation, strengthens internal organs.
Notes: In ancient China, shark was called "the healthy son of water," because of its body strength.
The shark has a very strong immune system. A shark will not develop cancer after cancerous cells are injected into its body. Shark's fin is a precious food considered beneficial to the blood, body energy, kidneys, and lungs; it is an ideal food for chronic deficiency.
SWORD BEAN SHELLS
Balance the internal region, disperse blood coagulation, promote blood circulation; good for lumbago, diarrhea, and hiccups.
WHITE OR YELLOW MUSTARD
Warms the internal region; good for coughs, stomachaches, and abdominal pain.
Get To Know Yourself, and Correct Your Weaknesses
IDENTIFY YOUR WEAKNESSES BY THE SYMPTOMS
It is wise to know more about yourself, even though you are not ill. When an ill patient goes to see a doctor, the doctor will make a necessary diagnosis, trying to come up with a name of a disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, bronchitis, or whatever the case may be. Then the patient undergoes treatment. This is the standard procedure in modern medicine. If the patient is not ill, he can still go to see a doctor for a physical checkup to see if he is indeed in good health. The doctor checks the patient's blood pressure, urine, and blood, and when nothing wrong is detected, the doctor tells the patient that he is in good health. Again, this is the standard procedure in modem medicine.
Here is a classic example. A patient suffering from blurred vision went to see a doctor who conducted an examination on him, but after going through the whole set of tests, nothing wrong was revealed. So the doctor told the patient that he was in good health. But the patient kept complaining that he could not see very well, which puzzled both the doctor and patient alike. The doctor then told the patient that it was only a matter of inconvenience and nothing was seriously wrong. The patient was not really ill and required no medical treatment.
In point of fact, disease may be understood in two different ways: first, disease may be defined as the opposite of health, which means that a person is either diseased or healthy with nothing in between; second, disease may also be understood in terms of an intensive weakness, which means that a person may be weaker or stronger in a matter of degrees and that his con-
Get To Know Yourself, and Correct Your Weaknesses 173
ditions may still be evaluated in terms of weaknesses and strengths, namely, to what extent his stomach is in good shape, for example. The second definition of disease is used in traditional Chinese medicine, but it is barely recognized by Western doctors. Very often it is only when a person has become ill that Western doctors take it seriously.
If a person catches a cold or has a stomachache or diarrhea frequently, it signifies something to the doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. This person must have some specific weakness in his body that causes it. In other words, the doctor of traditional Chinese medicine does not wait until the disease strikes. He takes steps to correct the person's weakness before the disease actually strikes, which is called prevention. In a way, the concept of prevention also forms an important part of Western medicine. As the Western saying goes, "Prevention is better than cure." However, when it comes to the question as to how prevention should take place, Chinese and Western doctors have different answers.
The Western doctor seems to think that we should eat nutritious foods and make certain that we have all the nutrients necessary for good health. The same advice is given to all of us, whether we are sick or not. This advice is an overgeneralization to say the least, since it is not aimed at any particular individual. In other words, if one patient has experienced indigestion once in a while, but more often than others, and another patient has a minor problem with his eyesight that the first patient doesn't have, in all likelihood, they both will receive the same advice from the Western doctor: namely, they should eat nutritious foods and get all the nutrients necessary for good health.
This is not the case with the doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. He will think that the mere fact that one patient has a stomachache more often than another means that his stomach is weak and he needs something to make it stronger. If the second patient's eyesight is weak, he needs something to sharpen it. Thus, two different types of advice will be given to these two individuals.
When a Western doctor talks about early diagnosis, what he means is to detect the disease at its earliest possible stage. For example, early diagnosis of cancer means that the cancerous cell should be detected as soon as possible, or immediately before it comes into existence. To be sure, early diagnosis in this sense is very important, because it makes treatment more effective and it could save the life of the patient in many cases. However, all too often, the disease has already occurred, which is not really prevention in the truest sense of the word. To a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, early diagnosis means to spot the weaknesses of an individual and to correct them long before the disease occurs. Since the doctor of traditional Chinese medicine focuses predominantly on correcting the weaknesses of the individual, it becomes very important to determine such weaknesses before steps can be taken to correct them.
174 Chinese Foods for Longevity
In Chinese medicine, symptoms are taken as important clues to locating a person's weaknesses. For example, if a person develops diarrhea more easily than others, it means that his digestive functions are weak and steps should be taken to strengthen them. Thus, the diarrhea is taken as a symptom and used as a clue to determine the weakness of the individual.
IDENTIFY YOUR PHYSICAL WEAKNESSES THROUGH THE SENSES
A person's life span is first and foremost determined by the conditions of his vital internal organs. For that reason, in order to live long, it is necessary to make certain that our internal organs are in good shape. But how do we determine this? Can Western doctors tell us? To some extent, you can rely on medical doctors to inform you if any of your vital internal organs are in bad shape. For example, if you have stomach ulcers, your doctor may be able to tell you that. If you have stomach ulcers, it is rather obvious that your stomach is not in good shape. What if you do not have stomach ulcers? Would your doctors still be able to tell you which of your vital internal organs are weak or strong? Often, you will be told by Western doctors that all of your vital organs are equally in good shape.
From the point of view of a traditional Chinese physician, whether or not your vital organs are in good shape may be determined by the symptoms displayed on your body surface in general and your five senses in particular. It is believed that we are able to know about the conditions of vital organs from visible signs on our body's surface. In spite of the advancements of medical science, the relative strength of vital organs in the human body still cannot be known through modern medical facilities in most cases. In my clinic, when I tell a patient that from the standpoint of Chinese medicine, there may be something wrong with his liver because he is suffering from blurred vision, the most common reply is, "It can't be, because I have just undergone a complete physical examination a few days ago and my liver is in good shape."
The traditional Chinese physician believes that under normal circumstances, it is not necessary to look directly at the internal organs in order to know about their conditions. It is possible to know this on the basis of visible signs on the body's surface because there are connections between the internal organs and the five senses. A person cannot see or smell or hear or taste or eat properly without the proper function and coordination of the vital internal organs.
What are the specific connections between the five senses and the internal
Get To Know Yourself, and Correct Your Weaknesses 175
organs? The eye is connected with the liver; the nose is connected with the lungs; the ear is connected with the kidneys; the tongue is connected with the heart; and the lips and mouth are connected with the spleen. These connections between the five vital internal organs and the five senses are outlined very clearly in the Yellow Emperor's Classics of Internal Medicine, published in the third century B.C., and it forms a very important part of traditional Chinese medical theory.
How are the five vital organs connected with the five senses? The Chinese express such connections by three different words, which are as poetic as they are interesting: manifestations, outlets, and officials. Thus, according to the Chinese theory, "The eyes are the external manifestations, outlets, and officials of the liver." The exact same parallel connections can be made for the four other senses, namely, the nose, ears, tongue and lips, and mouth.
Why do the five vital internal organs have external manifestations, and why do they need outlets and officials? The reason is that the vital organs are situated in the internal region, which is not visible to the outside world. They have external manifestations in order to make their conditions known, and their outlets are the external channels through which they can establish contact. The five senses are sent to establish contact with the outside world by the respective five vital internal organs.
The connections between the five vital internal organs and the five senses have significant bearings on our understanding of human physiology and pathology. As the eyes are connected with the liver, many symptoms associated with the eyes can be traced back to the condition of the liver. This is why blurred vision and red, swollen, and dry eyes are attributed to the diseases of the liver, and tears are regarded as the fluids of the liver that flow through the eyes. As the Yellow Emperor's Classics of Internal Medicine says, "The energy of the liver is in communication with the eyes, and when the energy of the liver is in balance, the eyes will be able to see and to distinguish different colors." When the eyes function in excellent condition, it is called the glory or honor of the liver, which means that the liver is in excellent shape.
As the ears are connected with the kidneys, many symptoms associated with the ears can be traced back to the condition of the kidneys. This is why ringing in the ears, deafness, difficulty hearing, and ear wax are attributed to the diseases of the kidneys. As the same classic text says, "The energy of the kidneys is in communication with the ears, and when the energy of the kidneys is in balance, the ears will be able to hear and to distinguish different sounds." When the ears function in excellent condition, it means that the kidneys are in top shape.
As the nose is connected with the lungs, many symptoms can be related to the condition of the lungs. This is why nasal congestion, loss of the sense of smell, dry sensations in the nose, and flickering of the nose can be traced '
back to the diseases of the lungs. As the Yellow Emperor's book says, "The energy of the lungs is in communication with the nose, and when the energy of the lungs is in balance, the nose will be able to smell and distinguish between aromatic and offensive smells." When the nose functions well, the lungs are in optimal shape.
As the tongue is connected with the heart, many symptoms associated with the tongue can be traced back to the condition of the heart, such as speech impediments, difficult movements of the tongue, curled-up tongue, and stiffness and abnormal colors of the tongue. The classic text says, "The energy of the heart is in communication with the tongue, and when the energy of the heart is in balance, the tongue will be able to taste and distinguish five flavors." The tongue is commonly referred to by Chinese physicians as the "seedling of the heart." One example is that the red tip of the tongue is due to the excessive heat in the heart. A shaking tongue is a sign of a heart disorder.
As the lips and mouth are connected with the spleen, many symptoms associated with them can be related to the conditions of the spleen. Poor appetite, a sweet taste in the mouth, unusual preferences for specific flavors, mouth cankers, and cracked lips can be attributed to the diseases of the spleen. The Yellow Emperor's book says, "The energy of the spleen is in communication with the mouth and lips, and when the energy of the spleen is in balance, the mouth will be able to eat and distinguish five flavors."
How come only five vital internal organs have outlets and officials to the outside world? The Chinese divide internal organs into yin and yang organs, and then classify them in pairs to form a yin-yang relationship. All the five vital internal organs are yin organs, and each of them needs a yang organ to form a pair, which is called brother and sister. Thus, the liver (sister) and the gallbladder (brother) are a pair; the kidneys (sister) and the bladder (brother) are a pair; the lungs (sister) and the large intestines (brother) are a pair; the heart (sister) and the small intestines (brother) are a pair; and the spleen (sister) and the stomach (brother) are a pair. Therefore, the sister's official also acts as the official for her brother, so that the eyes are the officials of the liver and the gallbladder, and so on.
In addition, our emotions in excessive amounts also point to the disorders of vital internal organs: Anger indicates a disorder of the liver; joy shows a heart imbalance; excessive thoughts point to the disorder of the spleen; worry indicates the disorder of the lungs; and fear points to a disorder of the kidneys. Consistent preferences for specific foods also illustrate disorders of vital internal organs: an appetite for pungent foods points to a disorder of the lungs; a preference for bitter foods indicates a heart ailment; a liking for salted foods points to a disorder of the kidneys; a preference for sweet foods shows a problem in the spleen; and favoring sour foods points to a disorder of the liver.
Get To Know Yourself, and Correct Your Weaknesses 177
Virtually all visible signs or symptoms can be traced back to their original sources in the vital internal organs, including physical shape and capacity. Thus, sexual weakness very often points to the weakness of the kidneys; obesity indicates the inability of the spleen to handle food and water; skin-niness shows excessive damp conditions of the spleen; skin disease often points to the excessively hot conditions of the lungs.
The vital internal organs in the body work together as a team, and if any one of them fails to perform its function properly, the aging process will speed up. Therefore, one should examine one's own internal organs very carefully and determine which of them are weak, and then focus one's attention to strengthen them accordingly. In this respect, the theory of attaining longevity by consuming excessive nutrients on a universal basis fails miserably, simply because the theory fails to take into account the weaknesses and strengths of each vital internal organ individually.
It is just as bad for a specific organ to be extraordinarily strong as to be extremely weak. It is easy to understand that if the liver is too weak, it will collapse first, and possibly lead to death as a result. What will happen if a particular vital organ is too strong? The excessively strong organ will attack another vital organ and weaken it accordingly, which is called the law of mutual attack among vital internal organs in Chinese medicine. For example, if the liver is too strong, it will attack the stomach; if the stomach is too strong, it will attack the bladder, and so on. Thus, maintaining a balance among the vital internal organs is most crucial to longevity, because it is only when they are in balance that they can function well.
LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR HEREDITY AND GROWTH PATTERN
It is not difficult to see that heredity has a great deal to do with longevity, nor is it difficult to infer that many diseases are associated with heredity as well. A survey conducted in China on patients with esophagus cancer indicated that in the Yang-Cheng District of Shansi province, cancer attacks less than 10 percent of the families in that district, and over half of the patients have a family history of the same cancer, with the remaining 90 percent having no incidence of the disease. Therefore, by taking a closer look at one's own heredity, it is often very useful in locating one's own weaknesses.
The growth pattern of an individual can also be used as a clue to his weaknesses. We tend to believe that the faster our children grow the better, but we forget the fact that premature maturity may lead to premature aging. One can easily imagine what will happen if a contestant in a marathon runs at full speed from the start. In order to live longer, you must try to move at a normal pace that is a necessary condition of longevity, but this is often,
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ignored by many people in modern society. For example, children are taught in schools to eat highly nutritious foods, and at home, parents take every step to ensure that their children are overnourished, so that they can grow faster. As a result, during later years of their lives, people begin to suffer from diseases associated with overnourishment during formative years.
SELECT FIVE FOODS TO CORRECT YOUR PHYSICAL WEAKNESSES
If I were asked to mention just one thing about foods that is most important for longevity, I would have no hesitation in replying that we should eat balanced foods and avoid those foods that are imbalanced. This view is shared by all experts on longevity, but when it comes to deciding which foods are balanced, a consensus will not be reached so easily.
Unlike the Western concept of nutrition, which focuses on protein, vitamins, and minerals, the traditional Chinese concept of balanced foods means to eat different flavors. There are five basic flavors of foods, and each flavor benefits two particular vital internal organs, as shown in the following chart.
THE FIVE FLAVORS OF FOODS
As a general rule, a balanced diet in tradiHonal Chinese medicine means that you should eat all the five flavors of foods. In practical applications, it is necessary to adjust those foods to your individual needs. For example, if you have eye disease that is related to the liver, you should eat more sour foods and try to avoid pungent foods, which are bad for the liver. If you have a problem with your lungs, either because you smoke or suffer from coughs frequently, you should eat more pungent foods and try to avoid bitter foods.
In our daily lives, the majority of foods we eat are either sweet, including bread, beef, milk, chicken, and rice, or salty, such as clams, ham, and pork.
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We also eat sour foods rather often, such as apples, grapes, and oranges, and also pungent foods, like green onions, parsley, ginger, and garlic. Most of us very seldom eat bitter foods unless we drink beer, which contains bitter hops. One bitter food that is readily available is raw,radishes, which can be washed, peeled, grated, and mixed with soy sauce.
One question is bound to arise concerning the impact of different flavors of foods on internal organs. For example, if salty foods are good for the kidneys, why should people with a kidney disease like nephritis refrain from consuming salt? Here, as elsewhere, the principle of moderation applies. Even though salty foods are good for the kidneys because they tend to stimulate them according to the theory of Chinese medicine, they still should be consumed in moderation. Consumption of salty foods in large quantities will reverse the intended effects and produce negative results.
Perhaps the most striking phenomenon is that many obese people share a common belief that they have consumed too many sweet foods that contain plentiful carbohydrates and calories. They reason that in order to lose weight, they should avoid sweet foods as much as possible. This belief is both right and wrong. Sweet foods will indeed put on weight, but it is wrong to think that in order to lose weight, one should avoid sweet foods as much as possible. Sweet foods are good for the spleen and stomach only when they are consumed in moderation. It is maintained in traditional Chinese medicine that obesity is due to the body's inability to digest foods efficiently, and the spleen and stomach are two internal organs in charge of this function.
USE ANIMALS' INTERNAL ORGANS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR OWN
Sometimes a person may not have any visible signs or symptoms that indicate any possible disorders of the vital internal organs. What are some other steps that can be taken to increase the chances of living 100 years and beyond for such basically healthy persons?
As mentioned earlier, two vital internal organs in the human body that are considered particularly relevant to longevity are the kidneys and liver. It is believed in Chinese medicine that the kidneys are the first organs that come into existence in the formation of a fetus. They are also the first organs that will collapse in the natural aging process. Therefore, if a basically healthy person wishes to live long and stay young, steps should be taken to look after the kidneys properly.
The next step is to take care of the liver, because it is the organ that is likely to fail after the kidneys. It is small wonder that in the Japanese language, the expression, "liver and kidney" means "most important." For example, when i
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a Japanese person wants to say that it is most important to receive a good education in society, he will use the Japanese expression, 'To receive a good education in society is as important as the liver and kidneys in the human body."
There are Chinese herbs to make the kidneys and liver stronger, as mentioned in Chapter 8: Yang Tonic Foods, but which foods can increase the strength of the kidneys and liver and make them last longer? In general, sour foods are good for the liver and salty foods are good for the kidneys. However, there is another important principle in Chinese medicine that will accomplish this. It is wise to make use of animals' internal organs to strengthen your own, which means to eat animals' kidneys and liver to strengthen your own internal organs.
Coping with Old-Age Diseases Effectively
According to Chinese statistics compiled recently, among the diseases that attack older people most frequently, hypertension is at the top of the list, followed by chronic tracheitis, coronary heart disease, and cancer. It is reported that 92.5 percent of elderly people suffer from at least one of the above-mentioned diseases. It goes without saying that such diseases also attack younger people as well. And besides, the root causes are derived from factors that have occurred in the earlier stages of life. Therefore, it is wise to prevent such diseases while one is still young.
There is no doubt that disease and the aging process are closely related, so much so that some people believe that aging itself is a disease. In fact, not only can disease speed up the aging process, it is often the cause of death, and few people die without suffering from any disease. In research in which an autopsy was conducted to determine the cause of death of 40 people who died between 90 and 99 years of age, it was found that only three of them died of undetermined causes.
A group of Chinese doctors in Beijing conducted a survey of 106 people over 90 years old. The results showed that fifty-eight of them had no diseases, and the remaining suffered from chronic diseases, among them twelve with hypertension, two with coronary diseases, four with cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heart action), eight with chronic gastritis, seven with chronic tracheitis, three with chronic cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder), six with senile cataract, five with rheumatic arthritis, two with senile pruitus cutaneus (skin itch), and one with senile concussion.
Among eighty-eight centenarians surveyed, eighteen had hypertension, seven suffered coronary diseases, with the incidence rate of cardiovascular diseases accounting for 36.24 percent, followed by ten cases of chronic tracheitis, which accounted for 14.49 percent, two cases of heart and lung diseases, six cases of old fracture, fourteen cases of other diseaes, with thirty-one cases basically in good health. This survey also indicated that seventeen of the eighty-eight centenarians surveyed died within 6 months; among therji
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eight cases died from cardiovascular diseases, which accounts for 47.1 percent, six from enteritis and dehydration, two from infections and paraplegia, and only one of an undetermined cause.
This points to the fact that old people, including centenarians, normally do not die from old age—they die from diseases. Generally speaking, 54.8 percent of those living to over 90 years old die without illness; 35.2 percent of centenarians die without illness. This pattern demonstrates that those who are free from disease will have a better chance of enjoying longevity. And although most centenarians suffer diseases of various sorts, their diseases are relatively minor and in most cases, they are not even aware of them.
In short, it is a fact that diseases speed up the aging process and shorten the life expectancy. On the other hand, the aging process will trigger the attack of diseases that often cause death. Therefore, prevention is better than a cure, which is universally true. The foods presented in this book are designed for preventing diseases so that one can stay in good health, slow down the aging process, and enjoy longevity. The following are food cures for 11 of the most common diseases and conditions that affect elderly people.
THE COMMON COLD
Virtually everybody catches a cold once in a while, and since the immune systems of older people have become weakened, they are more susceptible to the attack of the common cold.
In general, the common cold itself is not as dangerous as its potential complications, as indicated in a Chinese proverb that the "common cold is the cause of one hundred diseases." This is particularly true among people of old age, because when they suffer common colds too frequendy, it may be a dangerous sign that something is seriously wrong in their immune systems and steps should be taken to correct it immediately.
Common cold symptoms among elderly people usually do not include high fever; instead, general symptoms involving the whole body are observed, including headaches, pains in the body, cold sensations, nasal congestion, and coughs.
It is desirable to induce perspiration in treating the common cold whether by foods or by herbs, particularly when the patients display high fever; but excessive perspiration could weaken the body and may cause a collapse of body energy. Therefore, when you feel dry sensations in the mouth, prepare some water with only a small quantity of salt and sugar, and drink it. Chinese patients are fond of making salt-sugar water with preserved sour plums, which contain both salt and sugar.
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CHRONIC TRACHEITIS
Chronic tracheitis is very often associated with frequent attacks of the common cold; therefore, it is necessary to prevent the common cold in the prevention of chronic tracheitis.
There are many Chinese herbal remedies available for the treatment of chronic tracheitis, but the following is a convenient food cure recipe that you can prepare at home, called "four seeds chicken egg recipe."
Grind 100 grams of ginkgo, 100 grams of sweet apricot seeds, 200 grams of walnuts, and 200 grams of peanuts into fine powder. Mix 20 grams of powder with one chicken egg in one cup of water, and bring to a boil. Drink it hot all at once every morning for 6 months. Start this recipe in autumn, since people in general are most susceptible to the attack of tracheitis in this season, and continue until early spring of the following year. This recipe is good both for the prevention and treatment of chronic tracheitis in all patients. It is equally good for asthma and emphysema (abnormal distention of the lungs).
CORONARY HEART DISEASE
It is true that the diagnosis of coronary heart disease is the business of a medical doctor, but its prevention is the responsibility of the patient. Eating the right foods is a good way of preventing coronary heart disease. The foods that can lower the cholesterol level are eggplant, garlic, celery, tomatoes, onions, kelp, and hawthorn fruits, which should be consumed on a regular basis. The foods that have a low level of cholesterol are beans, breads, whole grains, and peas, which can be consumed more often. The foods that have high level of cholesterol are beef, butter, liver, sausages, and shrimp, which should be avoided as much as possible.
Coronary heart disease is often associated with many other diseases, including hypertension, low blood pressure, and diabetes. The prevention of such diseases is also helpful in the prevention of coronary disease.
A simple recipe for treating coronary disease is to mix a 3:50 ratio of saf-flower to rice wine. It was found to be effective in 79 to 85 percent of cases, highly effective in 45 percent of cases, with electrocardiogram improvement in 68 percent of cases.
Or, boil 30 grams of ginkgo leaves to drink like tea regularly. It was found to be effective in 55 to 75 percent of cases, highly effective in 25 to 35 percent of cases, with electrocardiogram improvement in 17 to 50 percent of cases. To reduce the cholesterol level, make tea with hawthorn fruits or lotus leaves.
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in the amount of 15 to 30 grams each. Or, drink ordinary tea on a regular basis.
Make tea with persimmon leaves and drink regularly. The Chinese pick tender leaves towards the end of July or the end of September. Tie the leaves together with a bamboo stick and place them in 80 to 90 °C water for a half minute. Then remove the leaves from the water to dry in a windy, shady place. Crush them when dry, and they are ready to be used as tea leaves. Use 10 grams to make tea and drink regularly.
According to a report, 100 grams of persimmon leaves contain 2,700 milligrams of vitamin C. A prolonged consumption of persimmon leaves will lower the cholesterol level, soften the blood vessels, and prevent coronary disease caused by arteriosclerosis, and hypertension. This remedy is also effective for insomnia and edema.
HYPERTENSION (HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE)
The patient should be on a low-salt, low-fat, low-calorie diet. The blood pressure of laboratory animals goes up when they're given a high-salt diet. And the incidence rate of hypertension among elderly people in the Tong Nan district has been found to be higher than in other regions in China. This is attributed to the fact that people in this district generally consume more salt than people in the rest of the country.
Eat more foods that can reduce blood pressure, such as apples, asparagus, celery, figs, garlic, hawthorn fruits, papaya, persimmon, and tomatoes. Also, eat more protein-rich foods such as fish and soybeans.
Cook black fungus, onions, and garlic together and eat at meals regularly. This can counteract arteriosclerosis and prevent cerebral thrombosis (the formation of a blood clot or thrombus in the brain).
Grind tea tree roots into powder. Take 20 grams of powder with water two times daily for one month as a course of treatment. Four medical colleges in China used this method to treat 140 cases of hypertension and coronary disease caused by high cholesterol levels, which produced good results.
Mix mung bean powder with pork bile in a 1:2 ratio of mung bean powder to pork bile. Leave it to dry in the sun, and then grind into powder. Take 4 grams of powder three times daily to lower blood pressure.
Prepare seaweed and leaves to dry in the sun; then grind into powder. Take 7 grams of seaweed powder with water each day, divided into three dosages for 1 to 3 months as a course of treatment. Or, cook seaweed and eat at meals regularly. Seaweed can not only reduce blood pressure, it also contains plenty of fibre good for the prevention of colon cancer.
Coping with Old-Age Diseases Effectively 185
Crush 10 fresh hawthorn fruits, add rock sugar, boil in water, and drink like tea. Or, eat 10 fresh hawthorn fruits daily. Hawthorn fruits can lower cholesterol levels and also soften the blood vessels and reduce blood pressure.
Eat at least three apples every day to help reduce blood pressure. Experiments have indicated that apples can raise blood pressure when it is too low, and also reduce blood pressure when it is too high. This is called "regulation of blood pressure" in Chinese medicine.
Boil peanut stalks and leaves in water, 30 grams each, and drink like tea to reduce high blood pressure. A Chinese researcher found this to be effective in 85 percent of cases.
LOW BLOOD PRESSURE
Eat foods that can raise blood pressure, such as apples and limes. Limes can also reduce cholesterol levels.
Traditionally, when a patient fainted due to low blood pressure, a Chinese doctor would pour ginseng soup into the patient's mouth as a first-aid measure, which had proven to be effective.
Mix together 9 grams each of cinnamon twigs and bark and processed licorice to make tea. Drink it frequently for 10 to 20 days as a course of treatment. Research has indicated that among 38 cases of low blood pressure treated by this method, all showed good results. The Shanghai College of Chinese Medicine also found this formula to be effective, and it was attributed to the fact that it can increase the contraction of the heart muscles and improve blood circulation. It raises the quantity of blood flowing through the capillaries, resulting in a rise in blood pressure. In addition, when licorice is taken by itself, it can also cause a rise in blood pressure.
Sometimes the patient cannot maintain normal blood pressure after it has been raised by various methods. If this is the case, and if the patient displays symptoms such as a weak pulse, weight loss, cold sensations, impotence in men, and frequent urination during the night, try the following remedy. Prepare 0.3 grams of deer's horn powder (available in Chinese herb shops). Mix the powder with a chicken egg, and steam it. Eat one egg first thing in the morning every day for 15 to 30 days as a course of treatment. This should not be continued for a long period, particularly if the patient already has hypertension.
CHRONIC GASTRITIS
Avoid foods that are too cold, too sour, too hard, or too hot. Eat in moderation and on a fixed schedule. Pay more attention to vitamin-Bi2-rich foods to,
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prevent pernicious anemia, vitamin-A-rich foods to prevent atrophic gastritis, and high-protein foods to prevent atrophy of mOcosa and speed up heahng.
In Chinese medicine, chronic gastritis is divided into two distinct types: stomach-yin deficiency and stomach-cold deficiency. In the stomach-yin-deficiency type, the patient is more likely to display thirst, dry lips, poor appetite or excessive hunger, discharge of dry stool, abdominal distention after meals, or burning stomach pain. In the stomach-cold-deficiency type, the patient is more likely to display abdominal pain, fatigue, cold limbs, and vomiting.
A patient suffering from stomach-yin deficiency should eat more yin tonics, including foods, such as bean curd and drink, brown sugar, cheese, dates, figs, maltose, milk, peas, royal jelly, and tomatoes. One herb commonly used as a yin tonic is matrimony vine fruits (also called Chinese wolfberry fruits). A patient suffering from the stomach-cold-deficiency type of chronic gastritis should eat more energy tonics, including beef, chicken, honey, red and black dates, shiitake mushrooms, potatoes, and squash; and kidneys, lobster, raspberries, shrimp, strawberries, and walnuts, which are considered yang tonics.
PROSTATOMEGALY (ENLARGEMENT OF THE PROSTATE GLAND)
Prostatomegaly attacks mostly men of middle or old age. Statistics show that 70 percent of men between 60 and 70 years old suffer from this disease, which is often an extension of chronic prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland).
In case of frequent urination and lack of power in discharging urine, take energy tonics. In addition, prostatomegaly is due to kidney weakness according to Chinese medicine; therefore, kidney tonic foods should be used.
PEPTIC ULCERS
Avoid eating too much or foods that are too cold, too hot, or too sour. Eating frequently in small quantities is better than eating three widely spaced meals. If this is not possible due to working schedules, eat snacks in between meals to reduce excessive hunger, which may trigger the onset of peptic ulcers.
Avoid hot and spicy foods, including alcohol, cayenne pepper, coffee, mustard, tea, cocoa, and cola drinks, which stimulate gastric acid secretion.
According to research, foods that contribute to the healing of peptic ulcers include fresh ginger, soybeans, mung beans, honey, potatoes, white sugar, and peanut oil.
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In a clinical report, licorice, honey, and dried orange peels were used to treat 66 cases of peptic ulcers. The results showed that pain disappeared within 3 to 4 days of treatment in 90.9 percent of cases, with a corresponding decrease in nausea, vomiting, and belching.
DIABETES MELLITUS
Diabetes mellitus was recorded in Chinese medical history as early as the eighth century when a Chinese physician in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) mentioned that a diabetic often displayed three basic symptoms: excessive urine production, hunger, and thirst. This description is perfectly consistent with the modern understanding of the disease in Western medicine. Shortly afterwards, another symptom was added to the list: sugar in the urine. Chinese historical records indicated that many great Chinese thinkers in the past had diabetes, including the emperor Han Wu-Di (156-87 b.c), one of China's greatest writers, Sima Xiangru (179-117 B.C.), one of China's greatest poets, Du Fu (a.d. 712-770), and China's outstanding philosopher, Han Yu (a.d. 768-824).
The incidence of diabetes in China has soared dramatically in the past decade. According to a report from Shanghai, the most significant increase is among people over 40 years old. Elderly diabetics usually do not have apparent symptoms of excessive thirst, urination, or hunger; instead, they are characterized by hyperglycemia (excessive sugar in the blood) and glycosuria (sugar in the urine).
According to Western medicine, the basic cause of diabetes is still unknown, but the direct cause is the failure of beta cells in the pancreas to secrete insulin, which may be due to a genetic disorder or inflammation, or malignant invasion of the pancreas. For this reason, children of families with a history of diabetes should take steps to prevent it as early as possible, such as not eating sweet foods, not smoking or drinking alcohol, and avoiding fatigue and mental stress.
When a person shows signs of diabetes, particularly at advanced age, it is beneficial to take 60 grams of yam powder with water every day. When a diabetic displays abnormal levels of sugar in the blood or urine, the herbs to be taken include Chinese, Korean, and Western ginseng. Take 6 grams of ginseng powder daily. Or, mix ginseng powder with matrimony vine fruits powder at a 1:3 ratio, and take 10 grams of powder daily.
Or, bake a pork pancreas, and grind it into powder. Take 6 grams of powder two to three times daily.
Eat foods such as onions, garlic, common button mushrooms, and carrots, which are capable of lowering the blood sugar level, according to the theory of Chinese medicine. Also, research indicates that wheat bran, corn, guava, and eel can be used as a remedy to treat diabetes. i
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Prepare a few bitter gourds and leave them to dry in the sun; then grind into powder. Take 6 grams of powder three times daily, which is good for mild cases of diabetes. Also, pick guava leaves and dry them in the sun. Crush the leaves and add hot water to drink like tea.
OBESITY
Individuals who are 20 to 30 percent over the average weight for their age, sex, and height are considered obese. There are two general types of obesity: exogenous, which is caused by excessive food intake and often called simple obesity or nutritional obesity; and endogenous, which is caused by internal disorders of the endocrine glands or metabolism.
Obesity has a great deal to do with genetic factors, and for that reason, children of families with a tendency to obesity should take steps as early as possible to avoid its occurrence in the form of moderate eating and regular exercise.
An obese person should be on a calorie-restricted diet, and avoid eating snacks and fatty meats or drinking excessive fruit juices. They should eat more soybean products, fresh vegetables, and lean meats. Select yang foods to increase energy output, because yang is active and can elevate the basal metabolic rate; avoid yin foods, which can increase energy input.
Chinese longevity seekers believe in moderate eating as a means of attaining longevity. What one eats for dinner is regarded as crucial to obesity, because one normally does not do exercises or heavy work after dinner. People con sume far less energy while sleeping, often resulting in an accumulation of excessive fats in the body.
According to the theory of Chinese medicine, an obese person produces a lot of sputum and suffers from energy deficiency. In order to treat obesity, it is necessary to eliminate the factors that contribute to the production of sputum and to increase body energy. Select energy tonics and foods for eliminating sputum.
CANCER
Cancer is threatening the lives of so many people in the world. Cancer cures and prevention have become a most serious task confronting medical scientists, and it is worth pointing out that Chinese and Western medical scientists have tried to fight cancers in their own traditional ways. Western scientists have developed surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, while the Chinese have used such traditional weapons as herbs, acupuncture, foods, and exercise.
abalone, 48, 88
abdominal pain cures, 46, 118, 157
adzuki bean flowers, 48, 122 adzuki beans, 48, 122 adzuki bean sprouts, 48, 142 aging: disease and, 181-188;
excess diseases and, 35-36;
immune deficiency and,
30-33 alcohol, 21 alfalfa roots, 48, 136 almonds, 48, 142 aloe vera, 48,122 amaranth, 54, 132 ambergris, 48, 111 anabolism, 20
anemia cures, 69-71, 85, 86, 87 animal foods, harmful effects of, 12
animal internal organs, 179-180.
see also specific animal organs antibodies, 31 antigens, 31
appetite correction, 65, 71-72, 81 apple cucumbers, 48,115 apple peels, 48,142 apples, 48, 88
areca nut male flowers, 48, 111 arrowhead, 48,164 arteriosclerosis cures, 95 arthritis pain cures, 98 asafoetida, 48, 142 asparagus, 48,142 asthma cures, 17, 93, 107, 133 aubergine, 50,126-127 autumn bottle gourd, 48,144 autumn pear jelly, 96 azalea flowers, 48,143 azalea roots, 48, 111
bacillary dysentery cure, 22-23, 132
breath cure, 155, 158 balsam pear seeds, 48, 60 bamboo liquid oil, 48, 143 bamboo shoots, 48,123 banana rhizomes, 48, 123 bananas, 48, 123 basal metabolism, 21 bayberry roots, 48, 164 B cells, 31 bean curd, see tofu bean drink, 13, 48,143 bear's gallbladder, 48, 123-124 beef, 48, 81 beef kidneys, 48, 102 beef liver, 48, 58 beer, 48, 111 beriberi, 18-19 biliary tract infection, 44-45 bird's nest, 48, 58-59 bitter apricot seeds, 48, 143-144 bitter endive, 48, 124 bitter gourd, 88-89 bitter gourd seeds, 48, 60 black chicken, 61-62 black date tea, 71 black pepper, 48, 144 black sesame seeds, 48, 107 black soybeans, 48, 164-165 black soybean skin, 48, 81
bleeding, stoppage of, 117 bleeding cures, 128-129 blood circulation, foods
promoting, 47, 164-171 blood clams, 48, 82 blood coagulation, 47 blood deficiency, 38-39 blood pressure, 19, 67, 185. see
also hypertension cuies blood tonic foods, 81-87 blood tonics, 38-39 blood vomiting, cure for, 59 bone fracture Healing, 90 bottle gourd, 48,144 brake, 48, 124 brake roots, 48, 136 breast cancer treatment, 167 breath shortness, cures for, 63, 64 broad beans, see horse beans bronchiectasis cure, 147 bronchitis cures, 58-59, 145 broomcorn, 48, 82 brown sugar, 49, 89 buckwheat, 49,136-137 Buddha's hand, 51, 146 burdock, 49,124 burn healing, 155
camellia, 49,165 camphor mint, 49, 124 cancer cures, 188-189 cantaloupe, 49, 89-90 cantaloupe calyx-receptacle, 49, 137
cantaloupe seeds, 49, 158 carambola, 55, 98-99 caraway seeds, 49,115 carbohydrates, 33 carbuncle treatments, 76 cardamon seeds, 49, 111 carotene, 18,116 carrots, 115-116 cassia, 50, 103 castor bean roots, 49,165 catabolism, 20 cattail, 49, 124 cattail pollen, 49, 165 cayenne pepper, 165-166 celery, 49, 144-145 celery roots, 49,137 celery seeds, 49,124 cellular immunity, 31 cervical cancer therapy, 74 cheese, 49, 107 cherries, 49, 60 cherry leaves, 49, 116 cherry roots, 49, 158 chest congestion cure, 105 chestnuts, 49, 102 chicken, 49, 60-62 chicken blood, 49,165 chicken eggs, 49, 82 chicken egg white, 49, 125 chicken gallbladder, 49,125 chicken liver, 49, 62, 108 chicken pox facilitation, 74 chicken soup, 61-62 chicken tofu, 62 chicory, 49, 112
childbirth disorders, cures for,
69, 90, 118 chili leaves, 49,165
chili peppers, 49, 165-166 chili rhizomes, 49, 166 Chinese cabbage, 49,137-138 Chinese chives, 166 Chinese endive, 49, 125 Chinese magnolia fruits, 49,112 Chinese medicine, experience
and, 28-29 Chinese or wild jujubes, 55,110 Chinese parsley, 50,166-167 Chinese rose, 49,125 Chinese rose leaves, 49, 166 Chinese toon, 49, 125 Chinese toon leaves, 49, 126 Chinese yams, 14,16-17 chive roots & bulbs, 49,166 chives, 49,158-159 chive seeds, 49 cholesterol lowering, 75 chrysanthemums, 50,126 cinnamon bark, 50,103 cirrhosis cures, 73 citron leaves, 50,138 citrons, 50, 145 clams, 50 clove oil, 50,103 cloves, 50,103 coconut meat, 50 coconut milk, 50, 90 coconut shells, 50,138 coffee, 50,112
common button mushrooms, 50, 145
common carp, 50,138 common cold cures, 13, 21-22,
23, 36, 68, 89, 157,182 conjunctivitis cures, 123 constipation cures, 18, 24, 66, 87,
90,149 coriander, 50,166-167 corncobs, 50,116 corn roots, 50, 167 corn silk, 50,138 coronary heart disease, 183-184 cough cures, 17, 22, 58, 63, 82,
93, 94, 99, 107, 109, 116, 126,
145,147,. 149, 156 cow's gallbladder, 50,126 cow's milk, 50, 90 crab claws, 50, 167 crabs, 50, 90-91 crab shells, 50,167 crane meat, 50 crown daisies, 50, 116 cucumber vines, 50, 138 cuttlefish, 50, 82-83
damp heat, foods for reducing,
44-45,136-141 dates, 50 day lilies, 50,139 deer horns, 50,167 deer's kidneys, 50, 103 deficiency disease cures, 64. see
also specific deficiency diseases diabetes cures, 18, 19, 74, 90, 100,
109,130, 187-188 diarrhea cures, 13, 58, 65, 69, 71,
77, 81, 84, 88, 91, 97, 118, 131,
136, 146,152; Chinese yams,
16-17 dill seeds, 50,103
distillers' grains, 50, 167 dizziness cures, 83, 87, 95 dog's bone, 50, 116 donggui, 83
dried black soybean sprouts, 50,
139 duck, 50, 91 duck eggs, 50, 91 dysentery cures, 58, 77, 83, 130
eczema cures, 70
edema cures, 62, 81, 85, 94, 100,
117, 138, 152 eel, 50, 63-64 eel blood, 50, 168 eggplant, 50, 126-127 eggplant calyx, 50, 139 eggplant leaves, 50, 168 eggplant roots, 50, 145-146 emphysema cures, 59 energy circulation, foods
promoting, 46, 158-163 energy congestion, 46 energy deficiency, 38 energy tonics, 37-38, 58-80 enteritis cures, 23, 130, 155 enuresis cures, 62, 63, 108 environment, 35-36 epiphyllum, 51, 146 ergosterin (ergosterol), 75 eruption soup, 74 excess diseases, 35-36. see also
specific excess diseases expectorant foods, 45-46 eye disorder cures, 86, 137
fatigue reduction, 69 fats, 33
fava beans, see horse beans fennel roots, 51, 103 fennel seeds, 51, 104 fenugreek seeds, 51, 104 fertility, increasing in women, 65 fever cure, 13
fibre, dietary, 19-20, 24-25 fibre-deficiency diseases, 20 fig leaves, 51, l39 fig roots, 51, 159 figs, 51, 91
fingered citron roots, 51, 159 fingered citrons, 51, 146 fish air bladder, 51, 168 flavors of foods, 178-179 food poisoning treatment, 137 food tonics, 3/, 41-42. see also
specific food tonics fresh ginkgo, 51, 146 freshwater clams, 51, 92 frog, 51, 117 frostbite treatments, 74 fruits, 24-25. see also specific fruits
garlic, 22-23, 51, 108 gastritis cures, 185-186 gastroenteritis cures, 118 ge- 22
ginger, fresh, 21-22 ginger leaves, 51, 168 gingivitis, 132 ginkgo leaves, 112 ginko, 50, 51, 62-63 ginseng, 51, 64-65 glutinous fluids, 15-16 glutinous rice, 51, 65 glutinous rice stalks, 51, 139 goat liver, 55, 86-87 goat's blood, 55, 120 goat's gallbladder, 55, 133-134
goose meats, 51
goose's gallbladder, 51, 127
grains, unpolished, 18-20
grapefruit flowers, 51, 159
grapefruit peels, 51, 146
grapefruit roots, 51, 159
grapefruits, 51, 127
grape leaves, 51, 127
grapes, 51, 83
grass carp, 51, 112
grass carp gall, 51, 117
'green gown," 101
green onion juice, 51, 168
green onion roots, 51, 159
green onion seeds, 51, 104
green onion white heads, 51, 160
green turtle, 51, 92
growth patterns, 177-178
hairtail, 51, 112-113 hair vegetable, 51, 127 ham, 51, 84
hawthorn fruits, 51, 139-140 headache cures, 74, 87, 97, 99 heart disease, 68-69, 183-184 heart tonics, 40-41, 111-114 hemophilia cures, 86 hemorrhoid bleeding, stoppage of, 139
hemorrhoid bleeding cures, 74 hemp, 51, 168
hepatitis cures, 9, 44, 73, 83, 115,
126, 131, 137 hepatosplenomegaly cure, 153 heredity, 177-178 hernia cure, 106, 153, 155 herring, 52 hiccup cures, 105 honey, 52, 65-69 honeysuckle, 52, 128 honeysuckle stem leaf, 52, 128 Hopkins, Sir Frederick, 34 horse beans, 52, 117-118 human milk, 52, 84; secretion,
promotion of, 11, 77, 86, 138,
152
humoral immunity, 31
hyacinth bean flowers, 52, 118
hyacinth beans, 52, 118
hyperlipidemia, 75-76
hypertension cures, 9, 35, 66, 87, 93, 95, 116, 117, 131, 144, 147, 152,154,156, 184-185
hyperthyroidism., 15
immune deficiency, 5; aging and, 30-33; nutrients and, 33-34; tonic foods and, 37-42
immune excess, 5, 6, 43-47
impotence cures, 60, 100
indigestion cures, 115
insect bite cures, 126
insomnia cures, 69, 71
interferon, 31
iodine, 15
jack beans, see sword beans iackfruits, 52
Japanese cassia bark, 52, 118-119 Japanese cassia fruits, 52, 104 Japanese medlai. see loauat jasmine flowers, 52, 160 jaundice cures, 18, 83, 131, 132 jelly, loquat, 93-94 jellyfish, 52, 146-147 jellyfish skin, 52, 147 Job's tears, 52, 108 Job's tears leaves, 52, 113
Job's tears roots, 52, 119
kidney beans, 52, 92
kidney vang deficiency, see yang
deficiency kidney yang tonics, see yang
tonics
kidney yin deficiency, see yin
deficiency kidney yin tonics, see yin tonics kiwifruit roots, 52, 168 kohlrabi leaves, 52, 147 kumquat cake, 52, 147 kumquat roots, 52, 160 kumquats, 52, 92-93
lablab beans, see hyacinth beans
lactation, 11
ladle gourd, 52, 160
lard, 52, 93
laver, 52, 148
leaf beets, 52, 128
leaf brown mustard, 52, 148 ,
lemon leaves, 52, 148
lemon peels, 52, 148
lemon roots, 52, 169
lemons, 52, 93
lentinan, 76
licorice, 52, 128
lily flowers, 52, 128
limes, 52, 160
litchi nuts, 52, 84
liver deficiency, 40
liver tonic foods, 107-110
liver tonics, 40
lobster, 52, 98, 149
longans, 52, 69-70
longan seeds, 52, 161
longan shells, 52, 113
longevity 28-29
longevity fruits, 52, 149
longevity soup, 75
loquat, 52, 93-94
loquat flowers, 52, 149
loquat leaves, 52, 149
loquat seeds, 52, 53, 150
lotus flowers, 53, 169
lotus fruits and seeds, 53, 119
lotus rhizomes, 53, 128-129
lotus sprouts, 53, 169
lotus stems, 53, 129
lovaee. see donggui
iucid asparagus, 53, 94
lumbago cures, 95
lung deficiency, 40
lung tonic foods, 107-110
lung tonics, 40
mackerel, 53 mallow roots, 53, 129 malt, 53, 161 maltose, 53, 94 mandarin fish, 53 mandarin orange, 53, 94-95 mangoes, 53, 95 mango leaves, 53, 161 mare's milk, 53, 85 mastitis treatments, 76 mastitis cure, 167 matrimony vine fruits, 53, 109 measles, facilitation of, 74, 84, 99, 166
measurement equivalents, 8 menses suppression, 89, 117 menstruation disorder cures, 78,
118, 144 metric equivalents, 8 minerals, 24-25, 33
Index 191
momordica fruits, 149 morning sickness cures, 83, 89 mother chrysanthemums, 53, 129 mulberries, 53, 109 mullet, 53, 119 mumps cure, 139 mumps swelling, cures for, 70 mung bean powder, 53, 129 mung beans, 53, 129-130 mung bean sprouts, 53,129 muskmelon, see cantaloupe mussels, 53, 95 mustard seeds, 53, 150
nasopharyngeal carcinoma, 22 nearsightedness cures, 86 neck swelling cure, 117 nephritis cure, 89 neuralgia cures, 76, 109 neurasthenia cures, 71 night blindness cures, 27, 85, 87, 115
night sweat cures, 58, 169 nutrients, immune deficiency and,33-34
obesity, 74, 188 octopus, 53
old aried radish roots, 53, 150 oleaster (Russian olives), 55, 132-133
olives, 53, 140 onions, 53, 150 orange cake, 53, 150 orange leaves, 53, 151 orange peels, 53, 151 orchid leaves, 53, 130 oregano, 53, 151 organic tonics, 37 Oriental fenugreek, 51, 104 oxtail, 53, 85 oxyuriasis cure, 23 oysters, 53, 85 oyster shells, 53, 151
pain relief, 145
palm seed, 53, 85
palpitation cures, 83
Pauling, Linus, 33
peach blossoms, 53, 151
peaches, 54, 169
peach kernels, 53, 169
peach roots, 53, 170
peanuts, 54, 151-152
pearl, 54, 130
pearl sago, 54, 119
pear peels, 54, 130
pears, 54, 95-96
peas, 54, 96
peony flowers, 54, 170
peony root bark, 54, 170
peppermint, 54, 130
peptic ulcer cures, 66, 67-68, 70,
82, 90, 94,143, 186-187 perch, 54, 120 persimmons, 54, 152 pharyngolaryngitis cures, 95, 149 pheasant, 54, 120 pigeon eggs, 54 pigeon meat, 54, 70 pigweed, 132 pineapples, 54, 96 pistachio nuts, 54, 104 plantains, 54, 140 plantain seeds, 54, 152 plum blossoms, 152 plum kernels, 54, 170 polished rice, 54
pomegranates, 54, 96
pork, 96-97
pork brain, 54, 131
pork gallbladder, 54, 131
pork liver, 54, 85
pork lung, 54, 109
pork pancreas, 54, 109
pork testes, 54, 104
pork trotter, 54, 86
potatoes, 54, 71-72
pregnancy disorders, cures for,
83, 134, 143 preserved duck eggs, 54,131 pricking amaranth, 54,132 prickly ash root, 54, 105 prostatomegaly, 186 proteins, 33
pulmonary abscess cure, 147 pumpkin pedicels, 54, 170 pumpkin roots, 140 purines, 79 purslane, 54, 132
rabbit, 54 rabbit liver, 54, 110 radishes, 54, 153 radish leaves, 54, 161 radish seeds, 54, 153 rambutan, 54, 132 rape, 54, 170 rapeseed, 54,161 raspberries, 54, 105 reef bayberries, 55, 97 red beans, 55, 161 red & black dates, 71-73, 555 red face cure, 117 regulating foods, 35, 43-57 rheumatic arthritis cures, 61, 83, 109
rice sprouts, 55, 120 rickets, 26
river snails, 55, 140-141 rock sugar, 55 romaine lettuce, 55, 132 roses, 55, 161 royal jelly, 55, 110 "running fire," 78 Russian olives, 55, 132-133
saber beans, see sword beans safflower fruits, 55, 133 saffron, 55, 162 salt, 54, 133
saltwater clams, 55, 97-98 sapotoxin, 71 scallion bulbs, 55, 162 science, vs. common experience,
26-28 scrofula cure, 153 scurvy, 9, 27-28 sea cucumber, 55, 86 sea ginseng, see sea cucumber seagrass, 55, 153 sea prawn, see lobster seaweed, 27, 55, 154 seminal emission cures, 62, 63,
100
sexual capacity improvement, 23 sexual dysfunction cures, 70 shark, 55, 171 shark air bladder, 55, 105 sheep liver, 55, 86-87 sheep's blood, 55, 120 sheep's gallbladder, 55, 133-134 shells, 55, 141
shiitake mushrooms, 55, 74-76 shock reduction, 64 shrimp, 55, 98
shrimp rice, 98
shrimp skin, 9b
silver-white fruit, see ginko
skin care treatments, ^4
skin disorders, cures for, o9, '^1,
77, 126, 136 small red beans, see adzuki
beans
snake bite pain, relief foi, 134 solanine, 71
sore throat cures, 94, 98 sour dates, 55, 110 sour orange peels, 55, 154 soybean milk, see bean drink soybean oil or sauce, 11, 55, 141 soybean paste, 55, 134 soybeans, 10-14 soybean sprouts, 11, 14 spearmint, 55, 162 spinach, 55, 87 spinach beets, 52, 128 spleen tonics, 41, 115-121 sputum elimination, 45-46, 74,
142-157 squash, 55, 76 squash calyx, 55, 154-155 squash flowers, 55, 141 squash roots, 55, 141 star anise, 55, 105 star fruit, 55, 98-99 stomach: bleeding, stoppage of,
77; cold sensations m, cures
for, 78, 134; spasm cures, 82;
upset, cures tor, 59, 90, 99,
157
stomachache cures, 74, 89, 94,
119, 131, 143, 145, 152 stomach disease cures, 66 stomach tonics, 41, 111-114 strawberries, 55, 110 strawberry plant, 55, 134 string beans, 55, 120-121 sturgeon, 56 sugar cane, 56, 99 sunflower disc or receptacle, 56,
141
swallowing difficulty cure, 159 sweet apricot seed, 56, 99 sweet basil, 56, 134 sweet fruits, see pomegranates sweet green orange peels, 56, 155 sweet potatoes, 14-15, 17-18, 5o,
76-77 sweet potato leaves, 18 swelling cures, 46, 98, 126, 138,
154
Swiss chard (leaf beets), 52, 128 sword bean roots, 56, 162 sword beans, 56, 105-106 sword bean shells, 171
tangerine orange peels, 56, 134-135
tangerine oranges, 56, 162
tangerine orange seeds, 56, 155
T cells, 30
tea, 27, 56, 155-156
tea melon, 56, 135
tea oil, 56, 135
tea seeds, 56, 163
three bean drink, 130
thyme, 56, 156
thymus gland, 32
thyroxine, 15
tobacco, 21
tofu, 12-13, 56, 77-80 tofu flowers, 13
tomatoes, 56, 99-100 i
192 Index
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
llllilllllllllllllllllllllllllll
9999 05292 290 1
tongue, 176
tonic foods, see also specific tonic foods: immune deficiency and, 35, 37-42; listing of, 48-57
tonics, 6, 42
toxic heat, foods for eliminating,
43-44,122-135 tracheitis cures, 31, 89, 143, 147,
154, 183 trichomonas vaginitis cure, 23 trifoliate orange, 56,113 tuberculosis cures, 68,106,132 tumor inhibition, 76 turmeric, 56, 163 turnip flowers, 56, 110 turnip seeds, 56,156
ulcer cures, 147
urethritis cure, 132
urination disorders: cures for, 13,
62, 63, 81, 95, 100, 130, 138,
148
uterine bleeding cure, 74 vaginal bleeding cure, 143
vaginal discharge cures, 62, 63,
95, 99, 117, 143 vegetables, 24-25. see also specific
vegetables vinegar, 56, 163 vitamin A, 33-34 vitamin-B deficiency diseases,
18-19 vitamin C, 9,11, 24 vitamin-C deficiency, 33 vitamin-D deficiency, 26 vitamins, 24, 33 vitiligo cures, 109 vomiting cures, 59, 119
walnuts, 23-24, 56,100 water chestnuts, 56,156 watermelon, 56, 100-101 weaknesses: food selection for,
178-179; identification by
senses,
174-177; identification by
symptoms, 172-174 Western ginseng, 56,110 Western nutritional system, 5-6 wheat, 56,113
wheat seedling, 56,141 whitebait, 57,101 white blood cells, 31 whitefish, 57, 121 white fungus, 56, 114 white or yellow mustard, 56,157, 171
white pepper, 56, 157 white string beans, 56 white sugar, 56, 101 whooping cough cures, 23,106,
m, 149 wild marjoram, 53,151
yams, 57, 121 yang, 14, 20-21 yang deficiency, 32 yang tonics, 21, 32, 39-40, 102-106. see also specific yang foods yellow soybeans, 57,157 yin, 14-16
yin deficiency, 14-15, 32, 39 yin tonics, 19, 20, 32, 39, 88-101 young trifoliate oranges (limes), 52,160
About the Author
Dr. Henry C. Lu received his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. He taught at the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary between 1968 and 1971, and has practised Chinese medicine since 1972. Dr. Lu now teaches Chinese medicine by correspondence. His students live in many countries, including the United States, Canada, England, Australia, Sweden, Italy, Germany, France, New Zealand, Switzerland, Mexico, and Japan.
The author is best known for his translation of Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine from Chinese into English, and for the Chinese College of Acupuncture and Herbology he established in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, for the instruction of traditional Chinese medicine.
Dr. Lu lives in Surrey, British Columbia, with his wife, Janet, their son, Albert, and daughter, Magnus.
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