Chinese Patent Remedies For Your Medicine Cabinet

Energy cannot be destroyed, only changed. When it comes to our health, an Asian approach to changing the flow of energy is the primary means to wellness with the overall goal as balance.

Traditional Chinese Medicine allows for an understanding of the inner workings of the organs and how flow of blood and chi affect them. Addressing stagnation, heat, dry, and dampness are what many Chinese patent remedies treat in order to achieve balance and health. These are age old remedies born out of longevity and wisdom.

Every large city has a Chinatown where you can find these amazing treatment for what ails you:

-Yinchiao Chieh Tu Pien: Cold/flu remedy, also has antibiotic ingredients of honeysuckle flower to reduce redness/swelling/hives/rashes

-Lien Chiao Pai Tu Pien: Treats skin boils with pus, also fever, red, itchy skin

-Bi Yan Pian: Nose inflammation, sinus congestion, head cold

-Yunnan Pai Yao: Trauma (large wounds, broken bones, gunshots, etc), menstrual cramps, ulcers, sprains, inflammation. Great also before surgery (2 days) and after surgery (7-10 days)

-Curing Pills: Diarrhea, digestive cure all, safe for nausea during pregnancy! 

-Patch Removing Pills: Facial/skin discolorations, moles, freckles, dark patches on face

These beverage/teas/syrups are also medicinal:

-Lo Han Kuo Beverage: Dry cough/thirst with cold or flu symptoms

-She She Cao tea: Boils, pimples, rashes, skin toxins

-Hsiao Keh Chuan: Bronchitis, cough and asthma

Some great books on this:

Chinese Herbal Patent Formulas by Jake Fratkin

Asian Health Secrets by Letha Hadady

Lip Fix: Mint Glaze FX

Rummaging through the free bin at work, desperately seeking some kind of lip balm to help soothe my dry, sore cold weathered lips, I came across this product called MINT GLAZE FX. Giving it the old once over twice, I noticed it was cruelty free (big bonus in my book) and spf 15. I applied the minty goodness onto my lips and decided to spread the word.

Get it. $22 online.

http://www.coverfx.com/Canada/Fortifying-Lip-Treat-Mint-Primer-P14C1.aspx

Lip Service: The Health Risks of Oral Sex

Major, major ladies - take care of yourselves, HPV is finding its way into your mouths.

 

Health Risks of Oral Sex 

Long known to cause cervical cancer, the pervasive but often silent human papillomavirus (HPV) has been finding its way into women's mouths 

By Alyssa Giacobbe

Mische Eddins, 37, awoke with a head cold. Or what seemed like one anyway. Postnasal drip. Sore throat. Swollen lymph nodes. No biggie—it was the fall of 2007, and a seasonal bug was winding its way through Seattle. "I had just been bragging to my friends about how I'd managed to avoid getting sick," she says. "But I was healthy, so it all passed quickly." Everything, that is, except a swollen node on the left side of her neck, which, months later, hadn't gone away.

Christmastime came, and the little bump was still there. Sans appointment, Mische walked into her doctor's office and left with a script for antibiotics. No improvement. She then bounced from M.D. to M.D., and finally, six months after that seemingly innocuous head cold, she had a PET/CT scan. The results were a total shock: Mische had stage III oral cancer, and the disease had spread from her tonsil to her lymph nodes.

Within hours, her docs had scheduled a tonsillectomy and were talking about chemo and radiation. Someone suggested she prepare a will. "I was floored," she says. "A will?" A professional singer, Mische exercised almost every day, ate a mostly organic diet, didn't booze heavily, and never smoked as an adult. Even her doctors were stymied.

Searching for answers, one physician tested Mische's cancer cells for human papillomavirus (HPV), the sexually transmitted infection notoriously linked to cervical cancer. Mische was taken aback; she'd spent the past 16 years in two monogamous relationships and was fastidious about getting annual Pap smears, which had never been abnormal. Why were they now testing her mouth? Her doctors explained the worrisome new link between oral cancer and HPV, which can be transmitted to the mouth through oral sex. And indeed, she tested positive. Her oral cancer was HPV-related.

Ten years ago, oral cancer among women was practically unheard of. Patients were nearly always male and over 50, heavy smokers or drinkers, or both. (When actor Michael Douglas, 66, was diagnosed with the illness this past summer, the media pointed to his longtime half-a-pack-a-day habit.) But according to the Journal of Clinical Oncology, there has been a major upswing in HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, a deadly disease often found in the base of the tongue and the tonsils. In fact, roughly a quarter of all oral cancers are now HPV-related, according to the American Cancer Society, and approximately 25 percent of cases occur in women—some as young as 19, says Gregory Masters, M.D., an oncologist at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center in Newark, Delaware.

But how could HPV, a "down there" disease, be causing so many mouth problems? It's something the best doctors and public-health experts out there have long feared, thanks to the rampant spread of the virus. You've likely heard the daunting stats: Approximately 20 million Americans currently have HPV, with 6 million new infections discovered each year through Pap or cervical swab tests, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What's more, the virus—which can have zero symptoms or bloom into a series of visible warts—will affect up to 80 percent of sexually active women at some point in their lives.

In the vast majority of cases, the body's immune system will clear HPV on its own within two years (there is some debate over whether the same HPV infection can ever return to cause cervical lesions later, but research is still in early stages). However, a small percentage of infected women—around 11,000 per year—will not clear HPV and may develop cervical cancer. This has prompted the federal government to recommend, somewhat controversially, that all girls be vaccinated for HPV by age 12.

To date, safe-sex campaigns have typically blamed the spread of HPV on unprotected vaginal intercourse. But it's now clear that the disease can be contracted orally too. And that's where things got dangerous for Mische Eddins and thousands of other women. Their mouths were infected with HPV-16, the particular type that most doctors believe is responsible for the majority of cases of HPV-related oral cancer.

Just how long HPV-16 lingers in the mouth before turning into cancer is uncertain. But what is evident is that more than 14 percent of cases aren't caught until very late stages, possibly because some physicians are slow to consider the cancer in young female patients. "Since HPV-related oral cancers don't affect the traditional group of those at risk for mouth cancer, a lot of these cases are missed or diagnosed late," affirms Eric J. Moore, M.D., an otolaryngologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "Usually, the patient is healthy, exercises regularly, and eats right. She doesn't fit the profile."

LINK TO ARTICLE: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/hpv-facts

Thanks to Samantha Harris for sending this my way.

Don't Worry, Be Happy: 10 Happy Foods for the Season

Tis the season of change... and with change can come fatigue and depression. Yes, even  perfect LLadies out there can suffer like the rest.

Utilizing food and supplements that aide in keeping you emotionally and physically energized are key this season. Here's a list of 10 foods you should be stocking up on as the weather gets cool (at least here in the Northern Hemisphere) because happy LLadies shine through even the darkest skies...

1. Omega 3 Fatty Acids - take supplements
2. Zinc - can be found in foods such as pumpkin seeds & wheat germ
3. Vitamin B-3 (niacin) - try dried beans and/or supplements
4. Water
5. Vitamin E - sunflower seeds, vegetable oil, turnip greens, peanut butter
6. Calcium - you don't have to only drink milk or eat cheese - calcium can be found in broccoli, tofu and kale
7. Folic Acid - load up on sweet potatoes, almonds, orange juice (fortified) and whole grain breads
8. Stevia - a natural sweetener and alternative to Splenda, mega popular, find it at Whole Foods.
9. Vitamin C - broccoli, oranges, papaya and get this - potatoes!
10. Iron - supplements, beans, peas and nuts

For more details please visit:

http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/10-happy-foods-fight-depression-fatigue-naturally-136750.html

Los Angeles: Ladies Lotto at Bar Marmont on July 19th

It's summer time which means less clothing and more activity, which means you know exactly what you need... a little boost in the health and fitness game.

So Los Angeles - join us on Monday July 19, 2010 at Bar Marmont!

Ladies Lotto presents THE ERIN LANAHAN METHOD "A WOMEN'S HEALTH AND FITNESS DISCUSSION"

Monday July 19, 2010 / 7pm
Bar Marmont / 8221 W Sunset Blvd West Hollywood, CA

Featuring Special Guest Motivational Speaker, Holistic Nutrition Expert and Fitness Trainer: ERIN LANAHAN

Hosted by: DJ Cat NYC and LOVEMADE

RSVP! RSVPLA@LADIESLOTTO.COM

Complimentary Raffle Prizes including a session from E.L.M. Sampler Package!!! Choose a one hour session, $150 value, of Personal Training, Grocery Store Tour, Health and Nutrition Coaching, or Myofascial Release and Stretching.

Other Raffle Prizes include facials, make-up consultation, and a tarot reading.

7pm-730pm Sign In/Raffle Registration and Greeting
730-830 Presentation
830-9pm QandA/Discussion
9-10:00pm raffle/networking
10pm dancing

Location: Bar Marmont (Private Room) 8221 W Sunset Blvd West Hollywood, CA

RSVP! RSVPLA@LADIESLOTTO.COM

The Eggs in Your Basket: Sexuality and Cougardom

Women's sexual appetite increases with age, yet women are more fertile in their teens and 20's. Ever wonder why the onset of middle age makes women lust more? Time Magazine has explored this issue in a recent article.

All cougars in training take a look and let us know what you think: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2002838,00.html

Detox Not Botox!

We hear a lot about detoxifying… its kind of a buzzword really, but do we know why and how we should detoxify?

Well for starters, toxins surround us in urban environments: the air we breathe (pollution, smoke), water we drink (lead from pipes, chemicals from water sources), and food we eat (pesticides, chemically enhanced). Add the toxic effects of stress (cortisol) and you have a recipe for disaster!

So in essence, detoxification is basically a cleansing routine to reduce the body’s toxic load. Instead of calling Tyrone to deal with all this toxic baggage we have a better approach to healing and riding our bodies of excess built up toxins.

If you have complaints such as fatigue that you notice is in excess of what you regularly feel, or skin rashes like eczema, or even excess weight, its your bodies way of saying, “Yo, clean me out!”.

Here is a basic chart that everyone can follow to keep the body clean throughout the year:

Daily use: - Detox tea I recommend Triple Leaf Tea (A traditional Chinese Medicinal tea blend) has burdock and dandelion to cleanse blood.

-Fiber (adheres to fat and carries it out of colon, lowers cholesterol, bowel health)

-Probiotics (displaces harmful microbes, regulates immunity, enhances digestion)

-Green Foods (Sea moss, spirulina, chlorella all have concentrated nutrients and promote purification and rejuvenation)

-Red Foods (antioxidants, also fights infection and inflammation)

Also, consider an annual fast to really cleanse and eliminate. This site has great information on detoxification on every level: http://www.womentowomen.com/detoxification/naturalbodydetoxification.aspx

Two Moms in the Raw

Starved and in between meetings armed with a Starbucks gift certificate and no cash, I found the nearest Starbucks for a soy latte and quite possibly any non-dairy snack I could find. I got the feeling the 'Buck (as I like to call it) wouldn't have a large and delicious selection of vegan fair. I was right, they really didn't. BUT one amazing option available was a blueberry granola from TWO MOMS IN THE RAW. Zoinks!!!! I had a perfect little snack - gluten-free and dairy-free. Be on the look out.

The company has a great story - Shari, the owner/founder was diagnosed with MS and decided to spread the love and healing foods by creating good, healthy snacks for the buck-head masses.

Check it out online: http://2momsintheraw.com/index.html

Discovered! Dr. Chao Herbal Lady Drink

Discovered the latest, greatest concoction at Whole Foods yesterday called Lady Drink by Dr. Chao. Pictured above (for some reason the company chose NOT to show you the awesome fonts & cute little slogan "Ladies Love Lady Drink."

The drink is called a "herbal detox beauty" drink & it has NO CAFFEINE, NO CALORIES, NO SUGAR & NO PRESERVATIVES. And it actually tastes sooo GOOD!

Here's information from the website:

The Dr. Chao Herbal Lady Drink is an anti-PMS beverage, made with Herba Leonuri (Motherwort Herb), Saffron, Aloe, and Fructus Momordicae (Grovenor Momordica Fruit). Along with the other herbs, Herba Leonuri helps to provide the following benefits:
* Body detox
*Regulate the Symptoms of PMS and the Endocrine System
* Facial Skin Improvement
*Anti-Oxidant and Anti-Aging Benefits
*Alleviate Acne
*Promote Blood Circulation and Ovarian Health
*Weight reduction

Visit Dr. Chao's for more info on where to buy this amazing drink!
http://uspfb.com/products_detail.php?pid=33

Set Your Intentions Tonight in Chicago

SET YOUR INTENTIONS (Part 2)

An Evening of Goal Setting

Join Ladies Lotto Chicago at lululemon athletica for a mix and mingle followed by a goal setting workshop to prepare you for 2010.

Guests who attended the December 5th event please be prepared to revisit your goals to ensure you are setup for the most powerful year of your life.

New guests are welcome to participate.

Where: lululemon athletica
900 North Michigan
3rd Floor

When: Tuesday, January 5th

7:00 - 8:00 pm Mix & Mingle

8:00 - 9:00 pm Goal Setting Workshop

Food & drinks provided by Lifeway Foods & Protein Bar Chicago

RSVP @ rsvpchicago@ladieslotto.com

PS: say HI to Lynnette Astaire who'll be talking pix.

Part 2: Set Your Intentions Chicago on January 5th

SET YOUR INTENTIONS (Part 2)

An Evening of Goal Setting

Join Ladies Lotto Chicago at lululemon athletica for a mix and mingle followed by a goal setting workshop to prepare you for 2010.

Guests who attended the December 5th event please be prepared to revisit your goals to ensure you are setup for the most powerful year of your life.

New guests are welcome to participate.

Where: lululemon athletica
900 North Michigan
3rd Floor

When: Tuesday, January 5th

7:00 - 8:00 pm Mix & Mingle

8:00 - 9:00 pm Goal Setting Workshop

Food & drinks provided by Lifeway Foods & Protein Bar Chicago

RSVP @ rsvpchicago@ladieslotto.com

Chill Out & Get Healthy

Join Aimee Raupp --Acupuncturist, Wellness Expert and Author of Chill Out & Get Healthy at WILLD on Sunday, August 30th as she shares the "Top Ten Health Tips For NYC Chicks on the Go!" Aimee will crack the myth about power bars and soy and explain why vodka is so much better than wine! She will also be offering complimentary mini-acupuncture treatments to help reduce wrinkles, headaches and allergies. For more information about Aimee visit www.aimeeraupp.com. Copies of Aimee's latest book, Chill Out & get Healthy will be available for purchase as well!

Is Organic Food Really Better For You?

Lately I have been hearing a lot of news reports claiming that organic produce isn't actually any better for you than its pesticide-laden counterparts. But not only are there benefits for you, there are benefits for the environment which we shouldn't forget about.

Ella Nemcova (aka The Regal Vegan) summed it up very nicely for us in her weekly newsletter. Here's a summary:

Top 10 Benefits of Eating Organic

1. Waterways aren't contaminated by chemical run-off from farms.
2. Pesticide-related health risks to farm workers (and anyone living in the area) are eliminated.
3. You will dramatically reduce the amount of pesticide residue you ingest on a daily basis. Pesticides ingested by pregnant women may be linked to birth defects and health issues.
4. Biodiversity is increased with the use of buffer crops, and by avoiding killing or harming insects and other wildlife that is not a threat to crops.
5. Pesticides are responsible for a staggering amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
6. You can avoid eating any genetically modified foods.
7. Reduced reliance on chemical and agri-engineering corporations is good for farmers.
8. Organic farming is healthier for the soil.
9. Organic dairy cows are not injected with milk-boosting hormones such as recombinant bovine somatotrophin (rBST)—which may increase insulin levels in humans.
10. Organics taste better. It's just my humble opinion, but I've noticed a difference in the taste of strawberries, peaches, grapes and leafy greens, so if you're still skeptical, I dare you to put your faith in conventionally grown foods to the test.

Your Skin Is Glowing!

LOOKING GOOD (bottom right)
The Philips' looking-good' system is a facial skin care revolution. The unit virtually makes skin care creams and procedures redundant by using the technology of light. The concept involves the use of a base, a skin analyze, a bowl and a cleansing stick which actually diagnoses the state of your skin. Once the stick has analyzed the skin, it assesses the treatment required. Light techniques enable blue lights to heal breakouts, whilst the bowl itself omits red light that rejuvenates and nourishes tired skin. Dr. Brandt there's a new laser in town...!
Checkout the other many uses, (I really think the drawing on the walls thing will be my favorite).

more info

Are you ready to give up tampons?

Admittedly this is a slightly uncomfortable subject, but one that affects us all. Whether you use tampons or pads, we all inevitably end up throwing away a lot of "sanitary" products every month.

According to Grist (posted today on No Impact Man):

Most tampons are made from rayon-cotton blends -- an important distinction, because rayon is often chlorine-bleached, a process that releases the cancer-causing chemical dioxin. This toxin builds up in fatty tissue and has been linked to endometriosis, immune-system suppression, and other health problems. Since it's in a product intended for our, ahem, most intimate of locations, there's definitely another reason to be angry. Some companies offer tampons made of organic cotton, which is progress, but tampons still pose a burden on the waste stream and the risk of toxic shock syndrome...

The good news is that there are great reusable alternatives. They're cheaper in the long run, safer and way better for the environment. As Emily from Food Origins once commented:

Re: pads, tampons, rags...my favorite answer is "None of the above." Try the Diva cup or the Keeper. This is a silicone or latex cup - like a big thimble - that you wear internally and empty and rinse periodically. WAY cleaner than any of the usual Western methods and no waste! I know half a dozen women who have tried it, and not a one of them will go back to any other sanitary product.

Holy Basil!

Holy Basil, known as Tulsi, "The Incomparable One", "The Mother Medicine of Nature" and "The Queen of Herbs" in the Ayurvedic tradition, is native to India. Its has tremendous spiritual and medicinal significance. Benefits include stress relief, lowering of blood sugar, strenthening the immune system, digestion, headache relief, mood uplifter and more. Holy Basil can be taken in capsule or tea form. But if you're trying to get knocked up, don't take it as it lowers fertility levels.

Rescue Me!

Everyone needs a little emotional rescuing once in a while, so enter Bach's Rescue Remedy. It's like "yoga in a bottle" as their catch phrase claims. Put a few drops under your tongue and embrace its relaxing effects from the 5 essential flower essences within each bottle. Here's a list of the essences and what they alleviate.

• Rock Rose for terror and panic
• Impatiens for irritation and impatience
• Clematis for inattentiveness
• Star of Bethlehem for shock
• Cherry Plum for irrational thoughts

It also works on pets (but make sure to only use a few drops).

Co-Ruminations

Another reason to put the best foot forward and emanate positivity - turns out ruminating with your girls about sad stuff via text, email or a social networking site can only make you more depressed!

According to CNET, "Researchers from Stony Brook University have declared that excessive co-rumination--perhaps you would refer to it as "chatting with your friends about your problems"--by text, e-mail and on social-networking sites leaves impressionable teenage girls more prone to anxiety and depression."

Could this translate to grown ladies such as ourselves? Perhaps. So keep that chin up & shoulders down, fake it till you make it and write it down in a journal or call a damn therapist!

Read the entire article on CNET here.

Gingerly Along the Way

Ginger. It's not a root! It's a rhizome, an underground stem that's been used in traditional medicine and as a spice in many cultures around the world. Now it's time for you to incorporate it on the daily...

It has 12 anti-oxidants and this funny little herb contains essential oils, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin C, choline, folic acid, inositol, manganese, panthotenic acid, silicon, and a small amount of vitamin B3. Plus, it's an aphrodisiac!

This little herb has so many powerful benefits (like fighting colds, flatulence & menstruation issues to name a few) but I highly recommend slicing a small amount and dipping it in a little honey or agave nectar for a morning buzz. It will help get the senses going and keep you up all day!

Snipping It for Health

This morning on NPR, a rep from the Global Campaign for Microbicides, shared some cutting news (pun intended). Turns out that male circumcision is shown to significantly reduce HIV risk!

From the Global Campaign for Microbicides website: The Data Safety Monitoring Board overseeing the Kenyan and Ugandan male circumcision trials showed that circumcised men who practiced penile-vaginal intercourse had approximately 50% less chance of acquiring HIV than non-circumcised men.

Circumcision rituals vary across the globe. 8 days for little Jewish boys, 13 years for Muslims, The Xhosa in what is now South Africa hold the ritual at 16 years with a public ceremony consisting of all tribal members of the age, the most famous being Nelson Mandela.

So ladies, looks like the the extra somethin' somethin' may not be all its cracked up to be. But it's all individual. Just be safe and strap a jimmy hat on.