From Dr. Mercola / www.mercola.com

Link to videos and article:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/21/Special-Swine-Flu-Update.aspx

Article from Natural News / www.naturalnews.com

(NaturalNews) There is a lot of fear of Swine flu (H1N1) this season, but Traditional Chinese Medicine has effective techniques both to boost immunity and recover from flu, which are thousands of years old.

In Chinese Medicine, flu and colds are considered an invasion of the body of external pathogens, either cold or heat. Cold often turns to heat in the body, and we have signs of sore throat, fatigue, achiness, headache and cough. When our body`s Qi (Energy) - especially Wei Qi (Immune Energy) is strong, we are able to fight off these invasions. The energy pathways responsible for keeping the Qi strong are the Digestive energy and Lung Energy (which controls the Wei Qi.)

To keep our Qi strong and prevent the flu and common cold:

• Eat a Healthy Diet, full of fresh raw fruits and vegetables
• Cut out sugar, especially white and brown sugar, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup. These lower our immunity
• Wash your hands frequently with regular soap and water
• Get outside in the fresh air. Take walks and expose yourself to sunshine (Vitamin D).
• Receive Acupuncture treatments to balance energy - Acupuncture strengthens the entire body, balances energy, and strengthens the Qi and Wei Qi.
• Herbal Medicine and Supplements can keep the immune system strong:
  • Astragalus is an excellent immune tonic
  • Medicinal mushrooms such as Reishi and Maitaki can bolster the immune system, especially when the immune system is compromised
  • Four Gentlemen Formula - a classic Chinese herb formula to keep the Qi strong
  • Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang, a combination of ginseng and astragalus, used in specific cases to strengthen the body`s Qi
  • Gui Pi Tang is used when both qi and blood need a boost, with signs such as insomnia, irritability and anxiety

Once someone comes down with symptoms of the flu, the treatment focus switches from formulas that tonify the qi to formulas which expel the invading pathogen. There are western herbs and nutritional remedies such as Vitamin C and Echinacea, which are beneficial.

In Chinese medicine, classic herbal formulas are used, including:

• Yin Qiao - This formula contains cooling detoxifying herbs such as forsythia and honeysuckle.
  It is used when just getting sick, with symptoms which include sore throat, headache, and a yellow tongue coat.
• Gan Mao Ling - if you find yourself in the midst of a bad cold or flu

Another way to keep your immunity strong either to prevent or to recover from the flu is to make sure your digestion is strong, such as:

• Eat plenty of fresh Raw Foods, which are full of natural enzymes and vitamins and minerals, which keep your body nourished and functioning at its best
• Take digestive enzymes with food, to make digestion easier
• Bao He Wan is an excellent Chinese herbal formula to help with digestion, especially if there is a feeling of fullness, bloating, gas and slow digestion after eating
• Eating fermented or cultured foods like yogurt, kefir, miso, and live cultured vegetables
• Taking Probiotic supplements

Chinese medicine, as well as the flu, have been around for thousands of years. The healthier people are, the more resistant they are to colds and flu, and the faster they will recover if they find themselves sick. Strengthening the digestion and tonifying the body`s energy (qi) and immune energy (wei qi) are good ways to prevent becoming sick. If someone is sick, the focus switches to expelling the pathogenic influence and building the immunity again.

References:

Center for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/ABOUT/QA/thi…

Xinnong, Cheng, Chief Editor. Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Foreign Language Press, Beijing. 1990.

Bensky, Dan and Gamble, Andrew. Chinese Herbal Medicine, Materia Medica. Eastland Press, Inc. Seattle, WA. 1986.

Bensky, Dan and Gamble, Andrew. Chinese Herbal Medicines: Formulas and Strategies. Eastland Press, Inc. Seattle, WA. 1990

Article from Natural News / www.naturalnews.com

(NaturalNews) With all of the marvelous inner-workings of the herbal TCM system (traditional Chinese medicine system) and its powerful and complex systematic energy formulas for healing practically anything, it is still the longevity factors of a few single tonic herbs that amaze me the most.

Of about 9,000 TCM herbs (officially used in TCM and fully understood in their energy factors) there are about 100 that can truly contribute to a long healthy life. (These are in the “Superior Tonic Herb” classification.) About 40 of these herbs are quite remarkable in there abilities to prolong life with very little signs of ageing.

If I were to narrow it down a bit further, at least on a personal level, I would say the most important herbs for longevity would come down to about fifteen with He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum) being the most important. Followed by Jiao Gu Lan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum), Go Qi Zi (Lycium), Ci Wu Jai (Siberian Ginseng Root), Ren Shen (Panax Ginseng root), Peng Da Wan (Gota Kola), Wu Wei Zi (Schizandrae), San Zhu yu (Cornus Fruit), Tien Men Dong, Yin Yang Hou and others. However many people will have different balances of yin and yang in their bodies so there is not one set group of herbs that would truly be the absolute best for everybody.

There is simply not enough room here to go into all these but below are links with photos and an in-depth look at each of these herbs.

* He Shou Wu: A blood, kidney, and liver tonic - (http://plantcures.com/foti.html)

* Jiao Gu Lan: Tonifies Qi, and blood - (http://plantcures.com/jiaogulan.html)

* Go Qi Zi: A kidney and liver yin tonic - (http://plantcures.com/berries.html)

* Siberian Ginseng: A powerful Adaptogenic Root - (http://plantcures.com/sibgin.html)

* Ren Shen: Tonic to digestive Qi and all Qi - (http://plantcures.com/Ginseng.html)

* Ping Da Wan: Brain and CNS Tonic - (http://plantcures.com/gotukola.html)

* Wu Wei Zi: An Adaptogenic herb - (http://plantcures.com//wuweizi.html)

* Shan Zho Yu: Yin and Yang Tonic - (http://plantcures.com/herbsforbladd…)

* Tien Men Dong: Lungs, Jing, and Shen - (http://plantcures.com/asparagus.html)

* Yin Yang Huo: Yang/Jing Tonic - (http://plantcures.com/Epimedium.html)

Many of the conclusions that I have come to about these herbs as used for longevity are based on the findings and personal applications of Master Li Ching Yuen who lived to the incredible age of at least 197! (Some sources say the records show he lived to be 256 as you will read, however I personally think this is the Chinese government “pushing it” a bit but who knows!)

In 1933, newspapers all over the world reported Li Ching Yuen’s death. You can read the New York Times article exactly as it appeared by going to this link: - (http://plantcures.com/Lichingyun.html) .

Modern science has a very hard time admitting anyone ever lived past 122. This is due in part to lack of legal birth records but also, I believe, because they really do not want to admit that some very natural nutritional energy factors derived from nothing more than carefully planned eating and exercise could far surpass anything all of science has to offer when it comes to the longevity factor.

According to all the data I could find (I have been fascinated with this and have researched this over the last 20 years or so) It seems that Li Ching Yuen consumed mostly a diet of plants and fruit. There is evidence that he ate fish sometimes and wild meat only about twice a year.

The herbs that he consumed regularly were He Shou Wu, Ginseng, and Gou Qi Zi (Wolfberries). He ate the Wolfberries raw and cooked the He Shou Wu with the Ginseng.

There is evidence that he also consumed Ping Da Wan (Gotu Kola leaves) regularly both fresh as a salad and brewed as a tea. There is even some evidence that he may have also put these four herbs (along with Dang Gui and Gan Cao (Chinese Licorice Root) in strong liquor as a tincture and drank one swallow every day.

According to Chinese records, Li Ching Yuen was born in Chyi Jiang Hsie, Szechuan province in 1677. He spent most of his life in the mountain ranges gathering herbs and learning the knowledge of longevity methods.

In 1748, when he was 71 years old, he moved to Kai Hsien to join the Chinese army as a teacher of the martial arts and as a tactical advisor.

In 1927, Li Ching Yuen was invited by General Yang Sen to visit him in Wann Hsien, Szechuan. The general was fascinated by his youthfulness, strength and prowess in spite of his extremely advanced age. His famous portrait, seen in the New York Times article, was photographed there.

Returning home, he died a year later of natural causes. Many claim that he told friends, “I have done all I have to do in this world. I will now go home,” before he died and then sat back with a smile and simply died without one sign of stress.

After Li’s death, General Yang Sen investigated the truth about his claimed background and age. He wrote a report that was later published. In 1933, people interviewed from his home province remembered seeing him when they were children, and that he hadn’t aged much during their lifetime. Others reported that he had been friends with their grandfathers

One of his disciples, the Taiji Quan Master Da Liu told of Master Li’s story: At 130 years old Master Li encountered an older hermit in the mountains who taught him Baguazhang and a set of Qigong exercises with breathing instructions, movements training coordinated with specific sounds, and dietary recommendations. (This is where he was told of the importance of eating the Go Qi Zi berry.) Da Liu reports that his master said that his longevity “is mostly due to the fact that I performed the exercises every day — regularly, correctly, and with sincerity — for 120 years.”

While we can all greatly benefit from the herbal knowledge that Master Li has given us which can perhaps help most anyone to live a longer healthier life, I still believe the greatest wisdom that can be gained for our health’s sake from this remarkable man is something he often said about living a long happy life: “Sit like a tortoise, sleep like a dog, Walk up right and sprightly like a pigeon and most importantly, always keep a quiet heart”

Rest in peace Master Li and thanks for all you taught us.

Article from Natural News / www.naturalnews.com

(NaturalNews) Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is rapidly gaining popularity throughout the western world as patients find it to be safe, effective and affordable. One TCM school in Tucson Arizona trains future TCM practitioners on the philosophy and practice of Chinese Medicine. Founded by Alex Holland, the Asian Institute of Medical Studies (www.AsianInstitute.edu) is an accredited school that teaches all the foundations of Chinese Medicine: Pulse analysis, Chinese herbology, tongue analysis, acupuncture, Tui Na, and so on.

In this exclusive interview with NaturalNews editor Mike Adams, Alex Holland discusses the philosophy of Chinese medicine and how it differs from the reductionism of western medicine. The complete interview is available as an ad-free, DRM-free MP3 download from: http://www.naturalnews.com/Index-Po…

Founded in 2000, the Asian Institute of Medical Studies has taken part in clinical trials assessing the efficacy of acupuncture on both GERD and, in another trial, on PTSD. The school offers a variety of academic programs described here: http://www.asianinstitute.edu/acade…

You can follow the school’s tweets at http://twitter.com/Asianinstitute

In the interview, Alex Holland also discusses the accreditation of Chinese Medicine schools, the acceptance of Chinese Medicine in the minds of state legislators, and the integration of Chinese Medicine into the health insurance industry.

Mike Adams and Alex Holland also explore the differences between allopathic medicine vs. holistic healing.

Listen to the full audio interview at: http://www.naturalnews.com/Index-Po…

Visit the school’s website at: www.AsianInstitute.edu

Alex Holland is also the author of a book called Voices of Qi, available at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Voices-Qi-Int…

This article from Natural News - www.naturalnews.com

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 by: Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

(NaturalNews) She was deathly afraid of the flu.
So she asked her doc what she should do.
He jabbed her unseen
With a swine flu vaccine
Blurting, “Darling, I haven’t a clue.”
- by the Health Ranger

Let’s not beat around the bush on this issue: The swine flu vaccines now being prepared for mass injection into infants, children, teens and adults have never been tested and won’t be tested before the injections begin. In Europe, where flu vaccines are typically tested on hundreds (or thousands) of people before being unleashed on the masses, the European Medicines Agency is allowing companies to skip the testing process entirely.

And yet, amazingly, people are lining up to take the vaccine, absent any safety testing whatsoever. When the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. announced a swine flu vaccine trial beginning in early August, it was inundated with phone calls and emails from people desperate to play the role of human guinea pigs. The power of fear to herd sheeple into vaccine injections is simply amazing…

Back in Europe, of course, everybody gets to be a guinea pig since no testing will be done on the vaccine at all. Even worse, the European vaccines will be using adjuvants — chemicals used to multiply the potency of the active ingredients in vaccines.

Notably, there is absolutely no safety data on the use of adjuvants in infants and expectant mothers — the two groups being most aggressively targeted by the swine flu vaccine pushers. The leads us to the disturbing conclusion that the swine flu vaccine could be a modern medical disaster. It’s untested and un-tried. Its ingredients are potentially quite dangerous, and the adjuvants being used in the European vaccines are suspected of causing neurological disorders.

Paralyzed by vaccines

I probably don’t need to remind you that in 1976, a failed swine flu vaccine caused irreparable damage to the nervous systems of hundreds of people, paralyzing many. Medical doctors gave the problem a name, of course, to make it sound like they knew what they were talking about: Guillain-Barre syndrome. (Notably, they never called it “Toxic Vaccine Syndrome” because that would be too informative.)

But the fact remains that doctors never knew how the vaccines caused these severe problems, and if the same event played out today, all the doctors and vaccine pushers would undoubtedly deny any link between the vaccines and paralysis altogether. (That’s what’s happening today with the debate over vaccines and autism: Complete denial.)

In fact, there are a whole lot of things you’ll never be told by health authorities about the upcoming swine flu vaccine. For your amusement, I’ve written down the ten most obvious ones and published them below.

Ten things you’re not supposed to know about the swine flu vaccine

(At least, not by anyone in authority…)

#1 - The vaccine production was “rushed” and the vaccine has never been tested on humans. Do you like to play guinea pig for Big Pharma? If so, line up for your swine flu vaccine this fall…

#2 - Swine flu vaccines contain dangerous adjuvants that cause an inflammatory response in the body. This is why they are suspected of causing autism and other neurological disorders.

#3 - The swine flu vaccine could actually increase your risk of death from swine flu by altering (or suppressing) your immune system response. There is zero evidence that even seasonal flu shots offer any meaningful protection for people who take the jabs. Vaccines are the snake oil of modern medicine.

#4 - Doctors still don’t know why the 1976 swine flu vaccines paralyzed so many people. And that means they really have no clue whether the upcoming vaccine might cause the same devastating side effects. (And they’re not testing it, either…)

#5 - Even if the swine flu vaccine kills you, the drug companies aren’t responsible. The U.S. government has granted drug companies complete immunity against vaccine product liability. Thanks to that blanket immunity, drug companies have no incentive to make safe vaccines, because they only get paid based on quantity, not safety (zero liability).

#6 - No swine flu vaccine works as well as vitamin D to protect you from influenza. That’s an inconvenient scientific fact that the U.S. government, the FDA and Big Pharma hope the people never realize.

#7 - Even if the swine flu vaccine actually works, mathematically speaking if everyone else around you gets the vaccine, you don’t need one! (Because it can’t spread through the population you hang with.) So even if you believe in the vaccine, all you need to do is encourage your friends to go get vaccinated…

#8 - Drug companies are making billions of dollars from the production of swine flu vaccines. That money comes out of your pocket — even if you don’t get the jab — because it’s all paid by the taxpayers.

#9 - When people start dying in larger numbers from the swine flu, rest assured that many of them will be the very people who got the swine flu vaccine. Doctors will explain this away with their typical Big Pharma logic: “The number saved is far greater than the number lost.” Of course, the number “saved” is entirely fictional… imaginary… and exists only in their own warped heads.

#10 - The swine flu vaccine centers that will crop up all over the world in the coming months aren’t completely useless: They will provide an easy way to identify large groups of really stupid people. (Too bad there isn’t some sort of blue dye that we could tag ‘em with for future reference…)

The lottery, they say, is a tax on people who can’t do math. Similarly, flu vaccines are a tax on people who don’t understand health.

About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, impacting the lives of millions of readers around the world who are experiencing phenomenal health benefits from reading his articles. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies’ products. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a maker of energy efficient LED lights that greatly reduce CO2 emissions. He’s also a noted pioneer in the email marketing software industry, having been the first to launch an HTML email newsletter technology that has grown to become a standard in the industry. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and adult gymnastics. Known on the ‘net as ‘the Health Ranger,’ Adams shares his ethics, mission statements and personal health statistics at www.HealthRanger.org