Monday, October 18, 2010, 04:24 PM
Every Spring and every Autumn I like to do an internal cleanse, and I like for many of my patients and clients to do the same. As I currently near the end of my Fall cleanse, I feel lighter, more energetic, and more focused. My body is allowing for the natural transitions that nature brings – moving from the energy of Summer with its longer, warmer days, abundance of summer fruits and vegetables and expansive energy – to that of Autumn and Winter with the somewhat cooler days, less sunlight, the new crops and harvest of winter fruits and veggies. Not to mention the holidays and all the wonderful, rich, delicious foods. If nothing else, preparing the body for the wonderful holiday foods is worth the investment of cleansing!
I’m sure by now you’ve heard the analogy of having your car serviced every three months. Yes, it is the same for the human body. If we ‘service’ our bodies properly, there lies great possibility for us to live high-functioning lives with good longevity. Outlined here are the basic principles of cleansing. It is my intention here that if you are reading this article, you will resolve to do your body a favor and participate in a cleanse.
Most people think that cleansing means taking a bunch of laxatives that will necessitate keeping in close proximity to a bathroom. For some, this may be very necessary, but the truth is, for most, it is not so necessary. In our society, we work and have many responsibilities. For most of my patients at Heart & Soul Institute, I design individualized cleanses based on the circumstances of each individual. I take into account their health issues as well as their environment, work and other responsibilities. In essence, no two cleanses are exactly alike.
When cleansing, it is not so much the bowel that is targeted, but rather the liver, kidneys and lungs that are being cleansed. The liver is the body’s master filter. Whatever comes into the body, be it food, drugs of any kind, car exhaust, or the air we breathe, it all passes through the liver first for detoxification before being sent to other parts of the body. The kidneys filter and process anything liquid, and the lungs send high quality oxygen directly into the blood stream.
So it is easy for these organ systems to get congested and blocked with all the toxic substances we take in. Even so-called healthy people take in toxic material that they don’t even imagine: pesticides from foods, harmful chemicals and hormones from microwaving (and melting) plastics, hormones and antibiotics in meats and fish, nail polish, hair coloring and make-up. The list is very long.
So the name of the game is to decongest these organ systems, release the toxins, and remove them from the body. Therefore, a typical cleanse has two main parts:
1. Release the toxins.
2. Remove the toxins from the body.
It is in removing the toxins where most people get into trouble. If toxins are not removed properly and in a timely order, those toxins will enter the bloodstream and cause problems. This is what we call a detox reaction. Symptoms of a detox reaction could include cold or flu symptoms, rashes, fevers, allergies, lethargy, or just a ‘sick feeling’. This is why I usually insist on people doing a cleanse under supervision, so that this major faux pas can be avoided, and the person doing the cleanse can have a positive cleansing experience.
How do we remove the toxins? Through the bowels, the urine, and the skin (an extension of the lungs), primarily. Here, the large intestine becomes a major focal point in many cleanses, and most people confuse doing a colon cleanse with a more complete cleanse which includes the liver, kidneys and lungs. But keeping the bowels open is vital in removing the toxins. Unfortunately, many Americans have blockages in their large intestines as well. This would make it impossible to have a successful total body cleanse. So for many people, unlocking the bowel is important to do first before attempting to cleanse the body. But please know that cleansing the bowel is NOT the cleanse itself!
Following are some guidelines to follow when doing a healthy Fall cleanse:
•Eat a plant-based diet.
•Eat fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies, organic or at least pesticide-free.
•Drink plenty of water, herbal teas and homemade broths.
•Be sure to have at least 2-3 bowel movements per day. It is not necessary to live in the bathroom.
•Take a green food supplement, like wheat grass, barley grass, spirulina or chlorophyll.
•Avoid: caffeine, all dairy products, non-prescribed drugs and medications, refined sugars and flours, red meats, fried foods and fast foods.
•Do light exercise and stretching at least four times a week to open up the lungs. Tai Chi, Yoga, walking, swimming, biking and social dancing are ideal.
•Be sure to break a sweat at least 3 times a week other than during exercise. Sauna, steam, Jacuzzi or a nice, warm bath should do the trick. Take a shower before and after to remove toxins settled on the skin and those released from deep within the pores.
•Get plenty of rest – at least eight hours per night (or day).
Lastly, come in for acupuncture. The community acupuncture sessions are affordable, safe and relaxing. Most of all, the protocol used was originally designed for full body detoxification support and removal of cravings for those things to which Americans tend to be addicted: drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and food. This hasn’t changed, but rather has been expanded to include treatment for insomnia, stress, pain and other trauma. In the treatment, we specifically detoxify the liver, kidneys and lungs as well as promote a release of endorphins so that the body feels very relaxed.
That, my friends, is basic cleansing in a nutshell. There is more to it, but these are the basics. Please don’t do this on your own, especially if you’ve never done a cleanse before, or if you have any kind of chronic health issue! Your health situation needs to be evaluated in order to formulate the proper cleanse for you. Please call me at 310-475-8018 or email me at acudancer@juno.com to have your questions answered or to set up an appointment. And check out the coupon below for a great deal on getting your Autumn cleanse underway. You still have time before the holidays.
Doris-Owanda Johnson, L.Ac.
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Monday, October 18, 2010, 04:19 PM
One of my favorite foods is green beans (aka string beans). The Asian variety is known as long beans; these are my absolute favorite, as they have no strings to speak of, are easy to clean and prepare, and are very tender. These are excellent in stir-frys. Green beans can be used for stir-frys if they are young, or for soups or stews if they are a little tougher and stringy. For ultimate cleansing, they can be eaten raw, juiced or blended with other vegetables into a cleansing drink.
Green beans are the ultimate liver food. They have the wonderful quality of detoxifying the liver. There are carbohydrates/starches in green beans so that blood sugar doesn’t bottom out. And, they are an excellent source of fiber to help sweep out debris from the colon. For a Fall cleanse, green beans can make up an important part of the cleansing process.
According to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, green beans are warming and have a sweet taste. In addition to cleansing the liver, they can be used to help alleviate fullness in the chest, burping, cough, hernia, chronic diarrhea and back pain due to kidney weakness. Green beans are also very energizing and tonifying to the body, addressing fatigue and weakness due to deficiency.
The accompanying recipe is very adaptable. It can be used during a cleanse, as a side dish, or as a main entrée with added cubes of tofu, tempeh, chicken or other meat. It is delicious for any occasion. Enjoy!
Doris-Owanda Johnson, L.Ac.
Stir-Fried Long Beans:
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ pound mushrooms, sliced. Shiitake, Portobello or brown button mushrooms are all good.
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
½ medium onion, sliced thin
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 bunch Long Beans, rinsed and cut into 3-inch pieces (or one pound Blue Lake or French green beans, ends snapped)
2 Tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, Tamari or Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1. Heat olive oil in wok or skillet. Add the mushrooms and the ginger; stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add onion; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add garlic and long beans. Stir-fry to mix ingredients.
3. Add Aminos and sesame oil. Cover, lower flame, and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
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Monday, August 23, 2010, 02:01 PM
Greetings!
Well, yesterday was the last day of the official training, which took place on the campus of Universite Quisqueya (aka UNIQ) in one of the buildings whose reconstruction is almost completed. I can't begin to convey to you the pride that I'm feeling - not because of what I've done so much, but rather because of the way the trainees stepped up and said 'yes' to the monumental task of this training. Twenty-nine nurses, medical students, psychologists, herbalists and other medical practitioners took off work, commuted in crazy traffic, and were on time and fully present each day to receive this training. Their dedication to their mission of contributing to the healing of their nation is simply awesome!
We had so much information to share! The training is lasting a total of about 28 hours, and in that time we have covered some of the basic philosophy oftraditional Chinese medicine, clean needle technique, exact location of points, and lots of practice at needling technique with exposure to many scenarios.
The trainees were put to the task of needling the very first day - we had them needle themselves. They were pretty scared at first - it took some of them a long time to get up the nerve to insert that first needle.
By the end of the third day, the trainees were ready to work on other people, so we set up an internship sites at University Quisqueya, Matthew 25 house and H.U.E.H. General Hospital (yes, it is still open, with no intentions of closing). As we embark upon the completion of the internship, the trainees are now treating patients with confidence, and we are confident in their abilities and intention to continue the work in helping Haiti heal.
We had planned a ceremony at the end of the training, complete with nice-looking certificates. We were having them printed up, and Julia (the other trainer & AWB HNIC of Haiti operations) and I were signing them when it started to rain. I really wanted to deliver them to the students, so I wrapped them up, put them under my shirt and went out onto the rain. That's when it really started to pour. I ran to safety under a tent, where I found several of the trainees. We huddled together as the wind started to blow, threatening the integrity of the tent, and allowing the rain to finish the job of completely soaking us!
So we didn't get our pomp & circumstance, but it all worked out. The storm lasted thirty minutes. The students dispersed. Our ride came to pick us up and bring us back to our apartment. And, best of all, most of the certificates miraculously survived, unharmed under my shirt. We distributed the certificates to most of the trainees today at H.U.E.H. while they worked on patients. They are well on their way...
In Service & In Health,
Doris-Owanda
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Friday, August 20, 2010, 01:59 PM
Greetings!
We have safely arrived in Port-au-Prince after a couple of airline glitches & general logistical problems. We're staying in the same apartment and are happy to be re-united with our host.
To avoid any problems with possible illness, I insist on preparing our own food. Okra, aka calalou, is in season, so I prepared it as a stir-fry with zucchini, tomatoes, fresh onions, lots of garlic and a caribbean scotch bonnet HOT pepper. Of course, we invited our host to join us for dinner so that we could pretty much take up where we left off.
During dinner, we somehow got into a discussion about some medicinal properties of local fruits and herbs steeped in alcohol. Our host, Erick, excused himself for a few moments, and returned with three bottles of homemade spirits, all made from fruits gathered in the compound where we are living. One contained almonds soaked in rum, another had acerola cherries soaked in clairin - a strong, clear, homemade alcohol from sugar cane. Lastly, the third bottle contained a fruit called keneps, also soaking in clairin.
I'm not much for drinking alcohol, but after dinner, on our first night in Haiti, there we ALL were, taking baby sips of these homemade spirits. Wow, they were delicious. We were careful not to overdo, but we each sampled all three, discussing the sampling as if we were doing a tour of wineries in Napa. It was a pretty cool activity (dinner included) to bring our team together as another cohesive unit. I personally just liked the family vibe...
The next day, we went to Universite Quisqueya where the training would be taking place. We met with the proper contacts there, and made necessary arrangements for the training logistics.
Traveling to and from there, we noticed a few changes in Port-au-Prince. The tent encampments and broken buildings are still there, but there seems to be a little bit more joy among the people. More folks are smiling again. More people are participating in clean-up activities. It feels like the Haitian people are simply moving on with their lives, even with living in tent encampments and very little rebuilding of homes. There are even advertisements posted of special clean-up projects, as well as encouragement for the people to begin rebuilding Haiti. Haitians are not resigned to some fateful existence, but rather are accepting the circumstances, are taking their lives and their country back into their own hands and taking the actions to bring about recovery.
More observations, experiences and descriptions of the training are soon to come.
Be well,
Doris-Owanda
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Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 04:10 AM
Greetings and Happy August!
I want you all to know that Acupuncturists Without Borders has invited me to return to Haiti. This time, rather than treat hundreds of people, I am going to train 40 Haitian medical practitioners on the community acupuncture ear protocol that you have learned about, and maybe also experienced.
It will be a short, and therefore intensive training, which will ultimately allow Haitian practitioners to have this protocol at their fingertips. This, of course, will provide the Haitian people with more access to the community style treatment to address symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.
The Haitian people, always prefering autonomy, will then be one step closer in their ever-pervading process of recovery.
As part of our training, AWB will be supplying trainees with all the supplies needed for the next several months. Many of you made contributions, and I want to thank you once again for your generous donations. Without you, this simply would not be happening!
I will be in Port-au-Prince for 8 days, from August 12-20. Look for updates from me while I'm there.
Much Love,
Doris-Owanda
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