Pages

Showing posts with label herbal chinese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label herbal chinese. Show all posts

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Using Chinese Herbs to Slow Hair Growth


While many spend a fortune on prescription medications, chemical hair loss formulas, and hair restoration treatments, some of the greatest remedies for hair loss, stunted hair growth, and hair thinning are found in the Earth or already in your cupboard. Now more than ever, scientists, chemists, and even laymen are looking to herbs, botanicals, and roots to treatment balding, hair loss, hair fall, thinning hair, damaged hair, and dry scalps. They are looking so much, that many new medicines contain plant compounds that have been chemically altered. No culture has been better at doing this than in traditional Chinese medicine.
The Chinese medicine has long been renowned for creating successful tonics that increase circulation, disinfect the scalp and stimulate hair growth. Chinese medicine has successfully found that many herbs can mask balding, restore blood flow to the scalp, reduce graying, and add life and vitality to thin, limp hair. While everyone's hair is different and needs different nutrients to thrive, and these herbs cannot erase dead hair follicles, you may be surprised by the change in your overall hair's health, thickness, and strength.

Herbal Recipe 1:
Rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar and sage tea. Middle age Chinese women swear by this hair rinse after applying a natural shampoo of castile soap. They profess that it can make the hair grow. If you suffer from a dry scalp, add catmint or chamomile infusions to your sage tea during the final rinse to help with itchiness. Although not often thought off, a dry, damaged and flaky scalp is a breeding ground for fungi, a source of hair loss.

Herbal Recipe 2:
Any combination or product with aloe, nettles, stinging nettle, birch leaves and watercress are excellent blood and skin cleaners. Beauty 4 Ashes, a holistic, all natural organic hair care company, specializes in creating products using traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic, West African, and Malayian medicines. Often, many of their thickening or lengthening formulas contain aloe vera, nettle leaves, birch, varietal teas, and much more. A particularly effective system at fighting hair thinning and creating more hair vitality, length, and strength is their ADP Chinese Herbal System. This system is a complete hair care regimen that focuses on massage oils while adding a Chinese herbal scalp cream, shampoo, and conditioner. Typically, you can find their products online at any their USA site discoverb4acom, their United Kingdom site at mybeauty4ashescom or their Canadian site at myb4acom. To increase effectiveness of the system, try this Chinese tonic as well while using the system: drink 1 tbsp. of juice of stinging nettle, birch leaves and watercress, mixed in a glass of water to cleanse the blood. Blood purification is very necessary to remove anything internal that could be hindering your hair from absorbing the nutrients it needs. Just as potassium is critical for regulating insulin, which fights weight loss, things you may not be getting can hinder healthy skin or nails.

Herbal Recipe 3:
Rosemary extract may help prevent hair loss. To shampoo hair, combine steep 2 tbsp. Rosemary in 4 oz. hot water and add to a natural shampoo, such as Aubrey Organics, or more advanced, Beauty 4 Ashes Chinese Herbal Shampoo.

Herbal Recipe 4:
Massage scalp regularly with tinctures of stinging nettle, birch, horsetail and rosemary for hair growth stimulation, to disinfect the scalp and to increase blood circulation. Rosemary or stinging-nettle may help combat dandruff, a source of hair loss. Put a large handful of rosemary into a pan and cover with water. Simmer for 10-15 minutes and leave to cool. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a jug containing a few drops of any oil. Use this as a rinse after you have washed your hair with a very mild shampoo. Finally rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.

Remember, natural ingredients may take longer, but will have long lasting effects without side effects. Always opt for natural products, instead of chemicals because despite some chemical products containing herbal extracts, the effect of herbs is canceled when chemicals are applied. Just as white refined sugar can cancel the benefits of a warm Jasmine Green Tea, chemicals in hair care products do the same to Chinese herbs.

3 Successful Chinese Skin Care Methods

When thinking in terms of successful Chinese skin care methods, one has to consider that it does not only relate to beauty. Chinese skin care methods also encompass different aspects health. This actually makes good sense as the skin is the largest organ in the human body. The Chinese acknowledge that the skin is the most vital organ as it protects the body is its first level of defense against diseases and illnesses. If you do not care for your skin properly, conditions could develop. They range from peeling, dryness, itching, to pimple growths and more. Like your hair and nails, the skin also needs to be well cared for and protected.

The Chinese believe that the skin is associated with the amount heat in the blood. Accordingly, the food consumed by people greatly affects the quality of the skin. For example, eating excessive spicy, greasy or deep fried foods cause heatedness in the body, resulting in certain skin types developing acne or dried skin. They also attribute certain seafood to skin problems, such as shellfish and mussels. As such, one should not take excessive amounts of any type of food in order to maintain a good skin texture.
If the body is not well rested, the liver becomes over active and toxins remain active in the blood stream. Other than the above mentioned skin care tips, here are 3 successful Chinese skin care methods that you should consider using.

1. Detoxify the Liver

According to Chinese traditional skin care techniques it is very important to detoxify, cleanse and calm the liver. The liver has an impact on every other organ in the body and the skin being its largest organ, is often the first to be affected by toxins. There are a number of Chinese herbal remedies available to help in the detoxification process; however, personal diet is the first consideration. Other than eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, one should also cut out processed and greasy foods to help detoxify the liver. Chinese herbal and root teas will also assist and support the liver through the detoxification process.

2. Moisturize the Skin

Chinese traditional medicine has also included moisturizing products for the skin as a key component. All of the moisturizing products used are completely organic, herbal and natural. For centuries, the Chinese have also included the Mother of Pearl in their skin moisturizing products as it enhances the beauty of the skin.

3. Nourish the blood

The third successful Chinese skin care method is vital as the blood nourishes the entire bodily system. Again, there are many different types of tonics available in today's market that nourishes the blood. They have been used for centuries and often contain Ginseng or Dong Quai.

Effectively, tradition Chinese medicine prescribes that dietary and lifestyle changes need to take place constantly for successful skin care methods to work. This, together with the application of various techniques, herbal remedies, tonics and skin care products will ensure that the skin is kept clean, moisturized and healthy. They also ensure that the overall health of the individual is kept at its best.

Chinese Herbal Male and Female Hair Loss Treatment

It is noteworthy that Chinese angelica, which is one of the main ingredients of this Female-used Evergreen hair regenerator, is widely used in traditional Chinese gynecology as a medicine for curing diseases and a tonic for improving health. Its extract has the additional advantage of being able to penetrate easily through the skin and, for this reason, is employed very often as a transdermal passage promoter.

In our case, the extract of Chinese angelica carries with it the extracts of the other ingredients to pass through the skin smoothly so as to reach the hair follicles that need regeneration and to pervade together with the other ingredients the environment of hair follicles inside the scalp and provide them with added nutrients. Of these other ingredients, special mention must be made of the tuber of multiflower knotweed, which is reputed to possess a wonderful power of enabling hair to regrow. It has the popular nickname of Blackhead. This nickname came from a folk story, which runs as follows:

Many years ago an old man was stranded on a desolate island as a result of shipwreck. He had to live in a cave and depend on the tuber of multiflower knotweed as his staple food for more than ten years. Fortunately, a ship sailed by and noticed his signal for help. He was saved and carried back to his native village. His fellow villagers were surprised to find that his white hair had turned black. He attributed this change to the tuber of that herb on which he had subsisted.

As no one ever made any experiment to test the truth of the story by subsisting on the tuber for ten years, what the old man related to the villagers remains a folk story. However, the nickname that has been given to the herb shows that Chinese people believe that the herb has the ability of rehabilitating hair. Our female customer does not need to depend on Evergreen hair regenerator long. It will take her only one month or three months at most to see her beautiful hair growing gracefully again.

Chinese Food Market

The Chinese Food Market uses Red Rice for numerous things. They commonly use it as a food dye. They also sell it as dried grains, powders and paste. Did you know that they used it for Chinese herbal medicine? First the Chinese food market red rice is a form of yeast rice. Which gets the name from purple fermented rice, which gets its color from the mold it grows in. It then is sold in all the Chinese food market as whole dried grain, pasteurized wet aggregate, and a ground powder. Also, it was used as a food dye, until chemical coloring came along.

When they get the crop of rice it takes a long soak in water until the rice is completely saturated. Then basically there is two ways the raw rice can be cooked. You can either steam in for sterilization, so that it can be used in cooking or you can also immediately inoculate it. As well as being a food, they use it in Chinese herbal medicine. It helps remove blood blockage, more commonly known as blood clots, as well as your digestive system. They also now use it to help lower cholesterol. The Chinese herbal medicine is not based on theory but a school of thought. And now the FDA here in the USA, have introduced it into our cholesterol lowering medications, it is also believed that it may aid many other things which are yet unknown to us. It is a supplement here in the USA.
There are many side effects of taking the Chinese food market red rice, but many of them match those we already face with any supplement or drug we take. The most common side effects are; headache, indigestion, bloating and gas, dizziness, heartburn, muscle pain, and joint pain they still don't know exactly why there are these side effects. The side effects that are not so common are; Liver inflammation, Damage to peripheral nerves, Myopathy, as well as Rhabdomyolysis. What Rhabdomyolysis is, is the breaking down of muscle tissue which can lead to liver failure, but it is very rare to have this side effect. There is no info on the long term effect of red yeast rice in medicine.

Chinese Herbal Medicine

A popular saying about Chinese herbal medicine answered the question “What to Expect from a Doctor of Chinese Medicine” with "Above all else, do no harm". Among all the medical systems of the world, Chinese herbal medicine is the most highly developed. Chinese herbal medicine consists of animal, mineral materials and plant species. They are prescribed in the form of formulae – a combination of herbs – than individually. The combination of herbs enhances the medicinal effects. Unwanted side effects are also neutralized by combining different herbs. The formulae in a Chinese herbal medicine consist of herbs of principal, assisting and directional functions which are combined with herbs to reduce the side effects and induce the digestion of the principal herb.

Tang (decoctions of the boiled teas), San (milled powders), Pign (pills), Wan (tablets) are some of the methods of ingestion of the Chinese herbal medicines. Poultices, soaks, plasters, washes, ointments and fumigants contain the herb for an effective cure.
The legends of Chinese herbal medicines are its flavour and potent odors. To get its fullest experience, boil the herbs and drink the “tea”. According to the combination of the formulae, the boiling time of herb will vary. The pills were invented by the Chinese. The pills are prepared from herbs milled and bound with honey, juice of ginger and water or some other related herbal substance.
Extracting the constituents of the herbs can be achieved by using alcohol, glycerin, vinegar or water. Extracts from herbs should be drunk at room temperature since liquids, which are cold, do not get digested easily. Slowly sip the hot liquid even though it tastes terrible. In order to obtain best results, consume the herbal extract on an empty stomach. Wait for 30 minutes after drinking a herbal extract to eat food or any other additional medicines.
Tinctures of Chinese herbal medicines should be diluted with water in small quantities so that the caustic effect of the solvent is reduced.
The four examinations involved prior to prescribing a suitable formula are listening, smelling, tasting, and touching.

Chinese Herbal Soup

Herbal soup is very popular among the Chinese. It is believed to be highly nutritional and has been used to boost one's body energy. It is taken warmth and very tasty if it is cooked well. Ingredients such as winter melons, ginger, herbs, etc are commonly used in making the soup. Some soups need to be heated for a period of time to allow the herbs to release its nutrients. The followings are two tasty soup recipes suitable to be included for your dinner.

Sweet Potatoes Soup

Sweet Potatoes 300 g
Red date 20 g
Water 2-3 bowls

Seasonings

Honey 2 tablespoon
Ginger 30 g

Methods

Step 1: Soak red dates in a bowl of warm water.
Step 2: Remove the brown outer layer of sweet potatoes and ginger.
Step 3: Cut sweet potatoes into cubes. Cut ginger into slices.
Step 4: Heat the wok with water until it boils. Put in ginger. Boil it for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Put in red dates and sweet potatoes. Cover the wok for 10 minutes.
Step 6: Add in honey and stir. Heat until sweet potatoes and red dates are soft.

Pork and Carrot Soup

Ingredients

Pork 200 g
Carrot 1
Red dates 20 g
Water 2-3 bowls

Seasonings
Salt 6 g
Wine 1 tablespoon
Pepper 1/2 teaspoon
Ginger 20 g

Methods

Step 1: Cut pork meat into cubes
Step 2: Soak red dates in a bowl of warm water.
Step 3: Shred away carrot outer layer. Cut carrot into cubes.
Step 4: Heat wok with water until it boils.
Step 5: Put in cut pork meat and carrot. Cover the wok and bring it to boil.
Step 6: Add in sliced ginger, salt, pepper followed by wine one after another at an interval of 3 minutes.
Step 7: Cover the wok and heat it until pork meat and carrot soften for another 25minutes.