Overview

Return to nature, and humans and nature are one, represent the core philosophy of this book on the use of diet therapy to restore the body’s energy and empower it for well-being and longevity. If we understand the law of nature, body is the same without mystique. In the wisdom from thousand years history of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dr.Helen Hu explains how body and healing closely connected to the nature with answer for something that we cannot and still confused from high technology today. why a person can eat something years ago, but sensitive and allergy to it today; Why someone after joining Raw food society or after practicing vegetarian diet, instead of losing weight, but gain more; Why salad is good, but for every one; how body gain weight , how body detoxify itself and why hormone therapy against the law of the nature… . One of the most important thing is that one should know what is your body constitution? Different body constitution should chose different diet accordingly for well being. Also one should know that diet has to be modified according to the stage of life, the different season, and what current medical condition. By choosing the appropriate food that nourish body and balancing emotion according to the color of the food, that taste of the food, the temperature of the food , the energy of the food, the direction of the food and which organ the specific food targeting and much more. Once you understand the basic nature of the body in the wisdom of Chinese Medicine and nature , it make a lot of sense and you will know how to heal and maintain well being yourself.

When Health and Wisdom Go Hand in Hand

BY BOBBIE CHRISTENSEN

Dr. Helen Hu leans against the examination tablein her office as she talks about her new book, Body without Mystique, Promoting Health with the Wisdom of Chinese Medicine. She starts by explaining that, having been taught by her grandmother which foods and herbs were helpful for differ­ent health reasons, she grew up as a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctor-in-training. It is no wonder, then, that when she was older, she went to college and then med­ical school, majoring in Western medicine and minoring in TCM, then graduating with a medical degree.

“In the medical schools in China,” Hu explains, “both Western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are taught to doctors in training.”

When Hu moved to the U.S. 20 years ago, she passed the U.S. medical exam that would allow her to practice here. Instead of going through another residency requirement, she decided instead to focus on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), for which she has a doctorate besides decades of family learnings. She has never regretted her decision. Her office is in San Diego’s Point Loma area, where she sees many patients, most from recommendations from other pa­tients. One of the key elements of her practice is food and herbal therapy.

Hu states: “If you were to visit China and discuss food and nutrition with the people there, you would encounter a totally different perspective on food than that of most West­erners. Rather than being interested in the vitamins or fiber content or number of calories there might be in your food choices, Chinese people would ask: ‘What is the proper function of this food?’ They mean how the food will inter­act with the body therapeutically, a concept that goes be­yond nutritional value.”

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hu explains, individu­als are treated holistically, not simply for a particular illness or problem. At the core of TCM is the belief that people have their own individual constitutions. A simple descrip­tion of Chinese medicine’s meaning of constitution is an in­dividual’s essence, energy, and spirit manifestation as a whole.

“Some aspects of a body’s constitution are inherited, but constitutions change over time with age and depending on how the body, spirit, and need for energy are nourished,” Hu says. “Body constitution is the answer to why one form of diet, one form of exercise, one form of therapy, cannot be the answer for everyone. If we know our body constitution, we will know when it is out of balance, which will signal us to be proactive in preventing illness,” Hu says.

All eight types of body constitution are described in her book so that readers can identify their own type and use the specific food therapies most beneficial to them.

Food and herb therapies also address specific antidotes to heal and others to prevent illness. For example, adding bit­ter melon to green tea helps clear toxins from the body. Hu notes: “Growing up in China, I remember that during the winter, when kids were susceptible to catching colds or the flu, the schools would prepare herbs such as ginger root for them to drink. It was mandatory for all the students to drink the herb soup during recess in order to prevent an epi­demic.”

It worked well, she explains, because food and herb ther­apies where developed over literally thousands of years, up­dated often as new evidence is found. Indeed, many Western medicine prescriptions are based on those therapies, though synthetic ingredients are mostly used instead of natural ones.

Other Chinese modalities include acupuncture, which can heal and which has successfully been used in place of Western anesthesia during surgeries. To nourish the spirit, exercises such as Tai Chi and Gi Gong were developed, combining meditation with mostly gentle movement as well as aspects of martial arts. (Hu teaches Tai Chi classes for free most weekends.)

In TCM, the individual is treated holistically, based on how Chinese scholars see the body’s systems. The TCM ad­vice, “Return to nature,” means understanding and making use of the resources nature provides. It means learning how to integrate this knowledge into our daily lives. Finally, it means understanding how to live healthier and longer.

Hu has helped hundreds of patients. Most are from refer­rals. An example is Layla Dipp, MD, a pediatrician.

“I had back pain and tried to treat it with traditional Western medicine, including prescriptions and physical therapy, “she says. “But the pain was not lessening.  I need a healthy back and need to be pain free to work and play sports. I went to Dr. Helen Hu on a recommendation and have seen significant improvement.” Hu has been treating Dr. Dipp holistically with acupuncture, massage, and diet recommendations. “I trust TCM in the right hands and have recommended it to parents for their children,” Dr. Dipp says.

(For a copy of the Dr. Helen Hus’s book, visit www.body­withoutmystique.com) 

Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) is an E-magazine and a network for all Qigong, Tai Chi, Yoga, Reiki, mindfulness and meditation practitioners, health seekers, and spiritual cultivators. It promotes philosophy and methods of self-healing, positive mind and health preservation, and shares knowledge and experiences with those who are interested in the subjects and their applications in everyday life.

Yang-Sheng merges traditional life-nurturing knowledge with modern scientific research and clinic evidence, and combines ancient wisdom with our own experience to support our daily practice and well-being,  and to reach true meaning of health in body, mind and spirit… Your contribution, participation, sharing and suggestions are truly appreciated.

Download the October 2011 issue of YANG-SHENG as a PDF

Highlight’s October 2011 Issue (Volume 1, No.8)

From the Editor Introduction to the theme of this issue, Food as Medicine, by Guest-Editor for October and Yang-Sheng Associate Editor, Dr. Helen Hu. –   “Return to nature,” and “humans and nature are one.” TCM teaches “food and herbs come from the same source.”  By using natural foods and herbs the body’s energy is restored.… Continue reading →

Overview

Return to nature, and humans and nature are one, represent the core philosophy of this book on the use of diet therapy to restore the body’s energy and empower it for well-being and longevity. If we understand the law of nature, body is the same without mystique. In the wisdom from thousand years history of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dr.Helen Hu explains how body and healing closely connected to the nature with answer for something that we cannot and still confused from high technology today. why a person can eat something years ago, but sensitive and allergy to it today; Why someone after joining Raw food society or after practicing vegetarian diet, instead of losing weight, but gain more; Why salad is good, but for every one; how body gain weight , how body detoxify itself and why hormone therapy against the law of the nature… . One of the most important thing is that one should know what is your body constitution? Different body constitution should chose different diet accordingly for well being. Also one should know that diet has to be modified according to the stage of life, the different season, and what current medical condition. By choosing the appropriate food that nourish body and balancing emotion according to the color of the food, that taste of the food, the temperature of the food , the energy of the food, the direction of the food and which organ the specific food targeting and much more. Once you understand the basic nature of the body in the wisdom of Chinese Medicine and nature , it make a lot of sense and you will know how to heal and maintain well being yourself.

 Here is the audio clip on Dr. Helen Hu’s Interview

In America, according to an October, 2009 CBS report chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes wreck our quality of life and cost a fortune. With our sophisticated disease care system, heart disease is still the number one cause of  death in the America, Cancer, is second, and Healthcare related mistakes and  drug overdose and errors in  surgical procedures that cause death are ranked as  number three!  (Dr. Barbara Starfied ,MD. a physician and health services researcher, university distinguished professor and Professor of Health Policy and Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University provided these facts) .  America spends more than $25 trillion a year on healthcare.

In our current healthcare system, almost no time is spent discussing daily diet recommendation and lifestyle modification.  People desperately need preventative healthcare like nutrition education and high-quality personal care to find their way back to prime health.

We need well-trained professionals not only to teach people how to adopt healthier habits but guide them to cultivate inner peace in order to lead a healthy and happy life.

By utilizing the ancient wisdom of Chinese Medicine. Dr. Helen Hu   guides you on the journey of self healing, well being and longevity in the most natural ways.

1. The journey on the road to wellness and longevity begins with one small step. A little change can initiate a great benefit in life. Thought out the journey, Dr. Hu will guide and support you personally step by step. She will provide consistent support and motivate you. Dr. Hu will evaluate your current health condition through a comprehensive personal history review and analysis of your body type, stage of life, geography area and evaluate your stress levels from all sources in order to define your immediate and long term goals and your vision. Dr. Hu will also coach you in identifying your body type. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) categories of food are suggested using the color of the food (the different colors of food nourish different organs) the taste of the food (the taste of food interacts with organs and provides therapeutic effects), the temperature of the food (cold, hot and warm properties of the food counteract with each body type) and finally the energy direction of the food. When you choose the right diet combination, there will be many improvements to your health. Dr. Hu integrated the wisdom, philosophy, passion and the art of the two worlds in her wellness a longevity coaching.
2. Disease prevention, dealing with chronic conditions, life changes and aging, the body send us signals or warnings that our current life style does not fit our body’s needs. If a body already has a chronic condition but recently develops more new or different symptoms, those signal us to take proactive measures to prevent further deterioration and reverse negative symptoms in the early stages to avoid disaster. The same theory is aligned with emotions. Emotional changes indicate the well being of internal organs and inner body system balance. A signal we cannot ignore. Dr. Hu integrates the ancient Chinese philosophy of life to assist you and encourage you to view life in a new way to cultivate happiness and inner peace.
3. Find inner peace within and happiness:  Many elderly people admit that inner happiness and peace or having a strong faith, with positive attitude are the keys to overcome obstacles and keep an open heart to others and to forgive. Stress comes from inner overacting to external stimulating. If we can keep emptiness in the mind and peace in the heart, stress has no place in our life. We can change our vision of life and reach the status of inner peace. Dr. Hu will assist you by using Dao wisdom to discover the ways to enjoy, to feel and to appreciate life.
   Here are some of quote from Dao De Jing (Lao Zi)
   Lao Zi Empty your mind of all thoughts.
   Let your heart be at peace.
   Watch the turmoil of beings,
   but contemplate their return.
   Each separate being in the universe
   returns to the common source.
   Returning to the source is serenity
   
4. The heart organ is the chief organ and the center of all organs of the body. Maintaining a balanced heart with happiness, love, generosity and peace is one of the most important factors in well being and longevity. Traditional Chinese Medicine ((TCM) teaches that the heart is not an anatomic being but the center of the body organs, the energy, and an emotional and spiritual base. So it makes a lot of sense to us when we say “my heart is in the right place” “he has a big heart”,”my heart feels loved” and “I have peace in my heart.” When we have peace at heart, we will have peace with others, nature and the universe as a whole. Some of the quotes from Lau Zi (Daoist)
   
   See the world as your self.
   Have faith in the way things are.
   Love the world as your self;
   then you can care for all things
   When there is no desire,
   all things are at peace
   In dwelling, live close to the ground.
   In thinking, keep to the simple.
   In conflict, be fair and generous.
   In governing, don’t try to control.
   In work, do what you enjoy.
   In family life, be completely present
5. Dealing with stresses , crisis and negative environments with an empty heart and mind
   Why can’t life be simple? In a modern fast pace society, it seems as though everything in life has become more and more complicated. With a high stressful lifestyle in any stage of life, commercialization and media sparks our society for more desires leading people to be more unsatisfied, disturbed feelings, and unease in the heart.
   Stress come from internal responses to the external reality or imagined factors.
   Dose any of the following sound familiar? While driving on the free way fighting heavy traffic, your son calls your cell phone, you are late for his first football game. Project dead-lines are closing in at work and your boss is breathing down your neck. Meanwhile, you forgot to buy flowers and a card for a loved one’s birthday. Maybe your aged parents depend on you to make decision for them. With the turmoil in the world and the unstable financial predicament,, it brings more crises in people, families and businesses across the globe. The list keeps growing causing you stress; STRESS adversely impacts our lives.Here are some examples of some real patients under stress: “My doctor told me, I need to see a psychiatrist for anger control” “Dr. Hu, I think I am going crazy, I have anxiety, and it seems I can’t calm down” “I feel pain in my stomach every time my supervisor calls me in for a meeting”, “I have no sexual desire” “I feel exhausted at the end of day but my thoughts keep me from falling asleep”.“My stomach feels full after dinner, but my mind still tells me I’m hungry. Emotional stress from work, family, macro or micro environments all transform to physical pain in the short term and chronic and autoimmune disorders for long termDr.Hu will assist you in techniques on how to deal with stress by utilizing the physical techniques. Walking, jogging, yoga and meditation help to manage mild stress as does a healthy diet and sufficient sleep are important in managing stressHere are some sayings from Dao De Jing (Lao Zi)
   
   Practice not-doing,
   and everything will fall into place
   Can you coax your mind from its wandering
   and keep to the original oneness?
   Can you let your body become
   supple as a newborn child’s?
   Can you cleanse your inner vision
   until you see nothing but the light?
   Can you love people and lead them
   without imposing your will?
   Can you deal with the most vital matters
   by letting events take their course?
   Can you step back from you own mind
   and thus understand all things?Throw away holiness and wisdom,
   and people will be a hundred times happier.
   Throw away morality and justice,
   and people will do the right thing.
   Throw away industry and profit,
   and there won’t be any thieves
6. Vision of the future wellness and longevity.We have to understand that well being and longevity are not a temporary project or a program. It is a lifestyle or a life journey.  Remember that coaching can only bring you to the right starting point or the beginning line of the journey via a disciplined manner. Once the perspective of seeing life with love, an empty mind, free flow of being and lifestyle becomes engrained, and then the journey begins.There are many longevity people in the world by living a very simple life surrounded with beautiful nature, full of love and happiness by owning so little.We have to ask ourselves, what is the meaning of life?What we are missing?Here is a sample of some Daoism philosophy:Fill your bowl to the brim
   and it will spill.
   Keep sharpening your knife
   and it will blunt.
   Chase after money and security
   and your heart will never unclench.
   Care about people’s approval
   and you will be their prisoner Do your work, and then step back.
   The only path to serenity.Giving birth and nourishing,
   having without possessing,
   acting with no expectations,
   leading and not trying to control:
   this is the supreme virtue.

Contact Dr. Helen Hu for your Well Being and Longevity Coaching. Please fill out the on line application for an initial contact, or email Dr. Hu at bodywithoutmystique@gmail.com

One Whole Organic Chicken
Astralagus: 50g 黄芪
Chinese wild yams: 30g
Cordyceps capsules: 4-6 capsules 冬虫夏草胶囊
Shitake mushrooms: 6-7 pieces 花菇
Chinese red dates: 2-4 pieces 大枣
Vegetables, as you wish
Ginger and salt

Cooking instruction: put Cordyceps capsules (4-6) inside of the stomach of the chicken and add all of the other herbs and ingredients, with water. Cook at a moderate temperature for 2 – 4 hours, while drink the broth and take some of the broth and save for later use. And continue adding water in the pot to cook the chicken to make more broth until the whole chicken falls apart. Drink the soup and eat the meat as you wish. You can also use the broth as a base for other
kinds of soups.

Note: this soup can help people to restore their energy, immune system, and it has been helping many people from chronic disorders, post surgery recovery, people with current chemotherapy or after chemo and for health individual for prevention, well being and longevity.