Have You Ever Felt That Unshakeable Sense of Worry?
Unlocking the mysteries of our anxiety through our genetic code has never been easier.
Anxiety was a constant companion in my life until my brother-in-law handed me a revelation that changed everything. After doing a 23andMe test, he discovered he had what some call the “worry gene.” This genetic marker, along with high homocysteine (Hcy) levels, often translates to increased anxiety and stress.
It’s astonishing how our genetics can influence our mental health. Studies confirm that elevated homocysteine levels can provoke anxiety, stressing us out over everything from our jobs to our family’s well-being. This is a daily battle for millions — one I knew all too well.
When I realized my anxiety was possibly due to genetics, I didn’t need a test to confirm it. My lifelong struggle led me to make a transformative decision that ushered me into the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
My Healing Journey
Imagine finding a natural way to heal from anxiety without the need for prescription medication. That’s exactly what I found in TCM. In Chinese Medicine, worry and anxiety are imbalances of the earth element, which is tied to our stomach and spleen. These organs play crucial roles in our digestion, transforming food into the nutrients our bodies need to function optimally.
By focusing on balancing my earth element, I managed to heal my anxiety profoundly and naturally. Ancient practices like meditation, qigong, herbal remedies, and dietary adjustments worked in harmony to restore my internal balance, making anxiety a thing of the past.
Why You Should Consider Traditional Chinese Medicine
Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexel.com
Modern science is uncovering what Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has known for thousands of years: anxiety isn’t just triggered by external stresses but is deeply rooted in your body’s physiology. As TCM suggests, the key to overcoming anxiety lies in achieving harmony within your body.
The Concept of Qi: The Vital Life Force
In TCM, the vital life force called Qi (pronounced “chee”) flows throughout your body, maintaining balance and well-being. When this Qi is disrupted or imbalanced, it can lead to various physical and emotional disturbances, including anxiety. The balance of your Qi hinges on the opposing yet complementary forces known as yin and yang. Any imbalance in these forces can manifest as mental and physical ailments.
My Journey: From Anxiety to Alignment
Through TCM, I successfully managed my anxiety and realigned my Qi, restoring a sense of peace and balance in my life. While I am not a medical doctor, I am passionate about sharing my journey and the methods that worked for me.
If you struggle with anxiety, these Traditional Chinese Medicine practices may offer you the relief you’re seeking.
Photo by Darina Belonogova from Pexel.com
Meditation
Meditation is the number one branch of Chinese Medicine. Meditation helps stimulate our endocrine or glandular system. The glandular system helps our hormones, which balances our nerves. Studies have shown the only way to balance the Leydig, Pituitary, and Pineal glands is through meditative states. When these glands work correctly, they help calm our nervous system.
I meditate daily, and I will notice a difference immediately in my nervous system when I don’t.
Qigong and Other Types of Movements
This is the second branch of Chinese medicine. This is similar to meditation, but moving the body to keep Qi flowing is important. The funny thing is we don’t need exercises that break a sweat unless you want to. It’s about movement, balance, and flow. Doing these movements is especially helpful if you do them outside to get vitamin D. This helps the overall system of anxiety,
I will alternate my daily exercise, do nature walks one day, Qigong, and guided movement the next. It is helpful for me if I get outside. Nature and the sun help align my body and my nervous system.
Nutrition
Since the earth’s elements rule the stomach and spleen, it’s important to watch your diet. Stay away from refined sugars, processed food, and gluten starches. The best is to be gluten-free. This is true if you have a sensitive digestive tract. When we eat gluten, it can put a gluten lining around our intestinal tract, which makes it difficult for the body to release toxins. We must release toxins to keep our overall Qi flowing, helping the nerves.
Having enough of the right amount of vitamins in the system is essential for Qi to flow. With the worry gene, it shows that the body may be deficient in folate and vitamin B12.
Vegetables with the Earth and Foliate: Turnip greens, spinach, romaine lettuce, asparagus, brussels sprouts, broccoli, beets, carrot, cucumbers, eggplant, mushrooms, cabbage, parsnip, rutabaga, squash, potato and yams
Foods with the Earth and B12: Sea veggies, kidney beans, nutritional yeast, fortified cereals, whole grains, oats, salmon, trout, shellfish, poultry, lamb, beef, liver, and eggs
Fruits with the Earth and Foliate: Bananas, oranges, berries, citrus fruits, apples, apricots, cherries, figs, dates, grapes, papaya, peach, and strawberry.
Earthly Nuts: Chestnut, chia seeds, almond, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, and walnut.
Please remember that when working to heal the body naturally, you must use these holistic methods for at least 30 days or more to see any changes or patterns within the body.
We are mind, body, and spirit, and it’s important to take care of all three!
Every human being is the author of his health or disease. ~Gautama Buddha~
Blessings from my heart to yours!
Tiffany
We will explore the folklore and healing properties of this beautiful temptress - The Apple.
The apple tree is perhaps the first tree ever to be cultivated. In Traditional Chinese Medicine apples are an excellent source of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C. — The healing powers of the apple are endless and go back centuries.
Apples have sacred and mythical significance in many cultures In mythology apples are said to have given the gods their eternal youthfulness. Buckets of apples have been found at burial sites in Norway and Ancient German grave sites, suggesting they held symbolic importance to these early peoples.
Apples have long been a symbol of fertility. In ancient Greece, apples were said to be sacred to the goddess of love, Aphrodite. To throw an apple at someone was to declare your love for them, and to catch the apple was to accept that love.
In the Bible, apples are associated with the Garden of Eden and are the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. As a result of the story of Adam, Eve, and The Apple, the apple became a symbol of knowledge, immortality, temptation, and the fall of man into sin.
The larynx in the human throat is called an “Adam’s Apple” because of an old notion that it was caused by the forbidden fruit remaining in Adam’s throat. It also evolved into a symbol of sexual seduction, as another play on the notion of it being a forbidden fruit.
An overview of the healing properties of the apple in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Photo by John Finkelstein: https://www.pexels.com/photo/red-apple-1630588/
In Traditional Chinese Medicine The Apple Governs:
Pin Yin: Ping Guo
Meridians: Lung, Heart, Intestines
Key Actions: Supports the Lungs, Builds Qi, Strengthens Intestines,
Stops Diarrhea, Tonifies the Liver, Strengthens the Heart
Medicinal Uses: Nourishes Skin, builds immunity, relieves asthma and bronchitis, resolves mucus, builds Body Fluids, supports liver and heart health, treats constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloating, and helps remove toxins from the blood.
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/three-apple-fruits-209339/
The Apple Cleanse — Detofixies The Body To Prevent Disease.
In Spring our body wants to cleanse itself of the fats and heavy foods of the Winter. This is a good time to do an apple cleanse as the body is naturally cleansing.
Edgar Cayce (Holistic Healer) recommended 3-day Apple Fasts to hundreds of people to ‘cleanse all toxic forces from anybody’ and said that fasting is one of the most effective ways of preventing disease. He fasted on apples for 3 days three times a year.
This Apple Fast provides not only the benefits of the malic acid in apples but also gives you large amounts of natural pectin fiber to cleanse the intestinal tract.
It’s called a fast because, by eating only apples, the body is fooled into a fasting mode, where it starts dumping toxins from the liver, kidneys, and other internal organs, into the bloodstream, where they can be leeched by the pectin.
The Apple Cleanses are very simple, here are the steps!
1. Eat only organic apples all day long.
I buy as many different varieties as I can to mix things up a bit and I usually eat 4 to 10 apples depending on my hunger. Don’t worry about how many you eat. When you’re feeling hungry simply eat an apple and your hunger subsides.
2. Drink warm water all day long.
This is key! I always fill up a glass with half cold water and then half boiling water and keep it with me. Just get into the habit of drinking warm water. Cold water isn’t good for digestion and elimination — but warm water stimulates peristalsis.
3. Do this for 3 days.
4. On the third night take 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
This was Edgar Cayce’s idea is based on the same principle as the liver flushes that are popular now. When you don’t eat any fat for days, your liver and gallbladder store up bile. When you flood your system with fat (olive oil) all at once like that — your gallbladder and liver release all the stored bile and push out the cholesterol stones that have formed.
“To keep the body in good health is our duty.” — Buddha
Stay healthy my friends and remember the healing power of this beautiful temptress fruit — The Apple.
Blessings from my heart to yours!
Tiffany
