Geri asks me: "Hi, I have been constantly sick for years, catching everything going. Immune system shot. Started Miso soup 3-5 days a week and didn't get sick for months. But, gained 15lbs. Dr. advised i stop it, and lost 6 pounds within a week. Would the miso have any benefit to me if i drank just 2 tablespoons a day instead of small bowl? Small amounts of vitamins and medications suit me, and am always told take the least of...
Hana asks "I've problems with arthritis in my hands. What can help me because it is painful and I must do everything because I've take care of my husband that passed 3 strokes and hardly can walk. I'll be very obliged if You can suggest some herbs or something else." Arthritis can manifest in 2 ways, either with or without inflammation. In Chinese Medicine this is an obstruction syndrome called Bi Syndrome. This is characterized as, usually, wind/cold/damp invasion of the joints....
The summer always brings lots of bugs and brings them in your house. This year fleas where out of control in numbers much higher than usual. Whats worse is fleas in particular reproduce in a lightning fast fashion. Lets look into some herbal pest control. For a few days I was getting some bites on me, which isn't all that unusual with keeping windows and such open in the summer time and the bugs etc..... I was starting to get a...
No reason to read this article because you already know the answer? However, my answer is not Ginseng, nor Echinacea. My herbal ruler can do many things and do them well. In fact, my herbal ruler has a very unusual property up its sleeve. Let me explain why my picks aren’t the popular Chinese Ginseng or the Western Echinacea herb which are widely considered the king herbs globally and are in demand that also carry a high price...
Familiar with the famous stomach ache and pain after your 3rd trip through the Chinese Buffet line? Did your last trip to Las Vegas leave you in a 'Carb Comatose' from all the Buffets? Regardless your eating style you may have experienced the same symptoms from weak GI tract or many other reasons. In Chinese Medicine this is known as Food Stagnation. The intestines are very durable but have their limit. When more food is taken in than your...
I have gotten many emails about recipes for Congee and Kicharee. Although the generic recipes are posted here: https://www.dimmakherbs.com/recepies/food-for-life-and-health-kicharee , https://www.dimmakherbs.com/recepies/appetite-for-health-heres-a-recipe-congee . Many people don't want to figure out how to make recipes by adding in their own ingredients. Well, here is my favorite Congee recipe although I do make my Congee very similar to Kicharee. The difference to me is that I make congee with a little sweetness and dates/berries and Kicharee with vegetables and such. Ok here is a...
Jamika asks: Dear Sean- Can you advise an herb for really really really bad menstrual cramps? Yes I can. In the herbal world cramping is considered spasms. What you want to control cramping is naturally an anti-spasmodic. This would be similar to formulas that one would use for nervousness, shock, as well as cramping. To name 1 herb for this condition I would definitely go with one that is anti-spasmodic and has affinity for the Female Reproductive System. Black Haw is the most powerful single...
I have seen other sites and pages on the Internet that are dedicated to the power of Garlic. It seems however that Garlic is just too simple of an herb for people to give it any credit. Garlic seems like a 'grandma herbs' or something that you just use for Italian cooking. Well, there is of-course some truth to this because to use an herb medicinally you have to use it in much higher potency than you put...
Lets talk a little about your lungs. Your lungs are much bigger than one thinks at least as far as surface area is concerned. I have seen it quoted that your lungs total surface area is about as big as a tennis court. The area that creates the largest part of the surface area gets down to 1 cell thick so that Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide can pass between them freely. This makes for a delicate area, and...
I occasionally get questions asking me to translate a herb name for them. The list is in alphabetical order from PIN YIN. Let me explain quickly why we use Chinese names and not English names when working with Chinese herbs. English names for herbs usually use the Latin names or other common names for herbs. This poses a problem because English names can use family names and 'slang' names. Lets take Angelica for example. Now there are 3 different types of Angelica....
