Introduction:

Macrobiotic diet is a Chinese philosophy, which is a nutritional attempt to balance the “Complementary Opposites”, Yin and Yang. The Chinese believed that these two must be kept in harmony to achieve optimum health.  Yin is said to be expansive, cold, wet, slow, passive, sweet, loose and dark.  Yang is said to be contractile, hot, dry, salty, tight and light.

How the treatments are done:

The oriental diet is essentially low in fats and emphasizes the need for whole grains and vegetables and restricts fluids.   The Macrobiotic diet lays emphasis on consuming a fresh diet, without processed foods.  The most balanced food in the yin/yang continuum, are brown rice and whole grains and these constitute the foundation of the Macrobiotic diet.  The patients are put on a particular macrobiotic diet depending on their diet needs and temperament.  The diets consist of:

• 50 to 60% whole grains such as. Brown rice, barley, millet, oats, corn, rye, wheat and buckwheat.
• 25 to 30% fresh vegetables, such as cruciferous vegetables like Cabbage and other green and yellow vegetables. These vegetables must be organically grown and eaten after steaming with a small amount of vegetable oil.

Vegetables to be eaten frequently include, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, turnips, orange squashes and pumpkin.

Vegetables to be eaten occasionally include, celery, lettuce, mushrooms and string beans.

Vegetables to be avoided include potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, asparagus, beetroot and avocado.

5 to 10% beans and soy-based products are allowed. This includes tofu (soy bean curd), agar-agar, which is a seaweed and Irish moss.

Soups, which are permitted, include, Soups made from Soya bean paste, vegetable soups and bean.

Occasional treats like seeds, nuts, fruits and fish are allowed thrice a week.

 Benefits of the Macrobiotic diet:

 Proponents of this therapy assert that such a diet will bring about a sense of well being, decrease heart attacks and reduce the risk of certain forms of cancers and combat food allergies.  Claims that this diet can reverse cancers and AIDS are being studied at the National Institute of Health’s Alternative Medicine Office. To date, there is no evidence that Macrobiotics is effective in reversing advanced cancers.

Side effects of the Macrobiotic Diet:

 Vitamin and mineral deficiencies have been reported in extreme versions of this diet.  Studies have also shown that lactating mothers on a Macrobiotic diet had low levels of vitamin B12, Calcium and Magnesium in their diets. Another study links the macrobiotic diet to iron deficiency.  The therapy should be stopped if there are signs of malnutrition, fatigue, muscle and joint pains, poor concentration, irritability and increased susceptibility to infections.

 Conclusion:

 A Macrobiotic diet is indeed useful in preventing heart disease and may help in preventing colon cancer and certain food allergies.  But despite these benefits, few mainstream nutritionists endorse a Macrobiotic diet, because of the dangers of nutritional deficiencies that are likely during the therapy.

PICRIC ACID.

IT IS A GREAT REMEDY FOR THE ILL-EFFECTS CAUSED BY OVER-STUDYING AND GREAT EXHAUSTION.

 This remedy is derived from Picric acid.

It suits subjects who are warm blooded, sensitive to heat, with a desire for cold air and cold bathing which ameliorates the patient.

 It is a great remedy for too much studying or over-taxing the brain.  It is particularly useful in headache in students, business and computer engineers from over-study, fatigue, grief or depressing emotions.  It suits subjects, who sit still and are disinclined to work.

It is useful in prevent the degeneration of the spinal cord.  It is also useful in case of Dementia with prostration.

It is useful in writer’s palsy. It is useful in subjects who have pin and needles sensation in the extremities.

It suits subjects, who have small boils within the ears and the back of the neck.

It suits male subjects who have profuse emissions with great exhaustion.  It cures impotency and spermatorrhea when the mind is unable to control lustful emotions.

TIPS FROM THE MASTERS…

 If a mental shock arises from death of a near relative, followed by languor, lassitude or exhaustion, think of PICRIC ACID.

Dr. Wallace Mckenge, M.D.

In post influenza nervous asthenias, there are 3 remedies, which I have found of the greatest value, viz, PICRIC ACID, PHOSPHORIC ACID & COCCULUS INDICUS. In all the three, there is the same feeling of weariness and inability to sustain any mental effort.

Dr. D.M. Borland, M.B., Ch.B, F.F.Hom (Lond).

PICRIC ACID is as near a specific for small furuncles in any part of the body as any remedy can be.  In the meatus externus, it aborts the furuncle if seen early, and mitigates if advanced as well as corrects the habit.

Dr. Houghton.

Sheer exhaustion, could drop in tracks: CHINA, PICRIC ACID & CONIUM.

Dr. Andrew Kellner.

HELONIAS is an excellent remedy where there is a tired, acing feeling and some burning in the back and legs.  This is common enough with women and no remedy, unless it is PICRIC ACID relieves more promptly. The debility of HELONIAS is the result of impaired nutrition.

Dr. Farrington, M.D.

In any psychosomatic group of patients there are those with present fatigue, worse in the morning, who say they feel more tired on arising than when they went to bed and also mention that the lease desk work leaves them dragged out and listless.  I will now give more thought to PICRIC ACID.

Dr. Robert L. Redfield, M.D.

Introduction:

Can you imagine snakes slinking all over your body and yet be a stress reliever? This is a bizarre therapy popular in some Oriental countries and Indonesia. It is believed that once you overcome the initial fear, the unique sensation of snakes sliding over your body would relieve the muscle tension, hence relieve the stress.

Bigger snakes will relieve deeper muscle stiffness while the smaller snakes will give kneading effect. These are similar to deep tissue massage, and light to medium pressure massage techniques administered by humans.

Snake massage causes an Adrenaline Rush:

Snake massage will give you the adrenaline rush that is good for your metabolism. Although not confirmed by any study or research yet, the department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, confirmed the following that snake massage:

• It prevents the production of insulin
• It stimulates the synthesis of sugar and fat.

However, an adrenaline rush can be bad as well as it can affect the proper brain functions. It can also lead to chronic stress and subsequent heart failure.

Benefits of a Snake Massage:

Studies on the benefits of massage shows that it is a stress reliever. It improves the blood circulation. This is because the snake’s sliding movement will improve blood circulation as it causes blood to move and that will include to the congested area. Availability of oxygen rich blood to various parts of the body will therefore improve body functions.

Conclusion:

This alternative yet bizarre form of therapy is gaining popularity and you can now find snake massage not only in Indonesia and Thailand, but in health spas in Israel and Russia as well.