This Healthy Living Experience records my personal reproducible experience on what can be done to have healthy body. As with health issue, the general rules are simply the following
- Have a correct BMI - watch your shape & weight - eat below just enough.
- Have a meaningful joyful, peaceful purpose in life - you don't have to retire at all, forget about money!
Music can help alot. - Have a physically active life style - park your car far away & walk, don't use the elevator.
- Don't smoke - are you a victim of ego massaging advertisement glorifying smoking?
- Sleep well - develop a regular pattern & habit, meditation (simple focus on your diaphram breathing) is a good resting alternative.
- Have a balanced diet - fibre, fresh fruits & vegie (my favorite Omega 3 Fish Oil / Olive Oil & Eggs)
All these is underlined by one factor, your blood circulation status. Thus Japanese daily greeting is "O genki desu ka?" お元気ですか or how is your Qi? ... Reminder of QiQong 气功.
As we age our blood circulation deteriorates like a old pipe system in your old croaked house. This result in lots of aches & pain. It also make changes to your immunity system giving us weird body behaviours unlike when you are young.
Keep warm by wearing socks when you sleep. It will help to make your blood less vicious. Vicious blood will cause blood to be stuck at your heels causing morning heel soreness.
This is also the reason why 铁打 balm bandage creates blisters in your skin when used by Chinese bone physicians to suck out truma blood,
A hot water bottle (China produce a very convenient bag with the heater inside, no need to boil water) works on the same principle.
Moreover, our skeleton with its 206 bones & cartilages tied up by tendons & ligament attached delicately to bones togther with the muscles will mess up as we age; imagine yourself as a string puppet being made to move around all these years. This whole system of parts, as it age, will certainly add to your aches & pains.
Bottom Line to achieve Longevity: Adopt the correct Life Style 生活方式.
Following are my personal, well tested and reproducible health habits which i would sincerely like to share. The format of this sharing consist of:
Aim: What i want to achieve
- How: Description of what i practice.
- Why: My own personal reasoning why it work
- Tales / Cerita Ku: Stories from people who have tried.
My caveat: i am just an old soldier who have tried them many times and they worked; .. you don't have to agree.
For the sceptic, please listen to an old Japanese 105 year old (@2017) Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara, Longevity Expert 's advice: Don't believe everything your doctor says eh? 养生之道
Also he say "When a doctor recommends you take a test or have some surgery, ask whether the doctor would suggest that his or her spouse or children go through such a procedure.
Contrary to popular belief, doctors can’t cure everyone."
So do try my regime with an open mind resonate with humility, grace & patience; you may benefit for the rest of your life.
You are welcome to share your health experience at the Contact Us > Drop your Comments page. Please make sure that they are your true experience that you repeated in your life & not from UTube. Thank you. Peace2U.
A. Avoid stroke & heart attack
How
Daily take a few grams of Chinese blood thiner Chinese 田七 Tian Qi, also called by Chinese as 37 or 金不换 ie Gold won't swap.
Stop taking if you are going to surgery.
Why:
In western medicine after a person suffer a stroke or a heart attack, doctors normally give a blood thiner including aspirin.
Some Chinese family in the old days keep a red Korean ginseng in roasted rice for emergency.
Chinese Kungfu master also recommend it's use when a person has unclear blood in trauma area of the human body.
Essentily Tian Qi is one variant of various ginseng in nature, all help to keep your blood flowing nicely.
Tales / Cerita Ku
A Japanese factory in Ipoh has a long history of heart attacks or strokes suffered by many of their expatriate stationed here. Once they started taking Tian Qi, the chain was broken. Hence all of them followed.
I started to take this root & is now (@2107) over 20 years after learning from them this story.
Many others have taken it & felt reduced tension in the body as in being more relax.
B. Don't lose your teeth prematurely.
You don't have to lose your teeth because you are not young. These grandmother's statements are not true, totally WRONG!
- When you are old you will loose all your teeth - No 假; 是因为牙龈疾病
- It easier to extract all your bad teeth & wear a denture - not comfy 不舒服, 感觉是假物
How
Learn to brush your teeth after food the right way. My right way is to close my eyes, brush from gums down or up to the teeth for a least two minutes.
Add a tiny bit of baking powder to your tooth paste to see the magic.
After brushing, massage all your gums for another 30 seconds to allow blood circulation at the roots of your teeth.
Why
Due to sugary food plaque is formed on your teeth. If they are not removed it cause cavities, gum disease and finally hardening to tartar.
A sign of gum disease is sore gums with inflammation, bleeding gums & a smelly breath.
Brushing the right way, long enough and with some baking powder, plaque is removed effectively from your teeth and gum line.
You can check around for a special tooth paste that has > 50% baking powder to confirm this story.
Massaging ever help to refix loosen teeth due to gum disease. To believe this, find out why dentist ask you to put a tooth back into its original position if it gets dislocated by an accident.
Massaging also help to remove inflammation fast; trust your body to repair itself if you keep your mouth clean.
Tales / Cerita Ku
I have a tooth that is half gone due poor brushing and is loose even after "repair".
After my new regime, especially with gum massaging, my half is now firmly planted as whole / 2 halfs.
My bump & pain in my gums, if it comes, also goes away fast after massaging.
Using baking powder for just 3 days, i can smell that my teeth don't have any trace of plaque; also more whiter.
Finally remember not to pull off your teeth too hastily; the modern filling materials bond to your enamel much more effectively than mercury amalgam filling used in the older days.
;
C. Avoid long term backache
How
Just do the Canadian Air Force No 3 Back strengthening exercise, a few times a day for a few days.
You can get the full text from here.
Why
Backache is mainly caused by weak loin muscles compounded by weak "sirloin" muscles holding your spine..
Tales / Cerita Ku
I have a number of backache suffering in my life; the first when i was only 50 years old. It happened because of sitting in ackward position during a long distance car ride packed with too many passenger. The result was a backache that made it impossible for me to get up from the bed. My loin muscles seem to fail to function. Even toilet movement have no pushing strength.
As soon as i practice the Canadian exercise No3 for 4 days, the pain disappeared.
From that day on, whenever i have a stiff back or at the first sign of backache, i just repeat the exercise and it will be soon gone.
To maitain, i normally do it once or twice a week, that little. It sure work for me.
D. Avoid Pin & Needles in Index Finger
How
Hold your head with both your hands on your ears and bend down as far as possible for 70 times.
Repeat another 70 times but this time use your hands to turn your head left & right. Do this a few times a day.
Why
Normally this caused by compression of the nerves by your old spinal chord as it shrink. This is manifested as pins & needles at the tip of our fingers. Whenever you see people wearing a dog collar and who have gone to therapy stretching their neck or they were "hanged", they have this problem.
During the bending you will see that you can actually stretch to touch the floor after a few counts of ten, our spine is elastic like a rubber band.
Tales / Cerita Ku
When my classmate & me, both reach 60 years old, we simultaneulsy suffer from the same predictament. He went to see the doctor & took his medicine; I went & do my self diagnosed stretching without medicine.
Both came out fine.
E. Avoid Knee Pain
How
When you watch TV just rub both your knees for many minutes with any Chinese Kongfu 铁打 ointment that you can easily get from any Chinese herbal shop Repeat this a few days, repeat whenever you feel some discomfort at your old knee
Why
Of course it is due to old age's poor blood circulation that compounds problem of ligament or tendoin inflammation or muscle trauma.
This is the reason why all old people will end up walking with a 'Ali' Tongkat or sit on a electronic robotic wheel chair (soon in the market, believe it or not?)
Tales / Cerita Ku
I was climbing many steps in a Chinese tourist mountainous area and when i came back home I had to place my wounded leg up when i drive because the pain was really bad.
Then i went to a Chinese herbal shop to buy some kongfu 铁打 ointment. When i was applying it; for the first time in my life perhaps due to the unbeable pain, i read what was written on the bottle.
It says "rub with the ointment for at least a few minutes". I did just there then after a few days of rubbing, poof the pain is gone & i am as good as new. Believe or not?
F. Minimize Coughing at Night or Stop the itch
How
Keep your throat & mouth moist by wearing a face or mouth mask when you sleep or when the weather is cold & dry.
Allow a mixed vapour of oils consist of Tea tree oil, Eucalyptus oil, Thymol and Menthol to settle on your throat surfaces by sniffng on a soothing & antiseptic vapour rub made of these oils mixed in paraffin.
For skin itch, smoothen your dry skin with a talcum powder that baby use or baby powder.
Why
As we age our skin and membrane dries & crack causing itch irritating us to cough or scratch.
Thus you frequently hear of old people suffering from itch & scratching away.
In our throat area, we are also extra sensitve to allergens eg pollen or particulants in the air.
Thus keep these areas moist with an oily soothing & antiseptic vapour, it will certainly help. Thus many people are addicted to sniff 风油 or some form of vapour rub.
Why does talcum powder work on a itch dry skin? When skin is dry, it actually develop tiny cracks. When you sweat it will irritate it as if it is an itch. The powder will soak up the sweat. A light cotton dress will also do the trick. Try it.
Tales / Cerita Ku
I use to wake up with a very bad dry tongue and mouth as if it is a piece of dry leather, feeling very uncomfortable. This is caused by sleeping with our mouth wide open.
Sleeping with a simple face or mouth mask will totally prevent this state from happening. As your throat is moist with oily soothing vapour you will only cough once or twice to throw the irritant and stop.
With a mouth mask when you sleep it protects you from easily getting cold or flu; Believe or not?
G. Swing your arms 20 - 30 minutes for health & exercise + 站桩 or 站功 standing meditation
Watch the following video first to see how Dr swing away his cancer and others with skin problems. Before that read this:
Peace2U Practical Essence 道 Meditation : From my 40+ years (@13 Dec 2017) of self learnt meditation
- Any position works; standing, sitting or lying. I like lying down because you easily feel the breathing at your 丹田.
- Loosen all muscles; face, head, limbs, body & even imaging relaxing your internal organs.
- Focus your mind gently on your 丹田following your breathing & think only of this and try thinking nothing else. Learn what diaphragm breathing is.
- Do for minimum 20 minutes & every day without fail. I do from 30 to 45 minutes daily. If you succeed it is your personal hard work, nobody can teach you.
- When you can start to feel the气, gently follow it as it travels round your body. I equate this to the flow of blood & lymphatic fluid as our heart pumps.
- Other requirements specified by teachers or books are not really essential. You may try the release of stagnant 气 as shown in the video. I do not believe in 走火入魔or enter the demon, if you are evil & malicious to your fellow humans, perhaps.
How
Drink a full glass of warm water. Set up your mobile phone Timer to minimum 20 minutes or more. Turn on some soft music. Stand at ease with the feet spread to your shoulder width & knees slightly bend. Close your eyes .
Gently raise your arm and forearm to shoulder height & let them drop down by its own weight. The lifting of arms is the same as in Tai Chi 太极拳 opening movement; imagine your arms being pull up by strings like a puppet. Relax your hands all the time; after some swings you will feel your tinging feeling of chi flowing as in meditation. Your shoulder may get tired then let your arms swing little as in a clock pendulum to relax. I even change the movement to do some gentle stretching eg lift your arms above your head or spread your arms.
Once a while, bend your knees to lower your body when swinging. Also occasionaly shift your weight between two legs as in Tai Chi "Push Hand" 推手. You should know that in 太极拳, being stable on your feet is most important & it must be achieved before all else.
Stop when the timer sets off.
As in all Qi Gong way, pupils are told to be very relax & straight as if hang by a rope; put their tongue to the top of the mouth and end the whole process with a closing posture. You can follow these but to me what matters is be relax, try not to think and focus on your breathing by your diaphragm which is in counter direction to your chest movement.
Bottom line is still: persist to do it regularly and for minimum 20 minutes period.
Why
Even the Dr in the video cannot explain exactly why his cancer stop. Further in the video, an expert explain about chi movement and toxin removal, listen to it. Whatever i personally believe it is the meaningfully long exercise that has helped. It is also a good preoccupation for people with cancer as they have a daily regiment to follow to keep them proactive and also give them positive hope.
I further believe its similarity to Standing Meditation, that originate from Tai Chi 太极拳, also contributes it its benefit.
In any way, as my friend say there is nothing to lose; it is free, its does take time to get to somewhere to do it. save alot of time travelling.
Bottom Line: We humans need exercise / movement to keep you blood flowing and to keep system in balance.
Watch the following 2 short videos (one english, other chinese) relating to my grandpa's recommendation for health 站桩 or 站功 or standing meditation. The first video shows the relaxation, the slowest and the focus on the dan tian 丹田 (inside few cm below navel button). If all goes well you will feel the chi 气 in your thicker palms especially when you move your limbs very slowly.
Read his story at the Tales section of G. If like to know who is my grandpa click here. You can also see lots on this by using UTube and search "zhan zhuang 站桩 benefits"
Tales/Cerita
As I always say, unless i have tried it i will not share. In this new episode, (@ 13rd Dec 17 南京大屠杀) i had only tried 3 sessions, 1st 15 minutes the next two is 20 minutes. I will develop this as my permanent daily habit without fail because i already felt the good effect.
At the first session i felt a slight muscle pull at my left shoulder even though i try my best to do without force. On the 2nd session the pull was gone. After each session i feel my body become relax. I also feel more relax with easy chi flow when i meditate later.
I use to tell my old friend that i find doors getting narrower because I tend to knock into them. It is actually caused by our wobbly state as we passed our 70+ birthdays. This i believe is our drift to vertigo or 眩晕 or 耳水不平衡. Try standing on one leg or even with two and your eyes closed; we can't keep stable.
This take me to believe the 2nd benefit from this exercise; I feel more stable, less wobbly after swinging, believe it or not. It will also help to strength your knees for old guys like us, the knee bending as we do it.
Finally i must tell you how my grandpa like Liu Bei 劉備 in Chinese classic "Romance of the 3 Kingdoms" 三國演義, waited 3 times to secure his strategist, Zhuge Liang 諸葛亮 to help him. My grandpa was then getting old, health not too good wanted to get the 站桩 master to teach him. He waited for him, like the classic story, until he had him to teach him. In those days there is no internet to google for help unlike now, luck you.
With his personal experience, he had repeated told my mum to learn 站桩. He also said that whenever he is sick when standing, he gets a bad running nose. He also rock a bit whenever he stand. With his advice I have incorporated his standing meditation in this swinging exercise by closing my eyes.