High cholesterol is not a disease but a metabolic dysfunction, which means that it can contribute to many other serious diseases, usually affecting the Heart and cardiovascular system.
In TICM excess cholesterol in the Blood is due to a dysfunction of the Spleen and Liver organs. In TICM the Spleen is the primary digestive system. The Spleen transforms and disperses food to all the parts of the body into useable energy. If you are consuming highly processed food, junk food, excess foods, your Spleen will not have the proper nutrients and foundation to produce healthy levels of energy and Blood.
The accumulation of dampness, phlegm, mucous can also cause excess cholesterol. This arises from the impaired function of the digestive system, most notably of the Spleen, Stomach, Liver, and Pancreas. Western medicine similarly recognises that cholesterol is either consumed and absorbed through the digestive tract or produced by the Liver.
Blood Stasis also contributes to these imbalances. Think of Blood Stasis as when your Blood, instead of flowing like a free flowing river, becomes stagnant like a swamp. If the body does not naturally detoxify through a healthy functioning Liver, exercise or through proper diet, phlegm and dampness cannot be removed causing internal build ups.
The Liver is the organ that generates the Heart, according to the universal TICM framework. This means that the Heart depends on a healthy Liver to function properly hence the overlapping in symptoms.
What TICM can do for cholesterol:
Diet: eat healthy, nourishing meals. Cooking for yourself is the most important thing you can do.
Acupuncture and hijama to help remove Blood stagnation, Blood stasis and promote detoxification.
Reduce weight if you are overweight. When you lose weight more healthy cholesterol stays and bad cholesterol leaves.
Quit smoking, tobacco is associated with bad cholesterol levels.️
Exercise, moderate moving leads to better circulation and lower cholesterol levels.
Try naturally detoxing through hot epsom salt baths, lymphatic drainage, infra-red saunas, enemas and colonics.
Take Liver forumala to promote natural detoxification that can be prescribed by your TICM doctor. Liver herbs work by soothing the Liver to disperse the depressed energy and nourish Liver Blood, and at the same time strengthen the Stomach and Spleen. It also helps to manage stress which impairs Liver function.
Ginger powder tea medically proven to combat the inflammation that happens with energy and Blood stagnation.
When you are eating to combat high cholesterol, you are eating to support your Spleen, Stomach and Liver function.
During this time, it is imperative to eat whole foods that are gentle on the digestion. That means cooked vegetables and refraining from eating salads and raw vegetables. Foods free of preservatives, additives, pesticides is also important as we do not want to continually overburden the Liver with toxins. Help your digestion with refraining from iced cold drinks. Warm water can hydrate you much more efficiently while breaking down food and fats.
Incorporating foods that are warm or hot in nature is really important in strengthening the digestive system. The one food that incorporates the most hot food into the body is ginger, specifically dehydrated ginger like ginger power or ginger extract. Notable hot fruits are categorised as coconuts, apricot, lychee, mandarin, mango, peach, raspberry, hot vegetables are onions, pumpkins, scallions, mustard greens, chives, leaks. Hot animal products are organic/ grass fed/ wild butter, chicken, lamb, mussels, prawns, venison. Hot spices include black pepper, cloves, cumin, fennel seed, garlic, nutmeg.
Overall, it is important to eat a tonne of cooked dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes, lemons, oregano, rice, bone broth and warm water. Talk to your TICM doctor about herbs and supplements that will support you in your healing journey.
Aubergines act as a Liver detox.
Avocados and their nutrition contain amazing healing powers. The avocado is the fruit with the highest monounsaturated fatty acids content at 20% followed by smaller amounts of polyunsaturated and saturated fats. This amounts to almost twenty times that of any other fruit. They are high potassium and amount of foliate in avocado helps to regulate blood pressure, which protects your body against circulatory diseases, heart problems and strokes. Avocados contain oleic and linolinic acids that are effective in lowering the LDL cholesterol and increasing the healthy HDL cholesterol.
Lotus plant leaves lower cholesterol. By making a tea out of dried leaves you can help lower your cholesterol as the leaves block the absorption of fats in your body.
Extra Facts on Avocado:
Is an amazing natural mouth wash and helps combat bad breath. It eliminates intestinal putrefaction or decomposition, which are the cause of a coated tongue and bad breath.
Anti-oxidants in avocados help neutralize free radicals that are crucial for improving eyesight and preventing eye problems such as astigmatism, cataracts and glaucoma.
Vitamin B6 which is found in avocado helps relieve nausea and queasiness associated with pregnancy.
The avocado oil is beneficial in the treatment of psoriasis. Apply regularly on affected parts to remove the scales.
Do not refrigerate an avocado before it is ripe. But once ripe, it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week unsliced. Once cut an avocado open, do not keep for more than a day in the refrigerator. Avocado flesh that is exposed to air can quickly turn colour because of the high iron content. You can prevent this by sprinkling it with some lemon juice
Extra facts on lotus leaves
Lotus plants grow in bodies of water specifically ponds in Asia. They are anchored in the mud and rise to the top blossoming beautiful white, pink, and blue flowers. They are not just to look at because they offer us with many health benefits as well.
Diabetes: the leaves can also lower blood sugar levels which can help those suffering from diabetes
Fatty Liver: it has been found that tea made from the leaves of the lotus plant can help heal fatty liver disease.
Detox Blood: the leaves that are made into a tea are great for detoxing the blood and helping lower your risk of disease.
Skin: when lotus flowers are ground into a paste and applied to the skin you will notice that it will moisturise your skin creating a youthful look
Fertility: women who have heavy periods can consume lotus tea to reduce the blood flow.
Men who experience premature ejaculation can drink lotus tea to help with their condition.
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