Loyal Dog Prevents Suicide: Five Cases of Dogs Saving People

25 March, 2013 at 07:41 | Posted in Body & Mind | Leave a comment
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By Jack Phillips
Epoch Times Staff

Loyal dog prevents suicide: There have been numerous instances of dogs saving people, including a recent example in France this week where a German Shepherd prevented its owner from killing herself.

The recent example of a French woman being saved by her dog as she pointed a rifle towards her heart to kill herself may seem a bit out of the ordinary, but dogs have saved people from certain death on many occasions—even within the past year.

Here are five examples:

Poland

Just several days ago, a 3-year-old girl went missing in a Polish village during frigid temperatures. But a stray dog followed her and kept her warm through the night before she was found by rescuers.

“For the whole night the animal was with the girl, it never left her. Remember, it was 5 degrees below zero and the child was wet,” a firefighter said of the incident.

The child was found clinging to the dog about two miles from her home in the village of Pierzwin. The dog apparently slept with the child through the night to keep her warm.

Indianapolis

Last November, a family dog in Indianapolis stopped armed kidnappers from leaving a family home. In the incident, a man and a woman broke in and abducted the 3-month-old daughter of Nayeli Garzon-Jimenez while her husband was working.

But the family’s pit bull mix prevented the two assailants from taking off with the child.

“She started screaming and crying,” Adolfo Angeles-Morales, the husband, told local station WISH-TV, referring to his daughter. He added, “The guy said, ‘Give me the money or we take the baby.’”

The woman assailant then grabbed the child and bolted for the door, he said.

Angeles-Morales said, however, that “one of the doggies didn’t let her go through the back door” and the woman threw the baby back.

British Colombia

A dog rescued an 11-year-old boy from a mountain lion attack in 2010 in the small Canadian town of Bar Boston, located some 150 miles north of Vancouver.

The dog, named Angel, threw herself between the boy and the puma and almost died in the scuffle.

“She was my best friend, but now she’s even greater to me,” the boy, Austin Forman, told NBC News, referring to his dog. “She’s more than a best friend now”

Before the attack, he said, “The dog knew something was up, because she ran toward me just at the right time, and the cougar ended up getting her instead.”

“I was just lucky my dog was there, because it happened so fast I wouldn’t have known what hit me,” he added.

New Jersey

Last month, an elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer’s got lost and fell down in the snow in Piscataway, N.J., but a pit bull came to the rescue.

“She looked back at me and then barked, and there I saw a figure laying,” Cara Jones, the owner of the pit bull—named Creature—told ABC News. “She was trying to get up and the sticks kept breaking on her, so she would fall back down.”

Jones recalled not being able to figure out the reason why the dog kept trying to lead her into the brush, where the elderly woman, 89-year-old Carmen Mitchell, fell down. Mitchell had wandered into the woods around a mile from her caretaker.

Even after a full search, police with K-9 units couldn’t find her until Creature arrived on the scene.

“I had a lot of people looking down on me for having a pit bull, and I’m glad that I have her,” Jones said.

United Kingdom

In 2009, a man who fell down a 30-foot slope and broke his neck was kept alive when both his dogs kept him warm in frigid temperatures in Brixham, England.

The man, 66-year-old Michael Dyer, was walking his dogs when the incident took place. After he fell, Dyer lay unconscious in the snow.

However, as Dyer slipped in and out of consciousness through the night, his dogs stayed with him and kept his core temperature high enough to survive the cold.

“He loves those dogs and the fact they wouldn’t leave him is amazing,” his friend, Barry Robinson, told the Daily Mail.

via Loyal Dog Prevents Suicide: Five Cases of Dogs Saving People | International | World | Epoch Times

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Healthy Kids Need Time in Nature

23 March, 2013 at 15:07 | Posted in Body & Mind, Children, Nature, Society | Leave a comment
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By David Suzuki

Ontario’s Healthy Kids Panel recently proposed a strategy to help kids get onto a path to health.

The problem is that the path doesn’t lead them into nature. Though the report quotes parents’ comments and research showing kids spend dramatically less time outside than ever, it doesn’t encourage time in nature.

That said, many of the report’s recommendations should be implemented and supported locally, provincially and nationally to reduce the risks of obesity.

Encouraging parents and children to be more critical about dietary choices and requiring more information and labelling from restaurants and food producers is long overdue.

Ontario isn’t the only province working to reduce obesity rates and support parents raising healthy children, particularly in the early years. Alberta released relevant reports in 2011 and Quebec has had a ban on advertising junk food to children since 1980.

No one can argue against public awareness and education around the benefits of healthy eating and active living. But a provincial, patchwork approach to addressing these issues isn’t enough. We need a national strategy to get our kids eating healthy foods and being active in nature.

‘Make good things more accessible’

Although it seems logical that much of the time spent being active will take place outside, the Ontario report acknowledges that “many communities are not designed to encourage kids to move or be physically active…and have few safe green spaces.”

One parent in a focus group explains that the parks in his community are either gated or locked up once school is closed. So, even when there is green space, it’s not always accessible.

Last year, the David Suzuki Foundation conducted a survey with young Canadians and found that 70 percent spend an hour or less a day outdoors. The 2012 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card says they spend almost eight hours a day in front of screens.

So it’s not that kids don’t have time to be outside. It’s just not part of their lifestyle.

Much has been reported about a recommendation by the Ontario panel to ban junk food advertising that targets children under 12. This has worked in Quebec and is being discussed in Alberta.

But the approach has invited criticism from those who argue that people should have the right to choose.

We need a national strategy to get our kids eating healthy foods and being active in nature.

It’s always tempting to focus on making bad things less accessible, but perhaps policymakers should be more creative and focus on ways to make good things more accessible.

Being in nature is good for all of us. People who get outside regularly are less stressed, have more resilient immune systems and are generally happier.

And it’s good for our kids. Studies show spending time in nature or green spaces helps reduce the symptoms of ADHD.

Even in built playgrounds, kids spend twice as much time playing, use their imaginations more, and engage in more aerobic and strengthening activities when the space incorporates natural elements like logs, flowers, and small streams, according to research from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Bring Nature Back Into Our Lives

Despite all the obvious health benefits of spending time outside, provincial and federal governments are failing to integrate a daily dose of nature into their policies.

It’s also something we as a society are failing to make a priority in the lives of our children. This inexpensive and effective way to make our lives healthier and happier should be an obvious solution.

We need to make sure our neighbourhoods have green spaces where people can explore their connections with nature.

We need to make sure our neighbourhoods have green spaces where people can explore their connections with nature.

We need to ask teachers and school board representatives to take students outside so that nature becomes a classroom.

And we need to stop making the outdoors seem like a scary place for children by helping parents understand that the benefits of playing outside outweigh the risks.

It will take public education and awareness-building as well as changes to the way we build cities and live in our communities to bring nature back into our lives.

Connecting kids to nature every day needs to be a priority policy objective in any strategy for healthy children and could easily have been integrated into the recommendations from the Ontario Healthy Kids Panel.

Taking our kids by the hand and spending time outside with them will have the added benefit of making us healthier and happier adults.

By David Suzuki with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Communications Specialist Leanne Clare

via Healthy Kids Need Time in Nature | Viewpoints | Opinion | Epoch Times

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10 Superfoods to Incorporate Into Your Diet

21 March, 2013 at 07:14 | Posted in Body & Mind, Food | Leave a comment
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By Nick Livermore
Eco18.com

Superfoods. The name itself carries so much hype, and many nutritionists can’t stand it. The concept, however, has the best of intentions. Essentially, superfood is used to describe food with a particularly high nutrient profile and minimal negative ingredients.

We’re not saying to eat them constantly. What we are saying is buying them at the store and incorporating them into your diet will have benefits on your waistline and overall health and wellness.

Avocado
Rich in healthy monounsaturated fat, avocados also loaded with fiber and lutein, an antioxidant linked to eye and skin health.

Blueberries
Loaded with antioxidants, mainly anthocyanins, blueberries can help with brain function and your vision. They also make a great snack.

Dark Chocolate
Packed with flavonols and antioxidants, one piece of dark (80%+ cacao is best) provides a healthy dose of disease-fighting compounds and may help to reduce cholesterol.

Oats
Rich in protein and minerals including zinc, calcium, magnesium and iron, oats also packed an excellent dose of soluble fiber! Great for breakfast.

Eggs
One of, if not the most, protein-rich foods on earth, eggs are also loaded with amino acids and other nutrients. It’s also OK to eat the yolks.

Almonds
Full of cholesterol-lowering fiber and monounsaturated fat, almonds make a great snack or can be easily incorporated into virtually any meal.

Red Wine
One glass of red wine a night has been shown to boost levels of healthy cholesterol and packs a healthy dose of antioxidants, resveratrol and saponins.

(Kristinas comment: Pregnant women should not drink alcoholic beverages at all, since it will harm the unborn child.)

Salmon
According to The American Heart Association, eating fish two meals per week, helps cut the risk of heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis. Fatty fish, such as salmon, may also help alleviate depression. Just make sure it’s wild-caught, never frozen and comes from a store that supports sustainable agriculture.

Ancient Grains
Heirloom and ancient grains carry a far superior nutritional makeup than modern wheat, which has been crossbred and may be genetically modified. Grains such as Kamut khorasan, spelt, and amaranth generally contain higher levels of protein, antioxidants and minerals and generally taste better, too!

Seeds
Chia, quinoa, and flax seeds all carry a host of nutritional benefits ranging from antioxidants and minerals to protein and fiber.

Eco18 is a collective of creative-writing individuals from different backgrounds with a common goal—to live a healthier, more natural lifestyle. Their combined expertise, humor, and opinions explore green and sustainable in a practical, fun way. www.eco18.com

via 10 Superfoods to Incorporate Into Your Diet | Nutrition | Health | Epoch Times

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Human Brain Treats Phantom Limbs as Real

12 March, 2013 at 08:18 | Posted in Body & Mind, Science | Leave a comment
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By Sally Appert
Epoch Times Staff

Phantom pain in a missing limb may be linked to how vividly the brain still represents the limb.

Years after they lose an arm or leg, amputees’ brains still carry an image of the missing limb that can be exactly the same as the image of the real limb, according to new U.K. research.

A group of 18 amputees took part in the study. The MRI imaging results showed that the people with the most phantom pain in their missing limbs also had the most realistic picture of the limb in their brains.

“Almost all people who have lost a limb have some sensation that it is still there, and it’s thought that around 80 percent of amputees experience some level of pain associated with the missing limb,” said study lead author Tamar Makin at Oxford University in a press release.

The researchers observed what happened in the participants’ brains when they moved their phantom fingers. Many of their brains represented the limbs exactly as if they were real.

The part of the brain that controlled the phantom limb was smaller than normal in the amputees, but for those with a lot of phantom pain, the difference wasn’t as noticeable.

It wasn’t clear whether the brain differences caused the phantom pain or vice versa. The researchers hope that their findings might lead to treatments for phantom pain, which can be debilitating.

“Imagine you are wearing a lady’s evening glove that stretches from the fingers up the arm past the elbow,” study participant Lynn Ledger explained in the release.

“But everywhere the glove covers, it’s as if it’s constantly crushing your arm. There are also shooting pains and intensely painful burning sensations that come and go, but the crushing pain is constant.”

Although the local brain structure and function for the missing limb remained, other connections in the brain appear to be disrupted.

“This disconnect between the physical world and what they are experiencing appears to be linked to a functional detachment in the brain,” Makin said.

“There seem to be reduced connections between the missing limb part of the brain and the rest of the cortex that’s involved in movement.”

The research was published in the journal Nature Communications on March 5.

via Human Brain Treats Phantom Limbs as Real | Inspiring Discoveries | Science | Epoch Times

Related Articles: Chronic Pain Alters Sufferers’ Perception of Time-Space

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Community Sustains Asia’s Cleanest Indian Village

11 March, 2013 at 10:19 | Posted in Body & Mind, Environmental issues, Society, sustainable development | 2 Comments
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By Sunaina Valecha
Epoch Times Staff

A remote village in the north-eastern part of India is setting an inspiring example with its unique community cleanliness initiative, amidst contrasting unclean cities and villages with waste littered everywhere.

A remote village in the north-eastern part of India is setting an inspiring example with its unique community cleanliness initiative, amidst contrasting unclean cities and villages with waste littered everywhere.

Mawlynnong, a small Indian village in the east Khasi hills of Meghalaya state, not only set an example of community sustained cleanliness but also, in the process, developed a model of eco-tourism that preserves its nature, age-old traditions, and provides livelihood to residents.

“Cleanliness and respecting nature is a tradition passed on to us by our ancestors,” said Rishot Khomgthohrem, a school teacher from Mawlynnong. “As a child I was taught that clean surroundings are a key to healthy life. At home, school, and at the place of worship cleanliness was emphasized and gradually it sank in me as a way of life.”

This way of living has been adopted and further evolved into a planned community initiative by every resident of the village. “Every day the villagers, young or old, keep the surroundings clean. Earlier four to five members were employed for it but now it’s just all of us doing it conscientiously and voluntarily,” said Khomgthohrem.

The village was unknown to the outside world, as it was not connected by road until 2003. The road connectivity brought the first tourist to the village.

“A reporter from Discover India magazine chanced upon Mawlynnong, and wrote an article introducing it as the cleanest village in India he has ever seen.”

In 2005 UNESCO acknowledged it as the cleanest village in India —thus introducing it to the world.

“These titles also made the villagers aware about the culture of cleanliness of their own village and they became more zealous in maintaining it.”

Waste segregation is among the many things that villagers do to maintain cleanliness: The usage of plastic is minimal and the tourists equally cooperate respecting the values of the community; bamboo dustbins are placed at every small distance and no one litters around.

“The level of awareness about maintaining cleanliness is immense among the villagers. Even if a leaf falls, whoever sees it the first, surely picks it and puts it in the dustbin,” said Sandeep Chourasia, a tourist consultant operating in east India. “No scavengers are as such appointed.”

According to Chourasia “we want to do this”-attitude of the villagers is the key behind village’s cleanliness success. This attitude is also supported by the traditional social order followed in the village whose tribal traditions encourage collective decision making.

Tourists often witness villagers taking part in the ritual weeding, sweeping and cleaning of the gardens and roads every evening.

“The children participate in the cleanliness ritual mostly everyday very enthusiastically,” said Mathew Khongsar, a government contractor at Mawlynnong. “I also participate when I can. We are set as an example for several others; however, I feel we need to work harder to set a high bench mark.”

The village established its own special committee for cleanliness that consists of members of the village who are either too young or too old to cultivate land.

“There is a database created after tourism boom in the village. A tourism fund is created and from it the essentials and necessities are fulfilled of one chosen family at the village who needs it the most,” said Deepak Laloo, the owner of a guest house at Mawlynnong.

The village offers breathtaking view of Bangladesh plains as it is located on the Indian- Bangladesh border. It also boasts of many eco-friendly architectural marvels like the Skywalk.
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“The Sky walk is an 85 feet Bamboo structure offering a bird’s eye view of the village and a panoramic view of Bangladesh plains. It is indeed unique as not even a single piece of metal is used in its creation,” said Chourasia.

There is also a 1,100 year old tree root bridge in the village. The root bridge is an eco-technology developed by ancient tribes to construct bridges across rivers using the roots of trees. During the monsoons when it gets difficult to cross the river, root bridge is the way out.
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The 1,100 year old living root bridge in Mawlynnong village which took sixty years to grow. The root bridge is an eco-technology developed by ancient tribes to construct bridges across rivers using the roots of trees. (Sandeep Chourasia-India Beacons)…

According to Khomgthohrem “Our forefathers built this village during the reign of the Khasi King. It took 60 years to build it. The roots of the rubber tree are connected with string after they grew and the bridge was formed.”

Mawlynnong is very scenic, especially in the monsoons when there is lush greenery all around. Waterfalls pave their way to small streams and there is abundance of flowering orchids around. Obviously such breath-taking beauty inspires this all literate village.

The initiative brings hope to numerous Indian cities where big dumps of waste are a common sight.

via Community Sustains Asia’s Cleanest Indian Village | South Asia | World | Epoch Times

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Deliberate Pollution of Groundwater Shocks Chinese Netizens

7 March, 2013 at 11:15 | Posted in Body & Mind, China, Environmental issues, Society, sustainable development | Leave a comment
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By Rona Rui
Epoch Times Staff

The well-known journalist Deng Fei recently alarmed the public by reporting on Weibo the popular Twitter-like service in China how polluted water is pumped underground in Weifang City, in eastern China’s Shandong Province.

Many of the city’s industrial enterprises (such as chemical plants and paper mills) have been evading official inspections by using high-pressure pumps to discharge wastewater containing toxic substances.

Deng started his independent investigation into water pollution after asking his 2.5 million Weibo followers on Feb. 12 to post pictures of their local rivers.

By Feb. 17 more than 2.9 million netizens had reported their hometowns’ water pollution problems with posts to Weibo.

According to Deng, the practice of pumping polluted water underground has been going on secretly for many years in Hebei and Shandong provinces.

The CEO of China’s tea city website (www.ntea.cn), Jiang Rongsheng, posted on his Weibo that when he was in the investment consulting business 20 years ago, numerous officials he had met said they would “bury” waste from the dyeing and weaving industries “underground.” That was something unforgettable to him, he commented.

Deng’s blog has been gaining much attention from the Chinese media due to its rise in popularity. Online forums have become battlegrounds between those who report the truth and those who censor it, with netizens continuously reposting Deng’s blog soon after authorities have deleted it.

Attorney Gan Yuanchun of Changsha City, Hunan Province, wrote in a Weibo post on Feb. 16, “Deng and Feng Yongfeng, who claims to be the founder of the University of Nature, have pointed out that Shandong officials lobbied in Beijing to prevent media reporting on the pollution. A CCTV documentary has been cut, and reporters in Weifang are under house arrest.”

Although Gan’s Weibo was soon deleted, netizens have been reposting it all over the Internet using screenshots of his blog.

A letter dated Feb. 16 allegedly written by the Environmental Protection Bureau to some enterprises in Weifang saying that CCTV was planning a secret investigation has also been circulating on Weibo.

However, Weifang Environmental Monitoring Commander Xie Zhenxi has denied that the Bureau ever sent such a notice. According to a Sina news report the following day, Xie said he “cannot say much and was not clear” about the letter appearing on Weibo.

While officials are trying to control information about the pollution by deleting weibo posts and shutting down media coverage, some members of the public who have managed to follow the controversy are quite angry.

“These actions are horrendous. If they are proven to be true, shall we use high-pressure pumps to pump the officials and leaders underground as well?” a legal scholar named Xu Xin commented on Weibo.

According to the Chinese regime’s mouthpiece Xinhua, one third of China’s water supply comes from underground. Investigative reports on 118 cities over the last two to seven years show that severely polluted water runs in 64 percent of the cities and mildly polluted water in 33 percent of them. Only 3 percent of the cities have clean water.

Read original Chinese article.

via Deliberate Pollution of Groundwater Shocks Chinese Netizens | Society | China | Epoch Times

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5 Tips to Kick Sugar

6 March, 2013 at 17:03 | Posted in Body & Mind, Food | Leave a comment
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By Tysan Lerner

To help you lose weight, become healthier, and feel better, cut down on your sugar intake. Of course, this is easier said than done since sweets are addictive.

To help you lose weight, become healthier, and feel better, cut down on your sugar intake. Of course, this is easier said than done since sweets are addictive.

Worse, sugar is added to so many of our daily foods, including tomato sauces, yogurts, cereals, milk alternatives, breads, ketchups, and even some pickles.

Read the ingredient lists and look out for sugar (including high fructose corn syrup, corn sugar, evaporated cane juice, agave nectar, fructose) and how many grams of sugar are listed. Generally speaking, 4 grams of sugar is equivalent to about 1 teaspoon of sugar.

How to Kick Sugar

I asked Dr. Jingduan Yang, M.D., an expert in traditional Chinese medicine, what he would recommend to help cut out sugar, and he gave five tips:

Tip 1: Get Enough Sleep
Fatigue makes us vulnerable to giving in to our sugar cravings. If you haven’t slept enough, and you are suddenly reaching for chocolate to stay awake, drink some water and take a 10-minute power nap instead. Not only will you wake up feeling refreshed, you will also wake up no longer craving sugar!

Tip 2: Eat Fruit Instead
Fruit is sweet and high in fructose, but because it is nutritious and high in fiber, it is not considered toxic or bad for you the way sugar is. Fruit will help satisfy that sweet tooth when you are craving dessert.

Tip 3: Eat Greens to Help Heal Your Liver
According to traditional Chinese medicine, green is the color associated with the liver organ system. Eating greens will help replenish your liver, and in turn calm your sugar cravings.

Dark leafy greens such as kale, collard greens, watercress, and bok choy are great options. Sauté them with garlic, ginger, scallions, soy sauce, and some sesame oil for a Chinese side dish, or garlic, lemon and olive oil for a more Mediterranean flair.

Tip 4: Exercise Regularly
Not only will exercise help you metabolize the sugar you do eat more effectively, it will also pick up your energy and mood.

Tip 5: Get to the Root
The first question Dr. Yang asked when I inquired about how to stop eating so much sugar was, “What is it that you are self-medicating?”

We all have our issues, and many of us learn to deal with them with food. Some eat for fun, some eat for stress release, and some eat to fill a void in their life. If you suspect you are “using” sugar to self-medicate, get to the root of your problem and address it directly.

Mindfulness-based meditation has been shown to be highly beneficial for dealing with emotional stress.

Once you cut out sugar, and replace it with “sweet” things in life, you will enjoy a flatter belly, a thinner body, more energy, less mood swings, and overall better health.

Tysan Lerner is a certified health coach and personal trainer. She helps women attain their body and beauty goals without starving themselves or spending hours at the gym. Her website is www.lavenderm

via 5 Tips to Kick Sugar | Nutrition | Health | Epoch Times

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Is Sugar Toxic? A New Study Says Yes

5 March, 2013 at 07:46 | Posted in Body & Mind, Food, Science, sustainable development | Leave a comment
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By Jack Phillips
Epoch Times Staff

Is sugar toxic? This is a question that many have pondered over amid skyrocketing obesity and diabetes rates in many developed nations. A new study, publicized in the New York Times this week, answers “yes.”

The number one problem with the American diet is sugar, according to a new study publicized Wednesday after Mark Bittman, in a New York Times article, described the ubiquitous sweetener as “toxic.”

The study found that when people ingest more sugar, there is an increased chance of diabetes, regardless of obesity. The study was published in a PloS One issue on Feb. 27 and used “econometric models of repeated cross-sectional data on diabetes and nutritional components of food from 175 countries,” according to an abstract.

Regarding sugar, “no other food types yielded significant individual associations with diabetes prevalence after controlling for obesity and other confounders,” the abstract reads. “Differences in sugar availability statistically explain variations in diabetes prevalence rates at a population level that are not explained by physical activity, overweight or obesity,” it continues.

Rob Lustig, an author of the study with the University of California, San Francisco, said the paper was highly comprehensive.

“You could not enact a real-world study that would be more conclusive than this one,” he told the Times.

The study took into account poverty, aging, obesity, urbanization, and physical activity. It also controlled other foods.

The study found that “for every 12 ounces of sugar-sweetened beverage introduced per person per day into a country’s food system, the rate of diabetes goes up” by 1 percent, Bittman said, and concluded: “The take-away: it isn’t simply overeating that can make you sick; it’s overeating sugar. We finally have the proof we need for a verdict: sugar is toxic.”

via Is Sugar Toxic? A New Study Says Yes | National News | United States | Epoch Times

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Yao Gives Insight into Traditional Chinese Medicine

2 March, 2013 at 22:21 | Posted in Body & Mind, Chinese culture | Leave a comment
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Story of Chinese character for medicine or drug

Epoch Times Staff

The Chinese character 藥 yào refers to a medicine or drug. It is composed of two parts. The top part, 艹, is the Chinese radical that indicates grass and grass-related plants, including herbs. The lower part, 樂 pronounced yuè or lè, is a Chinese character in its own right. It has two meanings: music, as well as delight and happiness.

These two parts and three meanings altogether give insight into how the ancient Chinese understood medicine.

Altogether, music, happiness, and herbs comprise the character for medicine as we know it today.

The character藥originated from its lower part, 樂, which speaks to the historical use of music to heal illness since Chinese antiquity, even before the discovery of herbal medicine.

Yellow Emperor’s Battle With Chi You

According to Chinese mythology, Huang Di, or the legendary Yellow Emperor, who is revered as the forefather of the Chinese people, was once challenged to a battle by Chi You, the atrocious leader of an ancient tribe.

Blessed by the divine fairy Xuan Nü to promote the virtuous and condemn the tyrannical, the Yellow Emperor was advised in a dream that only the deafening sound of a drum made of the skin of Kui, a wild ox monster that resided in the coastal East Sea, could defeat the metal-headed Chi You and his tribe.

Upon awakening, the emperor immediately ordered the capture of Kui. Kui’s skin was then used to produce 80 drums.

When the emperor’s soldiers sounded the drums on the battlefield, the earth shook in all directions and Chi You’s soldiers were knocked down, their metal heads cracking and in great pain.

However, several of the emperor’s soldiers were overwhelmed by the sound and fell unconscious as well. The emperor called for help from his music master, who hurriedly improvised a remedy.

Lifesaving Instrument

The music master untied the strings from the bows of the emperor’s army and attached them onto a hollow piece of wood. He then took a small, thin piece of metal and gracefully plucked the strings, producing lovely music. Gradually, the injured soldiers regained consciousness.

Inspired by this instrument, Cang Jie, the official in charge of creating characters, constructed the character樂for music.

The top half features the 白 (bái) character in the middle, with a “string” on either side. 白, the character for the colour white, in this context refers to the plectrum—the small, flat tool used to strum or pluck a stringed instrument. The bottom half of 樂 is the 木 (mù) character, which means wood.

Thus it can be seen that the structure of the character樂is a skillful and perfect representation of the lifesaving instrument. Based on this early first use of music to heal the injured, the character for music was later integrated into the character for drug or medicine, 藥.

From Bitterness to Joy

The Chinese character for music has a second meaning: delight and happiness. While the obvious relationship is that beautiful music can bring joy, joy has another relationship to medicine.

Medicine is characterized by bitterness, yet a patient is able to regain health and happiness only after suffering its bitterness. This paradox has its root in the “Doctrine of the Mean,” the Confucian classic which teaches that to gain an invincible position one must determine and hold fast to the “mean,” the middle ground between two extremes.

Such a view enables one to find hope amid adversity and to exercise prudence amid prosperity. From this principle, it can be seen why happiness, 樂, is contained in the bitter medicine, 藥.

The艹radical at the top of 藥 refers to grass and related plants, including herbs.

According to mythology, Shen Nong, regarded as the father of agriculture in China, sampled hundreds of herbs to test their medicinal values.

He is also credited with establishing a comprehensive basis for traditional Chinese medicine, later compiled into China’s first book on pharmacology, called Shen Nong’s Classic of Herbal Medicine. Thus it is appropriate to find the艹radical contained in the Chinese character for medicine.

via Yao Gives Insight into Traditional Chinese Medicine | Traditional Chinese Medicine | Health | Epoch Times

Related Articles: Treating the Lower Body to Heal the Upper Body

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‘Cancer Villages’ in China Acknowledged by Regime

27 February, 2013 at 07:03 | Posted in Body & Mind, China, Environmental issues, Nature, Society, sustainable development | Leave a comment
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By Jack Phillips
Epoch Times Staff

The Chinese regime for the first time admitted the existence of so-called “cancer villages”—areas near factories and polluted waterways where cancer rates have increased to startlingly high levels.

The Sina Weibo of the state-run Global Times on Wednesday published news and a map of the villages that are especially cancer-stricken. Posting in Chinese, the Times, a mouthpiece of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, cited the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection. The blog Tea Leaf Nation brought attention to the post.

“Among its content is a clear demonstration that because of chemical poisoning, ‘cancer villages’ and other serious [threats to] social health have begun to emerge in many areas. Moreover, according to media person Deng Fei, these … ‘cancer villages’ are spreading from the middle of Eastern China to the middle of Western China,” a translation of the Global Times message reads.

The message was published in environment ministry’s “Twelfth Five-Year Plan for Prevention and Control of Environmental Risks from Chemicals,” the post reads. And the Global Times’ microblogging account also included a weeping emoticon.

Over the years, Chinese environmental activists have said there is a strong link between increased cancer rates and industrial pollution—in part due to corrupt officials looking the other way when developers and businesses violate environmental regulations. Investigative journalist Deng Fei in 2009 showed some of the worst-hit areas using Google maps.

Since the 1990s, cancer has been the leading killer of Chinese people, according to Caijing, a financial publication. It reported that the number of cancer villages could be greater than 247 across 27 provinces. However that number could be greater than 400, according to the state mouthpiece Xinhua.

The ministry also acknowledged that China has been slammed with “poisonous and harmful chemical products” that are banned in developed countries, reported the AFP news agency.

Environmental lawyer Wang Canfa said the Global Times’ blog posting was significant, as it was the first time that the Chinese regime officially noted the “cancer village” phenomenon.

“It shows that the environment ministry has acknowledged that pollution has led to people getting cancer,” he was quoted as saying. “It shows that this issue, of environmental pollution leading to health damages, has drawn attention.” The AFP reported that the term “cancer village” appeared as early as 1998 in Chinese media reports.

The Weibo posting comes just after several high-profile cases involving air and water pollution. In January, a thick haze of smog descended upon dozens of Chinese cities, including Beijing, lingering for days.

Around a week ago, Deng Fei asked his Weibo followers to take pictures of a river or a stream in their hometown and post it online. The move, he said, was designed to show the extent of pollution in Chinese rivers.

via ‘Cancer Villages’ in China Acknowledged by Regime | Society | China | Epoch Times

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Why Noise-Induced Hearing Loss is a Growing Threat

22 February, 2013 at 07:15 | Posted in Body & Mind, Children, Environmental issues, Science, Society | Leave a comment
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By MJ DeSousa

A recent study from India isn’t simply an alarm bell for anyone concerned about hearing health. It is tantamount to a fleet of wailing sirens in the night.

According to a study from a trio of educators in Maharashtra, India, noise-induced hearing loss is occurring at even younger ages than previously thought, and the primary causes are urban noises and the propensity for listening to media with the volume higher than the human ear can tolerate.

The study, published in the International Journal of Head and Neck Surgery in December, focused on 150 students from the Bharti Vidyapeeth Dental College.

The results showed that 75 percent of the students had been exposed to extreme noise pollution on a routine basis. Of those 75 percent of the students, 16 suffered noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

The findings are disturbing because the research gives further credence to what many of us in the hearing-health industry already know, which is that more and more people are facing hearing damage at younger and younger ages.

What the Indian researchers showed, however, is that NIHL is occurring because of non-industrial noise.

Some students in the study said they were exposed to loud noises at home, at school, and everywhere in between.

“So far risk of exposure to high noise level was considered to be limited to industrial environment only. However, with rapid urbanization and modernization, the cities are becoming crowded as well as noisy.

“Exposure to noise from these sources have put the population not exposed to industrial noise also at risk of NIHL, especially the younger population.

“If corrective measures are not taken this may lead to high percentage of younger urban population with permanent hearing loss,” says the study authored by Sunil Suresh Saler, Parul Sunil Saler, and Wilson Desai.

Some students in the study said they were exposed to loud noises at home, at school, and everywhere in between. Several of them told the researchers that they turned their iPods or video-game consoles up to the maximum volume level while wearing headphones.

Previous international studies have shown that use of portable stereos can lead to an increase in hearing damage.

Australia’s National Acoustic Laboratories discovered that one quarter of its survey respondents were in danger of hearing loss because of their use of iPods and other similar devices.

When we are young, we are more likely to take risks, and those risks can lead to health complications, as many people in their 30s and 40s are finding out when it comes to their ears.

Take Early Precautions

Hearing loss is a growing problem in the 21st century. Part of the issue has to do with technology we’ve adopted into our lives, but the more important threat is the increasing amount of noise we face because of situations that are often out of our control.

Construction noise, traffic disturbances, and loud urban atmospheres put stress on the ears of millions of people on a daily basis. Exposure to such noise is a health risk that is increasingly unavoidable and global.

“People generally lack knowledge of the ill effects which noise pollution creates. To avoid NIHL, attention must be given toward the noise around us,” the study from India said.

“Wear adequate hearing protection like foam ear muffs, ear plugs. There will be a definite hearing impairment due to noise pollution, which can be either permanent or temporary, if early precautions are not taken.”

The good news is that awareness helps. Once you recognize a health risk, you can always take steps to prevent or limit the damage.

That goes for anything from a toothache to blurry vision to a sudden ringing in your ears. All of those conditions can be treated, as long as you initiate the steps to address them.

MJ DeSousa, an audiologist and Director of Professional Practice at Connect Hearing, leads a team of hearing professionals across Canada. For more information about hearing loss please visit www.connecthearing.ca

via Why Noise-Induced Hearing Loss is a Growing Threat | Other Ways of Healing | Health | Epoch Times

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Are You Overeating?

21 February, 2013 at 07:49 | Posted in Body & Mind, Food | Leave a comment
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By Tysan Lerner
Epoch Times Staff

Many people today overeat regularly without realizing it. Overeating has just become a habit, and as a result, they end up feeling frustrated with their continual struggle with weight. Six common downfalls often undermine weight-loss efforts.

Too Much Snacking

Just because you are a twinge hungry, bored, thirsty, or tired does not mean that you need a snack. Snacks are for when you are very hungry but will not get to eat within the hour, so you need a little something to tide you over.

However, many people have gotten used to snacking on chips, popcorn, nuts, cheese, or fruit even when they are not hungry.

If this sounds like you, clear your pantry of convenient snack foods and try resting without food when you are tired or need a break. Find nourishing activities other than food to reduce stress, and be sure to get enough water and exercise throughout your day.

Mealtime Magpies

Mealtime magpies prefer to see everything finished up rather than see food going into the trash, but by making a habit of picking, tasting, and noshing, mealtime magpies will certainly be overeating. Get used to putting less on your plate, chewing more thoroughly, and putting leftover food away for another meal.

By chronically cleaning your plate, despite the serving size, and sampling food from your kids, friends, and spouse, you will inevitably get into the habit of overeating.

If this sounds like you, be sure to chew more, stay mindful while eating, and put away leftovers without picking as soon as you feel you’ve physically eaten enough.

Partying

Eating, drinking, and merriment often lead to extreme caloric intake. Alcohol and the food that often accompanies partying are highly caloric. Instead of overindulging, limit your alcohol intake, drink more water, and be aware of the high calorie count of alcohol and typical party or pub food.

The day after partying, plan on eating lots of greens such as kale and collards, re-hydrating with lots of water, exercising, and getting fresh air.

Low-Fat Products

Low-fat dressing, butter replacements, desserts, cream cheese, and the like are much less satisfying than the full-fat forms, and studies show that people who indulge in these products eat 50 percent more than people using the full-fat alternative.

Rather then going “lite,” go real. Eat real oil, butter, and cheese, but be mindful of not eating too much. Definitely stay away from high-sugar foods such as low-fat cookies, which are known to be particularly bad for the waistline.

Skipping Meals

Many people who go the whole day without eating tend to eat more when they finally do eat because at that point they are starving. If you allow yourself to get too hungry before you eat, it is harder to make healthier, moderate choices.

Plus, going long periods of time without eating and then indulging in overeating will often cause lethargy and indigestion.

So be sure to start your day on the right foot by eating when you are hungry but before you are so hungry that you could eat a horse.

Emotional Eating

Let’s face it, eating is fun, sometimes naughty, and definitely numbing. If you notice that you often eat compulsively, then take a deep breath and a good hard look at what you are not facing.

It may be something big (for example, getting fired or the loss of a loved one) or may be the little things in life that build up and drive you to … ice cream. Perhaps you are tired, bored, sad, or angry.
Whatever it is, you must build the tools to cope with the daily stressors in life, or you will find yourself chronically coping with health-sabotaging habits.

Tysan Lerner specializes in helping people lose weight without starving themselves or spending hours in the gym. She is a certified health coach and fitness trainer. Her website is www.lavendermamas.com.

via Are You Overeating? | Nutrition | Health | Epoch Times

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China Accounts for Half of the World’s Burning of Coal

19 February, 2013 at 19:10 | Posted in Body & Mind, China, Environmental issues, Nature, Society, sustainable development | Leave a comment
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By Jack Phillips
Epoch Times Staff

China’s dependence on burning coal to meet its soaring energy demands has grown even more, with a new report saying that the country now accounts for nearly half of global coal consumption, meaning that the dense air pollution lingering over Chinese cities will likely only get worse.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Tuesday that China’s consumption of coal grew 9 percent in 2011, continuing an upward trend for the 12th consecutive year. In 2011, China’s coal use grew by some 325 million tons, representing 87 percent of the total increase that year.

“Of the 2.9 billion tons of global coal demand growth since 2000, China accounted for 2.3 billion tons,” or 82 percent, the EIA said, adding that now, China “accounts for 47 percent of global coal consumption—almost as much as the entire rest of the world combined.”

China overtook the United States as the world’s leading energy user in 2011, but unlike the U.S., its main source of energy is coal.

China’s coal industry has been criticized recently after much of the country, including Beijing, was blanketed by a dense haze of smog that triggered a public backlash and led to many more Chinese donning breathing masks. The smog was so bad in Beijing that the authorities were forced to issue an unprecedented “orange fog warning.”

Some of the backlash focused on the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Science, with some bloggers calling for the sacking of certain officials in the agency.

Even though seven of the top ten cities in the world with the worst air pollution are in China, it doesn’t appear that China will stop its dependence on burning coal anytime soon. Just over a week ago, environmental group Greenpeace released a report saying that China will produce 625 metric tons of coal by 2015 and will generate another 1,400 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.

“Coal burned to produce electricity already pumps more [carbon dioxide] into the atmosphere than any other source of conventional power,” Greenpeace said.

In November, research suggests that out of the 1,200 new coal power plants, 363 would be located in China, according to the World Resources Institute.

The EIA said in September that “economic growth” is what continues to spur China’s demand for energy. Aside from coal, China is the world’s second-largest consumer of oil (after the U.S.) and the fourth-largest consumer of natural gas in 2011. Nuclear power only accounted for 2 percent of total electricity generation.

via China Accounts for Half of the World’s Burning of Coal | Society | China | Epoch Times

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Test Kit for Toxic Foods To Go on Sale in China

18 February, 2013 at 16:30 | Posted in Body & Mind, China, Environmental issues, Food, Society | Leave a comment
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By Jack Phillips
Epoch Times Staff

Chinese who are tired of unremitting food scandals, and fearful that the next milk or meat purchased might have unknown industrial chemicals in it, now have a new option: an at-home testing kit which can determine if their food is toxic.

The kit was developed at Tianjin University of Science and Technology in northern China by researchers, reported the state-run Xinhua News Agency. It gives a result in a few minutes.

The kit has not yet been placed on the Chinese market, but is expected to be sold in the near future and will help consumers “identify food products contaminated with pathogenic bacteria and excessive drug residues,” the news agency said in a report this week.

The kit consists of an indicator paper that changes color to look for more 60 chemicals in food, including harmful substances, the agency said. It predicted that the kit will likely be in high demand.

Over the past several years there have been numerous reports of drugs, industrial chemicals, and other contaminants entering anything from milk products to chickens to watermelons.

There were reports of contaminated bean sprouts, milk containing alkaline cleaning chemicals, aluminum-tainted dumplings, chemical soaked duck that was sold as mutton, and meat that contained excessive amounts of clenbuterol, a fat-burning chemical that can be carcinogenic.

In another well-publicized example, chicken sold by fast food chain KFC were fed toxic chemicals that killed the flies buzzing around them.

One of the major instances of tainted food products in China came to light in 2008, when a massive scandal broke involving melamine-contaminated baby formula that sickened 300,000 children and people and left six infants dead.

As a result, Chinese consumers have developed a fear that their food—especially products made in China—are contaminated. As one Chinese mother, Chen Zhuolin, the mother of a 15-month-old girl put it: “I’ll never allow my baby girl to have domestic milk powder, even though I pay a lot more for imported baby formula.” Chen told the state-run China Daily that she travels to Hong Kong each month to buy the formula.

Tianjin Professor Wang Shuo noted that food safety testing usually requires complicated machinery and laboratory procedures, meaning that the process is likely expensive and lengthy, reported Xinhua.

He said that his team acquired 13 national patents for the testing kit and that they’re looking to conduct

via Test Kit for Toxic Foods To Go on Sale in China | Society | China | Epoch Times

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New Memories Form Better After Removing Old Info

11 February, 2013 at 10:02 | Posted in Body & Mind, Science | Leave a comment
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By Cassie Ryan
Epoch Times Staff

Learning becomes harder as we get older due to a reduced ability to filter out old memories, according to new international research.

In the brain, the hippocampus contains a “switch” called the NMDA receptor that optimizes learning and memory, expressing either NR2A or NR2B. The latter is found in larger amounts in children, allowing their neurons to work slightly longer, and form stronger links or synapses. After puberty, this ratio changes and more NR2A is produced.

“When you are young, your brain is able to strengthen certain connections and weaken certain connections to make new memories,” said study co-author Dr. Joe Z. Tsien at Georgia Regents University in a press release.

“If you only make synapses stronger and never get rid of the noise or less useful information, then it’s a problem.”

Tsien’s team studied genetically modified mice with more NR2A and less NR2B, i.e. the ratio found in human adults. The mice still formed strong synapses and short-term memories, but their ability to sculpt information was lower; they were less able to weaken synapses and make new long-term memories.

“What is abnormal is the ability to weaken existing connectivity,” Tsien noted.

This change in the adult brain could contribute to the phenomenon often seen in older people who can be stuck in their ways, and also adults who cannot get rid of their accent while learning a new language.

“We know we lose the ability to perfectly speak a foreign language if we learn that language after the onset of sexual maturity,” Tsien said. “I can learn English but my Chinese accent is very difficult to get rid of.”

“The question is why.”

The research was published in Scientific Reports on Jan. 8.

via New Memories Form Better After Removing Old Info | Inspiring Discoveries | Science | Epoch Times

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