October 1st, 2009

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Greetings. My name is Ron Teeguarden.

Greetings. My name is Ron Teeguarden. I am also known as Dan-O Sun Sha. Dan means “Elixir of Life,” O means “Spiritual Enlightenment” and Sun Sha means “Master.” This is the name I was given by Taoist Grand Master Sung Jin Park the day he proclaimed me to be a Taoist Master. Thirty seven years ago I took an oath to Master Park that I would dedicate my life to spreading Taoism. He instructed me “Do not be a healer, be the light.” I have taken Tonic Herbalism as my primary vehicle for teaching Taoism. I have dedicated all these years to learning and spreading the knowledge and wisdom of the great tonic herbs to my friends and students around the world. I have been very fortunate to have had some success at my task but I humbly submit that I have a lot more to do. I sit before the God of Truth. This blog has been created to help spread the truth about Tonic Herbalism and the Taoist teachings in which “the superior herbalism” is rooted. Please take the opportunity to study the herbs very deeply. Use them every day as though they are your meditation. They are the direct expression of Tao.

 

 

October 1st, 2009

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Eight Lessons Tonic Herbs Have Taught Me

We found this review of “Ancient Wisdom of the Chinese Tonic Herbs” on Amazon. It was not submitted by us or any of our staff.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5 Stars - A must-read…don’t miss the last chapter 
Reviewer: A reader

I found Ron Teeguarden’s new book “Radiant Health” (now renamed “The Ancient Wisdom of the Chinese Tonic Herbs”) to be the most easily understood and comprehensive book on the subject that I’ve ever read. Many Westerners, during the last several decades, have become aware of the benefits of Chinese Medicine, specifically acupuncture. This book brings to light the extremely effective system of Chinese Herbal Tonics, which is an ancient tradition of promoting and maintaining a state of radiant health rather than treating disease once it has developed. Considering the cost of health care to both individuals and society at large, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in maintaining their own personal health or providing for the health of society.

Not only does Ron Teeguarden explain in detail the properties and uses of each of the tonic herbs but he has a rare talent of making very complex and profound concepts easily understandable to the layman. One suggestion that I would make is not to miss the last chapter called “Six Lessons the Tonic Herbs Have Taught Me.” Some readers might get bogged down in the middle of the book where each of the herbs is described. If that happens to you, just skip to the last chapter and then pick up the book, from time to time, to read about an herb or two. The last chapter was my favorite because it beautifully expresses the degree to which the tonic herbs can transform life and raise it to a pinnacle that is the birthright of every human being.

So here’s the Chapter:

Read the rest of this entry »

July 1st, 2009

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A new model of health promotion and disease prevention for the 21st century

A Review

Ron Teeguarden’s Notes:

This is a review of a fantastic, decidedly rational, visionary article published in the summer of 2008 in the British Medical Journal, a conservative medical journal of extremely high standing. I found this article, written and signed by twelve distinguished scientists at major research institutions in the United States and Great Britain, to be a powerful, profoundly thoughtful, timely declaration of the need for a paradigm shift in the way we view and practice medicine, healthcare and health cultivation in the 21st century. It calls for a shift in direction for which many people have been calling for some time now. Read the rest of this entry »

June 1st, 2009

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Protection against cerebral ischemia by TSG, a polyphenol from the Chinese tonic herb He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum)

Every day, science is validating and explaining the actions of the great tonic herbs. Most of the researchers are not seeking to validate old theories. Instead they are seeking new discoveries and new paths to healing and to promoting healthy functioning. Many of the scientists are wise enough to be looking into Nature as a source of inspiration and resources. By combining the older wisdom with cutting edge theory and technology, they are discovering that science and Nature can be blissfully blended. Thousands of research projects are under way at any one time around the world, in virtually every university, examining the nature and actions of herbs and their constituents. This is a revolutionary time in the evolution of herbology and in the search for radiant health, well being and longevity, as scientists and clinicians verify and acknowledge the traditional benefits of the tonic herbs and discover the mechanisms and new uses for these miraculous gems of creation.

Protection against cerebral ischemia by TSG, a polyphenol from the Chinese tonic herb He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum)

By Ron Teeguarden

©Dragon Herbs 2009

Ischemic brain injury is one of the leading causes of adult disability and death. A transient or permanent reduction of cerebral blood flow often initiates brain ischemia. Ischemia is a restriction in blood supply, generally due to factors in the blood vessels, with resultant damage or dysfunction of tissue. When this occurs in the brain, it usually leads to neuronal cell death in the brain due to lack of oxygen and nutrients and due to initial inflammatory responses. When blood supply returns to the tissue after a period of ischemia, the damage is actually increased. This damage is called reperfusion injury. The restoration of circulation results in inflammation and oxidative damage through the induction of oxidative stress rather than restoration of normal function. Even transient (temporary) ischemia produces large amounts of free radicals and causes severe neurotoxicity in the brain during reperfusion.

The ischemia-induced free radical expression appear to be mediated by the activation of NF-κB, (nuclear factor kappa B) a key signaling molecule in the cell apoptotic (programmed death) process. NF-κB is at the center of all inflammation in the body, acute and chronic. It is central to the process of inflammaging, by which humans become chronically inflamed as they age, leading to degenerative disease and finally death.

NF-κB has been shown to be activated during brain ischemia by increased oxidative stress. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as the hydroxyl radical are considered important mediators of the brain damage after ischemia/reperfusion injury. ROS are a major form of free radical. The intracellular ROS generation during ischemia and reperfusion contributes to a severely disturbed membrane function, triggering various critical cellular signal transduction pathways. This results in a critical intracellular calcium accumulation that leads to cell self destruction (apoptosis – programmed cell death) and, if unchecked, to death.

A molecule known as JNK is activated by oxidative stress and mediates ROS-induced cell apoptosis. Reactive nitrogen species (RNS) such as nitric oxide (NO) are another key factor in the pathophysiological response of the brain after ischemia/reperfusion injury. There is an increase of NO production, along with other free radicals which have been implicated in ischemia-induced apoptotic cell death. 

Because intracellular ROS/RNS play such important roles in the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, many antioxidants have been studied for their potential ability to attenuate ROS/RNS formation and protect against ischemia/reperfusion injury. 

Ischemia is not only caused by trauma to the head. It may occur on a more limited, chronic basis simply as a result of aging and degenerative diseases. Small brain lesions known as cerebral microbleeds are now recognized to be relatively common among baby boomers. Dutch researchers recently found that nearly 20% of people aged 60-69 had noticeable lesions and 38% of people who have survived to the age 80 had such lesions. Microbleeding results in brain lesions that are marked by iron deposits that result from red blood cells that have leaked out of the small blood vessels in the brain. Research indicates that people who smoke, those with high blood pressure, and those with risk markers for Alzheimer’s disease and amyloid angiopathy are at higher risk to have these lesions due to cerebral microbleeding (April 1 issue of Neurology, 2008). 

It has been recently affirmed that men and women suffering from coronary heart disease seem to fare worse on measures of cognitive function. The longer the person had heart disease, the worse their performance in such mental processes as reasoning, vocabulary and verbal fluency, according to a study in the July 23 issue of the European Heart Journal. Men who experienced their first CHD more than a decade prior had even lower scores for reasoning, vocabulary and semantic fluency. The risk of declining performance in the realm of reasoning went down by about 30 percent for every five years after a diagnosis of coronary heart disease. There seems little doubt that blood supply to the brain is involved in mental decline as one ages. 

The authors suggest that people should focus on preventing coronary heart disease by not smoking and avoiding or controlling diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. And the focus should start early, before it’s too late. Read the rest of this entry »

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