The Chinese Secret to Long Life

re: The Chinese Secret to Long Life

Wizdum — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 01:58:02 GMT

For the best Tai Chi practice I would recommend Falun Dafa. This practice ties into divine energies that can heal illness and transform identity instead of just exercise. This practice is taught for free by local practictioners and available on the web in book and DVD form for about 12-20 bucks. Oddly this practice helped me tremendously with depression almost immediately, Who knew?

re: The Chinese Secret to Long Life

halcyon — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:34:37 GMT

Ancient Chinese secret, huh? Just like Calgon. ;)

re: The Chinese Secret to Long Life

Yod — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:08:12 GMT

The Olympics commitee is considering having the runners compete in a different city and maybe even postpone it because Beijing is so polluted. They think they can clean the air for a few days by shooting siver iodide rockets into the sky to make it rain.

Incidently, lead in still used in gasoline there. Thus, the trucks running over the herbs, tea leaves, etc. are pumping them with...guess what.

But another one of the things that we should consider is the forceful eviction of residents in Beijing to make way for the Olympics. This is terrible!

re: The Chinese Secret to Long Life

Yod — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 06:21:54 GMT

What's even more amazing is that the practice of Falun Gong, when it was introduced to China in 1992, saved the country a colossal amount in health care expenses, as it was wholeheartedly embraced and endorsed by the government. This was even after tai chi, various forms of chi gong, etc. have been practiced there for 1000's of years.

A short exerpt from the Falun Gong Zizhuyuan Assistance Center, Beijing:

"October 18, 1998 Our results show that Falun Gong’s disease healing rate is 99.1% with a cure rate of 58.5%; Improvement rate is 80.3% in physical health and 96.5% in mental health. "

Because this practice became so popular, with more practitioners that the communist party, the president decided to ban it in 1999. They have brutally persecuted them to such an extent - it is a literal holocaust - even now.

re: The Chinese Secret to Long Life

Mike wagner — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 06:00:11 GMT

A few months ago an article was in the LA Yoga Times magazine about how a quality control group went to China and India to see first hand where some of the herbs and ayurvedic medicines were made/cultivated, etc. Many were sprayed, in piles rotting and covered in fungi (not medicinal), irrigated with sludge and water from wells contaminated with arsenic, driven over by trucks and tractors to compact and dry them (exhaust), etc.

Many of these were being sold at high end spas, herbal tea stores and even Whole Foods - with pricey tags! With so many foods tainted, endangered animals killed, pesticides, pollution, arsenic water wells, etc....I like the idea of buying as few things as possible from China.....electronics and gadgets maybe, but no food, or supplements...or over the counter meds (red dyed Tylenol with lead?).

So, I dont think its the herbs helping them to live longer...Dan ho whatever the hell..not that there are not good sources and that some of them could help certain illnesses. I think Dr Mercola has it down pretty good...eat right and the body should and can take care of itself. I dont think the body needs funky herbs that grow in far off places, as it does not need pharmaceuticals (unless absolutely necessary for life and wellbeing). There are MD's out there who are cautious about what they prescribe and are open to alternative treatments, if there is one, just work hard to find one.

Mike in LA

re: The Chinese Secret to Long Life

corgi — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 21:43:25 GMT

China doesnt kill its citizens in the interest of the almighty dollar, unlike our medical system that prolongs mortal diseases to collect all the money it can before the patient rots from neglect. Its all about $$$$$$

re: The Chinese Secret to Long Life

illusions — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 19:49:59 GMT

It‘s called prevention -- unfortunately there is no profit in prevention!

re: The Chinese Secret to Long Life

Health Organic — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 09:14:56 GMT

I asked the question What is 'China's health care system like' to a neighbour a couple of days ago who recently got back from a trip over there. She said she didnt hear too much as it seems to be a bit 'shrouded'...I was only today at a Chinese supermarket in my city's 'China Town' and as I am an avid reader of labels the same 'rubbish' westerners put in their supermarket stuff is in the similar chinese made stuff from biscuits to lollies to condiments and all sorts of other cured, dried, pickled and gross looking packages, bottles & jars containing goodness knows! I expect the city living Chinese would consume all this as city & suburban westerners consume similar . A colleague who is Chinese and now living in Australia says she would never buy food made in China!........ Interesting thought......

re: The Chinese Secret to Long Life

INKY DINKY — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 22:05:35 GMT

Through my observations and comments I have heard from others, a person's health begins to go down hill as soon as they begin taking various drugs. We pay - BIG TIME - for the "privilege" of these drugs and quick and easy convenience foods. I am amazed (and angry) at the number of obese people that I see every day. Many of them have a hard time just walking from their cars to a place to shop and most handicapped parking spaces are taken by people who are overweight. I have a child who is handicapped, since birth, with CP (you would not believe all that went wrong around the time of his birth due to the "standard" of health care). He struggles every day to do all that we take for granted. When will we stop being SO LAZY and put some effort into taking care of our health and stop expecting a quick fix and convenient life style. We should not be surprised by the high cost of health care - we are playing right into the hands of self-serving, greedy and unconscionable drug and health enterprises. p.s. I wrote this once before and sent it and it never got posted (not sure why). Anyhow, I re-wrote it quickly so please excuse anything that may not sound as it should.

re: The Chinese Secret to Long Life

HealingMindN — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 20:48:06 GMT

There's a "cherry" on top of that lifestyle of martial arts exercise, patent herbal remedies, medicinal food houses, and bioenergetic therapies. Remember, the Chinese philosophy is different concerning doctors: They are only paid if they keep their patients healthy. This point alone is a major contributor to the low cost of health care in China!

re: The Chinese Secret to Long Life

John7100 — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 19:45:02 GMT

I think the quality and length of life is improved with wonderful local group/social exercise and extended family living. This is a significant factor. While overcrowding is not good for spirit or health - extensive social contact has many advantages. Modern western life styles tend to isolate us - particularly with TV, people spreading their lives through many, distant cities, spending long hours commuting, and crime which keeps us apart. Notice Japanese companies have group exercise also. I would guess that this improves productivity and spirit.

Also, I saw an article that says Chinese doctors are assigned a fixed number of patients and they get paid whether the patient visits or not. So the doctors have a practical reason (besides moral considerations) to proactively keep the patients healthy.

re: The Chinese Secret to Long Life

VG — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 18:20:57 GMT

Not that I disagree with any of the reasoning going on here (less pollution, more exercise, better diet, staying AWAY from doctors(lol), natural selection occurring due to no care for genetically weak infants) but I have to ask - what about the Chinese government makes us believe these are even valid statistics? I don't even believe most of our government's statistics (e.g.; their account of how many people die of the flu each year) so I'm highly skeptical about statistics coming out of an even more authoritarian government.

re: The Chinese Secret to Long Life

Gray Stroke — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 14:59:09 GMT

There are a lot of basic Tai Chi videos and some even have just the upper body work out which is about 19 to 20 minutes long. They are so low impact that it amazes me how at the end of a work out I'm ready for bed and just feel like taking a long nap..lol.......and it works.........

If we could only get out of the mentality that America is the only country that knows how to do anything right we may make a little progress....so kudos for the article let's share the resources. If anyone needs or would like a Tai Chi link I'd be glad to help just send me an e-mail........

re: The Chinese Secret to Long Life

soni.weiss — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 13:46:26 GMT

We keep missing a vital factor.... In third and fourth world countries infants to not survive who are not genetically strong...they have no ventilators or health care and resources to keep them alive to an age that they procreate...if you make it past six you are really strong of consitiution, there is no health care, no doctors, the nutritioin is bad.......certainly enviroment makes a difference but I work in Intensive Care and ER for years and I can tell you if I have to chose who is going to make it, I put my money on the 3rd world patients always...he made it this far, his odds are a lot better than mine are.

re: The Chinese Secret to Long Life

Sheila C — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 13:32:32 GMT

Another thing that is not mentioned is energy medicine. My master herbalist practises sho tai (not sure of the spelling), she is able to determine by touch, which organ or gland is not working to the best of its ability. She is able to determine at what percentage it is working. She is way more accurate than any medical procedure or lab test. She was the one that found a lump in my breast in June, and told me to see the doctor. I went for a complete physical exam and he confirmed everything that my master herbalist already told me. By the way, the lump on my breast was caused by heavy lifting, which is way more common than you realize.