Our Biological Clock

Our Biological Clock

Cells are the fundamentals of life. All life’s processes happen in and by cells. One of the most amazing characteristics of cells is the fact that they know what time it is. That’s why we humans possess a ‘biological clock’ is well known. During the night our body works differently from the daytime: we need sleep, at a certain moment it is nearly impossible to stay awake.

Location of  our biological clock

It is a very small piece of the brain (20 000 cells in all) just above the chiasma opticum (the place where the optic nerves are crossing). The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is no bigger than a quarter of a cubic millimetre. Because it is so close to the optic nerve it can get information directly from the eyes. In newborn babies this part of the brain is not yet ready; this explains why they do not have a clear daily rhythm yet. In old people brain cells die, also in this part, this explains why their rhythm often deteriorates. Especially when people are demented this can give problems.

Our Biological Clock

Our biological clock controls our daily circadian rhythms to conduct our body’s daily activities, such as when to wake, to sleep, to eat, to drink, to release liquid or solid wastes from out body, to conduct functions of organs in our body, such as body temperature, blood circulation, heat beats, physical energy, mood, memory, woman’s period cycle, producing hormones, enzymes, metabolisms, detoxing cycle, etc.

Disruption of the biological clock causes many kinds of diseases such as disordered metabolic diseases (e.g. obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance etc. and even ruin our life.

The organs in our body like heart, pancreas, liver,Gall bladder, Kidney ,intestines etc. all have their own circadian rhythms. Each organ produces hormones, enzymes and other molecules at various times of the day. Our brain conducts coordination the functions of the various organs.

The green ribbon area shown means the best time for your body to relax, detox, clean, and recover, etc. So, it is strongly recommended to rest and sleep during this period, let your internal doctor has enough time to do repair, and maintenance work.

To keep you healthy, you have to follow your biological clock to do your work and rest! Rest is for your internal doctor to do its job to repair and recover your body to the good normal conditions, and ready for next day! The daily circadian rhythms are (military clock):

·         LUNGS MERIDIAN (03~05): Deep sleep situation; Body is fully relax and rest; low blood pressure; heart beats, and breathing frequency, so easy to pass away in this period; Sensitive in hearing. Lung help body detox.

Related emotions  : grief, intolerance

·         LARGE INTESTINE  (05~07): Less secretion from kidney; the body is fully recharged; Blood pressure and heart beats is increasing; Bod temperature is increasing; Adrenal cortex hormone secretion is increasing; The body is under awaking mode; good memory; Large intestine absorbs water & some nutrients from wastes; Time to eliminate solid wastes stored.

     Related emotions  : guilt

·         STOMACH MERIDIAN  (07~09): Adrenal cortex hormone secretion reaches high point, so, it is time for high risk of strokes, or heart attack; Body temperature is increased slightly; Blood circulation is accelerated; The immune system is enhanced; Liver has completed detoxing job; Brain memory is strong in this period; Time for Breakfast.

Related emotions  : disgust, greed

·         SPLEEN MERIDIAN  (09~11): Spleen converts foods to blood, energy and different of secretion liquid required by body, and also produces red blood cells; heart is working in full power; body is energized and excited; good memory; The best time for work!

Related emotions  : worry, anxiety about the future

·         HEART MERIDIAN  (11~13): Heart is still fully working; Positive mood; The body is at the highest energy situation, tick a signal for lunch to recharge. Because blood pressure and heart beats are high in this period, so do not drink alcohol.

Related emotions  : joy, anger 

·         SMALL INTESTINE MERIDIAN  (13~15): After lunch, feel drowsy and tired, need a nap (0.5 ~ 1 hour); Energy is decreasing, and reaction is slow. Small intestine absorbs nutrition, and separate solid and liquid wastes.

Related emotions  : insecurity, sadness

·         BLADDER MERIDIAN  (15~17): Energy is restored. Blood sugar is increasing; Bladder stores wasted liquid and releases body heat.

Related emotions  : fright, impatient, restless

·         KIDNEY MERIDIAN  (17~19): High work efficiency; good time for exercises; more sensitive in smell and taste; Kidney starts to store nutrition absorbed.

Related emotions  : fear, indecision

·         PERICARDIUM/CIRCULATION-SEX  (19~21): Blood pressure is increasing; unstable emotion in the hour of 19; fully store food, and water, the heaviest weight in a day; rapid response reaction; Good mood; Pericardium cleans pathogens around the heart.

Related emotions  :  hurt, extreme joy, jealousy, regret

·         TRIPLE WARMER/THYROID MERIDIAN  (21~23): Good memory; body temperature is decreasing slightly; feel sleepy; function of the immune system is enhanced; white blood cells are increasing; breathing and heart beats slows down; hormone secretion is decreasing, etc.

Related emotions  :  hopelessness, depression, despair

·         GALL BLADDER MERIDIAN  (23~01): Body needs to rest; cell repair work starts; produce new cells for replacement; Gall bladder released bile to aid fat digestion; PSNS starts to work; Marrow produces blood cells; Start sleep.

Related emotions  :  rage, wrath

·         LIVER MERIDIAN  (01~03): Liver starts detoxing; producing enzymes; hormones; metabolism; blood cells, etc. Sensitive to pain; Most of organs are in rest or recovery mode.

Related emotions  :  anger, unhappiness 

Food poisoning

Food poisoning, also called food borne illness is an illness caused by eating or drinking food or water contaminated with viruses, bacteria, toxins, parasites, or chemicals.

Psychological Cause:

Food poisoning shows a great lack of dietary balance on the part of the person, and, consequently, a great imbalance at the level of his roots, his position in the world, and the people he associates with.Food poisoning may happen to a group of people, which shows that they feel a tension associated with the emotion of losing everything at one time, though individual reasons may differ. This ‘everything’ is subjective. ‘Everything’ may be an exaggeration, but that is how the person perceives what he experienced. In reality, it may be a relationship, a dear person, or money, and the person feels that it is not worth living like this. It is a sensation of momentary collapse, but a very intense one. The stomach is associated with the digestion of emotions, namely in what concerns roots (home, money, work, place where we live, close friends and relative, and biological mother).The small bowel is associated with discernment. The person expels without telling what is good from what is bad. In the small bowel, like in the stomach, tensions are related to roots, close relatives and friends.

Food poisoning is generally classified as dampness and heat in the spleen, stomach and intestines. Digestion is controlled by the spleen and stomach. The spleen is thought to transform the food we consume into qi or energy that the rest of the body can utilize. Therefore, if something disruptive like a food-born pathogen assaults this system, the whole body is affected, not only the digestive organs. When food-born toxins invade, the food stagnates, its
transformation and transportation are disrupted and this often causes stomach qi to rebel upwards resulting in acid regurgitation or vomiting. The tongue has a thick and often yellow sticky coating. The pulse usually feels slippery and forceful during the illness.

Symptoms

Food poisoning symptoms vary with the source of contamination. Most types of food poisoning cause one or more of the following signs and symptoms:

·         abdominal pain

·         diarrhea

·         vomiting

·         mild fever

·         weakness

·         nausea

·         headaches

Two categories of food poisoning

The causes of food poisoning can be categorized into the following two groups:

•         Infectious causes
•         Toxic causes

Contaminant	Onset of symptoms	Foods affected and means of transmission
Campylobacter	2 to 5 days	Meat and poultry. Contamination occurs during processing if animal feces contact meat surfaces. Other sources include unpasteurized milk and contaminated water.
Clostridium botulinum	12 to 72 hours	Home-canned foods with low acidity, improperly canned commercial foods, smoked or salted fish, potatoes baked in aluminum foil, and other foods kept at warm temperatures for too long.
Clostridium perfringens	8 to 16 hours	Meats, stews and gravies. Commonly spread when serving dishes don't keep food hot enough or food is chilled too slowly.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7	1 to 8 days	Beef contaminated with feces during slaughter. Spread mainly by undercooked ground beef. Other sources include unpasteurized milk and apple cider, alfalfa sprouts, and contaminated water.
Giardia lamblia	1 to 2 weeks	Raw, ready-to-eat produce and contaminated water. Can be spread by an infected food handler.
Hepatitis A	28 days	Raw, ready-to-eat produce and shellfish from contaminated water. Can be spread by an infected food handler.
Listeria	9 to 48 hours	Hot dogs, luncheon meats, unpasteurized milk and cheeses, and unwashed raw produce. Can be spread through contaminated soil and water.
Noroviruses (Norwalk-like viruses)	12 to 48 hours	Raw, ready-to-eat produce and shellfish from contaminated water. Can be spread by an infected food handler.
Rotavirus	1 to 3 days	Raw, ready-to-eat produce. Can be spread by an infected food handler.
Salmonella	1 to 3 days	Raw or contaminated meat, poultry, milk or egg yolks. Survives inadequate cooking. Can be spread by knives, cutting surfaces or an infected food handler.
Shigella	24 to 48 hours	Seafood and raw, ready-to-eat produce. Can be spread by an infected food handler.
Staphylococcus aureus	1 to 6 hours	Meats and prepared salads, cream sauces, and cream-filled pastries. Can be spread by hand contact, coughing and sneezing.
Vibrio vulnificus	1 to 7 days	Raw oysters and raw or undercooked mussels, clams, and whole scallops. Can be spread through contaminated seawater.

Prevention:

The best way to prevent food poisoning is to handle your food safely and to avoid any food may be unsafe.

·         Meat, poultry, eggs, and shellfish. These foods may harbor infectious agents that are killed during cooking

·         Sushi and other fish products that are served raw or undercooked.

·         Unpasteurized milk, cheese, and juice.

·         Raw, unwashed fruits and vegetables.

Always wash your hands before cooking or eating food. Make sure that your food is properly sealed. Store refrigerated and frozen foods appropriately. Thoroughly cook meat and eggs. Anything that comes in contact with raw products should be sanitized before using it to prepare other foods. Make sure to ALWAYS wash fruits and vegetables before serving.

Those who are at high risk of severe reaction to food poisoning—infants and young children, the elderly, people who have compromised immune systems, and pregnant women—should avoid eating high-risk foods such as sushi, deli meat, soft cheeses, and unpasteurized milk or juice. 

Home Remedies

·        Ginger: It adds flavor to your dishes, but is also an excellent home remedy for curing almost all types of digestive problems. Take a tablespoon of honey with a few drops of ginger juice to reduce inflammation and pain. It has been found to increase the secretion of gastric juice and the production of hypochloride. This means that food is digested more quickly; creating an unfriendly environment for bacteria that could wreak havoc with your stomach and intestines.
In fact, ginger can be used for most digestive upsets that involve nausea, vomiting, cramping, abdominal pain, indigestion or diarrhea.

·        Cumin: Cumin or jeera seeds are a good way to soothe the inflammation in your stomach, reduce the tenderness and aid healing. Crush a tablespoon of cumin seeds and add it to your clear soup.

·        Basil: Basil is another excellent home remedy to cure infections of both - the stomach and the throat. Strain the juice of a few basil leaves and add it to a tablespoon of honey. It’s bound to show positive results within a couple of hours.

·        Bananas: Bananas are a rich source of potassium. They aid recovery and reduce the effects of food poisoning to an impressive level. Mash a couple of bananas and apple, or whip up a quick banana shake.

·        Apples: Apples are as effective against food poisoning as they reduce heartburn and acid reflux. Apples are known to have enzymes that inhibit the growth of the bacteria that cause diarrhea and stomach ache.

·        Lemon: The acidity of the lemon juice kills most of the bacteria that cause food poisoning. Squeeze the juice of a lemon and add a pinch of sugar to it. Drink it as you would take any medicine, or you can even add lemon to your tea.

·        Water: It is very important to keep yourself fully hydrated during the period of food poising, as your body tends to lose more water through diarrhea. Also, keeping up your water content, rapidly flushes out the toxins and bacteria, which enhances your recovery.

·        Apple cider vinegar: Being alkaline in nature, vinegar, specifically apple cider vinegar soothes the gastro-intestinal lining. Also, it makes the environment of the stomach inhospitable for the bacteria to breed in, which helps speed up the recovery.

·        Peppermint tea: Peppermint oil is known to have a soothing effect, which is extremely beneficial for people suffering from stomach spasms due to food poisoning. Add a few drops to your tea; your cramps will vanish in a couple of hours.

Acupressure Points

SP6, CV4, ST36, ST25, P6

Reflexology Points

3,8,10,16,19,20,21,22,23,27,29,37,26

Angina pectoris

Angina pectoris results from a mismatch between restricted coronary artery blood flow and an increased myocardial workload and due to this heart muscle doesn't get enough oxygen-rich blood.. The pain may spread to the left shoulder, left arm and hand; neck, throat, jaw, back and/or stomach. The patient may be temporarily short of breath, and/or feel weak and/or anxious, feel like pressure or squeezing in your chest.
Angina isn't a disease; it's a symptom of an underlying heart problem. Angina usually is a symptom of coronary heart disease(CHD). It occurs if a waxy substance called plaque (plak) builds up on the inner walls of your coronary arteries. These arteries carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart.
Plaque narrows and stiffens the coronary arteries. This reduces the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle, causing chest pain. Plaque buildup also makes it more likely that blood clots will form in your arteries. Blood clots can partially or completely block blood flow, which can cause a heart attack.

Types of Angina
The major types of angina are stable, unstable, variant (Prinzmetal's), and microvascular. 

Stable Angina
The pain or discomfort:
• Occurs when the heart must work harder, usually during physical exertion
• Doesn't come as a surprise, and episodes of pain tend to be alike
• Usually lasts a short time (5 minutes or less)
• Is relieved by rest or medicine
• May feel like gas or indigestion
• May feel like chest pain that spreads to the arms, back, or other areas

Unstable Angina
The pain or discomfort:
• Often occurs at rest, while sleeping at night, or with little physical exertion
• Comes as a surprise
• Is more severe and lasts longer than stable angina (as long as 30 minutes)
• Usually isn’t relieved by rest or medicine
• May get worse over time
• May mean that a heart attack will happen soon

Variant Angina
The pain or discomfort:
• Usually occurs at rest and during the night or early morning hours
• Tends to be severe
• Is relieved by medicine

Microvascular Angina
The pain or discomfort:
• May be more severe and last longer than other types of angina pain
• May occur with shortness of breath, sleep problems, fatigue, and lack of energy
• Often is first noticed during routine daily activities and times of mental stress

Causes 
• Smoking
• High amounts of certain fats and cholesterol in the blood
• High blood pressure
• High amounts of sugar in the blood due to insulin resistance or diabetes

Stable Angina
Physical exertion is the most common trigger of stable angina. Severely narrowed arteries may allow enough blood to reach the heart when the demand for oxygen is low, such as when you're sitting.
However, with physical exertion—like walking up a hill or climbing stairs—the heart works harder and needs more oxygen.
Other triggers of stable angina include:
• Emotional stress
• Exposure to very hot or cold temperatures
• Heavy meals
• Smoking

Unstable Angina
Blood clots that partially or totally block an artery cause unstable angina.
If plaque in an artery ruptures, blood clots may form. This creates a blockage. A clot may grow large enough to completely block the artery and cause a heart attack. Blood clots may form, partially dissolve, and later form again. Angina can occur each time a clot blocks an artery.

Variant Angina
A spasm in a coronary artery causes variant angina. The spasm causes the walls of the artery to tighten and narrow. Blood flow to the heart slows or stops. Variant angina can occur in people who have CHD and in those who don’t.
The coronary arteries can spasm as a result of:
• Exposure to cold
• Emotional stress
• Medicines that tighten or narrow blood vessels
• Smoking
• Cocaine use

Microvascular Angina
This type of angina may be a symptom of coronary microvascular disease (MVD). Coronary MVD is heart disease that affects the heart’s smallest coronary arteries.
Reduced blood flow in the small coronary arteries may cause microvascular angina. Plaque in the arteries, artery spasms, or damaged or diseased artery walls can reduce blood flow through the small coronary arteries.

Symptoms
• pressure,
• heaviness,
• tightening,
• squeezing, or
• aching across the chest, particularly behind the breastbone.
This pain often radiates to the neck, jaw, arms, back, or even the teeth.
Patients may also suffer:
• indigestion,
• heartburn,
• weakness,
• sweating,
• nausea,
• cramping, and
• shortness of breath.
Angina usually occurs during exertion, severe emotional stress, or after a heavy meal, when the heart muscle demands more blood oxygen than the narrowed coronary arteries can deliver. 

Risk factors include:
• smoking
• sedentary lifestyle
• high blood pressure, or hypertension
• high blood fats or cholesterol
• hypercholesterolemia
• diabetes
• family history of premature ischemic heart disease

Angina in women
A woman's angina symptoms can be different from the classic angina symptoms. For example, women often experience symptoms such as nausea, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, or extreme fatigue, with or without with chest pain. Or a woman may feel discomfort in her neck, jaw or back or stabbing pain instead of the more typical chest pressure. These differences may lead to delays in seeking treatment.

Home Remedies for Angina Pectoris
• Cloves are also helpful, peel two or three cloves from the top and pop them like pills in every morning. 
• Garlic is well known for reducing cholesterol in body, eating garlic directly or with honey can useful in treatment of angina.
• Lemon: many people find that lemon juice is an effective treatment of angina. This is because lemon juice eliminates and stops cholesterol accumulation in the blood vessels.
• Holy Basil leaves are also very helpful with problems related to angina. Chew few fresh Basil leaves every morning. In the scarcity of fresh basil leaves, take dry Basil leaves and make a tea of that leaves and drink this every morning. 
• Mix some pure honey, a slice of lemon, and warm water together and take this mixture as an initial thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything else. 
• Another efficient home remedy that can be start morning is onion juice. Make puree a full onion with water, of course peeled one. Drink this juice in the morning on an empty stomach to decrease the cholesterol in bloodstream and in body. 
• Beet juice is also helpful in controlling Angina. 
• Daily intake of fresh grapes and apple are one of the easiest home remedies for Angina. Apples are helpful in proper blood circulation.
Preventions :
• Don't smoke. Cigarettes remove oxygen from the blood. They excite the heart, and make the blood cells stick together. If someone stops smoking, after five years their risk of a heart attack falls to about the same as non-smokers. 
• Lowering high blood pressure High blood pressure makes the heart work harder. So blood pressure needs to be controlled. 
• Weight reduction. Keeping close to the recommended weight for your height and age will keep your blood pressure down and reduce the workload on your heart. 
• Lowering blood cholesterol. If your blood cholesterol is too high you will be given statins and advised on diet, eg. 
Cut down on saturated fats – in dairy products and fatty meats. Eat lean meats, use little or no butter, and switch to skimmed or semi-skimmed milk. Grill food rather than frying it. 
● Polyunsaturated fat is in corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and soya oil – and is good. 
● Monounsaturated fat is in olive oil, groundnut oil, and rape oil – and is good. 
● Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables – five fruits & vegetables a day. 
• Reduce stress. If you have angina then you should learn to relax more. Some hobbies will help you relax, but the important thing is to find out the stresses at home or work that you cannot cope with. Try to avoid activities that cause mental and emotional turmoil. 


Everyday life with angina
• Exercise will help to keep your weight down – most people feel better generally when they are fit. Walking, swimming, and cycling are all good for the body's systems. You should take 30 minutes of exercise 3 to 5 times a week. 
But weight lifting and press-ups are types of intense exercise that are not recommended. Highly competitive exercise such as squash may be dangerous if you have a heart condition.
• Sexual intercourse. The combination of physical activity and sexual excitement may bring on an angina attack. You do not need to avoid sexual activity, unless it produces angina. Taking a GTN tablet or spray beforehand will usually help. A useful rule is that if you can climb two flights of stairs without pain you can safely manage sexual intercourse. Sex is a normal part of life, if symptoms occur ask for advice. Do not avoid sex as this may lead to unnecessary frustration and reduce your enjoyment of life. 
• Driving. Do not drive if you get angina while driving. If angina only occurs on exercise and is stable, driving is permitted and notification to DVLA is not needed. 
• Holidays and travel are important and are recommended. You should organize your journey to allow plenty of time. Avoid carrying heavy pieces of luggage. Air travel should be no problem in modern pressurized aircraft. At an airport, take a rest in the departure lounge, so that an angina attack is less likely when you walk to the departure gate. You should avoid high mountains, though if you have mild or moderate angina you should be all right at heights up to about 2000 metres or 6600 feet.
• Contact your doctor if your angina attacks become more frequent or more severe. This is especially important if your angina develops at rest or on minimal exertion, or if GTN seems to become less effective. If the angina is worsening, or occurs on only slight exertion or at rest,

Foods That Ease PMS Symptoms

Gymnéma Sylvestre : Sugar Killer

Common Names :Gurmari, Gurmarbooti, Gurmar, Merasingi, Meshashringi, Miracle Plant, Shardunika, Vishani. 

Historically, Gymnema sylvestre has been used to treat conditions ranging from malaria to snake bites. Sushruta, the classic book on Ayurveda, describes G. sylvestre, as a destroyer of 'Madhumeha' (glycosuria) and other urinary disorders. This herb has been given the name of 'gur-mar' meaning 'sugar-destroying,' because of its property of abolishing the taste of sugar and "mesbasringi" meaning 'ram's horn' with relation to the shape of its fruits.

Gymnema contains substances that decrease the absorption of sugar from the intestine. Gymnema may also increase the amount of insulin in the body and increase the growth of cells in the pancreas, which is the place in the body where insulin is made.

Gymnema : Health Benefits

• Diabetes mellitus

• Urinary Problem

• Glycosuria

• Stomach pain, gastrointestinal benefits, the regulation of cholesterol levels, and various other anti-inflammatory properties

• Anti-allergic, antiviral

• Gymnema removes sugar from pancreas, restores pancreatic function.

• Gymnema stimulate the circulatory system, increases urine secretion.

• Gymnema is also useful for the treatment of swollen glands, cough, and fever.

• Appetite Suppression: The gymnema plant contains a number of compounds, such as acidic glycosides and anthroquinones. The primary bioactive constituent of gymnema, known as gymnemic acid, is found in the leaves and roots. Gymnemic acids are sweetness inhibitors. Simply put, chewing gymnema leaves will reduce the taste of sugar, or “sweetness,” in the mouth. The temporary effect is noticed with both artificial and natural sweeteners; and suggests Gymnema may have value within an appetite suppression spectrum.

This conclusion was cited in an a Physiology & Behavior study where researchers tested the effects of Gymnema on average weight persons who were fasting. They found that those who took gymnema one hour before being offered food ate less than the participants who had not consume gymnema [1].

• leaves are rubbed into scarifications in the sides to treat stitch.

• the leaves and roots are considered purgative and emetic

• crushed roots or powdered roots are applied to snakebites

• pounded cooked roots in food are taken to treat epilepsy.

• pounded cooked roots or root powder are applied externally to treat boils

• an infusion of the leafy twigs is taken to treat gonorrhoea

• Fresh leaves are chewed to treat diabetes.

• roots and leaves are furthermore used for a wide variety of ailments, e.g. to treat rheumatoid arthritis, gout, inflammation of the blood vessels, oedema, fever, cough, haemorrhoids, boils, sores, insect bites

• helpful in controlling high blood sugar levels in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, when used in conjunction with insulin

• food additives as a weight loss remedy as it is considered to help curb cravings for sweets and to have lipid lowering effects

• It also helps preventing caries

• Gymnema sylvestre leaves is helpful in decreasing plasma triglyceride

• Gymnema may have benefit on people at risk of breast cancer

• Gymnema also has anti-atherosclerotic benefits that may reduce plaque buildup on the walls of the arteries, making this a potentially life-saving ingredient for one’s internal health.

If pregnant or lactating, it is not advised to take this herb due to lack of research and potential impact on the baby.

The leaves and roots of Gymnema sylvestre can be used fresh or dried and powdered for later use. The dried material can best be stored in airtight containers.