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Of all the techniques lauded in natural medicine, including the special utility of its various methods of assessment, there is perhaps nothing equal to the art and science of pulse diagnosis. The three major traditions of medicine, which include Unani, TCM and Ayurveda, all maintain a system of pulse assessment. Even the Western medical tradition has a history of pulse assessment, and in its heyday practitioners acclaimed as masters of the art.
Read more... Assessment of the PulseBefore the advent of modern phytochemical research, armed with nothing except their five senses, intuition and careful observational skills, herbalists were able to identify and develop sophisticated uses for thousands of medicinal plants. Although plant chemistry has certainly added to the knowledge of herbalists, with a few exceptions like Gingko biloba, scientific research has contributed very little to the actual practice of herbal medicine.
Read more... TasteHuman evolution has been a gradual process over millions of years, from our earliest ancestors that diverged from other primates over four to seven million years ago, to the modern Homo sapiens of today. We first begin to bear some semblance to the modern human as Homo habilis and H. erectus 2-3 million years ago, with rudimentary practices that characterize distinctly human behaviours such hunting and gathering, using spears and stone tools, and according to anthropologist Richard Wrangham, the control and use of fire.
Read more... Diet: A Short HistoryIn Ayurveda sex is considered along with food and sleep to be one of the three pillars of life. Unlike the ascetic spiritual traditions of ancient India that recommend chastity (brahmacharya) as a way of life, Ayurveda maintains a practical approach to sex and sexuality, suggesting that not only is the sexual urge natural and normal, but that it should be satisfied and maintained throughout life. The power and potency of the sexual act is all-pervasive, and in our own small way, it is through the sexual act that we experience the divine creation of the universe.
Read more... The Sexual ResponseRecently I was given a review copy of Simon Fairlie's new book entitled Meat: A Benign Extravagance, published by Chelsea Green (2010), right around the same time I wrote what some might consider a rather controversial blog on the subject of meat on urbandiner. The issue of eating meat is a touchy one, especially here in Vancouver - a trend-setting city that has more than it's share of anti-meat advocates, who inspired by films such as Forks Over Knives, have come to equate meat-eating with everything that's bad in the world: from agricultural run-off and global warming, to cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Read more... Meat: A Benign Extravagance