When you have limited access to medical services – whether due to a temporary natural disaster or a more permanent grid-down situation – relying on tried and tested ancient healing methods could save your own or a loved one’s life.
Thousands of years ago, an alternative form of medicine began in China that focused on a more holistic and whole-body approach to healing. Such practices, now known as Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM, have evolved over the years and have benefited millions of people with a wide variety of illnesses. The methods used by the ancient Chinese can be easily used in a disaster scenario, because most of the healing ingredients come from nature and therefore,can be grown yourself – no pharmacy needed!
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How your feet affect your health
Traditional Chinese medicine proponents believe that some nutrients can be absorbed through the skin to treat a variety of diseases and ailments: everything from insomnia to clogged arteries can be healed with a quick poultice or immersed in the right mixture of natural herbs. This theory is based on the idea that each part of the body is connected, similar to a giant spiderweb, through a meridian (channel) network capable of absorbing and redistributing the medication where appropriate. Acupoints — the areas concentrated on during acupressure — are prime sites of absorption, as this is where the qi (vital energy) of the organs of the body and the meridians come together.
While traditional Chinese medicine teaches that health benefits can be achieved by absorbing nutrients through any area of the skin, some areas are better than others — the feet, the forehead, and the palms, especially.
Feet have been seen for a long time, both by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and others, to be a powerful place of healing for the whole body. The feet are made of various acupoints and nerve endings connected to vital organs in your body. By collecting nutrients and minerals through your feet, the “healthy material” that your body needs is drawn in through the skin and travels to the vital organs on the meridians, rather than being lost in other parts of the body.
Supercharge your health by adding onions to your slumber
Onions have been cultivated for nearly 5,000 years and used in food and medicine. This commonly used vegetable belongs to the Allium-bulb family, and is one of the easiest to grow — and toughest to kill — of any vegetable in your garden in the prepper.
You may also know that onions are a low-calorie food rich in fiber and vitamin C. But the onion’s other health benefits aren’t as common. In traditional Chinese medicine, onions are thought to provide energy, to induce body detoxification suddenness and urination, and to battle off diseases caused by germs and viruses. The strong antibacterial and anti-viral properties in onions can help prevent infections from ranging from the odor of the foot to the common flu.
By placing sliced onions in your socks, you can cleanse your blood, remove toxins, and eradicate disease when your feet absorb the nutrients and phosphoric acid in the onions – the millions of nerve endings in your feet work with the meridians to absorb and redistribute the natural properties of the onions throughout the whole body.
Tips to maximize the healing power of placing onions in your socks
- Use an organic onion (you don’t want pesticides being absorbed by your skin)
- Make sure the onion slices are on the bottom of your feet, not the top, to maximize absorption
- Cotton socks are best and help to minimize the smell
- If the smell of the onion bothers you (or your spouse), sprinkle a few drops of complementary scented essential oils to the outside of your socks or on a cotton pillowcase.
