Who Wrote This Book?

I'm Brian Carter. I'm a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, and I teach at the Master's degree level. I founded the PulseMed.org website and have been writing and speaking to the general public herbs and acupuncture since 1999. I've reached 400,000 people internationally with the 300+ articles I've written. Most importantly, I've just published my first book, Chinese Medicine: Healing Yourself With Herbs, Acupressure, and Foods

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So what's the book about?

The book features 67 chapters on wellness, balance, herbal healing, acupuncture and acupressure, balanced eating, boosting your energy, emotional well being, sleeping better, and beating colds and flu's.

Throughout, I've placed tools to help you understand and use the information:

• Funny Cartoons
• Wise Quotes
• Popular Magazine-style Quizzes
• Tips
• Flowcharts
• Questions to Reflect Upon
• Action steps

Why Did You Write This Book?

Let me tell you a touching story about a boy and his medicine.

I first read about Chinese medicine while living in Ohio, and was intrigued that they never disconnected mind, body, and emotions. They could guess your mental or emotional problems from your physical symptoms. Their herbs and acupuncture could treat all three. I wanted to find a career where I could help people, and this seemed to be it, so I signed up for a Master's program here in San Diego.

I started learning all the complex theories. I did acupressure on my girlfriend when she had an asthma attack- it stopped the attack and we didn't have to go to the ER. I looked forward to getting into the clinic to see the medicine working on patients.

I learned some of the basic herb formulas that are good for stress, colds and flu's, and indigestion. I used them and was amazed how much better I felt. I had my first really good acupuncture treatment and walked outside and could smell everything, felt like I was 4 years old, totally present, it was a beautiful day, and I thought: "This is how I've always wanted to feel!"

Even after just one year of the four-year program, I knew everyone needed to know what I'd already learned. It would help them live better and get better alternative medicine solutions. I started the PulseMed.org website to write articles about yin and yang, ginseng, dong quai, etc., and joined Toastmasters to learn to speak better about it.

I helped a lot of people. I cured a professional jet skier of his hives, several people of acid reflux, help insomniacs fall asleep, got a HTN guy kicked out of his blood pressure medication study, fixed a professional surfer's shooting pain in his fingers, cut countless colds and flu's short, released many spasmed muscles, and so on. I've even used herbs to combat altitude sickness while climbing mountains!

My PulseMed.org website really took off in 2001. I got thousands and then tens of thousands of visitors per month, so I started writing several new articles every few weeks. I wrote press releases and sent them to the media, and this led to conversations with Glamour, Real Simple, and ESPN magazines. I spoke on radio shows around the country.

But, I was aghast at how little people knew about Chinese medicine, how different it was from what they expected, and how hard it was to get them to understand it. I was also concerned that people were misusing good herbs and getting hurt. I realized I was in for a long journey.

I felt I had about maxed out on reaching people with the website... I could reach tens of thousands per month, but I wanted to reach even more people and make more of an impact. I wanted to tell millions of people how Chinese medicine could help them. I figured the next step would be more radio, and that I'd need a book first, so I started writing an introductory book about Chinese medicine.

I wrote and wrote. The book became more practical, more useful, more succinct. I edited it 4 times. Then I sent it to 56 PulseMed.org readers who had volunteered to critique it, and I used their feedback to make it even better.

Now it's available to you at a bargain price... the best introductory book to Chinese medicine available and you have no excuse not to buy it!

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What's So Great about Chinese medicine?

It helps solve three problems we all face.

Problem #1: Sickness and death are part of life. No matter who you are, where you live, or how much money you have, your life is only as good as your health. Most of us are headed toward at least one life-changing disease as we age.

Problem #2: Though we have conquered some life-threatening illnesses, though we have alleviated some mood problems, we still haven't found reliable ways to control the most basic everyday aspects of health and well-being. Nor have we found clear-cut causes or preventive solutions for most diseases.

Problem #3: Most drugs cause undesirable side effects. Surgeries can cause complications and death. Is this healing, or simply choosing the lesser of two evils? Also, most popular diets treat everyone the same, and everyone gets different results with them.

How Does Chinese Medicine Solve These Problems?

• Chinese medicine gives you real power over your health and well being
• It offers safe, natural healing alternatives
• It takes into account your individuality and balances you

What else is attractive about Chinese medicine?

1. People want it: Alternative medicine practitioners are now visited more often than regular MD's. In just 30 years, 30 million Americans have tried acupuncture, even though we have less than 15,000 acupuncturists.

2. It's credible: Chinese medicine has been healing people for more than 2000 years, there's plenty of research to prove and explain it, and MD's refer patients to us more often than they do to chiropractors

3. It's natural: Herbs, acupressure, and foods restore your body's natural healing powers. They don't cause side effects.

4. It's powerful: It heals you and prevents disease. It heals your whole self - body, mind, and emotions - so it makes widespread and deep improvements in your life. It gives you power over your health and how you feel.

5. It's personalized: One of the reasons it's so safe and has such powerful results is that it doesn't treat everyone the same. It uses your unique constitution and patterns of imbalance to suggest foods, herbs, and acupressure that balance you out and release your body's natural healing powers.

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What's So Different About This Book?

It's miles beyond the alternative medicine you've seen:

• Herbs: You've seen a few single herbs, not a powerful system of herbal medicine - For 1800 years, the Chinese herbal medicine system has worked for mild and serious disease, and it fits you like a glove.
  
  
• Foods: All experts think their diet is the best. Even personalized diets don't work for everyone - Chinese medicine food choices encourage balance and heal you, and they fit with any popular diet.
  
  
• Acupressure: Massage is portrayed as a luxury, not a powerful home medicine - You can massage yourself to heal more.
  
  
• Most Americans don't know how powerful Chinese acupressure, foods, and herbs are, and no one has told them:
  
  o No one has said it in layman's terms - this book is easy to read
  o No one has helped you do it - this is practical and easy to use
  o No one has backed it up with the research - this book is filled with references to the ancient texts and modern research that support it

You'll find out what thousands of acupuncturists and herbalists already know how to do in their own lives to stay well, heal faster, and live with more power and freedom.

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What's missing from other books about Chinese medicine for the layperson?

No book about Chinese medicine has the whole package - practical, safe, understandable, authentic, honest, accurate, integrative, and entertaining. Even the best selling books on Chinese medicine fall short. There isn't a good introduction out there. I know, because my readers have told me.

I've spent five years responding to questions from that should've been answered by those books. And despite how much I loved the books that introduced me to CM, after getting the Masters degree, practicing the medicine on real patients, and writing about it, I realize how inadequate and sometimes inaccurate they were

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What Will This Book Do For Me?
(Specific Sections of the Book):

Well Being:
Chapters 4, 5, & 17

Well Being is a higher standard of health. Optimal wellness is more than not being sick. You can control your well being. Get to the next level in life Get greater comfort and increased physical and mental capacity Prevent life threatening disease and stubborn, serious, complicated diseases

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Motivation, Discipline, & Persistence:
Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9

Motivation, discipline, and persistence are essential for wellness. You'll need to be well to enjoy your dreams and goals once you reach them. Get inspired Get closer to success Become part of a large, positive health movement Attract healthier people by becoming healthier yourself

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Whole Person Medicine:
Chapters 10-16, 18, 19, 23, 38, 43, 49, 52, 58

All parts of your mind, body, and emotions are connected. Your doctor should have "complete knowledge" about you. Healing should treat both symptoms and root causes. Be completely seen and acknowledged Get more healing than you're used to Get a comprehensive treatment for any disease Get more comfort and quality of life if your disease can't be cured

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Balance for Unique People:
Chapters 14, 17 - 20, 27, 34, 39, 45, 59, 63

Balance is the key to wellness. You need a map that tells you how to get to balance. Chinese medicine has such a map. Let your strengths overcome your weaknesses Return to balance Get your dreams faster, and save time and grief

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Powerful, Safe Herbal Medicine:
Chapters 22 - 29

Chinese herbal medicine is powerful, sophisticated, and based on more than 1800 years of wisdom and experience. Herbal formulas heal more and cause fewer side effects than single herbs. Everyone should have some essential herbal formulas at home before they get ill. Balance your extremes Reduce stress, boost energy, increase sexual function, cure indigestion, boost immunity, cure colds and flu's, clear sinuses, and sleep better with essential Chinese herbal formulas Have the herbs you need before your problems occur Heal without side effects Take the strongest, most convenient, form of herbs Maximize absorption of your herbs, vitamins, etc. Make drugs work better with herbs Get off multiple drugs with herb Get more permanent healing with herbs

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Acupressure and Acupuncture:
Chapters 30 - 35

People like acupuncture because it works, it's natural, it's safe, and it's holistic. Acupressure is more accessible to most people. Both are based on Chinese medicine. Get the healing of acupuncture at home with acupressure Feel like you've got the runner's high without the running, a hot tub without the chlorine, and serenity without the lotus position. Get the restoration of deep sleep in much less time… like two glasses of wine, but you're alert and centered Feel like you're having a deep meditation without even trying, sleep better than you do at night, get grounded, boost your energy and endurance, feel euphoric, buzzed, relaxed, complete, figure out problems easier, feel peaceful Find out which of the eight different acupuncture styles is best for you

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Eating for Healing and Prevention:
Chapters 36 - 41

Food is the foundation of good health. Improper eating is one of the two main causes of disease. People need different foods to balance their unique patterns of imbalance. Chinese medicine food selection works with all diets. Have good health and vitality, sleep better, strong immunity, get sick less often Avoid annoying minor digestive conditions that lead to taking over-the-counter remedies that cause side effects, risks, and waste your money Make sure eating doesn't interfere with sex

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Boost Your Energy & Beat Fatigue:
Chapters 42 - 47

There are three sources of energy in the body. Each of the constitutional types has different energy issues. Herbs are a better energy source than caffeine or stimulants. Acupressure, sleep, rest, relaxation, eating well, and the right herbs can increase your energy level. Maximize your energy level Free up, boost, and conserve energy Create energy from food more efficiently Maximize your energy with the right kind of exercise Fight the toxins and invaders that sap your energy

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Emotional Well Being:
Chapters 11, 13, 48 - 54

Chinese medicine shows how mind, body, and emotions interact. Unbalanced thinking and emotions damage specific organs. Excessive emotion is one of the two major causes of disease. Exercise, herbs, acupressure, sleep, rest, and relaxation can improve your emotions. Emotional well being can improve your energy level, sleep, immunity, sex life, longevity, and digestion. Renew and refresh your mind and heal your body Be happier, more capable, and more effective Get strength and support, help, and direction Get more positivity and peace of mind Live more effectively

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Deep & Refreshing Sleep:
Chapters 55 - 61

Good sleep is essential to well being. Herbs, foods, and acupressure for sleep don't have to leave you groggy or "sleep walking" the next day. Insomnia can undermine your emotions, exercise, energy, immunity, beauty, and sex life. Eating well, acupressure, herbs, exercise, and serenity can improve your sleep. Good quality sleep improves your emotions, energy level, immunity, sex life, and beauty. Soothe your emotions, calm your mind, and fall asleep easier Sleep deeper, rest your mind and emotions, and balance your mood Awaken with more clarity, more energy, and less grogginess Heal and restore more for more energy during the day Use herbs to avoid the side effects and after-effects of sleep drugs

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Immunity, Colds, and Flu's:
Chapters 62 - 66

Revolutionize your relationship to colds and flu's. Chinese medicine has treated the immune system for 1700 years longer than Western medicine. Herbal solutions are better than over-the-counter remedies, and they don't cause side effects like laryngitis. Eating well, healthy emotions, living in harmony with the seasons, acupressure, herbs, a good energy level, and rest and relaxation can optimize your immunity. Boost and maintain your immune system Stay well when friends and coworkers are falling by the dozen Increase the number of well days you have per year, your productivity, the time you have for loved ones, etc Identify sickness faster when it does happen, and get rid of cold and flu symptoms quicker without side effects Beat colds and flu's quickly every time, and avoid the lingering symptoms that follow colds and flu's

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And what is Chapter 67 about?