The Complete Book of Chinese Health & Healing: Guarding the Three Treasures

"This book is nothing short of spectacular, and this is because it motivates to start doing some of what Daniel Reid. explains. Reid, a Westerner living in Asia since the 70's, comes with Western scientific explanations (where possible; modern science isn't yet developed enough to understand and acknowledge nature of some things) of why Taoists do things the way they do.
Books subtitle is "Guarding the three treasure" - and by that he means the body, energy and spirit, he touches all of them. After reading it I understand a lot more things about the world in general. A lot more...
I first started reading his other book - "The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity", and I would recommend starting with that one, because it is more basic and easier to chew by the Western mind. This books is also very clear, and you don't need other explanations, but reading the other one first would make some things easier. Personally, after I finished this one book, I understood some of his teachings in "The Tao..." that I had skipped at that point and started doing them now. One good example of this is to do skin brushing every day. Why? Stimulate lymph movement, especially helpful for people living sedentary lives every day. I intend to reread both of them many times, and hopefully pick new good habits with each pass. I'll probably look into his other works.
So, what's in the book?
It starts with explaining the Taoist cosmogony, starting with the One source, Tao. You probably already know its mark, it' that circle with black and white "tears", each having a small spot of the other inside it.
They are the two poles, Yang (male/active/warming/ascending, white with with black spot) and Yin (female/passive/cooling/descending).
There are three powers - heaven, earth and humans, the latter mixing the treasure of spirit and awareness from the heaven (whose laws are named "destiny") with the nourishment and essential building blocks of the body.
There are four foundations -blood, energy, nourishment, and resistance (e.g. immunity), and you need to develop all of them. They depend on each in many ways, and each could be overactive or underactive. They should be balanced for a vibrant health. There are remedies for all of them. While everyone is more likely to know that that chlorophyl is good for blood, did you know there are energy supplements? Yes, such as air ionizers, and, suprise, crystals (wear one around your neck), plus modern stuff (pulsed field generators, cranio electro stimulation and others).
There are five energies (water, wood, fire, earth, metal), and each is associated with some colour, foods, vibration, season, bodily organs, taste, time of day, feeling, and more. For example, this fits with the Western knowledge that each organ is most active at a specific time of the day. BTW, looking at some list of symptoms, I figured that I have underactive kidneys, and inspired by this I went to an acupuncturist/chinese doctor and he confirmed it. Now that the problem is confirmed, I know what foods to emphasize, what breathing exercises to do, etc.
There are six evils (of environmental energies) - wind, heat, dampness, dryness, cold and fire, each more prevalent in a specific time of a year, and could combine (e.g. cold dryness). BTW, I should tell that in Chinese medicine body is treat as a whole, except for injuries, it's your lifestyle that's the problem, and several symptoms that seem totally unrelated point to the same thing. Alcoholism creates 'stomach fire' and 'liver fire', heavy smoking, sugar creates 'internal dampness', exposure to electromagnetic pollution creates 'internal wind'. Everything fits together, with easy to understand words, yet all having Western scientific equivalents, albeit way harder to follow.
Seven emotions (Joy, Anger, etc.) - for Chinese healthy and non-excessive thoughts lead to physical health. This is harder to understand - in the West people are referred to psychiatrist for mental issues, yet there are many cases of curing psychological problems by diet, and, reversely, get sick by thinking negatively. I would suggest Deepak Chopra's books (e.g. Quantum leap healing) for an scientific explanation of how this works. Basically it's a positive (as in self-enforcing) feedback between nervous and endocrine systems.
Eight indicators: Chinese doctors follow a four stage process: interviewing (remember, everything matters: chills/fever, stool/urine, diet/sleep/sex), observing (way of moving, talking, breathing, skin color; tongue and face analysis are true arts, both having parts corresponding to internal organs), and ends with touching (flesh, internal organs, accupresure on vital points which become tender in sick people, and taking pulse, which is again an art). After the initial state is evaluated, different remedies might be prescribed (massage, accupuncture, diet, breathing), looking for the eight indicators (yin/yang, internal/external, cold/hot, empty/full). Symptoms come and go during treatment, change one into each other, and so do the remedy but at the end the body and internal organs are balanced, the evil energies are removed. It's very hard to be a good Chinese doctor, you need to learn a lot, because everything relates, from anatomy to nutrition to breathing to environmental exposure to lifestyle.
This was the first part of the book, and there were three of them.
It then talks about diet and nutrition, what foods go with with elemental energy (and thus with what organ), talks about food profiles and effect on the body (sugar, meat, fats, etc.), about gradually improving the diet and how to watch for detox signs. Avoid unhealthy fats (such as (partially) hydrogenated vegetable oil), pasteurized milk (not even calves can live on it), eat lots of fermented foods, drink pure water, and other sound advices on food combining (don't eat meat with potatoes or bread, for example). He talks about enzymes - spark of life - and how overcooking destroys them.
Regarding the energy "treasure", he explains about the bioenergy and the bioenergetic model of human body as determined by ancient acupuncture practitioners, how Western researchers have confirmed and validated them (look for Robert Becker - he rediscovered acupuncture points and proved that we are influenced by planets through the endocrine system) and then talks about electromagnetic pollution. He emphasizes chee-gung (chi-kung/qi-gong) - "energy work", slow movements synchronized with breathing to balance endocrine and nervous system, improve the energy stored in the body and thus build immunity etc. There are even specific chi-gung exercises for each elemental energy imbalance (read: affected organ). There are special sexual yoga solo exercises.
Finally... meditation. All the above can help with meditation. He explains why one should meditate, and from this chapter I understood what hermites in caves, enlightened monks, yoga gurus, taoist masters, martial arts experts all have in common. It is hard to explain, and reading the book might not be enough. In short, you might not be prepared to accept it. This is it... it's like religion. Suffice to say that the meditation chapter changed my life. I hope it will change yours. I actually preffered to write only about the meditation chapter in this review.

The books also has food recipes (balanced according to the teachings), herbs and some herbal recipes, plus lists of suppliers to get products from.

Dan Reid has an approach so that both Eastern and Western knowledge should be used and combine to create a better life for all of us. He certainly does combine them - Eastern trued and tried practices with Western technology (e.g. herbal remedies with vitamins, enzymes, cofactors and nootropic; modern energy supplements.

This is just a one page review. Of course the book is much more thorough. Just go get it, study it and practice from it even as you are still reading it for the first time. You'll never regret it. Mark my words."
~ Written on 2006-03-09

"I happened across this book in a bookstore and bought it on a whim. I was not before interested in Taoism, but fairly open minded. THIS IS THE BEST, MOST INSPIRATIONAL BOOK I HAVE READ IN YEARS. I don't want to go too over the top or I'll lose my credibility, but this book quite simply has changed my life (ok, that's over the top). If you enjoy cooking with fresh ingredients, the book gives great advice about food combining and which ingredients are most healthful. Reid also gives a few recipes at the back of the book that he considers "healing" recipes. The recipe for Hunan chicken was worth the cost of the book. I have been cooking for a decade and that recipe is the most delicious dish I've ever made. I really can't say enough. I am less interested in the sections on Chee-gung, but they are still useful as a way of understanding the importance of quieter, less strenuous stretching/activity. I bought this book 6 months ago, but I would say that I pick it up to read sections at least once a week. I have lost 15 pounds, am full of energy and feel more positive and refreshed than I have since I was 21."
~ Written on 2003-01-17

"There are thousands of books published about Chinese Medicine,but none come close to this one for readability, enjoyment, clarity,and detail. While I don't agree with every single interpretation that Reid makes, I find that I am constantly referring my patients and students to this book.

It is a great place to begin your exploration of Chinese Medicine in its broadest scope. Reid writes intelligently, and yet simply, about the full range of Chinese Medical practices and the foundations of Energetic Medicine too.

His format takes the reader, step-by-step, along the path of understanding this rich tradition of self-care, personal evolution, and natural healing. You will find plenty of personal stories in this book and a fair share of scientific findings which support the understanding presented.

Perhaps most importantly, you will be able to apply the basic principles, as described so clearly here, in your daily life. This is truly a book that can help you get started on the path of natural healing in your own life.

If you are in the healing profession, you will discover a world of refreshing insights, challenging questions, and beneficial protocols to explore.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is sincerely interested in Chinese Medicine or Qigong."
~ Written on 2000-05-08

"Reid's book is great. I read it, and tried the Breathing exercises....WHAM! I felt so energetic since! FUll of vitality! I applied his advice on diet & food too, and my past digestive disorder and stomach bloats and aches are history! I listened to him and start conserving my 'jing' if you know what i am talking about, and I feel on top of the world! READ THIS BOOK!"
~ Written on 2000-04-25

"I do not know who to thank for curing me of a chronic digestive disorder whose underlying cause had eluded allopathic physicians and Western nutritionists for the past 30 years: Daniel P. Reid or the ancient Taoist masters?

Mr. Reid's books are truly gifts to the modern Western world and to those who sense that there is something more to life than a mass-produced culture and lifestyle. Ancient wisdom does have a wealth of knowledge to impart today in order to live a better tomorrow. If you are a newcomer to Taoism, spirituality, and traditional health practices, this is an ideal book to help you begin your journey towards enlightment. Those with a little more experience will also benefit from reading this book and adding its little gems of wisdom to their library of ever-expanding Taoist knowledge. Somehow, years of higher education and exponetially expanding university tuition never taught me the beautiful, life-affirming, and liberating simplicities expounded by Taoism. Begin your journey with these books.

I also highly recommend Mr. Reid's "The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity" as an excellent companion to "The Complete Book..." However, I caution you to exercise maturity, responsibility and personal accountability as you read and practice the ancient Taoist arts. You should be fully aware that there is no way for the author to be familiar with your particular ailments or life-situation. In this regard, I recommend that you pursue your studies under the guidance of a qualified instructor and to seek health advice from a Traditional Chinese Medical practitioner. If you heed the caution and advice you will gain tremendously. There is genuine gold in this ancient wisdom. You will find yourself asking the question: "Why doesn't the rest of the Western world know about this?"

Good luck to all of you as you travel the Tao of life-enrichment through ancient wisdom. I encourage you to pursue this seemingly miraculous path towards a better life. Learn from it and spread the word. You, and others, will never regret it."
~ Written on 1999-08-27