Download Homework and Questions - Urban Moonshine Herb School

Homework and Questions
• What is the basic function of the process of Digestion / Absorption /
Elimination in the Whole Human?
Digestion function is to extract the nutrients from food to absorb, to make it
into energy for using as Vital Force, and to eliminate unused parts.
• Draw a simple diagram (it can be just a flowchart, if you’d like) of the
digestive / eliminative tract, labeling the following parts: esophagus,
stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, kidneys and bladder.
• What is chyme?
Chyme is the food that already been digested in stomach and now its on the
way to small intestines.
• What is bile? What is one purpose it serves?
Bile is the greenish liquid in gallbladder that helps to digest fats.
• What is the name of the basic filters inside the kidneys?
Nephrons.
• What are the villi? What purpose do they serve?
Villi is micro-folds in the epithelium layer of small intestines. Through villi
the nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream.
• Describe three places in the digestive system where Vital Force can be
absorbed.
Tongue, capillaries through oral mucosa. Stomach. In small intestines
through villi.
In the following, evaluate the system(s) involved, and whether they manifest deficiency,
excess, or congestion. Why? How would you begin to address the imbalances, if they exist?
What would you recommend as additional treatment?
CASE STUDY 1
A male, age 47, presents with a complaint of sluggishness and
‘bloating’ in the abdominal area. His diet consists primarily of refined
starches, white bread, potatoes, pasta, and red meats, with very little
vegetables. He complains that, when he does eat vegetables, he gets horrible
gas and often finds ‘pieces of corn and carrots’ in his stool. Bowel
movements are fairly regular, although there can be some constipation.
Respiration seems adequate. Reserves / Distribution are good, although
there are some signs of depletion. He mentions that, in his stressful job, he is
finding it ‘harder to cope these days’. He does very little exercise. His
processes of Perception / Analysis display some signs of nervousness or
anxiety. His desire: remove the feelings of ‘sluggishness and bloating’ that
have gotten worse lately.
First, he needs to correct his diet, processed carbs have to be replaced with
more vegetables, healthy fats and real proteins. undigested foods in stool
indicates that the digestion isnt working properly. To the starchy foods he eats
the stress at work doesnt allow stomach acid and enzymes to secrete and
digest foods properly. Also not exercising is adding to his sluggishness. I’d suggest to him to start taking bitters before meals, so it will help with
digestion. I’d recommend changing white breads and pastas for whole grains,
or sprouted or stopping all together for a while. Id suggest adding more
cooked vegetables, if he cant handle raw veggies yet. Also, add some healthy
fats like coconut oil or some grass fed animal fats. Maybe he could go for a
walk outside and breath, so he’d exercise and get fresh air. Also, maybe some
adaptogenic herbs like rhodiola or ginseng would help with his anxiety.
CASE STUDY 2
A female, age 33, presents with a complaint of ‘bloating’. She has
some symptoms of edema and swelling, mostly in her ankles, and bloating in
her abdominal area. Her diet is good, with plenty of vegetables and salad,
although she does ‘like to indulge in salty snacks’ like chips and pretzels when
she is pressed for time. Her digestive tract seems healthy, with regular bowel
movements and adequate urination. She drinks plenty of water. Her
respiration is good. Her Reserves / Distribution are good. She mentions a
slight increase in blood pressure at her last doctor’s visit, but nothing outside
the normal range. She exercises often, especially on her lunch hour, and is
quite pleased with herself because she ‘never gets sweaty’ and can therefore
exercise harder and longer than her co-workers. Her Processes of Perception
/ Analysis seem a bit ‘tight’; you notice her clenching and unclenching her
jaw often. Her desire: help address this ‘bloating’, which isn’t too big a deal
but never used to happen.
Bloating, edema and swelling, but not sweating is indicating that there is
mineral imbalance and adjustment/regulation system is imbalanced and its
is not eliminating properly. Salty snacks, is probably deficient in potassium.
If she is exercising at the lunch hour, then she is probably eating in a hurry,
then it meant she is in sympathetic state and her digestion isnt working. I’d
suggest her to hydrate with broth, rather just drink plain water and dont rush
in a short lunch hour to do everything in a hurry.