WSPA Spamming Chinese merchants

One person who spammed East Earth Trade Winds replied:
Thanks for bringing this to my attention - i will contact WSPA in regards to this matter. Do you sell any products obtained by cruelty?

Also, if WSPA made a mistake in this case than i apologize for disrupting your day but I stand by WSPA 100%. "Humanity" senselessly brutalizes animals on a mass scale. Far too many participate or look the other way. I'm so grateful that organizations like WSPA exist; if not, we may have destroyed our existance years ago, instead of soon enough.

Do you speak out aginst bear bile and other forms of senseless cruelty? This is asked just out of curiosity.

Again, my apologies. Maybe I was "duped" but it opened up communication and I do plan on staying in touch. I'm looking forward to visiting one of your stores. Also, how long has WSPA been including you in their anti-bear bile campaign?

Jim

My response was:

Dear Jim,
Let me assure you that you were "duped". Few people respond to my personal reply but from those with a conscience tell me they had no idea what was happening.
We do not sell products "obtained by cruelty". I agree that we should protect wildlife but as I said the WSPA has never made an effort to contact my company prior to setting up their spam campaign. Furthermore, my letters to them are ignored. You should reconsider your allegience to them since you are just a pawn in their campaign.
The WSPA has been doing this for about 8 months. We sporadically get batches of spam. It is particularly bad the last 24 hours however I I reply to all personally.
I hope you take time to investigate my company. Our mission is to provide natural herbal remedies as alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs.

WSPA

East Earth Trade Winds periodically gets spammed by people who have been to the WSPA site and then send us a letter claiming to be our customer. Here is our reply: Though you say you are a customer of ours I cannot find any record of you in our customer database, however, I will be glad to answer your question. We do not sell products containing bear bile nor have we ever sold products with bear bile or dealt with companies that engage in this business. Please note that if you had done a little research before spamming us with the form letter you would have found that we have been in business for over 25 years and are not only the oldest mail-order Chinese herbal company in the USA but also the most committed to natural resource preservation. In fact, over 50 of the most respected authors in the natural health field have recommended our company as a reliable source for quality Chinese herbal products in books they have written (See Books EETW Mentioned In). When an author takes the time to mention us in their book they thoroughly check our background prior to publishing as it reflects on their reputation as well. It appears you may have been duped into sending this form letter by the WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) taking action against the abuse of animals. While I wholeheartedly agree bears (and other wildlife) should be protected I feel it is unethical to lure people (like you) into signing and sending emails that disrupt companies such as mine that have no connection at all to this practice. It appears to me that theWSPA prejudge and pronounce people and companies guilty by association, i.e., if you sell Chinese products or are Chinese you are automatically guilty. This is racial discrimination and they made you a participant in it. Had the WSPA taken a few minutes to contact me (my phone number and email is readily available on my website) and actually discussed the issue you would'nt be spamming my company. In the future please question the ethics and integrity of any organization that wants you to particpate in a cause and make sure they have their facts straight before blindly being used by them. Please note that if you or your friends are sincerely interested in buying Chinese herbal products you are still welcome to shop with us. Sincerely, Michel Czehatowski, Owner www.eastearthtrade.com

Tai Chi Linked to Improvements in Psychological Well-Being

From MedscapeCME Clinical Briefs

May 27, 2010 — Tai Chi appears to be associated with improvements in psychological well-being, although well-controlled, longer randomized trials are needed, according to the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis reported in the May 21 issue of BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

"Tai Chi, the Chinese low impact mind-body exercise, has been practiced for centuries for health and fitness in the East and is currently gaining popularity in the West," said lead author Chenchen Wang, from Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts, in a news release. "It is believed to improve mood and enhance overall psychological well being, but convincing evidence has so far been lacking."

The reviewers searched 8 English-language and 3 Chinese-language databases through March 2009 for randomized controlled trials, nonrandomized controlled studies, and observational studies reporting at least 1 psychological health outcome. Two reviewers extracted and verified data, and a random-effects model allowed meta-analysis of randomized trials in each subcategory of health outcomes.

Methodologic quality of each study was also evaluated.

The reviewers identified 40 studies enrolling a total of 3817 participants and reporting on a total of 29 psychological measurements. Of 33 randomized and nonrandomized trials, 21 reported significant improvements in psychological well-being with 1 hour to 1 year of regular Tai Chi. Specific effects in community-dwelling healthy participants and in patients with chronic conditions were decreased stress (effect size [ES], 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23 - 1.09), anxiety (ES, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.29 - 1.03), and depression (ES, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.31 - 0.80), and improved mood (ES, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.20 - 0.69).

"More detailed knowledge about the physiological and psychological effects of Tai Chi exercise may lead to new approaches to promote health, treat chronic medical conditions, better inform clinical decisions and further explicate the mechanisms of successful mind-body medicine," Dr. Wang said.

The beneficial association between Tai Chi practice and psychological health was supported by 7 observational studies with relatively large sample sizes.

"Tai Chi appears to be associated with improvements in psychological well-being including reduced stress, anxiety, depression and mood disturbance, and increased self-esteem. Definitive conclusions were limited due to variation in designs, comparisons, heterogeneous outcomes and inadequate controls. High-quality, well-controlled, longer randomized trials are needed to better inform clinical decisions."

Iron Hand Liniment Testimonial

The Iron Hand Liniment and Tung Shueh tablets miraculously got me back on my road bike in a day!

I could feel the Iron Hand Liniment working as soon as I applied it the first time. I know I've been working my knee for the past two months, trying to get it to bend, trying to get on my road bike and go for a ride, with all my efforts ending with the same Range of Motion. But the first night after receiving the liniment i just felt like I could do it. My knee felt different, and sure enough, I jumped on my road bike and after a couple slow pedals to stretch and bend my knee, I did one full revolution without pain, then another and another! Before I knew it I was on my bike, road 6 miles!

I have to say that I think it was the Iron Hand Liniment and the Tung Shueh tablets. Prior to these products I was just in terrible pain when trying to bend the the knee to a certain degree.

I guess my beliefs have been reassured again, as I hold dearly a faith in natural cures and Chinese remedies.

Thanks again, I'll be ordering more liniment really soon. :-)

S.H.

Licorice in products

Q: I am borderline for high blood pressure. Some products contain warnings about using them if you have this condition. Why?

A: Some products contain licorice (glycyrrhiza) and one company that we know of has warnings on the label because of this. Long term use of large amounts (3-9gms per day) of licorice may cause high blood pressure. However, other companies choose not to do this since the amount of licorice in the product is extremely small and unlikely to cause any problems.

Sifu Lew Cloud Hands Seminar

Sifu Share K. Lew and his wife Juanita held a very successful two day Cloud Hands seminar in Redding, CA over the weekend. Sifu Lew is a prime example of how practice of Taoist Nei Gong (Qi Gong) can improve and maintain your health. Now in his 90's, Sifu Lew has been practicing over 70 years.
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the seminar and we were all were inspired by him. Also, special thanks go to John and Janet Price, long-time students and friends of Sifu Lew for sponsoring him.

Iron Hand / Iron Palm Liniments

Q: It sounds like your iron hand[palm] liniment is the real deal. i'm a beginner boxer and would be using it to toughen my hands, and fingers for in the gym and on the street for self defense purposes if needed. i'm not into breaking concrete, but injury free one hit knockouts is appealing. which product do you recommend, dit da jow or iron hand liniment? also does it come in larger quantities? 16-30 oz btls.? your thoughts and advice is greatly appreciated. thank you, rick

A: They both work good. Both can be used for sports injuries and toughening the hands. Zheng gu shui is warming. Iron Hand is not. I suggest getting a bottle of each and trying one bottle at a time and comparing results.
You'll find the products at www.eastearthtrade.com