Staying Healthy This Season

Seasonal changes affect the body's environment. As we move gradually from Winter to Spring, patients are still coming in with colds/flu. Good lifestyle and hygiene habits are proven to reduce your risk of getting sick.



Wash Your Hands– Studies have shown that one of the main reasons that we catch colds and flu in cold weather is that we are indoors and in closer vicinity to others. Protect yourself by washing your hands regularly and try not to touch your face.



Sleep In - The Nei Ching, an ancient Chinese classic, advised people to go to sleep early, rest well and rise late, after the sun's rays have warmed the atmosphere a bit. This preserves your own Yang Qi for the task of warming the body.



Stress Less - Find a release valve for your stress. According to Chinese medicine, stress, frustration, and unresolved anger can play an important part in throwing the immune system off and allowing pathogens to affect the body. Find a way to relax and release stress on a daily basis. Such methods may include yoga, meditation and exercise. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in the treatment of stress, anxiety and depression.



Seasonal Tune-Up - Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can prevent colds and flu by building up the immune system with just a few needles inserted into key points along the body’s energy pathways. These points are known for strengthening the circulation of blood and energy and for consolidating the outer defense layers of the skin and muscle (wei Qi) so that germs and viruses cannot enter through them.

Seasonal acupuncture treatments also serve to tonify the inner organ systems and correct minor annoyances before they become serious problems.

Source: Qi Mail

Acupuncture, the Natural Cold and Flu Remedy

This year there will be 1 billion colds and 95 million cases of the flu in the United States alone. While the misery of cold and flu season might be inevitable, one thing is changing: where we look for relief.

Acupuncture to Get Better Faster - If you have already come down with a cold or the flu, acupuncture treatments can help relieve symptoms you are currently experiencing including chills, fever, body aches, runny nose, congestion, sore throat and cough. While bringing some immediate relief, treatments will reduce the incidence of an upper respiratory tract infection and shorten the length of the illness.

Acupuncture for Prevention - Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can prevent colds and flu by strengthening the immune system with just a few needles inserted into key points along the body's energy pathways.

In Oriental Medicine, disease prevention begins with a protective layer around the exterior of the body called wei qi or defensive energy. There are acupuncture points known for strengthening the circulation of blood and energy and for consolidating the outer defense layers of the skin and muscle (Wei Qi) so that germs and viruses cannot enter through them.

If you catch colds easily, have low energy and require a long time recuperating from an illness your wei qi may be deficient.

Seasonal acupuncture treatments just four times a year also serve to tonify the inner organ systems and can correct minor annoyances before they become serious problems. Call us to see how we can help you stay healthy this season!

Source: Qi Mail

Cold & Flu Season Tips

Here is an article about cold/flu season from a great web site called Naturally Knocked Up:

Natural cures/remedies for colds are abundant, especially this time of year. We’re either trying to not get sick, or perhaps we’re sick and would like to get over our illness quicker. With just a few simple items, probably already in your home, you can boost your immune system and feel better in no time. Used before hand – you can even fight the virus before it takes up residence in your body.

Cold and Virus Fighters

photo credit: carbonnyc

Garlic is a common staple in most homes, but did you know it also has the ability to cleanse and warm the body, kill yeasts and parasites, increase circulation, as well as contains natural antibiotic and anti fungal properties. It’s a wonderful immune booster and helps to fight off germs and bacteria.

In order to see the full benefit of garlic, it must be consumed raw. Cooked garlic has wonderful properties as well, but when eaten raw will knock the virus off it’s feet. Start consuming larger quantities of garlic as soon as you feel a touch ill. It’s also beneficial to boost your immune system before you head to an even with a large crowd!

How to take raw garlic

• My absolute favorite way to get raw garlic into my diet is to make a garlic herb spread for over toast, potatoes, or even rice.
• You can chop it into pill sized pieces and swallow whole. One word of advice though – always consume with foods, lest you get a stomach ache.
• If you have empty pill capsules at home you can also mince the garlic and fill capsules to make it a bit easier to swallow!
• Top the foods you make with raw garlic. Even if the food is hot, it shouldn’t ‘cook’ the garlic if you consume it fast enough.

Taking a dose of garlic every few hours will have you feeling better in no time! (As a side note, I’ve noticed that minced garlic has a more noticeable effect than large pieces)

Rest

Stress and fatigue lower you’re immune system so it’s pertinent that you give your body ample amounts of rest so that it can use the extra energy for fighting illness. When heading into a season of busyness, or looking forward to vacation, get as much rest beforehand as possible.

Liquids

Our bodies function properly when they are properly hydrated! Make sure to drink lots of liquids to hydrate those cells. Water also helps our bodies eliminate toxins from the body and makes digestion easier. It’s important to drink enough so that your urine is no longer yellow.

If you’re already sick, drink more!

Hot liquids are also a wonderful help. If you think about it, most virus’ we ‘catch’ we breathe in, as they are airborne and travel from the person next to us who sneezes. Drinking hot liquids often helps to kill the germs as they reside in our mouths and throat. Hot water with lemon is a wonderful drink to consume during cold and flu season as not only the heat helps fight virus, the lemon is ultra cleansing to the body. Homemade broth is another hot liquid that has amazing healing properties!

photo credit: aussiegall

Nasal Cleansing

Probably one of the least lady-like immune boosters, nasal cleansing with sea salt is a fabulous way to keep germs at bay! The warm salt water helps to flush out bacteria and virus’ as they reside in our nasal passages.

You can easily use nasal cleansing upon rising in the morning and going to bed each night. This is especially important when you’re traveling or around a large group of people.

To practice nasal cleansing you can purchase what’s called a neti pot and fill with warm salt water. If you don’t have a neti pot, you can also use a bulb syringe. Lean over a sink and tilt your head to the side and slightly forward, allowing the salt water to run into your sinus’. It’s not pretty, and sometimes downright uncomfortable, but works amazingly well!

Probiotics

Another great way to boost your immune system is to consume foods that contain probiotics. Yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and naturally fermented vegetables are all great sources of good bacteria that help keep your system strong. it also keep s your immune system strong by keeping your intestines healthy. (Did you know that 80% of our immune system is in our gut?)

Wash Your Hands

Taught in grade schools around the country, washing your hands is your first defense in keeping germs out of your body. You don’t need to go the anti-bacterial soap route, just wash long enough to sing the ABC’s before you eat and after you’re exposed to others.

Take Your Vitamins

To really give your immune system a boost, make sure you consume enough vitamin D and vitamin C. Both are important to your immune system and can help kick a cold before it starts.

Don’t Eat Sugar

One of the biggest things you can do for your immune system is to cut sugar and sweets out of your diet. Sugar not only disrupts the natural balance of bacteria in your gut, it also drastically lowers the strength of your immune system! Most studies suggest that it can lower immune function for 6 hours after consumption, leaving you vulnerable to virus’ you’ve been exposed to. Other studies even suggest that it lowers your immune function up to 90% within just the first 15 minutes.

Using all of the above home remedies will keep you healthy this winter, but don’t fret if you’ve already come down with a bug. Each one of these will help boost your immune system and help the body heal quicker!

Source: naturallyknockedup.com

More Super Foods & Tips to Boost Your Immune System

Don't Forget Your Scarf!

As the weather cools and the wind picks up, it's important to keep our neck warm. When our defenses are down, we are more susceptible and vulnerable to pathogens such as colds and flus. In TCM, we believe that "wind carries a thousand diseases" and we are moving into that time now. So remember your scarf before heading out the door!

As for more Superfoods to add to your diet to avoid colds/flu this season: Garlic is a staple in many traditional diets, garlic is a powerful immune-boosting and infection-fighting ingredient. Allicin, the active ingredient in garlic kills bacteria and helps fight infection.

Integrate fresh, raw garlic into your recipes. Mince a fresh clove into your home-made salad dressing or spoon a dollop of fresh pesto onto fish, chicken or vegetables. Although eating garlic raw is best, gently sauteing will still retain most of the medicinal properties (and can tame the potent breath effects).

Super Foods to Boost Your Immune System

Cold & Flu Season Already?!
Ready or not, we are moving into cold and flu season. Chinese Medicine offers effective treatment and prevention for colds and flus. And, the best time to start implementing these tools is now! Schedule an appointment for an acupuncture treatment and/or an herbal consultation. I am happy to develop a customized treatment plan to boost your immune system so that you can smoothly sail through this Fall and Winter.

In the meantime, here are some dietary tips to get started. A diverse diet of organic and fresh foods is essential for a healthy immune system. The following posts will explore some super foods that are especially immune-boosting. Integrate these delicious foods into your diet to stay healthy this season:

1. Fermented Foods. Did you know that 70% of your immune system is in your intestines? Fermented foods are packed with naturally-ocurring healthy bacteria that boost the health of your intestines. It's crucial that the fermented foods are raw and unpasteurized, since cooking these foods will destroy the healthy-promoting bacteria.Include the following probiotic-rich foods in your daily diet: Sauerkraut, fermented vegetables, kim chi, yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, miso, kombucha, beet kvass, rejuvelac, and naturally fermented sodas (such as kefir soda and whey soda).

Fight that Cold ... With an Acupuncture Treatment!

Another wave of colds and flus seem to be in the air. This week, many of my patients cancelled their acupuncture appointments due to illness. Most of them expressed concern about spreading illness by coming in. While it is recommended to limit your activity out in public to keep from spreading illness, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is very effective at treating acute colds. I encourage my patients to keep their appointments with me when they are sick. If you come in for a treatment, especially if it's at the beginning of the illness, TCM can shorten the duration of the cold.

The TCM theory behind the common cold is that an external pathogen (cold/flu) has entered into our system (body). Our first defense, and most common area of entry, is through the mucus membranes of the nose and throat. If we can push the pathogen out of our body, using acupuncture and herbs, then there is less likelihood for symptoms to worsen and for the pathogen to penetrate deeper. We all know when a simple cold moves into the lungs, for example, it can cause more intense flu-like symptoms or infections. And then what often follows is that lingering cough that just never seems to go away! It is important to treat a cold as soon as possible to stop it in its tracks. So, next time you start to feel run down and a cold coming on, make an appointment! Let TCM help you get back on your feet and back to your life!

Healing Soups to Fight Colds/Flu

The weather is so temperamental and, with all these temperature ups and downs, many of my patients are coming in with colds and flu! Soups are a great way to prevent and treat seasonal illness. To read more, there is a great article in the Yoga Journal called Healing Soups.

Here is a great recipe for an immune boosting soup:

Immune Boosting Soup*

If you need an extra immune boost, the article recommends using 1/2 the total garlic you desire to the soup, and then adding the remaining 1/2 of the garlic (crushed) after the soup is cooked, along with the lemon juice.

4 cups mushroom or chicken broth

1 small yellow onion, chopped

4-10 garlic cloves (to taste, crushed and chopped)

1 carrot, grated

4-8 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1-3 tbsp. grated ginger root (to taste)

3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. Bring the broth, onion, garlic, carrot, mushrooms, and ginger root to a slow boil.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer on low, covered, for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
3. Remove from heat. Add the lemon juice, parsley and any remaining garlic. Cover and steep for 5 minutes.

* This recipe appeared in the December 2008 issue ofYoga Journal and was provided by Debra Brammer, N.D., associate clinical dean of naturopathic medicine at Bastyr Center for Natural Health.

Miso Soup with Scallions

This past week, so many of my patients have come in sick! The temperatures dropped and then rose again - which is prime time for illness. So, I am reposting this great Miso Soup recipe. As soon as you feel run down, make this soup and throw in some extra ginger and scallions.

Miso Soup with Scallions, a very popular dish, is actually an ancient herbal remedy for colds. In 300 AD, Ge Hong, a famous herbalist, wrote about Miso Soup with Scallions in a book called, Bei ji zhou hou fang or Emergency Formulas to Keep Up One's Sleeve.

The soup is intended to be eaten at the onset of a cold when a person is just beginning to feel a headache, stuffy nose and a slight fever. So, the next time you feel a cold coming on, be sure to have your miso!

Miso Soup (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

* 6 cups water
* 3-4 Tablespoons Aka Miso or red soy bean paste (usually sold in the refrigerated section)
* 3-5 green onions stalks, chopped

Directions:

* Dissolve the miso in a little bit of boiling water (about 2 tsp.)
* Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add the miso & scallions.
* Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
* Remove from heat top with green onions and serve.

Variations: you can add various other ingredients to make a more substantial soup, such as tofu, seaweed, fresh mushrooms, cooked shrimp, snow pea sprouts, cooked rice noodles, or paper-thin slices of fresh ginger.

Preventing and Treating the Flu with Herbs

There’s a simple herbal formula that people in China are using to prevent the flu. Read about it here. The formula is made up of very common herbs that I often use with my patients in various combinations to help treat different flus and colds I see. If you are interested, you can come in for a session to see if these are appropriate for you.

Here is the text of the article:

Chinese Herbs Prove Effective In The Cure Of Inlfuenza A (H1N1)

By Vincent Low

BEIJING, July 23 (Bernama)-- Chinese herbs have proved effective in the cure of Influenza A(H1N1) in Ditan Hospital, Beijing where 88 out of 117 patients treated for the disease only on the herbs fully recovered and were discharged.

"From our clinical tests and observation, the traditional method of treatment left no after effects and it is safe, more over the recovery period was shorter and the cost relatively lower as compared to Tamiflu treatment," said Wang Yuguang, spokesman of Ditan Hospital at a special briefing for the media at Ditan Hospital Wednesday afternoon.

He said the advantage of using herbs on these patients was that the doctors could prescribe different combination of herbs according to the individual's health condition.

"Treatment cost per patient using Tamiflu is about RMB56 a day whereas using traditional herbs it cost only around RMB12."

Ditan Hospital first started using traditional medicine in combination with Tamiflu on H1N1 patient from May 15 to June 15, and when the method proved effective, started treating many patients solely on Chinese herbs.

"We have even tested using the method on high risk patients since July 1, and the results proved favourable." said Wang.

However, Wang did not reveal the herbs used to cure the patients.

Ditan Hospital is one of the two hospitals specially designated for H1N1 patients in Beijing since the pandemic started from May in China.

Built in 1946, Ditan Hospital is the highest grade hospital for infectious diseases and comes under the supervision of the Ministry of Health, Beijing Municipal Health Bureau and the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

The hospital had excelled in 2003 and 2004 in the fight against SARS.

Meanwhile, Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital has introduced an Influenza A(H1N1) prevention herbal medicine pack.

The Deputy Director of the hospital, Jin Wei, told a press conference earlier that the herbal pack contained seven little packs of four types of herbs in combination, which were said to be effective in the prevention of H1N1.

"Just dip a small pack of herbs in a teapot of hot water and drink it like tea, or used it as mouthwash, and it helps to prevent people for being infected," said Jin.

She said the pack could even cure mild cases of H1N1. However if patients do not recover after taking the herbs for seven days, they are advised to go to the hospital for further treatment.

The combination of the herbs is as follows: Lonicera Japonica Thund-3 grammes, Isatis Indigodica- 3 gms, Mentha Haplocalyx Brip.-3 gms and Glycyrrhiza Glabra-3 gms. These herbs are available in Chinese herbal medicine shops.

H1N1 Virus: How to Protect Yourself from Swine Flu and Alternatives to the Vaccination

Autumn is here and, with it, cold and flu season. A lot of patients are asking me about the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) approach to treating colds and flu, especially with the concern this year about the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus.

Q: What are your thoughts about the flu shot and H1N1 (Swine Flu) vaccine?

A: While I can’t make a specific recommendation as to whether you should or should not get the vaccine, please do read up on the safety of the vaccine. The CDC offers answers to FAQs regarding the vaccine here. In my own research I have come across a clinical trial that is currently being conducted, but not scheduled to be completed until April 2010.

A CBS piece summarizes some of the concerns parents have regarding the vaccination here. Parents are particularly hesitant about the safety of such a newly introduced vaccine and the possible inclusion of chemical additives like Themerosol.

If you do choose to get a flu shot this season, acupuncture treatments can help prepare your body for the vaccine and help with any side effects.

Here are some things for you to consider in your decision:

The flu shot and H1N1 vaccine introduce pathogens to your body, essentially to give the body a preview of the bacteria, virus, or toxin it may be exposed to. This allows the body to learn how to defend itself in advance. If the body is ever invaded by that particular pathogen after the vaccine has done its work, your immune system is ready. Some people may experience illness or other side effects from the vaccine itself.

TCM treatments, given before and after a vaccination, strengthen the body to prepare for the pathogens before you receive vaccine and also “release heat” from the body after the vaccine is administered. (Similar treatments are available for infants and young children who are vaccinated against other illnesses.)

Q: How can Acupuncture and Chinese medicine help me avoid or treat colds and flu this season?

A: In TCM, we focus on strengthening the body to increase immunity (how well your body is able to fight off illness). With regular acupuncture treatments, you can strengthen your immune system and decrease your incidences of cold and flu in the coming months. The best time to start treatments to prevent the cold and flu is the season before (early Autumn), which is now!

Acupuncture treatments and herbs can also alleviate symptoms if you do catch a cold or flu. Chances are the treatments you’ve gotten will help your body better fight the illness - it will be more mild and you will get over it more quickly. If you tend to be susceptible to getting multiple colds and flus in the winter, schedule an appointment for acupuncture and herbs today!

Other tips for avoiding and treating colds and flu:

• In Chinese Medicine, we try to avoid "catching a cold or wind." As the air is becoming more crisp and cool, even when the sun is out, wear a scarf to protect your neck from being cold, keep your torso and feet warm and don’t go outdoors with wet hair.

• At the first sign of a cold or flu, rest and get extra sleep. Listen to your body's need for rest and try not to "push through" your illness. Especially this season, stay home to prevent spreading the illness to others.

• Drink warm teas, broths, and eat nutritious whole foods. Eat less processed sugar. If you have phlegm/mucus, avoid dairy products (especially unfermented dairy and citrus). Honey soothes sore throats and helps with coughs.

• Mild exercise is okay; intense exercise will only deplete your immune system further.

• Double dose your probiotics. A healthy gut can help your body fight off a nasty pathogen.

• A simple formula of four Chinese herbs has been shown to be beneficial at warding of swine flu. Come in for an appointment to see if these are appropriate for you.