Did you know that Chinese Medicine (acupuncture, herbal preparations and other treatments) can help you stay healthy and fend off colds this season? A lot of people don’t think about acupuncture as a treatment for colds, flu and sore throat but in fact it can be very effective especially if you come in for a treatment early and the illness is not far advanced. Acupuncture will move energy and pathogens out, cupping will relieve body aches and pull pathogens to the surface so the body can expel them better. Moxibustion will warm the meridians and activate acupuncture points.
Some simple things to do at home to stay healthy: Avoid eating raw foods (salads and such). Avoid drinking drinks straight out of the refrigerator (if you wonder why – the research has shown that in cold temperatures white blood cells are less active and thus less
able to fight the intruders. Cold drinks and foods also impair digestion as our body needs to work that much harder to bring them to 98F). Take vitamin C and D3 supplements (ask your doctor to check your vitamin D levels, most people
are very low and require heavy supplementation). Drink ginger and cinnamon tea and sleep enough. Your immune system is in repair mode while you sleep, thus it is important to have adequate rest every night. If you have trouble falling asleep, a very hot (as much as you can tolerate it) foot bath with some ginger slices is a great remedy for insomnia. Soak your feet for about 20 min and then immediately go to bed.
It is a good idea to stay away from too much dairy especially if you are prone to mucus formation; and, of course, consume sugar
sparingly! If you have a sore throat, a great remedy is a raw honey and lemon tea, in my home we also like Thieves oil spray or gurgling with salt water.
There are great Loquat or Honeysuckle lozenges that can be bought in Chinatown or online that are excellent for a sore throat.
Homeopathic remedies, although not from the Chinese Medicine tradition, that are of great help are RoxaliaTM for sore throat, Cold CalmTM for cold, and OscillococcinumTM for flu. Homeopathic remedies are safe for even the smallest children and are energetic medicines, similar to Chinese Medicine.
A simple miso (made with scallions) or chicken soup is great for colds or flu, or whenever you need nourishment.
I hope that these tips for self-care will help you stay healthy this winter season and if you have any questions please free to leave a comment.
In health,
Aleksandra
P.S. Stay tuned for our next newsletter topic - Seasonal Allergies and Chinese Medicine
Try something new:
WINTER CONGEE
Congee is a thin rice soup, much like a porridge, cooked over several hours. It can be sweet (very slightly) or savory and usually eaten for breakfast. Try it instead of oatmeal or cereal for breakfast. This congee is meant to
warm the body, replenish fluids and preserve yin of the body and moisten lungs as they are often injured by cold, dry winter weather.
Ingredients:
White organic rice
(best is sushi or other short grain rice) 1 cup
Filtered water 10 cups
Solomon seal root – Yuan Zhi - 1 small handful
Lily bulb – Bai He - 1 small handful
Red Chinese dates – Da Zao - 10 dates
Licorice root – Gan Cao - 1-2 slices
Lotus seed – Lian Zi - 1 handful
Cardamom - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 tsp
Nutmeg - 1/2 tsp
Organic raw honey - 1 tbs
Organic brown sugar - 1 tbs
Preparation: wash rice with a cold water, put it in a pot with
thick bottom and add water, bring to boil and then turn heat to low. Add remaining ingredients except sugar and honey and cook for 2 hours stirring every 10 minutes or so. At the end add honey and sugar. Rice needs to be cooked so well that all the grains are broken up. You can get all the ingredients in Chinese/Asian grocery stores. Congee will keep in the refrigerator for several
days and can be re-heated on the stove. Enjoy!
Copyright © 2013 Sasha Acupuncture &
Herbal Medicine LLC, All rights reserved.
Some simple things to do at home to stay healthy: Avoid eating raw foods (salads and such). Avoid drinking drinks straight out of the refrigerator (if you wonder why – the research has shown that in cold temperatures white blood cells are less active and thus less
able to fight the intruders. Cold drinks and foods also impair digestion as our body needs to work that much harder to bring them to 98F). Take vitamin C and D3 supplements (ask your doctor to check your vitamin D levels, most people
are very low and require heavy supplementation). Drink ginger and cinnamon tea and sleep enough. Your immune system is in repair mode while you sleep, thus it is important to have adequate rest every night. If you have trouble falling asleep, a very hot (as much as you can tolerate it) foot bath with some ginger slices is a great remedy for insomnia. Soak your feet for about 20 min and then immediately go to bed.
It is a good idea to stay away from too much dairy especially if you are prone to mucus formation; and, of course, consume sugar
sparingly! If you have a sore throat, a great remedy is a raw honey and lemon tea, in my home we also like Thieves oil spray or gurgling with salt water.
There are great Loquat or Honeysuckle lozenges that can be bought in Chinatown or online that are excellent for a sore throat.
Homeopathic remedies, although not from the Chinese Medicine tradition, that are of great help are RoxaliaTM for sore throat, Cold CalmTM for cold, and OscillococcinumTM for flu. Homeopathic remedies are safe for even the smallest children and are energetic medicines, similar to Chinese Medicine.
A simple miso (made with scallions) or chicken soup is great for colds or flu, or whenever you need nourishment.
I hope that these tips for self-care will help you stay healthy this winter season and if you have any questions please free to leave a comment.
In health,
Aleksandra
P.S. Stay tuned for our next newsletter topic - Seasonal Allergies and Chinese Medicine
Try something new:
WINTER CONGEE
Congee is a thin rice soup, much like a porridge, cooked over several hours. It can be sweet (very slightly) or savory and usually eaten for breakfast. Try it instead of oatmeal or cereal for breakfast. This congee is meant to
warm the body, replenish fluids and preserve yin of the body and moisten lungs as they are often injured by cold, dry winter weather.
Ingredients:
White organic rice
(best is sushi or other short grain rice) 1 cup
Filtered water 10 cups
Solomon seal root – Yuan Zhi - 1 small handful
Lily bulb – Bai He - 1 small handful
Red Chinese dates – Da Zao - 10 dates
Licorice root – Gan Cao - 1-2 slices
Lotus seed – Lian Zi - 1 handful
Cardamom - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 tsp
Nutmeg - 1/2 tsp
Organic raw honey - 1 tbs
Organic brown sugar - 1 tbs
Preparation: wash rice with a cold water, put it in a pot with
thick bottom and add water, bring to boil and then turn heat to low. Add remaining ingredients except sugar and honey and cook for 2 hours stirring every 10 minutes or so. At the end add honey and sugar. Rice needs to be cooked so well that all the grains are broken up. You can get all the ingredients in Chinese/Asian grocery stores. Congee will keep in the refrigerator for several
days and can be re-heated on the stove. Enjoy!
Copyright © 2013 Sasha Acupuncture &
Herbal Medicine LLC, All rights reserved.
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