Kitchen Wisdom for Cold and Flu Season

Chinese medicine doesn’t make a big difference between a cold and the flu, and they are treated much the same. The robust person reacts to the invasion of a respiratory pathogen by getting "wind-heat" and a weaker person reacted to the invasion by getting "wind-cold." (A person who can mount a wind-heat response to an invasion is not generally depleted.) In ancient times (2500 years ago) there was a simple remedy that was used to address the first signs of cold and flu for someone who developed "wind-cold." It was called Green onion and Ginger Decoction. The contents are still available today at your local grocery store:

For Wind-Cold: (symptoms of clear drippy mucous, very slight fever if any, fatigue, achy joints)
Take 2-3 slices of fresh ginger and 2-3 scallions (green onions) and put them in 1 gallon of water that you have brought to a boil on the stove. Reduce the “soup” heat to a simmer, and simmer for about 30 minutes, covered. Then dispense with the “solids” in the soup, and put the liquid into a thermos to keep it hot. Sip on the hot ginger and scallion soup over about 3 hours.

After doing this you may start to sweat. Make sure you climb into bed, keeping warm, don’t sit in a draft, and make sure that you keep yourself in dry clothing. This will do what your grandmother called “sweating the devil out of you.” The worst of the cold/flu should be gone within 24 hours.

If you would like to address the chills, you can cut a few more slices of ginger and boil them up, throwing the boiled water into a hot bath, where you will sit and soak in the ginger bath until the water starts to cool. Make sure you dress warmly when you get out, and get into bed and pile on the blankets. Remember you want to sweat it out. Do not uncover yourself if you start to feel hot. The point is to….did you miss it?...sweat!

In addition to these strategies for wind-cold, consider some dietary advice: eat warming foods such as soups, and spicy foods that will help open your nasal passages. Eating dairy will create more phlegm and will increase respiratory congestion, so don't do it.


For Wind-Heat: (symptoms include higher fever, mucous that is thicker, technicolor, achy joints, bigger chills)
The strategy here is to cool yourself off a little, but not to expose yourself to wind in the form of drafts (like open windows) or vented air. Cooling should take place internally with things like (hot) peppermint tea or chrysanthemum tea. Also, it is important to refrain from eating foods that will make you "hotter" such as sugar, very spicy food, caffeine or alcohol; all these will make you feel worse. Eating dairy will make the phlegm you are experiencing thicker, greener, and more difficult to get out.

There are also Chinese herbal products that help with both wind-heat and wind-cold, so ask your friendly neighborhood acupuncturist to help you select the right product for an immune enhancing strategy that prevents the invasion of pathogens, as well as the products that can help once symptoms begin.

Whether you are experiencing wind-cold or wind-heat, please do yourself and everyone else around you a favor: stay home and don't spread your illness to friends and colleagues. So stay home and take the time to rest and get well before heading out to infect the rest of us.

Who Can Catch the Bubble?

We are well into SUMMER, and we should be pulling out the stops!!! Summer is a time of joyousness, expansion, passion, and mirth. Go to bed late and get up early (the longest of days!!) Those longer days are not for the purpose of simply packing in more work, but for taking a big chunk of your day to PLAY. The time spend outdoors—sweating, being active, getting sun—will serve you well in the winter. So cut loose and go for it. June 21 is the Solstice, so these next couple of weeks are nature’s way of putting us in great expansion. After that, the summer contracts (it will be half over!). Don’t lose time. Enjoy yourself.

Living Wisely In Summer Bodes Well for Fall

“In the old days the sages treated disease by preventing illness before it began, just as a good government or emperor was able to take the necessary steps to avert war. Treating an illness after it has begun is like suppressing revolt after it has broken out. If someone digs a well only when thirsty, or forges weapons only after becoming engaged in battle, one cannot help but ask: Aren’t these actions too late?” (The Nei Jing Su Wen -The Chinese Classic of Internal Medicine)


Behaving with seasonal correctness was addressed in the Nei Jing. The advice for Summer went like this:


“In the months of Summer there is an abundance of sunshine and rain. The Heavenly energy
descends, (eg: warmth and light descend from above) and the Earthly energy rises (eg: things grow). When these energies merge there is an intimate connection between Heaven and Earth. As a result, plants mature and animals, flowers and fruit appear abundantly…. One may retire somewhat later at this time of year, while still arising early. One should refrain from anger and stay physically active to keep the skin breathing and to prevent the qi (energy) from stagnating. One can indulge a bit more than in other seasons, but should not overindulge. Emotionally, it is important to be happy and easygoing and not hold grudges, so that the energy can flow freely and communicate between the external (the environment and other people) and internal (you). In this way, illness may be averted in the Fall. Problems in the Summer will cause injury to the Heart and will manifest in the Fall.


What does this mean for US? Get up early, stay up late, party and socialize, don't get into interpersonal drama, get tipsy on occasion (if you wish), but don't overdo. Soak up some sun, play games, sweat, and don't take life ultra-seriously. Summer is the time of "fling." Enjoy it. Getting all that "internal and external warmth" will last well into the fall and winter.

Even the Sun Stands Still

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

I got a late start leaving a meeting last week and wound up cycling home in the dark at 4 p.m. I’d have to say that the short winter days are one of the most challenging aspects of life in the northern tier, but things are turning around. Today the Winter Solstice will take place in Seattle at 9:30 p.m. (5:30, tomorrow, Coordinated Universal Time), marking the end of our ever-longer nights and the return of light.

Not to lessen the significance of Christmas, Hanukkah or any of the other festivals of lights, but this astrological event is the original reason for the season. The Earth is tilted on its axis at, on average, a 23.5-degree angle and today is when the North Pole is farthest from the sun, causing it to appear to rise and set in the same place. We call it the first day of winter, and while the days will now grow longer by increments until the Summer Solstice in June, the average temperature of the “top” part of the globe will continue to drop as the oceans slowly lose the heat they still store from the warm summer months.

Humans can hardly think without resorting to metaphor and there is none more profound than this. It’s not an accident that this is a time for reflection as well as celebrating new beginnings. It’s not an accident that we seek out the people who mean the most to us, family and friends, those we love and without whom we live in perpetual winter. It’s not an accident that Christians retell the story of the birth of a child, the son of God, the light of hope in a darkened world. It’s not an accident that we give one another gifts and wish each other merriness, happiness and cheer – the darkness is passing, buck up, light is returning, have hope.


Winter is often used as a metaphor for death, but the comparison is superficial. The trees may not have leaves, the forests may have been temporarily emptied by hibernation and migration, there may be fewer children on the play grounds and at the beaches, and it may stay that way for some months to come, but we shouldn't mistake stillness for death.

The word “Solstice” comes from the Latin phrase for “sun stands still.” We spend the rest of the year in motion, moving forward, making progress. But if we can hold still long enough to listen, we hear winter whispering to slow down, take stock, cut back, rest, tend to the core of what makes life worthy of its name. All is calm. All is bright.

Even the sun stands still today.

This post was created by "Teacher Tom" in his blogpost, "Even the Sun Stands Still": (http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/even-sun-stands-still.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TeacherTom+%28Teacher+Tom%29)

Living Well and Fully in the Autumn

The following article, "Suggestions for living well and fully in the Fall" was written by my colleague, Barbara Catlin, L.Ac. She is teaching a workshop on Oct. 8, 2011, called Conscious Living and Conscious Dying, in Columbia, MD. See the end of the article for the link to her workshop.


by Barbara Tansill Catlin

The energy of Fall supports us in letting go, in allowing life to be exactly as it is, in giving acknowledgment and respect. Here are ways to make the most of your autumn season:

1. Assess personal values.
What do I value? Am I living in accordance with these values? If not, what needs to go? What needs to come in?
* Let go of detrimental relationships.
* Loosen your grip on ideas and habits that no longer serve.
* Recycle or throw away things that are no longer useful.
2. Acknowledge those who are important.
Who is precious to me? Have I let them know?
* Send a letter of gratitude or flowers of celebration to those who have helped you, those who inspire you, those you love.
* Is there anyone I have left out of my daily life because of anger or fear?
* If forgiveness is necessary, is it time to ask for it? Time to extend it?
* Am I able to make the phone call, write the letter, show up for a visit? If not, what else might be done to clear the way for healing?
3. Notice the daily rhythm of your life from sun-up to sundown.
Do I feel ease as I move through the tasks of my day? Do I feel hurried and overwhelmed? Does the rhythm of my day promote order and peace?
* Create a structure/schedule that serves your natural rhythm. Notice how you feel differently at the beginning and end of each day.
4. Accept life just as it is.
Do I resist part of my life? What parts? What person, place, thing, or idea needs to be incorporated? Transformed? Let go?
* Resolve to either make the change or let it go.

Barbara Tansill Catlin practices acupuncture in Columbia, MD. Learn more about her work at www.biggerconversations.org including "Conscious Living & Conscious Dying", an event for both professionals and the general public on October 8, 2011.

Sleep: Recharging Your Power

In winter, nature sleeps. If you are having trouble sleeping, (in winter or anytime of the year) you aren't re-charging your batteries like you should, and you might be feeling tired, fuzzy-headed or even sick during the day. Studies have shown that you are more susceptible to chronic health problems (cardio-vascular illness, diabetes, immune problems, for example) if you are not getting your 8 hours of sleep. Here are 33 suggestions for you to consider as you plan how to remedy your re-charging problem.

Optimizing Your Sleep Sanctuary

1. Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your body's production of hormones. Light signals your brain that it’s time to wake up and starts preparing your body for ACTION.
2. Keep the temperature in your bedroom cool. Studies show that the optimal room temperature is between 60 to 68 degrees. Keeping your room cooler or hotter can lead to restless sleep.
3. Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your bed. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from your bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet, and especially away from your head. Electrical fields in the bedroom will keep you awake.
4. Remove your clock from view. It will only add to your worry when you stare at it all night.
5. Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on your body to be suddenly jolted awake. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, an alarm may even be unnecessary.
6. Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex. No watching TV or doing work in bed.
7. Consider separate bedrooms. Recent studies suggest, for many people, sharing a bed with a partner (or pets) can significantly impair sleep.

Preparing for Bed

8. Get to bed as early as possible. Your body (particularly your adrenal system) does a majority of its recharging between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., and your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.
9. Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to establish a sleep rhythm.
10. Establish a bedtime routine. This could include meditation, deep breathing, or reading. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night.
11. Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom.
12. Go to the bathroom right before bed. This will reduce the chances that you'll wake up to go in the middle of the night.
13. Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan needed for your melatonin and serotonin production.
14. Also eat a small piece of fruit. This can help the tryptophan cross your blood-brain barrier.
15. Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. These will raise your blood sugar and delay sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you may wake up and be unable to fall back asleep.
16. Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When your body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating slumber. The temperature drop from getting out of the bath signals your body it’s time for bed.
17. Wear socks to bed. Feet often feel cold before the rest of the body because they have the poorest circulation. A study has shown that wearing socks reduces night waking. As an alternative, you could place a hot water bottle near your feet at night.
18. Wear an eye mask to block out light. It is very important to sleep in complete darkness. But it's not always easy to block out every stream of light using curtains, blinds or drapes, particularly if you live in an urban area (or if your spouse has a different schedule than you do). Wearing an eye mask will help.
19. Put your work away at least one hour before bed (preferably two hours or more). This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm.
20. No TV right before bed. Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom. It’s too stimulating to the brain, preventing you from falling asleep quickly. TV disrupts your pineal gland function.
21. Listen to relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds to be soothing for sleep.
22. Read something spiritual or uplifting. This may help you relax. Don't read anything stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, which has the opposite effect.
23. Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful to keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed.

Lifestyle Suggestions That Enhance Sleep

24. Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many drugs, either prescription or over the counter may adversely affect sleep. Look up the side effects of the drugs you are taking and see if your meds are the culprit.
25. Avoid caffeine. At least one study has shown that, in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently, leaving you feeling its effects long after consumption. Be aware that some medications or supplements contain caffeine.
26. Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make you drowsy at first, the effect is short lived and you will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from entering the deeper stages of sleep, where your body does most of its healing.
27. Make certain you get regular exercise. Exercising for at least 30 minutes per day can improve your sleep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake.
28. Lose excess weight. Being overweight can increase your risk of sleep apnea, which can seriously impair your sleep.
29. Avoid foods you may be sensitive to. This is particularly true for sugar, grains, and pasteurized dairy. Sensitivity reactions can cause excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, bloating and gas, or other problems.
30. If you are menopausal or peri-menopausal, get checked out by a physician. The hormonal changes at this time may cause sleep problems if not properly addressed.
31. Tell your acupuncturist if you are having sleep problems. Regular treatment with acupuncture or herbs may help you establish the correct body rhythms.

If All Else Fails

32. Increase your melatonin. Ideally it is best to increase levels naturally with exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime (along with full spectrum fluorescent bulbs in the winter) and absolute complete darkness at night. If that isn’t possible, you may want to consider a melatonin supplement. In scientific studies, melatonin has been shown to increase sleepiness, help you fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep, decrease restlessness, and reverse daytime fatigue.

(These suggestions have been derived and edited from Mercola.com)

Abundance--Not Scarcity

There is Abundance, Not Scarcity

Paul (not his real name) arrived at my office the other day, while I was on the phone with a prospective patient. He overheard me telling the caller that the best plan might be to go to one of my colleagues closer to where she lived, making treatment more convenient.

After the call, Paul shook his head. “Do you know how unusual your brand of medicine is?” He continued: “Any medical doctor you call would try to convince you that theirs was the ONLY practice for you. They wouldn’t give you the telephone number of a competitor. That’s the LAST thing they would do.”

He also reminded me how he eventually came to me: he had called an acupuncturist about 15 miles away and that person in turn referred him to me because it would be a better fit (location, health issue, etc.).

Paul works for the medical insurance industry, and he has been around western medicine for a long time. This seems to be the first time he has run into what I’ll call the “abundance model.” The Abundance Model (my term) says that there’s no shortage of sick people. It also says that for every person I refer to a colleague, I will likely get two additional calls from new clients. (Honest, it’s true, not just a theory.)

In my teaching career at the acupuncture institute, I know many of my colleagues and have referred many clients to them. So if you encounter a practice (of any kind) where there seems to be an air of stiff competition, you might be dealing with someone who is more concerned about his/her profits than about your well-being.

Do you have a sense of suffering in your life around scarcity? Competition?

Did you compete for your grades in school? (Can’t everyone get an A?) Do you like to have the newest smart phone on the day it is issued? (So what happens if you have to wait another week or two?)

What if your orientation to life becomes “abundance?” What if you just knew in your bones that there is enough for everyone?

And if that becomes the way you think, then how much of your suffering would cease?