Immune Support with Chinese Herbs by Brooke McClelland, LAC

In Chinese Medicine, one way that pathogens enter the body is through an invasion of wind.  Wind is thought to be “the carrier of a thousand evils”—what Western medicine would identify as microbes like viruses and bacteria—and it brings in these bugs through the wind gates or immune system—areas of the body like the low back and back of the neck that are considered entry points for invaders. 
 
This past weekend, I started feeling some of the tell-tale signs of a wind invasion—a scratchy, uncomfortable throat, chills, a low-grade fever, tight shoulders and neck, an achy body, slight headache and fatigue.  I had felt fine earlier in the day, but then I recalled my mistake!  I had taken a shower and I tied up my wet hair and gone about my day, forgetting to blow-dry or air-dry my hair.  This is a no-no in Chinese medicine as the cold and damp sitting on my head for hours made me more susceptible to a cold or damp pathogen coming into the body.  I was also dressed for warm weather in shorts and t-shirt, but it was a bit breezy and I had the doors of the house open, letting in the wind.
 
When I started feeling sick, I sprang into action with the tenets I learned in Chinese medicine school for staving off a wind invasion.  Read on to find out what I did and what you can do in the very early stages of a cold or flu to kick the pathogen out.  I’m happy to say that just two days later, I feel right as rain!

1.Take a hot shower or bath
Even though I had already taken a shower that day, I got back in the shower to warm myself up.  I wanted to warm the channels and evoke a bit of a sweat if possible. In Chinese medicine, sweating is one way to expel an invading pathogen when it has only recently come in. I made sure to blow dry my hair and even spent some time with the hair dryer aimed on my upper back and shoulders to warm the wind gates. You can do this anytime you feel like you’ve gotten a chill.
2.Bundle up
I changed out of my summery clothes into warmer layers including a wooly hat and scarf!  I was feeling chilled at that point, so this felt good.  When I drank some hot tea, it also helped to induce a light sweat which is what we want.  When your throat feels scratchy, it’s important to keep it warm with a scarf and drink lots of fluids.
3.Gargle
The throat is where many pathogens incubate and proliferate once they come into the respiratory tract. It’s a good idea to gargle with something antibacterial and antiviral (not bleach!)  I use very salty, warm water as salt is both of those things and also pulls excess fluid from tissue that may be swollen.  My favorite trick is to brew a strong cup of black tea and add plenty of salt, let it cool, and gargle with that.  It sounds gross, but you won’t taste it.  Send it down the hatch for a gargle in the back of your throat, then spit out.  The black tea is astringent and pulls out any phlegm that has accumulated there.  The bitterness of black tea also clears heat if your throat is feeling hot and painful.
4.Take herbs
It’s handy to have some go-to Chinese herbal formulas for cold or flu on hand for times like these.  Consult with your practitioner about which formulas would be right for you.  I started Chinese herbs right away when I noticed symptoms and took them frequently for 48 hours until I felt better.  If you don’t have any herbal formulas with you, one home remedy you can make in the very early stages of a cold or flu is a tea of boiled fresh ginger and scallions.
5.Get plenty of rest
After all the previous steps, I took a long nap as I was feeling weary.  I bundled myself up and slept for 1-2 hours and when I woke, I felt a bit better.  It takes energy for the body to mount an immune system response, so it’s smart to give the body extra rest and allow this process to happen.
6.Get acupuncture
Just as we have Chinese herbs that are great at expelling wind invasions, there are acupuncture points for that too!  In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we ask that you not come in to the clinic if you have active symptoms, but a telemedicine consult would be perfect to get you the ideal herbal formula and to direct you to some acupressure points you can use on yourself.  Acupressure uses the same points as acupuncture, but with pressure from your fingers instead of needles.
 
I hope this Chinese medicine wisdom helps you when the time comes to nip a cold or flu in the bud!

The Revolutionary Body Clock!

There is nothing I love more than when Modern Medicine catches up with the teachings of Ancient Medicine. Eastern Medicine relies on a system where specific organs self regulate at different times of the day. This body clock has been used to diagnose and treat for thousands of years, and is especially helpful with sleep issues. 🌚 ☯️

During a 15 year study of the impact of light on the health for more than one billion people, it seems that we now have substantial evidence of how our internal clocks transmit their timing information AND how our organs read time and do different tasks at specific times!!!!!!! 🤯🤯🤯

As you see in the image of the Eastern Medicine clock, each organ has a period of about 2 hours in which it is "on" and processing. Notice that the Liver time is between 1-3am. This is one of the most common times for anxiety insomnia. 😩

I call it anxiety insomnia because it seems to be a wakeful time where we spend an hour or two (or more!) laying in bed thinking about any possible stressful issue that we could possibly bring into our heads instead of sleeping. When that happens it is a sign that the Liver is imbalanced and unable to process and detox correctly. This is just one area where this helpful clock can be used in the treatment of so many issues. We can use this clock for so much thanks to the teachings of Ancient Medicine! 💪🏽🙏🏼👏🏿

Dandelion Herbal Spotlight

Dandelion herbal spotlight! ☀️Pu Gong Yin is the pinyin name for the dandelion herb that we use a ton in Chinese herbal formulas. Dandelion is truly one of my faves and we use the whole plant (dried and/or fresh) to treat and support the Liver. Dandelion is great for expelling heat and clearing fire toxicity, which can commonly manifest as clogged milk ducts, hepatitis, jaundice, sore throat, and even lung abscesses. This also is such a great herb for treating overall inflammation. Since gluten sometimes makes me feel a little inflamed after I eat it, I love to add the fresh dandelion leaves to pasta sauce for a little pasta digestion support. 🌾☀️🌱

Chinese Herb Spotlight - Peonies

Chinese herbal spotlight on the beautiful Peony! 🌺🌱 These babies are really popping up all over right now in this extended spring. Not only are Peonies one of my favorite flowers, they are also make one of my favorite Chinese herbs, Bai Shao! ❤️

#BaiShao is made from the root of this plant, and used to help harmonize the #Liver and reduce heat. This herb is commonly used in formulas that treat, abdominal pain, cramping, irregular menstrual cycles, irritability, and night sweating! . . .

There is also some great research that suggests this amazing herb has benefits in treating #autoimmune disease and #inflammation.

To take supplements or not?

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with how many supplements you have to take in a day? 😧

I often find that people are taking waaaaaaaay too many supplements. I have been there too, trying to keep my body in balance and thinking that I need every possible supplement that will make me feel good and stay young, when all of a sudden I realize I’m taking handfuls of pills. Yuck. 👎

. . .

While I do think that the power of herbal remedies and vitamins are so important for boosting our health, it is really easy to over do it. One of the things I love the most about blending Functional Medicine with Eastern Medicine is that we are looking deep to see how your body can be in its most balanced state and function in a healthy way without the continued addition of supplements. 👏🏽💗 Sometimes we totally need the boost, but ultimately let’s work to find out what your body needs to work its best on its own. 😃