Please come celebrate with us!!!
We've all heard it said “We can land spaceships on Mars, but can't even cure the common cold.” The cold seems to be a humbling curse that is mankind's burden forever.
Despite the frustrations of science, some people claim to cure a cold with an amazing variety of stuff like garlic, ginger, zinc, and vitamin C. These never worked for me. I found that once my cold started, I was in for a week of suffering.
That is, until an acquaintance gave me a vial of Chinese pills and told me to take them if I felt a cold coming on. A few days later, I awoke with a sore throat. Before leaving for work, I remembered the pills and took them. That evening, I realized that my budding cold had vanished, gone without a trace. What was that stuff?
The stuff tuned out to be Yin Chiao. Was this a fluke? How could no one know about this? As it turns out, it was no fluke. Since that day, Yin Chiao and similar Chinese remedies have ended most of my colds. Perhaps medical science hasn't cured the common cold, but it appears that Chinese herbalists did it hundreds of years ago. The formula for Yin Chiao was first published in the eighteenth century. It's hard to understand why it would take the West so long to discover them. I imagine if bad news travels quickly, good news must travel slowly.
Different ideas, no matter how good, are met with resistance. That’s why it took us about a thousand years to discover Chinese food. With pharmaceutical cold medicines proving to be harmful, let's hope it doesn't take another thousand years to discover Chinese herbal medicine. Not only are they safer, but Chinese herbs are simply more effective. When you discover them, you'll never even think about drugs for colds or visiting the doctor for a cold. When Western civilization discovers them, it could turn our medical establishment upside down, easing suffering and preventing millions of needless trips to the doctor. This might be bad news for doctors, but it's very good news for everyone else.
Though ancient Chinese herbalists knew nothing about germs, they knew that respiratory diseases were caused exterior wind evils. Evils that caused serious diseases like influenza and measles were called wind-heat evils. Common colds were caused by wind-cold evils.
Our bodies are protected from wind evils by defensive energy, known as wei qi. With adequate wei qi, you can be exposed to disease without getting sick. Herbs such as astragalus can be used to boost the wei qi, protecting us from invaders. They block the entry of wind evils.
Expelling these evils requires herbs that release exterior conditions. Some of these are ginger, mint, kudzu root, and many others. Some of these herbs protect against wind-heat evils; others defend against wind-cold invaders. These herbs are rarely taken alone, but are combined in formulas that greatly increase their potency. Some of the most popular Chinese cold formulas appear to work on any kind of wind invasion, hot or cold. However, I have found that certain formulas work better on different parts of the body.
For example, colds originating in the throat seem to respond best to Yin Chiao, which is taken at the first sign of cold. Keep them with you during cold season; the sooner you take them, the better they work. Yin Chiao contains remarkably simple and safe herbs. They are: honeysuckle, forsythia, balloon flower, peppermint, edible burdock, crested grass, schizonepeta, fermented soybean, and Chinese licorice root.
For colds that begin in the nose, I prefer Gan Mao Ling. Use it alone or combine it with Yin Chiao when nasal or sinus congestion is present at the onset. Gan mao ling contains: Ilex Root, Chrysanthemum Flower, Vitex Herb, Isatis Root, and honeysuckle flower.
To relieve colds which are too far developed to stop, or to relieve colds that begin with body aches, fever, and chills, I believe the best remedy is Zong Gan Ling which contains: kudzu root, hairy holly root, vervain, woad root, wormwood, gypsum, and notopterygi.
Preventing a cold requires a different formula altogether, one that strengthens the body's defensive energy. The most famous of these formulas is called Yu Ping Feng San, or otherwise known as, Jade Windscreen or Jade Shield. This formula is used to build defensive energy (wei qi) and protect against cold, flu, and other invasions. Jade Screen contains astragalus, Atractylodis, and Siler.
Many of these formulas are available in natural food stores, particularly on the West Coast. If you can't find them at your local health food store, you can certainly find them on the web. I strongly suggest that you try them. They will open your eyes to the potency and reliability of Chinese herbals. And unlike many of the drugs at your drugstore, all of these are safe for children.
Remember that a mere hundred years ago, no one in the West had even heard of Chinese food. Today there are Chinese restaurants everywhere. I can assure you that Chinese cold medicines work, and will become as valuable to our culture in the 21st century as Chinese food became in the 20th century.
About the Author
Joel Harvey Schreck, L.Ac. is an acupuncturist and herbologist. Schooled in Hong Kong and San Francisco, he's been practicing since 1987. He is the author of A Patient's Guide to Chinese Medicine, http://www.baytreepublish.com/chin-med-fr.html
He is co-founder of the Shen Clinic and co-founder of the popular Dr. Shen line of natural medicines, sold nationally in many natural food stores. Visit http://www.drshen.com/Happy Fall, everyone!! Check out this article from www.Acupuncture.com!!!
Fall Veggies: Healthy Choices in Season Now
Try these four vegetables that are in season in fall and learn some of the many wonderful ways you stand to benefit from incorporating them into your diet.
According to the Five Element theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, autumn is a time for eating white vegetables. Read on to find the many benefits in store for you this fall when you enjoy its wide selection of seasonal vegetables.
The Seasonal Food Palette
As we get into the cooler months of autumn, there is an abundance of white vegetables to enjoy. White vegetables contain isothiocynates, which support the immune system and protect us against the development of cancer. Below are four vegetables that are in season during this time of year and some of the many wonderful ways you stand to benefit from incorporating them into your diet in the coming months. Stock up!
1. Cauliflower: Cauliflower is what is known as a cruciferous vegetable, and belongs to the same family of plants as that of broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Cauliflower possesses high concentrations of fiber, vitamins C and B6, and folate. Along with the presence of isothiocynates, cauliflower also has a high concentration of glucosinolates, which are key to cauliflower's anti-cancer properties and help the liver detoxify carcinogenic substances. Along with treating low immune function, it is helpful to incorporate cauliflower into the diet when treating sinus problems, constipation, and conditions of the skin such as warts.
2. Cabbage: Cabbage, like cauliflower, is a cruciferous vegetable, and therefore possesses many of the same healing and nutritional properties related to the immune system and hindering the development of cancer. Cabbage is commonly associated with its high concentrations of vitamin C. It also contains the amino acid glutamine, which has been revealed to have anti-inflammatory properties. Along with treating immune-related conditions such as cold and flu, cabbage can also help anyone looking to treat acne, allergies, hives, constipation, arthritis, bronchitis, and yeast overgrowth. That's one versatile vegetable.
3. Turnips: Turnips are a root vegetable that are typically grown in temperate climates. Turnips are packed with vitamin C. And turnip greens contain vitamins A and K as well as folate, calcium, and lutein. Turnips treat immune-related conditions such as bronchitis, and other conditions such as incontinence, flatulence, and symptoms of jet lag. Lightly steam the greens for a healthy side dish. As for the bulb, cut and sauté or boil and mash.
4. Garlic: Garlic is a pungent, spicy herb that has bulbs, leaves, stems, and flowers that are edible. It is generally anti-bacterial in nature, and is used as an antiseptic and a remedy for infections. It is used for digestive disorders and as a treatment for intestinal worms. It is also used to prevent heart disease, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, regulate blood sugar levels, prevent diabetes-related conditions, treat allergies, reduce arthritis, counteract bone loss, and to treat ailments related to cancer. All those benefits, and it's delicious, too.
With an abundance of white vegetables in your diet this fall, you will give your immune system the support it needs to ward off colds, the flu, and any number of other ailments associated with this time of year.
ooh! As it warms up, we all want something refreshing - how about this healthy, homemade alternative to soda? yum!
AGUA DE MANZANA
It’s so easy to make, and it’s a healthy alternative to juice and soda. Also, the high fiber and carbs in apples leave you feeling satisfied and full.
1. Take a big ol’ pot (think the kind your aunt uses to make caldo) and fill it 3/4 of the way with water.
2. Cut 6-8 apples into quarters. Throw away the seeds. (I recommend taking off the skin if the apples aren’t organic.)
3. Add the apples and 3 cinnamon sticks to the pot.
4. Boil until apples are so soft they start to break apart.
Let it cool before refrigerating. If it’s not sweet enough for you, add a tad of raw sugar. Don’t know what to do with the leftover apples? See applesauce recipe below.
HOMEADE APPLESAUCE
1. Blend the leftover apples from the agua de manzana recipe and a handful of cereal (such as Special K) in a blender.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of a healthy buttery spread, such as Smart Balance, in a small pot.
3. Add the apple-cornflakes mix to the pot and heat thoroughly. Add 2 tablespoons of honey and cinnamon to taste.
The Principle of the Five Elements In a food processor blend together garlic paste, blackeyed peas, tahini, lemon juice, oil, and harissa, scraping down side, until smooth. Add water, parsley or collard greens, and pulse until just combined. Serve with crackers, pita toast points, or corn bread.
