The festive season is a time to eat, drink and be merry, though it’s also a time when we tend to overdo it.
In Chinese Medicine, many herbs can be used to help ease symptoms of overindulgence.
Hawthorn fruit and radish seeds help digest meat and greasy food and benefit bloating and reflux.
Peppermint, cardamom and ginger help stomach pain, nausea/vomiting and bloating and turmeric helps with chest and stomach pain and liver congestion.
These foods can help to lower blood sugars, cholesterol, blood pressure, prevent heart disease and slow fat absorption as well.
They can also be used in teas and medicinal formulas, or simply add them to your cooking.
In Chinese Medicine, many herbs can be used to help ease symptoms of overindulgence.
Hawthorn fruit and radish seeds help digest meat and greasy food and benefit bloating and reflux.
Peppermint, cardamom and ginger help stomach pain, nausea/vomiting and bloating and turmeric helps with chest and stomach pain and liver congestion.
These foods can help to lower blood sugars, cholesterol, blood pressure, prevent heart disease and slow fat absorption as well.
They can also be used in teas and medicinal formulas, or simply add them to your cooking.
Handy Everyday Tips
Herbal Pharmacy - Honeysuckle flowers (Jin Yin Hua)
As a child, I remember playing in a park, and my mother showed me these beautiful white flowers which grew on a vine that you could suck on to extract a sweet liquid. What I didn’t know at the time was that the sweet Honeysuckle flower had a medicinal purpose as well.
Jin Yin Hua is a natural antiseptic, antiviral, and anti bacterial. It can help heal ulcers, stop bleeding and soothe swollen throat, making it beneficial for tonsillitis, skin ulcers, and infections.
It also is one of the 4 main herbs in a formula that was commonly used for the treatment of bird and swine flu in Chinese Medicine.
As a child, I remember playing in a park, and my mother showed me these beautiful white flowers which grew on a vine that you could suck on to extract a sweet liquid. What I didn’t know at the time was that the sweet Honeysuckle flower had a medicinal purpose as well.
Jin Yin Hua is a natural antiseptic, antiviral, and anti bacterial. It can help heal ulcers, stop bleeding and soothe swollen throat, making it beneficial for tonsillitis, skin ulcers, and infections.
It also is one of the 4 main herbs in a formula that was commonly used for the treatment of bird and swine flu in Chinese Medicine.
Tips for Spring
Spring time is that time of year when we look to do a spring clean of our house, getting rid of the clutter we’ve been accumulating. It’s the perfect time to be doing the same thing for our bodies. An easy way to cleanse the liver is to start the day with a hot water with lemon juice – this alkalizes all the acid we’ve produced overnight and flushes out the system. Fibre is also an important cleanser as it’s not just what we put into out body, but how it comes out the other end! Pectin is a fibre contained in lemon skins and pith (the white part) which can bind products in the intestines and clears them out via your stools, so after you’ve juiced a lemon, use what’s left and add it to hot water, allow it to cool and drink as a natural lemonade. Remember to use organic or home grown lemons so you know where they’ve come from and are free of chemical sprays.
Colds and flu
When colds and flu do strike there are some home remedies that can ease the discomfort. If it's a common cold with clear runny nose, sneezes and chills then grated ginger and honey steeped in boiling water will help warm the body and clear the mucus. Chicken soup with the whites of spring onions and garlic will also warm the body and help flush out bacteria. If it's a viral infection or flu, congestion will be thicker and coloured and there can be body aches, headache, sore throat, cough and/or fever then cooling herbs such as peppermint or chamomile will help soothe the throat, stop cough and cool the body. Remember plenty of rest is always the best medicine.
Stopping illness before it begins.
As they always say, prevention is better than a cure.
Maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle is key to keeping illness at bay, but there a few other things you can do to prevent falling ill.
A teaspoon of Olive leaf extract prior to the onset of colds and flus helps boost your immune system to fight them off.
A simple thing as drinking plenty of water helps flush the toxins out of your body.
Maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle is key to keeping illness at bay, but there a few other things you can do to prevent falling ill.
A teaspoon of Olive leaf extract prior to the onset of colds and flus helps boost your immune system to fight them off.
A simple thing as drinking plenty of water helps flush the toxins out of your body.
Summer tips
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During Summer, those wise words about keeping hydrated and slipping, slopping and slapping all get rehashed. By adding fresh mint to your water you can help cool your body. The left over pulp can also be used to soothe red and itchy skin. Fresh aloe vera gel straight from the leaves of a plant is great for helping sunburnt skin. |
Poo is not a dirty word!!Though we may think that looking at our poos may be a little repulsive, it is in fact a very useful diagnostic tool. Our stools give us a good insight into our health, as different types of stools, whether it be formed, loose or pebbly, can indicate different types of Chinese Medicine patterns and aid in their diagnosis. So pay attention to your Poo!
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Washing the dishes after meals:
It may seem like a simple task that most of us may already do, but by doing the dishes after your meal you can help alleviate bloating and indigestion. The stomach and intestines are compacted when we sit, so standing lets gravity take over and helps the natural digestive process, therefore doing the dishes before relaxing on the couch is good for tummy and for you.
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