Tis the season for illness -- ugh! In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we use food therapy to help improve symptoms and TCM diagnosis's. For now, we will focus on colds, flus, and viruses.
When it comes to seasonal colds, there are 2 main TCM Diagnosis's. The first is called "Wind Cold" - chills are worse than the fever. The other is called "Wind Heat" - fever is worse than chills. In the clinic, we look in depth at the presenting symptoms, as well as your tongue and pulse to make a more specific diagnosis.
Food Therapy Recommendations for Illnesses
For either of these diagnosis (Wind Cold or Wind Heat) it's recommended to eat soft, liquid foods and avoiding eating greasy food or seafood.
Quick Tip
Wind Cold -- add warmth to your diet (ex: cinnamon or ginger) to help relieve the chills.
Wind Heat -- drink peppermint tea or use peppermint essential oils to help cool the heat.
Below, I've shared an extremely easy TCM soup to help kick either illness to the curb!
Here's what you'll need and why:
CELERY
Properties: Sweet, Bitter and Cold
Effects: the Stomach and Liver
Functions: Clears Heat, Calms the Liver, Expels Wind (TCM Illness), Drains Dampness.
GREEN ONION
Properties: Pungent, Acrid and Warm
Effects: the Stomach and Liver
Functions: Induces Sweating and Releases Exterior (helps illness escape out).
GINGER
Properties: Acrid and Hot
Effects: the Lung, Spleen and Stomach
Functions: Warms and Tonifies the Middle, Expels the Cold, Restores Devastated Yang, Warms the Lungs, Transforms Fluids, Warms the Channels.
ONION (1/2)
Properties: Pungent, Bitter and Warm
Effects: the Lungs, Stomach and Large Intestine
Functions: Warms the Yang, Dissolves Hard Masses, Descends Qi.
CILANTRO
Properties: Pungent and Warm
Effects: the Stomach, Spleen and Lung
Functions: Reinforces the Stomach, Regulates Qi, Induces Sweating, Promotes Venting of Rashes.
Add Bone Broth and a few drops of Sesame Oil and Honey to taste.
Boil for 30 minutes and enjoy!
Remember, food is medicine - so lets use it!
Stay health this season!
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