Hi folks,
As we are getting close to spring I wanted to talk a little about how to deal with the allergies that many people suffer from. There are many medications out there that deal with mild to severe reactions, yet they can often have undesirable side effects. Some people prefer to try more natural forms of medicine that will not have the side effects of conventional drug therapy.
There are several formulas of Chinese herbs that are great for dealing with allergies. The best thing to do is to consult an herbalist so you can get the appropriate formula for your situation. Some common ones include bi yan pian and jade windscreen. Yin qiao can sometimes also help relieve symptoms. Many natural food stores or natural medicine/ apothecaries (herb shops) will have a variety of herbal formulas in tea or pill form that can help relieve allergic symptoms such as hay fever (dry/ itchy eyes, runny nose, asthmatic breathing/ wheezing, itchy or red skin).
In terms of common kitchen items, I find strong mint tea to be one of the best. Use a large amount of mint and let it steep covered for 10 minutes. If you have chrysanthemum flowers to add, these are also good. Remember not to boil the leaves/ flowers. See my earlier post on making medicinal tea for more details about how to properly prepare medicinal tea. Improper preparation can harm the potency and effect of your medicine.
From a Chinese medicine perspective, allergies often involve an invasion of wind or wind-heat in the body, so we try to release it. Other foods that help clear (foods with a bitter flavor) are celery, radish, chrysanthemum flowers, and to a lesser extent apples, pears, and most leafy green vegetables. Depending on what type of allergy you have, many people find that local honey or bee pollen helps reduce allergic reactions. A little bit of lemon juice or high quality vinegar may also help the situation, and high quality olive oil is another good spring tonic. Sweating can be beneficial if you do not have a weak constitution, and if spicy food agrees with you it can help promote the elimination of mucus clogging up the respiratory system and promote sweating.
Acupuncture is also a great form of treatment for those suffering from allergies.
best of luck to you,
Keith
Showing posts with label chinese medicine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chinese medicine. Show all posts
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Nature is my teacher- Mushrooms in the fall; the importance of timing and the environment in our lives
The rain is arriving to the nw, and the temperature is dropping. In these early days of fall, each rain brings a proliferation of mushrooms and fungi. We often walk right by these amazing organisms. Literally over night a bare field may awake to find itself covered in mushrooms, and a few days later they will disappear.
As I was foraging for wild edibles with some friends the other day, a lesson was brought to light that I think we all know, but too often forget.
We made several stops- First we found a patch of Birch boleets under some Birch trees. The next 2 sites didn't yield much at all. One was a perfect spot, but we were perhaps a few days or a week too late. The next was not as appropriate of an ecosystem, and the timing was off- we found nothing.
Finally we came to our last spot, a north facing slope with mature forest, most covered earth etc. Prime conditions for mushrooms. And our timing was better in this location.
What can we learn from this? 2 important lessons:
1) The importance of putting ourselves in the proper environment so that we can flourish.
When the conditions are right, life flourishes of its own accord. Things happen easily, and we happily go about our business and everything is smooth. We are in harmony with the rhythm of life. A mushroom will never grow in the desert. If we are not living in an environment that supports who we are and nourishes the best parts of us, we will suffer, our growth will be stifled, and we won't be able to find the nourishment that sustains us. When we live in the right environment, everything feeds us just what we need. Birch boleets grow under Birch trees, not Cedars. Its their nature.
If things are such a struggle and we feel like our growth is being stifled, sometimes one thing we can do is examine our environment- both the physical environment around us and even more so the community in which we live. Are we around people that share common goals with us? That support our growth in healthy ways? That give us the strength to be ourselves in the best ways? That give us encouragement to change our bad habits into good ones? That help us develop our weaknesses into strengths?
We should all give each other the strength to continue growing healthy and positive ways.
2) The importance of timing.
Even in the most perfect of conditions, if the timing is off life cannot grow. A flower that blooms too early will be killed by the frost. A fall mushroom will never sprout in summer. They wait and they wait, and then just when the stage is set perfectly- the temperature is not too hot or too cold, the moisture is just right- they come out and they flourish. It seems to come naturally to other organisms, but for us humans it can seem so difficult to get the timing right. Yet if we can settle ourselves down, if we can reconnect with the rhythm of life I think we will find that things will become much less of a struggle and we won't feel so much like we are paddling upstream.
You'll know when the time is right, trust yourself.
Keith
As I was foraging for wild edibles with some friends the other day, a lesson was brought to light that I think we all know, but too often forget.
We made several stops- First we found a patch of Birch boleets under some Birch trees. The next 2 sites didn't yield much at all. One was a perfect spot, but we were perhaps a few days or a week too late. The next was not as appropriate of an ecosystem, and the timing was off- we found nothing.
Finally we came to our last spot, a north facing slope with mature forest, most covered earth etc. Prime conditions for mushrooms. And our timing was better in this location.
What can we learn from this? 2 important lessons:
1) The importance of putting ourselves in the proper environment so that we can flourish.
When the conditions are right, life flourishes of its own accord. Things happen easily, and we happily go about our business and everything is smooth. We are in harmony with the rhythm of life. A mushroom will never grow in the desert. If we are not living in an environment that supports who we are and nourishes the best parts of us, we will suffer, our growth will be stifled, and we won't be able to find the nourishment that sustains us. When we live in the right environment, everything feeds us just what we need. Birch boleets grow under Birch trees, not Cedars. Its their nature.
If things are such a struggle and we feel like our growth is being stifled, sometimes one thing we can do is examine our environment- both the physical environment around us and even more so the community in which we live. Are we around people that share common goals with us? That support our growth in healthy ways? That give us the strength to be ourselves in the best ways? That give us encouragement to change our bad habits into good ones? That help us develop our weaknesses into strengths?
We should all give each other the strength to continue growing healthy and positive ways.
2) The importance of timing.
Even in the most perfect of conditions, if the timing is off life cannot grow. A flower that blooms too early will be killed by the frost. A fall mushroom will never sprout in summer. They wait and they wait, and then just when the stage is set perfectly- the temperature is not too hot or too cold, the moisture is just right- they come out and they flourish. It seems to come naturally to other organisms, but for us humans it can seem so difficult to get the timing right. Yet if we can settle ourselves down, if we can reconnect with the rhythm of life I think we will find that things will become much less of a struggle and we won't feel so much like we are paddling upstream.
You'll know when the time is right, trust yourself.
Keith
Monday, August 16, 2010
welcome to my new blog!
Greetings and welcome to the Hillside Acupuncture and Healing Arts blog. I run an office/ healing center in Seattle, WA, USA dedicated to helping you get the most out of life. I specialize in acupuncture, East Asian Medicine (the new descriptor for Chinese medicine), and qi cultivation (i.e. exercising to build up our vital energy). This blog is meant to be a place to discuss any issues related to natural medicine, keeping ourselves healthy, and whatever else we deem relevant or worthwhile of a post:). I will try to post regular tips on how to stay in harmony with the seasons, so that our vitality can flourish and we can live a full, happy life. We all hit the rough spots, and sometimes we just need a little help or support to get back into the flow of life. Please feel free to contact me through the website (www.hillsideacupuncture.com ) if you have any particular questions or topics you would like me to address.
take care,
Keith Judelman, EAMP
take care,
Keith Judelman, EAMP
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