TCM Perspectives on Preventing and Treating Colds and Flus

Flu season is now well upon us – how many people do you know that have already been down this year? Many people are still considering whether or not to get vaccinated – both against the H1N1 and the seasonal flu. There are pros and cons on both sides: there are worries about the safety or efficacy of the vaccines (including the preservatives they come with), as well as worries about the potential severity of this year's H1N1 virus and the fact that complications related to seasonal flus are the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. It is an issue each person or family should educate themselves about to make the best choice for them, including taking into consideration their risk factors such as pregnancy, having a chronic illness, being a health care or child care worker, etc.


Whether or not you choose to get a flu vaccine, it is very important for all of us to take care of our body's resistance at this time. There are the usual recommendations: washing hands frequently (anti-bacterial soap is not necessary), especially after coughing or sneezing (and always using a tissue, or coughing or sneezing into the elbow, not the hand); avoiding sharing food and drink with others to prevent cross-contamination; avoiding touching the eyes, nose, and mouth; and avoiding close contact with those who have a cold or flu. If you are sick, stay at home and avoid contact with others, until at least 24 hours after your fever has subsided.


The best prevention is to follow the above advice to prevent exposure to cold and flu pathogens. Whether or not we get sick when exposed to pathogens is determined by 1) the strength of the pathogen and 2) the strength of our body's defenses, which in Chinese Medicine we call Wei Qi.


In supporting the body's ability to defend itself, proper rest cannot be underestimated: the body doesn't function properly without it. Sleeping at night is like recharging our cell phone batteries – our qi, blood, and yin gets replenished during this time, allowing us to function on full power the next day. If our qi is depleted, we do not have the ability to fight illness.


Also important in keeping our qi healthy, free-flowing, and strong is to do our best to be aware of and moderate the stresses we are facing. We are much more susceptible to illness when we are feeling stressed, stretched, and run down. The fall and winter is the natural time for rest and storage: to keep warm, keep the back of the neck covered, and avoid drafts and wind; to eat hearty, warming foods such as soups and stews; to sleep a little more and conserve our energies. It is important to live according to the energy of the seasons for optimal health.


It is also important to eat lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Warm, cooked foods, especially cooked with warming and/or digestive herbs such as onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, clove, cumin, fennel, coriander, basil, mint, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, etc. - help aid our digestion and keep our qi strong. Baked pears (especially the Asian variety), perhaps with a bit of local honey, almonds, and walnuts, is a tasty dessert that's good for lung health.


We should stay hydrated, drinking lots of fluids, particularly warm beverages. Ginger tea (1 inch of ginger, sliced and simmered for about 15 – 30 minutes) or ginger and green onion soup (the white parts are especially powerful) are great when you feel like you may be on the verge of coming down with something.


Sinus lavage (netipot) is very helpful for maintaining upper respiratory health, especially if you are prone to allergies, colds, and sinus problems. Similarly, a warm or hot (though be careful that is not scalding) salt water gargle can help prevent viruses in the throat from proliferating, and the mucus membranes clean and moist.


Some people like to take supplements to help boost the immune system, including vitamin C and zinc. Astragalus is a powerful Chinese herb popularly used to boost immune function. Airborne is a supplement which contains a famous Chinese herbal formula for colds and flus (Yin Qiao San) – it is best taken at the first sign of catching a cold, and can be taken throughout the course of a cold to keep symptoms low-grade and to help speed recovery. While some of these Chinese herbs and formulas are now available over-the-counter, it is best to see your Chinese herbalist to be sure that these herbs are right for you and the conditions you present with.


Acupuncture can help to boost immunity, and to address symptoms such as sore throat, fever, headache, body aches, stuffy sinuses, runny nose, cough, and others. Chinese herbal formulas can be very helpful to both strengthen immunity and to treat colds and flus. Many Chinese herbs not only treat symptoms but have potent anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, often without the bacterial resistance that has developed through the widespread use of modern antibiotics. These formulas should be prescribed by an herbalist, because our medicine is tailored to each individual's constitution and symptom presentation. While modern bio-medicine claims that there is no cure for the common cold, Chinese medicine has been treating it for thousands of years.

The Importance of Food

In Chinese Medicine, the Qi (energy or life force) we receive from our daily intake of food - called Post-Heaven Qi - is what fuels the activities of daily life. This is in contrast with Pre-Heaven Qi - the life force we are endowed with at birth - often compared to a person’s genetics. The Pre-Heaven Qi is like your savings account – you certainly don’t want to draw upon it to run your daily life. Thus, Post-Heaven Qi – which is determined by the quality of a person’s diet, as well as the digestive health of the person (called Spleen Qi, or Central Qi) is incredibly important to a person’s health and longevity.

As a Chinese Medicine practitioner, I am frequently wary of the various ‘diets’ touted for weight loss or increased health and vitality – often they are recipes for disaster! While the best diet for any individual is determined by the state of their own digestive health or Spleen Qi (e.g., those with weak Spleen Qi require milder and easier to digest foods than those with heartier digestive energy), there are certain dietary recommendations that are relatively universal:

• Eat regularly – do not under-eat or over-eat
• Make time to eat – sitting down, not working or otherwise engaged
• Eat a variety of foods, mostly plant-based (though a completely vegetarian or vegan diet is not advocated in Chinese Medicine)
• Eat whole grains
• Eat warm, cooked foods
• Avoid cold, raw foods – people with strong Spleen Qi can tolerate a couple of salads a week. Those with weaker digestion should avoid salads and raw fruits altogether. Raw foods are more difficult to digest and weaken the digestive energy over time.
• Avoid processed foods, including refined sugars and flours
• Minimize fried or greasy foods, alcohol, dairy, and overly spiced foods (chilies)
• “Fasts” and “cleanses” should be undertaken with caution – the vast majority of people’s digestive energies are too low to tolerate these extreme measures, and their systems can become even more weakened. A more healthy and balanced approach that can work for all constitutions is to consume only organic, home cooked whole grains, legumes, and steamed vegetables (perhaps with some digestive herbs and spices added) for 2 to 4 weeks.
• Certain spices help to facilitate digestion – ginger, mint, fennel, cardamom, cumin, cilantro, basil, dried orange peels – add these to your cooking, or make these herbs or spices into teas!

Signs of Spleen Qi or digestive weakness include loose or soft stools, bloating or gas, discomfort after eating, poor appetite, low energy or fatigue, being easily bruised, and other symptoms. As our digestive energy weakens, our bodies are not able to transform food into pure energy for daily functioning, and instead creates what we call Dampness. In Chinese Medicine, Dampness is the origin of the “mysterious diseases” – it is a lingering and difficult to treat pathogen that can manifest in numerous ways.

Dampness is also engendered by poor diet – particularly processed foods, including refined sugars and flours; raw and cold foods; alcohol; and greasy foods. Signs of Damp accumulation in your system include lethargy, foggy headedness, dull aches and pains or feelings of heaviness in the body, weight gain, yeast and fungal conditions, among others.

Diet modification as stated above can go a long way to supporting your digestive energy to provide health and vitality for the long-term. Acupuncture and herbal medicine has been shown to greatly improve digestive function for those with troubling symptoms. Remember, however, that food should be eaten with joy and pleasure – if you eliminate what used to be your ‘comfort foods’ because they are harmful to your system, make sure you investigate new comfort foods that are wholesome and nourishing for your body, mind, and spirit.

Hot Enough For Ya?

We're having another of our all too frequent heat waves here in Southern California. Just in time I present you with some insights from TCM to help you keep your cool.

1. Don't get too cold. What?! I know - sounds counterintuitive. But when we chill our bodies by sitting in overly air conditioned malls, movie theaters and offices, our metabolisms fire up to compensate and heat us up. End result? When you venture out of the ice box of air conditioning, you're flat on your back from the heat. Keep air conditioning to moderate levels (your power bill will thank you too), and if you have to sit in it, keep a cardi or scarf on to keep the chill off your bare skin.

2. Don't chug a slushee! Even though a gallon of crushed ice may sound like just what the doctor ordered when it's 100F outside, your body won't thank you! Just like the air conditioning, giving the inside of your body the Big Chill will cause it to stoke up the home fires to compensate. In the end you'll be hotter when the momentary chill wears off. You're better to sip cool or room temperature beverages. Here's my favourite cooler:

2 liters of filtered water (about 8 or 9 cups)
handful of mint leaves

Place the leaves in a drinking jug and pour the water over them. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to gently bruise the leaves, releasing their minty flavour into the water. If you tend to stomach upset in the hot weather, add a few slices of fresh ginger. You can do this anyway as it gives a lovely taste.


More cooling recipes can be found in The Tao of Nutrition, a book by Maoshing Ni and Cathy McNease. I took a course with Cathy this weekend and was very inspired to continue using the balancing and harmonizing principles of Traditional Chinese Nutrition in my life and in my practice. I'll be giving a talk next month on TCM and digestion - stay tuned for the date.

Over the next few weeks you'll see more posts from two new authors at LifeMedicine. We'll have more to teach, more to talk about and more fun! Be well, and come and see me for a cool down!