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Depending on where you’re located geographically, it may be that time of year where it’s nearly impossible to keep a garden thriving. That being said, hope is not lost for a winter herb garden! Even if you don’t consider yourself to have a green thumb, the following herbs are hardy enough to last through harsher growing conditions.
Herbs that tend to thrive more in winter climates include Rosemary, Parsley, Basil, Mint, and Thyme and are also highly regarded in traditional Chinese medicinal practices.
Rosemary
Being a hardy perennial herb that generally takes 14-21 days to germinate, this plant will thrive year-round even in colder temperatures and is cheap to replace if it does parish for whatever reason. This herb should be started in flats roughly 10-12 weeks before the last frost, be grown in plenty of sunlight, and have adequate soil moisture (but not soil that is soaked). Eventually, they will need to be transplanted for continued growth.
Rosemary is known to be beneficial to help aid with migraines, poor memory, and digestive issues among other various ailments. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Rosemary is said to treat wind-damp-cold, resolve phlegm, and tonify yang. It also enters the Lungs, Spleen, Kidney, Heart, and Liver.
Pair this herb with roasted garlic, lemon, and olive oil to drizzle over chicken for a fresh and filling entre.
Parsley
Although Parsley tends to grow more slowly over the winter taking nearly 2-4 weeks before it even germinates, it blooms continuously to give you a fruitful supply of herbs. Because it’s a slow-growing herb, we suggest planting plenty of it to ensure you have enough to last over the winter. It grows best in moist, fertile soil and can be over-wintered.
In TCM, Parsley is known for eliminating toxins, regulating water, and tonifying blood. It’s also known for entering the Stomach, Bladder, Kidney and is warm in temperature.
Prepare this herb with garlic, olive oil, and lamb to indulge in a savory delight.
Basil
If you live in a climate that has limited sunlight during the winter, such as the pacific northwest, this annual herb may be slower to grow but generally takes 5-10 days to germinate. It thrives more when it’s direct-seeded versus being transplanted and is not drought tolerant and does not do well under the stress of heat.
Basil can be used to resolve dampness, phlegm, promote qi circulation, and disperses cold. In ancient Chinese medical texts, it’s said to enter through the Lung, Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine, and Kidney.
Sweet Basil is the most common type of basil used and makes a delicious snack when paired with mozzarella, tomatoes, and a drizzling of your favorite balsamic dressing.
Mint
We recommend planting this herb 6-8 weeks before placing them outside in early spring, as they can withstand some freezing but not much and thrive best in partial sun. Be sure to plant it in its own pot as mint will take over the entire planter.
Mint’s aromatic, pungent and cooling properties enter through the Lung and Liver. It also aids in promoting qi circulation, clearing heat, rashes, head, and eyes as well as expelling wind. It’s also been known to reduce digestive irritations such as irritable bowel syndrome due to its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties.
Add mint to your chamomile tea with a splash of lemon for a tasty winter beverage.
Dandelions are known as Pu Gong Ying (蒲公英) in Chinese and are used frequently in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The name comes from the French “dent-de-lioun,” which translates into “tooth of the lion” due to its sharp looking leaves. In Chinese medicine herbs are used to heal, this includes flowers, bark, roots, and seeds. Dandelions are known to aid the liver, kidneys, and gallbladder in particular.
Dandelion is considered a cold, bitter and slightly sweet herb. Its milky juice clears heat, helps to detoxify the blood, reduces swelling and helps the early stages of a cold. Dandelion can help the liver and gallbladder by increasing bile production and helping in cases of jaundice. Often dandelion is combined with licorice, milk thistle, and fennel.
Here are some other key benefits of this flower:
Helps digestion, promotes appetite, increases bile, is a mild laxativeDandelion can be eaten, drank as a tea or as a supplement. Be careful of picking dandelion on your own and ingesting it, the area it grows in may be sprayed with harmful chemicals.
It is not recommended to start taking dandelion without consulting a healthcare professional. Dandelion is considered safe but may cause digestive upset if taken in large quantities. It is also not recommended to combine dandelion with other herbs without consulting an herbal specialist. In TCM, the practitioner will record a patients history and make a careful diagnosis before prescribing an herbal formula designed specifically for your constitution.
Smile next time you walk by a field of dandelions; these little beauties are lovely to our bodies.
Fall is here and winter is soon coming. With the weather turning colder the season is here when you may catch a cold or get the flu. There are several different remedies to help with colds and flu that work well. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine offers several different natural remedies that you can do to help you with your cold or flu.
Chinese medicine is all about prevention. It is important to build your body up so you don’t get sick and catch a cold. Acupuncture has been shown to help improve your immune system. If you got regular acupuncture treatments even when you are not sick, the treatments will help prevent you catching a cold. Your body will be strong enough to fight the virus on its own.
Chinese medicine is also about balance in your life. Causes of disease in Chinese medicine includes overwork, lack of sleep or too much, lack of exercise or too much exercise, over thinking, and improper diet. When we do anything that is out of balance whether it is too much work or lack of exercise we will be more apt to get sick or catch a cold. When we live in more of a balanced way it will be easier for your body to prevent from having the common cold.
If in the case you do catch a cold, acupuncture and Chinese herbs are very effective. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs will help you overcome the cold quicker and with less side effects than taking medications. The Chinese herbs that are effective for the cold and flu are both anti-viral and anti-bacterial herbs. In Chinese medicine terms they clear wind heat or cold. When you take Chinese herbs for the common cold you may feel results within a day or two.
In acupuncture we look at what channel is effected. The Lung channel is typically affected when you have a cold. We will use acupuncture points that help with the lung channel and other points to clear wind and if you have either heat signs or cold signs. Acupuncture will also help your immune system so your cold will not come back.
Some other things that will help with the common cold or flu is drinking warm water. Do not drink cold water with ice for the time being until your cold is gone. If you have sore throat you can drink lemon tea or if you are experiencing chills you can drink ginger tea. All of these simple remedies will help you overcome your cold and feel better.
If you are experiencing a lingering cold and flu, feel fee to contact Master Lu’s Health Center in Salt Lake City anytime to schedule an appointment! 801-463-1101
Have you been suffering from headaches? Are you tired of taking medications for your headaches? Are you looking for a natural and safe way to help relieve your headaches? If so you are at the right place. Chinese medicine has shown to be an effective natural treatment for headaches.
Headaches are a common health condition that affects many people. There are many different types and characteristics of headaches. There are also different kinds of treatments both conventional and alternative treatments
Because headaches are such a common symptom, many times they are not related to any serious conditions. However, that being said there are times when you should be concerned when you have a headache. Some headaches may have the following signs and symptoms
These signs and symptoms if there is prolonged headache may be a sign of a more serious condition, not always but possible.
There are different types of headaches. Some of the most common types of headaches are tension headaches and migraine headaches. Tension headaches many times will feel like a band around your whole head. The pain is dull and nagging. Many times when you have elevated stress there may be tension headaches.
Migraine headaches are also a common type of headache. Migraines may have the following symptoms:
There could be many reasons why you can have a migraine headache such as hormones, diet, and stress.
Some other forms of headaches are cluster headaches, temporal arteritis, facial pain, increased intracranial pressure, meningeal pain, cervical spondylosis, and headache with common colds.
The treatments for most type of headaches are medications and rest. Many times the headaches will be reoccurring and is controlled by medications.
Chinese medicine includes acupuncture, Chinese herbs, nutrition, medical massage, and exercise. When there is a patient with a headache we will look for different imbalances within the body to why there is a headache. There are different diagnostic techniques we may use to diagnose the headache you may be experiencing. Chinese medicine looks at the body as a whole to diagnose the root cause of the headache.
There could be many causes for headaches according to Chinese medical theory. Headaches are an imbalance within the body that is obstructing the blood flow. When there is no free flow there is pain. Imbalances within in our body are caused by improper diet, stress, over work, and lack of exercise. No matter what the cause is it is an imbalance that does not allow the blood to flow properly in your body. To allow the free flow of blood acupuncture and Chinese herbs are most effective.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbs will regulate your body and allow your body to become balanced to promote your body’s self-healing mechanisms. Physiologically, research has shown that acupuncture will act on the brain and release different chemicals, neurotransmitters, and hormones that will stimulate your body’s self-healing mechanisms.
To maintain headache free it is important to have good diet, exercise, and live in a balanced way. For example, there are those who will eat the same food every day. If you eat something everyday that is the same there could be a possibility that you may develop an allergy to that food and it will cause you to have a headache. So balance is important. Your food should be from all different colors and have variety everyday. When you strive to live in a more balanced way you will more likely be headache free.
If you are struggling with headache and want a natural way to relieve your pain, look into acupuncture and Chinese medicine to help you. Do not hesitate to contact us anytime at Master Lu’s Health Center in Salt Lake City.
