Friday, June 10th is National Herb and Spice Day, a day to celebrate the diversity of flavors available to us through the powerful plant parts that have come to be known as herbs and spices. While this tradition is relatively recent in origin (first celebrated in 1999), the wonder of herbs and spices has been recognized throughout history, and not just for their culinary contributions. Former Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne (742-814 AD) had 74 different herbs growing in his garden and was quoted as saying:

“Herbs are the friends of physicians and the praise of cooks”

In Europe, by the middle ages, herbs and spices were commonly used in both cooking and medicine. As far back as around 2700 BC in Ancient China, however, a historical work known as The Classic Herbal mentioned more than a hundred medicinal plants, including cinnamon. It has been said that advisors to the royal court in China during the 3rd century BC carried cloves in their mouths so their breath was fresh when they addressed the emperors. In the 5th Century AD, according to Chinese records, ginger was carried on long sea journeys to prevent scurvy, as well as to delight the taste buds. [1]

Any student or practitioner of Chinese Medicine knows that Chinese food therapy (which includes many applications of medicinal herbs) was well documented in The Yellow Emperor’s Classic dating back to the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD).

So, if your medicine cabinet is looking a little bare, spice it up! If you’ve got some of these common seasonings in your kitchen, you’ve actually got a pretty well-stocked medicine cabinet!

Cinnamon: One of the most ancient spices still in use, the bark (Rou Gui) of the Cassia tree benefits circulation, and warms the body to expel cold and alleviate pain. Cinnamon is known to help support the body’s yang energy to stop diarrhea and even help with wound healing.

Ginger: Probably the most common seasoning in Chinese cooking, this root is used both fresh and dried. You may have the dried version in your cabinet as a powder. Dried ginger (Gan Jiang) is warming, aids in digestion, and boosts the qi for alleviating feelings of cold and fatigue.

Turmeric: Turmeric (Jiang Huang)  is a root from a flowering plant related to ginger. It strongly moves the blood to unblock stasis, helping to ease arthritic, menstrual, and chest pain and to support liver health.

Clove: The penetrating aroma of clove (Ding Xiang) comes from the flower buds of a tree and when taken internally imparts strong warming energy that boosts yang qi in the body. They can help with hiccups, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Pepper: If you can’t find any of the other spices mentioned, you probably at least have this one on hand. Peppercorn (hu jiao) is the fruit of a flowering vine that warms the core of the body, descends rebellious qi, and dissipates phlegm to help with abdominal pain, vomiting, congestion, and epilepsy.

Mint: While many of these spices are considered warming. Mint leaves (bo he) is actually very strong in their ability to cool the body while promoting sweat and can ease symptoms of cold and flu, and help with headaches and menstrual cramps.

Garlic:  In addition to scaring away vampires, this plant bulb (Da Suan) that is technically considered a vegetable (like an onion), is warm and dispersing. It is known for its ability to kill parasites, relieve toxicity in treating food poisoning, and can help clean the blood and reduce clotting.

Thyme: Much more than a delicious pizza topping, this herb was used by ancient Greeks and Romans as a way to stimulate courage. The Chinese use these shrub leaves (Bai Li Xiang) to tonify qi and warm the lungs. It has been used to treat cough and shortness of breath, and to strengthen immunity and digestion.

It’s good to know you’ve got some health resources right in your own spice cabinet, but it’s even better to know you’ve also got your local acupuncturist/herbalist on hand with even more tools to support your well-being. We’re here for you and look forward to seeing you at your next appointment!

[1] https://www.mccormickscienceinstitute.com/resources/history-of-spices

 

Almost everyone deals with the Common Cold today. If you were to ask a hundred people on how to avoid catching the cold, you will get a hundred different answers, everything from Vitamin C to sleeping. While some of the ideas aren’t bad ideas, there isn’t a lot of evidence on how they prevent you from catching the cold. You will find some people who have a strong immune system and others they don’t. One thing to also consider is your environment, for example if you work in a call center or office, you are more likely to catch it then if you work in a warehouse or other type jobs. Nothing will work 100% of the time with everyone.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has existed for almost 3,000 years and has many branches to help people stay healthy. In TCM there is 6 different ways to cause a disease: wind, cold, summer heat, dryness, dampness and fire. In order to remain healthy the body has to adapt to the changes in these elements. Wind is the most common cause of the cold, due to sudden or abnormal changes in the weather. Wind will generally combine with other elements to cause different illness. The most common are wind cold and wind heat.

Wind cold invasions are the type of colds that you usually experience during winter. During the warmer months you might get a cold that is caused by wind heat, when the seasons change from spring into summer and summer into fall.

TCM has proven over the centuries to be very effective in treating people who suffer from frequent colds. The human body has shown that it has the capabilities to fight off bacteria and viruses. But once in awhile when someone is under a lot of stress or not getting enough sleep or has a poor diet, their immune system can become compromised and a cold may develop. TCM emphasizes prevention through the use of acupuncture, herbal formulas, diet and exercise (Tai Chi and Qi Gong).alexandre-chambon-157651

When a person gets regular acupuncture is can increase their immune system, making it easier to fight off any foreign invaders. Herbs such as angelica root is also frequently prescribed to rid body of viruses. Andrographis or Chuan Xin Lian in Chinese is another herb that is frequently used because it reduces the severity of cold symptoms while strengthening the immune system. Forsythia fruit or Lian Qiao, is another herb that is used frequently to treat the common cold.

In TCM there are other things that can be done to help prevent the common cold. Covering the back of the neck is beneficial. The nape of the neck is thought to be the entry point of many viruses. Keeping this area covered when it is windy, or cold may help keep a person from getting sick. Another good recommendation is to eat according to the season, so has the weather gets colder, one should eat more warming foods. There are several websites that you can find out what the temperature of each food is.

The last thing that may be beneficial in prevention of colds is exercise. To keep the energy flowing throughout the body, it is necessary to move. This is where practicing Tai Chi or Qi Gong comes in. Both Tai Chi and Qi Gong are very easy to learn and the practices are low impact. Tai Chi is even being used around the globe in senior home to help the residents regain balance and keep them healthy, both mentally and physically.

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If you want to increase your chances of fighting of the common cold, call us today at Master Lu’s Health Center and come in to start defending your health.

 

In most places winter is cold with short days and long nights. When winter comes the body has a tendency to want to stay indoors where it is warmer. The body’s metabolic rate slows down, so the body tends to hold onto body fat and we gain weight. There are animals that will hibernate during the colder months. People are not so different. We take the information being given and use it accordingly.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), winter is a time to preserve and build up strength for spring. During the winter months the kidneys are at their highest activity. They function to preserve the body’s energy. Food loaded with salt can actually burden the kidneys and cause them to work extra hard. This could lead to disease or failure in the kidney when done for many years.

According to Chinese medicine, during the winter months tonics should be eaten primarily. Most of the tonics include meats, fatty foods and warming herbs. The body is designed to absorb these rich foods especially during this time of year. When we pay attention to nature, we can be guided towards the proper nutrients. Since most fruits are not usually abundant during the winter months, we should avoid eating large quantities of them. Foods such as fruits, salads and raw foods can deplete the immune system causing it to overwork to warm the body. When a person has a dislike of the cold weather, joint aches and pains, sore low back or catches cold frequently, then there is an imbalance and that person may be eating to many cold foods.

We recommend eating warm foods during the winter months, and foods that will strengthen the kidneys, blood and Qi (pronounced “Chee”), which sometimes is considered our inner form of energy. Foods that are best during the winter are: beef, lamb, root vegetables, dark leafy greens, black beans oats, quinoa, pumpkin, kidney beans and walnuts. Fruits are good as well and can be warmed by adding spices like cinnamon, so they don’t tax the system too much. Herbs like ginseng, garlic, onion, ginger, parsley and basil all have warming properties that can also be used when cooking.

Soups and stews are really best to eat this time of year. When you use bone broth as a base it will help, it’s very good for supplementing the kidney. These types of foods can help warm the body’s core and keep us fully nourished. Cooking should be done for longer periods over low heat using less water. This will infuse the food with heat and lasting nourishment.

TCM nutritional therapy is an important component of the TCM. The food consumed can have profound effects on the body that affects our health and well-being. Along with paying close attention to the foods that are abundant during the seasons, we also recommend that locally grown foods be utilized. This may help decrease the possibility of allergic reactions.

If you are interested in learning more about TCM and how it can help you, please call us at Master Lu’s Health Center in Salt Lake City or come in so we can help you take control of your health

 

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine has been shown to treat many different health conditions.  It is a complete medical system for diagnosing and treating disease.  One area that acupuncture has been shown to help with is substance abuse.

Here at Master Lu’s Health Center in Salt Lake city, we have been utilizing acupuncture and Chinese medicine to treat addictions. With the increase of opioid addictions in Utah, acupuncture could a great compliment and alternative method for helping you or any of your family members who may be struggling with addiction.

How does acupuncture work with addictions?

Acupuncture will help decrease the cravings, detoxification, emotional problems, and any withdrawl symptoms.  Acupuncture will help you balance your body to stimulate your body’s self- healing abilities.  It will bring balance back into you body to allow your body to self-heal.  Biomedical research has shown that acupuncture will stimulate the brain to release different chemicals, neurotransmitters, and hormones such as endorphines.  Because acupuncture will act on the brain it is effective for helping with emotional problems that may accompany addictions.

We have seen it many times where someone with substance abuse problems will go in and out of treatment centers.  They need more treatment care outside of the treatments centers.  Treatment centers or rehab centers have their place.  However, combining the rehab and treatment centers with acupuncture treatment will greatly enhance the effectiveness to help people with their addictions.

Benefits of Acupuncture for Addictions

There are several benefits of acupuncture.  This is a short list of some of the benefits when you use acupuncture for addictions:

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help with every type of addiction including alcohol, tobacco, prescription medications, recreational narcotics, and methamphetamines.

Master Lu’s Health Center is dedicated to help with addictions.  We currently have a three month program that will transform your life.  The program includes Chinese medical diagnosis, coaching, acupuncture, Tai Chi, herbal medicine, and whole food nutrition.  This program will help with overcoming addiction and transform your life to help you live a healthier lifestyle.

We hope this has helped you to understand more how acupuncture and Chinese medicine helps with addictions.  If you or anyone you may know need help and is struggling with substance abuse or opioid addiction please call us anytime.

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Master Lu has been practicing Acupuncture and Chinese martial arts for over 40 years. He was one of the first Licensed Acupuncturist in the state of Utah. He was trained in Taiwan in both Acupuncture and Chinese martial arts mainly Northern Shaolin Kung Fu and Old Yang Style Tai Chi. Master Lu was also twice national champion for full contact fighting in Taiwan.

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