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Astragalus
This herb supports your immune system while assisting the body in adapting to daily stress. Astragalus is a foundational herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It promotes healthy resistance from the occasional physical and emotional stressors, and it also supports healthy immune functions.
Immunity Enhancing Soup
Ingredients:
How to prepare:
Garlic
Garlic is a powerful antioxidant with antimicrobial, antiviral, and antibiotic properties. It’s also a natural decongestant.
Garlic Lemon Honey Tea
Ingredients:
How to prepare:
Elderberry
Elderberry is a commonly used medicinal plant that is known all around the world. Elderberry is most often taken as a supplement to treat cold and flu symptoms.
Whole-body Support Tea
Ingredients:
How to prepare:
Elderberry is excellent for flu prevention, but it is contraindicated if you have an illness that manifests with a cytokine storm. Ask a qualified practitioner for more details.
Your immune system is your body’s security system. When your body gets invaded by foreign invaders bacteria, parasites, and other microbe-causing infections it’s the job of the immune system to protect your body against such invaders. There are immune system disorders that range from common conditions such as mild seasonal allergies to more serious illnesses like leukemia. There are other common lifestyle and environmental factors that can contribute to weakening the immune system like stress, lack of sleep, which can make you vulnerable to infections.
Good news! Acupuncture therapy can treat a wide range of health conditions, including immune deficiency, by stimulating and balancing the immune system. Acupuncture can strengthen a weakened immune system by increasing red and white cell counts, T-cell count and enhancing humoral and cellular immunity. Acupuncture can regulate immune function and treat the underlying cause of the disease by reducing symptoms, speeding up the healing of infection, and normalizing the body’s immune response.
Get into a comfortable position so that you can easily access all points.
Begin with Kidney 27 and work your way down the body.
Kidney 27
Large Intestine 11
Lung 7
Stomach 36
Apply finger pressure in a slow, rhythmic manner to enable the layers of tissue and the internal organs to respond. Never press any area in an abrupt, forceful, or jarring way. Keep track of the results of your self-acupressure practice to pay close attention to your progress and well-being.
Acupressure To Support Immune Health
Kidney 27:
To locate Kidney 27 (KD27), place your hands on either side of the depression on the lower clavicle bone. From here (with your fingers below the clavicle) separate hands approximately 1-2i n horizontally (outward toward shoulders).
An excellent immune-boosting point used for common colds, influenza, and for people that have compromised immune systems. KD27 is known to open the chest, descend lung and stomach Qi, and stop coughing.
Large Intestine 11:
Large Intestine 11 (LI11) is located on the tip of the elbow. The easiest way to find this point is to bend your arm, look down the outer side of your forearm to the elbow, LI 11 lies there where the elbow crease meets the joint.
This point runs along the Large Intestine meridian, traveling up the index finger, through the arm, shoulder, and neck, into the face and nose. This point acts as a fever-reducing point, but it is also used to help prevent the flu and other immune-compromising conditions. It is known to be one of the strongest points in the body for clearing heat. Think of LI 11 as a great vent for the body to release a little steam whenever it’s needed.
Lung 7:
Lung 7 (LU 7) is located on the inside arm above the wrist. To find this point interlock your fingers (palms snuggly together) and direct your attention to your lowest thumb. On the outer edge of your thumb, you will find the crease of your wrist. The point lies roughly one inch down toward the elbow, in a depression between the sinew and the bone.
This is a very common point to use for systematic relief of cough, headache, and/or stiff neck. As the Luo point of the Lung channel, this point is used to treat anything related to the lungs (asthma, wheezing, bronchitis, cough, congestion, etc.) and can help symptoms associated with a weakened immune system.
Stomach 36:
ST 36 can be found on the anterior (front) aspect of the lower leg. To identify the acupressure massage point, measure roughly four fingers below the kneecap on the outside edge of your shinbone. You will know you’re in the right place by flexing your foot back to feel the muscle below (the tibialis anterior muscle) begin to flex
Performing acupressure on Stomach 36 is like a Vitamin C shot for your body. It is one of the most effective acupuncture points for strengthening the immune system, recovering from fatigue, and boosting endurance.
If you are interested in boosting your immune system, call today to schedule an appointment so we can help you prepare for the coming winter.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), fall is associated with the lung and large intestine meridians. These two meridians work in a symbiotic way to control the immune system from both the inside and outside of your body.
The large intestine channel runs up the arms, across the shoulders, up the neck, over the face, and ends next to the nose. As many people now know, the health of our large intestine and gastrointestinal tract overall plays a big part in our immunity. Keeping the large intestine channel warm and preventing exposure to the elements will help to keep you healthy. Cold pathogens can enter the body through the pores or nasal cavity. By wrapping the neck and shoulders with a scarf during the fall months, you can help ward off the pathogens and prevent catching a cold or the flu.
The large intestine also has the function of transporting all waste products out of the body or to other areas for excretion. The large intestine absorbs liquid and releases anything that is no longer needed. This can be food, toxins, or even emotions. This helps to cleanse the body and mind.
The lungs are the paired organ system to the large intestine in TCM. The lungs have a very special kind of energy, or qi called the Wei Qi (pronounced “way chee”). Wei Qi is similar to what Western medicine calls the immune system. Wei Qi provides a barrier that protects the body from pathogens. When the Wei Qi is depleted or low, then the body is unable to fight off infections. Strong, healthy lungs enhance the functions of the whole body. Lung health can be weakened by poor food choices, pollution, poor genetics, emotional stress, and even unexpressed emotions such as grief or sadness.
The lungs are known as the Prime Minister in TCM. They control breath and energy while assisting the heart with the circulation of blood throughout the body. The lungs also control the skin, which breaths through the opening and closing of the pores, helping to regulate body temperature. The pores regulate body temperature both through perspiration and shivering. This mechanism is another way the lungs help to protect the body – when we perspire, we usually release toxins from the body. Fewer toxins mean less chance of getting sick.
As fall approaches, it is a good idea to start focusing on the health of your lungs and the large intestine. One way to do this is by getting regular acupuncture treatments. Check-in with us at Master Lu’s Health Center if you’d like to schedule extra appointments this fall to support your lungs and large intestine! We are here to help you improve your health.
When visiting your acupuncturist during the winter months, they may use Moxibustion to warm your cold extremities, lower back, or even your abdomen. Moxibustion is a form of fire heat treatment that stimulates specific acupuncture points of the body and is a great way to warm the body slowly, with lasting effects. Your acupuncturist may also recommend herbs to strengthen your immune system, balance body heat, or to manage stress.
Moxibustion exerts its therapeutic effect by modulating the microbiome and intestinal mucosal immunity. It is used to great effect in tandem with acupuncture points, enhancing and maximizing the effects of the acupuncture needles. Moxa is used both directly and indirectly, depending upon the intended effects.
Moxibustion can be used for many reasons because it provides many benefits and one of the most common uses of moxibustion is to warm the body. Many people who have autoimmune diseases, low immunity, and blood conditions are frequently cold and the warming properties of moxa make it a great choice for these types of conditions (usually those who have a cold or stagnant condition). The practice of Moxibustion expels cold and warms the meridians, which leads to a smoother flow of blood and qi.
Moxa is also a good choice for those suffering from aches and pains. The warming properties of moxa allow it to increase blood flow by warming the blood. Increased blood flow means increased oxygenation to the tissues, muscles, and tendons that are sore.
Another benefit of utilizing moxibustion is increased immunity. Studies have shown moxibustion significantly increases the white blood cell count in the body, which is the major component of the immune system. Moxa strengthens the immune system and helps re-balance autoimmune diseases.
Despite the fact that moxibustion involves the burning of mugwort, it has been shown to be very beneficial for cooling areas of inflammation, which again, relates to blood flow. Moxa improves blood flow to areas of inflammation while promoting the natural radiation function of the skin. This also works on chronic inflammation diseases like arthritis.
As moxibustion has many benefits and can be used to treat multiple diseases and ailments, it might be a good addition to a person’s health regimen. It is recommended that you should see a properly trained and fully licensed practitioner. A quick internet search can easily provide the names of those located nearby. There’s never a better time than now to start incorporating healthy living habits, ask me for more information.
With the Covid19 pandemic still among us, we all walk a little weary into the back-to-school season. The good news is, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can help. Consider a TCM perspective for not only those anxious feelings but also as a modality to keep the immune system functioning optimally. Here are 4 ways to optimize your immune system this season to reduce your family’s chances of catching the Coronavirus, and other unwanted illnesses.
Focus on Your Circadian Rhythm
The circadian rhythm (CR) governs the body’s natural cycles and helps to regulate appetite, sleep, and mood – this cycle is influenced and controlled by light from the sun. There is an entire field of study called ‘Chrono medicine” that focuses on illnesses and disorders that occur when the body’s biological clock is disturbed, such as Jetlag, which you’ve likely experienced. Biochemical changes are known to occur when behavioral patterns are altered due to the division of night and day. We bring this topic to light (pun intended) because of the current Pandemic at hand. Many work, school, and daily schedules are altered due to the fact that the majority of the population is unemployed and doesn’t have to abide by a schedule. We encourage you to try and maintain at least a bedtime/wake-up time so that your body can function the way it’s meant to. The more inconsistent a sleep schedule, the more your life can be affected.
Optimize Your Immune System
Cold and flu season is just around the corner, which means our chances of catching the Coronavirus and/or another illness increases drastically as we head into the Fall months. These types of illnesses have a higher incidence rate in school kids, the immunocompromised, and in the elderly September onward, so it’s best to keep our bodies healthy and in the best condition possible heading into the new seasons. This can be done by consuming food and drink that help to optimize your body’s immune system functions such as the home remedy below. A healthy tea that you can drink to help stave away colds is as follows:
1 clove garlic
3 slices ginger
1 chopped scallion
1 basil
1 pinch of cinnamon
3 cups of water
Boil the above for up to 5 minutes, strain, and then consume it just before bed. This recipe suggests that you will sweat quite a bit as it’s intended to open the pores in order to release trapped pathogens.
Keep a Balanced Lifestyle
Eating properly isn’t enough to stave off the Coronavirus, but having a balanced lifestyle increases your chances of fighting off COVID-19. The following are several important items that can help keep your body healthy and balanced when fighting off any illness. -Keep a healthy weight
-Keep an active exercise schedule
-Limit alcohol consumption
-Limit your fast food intake, red meats, and processed foods
-Limit the amount of sugar you consume
Exercise and Water Consumption
If you’re following the above steps, eating healthy foods, and taking your vitamins, none of it will matter if you’re not properly hydrated, especially if we’re exercising. Did you know that your body loses water through simple actions such as digestion, breathing, and sweating? Water also helps your body dissolve vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from the food you consume. It then delivers these vitamin components to the rest of your body for use. If you maintain a balanced amount of exercise and water consumption, you’re helping to give your body the tools it needs to fight off illnesses. Remember the importance of rehydrating by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water.
We understand that these are challenging times, and, the best chance we have to get through this is, by taking care of our bodies, minds, and supporting our overall well-being, with a variety of tools and techniques – reach out to use, we can help.
We’re getting closer to the cold and flu season, and this year it’s a HOT topic for many of us with COVID-19 lurking. But fear not, there are things that you can do, right now, from the comfort of your home.
The following are different at-home Immune Optimizing recipes that you can make to help your body navigate this season of cold, flu, and virus.
SINUS & NASAL IRRIGATION
Ingredients: 8 oz squeeze bottle, 1 tsp sea salt, water
Preparation: Warm the water and salt (ensure it’s not too warm or this may cause nasal irritation) Setting: Bend over your sink and look straight down at the sink basin while turning your head to a 45-degree angle. Tip the squeeze bottle into your nostril until the liquid runs through your sinuses and leaves the other nostril. (Search Neti Pot Instructions online for clearer instructions).
CAYENNE, HONEY & LEMON TEA
Ingredients: 1 whole lemon, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp honey, 3 ½ cups water
Preparation: Boil the above ingredients together for upwards of 10 minutes and strain when finished
Setting/Frequency: Drink this tea three times per day.
DANDELION SMOOTHIE
Ingredients: 1 head of cabbage, 2 cucumbers, 2 oranges, and 1 cup of dandelion greens.
Preparation: Juice the above ingredients and pour into a glass
Setting/Frequency: Drink 3 glasses daily
ANTIOXIDANT-RICH NUT MIX
Ingredients: Pine nuts, goji Berries, blueberries (dried), and Brazil nuts
Preparation: Mix together each ingredient to taste preference
Setting/Frequency: Eat once daily as a snack, keep the recommended calorie count in mind with consumption of this mixture. Keep in mind that there are various ways you can take care of your body in order to bolster your immune health the best chance at fighting illnesses and functioning properly. These include avoiding smoking and taking drugs (that aren’t prescribed by a doctor), which are known for depleting the body’s qi and weakens it. Additionally, keep your emotions in check, negative emotions, stress, and anxiety can suppress immune function. Do your best to remain optimistic and keep a positive attitude with everything going on in the world around us. Start with the basics – exercise, eat right, sleep, and stay hydrated to maintain your body’s balance.
Your immune system is the most important part of your body when it comes to staying healthy and fighting off disease and illness. It works by detecting harmful pathogens and viruses and acting as a defense against them. When your immune system is not running properly, the body becomes more susceptible to illness.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has focused on immune health for centuries. TCM believes that disease and illness arise when there is an imbalance of Wei Qi in the body. When these energies are not in equilibrium, the body’s natural energy flow, Qi, experiences disturbances, and oftentimes results in illness.
To keep the body working properly, modalities such as acupuncture, Gua Sha, herbal medicine, acupressure, and exercises such as Tai Chi are used to bring the body back into balance. These methods of healing are what ultimately support a healthy immune system.
Acupuncture can help boost the immune system through specific acupressure points on the body. Here are a series of acupressure points to boost immunity and support your Wei Qi.
Acupuncture for the Immune System :
KIDNEY 27:
To locate this point, place your hands on either side of the depression on the lower clavicle bone. From here (with your fingers below the clavicle) separate hands approximately 1-2in horizontally (outward toward shoulders).
An excellent immune-boosting point used for common colds, influenza, and for people that have compromised immune systems. Kidney 27 is known to open the chest, descend lung and stomach Qi, and stop coughing.
LARGE INTESTINE 11:
Large Intestine 11 is located on the tip of the elbow. The easiest way to find this point is to bend your arm, look down the outer side of your forearm to the elbow, LI 11 lies there where the elbow crease meets the joint.
Acupuncture can be a great way to get your immune system flowing as it should be. Other ways to stay healthy and keep your immune system in tip-top shape is to take Vitamin C, get plenty of sleep each night, avoid alcohol, and other hindering depressants.
LUNG 7:
Lung 7 (LU 7) is located on the inside arm above the wrist. To find this point interlock your fingers (palms snuggly together) and direct your attention to your lowest thumb. On the outer edge of your thumb, you will find the crease of your wrist. The point lies roughly one inch down toward the elbow, in a depression between the sinew and the bone.
This is a very common point to use for systematic relief of cough, headache, and/or stiff neck. As the Luo point of the Lung channel, this point is used to treat anything related to the lungs (asthma, wheezing, bronchitis, cough, congestion, etc.) and can help symptoms associated with a weakened immune system.
STOMACH 36:
ST 36 can be found on the anterior (front) aspect of the lower leg. To identify the acupressure massage point, measure roughly four fingers below the kneecap on the outside edge of your shinbone. You will know you’re in the right place by flexing your foot back to feel the muscle below (the tibialis anterior muscle) begin to flex.
Performing acupressure on Stomach 36 is like a Vitamin C shot for your body. It is one of the most effective acupuncture points for strengthening the immune system, recovering from fatigue and boosting endurance.
Get into a comfortable position so that you can easily access all points. Apply finger pressure in a slow, rhythmic manner to enable the layers of tissue and the internal organs to respond. Never press any area in an abrupt, forceful, or jarring way. Keep track of the results of your self-acupressure practice to pay close attention to your progress and well-being.
Begin with Kidney 27 and work your way down the body.
– KIDNEY 27
– LARGE INTESTINE 11
– LUNG 7
– STOMACH 36
Stimulate each of the points on both sides of the body at the same time. Spend 30-60 seconds on each point and apply firm pressure while breathing steadily into your lower abdomen.
Strive to complete this routine at least once in the morning and once before bed. For more tips on how to take advantage of your body’s natural defense, call us or send us an email.
Tai Chi is one of the oldest forms of exercise practiced around the world. It was originated in China, and up to this date millions of people practice Tai Chi all around the world. One of the great benefits of Tai Chi is that it will improve you health and wellness.
Paul Brennan’s translation of Master Chu Min Yi’s book Tai Chi Boxing Photographed written in 1929 said this statement about Tai Chi and health cultivation:
Boxing arts are essentially a form of physical education, and so health cultivation is naturally a major emphasis. However, this is not represented well by the hard labor of external stylists, and only Taiji Boxing really has the capacity for health cultivation. Regardless of weak or strong, old or young, all can practice it. It is best for us to be able to develop our bodies uniformly, complementing the regular physiological processes within our bodies. Because strenuous exercise does not conform to these processes, it is typically rendered counterproductive.
Hence the movements in Taiji Boxing are unusually delicate. With each movement, the whole body is in motion, and thus no part of the body gets harmfully overworked. Furthermore, because the movements are gentle and nimble, they can regulate the temperament and cultivate one’s character, and because they conform perfectly to physiological processes, they can develop the body uniformly. While practicing, you do not need to put forth undue effort, and so even if you are old or ill, it is not difficult to do. Therefore the claim that it “prevents illness and prolongs life” is truly not a bunch of empty words.
Grandmaster Yin Chian Ho said: “Tai Chi is practiced not only to maintain the body, but also to prevent or remove invisible sickness. Where drugs may be ineffectual , Tai Chi may control sickness. The body and mind together look after the health in accordance with principles of physiology and hygiene.”
As we can see from older teachers, Tai Chi has always been a way for health cultivation.
Some of the many ways Tai Chi will help you as you practice includes the following:
Harvard medical school has said that Tai Chi has been known for “meditation in motion”, but it may be also be known for “medication in motion.” It will heal the body both physically and mentally.
Modern research has shown that Tai Chi has been good for many different health conditions:
All ages and skill levels can practice Tai Chi. Tai Chi will help you feel more energized, balance, and vitality. The more you practice Tai Chi deeper your appreciation you will feel and the benefits will be great.
We highly encourage you wherever you are to incorporate Tai Chi within your daily exercise regime. If you never have done Tai Chi before it is never too late to start.
