Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) On How Colds and Flu Invade Our Bodies and How to Prevent Them
If you were to swab for germs at most any grocery store or public location you would find all sorts of bacteria, viruses and various pathogens that are blamed for many illnesses. In Chinese medicine we believe it is very important to focus on the individual’s Wei Qi which is our bodies strength and balance. If our systems are strong and balanced then the internal and external bacteria and viruses we are surrounded by, as well as in our own systems should remain in check. Bacteria and viruses can flourish when they have the right environment for the pathogens to thrive.
Chinese medicine considers our environment one factor for catching colds or flu. If we are getting too much cold, heat, damp or wind, these can cause our systems to be weakened and invaded. However, not only is the external an issue but also internally there are factors for being vulnerable to catching colds or flu.
TCM divides our common cold into four categories according to pathogenic causes: cold, wind, dampness and heat. The most common types are wind cold and wind heat. Once it is determined the symptoms are “hot” or “cold”, we can proceed with a treatment plan.
In Chinese Medicine “cold” symptoms include sneezing, runny nose with clear or white phlegm, itchy throat, coughing up clear or white mucus, and an achy body. If you have them, Chinese Medicine says the pathogen is “wind-cold” and must be balanced to heal.
“Hot” symptoms include sore throat, more fever than chills, thirst, nasal congestion with yellow phlegm, and coughing up yellow mucus. These symptoms mean the pathogen is “wind-heat”. This knowledge will help you to know how to proceed with foods and herbs.
Eating a diet that is too hot, cold, or damp are the primary internal causes for imbalances in the body and making it more susceptible.
Damp is one of the most common problems; eating products high in sugar, dairy and white flour, cause our bodies to become too damp. Thus, making them more susceptible to be invaded or overrun by various pathogens that flourish in dampness and may or may not already be present in or around the body.
Chinese herbal medicine can be extremely helpful to ease common cold symptoms. Many Chinese herbs to treat cold and flu are foods. Also, some natural remedies that are very easy to buy in the supermarket or you may already have at home to help balance and heal the body.
For wind cold, you need to have foods such as ginger, and garlic. For wind heat, you need to have foods such as spinach and peppermint. TCM recommends drinking a hot ginger, onion, garlic soup, then going to bed under thick blankets to promote sweating.It is one of the common methods to relieve cold symptoms in Traditional Chinese Medicine, especially fever to be sweated out.
Additionally, Yin Chiao Cold Remedy or Gan Mao Ling are two of the best Chinese Herbal formulas to relieve symptoms of the common cold and flu by helping to boost the bodies Wei Qi (pronounced “chee”) or what most of us know as the immune system. Chinese Medicine also instructs us to tone the Defensive Qi which helps to prevent sickness. Here are good ways to achieve this:
Keep your skin clean and healthy, your skin is one of your first defenses against pathogens, be it a virus, bacteria or wind-cold or wind-heat.
Get plenty of sleep. Ideally, try for eight to nine uninterrupted hours each night. Eat foods that are easy to digest and nourishing to the body. Homemade broth-based soups, stews, and stir fries, with cooked grains, vegetables and organic meat.
Eat slowly, and chew your food well, be mindful of what you are eating and how it is nourishing your body (thinking of the life force of your food supporting your life-force).
Take deep breaths, try to set aside 5 minutes daily for deep breathing, meditating or other ways to manage your stress.
Cover your neck, (Chinese medicine believe this is a more vulnerable area for illness to invade). Bundle up in warm clothes that keep your skin, neck, chest and nose protected from the wind.