Saturday, October 11, 2014
External Pathogenic Factors: Understanding Illness via Traditional Chinese Medicine.
2:00 PM | 
Posted by
Kaplan Center for Health and Wellness
By : Mary Oleksowicz , MSTOM , L.Ac
Daily
use of ginger tea and regular
consumption of stews and soups that incorporate pungent herbs with strengthening
root vegetables can help prepare our
bodies for the health challenges of winter . Next time, we will review the use
of other traditional methods for dealing
with pathogenic invasion .
As we enter the fall and winter months, it is
inevitable that the cold and flu season will begin. This week, we will review
the concepts of external pathogenic factors and their impact upon our health.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), what many of us would consider a “cold” may
be consider a pathogenic invasion of cold. Grandma’s traditional advice that
cold weather can make you ill is a reality from a TCM perspective.
Initial signs and symptoms of a “wind-cold “
invasion could include a runny nose,
headache, achy muscles especially those
at the back of the neck . Chronic invasions
of wind-cold may indicate a deficiency or weakness in our defensive energy ,
wei qi ( way chi). Wei Qi can be equated to the idea of immunity in Western
physiology. By strengthening our wei qi
and protecting ourselves from physical cold , we can reduce the number of
infections we experience each year. One of the easiest ways to reduce wind-cold
invasion is through the use of a scarf. A scarf around the neck protects our “windgates’,
points of weakness on the body that can allow cold and illness to invade. Foods
that strengthen our immune system or wei qi are advised as well. These immune strengthening
foods include , sweet potatoes, pears and foods that are pungent . Pungent or aromatic foods include
ginger, garlic and chili peppers.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment