FTF: Respiratory Wellness

Favorite Things Friday (FTF) lives on!  

I wanted discuss the cold and allergy symptoms that all Houstonians seem to be constantly battling.  I would define my beliefs as rooted in old wives tales (which our generation seems to have lost) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).  As with most homeopathic treatments, these things are intended to stave off an oncoming problem.  Fewer things are effective once the illness catches some momentum.

The most obvious things, REST, HYDRATE and take VITAMINS.  Yes, I did it.  I used all caps... because it's that important.  I won't bore you with explanations.

Avoid Yin foods.  

I'm sure you remember seeing the Yin-Yang symbol.  The white is yin and represents things cold, sweet and dairy.  Your cold / allergy symptoms mean you have too much yin, so avoid cold, sweet and dairy in your diet.  All of these items create more phlegm, which your body is already battling.  Switch to lukewarm or hot drinks and foods.  Orange juice and smoothies are not your friend.  The one sweet exception to the rule may be honey, but even then, I recommend hot water, fresh lemon juice and stevia.  Green tea will detoxify and help dry you out too.  If you want to take it to the next level, click here to learn more about warming and cooling foods.  This concept is supported by TCM and Ayurveda.  As a side note, avoid strawberries which actually create more histamines. 

Add a little Astragalus to your diet.  

Three times a day, I cut orange juice with water and add about 15 drops for Anna Belle or 30 for me.  If you don't like the eucalyptus smell and flavor, then you can swallow a pill.  In Chinese medicine, this is called Huang Qi, which means Wind Energy.  It's best used before the onset of a cold, at the first sign of runny nose or a sore throat.  I buy this in the hippie (homeopathic) section of HEB, our fav grocery store.  Here's what it looks like.

If you have full blown cold symptoms, visit an acupuncturist / herbalist (most acupuncturists also provide herbs), and they will give you a pack of herbs (pills) to clear your cold (without the drugged feeling of your normal OTC drugs).

Stay Warm

When you're suffering from a cold, have you walked up to get something, decide you feel great and breathe easier, but then sit down again and feel miserable?  When you're moving around, your body is creating heat which melts away the phlegm (it's that Yin-Yang thing again).  I know it's old school but dress warmly.  Consider using a hot pad to soothe a stiff neck or loosen up your sinuses too.  I've been known to sleep with a warm hot pad on top of my head to help me breathe through my nose all night.

Sweat Baths

I know this sounds like staying warm, but it deserves it's own section.  Northern Europeans prefer to sweat it out in a sauna, but many Romans, Greeks, Chinese and Indians have used sweat baths to rid toxins from the body (a practice thousands of years old).  I sit in the tub as I fill it up, so I can slowly adjust to the heat.  Depending on the size of your tub, add 1 - 2 cups of ONE of the following: baking soda, apple cider vinegar, epsom salt.  Do not mix these additives, but try to rotate between them for each sweat bath. Wait an hour or two after a meal to do your sweat bath.  When you start to sweat, listen to your body.  If you need to cool down the water or get out, do it.  I generally take 20 minutes to warm up, 20 minutes of heart pounding sweat, and the next 20 minutes I start adding cold water to help my body return to normal.  I drink approx. 24 oz. of iced tea during my bath.  I also lay down afterwards to recover.  Regardless of whether or not you are sick, this is an excellent detox practice.  It will get easier with time.  

"Give me a fever, and I can cure any illness"

- Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine

How do you create a fever?  Take a sweat bath!

Neti Pot

Many Easterners believe that you should wash your nasal cavities daily, just like we believe you should brush your teeth daily.  I was totally grossed out by the concept, but became desperate when I was diagnosed with severe allergies (which are thankfully gone).  The first time you try it is the hardest (like you unexpectedly snorted ocean water), but it gets easier every day.  I filled my Neti Pot with warm water and a pinch of epsom salt.  Click here for more info.  Cleaning your nasal passages helps clear the crud and allergens and helps keep your mucous sticky (enabling it to filter allergens before further entering the body).

 For my kids, I use simple saline nasal spray, which they don't mind.  Personally, I "enjoy" the Neti Pot more than saline spray because the spray gets in my throat.

Do you feel overwhelmed yet?
Don't stress about doing all of these things.  Mostly, these are just extra tools in your wellness tool box. Pediatricians and General Practice doctors seem to have lost their faith in these basic principles, and thus our culture has lost familiarity with them.  To my sick friends and family... I'm thinking about you.  Be well!