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WEEKLY ARTICLE
Proceed Gingerly / aka Wholly Macro's Secret Weapon Against Colds Ok. Thanksgiving is over. Now let's immediately bring on Christmas and New Years! No breather. No time to relax. Just one holiday, back to back, right after another. This must have all been invented during a slower, quieter time, in a slower, quieter world. Because in this fast paced electronic day and age it can all become a bit overwhelming. Uh oh. Do I sound like Scrooge? "Bah, humbug". I don't mean to. I like the holidays. I really do. But with the start of the holiday season, another season also begins to unfold, the cold and flu season. And I can't help but wonder whether the frenetic pace of the holidays, the over-indulgence of food and drink, the seasonal weather changes, and yes, the influx of snowbirds (here in South Florida), or perhaps out of town guests and relatives in your neck of the woods, and the various and remote bugs and viruses they may unknowingly be carrying with them, has something to do with the vulnerability we suddenly display towards colds and flu's this time of year.  Inevitably, each year at this time, we here at Wholly Macro suddenly find ourselves surrounded by people with colds and flu's. It becomes the main and only topic of conversation in far too many circles. And it doesn't have to be this way.  In a perfect world, if you were eating according to season, you would have done a spring cleaning type diet in the spring, deeply cleansing all of your organs, especially the digestive organs, with lots of digestive toning leafy green vegetables, vegetable soups and juices, and cleansing spring grains such as barley and rye.
Over the summer you would be eating more lightly and not gumming your system up with heavy baked flour products and dairy, nor weakening your immune system with sugar. And sugar is very tempting in the summer, in the form of ice cream, cold drinks, (even "health food store" ice creams and cold drinks), and other typically cooling summer foods and drinks. And yes, even too much fruit can be a bad thing due to its high sugar content. Come fall, your system would be clean and clear, (in a perfect world!), and mucus food forming free. Your immune system would be strong and healthy, since you didn't over-indulge in sugar over the summer, and you would therefore be less susceptible to the various colds and flu's floating around. You would also be well rested following your summer vacation, again, in a perfect world. 
And come winter, you would naturally begin to eat a heavier diet as winter progresses, strengthening your system and bucking up to ward off the cold temperatures. As winter comes to an end, and back to spring, your diet would once again become lighter, spring like, and cleansing, to cleanse out the heaviness of winter, lighten up the bodies load for summer, and enter fall nice and clean, in a mucus free body that is not a desirable host to the dreaded cold and flu germ. And so on, and so on, season after season. Flowing and at one with the all-knowing universe. Wake up! Sounds great, doesn't it? But how many of us really do this?? We do here at Wholly Macro, and our menus reflect this sort of seasonal eating pattern. We also happen to fare rather well in the cold and flu department, in part because of our seasonal and healthy approach to both diet and lifestyle, but also because of our additional and oh so healthy secret weapons against colds that we would like to share with you below. Secret #1:  We use a hot water bottle in the winter to stay warm. The old fashioned hot water bottle that you can purchase at CVS or Walgreen's. Here is how you use it and why it is so healthy, as compiled from years of Wholly Macro experience:
You fill it with hot water per the instructions on the package. If it starts out too hot for comfort you can wrap it in a towel or light cloth. Keeping it covered keeps it warmer longer. I fill it with fresh hot water before I get in bed at night and it lasts / stays warm all night long because it is under the covers. It is best to go ahead and use the hottest water recommended and just wrap it in a towel so that you don't have to refill it as often. Placement is key. The kidney and bladder meridians run vertically up and down the front and back of the body. And the kidneys and bladder are the organs most vulnerable to the cold. Our ancestors knew to keep the middle part of the back and the abdomen covered with warm clothing to protect the kidneys from the cold, thus strengthening their entire system. So, it is best to put the hot water bottle on your abdominal area, aka the Hara, or on your middle back over the kidneys. You will feel the warmth travel along these two meridians and warm your entire body very effectively, keeping the kidneys strong, healthy, and vital throughout the winter months. When we sit we place the hot water bottle either on our abdomen or behind our back. I love putting it behind my back while at the computer to ease back discomfort. And when in bed at night it works well in both places. I alternate. One night against my kidneys, the next night against my abdomen.   For added health benefits, Secret # 2: you can create a modified version of the oriental medicine healing home remedy known as the ginger compress, by saturating a towel in hot water that has been steeped with fresh ginger, wringing it out well, placing it over your abdomen or mid back region, and then putting the hot water bottle over the top of it. The ginger will assist the heat in penetrating deep into your body. If the towel is too hot, place a dry towel between the ginger water towel and your body, and place another dry towel over the ginger towel to hold the heat in. Place the hot water bottle under the upper dry towel, and over the wet one. If this compress is placed over your kidneys (on your back), it relaxes kidneys that have become too tight from factors such as cold, too much or bad quality salt, strained back muscles, or excessive sitting or standing. Also, the ginger itself contains properties that promote circulation of the blood and break up stagnation of all types, bringing a tremendous exchange of fresh blood and energy to the kidneys and adrenal glands.  If placed over the abdomen, or hara region, the seat of our energy flow, and coincidently corresponding to the large intestine, which is probably the single most critical organ related to true and deep cleansing of the body, the hot water bottle and / or modified ginger compress, will hasten the removal of chronic intestinal stagnation - the build-up of impacted mucus material locked into the intestinal walls stemming from unhealthy diet and lifestyle over the course of an entire lifetime. Enemas, colonics, herbal colon cleanses and various fasts do not effectively remove this chronic stagnation that is lodged in the walls of the intestine. But the combination of heat and ginger is a very effective treatment in sloughing off the mucus build-up in the cavity of the intestines. For colds and flu's and their accompanying congestion, you can use the modified version of the ginger compress, per above, and place the ginger towel and heating pack over your upper chest, and / or upper back to break up congestion in the lungs. You can also use the same hot ginger water, dip a washcloth into it instead of a towel, and lightly press the washcloth to your forehead, cheeks, and nasal area to break up clogged congested sinuses in the facial region. This treatment has a double benefit. The hot ginger compress on your cheeks acts like a natural facial, bringing fresh blood and circulation to your facial tissue, resulting in a beautiful and rosy complexion! We just love to healthily multi-task here at Wholly Macro!! Do these sort of ginger compress treatments two to three times a day until the symptoms of the cold and congestion are on the mend. Keep the ginger water hot by placing it on a very low simmer on the stove. Do not let it boil, as boiling destroys gingers healing properties. And we always suggest you consult a qualified macrobiotic counselor and / or medical doctor at your discretion, and condition relative, before proceeding with any of the above ginger compresses. And last but far from least: Secret # 3: Using fresh organic ginger, wash it well (removing the skin is not necessary), and make your own homemade ginger lozenges, by slicing the ginger into thin pieces, and sucking on one piece every two hours at the very first even slightest inkling of a cold, sore throat, or cough.  The action of ginger is dispersive. It disperses toxins. It breaks up stagnation. And it prevents a cold or flu, with their tendency towards deeply settling into your sinuses and lungs, from settling. Sucking on fresh ginger "lozenges" immediately, before the bug can settle in, is key. Ginger also contains natural anti-microbial properties, which additionally thwart cold and flu germs. You can carry several slices of fresh ginger lozenges with you for the day, but leaving them wrapped in a baggie or paper towel for a prolonged period of time, such as when traveling, can lead to spoilage. And we always bring our ginger lozenges with us when traveling to ward of the dreaded close quarter airplane, cruise ship, hotel, friends homes, or the like, bugs. To make ginger lozenges in advance, it is best to slice the ginger, not quite as thin as when fresh, and simply leave it spread out on a plate or cutting board, exposed to the natural air, until it has completely dried. You can then place these dried "lozenges" in a bag, tin, vial, or other traveling container, and carry them with you. When needed, simply place a slice in your mouth and let it naturally re-hydrate. "Proceed Gingerly", it does have a slight, but easily tolerable bite to it!! When you get to your destination, you can always purchase fresh ginger as well. The naturally dispersive action of ginger, (complimented even more so when combined with the activity promoting quality of heat as in the compress), stimulates the circulation of blood and tissue fluids such as lymph, in facilitating the ushering of toxins from the body. In addition: Fresh ginger, or when preserved per above, will also come in very handy in the event of an upset stomach or bout of sea sickness while traveling, or at home!! 
Of course, eating a diet based on whole grains, beans, and vegetables, (due to the high fiber content of these naturally healing foods, and the various energetic and healing qualities that the foods contain and impart to the various organs of our body), will do all of the above as well. So be sure to check out this week's Wholly Macro Delivery Menu below, where we artfully combine them all in our continuing pursuit of optimal health! In closing, we ask you: What better way is there to take advantage of the winter season, than eating a healthy diet, and using a hot water bottle, ginger compress, and homemade ginger lozenges? At Wholly Macro, we do this warming / healing / cleansing / rejuvenating ritual every winter, and look forward to it as part of our seasonal cycle of being one with the planet. There is still plenty of winter left to give this a try. In fact, here in South Florida, winter hasn't even started yet! It is a slow one this year, and hasn't been cold enough to even break out the hot water bottle yet. But colds and flu's, beware. We have our secret weapons, and aren't afraid to use them!! Having Fun As always, Gayle and Jaime / Wholly Macro |
