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Family Acupuncture Log
with Kay Madsen, Licensed Acupuncturist
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"Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way."
~Native American Saying
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Kay's Favorite Flu Remedies
Chinese Herbal Formulas
Gan Mao Ling
Yin Qiao San
Take either formula at the onset of cold or flu symptoms or even in the case of known exposure. Gua Sha
Skin scraping technique that can ease the grip of colds and flu immediately. Can be easily taught for in-home use. Oscillococcinum
This is a homeopathic remedy that helps to knock out flu symptoms. Extra Vitamins
Vitamin C Buffered powder is best; sold as calcium ascorbate or magnesium ascorbate Vitamin D3Although increasing vitamin intake alone will not likely stop a cold or flu, it can help shorten duration and lessen severity. Steam Inhalations with Aromatherapy
To help ease upper respiratory symptoms and even prevent secondary infections, like bronchitis, sinusitis or pneumonia. Place steaming water in a large bowl with a few drops of essential oils. (Use no more than two or three kinds at a time.) Tent your head and breathe deeply for about 10 minutes. These are a few of my favorite oils: peppermint (de-congesting)eucalyptus(de-congesting)tea tree(anti-microbial)oregano(anti-microbial)thyme(anti-microbial)german chamomile(soothing - itchy eyes) If you have questions about any of these remedies, please e-mail me.
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I am hoping that this finds you healthy and happy. Here in the DC area, the leaves are giving us their final blast of breathtaking color, as many of the trees are letting go. In November, we begin to feel the gravity of winter slowly encroaching, as the seasonal cycle falls from yang to yin.
As for me, like American families everywhere, we are busily planning for Thanksgiving dinner. And let me just say right off, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down. It is a meal that I relish preparing and sharing with those I love. My daughter and I will be glued to the Food Network Live Thanksgiving Special to make sure that we catch the latest tips from Bobby Flay on how to prepare the perfect turkey. The only struggle I face is in keeping the energy of the festivities pure to the season. So, I hereby vow to refuse to even think about Christmas until December. And to also remember that the celebration is more about gratitude (Thanks) and sharing our abundance (giving) than over indulgence and retched excess.
On the health front, we must prepare for the flu season that lies ahead. Please enjoy this month's featured article for tips to keep you one step ahead of the flu.
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Taking the Fear Out of the Flu
Our Thanksgiving tradition stems from a time when people relied on the local land for food. The robustness of the autumn harvest and skill in food preservation literally determined winter's survival, which was not a given.
Given our modern year round abundance of food, the shift from autumn to winter hardly evokes fears of starvation anymore. We do, however, fear the upcoming flu season to the point of near obsession. Our fears are probably deeply imbedded as a harkening back to centuries past when the flu was indeed more fatal. In this time and place, however, our perception of the risk is way overblown. I don't typically subscribe to conspiracy theories, because it makes me sound like a nut. I do, however, believe that our fears are systematically and deliberately preyed upon, mostly to bolster demand for flu vaccines.
All that being said, the flu, while not usually dangerous for most of us, is certainly not fun and there is nothing wrong with trying to avoid getting sick.
The Hermit Approach
Most public health campaigns focus on exposure avoidance. We are advised to not come into contact with sick people, stay home when we are ill to prevent spreading our germs, and to wash our hands frequently. To the extent that you can control getting exposed to viruses, that's all really good advice.
The problem is that this advice doesn't match up with the real life circumstances of non-cave dwellers. Most of us do not have the luxury of spending the entire winter on flexi-place and home schooling our children for the season. You can give your child as many bottles of hand sanitizer as you want, but that won't make her use it every time she touches the desk that her sick classmate just used. (Guess that mom didn't get the don't send your child to school sick memo.) Sure, germaphobia might be necessary for people with very compromised immune systems. And certainly the most at risk people (like chemotherapy patients and organ transplant recipients) need to take every precaution. The reality for most of us is that, truthfully, we cannot completely avoid exposure.
The Best Offense is a Good Defense
It is probably a safe bet that, at some point in the upcoming season, you will be exposed to the flu virus. Whether and to what extent you become sick will depend on your internal defense mechanism, i.e., your immune system.
On this score, the public health campaigns strongly urge us to get a flu vaccine. Now that's a controversial topic. I won't jump into the heart of the controversy of the perceived risks and benefits of flu vaccines. Let's just say that getting vaccinated will not guarantee that you won't get the flu. Even the CDC has to acknowledge that fact. Whether vaccinated or not, it behooves us all to bolster our immune systems naturally.
Eating and sleeping habits are the two most important lifestyle components to keeping a strong immune system. December's newsletter will focus more on adjusting our habits appropriately for the winter season. The short hand version is this: (1) eat like Goldilocks (neither too much nor too little, too rich nor too paltry); and (2) shorter days mean longer nights.
Beyond adopting healthy lifestyle habits, nutrient supplementation is equally important in maintaining a strong immune system. Specific needs and concerns should be discussed with a health care provider who is well versed in nutrition and supplementation. (Note that this is typically not an M.D.) Generally, a high quality well balanced multi-vitamin and mineral formula is a good start. Extra vitamins C and D3 are also very important immunity builders.
Super Flu Fighters
It's going to happen. Even the strongest of the strong may ultimately succumb to the flu. Once the flu has you in its mighty grip, extra vitamins are probably not going to make much of
a dent. You may need to deploy heavier arsenal to help you get over the flu more quickly, so that it doesn't become the risky disease we fear so much.
My first go-to remedy is Chinese herbs, specifically formulas known as "gan mao ling" and "yin qiao san." Either of these taken at the very first sign of the flu or a head cold can literally stop the invader in its tracks. I will even start taking the herbs prior to symptom onset if I know I have been exposed. These herbs are in my medicine cabinet year round. I wouldn't be caught going through flu and cold season without them.
Another powerful tool we get from Chinese medicine is to apply a technique called gua sha. Mom's throughout Asia use this skin scraping technique on the back to help the body give the flu the boot. Click here for more information about gua sha.
See the sidebar for a quick look at all my favorite flu remedies, Chinese and otherwise. I hope this advice helps take the fear out of the flu (and colds) so that you can embrace the upcoming winter season and the many gifts it brings.
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ABOUT ME
After leaving behind a decade of practicing as an attorney, I received my Masters of Acupuncture in 2002 from the Traditional Acupuncture Institute in Columbia, Maryland. It certainly was an interesting career shift! Every day I am increasingly grateful to do this amazing work. I guess I still use some of my old attorney skills to piece together every patient's experiences to create a new picture of their health concerns from a Chinese medical perspective. From there we fashion a strategy toward healing together. It never gets old to watch a person's sufferings unravel. Sure beats interpreting government regulations for a living!
I keep balance in my own life by sharing my love of outdoor experiences with my husband and daughter. Camping, hiking and critter watching are much loved family activities. It's important to me to see that my daughter learns to attune herself to the movement of the seasons and the many lessons they offer, so that she can appreciate balance from an early age.
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Suite 204
Silver Spring, MD 20906
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Kay Madsen, M.Ac., L.Ac., Dipl.Ac. (NCCAOM)
Licensed Acupuncturist
13415 Connecticut Ave.
Suite 204
Silver Spring, MD 20906
(240) 393-5420
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Copyright � 2013. All Rights Reserved.
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