At this time of year so many of us seem to be sniffling. The common cold is a viral infection that affects the nose and throat. There are more than 200 viruses that can cause a cold so symptoms vary a bit. It takes about 7-10 days to recover from a cold but in our experience combining the wisdom of eastern and western medicine can speed the process up considerably.
A very merry Christmas to you and yours from all of us.
I am with my family in upstate New York. It’s early on Christmas morning and everyone else is asleep. I am puttering around the house wrapping presents and preparing vegetables. The turkey is brining outside in a big bin. We brine our turkey according to a recipe in Nigella Lawson’s book Feast: Food to Celebrate Life
I like my Christmases to be traditional and usually balk at attempts to change things. My late Mum loved Christmas and I reconnect to her and to my Gran by doing things the way they’ve always been done. So I’ll be making my Gran’s pork and apple stuffing and serving my Mum’s plum pudding. I’ll be singing along to Christmas carols whilst I make the gravy. There will be Christmas crackers (I think you call them poppers) and I’ll insist my family wear the silly hats inside them. I always get a little bit homesick at this time of year but all in all it will be a very English Christmas here in snowy upstate New York.
Happy Christmas to those of you who celebrate, happy 5th night of Chanukah to others of you (including my husband) and for everyone else whatever you wish yourself, consider yourself wished.
Love,
Jill
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— Pkruger | Dreamstime.com
This is the season when many of us eat and drink a little too much. With that in mind I thought I’d share a useful Chinese herbal formula for a condition known in Chinese medicine as food stagnation. This is another way of describing indigestion from over-indulging in rich foods. The formula is known as Bao He Wan or Preserve Harmony Pills.
We wish all our Jewish patients and staff a very Happy Chanukah.
These healthy Chanukah recipes from the Dallas News caught my eye. They look great although to be honest in our house my husband insists on making potato latkes the old fashioned way. He may have a point. Although grilled latkes sound very healthy, frying potato pancakes in oil symbolizes the miracle of one day’s oil lasting for eight days and so is an important part of the ritual.
May the eight days of Chanukah bring happiness and love to you and yours.
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© Woo Bing Siew | Dreamstime.com
Many of you have mentioned that you saw a recent article in the New York Times about acupuncture and headaches. Ten years ago the National Institutes of Health wrote that acupuncture was a promising treatment for chronic headaches but warned that more studies were needed to draw firm conclusions. Those studies have now been done and the results support the early promise.
A review of 25 clinical trials was published in in the December issue of Anesthesia and Analgesia and showed that acupuncture was an effective headache treatment. Many of our YinOva patients would agree. At our center we treat people who suffer from migraines, tension headaches, cluster headaches as well as headaches related to trauma, sinus problems, hormonal imbalances and high blood pressure. Continue reading…
Last week I cut myself whilst cooking Sunday lunch and reached for a Chinese powder called Yunnan Baiyao which stops bleeding when sprinkled on a cut. This reminded me to share with you some natural non-toxic Chinese herbal medicines that make a great addition to your first aid kit. All of these products are available in Chinatown and some are stocked in health food stores. We also stock most of these at The YinOva Center so feel free to ask for some if you’re visiting us.
Yunnan Baiyao (Sometimes also spelled Yunnan Paiyao)
Yunnan Baiyao is an herbal combination that works instantly to stop bleeding. It comes in powder form to sprinkle on a cut or in capsule form to be taken internally. It is rightly very famous in China because it works so well and it’s formula is a closely guarded secret. We know that it is an entirely natural product, made of herbs and that the main ingredients are Panax Notogensing and Rhizoma Dioscoreae. Legend has it that the mixture is made up by thirteen separate teams, none of whom have any knowledge of the herbs the other teams are mixing. The individual mixed components are then combined by a further team, who have no knowledge of what is in them. The formula is so closely guarded that only one copy of it exists, locked for safety and security in the safe of the General commanding the Chinese armed forces!
The Chinese army carry it to treat gun shot wounds but I use it for kitchen accidents. If you open a tub of powder you’ll find a little red pill under the lid. This should only be taken in cases of extreme shock. The powder itself can be sprinkled on a cut, mixed with water and rubbed into a wound or mixed with alcohol (vodka works well) and rubbed on a bruise. The capsules are to be taken internally and should only be used under the supervision of your acupuncturist. We use them for a variety of conditions from stopping excessive menstrual bleeding to helping our patients recover quickly after surgery. Whilst its safe to use the external powder if you’re pregnant, you should not take the internal capsules.
