I remember one of my first classes in Acupuncture school was Intro to Chinese Herbal medicines. It was absolutely fascinating and eye opening. We were shown plant based non-pharmaceutical remedies ranging from topical ointments to powders to teas and tablets that had been used for centuries for everything from headaches and menstrual pain to vomiting, and colds, allergies, coughs, diarrhea, bleeding wounds and more. I was riveted. Over the next four years of my training, my family became my testing ground for many of these formulas. Having two young children coming home from school with the typical childhood illnesses I had plenty of opportunity to try out my new herbal pharmacy! It was thrilling to see that a fever could be lowered with an herbal tea. That a bloody nose could be stopped in seconds with a “stop bleeding” herb. That a bad cough could be relieved with a homemade drink of lemon, raw honey and fresh ginger. But when one of them got a terrible staph infection at a farm camp I was also relieved to use antibiotics prescribed by their pediatrician.
So our medicine cabinet is a blend of East and West, combining the best of both worlds. As a general rule, I follow Hippocrates famous quote, “Let food be thy medicine”. I believe it is best to avoid pharmaceuticals unless they are the best or only option. The human body was designed to heal itself. Achieving homeostasis was built into our systems. Sometimes we get so out of whack we need help to regulate which is where herbal pharmacopeia are helpful.
Some years ago as I went through “change of life” I began to suffer some of the common symptoms - hot flashes, irritability, insomnia, etc. I didn’t want to take hormones. To me that seems so against nature and since a large percentage of breast cancers are estrogen related it didn’t make sense to me to start taking estrogen. Thankfully there are Traditional Chinese Herbal formulas targeting these symptoms and I found they work very well as I sailed into menopause as gracefully as possible!
Herbal formulas should be considered medicine, and I do not recommend using them without the guidance of a licensed herbalist. Licensed acupuncturists in California have had 4 years of training in acupuncture and herbs, among other things, and will have licenses to practice herbal medicine.
But there is much you can do on your own using and here are some of my favorites for cold and flu season:
For cough: 2 cups water, 1 cut up lemon, 5 slices fresh ginger, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 mins. Add 1 tablespoon raw honey and drink.
For stuffy noses: do a steam using essential oils of Eucalyptus and Peppermint. Just boil water and put a few drops of both essential oils and breathe in with towel tented over head to keep the steam in.
Nausea, and indigestion: ginger tea. Gently boil several slices fresh ginger and sip.
And what I can’t live without is “Digestive Tonic” from Dr. Schultze : https://www.herbdoc.com/digestive-tonic. This little tonic instantly cures indigestion!
Aches & Pains: I make my own healing oils for aches and pains using jojoba oil and different essential oils like lavender, frankincense, rosemary, peppermint and marjoram. Use a hot pack after applying for chronic pains, ice for new.
Arnica is an essential homeopathic remedy which helps with bruising and pain. But the topical ointment and apply to achy areas.
Take an immune boosting supplement like Nordic Immune from Nordic Naturals.