Tag Archives: cold

Beat a Cold Quick

This was supposed to be posted last week but my computer ate it. Its even more relevant now that we have a break in the cold. A friendly reminder to keep you neck covered if you ditch the jacket this week so you don’t end up getting sick.

I could end this blog pretty quick, beat a cold by not getting yourself run down and then eating sugar.

That’s not usually what happens though does it?

Last week was my daughter’s birthday and I spent 2 days cooking and cleaning for what was meant to be a low key party with the family.

 

There was left over cake to eat. So we did on Sunday night. Monday I had a little at lunch too.

 

When I was leaving work on Monday night the bug that’s been bothering everyone decided to attack. I felt like I got hit by a bus. The sore throat, achy body and chills started almost all at once. I was low on my vitamin D supplement and didn’t feel well enough to grab my needles. So here is what I did.

I drew a bath of the warmest water I could stand and dumped a coffee cup of Epsom salts, bentonite clay and dead sea salts into it. I soaked until I felt nice and warm then I took my time getting out of the tub as many times if I get up too fast I have a tendency to feel dizzy. Once out of the tub I put on layers: sweat pants and a big heavy sweatshirt and fuzzy socks. I gave my husband and daughter a squeeze goodnight and crawled into bed under a big heap of blankets to sleep for the night. Its best to stay under the covers until you sweat to get all the yuck out. It took a while before I felt warm enough to peak a toe out from under the covers but I slept all bundled up for the night. When I woke the next morning most of my symptoms except for fatigue were all but gone.

 

Lucky for me I had the next day off to rest and load up on my usual cold go-too’s. Thieves in the diffuser. Chinese Herbs, Yin Qiao which rocks for a sore throat. Loaded up on my vitamins, extra fluids, and rest. This has been my (knock on wood) only cold all winter and I was able to kick it super fast.

 

Never under estimate a warm bath and rest to the rescue! (also never under estimate how sugar can knock down your immune system)

 

Stay healthy my friends. 🙂

What is this polar vortex all about?

The winter time according to Chinese Medicine relates to the Kidney/Urinary Bladder system and is associated with cold, fear, black, the lower back and knees and opens to the ears. The energy of the body is condensed and held deep in the body. It is a time of inner reflection and listening.

As I was driving into work today. I came across this.

It got me thinking. It’s been really cold this year. Seems like mother nature is forcing us all into a little extra hibernation. If you get really quiet and take a deep breath what do you hear? What is your body telling you? I think its telling me to lay close to a sunny window like a cat and take a nap. 🙂

Hope you are enjoying the polar vortex! 🙂 Enjoy some stillness.

Natural Remedy to Stay Hydrated and Happy When its Cold Out

I don’t know about you but this winter has already been cold and long for me. I just can’t seem to stay hydrated. Just the thought of drinking some (room temp) water makes me feel cold! I know many people have been complaining of headaches lately and I’m sure lack of hydration plays a part in this. My lips are in constant need of chapstick too.

This is a quick and easy way to stay hydrated and uplift your spirits.

Drinking too much coffee and tea can have a dehydrating effect on your system. Here’s what I’ve been doing.

I’ve been drinking mug fulls of warm to hot water with a drop of citrus fresh.

The warm water feels good inside and out and the citrus fresh has an uplifting scent if this weather has you feeling down. Citrus fresh contains lemon, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, manderin, and spearmint. This blend tastes good and help you crave extra hydration especially if you find it harder to get water in during the winter months.

This is what the Essential Oils Desk Reference also has to say about citrus fresh.

“Stimulates the right brain to amplify creativity and well-being as well as eradicate anxiety and works well as an air purifier. University researchers in Japan found that diffusing a citrus fragrence in an office environment improve mental accuracy and concentration by 54%.”

Citrus oils are high in limonene that help to prevent damage to DNA and can also help with swelling and dampness in the body if you are retaining water.

You could also simply put fresh slices of oranges or lemons into your water. What I love about using essential oils instead is that they are super portable so you can bring them with you wherever you go, concentrated and they don’t go bad like fruit does. You can order oils here.   If you need help ordering oils just let me know!

Acupressure for Getting Rid of Cold

Winter is a rough season for many people that suffer from chronic pain, especially pain that is worse in the cold. In Chinese Medicine we call pain an obstruction or blockage and classify the pain based on environmental factors: heat, cold, dampness, dryness and wind. Whatever environmental factors make the pain worse are usually the culprits behind the pain and sometimes its more then one like wind, cold and dampness, for example.

Luckily, there are acu-points that work at removing the factor causing the pain. If you are waking up with sore, stiff,  joints and they seem to be worse now that we’ve settled into winter try doing a little acupressure.

The point to remove cold is poetically named ‘clear cold abyss’ and is located on the san jiao or triple warmer meridian.

To find this point bend your elbow and slide your finger from the tip of your elbow up towards your shoulder just an inch of so. When you extend your elbow their will be a tiny hollow your finger will fall into if you are on the right spot and it might feel achy or tender to the touch if you’ve been really sore or stiff.

Once you’ve found the spot gently massage tiny circles for about a minute on both elbows. You can do this as often as you need to.

Feeling Tired? This Could Be Why

The last 2 days we’ve been living in the clouds, literally. The fog yesterday was pretty intense. If you are feeling sluggish this could be why.

We are transitioning into winter. This is a time of turning inward and for many animals it’s also hibernation time. We’ve talked about this already. The sunless sky and all the fog is a very damp environment. It may even feel like the dampness is in your bones. Dampness in Chinese Medicine is an obstruction or blockage that can cause you to feel weighed down, it’s also mother nature’s reminder to slow down! Cold causes energy to constrict and move slow and so as much as you can let your life reflect that.

You might be thinking, “this all sounds great, but I have stuff to do.” Here are some simple ways to prepare for winter so that you can be mindful of what your body needs and realistic of your life as well.

1. Eat warming foods and spices. The season of winter is cold and is associated with the bones and low back and the color is black. Incorporate stews, soups and chilis in to your menu and add warming spices like black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, ginger etc. Look forward to some yummy winter recipes. 🙂

2. Because this is a season of turning in it is important to avoid stimulants like coffee. Also avoid damp causing foods like dairy, processed foods and refined sugar as this can contribute to fatigue.

3. Take some time to hibernate. If extra sleep isn’t possible try incorporating meditation or quiet time into your routine even if its just for 5 minutes. There is a saying that says meditate everyday for 20 minutes and if you are really busy meditate for an hour!

4. Switch up your exercise routine. Avoid high impact cardio exercise in the winter months to replenish your system.  Add restorative yoga, walking and weight training to your routine.

5. Surrender! It is few and far between the number of comments I hear of someone looking forward to the dark and cold or winter. Find beauty in the season, it is after all the balance to the summer and the sun is always shining behind the clouds! 😉

 

Meditation for the Winter Blues

Today’s meditation is more of a contemplation. 🙂

I was home yesterday with my little one and we already had a lot of pent-up energy despite a busy morning. It got me thinking…. everyone knows about spring cleaning but what about the other seasons? I glanced around my house and noticed a summer of fun (and housekeeping neglect) in dust bunnies and spider webs hanging out in the smallest crevices of our house. I grabbed my bottle of thieves cleaner and handed my toddler a dust rag and we got to work, mostly on our hands and knees deep cleaning the base boards, the stairs, vacuuming and dusting. We got to all those places that get missed when doing a superficial clean. We picked off all the dried, dead leaves on our houseplants and gave them a little extra TLC. I have to admit, my husband would make a much better housewife than I ever would at least in the cleaning department. I really have to be in “the mood” to clean but yesterday the inspiration hit me. It really felt like a moving meditation.

 

What was all that dust in those corners all about metaphorically? What was I hanging onto that was no longer serving me and causing stagnation?

It was time to clean up and let go.

What was so awful about winter? Why all the dread?

In Chinese Medicine acupuncture is just one branch of the whole system, feng shui is another component. Feng Shui is all about proper placement so that energy can flow smoothly in your environment. This can get complicated or it can be really simple. Do you feel good in your surroundings? If you do, awesome! If you don’t give your space a good clean and rearrange some furniture.

Another thing I noticed was that I am very resistant to even thinking about winter and how fast it is approaching, all this cold and darkness. Again, Chinese Medicine offers us a system of balance: brightness and darkness, hot and cold, yin and yang etc etc. Winter is a piece of that puzzle. It is a time to counterbalance all that bright energy and heat of summer. And, Winter is especially a time of reflection and going inward: a time to face one’s fears.

So my meditation for you today is this: when the mood strikes you grab a dust rag, your favorite music and move your body. Enjoy the untangling of your home and mind as you put everything back together again and then enjoy how good it feels to have a clean home!

Join me for a 4 week series of meditations to mindfully move through the holidays Nov 25-Dec 16 Mondays 12:00p-12:30p. You can find more info here.Â