We’ve been seeing a lot of respiratory complaints in the clinic lately.
Whether you’ve been effected by the bush fires and poor air quality, aren’t dealing well with the humid climate we’ve been having lately, or have a cough and phlegm that you just can’t seem to shake, Chinese herbs can really help shift these stubborn and often lingering respiratory symptoms. Acupuncture, cupping and gua sha can also really help ease any breathing difficulties and help circulate the stagnation that’s making these kinds of conditions so tough to shift on their own. Matt would be glad to help you in an appointment.
There’s also so much you could be doing with your diet and lifestyle at home! Here are our tips:
- Wim Hof Method breathing technique
If you haven’t learnt this technique yet, ask Matt at your next appointment! And in the mean time, you can download the Wim Hof Method app and get started with the instructional videos recorded by Wim Hof himself. - Avoid ‘Damp‘ promoting foods including dairy, sugar, wheat, processed foods, yeast products (e.g. beer), bananas, excessive amounts of avocado and saturated fats. Cutting these foods down or even eliminating them completely for a while can really do wonders for clearing any stubborn phlegm you might be experiencing.
From a Chinese Medicine perspective, cold and raw foods (including cold water from the fridge), as well as overly sweet and rich foods can really contribute to damp and phlegm production and a slugish metabolism so avoiding the over consumption of these things is always a good idea too. - Discover the benefits of Cordyceps – one of our favourite medicinal mushrooms which we stock here at the clinic. Cordyceps strengthens chronically weak lungs, is great for coughs, wheezing, shortness of breath and really great for asthma as well as resisting a wide range of pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses (paranoid about the corona virus anyone?). Boosting both Kidney Yang and Lung Yin, it’s a magnificent herb that is very safe and can be taken over long periods of time.
Start with half a teaspoon in a mug and diluted with hot water from the kettle; and work your way up to a full teaspoon. We also love adding it into hot chocolates and mushroom risotto’s – it’s really very mushroom-y and delicious! - To nourish and moisten the lungs (think dry cough, dry throat, dry nose, dry skin) do your best to incorporate as much of the foods in the list below as possible. They will really help boost your Lung Yin, in turn, nourishing and moistening your whole body.
Oats, rice, millet, barley, aduki beans, black beans, mung beans, pine nuts, tempeh, nuts & seeds, organic tofu, chicken, duck, mackerel, sardines, oysters, mussels, clams, cuttlefish, squid, zucchini, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, melons, string beans, beets, button mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, pears, mulberries, mango, coconut, peaches, apricots, olive oil, flaxseed oil, almond oil, kelp and spirulina.
If you have any questions or are wondering if Chinese Medicine is right for you and your respiratory problems, feel free to call Maya at the clinic on Monday’s and Wednesday’s (till end of Feb) or shoot us a reply email with your contact details and she can call you back.
