As temps drop this season and cold and flu begins to spread, consider a visit to your acupuncturist at the first signs of a challenged immune system. Chinese medicine helps the body to use its own resources to promote healing and balance. In my office patients who report early signs of cold or flu generally bounce back in a matter of days with a few needles at the time of treatment, an herbal formula to take with them. One favorite formula for early onset of cold and flu is Jade Windscreen that addresses the fatigue that precipitates a break down in immune function.
I also recommend home remedies to put them on the path to recovery. I often scribble down my favorite Cold Stop Soup recipe for patients:
1 can chicken rice soup
1 cup chicken stock (preferable homemade)
1 T. chopped ginger
1 T. chopped garlic
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 scallion chopped
Saute veggies in a bit of broth until soft, add the spices, then after a few minutes add chicken rice soup and simmer an additional 10-15 minutes … countless patients have reported back to me how much this soup has helped – canned, homemade, equally good results, though for best results the ginger and garlic ought to be fresh, not from those squeeze tubes!
There is some evidence that chicken soup does indeed have some anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, but also in the Cold Stop Soup recipe above, the addition of ginger and garlic, both of which are in the Chinese pharmacopoeia. Studies have shows that garlic has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties; ginger helps relieve nausea and sore throats.
With rest and fluids, help your body fight off the pathogens with help from acupuncture, herbs and nutrition, and bounce back stronger than before.