April 2010 All Ways Well Newsletter

In This Issue:
**Asthma and Allergies, the Chinese Medicine solution**Dietary Therapies for Asthma and Allergies
**Take Home Remedies
---------------------Asthma and Allergies, The Chinese Medicine Solution
Even though it has been a slow - or strange? - start to Spring from a weather perspective here in the City of Roses, flowers are blooming and that means pollen is in the air.  The recent rains are keeping the worst pollen counts at bay, but that may not last much longer.  For those with asthma and allergies, that may mean some rough times ahead.  According to Chinese Medicine theory, asthma and allergies are generally caused by a combination of low Spleen and Kidney Qi combined with external Wind-Damp factors which can combine with pathogenic Heat or Cold as well to intensify certain symptoms.  Another way to think about it is like a battle - your soldiers are low on food (Qi) and they don't have enough energy to completely hold the line against the enemy (Wind-Damp + Heat/Cold).  That means some of the bad guys get through and wreak some havoc inside your border.  Leaving you with inflamed airways, itching, congested air passages and thick copious phlegm or sputum.  Yep, they're bad guys.  The Chinese Medicine solution?  Tonify that Spleen and Kidney Qi to feed the army and fortify the line, expel Wind-Damp and his friends to purge the interior and do some clean up in the mean time to repair whatever damage they've done to the town.  This is achieved through a combination of acupuncture, Chinese herbs, dietary therapies and some take home remedies providing a holistic and thorough approach to this internal struggle.  While herbal formulas and acupuncture specifically must be prescribed and administered by a professional in office, dietary therapies and take home remedies are easy to share and below you will find some of my favorites for allergy and asthma symptoms.
Dietary Therapies - mm mm good!These dietary therapy recommendations are simple and effective.  If you suffer from allergies or asthma I hope you will give them a try and see what you think!

• Spice it up - Spicy foods can thin mucus secretions and clear nasal passages.  They are also warm in nature energetically, meaning they are especially effective for cold type allergies and asthma - i.e. symptoms that get worse if you are exposed to cold specifically.  The easiest way to add spice to the diet is to try adding a little cayennepepper or ginger to your food.  Ginger specifically is also a very effective anti-inflammatory and a natural antihistamine and decongestant.  Specifically, it may add relief by dilating constricted bronchial tubes. 

• Good Fats are Good! Enjoy Them - Good Omega-3 fatty acids can counter the formation of inflammatory chemicals in the blood stream that affect air passages.  Good sources of Omega-3 are freshly ground flaxseed and Salmon.

• Increase Fiber and Eat Yoghurt - Food intolerances seem to be connected with seasonal allergies and a healthy active colon can decrease food sensitivities which, in turn, lightens the allergen burden on your immune system and can decrease your seasonal allergy symptoms.  To achieve this, simply increase the fiber in your diet and eat more yoghurt to increase your good gut bacteria.  In a study performed by the University of California, patients who were fed 18-24 oz of yoghurt per day experienced a 90% decline in their allergy symptoms (Am. Journal of Epidemiology).

• Apple a Day Keeps the Allergens and Inflammation Away - Some fruits, such as apples, are high in a flavinoid called Quercetin.  This specific flavinoid decreases inflammation and acts as another natural antihistamine by virtue of being a flavinoid, and by cross reacting with pollen in the body to reduce the pollen's effects.  Try an apple a day and see what you think!

A Couple Take Home RemediesIn addition to diet, there are a couple more things you can do to reduce your exposure to allergens and decrease inflammation.

• First, is to be sure at least rinse if not wash your face morning andnight.  When you are out and about in the world, dust, pollen, mold spores in the air - all those things that those of us with allergen sensitive immune systems react to - are floating around out there and they stick to the natural oils in your skin to irritate you all day long.  Washing and rinsing them away morning and night is a simple step that will go a long way to keeping those allergens at bay.  

• Second is to wash allergens and dust et. al. out of your nasal passages using a saline nasal rinse or netti pot.  These can take some getting used to, but mechanically removing the allergens from the nasal passages at least once a day (morning or night, or both, your choice) can also make a big difference in decreasing symptoms.  Your body is doing the best it can - by sneezing, coughing, giving you a runny nose or with asthma by constricting your airways to decrease your exposure - but a nasal rinse or wash is a little extra help you can give your body with its assault. 

• Third is to use a lubricating eye drop to provide another allergen barrier.  If you suffer from eye symptoms, they are purely related to getting those allergens in your eyes and your eyes responding with their best attempt to get that stuff out.  Just like the nasal rinsing, you can help by doing some mechanical flushing of your own.  All you need is the simplest lubricating eye drop from the grocery store.  You can use them day and night, and sometimes regular flushing of the eyes with a lubricating eye drop can reduce or erase the need for an antihistamine or medicated eye drop which can be drying over time.

• Last is water water water.  I know, its the simplest one that we are all always striving for, but it can't be emphasized enough - drink plenty of water.  Water is the medium for every process in your body and without enough, your body has little chance to keep allergies and asthma at bay.  Try to drink at least 8 glasses per day, and if you are suffering from allergy or asthma symptoms try your hardest to get in just one or two more to flush the inflammation out of your body and support your immune system in doing the best job it can.

Thanks for tuning in!
As usual thanks again for tuning in.  If you suffer from asthma or allergies I hope you will take advantage of some of these tips and see what you think.  Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs can also be essential in fighting the allergy and asthma fight so please remember that you can always book on-line via my website, email me direct or call at (503)445-8888 ext. 1 for appointments, consultations or if you just want to contact me with a question.  Be sure to check back regularly for appointments - last minute cancellations and openings do happen - and if you ever want to come in on a certain day but there are no slots available, please email me and I will put you on a wait list in case something opens up.

yours in health and wellness,
~Rebecca

Free De-Stress Kit + the Magic of Mint

De-Stress Kit for Changing Times by Doc Childre of the Heartmath Institute
In light of the current economic situation and high unemployment of late, it is no surprise that stress is on the rise. Recently, Doc. Childre of the Hearthmath Institute - an internationally recognized institute dedicated to facilitating heart based living - published this free ebook detailing simple methods for decreasing stress towards maintaining and increasing heart health. It is a short 15 page pamphlet with practical tips and advice for getting stress under control to help you live your life from a place of balance rather than fear and I highly recommend you download and read it or pass it on to a friend. Here is a sample exercise I found particularly useful:

“Sit quietly and from your heart remember that enough stress is already going on, without having to wear a backpack of fear on top of that. Breathe quietly through the area around your heart and imagine that you are breathing in the attitude of courage and strength to do what you have to do, without being preoccupied with fear. Doing this with a genuine attitude helps take the significance out of fear. Practice this for a few minutes a day and anytime you feel a strong wave of fear. It can begin to make a difference.”

You can download the complete ebook HERE or visit the Learning Center on my website for more information. The Heartmath Institute also has a variety of tools available for decreasing stress, anxiety, blood pressure and increasing heart health. You can find their books and biofeedback tools in my Amazon Store.

Bo He. Good for more than just Mojito’s
Bo He [pronounced Bu-o-uh Huh] is very common in the Pacific Northwest, many of us have probably pulled it as a weed or used it in Mojito’s. Can you guess what it is? Peppermint! As a lightweight, acrid and aromatic herb, it helps move and disperse “pathogenic factors” which contribute to colds, flus and allergy symptoms. Bo He can also move Liver Qi for reducing stress and pain. Here is a summary of Bo He’s actions and indications:
Bo He; Herba Menthae:
Channels Entered: Lung, Liver
Temperature/Flavor: Cool, Acrid
Functions/Indications:
**Disperse Wind-Heat treating early stage colds and flus with fever, slight aversion to cold and headache
**Clear the head and eyes and benefit the throat for headache, red eyes, swollen throat
**Vent rashes for early stage measles or itchy skin conditions
**Course Stagnant Liver Qi for treating abdominal distention and pain as well as feelings of stress or emotional constraint.

Energetically it enters the Lung and Liver channels and is cool in nature, and since it is lightweight, it rises to the orifices clearing stagnation from the head and eyes in particular. This means peppermint as part of an herbal decoction, or as plain old peppermint tea is especially useful in relieving head and eye symptoms associated with colds, flus and allergies. Also, since Bo He enters the Liver channel as well as the Lung, it can also be used to alleviate “Liver Qi Stagnation” which can manifest as abdominal pain and distention or as stress - a feeling that you are stuck, trapped or overwhelmed by life. By freeing your Liver Qi or energy you can relieve some of this tension to balance the emotions. If you are using fresh mint from your yard simply pick the plant and boil it in water for 10-15 minutes to make a tea. You can also focus your “treatment” by using different parts of the plant - the leaves enter the Lung channel more readily for cold and flu symptoms while the stems enter the Liver channel more readily for abdominal discomfort and stress.

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Amazon Store
I'm constantly expanding the items in my new Amazon Store to include my favorite books about health, wellness, nutrition and Chinese Medicine as well as teas, healthy snacks and now some of my favorite cold and flu remedies. A great resource for hand-picked wellness resources.

Learning Center Growing, Virtual Dispensary Coming!
I've written my first article about Food Allergies and Elimination Diets and posted it to my new Learning Center and will continue growing the articles and links online so please check it out when you get a chance. Soon I will also have a Virtual Dispensary up and running where you can order and refill your favorite herbs and supplements directly online if you can't make it in to the office. Stay tuned!!