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Boosting Immunity for This Covid Wave

By David Foster | Published August 21, 2024

 

It’s that time again, everyone: Covid Wave! In fact, I believe I’m late to the party, as this seems to have been going around for the past month now, thereby underscoring once again one of the many differences between Covid and the flu, as I have no recollection of any flu waves between July and August.

From a CM perspective, I suspect the incredible heat and humidity of July likely played a part in this, as coronavirus thrives in damper environments—recall in 2020 overweight men with pre-existing pulmonary issues were some of the most vulnerable candidates.

In light of the recent wave, I’ve had many people ask me what they can do to boost or juice their immune system, to which my first and foremost answer is one people don’t want to hear: Eat and sleep healthy.

“No, you idiot! I’m looking for a supplement. What can I take?”

Fair enough, but truthfully, I don’t believe there is anything better for immune support than regular moderate exercise, early bedtimes, adequate sleep, and three cooked meals a day with plenty of vegetables and some animal protein. Not to mention that from our perspective, the best thing you can take to boost immune function, or any bodily function, is an individualized, holistic formula, tailor-written to your pattern. Anything less will be precisely that, and if carelessly prescribed or taken in excess, can potentially cause subtle harm. With that said, there are empirical things we can do or take heading into cold and flu season seemingly a bit early this year.

  1. Regular acupuncture, or moxibustion treatments on the upper back, over the lungs, has been extensively studied and proven to boost immune function: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/integrative-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnint.2019.00048/full
  2. A good multi-vitamin I think is advisable for all of us.
  3. Zinc is fine to take in intermittent cycles, but too much of it can cause stomach upset, as zinc has cold properties, which is why it can be useful for heat in the throat and lungs.
  4. Vitamin D can also be beneficial, but I recommend getting your levels tested before mindlessly supplementing.
  5. Mushrooms are also fine in intermittent cycles, however mushrooms are inherently damp, so should be taken cautiously by people with weight problems, over-sized tongues, or thick coatings on their tongues. For these I recommend Paul Stamets brand: https://fungi.com/collections/host-defense. For all other supplements I recommend Pure Encapsulations or Thorne.

As always, if you get Covid please call for a virtual herbal consultation, as I have no idea how anyone gets a full resolution from this pathogen without Chinese herbs. In my observation there have been many people who think they got a full resolution, but quite apparently did not based on their symptoms. Chinese medicine is the only medicine with the concept and diagnosis of “unresolved exterior pathogen,” and subsequently with the treatment principle of “releasing the exterior,” in reference to venting a virus to actual completion. If you choose not to take Chinese herbs, at least rest and recover, eat well, and do not exercise while sick.

Posted in Acupuncture, Allergies, Autumn, covid-19, Immune System, Traditional Chinese Medicine | Comments Off on Boosting Immunity for This Covid Wave

A Helpful Primer on Acupuncture Needles

By admin | Published August 19, 2024

A Helpful Primer on Acupuncture Needles

Just how many types are there and what do they all do?

If you’ve ever thought about trying acupuncture, you might find yourself with an equal mix of curiosity and trepidation. What is this “ancient medicine?” How does it work? And what about all the different kinds of needles? Do they hurt? Let’s take some of the guesswork and trepidation out of the equation and define the various needles that could be used in treatment. Each one fulfills its own purpose and has a specific role in restoring balance and promoting healing.  continue reading »

Posted in Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on A Helpful Primer on Acupuncture Needles

Transitioning from Summer to Fall

By David Foster | Published August 14, 2024

Although it remains deftly hot and humid, according to the traditional calendar and evidenced in the shorter days and longer nights, we now find ourselves in the transition between summer to autumn.

Summer corresponds with the heart and central nervous system, autumn with the lungs and immunity, but each quarterly transition of the seasons corresponds with the gut and microbiome, thereby further underscoring the importance of digestion in engendering all other organ systems. This one might be most directly significant, as in Chinese medicine’s cycle of the five elements earth is “mother to” metal, which is to say the stomach is primarily connected to pulmonary health. Anyone who’s ever suffered with an asthma attack due to dairy consumption or sleep apnea due to a weight problem can attest.

To compile the challenges posed by American diets and grocery options, we are simultaneously confronted with the humidity, which might further aggravate pre-existing dampness in one’s gut, depending on their constitution, diet, and body type. As always, I recommend going gluten, dairy, sugar, and alcohol free as much as possible.

To avoid gluten, there is always rice or great gluten free pasta brands now, such as Glutiniete. To avoid dairy, you can occasionally sprinkle nutritional yeast on foods and/or make vegan parmesan cheese with this simple recipe:

To avoid sugar I recommend increasing your tolerance for dark chocolates, and/or eating spoonfuls of nut butters with a touch of maple syrup or honey. If you must have alcohol, then vodka, tequila, mezcal, and organic wines are preferable. People often forget (especially when seeking a buzz) that grapes are always on the dirty dozen list, which means their inorganic versions are ridden with pesticides.

Those are a lot of DONT’s, I realize. As for DO’s:

  • Eat a warm breakfast with protein: Eggs, oatmeals, congees, etc.
  • Sweet potato, sweet potato, sweet potato! An excellent digestive aid and coming into season in fall. I like to roast them either with salt, pepper, and garlic, or cinnamon and maple syrup. For the latter I add sliced apples for my toddler in the last 15 minutes.
  • Small amounts of fermented pickled foods, such as kimchi, sauerkraut, or pickles for their naturally occurring probiotics.
  • Pu-Erh tea instead of green in the morning, also for its naturally occurring fermentation. Green tea, even when consumed hot, has a cold quality that can harm weak stomachs.
  • Hot ginger, licorice, and/or barley tea in the evenings.

Finally, in our classical texts it is said that excessive standing harms the kidneys, excessive celebration harms the heart, and excessive sitting harms the stomach. What is meant by the latter is something the ancient Chinese understood and has only in recent generations become common knowledge in the west: sedentary lifestyles compromise metabolism. No matter how well we eat, it won’t much matter if we never get up and move.

Posted in Diet, Digestive Disorders, Holistic Health, Nutrition, Recipes, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weight Loss | Comments Off on Transitioning from Summer to Fall

Which Sparkling Waters are Safe?

By David Foster | Published July 26, 2024

I don’t know many adults who don’t love sparkling water. I don’t know whether bubbles are having a generational popularity surge, or I’ve just reached that age where friends are enjoying it as a preferable vice in lieu of soda, beer, or other intoxicants we’ve all but ditched for better health. I’m pretty sure it’s both factors, and especially ever since the quieter life of parenthood and middle age, my wife and I both anticipate with great pleasure, our respective “sparklings” once our toddler is finally asleep for the night.

First, the obvious: Is sparkling water healthy?

Yes and no. My teacher, Dr. Suzanne Robidoux, suggests that people who gravitate incessantly to sparkling water probably suffer with a great deal of dampness in their stomachs. The carbonation causes gases to move, which helps to temporarily dissolve the dampness, and beyond being delicious, they feel better. Take note of what you’re eating when you have a strong craving for these gases—it is probably a damp-causing food. Conversely, people who feel bloated or uncomfortable in drinking the bubbles probably suffer with a “dry stomach,” one that is lacking in healthy fluids and/or digestive acids, and can’t handle the gases as well.

This informs us that (the gases in) sparkling water has a drying effect, which is not the worst thing if taken in moderation, but if over-indulged in over time, can have deleterious effects. Let’s be honest: Nobody actually believes these often flavored, commercial sparkling waters could possibly be as clean and neutral for our organs as plain, room temperature water, right? My opinion is as long as we limit ourselves to 1-2/day and are additionally giving to our bodies plenty of plain, clear water, we should be fine.

With that said, there are recent reports that many sparkling waters are laden with PFAS, or polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are manmade chemicals that have been around only since the 1940’s. Nicknamed, “forever chemicals,” they are thought to not break down in the human body and accumulate over time, potentially causing a wide array of serious diseases. These chemicals are found on non-stick pans as well as pizza boxes, as if the white bread, mozzarella, and inorganic (nightshade) tomato sauce wasn’t inflammatory enough.

Knowledge is power, and fortunately these same recent reports have informed us of which major companies’ waters tested positive for such chemicals, and which tested negative. Apparently, brands to avoid include Perrier, La Croix, Poland Spring, Bubly, Polar, and Topo Chico, once topping the charts with levels of 9.76! So, if you go to a Mexican restaurant, you’re probably better off with tequila than a fresh bottle of Topo Chico water.

Safe brands include Spindrift (which uses real fruit to flavor!), Mountain Valley (which has previously been ranked the cleanest water in the country, bubbles or not), Pellegrino (the classic!), Waterloo, and Sound.

I would post a link to some of the articles I referenced to get this information, but there are so many that are so easy to search online. I recommend doing so if you love your daily bubbles and wish to read more. Hope all are enjoying the summer!

Posted in Acupuncture, Diet, Digestive Disorders, Nutrition, Self-Care | Comments Off on Which Sparkling Waters are Safe?

Breakfast Congee Ideas

By David Foster | Published July 15, 2024

For anyone who is vegan, sensitive to eggs, or just dislikes them, here is a breakfast idea I’ve been experimenting with, both for the sake of variety and, well… experimentation.

In China, (white) rice congee is a common breakfast, often with egg and pickled vegetables, although I realize in the States rice is rather vilified for being a simple carb and high on the glycemic index. While this might be the case, it is also a food that is very gentle on the stomach and internal organs, which from our perspective aids in absorption and digestion, and in the proper dosages can be beneficial. However, for those who can’t get past the glycemic index, I recommend using quinoa, millet, or amaranth.

1 cup of your grain of choice

5 cups of liquid (if you’re going to make the sweeter, I recommend some kind of dairy-free milk—if you’re going for the probably healthier, more Oriental style I recommend just water or either vegetable, beef, or chicken broth) Oils don’t mix as well with the sweet flavors so if you’re making the sweeter version be sure to stir often so as to avoid sticking to the pot.

Boil and simmer about 15-25 minutes, or until it is the consistency of porridge.

Treat the sweet version like you would oatmeal: Top with berries, granola, as little maple syrup as you can discipline yourself to, cinnamon, and/or nuts if you like.

For the Asian version I recommend leftover vegetables and/or pickled cabbage or kraut. Plus, an over-easy or boiled egg if you want the best of all worlds.

Enjoy warm if possible! For those of us with babies or toddlers, we long for the days when we will return to eating hot food.

Whatever you eat, EAT BREAKFAST. I cannot stress this enough. They said breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it is, not because grandma said it, but because science and biology do. Here is a link to an NIH study correlating the skipping of breakfast with increased insulin resistance and risk for diabetes: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7246451/

I like coffee as much as anyone, but coffee alone (or with a piece of toast) is not breakfast. Protein and/or fat should be consumed, preferably in great quantity.

Nor do I doubt the potential benefits of intermittent fasting, but it is more biologically aligned to skip dinner—not breakfast. If this is impossible, maybe a later breakfast, like 9am? Supposedly, any longer than 2-3 hours after waking constitutes “skipping breakfast,” which is to say the insulin resistant mechanism is set in motion by that time.

If you have no appetite for breakfast this probably indicates your dinner being not fully digested and some metabolic syndrome at work. Please reach out—or try licorice and/or ginger tea 🙂

Posted in diabetes, Diet, Digestive Disorders, Health, Nutrition, Recipes, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weight Loss | Comments Off on Breakfast Congee Ideas
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