Self-Care
Spring Wind!
Did anyone else notice how many times in the past week the weather said something like 52 but felt more like 32? Spring wind! In the lunar calendar we are already well into spring, the season the ancient Chinese correlated with pathologies of “wind.” What does that mean?
“Wind pathologies,” in Classical Chinese, basically refers to anything that moves within the body. Think joint pains or almost any pains, also neurological tics, from Restless Leg to Parkinson’s disease, finally many dermatological conditions that traverse different body parts and seem to constantly change in shape or surface area covered. Where does it come from?
The pathology of autumn is dryness, hence all the foliage drying up and sinus issues it commonly brings. Following is the bitter cold of winter, which consolidates said climate of dryness, constricts our blood vessels, thereby offering fewer pathways for lubrication, whether to our skin, orifices, or otherwise.
Dryness, in Chinese medicine, whether manifesting as a lack of blood, lack of healthy blood, mucosal metabolic fluids, or parasympathetic neurotransmitters, can give rise to physiological symptoms that might be metaphorically described as “wind.”
Another cause can be literal wind, as it gusts down the avenues and seemingly even turns corners to blow hats off our heads and make 52 degrees feel like 32. This causes a local constrictive response in the head, which contains our autonomic nervous system, which manages a great part of vital organ function. Am I suggesting the entire body is connected and that which accosts the head can in turn accost our entire physiology? Yes. Ask anyone who’s suffered a concussion. What can we do?
Wear a scarf. Wear a hat or a hood. Wear a hood over your hat. Wear a mask beneath the hat beneath the hood above your scarf. You don’t have to be sick or paranoid to wear a mask in the cold and/or windy months of the northeast. You can simply be protecting your many cranial nerves that traverse the face and have far-reaching physiological implications. Modern fashion is such that there are many stylish options for these accessories. With all we have already working against us—modern stress, western diet, the simple biology of aging—doesn’t it make sense to do the simple, little things to prevent or prolong the scale from tipping into Parkinson’s?
As for “wind prevention” by way of treating the root, which is to say nourishing blood and vital fluids, I have mostly the same old boring, science-based advice: Animal protein, eggs, cooked vegetables, small portions of rice or pasta, meditation, and going to sleep before 11pm. As for accessible, food-grade Chinese medicine, tea made from red dates, licorice, and/or pearl barley can also be helpful. For the spring we also recommend more sour foods, kraut, lemon, and/or vinegar with the intention of “astringing” as many of our good fluids as possible.
Lastly, happy Mercury Retrograde, an admittedly somewhat ironic salutation to those who “observe.” Remember to expect delays in transit and traffic and problems in technology and communication. Double check who you’re sending that text or email to. Accept that things will go wrong. Try to breathe. Ask people to clarify before shouting back at them. Breathe again.
(photo from a fun shoot back in 2007, one year pre-Chinese medical school!)
How Can You Help (the World)?
As we embark on this first socio-political year of a potentially frightening four, I occasionally reflect on what I can do, as someone who has little time or direct involvement, to protect our world and/or make it a better place.
The first and most obvious is to be charitable whenever possible. Be kind to others. This is easy on our good days when we feel good. Any jerk can do that. The challenge I pose to myself and others is to do so when we feel angry or wronged, exhausted or unwell. This doesn’t mean to not take care of oneself. It just means to still be kind when someone cuts you off on the road or wrongs you. My wife, for example, likes to give reckless drivers the benefit of the doubt: “Maybe he has diarrhea.” You can use that one. Then again, maybe she doesn’t have diarrhea. Maybe she’s just perpetually miserable and rushed, which one might argue is even worse than diarrhea!
The second is to use the app 5CALL, to call your local congresspeople, make requests and take stands against some of the unethical proposals presently in motion in Washington.
The environment is perpetually and obviously a consideration. Recycling, composting, carpooling, electric cars, or public transportation are all helpful, but I think if everyone just did the thoughtful little things, over time it would make a big difference. For example:
- Bring a tote bag when you shop. When you do get a plastic bag be sure to hold onto it to recycle later. Lots of places like Staples or Target recycle any and all plastic bags.
- If you’re out and get a coffee, tea, or matcha or whatever, hold on to the empty cup whenever possible, with the same intention to recycle later. It is time we stop taking such luxuries as something we are entitled to. Take out and to-go cups are a modern privilege, extremely recent in human history, and should be treated as such. Almost every cafe’s cups are biodegradable.
- Just like we shouldn’t take anything for granted, nor should we overlook the small things within the actions. If you get food delivery be sure to recycle, not just the big paper bags and plastic containers, but also the little condiment cups and even most plasticware. It can be tedious to rinse these things out—especially the tops—but again, being able to receive delicious condiments by delivery should be viewed as a luxury and treated as such.
- Same principle applies to plastic trash bags, in my opinion. The kitchen garbage where food and coffee grounds and all kinds of funk goes clearly needs a bag. But what about your recycling bins, or even your bathroom trash? Does something that will be filled mostly with just tissues really need to repeatedly expend plastic, or can the bin itself simply be cleaned once in a while?
- Batteries: I understand there are conflicting opinions on this, but it might be worth looking into recyclable batteries. If you don’t, at least be sure to recycle your used.
- Buy small. Don’t support Amazon, as much as possible. Much like electric cars, it’s more expensive and less convenient, but good karma for you!
Circling back, to self-care and kindness, I believe it is all peoples’ responsibility to have some meditation practice, as well as either yoga or qi gong, and I believe even the busiest of us can take 10-20 minutes for each on most days.
- For Buddhist dharma talks I recommend either Won Buddhism on the east side or The Tibet Center on the west.
- If it’s just meditation you prefer, I enjoy Sam Harris’ Waking Up app, though I know there are many good ones. Personally, I require weekly dharma talk meetings to serve as a reminder to continuously intend to reshape my own harmful mental conditionings.
- For yoga I love Shri Yoga or NY Loves on the Upper West.
- For Qi Gong, as always I highly recommend working with Jonathan Breshin, William Kaplanidis, or Henry McCann.
Stay warm everyone! Wear hats, hoods, scarves, and warm socks. Eat ramen and bone broths and limit sugar as much as possible.
Treatment for Loss of Voice
As we approach an exciting Yankees first World Series appearance in 15 years, Halloween, and an even scarier Election Day, there’s a good chance a lot of people will be losing their voices, as a result of screaming and shouting, hopefully for joy. Couple that with the dry autumn season, which corresponds with Chinese medicine’s lung channel, and many will be more prone to hoarseness and/or dry, hacking coughs.
Aphonia, or loss of voice, can happen for one of two reasons in Chinese medicine:
- The adrenals that secrete hormones, such as estrogen are weak and/or weak in reserves and there just isn’t enough fluid to lubricate the throat. For this, the best self-care recommendations are eating good quality pork and beefs and getting plenty of rest, with early bedtimes. Herbal medicine is preferable to acupuncture, namely formulas that help strengthen the kidneys and generate systemic fluids.
- Dryness exists more around the pancreas and stomach organs, subtly impairing digestion and giving rise to dry, inflammatory heat that tends to flare up into the chest and throat, then drying out the fluids up top and creating a vicious cycle. Labeled a “Shao Yang” pathology, this is common in singers and teachers, and can be treated with acupuncture and/or herbal medicine. Best self-care recommendations are possibly a bit more exercise, white rice, and/or congee and sweet potatoes, red date tea, and again, early bedtimes.
Of course, there are other causes, other etiologies and contributing factors, such as being on one’s menses, which dries out the internal blood, which in turn dries out either the kidneys or digestive organs, exemplifying these patterns as primary suspects to target in treatment.
Peppermint tea with honey is another fine option to treat, although if you are prone to bloating, loose stool, or lack of appetite, honey might not be the best thing for you.
On the other hand, ginger tea is likely to aggravate this situation due to its drying nature. While potentially very healthy, ginger has earned itself an undeserving reputation as unconditionally so, especially when treating people suffering from anemia or any chronic dryness.
When navigating any form of soreness or dryness from the chest up it is advisable to avoid hot sauce or spicy foods, as they can obviously aggravate the inflammation. Ironically, it is equally advisable to avoid iced cold drinks, which constrict vasculature around the throat and further impede the arrival of healthy systemic fluids to lubricate the region
Wishing everyone a lubricated throat and organs in these highly anticipated events!
I’m predicting Yankees in 7.
I’m predicting Kamala.
And in a group family effort, I will be Olaf from Frozen for Halloween. Pics to come!
Which Sparkling Waters are Safe?
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!
These Longest Days of the Year
Welcome to the Tai Yang time of year. Say that three times fast, and maybe add “Thank You,” to complete the trifecta, TYTYTY! “Tai Yang” means the most yang, as we enter the longest days of the year, leading up to the summer solstice next week, at which time days will begin to very gradually, grow shorter.
Until that time we might be more vulnerable to “yang pathogens,” exemplified by inflammatory heat and/or “external invasions,” which is probably why we see a minor uptick in Covid cases around this time each year, despite the warm weather which should mitigate such spread. More common are the former, symptoms of “heat rising,” a la insomnia, anxiety, palpitations, acid reflux, constipation, headaches, and ANGER!!! If you’ve noticed an exacerbation in any such signs within yourself, rest assured, it is normal for the time of year and relatively wane after June 21st. If it doesn’t, see a doctor, and/or myself.
Some of the things we can do to cool excessive yang rising include green tea in the mornings (after breakfast), then peppermint or chrysanthemum teas at night, snacking on watermelon, cucumbers, and celery, and minimizing spicy foods and alcohol. Most importantly, sweat!
In Chinese medicine we treat most “Tai Yang disease,” or viral pathogens through moderate sweating—underscore moderate for you high intensity athletes—and as the weather now is increasingly humid to begin with, it is important to sweat, just a bit every day.
The Tai Yang time of day is mid-day, around noon, which makes that window optimum for exercise—although as I often advise my busy patients, the truly best time to exercise is whenever you have time. ‘Tis better to do imperfectly than not do at all.
Although I am admittedly a slave to air conditioning for sleep, it is obviously manmade, unnatural, and ultimately not physiologically (or environmentally) beneficial. In the humid climate of summer, the contrived cold air traps pathogenic fluids at the exterior, or “Tai Yang layer” of the body, thereby exacerbating local inflammation, often inducing skin/joint conditions, and compromising immune function. I recommend using it as minimally as possible and/or wearing a scarf or long-sleeves while in offices or public transportation that insist on killing us slowly. And spend as much time outdoors as possible. We are all too deprived of it these days.
Happy Father’s Day!
