Lung Support for Smoky Times
When the Lungs are dry, their energy does not descend to the other organs for lubrication. Instead, Lung energy goes into reverse flow, and we can experience symptoms like cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, hoarse voice, dry mouth and nose, fatigue, and even skin issues like acne. Here are some easy DIY tips for ways to support your Lungs and respiratory system during such hazardous conditions.
Our beautiful city of Portland has been covered in a blanket of thick smoke for the past few days now. As the smoke and ash from the wildfires in Clackamas county blow into Multnomah county, our air quality index continues to increase to even more dangerous levels for our Lungs and respiratory system.
Photograph by Chip Osborne (@chip_osborne_photography)
In Chinese medicine, the Lungs are the commander of Qi. This means that they are in change of circulating energy around your body. They govern the airways in the throat and they also connect to the Heart below, setting the rhythmic pulses of the body through their timekeeping function of inhalation and exhalation. The Lungs are called the Delicate Organ because they are extremely susceptible to damage by environmental influences such as allergens, pollution, viruses, bacteria, and climate.
As the organ in the body that sits on top, the Lungs are like a cloud canopy that mist down and lubricate all the other organs. The delicate nature of the Lungs is most sensitive to fire, wind, and dryness. When the Lungs are dry, their energy does not descend to the other organs for lubrication. Instead, Lung energy goes into reverse flow, and we can experience symptoms like cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, hoarse voice, dry mouth and nose, fatigue, and even skin issues like acne.
Here are some easy DIY tips for ways to support your Lungs and respiratory system during such hazardous conditions.
AROMATHERAPY SUPPORT
Use essential oils to open the sinuses and clear the airways. Eucalyptus, Pine, Cedar, Rosemary, Peppermint are excellent for steams or topical applications. Use 1 drop in a bowl of freshly boiled water, place a towel over your head and the bowl, and inhale the steam for 5-15 minutes. You can also dilute oils into a carrier oil like Jojoba oil to make a topical application that can be applied to your skin. Use a spray bottle to spray onto your chest and throat as needed, or massage the diluted oil directly into these areas.
AIR PURIFICATION
If you are not lucky enough to have a HEPA filter running at home, herbal steams are fantastic for purifying the air in your home. Boil a handful of any or all of fresh herbs like Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Lavender on the stove in a large pot of water. You can also add 15 drops of Cedar essential oil or Eucalyptus essential oil. Once boiling, turn to low and simmer throughout the day to purify the air and replace the smoke smell with lovely, soothing herbal deliciousness.. Be sure to keep enough water in the pot to avoid burning the herbs.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT
Foods that moisten and support the Lungs and its partner, the Spleen, are apples, pears, garlic, ginger, carrots, sweet potato, daikon radish, and green tea. This Asian pear recipe is great for quenching thirst and addressing chronic Lung issues, warding off seasonal colds and flus, preventing allergies, and moistening the mouth, nose, throat, and Lungs.
1 Asian Pear (or any variety of pear), peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces.
1 slice fresh Ginger
1 Cinnamon stick or 1/2 tsp. ground Cinnamon
4-6 Cardamom pods or 1/4 tsp. ground Cardamon
4-6 Cloves
1 Tbsp. local raw Honey
1 Lemon wedge
Add all ingredients to a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until pears are soft. (Asian pears require 15-20 mins, other varieties 8-10 mins). Remove herbs once cooked and enjoy! Mash into a pear sauce, drink the juice, or use as a base for your regular breakfast porridge by adding oats, chia seeds, granola, quinoa, etc.
MULLEIN TEA
My favorite Skin Whisperer, Doctor Ellerie ND LAc (@doctor.ellerie), recommends drinking Mullein tea to bring moisture to dry places. Mullein is the fuzzy weed we see growing everywhere on the West coast and is easy to buy from any herb or tea shop. It is used for relieving symptoms of cough, bronchitis, hoarseness, pneumonia, colds, chills, flu, swine flu, allergies, tonsillitis, and sore throat. Dr. Ellerie advises drinking Mullein tea with honey and lemon to hydrate and bring moisture back to all the places your body needs it most.
Get Your Kale On
In Chinese Medicine, nutrient dense vegetables are vital to aid in building blood which is a crucial part of our circulatory, reproductive and cognitive systems. We need rich blood, one of the yin components in our body, to cool excess heat which can get out of control and cause everything from rapid digestion, to skin inflammation, to cancer cell development.
It's Kale Day, kale lovers! Yep, its a thing, and my business partner Autumn Bear, MS, L.Ac is all about breaking down what is so freaking great about kale. Enjoy!
Kale is a crop that has risen to fame and glory over the past few years. It has risen to prime popularity here in the US and is now regaled in every juice shop from New York to San Fancisco. There is much to appreciate about this mighty fine leafy green but there are some precautions that should be taken too. It is no doubt a super food, but is it super for you?
Kale, Botanically, belongs to the “cabbage” (Brassica) family. Other common vegetables in this family are broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, etc. Due to it's richness in nutrients, it has a host of medicinal benefits and is an amazing food for the protection from vitamin-A deficiency, osteoporosis, iron-deficiency anemia, and believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases and colon and prostate cancers (for further details see http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/kale.html)
In Chinese Medicine, nutrient dense vegetables are vital to aid in building blood which is a crucial part of our circulatory, reproductive and cognitive systems. We need rich blood, one of the yin components in our body, to cool excess heat which can get out of control and cause everything from rapid digestion, to skin inflammation, to cancer cell development. Blood is also where we store our emotions and our history so ample blood in the body will keep our emotions even and metered. If we become blood deficient we are more likely to show outward expressions of emotions such as anger, anxiety, fear etc. If we don't have enough blood to house the emotions, they have nowhere to go and then they have to go outward!
There is an important factor in any food appreciation, however, in that not every great food is great for every person. Kale is in the family of goitrogenic foods which are foods that adversely effect our thyroid health. Kale is a thyroid inhibiting food, so people who suffer from any kinds of thyroid issues should consume it cautiously. It is also important to point out that cooking kale can mitigate some of these negative effects that Kale may play on the thyroid, therefore juicing kale is going to be much tougher on a person's system then just having as a sautéed side dish. It is not to say that all goitrogenic foods ( Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale, Brusssels Sprouts, Mustard greens, Radishes, Spinach, Strawberries, Peaches, Soy-based foods and Peanuts) will cause adverse side effects on a healthy functioning thyroid but rather these foods can cause the thyroid to be dysfunctional in people who already suffer from thyroid issues, especially hypothyroid conditions.
The way goitrogens work are that they inhibit iodine metabolism. Iodine is an important mineral utilized in the formation of the thyroid hormone. If iodine cannot be utilized properly by the thyroid gland then the formation of the thyroid hormone won't take place essentially causing they thyroid to become sluggish and unresponsive to the thyroid stimulating hormone produced by the pituitary. The person will start to suffer from feelings of being cold, extreme fatigue, sluggishness and the immune system will be more challenged and less effective in fighting off viruses and colds.
Chinese medicine evolves very much around health for the individual and looking at all the circumstances in a person's life to determine what is or is not healthy for that person. Kale may be a super food but for some people it could cause them to have chronic fatigue and have an underutilized thyroid. As a person who is looking to improve their health, kale should be rotated into the diet but take note that just like all other things it should be eaten in moderation. There is no need to consume mass amounts of kale to reap the benefits of this fine leafy beauty. Enjoy kale, eat it in a variety of ways and make sure to keep variety as part of a healthy diet. Health benefits come from keeping a varied diet, changing things up a bit on a regular basis and making sure there is a balance of cooked to raw as well as a balance of meat to fish and vegetables. We want to balance our fat and proteins and moderate the sweet flavor to keep our organs functioning at their best.
Let's celebrate Kale Day and enjoy its wonderful benefits! We welcome it into our veggie family and we appreciate all the great things it does for our body!
Here's to our health!
Women Food and God
Women, Food & God is not a guide to the information contained in each food choice, but an exploration of how our relationship to food and ultimately, to ourselves, is the lens through which we process that embedded information. No matter how “healthy” our food and drink choices may be, when our conditioning and thought process associated with eating and drinking are not healthy, we will be chronically deprived of the deep nourishment that we need to thrive.
"The way you eat is inseparable from your core beliefs about being alive. No matter how sophisticated or wise or enlightened you believe you are, how you eat tells all. The world is on your plate. When you begin to understand what prompts you to use food as a way to numb or distract yourself, the process takes you deeper into realms of spirit and to the bright center of your own life. Rather than getting rid of or instantly changing your conflicted relationship with food, Women Food and God is about welcoming what is already here, and contacting the part of yourself that is already whole — divinity itself.” -Geneen Roth
The essence of living organisms is encoded in their DNA. All living things contain this information, which is communicated across generations and across species in a continuous process of evolution and the food chain. Thus, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, meat, eggs, dairy, herbs, and tea contain information that we introduce to our bodies on a daily basis.
Women, Food & God is not a guide to the information contained in each food choice, but an exploration of how our relationship to food and ultimately, to ourselves, is the lens through which we process that embedded information. No matter how “healthy” our food and drink choices may be, when our conditioning and thought process associated with eating and drinking are not healthy, we will be chronically deprived of the deep nourishment that we need to thrive.
According to Geneen Roth, when we are present and aware, we are able to allow our intuition to influence the process of seeking nourishment. By listening to our bodies, we discover that we already know what we need- how much, how little, when, why, and how- without the help of the $20 billion per year US weight-loss industry that has captivated 108 million Americans with its costly advice.
Roth invites us to rethink our cultural identification with diet culture and orthorexia (obsessive behaviors associated with the pursuit of a healthy diet), offering us the alternative- freedom to trust ourselves and listen to the truth in our own bodies. In doing so, the pursuit of happiness and wholeness becomes possible as it diverges from random numbers on a scale.
I personally have found that Skinny Me, by Abbé Tea Company is exactly what my body wants and needs. The puerh in this blend gives me just the right amount of energy to start my morning, and the natural melatonin-producing effects of puerh ensure that the trace amounts of caffeine do not affect my sleep. As an alternative to coffee, which I normally load with cream and sugar, the puerh combined with the peppermint, hibiscus, and orange peel doesn’t require any further accoutrements, which eliminates that crashing feeling and craving for another uplift. My body truly loves this tea!
What's so bad about coffee anyway? ☕️🙅🏻
Humans have the unique ability to use our will to push ourselves to persevere despite needing food or rest. We do this by tapping into our deepest inner reserves to supplement the basic everyday energy that comes from food and rest. In Chinese medicine this is called spending our Jing.
Humans are the only living beings capable of living beyond our means. All other living beings are limited by the resources they have available to them at any given moment. Once they reach that limit, they must eat, or rest, or photosynthesize to replenish their resources before resuming activity.
Humans have the unique ability to use our will to push ourselves to persevere despite needing food or rest. We do this by tapping into our deepest inner reserves to supplement the basic everyday energy that comes from food and rest. In Chinese medicine this is called spending our Jing. We are born with the exact amount of Jing that we need to fulfill our life's purpose. Once we use it all up, we enter into a process of disease and decline. So it's important to spend it wisely.
When we choose to use our Jing to finance things that may not be in alignment with our higher purpose, we are literally wasting our life's energy. We have an innate signaling system to let us know when we reach this point- our mind and body begin to feel tired to notify us that to continue pushing forward without resting is synonymous with living beyond our means.
Sometimes it's easy to forget in modern culture, but it is normal and healthy to feel tired. Feelings of tiredness tell us that our expendable energy has run out, and invite us to make an important decision: Am I willing to shorten my life to keep doing what I'm doing?
Am I willing to shorten my life to wake up in the middle of the night because my dog needs to go out? Yes.
Am I willing to shorten my life to study intensely with my mentors to delve deeper and deeper into Chinese medicine? Maybe.
Am I willing to shorten my life to finish my holiday shopping by Friday? Probably not.
The problem with coffee is that it takes this choice away from us. Caffeine and other stimulants bypass our signaling system to keep us focused, alert, and energized despite reaching the point of depletion of our renewable resources. If we don't allow ourselves to feel tired, we don't realize when we have to make the choice- we just start spending our irreplaceable reserves of Jing automatically. Coffee robs us of the chance to ask, "Am I willing to shorten my life for this, or is it wiser to stop and replenish my resources so I can continue at another time without harming myself?"
This is why my tea company created our Fatigue blend. It uses herbs to restore the adrenals to provide you with sustainable energy without the use of stimulants. It helps you feel energized in a healthy, holistic way and prevents the harm that results from chronically living beyond your means.
Content inspired by Thea Elijah💕
Read more at Perennial Medicine with Thea Elijah