My cousin had a gorgeous little girl recently and as is common in Chinese tradition, I wanted to help her by supporting her health. What is it that commonly happens to a woman’s energy and vital substances during labour?What does she need to ensure that her and the newborn are at their optimal level of
In Chinese Medicine, Jing is the essence of who we are, where we have come from and where we are going. It is a substance or energy that comes from our parents and from it, our growth and development occur. With weak Kidney Jing, people may experience infertility, chronic miscarriage, low quality sperm count, impotence
Colds are often something that we often just deal with and ride out – we continue to push through doing what we do daily and “soldier on”. They usually happen when we are tired, run-down and our immune system is isn’t able to protect ourselves from the viruses and bacteria out there. In Chinese Medicine,
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival for 2014! This is a time of family gathering and giving thanks to them. Traditionally, it is also a time of gathering of the harvest and giving thanks for the abundance nature has provided. It is also a time of big banquets, followed by my favourite once-a-year dessert, “Moon Cake”. Moon Cakes
When was the last time you really savoured your food? Do you find that you’re often in a rush in the morning, scoffing down your toast whilst finding your clothes for the day and making your lunch at the same time? Or you might even be eating it in the car in peak-hour traffic? Does
Autumn is one of my favourite seasons of the year, though according to Taoist philosophy, there can be no favourites – the seasons are as they are and we can enjoy them all! The weather is mild, the air feeling fresh and crisp and of course, the change that is happening in nature is beautiful
Summer is a Yang season, which means that lightness, brightness, liveliness, expansion, growth and creativity are the principles that hold true at this time of year. So to live in accordance with these natural principles to enhance your health, the lifestyle we live and the foods we eat are important. The last post focused on
If you look about you and see what is going on in nature in Spring, you’ll see a lot of growth, which tends to have an active and ascending nature. Your body functions best when it is in harmony with nature so these same characteristics of growth correspond to the type of food that is
Ju Hua, pronounced “joo hwa”, is the Chrysanthemum flower. I love having this as a tea – its flowery flavour has a distinct and soothing taste. In a tea, it is often made with the dried flowers but it is also available as a powdered granule combined with cane sugar – highly delicious but they
In Chinese Medicine, being in tune with nature is important in maintaining health and preventing illness, and a part of this is being able to change with the seasons. Throughout the year, we experience change from the heat of Summer to the dryness of Autumn, to the cold of Winter and the wind of Spring.