Treating Allergies with Chinese Medicine

The birds start singing, the trees start budding, you know spring has arrived. For some of us, we experience signs and symptoms in our bodies such as red, itchy eyes and stuffy noses, wheezing, headaches and fatigue that notify us of the season change.

Our immune systems are the guardians of our bodies. When the immune system (Wei Qi - pronounced "way chee") perceives something as harmful, it puts up a defense against it by producing mucus and becoming inflamed. This "something" can be a harmless substance, such as pollen, which is perceived as a threat by the body. People who have a Wei Qi deficiency can be prone to allergies and frequent colds.

In conventional Western medicine anti-histamines and steroid nasal sprays are used to relieve the symptoms but they can also create side effects and potential health risks. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the cause of allergy symptoms is an imbalance in the distribution of Qi (pronounced "chee"). The goal is to identify and correct blockages, excesses and imbalances in each of the different meridians and organs in order to create a free-flowing environment for Qi.

For example, generally many allergy symptoms are located in the head (stuffiness, headaches, itchy eyes), which indicates that there is a blockage that is preventing the smooth flow of Qi energy between the head and the rest of the body. In this case, your acupuncturist would place needles on the head and the neck to open the Yang channels to allow the energy to flow.

Acupuncture treatments along with adjunct therapies such as massage (tuina), exercise, dietary changes and herbal remedies can help accelerate the balancing process in your body. When the body is brought back to balance, symptoms disappear and health is restored.

Source:
http://www.yinovacenter.com/blog/archives/6667/
http://www.somaacupuncture.com/allergies-spring.html
http://www.suntenglobal.com/news/show.php?ID=320&page=

---

Dr. Mehmet Oz's Green Drink Recipe (serves 3 to 4)

This recipe was shared with Oprah by Dr. Mehmet Oz while she was doing her 21-day vegan cleanse. This smoothie can be made in a juicer or a blender.

Organic produce is highly recommended.

• 2 apples (cored, with skin)
• 2 BIG handfuls of spinach
• 1 medium cucumber
• 3 ribs/sticks of chopped celery 1/2 inch or tsp ginger root, peeled
• 1 bunch parsley
• Juice of 1 lime
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

If you are not a big fan of green drinks, try increasing the fruit content until you are satisfied with the taste. Increasing the apple, adding a banana, mangoes or strawberries would work. Blend everything together and add desired amount of ice (or none). Enjoy!

Source: http://ahealthykitchen.com/healthy-recipes/healthy-breakfast/healthy-juices/dr-oz-green-drink-oprah/