Eastern Medicine can greatly help those with a weak or compromised immune system or serve as a preventative therapy to ensure optimal health. Optimal health, year round, is an essential part of ones well-being, especially during the Coronavirus pandemic. Taking care of one’s health may include patients with frequent viral or bacterial infections even cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Acupuncture and herbal therapy can help individuals also with no specific complaints but who is seeking to enhance their health and immunity. Eastern medicine uses different language describing therapeutic actions but nonetheless covers all the aspects of allowing the body to function optimally. For example, instead of stating effects to prevent and treat both antiviral and antibacterial infections, we would consolidate the wei (defensive) qi and dispel any existing pathogenic factor, Also, utilizing immunostimulant therapy to enhance immunities, we would tonify normal qi and strengthen the whole body. Lastly, immunomodulatory effects to improve humoral and cellular immune functions , we would tonify the Lung, Spleen, and Kidney which would encompass these functions.
Regardless, of the language, we can agree that an optimal immune system is vital as a host defense mechanism which protects one from invasion of pathogenic micro-organisms. Once the immune system is defective or becomes less than optimal, viruses and bacteria can then enter and affect various parts of the body. Therefore, optimal health is aligned with a strong immunity.
Simple lifestyle changes can create a big difference in sustaining optimal health. These include:
- Regular walks or light exercise and stretches
- Adequate sleep, atleast 8 hours (for most people)
Between the hours of 10pm-7am is best.
- Rest is essential if in recovery due to a weakened immune system
- Avoid becoming chilled or over-heated. Wear proper attire if weather is damp, cold, or windy.
- Avoid over-exertion both physically and mentally due to the suppression effect of the immune system
- Find a sacred spot that is unique to only you that you can meditate, connect with nature, journal, decompress, and just be you.
Optimal Health Nutrition Tips
- Limit the intake of refined sugar which impairs the body’s ability to fight infection
- Eat foods such as garlic, onions, bone marrow broths, citrus, and greens to enhance the immune system
- To ensure that the lymphatic system is circulating smoothly and draining freely, drink plenty of water and herbal teas
- Eat a diverse variety of healthy foods by eating the ‘rainbow’ of colors found in various fruits and vegetables
- Extra supplements which are beneficial to strengthen the immune system would include vitamin A, C, E, and zinc.
Food therapy for one who is susceptible to influenza and common colds would be to consume daily bowls of artichoke soup during the flu season. Add generous amounts of garlic and onions. For cancer patients, blending shitake with white fungus or Ganoderma mushrooms by boiling and drinking three times a day is very beneficial to enhance the immune system.
There has been much research and many clinical studies which have suggested that using acupuncture as a preventative approach to colds and flu can greatly reduce the risk of upper respiratory infections and shorten the duration of the illness. This is done by rebalancing the body’s systems and regulating the body’s healing energies to enhance one’s overall immune system.
Allergies, can be seasonal or in Florida, even year round. This can be an ongoing problem for many people. This can be brought on by either outdoor allergies such as tree, grass and weed pollens or mold spores. Indoor allergies can be brought on by dust mites, mold spores, insect allergens, or animal dander. Food allergies can occur which may cause hives, itching, swelling, or redness. Regardless of the type of allergy, acupuncture is very helpful. This is because with acupuncture, we can combat the main factors of allergies which is wei qi deficiency, spleen weakness, kidney deficiency, and lung deficiency.
Please schedule your Holistic Health visit today. You have a choice of an office visit or a telehealth visit which will be geared at nutritional food therapy and prescribed custom herbal formulas for your individual needs. Call 772-626-6419 or connect with me on my website www.holistichealthonthego.com or you may directly email me at holistichealthonthego@gmail.com .
I look forward to helping you reach your individual goals and to obtain your optimal health!
