We can all remember our mothers warning us to stay out of a draft, that we could catch a cold. What we didn’t know is that Chinese medicine agrees with her.

That draft our mothers warned us about is a form of wind. Wind is felt, but only seen in the effects that it has on objects. It comes and goes, starting and stopping, shifting direction and swirling, all unpredictably. Wind is important in Chinese medicine because it can carry “evils” that can enter the body and make us sick.

Sometimes the wind can carry “cold” and we will have chills and body aches. Sometimes the wind will carry in “heat” and we will have a fever, sore throat, and maybe a cough. The wind can even carry in “dampness” or “dryness.” Most of the time, we go through a time of feeling miserable but our bodies are finally able to push out the evil in a few days. However, for someone who has a weakness, the illness may stay longer or change into something else.

To protect us from the wind, our bodies have a defensive, protective qi. When our qi is strong, our defensive qi is also strong, fighting off all but the strongest of evils. When our qi is weak, our defensive qi can also become weak, and then we get sick more often.

So, how do we prevent the wind from carrying an evil into our body and making us sick? We need to do what our mothers told us years ago and dress appropriately for the weather. In these days of central heating, it means not standing around sweating in our heavy winter coats inside a building. When we sweat the pores are open, allowing the wind to enter when we walk outside. It also means eating a balanced diet, and having exercise or other activity in our lives to build our defensive qi and make ourselves able to resist the wind.

But what happens when you feel those first chills, and realize that you are getting sick? An approximation of a Chinese herbal formula to be taken at the earliest sign that you are sick is miso soup with onion. This should induce a mild sweat, allowing your body to push the evil out before it becomes lodged. If the evil has become lodged then acupuncture and herbs can be used to help the body fight off the evil. After we are well again, the acupuncture and herbs can be used to build our qi, so that we will be more able to resist the wind the next time around.

So, Chinese medicine and our mothers are in agreement. We should eat balanced meals, enjoy moderate exercise, dress appropriately for the weather, and stay out of drafts.

- Top -