By Cathy McNease, Dipl CH, RH

Summer time finds us spending more time outside at play in the long days, and sometimes that leads to an injury. Many simple home remedies can alleviate suffering. What follows are some simple remedies to help with the booboos of summer. Once the very hot days arrive, watermelon, tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, lemon juice and mung beans, can all be used to prevent dehydration and overheating. A large natural food store or Oriental market will have all of the remedies mentioned.

Simple Herbal Home Remedies for Common Ailments

Abdominal pain: valerian; chamomile; fennel; ginger; cinnamon; peony + licorice
Anxiety: valerian; chamomile; poppy; passion flower vine; Cal-Mag;
Bee stings: clay; plantain; aloe; vinegar + baking soda
Bladder infection: uva ursi; marshmallow; dandelion; cranberry; coptis; D-Mannose
Bleeding: tienchi; comfrey root powder; cayenne; seaweed; yarrow; charcoal

By Cathy McNease, Dipl CH, RH

Many powerful medicines from around the world are currently in your kitchen pantry. I am talking about those flavor-enhancing herbs and spices. They are potent for many acute and chronic health complaints. For chronic conditions, consider using them regularly in your food; for acute conditions you can make a cup of tea by steeping ½ – 1 teaspoon of the crushed herb or spice with a pint of boiling water. Let it soak about 10-15 minutes, then strain and drink in 2 or 3 portions throughout the day.

Digestive and Urinary Aids 

Seeds of Anise, Fennel, Cardomom, Caraway, Dill, Coriander (Cilantro seeds), Cumin – all improve digestion, relieving discomfort, indigestion, bloating and gas. The tea will be stronger if seeds are crushed in your mortar and pestle or coffee grinder before preparing. Parsley promotes digestion, especially if you overeat. Additionally, Parsley promotes urination to reduce edema and strengthens the kidneys and adrenals. Celery seeds will relieve water swelling and the pain of gout. Sesame, Hemp and Flax seeds ease constipation. Ginger and Cinnamon aid chronic diarrhea, especially when cooked into a white rice porridge (lots of water, not much rice, cooked for 1 hour).

Pain Relief

Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Allspice all help warm the circulation. Think about the mulling spice mixes that we use with apple cider in autumn…this group are great for pain. A painful tooth can be numbed by holding a whole Clove in your mouth near the problem tooth.

Editor’s note: given the current rage with drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as my own ongoing struggles with weight loss, it seemed like a perfect time for this article. – Mark

By Cathy McNease, Dipl CH, RH

The Obesity Epidemic

Today 2/3 of adults and 1/3 of children are overweight or obese. Since the 1960’s, the numbers have tripled! We are obsessed with dieting strategies, yet keep getting fatter and fatter. What’s up with that? Obesity is quickly taking over the leading position that smoking has held for preventable deaths caused. Yet, we have such a hard time losing weight and keeping it off, even though it is killing us.

In the 1960’s we began to hear about low fat foods for weight loss, but unfortunately this was not a good solution. The fats were substituted with refined carbohydrates. Then in the early 1970’s high fructose corn syrup was created and became a cheap, sweet, food additive used in a huge proportion of prepared foods. This science project has a higher proportion of fructose than occurs in Nature, and our bodies end up converting it into fat. Unfortunately, our brain’s pleasure areas are highly stimulated by these unhealthy foods, causing a true addiction to bad foods. Refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats are highly addictive. The best carbohydrates are from vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans. The healthy fats come from nuts, seeds, coconut, avocado, olive oil and fish. The worst fats are the hydrogenated oils or trans fats (another dangerous science project), which contribute to many diseases including heart disease and cancer.

Narration provided by Wondervox.

By Cathy McNease, Dipl CH, RH

Here in Southern California, many are plagued by allergies to pollens in the air. Extensive landscaping has turned a natural desert terrain into a lush, verdant landscape. As a result, we have an enormous variety of plant pollens to contend with. Typically, tree pollens cause spring time allergies, while herbs, grasses and flowers cause summer and fall allergies. Mold, mildew, dust, pet dander, feathers, cigarette smoke, and chemical pollutants, may all cause allergy symptoms year round, and can be difficult to diagnose. An allergic reaction is a disorder of the immune system that causes an over reaction to something in the environment. Anti-histamine drugs, like Benadryl or Claritin are used to reduce allergy symptoms.

Seasonal allergies to pollens can cause sneezing, runny nose, cough, asthma, itchy eyes, nose or ears; sore throat, hives, rashes and fatigue. Minimizing exposure to the offending pollens is advised, but that may be impossible to achieve. Allergic reactions can be mild or severe. If your parents suffered with hay fever (allergic rhinitis), eczema or allergic asthma, there is a good chance that you have inherited the “allergy-prone gene.” From the point of view of Chinese Medicine, this shows an inherited weakness in the immune functions of both the Lungs and the Kidneys. Stress may be a trigger due to a the strong connection between the emotions and the immune system.  Often the allergy-prone adult suffered allergies or eczema as a kid. Others may develop allergies later in life, even with no family history. Repeated exposure can be a trigger. Colds and allergies may have similar symptoms, but if those cold symptoms last more than a week, it may be due to allergies.

Narration provided by Wondervox.

By Cathy McNease, Dipl CH, RH 

What gives you JOY? That can be a difficult question to answer for the overwhelmed, stressed-out person. One way to navigate hard times is to attend to whatever gives you Joy, little things, easy things, meaningful things. What I have found is that acknowledging my Joy from drinking tea, or the sun on my face, or a singing bird, or a sweet smelling breeze, provides me with an alternative to troubles.  We all need comfort, but it is too easy to turn to injurious ways of comfort that further our discomfort instead. Then, those behaviors become mindless activities that keep us stuck in suffering.

Camellia sinensis, or tea, as we know it, is a remarkable plant and medicine for our mental health. All of the teas made from this plant contain caffeine, but also tannic acid, which binds some of the caffeine, making it less available than caffeine from coffee. The amount of caffeine varies in teas, with green varieties often the highest and twig tea, kukicha, being the lowest, with only a trace. White tea, the young white leaves, is also low in caffeine.  All of the teas activate the movement of Qi to the head, bringing clarity and a brightness to our minds. For the caffeine sensitive, tea should be avoided, but you may find Peppermint tea or Rooibos tea (a tangy African herb) refreshing and uplifting as well.

Narration provided by Wondervox.

By Cathy McNease, Dipl CH, RH 

It is a familiar problem: stressful events occur and our digestion goes to hell. For some it means loss of appetite, others will resort to binges on comfort foods. Diarrhea, constipation, bloating and indigestion are other common reactions to stress. I fall prey to all of these as well, and over the decades have figured a few things out to help. First, minimize stress as much as you can. Second, don’t allow the stress to send you off the rails in your food choices.

If we can minimize the increase in stress hormones being produced, that is a step in the right direction.

Maintaining an anti-inflammatory diet, as much as possible, is a good start. The following tips will reduce cortisol and adrenaline, which increase with stress. Limit as much as you can these foods: added sugars, processed foods, dairy products, gluten, too much meat, and refined oils. Rely more on non-starchy vegetables. Also watch your intake of coffee and alcohol.

If GERD (gastro-esophogeal reflux disorder), heartburn, or indigestion are the issue, here are a few suggestions. Foods that increase stomach acid problems include very spicy foods, deep fried foods, tomatoes, onions, chocolate, citrus, carbonated drinks, cocktails, caffeine, and mints, especially peppermint, which relaxes the valve between the stomach and esophagus, allowing acid to come up to the throat.  Also, limit canned and vitamin C enriched foods.