Simple Summer tea

We have been enjoying some late rain around the Geelong, Torquay across to Lorne and through the beautiful Otways rainforest,  but I THINK the hot weather is just around the corner- down here in Southern Victoria it has been raining and the fire has been on again recently but at least the tanks are full!... So in light of Summer being here I wanted to share a simple tip to cool and rehydrate your body, whilst aiding digestion and helping your Liver Qi flow freely.... and that is the wonderful peppermint tea. This will grow like crazy so what better Christmas present to share with someone than a lovely (BIG!) pot with some peppermint growing in it.
If you would like to take it further, add some chrysanthemum flower, Mulberry leaf and licorice root to increase the heat reducing effect (in cases like sore throat or headache), or some lovely Goji berries with Chrysanthemum to make the delicious "Happy tea", a recipe my teacher passed onto me. Happy days everyone!

The changeing of the seasons- What it's been like in Torquay and the greater surfcoast lately...

Hello,
I am feeling compelled to comment on the wildly changeing weather and the effect it has on our health and well-being.
Lately in Torquay the weather has been very erratic. We have had a few very hot days, a lot of windy days and a lot of swinging between hot and cold weather.
In Chinese medicine we are always banging on about wind cold and wind heat as being causes of disease... 'How is this so?' I hear you ask. I have wondered this myself before and sought understanding of the concept.
In the classics, the wind is referred to as "the spearhead of a thousand diseases"! Sounds a bit drastic!? Who would've thought? Well, wind meddles with the outer layers of the body, for example the skin. In hot weather, our pores are open, allowing our bodies to sweat and cool down. In cold weather our pores are closed, in effort to maintain warmth. So you can see how when the weather is swinging between hot and cold, (or going between air con and hot summer weather), the skin and muscle layer can easily be affected by cold. Usually this results in symptoms of a 'wind cold' attack- stiff neck, clear runny nose, sneezing. Another example is the lung and respiratory tract. Bacteria and viruses need an agreeable environment in which to become abundant. We all have disease-causing bacteria and viruses in our bodies, but it is only when the conditions become agreeable to their proliferation that they become problematic. When the weather is hot and windy, the membranes of the Lung and respiratory tract are more likely to dry out and become suitable for bacteria and viruses to grow, as well as the wind being a carrier of these and other irritants (pollens, grasses, hayfever-causing irritants). These we would refer to as 'wind heat' attacks.
So what is the moral of this blog?
Keep yourself protected from the wind- Wear a scarf covering your neck, make sure you stay warm. Also, drink plenty of water, preferably warm, to keep your body well hydrated. When the sun comes out and you feel the heat of summer coming, enjoy the sunshine but in moderation. Avoid extremes!  Happy Spring everyone.

How can herbs help?

The use of herbs is an essential part of traditional Chinese medicine. Herbs help to reorganise the body constituents (qi, blood and body fluids) within the meridians and organs, as well as help the body adjust to the impact of external influences like wind, cold or dampness.

In general, Chinese herbal medicine involves using multiple herbs in combinations that have specific effects in aim to restore balance to the body. Herbs are classified according to the theory of the Five Elements, with specific flavours and qualtities that allow the practitioner to match them with symptoms of illness.

Herbs contain a  large number of substances that work together to alter the body's chemistry. Unlike purified synthetic drugs, plant and other naturally occurring materials contain a wide variety of substances and hence less of any one particular active alkaloid. These other substances are thought to work together to restore balance to the body with minimum side effects. The plant meadowsweet is a good example: it contains compounds similar to those in aspirin that act as  anti-inflammatories. These compounds, called salicylates, often irritate the stomach lining. unlike commercially prepared aspirin however, meadowsweet also contains substances that soothe the gastric lining, thus providing protection from this common side effect of aspirin.