Avery Yackel - Articles about Acupuncture and Traditional Oriental Medicine » Herbal medicine

Medicine in the Kitchen – Dates

Avery Yackel — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 04:56:43 +0000

The Jujube Date, or Da Zao as it’s known in Chinese, is equally at home in both the kitchen and the herbal pharmacy.

The main use of Dates in Traditional Oriental Medicine is to strengthen and support the digestive system. Some of the symptoms commonly associated with weak digestion include fatigue & general weakness, poor absorption of nutrients, a reduced appetite, and a tendency towards loose bowels & diarrhea.

Adding Dates as part of one’s regular diet can help to improve digestion and increase the body’s ability to make better use of the other foods and nutrients that one eats.

Because some herbs can be difficult to digest, many of the herbal formulas used in Chinese Medicine contain Dates to assist with absorption of the medicinal ingredients while also helping to prevent any stomach upsets or other similar side effects.

When eating Dates on their own, a typical dosage would be about 3 – 10 per day. They may also be added to soups & stews.

If Chinese Dates are unavailable, other types of dates such as the Mediterranean varieties may be used instead. However, because these tend to be much sweeter than the Chinese ones, the dosage should be reduced accordingly.

Medicine in the Kitchen – Mint

Avery Yackel — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:01:58 +0000

Many of the herbs used in Traditional Chinese Medicine are actually herbs commonly used in the kitchen for everyday cooking.

Mint, or Bo He as it’s known in Chinese, is quite useful for the treatment of a sore throat. In Eastern Medicine, sore throats are usually viewed as Heat becoming trapped in the acupuncture meridians which travel through the throat area.

Treatment, whether through acupuncture or herbal medicine, is aimed at promoting the flow of energy in these meridians in order to release this stagnant Heat.

The pungent and cooling properties of mint, either alone or in combination with other medicinal herbs, can be helpful in relieving cases of sore throat, especially those brought on by a cold or flu.

To brew mint tea, use 1 – 2 Tablespoons of mint leaf and steep in 1 cup of hot water for about 5 minutes. Be sure not to cook it for too long, otherwise the volatile oils which contain most of the medicinal properties may evaporate. Several cups of the tea may be sipped throughout the day as needed.

So next time you are starting to feel a sore throat coming on, try mint tea to bring some relief.