Cold and Flu season is upon us, and it's time to slow down
/As the seasons change, daylight savings ends and it starts to cool down, the dreaded cold and flu season approaches. It seems that over the last few weeks, everyone I know is either feeling like they’re coming down with a cold, are already sick, or are worried about getting sick.
But what is it about this time of year that makes us susceptible to colds? Western medicine has a few speculative theories: we spend more time indoors in the “breathing zone” of other sick people, our immune systems are more vulnerable in winter, or that certain pathogens thrive in colder weather.
In Chinese Medicine theory, there are always pathogens in the air, but it’s our body’s innate defense to these pathogens that stops us from getting sick. We call this the ‘Wei Qi’ (or Defensive Qi - pronounced 'way chee'), and it’s an energetic layer that sits on the surface of the body and protects us against getting sick. So, when we get sick from external causes such as colds and flu, it’s essentially a battle between our 'Wei Qi' and the ‘Pathogenic Qi’ – or the germs that are floating about in the air.
So the main difference here is that western medicine really focuses on the germs in the air, the ‘Pathogenic Qi’, while Chinese Medicine sees that these pathogens are always there and impossible to control, and instead asks us to focus on self-care and cultivating our ‘Wei Qi’ so that we don’t get sick.
When it comes to getting sicker in winter, it’s all about Yin and Yang, or the idea that every phenomenon occurs between two cyclical poles. The Chinese characters for 'Yin' and 'Yang' are related to the image of a hill with one side dark and the other sunlit. Yang corresponds to day, and night to yin. Yang is activity, and rest is Yin. And just as day gives in to night and vice versa, these are constantly transforming and interchanging. Which brings us to the seasons. Summer is Yang, and winter is Yin. And as we’re now in autumn, we’re in the season of Yang turning into Yin.
As we enter autumn, and slow down into winter – the season of utmost Yin, it's time for darkness, softness and rest. It’s about consolidation and conservation. But, in our western society, we tend to ignore this cyclical nature. We don’t hibernate like a lot of other mammals, we just work through, socialise, refuse to slow down, and wonder why it is that we’re so tired.
So, since we aren’t all going to find a cave to hibernate in for the winter, here are a few things I suggest to my patients, friends and family when it comes to cultivating our Wei Qi and protecting ourselves through these colder months (outside of acupuncture and herbs of course!):
Food should be consumed at room temperature or warmer. Opt for stews, soups, broths, and foods that are cooked over a long time rather than salads, raw foods and icy cold drinks.
Eat foods that grow during the winter such as root vegetables
If the dryness of autumn is giving you a cough or making you feel dry in general, one of the best foods to eat is Pear – especially if they’re poached, it's said to 'engender Lung Yin'.
Essentially, dairy makes you phlegmier, so if you’re sick, cut down on the dairy and the cheese!
If you’re not going to hibernate in a cave for the winter, try to listen to the seasons a little more. It's time to do less, and take a night off here and there.
The first 24 hours of getting sick are the most important, so the moment you feel like you’re coming down with something grab a couple of spring onions, boil them up for 10 minutes and drink this down while you’re wrapped up in a blanket. Spring onion is traditionally used for expelling pathogens, while wrapping up and breaking a sweat will open your pores to help push it out (and I promise it doesn't taste as bad as it sounds!).
If the 'Wei Qi' loses the battle and you wake up sick as a dog, just stay home! Drink a heap of water, sleep as much as you can and let your 'Wei Qi' do its job and fight that pathogen! Getting sick isn’t about being tough and proving that you can ‘soldier on’, all this does is lead to symptoms that stick around for longer, and higher chances of getting sick again.
And of course.. if you're prone to catching colds and feel that you have low immunity, acupuncture and Chinese herbs are fantastic at boosting the 'Wei Qi' and giving your body a better chance at defending itself against 'Pathogenic Qi'.
As much as the sun worshipper in me hates to say it, summer is coming to a close. The time of expansiveness, activity and doing is winding down. It’s time to slow down. If you’re tired, say no to that dinner you were invited to, go to bed a little earlier or sleep in a little longer and lay in bed that little bit longer snug in your doona. Remember that staying healthy through the colder months is much more about self-care and strengthening our Wei Qi than the amount of germs in the air.