Has autumn arrived yet again? This means flu season, colder temperatures, and stressful back-to-work and school schedules! But not to worry, our acupuncturists have some tips on how to keep your immune system strong!
As we welcome the fall season, we also transition from the earth element to the metal element. The metal element’s organ correspondence is of the lungs and large intestine, both responsible for purification and elimination.
The lungs are considered to be a more vulnerable organ as they open to the exterior and are able to be directly attacked by exterior pathogens.
With summer fading into the distance and our routines of work and school getting more regular, it is important to not get run down and risk the health of our immune systems. Luckily, Chinese Medicine can be used to not only treat illness, but it also thrives on preventing illness from occurring.
Here are some tried and true tricks from Acupuncturists on how you can keep your immune system healthy:
- Eating Healthy: Give in to your cravings of baked sweet potatoes and butternut squash soup while slowing down with the cold smoothies and yogurt bowls. Root vegetables are in season and have a warming, healing effect on your digestive system to help your body prepares for winter.
- Sleep: When we are busy all day long at work and then have various tasks to do when we get home (grocery shopping, cooking, homework, etc), it can seem like there is no time to relax. Often this ends up with late nights watching TV or roaming the internet in an effort to have some downtime before actually going to bed – but these activities are quite mentally stimulating and might actually hinder your ability to fall asleep naturally. Try skipping or cutting down on this and heading to bed for an extra hour or two of sleep to greatly benefit your immune system.
- Breathing Exercises: Being the lung season, this is a great time to try those mediation exercises that you keep saying you would like to start doing! Taking a 5-10 minute break, once or twice a day to sit in ‘silence’ and concentrate on your breath can have profound benefits. These benefits are not only for your immune system, but also help your stress levels-which when high can also negatively affect your immune system.
- Herbal Therapy: Too busy to be working on your health all the time, but too busy to be sick at the same time? I always advise my patients that if coming for an acupuncture appointment once a week isn’t a realistic option for them, to consider taking a herbal formula so that they are still working on their health daily. One of my favourite Chinese Medicine herbal formulas works to help boost the immune system. It is what can be considered a ‘pantry formula’ in that you can keep it on your shelf for when you are starting to feel run down or in a situation that makes you more susceptible to getting sick. All of the herbal formulas that I carry at Healthy by Nature Calgary are prepared in pill format and are of pharmaceutical quality.
- Acupuncture: Boosts your energy (qi), boosts your immune system (Wei qi), helps with sleep and digestion, and lowers your stress levels. To best help with your immune system you should come for acupuncture when you are starting to feel a bit run down, or when you are over your illness and wanting to help your recovery.
Following these tips should help you maintain a more healthy immune system, but if you’d like personalized advice, you can book an appointment with me here!
-Dr.Cheryl Lee, TCMD, R.AC, B.SC EXHP