As the autumn season ushers in chillier weather, there is often a rise in the frequency of colds and flu. Quick recovery from such ailments often necessitates strengthening the body’s defensive energy, referred to as “protective qi”. Nevertheless, certain misguided actions taken by individuals suffering from colds or flu can lead to a quick decline in the body’s protective qi, thereby exacerbating the illness.
The approach of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) towards illness is based on the belief that diseases are often the result of environmental influences. These influences, or the six external pathogenic influences, are wind, cold, heat, dryness, dampness, and summer heat. Similarly, a common cold is also attributed to the invasion of these external pathogenic factors in TCM.
Qi, in the context of TCM, represents the life force or vital energy of a person. In order to maintain a balanced life and stay free from health issues, it is important to have balanced qi. There are several types of qi, one of which is “protective qi”. This form of qi is thought to function primarily at the body’s surface, acting as a defense mechanism similar to the anatomical barriers of the innate immune system. A person is more susceptible to disease when their protective qi is low.
The objective of many TCM treatments is to bolster the body’s protective qi. Treatments are customized, chosen based on the individual’s unique health conditions because everyone’s physical state varies. However, some common missteps can cause a sharp decline in the body’s protective qi when dealing with a cold, worsening the symptoms.
The importance of timing in consuming ginger tea
The use of natural herbs, like ginger, to treat colds has been a traditional practice in China for millennia. Despite its simplicity, this method has proven to be highly effective and is still in use today.
Ginger, which comes from the root of the Zingiber officinale plant, has been used as an herbal remedy for centuries to treat a wide variety of conditions, from arthritis to stomach pain. Today, it remains a popular remedy for colds and flu.
A friend of mine once caught a cold and developed a sore throat. Believing that ginger tea could help him recover, he brewed and drank a pot of ginger tea, but saw no improvement. This is because ginger tea should ideally be consumed in the early stages of a cold when it can boost body heat, dispel the pathogenic cold, and alleviate symptoms.
However, if the symptoms have progressed to a sore throat, it indicates that the pathogenic wind and cold have deeply infiltrated the body, causing inflammation and creating pathogenic heat. In such cases, drinking the heat-inducing ginger tea can further intensify the pathogenic heat and worsen the symptoms.
Avoid eating raw, cold foods
Although fruits and vegetables are integral to a healthy diet, it is advised to avoid consuming them raw and cold when suffering from a cold.
I once had a patient who contracted the flu, showing symptoms of a runny nose, cough, and diarrhea due to COVID-19. She assumed that increasing her intake of fruits and vegetables would help her recover, so she consumed a lot of raw and cold produce. However, this didn’t help improve her condition. When she switched to eating warm rice porridge and dressing warmly, her health improved significantly.
Zhang Zhongjing, a renowned physician from the Eastern Han Dynasty, recommended that patients suffering from a cold should avoid eating foods that are cold, spicy, or hard to digest.
When an individual has a cold, their digestive function weakens and can’t absorb all nutrients efficiently. Consuming cold water or food forces the body to use protective qi to warm the food before digestion, which hinders the recovery process.
A wise TCM practitioner once warned me that eating raw fruits during a cold can lead to a lingering cough. When I once contracted a cold and fever, I experimented by consuming a bit of fruit, and the result was a rapid depletion of my protective qi, worsening my condition.
According to TCM, when the body retains protective qi, it is less susceptible to disease. Therefore, to aid recovery, it is suggested to dress warmly, maintain body heat, and consume foods like rice porridge. This helps conserve and naturally replenish the protective qi in the body.
TCM recipes for different cold types
TCM identifies two major types of colds: wind-cold and wind-heat.
A wind-cold type of cold exhibits symptoms such as chills, headache, sneezing, an itchy throat, and clear or white mucus. This is typically the initial stage of a cold and can last a few hours or days.
In contrast, a wind-heat cold is characterized by a sore throat, more fever than chills, and yellow mucus.
For a wind-cold type of cold, the following recipe is recommended:
Ingredients:
- 10 grams of scallion
- 6 grams of fermented soybean
- 3-4 slices of ginger
Combine the ingredients in about 2 cups of water and let it boil for 10 minutes. Consume this concoction three times a day.
For a wind-heat type of cold, the following recipe is recommended:
Ingredients:
- 3 grams of chrysanthemum
- 6 grams of Dragon Well tea
Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the ingredients and drink it three times a day.