by Tanya Keam | Aug 30, 2022 | Acupuncture, Autoimmune, Chinese medicine, Client information, Exercise, Immune Support, Immune system, Inflammation, Joint pain, Nambour, Nutrition, Pain, Stress, Sunshine coast
Acupuncture for Inflammation is showing positive results in research. Inflammation refers to your body’s process of fighting against things that harm it, like infections, injuries, and toxins, in an attempt to heal itself. When something damages the cells, your body releases chemicals that trigger a response from your immune system.
Chronic inflammation can cause autoimmune disorders, such as Lupus or Chron’s, where your body attacks healthy tissue. Exposure to toxins, like pollution or industrial chemicals. Untreated acute inflammation, such as from an infection or injury.
Other factors that contribute significantly to inflammation is poor diet and stress.
What about stress?
- Working too much, over doing it
- Poor diet
- Lack of exercise
- Environmental factors
- Emotional distress
- Not taking care of yourself
- Injury, trauma – sometimes inflammation is a good thing when there’s been trauma to the body. However its important to quickly reduce the inflammation so the body can heal and get well
Try to avoid these “foods” when grocery shopping:
- Refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pastries
- Hot chips and other fried foods (often fried in canola oil which is GMO)
- Margarine
- Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages (including some alcoholic drinks)
- Red meat and processed meat (hot dogs, sausages)
- Corn syrup
- Packaged foods with ingredient and numbers on the ingredients list you don’t understand
- Drive-through foods
Other foods that may contribute to inflammation in the body for some people may include:
- Gluten (proteins trigger the immune system to jump into action, causing inflammation). This inflammation can affect the body’s organs and soft tissue. However sometimes, its the pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals used in the processing of certain grains which can cause gluten sensitivity.
- Dairy
- Soy
- Corn
- White sugar
An anti-inflammatory diet is rich in good oils, fats, omega’s and antioxidants…
- Olive oil, flaxseed oil
- Green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, kale, and collards)
- Nuts
- Tumeric, ginger
- Fatty fish (like salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines)
- Fruits (such as avocado, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, goji berries, pineapple, papaya)
- Raw unprocessed honey
- Coconut
- Tomato
- Bone broth
- Ghee
- A rainbow of fruits and vegetables
Try to eat as organic and local as possible. In season fruits and vegetables are also important. Certified organic can be expensive so if you cant source it, make sure you thoroughly wash your food. Or better yet start a little vegie garden and grow what you can at home.
How can Chinese medicines and Acupuncture for Inflammation help?
Acupuncture stimulates your body to help your own body to make its own medicine, like giving your internal healing response a 10-20% boost. The pins spark your resources; what nature gave you and continues to give you.
Acupuncture and the other branches of Chinese medicine (nutrition, herbs, massage, heat therapy and exercise) restore homeostasis and keep the body functioning at an optimal level. When the body is functioning at an optimal level, we’re far less likely to get sick, and far more likely to recover quickly when we do get sick, inflammatory conditions included. Read more here about Traditional Chinese Medicine as a health modality here:
Autoimmune conditions are a chronic condition so healing is a longer process, the same way it took a long time for the autoimmune markers to show up in the first place. Never the less, we can balance your immune system with acupuncture and herbal medicine, dramatically help with nutrition specific for you as an individual and guide you to manage lifestyle factors to reduce autoimmune markers or better manage the symptoms.
If you think you may have inflammation happening in your body or have been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition, please contact us today to discuss how we can help you at our Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine clinic on the Sunshine Coast. Healing is possible. Being pain free, managing pain, feeling energetic, relaxing the stress response in the body and feeling an overall wellness is possible.
Hi, I’m Tanya Keam, an AHPRA registered Acupuncturist and health practitioner in Nambour in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, Queensland Australia. I practice Chinese medicine because its safe, logical, relevant and has effectively shown methods of natural wellness for thousands of years (read more about my training here). Life doesn’t need to be complicated and nor does the treatment approaches to get people feeling vibrant and well. I’ve seen people gain a lot from treatments, much more than just alleviating symptoms. It’s exciting to connect with people and share deep wisdom from the classics of ancient and traditional medicine, with modern protocols for todays mind-body living. See you in the clinic !
Links:
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/11/researchers-pinpoint-how-acupuncture-targets-inflammation/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24562381/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1781596/
by Tanya Keam | Jan 14, 2022 | Acupuncture, Chinese medicine, Cough, covid19, Food, Immune Support, Immune system, Nambour, Nourishing, Seasonal living, Sunshine coast, Winter
Immune System treatment with Chinese Medicine
Immune system Chinese Medicine and Western medicine treatment approaches are quite different from each other.
When a virus enters the nose and throat, our immune system has receptors that tell the body there is an ‘invasion’, so the body sends helpers to ‘defend’ the body at the sight of infection, so we feel a sore throat come on for example. The immune system can often fight off an infection on its own, other times other invention may be needed.
The treatment for treating a common cold or flu from a western medicine perspective may include pharmaceutical use such as ibropofen to drop a fever, panadol for a headache, your doctor may advise rest and fluids to keep you hydrated. Elderly people are often given a flu shot in Autumn so they can build some antibodies to at least some of the inlfuenza variants in time for when Winter comes around and flu’s are more common.
The treatment for treating a common cold or flu or anything else viral from a Chinese medicine or eastern medicine perspective includes first understanding the onset. One person may come down with a sore throat and headache, another may feel lethargic, stuffy nose and feverish – even with the same variant of virus. The persons’ general health and medical history is also taken into account. For example if someone has chronic asthma but exercises regularly and eats a well balanced diet, compared to someone who is diabetic, obese and may be on multiple medications – they are completely different health status’s and their immune system response to a virus may be vastly different.
Herbal medicine is used at the first onset of symptoms for a virus which presents with flu symptoms and diagnosed usually with 3 seperate clinical presentations:
- Wind cold – runny nose, sneezing, some mucous congestion, fatigue, maybe a slight cough. There are no ‘hot’ symptoms and often happen if we just get caught in the rain or when the winds pick up in Autumn in the southern hemisphere.
- Wind heat – sore throat, swollen glands, headache, fever, achy muscles, lethargy, rapid heart rate and a yellow tongue coating. These are hot symptoms and often we catch this type of pathogen from someone else. Wind cold can sometimes turn into a wind heat pattern if the immune system has a hard time recovering. The mucous will go from clear to white to yellow to green and the fever etc kick in to further fight off the now hotter pathogen.
- Toxic heat and/or with phlegm – this type of condition is when wind heat isn’t resolved and a person gets more sick. They may end up with a lung infection with green or blood streaked sputum or have phlegm in their digestive system which leads to loose or sticky stools as well as lung phlegm that is hard to expectorate.
Depending on the persons constitution, herbal medicine is given as soon as symptoms come on. If you can get herbs into you within the first 12 hrs of a sore throat coming on (a wind heat pathogen for example), the herbs vent, disperse the expel the virus outwards preventing it from going deeper (aches, fever, then going to the chest then do not occur). As well as hydration, a healthy diet and rest. If however a pathogen lingers and nasty cough sticks arounds for weeks, a whole different approach is needed now as not only does the pathogen need to vent but the persons immune system needs some serious support!
Nutrition is a key part in anything cold/flu. Wind heat patterns already have so much heat in the body with fever, sore throats and aches going on we don’t want to add fire to fire so avoiding heating foods such as spicy, chocolate or coffee which create further heat is not recommended. But watermelon which is very cooling on the body also soothes a sore throat. Bonus! When a lot of mucous is present, it is not recommended to consume foods while sick that create more mucous in the body. These include dairy products and foods that have the texture of mashed avocado, peanut butter or bananas – they have ‘sticky’ consistency which is exactly what phlegm is. Whereas as a wind cold presentation would benefit from some spices such as chai tea which have dispersing and slightly warming qualities to balance out that cold invasion. it is a simple balance of cold balances hot, hot balances cold and avoiding those sticky ‘damp’ kind of phlegm foods when you have a chesty cough.
Traditional Chinese medicine consists of multiple facets to healing including acupuncture, cupping and gua sha therapy, massage, herbal medicine, exercise, nutrition and lifestyle recommendations to keep people well and as a way of preventative medicine. The lung energy is very much associated with the immune system so doing exercises that strengthen the lungs such as swimming, yoga, breath work and running build that lung capacity and ‘chi’ (energy). Someone who has Asthma would really benefit from swimming to strengthen the lungs and with the bonus of outside exercise you get Vitamin D too. Many minerals and vitamins found in our foods also support the immune system which is well researched, so eating a well balanced diet with lots of fruit and veggies is looking after you!
Allowing fevers to break on their own (without always reaching for the Ibuprofen) is a good sign your immune system is fighting off an infection. Further intervention is rarely needed when a fever gets high, but shouldn’t be disregarded either as a high fever can cause further illness. Getting a cold or flu every now and then is okay as well as your body creates antibodies to further protect itself for future attacks. Common herbs to strengthen the immune system in Chinese medicine are Huang Qi (Astragalus), Lingzhi (Reishi mushroom) and Bai zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae) which can be taken through the cold flu season to boost the immune system.
Here is a simple recipe to help a lingering cough!
If you’d like support in balancing your body and immune system Chinese medicine style then book in for a consult and treatment and we will get your system in great shape! You can book online or contact us at our Sunshine Coast Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Clinic in Nambour on the beautiful Sunshine Coast.
Hi, I’m Tanya, an AHPRA registered Acupuncturist, bodyworker and doctor of Chinese medicine in Nambour in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, Queensland Australia. I practice Chinese and natural medicine because its safe, logical, relevant and has effectively shown methods of natural wellness for thousands of years (read more about my training here). Life doesn’t need to be complicated and nor does the treatment approaches to get people feeling vibrant and well. I’ve seen people gain a lot from treatments, much more than just alleviating symptoms. It’s exciting to connect with people and share deep wisdom from the classics of ancient and traditional medicine, with modern protocols for todays mind-body living. See you in the clinic !
by Tanya Keam | Jun 11, 2018 | Acupuncture, Chinese medicine, Client information, Cough, Dairy alternatives, Dairy free, DIY Wellness Tips, Food, Herbal remedies, Homemade, Immune Support, Immune system, Nambour, Nutrition, Recipes, Seasonal living, Smoothie, Sunshine coast, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wellness, Winter
A simple Chinese Medicine cough recipe
Chinese medicine is seasonal medicine – what better way to take care of yourself than a cough recipe to look after you this season. In Winter it is recommended to consume less cold and raw food as it harsh on our digestive system to process, which is a balmy 36.5 degrees inside. Putting something the temperature of the fridge in a nice warm coldren stomach, first takes energy to warm it before it can digest it. This can lead to fatigue, bloating, and loose bowel movements.
In late Autumn and Winter we opt for:
- More warming foods such as soups and stews to warm us up from the inside!
- Smoothies are generally not recommended in Winter at all as they are too cold. However putting a wonderful twist on the conventional fruit smoothie so that is warming not only for our digestive system but designed to benefit the lungs and relieve coughs.
The main ingredient, pears, is highly valued in Chinese medicine as the fruit that is most beneficial for coughs. What does Autumn and Winter bring? You guessed it, coughs!
Pears are “sweet, slightly sour, and cool.” They “generate fluids” but also “dissolve phlegm,” so they are ideal for treating dry coughs, a hoarse voice, thirst and agitation in general.
Our second key ingredient is almonds which is also a great dairy alternative in smoothies. Almonds have similar properties to apricots in Chinese medicine, with apricot seeds being used as one of the key medicinals for treating coughs. Almonds are not as potent as apricot seeds (which have some mild toxicity and shouldn’t be consumed on a regular basis), but they do have some similar properties – moistening the lungs, relieving coughing and wheezing. That makes them the perfect complement to pears in this smoothie.
This recipe is specific for almond milk which helps resolve phlegm, so don’t switch it up for dairy milk as dairy is more phlegm forming.
Chinese Medicine Cough Recipe (Spiced Pear Smoothie with Almonds and Chia)
Serving size: About 1-2
Ideal for high speed blender
Ingredients
1 Pear (room temperature)
¾-1cup Almond Milk (how thick do you like it?)
10 natural Almonds (soaked overnight in water if possible, otherwise raw is fine)
¼-1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala spice
Dash Cayenne pepper or Cinnamon (to keep the digestive system warm)
1 tablespoon Chia Seed (can be soaked in almond milk prior for 15 minutes to turn into a jelly)
1-2 teaspoons Manuka honey
NO ICE !
Directions
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Enjoy!
Take care this Winter, there has already been many colds and influenza floating around.
Hi, I’m Tanya, an Acupuncturist and Chinese medicine practitioner in Nambour on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland Australia. I practice Chinese medicine because its safe, logical, relevant and has effectively shown methods of natural wellness for thousands of years (read more about my training here). Life doesn’t need to be complicated and nor does the treatment approaches to get people feeling vibrant and well. I’ve seen people gain a lot from treatments, much more than just alleviating symptoms. It’s exciting to connect with people and share deep wisdom from the classics of ancient and traditional medicine, with modern protocols for todays mind-body living. See you in the clinic !
Contact me
Book online
by Tanya Keam | Oct 24, 2016 | Acupuncture, Chinese medicine, Client information, Daily Rituals, DIY Wellness Tips, Exercise, Fitness, Immune Support, Liver Health, Mental health, Nambour, Nature, Nutrition, Seasonal living, Spring, Stress, Sunshine coast, Wellness
We live in one of the most fittest and healthiest places in Australia. We often have triathlon events, surfers at Noosa, runners on Alex hill, mountain climbers on Ngun Ngun, dog walking at Kawana and health cafes popping up everywhere. Who wants to stay inside on a sunny weekend? NO ONE!
Spring is the season of regeneration and growth and connects to the liver organ. The days become longer and we want to spend more time outside, especially living on the beautiful Sunshine Coast!
Here are some tips and strategies fitness wise and to support liver health:
From a Western medicine perspective, the liver is a very important organ that stores blood, produces bile, processes toxins and aids in our immune function.
From a Chinese medicine perspective, it also has a major influence on the smooth flow of energy (life force) to move throughout our bodies. When something blocks this energy flow such as lack of exercise, stress, pent up emotions or an unhealthy lifestyle; the liver becomes agitated/blocked/stuck, which can lead to symptoms such as irritability, insomnia, PMS, tight muscles, mood swings, digestive discomfort, pain in the body and headaches.
So what can you do to your liver energy/life force to flow smoothly in the face of every day activities?
Exercise: The best way to get your energy moving is to move! Different types of exercise suit different people. Some people do really well with vigorous exercise such as long runs or high intensity interval training (HIIT), while other people are more suited to slower, gentle forms of movement such as walking or yoga. I have personally found a mix of both types of exercise to be beneficial. If the gym is a bore, then find something you enjoy, it might even be a group fitness class where you can meet new people. This spring I’m into swimming, yoga, running and resistance exercises. Get those endorphins flowing !!!!
Diet: It is important to eat foods that will cleanse and improve overall liver function. Sour flavours belong to the liver/gallbladder function. Having a squeeze of lemon in warm water first thing in the morning invigorates the liver to get moving for the day and vinaigrette dressings can be added to salads. Leafy greens such as kale, lettuce, spinach and chard support liver detoxification pathways. Artichokes contain a flavonoid which is a strong antioxidant – meaning prevention and cleansing of free radical damage to cells. Try to reduce the amount of dairy, alcohol, greasy and deep fried foods, and excessive salt.
Manage stress – Stress plays a part in all of our lives, and a small amount is healthy, but its just how we manage it all that counts. Dealing with issues, conflict in relationships, pent up emotions, work situations etc. Seek professional support if needed but otherwise have a ‘self care’ approach to your day to day lives. Rest when you need to, have health treatments such as acupuncture or massage, exercise, take moments to be in nature and soak up some vitamin D, express how you feel, plan your day and week ahead.
It’s the little things that count. See you in the pool!
Take care,
TK x
Tanya Keam Wellness is an experienced health clinic in Nambour on the Sunshine Coast. Helping you to feel better in all aspects of your health and wellbeing.
by Tanya Keam | Mar 2, 2015 | Acupuncture, Autumn, Buderim, Chinese medicine, Client information, Daily Rituals, DIY Wellness Tips, Immune Support, Nourishing, Nutrition, Seasonal living, Sunshine coast
Autumn
Autumn is the season that follows the long and hot days of summer, where the days become shorter, the nights a little cooler, presenting us with earthy coloured falling leaves to prepare for the coming winter. With the change in temperature, especially the summer humidity that we experience in Queensland Australia, the air signals us to start putting away the summer frocks and get out warmer jackets and scarfs. We also begin to harvest and gather brightly coloured foods of the new season, such as pumpkin and squash.
Chinese medicine is very much focussed around the seasons of the year. We go from the relaxed and carefree attitudes of Summer to the more serious and introspective energies of Autumn. In Autumn we move from the external, expansive nature of Summer to the internal, contracting nature of Autumn. It is a good idea to finish up projects you’ve started in spring and summer and frolic in the rewards, a bit like the planting of seedlings in the veggie patch that have been harvested.
In Chinese medicine, Autumn is associated with the lungs and colon. The energy of the lungs are colon are about “letting go”, in all aspects of our life so that we can make room for new experiences that will help us to learn and grow.
Imbalances that can occur during Autumn can include :
Dry skin, lips and throat
Stiff upper back and neck
Allergies, allergic rhinitis and sinusitis
Weak immunity
Sneezing and running rose
Lack of vitality
Itching
Dry or phlegmy cough
Constipation
Asthma
Skin conditions flare up, such as eczema
Sitting with sadness/grief for longer
Tips for staying well during Autumn :
Practice breathing exercises
Let go of negativity in your life
Walk outside
Reorganise, clean and declutter
Recognise sadness/grief
Brush your skin with a dry soft brush
Acupuncture and cupping are helpful to prevent illness (colds and flu that are common in autumn) and to assist your body to recover quickly
Wear a scarf and jacket to protect your neck and back from the wind
Nutrition is a large part of Chinese medicine – to eat seasonally.
Foods that are beneficial in Autumn:
Garlic, Sweet potato, Ginger, Onion, Cabbage, Rice, Cinnamon, Cardamon, Leek, Miso, Navy beans, Almonds, Asparagus, Walnuts, Pear, Olives, Cauliflower, Yoghurt, Apples, Celery, Broccoli, Apricot, Sourdough, Sauerkraut, Cloves, Squash, Pumpkin
The best way to stay well according to Chinese medicine, is to learn about the nature of each season and to live in harmony with its spirit. If we are living in harmony with the world around us, the Autumn around us, we see that nature is a powerful system of slowing down and contracting, preparing to rest, so its good for us to mimic this. Sleeping a little longer, eating less cold foods and instead more warming and nourishing foods, like stews and soups, and paying extra attention to our internal lives. The time of the lungs and colon is about self worth, to give ourselves some extra attention and self love.
Perhaps that yoga class you’ve been meaning to get to for months can now fit into your schedule.
To breathe
To nurture
To let go.
Take care of you, see you in the clinic,
TK xx
Learn more > http://www.tanyakeamwellness.com
by Tanya Keam | Feb 12, 2015 | Acidic, Alkaline, Chinese medicine, Client information, Cultures, Daily Rituals, DIY Wellness Tips, Fermented, Food, Gut flora, Immune Support, Kombucha, Nourishing, Nutrition, Parasites, Probiotic drink, Sunshine coast
What is gut flora?
Gut flora (microbiota) is the name given today to the microbe population living in our intestines. It contains tens of trillions of micro-organisms, including at least 1000 different species of known bacteria with more than 3 million genes (150 times more than human genes). Microbiota can, in total, weigh up to 2 kg. One third of our gut microbiota is common to most people, while two thirds are specific to each one of us. In other words, the microbiota in your intestine is like an individual identity card.
Why is it important?
While each of us has a unique microbiota, it always fulfils the same physiological functions and they have a direct impact on our health:
•It helps the body to digest certain foods that the stomach and small intestine have not been able to digest.
•It helps with the production of some vitamins (B and K).
•It helps us combat aggressions from other microorganisms, maintaining the wholeness of the intestinal mucosa.
•It plays an important role in the immune system, performing a barrier effect.
•A healthy and balanced gut microbiota is key to ensuring proper digestive functioning.
What does pH in the body mean?
pH stands for power of hydrogen, which is a measurement of the hydrogen ion concentration in the body. The total pH scale ranges from 1 to 14, with 7 considered to be neutral. A pH less than 7 is said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline.
How does this affect our health?
When we eat acid-forming foods, our body works to bring our blood pH back into balance by releasing alkaline-rich minerals into our bloodstream (e.g. calcium, phosphorus and magnesium).
If we are not eating enough alkaline-forming foods, then our body has to pull these minerals from our bones, teeth and organs. This can compromise our immune system, cause fatigue and make us vulnerable to viruses and disease.
How do we keep the pH balanced to prevent illness and disease?
Maintaining an approximate 80% alkalinity and 20% acidity diet is the best way to maintain wellness.
Acidic foods (alcohol, refined sugars, coffee, fast foods, chocolate, red meat, fish, dairy) are foods that are associated with disease. A highly acidic diet creates a favourable environment for yeast, fungus, abnormal cells and even parasites to multiply and grow.
Alkaline foods (most fruit and vegetables such as leafy greens, lemons, citrus fruits, berries, broccoli, cabbage, nuts, herbal tea) are foods which maintain and prevent disease from occurring in the body.
What are intestinal parasites?
Even the word “parasite” sounds terrible. Like a villain, living off the goodness within you! Eeek!
Parasites infect the gastro-intestinal tract of humans and other animals. They can live throughout the body, but most prefer the intestinal wall. Means of exposure include: ingestion of undercooked meat, drinking infected water, and skin absorption.
What’s the plan to get them out of you ASAP!?
Antibiotics are advised for intestinal parasites from your GP. However there are other options and/or in combination:
Firstly, the 4 R’s:
1. Remove the micro-organisms that shouldn’t be there, as well as toxic foods (acidic) you shouldn’t be eating
2. Replace/restore the nutrients, bacteria, intestinal flora (pre and probiotics)
3. Repair the cell on every level
4. Relaxation! – Stress, anxiety etc
Remove – Many qualified health practitioners can sort a digestive cleanse for you, using anti-microbials which first rid the body of the unwanted organisms. This can be a long haul as the organism will continue to reproduce.
Including colonics – a colon enema cleanse which literally involves flushing the colon with water and herbs.
Removing foods that have inflammatory properties will aid the whole process – wheat, gluten, soy, dairy, sugar, alcohol, fructose.
Replace/restore – In addition to the above digestive cleanse, probiotics are taken at the same time to restore the yummy gut flora. Probiotics can be taken in tablet form, yoghurt, kombucha (a fermented herbal tea – see my how to make kombucha post) or fermented vegetables. I would recommend all of the above, except for dairy during the cleanse.
Maintaining a diet that is 80% alkaline will create an unhappy environment for the parasites as they enjoy the acidity.
Repair – Additional supplements and herbs can be prescribed for you which will improve your overall health, aside from probiotics etc. Such as immune support which is a common imbalance to get parasites, worms etc in the first place. Seeking treatment from a qualified practitioner such as Chinese medicine would be ideal.
Relax – A key rule in life, not just for intestinal upsets. Regular exercise, sleeping well, good emotional-mental health, breathing deeply etc.
Note:
Intestinal parasites can be missed in stool samples, so ask your doctor for 2 or 3 samples to do a week a part just in case.
Following up with stool tests 3 and 6 months after being diagnosed is ideal. They will most certainly want to survive in you!
You may think “oh gosh it will be such a long process to rid these parasites” … but your whole digestive system will have improved and I will guarantee you will learn more about your health, diet and lifestyle in the process !!
Take care of you, see you in the clinic,
TK xx
Learn more > http://www.tanyakeamwellness.com
by Tanya Keam | Feb 4, 2015 | Autumn, Chinese medicine, Client information, DIY Wellness Tips, Food, Herbal remedies, Homemade, Immune Support, Immune system, Liver Health, Nourishing, Nutrition, Recipes, Seasonal living, Sunshine coast, Wellness, Winter
Immune Boosting Tumeric Lassi
The Benefits of Tumeric
1. Otherwise known as Circuma longa, is a member of the ginger family, Zingaberaceae.
2. A wonderful aspect on the liver. Spring (and late winter) is an important time to consume herbs and foods that strengthen the liver, because spring is the season which rules the liver and gallbladder in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is said to shrink engorged hepatic ducts, so it can be useful to treat liver conditions such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, and jaundice.
2. Highly valuable for the influence it exerts on the digestive system and the liver. In both Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is considered a digestive bitter and a carminative. It can be incorporated into foods, including rice and bean dishes, to improve digestion and reduce gas and bloating. It is a cholagogue, stimulating bile production in the liver and encouraging excretion of bile via the gallbladder. This improves the body’s ability to digest fats.
3. Recommended for chronic digestive weakness and/or congestion. It can be taken as a single extract or in the form of digestive bitters, which combine turmeric with other bitter and carminative herbs. Take either of these twenty minutes before meals, especially meals that are high in protein and/or fat. It is beneficial for people who feel tired after consuming meals or who experience gas and bloating.
4. Anti-inflammatory to the mucous membranes, which coat the throat, lungs, stomach and intestines. Turmeric decreases congestion and inflammation from stagnant mucous membranes. People with the following conditions could benefit from regular use of turmeric: IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), colitis, Crohn’s disease, diarrhea, and post-giardia or post salmonella conditions. It can also reduce the itching and inflammation that accompanies hemorrhoids and anal fissures.
5. Useful to follow up antibiotic treatments, in addition to acidophilus and garlic. It helps to improve the intestinal flora and acts as an anti-bacterial.
6. Turmeric can also benefit skin conditions including: eczema, psoriasis and acne, for it is a potent detoxifier.
7. Turmeric is an antispasmodic to smooth muscles so it reduces digestive and menstrual cramping.
Try adding turmeric to your oatmeal, grains and beans, or take digestive bitters. Whatever way that turmeric is consumed it will benefit both the digestive system and the liver.
2 large or 4 small glasses
2 cups organic yogurt with active live culture, or dairy or nut milk
2 bananas
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 tsp honey, preferably raw (unpasteurized)
1/2 lemon, juice
2 tsp rosehip powder (optional but delicious, and a good C-vitamin boost)
1 tsp vanilla extract or ground vanilla
3-4 tsp ground turmeric (or fresh turmeric root)
Place all ingredients in a blender and mix on high speed until smooth. Add more yogurt if you prefer. Pour the lassi in two large glasses. For a more stunning presentation, dust 1 tsp ground turmeric on top before serving. Add a straw and serve.
Eat well, drink well, take care of you, see you in the clinic,
TK xx
Learn more > http://www.tanyakeamwellness.com
Hi, I’m Tanya Keam, an AHPRA registered Acupuncturist and health practitioner in Nambour in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, Queensland Australia. I practice Chinese medicine because its safe, logical, relevant and has effectively shown methods of natural wellness for thousands of years (read more about my training here). Life doesn’t need to be complicated and nor does the treatment approaches to get people feeling vibrant and well. I’ve seen people gain a lot from treatments, much more than just alleviating symptoms. It’s exciting to connect with people and share deep wisdom from the classics of ancient and traditional medicine, with modern protocols for todays mind-body living. See you in the clinic ! 
