Chinese herbal medicine is a complicated and nuanced practice. People often view herbal medicine in simplistic terms like taking gingko for your memory or milk thistle for your liver. However, arriving at a diagnosis and prescribing an herbal formula for a doctor of Chinese medicine involves gathering information from the … [Read more...]
Unlocking the Power of Chai Hu: A Natural Remedy for a Wide Range of Conditions
Chai Hu is one of the most versatile herbs in the Chinese formulary. As a result, it is also one of the most common ingredients in Chinese herbal formulas. Chai Hu goes by a number of different names, including bupleurum, hare’s ear, thoroughwax, thorow wax, and sickle hare’s ear. Chai Hu originated in central China and … [Read more...]
What’s the Fuss About Job’s Tears?
Did you know that there’s a Chinese herb that looks a lot like barley, but isn’t barley? It’s true, the herb is the seeds from a grassy plant, called Job’s Tears, or Yi Yi Ren in Chinese. This plant is grown throughout Asia and actually goes by other names, too, such as coix, adlay millet, Chinese pearl barley (though it’s … [Read more...]
Ge Gen, a Healing Herb or Invasive Nuisance?
In Chinese medicine, when you have a cold or the flu, it can be warm or cold in nature. A common cold with the sniffles, a mildly sore throat and a few aches and pains is considered to be cold in nature. However, if you get a bad cold or the flu in which you have a high fever, sweating and a very sore throat and thick mucus … [Read more...]
Foxglove Nourishes the Body
The common foxglove plant, digitalis purpurea, is an attractive addition to any garden. Its pink or purple flowers cascade down spikes similar to snapdragons. Most foxglove spikes grow over three feet tall, but some can grow as tall as six feet. However, the Chinese foxglove plant, or rehmannia glutinosa, grows much closer … [Read more...]
Fu Zi, What is Internal Cold?
Fu Zi is a Chinese herb used to treat extreme internal cold. Wait…what? That’s right, in Chinese medicine, you can have such a thing as internal cold. To understand what that means, you need to know a couple of things about Yin and Yang. You may have heard somewhere that Yang is like the sunny side of the hill—warm, … [Read more...]
Did You Know That Mint Has Healing Properties?
Mint can be found everywhere! It’s used to flavor chewing gum, to pair with chocolate in your favorite candy and as the main flavor in candy canes. Small candies used to freshen your breath are actually called mints. And mint chocolate chip ice cream is one of the most popular flavors of ice cream, behind the staples of … [Read more...]
Peonies Are Not Just a Pretty Flower
If you’re like me, you’re a big fan of peonies. These large red, white or pink flowers grow on plants that are three to four feet tall, signaling to the world that summer is finally here. But did you know that the roots of these beautiful bushes are also important Chinese herbs? It’s true! And what’s more, they’re commonly … [Read more...]
Why is Pao Zhi, the processing of Chinese Herbal Medicine Important?
Whether you’ve taken Chinese herbs before or not, chances are you haven’t given much thought to what happens to those herbs after they’re harvested to make them available to you medicinally. That’s right, those twigs, flowers, roots and minerals aren’t just harvested or collected and sent off to become medicine. There are a … [Read more...]
Healing Chrysanthemums
I love chrysanthemums (mums) because they bloom late in the summer and into the cool days of fall, when most other flowers are done for the season. Mums add all kinds of color to the fall landscape—red, white, yellow, orange and purple—and they stay colorful until the first hard frost. Despite their beauty and hardiness … [Read more...]
Cardamom a Delicious Spice or a Chinese Herb?
You may be familiar with the spice cardamom. It’s a little bit exotic and aromatic. Cardamom is used in Chai tea, Indian cooking, curries, basmati rice and in baking recipes from Nordic countries. But did you know that cardamom is also the basis for a couple of Chinese herbs? It’s true. Two different species in the … [Read more...]
Did you know that Watermelon is Medicine?
There are a number of Chinese herbs that you might find in your spice cabinet, including cinnamon, ginger and turmeric. However, there are also herbs in the Chinese formulary that are actually foods. This includes a group of herbs that belong to the melon family. One of the most common and appealing foods in the Chinese … [Read more...]
Did you Know that Chinese Dates are Not Dates?
The Chinese date is a useful medicinal herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It’s called Da Zao in Chinese, which translates into big date. Chinese dates are also called red dates or jujubes. And most interestingly, they are not actually dates! True dates are brown in color and grow on palm trees, called date palms. In … [Read more...]
When is Acupuncture Right for Me?
Acupuncture may feel unfamiliar to some people, especially when compared to Western medicine. That’s because in the past, you went to your family doctor only when you were sick. While this is changing and many patience are seeking help for preventing disease, the most common doctor’s calls are made when you’re sick. So it’s … [Read more...]
Chinese Herbal Medicine to Clear Phlegm and Improve Lung Health
In Chinese medicine, the flavor of an herb or food tells you something about its actions. That’s because, each flavor; sweet, salty, pungent (spicy), bitter and sour all have a different effect on your body and the organ systems affected. In general: Sweet affects your Stomach and Spleen, and is often used to help your … [Read more...]
Citrus Fruit: Chinese Herbal Medicine for Digestion
The last time you ate a tangerine, I bet you didn’t give much thought to the peel. Chances are you just peeled the fruit and threw away the peel, right? You may be interested to know that the tangerine peel you tossed out is actually an important herb in the Chinese formulary. Tangerines are a type of common mandarin, … [Read more...]
Peach and Apricot are Chinese Herbal Medicine
If you’re walking in an orchard during the late summer and looking for Chinese herbs, chances are that you’re looking for plants growing on the ground. However, for this month’s herbs, you’ll find them if you look up in the trees, in the form of peaches and apricots. The kernel from each of these stone fruits are a part of … [Read more...]
The Power of Chinese Medicine
An important and effective healing tool that we use at BodaHealth is that of Chinese Herbal Medicine. Because Chinese herbology is more complicated than buying a bottle of herbs at the drug store for your current symptom, and because the use of these herbs may feel unfamiliar to some, many people have questions. In … [Read more...]
Tis the Season for Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Cardamom. They are Chinese Herbs Too!
If you’re looking forward to the holidays because of all the good food and drinks, you’re not alone. Many of the recipes that are featured this time of year include spices that are warm and aromatic. This includes nutmeg and cardamom. Nutmeg is one of the ingredients found in pumpkin spice, along with cinnamon, ginger, … [Read more...]
Did you Know that Pepper is Chinese Herbal Medicine?
If you’ve walked through any of Vancouver’s farmers’ markets, especially later in the summer and early fall, you may have been treated to the sight of bushels and baskets of peppers. You can find peppers of all colors and for a wide variety of uses. You can find bulky red, yellow-orange or green bell peppers that are … [Read more...]
Did you know that Turmeric is a Chinese Herbal Medicine?
Many people are familiar with turmeric, a yellow spice that’s used in curries and other Asian dishes. Turmeric has gotten a lot of attention because, in addition to being a spice, scientists have found that it also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It’s been used to help people with certain kinds of pain, … [Read more...]
Does the Chinese Herb Ginseng Boost Your Energy?
If you think of the herb ginseng as something you take to give your energy a boost, you’d be right, but only up to a point. While taking ginseng can help your energy in many circumstances, this herb is so much more than a quick pick-me-up. In fact, the biological name for Asian Ginseng is panax ginseng, derived from the … [Read more...]
Licorice Isn’t Just Candy, It’s a Chinese Herb!
Most people think of licorice as that black candy that comes in a variety of shapes, from long strings to bite-sized twists. However, as a practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine, I think of licorice as being more than just a type of candy. That’s because licorice comes from a root that’s used as an ingredient in a number … [Read more...]
Chinese Herbal Medicine for Fertility
If you have been looking to enhance your fertility through natural means, you may have found it confusing and frustrating trying to figure out the best plan of action. Whether you’re just interested in a healthy way to boost your chances of conceiving, looking for support for assisted reproductive techniques, or somewhere … [Read more...]
You Don’t Have To Let Heavy Menstrual Periods Control Your Life
For many women, their menstrual period is short and sweet, in other words, uneventful. However that’s not the case for some women who have very heavy bleeding. Very heavy menstrual bleeding or a flow that lasts more than 7 days is called menorrhagia, and affects as many as one in five women. What’s considered heavy is … [Read more...]
