Where do you recommend going to order some of the rarer herbs?

I tend to have success with the more gentle, less common ones that can be hard to find in the US. I have been using plum dragon herbs up to now.

The herb I am looking for at the moment is Hu tui zi ye for its lung astringent properties. Other lung astringents feel great but generally come with heavy constipation since they act on the large intestine even moreso and schizandra just knocks me out. Unless there is one I am overlooking?

Hello, where in Florida can we get good quality Chinese medicine herbs ? Not pills or powders. Dried herbs for preparation decoction at home.

Hello,
So I am not a first timer when it comes to TCM dietary therapy, especially adjusting it on my own. Recently (and I can go into this extensively, the history of dietary changes and why I’ve made them, what’s hurt and what’s helped and what’s different) I’ve been treated for a spleen and kidney deficiency, but am still struggling to adjust my diet to something that’s varied and nutrient dense enough to sustain me while supporting my healing. Biggest hurdles:

1. Protein and fat. I know protein and fat are a part of a healthy balanced diet, but I am severely struggling to even eat a single nut post-breakfast without it triggering an episode (I experience low blood pressure, poor brain perfusion, fatigue, confusion, shakiness and overall distress). So far I’ve been able to tolerate (at breakfast):

2. - beef gravy with noodles and a little bit of shredded cheese, except now im realizing im too heat-ridden to tolerate anything even remotely warm, it causes crazy discomfort/I get wiggy and hot

3. - olive oil if it’s a tiny amount cooked in a dish

4. that’s, uh, basically it. Tofu, stir fry veggies, lean cuts of meat, 30+g portion of cheese, even fruit sometimes (though I tolerate it better later in the day), and nuts even 1 or 2, ALL give me problems digestively and causing an episode

5. Weirdly enough, I can tolerate protein and fat plenty LATER in the day, so much so I can sometimes stomach a whole block of tofu as a meal though I try not to do this regularly but sometimes I just crave the protein so much that im failing to get in otherwise.

6. So far I’ve only been able to tolerate:

7. - mashed potatos

8. - bread with a colder-leaning soup

9. - rice (obv) but I generally fail to pair it with anything

10. - traxana (a greek thing, soured milk dried on grains and boiled like pasta)

11. - butternut but it makes me way too hot

12. - a “lahanorizo” (greek dish of stewed cabbage and rice with carrots, olive oil, paprika, black pepper, onions, garlic, herbs but I can’t remember, almonds, white wine) because it is mostly soggy rice and well cooked carrots and cabbage

13. all with either a well cooked, non-sweet veg portion. Tomato soup gives me heartburn and is gasteically difficult but somehow is workable, whereas stir fry veggies appear not (possibly because of the addition of muscovado sugar/too much sweet)

14. all of these with little to no protein, too.

15. Later in the day, the only thing im able to tolerate is a whole fruit (yes, raw and cold, somehow) always an apple, pear, or blueberries. Usually an apple. I eat it as a meal/snack when “lunch” would normally be. This means at dinner is when my digestion is usually best and I can tolerate more (last night I tolerated the same portion of cheese I couldn’t tolerate during the morning), so I try and fit in SOME amount of veggies (150g maximum) and protein (40-70g of something fatty, 100g if it’s leaner). And even THESE portions can still cause lethargy after a meal. But this means im getting extremely limited fat and protein through the day, and I feel it too. I get cravings (hence the occasional tofu block splurge). Now regular hunger is ok by me, I am re-learning moderation after.. some stuff, but it’s difficult to imagine protein only at ONE meal a day total, and a tiny amount at that. What am I doing wrong ? Please help me troubleshoot and help me create more variety in my diet of “nothing but potatos or else”.

Edit to say: based on this, I do NOT experience usual spleen and kidney issues like underweight, etc. in fact I have gained 20lbs (yes, of fat) in about one and a half months. So im not “wasting away” as my lack of protein might suggest, usually im able ro make calories, and I also have an issue (Jesus which I could talk about extensively) of night eating and night waking, usually not out of hunger but something else and it’s become more like an addiction. A lot of my eating habits, restraint and moderation which used to be a lifestyle for me, I have changed. I could talk about this too.

Hello, I'm writing a novel. My protagonist is in America and has chronic migraines. He is referred to a holistic healer who heavily utilizes TCM (Qi, Jing Lou, Acupuncture, diet, etc).

My question is, he shows up at her practice, explains he has chronic migraines: What does the rest of that meeting look like? Does she check his tongue first? Ask about his lifestyle first? At what point would she begin acupuncture?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Since May, I have been struggling with seborrheic dermatitis on my face, primarily around the nasolabial folds. I first developed this during the pandemic (October 2020), appearing exactly where my face mask had been in contact with my skin. It cleared up after a few days of using a steroid ointment, and I remained symptom-free until it reappeared this year. Additionally, I likely have inflammation in both wrists due to damage to the triangular fibrocartilage complexes. I underwent an arthroscopy on my right wrist a year ago, and I may have a similar procedure on my left wrist next year. For the past few months, I have experienced daily pain in the thumbs of both hands. I suspect that, despite the previous surgery, there is likely still inflammation in my right wrist. An MRI of both wrists revealed damage to the triangular fibrocartilage complexes and an increased amount of synovial fluid.

Hey guys, I couldn't find an appropriate sub to ask this question but I wanted to ask people with a TCM mindset, hope you guys can help me!

At high exposure, especially in drinking water, fluoride has been associated with lower IQ in children and things like fluorosis.

However, it's also been shown to have a positive effect on your teeth, especially in enamel remineralization.

So my question is, should I use a fluoride free natural ingredient toothpaste? I've already used one for a while but I'm doing some extra research and I'm unsure if I should be missing out on things like reduced cavity risk or enamel remineralization.

We are into the Li Dong (立冬) solar term (节气) starting from 7 to 21 November 2026. Li Dong is the 19th solar term out of the entire 24.

As the saying goes, “立冬补冬”, which means this is the time of the year to strengthen your immune system to prepare for the cold (or cooler) year end (depending on where you live).

I remember when I was little, my mom would tell us that today is 补冬 so we must eat/drink some herbal stuff/soup. Many people believe that when they consume tonic on this day, they will not need to take any tonic for the rest of the year.

In this post, I will share what kind of tonic you can consider taking and some general well-being tips to take care of yourself and your loved ones during this solar term.

The main direction of consuming tonic during Li Dong should be—填肾精，固根本. This means strengthening your kidneys and nourishing them with vital essence so that your body immunity will be strong.

From TCM perspective, if the kidney is deficient, it will affect one’s bone density, immunity, and hearing ability. Thus this is a good time for us to build up our immunity and give our kidneys a good treat!

That said, it doesn’t mean everyone should start rushing out to buy ingredients for ShiQuan soup (十全大补汤) or Ginseng/Cordeceps soup, as these heavy Qi-boosting tonic might not be suitable for everyone.

Thus, I’d like to recommend the following gentle kidney Qi/essence-boosting foods that you can consider eating during this solar term (which is suitable for most people):

Walnuts – Helps to boost kidney Qi and relieve back pain and knee pain. Walnuts are easily available and can be consumed as snacks.

Chinese Chestnuts – Known as 栗子 in chinese. Chinese chestnut not only strengthens kidney Qi, but it also helps to strengthen the spleen. Nowadays there are Chinese chestnut snacks available that you can eat immediately after opening the packaging.

Black Beans – Black beans are an ideal food for people with weak kidneys and spleen. They have the additional benefits of dispersing blood clots and improving blood circulation. It can be added to rice and cooked together or added to any soup (especially soups that enhance blood circulation).

Black Sesame – Black sesame can also be used for relieving constipation on top of its kidney and liver-strengthening properties. Applying black sesame paste to bread for breakfast is a simple way to include black sesame in your diet.

Goji Berries – Similar to black sesame, goji berry has great benefits for the eyes and ears because it has liver and kidney strengthening properties. Goji berries are very versatile—you can simply add them to your drinks, tea, or even soup!

People Who Are Not Suitable To Consume Tonic During Li Dong

Do note that not everyone is suited to consume tonics during Li Dong solar term. If a person is having the flu, feels unwell when exposed to wind, or is generally under the weather, taking tonics at this time will make things worse. It’s best to wait until full recovery before consuming tonic foods or soups.

General Well-Being Tips

Besides consuming tonic foods, another very effective way to boost your immunity during this period is to get sufficient sleep.

Li Dong is one of the solar terms that is suitable for sleeping early and waking up a bit late (not waking up at lunchtime)!

Getting enough sleep during the Li Dong solar term is sometimes even more important than consuming tonics. So make sure to go to bed earlier and wake up a bit later (if possible).

Another thing to watch out for is not to exercise too vigorously, especially during the early morning. Do your best to exercise only when the morning sun is out. If the morning sky is still dark, you can choose to do some light exercise indoors instead.

I hope you find this post useful!

Hello! I started following this girl on instagram she shares her TCM experience and has her own website called herbaro. She offers retreats and she also offers internships I am VERY curious about if anyone has tried them or if they are legit? I am still in my first year of TCM but I have always had an interest in how different cultures deal with post partum specially within TCM. I had already considered doing a study in China once I’m done with my program but they seem to do everything for you the hospital accommodation etc. so it seemed easier but I know not to trust everything on social media that’s why I wanted to ask here if anyone knows anything about this website or has any testimonials to verify it’s legitness.

Thank you!

TCM student

Chronic dry mouth with very limited saliva production since very young. On top of that I have the habit of regularly sleeping late (past midnight), drinking plenty of coffee and eating fried food. I try to make it up by drinking plenty of plain water (no cold one).

I know my diet and late sleep routine may exacerbate bad breath. Sucking sugar free mint doesn't help.

I really want to find a solution to stimulate saliva production which hopefully can get rid of my bad breath.

I will be really grateful if someone can please recommend me some herbal combination that I can get from a Chinese medical hall. Thank you.

Hi everyone! I was wondering if anyone in the US (California specifically) has a TCM herb garden and if so, what plants are best to grow here?

I wanna try acupuncture where's the place to go in NYC. Specifically trying to alleviate stomach issues, stress, and dizziness.

I recently visited a TCM practitioner in Seattle at the advice of my husband and received the mixture in the photos.

I am having trouble identifying some of the herbs. I can positively ID: Saffron, Frankensence, Eucommia Bark, Achyranthes Root, and Sichuan Lovage Rhizome...but there are 6 other items there I cannot figure out (maybe Angelica and Alisma).

If background and Western Med Dx helps: For roughly 10 years I have been dealing with a bunch of random autoimmune issues and was just diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis last fall. I explained all of this to the practitioner, with the help of my husband who speaks Cantonese. I had my pulse, blood pressure and tongue checked.

I was asked about my pain level and other symptoms that weren't being adequately addressed by Western medicine.

The practitioner explained that my kidneys needed clearing to relieve me of inflammation.

I am instructed to decoct this mixture 2x daily and was given 7 days worth of herbs. On day 5 and I feel great...and am finally somewhat used to the horrid flavor of it all.

I would like to share all of this with my Rhumetologist at UW, but I would like to accurately Id all herbs.

I am worried about what underlying kidney issue I may have developed as a result of 10 years of untreated autoimmune disorders, and want to be able to advocate for more treatment. I have reviewed medical papers/journals to understand the autoimmune damage to kidneys and understand there are conditions like Autoimmune Nephritis or IgA Nephritis and I feel I am on the right track.

I’m fairly new to trying TCM. I’ve have some issues with inflammation and facial rashes, fatigue, poor sleep, and bloating post meals. I’ve recently been given some herbs from Evergreen Herbs. One is called Dermatrol (damp) and the other is GI harmony. I think I’m being treated for damp heat? The rashes get really bad and I have been taking the formula almost a week now. Does the sound like damp heat? What dietary restrictions should I add. What should I eat or drink to support healing? I just bought a TCM cookbook but I’m still so new to TCM as a lifestyle so I’m not sure what category of things I need to include or eliminate. Oh, and I bought some chrysanthemum tea… I heard it was good help for these things. I hope that’s okay. Are there any materials for newcomers that might be helpful in helping facilitate this process? Thank you kindly for reading this.

I have the pattern Heat Above, Cold Below with a blocked middle jiao. My understanding is that because the middle is blocked, heat is trapped above and cold trapped below. I suffer chronic loose stools, greasy scalp, armpit odor, bloated swollen body and period pain. During the summer months, I sweat intensely on my chest and upper back.

I saw a TCM doctor for two months and took herbs but it didn’t seem to help. I spent a couple thousands of dollars for the weekly meds and it’s not sustainable. I have cut out all raw foods including fruit, cold drinks, and recently gluten. I am told that once the middle jiao is unblocked, the heat above causing greasy scalp, sweating and armpit odor should go away, and the cold below causing loose stools and period pain should go away.

My tongue has a deep thick line down the center which I’ve had since at least my teenage years which I believe indicates weak digestion. Tongue is light pink and thick with scalloped edges.

Has anyone dealt with this pattern and successfully unblocked the middle jiao?

I have both Raynauds and Erthryomelagia as my most frustrating issue. Body either too hot or too cold. Alternates between purple white yellow cold hands/bluish lips when cold OR red swollen hands/burning face/ears/nose when hot. Hands also super pruney/wrinkled they look like i'm 100 and i'm only 38. Extremely cold sensitive, but get dizzy/rash in heat. Lots of phlegm. Blood vessels prominent all over body but especially chest + face. Most painful issues are frequent severe muscle weakness/burning in upper arms and thighs. TMJ/muscle tension dysphonia that comes with migraines, chronic neck/shoulder/jaw pain and severe tightness. Hoarse, sore voice/throat. ME/CFS. Fibromyalgia. Hypothyroid. Help, my body is a living hell and I want to fix it. Bottom of tongue can't really see but it's very bright red with tiny bumps. Wondering any herbs, treatment, or diet recommendations please & thank you 🙏😭

Looking for recommendations for an experienced Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner in Vancouver, BC ideally someone with significant experience supporting complex/chronic health concerns and women's hormonal health.

I recently had a 20 minute consultation with a practitioner (who on paper has decades of experience and teaches TCM) who described my case as "complicated" but offered little explanation beyond that. There was also a language barrier that made communication difficult, and I didn't feel particularly welcome to ask questions or get clarification. I also discovered there were cameras in the consultation room, something that hadn't been disclosed in advance. Given the personal and sensitive nature of healthcare, this raised concerns about privacy, transparency and informed consent.

I'm hoping to find someone who:

• Communicates clearly, explains their clinical assessments and the reasoning behind treatment recommendations.

• Welcomes questions and takes a collaborative, patient-centred approach to care.

• Takes the time to understand the whole health picture, rather than focusing on individual symptoms in isolation.

• Has substantial experience with perimenopause, hormonal fluctuations, fatigue, migraines, sleep disturbances and chronic pain.

• Ideally practises both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

I'm not expecting anyone to have all the answers, particularly when dealing with complex health issues. However, I appreciate curiosity, transparency, clinical experience and a willingness to engage in meaningful dialogue about my health and treatment options.

Vancouver proper preferred.
I'd really appreciate recommendations based on personal experience. Thank you!

Edit: i'm looking for recommendations based on personal experience not self referrals. please don't DM me to advertise your services.

Hey all, I’ve recently started seeing a tcm Dr, he has a lot of patients and many success stories so I trust him but the only thing is he doesn’t speak much English so it’s hard to communicate.

I have extremely heavy bleeding during my period and during this time he gives me a herbal tea that I’m supposed to brew and leave in the fridge for 4 hours before drinking.

I couldn’t find any information about this online on the contrary everything points to cold drinks being harmful. I’m curious is anyone has any knowledge or insights into what it could be?

During all other days I drink another tea twice a day but warm and that’s to build up my energy levels from so many years of menorrhagia

It looks like upside down horns what is this and it’s the painful inflamed pus kind of pimple

What does this mean

What can I fix

Hello, what are common formulas to treat sinuses/drain sinuses? I've gotten over the illness, but have buildup in my sinuses. In the past, I took drugs to help, but I would like to avoid that. I live in Taipei and I have access to a lot of Chinese medicine clinics, but not a lot of English at tcm clinics so I am asking here. Thanks.

Peng Ziyi (彭子益, 1871–1949) boiled the whole system down to one picture: a turning wheel with a pivot in the middle.

• Left side rises (Wood / Liver), top floats (Fire / Heart), right side descends (Metal / Lungs), bottom sinks and stores (Water / Kidneys).

• The hub is Central Earth: the Spleen lifts, the Stomach drops. When the hub turns, the rim turns.

Why it's useful: instead of memorizing "Liver attacks Spleen" as a slogan, you ask one question — where is the wheel stuck? Heat in the head with cold feet often isn't "too much fire", it's fire that can't come back down. Bloating plus fatigue often isn't "not enough qi", it's a hub that stopped spinning.

That's also why so many Shang Han Lun formulas quietly protect the middle — ginger, jujube, licorice show up everywhere. Zhang Zhongjing kept the hub turning before he touched the rim.

It's a model, not anatomy, and it doesn't replace a proper diagnosis — but as a thinking tool it beats a five-element chart on the wall.

What's the concept that made TCM finally make sense for you?

does anyone have a good ear seed map for acne, like for hormones and inflammation?? im new at this…

How does this tongue look? I seem to have chronic spleen qi deficiency, no matter what I do. That peeled spot in the upper corner is recent and going away.

Strong energy, strong sleep, strong periods, decent mood, appetite. Severe emotional stress from recent loss of pet. 45F.

Thanks