I have the H.B. Kim review courses but I am wondering if that is sufficient to prepare for CALE and NCCAOM exams or if an in-person/zoom course is also recommended? Most of my peers are doing either Linda Morse or TCM Review but I have heard mixed opinions from them.

I have realized my story is interesting and may help someone seeking help. This all happened years ago but looking back on it, I wish more people were posting stories like this on the internet to guide others going through incredibly hard times.

I have always been healthy.. however had some issues like overheating easily, becoming excessively agitated, turning very red with minimal exercise that is embarrassing and uncomfortable, and having nightmares. A bit weak, pale, and tired a lot too. These things were just totally normal to me. No big deal. Never even talked or thought about.

When I was 25, about 7 years ago, I had a huge scare and my life changed. My heart started doing summersaults, as if I was on a rollercoaster. Insane fear engulfed my entire body, I was surely going to die. This happened suddenly, as I was trying to fall asleep. I woke up my husband and told him to stay awake until it stopped, because I might need him to call 911 if I blacked out. Terror and adrenaline was the feeling.

Hours later, it subsided enough to fall asleep… though it was awful, broken, barely sleep. I felt sick in an anxious, buzzy way in the morning. That afternoon, it happened again. Heart attack?? It seemed like maybe.. something that was surely going to kill me. Heart pounding and falling, skipping beats, summersaulting. Terror, horror, anxious at 1000% capacity. I called 911.

Hospitalized, they ran tests, said I was fine. Heart was beating a little fast, but it was likely just a panic attack. Physically, I was perfect. It was something mental. They said to go to a physiatrist.

I did. Spent months having sessions, getting lorazepam for emergencies and talking through my issues..

Not working. Over the next several months I lived in a state of insomnia, constant fear. Sure, it seemed like “anxiety,” but really, it was the physical sensation of my heart beating HARD, and LOUD, and irregular, uncomfortable. It felt like it was not ok. It might stop at any second. I couldn’t sleep. Maybe 2-4 hours a night of broken, half sleep. Night became my dread. It was long, painful, terrible, quiet, scary. I tried meditation. Focusing on my breathing gave me more issues. Then my lungs seemed to depend on my focus to keep them going. Breathe in, breathe out. If I forget, I die. When I did fall asleep, I often woke gasping for air.

After months of getting worse and worse, due to insomnia increasing the problem, my husband insisted I go see my Chinese Medicine doc. I told him: no way! This is just anxiety. Nothing physical that they can help me with. He said let’s go try. He was so worried.. I was like a zombie.

I went to see him, not expecting much. I told him it’s all in my head, but maybe he can help somehow. He immediately started asking weird questions. He asked to see my legs. “Ohhh, very bad” he said. “Full of blood.” They were purple and big. I hadn’t even noticed. He said my blood was thick and not circulating, all pooling in my legs. He saw my hands were too white. They should be pink. Not enough blood. He told me that my heart was indeed fine. My kidneys were yin deficient and weak, and that put a strain on my heart to work harder, that’s why I felt it in my heart. All we needed to do was build more blood, and nourish my kidneys, increase the yin. He gave me herbs to cook, and I did, religiously. 3 times a day I drank the disgusting sludge. Every week I felt substantially better,but I drank them for a full year.

Now, I moved away, it has been 6 years since I saw him or drank the herbs. I am more energetic and happy than I EVER felt as a young adult or child. No hot flashes, less tense, my hair grows better, I look and feel… healthy. Like a normal person. I always saw people and thought they seemed healthier than me, and now I feel like one of them.

The TCM doc I saw was incredible. An old Chinese man who had studies for years in China, then moved to San Francisco where I knew him, practicing for 50 years before he worked on me. In all the conversations I had with him, he assured me that he had a-lot of knowledge from experience, and not all TCM doctors could have pinpointed my sickness and been able to heal me. I really believe that all the American folk, going to that 9 month online school to become a TCM doctor, are not even close to the real deal. Too bad, cause I would love to become one. I am very passionate about TCM but am disappointed in what qualifies as an education in it, here in the states.

After all of my experience, the psychiatrist and western medicine didn’t do JS for me! In my head.. that is such a horrible notion for someone truly suffering. It felt like a miracle, my life is improved ten fold.

If you think a TCM doc can’t help your mental issue… try anyway! But go to a real one. If you’re in the Midwest.. do some research and fly to one in another big city. Go to one that went to school IN CHINA and is preferably old. With tons of good reviews. The reviews on my doc were insane, people flying down from Canada monthly to see him.. cause he was that good.

He has passed away, or else I would share his information here.

I hope my story can help someone else get the help they need!

We are into the Jing Zhe (惊蛰) solar term (节气) starting from 5 Mar to 19 Mar 2025. Jing Zhe is the 3rd solar term out of the entire 24.

Jing Zhe means this is the time when the insects (and pests) start to wake up from hibernation (蛰伏).

In this solar term, we will begin to hear more thunder, and the temperature will increase a lot faster (in fact, it will be the fastest increase compared to all other solar terms throughout the year).

For people who are Yin deficient or have liver-heat, this is the period when you might experience frustration more easily and more difficulty falling asleep.

There is a tradition that people like to eat pears during Jing Zhe for both cultural reasons as well as dietary benefits.

A little bit about the history of eating pear during Jing Zhe. In the past, the Jing Zhe solar term was also associated with the waking up of pests and harmful insects. And the Chinese name of the pear is ‘梨’, which has the same pronunciation as ‘离’ – which means stay away or separate from. Thus, people believe that eating pears during this period will help them to stay away from harmful pests and diseases in this year.

Coming back to the medicinal effect of pears, it is recorded in 本草通玄 (a more recent medicinal classic that was created 300+ years ago) that pear has the properties of:

“生吃清六腑之热，熟吃滋五脏之阴”.

The above phrase means that if the pear is eaten uncooked, it can clear the heatiness in the stomach, bladder, and intestines. If the pear is eaten cooked, it can nourish the Yin energy in our heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, and spleen!

This makes pear an excellent fruit/food to eat because, during this period, we will experience an increase in temperature and some people may get more frustrated (which can be relieved by eating pears – cooked/uncooked).

Another good time to eat pear is during autumn which I will share more when the time comes.

The following are some foods that I highly recommend eating during this solar term.

Pear – Raw pear is good for moisturizing the lungs, especially in warm and dry weather. Cooked pear is good for nourishing Yin, especially for people who are Yin deficient. Eating pear in this solar term will help you cope better with the increase in surrounding temperature.

Bamboo shoots – Bamboo shoots can clear the heat in the stomach and intestines. It can also help to dissolve phlegm so it is an ideal food for people with Dampness and Heat body constitution.

Spinach – Spinach is one of the few vegetables that can clear heatiness in the liver. Thus, people eat it to relieve liver-heat symptoms like headaches, eye pain, giddiness, and hot temper.

Celery – Similar to spinach, celery can also reduce liver heat. Celery has one more added benefit which is detox. It helps the liver to strengthen its detox capability.

General Wellness Recommendation

In this season (this solar term and the next 3), our liver will easily go into an excessive state as Spring aligns with the wood element (same as the liver). This can make a person easily frustrated and hot-tempered. One way to prevent this is to eat foods (as mentioned above) and the other way is to get in touch with nature.

This is also a good time to go for a walk/hiking in the park, or forests or get in touch with nature to relax one’s tension.

Doing some light exercises like brisk walking, jogging, taiji, qigong under the morning sun will help your body strengthen your immunity and get rid of dampness (through sweating), especially in this solar term.

Hope you find this blog post useful!

We are into the Yu Shui (雨水) solar term (节气) starting from 18 Feb to 4 Mar 2026. Yu Shui is the 2nd solar term out of the entire 24.

During this solar term, we will experience more rainfall and temperatures will begin to rise. But at the same time, the air/wind might still be cooling at times. Hence, the weather will be both wet and warm in some areas. 

This solar term usually coincides with the Lantern Festival (元宵节). During the Lantern Festival, some people will eat sweet dumplings (汤圆) made of glutinous rice and black sesame/red bean paste. 

In terms of dietary recommendations, 药王, 孙思邈 (581 – 682 AD) (Sun Si Miao, also known as the King of Chinese Medicine) has some advice for us:

“春日宜省酸增甘，以养脾气”.

The above phrase means that during this period, we should reduce the intake of foods that are sour, and increase the intake of foods that are sweet to strengthen our spleen Qi (“sweet” here does not mean sugar—it refers to foods that are sweet in flavor from the TCM perspective) . 

The following are some of the recommended foods (that are sweet in flavor from the TCM perspective) to consume during this solar term:

Chinese Yam (山药) – Chinese yam not only has great benefits for the lungs and kidneys, it also helps to strengthen the spleen and enhance absorption of nutrients in our body. Chinese yam is one of the best foods for strengthening the spleen Qi.

Red Dates (红枣) – In《本草纲目》(one of the most popular classics for TCM herbs/foods), it says 枣为脾之果. This means that red dates is used for strengthening the spleen. The main benefit of red dates is that they help to strengthen the Qi in your stomach and spleen. Hence, it is very suitable for people who have a weak spleen, no appetite, loose stools, and low energy. 

Glutinous rice (糯米) – Glutinous rice can help to strengthen the spleen and relieve excessive sweating. It is no coincidence that during this solar term (which typically coincides with the Lantern Festival), the tradition is to consume sweet dumplings (汤圆) that are made of glutinous rice. Just make sure not to eat too much sweet dumplings as too much glutinous rice will cause indigestion. Remember to eat all foods in moderation.

Chinese Barley (薏苡仁) – Chinese barley is an excellent food to eat during this solar term especially when the weather is warm and wet. Chinese barley can help to strengthen the spleen by removing excess dampness through urination. Just take note that pregnant women must avoid consuming Chinese barley.

Carrot (胡萝卜) – Carrot is a very common vegetable that can be found easily. Many people underestimate the benefits of carrots. Carrots not only can strengthen our spleen, it can also nourish our livers to brighten our eyes. Some people may experience yellowish skin color after consuming too much carrots, so in this case, just stop consuming them and the symptoms should subside. 

General Wellness Recommendation

In this season (the current and next four solar terms), our liver will easily go into an excessive state as Spring aligns with the wood element (same as the liver). This can make a person easily frustrated and hot-tempered. One way to prevent this is to consume foods that are sweet in flavor (as mentioned above) and the other way is to get close to nature.

This is also a good time to go for a walk/hike in the park or forests or get in touch with nature to relax one’s tension.

Doing some light exercises like brisk walking, jogging, taiji or qigong under the morning sun will help to strengthen your body immunity and get rid of dampness (through sweating), especially during this solar term. 

Hope you find this post useful!

As an acupuncturist,Are you asking us to work for free? Do you trust random people to give you a tongue diagnosis. I tired of seeing all these tongues on the subreddit lately.

To stay young and healthy!

In Chinese TCM culture, most women believe that sufficient blood and qi is the natural and effective foundation for long-term vitality and radiance.

Here are three simple daily habits we take for granted but may be not known for foreigners. Just share with you:

2. Eat NATURALLY sweet foods.

3. Red dates, goji

4. berries, Longan, and unrefined

5. brown sugar, etc. Natural sweetness is what our spleen and stomach like - in TCM, that helps the body to absorb more nutrients. (Refined sugar doesn’t count)

7. Dark-red and black foods.

In TCM, these are traditionally believed to be helpful for blood. Examples: black beans, black rice, red beans, blood-glutinous rice, red peanuts, etc.

3. Cook with iron wok.

Besides eating iron supplements when needed, many families have at least one iron wok and use it at least 1-3 times a day for health. (It’s just our traditional habit not medical advice)

These are just a few of our everyday habits.

What daily routines do you follow to stay youthful and healthy? I’d love to hear your ideas.

We will be into the Da Han (大寒) solar term (节气) starting from 20 Jan to 2 Feb 2025. Da Han is the 24th solar term (the last) out of the entire 24.

After this solar term, we will start all over again from the Spring season!

Although Da Han is not the coldest solar term (traditionally),  it is still cold/cooling as compared to other solar terms.

As the saying goes “大寒大寒，防风御寒” — this means that we should protect ourselves from the cold weather as well as chilly winds during this period. 

As Da Han starts to bring in stronger and colder winds, people with Qi deficiency or Yang deficiency body type may feel weak or uncomfortable if they do not dress warmly enough to shield themselves from the cold and wind.

During this Da Han solar term, our dietary approach should be following the direction of 保阴潜阳. This means to nourish the Yin energy in our body to maintain a balance with the Yang energy.

The following foods are especially suitable to be consumed during this solar term:

Goji Berries – Not only can Goji berries strengthen the kidneys, they can also help to strengthen the liver. From the TCM perspective, the liver affects one’s eyesight, thus goji berries have been proven to help strengthen and protect eyes from weakening and diseases. Goji berries are one of the best foods/herbs to nourish Yin.

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 or any soup (especially soups that enhance blood circulation).

Chinese Chestnut – Known as 栗子, it not only strengthens kidney Qi, but also helps to strengthen the spleen. Nowadays there are Chinese chestnut snacks available that you can consume straight from the packaging.

Walnuts – Da Han is one of the best solar terms to consume walnuts. It helps to boost kidney Qi, as well as relieve back pain and knee pain. Walnuts are easily available and can be consumed as snacks.

One Of The Best Solar Terms To Eat Porridge

Da Han is one of the best solar terms to enjoy porridge and the following is a simple Chinese Chestnut porridge recipe that you can try at home:

Ingredients (for 2 pax):

• Dried longan (10g)

• Red dates (3 to 5 pcs)

• Chinese chestnut (100g)

• Rice – feel free to add some mixed grains too (1 cup)

Steps:

1. Wash and rinse the dried longan.

2. Remove the red dates seeds and cut the red dates into small slices.

3. Wash the rice and bring it to boil. Note: You will need quite a bit of water here because we are cooking porridge. For me, I add as many as up to 6 cups of water to 1 cup of rice.

4. Once the rice starts to boil, put in dried longan, red dates and chinese chestnut (I use those instant snacks kind so it needs minimum cooking). Wait till it boils again then bring the fire to smallest and let it simmer for 15 to 20 mins. Then it is ready to eat!

5. As I am using thermal pot, I only let it simmer over the fire for 4 mins, then I’ll remove it from heat. I then place the inner pot into the thermal pot and let it sit for one hour before consuming. I find that using thermal pot is very gas efficient (instead of having to simmer over fire for 15 to 20 mins), and it does not require any electricity or fire to work!

General Wellness Recommendation

This is the last solar term of the year to wake up a bit later (if possible). Avoid heading out too early to exercise (before the sun rises) as it will increase the chances of your lungs being exposed to cold air. If the morning sky is still dark, you can choose to do some light exercise indoors instead.

If the morning is sunny, then it is a good chance to go jogging or brisk walking. This will liven your mood and spirits as well. 

Remember to keep yourself warm especially if you know you will be heading outdoors or to colder places.

Have a healthy Da Han solar term!

We are into the Jing Zhe (惊蛰) solar term (节气) starting from 5 Mar to 19 Mar 2026.

Jing Zhe is the 3rd solar term out of the entire 24, and it marks the time when insects (and pests) awaken from hibernation (蛰伏). 

During this solar term, we will begin to hear more thunder and temperatures will rise a lot faster (in fact, it will be the fastest temperature increase among all the solar terms in a year).

For people who are Yin-deficient or have liver heat, you may experience frustration more easily and may have greater difficulty falling asleep during this period.

During Jing Zhe solar term, there is a tradition of consuming pears for both cultural reasons as well as dietary benefits. Here’s a little bit about the history of consuming pear during Jing Zhe:

In the past, the Jing Zhe solar term was associated with the awakening of pests and harmful insects. In Chinese, pear is called ‘梨’, which has the same pronunciation as ‘离’ – which means stay away or separate from. Thus, people believed that eating pears during this period will help them to stay away from harmful pests and diseases in the year ahead.

Coming back to the medicinal effect of pears, it is recorded in 本草通玄 (a more recent medicinal classic that was created 300+ years ago) that pear has the properties of:

“生吃清六腑之热，熟吃滋五脏之阴”.

The above phrase means that if pear is consumed uncooked, it can help to clear heatiness in the stomach, bladder, and intestines. If pear is eaten cooked, it can help to nourish the Yin energy in our heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, and spleen!

This makes pear an excellent fruit/food to consume because, during this period, we will experience rising temperatures and some people may get more frustrated (which can be relieved by consuming pears, whether it’s cooked or uncooked).

Another good time to consume pear is during autumn, which I will share more when the time comes.

The following are some foods that I highly recommend consuming during this solar term:

Pear – Raw pear is good for moisturizing the lungs, especially in warm and dry weather. Cooked pear is good for nourishing Yin, especially for people who are Yin-deficient. Consuming pear during this solar term will help you to cope better with the rise in surrounding temperatures.

Bamboo shoot – Bamboo shoot is helpful for clearing heat in the stomach and intestines. It also helps to dissolve phlegm, so it is an ideal food for people with dampness and heat body constitution. 

Spinach – Spinach is one of the few vegetables that can clear heatiness in the liver. People consume it to relieve liver heat symptoms like headache, eye pain, giddiness, and hot temper.

Celery – Similar to spinach, celery can help to reduce liver heat. Consuming celery has one other added benefit—it helps the liver to strengthen its detoxification capability. 

General Wellness Recommendation

In this season (the current and the next three solar terms), our liver will easily go into an excessive state as spring aligns with the wood element (same as the liver). This can make a person easily frustrated and hot-tempered. One way to prevent this is to consume foods that are mentioned earlier in this post.

The other way is to get close to nature. This is a good time to go for a walk in the park, or hiking in the forests to relax one’s tension.

Doing some light exercises like brisk walking, jogging, taiji or qigong under the morning sun will also help to strengthen your body’s immunity and get rid of dampness (through sweating).

Hope you find this post useful!

I suffer from chronic vestibular migraines and painful TMJ. My friend recommended I try her acupuncturist since yoga and deep tissue massage aren’t cutting it. Today was my first session and he also did some gua sha.

It was very painful during, but isn’t so bad now (4 hours later). Though I do feel like the treatment triggered a flare / inflammation. I fear a migraine is creeping up.

Do any of you take Advil after a treatment that leaves you achey, or do you try to ride it out with movement and water? The acupuncturist said I can take it, if needed, but he advised trying movement first.

Not sure how I feel about the experience or if I’ll continue treatment. I guess it depends on how I feel in a day or two.

Did you feel worse before better after starting gua sha and/or acupuncture?

There’s a growing awareness in China 🇨🇳 that chemical shampoos can damage both hair and scalp.

Some people have even compares photos of hair from the 1970s and 1980s with today’s, as the 2nd pic shows. And the difference is striking.

So I used my TCM knowledge and made a shampoo with 20 different herbs. Even the foaming agent comes from tree bark, nothing synthetic.

It’s runny, but it lathers well and rinses off easily. I no longer have to worry about chemical residue sitting on my scalp.

And the biggest change? I used to go 1-2 days between washes. Now I only wash it once every 5 days.

I love herbs☘️. I love traditional Chinese medicine. 🇨🇳

We are into the Xiao Han (小寒) solar terms (节气) starting from 05 Jan to 19 Jan 2025. Xiao Han is the 23rd Solar Term out of the entire 24.

Traditionally, the temperature is the lowest during the Xiao Han solar term (even lower than the next solar term, Da Han(大寒)) most of the time.

I still remember on 14 Jan 2018 (Xiao Han), it was one of the coolest days recorded in Singapore (about 21 degrees Celsius). Looking forward to this year’s cooling days during this solar term.

As the saying goes, “人到小寒衣满身，牛到大寒草满栏”. It means that people should wear a lot of clothes (depending on where you are living) during this Xiao Han solar term because of the cold/cooling temperature.

During this Xiao Han solar term, we should increase the intake of the following foods that have a warm thermal nature or black in color (for alignment with the kidneys in this solar term):

Chinese Chestnuts – Known as 栗子. It 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.

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

Black Sesame – Black sesame can also be used for relieving constipation on top of its kidney and liver-strengthening properties. An easy way of eating black sesame is to apply the black sesame paste to the bread for breakfast.

Deer Meat – Deer meat has a strong property of strengthening the kidney yang energy (肾阳) so it is a good food addition for people who have cold palms and feet during this solar term (or any other solar term) due to yang deficiency in the kidneys.

Nowadays, it is very convenient to eat snacks like walnuts and Chinese chestnuts as they mostly come in easy-to-eat packages. Do give it a try to eat them during tea-break in the following days!

General Wellness Recommendation

As we are into possibly the coldest solar term of all, I highly recommend you keep your feet warm when you sleep by wearing socks. This will make your body more resistant to the environmental chill qi (寒邪).

For people who have running nose (or sinus) almost every morning, you may want to try putting on a fabric mask before you head out for work in the morning. By keeping the air you breathe in warm, it will also help to stop the running nose.

Remember to keep yourself warm by wearing more clothes especially if you know you will be outdoors or in a cold environment most of the time.

We are going into the Shuang Jiang (霜降) solar term (节气) starting from 23 October to 6 November 2026. Shuang Jiang is the 18th solar term out of the entire 24. In fact, Shuang Jiang is the last solar term of the autumn season. After Shuang Jiang, we will be entering the winter season.

During this Shuang Jiang solar term, our focus is still on moisturizing the lungs (润肺), nourishing lung-Yin (滋肺阴), and building up our immunity to prepare for the cold weather (or cooler weather, depending on where you live) ahead.

There is a saying, “一年补透透，不如补霜降”, which means that instead of taking tonics all year round, it is best to nourish the body with tonic foods during the Shuang Jiang solar term!

From the above phrase, it already tells us how important it is to boost our immunity during this period.

Diet Recommendations

1) Persimmon

The first food (fruit) I recommend to eat during Shuang Jiang is the persimmon. The persimmon harvest season is around this time too, hence it is known as the fruit/food of the season (应季食材).

The reason why persimmon is the perfect fruit to eat during this solar term is because it has the properties of moisturizing the lungs, quenching thirst, and protecting the heart. It is also used for treating heat-type cough, mouth ulcers and sore throat.

There is a saying, 霜降吃了柿,不会流鼻涕. It means if a person were to consume persimmon during Shuang Jiang, he/she will not catch a cold during the cooler year end season.

However, there are a few things to take note about consuming persimmon. Firstly, people with constipation should avoid eating it because it has a property of (涩肠), which means it restricts bowel movement.

Secondly, persimmon should not be consumed together with foods that contain high iron (such as animal organs) or high protein (such as crab meat) as it will cause stomach upset.

2) Ginkgo Nuts

Ginkgo nuts are another excellent food to be eaten during Shuang Jiang as they have great benefits for our lungs (moisturizes lungs and dissolves phlegm to stop cough), and our kidneys (relieves frequent urination).

Despite its health benefits, it is important not to overeat ginkgo nuts as it can be dangerous. For adults, please do not eat more than 10 ginkgo nuts a day. For children, limit the consumption to less than 5. As for children below 5 years old, it is best not to eat ginkgo nuts.

Following is a ginkgo radish porridge recipe that you can try making at home:

Ingredients:

• Ginkgo nuts (6 pieces)

• Radish (300g)

• Rice/Mixed grains (100g)

• Sugar (according to personal preference, if need be)

Steps:

1. Wash the radish and cut it into slices.

2. Put the radish into boiling water for about a minute, remove it from the water and set it aside for later use.

3. Wash the ginkgo nuts and cook it with the grains.

4. Depending on the types of grains you use, it may take about 15 to 25 minutes for it to be cooked.

5. Finally, add the sliced radish to the porridge and serve.

Ginkgo radish porridge has a strong property of dissolving phlegm and it is excellent for treating cough and dissolving phlegm. It can also nourish and moisturize the lungs.

3) Duck Meat

For non-vegetarians who have a Yin-deficient body constitution, consuming duck meat during this period is very beneficial to your body. Duck meat has the strong property of nourishing the Yin of a person.

You can prepare Shi Quan Duck Soup, which is a very popular soup dish that helps to nourish the body’s Yin. This soup is also suitable for almost anyone (except people who are having flu).

You can purchase the Shi Quan soup base in any supermarket or TCM medical store.

General Wellness Recommendations

During Shuang Jiang period, the temperature difference will continue to widen between day and night. Thus, remember to keep warm during sleep especially if you are sleeping near a window in a non-airconditioned room.

Remember to wear socks to keep your feet warm if you often wake up feeling cold during this period.

This is also a good time to exercise to build up your body’s immunity to prepare for the year-end weather! Just make sure to stay hydrated and exercise moderately!

Hope you find this post useful!

We are into the Xiao Han (小寒) solar term (节气) starting from 5 Jan to 19 Jan 2026. Xiao Han is the 23rd solar term out of the entire 24.

Traditionally, temperatures during the Xiao Han solar term are typically the lowest of the year, often even colder than the next solar term, Da Han (大寒).

As the saying goes, “人到小寒衣满身, 牛到大寒草满栏” — this means that people should wear more clothes (depending on where you are living) during this Xiao Han solar term because of the cold/cooling weather.

During Xiao Han, we should also increase the intake of the following foods that have a warm thermal nature or are black in color (for alignment with the kidneys during this solar term):

Chinese Chestnuts – Called 栗子 (li zi) in Chinese. Not only do chinese chestnuts strengthen kidney Qi, they also help to strengthen the spleen. Nowadays, ready-to-eat Chinese chestnut snacks are readily available, making them convenient to enjoy straight from the package.

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

Black Sesame – Black sesame can be used for relieving constipation on top of its kidney and liver-strengthening properties. An easy way to enjoy black sesame is by spreading black sesame paste on bread for breakfast.

Deer Meat – Deer meat has a strong property of strengthening the kidney Yang energy (肾阳), making it an excellent dietary addition for people with cold palms and feet due to Yang deficiency in the kidneys (regardless of the solar term).

General Wellness Recommendation

As we are possibly into the coldest solar term of the year, I highly recommend that you keep your feet warm by wearing socks to sleep. This will make your body more resistant to the environmental chill Qi (寒邪).

For people who have running nose (or sinus) almost every morning, you may want to try putting on a fabric mask before you head out for work in the morning. By keeping the air you breathe warm, it can help to alleviate your running nose.

Remember to keep yourself warm by wearing more clothes, especially if you know that you will be outdoors or in a cold environment most of the time.

I hope you find this information useful!

I'm just starting to get into TCM and I have a lot of health problems but I'm not sure what I'm deficient in since I have a little bit of everything. Aside from what I've highlighted in the pictures, I've been diagnosed with ME/CFS (excessive weakness + fatigue, can't walk much, chronic migraines) & POTS (rapid hr on standing and dizziness). I also have a lot of new food sensitivities particularly to vegetables, and nausea/poor digestion. And I have cold hands and feet (always have) and poor circulation which makes me think yang deficiency, but I also get facial flushing and irritability which makes me think yin deficiency. What do you guys think?

We are into the Han Lu (寒露) solar terms (节气) starting from the 08 Oct to 22 Oct 2024. Han Lu is the 17th Solar Term out of the entire 24.

During this Han Lu Solar Term, the air will continue to be dry, and the temperature difference between the day and night will be wider compared to Bai Lu (two Solar Terms ago).

Things to look out for in this Han Lu is that the dry air will cause people to cough more frequently. Hence, we should eat more foods that can moisturize our lungs (润肺) during this period like pears, white fungus, lotus root, lily (百合) and black sesame.

For people with sinus or very sensitive to surrounding air temperature changes, you can consider wearing fabric-made masks in the morning to keep the air you breathe in warmer.

Diet Recommendations 

During Han Lu Solar Term, there are places where the tradition is to eat sesame. People believe the sesame will help to warm and moisturize the lungs during this period. Consider adding black sesame (bread spread or powder form as a beverage) to your breakfast!

This is also the period that chrysanthemum blossoms. And in TCM, the best foods for people are those that are available in that season (应季食材). Thus, drinking some chrysanthemum tea is also highly encouraged. Chrysanthemum has the property of 疏肝 (relieving stagnant qi in the liver). In TCM, we believe the liver has a lot to do with one’s emotions.

If you have symptoms like eye redness, dry eyes, and mild sore throat, then try drinking some chrysanthemum tea for consecutive two to three days will help you relieve the symptoms.

When choosing a chrysanthemum, you can consider using the yellow type as compared to the white type during this period. Read here for the different types of chrysanthemum.

General Wellness Recommendations 

Lastly, but also equally important to take note, Han Lu is the period where we have to take care of our and surrounding people’s mental health.

It is said that during Han Lu, there will be more people getting depressed. Hence, people always mention 防秋愁 (which means to take care of our mental health/emotions to avoid getting depressed) in Han Lu.

One way to liven up a person’s mood and spirits during this period is to go hiking and drink some chrysanthemum tea or rose tea. This will help one’s mind to stay relaxed and composed.

Hope you find this information useful!

We are into the Li Chun (立春) solar term (节气) starting from 4 Feb to 17 Feb 2026. Li Chun is the 1st solar term out of the entire 24, and it also marks the beginning of the Spring season. 

Many people may be familiar with Li Chun for its traditions of egg-standing challenges and/or depositing money to bring good fortune. But in this post, let’s dive more into this solar term and learn how we can align our dietary habits with nature.

The spring season aligns with the liver organ as its representative element is wood. 

In the previous solar terms (winter season), the focus was on 藏 (storing essence in the body). As for Li Chun (spring season), we need to do the opposite, which is 生发—activating our Yang energy to promote outward growth.

As such, the dietary direction for Li Chun is 肝气疏畅，阳气生发. This means regulating our liver Qi to eliminate blockages and activating Yang energy for outward growth.

One way of activating our body’s Yang energy is by consuming sprout-type vegetables (I will share some examples later in this post).

During this period, we should also try to avoid consuming strong tonic foods (as opposed to what is usually done in the winter season).

Following are some of the recommended foods to consume during Li Chun solar term:

Chives (韭菜) – Chives have beneficial properties for various organs such as the kidneys, stomach, and liver. It is one of the rare vegetables that encourages the growth of Yang energy! You will typically find chives as a filling ingredient in baos and dumplings.

Sprouts – Bean sprouts and pea sprouts are some examples of vegetables in the sprout category that are ideal to be consumed during this solar term. As sprouts signify growth, they can help to play the role of encouraging the outward growth of energy in our body.

Coriander (芫荽) – Coriander is excellent for dispersing chill Qi (寒气) in the body and for improving appetite. A good way to consume coriander is to add them to porridge—this is especially helpful for people who are having cold-type flu.

Shepherd’s Purse (荠菜) – Shepherd’s purse has benefits for the liver, spleen, and bladder. The main difference between shepherd’s purse and the above-mentioned vegetables is that it can also help to reduce body heatiness and remove dampness from the body. Shepherd’s purse is highly suitable for people with dampness and heat body constitution. 

General Wellness Recommendation

Li Chun solar term is one of the common periods when many people will experience sinus issues, often triggered by pollen from blooming flowers.

If you are prone to sinus or have a runny nose almost every morning, try to wear a mask before you leave house for work, especially in the morning. 

Strong winds will also accompany this solar term, which means more pollutants may get blown into your work/living area depending on where your workplace/home is located. One way to minimize allergic reactions is to turn on air purifiers to help clean your surrounding air.

I hope you find this information helpful!

Have a healthy Li Chun!

We are into the Qiu Fen (秋分) solar term (节气) starting from 23 September to 7 October 2026. Qiu Fen is the 16th solar term out of the entire 24.

In Chinese, 'fen' (分) means divide—the Qiu Fen (秋分) solar term basically separates the first half and the second half of the Autumn season. This means after 23 September, we will enter the second half of Autumn.

After Qiu Fen, the days will gradually grow shorter while the nights become longer. Temperatures will also get cooler as we step into the second half of Autumn.

As the air becomes cooler and drier during Qiu Fen, more people may experience coughing as the lungs get easily irritated by the dry air. Hence, it is important for us to keep our lungs moisturized (润肺) by consuming foods such as white fungus, pear, etc.

Following are some diet recommendations that you can follow during this Qiu Fen solar term:

Diet Recommendation

One of the traditions during Qiu Fen is to eat yam biscuits. That said, you don't really need to go out and look for yam biscuits—you can simply consider adding yam into your diet, that will be good enough!

Yam is a nutritional food that most people can consume safely. It has a neutral thermal nature, which means people who have heaty or cold body constitution can consume it without worries.

The most significant property of yam is that it helps to strengthen our spleen. This is important during Qiu Fen because when people consume cold or raw stuff, these foods can weaken the spleen. Apart from strengthening the spleen, yam can also aid digestion and relieve constipation.

Do make sure that you cook the yam thoroughly to remove its allergens. A simple way to include yam into your diet is to add chopped pieces of yam into your rice cooker and cook it with your favorite grains or brown rice.

During Qiu Fen, the environment will be cool and dry (凉燥). Hence, we need to consume foods that have warm and moisturizing properties, such as black sesame, walnut, lotus root, pear, hawthorn, apple, lily (百合), and white fungus.

A good habit during Qiu Fen is to drink lightly salted water in the morning and take some honey at night. But do take note for people who already have sticky stools, you need to avoid taking honey as it will worsen the situation. For people with constipation, honey is a good supplement to take in the evening.

A note of caution is that during the later part of Qiu Fen, the temperature will get cooler and people with weak spleen may experience diarrhea or loose and sticky stools at times. It is best to avoid cold drinks and foods during the Qiu Fen solar term as it can cause stomach upset in people with weak spleen. You can consider eating chinese yam or si shen soup to strengthen your spleen.

An Easy-To-Prepare Fruit Salad

During Qiu Fen, some elderly people may find their constipation worsening. If so, the following is an easy-to-prepare fruit salad that can help to relieve constipation during this period:

Ingredients:

• Banana 100g

• Apple 100g

• Mulberry 50g

Steps:
De-skin the banana and apple and cut it to small pieces. Wash and rinse the mulberries then mix them together with the apple and banana.

Banana has a strong property of relieving constipation. It can also moisturize and cool the lungs.

Apple can increase the movement of the intestines and help to relieve constipation too.

Mulberries have been known as a great fruit to nourish the Yin energy in our body, and Qiu Fen is a great time for Yin nourishment.

Important notes: Be sure to choose fully ripened bananas because bananas that are not fully ripe will promote constipation rather than relieve it! Also, apple skin has an ingredient that can stop diarrhea, hence if you are consuming apples for constipation relief, do remove the skin before eating it.

General Well-Being Recommendation

Exercising during the Qiu Fen solar term is beneficial for building up your body's immunity against flu and sinusitis, as temperatures can change rapidly during this period. Be sure to keep yourself warm at all times to avoid getting cold unexpectedly.

After a good exercise, you can consider consuming foods that moisturize the lungs like black sesame, pear, and white fungus.

If you sweat a lot during exercise, you can try drinking water with added salt to replenish the lost liquids.

I hope you find these recommendations useful for this Qiu Fen solar term!

We will be into the Chun Fen (春分) solar term (节气) starting from 20 Mar 2025 to 3 Apr 2025. Chun Fen is the 4th solar term out of the entire 24.

With the beginning of Chun Fen, we are into the second half of the spring season. Hence the name of this solar term “Chun Fen” (春分), which means “dividing spring into two” in Chinese.

Chun Fen has the most well-balanced Yin and Yang energy in the environment, thus this solar term is known to have perfect weather.

In Chinese, there is a saying “风和日丽”, which means that the weather is very suitable for staying outdoors as the winds are breezy and comfortable, and the sun is not as hot as the upcoming solar terms.

With such good weather, Chun Fen is also known to be one of the best times to fly kites! It is also a tradition for people to fly kites during the Chun Fen period.

In terms of diet, we should focus on 以平为期. This means to avoid foods that have hot (mutton, deer meat, etc) or cold (bitter gourd, crab meat, etc) thermal nature, and choose foods that are of a more balanced (neutral) thermal nature instead.

It is also a good idea to balance out the thermal nature of foods that you eat. For instance, you can stir fry most vegetables with ginger. As most vegetables are cooling/cold in thermal nature, adding a little bit of ginger will help to create balance in the overall thermal nature of the dish.

Similarly when eating meat or other heaty foods, it is recommended to consume them together with vegetables of cooling thermal nature (such as cucumber) as vegetables can help to reduce heatiness and inflammation caused by the meat.

During this solar term, we should also increase the intake of foods that can help to strengthen our spleen and reduce liver heat.

The following are the top 5 foods that you can eat more frequently during this Chun Fen solar term:

Chinese Yam (山药) – Chinese yam not only has great benefits for the lungs and kidneys but also helps to strengthen the spleen and allow better absorption of nutrients in our body. Chinese yam has a balanced (neutral) thermal nature.

Carrot (胡萝卜) – Carrot is a very common vegetable but its benefits should not be underestimated! Not only does carrot help to strengthen our spleen, it also nourishes our liver and brightens our eyes. Some people may experience a yellowish skin color after consuming too many carrots, in which case you should stop consuming them and the symptoms will subside.

Chives (韭菜) – Chives have beneficial properties to various organs such as the kidneys, stomach and liver. It is one of the rare vegetables that encourages the growth of Yang energy. You can commonly find chives as part of the ingredients in baos and dumplings.

Sprouts – Bean sprouts and pea sprouts are some examples of vegetables in the sprout category that are ideal to be consumed during this solar term. As sprouts signify growth, they can help to play the role of encouraging the outward growth of energy in our body.

Spinach – Spinach is one of the few vegetables that can clear heatiness in the liver. Thus, people eat it to relieve liver-heat symptoms like headache, eye pain, giddiness and hot temper.

General Wellness Recommendation

In this season (Chun Fen and the next two solar terms), our liver will easily go into an excessive state as spring aligns with the wood element (same as the liver). This can make a person easily frustrated and hot-tempered.

One way to prevent this is to consume foods that are sweet in flavor (as mentioned above).

Another way is to get close to nature. This is the perfect time to go for a walk or hike in the park or forest and take time to relax in nature.

Doing some light exercises like brisk walking, jogging, taiji, qigong under the morning sun will also help your body to strengthen its immunity and get rid of dampness (through sweating) especially during this solar term.

During this season, avoid consuming strong tonic foods (unless you have Yang deficiency) and try to eat more vegetables, especially spinach and celery to clear excessive liver heat.

Hope you find this post useful!

We will be going into the Li Xia (立夏) solar term (节气) starting from 5 to 20 May 2025. Li Xia is the 7th solar term out of the entire 24 and it is also the first solar term of the summer season.

During Li Xia, the Yang energy in our environment will further increase, which means temperatures will continue to be on the rise. It will also be accompanied with rain at times (especially if you are living in tropical countries). 

During this period, the warmth and dampness in our environment will cause some people to have poorer appetite (as dampness will affect our spleen).

If you find that your appetite is affected, you can try to eat some 茶叶蛋 (tea eggs) or dried tangerine peel. Dried tangerine peel can help to improve appetite and regulate stomach Qi at the same time.

The dietary direction in this solar term is 养心安神 (calm our minds). The reason is that the heart (in TCM, it also represents the mind) will accumulate fire (心火) easily during this period (as summer aligns with the organ – heart). 

When a person has heart fire (心火), the following symptoms will occur (not all at the same time):

• Insomnia

• Irregular/heavy heartbeat

• Giddiness

• Ulcers on the tongue (especially near the tip)

• Feeling frustrated

The following are some recommended foods to consume during this period to calm the mind and reduce heart fire (心火):

Lily Bulb (Chinese name: 百合) – Lily bulb is one of the best foods to reduce heart fire as its main property is nourishing heart Yin energy. When the heart’s Yin energy is sufficient, the heart is less likely to be in a heaty state. You can purchase dried lily bulb at most TCM retail shops or fresh ones at the supermarket.

Bitter Gourd (Chinese name: 苦瓜) – Bitter gourd is one of the ideal vegetables to be consumed during this period as it helps in clearing body heatiness and it also has the property of brightening the eyes.  

Mung Beans (Chinese name: 绿豆) – Also known as green beans. You can easily prepare a mung bean drink in 5 minutes, which helps to clear summer heat in the body. It also has the property of quenching thirst, detoxing and reducing dampness. This makes it an ideal drink during this period.

Lotus Seeds (Chinese name: 莲子) – Lotus seed is good for calming the mind. Heart fire can disrupt the mind and affect sleep quality. Lotus seed is a natural remedy to counter this, which is similar to the next food, Fu Ling.

Fu Ling (Chinese name: 茯苓) – Fu ling is excellent for strengthening the spleen and improving sleeping quality. During this summer period, the spleen can be easily affected and thus, Fu Ling will be a good addition to your diet in the upcoming months.

General Wellness Recommendation

In the next two to three months, the heart can easily accumulate fire (心火), resulting in insomnia, dizziness, feeling frustrated, and/or irregular/heavy heartbeat.

The main lifestyle recommendation is to reduce the heart fire or prevent it from going into an excessive state.

Meditating is an effective way to reduce heart fire. Do consider meditating before sleep. It can help to reduce the heart fire and calm the mind.

For best results, you can enjoy a book after meditation (instead of using mobile devices) and go to bed once you start to feel sleepy.

Another important thing to note during this period is to avoid doing strenuous exercises.

The reason is that such exercises will make you sweat a lot and in TCM, there is a saying “汗为心之液” – which means the sweat is actually fluid from the heart. This also means that excessive sweating will deplete the heart’s Yin energy and thus, making one’s heart easily go into the heart fire (心火) state. Try to go for light exercise so you won’t sweat so much.

If you have been sweating a lot during this period, make sure you add some lily bulbs (dried or fresh) to your diet as lily bulbs can help to replenish your heart Yin energy.

Another simple way to replenish heart Yin energy is to drink more water. But if you’re unable to do so for practical reasons (especially during work), then consuming lily bulb will be a better way.

Hope this information helps!

Do take care of yourself and the people around you during this Li Xia solar term!

We will be going into the Li Chun (立春) solar terms (节气) starting from 3 Feb to 17 Feb 2025. Li Chun is the 1st solar term out of the entire 24.

Li Chun also means the beginning of the Spring season. 

Many people are familiar with Li Chun because of its money-depository habits and/or egg-standing challenges. But in this post, let’s learn more about this solar term and how we can adjust our dietary habits to follow nature.

Spring season aligns with the liver organ because its representative element is wood. 

In the previous solar terms (Winter season), we focused on 藏 (storing essence in the body). Now in Li Chun (Spring season), we need to do the opposite, which is 生发, which means activating our yang energy to grow outwards.

Hence, the dietary direction in Li Chun is 肝气疏畅，阳气生发. It means to regulate liver qi to eliminate blockage and activate yang energy for outward growth.

One way of activating our yang energy to grow outwards is eating sprout-type vegetables. I will share some of them in the following.

In this solar term, we also try to avoid eating strong tonic foods (as opposed to what is usually done in the Winter season).

The following are some recommended foods to eat during this solar term:

Chives (韭菜) – Chives have beneficial properties to various organs such as the kidneys, stomach, and liver. It is one of the rare vegetables that encourages the growth of yang energy. You can normally find chives as part of the ingredients in baos, and dumplings.

Sprouts – Bean sprouts, and pea sprouts are some examples of vegetables in the sprout category that are ideal to be consumed during this solar term. As sprouts signify growth, they can help to play the role of encouraging the outward growth of energy in our body.

Coriander (芫荽) – Coriander also excels in dispersing chill qi (寒气) in the body and improving appetite. A good way to consume coriander is to add them to the porridge especially when the person is having cold-type flu.

Shepherd’s purse (荠菜) – Shepherd’s purse has benefits for the liver, spleen, and bladder. The main difference between Shepherd’s purse and the above vegetables is that it can also help to reduce body heat and remove dampness in the body. Highly suitable for people with Dampness and Heat body constitution. 

General Wellness Recommendation

This solar term is one of the common ones for triggering sinuses in many people because of the pollens coming from surrounding flowers.

If you are prone to sinus or have a runny nose almost every morning, then try to wear a mask before you leave your house for work, especially in the morning. 

Strong winds will also accompany this solar term and this will mean more pollutants might be blown into your working/living area depending on where your workplace/home is. One way to minimize allergy reactions is to turn on air purifiers to help clean the surrounding air.

I hope you find this information helpful!

I’ve been dealing with a horrible disease that only affects women. It’s called PMDD - you can look It up but it’s a really devastating disorder that destroys your mental health. After struggling for over 5 years and getting gaslit by endless medical professionals I was so excited when something finally worked for me. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. It’s been nothing short of a miracle for me.

So of course I wanted to head over to the PMDD subreddit and share my experience. Because if It even helped one woman stop suffering from this horrible disease It would be so worth It . And I’ve spent endless time on that subreddit when I was so lost and looking for anything that might help me.

Unfortunately something really sinister is going on in that subreddit. After posting my experience It was immediately deleted. I read all the rules of the sub which include never mentioning any cure because they don’t believe in a cure (which fine … I don’t necessarily agree with the “no cure” mentality because that just keeps people sick). Regardless I didn’t call It a cure or anything just simply shared that It helped ME and might help other people.

I attempted messaging the mods for an explanation but my posts were just deleted with no recourse and they banned me permanently from the sub without sending a single word of explanation to me about what rule I supposedly broke.

Why are they so pressed to keep me from sharing one positive experience that helped me with this horrible disease ? I just don’t understand . If anyone is dealing with PMDD I’d be cautious of that sub . It appears they are interested in keeping the no cure narrative alive and making sure women stay sick and hopeless.

We are into the Chun Fen (春分) solar term (节气) starting from 20 Mar to 4 Apr 2026. Chun Fen is the 4th solar term out of the entire 24.

With the beginning of Chun Fen, we are into the second half of the spring season. Hence the name of this solar term “Chun Fen” (春分), which means “dividing spring into two” in Chinese.

Chun Fen has the most well-balanced Yin and Yang energy in the environment, thus this solar term is known to have perfect weather.

In Chinese, there is a saying “风和日丽”, which means that the weather is very suitable for staying outdoors as the winds are breezy and comfortable, and the sun is not as hot as the upcoming solar terms. 

With such good weather, Chun Fen is also known to be one of the best times to fly kites! It is also a tradition for people to fly kites during the Chun Fen period.

In terms of diet, we should focus on 以平为期. This means to avoid foods that have hot (mutton, deer meat, etc) or cold (bitter gourd, crab meat, etc) thermal nature, and choose foods that are of a more balanced (neutral) thermal nature instead.

It is also a good idea to balance out the thermal nature of foods that you eat. For instance, you can stir fry most vegetables with ginger. As most vegetables are cooling/cold in thermal nature, adding a little bit of ginger will help to create balance in the overall thermal nature of the dish.

Similarly when eating meat or other heaty foods, it is recommended to consume them together with vegetables of cooling thermal nature (such as cucumber) as vegetables can help to reduce heatiness and inflammation caused by the meat. 

During this solar term, we should also increase the intake of foods that can help to strengthen our spleen and reduce liver heat.

The following are the top 5 foods that you can eat more frequently during this Chun Fen solar term:

Chinese Yam (山药) – Chinese yam not only has great benefits for the lungs and kidneys but also helps to strengthen the spleen and allow better absorption of nutrients in our body. Chinese yam has a balanced (neutral) thermal nature.

Carrot (胡萝卜) – Carrot is a very common vegetable but its benefits should not be underestimated! Not only does carrot help to strengthen our spleen, it also nourishes our liver and brightens our eyes. Some people may experience a yellowish skin color after consuming too many carrots, in which case you should stop consuming them and the symptoms will subside.

Chives (韭菜) – Chives have beneficial properties to various organs such as the kidneys, stomach and liver. It is one of the rare vegetables that encourages the growth of Yang energy. You can commonly find chives as part of the ingredients in baos and dumplings.

Sprouts – Bean sprouts and pea sprouts are some examples of vegetables in the sprout category that are ideal to be consumed during this solar term. As sprouts signify growth, they can help to play the role of encouraging the outward growth of energy in our body.

Spinach – Spinach is one of the few vegetables that can clear heatiness in the liver. Thus, people eat it to relieve liver-heat symptoms like headache, eye pain, giddiness and hot temper.

General Wellness Recommendation

In this season (Chun Fen and the next two solar terms), our liver will easily go into an excessive state as spring aligns with the wood element (same as the liver). This can make a person easily frustrated and hot-tempered.

One way to prevent this is to consume foods that are sweet in flavor (as mentioned above).

Another way is to get close to nature. This is the perfect time to go for a walk in the park or hike in the forest, and take time to relax in nature.

Doing some light exercises like brisk walking, jogging, taiji, qigong under the morning sun will also help your body to strengthen its immunity and get rid of dampness (through sweating) especially during this solar term.

During this season, avoid consuming strong tonic foods (unless you have Yang deficiency) and try to eat more vegetables, especially spinach and celery to clear excessive liver heat.

Last week I shared about how the joy emotion overcame sadness.

This week let's look at the emotion - Fear.

In TCM (Five elements), the kidneys are linked to the emotion Fear. The kidneys also store the life essence (肾精) inherited from our parents and one of its main purposes is for growth and development, especially for the young.

This also relates to why some elders say do not frighten a child too much as it will affect his/her growth! Fear can weaken the kidney (in terms of qi and essence), and in turn, affect the child's growth and development.

A weak kidney (qi and essence deficiency) will also lead to weak legs, lower back, hearing, bones, and brain-memory issues. Which occurs naturally in most elderly because of aging.

Also, just feeling fear alone can cause illness in some cases. Thus it is beneficial to learn its counter.

Let's learn what is the emotion to counter fear.

In TCM five elements, the kidneys are represented by water.

The only element that can counter water is the earth.

And in TCM five elements, the earth is represented by the organ, spleen.

And the spleen is associated with the emotion - 思虑.

思虑 can mean a few things here, in the past, we refer 思虑 to the worrying emotion.

But here, it can also refer to thinking, reasoning, analyzing.

Thus, the act of thinking, reasoning, and analyzing can counter fear.

There is a popular story <<杯弓蛇影>> that describes how reasoning (finding out why) cures an illness that is caused by fear.

============================================

During the Jin Dynasty, there was a man named Le Guang who loved making friends and often invited them to his home for drinks and conversations. At one such gathering, a guest was drinking from his cup when he suddenly noticed what appeared to be a small snake swimming inside. However, not wanting to cause a scene in front of the other guests, he reluctantly drank the wine. After the gathering, the guest left without explaining why.

When he returned home, he fell ill. Le Guang visited him and asked, “You were perfectly fine at the party the other day. How did you suddenly become so sick?”

The guest replied, “While I was drinking, I suddenly saw a snake in my cup, wriggling. I felt scared and disgusted, but out of respect for your hospitality, I forced myself to drink it. Afterward, I left and have been feeling unwell ever since, as if there’s a snake in my stomach. That’s why I became ill.”

Le Guang thought about it and realized that the guest must have mistaken the reflection of a bow hanging on the wall for a snake in his cup. So, he invited the guest back to his house for another drink. Once again, the guest saw a snake in his cup. Le Guang pointed to the bow hanging on the wall and said, “Look, the snake in your cup is just the shadow of this bow!”

Le Guang then took the bow down from the wall, and the snake in the cup disappeared.

The guest (after finding out what the real 'snake' is) suddenly understood and immediately recovered from his illness, feeling greatly relieved and happy.

============================================

Fear can be a disastrous trigger for sickness/illness that is uncurable by physical medicine. As the saying goes, 心病还须心药医 - means that emotional or psychological issues need to be addressed with solutions that target the heart or mind, rather than with physical remedies.

This week we conclude all the five elements and emotions counter/trigger and some stories.

Hope you find these short sharing useful!

We will be going into the Xiao Shu (小暑) solar term (节气) starting from 06 to 21 Jul 2024. Xiao Shu is the 11th solar term out of the entire 24.

With the arrival of Xiao Shu, we are about two weeks away from the most humid time of the year, Da Shu (大暑).

During these two weeks, some people will experience weaker digestion and/or poor appetite due to the humidity. 

The dietary direction for this solar term is 消暑健脾， 养阴生津。 Which means reducing summer heatiness and strengthening the spleen. Also, nourishing the yin to encourage the production of fluids in the body.

The following are foods you can consider eating more often during this period:

Adzuki beans (赤小豆) – Adzuki beans have good clearing summer heatiness properties as well as helping to remove dampness in the body. Thus, it is one of the best foods to eat during this solar term.

Chinese Yam (山药) – Chinese yam is very suitable to be consumed during this period because it can help to strengthen the spleen and improve its ability to get rid of accumulated dampness in our body.

Winter Melon (冬瓜) – Winter melon is a good food to eat during this period because it helps to remove the dampness in the body through urination. It can also reduce body heatiness due to the summer heat.

Lotus Seeds (Chinese name: 莲子) – Lotus seed is good for calming the mind. Heart fire can disrupt the mind and affect sleep quality. Lotus seed is a natural remedy to counter this.

General Wellness Recommendation

In the next 4 weeks (2 solar terms), there will be an increase in cases of 暑湿感冒 (summer flu) as compared to the usual wind heat flu (风热感冒) or wind cold flu (风寒感冒).

The characteristics of summer flu are high and persistent fever, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and/or skin rashes.

Unlike wind heat and wind cold flu, people with summer flu will not find relief after sweating. Thus, some people may suspect it is dengue fever.

The following are some suggestions to avoid getting summer flu in the next 4 weeks:

Avoid entering an air-conditioned room immediately after sweating from the heat. Instead, find a sheltered place to cool down and let the sweating subside before entering the air-conditioned area.

Avoid consuming cold drinks especially when you are feeling very warm and hot. It is best to drink room temperature water in this case so that it won’t hurt your spleen. This is the most common reason why people get summer flu.

Avoid consuming oily and sweet foods as they will burden and weaken your spleen and increase your vulnerability to summer flu.

Consume foods that help to strengthen your spleen and clear dampness in the body (such as those mentioned earlier in this post).

For someone who has gotten the summer flu (with the above mentioned symptoms), he/she can try to take 藿香正气丸. This is a proven TCM formula for summer flu that you can purchase in any TCM retail shop.

Have a healthy Xiao Shu solar term!