TCM and Supporting Our Bodies’ Immunity Through Winter Months

As we approach the winter months and yet another cold and flu season, we tend to ruminate on ways to avoid getting sick. While colds can be annoying, and might take an individual out of commission for a day or two, flus are no joke and often are detrimental to our abilities to continue working (and yes, playing) for a week or more.

Acupuncture Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Chinese herbs can help boost immunity, as they rejuvenate the kidneys, aid in the functioning of the liver and lungs, and support healthy fluid mobility. As cold and flu season approaches, it’s important to implement a regime of three simple rules to help keep the sniffles away.

Get 8 hours of sleep.

The suggestion of getting 8 hours of sleep each night was never a random number thrown out as a result of averaging the norm. Rather, the science behind sleep has shown that our bodies require enough sleep in order to restore and repair. During sleep, we grow (or re-grow) muscle, fix injured tissues, and synthesize hormones. Muscles keep us moving in every aspect of our daily lives, as well as decrease the risk of injury. When soft tissue does get injured, we need to fall into deeper stages of sleep to access an increase of blood flow and oxygenation to the injured areas, which allows them to repair and recover faster then they otherwise would. (We will explore this topic more in-depth in our upcoming “Science of Sleep” blog.)  Hormones are the body’s messengers, and tell the body when to carry out certain processes – which are critical to keeping the body functioning well. They coordinate fertility cycles and regulate the metabolism, and even play an important role in the progression of the fetus before birth, coordinating the development of the brain and reproductive systems. 

Furthermore, the widely believed notion that an individual can pay back “sleep debt” incurred by sleeping very little for a night (or several nights) and then binge-sleep to make up for it is mistaken. Sleep habits that are steady and persistent, and follow healthy life choices that allow us to get to bed at a decent hour and wake up around the same time every day, regardless of that day’s agenda.

As acupuncture and TCM can help to alleviate difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep, acupuncture is a great way to ensure those 8 hours per night are being logged, at least most nights of the week, on a consistent basis.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

It goes without saying that water is supremely important to a healthy body. We need water to regulate the functions of our organs. We need water to aid in the functioning of our digestive tracts. We need enough water to be able to sweat and push out toxins from our bodies. This last ability is also a huge factor when it comes to the immune system.

We all know the importance of drinking an adequate amount of water everyday, but there tends to be some confusion amongst the general public about what consists of “adequate.” Some people hold firm to the old adage that “8 glasses of water” should be consumed each day, others believe that at least 1.5-2 liters is closer to the ideal. Others still believe that those who exercise and sweat with frequency should drink even in excess of 2 liters each day.

Doctors such as myself have advised patients to aim to drink about half a person’s body weight in ounces (so, for example, if a person weighs 200 pounds, that person should try to drink 100 oz of water each day). Keeping track of all those ounces becomes tedious, so the easiest solution we’ve come up with is to aim to urinate clearly, at least one time each day. If, after a bathroom visit, the water in the toilet bowl is similar in color to the way it was before the bathroom visit, chances are enough water is being consumed. 

In addition to water, or water with added electrolytes, try to avoid the over-consumption of caffeinated beverages and alcohol, and also consider adding in bone broth soups or stews into your diet to aid in the quality of your hydration.

Destress and Unplug.

There’s no doubt about it: stress sucks. Feelings of trepidation, apprehension, and uneasiness feel, well,uneasy. They just feel downright uncomfortable in the body. On a more scientific level, in fact, stress has been proven to be much than simple an annoying state of mind. On a musculoskeletal level, a sudden onset of stress can cause the muscles to tense up and hold that tension, contributing to cramping and aching later on. In chronic cases of stress, the muscles maintain a consistent state of guardedness, which can lead to tension-headaches, TMJ/jaw pain, and wrist/hand/finger pain from constant clenching. In terms of the respiratory system, stress causes heavier breathing, which can be problematic, especially with those suffering from emphysema, asthma, bronchitis, or pneumonia. On a cardiovascular level, stress causes an elevated heart rate, leading to higher blood pressure. It also triggers the release of adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol, which can keep the body in a constant state of “fight or flight” mode, which can cause sleep problems, and so the system becomes cyclical.

De-stressing may sound like a daunting task, especially for those of us with a lot of responsibilities on our plates — careers, families, etc. But with a renewed sense of commitment to self-care and daily effort to make time for your own wellness, we can move through the remaining snowy months with strong immunities and our mental faculties in check. Making time for your health today starts with the decision to do so.