SPRING: How to boost your immune system? Understanding our living environment, the organs and the foods….
Strengthen the wei qi (body’s protective qi).

Spring is a time to enjoy nature’s new growth and renewal. However, the wind and pollen in the air can make this season not so pleasant for some people.

Chinese medicine considers that our body is strongly influenced by our living environment and this is especially true with seasonal changes. The different climate and environment of each season affects different organs in the body.

During Spring I suggest you pay more attention to your Lung and Liver organs and their related symptoms.

Expansiveness and dispersing qualities are associated with the lungs. When the lungs are working well, they expand to take in and hold the air we breath and then send oxygen all around the body. Lung qi gathers and maintain strength.

The strength of the lungs dictates how effective the lungs are at looking after our immune systems. The lungs mix qi from food essence sent up by the spleen and qi from the air to form our defence system – the body’s protective qi, called wei qi. Wei qi is a yang form of energy and is warm and aggressive. It protects the skin, nose and mouth(and therefore the lungs) from external attack by viruses, colds and germs. These external attacks are often led by wind.

An important part of building wei qi is to avoid too much sweating, which allows qi to disperse. Diet can play a part in this. Fresh ginger is warm and encourages sweating, whereas dry ginger is warming but doesn’t induce sweating. If your wei qi is weak, try eating fresh ginger when you are sick, to let the illness escape from the body and dry ginger between colds, to build the wei qi, especially if the tongue is pale or has a white coating. If you are getting sick regularly, avoid very spicy foods because they are likely to encourage the body to sweat. Astragalus(huang qi) mixed with dang-shen in broth may also be helpful to build wei qi between colds.

At it’s strongest, wei qi protects us against all attacks from the weather and disease-causing elements that may attempt to infiltrate the body from the environment. During the day, wei qi circulates near the skin, ready to defend us against germs, opening and closing pores to allow us to sweat. It is closet to our skin at noon each day, so our immunity is strongest at this time. At night, it moves to the inner core and into our internal organs – It is important to dress warmly when we go out at night because our bodies’ protective qi assumes we are in a safe, warm place at night, rather than out on the town.

Few suggestions for lungs and immunity

• avoid wind
• avoid eating foods that are hot and spicy in nature such as: chilli, ginger, shell fish and deep fried foods.
• Eat more cooling and moistening foods: green leafy vegetables, lemon(not if you have reflux), honey, white fungus, cucumber, Chinese cabbage, eggplant

TCM and acupuncture can build up your body’s immunity and prevent sickness. If you have low immunity or any of the symptoms, I suggest you can schedule an appointment with your Acupuncture practitioner for a diagnosis and treatment.

The Liver

The liver and the gallbladder are the internal organs that are in the spotlight during spring. If the liver and gallbladder are supported and balanced during spring, the entire body will benefit immediately and be set up with the best possible health foundation to be strong and well in the season to come.

According to Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the main functions of the liver are to store blood, support the heart and to create and maintain a smooth and calm flow of qi throughout both the body and mind.