Moisturizing naturally under extremely dry weather.

I would like to blog about how we can maintain our bodies and stay our best with nature made remedies in the Winter and Summer or under extremely dry weather.

Instead of changing our environment with humidifiers to relieve cough and a runny nose, there are things we can eat to help "moisturize" our lungs and body. These things do not harm our bodies nor does it damage our wall paper.

During the cold winters of San Francisco, many customers come in with a dry cough or a runny nose, but they aren't sick, just dry and uncomfortable. Many Chinese grandmothers know about this formula but most people don't. What is it composed of?

From left to right:
1. Xing Ren/Bei Xing/ Ku Xing Ren/Bitter Almond (Semen Armeniacae Amarae) 9g
2. Mi Zao 2 or 3 depending on how sweet you want it.
3. Chuan Bei Mu/ Bei Mu/ (Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae) 9g (powdered) (Makes sure to ask for it to be packaged separately as it should be cooked in the last 10 minutes only.)
4. Long Li Ye 15g
5. Nan Xing ren 15g (Nan Xing Ren should always be three times more than Bei Xing Ren.)

1. Xing Ren or Bei Xing Ren or Ku Xing Ren is also known as Bitter Apricot Kernel. The warm,
bitter and slightly toxic herb has been used in TCM to treat coughing and asthma, enhance bowl movement. moisten the intestine, etc, as it calms cough and asthma, enhances expelling of phlegm, stop constipation, etc., by enhancing the function of lung and large intestine channels.(1)
2. Mi Zao or  Shelled Chestnut is usually added to soups and teas just to make things a little sweeter, naturally, because sometimes the medicine can taste real bad and Chinese people like their soup with a hint of sweetness.
3. Chuan Bei Mu is capable of clearing and resolving stagnant heat and resolving phlegm and dissipating nodulation. (2)
4. Long Li Ye nourishes the lung and relieve cough, relax the bowels. (3)
5. Nan Xing or Nan Xing Ren is another almond from the south, which is always combined with bei xing ren, with bei meaning North.


This formula not only helps relieve cough, but also moisturizes the lungs and intestines. Wonderful isn't it?

Cooking Directions:
1.Put 4 cups of water in a stainless steel pot.
2. Pour in all herbs except for CHUAN BEI MU.
3. Turn fire on high and bring to boil.
4. Once boiling turn fire to low and let water simmer down to one 1.5 cups or simmer for 45 minutes.
5. Pour in CHUAN BEI MU and let it simmer for 10 more minutes.
6. Enjoy and feel your lungs moisturize!!

Doctors, tell me something I don't know.

Patient: "I have a headache"

Doctor: "Take tylenol,  consume lots of fluids and rest."

Patient: "I get really bad cramps during my period."

Doctor: "Take tylenol, drink plenty of fluids and rest your body.

Patient: "I'm itching all over my skin."

Doctor: "Take this anti-histamine and use this steroid cream. Most importantly get some rest."

Patient: "I can't sleep at night."

Doctor: "Take a sleeping pill so that you can get more rest at night."

Why do we pay doctors so much money just to have them tell us something that we would probably already do if there was no doctor around?

We all know that tylenol takes the pain away..... only temporarily.

We all know that sleeping pills knock us out.... but we become dependent on it.

We all know that steroids fix almost any skin disorder but weakens our skin forever.

Doctors, we don't want temporary relief! We want our problems to be gone!

Growing up in a Chinese herb store, I was always around Chinese doctors and herbs.

When women came in with head aches, they were not recommended tylenol and rest. The Chinese doctors would first ask questions to better understand their patient. Next he would check their pulse to see if the organs were working well and to find out the natural characteristics of their body. Lastly, patients would be asked to stick out their tongue so that the doctor can more accurately diagnose the patient. Then the doctors would write a prescription just for this patient. Every single herb in this formula would be chosen to target what ever was wrong and be tailored to fit the patients physical and internal nature. There was never the same reason or the same cure for a headache in patients within one day.

There was always a reason to a problem. The reasons that Chinese doctors come up is not something we hear everyday. Neither is it something most people can easily understand.

What were usual causes of headaches in the Eastern method of medicine?

Wind, too much heat, lack of sleep due to anxiety.

What were common causes of skin problems in the body?
Heat, Dampness, weak liver (does  not mean you are close to liver failure)

Causes of menstrual cramps?
Weak stomach, dampness, cold, lack of blood circulation in the body (but it doesn't mean you have high or low blood pressure)

It's interesting yet confusing isn't it?