In Chinese Medicine the winter season corresponds with the water element, the kidney organs, and the emotion of fear. To translate biomedically, the “kidneys” really are referring to our adrenal glands and hormonal reserves, which suddenly then becomes easy to understand why the ancient Chinese were brilliantly able to intuit its relationship with fear.

For many the global pandemic has been depressing—fortunately, for them their season is passing, as it is autumn that corresponds with grief, sadness, and the lungs. But for those of us for whom fear has been the dominant emotion, the next few months bode challenging, especially with the rising local cases and omicron variant’s apparent ubiquity. Unfortunately, responding with mindless fear gradually taxes our adrenal glands, which in turn taxes our immune system and makes us more vulnerable. Chinese Medicine would phrase it as the lung qi needing to draw upon the kidney qi to give it “wei qi,” or immunological energy.

As someone who did approximately 5000 stand-up comedy shows over the course of 15 years, I can tell you that the best way to manage fear is first by not trying to resist or avoid it. While general carelessness is stupid, there is such a thing as intelligent levels of courage that I believe come into play when we are able to sit with our fears, acknowledge them, and allow them to pass through us gently, with observation, possibly a prayer, and our breath.

The “kidney breath” is a good practice during or at the end of your regular workouts. It is one where we direct our nasal breath into the lower back, allowing it to subtly expand while keeping the abdomen flat, then exhale through the nose as well. This is also a nice choice during meditation or qi gong practice, or while just resting on your bed.

I continue to support masking and distancing whenever possible; also keeping in mind that it is as important to keep the head and neck covered in winter as it is to have them uncovered in summer. Heat departs from the top of the body, so we should try to maintain as much of that warm cellular energy within to unburden our immune systems. Hoods and scarves are the warm tea and vitamin D of fashion! I also recommend warm socks to avoid vasoconstriction in the nerves supplying the lumbar plexus, which travel to the none other than the adrenals—also avoid belly t-shirts, as they leave the microbiome vulnerable to air, which creates vasoconstriction in the gut and impedes digestion. Sadly, most sexy trends are not healthy.

If you haven’t gotten it by now, winter is the time for warmth! We do more herbal medicine and moxibustion in the winter. We recommend more warming foods, such as ginger, onions, garlic, bone broths a few times a week, and lamb meat at least once a week. Although green vegetables are always in order, root vegetables are in season and subsequently most logical now. Bedtimes should be approximately one hour earlier than they are in summer, sexual activity should be half as often, and exercise about half as intense. Not to worry—it isn’t all bad: When it comes to indulgences, winter is a better time for whiskey and red wine than white or beer, as the former are more invigorating. If you must have a beer over the holidays try to do so alongside warm and/or even spicy foods to counteract its cold, coagulating nature.

REMINDER: FOR 2 MORE WEEKS I AM OFFERING 20% HOLIDAY DISCOUNTS FOR ALL PATIENTS PAYING OUT OF POCKET. CONTACT ME HERE

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As we approach what I hope is Act 3 of our global pandemic, I am eager to share my most valued resources, as well as a Chinese medical perspective and translation of certain practices that are now a part of our daily lives. At any given time, most of us have had different “gurus” to help guide us through this previously unchartered territory. Many have put their trust in the mainstream media and conventional medicine, while others have gone to the opposite extreme. As for myself, I think I fall somewhere in the middle, which unfortunately often ends up the target of criticism from either pole, though is genuinely where I observe to be the greatest logic.

Two follows that I am presently loving are Michael Mina, a Harvard epidemiology professor, and “Your Local Epidemiologist,” both of whom in my opinion are thinking dynamically and diplomatically about each sub-issue under our greater situation at hand.

Michael Mina’s primary advice, put succinctly, is that the key to reaching the level of success and safety that certain European countries have is through government subsidized rapid tests that most citizens can afford to regularly take themselves at home. He argues that it is misleading to think of the slower PCR tests as more accurate, because their degree of accuracy is irrelevant for our purposes. For example, a PCR test can detect only one molecule of CoVid-19 in the body, which is not nearly a sufficient quantity to be infectious; not to mention the fact that we have to wait 12 or more hours for results, during which time what we come into contact with is unknown. The rapid tests, on the other hand, are only able to detect amounts that make us infectious, which really is what is most important—plus the results are immediate. Personally, in the interest of protecting Mom, baby, and the world, I’ve begun rapid testing every Monday morning. The most recommended brands I am using are:

Michael Mina also informs that even before CoVid-19, all coronaviruses have spiked in severity and infectiousness during the November and December months and begun to gradually wane afterwards. While of course there could be variables such as people gathering indoors for the holidays, one can assume that people always gather indoors for the rest of winter as well, yet levels tend to drop. From a Chinese Medical perspective our “yang,” warming, immune-boosting energy begins gradually climbing immediately after the winter solstice. All the more reason for the next two months to regularly employ resources such as rapid tests and masks, and to support our body’s “yang energy” with warming foods such as beef, bone broth, ginger tea, and roasted vegetables. Vitamin D supplementation is also a good idea if levels are low or borderline.

Finally, I continue to feel strongly about the importance of mask-wearing. Although risk of transmission outdoors is low, I find myself keeping my mask on during the winter, for the same reason I do my hat, hood, or scarf. Chinese Medicine has always prioritized keeping all parts of the body as warm as possible, as cold air creates vasoconstriction, which decreases circulation and increases inflammation. The mouth and nose are the portals to the gastrointestinal and respiratory microbiomes respectively, which means by keeping them warm we can unburden the lungs and stomach from having to continuously send ATP upward to do so. This is the same principle as why we always advise covering our necks and heads in cold climates, so as to not put all of the responsibility on the immune system, which has more important things to do than constantly ward off acute infection.

Acupuncture and Moxibustion at the points Stomach 36 on the front of the knee, and Urinary Bladder 43 on the upper back are also excellent for improving immune function… but not to be tried at home. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to come in for a series of sessions with this intention.

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As many of you know, I mostly use Kamwo Pharmacy for herbal prescriptions, as they have an enormous selection that allows for greater flexibility in customizing formulas for each individual. However, there are a few products that I keep on hand from the company, Botanical Biohacking, as they use premium grade, organic herbs, and have one of the top reputations in the country for quality of care.

From left to right:

AQUADA is a formula that comes in the (tiniest) pill form, and contains only two ingredients, atractylodes and phellodendron, with the intention of reducing inflammatory dysbiosis in the urogenital microbiome. This is commonly prescribed for tendencies such as urinary tract infections, yeast infections, gout disease, jockage, infertility, neuropathies, or any other condition where a pathological blockage is creating issues “below the belt.”

WARM HEARTH is a more complex formula, that also contains atractylodes, but within the context of many other herbs to both complement and balance its potentially systemic drying effects. Put plain and simple, the intention of Warm Hearth is to reduce old, stuck, fluid retention and dysbiosis in the gastrointestinal microbiome. It generally makes people pee a lot, and then subsequently thirsty for plain water, which is the antithesis of a vicious cycle and something we are trying to encourage. It can be great for weight loss, acid reflux, asthma, and a whole host of other stomach and lung conditions where the root cause of the pathology is trapped phlegm in the collaterals.

Finally, BAO HE WAN: This is a dangerous combination—not because the herbs are remotely dangerous—but because it is nicknamed by many herbalists as “The Green Light” remedy, to kind of do, eat, and drink as we please, at least for a night or a few nights here and there. This formula is not from Botanical Biohacking, but it is loosely based on one of their other brilliant creations designed to either purge old inflammation from the gut or mitigate the side effects of brief indulgent gluttony. I always keep it on hand, frankly because we live in America, where it could arguably be the most indicated combination in all of traditional medicine. A great bottle to have on hand entering the holidays, but again, definitely not something that will ultimately absolve anyone from not having to exercise, eat cooked vegetables, and avoid sugar.

Keep in mind that this is holistic medicine. Just because you may have seen your condition listed as one of the indications for any of these formulas does NOT necessarily mean it is the correct one for you at any given time. Each individual has not only our own unique pattern, but a pattern that is ever-changing as we change, either with the seasons, with fluctuating stress levels, workloads, improved or degenerated levels of health. It is important to always consult an herbalist who diagnoses based on patterns, not symptoms, when prescribing “natural remedies.”

In the meantime, know that because these are a few of my favorite and most commonly prescribed formulas, they are always on hand at the office, and potentially available should we determine them appropriate for you. Please do not hesitate with any questions about whether real, actual holistic medicine is appropriate for you right now.

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