Feeling tired and drained? You’re not alone.

“Lack of energy” is one of the top five complaints doctors hear.

According to Oriental medicine, the cold months are the perfect time to recharge and generate vital energy – Qi – in order to live, look and feel better.

The ancient Chinese believed human should live in harmony with the natural cycles of their environment. The cold and darkness of winter urge us to slow down. This is the time of year to reflect on health, replenish energy and conserve strength.

Winter is ruled by the water element, which is associated with the kidneys, bladder and adrenal glands. The kidneys are considered the source of all energy or “Qi” within the body. They store all of the reserve Qi in the body so that it can be used in ties of stress and change, or to heal, prevent illness, and age gracefully. During the winter months it is important to nurture and nourish the kidney Qi. It is the time where this energy can be most easily depleted.

The Nei Ching, an ancient Chinese classic, advises people to go to sleep early and rise late, after the sun’s rays have warmed the atmosphere a bit.

Eating warm hearty soups, whole grains, and roasted nuts help to warm the body’s core and to keep it nourished. Sleep early, rest well, stay warm and expend a minimum quantity of energy.

Seasonal acupuncture treatments in winter serve to nurture and nourish kidney Qi which can greatly enhance the body’s ability to thrive in times of stress, aid in healing, prevent illness and increase vitality.

Here are some dietary suggestions that can lead to an increase in vitality and radiant health.

Drink ample water. Eat kidney-shaped foods such as black beans and kidney beans. Eat blue and black foods, blueberries, blackberries, mulberry and black beans. Eat seeds. flax, pumpkin, sunflower and black sesame along with nuts, especially walnuts and chestnuts which have been found especially effective for increasing kidney Qi. Eat dark, leafy green vegetables along with asparagus, cucumbers and celery.

Related posts:

1. Preparing for winter
2. Using TCM to keep your kidneys strong and healthy
3. Time to recharge your battery

While we don’t have much of a traditional winter here in Florida, it can get quite cold and gloomy at times. A more severe form of the winter blues is called Seasonal Affective Disorder, and the symptoms can become debilitating. Those symptoms include lack of energy, depression, increased need for sleep and weight gain. About 70 percent to 80 percent of SAD sufferers are women; usually they are older than 30.

Don’t let chilly temps and shorter days get you down. Try these tips for staying warm and comfy during the winter.

• Get a good hat. A large percentage of body heat loss occurs from the head, so it’s important to keep your head covered.

• Warm your insides with soup. Stay warm from the inside out with great soup recipes at http://tinyurl.com/makesoup.

• Eat at home. Cooking and eating at home will keep your oven and stove going, which will add extra heat to your living space.

• Exercise. What a great way to multitask – you’ll get warm, take care of your heart, tone your body and increase your serotonin levels (that’s the feel-good hormone) at the same time.

• Drink hot green tea. Get your antioxidants and warm your insides with green tea. Studies show that drinking green tea daily can protect against heart disease. In a study of 133 heavy smokers, drinking four cups of decaffeinated green tea daily for four months reduced the signs of DNA damage by 31 percent.

• Put down a rug or carpet. Covering cold tile or wood floors can keep your feet and the room warmer.

• Get cozy with your pet. If you have a dog or cat, snuggle up. The fur and body heat will help you stay warm, and your pet will love the extra attention.

• Try a humidifier. Warm mist humidifiers can make a room feel warmer because they boil water before expelling it into the air. The humidity does wonders for your skin, too.

Related posts:

1. Ways to stay healthy at work
2. Natural ways to fight off the cold and the flu
3. Green tea can cheer you up

DAAN offers quality ginseng products for your needs.

Worried about the swine flu? Worried about the H1N1 vaccination?

Staying healthy during the holidays is tough enough which is why Oprah’s favorite doctor, Dr. Oz, is giving tips on how to stay healthy this holiday season – Specifically recommending North American Ginseng.

“No matter where you’re going or how you are getting there, I recommend you always carry a travel kit,” says Dr. Oz. “Which includes hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes and North American Ginseng.”

He adds, “North American Ginseng is the one thing that we have shown to be correlated with reduction in flu. In populations where people take it, there seems to be a lower incidence of viral spread.”

Dr. Oz offers other tips for how to fly safely and how to protect yourself and your loved ones when staying a hotel room. Read the full article from Us magazine

Related posts:

1. Singapore using TCM to fight H1N1
2. Chinese government recommends TCMs for H1N1 flu
3. TCM may be another alternative in fight against H1N1

I am stressed and tired this holiday season. Many people at work have been laid off, and I have to pick up the slack. I am not sure if my job is secure, and I am dreading the holiday shopping and gift-giving due to finances. How do I stay healthy and keep a handle on my stress and fatigue this time of year?

The economy has been tough this year, and the added pressures of the holidays have been stressful for many of our patients. Here are a few simple things you may be able to do to create a healing and holistic holiday for yourself:

Related posts:

1. Dr. Oz recommends American ginseng to fight off H1N1
2. Stress from a Chinese medicine perspective
3. Combating stress naturally

PUTRAJAYA: The government may use traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to fight the infectious influenza A (H1N1).

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said a working group with the health authorities in China had been formed after it was found that China’s usage of TCM was successful in preventing the spread of flu.

“Apparently, Chinese medicine can prevent H1N1. They say a lot of work has been put into the research and application of Chinese medicine in H1N1.

“I will be looking into it and obtain details from China on how to do it.”

He added that they would be using the research that the Chinese had undertaken to apply it to Malaysia.

Related posts:

1. TCM may be another alternative in fight against H1N1
2. Traditional Chinese medicine and H1N1
3. Dr. Oz recommends American ginseng to fight off H1N1

DAAN’s Immune Booster is a great product that can raise your immunity against diseases.

HERBAL tonics fight flu As the world battles H1N1 and seasonal flu, it’s important to stay healthy and boost your immunity. Herbal potions, hot ginger foot baths and rubbing your belly and knees can help. Zhang Qian prescribes.

By boiling 10 herbs into a potion to boost qi — and thus immunity — Trisha Lin hopes traditional Chinese medicine therapy can prevent her family from catching H1N1 flu.

She just started brewing this herbal soup from scratch because she read the recipe on the Internet and through SMS. She concocts the mixture every two days.

Related posts:

1. How Chinese Herbs can help enhance your immunity
2. Traditional Chinese medicine and sports
3. Traditional Chinese medicine and H1N1

Long used in traditional medicine to boost energy and stimulate the immune system, ginseng got a shot in the arm after a much-publicized 2005 study from the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The placebo-controlled trial (which means that some subjects were given pills that contained active ingredients, while some were given pills that did not) examined the benefits of COLD-fX, a ginseng-derived product, on otherwise healthy individuals who had a history of upper respiratory tract infections. The results were impressive: When taken regularly, not only did the product, which is made from a proprietary extract of North American panax ginseng, reduce the frequency of upper respiratory tract infections, it also reduced the duration and severity of symptoms when subjects did get sick. Other studies on elite athletes and the elderly have produced similar results.

It seems that ginseng stimulates the immune system in a couple of different ways, though the mechanisms are only now being understood. For the average person, however, all they need to know is that it seems to help you feel better, faster. And for most people, it seems ginseng is safe, though it should be avoided by individuals taking anti-coagulents (like Warfarin), pregnant or breastfeeding women and those with kidney and liver problems. Of course, most of the research has been limited to this one particular – and proprietary – strain of ginseng; it remains to be seen if other preparations work as well.

Related posts:

1. Fruits and Vegetables with Right Mix of Antioxidants Helps to Boost the Immune System
2. Ginseng for inflammation
3. Ginseng for sexual health

During this transitional time of year, taking care of your immune system becomes a vital weapon against the threat of winter flues and the doldrums of flagging daylight.

Related posts:

1. Ginseng to boost your immune system
2. Fruits and Vegetables with Right Mix of Antioxidants Helps to Boost the Immune System
3. Down to a tea … From immune boosters to detoxing, which herbal infusion is right for you?

Another way to enhance immune function is to take immune-boosting herbs. A great deal of research shows that some herbs activate the immune system against colds, flu and other diseases. For example:

* Andrographis Chilean researchers gave either a medically inert placebo or Andrographis (1,200 mg per day) to 158 adults who felt colds coming on. After five days, “Andrographis had a high degree of effectiveness in reducing symptoms.” The herb cut the severity and duration of sore throat and nasal symptoms in half. A Swedish study compared Andrographis and a standard antiviral drug (amantadine, Symmetrel) for treatment of flu. The herb worked almost as well as the more costly drug. Andrographis is available at health food stores and supplement shops. Take 1,200 mg a day or follow package directions.
* Echinacea “Echinacea is my favorite immune booster,” says James Duke, Ph.D., retired director of medicinal herb research for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But Echinacea is controversial. Some studies show strong immunity rallying against colds. Others show no benefit. Swiss researchers analyzed what they called “the three best studies” and found that Echinacea cuts cold risk in half. It’s available at health food stores and supplement shops. Follow package directions.
* Ginseng Asians revere ginseng as an immune booster and total-body health promoter.

Canadian researchers gave 279 adults, ages 18 to 65, either a placebo or dose of ginseng (200 mg twice a day). Four months later, the ginseng group suffered fewer than half as many colds — and the ones they did develop were brief and mild. Likewise, University of Connecticut researchers gave flu shots to 43 people over 65 years, plus a placebo or ginseng (200 mg twice a day). The ginseng group was 50 percent less likely to develop flu. Finally, at Eastern Virginia Medical School, researchers gave flu shots to 198 nursing home residents, plus either a placebo or ginseng (200 mg twice a day). After three months, the ginseng group was an astonishing 89 percent less likely to catch flu.

Ginseng is available at health food stores and supplement shops. Take 200 mg twice a day or follow package directions.

Related posts:

1. Fighting the flu with Chinese herbs
2. Ginseng and the flu
3. Fighting the flu with acupuncture and herbs

This week a leading study from Queensland University, in Brisbane, Australia, revealed that drinking three cups of green tea a day for eight weeks may lower blood pressure and shrink fat cells, confirming the long-held belief of herbalists in the therapeutic effects of a warm brew.

Related posts:

1. Green tea and uterine fibroids
2. Chrysanthemum tea
3. Green tea and prostate cancer