Herbal Helpers: New Approaches to Tackling Spring Sneezes

March is here and spring is fast approaching. With longer days, buds on bushes, and crocuses poking their heads up in Hyde Park, it doesn’t seem long before we leave winter behind. In Eastern tradition, the changes our bodies undergo with the shift in seasons are equally celebrated. 

In winter our energy or ‘qi’ retreats deep into our bodies, leaving us feeling stagnant and sleepy. As spring arrives our qi expands, flower-like, moving towards the outer regions of our body. We feel more social, want to move more, and sleep less. 

Like all changes, this shift is not easy. The sudden release of energy in your body can often lead to feelings of overwhelm and anxiety. Coupled with the impending exam season, this time can be brutally overwhelming for many. 

Luckily, nature provides numerous solutions to these maladies. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver is responsible for guiding the energy as it moves outwards. There are many things we can do to support this organ as it undergoes its vital tasks, making the transition to spring easier for ourselves and our bodies. 

My three favorite ways to help my body out are: 

1. Rescue remedy: This herbal tincture is an amazing natural solution to stress and strain. The flower essences have calming properties to help ease you through exam preparations and general feelings of overwhelm. 

2. Beetroot. Beetroot . Beetroot! This red root is full of antioxidants, acting as a natural blood cleanser it helps your liver carry out its functions quickly and easily. 

3. Milk thistle tea: The silymarin substance in this plant can help ease inflammation in the liver and promote cell repair, counteracting the effects of one too many nights out. 

Unfortunately for us, the change in seasons also brings new bouts of cold and flu. The winter pathogens replicate easier in the warmer weather, meaning you might just have to fight off one more cold before the warmer weather properly arrives. 

Traditional Chinese Medicine recommends that we treat ourselves holistically, preparing the entire body to ward off the pathogens, rather than curatively, once the symptoms arise, as we typically do in the West. 

So, how can we protect ourselves against the last of the winter bugs? 

1. Echinaforce: Another herbal tincture you can easily get in roots, this remedy distills the echinacea flower, which is extremely effective at supporting your immune system against colds and flus. 

2. Ginger, lemon, and turmeric tea: This golden trio of ingredients is guaranteed to give your immune system the extra boost it needs. The anti-inflammatory properties in the ginger, antibacterial in the turmeric, and vitamin C in the lemon will snuff out any lingering viruses. Adding a teaspoon of honey also makes this tea more satisfying and sweet. 

3. Vitamin C: An oldie but a goldie. Upping your vitamin C by eating a few more oranges is a super easy way to do your immune system a world of good. 

Often overlooked, these plant based antidotes are just as, if not more effective than your everyday drugstore remedies. Strengthening your body before the sickness has time to strike is always preferable to numbing the symptoms with paracetamol and Lemsip.