Ancient Chinese Secret Cold Remedy

In Chinese Medicine a “cold” is actually called an “invasion of wind” and is divided into two categories, wind-heat and wind-cold. Wind is considered an exterior pathogenic source that enters the body at the head, face, or nape of the neck and if it’s not expelled quickly, it can move deeper and settle into the throat and chest. Common foods can be used medicinally to balance the body and help it expel the wind invasion.

Wind-Cold Symptoms: Aversion to cold, shivering, sneezing, cough, runny nose with clear mucous, no fever, and body aches. The best tea to drink when you have a wind-cold invasion is ginger tea or some green tea mixed with peppermint.

Wind-Heat Symptoms: Symptoms may be similar to wind-cold with the addition of runny nose with yellow mucous, sweating, fever, and sore throat. The best tea to drink for wind-heat symptoms is peppermint or chrysanthemum tea with honey.

When you have an external invasion it is best to eat light, easy to digest foods like soups, steamed vegetables, and rice. Avoid cold foods like salads, cold sandwiches, chilled drinks, ice cream and damp greasy fried foods. These are difficult for your body to digest when it is already working hard trying to expel the pathogen.

Ancient Chinese Secret Recipe: Hot Miso soup with scallions is a simple remedy for expelling colds:

Ingredients:
6 cups water
3-4 tablespoon soy bean/miso paste (sold in refrigerator section)
3-5 green onion stalks, chopped

Directions:
Bring water to a boil
Add the miso and scallions and simmer for 5-10 min

Important: Slowly enjoy the soup and then wrap up in a warm blanket. The goal is that the soup and warm blanket will help your body produce a gentle sweat…to literally “sweat out” the wind pathogen. I guess mom had it right when she’d give me soup and put me to bed, and of course send me to school the next day because I felt better!