Articles

For the last 3,000 years, Chinese people have celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the 8th month on the Lunar calendar (September 10 this year). This important holiday gathers family and friends to give thanks for a good harvest and to celebrate the harmony between each other and in society. We've also included a recipe to make your own mooncakes!

There is often a tendency in TCM education to equate the TCM concept of Wèi Qì (衞氣) with the immune system and this leads to oversimplification and misunderstanding. In traditional Chinese medicine, while there are obvious areas of conceptual overlap, the biomedical “immune system” must also include other facets of Qi plus aspects of the TCM concepts of Blood, Yang, Yin, Jing, and Marrow to be properly understood. In this article, Dr. Skye Sturgeon explores a more complete understanding of how to assess the condition of a patient’s blood by providing insight into the use of a common laboratory test, i.e., the Complete Blood Count (CBC) with Differential.

As the summer gives way to fall and the lingering challenges posed by the current pandemic remain, we as parents and practitioners are naturally focused on protecting our children's health and well-being. Whether our concerns focus on the usual seasonal illnesses, or more specifically on COVID-19, the foundations of strengthening our children are the same. Naturally, prevention is our first line of defense, and the public safety guidelines already in place bode well for significantly lessening children's sick days from the usual seasonal colds and flu.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine principles, Dōng chóng xià cǎo gently tonifies the Kidney Yang and augments Jing/Essence, nourishes the Lung Yin, supports the protective Qi, transforms Phlegm, and assists in stanching blood in the Lung from Yin deficiency. Cordyceps is a rare herb in that it is harmonizing of both Yin and Yang. Some attribute this to its origin in the earth-bound underground caterpillar larva and its fruiting body ascending towards heaven.

For countless generations, Jade Windscreen (Yu Ping Feng San) has been utilized to address surface deficiency patterns that lead to aversion to wind and frequent invasions of common pathogenic influences. These complaints are the result of surface deficiency due to deficient or unregulated Wei Qi. The etiology of Wei Qi deficiency are manifold and determined by a comprehensive differential diagnosis. The most common causes of deficient Wei Qi include Lung, Spleen and Kidney deficiency patterns.

As we begin to prepare for Autumn and Winter, it is important to nourish the Metal element by adding more Yin foods to protect us from the dryness of the season. Plus, we LOVE figs! Figs are one of the oldest cultivated crops throughout the world, and are often said to be a symbol of peace and abundance. Entering the Lung, Large Intestine and Stomach meridians, figs can promote the secretion of saliva to soothe a sore throat and dry cough, as well as being supportive to the functions of digestion and elimination. Pork, which is neutral, sweet and salty, also moistens dryness and benefits the Spleen, Stomach and Kidneys.

Mark Frost, L.Ac., from the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco, highlights 3 medicinal mushrooms: Reishi (Ling zhi), Shiitake (Hui shu hua), and Maitake (Xiang gu).

On June 22, fifty-foot tall red banners celebrated the transition to next level teapill manufacturing in Lanzhou. Lanzhou Foci, the maker of Min Shan® and most of our Plum Flower® teapills, reached another milestone in its nearly 90-year storied history, opening a state of the art production facility which will increase teapill quality.

Chen pi (陈皮 chén pí) is an extremely important herb in the Materia Medica, as it is widely used to regulate and move the Middle Burner Qi, and for assistance in treating cough due to Dampness and Phlegm. It is obtained from the pericarp/peel of Citrus reticulata. In addition to its use in herbal medicine, Chen pi can be a culinary ingredient in some soups, Chinese dishes (like Chen Pi Duck), and candied/salted for clearing phlegm from the throat, alleviating nausea, and aiding digestion. Unfortunately, it can be hard to find because it is from a citrus fruit which is often treated with pesticides. Read on for a DIY method for creating your own Organic Chen Pi for your clinic.

Here is a cooling and Yin nourishing soup to soothe the overheating effects of these long summer days with elevated temperatures in many parts of the country. Featured prominently in the recipe are fresh lemongrass (Xiang mao 香茅) and asparagus root (Tian men dong 天門冬) which perfectly complement each other. Lemongrass is said to have antifungal, diuretic and antimicrobial properties, and contains micronutrients such as copper, magnesium, potassium and zinc. Some sources say it calms the Shen.

The first known mention of herbal tonic wine is from the Wu Shi Er Bing Fang (Prescriptions for 52 Ailments), which was unearthed at Ma Wang Dui tomb, an archaeological site located in Changsha, China. It is believed to have been written around 200 BC, although the prescriptions are thought to be much older.

Have you ever wanted to make your own therapeutic ointments from Chinese herbs? Skye Sturgeon leads you through easy and straightforward, step by step instructions that teach you how to make Zi Yun Gao, a famous, over 350-year-old Chinese herb formula that’s applicable for a variety of skin conditions.

Recently, one of our staff who is a homebrewer, and another who is our chief herbalist collaborated on a brewing experiment using Chinese herbs. After much discussion and some decoction sampling, we decided on a 3-ingredient simple Qi & Yin tonic formula. Sheng Mai San seemed appropriate both for its tonifying action and because we hoped would give the beer a lovely rose color from the Wu Wei Zi.

Curious about how Extract Powders are made? Wonder about the quality controls behind our formulas? Yvonne Lau, President of Mayway, talks all about Plum Flower Extract Powders!

Join Hugh Lau, Owner and Designer for Mayway Herbs, as he takes us behind the scenes to show us how Teapills are made!