Photo by Ruta & Zinas.

I was recently on business in Bangkok when I awoke with the type of bone aching pain I thought could only happen in cheap Halloween movies.

I felt as though I had some form of the plague, avian flu or swine flu. With no idea where to go or who to see in Bangkok I made this simple -yet extremely powerful- antiviral, immune enhancing, microbe-crushing tea. I drank about a liter a day and was on my feet in 48 hours. Here’s how to make some of your own:

• Juice  a bunch of citrus for some serious vitamin C. Grapefruit, orange, limes or lemons work (I had to use pomelo in Thailand). Find your own proportions depending on what tastes good
• 3 inches of ginger peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons honey
• Pinch of cayenne powder if you’ve started running a fever 

Add ginger, garlic,  to a saucepan and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain and add the fresh juice, cayenne and honey. Sip until you feel human again!

For some more tips read Dr. Gibran Ramos’ awesome tips to maximize your immunity and Christine Dionese’s Chinese medicine immune boosting tips and Treating kids this flu season.

Dr. Nishant Rao is a co-founder of WellWire.com. He is a well-traveled naturopathic doctor and new father, practicing an integrative approach to create wellness in and around Los Angeles. Become a patient or discover his practice.

Photo by Zé Eduardo.

The heat waves have passed throughout most of the Northwest, and the winds have started to pick up a little. The cooler nights already have me missing those long days of warm sunlight: summer is almost over! But don’t mourn the radiant ball of light and heat getting farther away. Enjoy the bounty of harvest that Late Summer has to offer:

• Shop local. Check out your local farmers markets for an abundance of fresh and organic produce. Choose from a variety of colors and flavors to make your meals a rainbow of colors! Grill skewers of tomatoes, zucchinis, onions and fingerling potatoes for some end-of-Summer barbecuing.

• Take a walk. Notice the subtle changes that late summer brings to the earth and recognize that the bright and active “Yang” part of the year is passing into a quieter and slightly darker “Yin” part of the year. Seasonal change should bring about remembrance of summer activities and memories, and invite us to look ahead to what the next season will bring.

This season represents the element of Earth, the organs of the stomach and spleen, and focuses on the digestive function of the body. For a more detailed explanation of the traditional Chinese medicine theory behind this short season, read the TCM World Foundation’s article.

In the meantime, check out these Portland-based bloggers for more information about acupuncture and preparing for a beautiful fall season!

• Northwest Natural Medicine’s Blog has a great post about swine flu that includes what it really is and how to keep healthy. It’s a great time to keep on top of this now that kids are back in school!
• Over at Tensegrity Health, Kim Knight, LAc wrote an interesting post called “5 myths about Acupuncture.” If you really want to try acupuncture out, but are having some hesitation due to questions like (“Does it hurt? Does it work?”), then read the post to find out the truth about our medicine.
• Dr. Igor Schwartzman of Whole Family Wellness Center wrote an article about the benefits a of ginger root for WellWire. This herb is used to soothe the stomach, which makes his recipe for ginger tea a great idea right now!

Warming Ginger Tea:

Cut 10-12 thin slices from a fresh ginger root and place in 2 cups of water and boil for 10 minutes. Strain and drink from your favorite cup. Additionally, you can add 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon for extra flavor and have it after your dinner on cool night.

Photo by mwri.

Savory chutneys are easy to make: boil a mixture of vinegar and spices with a little sugar, then add a fruit or vegetable and cook on low heat until it magically turns into chutney (or compote, if you want to sound Frenchier). This rhubarb chutney will go nicely with grilled or smoked meats, roasts, and even cheese. You could add a small handful of some other kind of fruit, maybe dried cherries or raisins, at the same time as the chopped rhubarb. When the chutney’s finished, allow it cool, then keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Or, put it in a pretty jar and give it to a friend.

Rhubarb ginger chutney (or spicy rhubarb compote)

1 small nub ginger
1/2 red chili (or 1 teaspoon chili powder)
1 small onion
1/2 cup vinegar (apple cider vinegar is good, or white vinegar)
1/2 cup sugar
3 stalks rhubarb, chopped into pretty small pieces
1 teaspoon salt

1.  In a food processor, puree the peeled ginger with the chili powder, and onion. Set aside
2. In a large pot, bring the vinegar and the sugar up to a boil
3. Add the puree, chopped rhubarb, and salt, and cook on low until most of the liquid has evaporated and the rhubarb is tender. Feel free to help it along by adding a little water mid-cooking, if you need to.

Dr. Nishant Rao is a co-founder of WellWire.com. He is a well-traveled naturopathic doctor and new father, practicing an integrative approach to create wellness in and around Los Angeles. Become a patient or discover his practice.