Soothing your body the TCM way

It's the festive season and most of us can't help indulging in some yummy food.

While delicious, these treats are usually not prepared in the healthiest way, and that second helping isn't really the best idea.

Here are some TCM cures for four common ailments:

Indigestion

We may suffer from indigestion when we overeat, eat too quickly, or have a weak digestive system. The discomfort is often caused by food stagnation.

Some common symptoms include fullness, bloating in the abdomen, hiccups, poor appetite, pungent gas, and bad breath.

In TCM, indigestion can be treated by improving the digestive functions and encouraging bowel movements to remove stagnant food.

One tasty way to treat indigestion is to prepare nourishing soups which contain herbs that strengthen the digestive system and improve nutrient absorption such as Chinese yam, lotus seeds, poria, and Gordon euryale seeds.

Also read: 10 TCM tips to manage Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Diarrhoea

Another common ailment linked with our diet is diarrhoea, where a person has loose and watery stools, abdominal pain, fever, and nausea after eating contaminated food.

The bowel infection is often caused by a virus, bacteria or parasite.

If you're having the runs, try Eu Yan Sang's An Ji Le, which contains Chinese herbs Patchouli/Agastache Rugosa and Atractylodes that can help strengthen the digestive system, clear dampness, and stop diarrhoea.

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Cold and flu

The changes in weather, coupled with our busy and stressful lifestyles, may also cause many people to come down with the sniffles.

Although they share similar symptoms - running nose, sore throat, cough, sneezing - the cold virus affects the upper respiratory tract while the flu virus attacks the entire respiratory system and is acute.

In TCM, it is believed that there are six external pathogens which can attack your body's weakened immunity to bring about different symptoms of cold and flu. It is recommended that you seek a licensed TCM practitioner to have your condition accurately diagnosed.

Flu Relief is one product developed by Eu Yan Sang to combat these infections. It contains the herb Radix Isatidis, also known as 'Ban Lan Gen', to help clear heat, remove toxins, and soothe a sore throat. To bring down a fever, try Fever Relief, which has a cooling effect, induces sweating, and clears heat.

Cough

A respiratory infection is often accompanied by coughing - our body's way of expelling irritants in the throat and airways.

If a cough persists for a prolonged period of time, or produces unusual secretions such as mucus or blood, it may signal some underlying health condition that requires medical attention.

In TCM, coughing can be caused by the body's internal imbalance or the invasion of external pathogens. Depending on the characteristics of your cough, physicians may prescribe different treatments.

Cough Relief, Eu Yan Sang's remedy based on TCM decoction Zhi Sou San, helps to relieve cough, expels phlegm and releases stagnated lung energy.

Also read: Different types of coughs in TCM and their remedies

Product recommendations are made as a general guide; customers who want more detailed advice should see a physician. If symptoms persist, you should consult a healthcare professional.

This article is sponsored by Eu Yan Sang.