Chinese Herbal Medicine is the oldest practiced medicine which goes back more than 5,000 years. The discovery of herbal medicine is ascribed to the legendary emperor Shen Nong (3494 BC). He introduced agriculture to his people and became enchanted by the medicinal properties of various plants. The discoveries of the Shen Nong era were passed from generation to generation by word of mouth, since there were no written records at this time. Myths and facts are therefore hard to distinguish.

It took approximately 2,000 years until the discoveries of Shen Nong and his followers were committed to writing. Many remedies and concepts could stand the test of time and their effectiveness has been proven by modern science as well.

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Insomnia, the inability to sleep due to nervous tension or excess acidity in the system, many cases, those suffering from insomnia are advised to take drugs for nervousness. Valium, in particular, is widely prescribed to dull and weaken ultra-sensitive nerves.

Upon taking the drug, insomniacs come to feel a little dazed, absent-minded and sleepy. This may seem to be a highly effective treatment, but it is only temporarily. The next time insomnia comes, the condition is worse.

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The human energy system – the meridians through which qi flows – is strongly influenced by various types of environmental energy, in particular, by weather conditions.

When certain climatic conditions become extreme, specific internal organs are directly affected.

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A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down is an old saying, but what better way to take the medicine than in a hot toddy.

The word toddy originally comes from India, and was a drink made by fermenting the sap of palm trees. Its earliest form was a beverage made of alcohol liquor with hot water, sugar and spices.

A hot toddy glass is a cup like glass, especially made to take hot water. It has a handle for ease of use and holds eight and a half fluid ounces.

Here I have concocted some modern Toddy’s with an ancient Chinese twist.

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What is Qi (氣)

In Chinese philosophy, Qi is the life force that flows through everything in the cosmos. When Qi flows smoothly everything is in harmony, when the flow is interrupted problems arise. This is true of the human body, Qi flows through the organs maintaining health and balance. Providing the energy needed for our bodies to function and to maintain the strength and structure of our organs and keeping our metabolism constant. When there are interruptions and Qi cannot flow, we have health problems.

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After a hard days toil, or just a stressful, frustrating, or disappointing day, when you get home kick off your shoes and relax with a cuppa.

Green tea, (Lu cha) made from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis, has traditionally been used as a medicine in China for thousands of years. Tea is cold and lowers fire i.e. temperature. Honey (Mi tang) in traditional Chinese medicine has a balanced character, neither yin or yang and acts on the principal of the Earth elements. Cinnamon (gui zhi) Chinese medicine views this as spicy, sweet and warm, this herb has the ability to penetrate the heart lung and bladder meridians, can act against feeling run down and/or aches and pains. Ginseng (Ren shen) in Chinese medicine tones the Qi, lungs and spleen. Assists the body in the secretion of fluids and stops thirst. Strengthens the heart and calms the mind. Star Anise (Ba jiao hui xiang) in Chinese medicine removes cold and warms the yang. Regulates the flow of Qi so as to relieve pain and increase the appetite.

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Lassitude may develop into chronic fatigue. When such lassitude continues, it makes people easily listless and inclined to build up chronic fatigue, losing enthusiasm for work and life in general.

Chronic fatigue syndrome often arises not so much due to hard physical work, as to weariness of the body and mind.

It usually affects those people who find it difficult to relax and have peace of mind and who easily become anxious or worried. They experience symptoms such as numbness in the hands and feet as well as headaches, a heavy feeling in the body and loss of will. The main culprit of this problem is simply anxiety and insecurity.

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