DIY - Traditional Chinese Medicine Elderberry Tonic
I made an immune boosting syrup the other day, classic elderberry with a Chinese medicine twist! It has four beautiful herbs to help boost the immunity and keep those lungs healthy. Jie gu mu (Elderberry), li (pears), luo han guo (Momordica Fruit), sheng jiang (fresh ginger). VIDEO AND RECIPE BELOW.
Elderberry has been hot in the natural health world for the last few years. It has always been around, in fact, the name “Elder” comes from its long standing wisdom and healing properties for many things. In Chinese Medicine, we understand that herbal substances go to different meridians (energy lines/ patterns in the body that are associated with the organs), they have different temperatures and constituents that help us to understand how they will function in the body and what actions they will perform. Often when I am writing a formula for someone, I first think, how do I want to these herbs to act in the body, do I want them to release the exterior, to keep illness (pathogens) out? Do the herbs need to help them urinate to drain excess dampness, do I need them to clear heat from the chest or belly to help calm them spirit or resolve phlegm? But I digress. Basic point, herbs have specific functions and actions, temperatures, and characteristics that make them do what they do, in a way, just like us!
Herbal Details
Elderberry
Back to Jie Gu Mu (Elderberry) - as expected in herbs to help ward off illness, this herb helps to release the exterior, dispel heat, promote urination (diuretuc), tonify the lungs, expel phlegm this herb also works with the Lung, Kidney and Bladder. Whenever using herbs for boosting immunity and warding off illness, it will likely be associated with the Lung. The Lung is all about keeping pathogens or illness out. Keeping your defenses strong. And in this case this herb has a tonic effect on your kidneys which is ideal for fortifying your body from the very primal, base level. You can think of Elderberry like this- Imagine you have a strong wall built up around your body, armor. Especially around the neck and the shoulders. Not the kind of armor that is heavy and weighs you down, but it is strong makes you feel more alive powerful and resilient nothing is able to enter your body, you are too strong, too protected. Then, any illness or pathogen that may have made its way inside your system, it’s as if the elderberry seeks it out, grabs its it, gathers it and sends it out through your body in a nice little package through your urinary system, while leaving your body stronger than before. When you begin to understand the energetics of an herb, you can begin to see why they are called antioxidant, immune boosting and why they may also have other functions. In this case, elderberry can help with UTI, stones, asthma, muscle aches etc. because it works with the kidney, bladder and lungs and clears heat and damp.
Ginger
Sheng jiang, aka fresh ginger is used in so many cultures, and is good for keeping your digestion strong and healthy. It also goes to the lung to help disperse or release the exterior energy keeping your body a strong fortress and foreign invaders out. It resolves toxicity in your belly that can come from overdose of herbs or rotten food. That is why they give you ginger with sushi, it basically cooks the raw food in your belly with the heat of the ginger. And just it case it was starting to get a little funky, the ginger will prevent you from getting sick (in mild food poising cases). I added ginger in this syrup to help digest and keep the middle strong and to work synergistically with the elderberry in keeping the pathogens out.
Pears
Next up, Li (pears) ! Pears have always been suggested to eat and stew at the change of the summer/fall season. The help to keep the lungs cool, moist and strong. This is important because as we transition from summer, our bodies can carry lingering heat. If that lingering heat gets trapped in our lungs, and we become ill with the common seasonal cold, our illness becomes a little more layered. We may have not just a cough, but a cough with thick green or yellow sputum or have chills and high fever as oppose to clear sniffles and some stiff joints. Because of pears cooling effect and the fact that they work with the lung and stomach meridian, they relieve a dry cough, soothe the throat, quench thirst, resolve dry mouth and can be used to help with high fevers.
Luo Han Guo
Last but not least whatsoever, luo han guo! This herb is often used as a single healing herb remedy in China, sold in drinks everywhere. It is great for that throat tickle. Luo han guo works with the lung and large intestine and is cool in temperature. Not only is it great for soothing the lungs, it can also help you poop because of the meridians it works with and its lubrication abilities. Like pears, it generates fluids in the lungs and stops cough.
In my humble opinion, this is a very beautiful tonic combination especially for the dry So Cal weather and protecting yourself form environmental pollutions such as cars, fires, geoengineering and naturally the thing that is on everyone’s minds, covid. Here is the general recipe below! Happy making! P.S. the video has much better picture quality once you press play! ;) Still learning over here!
Basic Recipe
Ingredients: 1/2 - 1 Cup Elderberry
2-3 slices of ginger
1/4 - 1/2 cup of luo han guo
1 sliced up pear
*optional addition 2-3 Da Zao (red jujube)
Cover herbs with water, enough to fully cover approx 1-3 cups
bring to a boil then simmer 45 minutes and strain. Add in 1/4 cup-ish of honey. Just enough to thicken and sweeten to your buds delight!