You may remember a commercial back in the 1970s that talked about an “Ancient Chinese Secret.” It really wasn’t an actual ancient Chinese secret but just promoting a new laundry detergent. In a recent visit to the Far East, I was pleased to find some of the real Ancient Chinese Secrets that we can still use today!

As we were walking the hot streets of Shenzhen, China, our hosts stopped at a coconut stand and purchased a coconut to drink. The street vendor had a tool that effectively made a hole in the top so that we could easily fit a few straws in there. Since the day was so hot, we were thrilled to have some of these all-natural electrolytes. I often suggest coconut water as a natural option to Gatorade, and I was thrilled to drink it from such a natural source instead from a six-pack set of boxes bought at Costco. Coconut water is helpful for rebuilding potassium levels after workouts to prevent muscle cramping and fatigue, and contains much less fructose than bananas, which often is a typical staple for workouts.

Our host was also gracious enough to give us some Chinese tools they use to promote good health. One was a jade comb that they use to perform a facial massage called “Gua Sha” which alleviates headaches or muscle pain, and helps with lymphatic drainage. Another tool we received was called a “Meridian Point Pat“ and is used to promote circulation. She also had a massage table in the house because of her weekly massage for relaxing and circulation. This typical Chinese family seemed to be really on top of preventative and self-care! And lastly, our host had some knee pain a few years ago. She showed us the herbs she used in her tea to help with inflammation, which made such a difference! I was glad to hear that it was an herb that we commonly use in our office. Sadly, if she lived in the US, she may have just been another one of our many knee transplant statistics.

One of the premises of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is to EAT YOUR MEDICINE. Many of the Chinese traditional foods contain ingredients, not necessarily for preventative care, but because this is what they always ate – foods that contain highly effective immune boosters such as congee, which is a Chinese version of chicken soup using rice broth, also garlic, ginger, honey, and bone broth. On our visit, I was very surprised at the amount of soup the Chinese drink due to hot climate, but that soup is their traditional preventive medicine. The Chinese also like green tea which also has a variety of health benefits, and it is well known for antioxidants and anti-aging.

The principles of TCM are very different from traditional Western ideas about health, illness and the workings of the body. Not really a secret, but the ancient Chinese proposed that a balance of two opposing forces of energy, called Yin and Yang, sustain every living thing. Working together, the Yin and Yang, make up life energy, called the Qi (pronounced ‘chee’).The Chinese use healing foods and herbs to normalize any imbalanced energy (the Qi). The concepts of Yin and Yang, and Qi may all be Greek to you, but to the Chinese it is an effective system of trying to get the body in an overall balance, which brings you to (in American terminology) OPTIMAL HEALTH.

I am looking forward to getting back to my personal American traditions of smoothies with dandelions, avocado and citrus, salads and the plentiful squashes that our fall season offers, but will not forget the valuable lessons I learned as well as the life giving foods I have enjoyed these past few weeks!