I knew as soon as I saw my boss when I met him last week (I am still doing my old, pre-acupuncture job on a part-time basis) that I will catch his bug. He looked rough and was coughing and sneezing terribly, and I was going to spend the next six hours talking and interacting with him.

Oh great, just what I need, another cold. So after I got home, I pulled together my arsenal of nature's anti-cough ingredients. My friend Ginie swears by this remedy and posted the following online recipe that anyone can use as a rough guide (http://gwens-nest.com/cough-remedy/).

I mixed raw honey, garlic, ginger, lemon, turmeric and black pepper and kept it in a jar for me to take a spoonful every time I'm in the kitchen. I thought it tasted wonderful despite the strong garlic/ginger taste, though my husband was not so impressed!

The ancient Chinese believed that food is another form of medicine, along with herbs, acupuncture, tui na (medical massage), cupping, and health cultivation. It is wonderful how you can take basic kitchen items and take advantage of their natural antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflamatory properties.

Do try to find raw honey as it has the ability to dry up mucus (but do not give to infants). Garlic is great for the common cold as it has antiviral, antibiotic and diaphoretic (induces sweating) properties. Turmeric has important healing properties: curcumin, the primary ingredient which gives it its yellow colour, has anti-inflammatory  and antioxidant qualities. Take turmeric with black pepper to help increase absorption.

Four days later, I am still coughing but I am hoping that this homemade remedy, some Chinese medicinal tea, and plenty of rest will speed up the healing process. 

Happy new year, everyone! I hope you all had a festive celebration and good rest, and ready to face 2016 tomorrow morning, the first working day of the new year.

I've had a great break but I must confess that all my Chinese medicine training has not stopped me from falling prey to the dreaded Eating-far-too-much-rich-food-while-on-holiday disease. My family and I spent a wonderful week in Lisbon, where a good friend showed us the sights and sounds of this beautiful city by the Tagus river.

I was also excited because I adore Portuguese food, having spent so much time in Macau while living in Hong Kong many moons ago. In fact, I got married in Macau and our our wedding feast was a happy marriage of Chinese and Portuguese food. So fast forward to 19 years later, and there I was, gorging on octopus and squid cooked in olive oil and cilantro, braised pork and clams, lots of fried potatoes, lots of vinho verde, endless pastel de nata. Oh Tess, you should have known better!

I always tell my patients to eat moderately, avoid foods that are too oily or Damp-forming (dairy and sugar are the main culprits for Damp, a climatic condition in Chinese medicine that is a source of disease), minimise alcohol (causes the build-up of Heat), and eat in a calm and relaxed atmosphere (put away those electronic gadgets!). In my gluttony, I managed to forget all about that in the first few days, and the result, shall we say, was a very unhappy digestive system. In my case, that was Damp-Heat in the Stomach.

I will still make caldo verde at home, that wonderful soup made of kale and potatoes, and indulge in Alentejo wines, but I will remember to be sensible and not overdo it.