Q: Dear Dr. Mao,
I often have cold feet and generally poor circulation. Can you suggest a way to improve my circulation?
A: From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, your hands and feet may feel cold due to stagnation of qi in the middle of your body where it prevents the vital substances, including blood, to flow to the extremities to warm them.
I suggest acupuncture and herbal prescriptions to help invigorate the qi. I also suggest you take up tai chi or qigong exercises. These are great martial art forms that help with the body’s internal circulation and cultivation of qi. From a dietary perspective, I suggest you incorporate more warming and moving foods into your diet, including, tangerines, tangerine peel, Chinese chives, lettuce, hawthorn berries, black pepper, and cardamom seeds.
Try this: peel tangerines and dry. Then use the dried peel to make tea. Put cinnamon bark in tea.
You might also try out the following products from the Traditions of Tao: “Super Clarity” and “Heart”. Of course, discuss with your physician before beginning any new health regime.
