Gui Zhi Tang

One of my priorities in this newsletter is to help this community start to incorporate Chinese medicine without feeling that you need to know everything.

Chinese medicine is a lifetime of study, for professionals and non-professionals alike.

One of the first ways to start getting to know Chinese medicine is by way of your dietary choices and the creation of your food practice.

Another way to bring Chinese medicine into regular life is with herbal medicine, but I always encourage you to pause temporarily before “self-diagnosing” without a bit more foundational information, as Chinese herbal formulation cuts right to the chase and can be quite strong, especially when paired with dietary changes.

Today I want to look together at a common Chinese herbal formula - one that you may want to consider keeping on hand during these cold weather months as you focus on staying warm. You can save this newsletter as a reference.

Gui Zhi Tang

Gui Zhi Tang, also called Cinnamon Twig Decoction, is a 5-herb formula from the Shanghan Lun - one of the primary texts of Chinese herbal medicine, which was written before 220 CE.

This formula helps the body push pathogens off of the exterior muscle layer, particularly in cases of exterior cold and wind attacks. This is a Chinese medicine way of describing the initial stages of illness that arise when cold invades the body.

In these cases, the wei qi - or protective qi - on the outermost layer of the body is not effectively protecting the exterior of the body, and ying qi - or nutritive qi - is not able to nourish and stabilize the interior well.

We may begin to sweat ever so slightly, and signs of sickness start to emerge. During this phase of illness, we may experience symptoms we normally associate with a common cold:

• mild fever

• mild chills

• body aches - especially in the upper back and neck

• stiff neck

• headaches

• sweating

• cold limbs

• slight aversion to cold (you want to throw on an extra layer, but may not necessarily want to be bundled in blankets on blankets)

When you feel this way, do you find yourself brushing these symptoms off and/or “just waiting to see” if you really get sick before taking action?

Chinese medicine suggests another course of action.

We want to address the pathogenic influence when it is still at this initial, external layer. We still have an opportunity to push the pathogen off the body, to stop it from going deeper and becoming more serious.

In this context, Chinese medicine calls this function “releasing the exterior”.

It is a good idea to be dynamic and act now, instead of “waiting to see”.

We can do this effectively with herbal formulas, such as Gui Zhi Tang (GZT).

Herbal Formulation of GZT

Gui Zhi | Cinnamon Twig: warm and sweet, releases the exterior by bringing about a very light (almost unnoticeable) sweat, warms the body and disperses cold, promotes circulation of qi and blood

Bai Shao | White Peony Root: bitter and sour, supports yin and works with cinnamon twig to help the protective layer of the body dispel pathogens

Sheng Jiang | Fresh Ginger Root: warm and acrid (spicy), releases the exterior and warms the middle of the body, helps to engender fluids at the surface layer

Da Zao | Jujube Dates: warm and sweet, supports the spleen and stomach (digestion), helps to build the blood, calms the mind, works with white peony to support qi and blood

Gan Cao | Licorice Root: neutral and sweet, harmonizes the actions of the other herbs in the formula

There are multiple methods of preparing and taking herbal formulas. Two methods I generally recommend to clients are decoctions and granules.

Decoction

A decoction is the traditional way of preparing herbs in Chinese medicine. This water extraction method creates a strong brew. This is my favorite method, which you can make at home with raw herbs, but this is also the most time-consuming.

• Collect all of the herbs in a large pot, cover in ~4 cups of water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until the volume decreases by half (~2 cups). Strain out the herbs and set the liquid aside. Then put the herbs back in the pot and repeat the process, except this time start with ~2 cups and reduce by half. Once again, strain out the herbs and then combine the liquid with the liquid you set aside from the initial brew.

Granules 

Decoction granules begin with the same decoction process outlined above, usually in a professional herbal pharmacy. Once the decoction is made, the brew is concentrated, dried, and ground into a sandy consistency to make granules. These granules can be easily shipped and rehydrated with hot water to make tea at home.

Note: I find that the fresh decoctions are more efficient, but the granules still work well. There are pros and cons of each (prep time, potency). The most important thing is that you actually take the formula when you need it. 🙂

When you keep GZT at home, you can be ready to start working with it the first sign of a cold invasion.

One aspect of this formula I love: it is made almost entirely of common ingredients.

Two herbs in the formula - cinnamon twigs (sticks) and fresh ginger - are kitchen ingredients you may already have in your kitchen. Licorice root is a common herb with a sweet flavor that you may have tasted in an assortment of other herbal teas. White peony and jujube dates may be new to you, but the dates are common in Chinese cuisine and are also considered a food that can be added to soup broths and stocks.

As with most Chinese herbal formulas, GZT has many indications. Alongside its efficacy at the initial stages of cold invasion, this formula is also very helpful for muscle pains, menstrual cramps, and stagnant emotions.

Part of the reasoning behind this is that cinnamon - the main herb - promotes the circulation of blood and qi (energy) in the body, and stagnant blood and qi often lead to physical body pain and emotional issues.

You are welcome to write to me if you are looking for ways to source this formula. You can also ask your local acupuncturist or Chinese herbal medicine practitioner. Not all herbal distributors make the same quality products, so please be discerning when looking online and reach out to me (or another practitioner) if you have questions about the reputation of a distributor.

I hope you are all feeling empowered to take charge of your health and inspired by the wonders of Chinese medicine. 🧡 I would love to see you in class this weekend (details below) if you’re in Albuquerque!

Artemisia

Clinical Herbalist | Chinese Medicine

innervillagehealth.com 

@innervillagehealth