Ancient approaches to keeping your family healthy during cold season.

HIya LOVES! I wanted to sit down and write a bit about what I’ve been seeing lately—both in clinic and at home. There are lots of people coming down with stomach flu and colds, body aches, chills, headaches, all the usual suspects. And yes, our house got hit too. Last week, we had a little viral visitor. My husband (who acted like he was on death’s door, of course) got hit the hardest. The rest of us had some combo of nausea, chills, loose stools, fever, general malaise. But we bounced back fairly quickly, and today I want to share exactly how I care for my family (and myself) when viruses come knocking.

There are a few foundational principles I use from Traditional Chinese Medicine. They’ve never failed me. When you start to feel those first signs—a stiff neck, headache, chills, body aches, and that I think I’m coming down with somethingfeeling—our goal is to vent the pathogen before it goes deeper into the body. This means we want to gently sweat, not blast it with super hot foods like garlic or chili (which can push the pathogen deeper). I skip damp foods—no dairy, no cold smoothies, no oranges. Instead, I go for warm, cooked foods and remedies that open the surface. Pears (steamed or cooked) are especially lovely—they help clear phlegm and soothe the lungs.

My go-to remedy at the first signs? Miso soup. But not just any miso soup—this is medicine. Traditionally used for this exact early-cold pattern, miso soup helps to gently push the illness out through sweating. I make my own miso (not as hard as it sounds), but good-quality organic paste works great too. I load it up with scallions and fresh ginger—two classic TCM herbs for venting the exterior and releasing cold. Heat the soup until it’s hot (not boiling), sip it as warm as you can comfortably tolerate, then wrap yourself in a cozy blanket and allow yourself to sweat. This is key. Sweating is the exit door.

Alongside the soup, I use our DAY tincture—a formula I designed to mobilize and support the immune system. I give 4 droppers every 2 hours for one full day, and then scale back. If someone in the house is exposed but not showing symptoms yet, I give it to them preventatively. It works like magic drops!

Now, if the virus goes into the gut—nausea, diarrhea, no appetite—this is when I shift gears. I make a gentle tea with organic tangerine peel and fresh ginger. I simmer those together and add lemon balm (melissa) at the end. Sometimes I add a touch of nutmeg to help with loose stools and calm the belly. I also give activated charcoal when there’s ongoing vomiting or diarrhea—it binds and helps clear toxins without being harsh.

When someone’s recovering from a stomach virus, I make congee. It’s a soupy rice porridge, and it’s magic for the digestive system. I use 1 cup of white rice to 10 cups of water and let it simmer low and slow until creamy. I might add barley for extra nourishment and to help move phlegm out of the system, a handful of chopped cilantro or parsley for gentle detox, and at the end, a soft-cooked egg or bit of shredded chicken for protein. This is true food as medicine—easy to digest, nourishing, grounding.

I’ll often add 20 mg of zinc (always with food, or it might cause nausea), some vitamin C in moderate doses throughout the day, and vitamin D3 wit hK2, especially during winter or when we’ve had low sun exposure.

And finally—a tip I never skip: scarves. The back of the neck and lower back are sacred in TCM. Vulnerable. In fact, we say that wind is the leader of a thousand diseases. Keep your neck warm. Always. Especially when you’re under the weather or exposed to others who are. A simple scarf can make a huge difference.

That’s how I care for my people. These rituals are simple but so effective. They work because they align with how the body actually works—supporting, not suppressing. Listening, not overriding. Let me know if you’ve tried any of these or if you’d like me to go deeper into one of them. I love hearing from you.

Stay warm, stay nourished.

Con amor,

Patricia