Remember: Common sense and moderation are the key to safety in herb/food ingestion.

Cold and Cough: Mash 5 slices of fresh ginger with adequate amounts of walnut meat (2-3 walnuts) and 1-2 teaspoons of Chinese red sugar (if not available, try brown sugar). Eat the mixture two times a day for several days.

Contact Dermatitis: Dissolve 10 g of mangxiao (Glauber’s Salt), in 10-30 ml of warm water (25-40 degrees C). Soak or wash the afflicted areas continuously for 15-20 minutes, 3 times daily. Good response should occur after 1 day of treatment and complete healing in 2-5 days.
 

Cough (Dry): Steep 2 g each of black tea and dried chrysanthemum flower in boiling water for six-minutes. Drink the tea after meals.
 

Cough (Persistent): Stew bananas with some rock candy and eat 1 or 2, once or twice daily. Continue for several days.
 

Diarrhea: Soak 30 g of lotus seeds (available from Chinese grocers or food stores) in warm water for a few hours. Add an adequate amount of rock candy and simmer until the lotus seeds are well done. Steep 5 g of black tea in boiling water. Add 1 cup of this tea to the thick soup. Eat the soup/tea.
 

Hay Fever and Nasal Congestion: Simply crush 8-10 magnolia flower buds and steep them in boiling water, cover for 5-10 minutes. Strain off the fuzz and drink the tea twice a day, morning and before bedtime. Note: You will not like the taste, but if you are patient and tolerant you should experience some good relief in a week!

High Blood Pressure, headache, bad breath, dry mouth, bitter taste, tired and bloodshot eyes, and inflammations: Steep 3 to 5 chrysanthemum flowers in a cup of boiling water for 5-10 minutes and drink the tea. Do this 2-3 times a day. Note: For acute problems, it usually works fast, but don’t expect your blood pressure to go down the next day. Try and incorporate this as your daily tea.    Word of caution: some chrysanthemum flowers are processed with sulfur to retard mold growth. If you can’t tolerate sulfites or can’t eat dried fruit containing sulfite, be careful with chrysanthemum flowers as well.
 

Hypertension: Soak raw, dried, shelled peanuts in vinegar for seven days in a non-metal container. Then, eat 7-10 ounces of peanuts, once or twice daily, in the morning or before bedtime. Don’t expect results in less than 2 to 4 weeks.

Herbal tea pillow for hypertension, dizziness and neurasthenia: The pillow is made of used tea leaves that have been oven or sun dried. Add a small amount of jasmine tea. Mix together thoroughly and stuff into a pillow case. Use the pillow on a regular basis. It is said to prevent or relieve hypertension.
 

Ringworm (hand and foot): Despite the name, it is really a surface fungus, not a worm. Cut a fresh ginger root crosswise. Dip the exposed surface in vinegar and gently rub it on the afflicted areas for 3-5 minutes. Do this once in the morning and once at night. Note: This method should not be used on ringworm that has a cracked or broken surface. It is especially recommended for hard-to-treat ringworm.

 Sunburn. Why spend a lot of money on sunburn-relief products that may or may not work, when nature provides us with something we know works? It’s well known fresh aloe vera gel relieves sunburn. Just slice a small piece of the succulent leaf and apply the gel directly to the burned skin. Instant relief is the norm but for more serious burns you may need to frequently reapply.
 
 Summer Heat. If the heat bothers you, try American ginseng, which is traditionally used in China for relieving fever. It’s also good for summer heat. Simply make a tea in boiling water with a teaspoon of the powdered root or equivalent amount in slices and drink it once or twice everyday. Its yin/cooling properties should help keep you cool all summer.
    Caution:  Be sure not to use the root of Asian ginseng (Korean, Chinese, etc.) because it can have the opposite effect (warming) and may also raise blood pressure.