November signals the beginning of the dreaded flu season, but this year Canadian researchers have found the key to keeping the cold and flu at bay. Ginseng, an herb widely used in Chinese medicine, is proving successful at reducing the number and severity of colds in research subjects.

At least 1 billion colds are reported each year in the U.S. , with a frequency of two to six colds per person. The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 2005, found that extracts of North American ginseng enhance immune responses and stimulate natural killer cell cytotoxicity to keep the body healthy through peak illness periods.

The Five Element theory provides us with a set of correspondences by which we can link our physical and psychological characteristics with the seasons, the elements, times of day, specific foods, animals and so on.

There was a constant reminder that we 'are part of Nature and channeled into the cycles of Nature'. Hence the Five Element theory, which provides us with a set of correspondences by which we can link our physical and psychological characteristics with the seasons, the elements, times of day, specific foods, animals and so on. In ancient rural China this was a far simpler process than in our modern Western highly urbanized society and yet the rules remain unchanged. The health and sense of wellbeing of the individual is in direct relationship with his or her social and environmental matrix. This includes such factors as the quality of our food and water, the air we breathe, weather conditions, relaxation, sleep, work, exercise and relationships of all kinds.

Although the February 17 heatstroke death of 23-year-old Baltimore Oriels pitcher Steve Bechler has re-raised concerns about the use of the ma huang herb and its derivative, ephedra , practitioners of Traditional Chinese medicine say that Chinese medicinal uses of the herb are both safe and beneficial when prescribed and administered under the supervision of a licensed acupuncturist or herbalist . While no therapeutic Chinese herbal formulas have been linked with the serious adverse reactions being reported in the media, the FDA is considering banning the substance from being used.

Ma Huang , which is native to China but is also now found in the Mediterranean region, India , Persia , and the western portion of South America , has been used safely and effectively for centuries among practitioners of Chinese medicine . The herb was first mentioned roughly 3,000 years ago in The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing) . This classical text was the first to lay the foundation for study in Ch inese medicinal herbs . In this text ma huang herb is described as: " Non-toxic, treating mainly a form of the common cold, headache, and warm malaria. It causes the body to sweat, suppresses cough and counter - flow of qi (asthma), eliminates cold and heat, and breaks concretions and hardness, accumulations and gatherings. " 1

Now that the holidays are over and the long nights of eating and merry-making are behind us, we can start worrying about all the weight we probably gained.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 97.1 million adults are overweight, and 39.8 million of those people also meet the criteria for obesity. America seems to suffer from this disorder more acutely than other countries.