Are your hands and feet icy cold regardless of how many layers you put on?

Do you unconsciously look for hand warmers or hot water bottles?

Have you heard countless jokes from your partner that your hands and feet feel like ice?

If you answered Yes to any of the questions above, then you probably have a common modern-day concern that many of us face. Where the blood vessels narrow in extremities abnormally in response to temperature drops in order to conserve heat and warmth in the center of our body.

In TCM, this excessive response to temperature drops could be attributed to poor blood circulation, a build-up of cold/damp pathogen in the body and channels, or deficiencies in organs such as the Spleen (Earth element digestive organ) and the Kidney (Water element fluid metabolism organ).

So how could you resolve this?

You could put on a pair of fluffy socks or maybe move around for some circulation, but when that’s not enough, there is a simple herbal remedy that is relaxing and easy to follow.

- The Mugwort Herbal Foot Soak -

Dried leaves of Mugwort (Aì Yè) 艾叶 is shown in the picture.
It is an excellent herb for foot soaks because of its interior warming properties. It promotes blood circulation, warms up the channels throughout our body, and nourishes Spleen and Kidney.
It can even help relieve joint pain and is especially beneficial for women as it warms up our uterus and allows our blood to flow smoothly.

It is also an easy and effective way to help you relax and wind down when you don’t have enough time for a bath.

Instructions:

1. Weigh 15-20g of dried mugwort.
To make the cleaning process easier, press the dried mugwort into a tea bag like so. You can find these empty tea bags at Daiso.

2. Boil/steep 15-20g of mugwort in roughly 2L of hot water for 5 minutes.

3. Wait for water to cool down to a comfortable temperature for your feet to feel nice and warm in. (Alternatively, add cold water if you’re impatient like me, but keep in mind this will reduce the effectiveness of the herbs.)

4. It’s ready! Pour into a foot basin and soak your feet for 5 minutes, and feel your body relax and warm up inside out.

Tip:
Foot soaks 1 hour before bed will help provide better quality of sleep, and guarantee your partner will not be pushing you away for a cuddle because of your cold feet.
Soaking during the period is perfect for warming up the womb, especially if you have period pain and find that warmth helps.

As always, speak to me or your TCM doctor before performing any self-treatments if you have any concerns.

Share this with your friend that needs this soak for their icy cold feet.

Sources:

Kim, Jae Kyeom, et al. "Characterization of nutritional composition, antioxidative capacity, and sensory attributes of Seomae mugwort, a native Korean variety of Artemisia argyi H. Lev. & Vaniot." Journal of analytical methods in chemistry 2015 (2015).

Yang, Shou-zhong. The Divine Farmer’s Material Medica : a Translation of the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing by Yang Shou-Zhong . First edition. Boulder, CO: Blue Poppy Press, Inc., 1998. Print.