Teas and Herbal Health

The organs associated with the fire element are broken into two groups. The first is composed of the heart (yin) and small intestines (yang). The second is composed of the triple warmer (yang) and circulation/sex (yin). The triple warmer is thought to control the metabolic rate and keep the body warm. It is probably connected with the glandular system (thyroid and adrenals). The circulation/sex meridian is associated with the reproductive glands and the circulation of blood. It is related to physical warmth (good circulation) and sexual drive.

If the fire element becomes too abundant, there will be excessive energy in the top half of the body, since fire tends to rise. Stress and excessive tension, irritability, restlessness, insomnia and other nervous disorders are the most prominent physical symptoms of too much fire. Symptoms of being “fire-stressed” also include: feeling high strung, overactive, tense, nervous, difficulty relaxing, restlessness, convulsions, dizziness, tossing and turning at night, mental diseases, incoherent speech, unreasonable weeping and laughing, anxiety, fright, excitability, heart palpitations, overactive thyroid and overtaxed adrenals.

Stress Relief is a traditional Chinese herb formula for reducing excessive “fire” energy. Fire energy is associated with nervous, glandular and circulatory functions in the body. In Chinese medicine, a person with too much “fire” is prone to excessive excitement, restlessness, anxiety and insomnia, conditions we associate with excessive stress in Western society. The Chinese name for this formula, An Shen, means “pacify the spirit.” It helps to calm the nervous system, relieving anxiety and excitability.

In Western thinking, we would call the lack of fire “burn-out.” This is what happens when we have been under stress for a long period of time and cannot cope. Symptoms of fire deficiency include: Feeling tired, nervous exhaustion, adrenal exhaustion, enervation, muddled thinking, forgetfulness, low thyroid function, waking up frequently, lack of sexual drive (frigidity), mental confusion, poor memory, restless dreaming, dry skin, low body temperature, cold hands and feet, poor circulation, fatigue and the inability to speak clearly. One of the surest indicators for a weakened fire element is fatigue coupled with the inability to sleep soundly. These people don’t have trouble getting to sleep but they have trouble staying asleep. They either wake up frequently needing to urinate or simply wake up after four or five hours of sleep and lie awake thinking about their problems.

Nervous Fatigue helps to improve mental functions, strengthen the adrenals, increase circulation, improve digestion and reduce the body’s response to stress. Other conditions it may help include frequent urination, scanty menstruation, constipation, excessive perspiration, heart disease, leg pain, impotence and diabetes.