(Natural News) At the turn of the seasons, when the weather changes suddenly, some people get sick with what is commonly referred to as a cold. Many people live a sedentary life and work indoors, with little exposure to the outside elements. This lifestyle hinders the body's ability to adapt to changes in temperature, barometric pressure, wind, humidity, etc. In today's air-conditioned chambers and perfectly-heated indoor environments, the lungs and the breath become mal-adapted to the environment outside.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), uses six external pathogenic influences —  wind, cold, heat, dryness, dampness, and summer heat to determine and support health. By understanding these environmental influences, TCM practitioners can determine what is hindering an individual's qi, or life force energy. This allows the practitioner to make an intuitive diagnosis and come up with a holistic treatment plan that considers temperature for establishing equilibrium in the body. A treatment plan can be adapted using various foods, herbs, teas, roots, etc. to create an individualized protocol that addresses these external pathogenic influences.