Food poisoning can occur when one consumes spoiled food containing microbes that the belly is not used to. There are various remedies for food poisoning depending on the pathogenic cause. Some safe food-based remedies are listed below:
‘Ume-Shiso Maki’ is my favorite remedy for preventing or correcting poisoning from
'Ume-Shiso' maki rolls.
seafood. This is a sushi maki roll (’maki’ means ‘wrap’) made with two ingredients inside the rice and seaweed wrap. The two special additions are umeboshi plum paste and shiso (perilla) leaf, which are perfect compliments and together strongly correct belly imbalances. Manpuku sushi restaurant on College Avenue in Berkeley is the only local joint I know of that has this combo right on their menu. Upon request, many other sushi places will make it for you if they have the ingredients on hand.
Umeboshi Plum (called ‘Ume’ in Japanese, & ‘Wu Mei’ in Mandarin) has antibiotic effects against various bacteria including Staphylococcus, E. coli, Salmonella and Mycobacterium. Ume plum provides natural minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, iron and calcium. Many medical studies have shown that ume plum markedly improves the fluidity of human blood, which is part of why is it so helpful at cleaning the body of toxins, improving the immunity and increasing metabolism.
Fresh Shiso Perilla Leaf ('Ze Su Ye')
Perilla leaf (called ‘Shiso’ leaf in Japanese, & ‘Zi Su Ye’ in Mandarin), has antibiotic effects that inhibit the activity of the Staphylococcus bacteria. It can stimulate the gastrointestinal tract by increasing stomach acid secretions and intestinal movement. Perilla leaf can relieve stomach flu, acute enteritis (inflammation of the small intestine) manifesting as abdominal pain & cramping, nausea and diarrhea. This leaf is commonly used to prevent and treat seafood poisoning and is traditionally included as a condiment when ordering sushi. This was the inspiration for the plastic leaf often included in the packaged sushi you find at supermarkets. The plastic substitute however seems to lack the taste and medicinal value of the fresh one!
Mung beans (called ‘Lu Dou’ in Mandarin) are a very valuable remedy for detoxification. They are commonly used for skin toxins such as carbuncles, pimples, sores and ulcers.
Store bought mung bean cookies
They are also an effective antidote for the intake and overdose of many toxic substances, in cases of pesticide poisoning, drug poisoning and food poisoning. Mung beans also prevent summer heat stroke, by reducing body temperature, relieving thirst and sweating. The beans can be powdered to make a ‘mung bean flour’ and used creatively in various recipes, such as for making shortbread type cookies. On a recent trip to India, several companions developed heat stroke and I was wishing I had planned ahead with mung bean remedies. Next time, I’ll be sure to bring plenty of mung bean cookies in my suitcase! Click here for a delicious mung bean cookie recipe.
Other Remedies
There are many other good herbal remedies for detoxification. Before selecting one of these, it is important to discuss with your herbalist whether or not the remedy matches your constitution. Here they are:
Purslane - can be eaten fresh in salads
- Licorice – energetically neutral
- Dandelion – energetically cold
- Honeysuckle – energetically cold; works like a natural antibiotic
- Chrysanthemum – energetically cold; works like a natural antibiotic
- Common Purslane – energetically cold; antibiotic effect against Bacillus dysenteriae, E. coli, Salmonella typhi, & Staphylococcus aureus
- Seaweed – energetically cold; can pull heavy metal toxins (mercury, lead, aluminum, etc.) out of the body; due to high iodine content, can be used to treat thyroid gland disorders when western medications are not used (hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism) – talk to your practitioner about the safest way to do this. Because seaweed also detoxifies the oceans, it is important to only ingest seaweed that has been harvested from clean waters.
- Burdock Root – energetically cold; detoxifies the liver and the skin while nourishing the body
The runoff from rainfall, as well as from lawns and gardens, washes fertilizers and pesticides into local water. Pyrethrin is now one of the most popular classes of household pesticides, despite the fact that there are many effective pest control methods that are not nearly as toxic.
especially the german ones made of odorless thermoplastic. They are so helpful for healing imbalances that are worse with cold weather, particularly during the winter months. Who knew that you can now buy a hot water bottle with a protective and cozy cover!? I rarely make commercial recommendations, but will share a website where you can get these great hot water bottles along with a removable and washable cover (not shown in photo). 
organic produce whenever possible. Since this is not always feasible either due to availability or price, it’s helpful to make some distinction. Which fruits and vegetables should you be sure to buy organically? Which are lowest in pesticides? Some of this information is based on how much spraying is typically done with a particular food. Other considerations are the shape of the produce and how much pesticides can enter or cover the edible parts. For example, pesticides easily lodge in foods with lots of little crevices such as spinach, lettuce, strawberries or raspberries. It is best to buy all berries organically. Conversely, it is less crucial to buy organic when it comes to foods with thick, protective, inedible rinds such as melons or bananas. However, choose organic if you plan on using the rind, as with citrus, since pesticides are concentrated on the outer surface.
months when windows and doors are kept closed. Here’s an easy test: rub the tip of an un-burnt wick on a plain piece of white paper. If the wick leaves a light gray pencil-like mark, it has a lead core. If there is no mark left on the paper, the candle is lead-free.
from a combination of acupuncture and a bodywork technique called ‘Gua Sha’. The ‘Gua Sha’ method stimulates the body’s circulation via rubbing of the skin and muscles with a special tool. I find that ‘Gua Sha’ dramatically boosts the pain relieving ability of acupuncture. Read more about ‘Gua Sha’ about halfway down on the treatments page here: 
underlying causes. Both acupuncture and botanical medicine can work in conjunction with western forms of treatment to help you stay in good health. Here’s a review of some of the most common conditions we treat in Lafayette, CA:
