Ancient Tips for Staying Healthy in Winter
According to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, winter is associated with the water element, and is a time for preservation and storage.
The water element corresponds with the kidney system in the body. The kidneys house the root of our energy and substance - the energetic fire and water that feed our bodies’ functions.
Cold winter weather drives our kidney energy deep into our bodies, making the kidney system more vulnerable and open to damage if care is not given.
In Chinese medicine, a weakened kidney system might manifest as:
- Bladder and kidney infections
- Low back pain
- Knee pain
- Cavities in teeth
- Weak or broken bones
- Infertility
- Low Libido
- Premature gray hair or hair loss
- Ringing in the ears
- Increase of phobias or fears
With just a few simple adjustments, you can protect your kidney energy and maintain your health during the winter and throughout the year:
- Stay warm! Bundle up when you go outside and avoid cold drafts. Take extra care to keep your head, neck, feet and mid-section warm.
- Eat cooked seasonal foods and hot soups with warming spices such as fennel, cinnamon and ginger. Avoid raw and cold foods.
- Follow your natural tendency for winter energy storage: go to bed earlier and rise later.
- Exercise, but in moderation. Avoid strenuous exercise that causes heavy sweating, as this consumes yang energy that should be stored. Try more internally focused exercise such as tai qi and qi gong.
- Get plenty of sunshine. The sun provides vitamin D and warming yang energy that help to balance the cooling yin energy of the winter. In dark places such as the Pacific Northwest, a vitamin D supplement can be helpful.
Certain foods are more nourishing to the warming energy of the kidney. Include some of these foods in your daily diet:
- Grains: quinoa, wheat germ
- Vegetables: cabbage, kale, garlic, leek, mustard greens, onion, parsnips, radish, scallion, turnip, watercress
- Fruits: citrus peel, dates, cherry, raspberry
- Beans: adzuki, lentil
- Nuts/ Seeds: chestnuts, pine nuts, pistachio nuts, walnuts
- Fish: anchovy, lobster, mussel, prawn, sardine, shrimp, trout
- Meats (1 to 3 servings a day): chicken, lobster, lamb, venison, shrimp, kidney
- Spices: basil, black pepper, caper, cayenne, chive seed, cinnamon bark, clove, dill seed, fennel seed, fenugreek seed, garlic, dry ginger, horseradish, nutmeg, peppermint, rosemary, sage, savory, spearmint, star anise, turmeric, thyme, white pepper
- Other: chai tea
In order to experience the lively, dynamic energy of the spring (the time of re-birth), it is important for us to allow our bodies to slow down and experience our roots in winter (the metaphorical death). When we are in harmony with the seasons, we are naturally healthier!
If you are already experiencing symptoms of kidney imbalance, acupuncture and herbal medicine can be used to strengthen the kidney system and prevent further damage.
