Tag Archives: Kidney Qi

WINTER FOOD

Cold, Digestion, Five Flavours, Food, Heart, Kidney, Salty, Water Element, , , , ,
Oat porridge with warm berries and activated walnuts

“These days, people have changed their way of life. They drink wine as though it were water, indulge excessively in destructive activities, drain their jing – the body’s essence that is stored in the kidneys – and deplete their Qi. They do not know the secret of conserving their energy and vitality. Seeking emotional excitement and momentary pleasures, people disregard the natural rhythm and order of the universe. They fail to regulate their lifestyle and diet, and sleep improperly. So it is not surprising that they look old at fifty and die soon after.”

This is not a lament by a modern doctor or lifestyle coach but was written about 2,300 years ago in ancient China in the classic medical text Nei Jing Su Wen. That document is full of recommendations for living in harmony with the rhythms of nature. Not least of these concern appropriate diet and food choices.

In southern Australia we are currently deep in an Antarctic winter cold snap, a good time to look into the Nei Jing for foods that support the Water Element and its yin organ, the Kidney.

Winter is a time for resting and restoring. It is a good season to spend more time indoors cooking nourishing and warming foods. It is not a time for a raw food diet as this can lead to cold in the Stomach and Spleen. In this blog we will explore the flavour of the Water Element, its colour, and the kinds of foods that warm and nourish the body.

The Flavour of Water is Salty

The Nei Jing tells us that salty foods benefit the kidneys. These organs store the jing or essence which is the fuel for our life, so it is important to support them as much as we can. Moderate amounts of shellfish, soy sauce, tamari, miso and seaweed will provide this. However, the classic warns that “too much of the salty taste can weaken the bones and cause contracture and atrophy of the muscles, as well as stagnate the heart qi.” (Su wen 3)

Excess salt weakens the Water Element and the kidneys as well as the tissue of the grandson Element of Fire, namely the blood vessels, and coagulates the blood. This happens because the excess salt allows cold to invade the body, creating stagnation, deficiency in the organs and problems like infertility, chronic fatigue, cold extremities, loose stool, sexual dysfunction, pale complexion, stiffness, menstrual cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and bloating.

In the modern diet, an excess of salt is common because of the large amounts of sodium added to most processed foods. A craving for salt indicates an imbalance in the Kidney. If you consume too much salt in a meal, follow it with a sweet food or fruit herbal tea. This is an example of the flavour of the grandmother Element (Earth) controlling the flavour of the grandson Element (Water). See previous blog for more on this.

The Colour of Water is Blue/black

Another of the resonances of the Five Elements is that of colour. The colour of Water is blue or black. Choosing foods that are blue or black in colour is another way to nourish the Water Element through diet. This includes such foods as eggplant, olives, black beans, blackberries, blueberries, raisins and black plums. Adding even a small amount of this colour to a dish brings more balance to the colour palette on your plate.

Eat Warming Foods in Winter

Warming, sweet, hot and aromatic foods dispel cold. If a person is showing signs of cold invasion, as described above, foods that are designated as “hot” foods are called for. The hottest of these are the spices of chili, turmeric, cinnamon, curry, black pepper, ginger and garlic. Meats are also warming, especially lamb and beef.

The method of cooking also imparts warmth to food. The strongest of these are grilling, barbecuing, frying, cooking with alcohol and spices. Baking, roasting, sauteing, simmering and stewing are also warming.

Vegetarians and vegans may have some difficulty consuming enough warming foods, since meat is a primary source of yang and heating. Most vegetables and grains are cooling so it’s important to find those few that are warming. Here is a list of warming foods compiled from Zoey Xinyi Gong’s The Five Elements Cookbook:

Grains: Oats are slightly warming; quinoa and spelt are warming.

Beans: Kidney beans, tempeh (fermented soy curd) and miso.

Nuts: Chestnut, pumpkin seed, pine nut and walnut.

Vegetables: Mustard greens, chives, coriander, garlic, ginger, leek, onion, shallot, bell pepper and pumpkin.

Fruit: Blackberry, cherry, date, lychee, peach, quince, raspberry and umeboshi plum.

Dairy: Cow’s milk is slightly warming; goat’s milk, all butter and ghee are warming.

Fish: Anchovy, eel, mussel, perch, prawn and salmon.

Meat: Almost all meats are warming, especially lamb and beef.

Condiments: Molasses, rice syrup, brown sugar and vinegar.

Ageing and cold. As we age, our Kidney Qi declines, the more so if there is ill-health. This makes us more susceptible to cold invasion. Therefore, the consumption of warming foods, especially in the winter, is particularly important for the elderly.

Next week I will share my recipe for Five Flavour Soup which draws upon these principles to warm the body and nourish the kidneys. See you then.

COLD

Cold, Fear, GV 4, Immune system, Neck pain, Temperature regulation, Water Element, , ,

Readers may have noticed that here has been a slight hiatus in blog posts. This has been due to a combination of the muse taking a holiday, and my writing energies being directed to another project. But a gentle prod from a reader (thanks Evelyn) and the unusually cold winter in southern Australia have inspired me to begin another series of posts.

One of the resonances through which the Five Elements manifest is that of climate which is closely correlated with the resonance of season. Here’s how they line up:

WATERWOODFIREEARTHMETAL
WinterSpringSummerLate SummerAutumn
ColdWindHeatHumidityDryness

The resonances are realms of life through which the vibrations of the Elements are expressed. The vibration of the Water Element expresses as the season of winter, the climatic condition of cold, the emotion of fear, the organs of bladder and kidney, and so on. When there is an imbalance in an Element within a person, it is likely to express itself through a number of these resonances. In this post we will focus on the way that the climate of cold can influence other resonances of the Water Element. We’ll explore the other climates in their respective seasons over the next year.

The Chinese character for cold is hán and depicts a man trying to protect himself from the cold by staying in his shelter and covering himself with straw.

Fortunately, we have better ways of keeping warm these days, but for many, the cost of heating is unaffordable, and ongoing exposure to the cold can become debilitating to the health. A recent UK government report stated that living constantly in an environment below 18 degrees Celsius (64 F) begins to affect one’s health, and that negative health effects may occur, such as increases in blood pressure and the risk of blood clots which can lead to strokes and heart attacks. It is well documented that the more severe the winter, the greater the number of deaths, especially in those over 60 years.

From the Chinese medicine perspective, these effects of cold are known as cold invasion. In fact, all of the climatic factors are considered to be ‘external pathogenic factors’. In other words, they are pathogens that invade the body in the way we might consider bacterial and viral infections as invaders.

The risk of cold invading the body is clearly greatest in wintertime, though it can occur in other seasons. Being yin in nature, cold injures yang, causing contraction in the body. This includes contraction of the skin, the muscles, the tendons and ligaments, all of which can produce stiffness and biting pain. When cold combines with wind, this allows for the penetration of viral respiratory conditions such as the common cold. In this case wind is the spearhead of the cold invasion. Other symptoms of cold pathogen can be watery, clear or white discharges, period pain, fertility issues, epigastric or abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

These latter conditions arise when there is penetration of cold into the stomach, intestines or uterus. But the deepest effect is upon the yin organ of the Water Element, the Kidneys which house the jing or Essence. This is especially true for those of a certain age whose Kidney Qi is already in short supply, and who may complain of feeling the cold in their bones.

How can we protect ourselves from cold invasion, or treat ourselves when cold has taken a foothold?

The first thing is to bring warmth. Wear extra layers of clothing to trap the body heat, including a hat or beanie, a neck scarf, and an extra layer around the abdomen to warm the kidneys. Use heating pads and heat the room. A hot water bottle on the belly is a lovely way to bring warmth into the body. Drink warm liquids and eat warming foods and herbs like ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cayenne and turmeric.

 Movement and exercise will help to heat the muscles, tendons and ligaments. A more powerful way of warming the body is through Qigong which cultivates as well as circulates Qi. Try any of the ten thousand forms! An ancient, basic, but reliable form is the Ba Duan Jin or Eight Strands of Brocade. These movements are designed to strengthen all the organs and channels. The sixth of these exercises specifically strengthens the Kidneys.

Qigong is not just movement, but also incorporates breathing to gather the Heavenly Qi. Conscious breathing into the belly centre (lower dantian, or hara) warms the body remarkably and strengthens the Kidney Qi. Tibetan monks have a practice known as tummo, the practice of inner heat. This is a series of breathing and visualisation practices that raise body temperature and metabolism. There are notable cases of competitions to see who can melt the most snow around them or dry the most layers of wet cloth on their bodies. (Don’t try this at home.)

More recently, Wim Hof, known as the Iceman for his ability to withstand low temperatures, has popularised a system breathing practices. This involves forceful breathing followed by breath holding which can strengthen the immune system and resist the cold.

There are acupoints that are known to expel cold once it has penetrated the body. The following are some which we have met over the years in this blog, and I have linked to those posts.

• My favourite point to treat cold is Governor Vessel 4 Mingmen Gate of Life. This point strengthens Kidney Qi and addresses the balance between the Fire and Water Elements.

• Stomach 36 Susanli Leg Three Miles, was my very first blogpost in 2014. This highly versatile point can in this case, expel cold if it has penetrated the Stomach.

• Stomach 25 Tianshu Heavenly Pivot for cold invading the intestines.

• Triple Heater 5 Waiguan Outer Frontier Gate. This point strengthens the exterior and rebalances the body thermostat.

• When cold with wind has affected the head and neck, use Gall Bladder 20 Fengchi Wind Pond and Governor Vessel 16 Fengfu Wind Palace.

As we navigate the second half of the southern winter, I encourage you to find ways to protect and defend against the cold. I’ll be back in the Spring with a look at the climate of Wind.