Winter Health

 

You’re getting sleepy….

During the winter, it is natural to feel a little
sleepier, slower and possibly less motivated.
It’s the season of stillness and conservation.
It’s a period of hibernation and our time to rest,
slow down and revitalize our reserves. Winter
is a great time of year to reflect on our health,
replenish our energy, conserve our strength
and heal on a deeper level.
According to the traditional theories of the
Five Elements, Water is the element that is
associated with Winter and with the Kidneys,
Bladder and Adrenal Glands. Our Kidneys are
extremely important organs that have various
functions–the main one is that they store
our inherited constitution, also known as our
Source Energy or Jing Qi. Consider it your
body’s internal battery.
According to Chinese Medicine, our internal
Kidney batteries are powered up with a supply
of energy that will carry and sustain each of us
throughout our lives. This power supply
is imparted to us from our parents, and
provides us with the energy for all of our
bodily functions.
It is believed that every action we take
deplete’s energy from this power supply. Some
people quickly deplete their Jing Qi; others
preserve it. Jing Qi is finite, so if not protected,
it will be easily wasted and eventually, when
it becomes depleted, various symptoms and
signs may appear.
During the winter, it is important to conserve
our battery reserves. Our bodies are
instinctively expressing the fundamental
principles of winter–rest, reflection,
conservation and storage. The “downtime” that
winter provides, gives us an opportunity to slow
down, check in, take account as to how our
life-style supports or detracts from our health,
and to recharge our battery.
As for getting some exercise, it is always
healthy to get some form of it daily, but during
the winter months, it is best to participate in
gentler, less exerting exercise, such as, yoga,
Tai Chi, Pilates, swimming, walking, and other
low impact sports. Save the extreme exertion
activities for the spring and summer months.
“During the winter months all things in nature
wither, hide, return home, and enter a resting
period, just as lakes and rivers freeze and snow
falls…Retire early and get up with the sunrise,
which is later in winter. Desires and mental
activity should be kept quiet and subdued.
Sexual desires especially should be contained,
as if keeping a happy secret. Stay warm, avoid
the cold, and keep the pores closed. Avoid
sweating. The philosophy of the winter is one
of conservation and storage. Without such
a practice the result would injure the Kidney
energy.” –The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of
Internal Medicine

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onion and Mustard Sauce
2 onions, chopped
4 Tbs. olive oil
2 1/2 Tbs. wheat or
spelt flour
2 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 Tsp. tarragon
3 Tsp. mustard
Sauté onions and olive oil until onions are
soft and sweet. Stir in flour with the stock until
dissolved. Add mustard and tarragon to onion
mixture. Cook stirring occasionally until sauce
has thickened. This is a warming sauce suitable
for pouring over steamed vegetables and a
simple grain.
Your Amazing Kidney

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Your kidneys normally come in pairs. They
are roughly 5 inches long and 3 inches
wide.
• To locate your kidneys, place your hands
on your hips, and slide them up until you
feel your ribs. Place your thumbs against
your back-that’s where they reside.
• Your kidneys receive about 120 pints of
blood per hour.
• Over 400 gallons of recycled blood is
pumped through your kidneys every day
• Half of one kidney could do the work that
two kidneys usually do.
Your Kidneys According to
Western Medicine
• Filter waste from blood, and purify blood
for your body.
• Maintain homeostasis by balancing fluids
and minerals in the body.
Your Kidneys According to Chinese
Medicine
• Store Jing Qi
• Govern reproduction & development
• Control water metabolism
• Receive & grasp Qi
• Control the bones
• Produce marrow to fill the brain
• Relate to the ears
• Manifest in the hair
• House will power
A few signs of kidney imbalance
according to Chinese medicine
• Sterility/impotence
• Darkness under the eyes
• Low back pain/sciatic
• Urinary problems
• Fatigue/lethargy
• Premature grey or loss of hair
• Knee problems/weakness
• Poor memory/confusion
• Colds hands/feet