In the three months of winter, the purpose of yang qi is storing and hiding in the human body to accumulate and supplement yang qi. As a result, the growth of life will be provided with sufficient yang qi in the following spring. That is the reason why supplementing the kidney in winter follows the pattern of yang qi descending and hiding in both nature and the human body. In this way, the substances used for tonifying the kidney can be successfully stored in the kidneys to ensure the healthy growth of life in the next year.
Tonification based on syndrome differentiation, and being omnivorous are beneficial for longevity
The winter is a cold season. The cold is classified as a yin pathogen which is easy to damage yang. Kidney yang is the root of yang qi in the human body, with the actions of warming, generating and transforming on the zang-fu organs. If the kidney yang is insufficient, symptoms including fatigue, cold and pain of the lower back and knees, cold limbs, disinhibited or frequent urination will occur, so the first thing to do for nourishing the kidney in winter is protecting the kidney yang. Furthermore, temperance in sexual life should be implemented to save the kidney essence. In addition, food and medicine can be selected to supplement the kidney and boost the essence.
There are many herbal medicines and foods for supplementing the kidney, but the key is not to replenish all at once or excessively. People should take tonics based on syndrome differentiation according to their own constitution rather than just using rare and expensive herbs. In this way, the arrow can be shot at the target and yield twice the result with half the effort.
Food therapy in winter should conform to the principles of “nourishing yin in autumn and winter” and “treat cold with warming”. However, due to the vast territory of China, there are different ways of preserving health from north to south: the weather in the areas on the north of the Yangtze River is cold, so it is better to eat the warm beef and mutton for tonics; the temperature on the south of the Yangtze River is moderate compared with that in the north, so the chicken and pork for tonics are suitable; the climate tends to dry in the mountainous area or plateau, so it is advisable to take the sweet and juicy fruits and vegetables which can promote fluid production.
In winter, people should pay attention to nourishing the body fluids by eating food that can enrich yin and moisten dryness. However, if dampness exists in the body, people should eat less yin-enriching food before dispelling the pathogenic dampness. Otherwise, it will weaken the spleen yang, and increase the dampness.
In addition, this varies based on the principle of treating different individuals differently. Foods can be divided into grain, meat, fruit, and vegetable. Individuals can be divided into male and female, children and the elderly. Constitution can be divided into deficiency, excess, cold, and heat. According to the TCM principles, the key point of preserving health for the young is cultivating appropriately, for the middle-aged is changing conditionally, for the elderly is protecting carefully, for the octogenarian is delaying life. On “taking tonics in winter”, we ought to make a choice prudently among clearing and supplementing, warming and supplementing, lightly supplementing, and greatly supplementing according to actual situation instead of blindly “taking tonics”.
Generally speaking, the food supplement should be paid attention to from the Beginning of Winter. For the diet in the early winter, its purpose is “storing heat”, and its principle is increasing the bitter, reducing the salty and adding a bit acrid in food flavors. According to the principle of the five-phase theory, the salty enters the kidney, and moderate salty substance can help the essence absorbed in the kidney, but if in excessive, it will damage the kidney. The salty is the original taste of the kidney. However, if a person feels salty in the mouth all the time, this indicates the kidney deficiency.
It should be borne in mind that the spleen and stomach should be regulated before taking any tonics. The Ginger, Chinese Date and Cirtrus Tea, which has the actions of dispelling cold and nourishing the stomach, is recommended.
Ginger, Date and Cirtrus Tea—Dispelling Cold and Nourishing the Stomach
Ingredients: 10 g Chinese Date (Dà Zăo, Fructus Jujubae), 4 g Fresh Ginger (Shēng Jiāng, Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens), 4 g aged Tangerine Peel (Chén Pí, Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae) and 4 g black tea
Methods: First, wash the Fructus Jujubae and remove their kernels, and cut the Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens into slices; Second, put the Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae into a pot with an appropriate amount of water, and cook with a strong fire unit boiling, turning to mild fire. After 2 hours, remove the dregs and take the decoction for use; Third, fetch black tea, Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens slices and Fructus Jujubae, brew with the decoction of Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae for about 20 minutes. Enjoy the tea until the fragrance gives off.
Effect: The Fructus Jujubae has the effects of boosting qi and fortifying the spleen, harmonizing ying and wei levels, nourishing the blood and calming the mind, and harmonizing the herbs in different characteristics. The Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens has the effect of releasing the exterior and dissipating cold, warming the center and arresting vomiting, warming the lung and relieving cough, which is frequently used for headache and nasal congestion due to externally-contracted cold pathogen, hiccup and counterflow of qi. Additionally, the Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens is used to arrest vomiting, and dispel phlegm and lower qi. Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae warm in property has the effects of rectifying qi and regulating the center, and drying dampness and dissolving phlegm. The four herbs in warm properties together exert the effect of dispelling cold and nourishing the stomach, especially applicable for drinking in winter.
It is worth noting that after the Beginning of Winter, although the winter has come south of the Yangtze River, the weather of the “little spring” (refer to 10th lunar month because of the balmy weather in the 10th lunar month) in the south is much moderate than that in the northern areas. Therefore, food in with light supplementation with the properties of sweet and warm should be emphasized, including chicken, duck and fish. For those with chronic diseases identified as yang deficiency, they can take some warm supplementation foods or drugs such as Astragalus Root (Huáng Qí, Radix Astragali), Ginseng (Rén Shēn, Radix Et Rhizoma Ginseng), Deer Velvet (Lù Róng, Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum), Chinese Wolfberry Fruit (Gŏu Qĭ, Fructus Lycii), Chain Fern (Gŏu Jĭ, Rhizoma Cibotii). However, these herbal medicines are not suitable for all people, which had better be selected according to syndrome differentiation under the guidance of physicians.
In addition, what is easily neglected is “dryness in winter”. On the Slight Snow, supplying heat or heating in most areas of the northern has begun. Considering that cold outside while warm even hot in house, and the early winter is not far from autumn, some people are likely to get inflamed. The preferred food therapy is — Sterculia Seed (Pàng Dà Hăi, Semen Sterculiae Lychnophorae) stewed with snow pear: first, prepare a Semen Sterculiae Lychnophorae and a snow pear with pericarp; then, stew the snow pear on a mild fire until well done; finally, eat pear and drink soup. Add some rock candy to adjust taste if you want.
Concentrated-paste formula, which has a long history, is also a wonderful choice as a tonic in winter. Those who can afford it and are in need can make an appointment with a standard traditional Chinese medicine hospital to prepare a Concentrated-paste formula after the Beginning of Winter. In a word, following the traditional Chinese medicine principle of syndrome differentiation and treatment, Concentrated-paste formulae not only preserves health, but also treats diseases.
