Chinese medicine teaches the importance of living in accordance to nature and seasons. So what does winter have in store for our health?
In Chinese medicine, the Kidney is associated with winter. In order to harmonise the Kidneys, it is fundamental to partake in relaxing and calming activities, such as, meditation, reflection, reading, Tai Chi or Qi Gong and other soul nourishing activities.
It is also important to keep warm and eat warming and nourishing foods, such as soups, stews and bone broths. I also highly recommend eating locally grown vegetables which are in season (the same goes for all seasons), like squashes, potatoes, root vegetables, winter greens, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, apples, and pears. If you are feeling particularly deficient, I also recommend to consume foods which directly nourish the Kidney, for example: black beans, kidney beans, broths cooked with bones, lamb, chicken, walnuts, chestnuts, black sesame seeds and dark leafy greens.
Supplementing your immune system is also important in winter. Cordyceps, vitamin C, zinc and vitamin D3 are some of the important supplements you should also be including in your diet.
And finally, don’t forget to come in for an acupuncture treatment!!
