Feeling the Winter
Winter is the end of the dry and the principle of openness. Indeed, the days become longer from December 21st, for Traditional Chinese Medicine is the element of water. Expansion starts, visibly nothing happens in Nature, she lies, but the seeds soften in preparation for spring germination. We do the same, rest more, trying to be more in silence, playing more than ever with breathing practices and awareness in the senses. Fighting the cold with the heat outside and inside in an act of recreation designing new projects for Spring.
It is an emotional time and high sensitivity towards the interior. It is a good time to get plenty of rest, good food, relaxation and sleep. Strengthening ourselves, if dreams are made this is proof that our inner being is present in us either reinforced against disease.
This season represents the Kidney, urinary bladder and reproductive organs.
Minerals in general, salt and cooking in particular, protect the kidney, so if consumed in adequate amounts, a teaspoon full per day and always cooked. If the blood does not have its salts, the kidney would not function.
We will study food at different times of the year from the perspective of Chinese medicine theory and the five elements. The Theory of 5 Elements is one of the primary realities of Oriental Medicine, which links all the energies and substances, one of the following:
FIRE – EARTH – METAL – WATER – WOOD
Interactions of these elements are consistent with two basic cycles:
A) THE GENERATION CYCLE: explains how each element generates or produces the next element.
Also called, sometimes the law of "mother-son." Each element procreates the next and nourishes it by a flow of energy. According to Oriental beliefs:
- Land is born of fire, because the ashes are burning wood, and they return to Earth.
- From the earth comes metal: since the metallic minerals are found within the earth.
- Water is born from metal: springs are usually found in the vicinity of mineral deposits.
- Wood is born from water: as the trees grow by absorbing water through their roots.
- Fire is born from wood: This closes the cycle begins again.
These relationships seem at first sight more metaphorical than real, but very valuable energy explain principles in practice. Since each element represents a compact body and a hollow viscus:
ELEMENT: WOOD FIRE EARTH METAL WATER
Organ: Heart Liver Spleen / Pance. Kidneys Lungs
Viscera: Bile. thin. Stomach. Thick. Bladder
For example, recent discoveries show that:
- A continuing problem of liver damage to the heart.
- A kidney problem affects the lung.
- Kidney problems affect liver and contribute to a body full of toxins.
B) Cycle of destruction is really a control cycle, in that it represents the process by which items are checks and balances between them. If one becomes too strong or too weak, others may attack or be attacked. So:
- Wood penetrates Earth
- The Earth absorbs Water
- Water extinguishes the fire
- Fire melts the Metal
- Metal cuts Wood
Cycle ends and begins again.
The observation of this cycle of creation and destruction can heal many ailments protecting organs and viscera which are related, and can exert a preventive medicine.
Stimulation of the meridians of the different organs is done with digital pressure, with needles, with electrical currents, sound waves, laser light, but also with simple exercises to everyone of us, it is highly recommended that every day we:
- Make a light stretching and twisting of the foot and fingers of the hand (as all of the energy meridians of the body organs begin or end at the tips of the fingers and toes).
- Get to know food and habits of the various elements and seasons.
If occurs for several reason a disease happens, it is welcome because it shows us that we live in an imbalance and therefore initiate a process of recovery.
Speaking of good food for this time of year we must select those that we balance the characteristics of this station. Among the foods that balance, we have:
The most representative are legumes, mainly with kidney form, as the beans. Among the legumes, although large cook is better, preferably use the smaller ones, since they are more digestible. Include a small vegetable from Japan called "Azuki", therapeutically useful for treating disorders of kidney or bladder.
We can include a vegetable protein extracted from wheat that is "seitan", which is rich in minerals when cooked in seaweed, soy sauce, ginger and thyme.
- Algae: Source of minerals and vitamins that are appropriate for this time of year, among which the most common is the Kombu, which is very practical cooked with both legume. When left to soak the leaves of a legume, add Kombu.
- Vegetables: All those who are as following: turnips, radishes, carrots, radish, parsnips and Salsify. Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, leek, thistle… It is important to look at our gardens and eat what we produce naturally.
- Cereals: buckwheat, which is not a cereal and similar purposes. Your easiest way to consume is wheat or quinoa. Also important is the consumption of millet and rice.
- Fruit: chestnuts, apples and quinces boiled or roasted, and as an ingredient in cakes and pies.
- Nuts: Although abuse is not ideal to generate heat at this time. These include hazelnuts, walnuts, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin seed.
- Condiments: The miso is ideal for soups and for high calorific value is a good tonic.
- Spices: Salt, in just the right amount "that goes unnoticed," if sea salt. To spice up the table use soy sauce or Tamari, avoid unfamiliar brands as they are natural fermentation, buy it in natural food stores. Salts are interesting plants made from plants and dried into a powder which is added and a little salt, or mixture of toasted sesame seeds and salt, known as "gomasio" prepared with little salt.
It is important to remember that the salt always protects the kidney that when cooked with food. If used to dress a salad, prepare the dressing several hours before.
Fishing: inshore, especially as swordfish, halibut.
Drinks:
- Coffee
- cereal malt type
- vegetable broth
Types of cooking:
- You can cook long broths.
- We can also include stews and roasts.
- The fried, baked and sautéed with moderation.
Unbalanced food that we have:
- Food taken cold or cool, raw fruits, from another season and cold rooms, freezers.
- Sugar, by its effect that attacks the kidneys. And it is considered a coolant food.
- Foods that grow in tropical climates, and that our climate cannot grow, such as bananas, dates and tropical and semitropical fruits.
- The dairy, food that damage the body and tire kidney. It also wears the liver and the immune system. Moderately try type Feta cheese or sheep.
- And all foods with a high proportion of purines, such as coffee, tea, meat and animal offal, brewer's yeast and eggs. We can include alcohol, because all the food that will cause damage to the liver increase metabolic debris in the blood, damaging the kidney.
Character of people with balanced or unbalanced kidney
When you are balanced, you are:
- People spirit of adventure, missionaries, and in general people who dare to fearlessly pursue their ideals.
When you are unbalanced, we have:
- People with fears, with nightmares, fear of public speaking, to stay home alone…
- People who are always hesitating, undecided, taking precautions and gestures of self-protection. The fetal position is theirs.
- They do not like to commit because are afraid. This insecurity makes them always on the defensive. When you are seated close the legs and arms as a gesture of self-protection.
- Shy people, they do not look and feel what they say.
When the kidneys are tired is very suitable to make hot ginger. It is also convenient daily before dressing, rubbing with a towel in the kidney area until redness.
Exercise for the meridian Kidney-Bladder. (According to Professor W. Ohashi)
- We sat on the floor with legs stretched forward, feet together perpendicular to the ground.
- Attempt to touch fingers to the toes and reaching the peak of stretching to make two deep breaths.
- Relax
- Emotional habits, diet and lifestyle influence the flow of energy through the body. With these exercises you will help correct these imbalances.
- Blocking or stagnant circulation in a given meridian is expressed in the form of stiffness or resistance exercise.
- Never force.
Menu for a winter day
If we were to design a menu, it would be:
Breakfast: With "cereal cream", combining spelled seeds, rye, oats and barley.
For example recommend the following recipe:
Ingredients:
A glass oat grain, and a glass of rye grain, both from ecological cultivation, one teaspoon of salt.
Preparation:
- Toast grains in a dry frying pan until it acquires a brown tone. Once cooled wash the seeds and add 12 cups of water and salt, and put in pressure cooker.
- When broken to boil remove the foam and close the lid. Put a diffuser and cook about two hours. To achieve a very healthy and delicious cream to start the day. This cream lasts several days without problems.
For the capricious, You can cook a handful of raisins for 10 minutes and when serving add to the cream.
If you do this breakfast, you won’t make happy your egotistical wishes, but know that it will leave satisfied and full to face the morning. When you want to change other combinations try Rice, Oats, Barley, spelt Oats.
Food: "Sweet pumpkin soup"
Ingredients: One cup of diced pumpkin, half a cup of onions in pieces, a tablespoon of celery stalk into thin slices, half cup of buckwheat, salt and half teaspoon of Tamari.
Preparation:
- In a saucepan, place the celery, onions, pumpkin, one cup of water, salt and cook gently for 10 min.
- Add 4 cups of water and when soup boils add roasted buckwheat that you have previously done.
- Boil 20 min. and pass the soup trough pure maker. Serve with a little parsley.
Buckwheat can be replaced by the rice stew, or millet.
“Millet with leeks,"
Ingredients: Three leeks, a cup of millet, three cups of water, salt or Tamari.
Preparation:
- Skip the leeks in a casserole with a little oil.
- Then add the previously cleaned millet.
- Sauté all together. We miss the water when it starts to boil salt to taste.
- Let simmer for 25 min.
For dessert, some roasted nuts or baked apple. Beverage: coffee, cereal malt type.
Dinner: Boiled rice with atofuburger.
Drink: coffee cereal malt type.
Bon appetit!