Winter is here, which means shorter days, cooler temperatures and cold and flu season. It also means it is time to slow down, stay warm and nurture our bodies. The Winter season is associated with the water phase in 5 element theory, which correlates to the kidneys, bladder, brain, bones, ears, knees, low back, reproductive organs and vital energy. Below are I have outlined some practical ways on how to support a healthy body, mind and spirit this Winter, which includes explanations and resources for the curious minds.
Protect your head and neck: The most exterior acupuncture channels, Taiyang and Shaoyang, are in charge of protecting the body and keeping the immune defense strong. These channels run through the head and down the neck and back. By wearing hats, scarves and avoiding going outside with wet hair, you protect the body from wind and cold, which slows down the immune response and makes you susceptible to illness.
Oral hygiene: The oral cavity houses more than 700 bacteria, fungi and viruses that colonize the mouth.1 Cytokines from diseased dental tissue can infiltrate the saliva and travel down to infect the lungs. Therefore, inadequate oral hygiene increases the risk of respiratory infections and post-viral bacterial complications.2 By making time for dental flossing water flossing and oil pulling, you are not only supporting your dental health, you are also supporting your immune system.
Keep Your Orifices Clear: The orifices, such as our nose, mouth, eyes and ears, are the doors to the inside of our bodies. They serve as a first line of defense against unwanted foreign bodies through secretions, hair and healthy bacteria. By clearing the orifices, you reduce the chance of bacteria and viruses entering the body. This is especially important to do first thing in the morning, after being in closed spaces with large groups of people and before going to bed. Clearing the orifices looks like blowing your nose when you wash your face, brushing your tongue and back of the throat while cleaning your teeth, thoroughly washing your eye lashes and avoid touching your eyes unless your hands are clean.
Nutrition for a healthy and balanced gut: 70-80% of your immune cells are found in your gut.3 If you are concerned about getting sick or have the first signs of a cold or flu, remove sugar and phlegm forming foods from your diet. We are often being exposed to bacteria and viruses, and these foods can be the defining factor of whether you fall sick or not.
Eat what is in season. As soon as Fall rolls around, you know cinnamon and ginger spiced pumpkin lattes have arrived. Intuitively we turn to these warming spices, soups and stews when the weather cools down. However, some foods to avoid may not be so intuitive like fresh juice, salads and smoothies. These foods are considered to be healthy, yet I would reframe healthy as what is appropriate for the person’s body type and season. Understanding the energetics of food, digestibility and assimilation is essential in Chinese medicine nutrition. Raw foods for example, require our digestive fire to work harder to break it down, therefore using a lot more of the body’s resources. This is because vegetables have a thick cell wall which provides great fiber but requires more energy to assimilate. If you are interested in nutrition and the energetics of food, I highly recommend reading Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition.
The winter is a time to nourish the body, especially the kidney energy. Some general symptoms of kidney imbalance are bone and teeth problems, weakness or pain in the knees and low back, hearing problems, premature aging, urinary and reproductive imbalances, poor memory, chronic fatigue and excessive fear and insecurity. If you are experiencing any of these, you want to take extra care of your body this season. Below are some foods to eat and avoid to support gut and kidney health.
Foods to Incorporate
Warm Foods: Soups, stews, ginger, cinnamon, clove, anise, chicken, lamb, salmon, hot water, herbal teas, black and puerh tea
Seasonal Foods: beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, collard greens, lemon, celery root, squash, cabbage, turnip
Kidney Nourishing Foods: Black sesame seeds, eggplant, barley, black bean, plums, blackberry, parsley, celery, seaweed, wood ear mushrooms, sardines, clam, walnuts, dandelion leaves, Celtic salt
Fermented Foods: Fermented daikon, Sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir, kombucha
Foods to Avoid
Cold Foods: Iced drinks, smoothies, excess raw veggies and salads, bananas
Phlegm Forming Foods: Cheese (especially soft cheeses), milk, processed sugar, peanut butter, beer
Keep Your Feet Warm: When the body is exposed to cold, heat is lost from the body’s surface faster than it is replaced. Cold floors leach heat through the feet, which has connections to the entire body. It is especially important to wear socks, slippers and appropriate shoes in the cold for those who get more joint pain in the Winter, as well as women. The cold can travel through the yin channels (kidney, liver and spleen), which begin at the feet and govern the reproductive organs and blood. When the cold enters the uterus, it can produce menstrual disharmonies such as painful periods and compromise fertility health.
Avoid Cleanses: There is a time and place for everything. During the Winter we are naturally storing and preserving resources and we want to follow this inertia. If you’re looking to do a thorough cleanse, wait for the Spring; the Spring is the best time to detox the body. Gaining a little weight in the Winter is normal. If you overdo it during the holiday meals, drink warm water with half a lemon first thing in the morning, reduce your meal portions, and eliminate sugars and processed foods. Leave the heavy purging for the following season. Now is time to be mindful and loving to your body while giving yourself some grace.
Avoid Excess Exercise and Sweating: Following similar principles as listed above, you want to avoid overexertion of the body and overconsumption of energy and fluids, while keeping the spine and joints flexible. Consider trading in some of your usual workouts for some yoga or tai chi.
Time for Rest and Introspection: If you have no chill, this message is for you. The change in seasons is meant to teach us the natural movements and flow of this earthly world we are a part of. This is the time of the year where we slow down to allow ourselves to restore, reflect and receive. Contemplate on this past year and what you wish to birth in the Spring. This is also a time to refine our spiritual essence through meditation and ritual. This important work can only happen when we slow down enough to give ourselves the space to do so.