Chinese Medicine offers guidance on how to warm the body, rest, and look inward this season.
Winter Wellness: What Is The Water Element?
In Chinese Medicine, the Kidneys and Urinary Bladder are the organs we focus on during the Winter season and are a part of the Water Element system. Kidneys filter a vast amount of blood daily and regulate fluids for the body. Waste from the kidneys moves to the bladder for excretion.
These organs collectively manage the overall movement of fluids and the balance of water and minerals in the body. Some of these minerals are used to support and form the marrow and bones. The two adrenal glands, also linked to water element energy, are positioned atop each kidney. The adrenals release hormones that help regulate blood sugar and mineral levels, along with hormones that control our response to stress, managing cortisol release.
Signs of an Imbalanced Water Element
When the Water element is out of balance, you might experience:
chronic "fight or flight" state with symptoms like:
high heart rate
high blood pressure
frequent adrenaline rushes or feeling jittery
chronic nightmares and sleep that's not restorative
low back pain and/or knee pain
"burning the candle at both ends" with work or play
feelings of deep fear that keep one from moving forward in life
low motivation and depression
sexual dysfunction like impotence or low libido
exhaustion and burn out
Sound like you? You're not alone!
We see these symptoms all of the time in clinic. It's worth putting in time and energy into helping our bodies function at their best. How can we do that? Let's dive into ways we can find Winter Wellness and nourish our Water Element on mental, physical, and energetic levels.
How to Nourish The Water Element
1- Warm and Nutrient-Dense Foods are Key
From a Chinese Medicine perspective, we think of the gut as a digestive "fire". While we should tend to our fire year-round with warm, cooked, easy-to-break-down food (see more at our post How to Feed Your Body Well: a Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective), this is especially important during the cold, winter months. Warming, pungent flavors move Qi and protect against cold.
In your winter meals, be sure to include:
Warming spices such as ginger, cinnamon, garlic, pepper, cinnamon, and clove
Root vegetables such as beets, carrots, potatoes and sweet potatoes, yams, radishes, and onions
Bone broth and meat, especially slow-cooked meat (and organ meat for the adventurous!)
Kidney-nourishing foods like black beans, kidney beans, and black sesame
Salty flavors such as miso, soy sauce, and seaweed
AVOID cold foods and drinks, including raw vegetables, excessive fruit intake, and juice
2 - Warm the Body, Too!
It is important to literally keep the body warm during the cold months, for obvious reasons, but also to conserve energy! If we don't layer-up, we spend a lot of our Qi to warm our body, and this energy could be spent elsewhere like keeping our immune system strong, rebuilding healthy tissues, or fighting inflammation.
Be sure to keep your lower back, head, chest and feet covered and warm. Bonus points if you find the time for long, warm, epsom salt baths (or just foot baths in a pinch!). Warmth helps relax the nervous system, ease stress, and supports our Kidney energy.
3 - Sleep More
Winter is a time to heal through rest and sleep. If we look to Nature, we see that it's quiet, hibernating, and living off of its stores from vibrant Summertime growth. The longer nighttime hours nudge us to go to bed earlier and you may even find you dream more with this extra rest. Pay attention to your dreams and see if any themes, similar imagery, or people continue to visit you (....and share this at your acupuncture appointment! Sometimes there are clues to your health in these dreams.)
4- Connect to Your Inner World
Throughout history, many cultures used this season to slow down and look inward. It's a great time to connect with our inner selves through journaling and meditation or deep talks with friends. Practice being more aware of your senses and give yourself more time to complete tasks instead of rushing through them. Keep social gatherings small and relaxed and consider ending them on the earlier side of the evening to ensure good sleep. This is a good time of year to try out healthier habits like lessening your alcohol intake, seeking out therapy, or giving extra attention and care to important relationships.
5- Anticipate a Healthier Spring!
If we have followed nature’s advice and took the time and space to have proper winter rest, Springtime will come with restored energy and a clearer vision for the future seasons. Just as the healthiest sprouts burst from seeds that rested in the ground for the long, dark winter, so can we!
6 -Acupuncture and Herbs Can Help
Want to explore more of the Water Element? Make an appointment today with us at Hidden Root Acupuncture in New Orleans, Louisiana to learn how Traditional Chinese Medicine and Herbs might be able to help you live your best Winter yet.
Disclaimer
Our website and related materials are provided for educational and informational use only and are not health advice. As a user of this site, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless our website and company for any direct or indirect loss or conduct incurred as a result of your use of our website. If you have a medical question, you should consult your own medical doctor.
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