Nutrition in Chinese Medicine

At Acuwellness Center, we offer Chinese medicine nutritional consultation to improve your health and vitality, to improve your reproductive potential, and ease your menopausal symptoms. The followings are just a few examples of how to improve your nutrition during the winter time according to traditional Chinese medicine.

During the winter months all things in nature wither, hide, return home, and enter a resting period. This is a time when yin dominates yang; therefore one should refrain from overusing yang energy. Sleep early and wake up with sunrise. The classics teach us to consolidate our energy in the winter, becoming more internally focused and quieter. It is a great time to cook more, creating long-simmered soups and stews, braising, roasting, and baking.

During the winter, energy of the kidneys predominates, and one should nature this organ. In Oriental medicine, not only the kidneys are responsible for filtration and urination, but also are considered the root and foundation of the body’s energy, determining ones health, including bones, reproductive organs and overall energy.
The followings are food groups which tonify the kidneys.

Traditional foods to strengthen the kidneys:

Whole grains: millet, wild rice, dark colored varieties of grains such as quinoa.
Vegetables: parsley, sea vegetables, yams.
Fruits: berries, dark berries, dried fruits.
Nuts and seeds: almonds, black sesame seeds, walnuts.
Beans: all beans, particularly dark varieties such as black and kidney beans.
Animal foods: bone broths, clams, crabs, lobsters, oysters, organ meats, and pork.

Traditional foods to strengthen Kidney yang:

Whole grains: oats, spelt, sweet brown rice, quinoa
Vegetable: cabbage, garlic, kale, leeks, mustered greens, onions, parsnips, parsley, green onions, winter squash.
Fruits: cherries, dates, raspberries
Spices and herbs: anise, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, caraway, citrus peel, cumin, dill, fenugreek, fennel, ginger, rosemary.
Beans: adzuki and black beans
Animal foods: chicken, crab, lamb, lobster, organ meats, shrimp, trout, wild salmon.

Traditional foods to strengthen Kidney yin:
Whole grains: amaranth, barley, millet, rice, wheat.
Vegetables: asparagus, beets, eggplant, potatoes, sea vegetables
Fruits: apples, berries, lemon, grapes, mulberries, and melon (in season)
Beans: all dried beans and miso
Animal foods: anchovies, cultured dairy, yogurt and kefir, duck, goat cheeses, raw cheeses, eggs, organ meats, pork, shellfish, sardines.