Winter Recipe for Kidneys - Fox Nut Rice Pudding

Kidney/Bladder Disease

Kidney deficiency is the cause of many illnesses and over 80% of people have a certain degree of kidney deficiency. Cold hands and feet, lack of energy, ringing in the ears, sexual dysfunction, joint pain, menstrual disorder, prostate problems, back pain, hearing impairment, premature aging, incontinent are some typical examples.

Winter time is the best season to preserve and promote kidney health. Eating black color food such as black beans is good for kidney. Salty taste can benefit kidney but too much can damage kidney too. Kidney stones are formed by the buildup of substances which crystallized into stone-like deposits. Diets high in protein and lack of exercise will result in severe overall net calcium loss and increase calcium presented to the kidneys. Western doctors’ advice in reducing the burden and workload of the kidney is by eating a diet low in meat, high in carbohydrate, restricted salt and drink plenty of water to dissolve smaller stones. And by avoiding peanut, chestnut, soy, asparagus, spinach, corn and egg and eating more celery, apple, pear, and beans.

The symptoms of a kidney infection are a sore throat, fever, lower back pain, tiredness, fatigue, thirst and loss of appetite. When there is edema, the volume of urine decreases and so is the blood pressure. Infections of the urinary tract are more common in females than males. It could be due to poor hygiene or food allergy. Bacteria grow more easily in alkaline than in acid urine and vitamin C can promote acid urine and also improve immunity.

The food treatment for kidney infection should include a low-sodium and high protein diets such as fish, meat, egg and soy products. Water intake should be increased. Diuretic foods such as watermelon, winter melon, black bean, broad bean, see qua, and small red bean are effective in expelling dampness. Corn silk and corn kernel cook with water to make tea can alleviate urinary tract or bladder infection. Grape juice can treat female urinary tract infection. Avoid spicy foods, garlic, and chive.

The other kidney dysfunctions include frequent urination, nephritis, leukorrhea in women, and nocturnal emission and spermatorrhea in men.

According to Chinese medicine, kidney problems are caused by yang deficiency, spleen, and heart deficiency. Emission is induced by excessive fire due to yin deficiency, weakness of kidney qi or the descent of heat-dampness. Treatments include nourishing kidney yin, removing fire, clearing heat and dissipating dampness.

Fox Nut Rice Pudding

Dried Fox Nut Seeds

Symptoms

Frequent urination especially at night
enuresis
whitish and turbid urine
nocturnal emission
leukorrhea

Therapeutic Effects

Tonify kidney and spleen, preserve essence, strengthen the muscles that control urination, relieve diarrhea.

Ingredients (2 Servings)

Fox nut (qian shi) 芡實 - 120gm
Sticky rice powder - 6gm

1. Wash fox nut and soak with 2 cups of water for 4 hours.

2. Pour fox nut and water into a grinder and grind it into a fine paste. Add sticky rice powder and mix well.

3. Pour mixture into a small pan and cook over medium-low heat to become a thick soup (about 10 minutes). Stir frequently and add water if necessary.

4. Add a little salt to serve.

Usage

Eat half before dinner and the other half one hour before bedtime. Continue for 10 days as one course of treatment. If necessary, continue up to one month or two to see a complete recovery.

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If you would like a downloadable information sheet that will tell you all about how to live in harmony with the Winter Season in Chinese Medicine, you can find it here - The Winter Season in Chinese Medicine.

Beautiful featured image photo by Julien Pianetti on Unsplash

by Emma

Winter Recipe - Black Bean Congee to Promote Kidney Health

By NourishU

Eating in Winter According to Chinese Medicine

Winter with the drop in temperature is the time to slow down on physical activities because our body's metabolic rate will be slower. It is also the time to eat nourishing food to help the body to preserve energy. Animals follow the law of nature and hibernate throughout winter. Human should also preserve energy and build up strength, preparing the body for regeneration and new growth in spring.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, tonic-taking in winter has a great bearing upon the balancing of Yin and Yang elements, the unblocking of meridians, and the harmonizing of Qi and blood. In the five elements theory of TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), winter is when the kidneys are highly active and they have astringent and active storage functions that help in preserving energy. People should eat food with a less salty taste in order to reduce the burden on the kidneys. Uncooked and frozen foods can damage the spleen and stomach and should be taken in moderation.

In winter when the body's resistance is low, elderly people are especially advised to take food tonics which can improve their body constitution and promote better resistance to illness. Food tonics can have much better healthful effects than supplementation and drugs.

The tonics include superior warming herbs, fatty and meaty foods. Our body is designed to absorb the rich and nutritional foods better at this time of the year. For people who have a cold constitution with cold hands and feet, weak kidney health with frequent urination, cold and stiff body and constant pain in their backs and ankles, winter is the best time for them to correct these health problems when the body is most responsive to nutritional treatment.

The warming winter foods include chive, chicken, mutton, shrimp, ginger, garlic, walnut, mushroom, chestnut, mustard, vinegar, wine, gingko, red pepper and spring onion. For people who are cold in nature, they should also use the warming herbs such as dang shen, ginseng, astragalus, reishi mushroom, longan fruit and deer horn, etc. to promote yang energy.

For people who are hot in nature, they should use moderating foods such as spinach, eggplant, crab, white turnip, persimmon, honeydew, bitter melon and pineapple to moderate the heat.

For people who have a moderate constitution (neither too hot nor too cold), they should use moderately warm herbs such as Chinese yam, goji-berries, American ginseng, glehnia and Solomon's seal to maintain a healthy balance.

Black Bean Congee

Therapeutic Effects

Promotes kidney health.

Ingredients

Black beans 黑豆 – 2 spoonfuls
Little red bean 紅小豆 – one spoonful
Chinese Yam (shan yao) 山藥 – 30gm
Goji-berry / Chinese Wolfberry (gou ji zi) 枸杞子 – 10 to 20
Rice – half a cup

Directions

1. Soak beans and yam for 2 hours and rinse.

2. Soak goji-berry for 30 minutes and rinse.

3. Rinse rice. Bring 4 cups of water in a pot to a boil and put in all ingredients. Boil again, lower heat to medium and cook for about 45 minutes or until beans are soft. Add water if necessary.

Usage

No restrictions. Eat in the evenings with dinner for best results.

Featured image photo by eniko kis on Unsplash

If you would like downloadable sheets to learn about how to live according to the seasons in Chinese Medicine, click the images below.

by admin

Winter Recipe - Lamb Thigh & Warming Herbs Soup

By NourishU

Winter Recipes in Chinese Medicine

This beautiful Photo by Natasha Vasiljeva on Unsplash

Winter, with the drop in temperature, is the time to slow down physical activities as our body's metabolic rate slows down at this time of year. It is also the time to eat nourishing food to help the body to preserve energy. Animals follow the law of nature and hibernate throughout winter. Human should also preserve energy and build up strength, preparing the body for regeneration and new growth in spring.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, tonic-taking in winter has a great bearing upon the balancing of Yin and Yang elements, the unblocking of meridians, and the harmonizing of Qi and blood. In the five elements theory of TCM, winter is when the kidneys are highly active and they have astringent and active storage functions that help in preserving energy. People should eat food with less salty taste in order to reduce the burden on the kidneys. Uncooked and frozen foods can damage the spleen and stomach and should be taken in moderation.

In winter when body's resistance is low, elderly people are especially advised to take food tonics which can improve their body constitution and promote better resistance to illness. Food tonics can have much better healthful effects than supplementation and drugs.

The tonics include superior warming herbs, fatty and meaty foods. Our body is designed to absorb the rich and nutritional foods better at this time of the year. For people who have a cold constitution with cold hands and feet, weak kidney health with frequent urination, cold and stiff body and constant pain in their backs and ankles, winter is the best time for them to correct these health problems, as it is when the body is most responsive to nutritional treatment.

The warming winter foods include chive, chicken, mutton, shrimp, ginger, garlic, walnut, mushroom, chestnut, mustard, vinegar, wine, gingko, red pepper and spring onion. For people who are cold in nature, they should also use warming herbs such as dangshen, ginseng, astragalus, reishi mushroom, longan fruit and deer horn, etc. to promote yang energy.

Winter Recipe - Lamb Thigh & Warming Herbs Soup

Symptoms

Lack of appetite, cold hands and feet and general weakness due to being overworked.

Therapeutic Effects

Warms the center, promotes blood and qi, promotes vital fluids and prevents aging.

INGREDIENTS (3 servings)

Rou Cong Rong

Lamb thigh 羊脾肉 – 360gm
Broomrape (rou cong rong) 肉鬆蓉 – 15gm
Chinese Yam (shan yao) 淮山 – 30gm
Angelica Sinensis (dang gui) 當歸- 9gm
Asparagus root (tian dong) 天冬 ( 去心 ) – 9gm
Astragalus / Astragali Radix (huang qi) 北耆 – 6gm
American ginseng 花旗參 - 9gm
Atractylodes Rhizoma (pai chu) 白朮 – 6gm
Glutinous rice 糯米 – 60gm

Shan Yao - Chinese Yam

1. Rinse lamb and put in boiling water to cook for a few minutes. Remove, rinse and drain dry.

2. Brown lamb in a wok with no oil.

3. Rinse herbs and rice and put together with lamb in a slow cooker with 6 cups of boiling water. Turn on high heat and let it cook for at least 4 hours until meat is all tender.

4. Add salt and 2 spoonfuls of wine and serve.

Dang Gui Chinese Herb

USAGE

Not suitable if you have a cold or flu. Take once a day with a meal.

For people who may be too weak to accept this enriching recipe right away, it is recommended to start taking astragalus and dates tea, a couple of times per week for two weeks before taking this recipe.

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Featured image by Photo by Tom Crew on Unsplash

by Emma

Uplifting Kidney 5 Herb Tea - For Treating Kidney Stones

By Vicky Chan of NourishU

A Bit About Kidney / Bladder Disease in Chinese Medicine

Kidney deficiency is the cause of many illnesses and over 80% of people have a certain degree of kidney deficiency. Cold hands and feet, a lack of energy, ringing in the ears, sexual dysfunction, joint pain, menstrual disorders, prostate problems, back pain, hearing impairment, premature aging, and incontinence are some typical examples.

Winter time is the best season to preserve and promote kidney health. Eating black colored food such as black beans is good for the kidneys. Salty taste benefits the kidneys but too much can damage kidneys too. Kidney stones are formed by a buildup of substances which crystallized into stone-like deposits. Diets high in protein and lack of exercise will result in severe overall net calcium loss and increase the amount of calcium presented to the kidneys. Western doctors’ advice in reducing the burden and workload on the kidneys is by eating a diet low in meat, high in carbohydrates, restricted salt and drinking plenty of water to dissolve smaller stones. And by avoiding peanuts, chestnuts, soy, asparagus, spinach, corn, and eggs as well as eating more celery, apple, pear, and beans will help to keep your kidneys strong and avoid problems like stones in the future.

The symptoms of a kidney infection are a sore throat, fever, lower back pain, tiredness, fatigue, thirst and loss of appetite. When there is edema (swelling), the volume of urine decreases and so does the blood pressure. Infections of the urinary tract are more common in females than males. It could be due to poor hygiene or food allergy. Bacteria grows more easily in alkaline than in acid urine and vitamin C can promote acid urine and also improve immunity.

The food treatment for kidney infection should include a low-sodium and high protein diet such as fish, meat, egg and soy products. Water intake should be increased. Diuretic foods such as watermelon, winter melon, black bean, broad bean, see qua, and small red beans are effective in expelling dampness. Corn silk and corn kernel cooked with water to make tea can alleviate urinary tract or bladder infections. Grape juice can treat female urinary tract infections. Avoid spicy foods, garlic, and chives.

The other kidney dysfunctions include frequent urination, nephritis, leucorrhoea in women, and nocturnal emission and spermatorrhea in men.

According to Chinese medicine, kidney problems are caused by yang deficiency, as well as spleen and heart deficiency. Seminal emission is induced by excessive fire due to yin deficiency, weakness of kidney qi or the descent of heat-dampness. Treatments include nourishing kidney yin, removing fire, clearing heat and dissipating dampness.

Uplifting Kidney 5 Herb Tea Recipe

SYMPTOMS

All symptoms of weak kidney function.

THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS

Uplifts stomach and kidney energy.

Huang Qi or Astragalus Root

Dang Shen or Radix Codonopsis

Shan Yao or Chinese Yam

INGREDIENTS

Astragalus (huang qi) 黃耆 - 30gm
Dang shen 黨參 - 9gm
Morinda Root (ba ji tien) 巴戟天 - 9gm
Chinese Yam (shan yao) 淮山 - 9 gm
Cimicifuga (Sheng ma) 升麻 – 9gm

DIRECTIONS

1. Rinse herbs and put together with 6 cups of water and cook over medium heat to one cup of tea.

2. Drink tea only.

USAGE

Not suitable when you have a cold or flu.

by admin

Winter Recipe - Mutton & Carrot Soup

By Vicky Chan of NourishU

Symptoms

Blood and qi deficiency which manifests as lack of energy, dizziness and headache, numbing of extremities, lack of appetite and night blindness.

Therapeutic Effects

Nourishes the spleen and liver to promote blood and qi
Improves eyesight
Improves appetite
Strengthens and tonifies the body

Chinese Yams

Ingredients

(2 to 3 servings)

Mutton - 640gm
Carrot - 320gm
Chinese yam (shan yao) 淮山 - 80gm
Ginger - 5 slices
Honey dates - 5

Chinese Red Dates / Honey Dates - This image from katjuju.com

Directions

1. Wash mutton and cut into pieces and stir-fry them slightly with cooking oil and ginger.

2. Cut carrot into pieces. Rinse herbs.

3. Put all ingredients into a pot with adequate water (about 10 cups) and bring to a boil for a few minutes. Reduce to medium heat and simmer for 3 hours.

4. Add seasoning to serve. Drink soup and eat some meat only.

Usage

Not suitable for people with hot liver syndrome which manifests as red, itchy eyes.

This delicious image from meichubang.com

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by admin

Rejuvenating 4 Super Herbs Chicken Soup - Winter Recipe

By Vicky Chan of NourishU

In Chinese Medicine, eating according to the seasons is vital to health and longevity. Eating well in winter is necessary to provide enough reserve and energy to our bodies to fight the extreme coldness. Besides, winter is also the time when our bodies are going through a lot of rejuvenation and renewal processes. Therefore, it is important to feed our bodies with sufficient nutrients as fuel and building blocks in order for them to do a good job keeping us healthy. Remember, it is quality that counts and not quantity, and you reap what you sow.

The traditional TCM nourishing foods which use a combination of high quality foods and herbs makes a significant difference in terms of effectiveness and potency. There are recipes which are very specific in targeting special health needs and can deliver desirable functional health benefits. By combining the synergetic effects of both foods and herbs, there is nothing else that is as effective. That is why there is little wonder why some Chinese people can live long and healthy lives, and look so much younger than their age.

The most popular and effective form of TCM nourishing food is soup. Soup in winter is especially warming and welcome by most people. Besides, soup can be nutrient dense, easy to make, easy to take, easy to digest and absorb, and suitable for all ages. You can make a large batch at a time and serve for more than one meal; therefore soup is very economical and practical. The ingredients for soup can vary according to availability and your liking; therefore it is easy to make and is always delicious as you can customize it to your liking. Recipes are just there to provide general guidelines and its not necessary to follow them precisely.

My personal favourite winter soup is cooking either chicken or pork or mutton with the following four superior herbs. It is the soup that my family enjoys about twice a month throughout the winter and keeps everyone healthy. You don’t have to use all of the four herbs together if they are too much for you. It is very common to use just goji-berries and Chinese yam to make other soups for regular consumption. Please visit our website www.nourishu.com to find other recipes using just the two herbs. Please also note that these herbal soups should not be taken when you have a cold or flu because they will nourish the viruses making them stronger and more difficult to get rid of.

Dang Shen (Codonopsis root)

Is sweet in taste and neutral in nature. It improves digestive health, improves blood deficiency, promotes energy, enhances qi, improves overall body functions and improves immune function.

Astragalus (Huang Qi)

Is sweet and slightly sour in taste and warm in nature. It improves immune function, circulation, digestion and overall health. It is used to fight diseases including cancer and to prevent aging. There are researches which have confirmed that astragalus can boost telomerase production.

Goji-berry (Chinese Wolfberry)

Is sweet in taste and neutral in nature. It benefits liver and kidney health, improves deficiencies, promotes blood and regulates blood sugar, improves vision and overall health.

Chinese Yam (Shan Yao)

Is sweet in taste and neutral in nature. It improves digestive health, lung functions and immune function, and strengthens kidney health and cure related deficiencies.

Rejuvenating 4 Super Herbs Chicken Soup

THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS

Improves blood and qi, promotes energy and circulation, is anti-aging, improves immune functions and benefits our vital organs and improves overall health.

INGREDIENTS (4 servings)

Dang-shen 黨參 - 10gm
Astragalus (huang qi) 黃耆 - 10gm
Goji-berry / Chinese Wolfberry (gou ji zi) 枸杞子 - 30gm
Chinese Yam (shan yao) 淮山 - 30gm
Skinless chicken breast – one piece (bone in)
Ginger - 3 slices
Citrus Peel (chen-pi) 陳皮- one piece (pre-soaked and with white membrane removed)
Red dates – 5 to 6

Optional ingredients to add more taste and health benefits:

Lean pork or pork shoulder blade with bone - 120gm (cut into a few pieces)
Dried scallop - 4 to 5 (to promote yin)

DIRECTIONS

Soak herbs for 5 to 10 minutes and rinse a few times.
Wash chicken breast and pork, remove obvious fat and put them in boiling water to cook for a few minutes with foam bubbling to the top, remove and rinse.
Put all ingredients in a soup pot with about 3 liters of clean filtered water. Bring soup to boil for about 5 minutes, remove foam and reduce heat to simmer for 3 hours. Add extra hot water to the cooking if necessary. You should get at least 6 cups of nutrient dense broth.
When ready, add sea salt (Celtic or Himalaya) to taste and serve. Eat some meat with soup. Goji-berries and Chinese yam can be eaten as well. If you are not intending to eat all of the meat, after finishing the broth, you can break up the meat and add another 4 to 5 cups of water to cook for the second time, for about another 20 minutes over medium high heat. You can get at least two more cups of really yummy broth from it before discarding the ingredients.

USAGE

Not suitable when suffering with a cold or flu.

by admin