Department of Rheumatology and Nephrology
Xu Yingying
2022.3.7
Chinese medicine advice: Kidneys are the foundation of innateness, and to maintain health, nourish the kidneys first!
"Huangdi Neijing" says: "The kidneys are the foundation of innateness." It means that the kidneys store the innate essence and are the foundation of yin and yang of the internal organs and the origin of life. The function of the kidney is the basis for determining the strength of the human body's innate endowment, slow growth and development, and the prosperity and decline of organ function. Therefore, nourishing the kidneys is also the basis of health preservation. Here are some tips for kidney health:
1. Moderate exercise, reasonable work and rest
Life lies in exercise. Sitting for a long time will cause blood stasis, blockage of qi and blood meridians, and slow down Human metabolism, causing kidney damage. Exercise methods vary from person to person. Young people can choose running, swimming, mountain climbing, and playing ball; older people can try slow walking, square dancing, Tai Chi, Tai Chi sword, etc. Staying up late will also damage the body's essence, energy, and spirit, lead to imbalance of yin and yang, and damage the functions of the internal organs. It is very important to maintain a good routine.
2. Maintain a good attitude
The "Nei Jing" believes that excessive or out-of-control emotions are important factors that cause disease. "Fear of kidney damage", fear, anxiety, depression, sadness and other negative emotions will damage kidney health. You should face life positively, maintain an optimistic attitude, and eliminate negative emotions in a timely manner.
3. Medicinal supplements are not as good as dietary supplements
Drink more water: Drinking water can promote metabolism and reduce the incidence of kidney stones or urinary tract infections. Drink 1.5-2 liters of water regularly every day, preferably boiled water. If you don’t like boiled water, you can also add a little tea. Drinking too much water can cause edema.
Suitable foods: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that black is the main color of the kidneys, and black foods can nourish the kidneys. You can eat black beans, black sesame seeds, black rice, etc. in moderation. In addition, medicinal foods such as wolfberry tea, pig kidney porridge, eucommia pig bone soup, walnut stewed duck, etc. also have the effect of nourishing the kidneys and strengthening essence.
Dietary taboos: Salty food damages the kidneys, and eating too salty food increases the burden on the kidneys; harmful substances contained in tobacco and alcohol have obvious nephrotoxic effects, especially for people with pre-existing kidney disease. The above foods will damage the kidneys. and kidneys.
4. Kidney-tonifying acupoints
Massage the following acupoints with both hands to nourish the kidneys.
Shenshu Point:
Positioning: Located on the waist, under the spinous process of the second lumbar vertebra, 1.5 inches to the side (about four fingers upward from the intersection of the belt and lumbar vertebrae).
Method: First rub the palms of both hands to make them hot, then quickly place the palms on the Shenshu point, and rub the longitudinal axis of the palms perpendicular to the spine from both sides of the spine to the direction between the buttocks. Hold on for 3-5 minutes.
Indications: enuresis, spermatorrhea, impotence, irregular menstruation, leucorrhea, edema, tinnitus, deafness, and low back pain.
Yongquan point:
Location: Located on the bottom of the foot, in the depression of the front of the foot when the foot is curled up, approximately at the head of the seam line between the second and third metatarsal toes of the foot and the heel At the intersection of the first 1/3 and the last 2/3 of the line.
Method: Hold the toes with one hand and rub the soles of the feet with the other hand for several hundred times until the soles of the feet become warm.
Indications: insomnia, soreness of waist and knees, weakness in walking, high blood pressure, weakened sexual function, and low immunity.
Guanyuan Point:
Location: Abdomen, midline in front of the body, 3 inches below the middle of the umbilicus.
Method: Rub your hands together, place them overlappingly on the Guanyuan point, apply a little pressure, and push up and down quickly and slightly with your hands to make the area feel sore and swollen.
Indications: irregular menstruation, constipation, obesity, anemia, cancer prevention, and infertility due to cold uterus in women.
Mingmen point:
Location: on the posterior midline, in the depression under the spinous process of the second lumbar vertebra
Massage method: First rub the palms of both hands to warm them. Quickly rub Mingmen with the palm of your hand until it feels hot. Then cover the two Shenshu with both palms and concentrate on the Mingmen (exercise for 10 minutes each morning, noon and evening every day).
Indications: low back pain, kidney disease, crying at night, loss of energy, fatigue, age spots, acne, etc.
In addition, traditional Chinese medicine, massage, and acupuncture can also regulate the body, nourish the kidneys, and protect the kidneys.