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Eat Real Food: Winter Nutrition by Nishanga Bliss, L.Ac.
Ah, winter! It seems to really hit only after the holidays, when the long nights of January
march on and the credit card bills come due. The sage consolidates energy in winter,
becoming more internally focused, quieter, and listening more. Cooking more, too: long
simmered soups and stews, roasting, baking, even a little deep frying (in fresh oil with a
high saturated fat content, like lard or coconut oil, of course) are all appropriate to
warm our bodies in wintertime.
Traditional Asian medicines teach that winter is the time when the energy of the kidneys
predominates and it is beneficial to nurture these organs. The kidneys are known not only to
govern urination but to be the root and foundation of the body’s energy, showing that the
ancients understood the functioning of the endocrine system and recognized
the location of the adrenals on top of the kidneys. Kidney energy governs
metabolism, reproduction, development, and aging, and weak kidney energy
often shows in low back and knee pain, bone problems, frequent urination,
and fear. Kidney nourishing foods include all beans (even string beans!),
especially those dark in color, seaweed, parsley, millet, wild rice and other
dark grains, walnuts, black sesame seeds, yams, organ meats (only from sustainably raised
animals, of course), oysters, clams, crab, lobster, and pork.
The kidney energy governs the deepest forms of internal fire and water in the body. If our
internal fire, known as kidney yang, is weakened by chronic stress, overwork, or aging,
symptoms such as coldness, pallor, low back and knee pain, impotence/infertility, frequent
urination, low libido, edema or asthma might ensue. Kidney fire naturally declines with age, and
traditional medicines have many remedies. Foods
which nurture the yang include warm spices such as
cloves, fenugreek, fennel, anise, black pepper, ginger,
cinnamon, rosemary, dill, caraway and cumin, as well
as black and aduki beans, lentils, oats, spelt, sweet
brown rice and quinoa, citrus peel, dates, cherries and
raspberries, walnuts, parsnips, parsley, mustard greens,
winter squash, cabbage, kale, onions, garlic, leeks and
scallions. Animal foods are powerful yang tonics and
people with yang weakness should eat 1-3 servings of
high quality animal foods a day, including organic or pastured chicken, organ meats (especially
kidneys), lobster or crab, shrimp, wild salmon, trout and lamb.
Our deepest internal water, our yin, can also become depleted by stress, overwork and aging.
When our internal coolant gets depleted, we may experience dizziness, ringing in the ears,
dry mouth and throat, thirst, low back pain, night sweats, menstrual irregularities, agitation,
irritation, nervousness, insecurity and fear. Wheat and wheat germ, bulgur, tempeh, millet,
barley, rice and amaranth, beans, asparagus, eggplant, potatoes, and beets, seaweeds, raw
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cheese, goat cheese and cultured organic dairy products such as yogurt and kefir, shellfish,
sardines, organic or pastured eggs, duck, pork, organ meats, and fruit such as apples, berries,
lemons, grapes, mulberries and melon are all wonderful kidney yin foods. One should avoid too
many warming spices, excessive exercise (especially Bikram yoga!), and stimulants.
An even more esoteric, yet fundamental, aspect of the kidney energy is the storage of the jing.
The jing is our deepest essence, akin to the energy savings account of the body. The quality and
quantity of our jing determines our health, lifespan and aging process. Our daily energy is drawn
from the air we breathe, the food we eat, and, when these are insufficient for our needs, from our
reserves of jing. Jing is depleted by stress, fear, overwork, excessive ejaculation or childbearing,
toxin exposure, and excessive sweets or protein in the diet. Jing cannot be replaced, but it can be
enhanced through meditation, tai qi, qi gong and yoga, and by eating
certain foods, many of which are high in essential fatty acids, B12, and
vitamins A and D. These include chlorella, spirulina, blue-green algae,
barley and wheat grass, fish, liver, cod liver oil, kidney, bone and marrow
and the broth made from these, placenta, almonds, raw milk and cheese,
ghee, nettles, royal jelly, bee pollen, chicken, mussels, and herbs such as
gouji berries, tu ci zi, shu di huang, gui ban, and lu rong (ask your
herbalist about these!). Of course, only high-quality, organic or pastured
substances will truly nourish the jing. In addition, appropriate jing tonics
should be selected based on your constitution and energetic patterns.
As the baby boomers age, science has brought an intense focus to the aging process. Two
dominant theories of the science of aging are oxidation and carmelization. Oxidation is likely
the more familiar of the two, and it is simply the chemists’ term for removing electrons from an
ion or molecule. Living systems have antioxidants to protect themselves from oxidative damage,
done by solar radiation, for example. Oxidative stress is the total burden placed on living things
by the production of free radicals, or oxidizing molecules, created by both normal metabolism
and environmental exposures to toxins, such as tobacco smoke. We have several defensive
systems in place to defend against oxidative stress, and, as Andrew Weil puts it in his book
Healthy Aging “a good case can be make that health depends on a balance between oxidative
stress and antioxidant defenses.”
So how do we protect ourselves against oxidative stress? Minimize drug, chemical and toxin
exposure in general and in the diet in particular, avoid rancid oils (all partially hydrogenated
vegetable oils, commercial chemically processed oils, oils that have been heated too high, most
packaged and processed foods), and seek out sources of antioxidants in the diet. Yes, you know
about blueberries, but you might be surprised that the number one source of antioxidants in the
American diet is coffee. Yup, even decaf has lots more antioxidants than almost any other food.
Tea does, too, black or green, with white tea at the top of the list. Other common foods high in
antioxidant power include dried beans, prunes, strawberries, apples and plums. Vitamin E is the
premier antioxidant of the oils, so fresh nuts and cold-pressed oils are good sources, as is freshly
ground wheat, and animal products from animals fed and finished on grass. How about taking
antioxidant pills? Most studies have not shown nearly as much protective power as eating an
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anti-oxidant rich diet. Interestingly, many of the TCM remedies for kidney energy are also
substances high in antioxidants.
What about carmelization? Yes, it is the same process you employ in cooking when you
carmelize onions, for example—it’s an interaction between sugar and protein exposed to heat
which produces browning and lovely flavors in food. These reactions happen
in our bodies all the time, but they are accelerated in diabetics, who often have
periods of high blood sugar. A number of common age-related diseases are
accelerated in diabetics, like cataracts and atherosclerosis, often as a result of
glycation, a carmelizing-type reaction between glucose and protein. Many
researchers today believe that aging is the result of the slow browning and
carmelization of our tissues. Weil and others suggest that eating in a way that supports steady
moderate blood sugar may be a useful long-term way to prevent diabetes, weight gain, heart
disease and many other chronic disorders that can cause illness and shorten the lifespan. TCM
practitioners warn us, as well, that too much of the sweet flavor can harm the kidneys and
weaken the bones.
Recipes:
Three Treasures Stir Fry
Adapted from Nam Singh, L.Ac. Shitake mushrooms support the immune system, walnuts
are nourishing to the kidneys and lungs and are high in omega 3 fatty acids, and gouji
berries are high in vitamin A and antioxidants, nourish the liver, kidneys and eyes.
Serves 4 as a main dish.
10 Shitake (black mushrooms, soaked)
1 cup walnuts, soaked overnight if possible
1 cup gouji berries
5 slices fresh ginger root
1 lb. Chinese long beans, string beans, snap peas or snow peas
1 tablespoon coconut oil, pastured lard, sesame or olive oil
¼ cup sake, mirin or white wine
2 tablespoons tamari or shoyu
1 teaspoon kuzu or arrowroot
Toasted or black sesame oil for finishing
Soak the mushrooms in a dish of hot water for 20 minutes, then drain the water and set aside. Remove
the stems and slice the mushrooms. Wash and cut the long beans, if using. Toast the walnuts lightly in a
toaster oven or dry pan until crispy. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or wok, then sauté the ginger slices
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for 1 minute. Add the beans, and sauté for 2-3 minutes depending on toughness. Add the mushrooms,
mirin, and allow the vegetables to cook by steaming. Soak the gouji berries in hot water for a minute, and
then drain. When the beans and mushrooms are tender, add the gouji berries and shoyu. Dissolve the
kuzu or arrowroot in hot water and add to the pan to thicken the sauce. Stir in the walnuts, and finish to
taste with sesame oil. Serve hot over rice.
Vitality Trail Mix
Mix equal parts of: walnuts, almonds, black sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, gouji berries, mulberries, dried
apricots. Eat 1-2 small handfuls a day. Variations: pine nuts, pecans, sea palm, dried berries of all sorts
(watch for added sugar). Toast any or all of the seeds and nuts, adding tamari if you like. I usually have
a bag of trail mix with me, and it is always changing!
Bone Broth
Kidney superfood!
Start by collecting bones. A chicken carcass, the center bone of a lamb roast, small bones from chops, big
bones by the bag from the Farmer’s market or your meat CSA, any or all of these will do. Put them in a
big plastic bag in your freezer. Whenever you eat sustainable meat or any meat, add those bones to your
collection. If you are shy when dining out, tell them the bones are for your dog. When you have enough
to fill your crock pot or stock pot ½ to 2/3 full with bones, go ahead and empty your bag into the pot,
cover with cold water and add 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Let it sit at room temperature for
an hour, letting the acid begin to bring all those good minerals out of the bones and then bring to a boil
and simmer for a really long time. For mostly chicken bones, cook at least 24 hours.
For mixed bones or others, 2-3 days is good. Let your stock cool a bit and then
strain. Don’t worry if it looks disgusting at first, strain in a fine strainer and then
place the stock in a container in the fridge until the fat hardens a bit at the top. Scoop
most of it out, as this is not the finest fat from the animal (I give the extra fat to the
city for composting) and pour the stock into jars, old yogurt containers or ice cube
trays and freeze, labeled for later use. With stock and cooked beans in the freezer I
know that soup, the staff of life, is always close at hand.
Magic Mineral Broth
Adapted from Rebecca Katz, The Cancer Fighting Kitchen. The vegetarian’s mineral
delight. Cook black beans into it for a kidney soup. A wonderful thing about it is that
you don’t peel any of the vegetables, saving a lot of time. You should rinse them before
using, however. Makes 6 quarts.
6 carrots cut into thirds
2 onions cut into chunks
1 big leek, cut into thirds
1 bunch celery, including the heart and leaves, cut into thirds
4 red potatoes, quartered
3 yams or sweet potatoes, quartered
5 garlic cloves (yes, unpeeled!), halved
Other veggie trimmings: squash pulp and seeds, carrot tops, cilantro stems, etc.
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1 -2 strips kombu
2 bay leaves
8 quarts water
1 teaspoon sea salt
Combine all the of the ingredients except the salt in a large stock pot, fill it with water to within 2 inches
of the top, cover, and bring to a boil. Remove the lid and simmer on low for 2 hours. Strain into another,
heat-proof container, and add salt to taste. Proceed with recipes or freeze.
Kidney Kichadi
(adapted from The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Andrea Morningstar)
Serves 5-6. Kichadi is the basis of cleansing diets in Ayurvedic medicine, and can be
eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This version strengthens both kidney yin and yang
and can be enjoyed as the basis of a simple cleanse for a day or two in winter.
1 burdock root
½ cup aduki beans, soaked overnight
½ stick kombu
6 cups water
2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (black cumin seeds if available)
¼ tsp each fennel seeds and mustard seeds
1 large onion or leek, chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 bay leaves
1/8 tsp each asafetida and cinnamon
2 carrots or 1 cup Kabocha squash, cubed
1 cup brown basmati, black rice or black quinoa or a combination, soaked overnight and rinsed
¾ tsp sea salt
2 more cups of water (as needed)
Wash and lightly scrub the burdock root. Chop into 1/8” rounds. Place the burdock, aduki beans and
kombu in a large pot with 6 cups water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer. While the beans are cooking,
heat the ghee or coconut oil in a medium skillet and add the cumin, fennel and mustard seeds. When they
begin to pop and sizzle, add the onion or leek, turmeric, bay leaves, asafetida and cinnamon. Saute until
the onion is tender, then add the carrots or squash and the rice or quinoa and continue to sauté for 1-2
minutes. Set aside. When the beans are almost tender, add the sautéed vegetables and rice, along with an
extra 2 cups water if needed. Simmer covered for 30 minutes, then add the salt and simmer until all is
tender, 10 or more minutes longer. Garnish with yogurt and cilantro and enjoy!
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3450 16th Street San Francisco CA 94114
ph 415.252.8711 fax 415.252.8710
www.iepclinic.com
Bibliography:
The Good Fat Cookbook by Fran McCullough
Healthy Aging by Andrew Weil, MD
Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford
Eat Real Food by Nishanga Bliss, L.Ac.
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