The Water Element in Chinese Medicine
I was thinking that because we are in the winter months, the element of most concern is the water element in Chinese medicine.
The organs of the water element are the kidneys and urinary bladder. Since the body is approximately 78% water, we are the water element.
Water can be clear, cloudy, muddy, thick or thin. As you think of all the fluids that are produced by the body like blood, sweat, urine, tears, saliva to name a few. In the winter, the cold can aggravate a person with water imbalance.
Cold can freeze water, so we try to stay warm and hibernate to conserve our energy and water. People become dehydrated in the winter more than other times of the year.
We shouldn’t start extra activity during the winter that we were not doing before. The winter is the worst time to start an exercise program. That’s why people who start an exercise program in winter, most time quit after a short time. The body does not build during the winter, wait till spring.
Think of your kidneys as your car battery. In the winter, cold is hard on the battery and drains its power. We see more sickness and death in the winter when the kidneys cannot maintain their energy. The kidneys open to the ears and we can see more problems with hearing, vertigo, dizziness during this season.
The emotion for the kidneys is fear. When we become fearful we cause injury to the kidneys. Think about what’s happening with covid and the fear it has put on society.
The taste for the kidney is salty, the sound is groaning, the kidneys control the bones and bone marrow, it controls the hair of the head.
Our will power and ambition is controlled by the kidneys. There are dreams associated with water, there are foods that help the kidneys.
So the kidneys are an important part of our health and we should try to do our best during the winter to support and build them.
Drink plenty of water!
-Dr. Nelson
