Winter Wellness newsletter  

Welcome to the Winter Wellness newsletter.  I am writing about how the Winter season affects your health and how you can make the most of it through diet, life style choices, body work, acupuncture and herbs. If you have any questions regarding this newsletter and my practice of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine please call the clinic for a free ten minute phone consult with me. I hope this letter provides you with useful information to support your ability to make sound choices about your health and well-being.  It is a joy, privilege and honor to serve you and your health care needs. 

Be well,

Collin Stoll L.Ac.

A client new to the area once commented to me in regards to the northwest winter, "It’s so wet and cold here I'm developing gills and getting rusty joints!" Many of us, myself included, notice that the winter weather can bring on feelings of heaviness, lassitude, poor digestion and achy muscles and joints.  According to Chinese medical (CM) theory this subjective experience is not far from the metaphorical truth.   Winter is the time of year when the natural world contracts and condenses. Nature is in her resting season, quiet, withdrawn, deep in the earth and its roots, preparing for spring. You may also find that you are going deeper within yourself, seeking replenishment, resting and reflecting. It is important to stay moderately active in order to keep your body warm and your energy moving. It is also a time to get plenty of rest, good nutrition, relaxation and sleep.

According to Chinese medical 5 element theory, winter is the season in which the water element is most dominant. Water is the essential medium of your body; we are over 80 percent water. Water, the fluid of life, is important for functions like the circulation of blood, which carries heat and nourishment and the lymphatic system which helps you to process and eliminate waste. Drinking 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses of warm water every day helps to flush out the system, easing the burden on your kidneys and bladder and assisting these organs in their ongoing efforts to detoxify the blood and eliminate waste. 

When water energy is excess or deficient, it's common to crave salty foods which can lead to menstrual irregularities, constipation, water retention, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis.   Often Acupuncture can help restore balance to the body: diminishing cravings; restoring circulation and warmth; waking up sluggish minds and bodies and stimulating the immune system.  

In winter it is common for many of us to drink more hot coffee or cocoa to ward of the cold and pick us up.  However, the quick spark of energy provided by caffeine and sugar is negated by their diuretic qualities.  They draw water from the Kidneys and gradually deplete fluid and energy reserves. The Chinese believe that osteoporosis is caused by inactivity and lack of appropriate outdoor (sunlight) exercise as well as diminished kidney yin (fluid) energy. Activities such as Physical Therapy, Pilates, Tai Qi, Qi Gong and Yoga, can be considered "exercise acupuncture".  The body movements open up blocked channels and redirect the energy to the places where it is needed.  You can be creative and exercise your body anywhere: choose stairs instead of an elevator, stretching at you desk, or walk briskly in the mall.

Vitamin D deficiency has also been scientifically linked to osteoporosis, high blood pressure; seasonal depression and lowered immunity (see vitamindcouncil.org for more information). In the winter time Vitamin D levels drop due to lack of strong U.V. sunlight.   Taking 4,000-6,000 IU of D in the winter months can greatly improve your overall health. We carry a convenient liquid form that delivers 2,000 I.U.s of D per drop. One bottle contains 750 drops at a cost of just $20.    

If you dread winter, following some of these recommendations will add to your health and well-being. Instead of hibernating, you will be able to embrace and enjoy all the fun that winter has to offer.

Foods and recipes

In winter the need for warmer foods and less caloric intake reflects the colder weather and shorter less active days. Eat seasonal foods that are slowly or lightly cooked and warm.  Avoid raw foods, which have a chilling and congesting effect on the body. 

Try eating salads with hot or heated dressing.  This will quick cook the lettuce or spinach and make it easier to digest.  Spices such as garlic and ginger root, cayenne pepper, curry and cinnamon also aid digestion and are warming.  Seasonal food such as squashes, onions, garlic, potatoes, apples and winter kale are important parts of the diet.  Grains make an excellent staple in the winter.  Barley, rye, millet and buckwheat are good body heaters and easier to digest than wheat or oats. An excellent combination for the winter is grains with beans such as, lentils, adzuki, mung or black (all nourish the kidney energy).  Also organic free range eggs, cow’s milk, goat’s milk and nuts, turkey, lamb, beef, and fish are recommended. However, too much red meat can be over-stimulating and endangers the heart, blood vessels and kidneys.

Congee

Congee is an Anglo Indian word which means rice gruel or porridge. In china it is called Shi-fan or “water rice”.  As the name implies, it is a thin rice soup, the basis of which is rice and water.  It is eaten primarily as a breakfast food but can be enjoyed at any meal. It can easily be made from the left over rice from the night before’s dinner by adding some water and heating it up.  By itself congee is excellent for drying up phlegmy coughs and noses; as well as calming upset stomachs and astringing loose bowels.  By adding various ingredients congee can be the basis for a health supporting diet.  The following are some suggestions and properties of various forms of congee.  The Possibilities can be endless, have fun and be creative.

Astragalus:  Excellent immune builder, very safe and almost flavorless. Add a few sticks to congee or soup and cook for at least 30 minutes.  Take out the sticks before serving.  They are a bit woody. Can be had at many Asia markets or at the clinic, please call ahead.            

Almond Congee:  Good for cough and asthma; expels sputum.

Sweet Rice Congee:  Tones digestion; tonifies Qi.

Adzuki / black Bean Congee:  removes phlegm; useful in edema and gout; also useful in retention of urine, oliguria, dysuria and other Kidney/ bladder problems

Chestnut Congee: Tonifies the Kidneys, strengthens lower back and knees.

Taro/ sweet potato Congee: Nutritive and tonifying

Pine nut Congee:  Moistens Heart and Lungs; harmonizes Large intestine; useful for nervous diseases and constipation

Ginger Congee: Carminative, warming, good for indigestion, cold achy joints.  

Recipes from: Prince Wen Hui’s Cook: Chinese Dietary Therapy by Bob Flaws and Honora Wolfe

To schedule an appointment please call Southwest Family Physicians

 503-620-5556

The disclaimer: This letter is not intended or nor should be used as a substitute for medical advice from your doctor.  If you are suffering from a serious illness or medical condition please seek the advice of your doctor before utilizing any of the suggestions written in this newsletter.