It’s that time of year again that most of us fear due to the stress of Christmas and family gathering and the quietness of january and febreary.
Suddenly the flu and colds have reappeared and our poor immune systems are taking a hit. After Covid I noticed that my patients´ colds take longer time to eliminate and they notice a deep dive into the solitude of winter and illness.
For those who feel and fear the loneliness and quietness of Winter, I want to share with you that those are the gifts of Winter and the Water element. Indeed, it is THE time of the year where you should take advantage to REST especially if you are the type of person who normally feels guilty of the “doing nothing”. It is the silence of Winter which allows you to hear your deepest truth bringing out your inner wisdom.
Here are MY go-to ROUTINES to staying healthy and supporting your immune system.
I find myself like mothers and grand mothers telling you to wear scarves and socks. It’s important to keep your neck covered and feet + ankles warm and even more so if you are on fertility or menopause journey!
Keeping your feet warm is great practice to keeping your Womb warm. Chinese Medicine has long believed that if you have cold feet your Uterus will be cold too and that’s when period issues happen. Most period pain including endometriosis are associated with cold Uterus.
The Kidney meridians that start in the sole of your feet connect directly to the reproductive organs. In TCM each season has an associated organ, and for winter, it’s the Kidneys. The Kidneys house fundamental Qi and are in charge of birth, growth, reproduction and development. Therefore, it’s super important in these cooler months to avoid walking on cold floors barefoot and sitting on cold surfaces. Instead make a ginger footbath, rub your feet with your fave oil and grab your cosiest pair of winter wooly socks.
Don’t leave home without wearing your scarf! In Chinese Medicine it is said wind finds its way into vulnerable spots, like the back of the neck, which is known as the “Wind gate” causing a stiff neck, runny nose and cold! Make sure you have a layer to support your neck.
Practice Qigong and receive Acupuncture to build and maintain your immune system strong! Obviously these are my favorite practices as an acupuncturist and it works! Studies show that acupuncture modulates the innate (the one we are born with) and adaptive immune (the one we develop throughout our life) responses leading to a better response to patogens.
Eating warm and nourishing food plays a big role into keeping our immune system in check. I love warm soups and stews with roots vegetables. Blue and black are the colors of the Kidneys and nourishes them. Here are a few recommandations: handful of blueberries, blackberries, raisins to your breakfast, smoothies with blackberries and bllueberries, baked aubergines with garlic and salt, black plum with yogurt, black grapes, black beans stews with root vegetables, miso, soy sauce, tamari, seaweed and my fave bone broth! It has been here for centuries, it is medicinal food, bone broth nourishes and tonifies the vital physiological functions that are the foundation of our health.
For Qigong Classes, check in the menu tab the date of the next class, they are all year round!!!