Are you dreading winter and cold feet? Tired of giving an icy handshake?
November is here and so is the cold weather. Are your hands and feet always cold? Do you feel your body tensing against the cold, or even the thought of it? Or maybe your symptoms are worse on those damp and rainy days? Humans are deeply affected by our environment including the weather. Many people dread these winter months, but it doesn’t have to be like that. This winter imagine feeling warm from the inside out. Let all the tension and pain leave your body.
In Chinese medicine cold and dampness can enter the body slowly over time or from a sudden exposure. It can also enter us by eating too much cold, raw food and iced beverages. Cold and damp enter the body more easily when our vital energy is weakened.
The kidneys in Chinese medicine are the source of fire and warmth in the body. This fire is called Ming Men. As we age this fire can decrease as we use up this vital energy. The Ming Men provides warmth, drive and dynamism that propel us into life. Very simply, the kidneys provide us a foundation. The role of the kidneys in Chinese medicine is similar to that of the endocrine system in western medicine. In western physiology the pituitary and hypothalamus regulate our temperature and metabolism. In Chinese medicine the kidney system is responsible for that. So whenever there is an endocrine issue we always treat the kidneys.
Acupuncture can address the cold that is responsible for many symptoms, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and aches and pains. The effect of acupuncture on the nervous and endocrine system can help regulate our temperature. We can also affect the circulatory system to help increase circulation. Moxabustion therapy has been used for thousands of years to deeply warm the body. It has been proven to increase blood and lymph circulation and even red and white blood cell production.
Dietary and lifestyle changes can also be helpful in driving cold out of the body and reducing cold feet.
- Add more soup and stews to your diet.
- Eliminate or reduce cold foods and beverages.
- Cook with spices like ginger, scallion, onion, cayenne, chili pepper. Drink warm teas throughout the day.
- Take warm baths, or just soak your feet in some hot bath water for a few minutes. Apply a heating pad at night to your low back, kidney area.
- Get acupuncture and ask about how moxabustion and Chinese herbal therapy can help you.
