Men are the head of the family, so what should men do if they have kidney deficiency? Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the kidneys are the "foundation of innate essence, growth, development, and reproduction." Men can not only rely on medication to nourish the kidneys, but also use food for treatment. One such food is the nourishing and strengthening kidney soup - Clear Stewed Ox Tail Soup!
【Three acupoints for nourishing the kidneys in men】
1. Zusanli
Located 4 finger-widths below the outer knee, Zusanli is named for its ability to treat various abdominal conditions. It is one of the nine acupuncture points for restoring yang qi and is an important acupoint for strengthening the stomach and invigorating the body.
Massaging Zusanli has the function of tonifying the middle energizer. Using tonifying method can invigorate the spleen and nourish the stomach, similar to the effects of herbs such as Codonopsis, Atractylodes, Dioscorea, and Red Dates. Using purging method can help with digestion, relieve stagnation, and promote gastrointestinal motility, similar to the effects of herbs such as Hawthorn and Rhubarb.
2. Sanyinjiao
Located 4 fingers above the inner ankle, Sanyinjiao is an acupoint on the spleen meridian of the foot taiyin. It is named for being the intersection point of the liver, spleen, and kidney meridians. As the liver stores blood, the spleen controls blood, and the kidneys store essence, nourishing essence and blood are closely related, making this acupoint important for treating blood-related conditions.
Using tonifying method can invigorate the spleen, nourish the blood, and regulate blood circulation, similar to the effects of herbs such as Angelica, Donkey-hide Gelatin, Rehmannia, and Coix Seed. Using purging method can activate blood circulation and resolve stasis, similar to the effects of herbs such as Rehmannia Tails, Peach Kernel, and Safflower.
3. Shenmen
Located slightly above the ulnar side of the wrist crease, Shenmen is the original acupoint of the Heart meridian of the Hand Shaoyin. It is known as the gateway for the circulation of spiritual energy. Using tonifying method can calm the mind and nourish the heart qi, similar to the effects of Sour Jujube Seed and Biota Seed. Using purging method can clear the mind and open the orifices, similar to the effects of Chinese medicine Zixue Dan, Acorus calamus, and Amber.
【Food therapy for nourishing the kidneys】
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "foods of different colors nourish different organs: red foods nourish the heart, green foods nourish the liver, yellow foods nourish the spleen, white foods nourish the lungs, and black foods nourish the kidneys." Therefore, if you want to nourish the kidneys, you should eat more black foods.
For example, black rice, black beans, black sesame, chestnuts, and walnuts. If you can cook these five types of food together, the effect of nourishing the kidneys will be even better!
In addition to food therapy, seafood and other foods are also beneficial! For example, oysters, lobsters, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, shrimp roe, fish roe, shellfish, seaweed, etc.
Goji berries have the effect of nourishing the kidneys and liver, so they are also good for people with kidney deficiency.
【Nourishing and strengthening kidney soup - Clear Stewed Ox Tail Soup】
Recipe for Clear Stewed Ox Tail Soup:
Ingredients: Cistanche 15g, ox tail 2, carrots 250g, bamboo shoots 200g, chicken soup appropriate amount, scallion 10g, ginger slices 10g, salt 3g, MSG 8g, cooking wine 15g.
Efficacy: Warm the kidney yang and nourish essence and blood.
Procedure: 1. Singe the ox tail to remove any remaining hair, burn the skin until it turns black, soak it in cold water until soft, and scrape off the black surface with a knife, then cut it into sections from the joints.
2. Boil water in a pot, add scallion and ginger slices, put the ox tail in and cook until tender, remove and wash it, then cook the ox tail again in chicken soup, remove it, add cooking wine, salt, scallion, ginger slices, fill the pot with clear soup, cover it, and steam until it is cooked and tender.
3. Peel the carrots and bamboo shoots, slice them, boil them in hot water until tender, put them into the soup with the steamed ox tail, add MSG, continue steaming for 20 minutes, skim off any foam, and remove the scallion and ginger. It is ready to be served with a meal.
Usage: Consume while having a meal.
