Chinese medicine for men’s health
Men have unique, gender-specific health concerns that they should know about. Certainly, there are plenty of similarities between the functioning of a man’s body and a woman’s, but there are enough differences to consider this its own field of health and wellness.
Generally speaking, most men’s health problems can be traced back to an imbalance in or low energy of the Kidney system, especially if they exhibit symptoms such as the following:
- Impotence
- Low libido
- Premature ejaculation
- Infertility (low sperm count, poor sperm morphology)
- Prostatitis
- Lower back or knee pain
The Kidneys are considered the root of life and represent the deepest aspects of a person. They store what’s known as Essence, which can be thought of as vitality, or that which gives us life and makes us our unique self. As the holder of Essence, the Kidney system is responsible for birth, reproduction and sexuality.
One of the most common patterns in men with impotence is Kidney Yang Deficiency. In addition to impotence, other signs of Kidney Yang Deficiency include dizziness, blurred vision, fatigue, sore back and knees, cold limbs and frequent urination. Another way of describing this pattern is to say that Ming-men or Life Gate Fire—thought of as the Yang aspect of Kidney Essence—is deficient or declining
Clearly, ignoring these bothersome symptoms will not only impact your quality of life as a man but may also eventually affect your longevity and result in the development of more serious diseases.
Taking preventative action is a key tenet of Chinese medicine for health and wellness: if you have any of these symptoms, address the underlying imbalances in your body and lifestyle today to ensure a long and healthy life.
Some simple self-care tips that can help you preserve the energy and healthy function of your Kidney energy:
- Suitable exercise and reduce stress!Chronic stress continually forces the Kidney to give extra energetic support to the Liver, the organ most affected by stress. Chinese exercise therapy can significantly help body, mind, and spirit recuperate from stress and can increase the body’s Yang, especially the Kidney Yang.
- Start the day with a healthy breakfast!Food is the body’s primary source of renewable energy. If you skip breakfast, your body draws on its limited reserve of Kidney energy to fuel its activity, instead of using renewable Stomach energy generated by your digestive system.
- Eat foods to support your Kidney Qi. Incorporate seafood (especially salmon, oysters, clams, shrimp, and lobster), beans (red and black), nuts (walnuts, cashews, pine nuts), and seeds (black sesame seeds) into your diet, as these foods contain a healing essence that supports your Kidney.