Winter has come to Colorado and change in seasons is inflicting another layer of stress on your body. Water element organs are weakened by excess cold, affecting kidney and bladder and muscles of their meridians. The emotion of kidneys is fear and anxiety about future or past. Everytime I feel strong engagement along the sides of the spine, I know that fear is presently acting on the system. Water has memory and comprises the largest part of the human organism. It is a known conduit for emotions. Additionally recent research has revealed that stress hormones are in fact contageous and spread through the air like pheromones to your family and coworkers. So here is a mineral bath recipe to help you chill out this season!
Mineral Bath Soak:
Add 1 cup each, Epsom Salt and Himalayan Rock salt to your bath.
Jasmine 2 drops (Trusting)
Kunzea 1 drop (Safe)
Marjoram 2 drops (Soothed)
Orange 1 drop (Lighthearted)
Grepefruit 1 drop (Optimistic)
UTIs, blood pressure irregularities, kidney stones, filtration isses and dehydration are among conditions likely to flare up this season. Since Kidneys regulate minerals and salts, bones and bone marrow are also governed by this organ. Bone related issues are directly related to the kidneys ability to balance minerals, salts and solutes within the system. Too much salt in the diet can disrupt the natural balance in kidneys, so take care now to avoid oversalting your foods. Winter tends to dry us out and exacerbate issues related to these two organs. At onset of cold weather it is easy to forget to drink water. Make sure that your water is filtered well and has minerals and electrolytes added to better hydrate your cells and transport nutrients. Minerals are stimulating , so they are best taken in the morning when you need the extra jolt to get you going. In TCM kidneys store the body's jing, or vital life force energy. Many of us have burned out our kidney adrenal axis and suffer from fatigue and general malaise. Stinging nettle is a gentle kidney adrenal tonic. Post-partum, stinging nettle tea can bring the life force back into the body and repair depletion from sleeplessness. Now, as promiced, true facts about water from one of my courses in hydrotherapy.
Did you know approximately 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated? In 37% of Americans the thirst mechanism is so weak that thirst is often mistaken for hunger. In cases of even mild dehydration, your metabolism is slowed by 3%. A mere 2% drop in body fluids results in fuzzy short term memory and difficulty concentrating on a computer screen or on a printed page. Dehydration is the number 1 trigger of daytime fatigue and recent research suggests that 8-10 glasses of water a day significantly eases back and joint pain in 80% of sufferers. Additionally, drinking 5 glasses of water a day decreases the risk of colon cancer risk by 45%, breast cancer by 79% and bladder cancer by 50%! Its also a little known fact that 25% of the oxygen we need for metabolism comes from drinking water. Adults are 70-75% water, while children are closer to 80% water! Considering these figures and the fact that we live in such an arid environment at high altitude, I highly encourage increasing your current water intake this season to support your body.
More facts about water:
In a study that tested quality of 1000 brands of bottled water, almost 1/3 tested were below tap water standards. Clean water should be a major consideration for your body's daily needs. After all, we can live weeks and possibly months without food, yet we can only live 3 days without water. Water is meant to carry minerals that come from rivers and lakes overflowing during annual monsoon season. Because humans have tapped and dammed the rivers, our crops no longer receive replenishment of minerals, causing depletion withinn our food crops and therefore our bodies. When you consider the filtration of your water, remember to add minerals and electrolytes into your daily routine. Minerals are water soluble, so they go in and go out without being able to be stored in your system. They must always be present in order for your body to draw from them. Most people are not aware of the value of minerals or the role they play within biological systems. Higly advertised sigle mineral supplements are actually not helpul as the body needs minerals and electrolytes in balanced ratios to function correctly. You wont beleive how mayne people taking magnesium alone are experiencing muscle crapms and spasms, not realizing that it comes from imbalance of the potassium, sodium, calcium to magnesium ratio. Natural sources of trace minerals and electrolytes are way better than fabricated lab made ones. For example Juicing celery, cucumber, lemon, cilantro and ginger witll give you a great energy boost and supply correct proportion of electrolytes. In order for proteins to take on their active conformation (shape) and be able to carry out their functions, they require a positively charged central molecule(mineral) to fit inside the negatively charged shape (amino acid chain). Without trace minerals, your body may be printing all the right proteins, gated channels, vitamin transporters, but they are not able to perform their functions at all. This is one of the reasons some people take loads of vitamins and feel no difference at all. It is this lack of functioning carrier proteins that makes it impossible for your body to absorb vitamins. Consider taking a natural mineral supplement before beginning a vitamin regimen and spoil yourself by taking soaks in natural hot springs this winter.
