Kidney-damaging behaviors, kidney-strengthening massage exercises, and the "Ten-in-One Tonic" method
Misuse or excessive use of medications can lead to kidney tubulointerstitial damage due to long-term use of nephrotoxic drugs. These drugs include traditional Chinese medicines containing aristolochic acid, such as Guanmutong, Guangfangji, and Qingmuxiang, as well as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antibiotics, such as analgesics and acetaminophen, which can easily cause kidney damage.
Holding in urine frequently can cause problems. Urine left in the bladder for extended periods can breed bacteria, which can travel up the ureters to the kidneys, leading to urinary tract infections and pyelonephritis. Repeated occurrences can result in chronic infections that are difficult to cure.
There's a saying in Traditional Chinese Medicine: "To live a long life, protect your kidneys." Although the meaning of "kidney" differs between Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western medicine, this saying applies to both. Professor William Mitch stated that if people can protect their kidneys and reduce the incidence of kidney disease, overall human lifespan will increase.
To maintain virility and vitality, men should ensure their kidneys remain strong. Specifically, this involves: a balanced diet, reducing salt intake, and eating a light diet; a mix of meat and vegetables, and avoiding overeating; drinking plenty of water and avoiding holding urine; regularly engaging in physical activity and exercise daily, controlling weight, and avoiding colds. When experiencing infections of the throat or tonsils, immediate and thorough treatment with antibiotics under a doctor's guidance is necessary, as streptococcal infections can easily lead to kidney disease. Furthermore, smoking should be stopped, alcohol consumption should be moderate, and drug abuse should be avoided, including long-term, high-dose use of painkillers and traditional Chinese medicines containing aristolochic acid. In addition, regular annual urinalysis and kidney function tests, along with a kidney ultrasound, are recommended for early detection and treatment.
A man's physical health is closely related to the strength of his kidneys. When winter arrives, the body needs sufficient energy and heat to defend itself. If the body is weak, it will experience symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath, lower back and knee weakness, fatigue, urinary incontinence, or urinary retention due to insufficient "firepower." This indicates kidney yang deficiency. Others may experience kidney yin deficiency due to insufficient body fluids, leading to reduced moisturizing and nourishing functions. Clinical manifestations include emaciation, lower back and knee weakness, dizziness, tinnitus, dry mouth and throat, hot flashes, flushed cheeks, night sweats, and scanty, dark yellow urine.
To prevent kidney disease, men should engage in more exercise to ensure proper kidney function. Here are some massage exercises you can learn and apply:
1. Waist massage exercises
First, rub your palms together until they are warm, then place them on your lower back, palms facing the skin, and massage up and down until you feel warmth. Do this once in the morning and once in the evening, about 200 times each time. This exercise can nourish the kidneys and improve energy flow. In addition, make fists with both hands, and use the protruding part of the thumb's metacarpophalangeal joint to naturally massage the acupoints on your lower back, making circular motions inwards, gradually increasing the pressure until you feel a slight soreness. Continue massaging for about 10 minutes, once in the morning, noon, and evening. The lower back is the residence of the kidneys; regular massage of the acupoints on the lower back can prevent and treat chronic muscle strain, lower back pain, and other symptoms caused by kidney deficiency in middle-aged and elderly people.
2. Foot massage method
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of the foot is directly connected to the kidney meridian, and it is where turbid qi descends. Regularly massaging the Yongquan acupoint can nourish the kidneys and strengthen the body, prevent premature aging, soothe the liver and improve eyesight, promote sleep, and has a certain therapeutic effect on dizziness, insomnia, tinnitus, hemoptysis, nasal congestion, and headaches caused by kidney deficiency. The method for massaging the soles of the feet is to soak the feet in warm water before bed each day, then rub the hands together until warm, and then massage the sole of the right foot with the left palm and the sole of the left foot with the right palm, at least 100 times each time, until both feet are warm. This method has the effect of strengthening the kidneys, nourishing yin, and reducing internal heat, and is particularly effective for common symptoms of deficiency heat in middle-aged and elderly people.
3. Kidney-strengthening exercises
Step 1: Sit upright with your legs naturally apart, shoulder-width apart. Bend your elbows and raise your arms to the sides, fingers pointing upwards, level with your ears. Raise your arms until you feel a slight pull in your rib area, then return to the starting position. Repeat 3 to 5 times as one set, and do 3 to 5 sets daily as needed. Before starting, relax your whole body. Inhale as you raise your arms and exhale as you return to the starting position. Do not exert too much force. This movement can loosen muscles and bones, unblock meridians, and help Qi return to the Dantian (lower abdomen), providing relief for the elderly, those who are weak, or those who are short of breath.
Step 2: Sit upright, bend your left elbow and place it on your thighs, bend your right elbow with your palm facing up, and perform a throwing motion 3 to 5 times. When performing the throwing motion, toss your hand upwards in the air, the movement can be slightly faster, inhale when throwing your hand upwards, and exhale when returning to the starting position. The effect of this movement is the same as the first movement.
Step 3: Sit upright with your legs hanging naturally. Slowly rotate your body left and right 3 to 5 times. Then swing your legs forward more than 10 times, adjusting the number according to your physical strength. Relax your whole body while performing the movements, and make sure the movements are natural and gentle. Keep your torso upright when rotating your body, and avoid bending forward or backward. This exercise can improve waist and knee flexibility, benefit the kidneys and strengthen the lower back. Regular practice of this exercise will strengthen the waist and knees and is beneficial to the kidneys.
Step 4: Sit upright, loosen your belt, and remove your clothing. Rub your hands together to warm them, then place them on your lower back and rub up and down until your lower back feels warm. This method can warm the kidneys and strengthen the lower back. The lower back contains the Mingmen acupoint on the Du meridian, as well as the Shenshu, Qihaiyu, and Dachangshu acupoints on the Bladder meridian. After rubbing, you will feel warmth throughout your body, which has the effects of warming the kidneys, strengthening the lower back, relaxing muscles and promoting blood circulation.
Step 5: Stand with your feet together, cross your arms and raise them overhead, then bend over, touch the ground with your hands, then squat down, hug your knees with your hands, and silently say "blow" without making a sound. Repeat this more than 10 times.
**The ultimate tonic cultivates an indestructible body**
Having a full bust is a goal many modern women strive for, but it's considered strange and embarrassing if a man achieves it. However, the world is full of wonders. In Chongqing, an 18-year-old boy developed female developmental characteristics due to excessive supplementation. How shameful this is! Supplementation is meant to regulate bodily functions, but excessive supplementation can be harmful, causing further damage to the body. Scientific supplementation should be tailored to the individual, their constitution, and the natural rhythms of the day.
Many might think it's a huge joke to expect men, who are generally stronger than women, to take supplements and focus on health maintenance. However, numerous studies show that men are not as physically stronger as traditionally believed; their probability of developing diseases is significantly higher, and their lifespan is generally shorter. Therefore, men should also address their health needs in daily life, taking supplements when necessary, exercising when appropriate, and maintaining good health when needed. This makes men's health maintenance not only necessary but also practical. Below, we'll discuss how men should supplement their diet in daily life.
1. How should men with kidney yang deficiency supplement their diet?
Generally, male kidney deficiency can be divided into two types: kidney yang deficiency and kidney yin deficiency. In folk terms, kidney deficiency usually refers to kidney yang deficiency. Winter is a crucial time for men with kidney deficiency to tonify their kidneys. Men with kidney yang deficiency often experience symptoms such as lower back pain, cold limbs, weak legs, decreased libido, and tinnitus. Their dietary supplementation should focus on tonifying the kidneys, strengthening yang, nourishing blood, and consolidating essence. These men should eat more bird meat, mutton, dog meat, and leeks, as these foods are rich in protein, taurine, arginine, and zinc. Animal penises and soft-shelled turtles are also excellent choices for tonifying the kidneys, replenishing deficiencies, benefiting kidney qi, and improving immunity. At the same time, they should eat more warming foods, especially those that tonify kidney yang. Appropriate intake of nutritious, kidney-tonifying, high-calorie, and easily digestible foods is recommended. Warm fruits can also be consumed to replenish blood, benefit the kidneys, replenish essence, and resist cold. However, while tonifying kidney yang, it's important not to forget to supplement with yin-nourishing foods to supplement yang with yin.
Angelica and ginger mutton soup is an excellent remedy for kidney deficiency: 20 grams of angelica, 30 grams of ginger, 500 grams of mutton, and appropriate amounts of rice wine and seasonings. Wash and cut the mutton into pieces, add angelica, ginger, rice wine, and seasonings, and simmer for 1-2 hours. Eat the meat and drink the soup.
2. How should men with spleen yang deficiency nourish their bodies?
In winter, the temperature drops sharply, making many men's spleens highly susceptible to cold, leading to impaired spleen function or a pre-existing spleen deficiency. Once a person's spleen develops a yang deficiency, their digestive function gradually deteriorates, resulting in loss of appetite, sensitivity to cold, and constipation. Another common phenomenon is that many people experience diarrhea after drinking alcohol, which, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, is actually caused by spleen yang deficiency. The reason is that alcohol further weakens the spleen's yang, so men with spleen yang deficiency must abstain from alcohol.
Men with spleen deficiency should pay particular attention in winter, focusing on tonifying Yang and strengthening the spleen. They should eat more warming and spleen-strengthening foods such as japonica rice, lotus seeds, fox nuts, atractylodes macrocephala, amomum villosum, and dried ginger. Meanwhile, yam, jujubes, and lotus seeds are rich in starch, easily absorbed, and have spleen-strengthening and Qi-boosting effects; these can be emphasized in a family's winter diet. For meat intake, choose fish with fine fibers. In addition to ensuring a balanced daily diet, these individuals should drink more yam porridge, jujube porridge, crucian carp soup, and carp soup.