“In winter, when we are talking about hiding and nourishing yin and avoiding cold and warmth, how to supplement the kidney is of particular concern to people. However, after taking the tonic, some people feel that the expected effect is not achieved, and some people’s deficiency is not reduced but aggravated, and even have reactions such as irritability and insomnia, gastrointestinal stagnation, gum swelling and pain. They often think that “deficiency is not tonic” or “not enough”; so they seek around for “better, newer and stronger” kidney remedies, and blindly supplement some, but it is difficult to obtain the effect of nourishing the kidney and fixing the kidney. The effect of nourishing and strengthening the kidney. Therefore, it is necessary to know more about kidney supplementation. A. Kidney deficiency is divided into kidney yang deficiency and kidney yin deficiency Whether the kidney deficiency should be analyzed comprehensively, you should consult a doctor if you are not sure The so-called “kidney” in Chinese medicine refers to the kidney with urinary function, but also includes reproduction, nervous system, storage, nutrition, growth, hematopoiesis, endocrine and other functions. Chinese medicine believes that in the whole process of human life, the strength and weakness of the essence in the kidney (the basic material of human body composition) affects and determines the whole process of birth, growth, strength, aging and death. The old saying “men five eight kidney failure” means that when men reach the age of about forty, they start to age naturally, with the kidneys bearing the brunt. It is reasonable and universal to say that the middle-aged and elderly people have “nine deficiencies in ten kidneys”. In order to take tonic, we should know the connotation and principle of “tonic” in Chinese medicine. Tonic method in Chinese medicine includes not only nutritional supplementation, but also “treating the disease before it happens”, balancing yin and yang qi and blood, in order to strengthen the body and prevent diseases. As the saying goes, “Winter is hidden in the essence, spring is not sick and warm”, which reflects the essence of Chinese medicine tonic and regimen. “Tonic” not only to distinguish the nature of deficiency, but also to see where the deficiency in the dirty, deficient in what, what to supplement, no deficiency can not be indiscriminate. Therefore, the first step of kidney supplementation is to determine the condition of kidney deficiency. According to its specific symptoms, there are two main aspects of kidney deficiency: kidney yang deficiency (including kidney qi deficiency) and kidney yin deficiency (including kidney essence deficiency and kidney water deficiency). Kidney yang deficiency, commonly known as vital fire failure, is manifested by pale or sallow complexion, depression, cold pain in the waist and knees, cold fear and cold limbs, swelling of the face, loose stools and diarrhea, frequent and clear urination, decreased libido, impotence and premature ejaculation in men, cold sperm and infertility in women with cold uterus, etc. It is advisable to use warming drugs for kidney yang, such as cinnamon, deer antler, Epimedium, Cistanches, Baji, locking yang, deer horn gum, purple river car, etc.; “dietary supplement” can choose sea cucumber, oysters, sea shrimp, dog meat, mutton, chicken, walnuts, leeks, dried ginger, etc. If the main symptoms of shortness of breath and sweating, tiredness and weakness, weakness of limbs, pale face, frequent urination, spermatorrhea and premature ejaculation in men and leucorrhea in women are kidney qi deficiency (weakened kidney function), you can choose the above-mentioned drugs and foods for tonicity. Kidney yin deficiency is commonly known as kidney water deficiency, which mainly manifests as thinness, emaciation, soreness of the waist and knees, dizziness and tinnitus, blurred eyes and ears, insomnia and forgetfulness, dry mouth and sore throat, yellow urine and dry stool, spermatorrhea in men and menstrual cramps in women. The treatment is to nourish the kidney yin, can use rehmannia, yam, heshouwu, mulberry, aconite, chasteberry, tortoise shell gum and other drugs. Food therapy can be used for bird’s nest, snow clam, tamari, turtle meat, pigeon meat, pork, snapper, poultry eggs, dairy products, etc. If the symptoms are mainly growth, development and reproductive disorders and decline, such as premature aging, premature graying of the hair, fatigue and forgetfulness, dizziness and tinnitus, weakness of the waist and knees, reduced sexual function, low sperm and slippery sperm in men, early menstruation in women, etc., then it is a deficiency of kidney essence and kidney water, so we can choose the above-mentioned Yin tonic drugs and foods depending on the deficiency bias. It is important to note that whether the kidney is deficient and where it is deficient should not depend on a single symptom, but should be analyzed comprehensively. If you are not sure, you should consult a doctor. B, common misconceptions about kidney supplementation Chinese medicine believes that “movement is the birth of Yang”, winter cold to supplement the kidney, the right amount of exercise is particularly indispensable A, blindly taking aphrodisiacs. The kidney and the aphrodisiac equate, as if the kidney must be strengthened, the aphrodisiac is the kidney. In fact, the kidney is like boiling water: the water will be full when it boils, but the water will become less when it cools; the water will be reduced to a certain level, and it will be difficult to boil again. Simply using aphrodisiacs to supplement the kidneys is like “boiling water”, which seems to work, but the kidney water will become more and more deficient. There are also aphrodisiacs, male may also be mixed with Viagra ingredients, long-term or large doses, will produce dry symptoms and drug dependence; female to nourish the yin-based, containing more western hormones, take too much too long, it is easy to endocrine disorders, with adverse consequences. The correct method of kidney supplementation should be to seek yang in yin and yin in yang, to benefit the kidney and fix the essence, to achieve the purpose of complementing yang or yin and yang. As if the water was boiled, but also add water as appropriate, so that the water to maintain a certain boiling, but also swollen and not overflowing, to avoid the use of aphrodisiacs alone and cause adverse consequences. Second, simply rely on the tonic and do not pay attention to “kidney”. I think that with the “kidney” as a support, you can indulge in wantonness, linger in love, the results hurt the kidneys and consume the essence, resulting in greater deficiency. Winter is water, its cold gas, the main collection, winter kidney especially to store and nourish the essence of the first. Only proper abstinence from sex can hide the kidneys, and vice versa, the more powerful tonic can not make up for the damage caused by excessive indulgence in the kidneys. Third, medicine and food in the sexual flavor with inappropriate. For example, the kidney Yang, but also eat winter melon, bamboo shoots, bitter melon, bananas, pears, watermelon, tofu and other cold food and drinking cool drinks, weakening the efficacy of the kidney medicine (food). Or over-emphasize the “medicine” and ignore the “food”. It is a consensus in Chinese medicine that “food supplement” is better than “medicine supplement”. Proper “food supplement” can complement “medicine supplement” and reduce the possible side effects of pure tonic medicine. According to the yin and yang of your kidneys, you should choose the above mentioned “food tonic” to nourish them reasonably. Some people like to use tonic wine with meals, but there are also misconceptions. The wine is divided into medicinal wine and health wine, medicinal wine is added to the specific drug concoction, belongs to the category of medicine, in the treatment of diseases and applicable to the population has a strong target, not arbitrary drinking. Health wine is also often added to the drug (can also have fruit, meat, etc.), such as the kidney yin of the turtle plate, turtle nails, wuzu, black sesame; kidney yang of the deer antler, cistanches, locking Yang, baji, dulcimer, sequestra and so on, but it belongs to the category of drinks, can be seen from the formula of the main drugs referred to its tonic benefits. The tonic wine is not selected, see “tonic” on the drink, often counterproductive. Chinese medicine believes that “movement is Yang”, winter cold to supplement the kidneys, the right amount of exercise is particularly indispensable. Walking, jogging, playing Taijiquan, doing aerobics, sunbathing, etc., are excellent forms of winter exercise. Because the functional activities of the limbs are governed by the liver and kidneys, proper physical exercise helps activate the yang of the liver and kidneys, nourishes the tendons and bones, opens the veins and activates the chakras, strengthens resistance, and achieves the purpose of strengthening the body and kidneys. However, the reality of the affluent life has given birth to a “drug family”, they take medicine as a way to prevent disease and health, a large pile of pills and pills of supplements, the whole day deep in the house as a “couch potato”. This over-reliance on drugs, ignoring exercise and physical and mental conditioning bias, encountering back pain, insomnia, loss of libido and other diseases, once treated and not cured, often suffering from “kidney deficiency phobia”. So strengthen the medicine for tonic, and the effect is not good when the original doubts aggravated, resulting in physical and mental fatigue, resistance to disease decline, forming a vicious circle. The world does not rely on tonic drugs alone, leaving the necessary exercise can also be strong body! Lack of necessary exercise, kidney health can only be a pipe dream.