In the United States, people who are in their fifties, sixties, or even seventies are looking for ways to look and feel younger and/or age in a healthy way. As a result, hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars are being spent each year on exercise gadgets and equipments, cosmetic procedures and cosmetic products, and on food and vitamin supplements to retard or even halt the ravages of aging.
We have the tendency in our culture to view aging as a faltering or a breakdown of our health, as if our bodies have the capacity to betray us. The Chinese, however, look at aging in a completely different way. Based on the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), aging is more of a life transition that naturally happens to people and is not seen as a breakdown of the body. How you live and age in your later years is based on the kind of lifestyle you’ve lived during your preceding years. How you look and feel when you age will depend on several factors, some of which you have the ability to control and some of which you don’t.
Essence
One needs to know what the concept of Essence is in order to understand aging from the viewpoint of TCM. As one of the body’s most important substances, Essence is responsible for a person’s conception, birth, growth, development, and maturation. Without Essence, the body would not exist since it is the basis from which all other substances spring from.
At the time of conception, we inherit one type of Essence. This is known as Congenital Essence. This Essence not only is the factor for our maturation and growth, it also where our constitution and genetic traits come from. However, Congenital Essence gets depleted as we age and can never be replenished and the moment it is completely exhausted, based on TCM teaching, this is also the moment when we die. Although it cannot be replenished, Congenital Essence can be augmented by another form of Essence known as Acquired Essence or can be utilized in the best way by living a healthy lifestyle.
Acquired Essence is derived from the nutrients from foods that we eat, and can be developed up by healthy eating. Indications of a rich Acquired Essence are high energy levels, increased strength, and good health. The Kidney is where Congenital Essence and surplus Acquired Essence are stored.
When we talk about the Kidney or any other organ in TCM, we are referring to an organ system that performs certain unique functions in the body and not the organ itself. The Kidney system is the organ system responsible for fertility, sexuality, maturation, and growth. It is also responsible for the development of the brain, teeth, and bones and is related to the ear and function of hearing. The Kidney and Essence have a very intimate connection between them. In fact, Essence is more commonly known in Chinese medicine as Kidney Essence.
The slow progressive depletion of Kidney Essence is the main cause of aging. The process of depletion leads to memory loss or difficulties, confusion, teeth loss, and brittle and weak bones. Back pain, lack of energy and weakness are also typical manifestations of Kidney Essence slowly depleting.
The Importance of Preparing Food Properly and Eating Well
How can we then help preserve Kidney Essence? A healthy diet is the most important way to preserve Essence. Chinese dietary therapy can help us determine the types of food and the manner of eating we need to practice in order to have a long and healthy life. One important aspect of Chinese dietary therapy is its emphasis on food preparation that makes food easy to digest and in proper eating. Difficult to digest foods unnecessarily uses up Qi or energy and if this occurs frequently the Essence can be depleted in a relatively short period of time. Certain tips on how to eat well are listed below:
-Refrain from excessively drinking alcohol
-Lightly stew or steam fruits and vegetables – This is necessary since raw foods can be hard for the body to digest.
-Drunk fluids that are warm or at room temperature instead of cold
-Avoid the drinking or eating of very cold drinks or foods like iced drinks or ice cream
-Avoid greasy or spicy foods
-Consult with a TCM practitioner about the kind of foods that need to be eaten for your specific constitution or condition
Moderation and the Management of Stress
Stress management is one very important means of protecting our health as we age. Sadly, we often discover stress to be an unavoidable part of our busy, results-driven lives that oftentimes overwhelm our mind and body and adversely affect our health. Because we are too immersed in stress, many of us aren’t even aware of the incredible amounts of this destructive factor in us that wreaks harm to our health because we are so busy trying to get everything done. Stress generates imbalances in our body, disrupts the healthy interactions between the organ systems, physically exhausts us, and depletes our essence.
Overwork is one other harmful factor that exhausts our internal organs, specifically the Spleen and Kidney. Not getting sufficient rest after long hours of studying or working can deplete our Essence; excessive exercise can also have the same effect. Therefore, adequate rest and moderation in doing things are required to help preserve Essence.
Moderation can also be applied in your sexual activity. Your sexual life can affect the Kidney Essence since the Kidney system is responsible for reproduction. Too much or too frequent sex and bearing children whose ages are very close together, can needlessly exhaust Essence and lead to premature aging.
Moderation when performing things as well as adequate rest, and a proper diet are all important things to consider for aging with good health, vitality, and fullness of energy.