Lecture 8: KI/BL Patterns & Food Therapy Flashcards
What are the five primary functions of the Kidney?
- Stores essence
- Governs water
- Rules mingmen
- Controls reception of qi
- Houses will power
Talk about the Kidney’s function of storing essence.
- Governs birth, develoment, reproduction, sexuality and aging
- Kidney essence produces marrow, substance that form brain and is transformed into bone marrow
Talk about Kidney’s function of governing water.
- Production and movement of body fluids
- Responsible for discharge of fluids along with help from bladder
Talk about the Kidney’s function of ruling Mingmen.
Mingmen: fire of life, root of original qi, source of fire for all internal organs
- Warms lower burner and bladder, ST/SP to aid digestions
- Harmonizes sexual function
- Warms essence and uterus
- Assists kidney’s reception of qi
- Assists heart in housing the mind
Talk about the kidney’s function of controlling the reception of qi.
- Controls receptions of air, Qing qi
- Lung and Kidney work together
- Lung sends essence and qi into kidneys, KI holds and grasps qi down, if not it will escape upward and there will be breathlessness
Talk about the Kidney’s function of storing will power. State of strong vs weak will power.
Will power (Zhi) – KI determine willpower, includes determination, enthusiasm, spirit of initiative, steadfastness, ability to focus and pursue goals in a single-minded way. Also includes memory and recall.
If KI are weak, will power will be lacking, mind easily discouraged and swayed from its aims, motivation lacking
Important aspects of mental depression are associated here. Tonifying KI will offer a good result.
What are three other important functions of the Kidney?
1.
What happens if there is too much KI energy?
Trick question: You cannot have too much KI energy! The idea is to tap in and use it wisely.
All about conserving and utilizing resources with wisdom, resources inherited at birth. If KI not functioning properly we may squander these resources.
What is the function of the bladder?
Receives turbid fluids from SI and kidneys, stores and then discharges them in the form of urine.
Bladder works in harmony with Kidney. Role is to mediate utilization of these resources, reservoir that holds these resources and doesn’t let too much dissipate.
What behaviour may present if Kidney wisdom is compromised? Bladder?
If KI wisdom is compromised it may present as paranoia, secretive behaviour.
BL may manifest as anxiety d/t overstimulation of nervous system on mind.
General Etiology of Kidney Patterns
Heredity: Prenatal Jing/Ancestral (Yuan) Qi of each individual is formed at the moment of conception from a combination of the parents’ Jing, both in general, and especially at conception. If parents had unhealthy or weak Jing (perhaps also inherited), or if conception occurred when they were too old or exhausted, the offspring could have a weak constitution.
Emotions: The Kidneys in Five Element theory correspond to Water, which is associated with fear, anxiety, and shock. Fear descends Qi. Kidney rules the two lower orifices, control of which is often lost during bouts of extreme fear. Fear in children can cause enuresis. In adults, fear (anxiety/worry) tends to deplete the Yin of the Kidneys and cause Kidney Yin Deficiency that may lead to Heart Yin Deficiency.
Excessive Sexual Activity: Weakens Kidney energy, especially in men, since ejaculation depletes Kidney Jing. The Heart is directly related to Kidneys in that they mutually support and nourish each other. Therefore, weak Kidneys can weaken the Heart. Conversely, Deficient Heart Qi from sadness and/or anxiety can weaken Kidneys causing impotence, frigidity, inability to have orgasm.
Chronic Disease: Most chronic disease eventually weakens the Kidneys, causing Deficiency of Kidney Yin or Yang.
Aging: Kidney Jing declines with age
Physical Overwork: Weakens Kidney Yang
Mental Overwork: Weakens Kidney Yin (very common in Western culture).
KI Qi Xu Etiology
Heredity: Prenatal Jing/Ancestral (Yuan) Qi being weak
Emotions: The Kidneys in Five Element theory correspond to Water, which is associated with fear, anxiety, and shock. Fear descends Qi.
Excessive Sexual Activity: Weakens Kidney energy,
Chronic Disease: Most chronic disease eventually weakens the Kidneys, causing Deficiency of Kidney Yin or Yang.
Aging: Kidney Jing declines with age
Physical Overwork: Weakens Kidney Yang
Mental Overwork: Weakens Kidney Yin (very common in Western culture).
KI Qi Xu Dietary Therapy
Temperature: Neutral, Warm sometimes hot
Cooking: Warming - grilled, fried, baked
Flavour: Neutral-warm sweet, neutral-warm pungent, neutral-warm salty
KI Qi Xu Dietary Avoidances
Temperature: Cool, Cold
Cooking: Cooling
Flavours: Sour, Excess bitter (is a qi tonic but can drain too much heat)
Avoid excessive intake of thermally cold food, raw foods, too much dairy, too many tropical fruits, frozen foods, denaturalized foods, canned foods, or ice-cold beverages.
Bitter Melon, Brown sugar, Butter, Cereal Grass, Chard, Cheese, Clam, Coffee, Citrus, Milk, Crab, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Mung bean, Nori, Octopus, Salt, Seaweed, Spinach, Water Chestnut, Watermelon
KI Qi Xu
POT
2 Foods for Exam
POT:
- Tonify KI Qi
Walnut:
- Warm
- Sweet; Bitter
- Tonifies KI Qi
- (Strengthens Lung Qi and Kidney Yan as well)
Cod:
- Warm
- Sweet; Salty
- Strengthens KI Qi
- (Strengthens ST Qi)
Kidney Yin Xu Etiology
- Heredity
- Emotions - fear, anxiety, worry
- Excessive sexual activity
- Chronic illness
- Febrile disease, EPF
- Overwork, esp. mental overwork
- Loss of blood
- Loss of body fluids
- Improper treatment. eg. overdose of Chinese herbs (eg. ginseng to boost energy)
Kidney Yin Xu Dietary Therapy
Thermal nature: Neutral, Cool
Cooking methods: Cooling - blanching, steaming
Flavours: neutral-cool sweet, neutral-cool sour, neutral-cool salty
Kidney Yin Xu Food Examples
Black sesame seeds (especially for constipation)
Apple, Black Bean, Barley, Blueberry, Caviar, Chinese Cabbage, Citrus juice, Corn, Cucumber, Goose, Ghee, Green tea, Hemp seed, Kale, Kidney bean, Mulberry, Mung Bean, Orange, Pear, Pork (defatted soup), Tomato, Spelt, Spinach, Water Chestnut Congee, Yogurt
Kidney Yin Xu Dietary Avoidances
AVOID
Temperature: Warm to Hot
Cooking Methods: Warming (eg. frying, barbecuing)
Flavours: Warm-Hot Pungent, Warm-Hot Bitter, Excess salt
Food Examples: Alcohol, Black tea, Coffee, Cayenne, Cinnamon, Cloves, Garlic, Chili Pepper, Leek, Lamb
Kidney Yin Xu
POT?
2 Foods for Exam
POT:
- Tonify KI Yin
Black Soybean:
- Neutral
- Sweet
- Strengthens KI Yin
- Supplements SP and KI
Pistachio:
- Neutral
- Sweet, Bitter, Sl. sour
- Tonifies Kidney Yin
- (Moistens Lung and skin)
- (Nourishes liver yin)
- (Purifies blood)
Kidney Yin Xu
Lifestyle Suggestions
- Eat animal products in small amounts
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Eat congees as they are cooling, demulcent and tonifying
- Take time out to just sit and rest
- Establish good sleep hygiene
- Find proper pacing for activities to maintain energy reserves
- Try to find a good work and life balance
- Gentle exercise like walking
- Find restorative practices like yoga, tai chi, meditation
- Aloe vera gel or colloidal silver if parasites are an issue
Kidney Yin Xu Lifestyle Avoidances
- Avoid excessive sexual activity
- Avoid excessive physical exercise
- Avoid excessive drug use or medication abuse
- When possible mitigate exposure to extreme emotional situations
- Be especially careful to avoid overwork during menses
- Limit warming foods and avoid extremely hot foods
- Avoid overeating
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid alcohol
- Avoid caffeine
Kidney Yin Xu Herbs
- Marshmallow root (Althea officinalis)
- Prepared Rehmannia root
- Mandarin (tian men dong)
- Asparagus root
- Lui Wei Di Huang Wan - Six Ingredient Rehmannia Pill
Kidney Yang Xu Etiology
- Heredity
- Emotional stress
- Overwork/over exercise
- Too much sex
- Sex during puberty (females)
- Exposure to cold
- Cold/raw food, poor diet
- Chronic illness
- SP Yang Xu
- Retention of Dampness in SP
Kidney Yang Xu Dietary Therapy
Basically the same as for qi deficiency, but foods with a stronger yang character can be used.
Thermal nature: neutral, warming, sometimes hot
Cooking method: warming
Flavour: neutral to warm-sweet; neutral to warm-pungent; neutral to warm-salty; occasionally also hot
Kidney Yang Xu Dietary Avoidances
Temperature: Cool, Cold
Cooking Methods: Cooling eg. steaming, salting (pickling in brine)
Flavours: Sour, Bitter, Excessive salt
Food Examples: Asparagus, Banana, Clam, Coffee, Dandelion, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lettuce, Lime, Peppermint
- Thermally cold or cool foods, raw foods, ice water
- Sugar
- Alcohol
- Juices like orange juice or tropical fruit juice
- Sour milk products
- Excess liquid consumption
Kidney Yang Xu Food Examples
Spices that warm the kidney yang: Anise seeds, Black peppercorn, Cinnamon bark, Cloves, Fennel, Fenugreek, Ginger (dried)
Chicken, Goat, Goat milk, Lamb, Lobster, Salmon, Trout, Venison
Onion family
Quinoa
Kidney Yang Xu
POT
2 Foods for Exam
POT:
- Tonify KI Yang
Quinoa:
- Neutral, Warm
- Sweet, Sour
- Tonifies KI Yang
- General Qi tonic
- Targets SP, ST, BL
Venison:
- Warm
- Sweet, Pungent
- Tonifies KI Yang
- Strengthens Qi, Blood and Yang
Kidney Yang Xu Lifestyle Suggestions
- Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan - Golden Chest Kidney-Qi Pill
- Eat substantial warming breakfast (porridge)
- Eat at least one or two warm meals daily (soups/stews) are beneficial.
- Stay warm and bundled up if going in the cold
- Take warming baths, saunas
- Moderate exercise
- Be very careful with overwork
- Take enough rest
- Good work/life balance
- Careful with emotional strain, find ways to mitigate negative emotions
Kidney Yang Xu Lifestyle Avoidances
- Avoid cold and raw food
- Avoid excessive sexual activity
- Avoid overwork
- Avoid alcohol and durgs
- Avoid coffee
- Careful with prescription medications
- Avoid too much exposure to cold and damp
- Try to protect agains illness or EPF invasion
KI Failing to Receive Qi Etiology
- This is a type of Yang Xu
- Too much work/physical exercise esp. during puberty
- LU Qi Xu
- Phlegm will aggravate
Kidney Failing to Receive Qi
POT
2 Foods for Exam
POT:
- Tonify Kidney Yang
- Tonify Lung Qi
Walnut:
- Warm
- Sweet; Bitter
- Tonifies Kidney and Lung
- Strengthens Kidney Qi
- Moistens lung
Quinoa:
- Neutral, Warm
- Sweet; Sour
- Tonifies Kidney Yang
- General Qi tonic
- Targets SP/ST/BL
KI Qi Not Firm Etiology
General factors for KI Deficiency but especially these factors:
- Too much sex (males)
- Many childbirths close together (females)
- Too much physical work
- Chronic SP Yang Xu
KI Qi Not Firm Dietary Therapy
This is essentially KI Qi Xu plus SP Yang Xu
Temperature: Neutral, Warm sometimes hot
Cooking: Warming - roasting, smoking, searing
Flavours: Neutral-warm sweet, neutral-warm pungent, neutral-warm salty occasionally hot
KI Qi Not Firm Dietary Avoidances
Temperature: Cool, Cold
Cooking: Cooling - blanching, steaming, salting
Flavours: Sour, Excess bitter
Avoid excessive intake of thermally cold food, raw foods, too much dairy, too many tropical fruits, frozen foods, denaturalized foods, canned foods, or ice-cold beverages.
Bitter Melon, Brown sugar, Butter, Cereal Grass, Chard, Cheese, Clam, Coffee, Citrus, Milk, Crab, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Mung bean, Nori, Octopus, Salt, Seaweed, Spinach, Water Chestnut, Watermelon
KI Qi Not Firm
POT
2 Foods for Exam
POT:
- Tonify KI Qi
- Tonify KI Yang
- Tonify SP Yang
Lamb:
- Warm/Hot
- Sweet; Bitter
- Increases qi and blood
- Strengthens KI Yang
- Strengthens SP Yang
Mussel:
- Warm
- Sweet; Salty
- Strengthens KI Qi and Yang
- (Strengthens LV Yang)
KI Essence Xu Etiology
Heredity: Prenatal Jing/Ancestral (Yuan) Qi being weak
Emotions: The Kidneys in Five Element theory correspond to Water, which is associated with fear, anxiety, and shock. Fear descends Qi.
Excessive Sexual Activity: Weakens Kidney energy,
Chronic Disease: Most chronic disease eventually weakens the Kidneys, causing Deficiency of Kidney Yin or Yang.
Aging: Kidney Jing declines with age
Physical Overwork: Weakens Kidney Yang
Mental Overwork: Weakens Kidney Yin (very common in Western culture).
Especially:
- Stress, fear, insecurity
- Overwork
- Heredity
- KI Yin and/or Yang Xu
- Too much sex
- Prolonged blood loss (menses eg.)
- Too many children close together
- Liver Blood Xu
- Toxins in food and water, heavy metals
- Intoxicants like alcohol and drugs
- Excessive sweet-flavoured food
- Too much dietary protein
KI Essence Xu Dietary Therapy
It is assumed that Yin and Yang are equally Deficient, and there are no additional Signs of Heat or Cold, (never happens in clinical practice). Would have to adjust depending on whether there are heat or cold signs but otherwise:
Temperature: Neutral, balance of cool and warm
Cooking: Neutral, balance of cooling and warming
Flavours: Sweet, Pungent, Sour, Salty
Avoid: Bitter (use caution)
Use dietary advice for both yin and yang xu
KI Essence Xu
POT
Foods for Exam
POT:
- Tonify essence/jing
- Tonify KI Yin
- Tonify KI Yang
- Tonify KI Qi
- Tonify SP Qi
- Tonify LV Qi
(Spleen-pancreas and liver energy important for digestive fire to assimilate nutrients)
Chicken:
- Warm
- Sweet
- Strengthens jing essence
- Tonifies qi generally, including SP/ST
- Enters SP/ST and KI channels
Mussel:
- Warm
- Salty
- Strengthens Jing Essence
- Strengthen Kidney Qi
- Strengthens Kidney Yang
- Strengthens Liver Qi and Yang
KI Essence Xu Lifestyle Suggestions
- Eat easily digestible foods. Congees and soups are good. Sprouted foods
- Supplement with organic minerals. Some of the richest and moste complete sources are seaweeds such as kelp, kombu and wakame, micro-algae, cereal grasses
- Make changes gradually in terms of diet and excercise and lifestyle in general
- Include jing-nurturing tonics such as royal jelly, bee pollen, processed rehmannia, bone broth
- If eating dairy choose high quality fermented dairy products
- Use Ginkgo biloba in cases of senility
- In cases of thinnes and dyrness choose moistening foods - millet, barley, tofu, black soybeans, mung beans, seaweed, wheat germ, sesame and flax.
KI Essence Xu Lifestyle Avoidances
- Avoid overeating
- Do not eat late at night
- Avoid sudden extreme diet changes
- Avoid weakening foods, especially refined sugar
- Restrict cooling foods
- Avoid cofee
- Avoid alcohol and drugs
- Limit salt intake
- Avoid raw fruits and vegetables unless there are also heat and excess symptoms
- Avoid too much protein, especially hard to digest meats
- Avoid prolonged use of very hot spices
Damp Heat in Bladder Etiology
This is an Interior Excess Heat pattern.
- Exposure to exterior Dampness which can penetrate the Bladder from below.
- Dampness builds up in the Lower Burner (as a result of Kidney and/or Spleen Yang deficiency), which then combines with interior Heat.
- Heat can arise after long-standing stagnation of Dampness itself, or from another interior Heat condition.
- SP Qi Xu (dietary or lifestyle avoidances)
- KI Yang Xu
- Emotions specifically jealousy, suspicion
Damp Heat in Bladder Dietary Therapy
Temperature: Cool, Cold
Cooking: Cooling - blanching, steaming, salting, boiling in plentiful water
Flavours: cool-bitter, cool-salty, sometimes cool-pungent and cool-sweet
Need bitter, cool, alkalizing foods: aduki beans, lima beans, celery, winter squash, asparagus, mushrooms
Damp Heat in Bladder Dietary Avoidances
Temperature: Warm, Hot
Cooking: Warming - deep fry, frying, grilling, barbecue
Flavours: Sour, Hot or excess pungent, Hot or excess sweet
Damp Heat in Bladder
POT
2 Foods for Exam
POT:
- Clear Heat in UB Channel
- Resolve Damp
- Tonify KI Yang (refer to KI slides)
- Tonify SP Qi/Yang
Kiwi:
- Cold
- Sweet; Sour
- Clears Heat
- Enters Stomach and UB channels
- Drains damp
- (Harmonizes Stomach)
- (Reverses Counter-flow qi)
Watercress:
- Cool
- Sweet; Pungent; Bitter
- Clears heat
- Drains damp
- Enters LU, ST and UB channels
- (Moves blood)
- (Moistens lungs)
Damp Heat in Bladder
Lifestyle Suggestions
Herbs
- Cranberry juice
- Uva ursi, dandelion leaf tea, pipsissewa
- Ba Zhen San - Eight Upright Powder
- Protect yourself from exterior dampness
- Regulate eating habits
- Find mechanisms to regulate stress
- Find ways to release negative emotions
- eg. Journaling
- eg. Counseling
- Get regular exercise
- Find work-life balance
Damp Heat in BL
Lifestyle Avoidances
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid alcohol and drugs
- Avoid eating too much meat
- Caution with prescription meds
- Avoid eating too much at once
- Avoid eating while worrying
- Avoid rushed eating
- Avoid fried, greasy, fatty foods especially
- Avoid too much raw or difficult to digest food
- Avoid dairy
- Limit or eliminate caffeine
- Avoid exposure to pathogenic heat, whether through diet or climate
Damp Cold in Bladder Etiology
- Usually caused by excessive exposure to exterior dampness and cold.
- EPF Cold invasion esp during menstruation for women (keep LV channel and lower dan tian warm)
- Too much physical exercise esp. lifting
- KI Yang Xu
- SP Qi Xu leading to dampness
- KI Qi Not Firm
- Emphasis on BL symptoms for damp-cold (burning urination, frequent urination, hesitant)
Etiology of SP Qi Xu is relevant as it is often a precursor:
Improper diet: Excessive cold and raw foods, irregular eating, too much or too little and not enough protein
Mental strain: Excessive thinking over a long time. Discussing work or studies over lunch.
Climate: prolonged exposure to damp weather or damp house
Chronic disease: tends to weaken spleen (Root of Postnatal Jing and hence overworked trying to restore health)
Damp Cold in Bladder Dietary Therapy
- Temperature: Neutral, Warm, occasionally hot
- Cooking: Warming - baking, long simmering in liquid
- Flavours: neutral-warm sweet; neutral-warm pungent; neutral-warm bitter; little bit of salty, occasionally also hot
Cranberry juice, flax seed, pipsissew, uva ursi (bearberry), D-mannose, Ba Zhen San (Eight Upright Powder)
Damp Cold in Bladder Dietary Avoidances
Temperature: Cool, Cold
Cooking: Cooling
Flavours: Excess Sour, Excess salty, Excess sweet, Excess bitter
Avoid: Raw, damp, cold phlegm forming foods like dairy, clam, crab, tropical fruits, raw vegetables, avoid coffee
Damp Cold in Bladder
POT
2 Foods for Exam
POT:
- Resolve dampness
- Expel Cold
- Tonify KI (refer to KI slide)
Dill:
- Warm
- Pungent
- Expels cold
- Enters SP/ST, KI/BL, LV/GB
- Promotes movement of qi
- Warms yang
Chives:
- Warm
- Pungent
- Promotes digestion
- Promotes movement of qi
Bladder Deficient and Cold equates to what other pattern? Main etiology factors?
Kidney Yang Xu
- EPF of Cold esp during mensturation
- Too much sex
- Overwork/ too much physical exercise
What is interstitial cystitis? Symptoms:
Interstitial cystitis (IC), often called painful bladder syndrome, is a tricky condition. … If there is urinary pain that lasts for more than 6 weeks and is not caused by other conditions like infection or kidney stones, it is likely IC. If bloodwork is done there will be no backteria.
- Bladder pressure and pain worse with full bladder
- Need to pee often
- Pain in lower abdomen, low back, genitals
- Pain during sex
Incontinence and frequent urination aspect of IC, what pattern?
Sinking of KI Qi
Suprapubic pain, feeling of distention symptom of IC, what pattern?
Liver Qi Stagnation
What is the main pattern for Interstitial Cystitis?
KI Qi Xu with or without heat
