Winter time brings various issues like finger cuts, dry heels, cracking bones, dry skin, and cravings for dry, crunchy foods. People lather their feet or hands with various lubricants and cover overnight with socks or gloves for temporary relief.

As a healer, I wonder where symptoms come from. In my research, the cause is mineral deficiencies. There are particular mineral deficiencies causing each area of concern. Finger and hand cuts are often from missing carbon. Dry, itchy skin is often helped with sulphur based remedies. Bone cracking and dry heels are often due to low calcium based minerals.

Minerals in our diet come from vegetables and proteins. Most vegetables are a good source of minerals, but there are nightshade vegetables that are mineral deficient like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and peppers. When you are looking for more minerals, try vegetables other than those.

The proteins that you can digest are the best proteins to consume. Tofu and soy based proteins are very hard to digest. The easiest to digest proteins that are high in minerals are eggs, fish and poultry. Many people digest red meats well and some do not, so go by your experience. Often, digestion can be improved by supplements or remedies.

Some fruit in the diet is also helpful for low levels of minerals, but fruit juice or a large portion of fruit compared to vegetables and protein can be depleting to your minerals.

In the bigger picture, some people are already eating a mineral rich diet that includes the above foods and a good quality unrefined salt like Himalayan or sea salt. If that is the case, we need to look at deeper causes of mineral deficiency.

Ultimately, we are what we absorb (once we have picked the optimal alkalizing diet). Absorption depends on the efficiency of the digestive system. Once digesting well, the kidneys’ function is to take the absorbed minerals and distribute them to the body to rebuild the body continuously. So when the kidneys are not working well, low mineral symptoms appear, (as above), especially in the winter.

Two other kidney symptoms that are interesting to note is the craving for all foods after dinner and not wanting to drink water regularly. Other kidney symptoms include pain in lower back, knee, ankle and foot, high blood pressure and headaches across the brow, as well as emotional symptoms such as anxiety and fear versus faith and trust.

In Chinese Medicine, winter time is kidney time, so this is the time to find out what your kidneys are missing for rebuilding. The kidneys have the most moving parts, many important functions and do well with many healing techniques. If you have kidney symptoms, make changes to your diet. Change your emotions and consider working on your kidneys with remedies. What is important to remember is that although these surface issues do go away with the correct minerals, the internal rebuilding is making use of those minerals to rebuild areas you do not physically see — like the brain!

Kidneys really need to be taken care of. They are the most needed transplant.

For help in identifying the cause of your winter symptoms or more information regarding kidney function and improving your overall health through correct mineral additions to your diet or remedies to aid your kidneys, please contact me for an appointment.