Walnuts (Hu Tao Ren in Chinese)
Walnuts is a nut rich in healthy fat, fibre, vitamins, minerals and so much more. They are significantly higher in omega-3 fat than any other nut.
Walnuts should be eaten every day as it is considered a super-food, bursting with powerful and beneficial energy. Originating from Persia, they can now be found all over the world. Walnuts are the dried, ripe seeds of the walnut tree. The typical walnut consists of a hard outer shell which contains a woody nut enclosed in a thick, fibrous husk.
In TICM, the essence of walnuts are connected to the Lung, Large Intestine and Kidney channels. Their flavour is sweet and temperature is warm. They can be eaten cooked, raw, boiled for tea, congee, oatmeal or roasted, etc.
How do they help the body?
Warm the Lungs, nourish the Blood, tonifies the Kidney system, strengthens and increases Kidney energy (Qi) and essence (Jing), treats pain and weakness in the knees and back that stem from Kidney imbalance, helps digestion and memory, relieves constipation and inflammation, moistens and heals the intestines, improves asthma, lowers cholesterol levels and forms of Heart disease.
Helps the following conditions: Kidney deficiency, impotency, sexual dysfunction, infertility, frequent urination, back and leg pain, stones in the urinary tract, cough, constipation, neurasthenia.
Foods that have the ability to warm the body and nourish the Kidney energy (Qi) should be eaten regularly as our Kidney distributes vital energy (Qi) to organ systems needing a bit of a boost as they get depleted. The season to take advantage of nourishing the Kidney is in wintertime.
Further showcasing their Kidney strengthening ability, a study published in the journal, "Biology of Reproduction" found that, after twelve weeks, men who added a couple of handfuls of walnuts to their diet every day had better sperm shape, movement and vitality. In TICM, reproductive organs and health are rooted in the Kidneys.
The most valuable part of the walnut is the screen between the two halves. It is delicious boiled with ginger powder and made into tea.
Please do look after your precious Kidneys. You never know what you've got until its gone