Qigong Food of the Month: Sea Shrimp for the Kidney Qi
Yinong Chong August 2008
Everyone knows shrimp is a classic summer favorite. But did you know that eating the right kind of shrimp can help you boost kidney Qi, one of the major power sources of your body’s energy system? Try the following recipe for a special boost for the kidney Qi!
Cooking method:
Put salt, ginger, chopped green onions and water in a large stock pot
Bring the water to boil
Put 2 pounds of fresh sea shrimp (with shell) in boiling water
Let it boil on high heat for 5 minutes
Take the shells off and ready to serve 1-2 people
Physical response:
It takes a large quantity at one setting to make your kidneys warm, eyes
bright, head very clear and light, and whole body energized.
Key benefits:
Sea shrimp, especially JiWei Xia (基围虾)
or Dui Xia (对虾)
(Prawn)
are the best for replenishing kidney Yang. If used with Liao Shen
(Manchurian Ginseng), which is great for kidney Yin, it is even better for
toning the kidneys.
Notes:
1. The fresh water shrimp do not have the same benefits as the sea
shrimp. The fire of the fresh water shrimp goes up rather than down to warm
up the kidneys. That’s why some people may get nosebleeds when consuming
large quantity of fresh water shrimp.
2. Senior citizens should eat shrimp at lunchtime, and children should consume much less in quantity (10 pieces at most for children under 7).
3. Don’t eat shrimps with cold foods, which is more likely to cause allergic reactions.
4. People with goiter should never drink beer with shrimp – the cold and warm food counter act with each other and make the condition worse.