Ginger Congee for Winter | Kidney & Adrenal Support

by Nicole Johnson, MFA, CHHC | Adrenal Fatigue, Anti-Inflammatory, Digestion, Fatigue, Gut Health, Health and Wellness, Illness, Immune Health, Kidneys, Nutrition, Prevention, Recipes

Photo credits: Congee imagery courtesy of Nicole DiDio Johnson

Ginger congee for winter is a warming, restorative recipe that supports Kidney and adrenal health during the colder months.

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Winter, the Kidneys, and Why Food Matters Now

In East Asian Medicine, winter is associated with the Water element and the Kidney system, a framework recognized by organizations such as the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. This system governs our foundational vitality, stress resilience, sleep quality, and capacity to recover rather than simply push through.

By January, many people are unknowingly drawing from adrenal reserves. We see this in the clinic even in people who otherwise feel healthy.

Common winter patterns include:
• Fatigue that doesn’t fully resolve with rest
• Feeling colder than usual, especially in the low back or feet
• Digestive sluggishness or reduced appetite
• Light or unrefreshing sleep
• A sense of being tired but wired

Winter is not the season to demand more from the body. It’s the season to protect reserves and rebuild.

Why Ginger Congee Helps in Winter

Congee is a slow-cooked rice porridge used for centuries as a therapeutic food. It supports winter recovery because it is warm, simple, and easy to digest.

Why we recommend it:

Minimal digestive effort, which helps conserve energy
Gentle warmth and circulation support
Steadier nourishment during stress and fatigue
A calming effect for the nervous system
Especially supportive during winter depletion patterns

Ginger Congee Recipe

A simple, restorative winter staple.

Ingredients

1/2 cup white jasmine rice (or short-grain white rice)
6 to 8 cups filtered water or light broth
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely grated or thinly sliced
Pinch of sea salt

Optional additions

Soft-boiled egg
Shredded chicken
Steamed greens
Sesame oil
Scallions

Instructions

Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear.
Combine rice, water or broth, and ginger in a pot.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
Cook uncovered for 60 to 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until creamy.
Add a pinch of salt. Top as desired. Serve warm.

Clinical Uses of Warming Congee

We might recommend congee:

During periods of high stress or disrupted sleep
When appetite is low but nourishment is needed
As part of winter Kidney and adrenal support plans
To add and support warmth in the body (especially when icey drinks are prevalent.)

Food can support the deeper regions of the body, extend the effects of treatment, and support steadier recovery over time.

When to Seek Extra Support

If fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, pain, or digestive issues are lingering or worsening, it may be a sign your system needs more support than rest alone. Many patients explore acupuncture and massage for stress and fatigue as part of their winter care plan.

Our winter treatments focus on nervous system regulation, pain relief, and steady energy restoration. If you would like help choosing the right next step, we are here. Click here: (828) 333-5087 to get started with a phone call.

Approaching The Season Of Yin

by Nicole Johnson, MFA, CHHC | Acupuncture, Adrenal Fatigue, Anti-Inflammatory, Education, Health and Wellness, Immune Health, Kidneys

In October, we are already noticing the shorter days and longer nights of winter. Nature is pulling back in, and the Yang energy of warmer months converts to the Yin energy of the cooler months. In East Asian Medicine, this is the time when the in-breath emerges into the out-breath.

Approaching the season of Yin Acupuncture in Asheville

Here are some themes present during this transition period:

Last of the Harvest
Getting organized
Recommitting to health
Establishing routines
Warmer foods
Crisp air, invigorating
Romantic relationship with nature
Preparing to go inward (nature)
Preparing for Holiday time (but perhapsnot wanting to)
Harvesting and cover crops

Most animals begin to hunker down and rest, yet we humans start speeding up with holiday shopping and enormous amounts of busy winter-season preparations.

With awareness and intention, we can be mindful and nurture ourselves. Maybe you need a few extra hours of sleep or a joyful activity. When it comes to cooking, we like to make soups, stews, broths, and stir-fries that increase warmth and comfort.

Prepare to Nurture & Nourish Throughout the Season of Yin

At times, when we don’t feel nurtured, we eat emotionally. When coupled with stress, this is a ticket to everything from lowered immunity to inflammation, bloating, weight gain, increased anxiety, general dissatisfaction, fatigue, and melancholy.

You may want to find some delicious indulgences that will make you feel well-loved and won’t throw your system off by making you crave a whole bag of candy corn. Try this easy G olden Milk recipe and add a little pumpkin pie spiceto it for a seasonal Pumpkin Spice Golden Milk to treat and nourish yourself.

As the holidays rapidly approach, ask yourself:

What joy can I gift myself?

What minor changes can I make to simplify?

How can I slow down for the next 8-10 weeks?

We wish you warmth and gentleness for the Yin season to come.

Feel free to contact us by email or phone with any questions.

If you would like to schedule your next Acupuncture session or mini series, click here.

Yours in Support,

Chad & Nicole

Tune into Spring, the Wood Element, and Heal Anger

by Nicole Johnson, MFA, CHHC | Acupuncture, Education, Health and Wellness, Immune Health, Integrative Therapy, Liver, Nutrition, Prevention

Spring is the element of WOOD and the color GREEN.

The ancient Taoists (Prounounced “dao-ists”) looked to nature to understand the human body, mind and spirit. They were philosophers and we need to be clear, Taoism is not a religion. When we tune into the movement of the seasons, we reconnect with and maintain our vitality. Just as with our circadian rhythms, our seasonal rhythms affect our health. Eating with the seasons is an excellent foundation to thriving health.

Spring- Wood – Green, Liver,
Liver out of balance = Anger
Liver in balance = Flow

In Spring, Yang is Rising

Let’s look around, what do you see? Trees starting to leaf out, flowers begining their bloom, greens pushing up? This is YANG rising. This is the start of the great in-breath – the height of which is the heat and outward orientation of summer. Yang is rising, the rivers are flowing, the birds are chirping and making nests, we all come out of hibernation.

The LIVER is the organ associated with spring. If our liver is in balance we experience free flow of qi (energy, emotions). If our liver needs some support, we may be quick to anger, snap at loved ones, or experience a low slow simmer of anger. Also, referred to Liver Qi Stagnation. I suffered with this for years. It’s true. Part of this is constitutional, meaning I have a tendency towards this, my family has a tendency, essentially – lots of – um- venting. Living in the south has been a balm to my constitution. I deeply enjoy – and have learned from- the kindness and generosity of spirit I have met in this region.

One of the solutions to opening up the free flow of liver qi is to take an aimless walk. This is for real, and it works wonders at opening up the free flow of liver qi. There is also a wonderful Chinese Medicine herbal formula called, Free and Easy Wanderer. Also, very helpful. These work wonders in conjunction with acupuncture which will support your liver and it’s reflexes. Feel free to ask us more about these remedies.

Healing Foods

Foods to add in to your diet are – Greens, Greens, Greens. Greens impart, light, flexible energy to us. Bitter Greens and herbs, support the liver directly. Dandelion, Broccoli Rabe, and Nettles are especially helpful. Chickweed is growing abundantly, add this to your salads or smoothies. When working with the more bitter greens, please be sure to have them with plenty of healthy fat, it cuts the bitterness and adds a nutritional punch. Health fats would include Avocado oil, coconut oil, ghee, grass fed butter, and for those who tolerate it- bacon fat. A wonderful tincture to support the liver is Milk Thistle.

But truly, any greens- the fresher the better. These new greens that sprout up are here to help us clear away stagnation. Here is a fantastic Nettles Pesto recipe that I love to make with Fresh Nettles every spring. I usually do a green juice cleanse and my spirit and my body feel lighter and more upbeat.

Helpful Stones

A wonderful stone for this time of year that would support the free flow of liver qi is Amazonite. Known by the ancients as “Heaven flowing into the river stone.” It is calm, tranquil and supports us.

Here are some other thoughts to help us tune into the beauty of Spring.

Young plants
Spring fever- is Yang Rising
Moved by nature – Emotions, awakening
Nature sings, puts on a show
Slough away the old, the dense
Joyousness and Cheer
Tending to the garden can bring joy and connection

As we align our hearts with Nature, we arrive more deeply into balance.

Interested in Acupuncture or Health Coaching? We're Here to Help. Schedule Now.

or Call our office 828-333-5087 to discuss your options.

Schedule Now

Three Essential Components to Staying Conscious, Mindful, and at Ease

by Nicole Johnson, MFA, CHHC | Adrenal Fatigue, Anti-Inflammatory, Covid-19, Fatigue, Health and Wellness, Immune Health, Kidneys, Pain Management, Prevention

We are living through stressful times. It’s time we elevate our lifestyle to incorporate a foundation of health that will keep us healthy, grounded, and centered in our everyday lives. If we follow this three basic practices, we can come back to center as we navigate through our everyday experiences. If we get triggered, we can come back to center. With a simple daily practice we can bring these into our everyday lives helping to keep us healthy, our immune system ,strong and our spirit resilient. It’s what we need in these times.

The three essential components to staying conscious, mindful and at ease are

Breathing
Hydration
Sleep

Breath Deep, from the Belly

The breath is the Organizing Principle. Proper breathing allows the body to extract Qi (Chi) from the air just as we extract nutrients from food. When we practice mindful breathing we connect the brain and the heart with the kidneys and all the organs can communicate. We feed our life force. Now more than ever, we need to recognize the shift from self-care to essential practice.

A Simple Way to Begin.

At night before sleep, while resting in bed, place one hand on the belly and one hand on the heart.
Take a deep cleansing breath and exhale strong. We are ready to begin,
With your hands still in place, breathe in slowly into the abdomen, feel the belly rise. Inhale to 60% capacity.
Exhale long and slow. The exhale should be double the length of the in-breath. (Want to know why? In stretching we stretch deeper, we release on the exhale. In Martial Arts we kick or punch on the exhale. The action or the release happens on the exhale.)

As you practice nightly, you allow your body to come into the Parasympathetic state (rest & digest). This was considered self-care prior to 2020 and it is now essential.

You can also watch this Video: Qi Gong Breathing: 7 Minutes to calm body and mind

Welcome, Good Water

Proper Hydration is critical for all of the functions of the body. When dehydrated, the fibers of the muscle look like a dry lake bed. They lose their conductivity. This makes pain feel worse and can hinder or delay recovery. Even if sub-clinical, dehydration can cause muscle pain and tightness. Even if you drink water regularly, you can become dehydrated.

How much should I drink?

Everyone’s hydration’s needs are different. But here is a general idea from what The Mayo Clinic recommends:

Around 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men

Around 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for womenAn easy way to get your water in is to pre-fill your bottles of water for the day and make your way through them. Often we need electrolytes as well so as not to over tax the kidneys. Always be sure to drink clean, purified water without chlorine or fluoride.

Rest Deeply

Now, more than ever we need adequate sleep. Life is stressful in a macro way, not just a micro way as it used to be. We are all affected by what’s happening in the collective, we need to sleep, to rest and to recharge our body, mind and spirit. Everyone’s sleep needs are different. Some need 8 hours, some need 10 hours. Experiment and see what helps you feel well-rested in the morning.

See what bedtime works best for you. Often climbing into bed by 10pm allows for deeper rest even if reading for 20 minutes. For a good night’s rest, be sure that all cell phones are off and out of the room. Turn off the wifi in your home. Disengage from electronics, news and other stressful events 30min to 1hr before rest. Try some gentle yoga stretching with the lights low, drink some warm decaffeinated tea, practice deep breathing and then rest and repair.

If you’d like support with a breath work daily practice, learning more about hydration or help with better sleep. Call us, we can help.

We're Here to Help. Schedule Now.

or Call our office 828-333-5087 to discuss your options.

Schedule Now

Give Yourself a Break and Support Your Adrenals

by Nicole Johnson, MFA, CHHC | Acupuncture, Adrenal Fatigue, Fatigue, Immune Health, Kidneys, Nutrition

It’s been a rough few years and we have all been -to varying degrees- in fight or flight. This raises cortisol and puts extra strain on the Adrenal Glands.

Here are some quick tips to support your healthy body and its myriad of functions:

Get plenty of rest – 8-10 hours of sleep, embrace naps, and scheduled downtime.
Hydrate – have you tuned into your water lately? Drink high quality H2O and plenty of it.
Support your Kidneys (the Adrenals and Kidneys are best friends) – do this by doing the above, drinking bone broth or vegan mineral broth, keeping warm, being chill.
Moxa & Acupuncture support the Kidneys and Adrenal function – they are the deepest layer, they are in charge of the will and in relationship to the heart spirit as well. A moxa and acupuncture treatment can support better sleep (goodbye insomnia), relieve anxiety, and support the body in keeping the parasympathetic response.

What is your stress level on a scale of 1-10?

Sometimes the first step is to realize you are operating at a high level of stress. Some folks feel like they are at a 4 when they’re really at an 11 on scale of 1 to 10. Take a moment to tune in and assess where you really are. Are there activities or habits you can let go of?

We are here to support you. Call to schedule an acupuncture treatment or a health coaching phone session.

We're Here to Help. Schedule Now.

or Call our office 828-333-5087 to discuss your options.

Schedule Now

4 Ways to Make the Most Out of Water

by Nicole Johnson, MFA, CHHC | Digestion, Fatigue, Gut Health, Health and Wellness, Immune Health, Kidneys, Nutrition, Prevention

What is the best way to Hydrate? There are a lot of differing opinions out there (much like with food) and many of them are sound and good. So how do you know which is best for you?

The Answer: You have to tune in and find out. Here are a few quick tips on the best way to make the most out of drinking your water.

1. Drink 2-4 cups with lemon upon waking.

When we sleep, our bodies are very busy repairing and detoxing. When we awaken, we are actually quite dehydrated. When you wake up squeeze a wedge of lemon into a glass of water and drink it. The lemon helps cleanse your liver and flush out toxins as the water hydrates you. My Nana used to do this every morning. It’s a terrific way to start hydrating and getting in your glasses of water. Then drink a tall glass of water.

2. Don’t drink water while you eat.

When we chew, we release digestive enzymes –digestion begins in the mouth. If we down water with our food, we dilute our digestive juices and hamper, digestion and absorption. Wait 20-30 minutes before or after you eat to drink your water — in between meals.

3. Drink throughout the day, and stop a few hours before bed.

Start first thing in the morning. Drink water when you’re hungry instead of reaching for a snack right away. See if water can quench your perceived hunger. Timing differs for everyone, find your optimum stopping point so that you may have a full night’s rest without waking for trips to the bathroom.

4. How much?

While it’s important to hydrate, how much water depends on what you’re eating. If you’re diet is rich with raw fruits and vegetables, you’ll find you need less water. If you eat a lot of cooked foods (the water cooks out) you’ll require more water by the glass. It’s important for you to be the judge. In the winter we tend to drink less water. A basic rule of thumb is the drink half your body weight in ounces. Example: 140lbs = 70 ounces of water per day. Keep in mind, too much water drinking can tax the kidneys.

Not enough water can cause dehydration, increased appetite, dry skin, hair, brittle nails, sluggishness, constipation and whole host of other things. There are many health professionals that believe the root of illness and disease is chronic dehydration. Our job is to tune into our unique body to find out what it needs.

When I follow the steps above, I stay regular (who doesn’t want that?), my skin looks great, my energy flows, and I feel good. I do however, have to make a conscious effort to hydrate, the habit comes and goes for me. What about you?

Test out steps 1 -3 for a week and let us know what you find out. How much water are you drinking now? What are your water drinking goals?

Read about Hydration’s Role in Healing.