Who Can Avoid Aging?
Aging is a law of nature. Whether poor or rich, honored or humble, no one escapes it. Aging approaches slowly and quietly; therefore, efforts to prevent premature decline and extend life should begin early and receive attention in every part of life. Diet deserves particular attention because food is a basic condition of human survival. The article states that after about age forty-five, essence, energy and spirit begin to decline and internal organs begin to shrink, producing different degrees of outward and inward aging. Prevention should therefore begin in middle age.
Prevention should be primary and, in the language of traditional Chinese medicine, strengthening the body’s ‘upright qi’ should be fundamental. When this energy is sufficient, essence, energy and spirit are full, vitality is strong, disease is resisted and a youthful appearance may be maintained. The article associates this strengthening with nourishing the kidneys, described as the root of essence and energy. Beginning in middle age, both men and women are advised to pay attention to this. Within a balanced diet, it suggests foods traditionally considered kidney-nourishing: soybeans, black beans, peanuts, white melon seeds, sesame, chestnuts and ginkgo; apples, mangoes, durian and watermelon; chives, garlic, radish and lily bulb; and such animal foods as lamb, bird meat, loach, soft-shelled turtle, eel, sea cucumber, shellfish and shrimp. It especially names silkworm pupae, earthworms and animal organs as traditional tonics.
The article says kidney energy is the source of the spleen and stomach; sufficient kidney energy supports digestion, appetite, health and longevity.
Because people differ in inherited condition, later environment, constitution and eating habits, supplementation methods also differ and foods should be chosen for the individual. Whatever the choice, consistency is emphasized. The article particularly values yellow foods, fruits and black-colored foods and advises increasing their variety and frequency.
Middle-aged and older adults should also adapt supplementation to season and place. In spring, when all things revive, it advises against excessive warming tonics and suggests mild traditional ingredients such as codonopsis, atractylodes, poria and royal jelly, with hot and drying foods in moderation. In summer, heat consumes fluids and appetite falls, so heavy supplementation is discouraged; lighter traditional ingredients such as American ginseng, ophiopogon, dendrobium and glehnia are suggested for generating fluids, supporting energy and relieving summer heat and cough.
For older adults, the article emphasizes light supplementation, easy digestion and easy elimination so metabolic waste can leave the body promptly. It recommends porridge, coarse fiber and foods that assist digestion and elimination.