I would like to take a look at leafy greens, and their place in our daily diet. One thing I noticed from living in Asia is that they eat A LOT of leafy greens on a daily basis. Whereas here in North America, things like spinach, bok choy, turnip greens, and a wide variety of other greens are a rarity. The benefits of these veggies are great, and should be consumed on a daily basis. I will start by having a closer look at spinach.
How aware was E.C Segar of the benefits of Spinach when he originally started to write Popeye comics back in 1929? Possibly unbeknownst to the author and creator of the pipe-chomping runt of a sailor was that Spinach does actually contain some large amounts of very important vitamins and minerals. Let’s take a look at the benefits of this leafy-green from a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) point of view.
Spinach is loaded with Calcium, Zinc, and Iron, among other nutrients. What are the uses of these minerals from a TCM perspective? We all know that Calcium is a good bone builder. And, as tendons and ligaments also draw upon the bones for nutrients, calcium will also help muscle recovery, and even rehabilitation from tissue damage or injury. But, what some of us may not be aware of is that every organ system in TCM also has an aspect of ‘tissue’ associated with it. In the case of the kidney system, the ‘tissue extension’ is the bones. Nourishing the bones can help nourish the kidneys, and vice versa.
Before I go on, I’d like to give a brief overview of the idea of an ‘organ system’ in Chinese medicine practice. In this case I’ll expound upon the kidney system. Each organ system has many functions and ‘areas’ of physiology and anatomy that are assigned to it. This can even extend to a ‘government office’ or a particular grain, an animal, or even certain aspects of Feng Shui (geomancy). Some areas of physiology assigned to the kidney are ‘to govern water’, its related emotion is ‘fear’, it stores the ‘will’ and it also stores ‘jing’ 精 or ‘constructive essence’ in English. This ‘jing’ is a very important concept in TCM, and is one of the 三宝Three Treasures along with 气Qi- living potential energy, and 神Shen- spirit. Jing is very pivotal in the process and success of reproduction, just as the kidney system is as well. In western terms, we might think of this as passing along DNA, and innate characteristics to offspring. When this Jing is harmoniously interacting with Qi and Shen, we’ll see the birth of a new being that will grow, develop, and interact with the world in its own conscious way.
Next we have zinc. Zinc is very influential in growth, reproduction, and immune function. Some common effects from a lack of zinc can be depression, hair loss, and decreased libido, especially in men. Once again, we can see the effects on the kidney system here. Reproduction, immune function, and growth are all elementary roles for the kidney system in TCM. The head hair is also considered to be the ‘flower’ of the kidney system; just as the body hair is the ‘flower’ of the lung system, and the complexion is the ‘flower’ of the heart system.
Zinc has also been strongly associated with increased testosterone levels, and increased libido in men. This relates back to my previous mention of the fundamental functions of the kidney system. So, who knows what Olive Oyl and Popeye got up to every time he rescued her from Bluto? No doubt, he had a rush from the increased testosterone levels from all that Spinach!
Lastly, we can look at the iron levels of spinach. Having healthy red blood cells can go a long way to repairing any damaged tissue. Those forearms of Popeye’s certainly needed some help in recovery after doing all that heavy lifting. These minerals can be found in larger quantities in meat, and they can sometimes be easier to absorb. But, for those who are vegetarian, or who are trying to or need to cut down on their meat consumption, spinach is a great source of iron and many other minerals.
HOW TO GET MORE SPINACH IN YOUR DIET
1.Chop some fresh spinach and add it to an omelette for breakfast
2.Lightly sauté some garlic and spinach to dress over some baked potatoes
3.Add some fresh, raw spinach just before eating a vegetable or light broth soup
4.Replace lettuce with spinach for sandwiches or salads