According to Traditional Chinese Medicine "jing" is the source of life longevity and vitality. If our life-source is healthful, the desire for sex and the ability to reproduce and perform is strong. Our Jing is the deep essence we are born with, and it is passed down from our parents (congenital) and stored in the kidneys.

Abusing the kidneys with a toxic lifestyle can drain that life essence creating a deficiency in jing resulting in impotence, reproductive disorders, infertility and other illnesses. We cannot replace congenital jing (what we are born with) but we can enhance "acquired jing" from specific lifestyle and food choices.

Substances that deplete the jing and kidneys include toxins in the food and the environment. The use of Genetically Modified foods and pesticides reduces sexual fertility and impairs reproductive health including; lowered libido, diminished sperm count, abnormal and dead sperm, increased sterility, miscarriage, reduced egg production, and birth defects. (Source: Sex, Lies and GMO's, by Alex Jack, Planetary Health/Amberwaves, 2002).

Other factors that exhaust the kidneys include excessive caffeine intake, alcohol, drugs, chronic stress, fear, overwork, too much sex (imagine that?), and a diet filled with refined foods and sugars.

Specific foods that can enhance acquire jing and increase reproductive capacity and sexual vitality include organically grown foods that contain the energy within them to sprout and grow. Learn more about this in The Whole Truth - How I Naturally Reclaimed My Health and You Can Too! Chapter VI Energy = Quality of Food. Other foods that nourish jing include fish, beans/legumes, liver and kidney (organ meats), bone marrow, royal jelly and cereal grasses (whole grains).

Beyond food, it is essential to exercise daily (but not to exhaust yourself!) and breathe deeply to promote optimum circulation, digestion and respiratory functions. If the health of the body is good it increases the ability to perform and reproduce.

George Ohsawa (a pioneer in macrobiotic food theory) said, "A good appetite for food and sex is health itself. Sexual appetite and joyful satisfaction are an essential condition of happiness." (Source: Zen Macrobiotics by George Ohsawa, 1995, p.35).

Healthful, delicious food can nourish the body and mind, as joyful sex with a loving partner can too. Not only that but, sex is a great way to exercise and help you breathe deeply. So... grab someone you love, make them a delicious health-promoting meal and have some fun! You can find great tasting recipes in The Eating and Recipe Guide - Better Food, Better Health.