The stomach and spleen are, in certain schools of thought in Chinese medicine, considered the most important organs in the human body. This is because they are in charge of transforming and transporting energy from the heavens and earth mostly through food and drink and distributing the refined Qi to power our daily activities. Digestive issues are an important clue that the body is having trouble assimilating foods, drinks, and the heavenly and earthly energies.
It is not only physical digestion of food and drink that can indicate an imbalance in the spleen/stomach organ systems, but our emotional state can also provide important clues, whether they accompany physical problems with digestion. Excessive worry and ruminating thoughts, anxiety, and self doubt are all acquired emotional responses that can indicate an imbalance in the spleen/stomach organ system.
When we have problems with either physical or emotional digestion, the quality of the Qi circulating through the body will be of a diminished quality and a host of other imbalances and illness can follow. For this reason, it is very important to boost physical and emotional digestive health as quickly as possible to help the body get itself back on track.
Digestive issues are quite common in our society because of the frenetic pace of life, irregular eating habits, processed foods, and emotional imbalances that can easily effect the process by which we assimilate food and drink in order to make usable energy in our bodies. The past fifteen months of the pandemic have layered additional stressors that we are all still digesting and assimilating.
Here are a few simple tips to help:
- Eat slowly and chew food thoroughly. Chewing breaks down your food into smaller, more digestible pieces and mixes with it saliva which initiates the digestive process.
- Smile at your food and have a moment of appreciation for your food and where it came from, who made it, and how it nourishes you.
- Smile at your spleen, stomach and thank them each day (or even every meal) for everything they do to digest and metabolize your food and drink.
- Focus on positive emotions, limiting emotional upset when eating. Try not to watch the news or television or be on your phone but to take time to focus on eating. You can put on relaxing or soothing music during mealtime.
- Have a schedule for meals and eating that you follow consistently,
- Eat organic, whole foods (ie limited or no processed foods)
Chinese medicine food therapy can guide the selection of foods that will best temper the Chinese medicine pattern that is causing digestive discomfort and support the body in restoring balance. There are also many Chinese herbs and formulas and acupuncture points that have been proven successful for hundreds and sometimes thousands of years in supporting a healthy digestive system. For more information about how Chinese medicine and food therapy can be used to support health and well being see our past articles on this topic here.
It can be helpful to have the support of a Chinese medicine practitioner who can help you decipher how specific emotional or physical signs and symptoms translate into a Chinese medicine pattern that can be addressed with food therapy, an herbal formula, acupuncture, and qi gong. Please contact us at 4 Branches Chinese Medicine Center (336-739-0317) if there is anything we can do to support you and your health and well being.
