We talked about the digestive tract according to Western Medicine in January. In February you could read about the Ayurvedic view and this month we will talk about the Chinese Medicine view.
As you could have read in the blog about the digestive tract according to Ayurveda, Agni is important. Chinese Medicine also knows the concept of digestive fire.
Stomach and spleen work closely together in the Chinese vision. Everything you eat and drink gets in the stomach. Your stomach is your cooking pot. The fire (the digestive fire or fuel or your qi) under your cooking pot, is your spleen.
A pure and impure part is distinguished. The pure part goes up to the heart where the blood is made and part of it goes to the lungs where it circulates through the body through breathing.
The impure part will be brought to the intestines where it is further processed and excreted. For a good digestion, the balance between stomach and spleen is very important as you can imagine.
To much cold nutrition such as salades, sugar and cold beverages, will reduce and weaken the digestive fire. Slowly, you are heading for what is called a spleen deficiency. Chronic fatigue, candida, arthritis, fibromyalgia, heavy limbs, edema, irritable bowel, diarrhea, worry, insomnia, over or underweight can fall to you.
So, what can you do to perk up your spleen energy/digestive fire?
- Have your breakfast between 7-9 PM, because your digestive power is then the strongest.
- Choose foods that dispose of waste, like radish, cardamom, watercress, millet, seaweed and legumes.
- Drink boiled water.
- Avoid raw vegetables.
- Bring the taste bitter back in your diet.
- Avoid cowmilk products.
- Stay away from diet products.
- Reduce bread.
- Stimulate your metabolism with basil, oregano, clove, turmeric, parsley.
- Do not eat during emotions.
So, let me know how you are doing with those tips by using the comment section.
