There are several unique techniques that fall under the umbrella of Traditional Chinese Medicine, including Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Moxibustion, Cupping and Chinese Dietary Therapy. Shi Liao Yao Shan translates to ‘food therapy and medicinal cuisine’ in Mandarin and has a core principle of using food and diet as the best preventative medicine for the body, and where possible using food therapy as a treatment for illnesses. Zoey Xinyi Gong’s ‘The Five Elements Cookbook’ is a fantastic resource to have handy at home to optimise digestion.
Understanding the TCM Physiology of Digestion
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the digestive system is conceptualised differently from Western medicine. It involves the interplay of several organs, each with specific roles in the process of digestion and overall health. The main organs associated with digestion in TCM are the Spleen, Stomach, Liver, and Small Intestine. Understanding the digestive system in TCM involves recognising the holistic interplay between these organs and the importance of balance and harmony within the body. This perspective emphasises the relationship between physical, emotional, and environmental factors in maintaining digestive health.
The Spleen
Function: In TCM, the Spleen is considered the central organ in the digestive system. It is responsible for transforming and transporting food and fluids. The Spleen extracts the essential nutrients (essence) from food and converts them into Qi (vital energy), Blood, and other essential substances. It then distributes these nutrients throughout the body.
Qi Movement: The Spleen is also responsible for the upward movement of Qi, which helps to keep the organs in their proper place and prevents prolapse.
Dampness: The Spleen dislikes dampness. When the Spleen is weakened or overloaded, it can lead to the accumulation of dampness and phlegm, resulting in digestive issues such as bloating, loose stools, and fatigue.
The Stomach
Function: The Stomach is known as the “Sea of Food and Fluids.” It is responsible for receiving and breaking down food and fluids, starting the process of digestion. The Stomach’s primary role is to rot and ripen the food, preparing it for the Spleen to extract the essence.
Qi Movement: The Stomach governs the downward movement of Qi. This downward movement is essential for the proper passage of food through the digestive system.
Balance: The Stomach prefers moisture and dislikes dryness. Overeating, eating too quickly, or consuming excessive cold, raw, or greasy foods can impair its function.
The Liver
Function: The Liver’s role in digestion is related to the smooth flow of Qi throughout the body. It aids in the regulation of emotions and stress, which can significantly impact digestion.
Qi Movement: The Liver ensures the free flow of Qi, which is essential for the harmonious functioning of the digestive organs. If the Liver Qi stagnates, it can lead to symptoms such as bloating, pain, and indigestion.
Detoxification: The Liver also plays a role in filtering and detoxifying substances, ensuring that the body remains free of toxins that can impair digestion.
The Small Intestine
Function: The Small Intestine separates the pure from the impure. It takes the digested food and fluid from the Stomach and Spleen and further processes it, absorbing essential nutrients and fluids while passing waste products to the Large Intestine.
Qi Movement: The Small Intestine promotes the movement of food and waste, ensuring the efficient absorption of nutrients and elimination of waste.
Practical TCM Tips to Optimise Digestive Health
Although the concept is simple, often we forget that there is an abundance of healing properties found within nature and food that remedies and nourishes the body; and it is often the daily practices and habits we form that truly guide and impact our health and wellness over the long term. Here are some key strategies to begin implementing at home from a TCM perspective:
1. Eat Warm and Cooked Foods:
TCM emphasises the consumption of warm, cooked foods rather than raw and cold foods, which are believed to be harder to digest and can weaken the digestive system (Spleen and Stomach Qi).
2. Drink Warm Beverages:
Drinking warm water or herbal teas (such as ginger tea) instead of cold beverages can aid digestion. Cold drinks are believed to impair the digestive process by slowing down and disrupting the digestive organs.
3. Eat a Balanced Diet:
Incorporate a variety of foods, including grains, vegetables, fruits, and proteins, to maintain a balanced diet that supports the Spleen and Stomach.
4. Eat Regular Meals:
Eat at regular intervals and avoid overeating. Large, irregular meals can disrupt the digestive process.
5. Chew Thoroughly:
Chewing food thoroughly helps to break it down and makes it easier for the body to digest and absorb nutrients.
6. Seasonal Eating:
A fundamental part of optimal TCM food therapy is eating with the seasons, where certain foods and herbs (fresh and dried) are optimal to consume in the 5-seasons to optimise wellness and the dynamic balance between human physiology and agricultural activity.
Below are details of common foods that are recommended to be consumed during the 5 seasons;
Spring’s Recommended Food List
Vegetables: Artichoke, eggplant, dark leafy vegetables, chive, radish, bamboo shoots celery, microgreens, garlic, scallion, coriander.
Fruits: Current, tangerine, citrus, grapefruit, kiwi, rhubarb
Nut & Grains: Wheat bran, rye, spelt, brown rice, sourdough
Proteins: Eggs, chicken, shrimp, rabbit and white fish.
Summer’s Recommended Food List
Vegetables: Bitter melon, summer squash, winter melon, cucumber, tomato, eggplant, mushroom, corn, celery, lettuce, dandelion.
Fruits: Honeydew, lemon, berries, plum, cherry, watermelon, elderberry, peach.
Nuts and Grains: Millet, mung bean, adzuki bean, oats, congee or porridge.
Protein: Soy milk, yogurt.
Herbs: Honey suckle, chrysanthemum, lily bulb, lotus seeds, black smoked plumb, mint, saffron, aged tangerine peel, longan.
Limit: Alcohol, fried food, iced coffee, dairy-based ice cream and hot food.
Autumn’s Recommended Food List
Vegetables: Cauliflower, snow fungus, shitake, sweet potato, Chinese Yam, parsnip, lotus root, spinach, Brussel sprouts, pumpkin, soybean, leek, broccoli, water chestnut, fennel, onion, winter melon and chestnut.
Fruits: Apple, tangerine, pear, golden kiwi, guava, persimmon, peach, fig.
Nuts and Grains: Black sesame, rice, oats, red rice, black bean.
Protein: Silken tofu, duck, egg, river fish, crab.
Winter’s Recommended Food List
Vegetables: Scallion, garlic, carrot, root vegetables, fennel, leek, potato, radish, cooked cabbage, mushroom, asparagus, Chinese yam.
Fruits: Grape, pomelo, tangerine, mulberry, apple,
Nuts and Grain: Walnut, black sesame, sunflower seed, hemp seed, black rice, purple rice, millet, rye bread, whole wheat sourdough.
Protein: Black soybean, bone broth, lamb, beef, venison.
Herbs: Goji berry, saffron, turmeric, liquorice root.
Common Herbal Remedies
Ginger: Often used to warm the digestive tract, improve circulation, and alleviate nausea.
Liquorice Root (Gan Cao): Helps to harmonise and enhance the effects of other herbs and supports digestive health.
Chinese Yam (Shan Yao): Nourishes the Spleen and Stomach, supporting healthy digestion and energy levels.
Hawthorn Berries (Shan Zha): Aid in digesting fatty foods and can help to relieve indigestion.
(please consult with your TCM practitioner before using these herbal medicines).
7. Acupuncture and Acupressure
During an acupuncture treatment at The Dao Health, specific points on the body are stimulated to improve the flow of Qi to the middle jiao to support digestive health.
Points such as Stomach 36 (Zusanli); which tonifies Qi and Blood, harmonises and strengthens the Spleen and Stomach, and Spleen 9 (Yinlingquan); which resolves dampness and regulates the Spleen Qi; are commonly used.
Acupressure can be used at home and involves applying pressure with your fingers instead of needles at these above-mentioned points to alleviate digestive discomfort and improve overall digestion.
(Please do not apply pressure to Spleen 9 if you are pregnant or post-ovulation if you are open to conceiving).
8. Lifestyle Adjustments
Stress Management: High levels of stress can negatively impact digestion. Practices such as meditation, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong can help to manage stress and support digestive health.
Moderate Exercise: Regular, moderate exercise, such as walking or gentle stretching, can promote healthy digestion by encouraging the movement of Qi and blood throughout the body.
Adequate Rest: Ensuring adequate sleep and rest is crucial for maintaining the health of the Spleen and Stomach.
9. Avoidance of Dampness and Cold
TCM advises limiting foods that create dampness and cold in the body, such as dairy, fried foods, and excessively sweet or salty foods. These can overwhelm the digestive system and lead to digestive complaints such as indigestion, reflux, bloating, changes in bowel movements, water retention and difficulty controlling weight changes.
By integrating these principles and practices, one can support and enhance digestive health according to Traditional Chinese Medicine.
