Diet Therapy for Spleen Qi Vacuity Dampness

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Diet Therapy for Spleen Qi Vacuity Dampness
by Juliette Aiyana, LAc


"This is basic dietary info for a Chinese medical pattern that almost
anyone can have some of the time. It looks like tiredness, loose
stool, and low appetite.

You can get it from worry, overwork, overthinking, lack of exercise,
and too much cold foods.

IF YOU WANT MORE ENERGY,

Thanks for Writing In!

In my last article I invited readers to send me the TCM Pattern
Discrimination their Practitioner had given them so that I could
write an article about how to treat specific imbalances with the
diet. Two readers wrote me about the Pattern Discrimination of
Spleen Qi Vacuity Dampness. Thanks for writing in because I
frequently see this condition in my practice, and it's very
important to address.

What Does the Spleen Do?

Before we discuss diet, it is important to understand the causes and
effects of Spleen Qi Vacuity Dampness (also known as Spleen Qi
Deficiency Dampness). One function of the Spleen is to assimilate
nutrients from food in the stomach to form the Qi, Blood and Body
Fluids. Therefore, the Spleen's main function is to govern the
transformation and transportation (T&T) of grain (food) and water
into essence, which is distributed to other organ systems as Qi and
Blood. Thus it is vital to keep the Spleen healthy because it is
the source for Qi and blood production for your entire body.


What is Dampness?

Dampness results from the body's failure to transform fluids. It
could be thought of as "fluids in the wrong place." It includes
water weight, edema, and perhaps even arterial plaque.

The Spleen and Dampness

An important saying in Chinese medicine states, "The Spleen hates
cold and the Spleen hates dampness." So we must do what we can to
keep the Spleen warm and free of dampness. Spleen vacuity occurs
when the process of transformation and transportation malfunctions,
thus causing dampness to gather and stagnate instead of transforming
which further weakens T&T.

Then a vicious cycle begins.

If the Spleen is Hindered, So Are Other Bodily Organs
Since other organ systems depend on receiving Qi and Blood from the
Spleen, they will become weaken when a patients suffers from chronic
or long term Spleen Qi Vacuity.

How Do You Get Spleen Qi Vacuity?
Spleen Qi may become vacuous (empty) due to one or a combination of
the following factors:

Overwork
Over-fatigue
Too much worrying
Over thinking and obsessive thought patterns
Unhealthy dietary habits
Lack of exercise
Here are some examples of how this works in real life:

Students and Worry: Students who work in addition to going to school
or college, need to find time to study and may, quite naturally,
worry about exams.

Fatiguing Illnesses: Some patients have fatiguing chronic illness
like cancer and fibromyalgia.

Weight Obsessions:

Dancers and actors worry or even obsess about their weight despite
the fact that many of them are underweight. Overweight patients
worry and obsess about their weight for health or aesthetic reasons
and feel a ridiculous amount societal and self-induced pressure to
lose weight.

Overthinking and Deprivation: And many of my patients (over weight or
not) are mentally obsessed with their weight and thus constantly over
thinking about counting calories and sticking to hard to follow diets
with point systems, blocks, deprivation diets or set meal plans of
foods they don't even enjoy eating.

Guilt and Worry: And no matter who the person is that is dieting,
skinny or overweight, many feel guilt instead of pleasure when
indulging in a food they like but which isn't in his meal plan. This
feeling of guilt fits into the worry category.

No Exercise: Patients who do not exercise do not invigorate the Yang
warming aspect of the body's Qi. Chinese medicine asserts that too
much sitting or lying down creates Qi vacuity.

Cold Foods: Many people damage the Spleen Qi by eating too many cold
foods. Cold foods are literally cold from refrigeration or frozen,
like ice, are foods that are cold in nature (see the list below) and
include cold beverages and salad and last nights left over cold
pizza (yeah, we've all been there). Other detriments include our
society's over eating of wheat as our main source of grain, and too
much beer drinking. Both are cool and dampness producing. Not to
mention our over consumption of dairy. Imagine all the Spleen Qi
vacuity amongst college students between all that studying, beer and
pizza!

Dietary Therapy for Spleen Qi Vacuity
The treatment principle for Spleen Qi Vacuity Dampness is to fortify
the Spleen and disinhibit (percolate, filter, promote urination) the
dampness. We also want to avoid further detriment to the spleen.
Yang tonics will help to warm the Spleen and to motivate the energy
for the T&T cycle. They maintain and improve our ability to generate
warmth and stimulate our system.

Yang tonics include:

Basil
Chestnut
Chive Seed
Cinnamon Bark
Clove
Dill Seed
Fennel Seed
Fenugreek Seed
Garlic
Dried Ginger
Lamb
Lobster
Nutmeg
Pistachio
Raspberry
Rosemary
Sage
Savoy
Shrimp
Star Anise
Thyme
Walnut

Qi circulation is stimulated by the sweet and pungent flavors. The
Spleen likes the sweet taste and pungent flavors circulate the Qi.
Foods that particularly influence Qi circulation include:

Basil
Caraway
Cardamon
Carrot
Cayenne
Chive
Clove Coriander
Dill Seed
Garlic
Jasmine Tea
Marjoram
Mustard Leaf
Orange Peel
Peppermint Tea
Radish
Star Anise
Tangerine Peel
Turmeric

Cold conditions are improved by warming foods. In chronic cases warm
and sweet/pungent foods are used to warm us steadily. In acute cases
of pathogenic invasion warm or hot foods are combined with stronger
pungent flavors to drive out the Cold.

Warming foods include:

Anchovy
Basil
Bay leaf
Black Pepper
Coconut
Cayenne
Cherry
Chestnut
Chicken
Coriander
Dill Seed
Fennel Seed
Garlic
Ginger
Kohlrabi
Lamb
Lee
Mussel
Mustard Leaf
Mutton
Nutmeg
Oats
Onion
Peach
Quinoa
Rosemary
Scallion
Shrimp
Spelt
Squash
Sweet Potato
Sweet Rice
Trout
Turnip Vinegar
Walnut
Wine

Dampness results from the body's failure to transform fluids.
Dampness is treated by avoiding dampening foods, strengthening the
body, including bitter foods and foods that counteract Dampness.

Effective foods to eat include:

Aduki Bean
Alfalfa
Anchovy
Amaranth
Barley
Buckwheat
Celery
Corn
Cranberry
Daikon
Eel
Garlic
Green Tea
Horseradish
Jasmine Tea
Kidney Beans
Kohlrabi
Lemon
Mackerel
Marjoram
Mushroom (button)
Mustard Leaf
Onion
Parsley
Papaya
Pumpkin
Radish
Rice Bran
Rye
Scallion
Turnip
Umeboshi Plum

Some foods will worsen the tendency towards Dampness, so Damp people
should cut back on them. Avoid these foods:

Dairy Products (sheep and goat products are less dampening)

Pork
Roasted Peanuts
Concentrated Juices especially Orange
Wheat products
Bread
Yeast
Beer
Bananas
Sugar and sweeteners
Saturated fats
Greasy, fried and oily foods
Iced or cooled beverages
Uncooked raw vegetables and salads
Phlegm refers to a condition of dampness where moisture is retained
as Phlegm or Mucus. Phlegm-resolving foods include:

Almond
Apple Peel
Clam
Daikon
Garlic
Grapefruit
Lemon Peel
Licorice
Marjoram
Mushroom (button)
Mustard Leaf
Mustard Seed
Olive
Onion
Orange Peel
Pear
Radish
Seaweed
Shitake Mushroom
Shrimp
Tea
Thyme
Walnut
Watercress

I have so much more information about diet that it would take a whole
book to explain. Don't worry - I am working on that! In the meantime
I am available for live seminars. Take these recommendations to your
kitchen and cook some delicious meals for yourself be well and stay
healthy.

Conclusion
Chinese Dietary Therapy is an essential part of healing this Qi
disharmony. I urge my readers to continue to take the herbs and
acupuncture treatments your practitioner recommends, but do
incorporate this information about diet into your therapy and
lifestyle.
Salute!
Juliette Aiyana, L.Ac.
212-894-0767
www.acupunctureandherbs.net

About the Author

Comments?

Comments

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 at 5:34 PM, by Guest
im having a hard time applying these new foods and herbs to my diet do you think you could send me information on how to introduce these foods slowly im also on disability i dont need anything big just first time simple thank you alissa.