How to Check and Enhance Your Digestive Function with TCM

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How to Check and Enhance Your Digestive Function with TCM

Do you know that four out of every 10 adults are suffering from digestive disorders of varying severity in the world? That is shockingly high with a rate of 40%. When you think of the digestive system, the first organ associated with it is the stomach. Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), both the stomach meridian and spleen meridian play an important role in your digestive functions. They are like twin brothers that one affects each other.

If you imagine that the stomach is the storehouse of the food, then the spleen meridian is involved in transportation. The food we eat is initially grinded and digested in the stomach, and then further processed by the spleen meridian to remove the waste and transport the “essence”-nutrients to the whole body. If the function of the stomach meridian is not good, the transportation capacity of the spleen meridian will be naturally affected.

The energy in your stomach and spleen meridians is sensitive to the temperature of the food and drinks. If you love to drink ice drinks on a daily basis. It may cause energetic blockages in your stomach and spleen meridians and weaken your Qi (energy) flow in these meridians. If you don’t eat your meals regularly, for example, you are either too hungry or overeating with one meal a day randomly on a regular basis; you are hurting your digestive system without a healthy eating habit. In addition, if you have a tendency of overthinking or worry, it can weaken the energy flow in your spleen meridian because the spleen meridian is associated with your thinking pattern based on TCM.

As we know that the digestive system plays a critical role in our health because it provides the source of nutrients to sustain our life. The prevalence of digestive issues has been increasing over the years; we want to prevent it from happening from the very beginning. How do you know that your digestive system is compromised at the very beginning? Here are some signs of your body that are delivering the warning messages to you.

1. Your face color

When the energy in the spleen meridian is getting weak, a person’s face will lose resilient and bright color. The skin on the face becomes dry and pale.

2. Your nose color

According to TCM, your nose is the reflection area of your stomach and spleen meridians on your face. If your nose is red and different from the rest color of your face, this may indicate excessive heat in your stomach and spleen meridians. When this happens, a person usually has a big appetite and tends to feel hungry more frequently.

If the color of your nose is noticeably dark yellow, this may indicate the Yang energy deficiency in your stomach meridian due to excessive ice-cold drinks or stay up late at night on a regular basis. If the color of your nose is very dark, this may indicate functional changes in your digestive system, it is a good idea to perform a medical examination to further investigate the issue.

3. Your lip color

If you are drooling at night, that is also an indication of insufficient energy flow in the spleen meridian because the spleen meridian controls the distribution of the saliva. When the Qi (energy) is sufficient in your spleen meridian, it helps distribute the saliva properly to enhance digestion.

4. Constipation

Your lips are the reflection area of your spleen meridian based on TCM. If your lips are full and radiate a healthy pink color, it indicates adequate Qi (energy) flow in your spleen meridian. If your lips are dry and chapped, the energy flow in your spleen meridian may be weak. If you are drooling at night, that is also an indication of insufficient energy flow in the spleen meridian because the spleen meridian controls the distribution of the saliva. When the Qi (energy) is sufficient in your spleen meridian, it helps distribute the saliva properly to enhance digestion. When the Qi (energy) is weak in the stomach and sleep meridians, it affects the transportation of the nutrients to various organs and results in a lack of motility in the large intestine, which causes constipation.

As you can see, strengthen the Qi (energy) in your spleen and stomach meridian is equivalent to nurturing your life force. If you want to boost the energy flow in your spleen and stomach meridians, self-care is more important than treatment. A healthy lifestyle is the first place to start. Keep in mind that taking careof your spleen and stomach meridians is not a one-day task. It takes determination and a strong will to establish and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The first step to maintaining sufficient energy flow in your spleen and stomach meridians is to eat regularly daily. Small frequent meals every day will keep your digestive system at ease all day long.
The second step is to reduce ice cold drinks right before your meals. Cold drinks can cause contraction of the blood vessels in the stomach and lead to reduced secretion of stomach acids, which can cause indigestion. This is very common during hot weather; people tend to have a glass of ice water or cold drink right before their meals without realizing that they are hurting their digestive system.

Based on the “Five Element Theory” in TCM, food with yellow color corresponds to the spleen in the five elements, such as pumpkins, potatoes, bananas, millets, etc. You can choose them more often to promote the healthy energy flow in the spleen and stomach meridians.

You may not aware that your hands also possess an amazing healing power to strengthen your digestive system.

Chinese medicine practitioners believe that the key to nurturing the spleen and stomach meridians is to follow the natural cycle and changes of the energy flow in each organ. The Qi (energy) in the stomach meridian falls while the Qi (energy) in the spleen meridian rises. This means that food is digested and decomposed in the stomach and then sent down into the small intestine for the next step of digestion and absorption. The Qi (energy) in the spleen meridian transports the essence of the food to the lungs and distributes it to other tissues and organs. The movement of energy flow in the stomach and spleen meridians follows a circle, one goes down and another one moves up, and the movement continues. Through the orderly movement of the energy flow in the spleen and stomach meridians, the whole body can be adequately nourished by the continuous supply of nutrients and energy.

There is one exercise in Baduanjin from my previous blog that uses this mechanism to help regulate the energy flow in the spleen and stomach meridians. This exercise is called “Push arms up and down like competing”.

Last but not the least; your emotions can significantly impact your health. Based on TCM, anger is associated with the emotional aspect of the liver; as a result, negative emotions can affect the regulatory function of the liver. When the energy is blocked in the liver meridian, it can in turn affect the energy flow in the stomach and spleen meridians. For example, when you are angry or anxious, your stomach will turn red due to congestion like your face; when you feel sad or depressed, your stomach will turn pale with reduced secretion of gastric juice. Therefore, smiling more often is the best gift for your stomach and spleen meridians. When your digestive system is healthy and strong, it will also make you look younger and feel energetic.

If you are suffering from some chronic digestive issues such as gastritis or stomach ulcers, here are some natural tips to get your stomach back on track fast.

I hope you enjoy the information, if you have any great idea to boost your digestive function, please share with us.

Quote:

“Resentment and anger are bad for your blood pressure and your digestion.”~ Desmond Tutu

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About the author: Lucy Liu

As a Holistic Health Practitioner, Registered Dietitian, TCM Practitioner, Energy Healer, Master Hypnotist, Reiki Master, Advanced Theta Healing Practitioner, Author and Speaker, Lucy Liu, the founder of optimalhealthsolutions.ca, has gained a good reputation in holistic health after many years of serving patients and clients as a holistic health practitioner. Lucy has developed a unique and comprehensive approach, which combines Western Medicine, Chinese Medicine, Energy Medicine, and Alternative Medicine together, to help others achieve optimal health by creating harmony between the body, mind, and spirit, and maintain long-term success for healthy lifestyle changes.
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