Firstly I would like to apologise for the long time since my last post. The reason for the delay is simply the fact that my clinics are incredibly busy. The clinics are busy because many people are in despair with the doctors’ cluelessness regarding their symptoms and so they are looking for a therapy that will understand the workings of their body and the reasons for their ailment. They are not just looking for understanding of their suffering but also for an effective treatment. Naturally they follow recommendations and come to Chinese medicine.

As promised in my last post regarding diet and health, in today’s post I am going to discuss the most important aspect of our quest for achieving health through nutrition: the spleen. The spleen in Chinese medicine does not refer only to our physical spleen; it is an energetic concept that, on the physical level, includes the spleen, the pancreas, the duodenum and some functions of the small and large intestines. The spleen is directly responsible for the transformation and transportation of food through our digestive system. It is also responsible for the production of energy through the digestion process. Other important functions of the spleen are keeping the strength of the immune system and also the strength and tone of the muscles and blood vessels. Mentally the spleen allows us to organise and control our thoughts. Emotionally a strong spleen will allow us to stay strong and happy.

From all of this we can see why a weak or under-functioning spleen can cause symptoms like fatigue, physical emotional and mental tiredness, weakness and achiness of the muscles, a weak immune system, digestive problems and bleeding. Keeping our spleen strong and healthy is very important for our health and wellbeing in general and for our digestive system in particular. This is a very important concept to understand. I have seen many people with digestive system disorder. These days a lot of people and practitioners believe that the digestive symptoms are a result of allergy to some food or maybe a bacterial overgrowth or presence of candida in their digestive tract. What people often don’t understand is that the presence of candida or bacterial overgrowth or an intolerance to certain foods is just a result of a weak or malfunctioning digestive system. In the case of intolerance (or as many people say: allergy) to certain foods, the spleen is simply not strong enough to digest that food. In the case of candida or bacterial overgrowth it is an accumulation of fluids which is the result of an ineffective digestion process creating a damp environment in the GI tract which is ideal for candida or bacterial growth. The importance here is that unless we are going to strengthen the spleen and restore the function of the digestive system then these problems are not going to go away. They may improve temporarily with a change of diet or anti-candida drugs etc but without fixing the digestive system function these solutions tend not to last and the problem tends to come back. It is the usual problem of treating the symptoms but not the core of the problem.

So how do we keep our spleen strong and our digestion functional? In order to simplify a complicated subject I will divide the issue into a few different levels and/or aspects:
On the physical level the spleen likes exercise in general and stretching in particular. A sedentary lifestyle and lack of movement damages the spleen. Do exercise but remember extreme physical exertion also is harmful to the spleen.
On the mental level the working of the spleen can easily be disturbed by worrying and over-thinking. Try and take things easy. Try and balance the usual headrush with time to relax, exercises and fresh air.

When eating:

a) Enjoy your food. A happy relationship with your food is important for the work of your spleen. Have a positive attitude towards what you eat: you made your decision about what to eat so have no regret, enjoy it and feel that this food is good for you!

b) Relax. Don’t mix food and work, make sure you have enough time to eat peacefully. Have a minute to relax before you start and a few minutes after!

c) Sit comfortably whilst eating.

d) Chew well.

e) Don’t overeat. It is just a bad habit of modern days to overeat. It is unhealthy and damaging for the spleen. Try and put a bit less on your plate, don’t have more food around for second helpings. You will be surprised how well you’ll feel.

f) Eat mainly warm food. Long-term consumption of raw and cold food will weaken the spleen.

g) Don’t overdrink during a meal. During a meal a small amount of warm drink is just enough.

h) Don’t eat too late. Have your main meal early, your spleen is going to sleep with you!

i) Eat a balanced diet. According to my favourite Chinese medicine dietitian, Daverick Leggett, the perfect balance is:

vegetables and fruits 40-60%
grains 20-40%
beans, dairy, meat , nuts 10-20%

j) Preparation of food. Our stomach is turning our food into a warm soup. It is ready then for the spleen to make use of the food essences to build our body, our energy and our immunity. Soups and stews are the cooking methods that most resemble the stomach action. It supplies the spleen with a mix that is easy to work on. A small amount of pungent herbs cooked with the food, as well as a small amount of pickled vegetables after a meal, will aid digestion.

k) Herbs. I always recommend you go and consult an experienced TCM herbalist for herbs to support the spleen. However, a few herbs are available over the counter if you wish to try first. The most effective of these are Astragalus, Ginseng and Hawthorn.

In this post I have focused on general measures of helping our spleen to maintain a functional and healthy digestive system. A healthy spleen will keep us energetic, healthily toned and focused.

In cases where ailments or symptoms are already present then diet in TCM has to be directed more specifically towards the imbalance in our body which has caused the problem.

More on that in my next post. Meanwhile have a great and healthy week.

Dr Ilan Shahor