Have you eaten it? This is a commonly used greeting among the Chinese population. Initially, it reflected a genuine concern between people during difficult times, but further on, it can be seen as a mutual reminder of their physical health. Why is that so?
There are a total of 500 million stomach disease patients worldwide, with China accounting for 120 million, making it a truly "major country" in stomach diseases. In traditional Chinese medicine, when it comes to the stomach, the spleen cannot be ignored. The spleen and stomach are the "root" of health. If the function of the spleen and stomach is not strong, it can lead to many diseases.
The author believes that in order to maintain health, it is necessary to first nourish the spleen and stomach. A strong stomach leads to a strong body, while a weak stomach leads to a weak body. If we compare longevity to building a house, protecting the spleen and stomach is like laying a foundation. If the foundation is not solid, eating too many nutritional and health supplements will not have a significant effect.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the spleen and stomach are the foundation of postnatal development and the key to the biochemical changes of qi and blood in the human body. If a person's spleen and stomach are not good, the body's qi and blood will be insufficient, and various parts of the body will not be nourished, resulting in "withering" and a plethora of diseases. Tonifying the spleen is the key to treating all diseases.
Check if your spleen and stomach are healthy
People with poor spleen and stomach can be seen from their appearance. We often encounter patients in outpatient clinics who have a pale complexion and no gloss on their lips; Some are too thin, as if a gust of wind can blow them down; Some are very fat, appearing to have a large physique but not at all sturdy; Some people have weak speech, lack energy, and are young yet aging prematurely
This is mostly caused by damage to their spleen and stomach function. Therefore, to know whether the spleen and stomach are good or not, we can look at the following parts:
Lips: Generally speaking, people with good spleen and stomach have rosy lips, moderate dryness and wetness, and smooth and glossy appearance; Lips with poor spleen and stomach are white and devoid of blood, appearing very dry and prone to peeling and cracking. Symptoms such as bad breath and gum swelling and pain are mostly related to insufficient digestive capacity of the spleen and stomach.
In addition, drooling during sleep is also a sign of a lack of temper.
Nose: The meridians of the spleen and stomach are connected to the human nose. Dry nasal cavity, impaired sense of smell, clear nasal mucus, and nosebleeds are mostly caused by weak spleen and stomach. People with red nasal wings often have stomach heat; Blue nose and hair accompanied by abdominal pain also indicate poor spleen and stomach function.
Eyes: Poor spleen and stomach can lead to insufficient qi and blood, which in turn affects the liver. The liver opens the eyes, making the eyes prone to fatigue and inability to see clearly. In addition, the absorption of body fluids is closely related to the spleen, and if there are often symptoms such as redness and swelling in the eyes and face, it may also be a problem with the spleen.
Ears: Weakness of the spleen and stomach can lead to insufficient kidney qi, often manifested as tinnitus or even deafness.
In addition, many people's poor spleen and stomach are caused by overwork or emotions. Especially in spring, with a strong liver fire, people are often prone to anger.
People with spleen and stomach disorders often feel weak in the spring, their hands and feet are cold, and sometimes they may have diarrhea. The spleen and stomach are injured, and all five organs suffer.
The Relationship between Spleen and Stomach and Five Organs
If there are problems with the spleen and stomach, it is likely to affect the five organs. In traditional Chinese medicine, there is a saying that "nourishing the spleen and stomach is nourishing the vital energy, and nourishing the vital energy is nourishing life." The health of the spleen and stomach is an important factor in determining the length of life.
The heart and spleen are like a mother and son, and heart disease needs to be treated from the spleen and stomach. The spleen is responsible for coordinating one's qi and blood, and providing nourishment to the heart. Once the spleen has problems and cannot replenish qi and generate blood, it can lead to imbalance of heart blood and cause heart disease.
The liver and spleen affect each other. Patients often tell me that they feel hungry after eating, but their stomachs are bulging and taking gastrointestinal medicine doesn't work. In fact, this is often related to liver depression and qi stagnation caused by excessive work pressure or poor mood. It is necessary to first nourish the liver in order to solve the problem of spleen and stomach.
On the contrary, the spleen and stomach can also affect the liver. For example, the root cause of fatty liver is that the spleen and stomach cannot digest food well, making it difficult to dispose of garbage and accumulating in the liver, thereby affecting the liver's blood supply and other functions.
Spleen and stomach deficiency first affects the lungs. The lungs are like a prime minister, specifically assisting the heart as a monarch. The lungs assist the heart in governing the entire body by managing the body's qi. However, the rise and fall of lung qi depends on the strength of the spleen and stomach. People with spleen and stomach deficiency often lead to lung qi deficiency, making them susceptible to colds and other respiratory system diseases.
Spleen deficiency often leads to kidney deficiency. A person with abundant energy will have sufficient kidney energy. The strength of kidney essence is also related to the health of the spleen and stomach, and whether it can provide sufficient nutrition to nourish the kidneys. Long term spleen deficiency can lead to kidney deficiency, manifested as restlessness in the heart, easy night sweating, or fear of cold, cold hands and feet.
The causes of spleen and stomach diseases
The spleen and stomach have four fears. One is afraid of life, two is afraid of cold, three is afraid of support, and four is afraid of anger.
Raw and cold foods, such as various cold drinks, raw vegetables and fruits, can carry cold energy into the body and are most likely to harm the spleen and stomach. In addition, the spleen and stomach are most afraid of fullness, and a meal of hunger and fullness can cause the greatest damage to it.
Stomach diseases are mostly related to uncontrolled diet, while spleen diseases are related to overwork (overwork and worry). The liver and spleen affect each other. It is necessary to first nourish the liver in order to solve the problems of the spleen and stomach.
If the liver is not depressed, then the spleen is not weak. Everyone knows that "tea and rice are not thoughtful" and "qi is full", but in fact, they describe stories of liver and spleen disharmony. Patients often tell me that they feel hungry after eating, but their stomachs are bulging and taking gastrointestinal medicine doesn't work.
In fact, this is often related to liver depression and qi stagnation caused by too much work pressure or bad emotions. Anger, anger, worry, and depression can lead to liver qi imbalance, transverse obstruction of the spleen and stomach, abdominal distension and qi stagnation, and discomfort in the epigastric region.
To keep the spleen healthy, it is necessary to nourish and soften the liver, smooth the liver's qi flow, and allow liver qi to be released normally, so that the liver wood and spleen soil are in a harmonious relationship.
Therefore, in order to nourish the spleen, it is important to control one's emotions, never get angry, and try to minimize anger. This is an important factor in soothing the liver and nourishing the spleen.
The stomach is replenished with qi, while the spleen is driven by health
Modern urban people generally eat more, exercise less, face high work pressure, and are more prone to depression, which can easily lead to phlegm and dampness stagnation, and the direct result is overweight. Therefore, for people with severe phlegm turbidity, it is better to use the tonifying method than the unblocking method, which can clear and lower yang brightness, and relieve turbid toxins, which is most beneficial to health.
Many people have experienced that drinking radish soup or eating some stir fried radish seed powder can make the whole body feel comfortable. In short, people with excessive phlegm and dampness should focus on promoting digestion and unblocking the internal organs. Do not overindulge in tonics or various nutritional and health products to prevent stagnation of qi.
The Clinical Guidelines and Medical Cases state that if the spleen is suitable for ascending, then it is healthy, and if the stomach is suitable for descending, then it is harmonious.
The "Ling Shu - Determination of Qi" states, "If the stomach is full, the intestines will be deficient. If the intestines are full, the stomach will be deficient, and the deficiency will be even more abundant. Therefore, the qi will flow up and down, the five internal organs will be stable, the blood vessels will be harmonious, and the spirit will reside. Therefore, the spirit is the essence of water and grains."
It can be seen that with sufficient diet and normal body gasification function, one can effectively convert it into essence, transform it into blood, and nourish the spirit. As a result, a person's energy is abundant and vibrant.
The seven key points of nourishing the spleen should be firmly remembered
Firstly, food prefers warmth and dryness
The spleen prefers dryness and dampness, and prefers warmth and coldness. Therefore, to nourish the spleen, it is necessary to eat warm or dry foods or traditional Chinese medicine. For example, the spices commonly used in our kitchen are mostly warm and dry, so they also have the function of nourishing the spleen. Such as purple cardamom, sand kernels, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, large ingredients, fennel, woody incense, Angelica dahurica, ginger, dried ginger, and so on.
The spleen governs the soil, so it is necessary to eat foods that are rich in soil, such as underground sweet potatoes, yams, etc; The spleen prefers warmth and dislikes coolness, so it needs to eat warm food; The spleen color is yellow, so it is necessary to eat yellow food. Xiaomi, which is yellow in color, is the most nourishing soil for the spleen; Spleen virtue is soothing, so it is necessary to eat sweet taste to soothe the spleen's emotions.
Secondly, the fragrance enters the spleen, which can awaken dampness and dryness in the spleen
The fragrance enters the spleen, can awaken the spleen, can dry and wet, and can also make the spleen feel comfortable. Stir fried foods often have the function of nourishing the spleen, such as stir fried peanuts, stir fried melon seeds, etc.
Furthermore, when rice or pasta is roasted into a semi burnt and semi burnt state, it immediately has a fragrance and can also nourish the spleen. When I was young, I liked to eat corn cakes or Mantou that were burnt yellow on the edge of the pot. Maybe children's nature knew that it was good for the spleen. Pushing it forward, baked golden bread is burnt and crispy, which should be considered a nourishing substance for the spleen.
Thirdly, do not overeat raw or cold food
Children should be careful not to overeat raw and cold foods from a young age, including many fruits, cold drinks, cold water, etc., as it can damage the spleen yang. The best snacks for children are maltose and Guoba.
Some people are worried that eating grilled and fragrant food may catch fire. I think we should not eat food that has just been roasted and is still hot. However, we can wait until it cools down to room temperature before eating it, as it will not catch fire. People with spleen deficiency can also insist on drinking ginger brown sugar water in the morning, which helps warm the spleen and can elevate yang.
Fourthly, traditional Chinese medicine and decoction for nourishing the spleen
The spleen is the middle earth and the pivot for the left rise of yang qi.
Throughout history, there have been many traditional Chinese medicines and decoctions for nourishing the spleen, including Atractylodes macrocephala for invigorating the spleen and drying dampness, and Pingwei powder; There are Poria cocos for tonifying the spleen and removing dampness, and Four Gentlemen's Decoction; There are herbs and fruits that can help to invigorate the spleen, as well as Xingpi powder; Warm the spleen and dispel cold, there are dried ginger and reasonable soup; There are Huangqi (Astragalus membranaceus) and Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang (Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang) for invigorating the spleen and qi; Nourishing the spleen and containing ginseng, there is Guizhi Ginseng Soup. Such and so on are all prescriptions for promoting spleen yang and regulating middle qi.
(Attachment: Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang: Take 15g of Astragalus membranaceus, 10g of Atractylodes macrocephala, 15g of Codonopsis pilosula, 6g of Angelica sinensis, 6g of Chenpi, 5g of Chaihu, 5g of Cimicifuga, 5g of roasted licorice, and decoct with water to nourish qi and yang, regulate spleen and stomach.)
The spleen governs the circulation and transformation. If the spleen is weak in circulation and transformation, people often eat whatever they want, and their complexion is yellow and their muscles are thin. At this time, it is important to pay attention to nourishing the spleen. The spleen prefers sweet and light taste, but dislikes fishy, spicy, and heavy turbidity. Therefore, sweet and light taste can nourish the spleen; Having a weak temper, one should never eat or drink spicy food.
This prescription can be used to nourish the spleen: 30g each of Poria cocos, Coix seed, Euryx seed, and Yam, and 10g each of Chenpi
Boiled in water, one dose per day. Or apply medicine to dry, grind a total of fine powder, 15g each time, twice a day, and take it in warm rice porridge.
Fifthly, moxibustion has the function of warming yang, which is most suitable for nourishing the spleen.
Anyone with spleen deficiency can moxibustion the original point of the spleen meridian, Taibai. The main time of the spleen meridian is from 9am to 11am, so if moxibustion can be performed during this time, the effect will be better.
The spleen rises clear and the stomach falls turbid, both of which are the pivot for the rise and fall of qi. Therefore, the rise of the spleen should be accompanied by the fall of the stomach, which can be combined with acupuncture and moxibustion and moxibustion at Zusanli, the stomach meridian. The spleen should be in the season of summer, and moxibustion is most needed during small and large heatstrokes to strengthen the spleen and dispel dampness.
Sixth, the temperament is fluent in the mouth, and if the spleen is harmonious, the lips can absorb the five grains
If the spleen is diseased, the lip color will change, either yellow or dark, which can affect digestive and absorption functions. According to facial diagnosis, the spleen should be located at the tip of the nose. A yellow nose indicates spleen deficiency. According to the diagnosis of the palm, the middle of the palm and the greater thenar correspond to the spleen. If it appears dark, it is also a sign of spleen deficiency.
By carefully adjusting and observing the changes in these areas, one can intuitively feel the sufficient changes in spleen yang.
Seventh, laughter is the best gift for the spleen and stomach
Laughter is the best gift for the spleen and stomach. When a person is angry, resentful, or anxious, their stomach and face become congested and red like blood; When a person is sad, depressed, or depressed, the stomach becomes pale, with insufficient secretion of gastric juice and reduced activity.
Traditional Chinese medicine also believes that negative emotions can affect the liver's regulatory function, which in turn can affect the spleen and stomach. It can be seen that learning to laugh is the best gift for the spleen and stomach.