"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, read
this article!" -B
Thanks for Writing In!
In my last article I invited Pulse 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 Pulse 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
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.
[Editor's note: Also see our article, "What
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
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:
- 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
- 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
- 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:
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:
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:
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:
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)
Concentrated Juices especially Orange
Sugar and sweeteners
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:
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.
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
Juliette Aiyana, L.Ac.