How to Recognize Spleen/Stomach Disharmonies

To complete this series on the Earth element, whose season of late summer recently came to a close, below are some common patterns of disharmony involving the element’s associated organs. Two major hallmarks of Earth imbalances include digestive issues and a lack of energy, as the Spleen and Stomach are responsible for digesting our food, and transforming and transporting its qi to the body at large. The cause of these patterns of disharmony are often related to diet and lifestyle, but our environment and other factors can also contribute.

Spleen qi deficiency

Symptoms: tiredness, pallor, loose stools or sometimes constipation, lack of appetite or energy to prepare food, slow metabolism

Dietary recommendations: eat mildly sweet and/or pungent foods that are warm or at least neutral in temperature & energetic nature, including plenty of complex carbohydrates and some animal products.

• Eat whole grains like oats, spelt, and sweet rice.

• Eat carbohydrate-rich vegetables & legumes like winter squash, carrot, rutabaga, parsnip, turnip, chickpeas, black beans, peas, sweet potatoes, yams, and pumpkin.

• Eat pungent vegetables & spices like onion, leek, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, fennel, garlic, and nutmeg.

• Eat small amounts of natural sweeteners & cooked fruits like molasses, cherries, and dates.

• Eat small amounts of animal products in soup or congee, like mackerel, tuna, anchovy, beef, beef liver or kidney, chicken, turkey, lamb, butter.

• Eat slowly and chew food thoroughly.

• Eat easily digestible amounts of food—small, frequent meals may be necessary in the beginning.

• Cook food with nurture & care.

Congee is a great meal for those with Spleen qi deficiency. Fermented foods like good quality sauerkraut are also beneficial.

Spleen yang deficiency / deficiency of digestive fire

Symptoms: qi deficiency symptoms + signs of cold like watery stools, aversion to cold weather, cold hands & feet, clear urine

Dietary recommendations: generally follow the guidance for Spleen qi deficiency but emphasize warming foods such as dried ginger. Of the foods listed for Spleen qi deficiency, the following are warming:

• Oats, spelt

• Winter squash, parsnip, black beans, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin

• All the pungent foods/spices and sweet foods listed above

• Anchovy, beef, beef liver or kidney, chicken, turkey, lamb, butter

The following are best to limit because they are cooling:

• Limit excessive raw vegetables & fruits (especially citrus), very sweet foods, and dairy products

• In particular, limit sprouts, wheat, tomatoes, spinach, chard, tofu, millet, amaranth, seaweeds, wild blue-green algae, salt, and vinegar

• Avoid large meals and rich foods

• Eat only small amounts of nuts, seeds, and oils

Dampness affecting the Spleen

Dampness is an overaccumulation of something in the body. This may be a mucus, bacterial, viral, or yeast imbalance in the body—or a combination. This may cause damp conditions such as excess fat, edema, cysts, or tumors.

Symptoms: feeling heavy, bloating, watery stools, lack of appetite or energy to prepare food, excessive worry/rumination

• Dampness in the joints causes limited mobility, fixed pain, and swelling

The nature of dampness is to be sluggish, and as such, resolving dampness tends to be a slow process. In addition to dietary changes, exercise is essential to properly oxygenate the body.

Dietary recommendations:

Do eat:

• Grains like rye & amaranth

• Vegetables & legumes like corn, azuki beans, celery, lettuce, pumpkin, scallion, alfalfa, turnip, and kohlrabi

• White pepper

• Raw honey

• All bitter herbs like chaparral, chamomile, pau d’arco

• Micro-algae like dunaliella and wild blue-green algae

• Raw goat’s milk is the only dairy product that is not usually dampening

Limit:

• Raw, cold foods

• Dampening foods like meat, eggs, dairy, fatty and oily foods like nuts & seeds (especially peanuts)

• Simple sugars like fruit or added sweeteners

• Late-night eating or overeating

• Too many ingredients in a meal

The causes of these patterns of disharmony vary and usually present in combination with other patterns. For tailored guidance, it is important to seek individual care.

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