Good Eating Habits: A Chinese Medicine Perspective
Good nutrition requires healthy digestion, and in Chinese medicine terms, this means a healthy Stomach and Spleen. Read on to learn how to support the Stomach and Spleen with good eating habits, according to the Chinese medicine yangsheng tradition.
The Stomach and Spleen in Chinese Medicine
In Chinese medicine, the Stomach is known as the “rotter and ripener of food,” referring to its function of mechanically and chemically breaking down solid food into a liquid, allowing its nutrients to be more easily extracted.
Meanwhile, the Spleen is known as the “transformer and transporter.” Modern biologists might not immediately think of the Spleen as a digestive organ. However, in Chinese medicine, the Spleen system includes its neighbour, the pancreas.
The pancreas is responsible for secreting digestive enzymes and hormones like insulin and glucagon. It plays a crucial role in both the digestion of food and the regulation of blood sugar, matching the Spleen’s Chinese medicine functions of transforming nutrients and transporting them around the body.
Extracting and transforming food essences is a crucial step in the formation of both qi and Blood. Therefore, the Stomach and Spleen can be considered the basis of our overall wellbeing. To keep these organs healthy, we need to pay attention to our diets and eating habits.
Many of us spend a great deal of time thinking about what we eat, but give far less consideration to how we eat it. This can result in suboptimal absorption of nutrients and digestive complaints like heartburn, indigestion, and bloating. In the long run, it can contribute to metabolic dysregulation, increasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders.
What to Eat
What kinds of food to eat is a very individual decision. It depends upon our unique physical constitutions, physical activity levels, the climate we live in, cultural, religious, ethical, and financial factors, as well as our personal preferences.
However, there are a few general guidelines that can be applied to almost everyone to help them make healthy dietary choices.
High Quality Food
Much of the food available in supermarkets is low quality, favouring convenience and affordability over nutritional value. However, it is generally considered better to focus on the quality of our food over quantity, so whenever possible, it is worth spending a little extra to prioritise our health.
Aim to eat more organic, whole foods and avoid heavily processed products, refined sugars and grains, trans fats, and artificial flavourings and preservatives. We should also consider the source of our food. The ethical and sustainable production of food benefits the planet, animals, farmers, and humankind as a whole.
Seasonal Eating
Nowadays, we can buy pretty much any food we want, at any time of year. While this may be convenient, it is generally considered best to eat local, seasonal food, as this will have a higher nutritional content than imported products that may have travelled halfway across the world, been stored for long periods, or treated with artificial preservatives.
Eating seasonal foods is also considered beneficial from a yangsheng perspective, as our nutritional needs vary throughout the year and it is not necessarily appropriate to eat a salad in the depths of winter, or a hearty stew in the height of summer.
You can read more about seasonal eating in the Seasonal Wellness section of the website.
Eat More Plants
More people are moving towards plant-based diets, either to improve health or for ethical and environmental reasons. Some of the key benefits include improved cardiovascular and metabolic health and a reduction in lifestyle-related diseases.
A strict vegan or vegetarian diet might not suit everyone, but on the whole, we should all aim to eat more plants. Variety is key, and ideally, we should be eating as many as 30 different plant foods each week. This ensures an adequate intake of the various vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial compounds that plants have to offer.
However, those wishing to cut out animal products entirely should take care to consume enough vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, and iodine, which are primarily found in animal sources. It is also important to consume a range of grains and pulses to ensure adequate protein intake.
Eat for Your Constitution
What suits one person might not be good for another, and this largely depends upon our constitution. In Chinese medicine, people tend to be considered more yin or yang in nature. The former might benefit from eating more yang-nourishing foods, while the latter should focus on nourishing yin.
We should also think about pathogenic factors, such as heat, cold, dampness, or dryness, as well as any tendency towards stagnation, when choosing an appropriate diet.
From a more biomedical perspective, food intolerances and allergies may play a significant role in what we can and cannot eat and, therefore, have a major impact on our health. Anyone cutting any major food group out of their diet for any reason should ensure they replace the relevant nutrients with alternative sources.
Use Appropriate Cooking Methods
Cooked food is generally seen as being easier to digest than uncooked food, and while some people will benefit from a certain amount of raw fruit and veg, too much can place a strain on the Stomach and Spleen. Raw food should be kept to a minimum and chewed well to aid digestion.
The most appropriate cooking methods for food will depend upon a person’s constitution and the type of food in question. Generally speaking, more watery, yin foods will benefit from yang cooking methods, like roasting or stir-frying, while denser, more yang foods might require more yin cooking methods, like stewing or steaming.
Enjoy Occasional Treats
When trying to improve our diets, it can be all too easy to become prescriptive or even obsessive in our eating habits. However, it is important to maintain our enjoyment of food and occasional treats, eaten with a positive attitude, are generally nothing to worry about.
As long as we eat well most of the time, the occasional slice of pizza or chocolate cake won’t do any harm!
How to Eat
In Chinese medicine, how we eat our food is considered as important as the food itself. Good eating habits support the Stomach and Spleen, helping them function optimally. Below are some suggestions for how to keep these organs healthy and get the most out of every meal.
Eat Regularly
The body likes routine, and eating at the same time every day lets the Stomach and Spleen know when to expect food so they can be ready for action.
Moreover, it is important to eat before getting really hungry. When we allow ourselves to become hungry, our blood sugar falls, which can lead to irritability, dizziness, and weakness. This can lead to us eating too fast or making poor choices as we reach for the quickest and easiest way to get some sugar into our cells.
It is best to have set mealtimes and stick to them as much as possible. For some people, it may also be necessary to schedule in healthy snacks between meals to avoid blood sugar drops.
Avoid Eating Late at Night
Our bodies follow a natural cycle, with yang qi peaking at noon, and yin qi peaking at midnight. Digestion is a yang process, so it is considered best to do most of our eating in the early part of the day and avoid consuming food late at night.
According to the Chinese medicine clock, the Stomach and Spleen function best between 7 am and 11 am, and are least active between 7 pm and 11 pm. Therefore, a hearty breakfast, a medium-sized lunch, and a light evening meal can help to support good digestion.
Food eaten late at night may not be processed effectively and can sit in the Stomach, causing bloating and discomfort. In Chinese medicine terms, this leads to stagnation, which can progress to dampness and phlegm over time, and contribute to many serious health conditions.
From a biomedical perspective, eating late at night may interfere with sleep, which can lead to hormonal dysregulation over time. Specifically, lack of sleep is associated with low levels of leptin, a hormone responsible for feelings of fullness, and higher levels of ghrelin, a hormone associated with hunger.
Therefore, eating late could cause us to consume more calories the following day, which, over time, could lead to significant weight gain.
Sit Down to Eat
It is considered best to eat in a relaxed position with a calm state of mind. Being relaxed and calm is associated with the parasympathetic nervous system, which is necessary for healthy digestion.
Some people may think the practice of saying grace has purely religious connotations, but it is actually a fantastic way to prepare the Stomach and Spleen to receive food. So, regardless of our belief systems, it can be really beneficial to sit down and take a moment of gratitude for the food in front of us before eating.
Eat Mindfully and Slowly
In addition to sitting down to eat, we should try to eat mindfully, without distractions. Using all our senses to anticipate and enjoy our food aids what is known as the cephalic phase of digestion.
The word “cephalic” means “relating to the head,” and seeing, smelling, and tasting our food can help to stimulate salivary and digestive secretions that help us to break down food and absorb and metabolise nutrients.
Furthermore, eating slowly can prevent us from overeating, as it can take up to 20 minutes for our bodies to register that we are full. Therefore, eating too fast can leave us feeling stuffed and uncomfortable, and in the long run, may contribute to weight gain.
Chew Food Well
Chewing food well is considered of utmost importance for a few different reasons.
Firstly, it helps to promote the secretion of digestive fluids as part of the cephalic phase. Secondly, mechanically breaking down food with the teeth makes it easier for the Stomach to perform its function of “rotting and ripening.”
Chewing well also slows down our eating speed, ensuring that we register fullness in good time and preventing overeating.
Avoid Overeating
We have already touched on the subject of not overeating, and this is critical for maintaining good digestive and overall health.
Chinese medicine texts suggest stopping eating when we are seven-tenths full. This prevents the Stomach and Spleen from becoming overloaded, which would hinder their digestive functions.
From a biomedical perspective, there is some evidence that caloric restriction (eating fewer calories, while maintaining a nutritionally complete diet) may help prevent many different lifestyle diseases and could even extend our lifespans.
However, it is essential to eat enough to support our nutritional needs, and this will depend largely on our age, body size, physical activity levels, and so on. It is also important to consider that individuals who are pregnant, post-partum, or recovering from illness will require more calories to meet their energetic needs.
Rather than counting calories, which can become obsessive, we should learn to trust our appetites and stop eating just before we are full.
Don’t Drink Too Much With Meals
Staying hydrated is important, but avoid drinking too much with meals, as this could hinder digestion.
Although drinking a glass of water before eating can increase feelings of fullness and reduce overeating, research has shown that drinking water increases the pH of stomach acid, which could potentially make it less able to break down food. Therefore, it is best to do most of our drinking between meals.
Move After Eating
Going for a gentle stroll after eating generates yang qi to aid digestion, promotes movement in the intestines, and helps to prevent stagnation. This can be especially beneficial after the evening meal.
However, the emphasis here is on the word “gentle,” and going slowly is key. Walking too briskly after eating could cause indigestion and heartburn.
Good Eating Habits: Summary
According to the Chinese yangsheng tradition, how we eat is as important as what we eat, and we should aim to practice the good eating habits listed above at every meal.
Regular intake of moderate amounts of high-quality food that is appropriate for our constitution is key. For more personalised advice, book a Chinese dietary therapy consultation today.
References
Deadman, P (2016) Live Well, Live Long - Peter Deadman Ltd., Hove
Key T, Papier K, Tong T (2022) Plant-based diets and long-term health: Findings from the EPIC Oxford study -Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 81(2) p190-198 doi: 10.1017/S0029665121003748
Leggett, D (2005) Helping Ourselves (second edition) - Meridian Press, Totnes
Leggett, D (1999) Recipes for Self-Healing - Meridian Press, Totnes