food is alchemy

When people migrate, the first thing we lose is language. The last thing we lose is food.

Digestion | Dietetics | Emotions | Recipes

the digestive system is located at the center of our bodies

for the same reason a waterwheel needs a spoke or axis around which to spin.

Just as a waterwheel generates electricity, so does our digestive system generate the energy needed to shepherd us evenly through our days & the fluctuating seasons of our lives. Associated with the Earth phase, the digestive organs (Spleen & Stomach) unify the entire energetic system, allowing the opposing & contradictory forces of the rest of the body to generate momentum around a singular axis. This is why it is so crucial to have regular eating habits, an energetically balanced diet, and smooth digestion & elimination on a day-to-day basis.

Yin Yang Five Elements

“The Spleen-Stomach holds the office of the granaries and issues the five flavors.”

— Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic

Chinese medicine dietetics categorizes foods based on their corresponding thermal nature (hot, warm, neutral, cool, cold), flavor (sweet, sour, bitter, acrid, salty), and elemental resonance (earth, wood, fire, metal, water).

These energetic properties will determine not only what aspect of the body is nourished, but also how it is being nourished.

For example, foods with high moisture content (watermelon, cucumbers, eggplant, celery, etc.) are cooling in thermal nature and thus have a cooling effect on the body. Foods that have an acrid or spicy flavor (fresh ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, turmeric, etc.) have a dispersing & drying effect on the body, which is why we tend to pair spices with greasy, rich, or generally difficult-to-digest foods (turmeric latte, Sichuan peppercorn with lamb, shiso leaf with sushi, mapo tofu, etc.). Foods that resonate with the wood element (spring onion, bamboo shoots, leek, snow peas, etc.) not only tend to look like that element (green, immature, Spring plants) but also emulate the energetic direction of its corresponding element (upwards & outwards) as well as have a therapeutic effect on its corresponding organ (Liver).

thermal property

Natural geothermal energy in Iceland, which heats at least 90% of all homes in Iceland.

Foods have an energetically thermal nature and can cool or warm the body. In Chinese dietetics, we categorize the thermal properties of food by hot, warm, neutral, cool, and cold.

  • Typically, we want to be eating an energetically “neutral” diet on a daily basis. Strongly flavored foods & spices that sit on the polar ends of the thermal spectrum are medicinal or seasonal (rather than quotidian) as they have a polarizing effect on the body’s equilibrium.

  • Thermal nature refers to the food’s intrinsic warming or cooling effect on the body (i.e. cayenne has a thermally hot nature) whereas temperature refers to the literal temperature of the food (i.e. ice cream, hot soup). Of course, eating something at a certain temperature can still have a thermal effect on the body (i.e. iced coffee can introduce Cold to the stomach, even though roasted coffee bean is energetically acrid & warm).

  • It’s always a good idea to have a combination of cooling (fruits & vegetables), warming (animal products, nuts & seeds, spices), and neutral foods (grains & beans). In general, thermally warm foods send "qi" upwards & outwards while thermally cool foods send "qi" downwards & inwards. This combination of opposing directional forces will stimulate the movement of the "waterwheel" of our body's natural internal movement. Neutral foods, then, act as the spoke to stabilize these opposing movements (this is the reason many grains and beans, which are energetically more neutral, are a food staple of all cultures!). Interestingly, eating too many neutral foods (i.e. grains & carbohydrates) can overburden the Spleen & Stomach, because it’s the warming & cooling foods that generate movement & peristalsis (gets the proverbial waterwheel moving around the spoke).

  • Think about it this way. When we eat a leaf of spinach, it doesn’t come out the other side a leaf of spinach. Something happens along the way that breaks it down, absorbs nutrients, and excretes waste. This process is called “transformation” in Chinese medicine theory, and although “transformation” happens primarily via the Earth system, it is actually powered by the Fire system. When we expose food to fire outside of our bodies, the thermal energy breaks down the food for our consumption. But when we eat raw, uncooked foods, we’re asking our bodies to cook the food for us. As in, we’re using our body’s innate Fire to break down the piece of spinach and transform it into useful energy and useless waste. But we only have so much Fire energy! Over time, the overconsumption of raw foods can burden both the Earth and Fire systems, and begin to stagnate the smooth flow of energy.

flavors are more than just a good time.

Flavors produce a physiological effect. Sour flavor astringes, bitter flavor drains, sweet flavor supplements, acrid flavor disperses, and salty flavor softens hardness.

  • Oftentimes, our bodies intuitively desire foods that would alleviate existing imbalances in our bodies. For example, when there is cold or cold dampness encumbering the smooth flow of Qi, we crave spicy foods that can disperse stagnation, dry dampness, and warm the body. If we are deficient in Qi or Blood, we’ll crave sweet-flavored foods, which have a supplemental effect. This is why many people with uteruses crave sweets around their period when the body is expending a lot of energy to move blood out of the body. However, in most cases, people have a complex interplay of imbalances, so cravings may ameliorate one imbalance while potentially exacerbating another. This is why it’s important to consult a Chinese medicine practitioner so we can make informed dietary choices.

  • It depends! As with thermal property, moderation and balance are key. Milder flavored foods such as grains, seeds, and staple vegetables should form the central part of the diet, with progressively stronger tasting foods being eaten more sparingly (strong flavors can be considered more medicinal). Moderate amounts of a given taste will strengthen the function of its associated organ energy while overconsumption of any one taste will impair the function of its associated organ energy.

  • Seasonal foods emulate the natural energetics of any given season and can promote those shifts in the human body. Root vegetables are “in season” during the winter months and emulate the “Storage” energy of Winter, whereas leeks & spring onions are “in season” during the spring months and emulate the “Birth” energy of Spring. Some seasonal foods can even treat season-specific disorders. For example, apples and pears are harvested in late summer/early fall. This is the time of year when folks have accumulated internal heat from the summertime and are also prone to respiratory allergies that can manifest as dry cough, dry nasal passages, or dry skin (i.e. eczema, psoriasis). Apples and pears have cooling and moistening properties and energetically resonate with the Metal System (Lung, skin, body hair, nose).

sargassum

If you look closely, you can see sargassum botanically has its own little nodules. In Chinese medicine, we call this “like treats like.”

kombu

This slimy friend is used in soup stocks from many East Asian cultures, including Japanese dashi bases & Korean anchovy broth.

Taste plays a significant role in Chinese dietetics, and can act as both a diagnostic and a prescriptive tool.

Flavors describe the energetic nature of a substance and its respective physiological effect on the body.

For example, one species of seaweed (kunbu or kombu) has a salty flavor and thus possesses the ability to soften phlegm nodules, which is why we encourage consumption of this food for various kinds of nodules in the neck or phlegm obstructing the chest.

Flavors also describe the location the food directs energy to.

A different species of seaweed (haizao or sargassum) is similarly salty in flavor, but also bitter. So while possessing the ability to soften phlegm, it specifically reaches the lower body due to its bitter flavor, which directs energy downward. We prescribe hai zao for phlegm or blood stasis in the lower body, such as testicular swelling, edema of the legs, urinary obstruction, etc.

Interestingly, the traditional Korean dish miyeok-guk (seaweed soup) is given three times a day to new mothers to aid in postpartum recovery. Can you imagine why that is? Like its brethren, this particular species of kelp, miyeok or wakame, is salty in flavor and thus softens hardness. It may dissolve phlegm blocking milk ducts that could potentially lead to mastitis, thereby promoting breastmilk flow. Because of its slippery quality, it may also guide out any excess uterine tissue (blood stasis) in the lower abdomen or dissolve blood stasis to be reabsorbed into the body system, while also moistening and lubricating the intestines for constipation that often accompanies childbirth. The traditionally paired beef brisket, which is warm in thermal nature, nicely balances the cold thermal nature of the seaweed.

miyeok-guk

In Korean culture, this dish is eaten on birthdays to honor one’s mother.

Chinese medicine theory gives new meaning to the term “gut feeling.”

And by new, I obviously mean very old. Modern researchers have designated the gut as the “second brain,” due to the 100 million nerve cells lining the gastrointestinal tract from esophagus to anus, as well as the trillions of bacteria making up our “gut microbiome” that have been linked to mood, cognition, and behavior. But the ancient Chinese have always known there is a direct connection between the digestive system and the emotions. In fact, channels of both digestive organs (Spleen and Stomach) flow into the Heart (the “house” of emotions). This is why we derive so much joy from eating good food, feel “hangry” when we skip meals, nauseated when experiencing disgust or other foul emotions, and may need an urgent trip to the bathroom when we are feeling exceptionally nervous.

The corollary emotion associated with our major digestive organ, the Spleen, is 意 (yì), meaning thought, intent, or idea.

For Chinese speakers, this character is most commonly paired as 意思 (yì si), or “meaning,” as in to make meaning out of something. Colloquially, we might say “你是什么意思?” as in “What do you mean?” or “What’s your meaning?” or “What’s your thinking/thought process?”. The second character 思 includes the component 田 tián or “field” (Earth element/system). In the same vein, the character for “stomach” is 胃 wèi with the image “field” at the top and radical “flesh” on the bottom, evoking its materiality.

Even linguistically, the Chinese have associated thought and digestion as closely related.

Rice fields (稻田)

Epithelial cells of the interior lining of the Stomach (胃)

  • All emotions can affect the digestive system, because all systems of the body are connected. However, rumination/worry and unexpressed anger most directly enact harm to the digestive organs.

  • The flavors of the cacao bean (sweet & bitter) resonate with their corresponding organs (Spleen & Heart, respectively). These organs are very closely related. In fact, the Spleen channel directly penetrates the Heart organ to send energy derived from food. The emotion associated with the Heart is Joy.

  • 意 can be broken down into its upper component 音 (sound) and lower component 心 (heart). I love imagining “Thought” or “Intention” as being the sound our hearts make. In Western psychology, thinking and emotions are considered distinct concepts. However, I think we can all agree that our thoughts strongly affect our emotions and our emotions strongly motivate our thoughts. Just for funsies: adding the mouth radical 口 to 意 produces 噫, which means “to belch!” As mentioned in the main text, adding the “sick” radical 疒 produces “hysterical.” Adding the flesh radical 肉 produces “chest, breast, bosom” or “inner feelings” which seems to signify that our most sincere feelings/wishes/desires actually occur in our chest, in the house of the Heart, rather than our heads, the house of the Brain. Interestingly, all organs of the body possess the flesh radical (脾 Spleen,胃 Stomach, 肾 Kidney, 肺 Lung, 肝 Liver) —  except for the Heart (心) as it is the most closely associated with the Spirit (神), which is non-material. Add another “heart” 心radical to 意 and you have 憶， meaning “to recollect, to remember,” or “memory.” Add the “grass” radical 艹, and you have 薏 as in 薏苡仁 or Job’s tears, which is a seed used in Chinese herbology to unburden the Spleen/Stomach of excess dampness and guide out pathogenic water through the urine. Add the “bird” radical 鸟, and you get 鷾, the swallow.

Just as a cow ruminates by chewing repeatedly on cud, we humans do the same with our thoughts and with our digestion. 

Paired with the “sickness” radical 疒, 意 (yì) becomes 癔 (yì), meaning “hysterical” or “mental illness.” We actually have the same sentiment in the West: “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is considered Insanity.” In Chinese medicine theory, rumination in moderation is perfectly healthy, but overthinking can lead to disharmony of the digestive organs.

Ever been so worried that you’ve made yourself nauseous, lost your appetite, or suddenly had urgent diarrhea? Worry is synonymous with Over-Thinking, which can burden the digestive organs (Spleen and Stomach), leading to the interruption of normative energy flow. Over time, this taxation may lead to chronic diseases, such as IBS, heartburn, gastritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or diverticulitis to name a few. Unsurprisingly, the opposite is also true. When asked about gut health, many of my patients who suffer from psycho-emotional disorders (i.e. depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, and schizophrenia) often reveal that their digestion is also not optimal.

Food for thought!

Sincerely, Your acupuncturist,

Monica Sun, L.Ac

recipes

Black Bone Chicken Soup

Origin: China

  • black-bone (silkie) chicken, goji berries, dates, black soya beans, dried longan fruit, fresh ginger, angelica sinensis (dang gui), polygonati rhizoma (huang jing).

  • This soup is especially suited post-period during the “Yin phase” of the menstrual cycle. It is also indicated for post-labor if there is significant loss of blood or during menopause if hot flashes are present.

  • Because of its black color, even black to the bone, silkie chicken strongly resonates with the Kidney (Water) System and replenishes the Yin. Black soybeans further reinforce this resonance whilst simultaneously guiding out dampness. Goji berries, longan fruit, and polygonati root stimulate the production of healthy Blood, while Angelica sinensis mobilizes the Blood. Dates and fresh ginger aid in the digestion of these relatively rich, cloying ingredients, making the whole soup easy on the tummy.

Adzuki Bean Dessert Soup

Origin: China

  • adzuki beans (red beans), dried lotus seeds, dried lily bulb, aged tangerine peel, rock sugar, glutinous rice balls (optional).

  • When life gets bitter, we need a little sweetness to calm our shaken spirits. I’ll often recommend this dessert soup to patients who are running on fumes, can’t seem to settle down at night, are constantly bloated, and are irritable, wired, and anxious.

  • The main ingredient, adzuki beans, resonates with the Fire phase and can guide out excessive fire harassing the Heart by way of the water of urination.

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