The Digestive Process: Part 2

   Last week I looked at how the Chinese view the Spleen/Pi, which contains the Western digestive system, but also encompasses the emotional and mental aspects of ourselves. Today I will try to discover the methods and ways that can be used to nourish the Spleen/Pi so that we have a well-functioning digestive system that will bring us emotional and mental balance.

   Good Spleen/Pi energy will tend to generate a deep sense of inner well-being. Digestion is relaxed and efficient, the body feels supported and toned, the mind clear and able to concentrate properly.

   When the Spleen/Pi is in disharmony, there is usually a poor ability to digest food. This will often be mirrored by a decreased ability to receive emotional nourishment.

   The Spleen/Pi likes to feel a satisfied glow of comfort after eating - eating in a relaxed environment, not rushing at meal-time, not eating while under emotional or mental stress. Eating with your friends and family in a homely setting are all beneficial for the Spleen/Pi.

   In Chinese medicine the Spleen/Pi is said to be nourished by sweet foods. This does not mean sugar but rather the deep, sweet taste of grains or root vegetables. Generally speaking, the Spleen/Pi likes well-cooked food such as thick soups or stews which are easy on the digestion; it has more difficulty with raw and cold foods. The weaker the Spleen/Pi, the more it benefits from well-cooked meals.

   The Spleen/Pi also dislikes being flooded with too much fluid. So it is helpful to drink only a little fluid with meals and to have most fluid intake between meals. It is also helpful to separate fruit and sweetened foods from the main meal, eating them instead as between-meal snacks. This prevents fermentation in the digestive system.

   Chewing well helps the Spleen/Pi to digest, and warms chilled or raw food. We can also assist the Spleen/Pi by sitting in a relaxed way with an open and untwisted posture. Sitting slumped or twisted will compress the digestive organs and hinder digestion.

   As aromatic flavours stimulate the digestion, inclusion of aromatic herbs and spices like Caraway, Cardamon, Chives, Mustard, Anise, Turmeric, Marjoram Basil, Mint and Garlic in the cooking will encourage the Spleen/Pi to become less stagnant.

   Physically, the Spleen/Pi likes to stretch. All exercise will help the Spleen/Pi, provided it is balanced by stretching and relaxation. Massage will also help, releasing toxic build-up from our muscles and encouraging us to soften deep inside ourselves.

   Mentally, it is helpful to train the mind, just as it is helpful to stretch and exercise our bodies. On the other hand, overuse of our mental powers (i.e. in prolonged periods of study or in tasks that involve hours of sitting and processing information or even habitual brooding on our problems) can weaken the Spleen/Pi. It is important to balance mental work with physical exercise and fresh air.

   Finally, a number of herbs which nourish the Spleen/Pi can be used, Ginseng, Liquorice and Astragalus being the best ones available.

The Digestive Process: Part 1

This week I hope to try to give an understanding of our digestive process from a Chinese traditional perspective. The Chinese give the digestive process a central role in our well-being. They name this process Pi or the Spleen. Just as the earth is the centre of the cosmos from the viewpoint of the human being, “Earth’s Organ.” the Spleen or Pi, is seen as holding a central place in the human body.

   Our well-being can be seen as dependent on our ability to absorb and process nourishment. Through the transforming action of the digestive process, food becomes nutritional substances; from a Chinese perspective, the Spleen or Pi also digests information to transform into knowledge and sensuous experience is received and transformed into a core sense of well-being. Therefore the digestive process from the Chinese viewpoint encompasses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of ourselves.

   Spleen/Pi: the Physical Realm: The Spleen/Pi is responsible for nourishment. A strong Spleen/Pi ensures that a person is well-nourished. A weak Spleen/Pi may result in being undernourished. At the physical level, it is possible to a get a good diet yet not be strong enough to convert the food into proper nourishment. At the emotional level, one may be in an apparently nourishing situation yet be unable to receive the available nourishment.

   The Spleen/Pi transformative action is best embodied in the digestive process and it may be taken to refer to the whole digestive tract from mouth to anus and all the various juices and transformative agents released along the way. One measure of the Spleen/Pi strength is the vigour of the digestive system.

   The nourishment generated by the Spleen/Pi is transformed throughout the whole body, supporting the strength of the soft tissues and muscles. Soft tissues support the structure of the physical body, keeping things in place, holding up the body and giving it shape. With poor tone in the soft tissues, a body feels and looks “saggy,” and in extreme cases may suffer from prolapse. When the Spleen/Pi is strong, however, physical vitality is also strong and the soft tissues provide the body with good support.

   Spleen/Pi: the Non-Physical Realm: The Spleen/Pi is said to house the power of thought - from a Chinese perspective, the power to concentrate and apply the mind. This is an odd concept to the Western mind, so what does it mean? The digestive process is mirrored at the mental level by the thinking process. Digestion brings with it a desire to eat, which then leads to the intake of food. The food is then sorted into that which is usable and sent to where it can be used or stored in the body. What cannot be used is excreted. The thinking process follows a similar path: the desire for knowledge leads to the intake of information which is then sifted and sorted. Whatever can be put to immediate use is applied and the rest is stored for later. Irrelevant or unusable information is rejected and forgotten.

   Our everyday language reflects just how similar and related these processes are. We talk of “food for thought,” of being “unable to digest certain information,” of “verbal diarrhoea,” of “eating our words,” of “chewing over an idea” and so on.

   The Latin proverb, Mens sana in corpora sano (“A healthy mind in a healthy body”), underlines the relationship between physical vitality and mental alertness.

   If the Spleen/Pi governs the power of thought at the mental level, at the emotional level it governs feelings of concern both for oneself and others.

   Next week I’ll look at how to nourish the Spleen/Pi. 

David Foley

MNIMH, MRCHM

Medical Herbalist

Detoxifacation

  One of the body’s natural means of staying healthy is its ability to detoxify itself. Because the concept of toxins has historically been so closely linked with the body’s natural discharges, any discussion of body toxins is bound to reveal our basic attitude to the body and its eliminations. Any attempt to achieve a sterile, toxin-free body can now be seen as a misguided one, arising from an ancient notion of the need to purify the “unclean temple” of the body.

   Today we know that it is quite impossible to be totally toxin-free: the intestinal micro flora, the interstitial fluid and the connective tissue are always bathed in toxins of many kinds. The body maintains a balance through elimination and neutralisation of the body toxins in order to maintain health. As living beings, we cannot escape toxins.

   An interesting example of the symbiotic relationship between the body and its “toxins” is in the digestive system. Our digestive system contains the intestinal micro flora, composed of hundreds of fungal and bacterial strains. The micro flora has been shown to perform essential functions such as vitamin and mineral production and utilisation, regulating intestinal pH and stimulating antibody production. When it becomes unbalanced - due to, for example, antibiotic drugs - it can lead to ill-health in an individual.

   Body toxins can be divided into two types - ones created by the body itself and ones which result from accumulation of chemical and heavy metal environmental pollutants. Both may in turn predispose an individual to infection, especially viral, fungal and parasitic infections.

   The organs of detoxification are the liver, kidneys, bowels, lungs and the skin. Avoiding harmful substances - such as junk food, drugs and smoke - as well as supporting the organs in their detoxifying action is vital in maintaining and restoring health. Sufficient fluid intake supports the eliminating function of the kidney, the bowels and the skin. We often forget the skin’s function as a detoxifying organ; yet many therapies rest on its ability to do so, including saunas, which promote sweating.

   Healthy circulatory and lymphatic systems support detoxification. When these become sluggish, too many waste products are left behind in the tissues. Regular exercise and alternating hot and cold baths invigorate both circulatory and lymphatic systems.

   Fasting is a very effective method of detoxification, though it is only appropriate for individuals in good health. It is unwise to fast if unwell, weak or with a weak digestive system (e.g. peptic ulcers).

   Many herbal remedies have been used to aid the body in both neutralising and eliminating toxins. Remedies to aid the eliminating function of the kidneys include Dandelion Leaf, Cleavers and Celery seed - these herbs will help the kidneys pass metabolites like uric acid and urea, which can cause joint and muscle pains.

   The liver is the main organ of both elimination and neutralisation. Remedies like Dandelion root, Gentian Root, Milk-thistle and Sheep’s Sorrel will greatly aid this vital organ in its job of keeping the body’s balance of toxins in the correct proportion in order to maintain good health.

   At this time of year with the days getting longer, it was always traditional to aid the body in its work by taking a good Detox, and with it came hope for a new start to the New Year and all its possibilities.   

David Foley
MNIMH, MRCHM
Medical Herbalist