Many friends may have heard the saying “winter diseases are treated in summer.” The Su Wen: Si Qi Diao Shen Lun states: “Nurturing Yang in spring and summer,” as the Yang energy rises in summer, the skin’s pores open and release. At this time, focusing on tonifying Qi, warming Yang, and dispelling cold can alleviate or eliminate symptoms that may worsen in winter.
Symptoms of Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency
The spleen and stomach are central organs; insufficient Yang leads to the generation of internal cold. The Ming dynasty TCM scholar Zhang Jingyue stated, “Eighty to ninety percent of abdominal pain in the three burners is due to cold,” indicating that stomach pain is often associated with Yang deficiency.
Common symptoms include fear of cold, a bland taste with no desire to drink water, cold limbs in winter, poor appetite, frequent fatigue, cold abdominal pain, preference for warmth and pressure, and susceptibility to diarrhea. These are typical signs of Spleen and Stomach Yang deficiency. Additionally, conditions like chronic gastritis, chronic enteritis, and functional dyspepsia that are diagnosed as Yang deficiency in TCM are also suitable for treatment in summer.
Causes of Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency
The primary cause of Spleen and Stomach Yang deficiency is poor dietary habits, such as frequently consuming raw, cold, and hard foods. In summer, many people replace meals with cold fruits and salads or indulge in late-night snacks, which can easily damage the spleen and stomach over time.
How to Care for Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency in Summer
Avoid Excessive Consumption of Cold Foods
In the hot summer, if one excessively seeks coolness by consuming large amounts of cold foods, it can easily damage the middle Yang, leading to internal cold and causing diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Avoid Excessive Exercise
Moderate exercise is beneficial for enhancing the body’s righteous Qi, but summer naturally leads to increased sweating. Engaging in intense exercise can lead to excessive sweating, easily depleting body fluids and causing both Qi and Yin deficiency. It is best to choose gentle aerobic exercises.
Avoid Excessive Consumption of Rich and Greasy Foods
Summer heat can easily arise, and consuming rich and greasy foods at this time not only fails to nourish the body but can also lead to the combined harm of internal and external damp-heat to health.
Pay Attention to Dietary Hygiene
Those with Spleen and Stomach Yang deficiency are already prone to diarrhea, so it is crucial to pay attention to dietary hygiene. Separate raw and cooked foods, keep kitchen utensils and tableware clean, and do not store food for too long in summer. It is best to cook food thoroughly before consumption.
Use Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula: Zhongjing Brand Fuzi Lizhong Wan for Care
The Zhongjing Brand Fuzi Lizhong Wan warms the middle and strengthens the spleen, used for cold abdominal pain and cold limbs with loose stools.
Fuzi Lizhong Wan originally comes from the two formulas proposed by the medical sage Zhang Zhongjing in the Shang Han Lun: Si Ni Tang and Lizhong Tang. It was not until the Song dynasty in the Taiping Huimin Heji Ju Fang that the two formulas were combined into one, forming the Fuzi Lizhong Wan formula.
Si Ni Tang consists of three herbs: Fuzi (Aconite), Ganjiang (Dried Ginger), and Zhi Gancao (Honey-fried Licorice), primarily used for symptoms like cold limbs, profuse cold sweat, diarrhea with clear watery stools, and weak pulse. It has the effect of warming the middle, dispelling cold, and rescuing Yang. The other formula, Lizhong Tang, is a good prescription for warming the middle, dispelling cold, and tonifying the spleen and Qi. It consists of Ganjiang (Dried Ginger), Renshen (Ginseng), Shou Bai Zhu (Fried Atractylodes), and Zhi Gancao (Honey-fried Licorice), commonly used to treat symptoms of Spleen Yang deficiency, such as abdominal distension, poor appetite, vomiting, and loose stools. The integrated Fuzi Lizhong Wan formula is essentially based on Lizhong Tang with the addition of the very warming herb Fuzi. Fuzi is known as the primary herb for rescuing Yang, and Ben Cao Zheng Yi states: “Its nature is good at moving, thus it is a key herb for circulating pure Yang through the twelve meridians. Externally, it dispels surface cold, internally, it warms the lower source and treats chronic cold. It penetrates both internally and externally, affecting all three burners and various organs. If there is true cold, it can treat it without exception.” The Renshen in the formula is often replaced with Dangshen (Codonopsis) for its ability to strengthen the spleen and Qi, facilitating the rise and fall of Qi in the middle burner.
Note:
1. Over-the-counter medications should be taken according to the instructions or under medical advice.
2. Prescription medications should be taken under the guidance of a qualified physician.
3. Use medications with caution; TCM emphasizes syndrome differentiation and treatment. Different conditions require different medications, so if you feel unwell, it is best to consult a qualified physician at a local hospital promptly.
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