After the start of winter, temperatures drop, and some people often feel a dull pain in their abdomen, which can lead to diarrhea in severe cases. Especially in the morning, exposure to cold wind can trigger abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Dr. Zhang Beiping, a chief physician at Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, indicates that this situation may be caused by “Spleen-Stomach Yang Deficiency”.
1. Symptoms of Spleen-Stomach Yang Deficiency
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that the spleen and stomach are responsible for the digestion and transformation of food, serving as the source of Qi and blood. If there is Yang deficiency in the spleen and stomach, the following symptoms may appear:
● Preference for warm foods and hot water;
● Dull abdominal pain that improves with massage or heat application;
● Sensitivity to cold in the abdomen, with cold hands and feet in chilly weather;
● Frequent loose stools, especially after consuming raw or cold foods or exposure to cold wind;
● Poor appetite and easy fatigue.
2. How to Nourish Spleen and Stomach Yang in Winter
1. Dietary Recommendations
(1) Avoid raw and cold foods. Raw and cold foods can harm the body’s Yang Qi. Those with Spleen-Stomach Yang Deficiency should avoid cold foods such as bitter melon, winter melon, mung beans, and lettuce, and should not consume cold drinks or ice cream.
(2) Consume warm and hot foods appropriately. In winter, Yang Qi is stored, so it is advisable to eat warm foods to warm the Yang and dispel cold, such as lamb, yellow eel, leeks, longan, ginger, pepper, and Sichuan pepper.
It is important to note that individuals with Spleen-Stomach Yang Deficiency have poor digestive capacity. If they consume a large amount of warm foods in a short period, it may lead to food stagnation, resulting in symptoms such as dry throat, mouth ulcers, and insomnia.
Therefore, in terms of diet, one should pay attention to the combination of ingredients and adjust the frequency of supplementation according to individual conditions.
2. Dress Appropriately and Avoid Cold Winds
Individuals with Spleen-Stomach Yang Deficiency should dress warmly in winter to prevent external cold pathogens from invading the body and damaging Yang Qi, especially paying attention to keeping the abdomen, neck, and lower limbs warm.
Thus, when going out, wear more layers and prepare extra clothing, avoiding the mindset of “style over warmth”.
3. Moxibustion to Warm Yang and Dispel Cold
Moxibustion can warm Qi and blood and open the meridians. On one hand, it can expel internal wind, cold, and dampness, while on the other hand, it can enhance the body’s Yang Qi.
At home, one can perform moxibustion on points that have warming and dispelling cold effects, such as Zhongwan (中脘), Guanyuan (关元), Qihai (气海), Shenque (神阙), Pishu (脾俞), and Zusanli (足三里).
It is important to note that when performing moxibustion in winter, ensure good ventilation while keeping warm, and avoid moxibustion in direct drafts.
3. Recommended Dietary Therapies
1. Ginger Date Tea
Ingredients:15g fresh ginger, 3 red dates, appropriate amount of brown sugar. (Serves 1)
Preparation:Remove the pits from the red dates and break them open, cut the ginger into pieces, boil in water, then add brown sugar to dissolve.
Suitable for:Individuals with Spleen-Stomach Yang Deficiency and blood stasis due to cold. Common symptoms include dull abdominal pain, pain triggered by cold, dysmenorrhea, scanty menstruation with clots, loose stools, cold hands and feet, fatigue, pale complexion, and pale lips.
2. Lamb, Sugarcane, and Water Chestnut Soup
Ingredients:250g lamb, 50g water chestnut, 100g black-skinned sugarcane, 10g angelica, 6 slices of ginger, appropriate amount of salt and cooking wine.
Preparation:Clean and cut the lamb into pieces, blanch in boiling water, then mix with salt, ginger slices, and cooking wine, marinate for 10 minutes; peel and cut the water chestnut; clean and cut the sugarcane; clean the angelica; place all ingredients in a clay pot, add water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 1.5 hours.
Suitable for:Individuals with Spleen-Stomach Yang Deficiency, commonly experiencing cold sensitivity in the abdomen and cold hands and feet. This soup has warming and dispersing cold properties, nourishing Qi and blood without causing dryness.
3. Pepper and Pig Stomach Chicken Soup
Ingredients:1 pig stomach, 1 chicken, 35g white pepper, appropriate amount of ginger slices, 1 piece of codonopsis, 3-4 slices of angelica, 5-6 slices of astragalus.
Preparation:Clean the pig stomach and chicken, blanch with cooking wine and pepper, then stuff the chicken into the pig stomach, place in cold water, add remaining herbs, bring to a boil, then simmer for 1-2 hours. After cooking, cut the pig stomach and chicken into strips, return to the soup, bring to a boil, and season with salt and pepper.
Suitable for:This dish contains herbs that dispel wind and cold, warm the stomach, and strengthen the spleen, making it suitable for individuals with Spleen-Stomach Yang Deficiency, commonly experiencing cold sensitivity in the abdomen and diarrhea from cold foods.
4. Ginger Sweet Milk
Ingredients:150-200ml fresh milk, 1 small spoon of ginger juice, a little white sugar.
Preparation:Place all ingredients in a bowl and steam in water. Alternatively, you can use 2 slices of ginger instead of ginger juice and remove the ginger slices after steaming.
Ginger sweet milk has the effects of dispelling cold, harmonizing the stomach, and stopping vomiting. This method is particularly suitable for treating cold-induced stomach pain, vomiting, esophageal obstruction (esophageal cancer), and acid reflux. It is especially suitable for middle-aged and elderly individuals with Spleen-Stomach Yang Deficiency in winter.
Ginger is pungent and warm, entering the stomach, spleen, and lung meridians, with functions of dispelling cold, stopping vomiting, and promoting appetite. According to the “Food Therapy Materia Medica”, it “stops counterflow, disperses irritability, and opens the appetite”. Therefore, ginger is most suitable for treating wind-cold colds, headaches, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea in winter.
Milk has the effects of nourishing deficiencies, benefiting the lungs and stomach, and generating fluids to moisten dryness, commonly used for weakness and reflux (esophageal cancer). The combination of ginger and milk has a long history. As early as the Tang Dynasty, the “Qianjin Food Therapy” recorded that milk “combined with ginger and scallions stops children from vomiting milk”.
4. Additional Uses of Ginger in Winter
For External Wind-Cold,Use Ginger and Mugwort Water for Bathing
Professor Liu Youzhang from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine explains that in winter, Yang Qi gradually declines, making individuals susceptible to wind-cold, which is why many people catch colds, fevers, or other upper respiratory diseases when cold air arrives. Ginger has the ability to dispel wind and cold, and it has the characteristic of “moving without being retained”, meaning it can disperse cold without causing dryness.
If you feel cold after returning from outside, consider drinking ginger and brown sugar water, or boiling 200g of ginger with 200g of mugwort to bathe. After bathing, dry off and cover yourself with a blanket for a while, and the cold will quickly dissipate.
To Stimulate Appetite and Aid Digestion,Mix Ginger with Rice
Ginger also has the effect of stimulating appetite and aiding digestion. As the year-end approaches, many professionals have numerous social gatherings, often centered around rich and greasy foods, leading to feelings of indigestion and loss of appetite. In such cases, ginger can be beneficial. Slice ginger, mix with salt, and eat it with rice to stimulate appetite and aid digestion.
Professor Liu often requests a “small kitchen” when dining out, asking the kitchen to prepare ginger slices for him to make “ginger salt rice” on the spot.
To Warm and Nourish the Spleen and Stomach,Stew Ginger with Yellow Beef
Many office workers, due to their love for air conditioning or excessive consumption of cold drinks in summer, develop Spleen-Stomach Yang Deficiency. Symptoms include pain triggered by cold weather or consumption of frozen or raw foods, cold hands and feet, and easy fatigue.For this group, Professor Liu recommends regularly consuming ginger stewed with yellow beef or ginger lamb soup.
The specific method for ginger stewed with yellow beef is to cut 200g of yellow beef into strips, add 100g of ginger, and stew in a clay pot until cooked. For ginger lamb soup, stir-fry 250g of lamb and 100g of ginger in peanut oil until half-cooked, then add water and stew for about 40 minutes.
To Eliminate Stomach Cold,Regularly Consume Dried Ginger
Dried ginger, made from sun-dried ginger, has slightly different medicinal properties than fresh ginger. Many office workers experience stomach cold, often feeling cool in the stomach and even experiencing pain.
This condition is suitable for consuming dried ginger, which warms the stomach, dispels cold, and nourishes the spleen and stomach. Professor Liu suggests that this group can also take some “Liqing Pills” or ask a TCM practitioner to prescribe “Liqing Decoction”, which contains dried ginger.
Reminder
Ginger Soup Can Cause Constipation; Add Ophiopogon
Some individuals with Spleen-Stomach Yang Deficiency may experience constipation after consuming ginger or ginger soup. Professor Liu analyzes that this may also be due to insufficient Yin fluids, and suggests adding 10g of Ophiopogon when making ginger soup to nourish Yin fluids and reduce the drying effect of ginger.
If constipation is caused by blood deficiency, one can use 10g of angelica and 15g of ginger to stew half a pig’s trotter.
Individuals with Yin Deficiency and Excess Heat Should Limit Ginger Intake
While ginger is beneficial, it is not suitable for everyone. Professor Liu reminds that individuals with Yin deficiency and excess heat (manifesting as frequent dry mouth, bitter taste, and oral ulcers) should limit ginger intake, as it may exacerbate their condition.
There is also a saying that “eating ginger in the morning is better than ginseng, while eating ginger at night is like taking poison”, especially for those with Yin deficiency and excess heat, as consuming ginger at night can affect sleep, leading to vivid dreams and restless sleep.
【Source: This content is compiled from the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Medical Guidance: Dr. Zhang Beiping), the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Medical Guidance: Professor Liu Youzhang), and various TCM WeChat public accounts】
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