What foods are good for Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency?
For Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency, it is advisable to consume foods that tonify the Spleen, invigorate Qi, awaken the Spleen, and aid digestion, such as Jing Mi (Japonica rice), Can Mi (glutinous rice), Guo Ba (crispy rice), Yi Mi (Italian rice), cooked Lou (lotus root), Su Zi (chestnuts), Shan Yao (Chinese yam), Bian Dou (hyacinth beans), Zheng Dou (red beans), grapes, Hong Zao (red dates), carrots, potatoes, and Xiang Gu (shiitake mushrooms).
Jiu Cai (Chinese chives)
It has a pungent flavor, enters the Liver meridian, warms the middle, promotes Qi circulation, and disperses blood stasis. The leaves are sweet, pungent, and salty, and they enter the Stomach, Liver, and Kidney meridians, warming the middle, promoting Qi circulation, and dispersing blood stasis. Jiu Cai invigorates blood circulation, regulates Qi, calms the heart, and warms the Kidney to strengthen Yang.
Hong Tang (brown sugar)
Brown sugar is warm in nature, sweet in flavor, and enters the Spleen. It has the effects of tonifying Qi and nourishing blood, strengthening the Spleen and warming the Stomach, alleviating pain, and invigorating blood circulation. The elderly gradually reduce their intake of trace elements and vitamins, so they should pay attention to dietary supplementation to maintain normal metabolic function and delay aging.
Yang Rou (lamb)
It tonifies deficiency, dispels cold, and warms and supplements Qi and blood; benefits Kidney Qi, replenishes essence, and stimulates appetite; nourishes postpartum women, promotes lactation, assists Yang, and benefits essence and blood.
Ji Dan (eggs)
They dispel heat, calm the heart, and soothe the mind, stabilize pregnancy, and relieve itching, as well as stop dysentery.
Niu Rou (beef)
Beef has the effects of tonifying the middle, benefiting Qi, nourishing the Spleen and Stomach, strengthening the muscles and bones, resolving phlegm, calming wind, and alleviating thirst. It is suitable for those with Spleen Qi deficiency, shortness of breath, weakness, soft muscles and bones, chronic anemia, and pale complexion with dizziness.
Shan Yao Fan (Chinese yam rice)
30 grams of Shan Yao (Chinese yam), lotus seeds, rice, and hyacinth beans, washed and chopped, with the lotus seeds peeled and cooked until soft, then cooked with Japonica rice. It is suitable for Spleen deficiency with diarrhea and poor appetite.
Hong Zao Yi Spleen Cake
30 grams of Hong Zao (red dates), 10 grams of Bai Zhu (Atractylodes), 1 gram of dried ginger, and 10 grams of Ji Nei Jin (chicken inner golden). First, boil to extract the juice, then mix the juice with 500 grams of flour and an appropriate amount of sugar to make a cake, suitable for those with poor appetite and loose stools.
What should not be eaten for Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency?
Lu Dou (mung beans)
Sweet in flavor, cold in nature, and non-toxic. It can reduce swelling, promote Qi, clear heat, and detoxify. Crushing raw mung beans and drinking the juice can treat erysipelas, irritability, and wind rash, and expel heat.
Kong Xin Cai (water spinach)
Water spinach is cool in nature, and its juice has an inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus, which can prevent infections. Therefore, eating it frequently in summer can prevent heatstroke, cool the blood, detoxify, and prevent and treat dysentery.
Ku Gua (bitter melon)
According to Wang Mengying’s “Dietary Records of Suixi Residence” in the Qing Dynasty: “Bitter melon is cold and bitter; it clears heat, brightens the eyes, and calms the heart. It is evident that bitter melon is cold in nature.
Banana
Bananas are high in nutrition, low in calories, containing phosphorus known as the “salt of wisdom,” along with rich protein, sugar, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C, and are high in dietary fiber, making them a good nutritional food. However, bananas are cold fruits and should not be consumed excessively by those with Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency.
Li (pear)
Sweet and slightly sour, cold in nature, it treats heat cough, quenches thirst, and is used for cough due to heat, aphasia after stroke, febrile diseases, and detoxifying heat. It promotes urination, alleviates wind, calms the heart, moistens the lungs, cools the heart, resolves phlegm, reduces inflammation, and detoxifies sores and alcohol. Those with Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency should eat less or avoid it.
Precautions for Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency
Those with Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency should pay attention to keeping warm in winter and avoid eating raw and cold foods, including seafood, especially fruits, which many people tend to overconsume.
Avoid sour foods
Because sour foods enter the Liver, they can increase Liver Qi, which can weaken the Spleen. Therefore, those with symptoms of Spleen deficiency such as indigestion, loose stools, and low voice should eat less. If suffering from gastric ulcers or excessive gastric acid, they should also avoid these foods, as they may worsen symptoms.
Avoid cold and cool foods
In autumn and winter, when cold is prevalent, those with Spleen deficiency should avoid cold and cool foods that can damage Spleen Qi, such as bitter melon, cucumber, winter melon, eggplant, water spinach, celery, bamboo shoots, daylilies, persimmons, bananas, peaches, pears, watermelon, mung beans, and others.
Avoid rich and greasy foods
Rich and greasy foods can obstruct the Spleen’s ability to transform and transport, such as duck meat, pig’s feet, beef, milk, and sesame.
Avoid foods that promote Qi and eliminate food stagnation
Foods that promote Qi and eliminate food stagnation can easily deplete Spleen Qi, such as Yang Shan Tan (mountain sandalwood), radishes, and coriander.
Methods for Maintaining Spleen and Stomach Health
To prevent Spleen and Stomach diseases, it is crucial to protect the normal functioning of the Spleen and Stomach. Therefore, one should pay attention to maintaining the Spleen and Stomach:
Emotional factors greatly influence appetite, digestion, and absorption.
Thus, to maintain the Spleen and Stomach, one must first maintain a good emotional state. Studies show that negative emotions can lead to decreased appetite, abdominal distension, warmth, and indigestion, while positive emotions benefit the normal activity of the gastrointestinal system.
Dietary regulation is key to maintaining the Spleen and Stomach
Therefore, meals should be regular, with fixed times and portions, avoiding overeating. A vegetarian diet should be the mainstay, with a balance of meat and vegetables. Regular consumption of vegetables and fruits is necessary to meet the body’s needs and maintain smooth bowel movements. Avoid spicy and hard-to-digest foods, such as sour, fried, dry, hard, and sticky foods, and minimize raw and cold foods.
Pay attention to temperature
As the saying goes, “Nine out of ten stomach diseases are due to cold.” This is indeed a saying based on experience, so paying attention to temperature is very important. During the unpredictable climate of spring and autumn, patients with cold stomach pain should keep warm and avoid cold exposure; those with Spleen deficiency and diarrhea can apply warm plaster to the navel and should also avoid raw and cold fruits. If feeling cold in the stomach area, ginger tea can be taken promptly.
Engage in appropriate physical activities, such as walking, jogging, practicing Tai Chi, or doing Qigong
Appropriate physical exercise can enhance gastrointestinal function, increase gastrointestinal motility, promote the secretion of digestive juices, facilitate the digestion and absorption of food, improve blood circulation in the gastrointestinal tract, promote metabolism, and delay the aging of the digestive system. Additionally, massaging the upper and lower abdomen in bed before sleep for about 40-50 times can help the Spleen function, eliminate stagnation, and clear Qi, providing good health benefits for the Spleen and Stomach.
Experts remind: Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency can be harmful, easily leading to diarrhea, which may be intermittent or chronic, and can also induce many gastric diseases. Therefore, those with Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency should seek timely treatment.
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