What I learn

 

wisdom in traditional chinese medicine

24. Heart

* According to The Inner Canon of Huangdi on mind cultivation, the heart controls the vessels/veins and the mind.

* It is the dwelling place of mind, moods and emotions.

* The four states of mind to attain to: calm, pleasant, relaxed, wise.

* The Inner Canon of Huangdi : "When one is indifferent to fame or fortune and has void inner world, unblocked principal Qi, and sound mind, how can one fall ill?"

* Bai Juyi (Tang poet, 772-846)

"I'll go to bed when I have dim eyesight and feel like sleeping.
I'll sit in meditation when I'm too feeble on walk on feet.
My body is the doctor and my mind is medicine.
I don't bother to invite Qin He and Bian Que to visit me."

* Sharing a nugget of vitality, not to be swallowed whole.

What I learn

wisdom in traditional chinese medicine

 23. Stomach and spleen

1. Besides hair and skin, the stomach and digestive tract are exposed directly to external things.

2. To protect stomach and spleen,

- “Don’t overeat when hungry.
Don’t overdrink when thirsty.
Soup added to rice don’t play nice.
Meat creates heat.
Oil creates phlegm.
Green vegetables and tofu are the safest of them.”

3. In addition, have moderate and bland diet.  Eat depending on own individual conditions.

4. “Moderation in all three meals, eat the proper amount on time, chew carefully, swallow slowly and your stomach will be healthy.”

5. Grain, meat, fruit and vegetables should be in balance.

6. Bad for stomach:

- lemon 
– good as alkaline food but on empty stomach, sour and acidic for stomach
– bad for stomach – helicobacter pylori medicine; NSAIDS for cardiovascular ailment; anticoagulant medicine

- sweet potato 
– sweet but can stimulate acid in stomach
– do not eat on empty stomach, cause acid reflux

- garlic 
– representative of spicy food
– raw garlic is bad because stimulate stomach acid but not cooked garlic

- raw and cold food – e.g. raw blended fruit and vegetable juice

- fried food

7. Good for stomach:

- porridge 
– millet because millet is yellow, sweet and salty
– yellow is good because goes straight to spleen
– sweet is good for stomach
– salty has kidney-nourishing effect

- raw ginger 
– disperse chill and cold pathogens
– overcome vomiting
– eat in the morning, not in the evening

- Chinese yam 
– is both food and medicine
– nourish stomach and spleen
– balance and nourish San Jiao acupoints
– boost bodily fluids
– nourish lungs and kidneys
– dry up excess bodily fluids

- fish 
– seafood that swim fast has less of a cold nature, unlike crab

- dates 
– goes directly to the stomach and spleen meridians
– nourish Qi and blood
– alleviate medicinal effects
– eat dried dates, not raw because raw is of cold nature

8. Mood is intimately related to stomach because in TCM liver governs distribution and dispersion, i.e. distribution throughout the body and dispersion outside of body, i.e. of Qi.  Qi flows upstream and downstream, and to the left and right of body, and is governed by liver.  Thus, liver governs mood and will.

9. Stomach and spleen, and gall bladder are in the middle Jiao, thus, all are brothers; when one is not well, the other is not well too.

10. Brain and intestines are related.  If there is mental problem, stomach and intestines are affected, and vice versa.  

11. “Follow your gut” can also mean follow your intestines, follow your heart.  Chinese idiom: “a bellyful of bad water” refers to bad intentions.

12. Stomach and intestines have corresponding reaction on brain.  There are three aspects that have effects on brain via intestines:

i. micro-ecosystem of the intestines

- have 1.5-2kg of different types of bacteria which have effects on digestive system, also cause reactions in our central nervous system so micro-ecosystem of stomach and intestines have reverse adjustment effect on brain

ii. hormones or gastrointestinal peptides have reverse adjustment on brain

iii. directly effect nerves, thus the brain

13. “If the stomach isn’t in harmony (wei bu he), your sleep will be restless.”

14. Atrophic gastric – symptoms are acid reflux, belching, bloating.  To prevent:

iv. have routine in life

v. have bland fresh diet, easily disgestible

vi. maintain good mood

vii. have regular examination, endoscopy

* Sharing a nugget of vitality, not to be swallowed whole

What I learn

 

wisdom in traditional chinese medicine

22. Lungs

i. The condition of the lungs is reflected in the hair and skin, e.g. aging spots, yellow spots.

ii. The Yellow Emperor’s Canon of Internal Medicine: all organs can cause coughing and coughing need not be related to the lungs.

iii. The lungs and large intestine are related so bowel movements can also be affected if there is lung problem, e.g. leading to a few movements a day.

iv. Know how to cough so one does not hurt the trachea.

v. Pensiveness (one of the seven emotions related to the five organs) affects the lungs, can lead to coughing.

vi. Good for lungs:

- musical tones can relate to organs, e.g. certain organ likes certain tone, thus can use tone to heal organ, listen to music

- exercise, and breathing exercise

* Sharing a nugget of vitality, not to be swallowed whole.

What I learn

wisdom in traditional chinese medicine

21. Liver
* Liver controls Qi, blood and bodily fluids

* Western understanding of liver is that it processes, disperses and expels toxins whilst TCM believes that the liver controls the spirit, governs sentiments, stores blood and adjusts flow of Qi.

* Symptoms of stagnant Qi in the liver, ie, Qi is not properly dispersed or released - excessive sighing, swelling ribs, easily vexed.

* Stagnant Qi can lead to stomach and spleen problem, taste of bitterness or sourness in mouth, poor appetite, poor sleep or loose stools.

* Eat sour food for liver, sweet for stomach and spleen, and spiciness to create balance; slightly spicy food helps disperse liver Qi.

* Sharing a nugget of vitality, not to be swallowed whole

What I learn

wisdom in traditional chinese medicine

20. Kidneys

* Congenital essence of kidneys come from parents; post-natal essence is from the water and food we consume and transformed by the spleen and stomach.

* The kidneys belong to a large family, for example:

- related to the head - it opens in the ears, with its essence reflected in the hair.  Kidneys stores essence, creates marrow through the brain; deficiencies in the kidneys could be reflected in hair whiten, hair loss, forgetfulness or hearing loss

- related to breathing - if kidneys lack Qi, one gets coughs

- related to waist - deficiency in kidneys causes pain in the waist

- related to bones, of which can cause osteoporosis or haemotopoietic disorder

* Black-coloured foods nourish the kidneys, eg, black beans, sesame seeds and mulberries.  However, do not over-supplement.

* Activities that most harm the kidneys - straining the brain, staying up late.

*Sharing a nugget of wisdom, not to be swallowed whole

None is past its age

None is past its age

We serve a purpose

We may not teach

but there is to learn.