Modern medicine has become increasingly focused on gut health for the past few years. It comes as no surprise, then, that Chinese Medicine has always focused on the health of the digestive system as the root of many chronic health problems.
In Chinese Medicine, there are two essential sources of energy: air and food. The Stomach is responsible for the ripening and rotting of food and if its function is impaired, then there is not enough nourishment for the body and the rest of the organs to function strongly. It is also especially sensitive to inflammation so properly eating foods that benefit our body and aid our digestion is key to anyone suffering from bloating, gassiness, stomach pains, acid reflux, or irregular bowel movements.
Photo Credit: Stonybrook
Some tips to aid stomach function are:
1. Eating nourishing foods
-These include oats, barley, zucchini, beets, mung beans, squash, sweet potato, dates, mackerel, chicken, among others. It is important to note that every individual has unique foods that they process better. You can get personalized nutritional advice when visiting your acupuncturist.
2. Remember to chew!
– Chewing food thoroughly before swallowing is akin to processing the food more before it enters the rest of the digestive system. This gives the stomach an easier time when it digests the food later on.
3. Remember to move
– Too much exercise is harmful to the body as it exerts more energy than we have. However, too little exercise is not good for circulation. A great medium for someone who has a busy lifestyle is to take 15-20 minutes after the biggest meal of the day to take a light walk. It’s also great to incorporate gentle exercises such as yoga.
4. Lastly, remember to rest
– your body functions the best when it is in resting stage. If you do not take proper time to calm the mind and fully rest, it inhibits your function the next day and can be a vicious cycle of constant impaired function. This reaches every area of the body from fatigue to muscle aches to indigestion.
It’s important to note that every individual is different and it is incredibly beneficial to come in to see your acupuncturist to receive personalized nutritional advice! We will be covering two very important aids to digestion later on in this series: Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs!
>> Learn more about the favorite acupressure points for digestion of our licensed acupuncturists Zen Tuan and Vanessa M. Ho HERE
>>Click here to watch a demonstration of a quick exam we do at Healing with Zen to evaluate our patients’ overall digestive health.
Have digestive issues? Schedule a personalized consultation here!
