Spleen Qi Deficiency??

Chronic fatigue or bruise easily? Bloating and indigestion? Overthinking and craving sweets? If you said yes to any of these horribly common ailments, then you might have what we, Chinese medicine geeks, like to call Spleen Qi Deficiency.

 It is an all too common disharmony we see in the clinic. Spleen Qi deficiency can roughly be translated into poor/weak digestion, but let's first take a look at the role of the spleen in TCM.

THE SPLEEN
​The spleen is one of the five primary yin organs of the body. It's corresponding yang organ is the stomach, it's element is Earth. it's color is yellow, and its season is late summer. One of the main roles of the spleen is to transform and transport. This means it receives the food you eat, transforms it into qi, and transports the food essence and fluids throughout the entire body. When there is proper transforming food, it will turn into refined essence rather than a damp sludge that clogs your digestion and prevents your other organ systems from being adequately nourished. If your spleen is healthy, it will be able to use this refined essence to do its next job, producing qi and blood. Chronic bleeding or heavy menstruation is often tied into a disorder of the spleen being unable to control the healthy blood. When your spleen has enough material to build healthy qi and blood, you will feel clear, energized, and be able to support the spleen's ability to govern the health of the skin and muscles. Lack of facial luster or atrophied muscles can be attributed to a qi deficiency of the spleen as well. 

A healthy Earth element is centered, grounded, practical, responsible, strong, and creative. It transforms food essence to regulate the absorption, immunity, physical and mental strength, and nourishment of the entire body. ​

SYMPTOMS OF SPLEEN QI DEFICIENCY

Below is a list of the most common ailments seen in a person with spleen qi deficiency. It is not necessary to have all of them, but recognizing 3 or more symptoms may indicate a spleen disharmony.

• poor appetite
• digestive issues such as nausea, vomiting, bloating, gas, and indigestion after meals.
• eating disorders
• frequent, loose stools
• difficulty waking up in the morning
• heavy menstrual periods and abnormal uterine bleeding
• easy bruising
• food allergies and sensitivities
• tendency towards mucus
• hemorrhoids
• sweating easily without much exertion
• weak or cramping muscles
• fatigue
• gain weight easily, or difficult to lose weight
• overthinking and obsessive worrying
• craving sweets (especially after a meal)
• lack of empathy
• varicose veins
• weak immune system
• dull or sweet taste in the mouth
• pale tongue and/or face

CAUSES OF SPLEEN QI DEFICIENCY

DIET: The most common reason for a qi deficiency spleen is the quality and quantity of foods you are consuming. Over-consumption of raw or cold foods, including fruit and vegetable juices extinguishes your digestive fires and clogs the subtle processes of your spleen. Eating too many oily, dense, and fried foods also disrupt those processes. The spleen's flavor is sweet, but eating too many sweets (especially with white, processed sugar), will definitely prevent the spleen from being able to derive clear food essence and qi. Consuming too little protein (such as extreme dieting) can also impact the functioning of your spleen to create healthy flesh and muscles.

EMOTIONAL: The spleen's emotion is pensiveness. Thinking itself isn't a bad thing, but when your thoughts become repetitive and you begin to worry obsessively, it can weaken the spleen. Alternately, a weak spleen will also cause over-thinking.

CLIMATE: The spleen is extra sensitive to dampness, or anything that will clog it's ability to derive clear essence from food particles. Thus, a climate heavy in dampness and humidity can make you more prone to spleen qi deficiency.

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP MY SPLEEN?

TAKE A BREAK AND MEDITATE: Stop multitasking! Your spleen only likes your mind to focus on one thing at a time. Meditate and calm your thoughts.
EAT CLEAN FOOD: Make sure to warm up your food, go easy on the oil, and always drink warm fluids. Some foods to incorporate into your diet if you're feeling a bit spleen qi deficient are: corn, celery, watercress, turnip, pumpkin, alfalfa sprout, mushrooms, radish, brown rice, oats, legumes, kidney beans, lentils, lean organic meat, poultry, and fish, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, seaweed, green tea, jasmine tea, raspberry leaf tea, chai tea, peaches, strawberries, cherries, walnuts, chestnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, peppermint, rosemary, sage, turmeric, thyme, horseradish, cayenne, and nutmeg.
IRREGULAR EATING: Eating when your body isn't used to food makes it work overtime...using excess energy and depleting your body's other systems. Try to eat meals and snacks around the same time of day, or at least within the hour, and avoid midnight snacks and eating just before bed.

FOODS THAT HARM THE SPLEEN: In general, foods that harm the spleen are heavy, moist, and are difficult to digest. Such foods are: dairy, wheat, cold drinks, fruit juice, processed foods, refined flour, pastries, bread, cold and raw foods, deep fried foods, caffeine, alcohol, peanuts and peanut butter, bananas, and avocados. 
EAT SLOWLY: Not only is it important to eat slowly, ensuring you are chewing your food well enough, but also eat while your mind is working slowly too. That means no reading, watching TV, doing work or homework while eating. Using too much brain power will divert your body's attention from properly digesting your food. ​

​EXERCISE: Strengthening your body's muscles will prevent your spleen from becoming too bogged down with water and dampness. Regular exercise can not only improve your digestion, but immunity and even energy level.
​PAY ATTENTION TO TEMPERATURE: Yes it is important to make sure you are eating enough warm and thoroughly cooked foods, it is also important to pay attention to the intrinsic temperature of the food's quality. For example, you can heat up cucumbers but they still won't be as heating as raw ginger. Make sure you are incorporating foods with a warm temperature quality as well.
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We live in a culture rampant in spleen qi deficiency...where we drink iced water while eating dinner in front of the TV, worry endlessly about our relationships and jobs, and eat an abundance of damp causing foods. It's no wonder conditions such as leaky gut syndrome, celiac disease, diabetes, and chronic fatigue affect one too many. However, incorporating a few of these food items or health tips into your daily life can considerably improve your Earth element and spleen functionality to feel more centered, balanced, and harmonized. ​