“Eating, feeding, being fed, and all of the concomitant sensations of sound, touch, smell, warmth and closeness quickly merge with the internal urges of appetite, the enjoyment of satiety, and the innately pleasurable process of ingestion, digestion, assimilation, and elimination.”[1]
One down side of that celebration is overeating. Instead of coming back uplifted, you can feel bloated, heartburn, sluggish, become constipated or have diarrhea, and/or gain extra weight. TCM defines this condition as “Qi Stagnation and Food Accumulation.” The lingering symptoms produced are hunger and uneasiness after eating, distention and aching of the abdomen, belching and flatulence, heartburn, irregular bowel movement and a loss of the ability to discriminate between unreasonable cravings and true hunger.
The main herb in the formula to reduce the food accumulation is Chinese Hawthorn Fruit which has enzymatic effects on protein (especially meat), fat and carbohydrates. Poria, Pinellia and Tangerine peel counter the Dampness and Phlegm that are generated by excessive amounts of food in the stomach and small intestine. Radish seeds and Rhubarb encourage the normal peristalsis and relieve constipation or diarrhea. Restoring normal digestive function makes you feel better and is the key to preventing illness.
The benefits of balancing your body with Acupuncture are great. The gut in TCM is under the governance of the stomach and spleen. The source of indigestion lies in the disruption of the Spleen Network: it is responsible for the processing of food and nutrients and distributes these constituents, upward and downward through the abdominal region, and outwardly to the four limbs. When these essential activities are impeded by over consumption of food, enzyme secretion and vigorous rhythmic peristalsis becomes disrupted leading to inefficient transformation and absorption causing gas and accumulated undigested food.
Qi Stagnation and Food Accumulation are very simple to correct and prevent, even at holiday parties. Some strategies you can use during the holidays to reduce digestion maladies (bad breath, irregular bowel movement, food allergies, food poisoning, hangover) and the results of other holiday overindulgences include:
- Have One Meal. Sit down to eat: one plate, small portion (no seconds).
- Don’t Graze. Survey what is offered and create your own menu. It’s o.k. to pass on some items. You don’t have to try everything.
- Take some time to enjoy your beverage. It is healthier to avoid sugary drinks (including some alcohols) but what ever you drink—sip, do not gulp. Alcohol dehydrates, have water in addition to other drinks.
- Get back to your regular schedule as quickly as possible. After a big party, avoid meat, reduce dairy and sugar intake. Eat light, easy to digest foods, small portions, and take an herbal supplement to restore your body.
Other illnesses occur when the body cannot absorb nutrients or eliminate waste properly. Please call Point - A Place of Wellness to schedule an acupuncture treatment and herbal consultation to restore your digestion system to prime function.
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[1]“Chinese Medicine Works Clinical Handbook” H. Beinfield, L.Ac; E. Korngold, L.Ac., O.M.D., Revised Edition 2007
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