The True Center of Health: Digestion as the Pivot of Wellness

Jeff Pufnock L.Ac. Ph.D. and Jessica Youngs L.Ac., Owners, Embodied Virtue Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine. Sandpoint, ID.

Compared to other systems in the body, digestion is one aspect of health often overlooked by many people. When inquiring about a person’s digestion as practitioners, the initial answer we most often receive is “it is fine,” yet after further explanation we usually discover that is not the case. People often dismiss chronic symptoms such as bloating, cramping and unformed or abnormal bowel movements as ‘just the way it's always been’ and most accept these symptoms as their ‘normal’. Our society has been slowly shifting to embrace healthier eating, influenced by Western medicine’s recent focus on the role diet plays in the incidence of chronic disease. However, this perspective still misses the root of the issue because if we are to benefit from a healthy diet, our body must be able to digest and absorb the food we do choose to eat. This understanding is essential, because even if someone is expending the energy, time, and money to purchase and prepare healthy food, they may still not be reaping the rewards from their efforts.

In Chinese medicine the digestion is associated with the element of Earth because it is viewed as the center of health for all other organ systems of the body. In ancient China they understood that food was transformed from material substance into immaterial energy that helped drive all bodily functions. If this transformational process was weak, all systems of the body suffer and can be susceptible to illness or disease. Chinese medicine also attributes the same digestive function to be responsible for digesting the immaterial information we take in from our environment through our senses. This means digestion can also be overwhelmed due to overwork, excessive worry and continuous content consumption through news, television and social media. This excess of mental activity has a direct feedback on the health of our physiological digestion and this connection, long understood by the Chinese, is highlighted in the brain-gut connection recently theorized by Western medicine. 

As we enter the winter holiday season, it is also important to be aware of the effects of specific foods upon our digestion, especially excessive sugar, dairy and processed carbohydrates. In Chinese Medicine, the digestive organs crave moderation and these foods in excess can easily overwhelm a compromised digestive system. As we consider going back for the second slice of pie, we can remind ourselves how important our digestive health is to our whole body.

Tips for Improving Digestive Health: 

-During the winter months, avoid all uncooked fruits, vegetables and cold drinks

-Eat at regular intervals every day and make dinner the smallest meal of the day

-When eating, avoid reading or media and focus consciously on eating without hurrying 

-Only eat until you feel 80% full

-Incorporate warming spices such as cumin, ginger, turmeric and cardamom into meals

-If bowel movements are anything less than formed or too hard, this is a sign of a digestive dysfunction and consider seeking help from a healthcare provider.