Summer is almost here, and it’s the time of year that many start to worry about their physicality – gyms become crowded and everywhere you turn you hear about a new trendy diet to get your body “bathing-suit-ready”. Now, while it’s great to manage nutrition and exercise (we’ll never discourage somebody wanting to get in shape!), there are bigger goals than getting a summer body by exercising every day and eating Paleo for 2 months. Why stop at just getting a summer body? How about taking this season as an opportunity to set some clear goals and transform yourself permanently, inside and out? That’s why Stream Point Wellness is about to launch our first Stronger Through Summer program; the details of this will be out VERY soon! We’re going to be challenging each and every one of you to transform yourself from the inside out, and we’re going to be challenging ourselves too.
So where do we begin? Well, as much as it may surprise you, we’re not going to start things out with doing squats or planks, and we’re not going to tell you to start any sort of diet just yet either. Why? Because true wellness starts within, and we’re going to start with healing and strengthening your metabolism, your digestion, and your immunity. Once that’s in place, then you have the best shot of launching yourself on the journey to a new you.
According to the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine, digestion and metabolism both depend on the strength of your Spleen Qi. Now before you start getting confused about what your Spleen has to do with digestion, remember that it’s not just the organ we’re talking about, but the energetic role it has with the state Qi in your whole body. The Spleen Qi is all about these three major functions and we call this role the “Transformation and Transportation” of Qi.
*It’s also been widely discussed that back in ancient Asia, when they were talking about the Spleen, they may have been referring to the Spleen AND the pancreas since they physically touch each other in the body. The pancreas plays a HUGE role in digestion and metabolism with both endocrine and exocrine functions, and the spleen is a lymphatic power house – so it’s no wonder that these 2 organs are so precious in TCM philosophy.
But back to the point – the state of your digestion ultimately depends on Spleen Qi. When food or drink is ingested, the Spleen Qi transforms it to extract “Qi” (we call this Gu Qi) and then transports Qi to the rest of the organs for nourishment while the “unrefined” leftovers are transported to the bladder and large intestines for excretion. Sounds a lot like digestion right? Food particles make their way down the digestive tract where certain compounds are absorbed and chemically transformed to feed our cells and the unabsorbed compounds are excreted.
Spleen Qi is also crucial for your immune system. In TCM, your “Immunity Qi” is referred to as your “Wei Qi”, which means “defensive Qi”. Wei Qi is derived from a combination of “Gu Qi” from the Spleen, and from the Qi breathed in from the air by the Lungs (This is called Qing Qi). Wei Qi circulates in the superficial layers of your body and acts as the first line of defense against pathogenic invasion. When Wei Qi is strong, you fight off illness quickly and sometimes it will be destroyed before your manifest any symptoms. Therefore, in order to maintain strong immunity, we often look first to the strength of digestion. This is why whenever you come in for “immune boosts” for acupuncture, you often get the infamous “Stomach 36” along with other points in the abdominal area. Another good example of the link between your digestive system and immunity is with allergies and asthma. Very often you’ll see a strong correlation between indigestion and allergy exacerbations, or even late onset allergies when there’s been weight gain, poor nutrition, and digestive distrubances. This is because your Spleen Qi is compromised, which leads to slow gut motility and inflammation (constipation, IBS, indigestion, bloating etc); if the Spleen Qi is weak, it can’t work with the Lungs to nourish your Wei Qi, therefore leading to immune deficiencies and the propensity for becoming ill. In more Western terms, when your metabolism is in an inflammatory state your entire body tends to go into an inflammatory state – which means congestion and phlegm production in the upper respiratory area, and therefore exacerbations of allergies, asthma, and many other inflammatory conditions.
At this point, hopefully we’ve got your brain engaged but you’re not too confused with all the TCM lingo. The important thing to take home is that the foundation of your health is almost entirely rooted in how your digestion is – Your Spleen Qi. In conclusion, we’re going to spend the next few weeks talking about the many ways you can support your Spleen Qi – through movement, nutrition, massage, acupuncture, and various Mind-Body Exercises.
We’ll start off with a few easy “tid bits”:
- Nutrition: Sticking to whole foods that are easily digestible is the best way to go. Just keep it simple! Eat a variety fruits and veggies, utilize healthy grains like quinoa and brown rice, stick to lean meats if meat is a part of your diet, and stay hydrated. A good general rule: The more colorful your plate the better! (And no, that does not mean you can pile your plate with skittles and M&Ms) We’ll give some more examples throughout the month – but your best bet is to actually come in and talk to us about your current nutrition. That way we can customize a “diet” that best suits you.
- Exercise: Again, just keep it simple! Move your body as much and as often as you can without overstraining yourself. When your body moves, your Qi moves – and the key to wellness is abundant and free flowing Qi. It can be as simple as taking a stroll through the park or around the block, going for a swim – or you can elect to join a gym (AND GO!), take some classes, or purchase a home exercise program. Whatever feels right to you. And don’t forget to take advantage of the numerous classes we’re offering at Stream Point Wellness now. We are offering Yoga almost every day of the week and Qi Gong twice a week have IMMENSE benefits for both the mind and the body.
- Acupuncture & Massage: We can’t stress enough how important it is to come in for regular acupuncture and/or massage. Both of these modalities can really improve your overall state of health and wellbeing. Talk to Andrea or Hardin about some home care acupressure you can do, or ask Mandy or Mary Pat about some self-massage that can keep your digestive system happy.
- Mind-Body: There’s no question that the state of your thoughts and emotions affect your body deeply, especially your digestion. Really make an effort to find some sort of activity that keeps your mind/soul engaged and centered, whether it’s meditation, yoga, qi gong, journaling, painting, listening to music – or just taking some time to breathe and spend some time with yourself for reflection and contemplation.
Well folks, I think I’ve splurged enough for today. Read this through a few times and think about what it is you really want to see happen over these next few months, and stay tuned for the details of our Stronger Through Summer Program!
-Andrea Johnston, L.Ac.
