what an interesting,
and very ignored organ... the only time I think I have ever heard of it, is when someone injures it and it ruptures... and everyone "oooo's" and "aaaahhh's" a lot... and looks very grave... but no one really seems to know what it does... or seems to be able to tell little ol' me what it does..
Quite some time ago now, my sister in law, my daughter & I all went to a class on Lymphatic massage... the Princess was only there to observe, but Alicia and I were there as full fledged students.. I remember learning then WHERE the spleen was.. I really don't think I ever knew before that.. I remember learning that it was most important, and had a LOT to do with healing, and the lymphatic system.. but.. we must remember, I have a foggy brain, and I know things, but don't always know how I know things, and don't always remember all the things that I know... like broken pieces of glass... it can take me a while to pick them up... to piece them back together again...
TO digress a moment, I think I need to take better notes, and write out my thoughts and conclusions more.. i think ... perhaps blogging helps me with this..
That said... I DO recall... where the spleen is, and that is can pulse and throb when it's in crisis, that massage, very gentle, can sooth it... that it's to do with healing and that is mostly what I remember....
So with my pain... finally localizing THAT is how I KNOW what exact organ is bothering me...
In my reseach these last few months I have been concerned also with things like molds and various other neurotoxins... Leading me to be quite eager to buy a book by Paul Pritchard about Healing with Whole Foods... Andrea Fabrey lovingly recommended it to me, and I took eager notes, she mentioned eating foods that soak up "dampness".... such an interesting term, that since... I have bumped into again and again...
Well, azuki beans do this, and so we added them to our diet, and we all noticed some improvements... We made little changes here and there... and then the LYME diagnoses came, and along with it, a totally different direction all together in the diet department....
and now.. my poor spleen is OUT of control depressed, and throbbing any time I consume food... So, I have done more research.
One function of the Spleen is the assimilation of nutrients from food in the stomach to form qi, blood and body fluids. Therefore the Spleen main function is its governance of transformation and transportation (referred to as T&T throughout this article) of grain and water into essence which is distributed to other organ systems in the form of Qi and Blood. Thus it is vital to keep the Spleen healthy because it is the source for qi and blood production for your entire body. An important saying in Chinese medicine states, "The Spleen hates cold and the Spleen hates dampness." So we must do what we can to keep the Spleen warm and free of dampness. Spleen vacuity occurs when the process of transformation and transportation malfunctions, thus causing dampness to gather and stagnate instead of transforming which further weakens T&T. Then a vicious cycle begins.
Since other organ systems depend on receiving qi and blood from the Spleen, they will become weakened when a patient suffers from chronic or long term Spleen qi Vacuity.
Spleen qi may become vacuous due to one or a combination of the following factors:
Over work
Over fatigue
Too much worrying
Over-thinking and obsessive thought patterns
Unhealthy dietary habits
Lack of exercise
For example, students who work in addition to going to school or college, need to find time to study and may, quite naturally, worry about exams. In other cases, some patients have fatiguing chronic illness like cancer and fibromyalgia. Dancers and actors worry or even obsess about their weight despite the fact that many of them are underweight. Over weight patients worry and obsess about their weight for health or aesthetic reasons and feel a ridiculous amount societal and self-induced pressure to lose weight. Many of my patients (over weight or not) are mentally obsessed with their weight and thus are constantly over-thinking about counting calories and sticking to hard to follow diets with point systems, blocks, deprivation diets or set meal plans of foods they don't even enjoy eating.
And no matter who the person is that is dieting, whether skinny or overweight, many feel guilt instead of pleasure when indulging in a food they like but which isn't in the meal plan. This feeling of guilt fits into the worry category.
Patients who do not exercise do not invigorate the Yang warming aspect of the body's qi. Chinese medicine asserts that too much sitting or lying down creates qi vacuity.
Many people damage the Spleen qi by eating too many cold foods. Cold foods are literally cold from refrigeration or frozen, like ice, are foods that are cold in nature (see the list below) and include cold beverages and salad and last nights left over cold pizza (yeah, we've all been there).
Other detriments include our society's over eating of wheat as our main source of grain, and too much beer drinking. Both are cool and dampness producing. Not to mention our over consumption of dairy. Imagine all the Spleen qi vacuity amongst college students between all that studying, beer and pizza!
Dietary Therapy
The treatment principle for Spleen Qi vacuity dampness is to fortify the Spleen and disinhibit the dampness. We also want to avoid further detriment to the spleen.
Yang tonics will help to warm the Spleen and to motivate the energy for the T&T cycle. They maintain and improve our ability to generate warmth and stimulate our system. Yang tonics include:
Basil Fenugreek Seed Rosemary
Chestnut Chive Garlic Sage
Seed Cinnamon Dried Ginger Savoy
Bark Lamb Shrimp
Clove Lobster Star Anise Thyme
Dill Seed Nutmeg Walnut
Fennel Seed Pistachio Raspberry
Qi circulation is stimulated by the sweet and pungent flavors. The Spleen likes the sweet taste and pungent flavors circulate the qi. Foods which particularly influence Qi circulation include:
Basil Dill Seed Radish
Caraway Garlic Star Anise
Cardamon Jasmine Tea Tangerine Peel
Carrot Marjoram Turmeric
Cayenne Mustard Leaf
Chive Orange Peel
Clove Coriander Peppermint Tea
Cold conditions are improved by warming foods. In chronic cases, warm and sweet/pungent foods are used to warm us steadily. In acute cases of pathogenic invasion, warm or hot foods are combined with stronger pungent flavors to drive out the Cold. Warming foods include:
Anchovy Garlic Quinoa
Basil Ginger Rosemary
Bay leaf Kohlrabi Scallion
Black Pepper Lamb Shrimp
Coconut Lee Spelt
Cayenne Mussel Squash
Cherry Mustard Leaf Sweet Potato
Chestnut Mutton Sweet Rice
Chicken Nutmeg Trout
Coriander Oats Turnip Vinegar
Dill Seed Onion Walnut
Fennel Seed Peach Wine
Dampness results from the body's failure to transform fluids.
Dampness is treated by avoiding dampening foods, strengthening the body, including bitter foods and foods which counteract Dampness. Effective foods to eat include:
Aduki Bean Alfalfa Green Tea Parsley
Anchovy Horseradish Papaya
Aramanath Jasmine Tea Pumpkin
Barley Kidney Beans Radish
Buckwheat Kohlrabi Rice Bran
Celery Lemon Rye
Corn Mackerel Scallion
Cranberry Marjoram Turnip Umeboshi Plum
Daikon Mushroom (button)
Eel Mustard Leaf
Garlic Onion
Some foods will exacerbate the tendency towards Dampness and need to be reduced by people with damp conditions. Avoid these foods:
Dairy Products (sheep and goat products are less dampening)
Pork
Roasted Peanuts
Concentrated Juices, especially Orange
Wheat products
Bread
Yeast
Beer
Bananas
Sugar and sweeteners
Saturated fats
Greasy, fried and oily foods
Iced or cooled beverages
Uncooked raw vegetables and salads
Phlegm refers to a condition of dampness where moisture is retained as Phlegm or Mucus. Phlegm-resolving foods include:
Almond Marjoram Radish
Apple Peel Mushroom (button) Seaweed
Clam Mustard Leaf Shitake Mushroom
Daikon Mustard Seed Shrimp
Garlic Olive Tea
Grapefruit Onion Thyme
Lemon Peel Orange Peel Walnut
Licorice Pear Watercress
I have so much more information about diet, but it would take a whole book to explain.Don't worry I am working on that! In the meantime I am available for live seminars. Take these recommendations to your kitchen and cook some delicious meals for yourself to be well and stay healthy.
Chinese Dietary Therapy is a necessary component to healing this qi disharmony. I urge my readers to continue to take the herbs and acupuncture treatments your practitioner recommends and incorporate the above information about diet into your therapy.
Salute!
Written by:
Juliette Aiyana, L.Ac.
Aiyana Acupuncture & Chinese Herbs
41 Union Square West, Suite 519
New York, NY 10003
(212) 894.0767 \
I was so encouraged by this article.. To read it all, and research more from Juliette Aiyana please click HERE. there are many others that I read today... many that spoke about the same issue.. It seems as though Western medicine really ignores the role the spleen plays in our lives, in our body, in our world... While ancient and modern Chinese seem to really have a handle on this important organ... One of my new Lyme Pals over at Lymeaide has written a GREAT post about this very topic!!!!! I was simply thrilled because it couldn't have been more timely... It is a Part ONE... and I am eagerly awaing part II... to read it click HERE...
All this research... made today MUCH much better.. because I chose to have more tea.... than usual... and for supper we made a nice warm azuki bean stew with roast beef, carrots, sweet potato, & broccoli... lots of warm and sweet spices... recipe and photo to come on DELICIOUS hopefully tomorrow :) so keep your eyes out ! it was not only delicious... but I only had tenderness (ok, a LOT) but no Horribly terrible pains!
So... that is THAT! first meal in days... healing is HARD work... lots of research, and lots of hard open minded thinking... I realize it seems very OUT of the box, but really, I don't actually want my spleen removed, so I am willing to be OUT of the box... and odd about this...
I also read that the spleen needs affection... and movement... so tomorrow I hope to do some light lymphatic hopping on my tramp... and continue gently rubbing it...
praying that all this effort will keep my spleen happy and healthy and INSIDE of me, where I want it to be..
Tomorrow I will see my LLMD :) (that means just for your informaton lyme literate medical doctor)
Prayers WELCOME! :)
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