At the physiological level, the spleen helps with digestion, converting food into usable substances within our bodies and sending them to where they are needed. This function in Chinese Medicine is known as "transformation and transportation". The stronger our spleen function is, the better we are able to receive nourishment from our food.
At the mental level, the spleen governs our ability to study and concentrate, to process information. The spleen's function is to adapt both food and information into something we can use. Ever heard of the saying, "There's food for thought"? Ever eaten too much and then felt sluggish? Or notice you crave sweets when you are really stressed out or have a huge exam to cram for?
At the emotional level, the spleen in expressed through your ability to obtain and give emotional nourishment and support. When our needs are met, we feel nourished and supported. When they are not, we sometimes turn to comfort foods.
At the anatomical level, the spleen governs the fascia and soft tissue in our body. When our fascia are relaxed and not constricted, body movements and digestion are smooth and easy. Our fascia and tissues become tense or relaxed in direct response to the emotions we hold onto.
Ever lost your appetite when you are worried or anxious about something?
So how to we strengthen our spleen, or better yet, how do we improve how our body absorbs and distributes the nutrients we take in everyday?
First make sure you are eating a broad and balanced diet! Second, consider our you are preparing your food. The process of digestion involves breaking food down into a "warm soup" in the stomach. Our spleen then "transforms and transports" the nutrients to the rest of our body. The spleen has to work extra hard and becomes strained/weakened when the food is very rich, raw, or cold. So to support our spleen in providing our bodies with the most nutrients possible, try to eat moderate amounts of rich food, chew all food well, and avoid too much cold foods/fluids. Raw foods are easier to digest the more finely it is chopped or grated, and when warm, pungent spices are added.
Here are some more general suggestions:
1) Enjoy and take time to eat! If we are stressed, unhappy, worried, or angry when we eat, our fascia and muscles are tense and constricted and our bodies don't digest and absorb all the nutrients from the meal. You might experience cramping, gas, bloating, burping, or diarrhea immediately after eating. Take time to sit down in a quiet place and enjoy the food you are eating!
2) Form a positive relationship with your food! Try not to think of food as "good" and "bad". Try not to eat "good" foods even if you don't enjoy them, but do so because you know you need to, and feel guilty when you eat "bad" foods. Once you have made the choice in what to eat, accept the food lovingly. Our attitude ti the food we eat will instruct our spleen on what to do with it.
3) Chew your food! The more you chew and break down your food in your mouth, the less work your digestive organs have to do! Chewing also warms cold/raw foods that you may eat before it enters your stomach.
4) When you are able to sit, relax, and become more aware of what you are eating, you are better able to assess when your stomach is full! The goal is to stop eating just before you feel full. When you overeat, a temporary line of food waiting to be digested is created (what we call stagnation!) Your body then uses all of its energy digesting food, and as a result, you feel tired and lethargic after eating. Overtime, our spleen becomes overstrained and eventually that stagnation of food becomes dampness and/or heat that accumulates throughout the body.
5) Try not to drink too much fluids during a meal. A little warm fluid with a meal is helpful, but too much dilutes the spleen's action and weakens digestion.
6) The digestive system needs warmth- think of your spleen as a fire- which is going to burn better- wet slaggy wood that has been snowed on or crisp dry wood? Too much raw or chilled foods/fluids overtime will weaken the spleen function to break down foods and can create dampness that accumulates throughout the body.
7) Eat like an Emperor in the morning and a Peasant in the evening. When you wake up, your body is running on empty and needs substantial nutrients to get you going in the morning. If you are already crashing by lunch time and looking for an afternoon siesta, you may need to re-evualte what you are eating in the morning. Try reaching for foods high in protein and carbs that have a low glycemic index. These foods release substantial energy over a long period of time to keep you going. (Oatmeal, whole grain cereals, eggs, peanut/almond butter, nuts, yogurt, etc) One the flip side, when you eat a huge meal at night, not only does your body have fewer hours to digest tar food, but our system is naturally slowing down towards the end of the day. The food ends up sitting in your digestive tract for longer, isn't best utilized in the body, and ends up creating stagnation, dampness, and heat in the body. This can lead to insomnia, increasing weight gain, as well as other things. By only changing the times you eat meals (not the daily calorie intake), you can drastically drop hard to lose pounds and increase your energy!
8) Aim to try to include as much fresh, local, seasonal produce in your diet as possible!
For more information on theTraditional Chinese energetics of food, check out "Helping Ourselves" and "Recipes for Self-Healing" by Daverick Leggett