The Stomach

The stomach is probably the internal organ we are most aware of daily as it tells us when we are hungry or full. It’s where food is stored during the initial process of breaking it down into a format that’s easier for the chemical process of chemical digestion. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, your stomach is responsible for “rotting and ripening” food to prepare the way for your spleen to extract nutrients. 

The spleen and stomach are partnered organs, as the stomach paves the way for the spleen by breaking down food into nutrients for the spleen to transport and transform. Since the spleen is not meant to store food once the essential nutrients and fluids have been extracted, it’s the stomach’s job to pass along the remainder to the small intestine to finish digestion. 

Stomach Qi “feeds” all other organs the energy they need to function. The stomach is also the part of the body where we digest or process our emotions and thoughts. Therefore, a healthy stomach not only ensures proper digestion, but allows us to process and regulate our moods. 

Dysregulation of the stomach can lead to excess worry, anxiety, and overthinking. Other signs you may need to tend to your stomach include bloating, belching, indigestion, heart burn, nausea, and abdominal pain. 

Stomach imbalance can be very disruptive to your quality of life. To ensure smooth digestion and the absorption of essential nutrients, it’s important to tend to your stomach. The following are some ways you can care for your stomach: 

• Eat lots of warm foods, like soups and stews, and avoid raw and cold foods. 
• Your stomach needs to rest, so avoid eating heavy foods late in the day and try not to have your last meal of the day too late at night. 
• Have smaller meals more often and avoid overeating. 
• Try meditation or mindfulness practice to sooth your worry, as excess worrying can upset digestion and cause imbalance of stomach Qi. 

Foods you can eat to support a healthy stomach include root vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, and squash, as well as ginger, millet, and oats. The stomach is associated with the earth element, so eating naturally sweet foods will also help keep your stomach Qi strong. 

What is Qi? 

Qi, pronounced “CHEE”, is the fundamental or vital life energy that circulates through your body. Qi is the central underlying principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine.