We have already talked about how to nourish the Earth element via the spleen, but now we need to chat about the yang aspect of Earth, the stomach. As I mentioned previously, the spleen loathes dampness and loves dryness, in contrast the stomach loathes dryness and needs to be moistened. This is why one of the common patterns we will see in a stomach disharmony is stomach yin deficiency. The stomach is prone to not producing enough moistening and cooling element on its own.
In terms of lifestyle advice, the best way to keep the stomach happy is to eat with intention, sitting down and focusing on your food. We discussed this when working with the spleen but that same intention is required for stomach health for different reasons. If you are always eating on the go or don’t have time to sit down for a bite, this can deplete stomach yin and ultimately lead to mood disorders, insomnia, excessive hunger, gum pain, constipation and more. Even if you have a hectic job that doesn’t offer much time to sit down, carving out 20 minutes to yourself to eat your lunch is incredibly important.
Don’t eat too close to bed time. We have all heard this before but it is worth revisiting. When we sleep our body repairs itself, this is the time when our white cells are most active to ward off illness and disease. When we eat too close to sleep our bodies are spending energy digesting food instead of taking care of the other important processes – not only does this negatively affect over all health, but the stomach qi becomes weaker over time as it is not given adequate time to rest. A good rule of thumb is eating no more than 3 hours before you go to bed. Additionally, if you do not feel hungry within 30 minutes of waking, odds are you ate too close to sleep. I will mention, another cause of not feeling hunger in the morning is worrying too much so if you are doing everything perfectly with your diet but still don’t have much of an appetite in the morning, check where your thoughts are going when you have idle time.
Finally, what foods can you eat to benefit the stomach? As we have talked about, the spleen and stomach have conflicting needs and when we see the stomach out of balance it is often presenting with heat issues. This will make a person crave ice water or cold foods which further weakens the spleen so it cannot moisten and cool the stomach. If you find yourself presenting with all the symptoms of a stomach disharmony, home made bone broth is the safest way to balance your heat. Beef or chicken bones are best, lamb can be too warming. Bring the bones in a pot of water to a boil then drop it down to 2-3 on the stove and leave it for 24 – 48 hours making sure to top up water as needed. Alternatively you can put the bones in a slow cooker on high and then drop it down to medium for 1-2 days. I throw in some fresh garlic and bay leaf during the boiling process and then add a scoop of chicken bullion when it’s done. A cup of this every night with dinner will do wonders for literally every element of your body.
Keep in mind, alcohol and tobacco are warming. While it isn’t so easy to break those habits, if you are suffering from stomach heat seeking help to overcome these habits will be incredibly beneficial (and not just for your stomach!)