Spleen Qi Deficiency/TCM and Raw Food

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Permalink Reply by Erin on October 28, 2009 at 11:36am

I definitely have experience in this area:)

Raw foods use up a lot more spleen qi in their digestion.
Here is a link to one of Michael Tierra's books explainig more:
http://books.google.com/books?id=6NNH1yHtJx0C&pg=RA1-PA319&...

In one of his books he mentions treating a lot of raw foodists who had really injured their digestion, so I think it's definitely something to be aware of.

Then there is the concept of cleansing vs. tonifying. The raw diet is wonderfully cleansing but it doesn't tonify and those coming into it with deficiency constitutions (vs. excess) are much more at risk for developing further deficiency. I know quite a number of raw foodists who this had happened to. I'm not trying to be down on raw; I just think these considerations are vitally important.

I combined raw with TCM, energetically tailoring my food choices and recieving treatment at the same time and my experience was that the raw food's cold energetics still ouweighed everything else and I totally hit a wall in my progress. Not until I shifted away from 100% raw was I able to make progress.

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Permalink Reply by AwesomeUniverse!!! on October 28, 2009 at 11:39am

How does someone know they have injured their digestion? Is that when they have the runs constantly, pain etc?

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Permalink Reply by Erin on October 28, 2009 at 11:51am

Spleen qi deficiency has a patern of symptoms. You can often tell by looking at your tongue 1st thing in the morning- if you have any degree of scalloping along the edges, that's a sign.

Other symptoms include:
Undigested food in stools
Poor appetite, obesity.
Gas and abdominal distension .
Dampness internally (manifesting as candid, yeast infectins, UTI's, phlegm)
Foggy brain.
Symptoms worsen with wet weather.
Diabetes & hypoglycemia.
Scallops on the edges of the tongue.
Craving sweets.
Tiredness or weakness.
Heaviness in body.
Difficulty waking in the morning.
Loose stools.
Weak muscles.
Prolapsed organs.
Uterine bleeding.
Varicose veins.
Chronic bleeding.
Easy bruising.
Prolapses
Hemorrhoids.
Obsessive worry.
Lethargy
Dizziness
Tired eyes
Dislike cold greasy foods
Headache after exertion
Symptoms are worse in the morning
Abdominal discomfort which feels better when pressure is applied
Indigestion
Bloating and gas
Weak limbs
Cold nose

You don't need to have all of these symptoms.

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Permalink Reply by expressionista on October 28, 2009 at 11:46am

So what's your reccomendation as far as raw:cooked ratio to avoid over-excertion of the spleen chi?

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Permalink Reply by expressionista on October 28, 2009 at 12:33pm

*sigh* ever have one of those days when you feel invisible?

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Permalink Reply by jodykwik on October 28, 2009 at 12:45pm

Actually Erin, I've found that i can work yin/yang food energetics within being 100% raw. that's just me, though. I can sense particular foods effects on my pulse and tongue...on my hara...on metaphysical Ki...i don't have to venture into the realm of cooked to find a remedy for any imbalance. that being said...it definitely entails being my own teacher/guide through the world of raw. i've yet to find someone else's raw program that answers and balances all energetic concerns within my own body. So i eat what affects me positively and when i begin to feel a deficiency or excess coming on i confirm my intuitive remedy by pulse, tongue, and hara (and other means that i'm actually scared to put in a frikkin' post here on this site...lol...but i know you know of what i speak)

hey thanks for bringing up Michael Tierra! Studied with him a long time back.

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Permalink Reply by Erin on October 28, 2009 at 1:02pm

Well, Paul, that's because you're magic;-)
But seriously, I'm glad you brought this up because I did think of an important point.
Once someone has a strong energetic field and some skill in manipulating/regulating their qi, than I believe they can eat a raw diet and be fine. Peter Ragnar is a great example of this. By the same token, I also believe it's possible to transmute toxic qi from a bad diet when you reach that point (not that you want to, though, LOL!)
So, I do beleive that once your qi is strong and regulated, raw can be great:)
My point is that if you're coming into a raw diet already very qi deficient, you will likely have issues.

PS- I use that "other means" of which you speak to determine everything about how I eat now (% raw, individual foods, supplements, etc;-) and it steers me right!

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Permalink Reply by Erin on October 28, 2009 at 1:07pm

PS, Paul- the thing that made me change my diet more than anything was repeated dreams of TCM masters telling me things or me eavesdropping on them;) I had to listen to the dreams!

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Permalink Reply by jodykwik on October 28, 2009 at 2:49pm

oh hell yes those are the messages you have to follow!...they don't get any better than that...8^))

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Permalink Reply by Hayley.Dawn on October 28, 2009 at 4:29pm

Hi Erin,

Thanks for your input. What percentage of raw v cooked did you settle on to enable healing? To what extent do you feel this is about cold vs warm food? Do you think that warm raw foods could have a different effect?

Hx

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Permalink Reply by Erin on October 28, 2009 at 7:44pm

In the summer, I seem to test well for about 70% raw and in the colder months for 50%. It shifts as I shift. I don't eat much cold food- even smoothies I eat at room temp. Even room temp raw foods can still have a cool nature but spices or combining them with an energetically warm or hot food can help. If you have a serious degree of spleen qi deficiency though, I've found it necessary to have some cooked food.

The worst food in terms of shutting down spleen qi would be something very cold and sweet, and even worse, cold, sweet dairy (like ice cream which has earned the name "triple yin death", LOL!) It's yin, yin and yin and the poor spleen needs some yang to keep it warm and dry, not cold and damp!

One thing to ALWAYS remember- keep an open mind! Is your objective to be raw or healthy? Be open to trying different things. I feel like I wasted a lot of time not healing because I was locked into one mindset and nothing shifted until I shifted! Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by YogaBrudder on October 28, 2009 at 12:14pm

TCM definitely not the answer, just a small part, maybe.

Hokum deluxe.

Unless you want your solution ("solution") from some acu guy/gal, look to variety. Do you like raw? Spleen/pancreas very sensitive to oversweets. Vita-Mix quite good for digestion I feel. I'd rather scrape my tongue in the morning.

Don't listen to a thing I say.

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