We all consume food daily, and because the food choices we make are intricately connected to our health and well-being, nutritional therapy is a healing that is accessible to each of us.

But nutrition is not just about the food we consume. Nutritional education is often overlooked in the training of medical practitioners. But Traditional Chinese Medicine places the highest priority on the state of digestion. Chinese medicine acknowledges that the nutritional content of food consumed is moot if an individual’s digestive system is so weak that it is unable to extract nutrients from the food.

A properly functioning digestive system is the key to vibrant health. And dietary therapy can be one of the highest levels of healing. The effects are far-reaching as because food satisfies both physical hunger and emotional hunger.

In Chinese medicine theory, the spleen is responsible for the strength of the digestive system. If the spleen becomes weak, its ability to extract life force energy, or Qi, from the food an individual eats is compromised, and this will have a harmful effect on a person’s health and vitality. If the spleen Qi is weak, a person will be prone to developing damp conditions in the body, which are characterized by mucous or phlegm.

The kidneys are also important in the relationship between the spleen and digestion. Known as the “root of life,” the kidneys rule birth, growth, and development. If kidney Qi is weak, the kidneys will not support spleen energy, and digestion will be compromised.

In ancient times, Chinese doctors said that when a person is sick, the doctor should first regulate the patients diet and lifestyle. This stills holds true today. Without appropriate changes in diet and lifestyle, vibrant health may be only a goal, but not a reality.

Dietary therapy is a simple way to balance the body and digestive system. It all starts with awareness.

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