The food we eat provides us with the vital energy we need to function, work and play. In traditional eastern medicine, practitioners understand the importance of diet for wellbeing and of the nature and flavours of the foods we eat to stay healthy. You may have heard your acupuncturist remind you to eat regularly. To eat breakfast like a Queen, lunch like a Princess and dinner like a pauper.
This is in accordance with the energy of the organs of digestion at different times of the day. Between 7 – 9 am the digestion is at its strongest. This is the best time to fuel your body for the activities of the day. Between 11am – 1 pm the stomach and spleen are at their height of functioning. A great time to enjoy a substantial lunch followed by a rest. As the day slowly passes into night the organs of digestion become at their weakest between 7 – 9 pm. Ideally, and according to this theory, we are best to eat lightly at night choosing soups and stews before 7pm. This time-tested routine proves to be a healthy way for us to avoid overeating and to prevent putting extra pressure on our organ system.
Avoiding eating late also prevents us from digesting while we are sleeping so we may awake feeling refreshed with a healthy appetite for breakfast. The food we eat provides the post-natal energy and the Stomach Ki we need for the functioning of the whole body. The Stomach energy (Ki) is the vital energy for the bodies organs to function in a harmonious way. The post-natal qi of the stomach arises from the food we eat. The energy is delivered to the all the organs via the meridian system or the channels that supply and activate the organs. This energy is used to activate the functioning of all the major organs of the body, the Spleen, Liver, Kidneys, Heart and Lungs. Without this energy the body is fatigued, cold to touch, and fluid filled that can lead to headache and joint pain.
There can also be a lack of appetite, loose stools, and oedema. The organs require an activation of energy from the Stomach Ki which is very ‘Yang’ in nature. A warming, moving and activating energy that comes from eating warm natured foods, that are cooked and prepared in a balanced way.