Overindulgence is something that often sneaks up on us during the Christmas and New Year season.
Its so challenging to avoid the consecutive days of big feasts with rich foods, more alcohol than you may normally drink and the sweet treats!
Its a combination of; volume of food and drink, types of food, eating it over a short amount of time and food we may not be used to. No wonder the gut has a difficult time!
Understanding Overindulgence in TCM
Overindulgence in eating or drinking, particularly rich, greasy, or spicy foods, can overwhelm the Spleen and Stomach, leading to symptoms like reflux, belching, indigestion, bloating and nausea. In TCM, this is often categorised as "food stagnation" or an imbalance in the stomach's Qi flow.
The main problems TCM sees are often HEAT (inflammation / acidity) or DAMP (Mucus/ phlegm) or STUCK (sluggish gut motility) OR a combination of all three!
Examples:
- Reflux and Belching: Often linked to "stomach heat" or "rebellious qi" moving upwards.
- Indigestion: Caused by "dampness" or "stagnation" from poorly digested food.
- Nausea: Related to disharmony between the stomach and spleen or cold-dampness accumulation.
How Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine Help
- Acupuncture:
- Points for Digestion: Acupuncture can harmonise the stomach's qi and improve digestion. Points like ST36 (Zusanli) and PC6 (Neiguan) are commonly used to relieve nausea and indigestion.
- Cooling Heat: Points such as LI11 (Quchi) or ST44 (Neiting) help reduce stomach heat and alleviate reflux.
2. Chinese Herbal Medicine:
- For Reflux and Belching: Formulas like Ban Xia Hou Po Tang can harmonise rebellious qi and reduce belching.
- For Indigestion: Bao He Wan is commonly used for food stagnation, aiding digestion and relieving bloating.
- For Nausea: Herbs like Ginger (Sheng Jiang) and Pinellia (Ban Xia) are warming but settling to address nausea.
- Professional advice: I can help you find the appropriate herbal formula to suit your symptoms in a Chinese Herbal Medicine consult. During that session we discuss your health history and current issues and I can tailor make herbs using an online dispensary. Email me here at info@familywellnesscentre.com.au to find out more.
TCM’s integrative approach combines dietary adjustments, acupuncture, and herbal therapy to balance the body’s energy, especially during summer.
Practical Tips for Surviving the Festive Season
- Chew Slowly and Eat Mindfully: Support digestion by giving your body time to process food. Make time to rest or fast between big events with much larger meals, rather than stick to 3 routine meals a day.
- Sip Herbal Teas: Chrysanthemum or ginger tea can aid digestion.
- Plan Acupuncture Sessions: Prevent or alleviate holiday digestive issues with maintenace acupuncture treatments.
- Have a recovery plan in mind
- For food stagnation, keep doing gentle exercise to burn calories and keep the digestion moving.
- For alcohol overindulgence, think about using electrolytes or Coconut water after days of drinking and eating fruit and fresh leafy greens or broccolini for Liver support.
Here's further reading on Food Stagnation, the festive season and TCM Dietary Therapy:
