In Asian medicine, digestion is about much more than what happens after you eat. How well we digest and absorb nourishment affects our energy, mental clarity, immune health, and overall sense of well-being.
In other words, your digestion is your foundation.
The Spleen, Digestion & Your Energy
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Spleen and Stomach work together to transform the food we eat into the energy our bodies need.
This is a little different from the anatomical spleen we talk about in Western medicine. When Chinese medicine practitioners talk about the “Spleen,” we’re referring to an entire functional system related to digestion, nourishment, and energy.
When this system is working well, we tend to feel nourished and energized after eating.
When it’s struggling, you might notice:
šæ Bloating or feeling overly full after meals
š“ Fatigueāespecially after eating
š¾ Loose stools or irregular digestion
šŖ Sugar or carbohydrate cravings
š«ļø Brain fog or difficulty concentrating
šŖ« A general feeling of sluggishness
Chinese medicine sometimes describes this pattern as weakened Spleen Qi.
And this is one reason I don’t like looking at digestive symptoms in isolation. If someone comes to me with bloating but also tells me she’s exhausted, craving sweets, and having trouble concentrating, those symptoms may be telling different parts of the same story.
From the Treatment Room
I recently worked with a patient who was struggling with both digestive discomfort and low energy.
She initially thought of them as two separate problems. But as we talked about her symptoms, eating habits, stress, and overall health, a larger pattern began to emerge.
We began a series of acupuncture treatments focused on supporting digestion and helping her body regulate more effectively.
Gradually, she noticed that she wasn’t feeling as uncomfortable after mealsāand something else changed, too.
Her energy became steadier.
That’s one of the things I love about Chinese medicine. We aren’t necessarily chasing one symptom at a time. We’re asking: What is the larger pattern, and how can we help the body function better as a whole?
