What do you eat for breakfast? and what does Chinese Medicine has to say about it?
I often ask my patients this question. Why is that important -you may ask?
Because according to Chinese medicine our qi/energy derives from the food that we eat and the air we breath.
It is our Spleen, (Pancreas) and Stomach that is responsible to transform the food into qi which is then readily distributed in the body to nourish us from inside out.
Moreover the Stomach is most abundant in qi between 7 and 9 am. Hence why it is so vital to have a generous, healthy breakfast to prepare our energy reserves for the day.
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“So when you say healthy, what do you exactly mean?”
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There are no fast and hard rules in CM. Health is personal, therefore if you have issues with your digestive system you should contact a professional may that be your GP or your acupuncturist (depending on the severity).
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However there are general recommendations which you may take to heart. Here is one for today.
#Eat warm meals. Especially for breakfast.
Let me tell you a short anecdote -which I am sure has been passed down for centuries- from one of my teachers.
During the night our body is in a yin state and our digestive system is resting. When the morning comes we wake up, crawl (or jump – for those morning people) out of bed and just like our body, our digestive system is slowly becoming more active/Yang hence we feel hungry.
Imagine the stomach as a campfire. When you first lit it -in the morning- it has only tiny flames. Now what happens if you throw cold water on it? It goes out. But if you feed it with -nutritious warm food- wood, it will bring warmth and light.
In a more everyday analogy if you try make a soup with icy water it will take much longer than if you used hot water.
The same goes for your stomach. If you start the morning with cold water, smoothies, sandwiches, salads it will have a more difficult job at transforming that food into energy/qi for you.
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“What should I eat then?”
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Warm cooked food if possible.
Such as porridge, soup, or a quick stir fry.
Especially having some ginger/cinnamon in your breakfast or tea will help to warm you up in the winter times.
Even with the best diet, you may be experiencing digestive issues.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions on the matter.