Prior to becoming a TCM Geek, I was managing a fitness club where I personal trained clients, taught aerobics and hip-hop dance class (how do you like the hair? Yikes!)
My friends were all fitness fanatics and we spent our time off hiking, mountain biking, running marathon, participating in adventure races and triathlons! CRAZY!
We talked about fitness and nutrition, all the time. So I thought I knew it all, I was in the best shape of my life. A typical day looked like this: wake up, green smoothie, swim for 45 min, another smoothie, teach 1 hour intense Step class, personal train, lunch (BIG salad, multi grain bread and tuna), personal train clients, snacks of nuts & seeds with fruits & yogurt, and go for a 6 mile run in the evening, then dinner (Big salad, whole wheat crackers) and before bedtime a protein shake! And to top it all, I drank 4 litters of cold ice water daily. I can almost hear your TCM brain gasp right now!
Then I joined our local TCM college for a 5 year doctorate program (best decision I’ve ever made!).
One day during our lunch, one of my TCM teacher looked at my BIG salad and screamed: “YOU! NO MORE SALAD!” then walked off. What was his problem? Seriously? A few months later, Crazy Salad Guy was at it again and yelled at me: “YOU! EAT MEAT NOW and NO MORE SALAD!”
Wouldn’t you know, Crazy Salad Guy taught our Food Cures/Eastern Nutrition class. And he gave me my very first TCM “aha” moment! All these years, even though I exercised a lot and constantly moved, I was always cold. And even though I ate 4 pounds of raw vegetables daily, I was always bloated as if 6 months pregnant! I never understood why, until that class. My diet consisted of cold drinks and cold raw foods depleting my poor TCM Spleen in the process.
So I listened to Crazy Salad Guy and changed my diet to heal my TCM Spleen. I ate in season, drink room temperature water, cooked most of my food, only had green smoothies in the warmer months and always added ginger to them. My bloating disappeared and I wasn’t freezing anymore. TCM Rocks!
Our digestive system is at the centre of our health, we need to nourish it and keep it healthy. TCM Spleen transform and transport nutrients to muscles for energy, so when exercising vigorously, we need to make sure our TCM spleen is fed warm nutrient rich foods.
Here are the best foods for your TCM Spleen patterns, in case you’re eating too many salads, or are a fitness fanatic. Bon Appetit!
You might also like Healing Foods for TCM Kidney Patterns and Healing Foods for TCM Lung Patterns and Healing Foods for TCM Liver Patterns.
Keep Rocking it using TCM!
Clara
TCM Geek
Thanks so much for sharing your story and all this valuable info! It’s been especially cold here in Ontario and I’ve been reminding patients and family/friends to ditch the salads and focus on warming foods to keep their spleens happy over the winter months 🙂 Also, I just watched your TCM and mental health series and it was so nice to learn from you again! Thanks again!
Ps – love the hair! That was totally the style back then. Wish I attended one of your hip hop/aerobics classes haha 🙂
Thank you so much for the kind words Lara. I miss your smile 🙂 Glad you’re advocating warm foods to your patients especially right now. You rock!
Hello Clara!
Thank you for all your work with sharing your great knowledge!
I would like to know your opinion on protein powder, vegan one. Is it damaging Spleen and Liver or in moderate amount should be ok?
It’s a great question. It is processed, so it depends on the quality and the fillers. But if it’s an easy way to get protein sometimes, then in moderation, it should be okay. Also depends on each patient.
wow…right now I going to suggest my patients.thanks…..
Great article! I really enjoy your website and all of the information you are putting together for your fellow acupuncturist. Thank you for your time and dedication to enriching our profession.
MY pleasure Tracee, keep rocking it using TCM!
Love your stories, I look forward to reading your updates 🙂
Thanks Sandra 🙂
Hi Clara,
Thank you so much for all the useful information and the way you are sharing it. It always make me laugh! The combination of your personal stories with good TCM info and easy to remember illustrations are very useful.
Keep rocking it with (TCM and ;-)) inspiring others the way you do.
Thank you Mary for the lovely comments, you rock! 🙂
HI, .After seven months diagnosed with CML and I was doing ok with Imatinib 400mg a day.I went to visit my mam during vacation ,when I came back to the state I had cold and flu I went to my primary he check my spleen maybe he touched very hard and he said I have enlarged spleen.I wasn`t feeling any pain before. now I feel my left side painful and heavy and I sleep too much wich my husband didnt like.I feel very sad I thought my CML going to be fine ,but my life not good any more I can`t work like before ,I cant do anything normal.:( I don`t know what to do.
HI Sue,
I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. My recommendation is for you to see a qualified practitioner in your area for help
Great site, nice tidbits and anecdotes of info in this blog articles too. Im a energy healer in a few modalities like reiki etc … Energy healing in essence very similar in terms of the holistic approach, finding root cause, understanding the meridians/chakras (main) but also individual meridians/chakras/energy centres of the organs and other parts of the body etc … Understanding of how Emotions (Trapped energy / trauma / Worries etc) affect the physical but also looking at them as a symptoms/indicators helping find the root cause as physical issues a lot of the time is the final manifestation our body has of alerting us to our underlying issue… Anyway I digress a little but i like your site, the information presented and complements understanding and diagnosis in my own field.
Different ways of looking at the health of the whole body from different modalities is always fascinating.
In the end, we all want to help people reach optimum health. ?
Hi Clara,
Thank you so much for all the useful information.
I was diagnosed with a bartholin cyst and a thyroid cyst. I have checked to doctor but he is not
recommend surgery because the cysts are still small.
My tongue looks pale, fat and there are teeth marks
Do you have any recommendations for me for home remedies ?. Thank you very much for your help
I would recommend you go see a qualified acupuncturist in your area to help, as we treat the person as a whole, not just the disorder.
best wishes 💜
Thank you so much for this, Clara. i lived a similar life to your past life till recently at 57, my whole digestive system collapsed….all western doctors I went said my blood tests were fine, but i was dragging my butt and i bloat and gas every night. In desperation, I went to a TCM doctor and she diagnosed me with Kidney Yang and Spleen Yang Def, with stagnation. Your information here has been of great help.
I’m so happy you found some help 🌷 You’re on your way to your best health!
Dear Clara, A question. I read that you are still vegetarian? What is the best source of protein for vegetarians who dont take dairy? I find beans too hard to digest everyday.
Thank you
Nuts and seeds, nut and seed butter, avocado 🙂