Diet in Acupuncture and TCM: A Guide to Healthy Eating in the Holidays

By Dr Luke McPherson (TCM)

Acupuncture, TCM, Crows Nest

Acupuncture for diet - Helping you in the Festive Season

Diet in Acupuncture and TCM: How to Manage Overeating During the Festive Season

The festive season, with its joyous gatherings, hearty meals, and endless treats, can often lead to overindulgence. While the occasional big meal is a part of the celebration, repeated overeating may disrupt our digestive health, energy levels, and overall well-being. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, understanding the impact of overeating and learning ways to balance our eating habits can help us enjoy the season without feeling uncomfortable.

Why We Overeat During Festivities

Festivals and gatherings are traditionally times to come together over shared meals, which naturally encourage us to eat more than usual. The abundance of rich, heavy foods and sugary treats tempts us to go back for second (or third!) helpings. Moreover, the excitement and emotions tied to these gatherings can make us less mindful of our hunger cues, leading to overeating.

In TCM, this type of indulgence is understood as a temporary imbalance where the Stomach and Spleen—two organs closely linked to digestion—can become overburdened. Acupuncture can help you diet by restoring your qi flow, resolving damp and strengthening the organ systems. The Stomach, responsible for processing food, and the Spleen, which extracts nutrients to nourish the body, must work overtime to handle the influx of rich and heavy foods. When we overeat, this can result in Qi stagnation, or an energetic "traffic jam," in the digestive system, which may lead to discomfort.

Signs of Digestive Imbalance from Overeating

From a TCM view, signs of digestive overload and imbalances due to overeating may include:

• Bloating and heaviness in the stomach

• Fatigue after meals

• Feeling sluggish or overly full

• Nausea or acid reflux

• Cravings for sweet foods (indicating Spleen Qi deficiency)

These symptoms can be compounded by holiday stress, which weakens the Spleen and Stomach Qi further, disrupting the body's ability to process and absorb food efficiently. Acupuncture can help your diet by restoring the body's qi flow, and strengthening the organs systems involved in digestion.

Acupuncture and Diet: Tips for Balanced Eating During Festivities

1. Moderate Portions with Mindful Eating Start with smaller portions, and take time to savour each bite. Eating mindfully allows your stomach to register fullness more accurately and encourages a more peaceful and enjoyable meal experience. Sipping warm, soothing tea between bites can also help support digestion.

2. Balance Hot and Cold Foods The holiday season is often full of rich, cold foods like salads, desserts, and ice-cold beverages. TCM advises balancing these with warming foods like soups, ginger tea, and cooked vegetables. Warming foods help counteract the effects of cold, heavy dishes and aid the Spleen in digesting rich meals.

3. Limit Sugary Treats It’s easy to overindulge in sweets during the holiday season, but too much sugar can weaken Spleen Qi, leading to a sense of lethargy and bloating. Try to save sugary treats for one or two special occasions and opt for natural sweetness from fruits or small portions of dark chocolate when possible.

4. Incorporate Bitter and Sour Flavors Bitter and sour flavors stimulate digestion and help relieve bloating. Sour foods like lemon water, cranberries, or vinegar-based dressings can help cut through greasy foods, while bitter greens like arugula or dandelion leaf support digestive Qi.

5. Herbal Teas and Digestive Aids Certain herbal teas like ginger, peppermint, or chamomile can help ease digestive distress and reduce bloating. Ginger is especially beneficial, as it warms and stimulates the stomach, reducing nausea and indigestion.

6. Gentle Movement Post-Meal A short, gentle walk after meals can help prevent the feeling of heaviness and support healthy Qi flow. According to TCM, movement aids the Stomach and Spleen in processing food, relieving stagnation, and reducing bloating.

7. Practice TCM Acupressure for Digestion Acupressure can be a helpful tool if you’re feeling overly full. Applying gentle pressure to certain points on the body, like Stomach 36 (Zu San Li), located about four finger-widths below the knee on the outer side of the leg, can relieve bloating and stimulate digestion.

   
   

Embrace Festivities Mindfully

The holidays are a time to connect, share joy, and enjoy festive foods. Practicing moderation, listening to your body’s signals, and applying simple TCM practices can help you indulge mindfully without the discomfort of overindulgence. By embracing a balanced approach, we can savour both the flavours and the moments of the holiday season, nourishing not just our bodies but also our spirits.

Call Dr Luke McPherson (TCM) for a Consultation today!

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