September 2023

Late August and early September signify the earth element in Chinese medicine. Why is it important to know this information? Following a Macrobiotic lifestyle, we follow seasonal eating patterns to support our best health. Respecting seasonal changes, with adjustments in selecting food and how to prepare it seasonally, has proven to be the best medicine for prevention and healing.

You can feel the change in the air; the sun doesn’t feel as hot, and the evenings refresh us with cool breezes. As we transition to fall, this in-between stage we call late summer, identified as earth energy, allows us to settle from our summer activities and grounds us as we begin September schedules. 

Earth element governs the Spleen, Pancreas, and Stomach; these organs are the stars of the digestive system in Chinese Medicine. The Stomach is the workhorse, but the Spleen is the boss and the pancreas is the supplier.

The stomach is the primary organ for storing, diluting, and digesting food. It is our reservoir. Its digestive juices are concentrated for breaking proteins from our foods. It tends to get tight and overworked…did I mention it was the workhorse of the digestive system? When it’s worked too hard, by needing to digest excess fats and protein, it will create excess acids, which may cause bloating, acid reflux, and ulcers. To no surprise, the stomach harbors the emotion of worry. We feel tightness or heaviness in our belly when we worry, and because we are in the season that stimulates stomach energy; we may feel these emotions a little stronger.

Ignacio Rebollo, at the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Nuthetal, points to research that links stress from worrying to stomach ulcers, often leading to death.

Worry is the emotion that affects the network organ system of the spleen/stomach/pancreas, organs associated with the earth element. Too much pensiveness, worrying, and insecurity can weaken our ability to digest, and worrying stifles digestive energy. When we are worried to a state of anxiety, we find it hard to digest and accept a situation or life event. Stomach problems often reflect outer problems in digesting life’s experiences.

All of these feelings (and others) can trigger symptoms in the gut. The brain has a direct effect on the stomach and intestines. For example, the very thought of eating can release the stomach’s juices before food gets there. This connection goes both ways. The foods we eat can profoundly affect how emotionally triggered we get. Foods such as baked wheat products, eggs ( hard-boiled), cheeses, animal protein in general, high-fat processed foods, sugar, and alcohol, can create a hostile environment for the stomach to digest efficiently.

Sweet foods that strengthen the stomach and the other Earth elements, can support the proper function, include whole grains, like millet, and rice, ground vegetables such as onions, cabbages, mushrooms, and squashes, and root vegetables such as yams, carrots, sweet potatoes, and rutabagas. Enjoy the sweet fruits, such as apples and veggies in season and available in the late summer harvest. Your stomach will be at ease digesting your nourishment and emotions.

On Saturday the 30th at 9:30 am CST,  I will prepare a late summer menu to help your body transition most deliciously and gently into fall. I will teach about the Earth’s element organ systems and how to best care for them. I will detail the job of the pancreas and the spleen, and give a few more details about the stomach. Come, and bring a friend, to learn more about important information on self-care through the seasonal change, and enjoy a tasty belly-satisfying lunch.

-Virginia