Black Sesame Viral Trend

This black sesame recipe is going to be the start of a new viral trend. Inspired by one the most requested Hong Kong recipes, our Homemade Black Sesame Paste, these bliss balls are deeply nutty, sweet and have an addictive earth umami flavor that we just can't get enough of.

The roasting of the black sesame seeds and walnuts gives these black sesame balls a warm comforting flavor, whilst the Chinese red dates, goji berries and honey add sweetness. Hands down, these little balls of awesomeness are one of our favorite ways to replenish our energy.

Recipe Inspiration

Have you ever visited the Sheung Wan district in Hong Kong? These streets are filled with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Shops and small shops selling herbal ingredients.  I was feeling a bit tired and run down so I went to look for a natural way to get my energy back. I tried these little "Baifeng Wan" medicine balls, enclosed in wax balls, to revitalize me.

Oh, my goodness, they tasted horrible! Well maybe not horrible, but certainly not good. They were slightly sweet due to the honey but extra bitter from the herbs. So that got me thinking…

What if there was a way to nourish your body with delicious everyday ingredients that tasted delicious and were a fun to eat on the go? That is how the recipe for these easy no bake energy bliss balls with black sesame seeds was born.

Ingredients & Health Benefits

Black Sesame Seeds (Hei Zhi Ma): nutrient -rich and roasted for a deep nutty flavor. Unhulled sesame seeds have more nutrients than hulled so pick this option, if it is availbale to you. Black colored foods are believed to help nourish Kidney Yin Deficiency and replenish jing (our vital essence).

In TCM, black sesame seeds are believed to help with constipation, combat premature graying and nourish the blood. (1) Whether you like a dollop of black sesame paste in a latte, in a bite sized bliss ball or prefer gluten free black sesame cookies, these nourishing seeds are packed with antioxidants.

Walnuts (Huo Ta Ren): These delicious nuts are earthy, rich and buttery in flavor. According to Giovanni, Walnuts in TCM, may help boost kidney qi and brain health along with other functions. (2) You can substitute with almonds although their function is more to lubricate the intestines and may help benefit the lungs.

Jujubes - (Chinese red dates) - dried whole or you can use ⅓ cup date paste. Chinese red dates may help strengthen digestion and nourish the blood along with being sweet and delicious. (3) As an exchange, try dried medjool dates. They are sweeter so you may want to use less of them or reduce the amount of honey.

Goji Berries (Gou Qi Zi) - Sweet, energizing and delicious in a cup of goji berry and red dates tea.In TCM, this fruit is known as a tonic herb. They may help support kidney yin, liver, boost vitality and prevent aging. (4) All we know is that they are delicious in smoothies, as a topping in yogurt, chia seed puddings and they rock in these Chinese black sesame jing ball recipe. (Just as a quick FYI - Be careful adding goji berries to recipes, IF you are on blood thinners. (5)

Honey - Is sweet and delicious but also helps the black sesame and walnut mixture form into balls. It acts as a binder. In TCM, honey may help strengthen digestion and support spleen qi. (6)

Gut Friendly Spices - warming ginger, cinnamon and cardamon.These dried spices are not required but may help with digestion, warm you up, and add extra flavor to the recipe. You only need a little bit, as you don't want to overpower the deep nutty rich flavor of the black sesame seeds and toasted walnuts.

How to Make Black Sesame Balls

• Rinse and soak jujubes and goji berries in hot water and remove pit from dates.

• Toast the black sesame seeds and walnuts in a dry pan.
• Pulse in food processor until pulverized.

• Add drained jujubes and goji berries to the food processor with the black sesame seeds and walnuts.

• Sprinkle in ginger, cinnamon and cardamon if desired.
• Drizzle in honey and continue to blend in the food processor until the mixture starts to stick together.

• Roll into balls.
• Garnish this gluten-free snack with crushed walnuts, roasted black sesame seeds and goji berries, if desired.

Recipe Tips

• Don't pitch the water used to soak the jujubes and goji berries as this makes for a delicious nourishing hot tea beverage.
• A high-powered blender or small food processor works best for pulverizing and blending the ingredients.
• Stop the food processor occasionally and push down the black sesame seed mixture down to the blades with a spoon or spatula to facilitate the blending of ingredients.
• The amount of honey depends on the size of your dates; how powerful your food processor is and the humidity of your kitchen. You may need less or more honey to form into balls.
• The natural oils in the black sesame seeds and walnuts will make the energy bites look shiny, and your hands when you roll them. In addition, this oil will help the mixture form into balls.

Substitutions and Variations

• Want to make this black sesame recipe vegan? Try maple syrup, instead of honey or add more dates.
• Black sesame bliss balls are naturally gluten-free. If you are celiac, be sure to purchase certified gluten-free ingredients.
• Add different nuts or seeds such as pumpkin seeds, pecans, almonds or even pistachios. Although these nuts and seeds are also a healthy option, they do not have the safe medicinal qualities for boosting kidney and brain health in TCM.
• Go Tropical!  Try adding dried desiccated coconut, dried pineapple or dried mango for a healthy on the go snack.
• Chocolate Lover? Sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa powder or add mini dark chocolate chips before rolling.
• Virgin Black Sesame Seed Snobs like us? Skip the added spices or added flavorings and let the deeply roasted black sesame flavor be the dominant flavor.

Garnish Ideas

• crushed walnuts
• toasted black sesame seeds or white sesame seeds
• dried jujubes
• toasted coconut flakes
• unsweetened cocoa powder

How to Store Black Sesame Energy Balls

Room Temperature: for up to a week in a sealed container.

Refrigerator: for up to 2 weeks in a sealed container.

Freezer: up to 3 months in a sealed container. Allow the black sesame energy balls to come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before enjoying. This is our favorite method.

How to Serve

• Try them with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
• Go all out with a black sesame latte with matcha foam.
• Serve on a cookie tray with your other 60 favorite cookies recipes from around the world.
• Plain is our favorite way to give us a boost of energy.

What is the serving size of black sesame balls?

We suggest one to two black sesame balls per serving. Black sesame seeds are nutrient dense, packed with fiber and have a moderate amount of healthy fats and calories, so it is best to restrict the dosage to 1 to 2 balls.

Kidney Yin Nourishing and Jing Supporting

Ok, we are going to get a little medical nerdy here for a moment. We want to let you know that you can replenish jing and nourish kidney yin through diet and lifestyle changes. If you are experiencing menopausal symptoms or premature aging, hang with us for a bit. We have a solution coming your way.

Did you know that according to TCM, we are born with "jing"?

Jing is the fundamental essence that fuels your growth and development.

There is also "post-natal jing" which is derived from the foods we eat, and it is stored in the kidneys. This post-natal jing fuels us, helps us continue to grow, develop, reproduce and hopefully helps us live a long and prosperous life. However, everyday stress, poor eating habits, chronic illnesses, childbirth and just life in general has a way of using up our jing.

As we grow older, menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, dryness and insomnia are believed to be because of imbalance and the result is kidney yin deficiency. It's due to the gradual reduction in jing and depletion of kidney yin (cooling) and the predominance of Kidney Yang (warming). 

How to Prevent the Depletion of Jing?

In today's busy world, we have a tendency to overdo it until you are completely drained and this causes a reduction of jing which is not good for your health. To prevent the depletion of Jing (in Traditional Chinese Medicine), focus on getting adequate rest, eating a nourishing diet as Food is Medicine, practicing gentle movement like Tai Chi or yoga, and managing stress.

These practices may help conserve the body's essence. Your essence is a finite resource that is both inherited and replenished through nourishment. When you need a little extra nutritional boost, enjoy a black sesame walnut bliss ball or two!

Sources:

1. Zhenxia Xu, Min Li, Nanjie Jiang, Changqing Gui, Yunhai Wang, Yuting An, Xia Xiang, Qianchun Deng, Black sesame seeds: Nutritional value, health benefits, and food industrial applications, Trends in Food Science & Technology, Volume 153, 104740
2. Maciocia, Giovanni (1989). "ch. 3: The Vital Substances", The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN 0-443-03980-1
3. Bai, Ming, et. al, 2018/01/01, Characteristics and Application Analysis of Chinese Medicinal Herbs Containing Dates, 10.2991/essd-18.2018.66.
4. Hu Shunkai, et. al., Lycium barbarum (goji berry): A comprehensive review of chemical composition, bioactive compounds, health-promoting activities, and applications in functional foods and beyond, Food Chemistry, Volume 496, Part 1, 2025, 146588.
5. H. Leung, A. Hung, A.C.F. Hui, T.Y.K. Chan, Warfarin overdose due to the possible effects of Lycium barbarum L., Food and Chemical Toxicology, Volume 46, Issue 5, 2008, 1860-1862, ISSN 0278-6915.
6. Mohamed G. Sharaf El-Din, Abdelaziz F.S. Farrag, Liming Wu, Yuan Huang, Kai Wang, Health benefits of honey: A critical review on the homology of medicine and food in traditional and modern contexts, Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences, Volume 12, Issue 2, 2025, Pages 147-164, ISSN 2095-7548.
7. Scheid V. Traditional Chinese medicine--what are we investigating? The case of menopause. Complement Ther Med. 2007 Mar;15(1):54-68. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2005.12.002. Epub 2006 Feb 9. PMID: 17352972; PMCID: PMC2233879.

Basic Ingredients

The beauty of this hearty mung bean soup is that your preferred options for vegetable additions are endless. It's a delicious and frugal way to clean out the refrigerator of those little bits and bobs of vegetables. Feel free to change it up and add what is in your crisper inventory. Next to each ingredient we have noted the food's energy as warming, cooling or neutral according to Traditional Chinese Medicine.

• Whole Mung Beans (cooling) - These magical dried green beans are part of the legume family. They make this soup creamy, comforting, and packed with plant-based protein! This nutrient dense food is sometimes also referred to as green gram, moong, mongo, monggo, mash bean or  绿豆 (lǜ dòu) in Chinese. You can purchase whole dried mung beans at major grocery stores like Whole Foods, Walmart in the International food section or online at Amazon. Mung beans are usually available at most Asian markets in the dried foods section.
• Onion and Garlic (warming) - flavorful aromatics
• Cumin (warming) - gives this soup with mung beans an earthy and delicious flavor.
• Carrots and Celery (neutral and cooling) - or veggies of choice.
• Tomato (cooling) - fresh or canned gives this protein soup a pop of flavor.
• Spinach - (cooling) - or any quick cooking green like Swiss chard or baby kale are delicious for a pop of color and extra nutrients.
• coconut milk - (cooling) - adds a rich creamy flavor to the soup. In TCM, coconut milk is considered a yin food that may help with the cooling, moistening and help tonify yin.

Gut Healthy Ingredients

Bone Broth (warming)- Have you ever had a savory Chinese soup without bones? I know right? Grandmas know best because they are healers. We made homemade bone broth from our leftover Thanksgiving turkey bones. You can substitute with store bought bone broth (we won't tell a soul), beef bone broth, chicken broth, or even vegetable broth to keep this recipe vegan. Bone both adds between 64 to 84 grams of protein per 8 cups bone broth and is a gut friendly addition to the soup. (1)

Ginger (warming) - We used a one-inch knob freshly grated ginger, but you can substitute with ½ teaspoon of dried ginger. Ginger helps wake up your digestive fire by speeding up gastric emptying and promotes smooth muscle contraction in the intestines. This helps get things moving along and a delicious addition to this TCM-inspired soup. (2)

Fennel seeds (warming) - can be found down the spice isle at your local grocery store. Not only does this herb have a mildly sweet anise flavor, like in our balsamic roasted fennel and carrots, but it a powerhouse when it comes to helping digestion. Fennel seeds or ground fennel may help digest food and reduce gas and bloating. (3)

Sweet Potato (neutral or lightly cooling) - lightly sweet and nourishing. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) may help strengthen the spleen and nourish yin.

bay leaves (warming) - is one of our favorite additions to curried ham and lentil  and chicken and rice soup. This dried herb adds a subtle flavor of clove, tea and almost an earthy flavor. It's hard to explain but it makes legumes pop. However, the reason you are going to love it even more is because according to TCM, bay leaf (yue gui shu ye) may help aid in digestion and help ease bloating.

How To Prepare Mung Beans Quickly?

Try our quick boiled water method to soften the mung beans quickly. It reduces the cooking time and more importantly it makes the mungs beans easier to digest. 

• Rinse Beans: Place mungs beans in a colander and rinse. Discard any broken or discolored beans and pitch.
• Boil Water: Bring 3 to 4 cups of water to a boil.
• Soak: Place the whole dried mung beans into a heat safe bowl and pour the boiled water over the mung beans. Cover lightly and let them soak at room temperature for about 2 hours or until they have a little give when you press on a bean.

• Drain and Rinse: After soaking, drain and rinse the beans.

If you do not plan on making the soup until the next day, you can soak the beans in cool water overnight for 8 to 12 hours and rinse them thoroughly.

How to Make Soup with Mung Beans?

• Soak, rinse and drain mung beans
• Sauté the digestive friendly spices and aromatics in the soup pot.

• Add vegetables like carrots, celery and sweet potatoes into the soup pot with the spices.
• Pour in the prepared mung beans into the pot.

• Add bone broth, chicken or vegetable broth to the pot along with bay leaves.
• Toss in the chopped tomatoes.

• Cover and cook over medium high heat for about 50 minutes to an hour until the mung beans start to break apart and are completely tender.

• Season to taste and add the coconut broth.
• Turn off the burner and add the quick cooking spinach or leafy vegetable of choice.
• Enjoy

Recipe Tips

• Chop vegetables the same size so they all cook down together at the same time.
• Soaking the mung beans in hot water for 2 hours or overnight with cool water will help the beans cook faster. In addition, it makes the mung beans easier to digest. 
• If you don't have time to soak the mung beans, you can still make the soup, but it may take longer to cook. 
• Choose good quality coconut milk and vigorously shake the can or heat it up BEFORE adding it to the soup so it does not curdle. Coconut milk without added emulsifiers is prone to a natural separation of the coconut fat from the soup liquid because of the difference in temperature. Don't sweat it if this happens to you. It does not affect the flavor. If you wish, you can blend the soup and the problem will be resolved.
• Add more bone broth or water during the cooking process as the soup cooks and thickens.
• Do not season the mung bean soup with salt until AFTER it is done cooking or it can make the mung beans tough.
• We found it takes over 30 minutes for our Instant Pot or pressure cooker to come to pressure, if you choose this method.
• Stove Top is just as simple but compared to the Instant Pot but it needs to be monitored during the cooking process.

Topping Ideas

• Air fryer tofu croutons - easy recipe instruction in the recipe notes.
• Toasted black sesame seeds
• Fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley.

What to serve with Soup?

1. Rice or quinoa
2. Naan bread, roti, gluten-free crackers or Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread
3. Salads
4. Sandwiches or chicken Caesar lettuce wrap sandwiches
5. Fresh fruit
6. Refrigerator pickles

Benefits of Mung Beans

Did you know? Mung beans feed the good bacteria in your gut, helping keep digestion smooth and your microbiome happy. (4, 5)

Not only that, but this magical green bean is yin nourishing and it's energy is cooling in nature and it may even help reduce menopausal symptoms. Mung beans are a source of phytoestrogens. These special compounds may help balance the changes in estrogen in the body to reduce hot flashes and more. So, it has that going for it! (6, 7)

How to Make Mung Beans Easier to Digest?

Mung beans are one of the easiest legumes to digest and are hidden powerhouses of protein, fiber, iron, B vitamins and folate.  If you suffer from bloating and gas after eating legumes, here are some suggestions to make them even easier to digest…

1. Soak your beans before cooking!
2. Cook the mung beans completely until they are soft and start to break down in the soup.
3. Adding spices like fennel, ginger, cumin and bay leaves to your recipes can help you digest the legumes so they can nourish your body.
4. Start out with a smaller portion of mung beans, if you are new to them. Gradually, increase the amount so your gut has time to adjust.
5. Drink plenty of water as you increase the fiber in your diet to prevent constipation and improve gut health.
6. Pressure cook the mung bean soup. This can help expedite the breakdown of difficulty digesting sugars in legumes.
7. Consider digestive enzyme supplements.

Rice - We used jasmine long grain white rice. When the rice cooks down, it creates a creamy broth texture to complement the red beans and other ingredients. You can also use short, grained white rice. Please do not use basmati rice or instant rice. You will not get that creamy consistency you are looking for. We have not tested the recipe with sticky rice, brown rice, or forbidden black rice.

Azuki Beans (Red Beans) - As you may have read our balancing warming and cooling foods article, azuki beans are neutral in energy making them perfect for anyone. They are very mild and nutty in flavor making them a perfect addition to sweet desserts like snow skin mooncakes or savory addition to a porridge congee.

According to TCM, these magical dried beans can benefit the body by removing dampness and strengthen the kidney and spleen. If you can't find azuki beans, don't sweat it. You can easily substitute red beans with dried kidney beans or cooling green mung beans.

Job's Tears (also known as coix seed, Chinese Pearl Barley and more) have a delicious earthy and nutty flavor and are slightly cooling in nature. They are used often as a dietary supplement to boost the spleen function and to remove dampness from the body. (1) You will need to go to an Asian market or shop online to find job's tears. If you cannot find this ingredient, you can substitute with more red beans or uncooked pearl barley.

Chicken - We used finely chopped chicken breast just purely because that is what we had on hand. Feel free to use bone in chicken thighs or legs but remove any fat or skin first before adding it to the Instant Pot. After the congee is done cooking, remove the chicken from the bones and shred and add it back to the congee soup.

Aromatics and Flavoring Ingredients

Ginger - Peeled and sliced if you want a more mellow flavor. If you want a more pronounced ginger flavor,mince finely.

Chicken Bone Broth - either homemade or store bought to boost your gut health.

Mandarin Orange Peel - Dried (chénpí, 陳皮) can be seen drying in baskets everywhere in Hong Kong because they are used to treat digestive issues and relieve dampness and phlegm. It is believed that the longer the peels age the more intense the flavor and their medicinal effects.

We just went with a fresh mandarin orange peel with pith removed knowing that this would be an easy ingredient for you to find. Alternatively, you can add 1 - 2 droppers of Root + Spring's Aged Tangerine Peel Herbal Tincture and stir into your congee bowl just before serving.

Chinese Red Dates (jujubes) - They add a pop of natural sweetness and are nourishing to the spleen.

Goji Berries (Chinese wolfberry) We also added a tablespoon on goji berries because it is part of our goji berries and red dates herbal tea mixture. However, these are completely optional.

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms - Earthy and so delicious! However, the reason why we added them to the Instant Pot Chicken congee was to help remove accumulated dampness in the body. (2)

How to Make Congee in an Instant Pot

This is a basic overview. Please scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions.

• Rinse rice, job's tears, azuki beans, red dates, and shiitake mushrooms well.

• Add the above ingredients into the instant pot and add in chicken, chicken bone broth, ginger, and mandarin orange peel. If you wish, you can add in 2 chicken bouillon cubes for extra flavor.
• Close and lock the instant pot. Set the porridge function for 40 minutes high pressure.

• Allow natural release for at least 10-15 minutes and then carefully vent.
• Once the metal lock button falls, carefully open the lid. Add in salt and white pepper to taste, stir, serve up a bowl and add your favorite toppings and enjoy.

Asian Congee Toppings

• Green onions
• Fried shallots or garlic
• Soy sauce (coconut aminos or tamari sauce to keep gluten free)
• Sesame oil
• Jammy boiled 6-minute eggs or a fried egg
• Extra ginger
• Garlic chili oil
• Cilantro
• Fried tofu
• Stir fried veggies (garlic pea shoots, bok choy, Chinese broccoli (gai lan), spinach, etc.)
• Leftover proteins from yesterday's dinner
• Chinese Pickles or fermented things like kimchi
• And more…

What is the Difference Between Congee and Porridge?

Congee (also called Jook in Cantonese) is an Asian soup made with cooked down rice as the base. Whereas a porridge can have other types of cooked down grains such as oats, millet, barley, or corn instead of rice. Our Instant Pot Chicken recipe is both a congee and a porridge because it includes both rice and job's tears for the grain.

The Role of the Stomach and Spleen in TCM

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the stomach is responsible for digesting the food and the spleen's function is to transform the nutrients and transport the qi (our Life Force) and blood to nourish the body.

The goal of TCM is to keep your body's Ying and Yang in balance to prevent illness. However, if your body does not get the nutrients it needs to function, it starts to shut down. We could almost say that your spleen is center of health because it can cause both physical and emotional imbalances if it cannot perform its vital role.

If there are no changes to your routines, diet or even the weather outside, everything can stay in balance. However, come late summer, everything starts to change, and the balance is lost. This is time to reground us and prepare our bodies for the next season.

Late Summer Spleen Health 

Late summer corresponds to the earth element. It's an important time of the year to strengthen the stomach and spleen.

Living in a damp environment and/or suffering from spleen qi deficiency are hard on your body and digestive health. If your weakened spleen cannot move the fluids, you may feel extra sluggish, a feeling of heaviness in the limbs, bloating, foggy brain, increased mucus and much more.

3 Main Causes of Dampness in TCM

First, your body must deal with Mother Nature's environmental factors like the extreme heat, excessive rain, and its evil brother humidity. If you spend a lot of time in a rainy or humid environment, the body may not be able to keep up with its role to remove the fluids, resulting in dampness in the body.

Don't even get us started on Hong Kong's super humid summer weather! It's so hot and humid you can't breathe so all the businesses run their air conditioning (air con) so high you can see your breath. This is so hard on your body and the shock of the temperature and humidity changes sends your ying and yang into havoc.

Secondly, to combat that heat and humidity you may have been enjoying far too many cold foods like raw salads, ice cream and iced beverages. If you already have a spleen qi deficiency, eating or drinking cold foods and fluids makes it even more difficult for your spleen to transport the nutrients to where your body needs it.

The stomach and the spleen must work extra hard to heat, transform and transport these cold foods and beverages. If you already have a weakened spleen, it can't perform its job correctly. This can cause extra stress on the body resulting in increased dampness or phlegm. In addition, certain diet choices like dairy, processed foods, alcohol, gluten, fried foods and eating large amounts of mushrooms can also cause internal dampness. Think more warm and nourishing meals like Roasted Butternut and Carrot Soup.

Lastly, let's not forget about the emotional component of excessive worry. Excessive worrying about things you cannot change stresses out the spleen. When your spleen qi is weakened, it cannot perform to role of transporting fluids well. This may result in extra internal dampness in the body.

Food is Medicine

Long gone are the days where you pop a pill for this, that, and everything. Living through chemistry is not a very healthy option. The side effects alone are enough to keep you sick.

Your health starts with prevention! As a clinician, we can validate that it's much easier and cheaper to keep things in balance to prevent illness BEFORE it happens. Listening to your body's clues, eating seasonally, and taking the time to cook nourishing meals for yourself are some of the best tools in your health toolbox.

Harnessing the power of food as medicine is an effective way to recover from long-term illness, boost your immunity before the kids are back to school, and maintain health and vitality as you age.

What is the Chinese Medicine Clock?

The Chinese medicine clock (also known as the organ clock or meridian clock) is a modality of care in TCM. This 24-hour clock is used to diagnose, treat patients, and is split up into 2-hour segments. Each of the 2-hour segments is aligned to when qi (your vital energy) flows best or peaks through the designated organs and their corresponding meridians.

For example, qi peaks through the large intestine organ and meridians between 5AM and 7AM making it the ultimate time to have a bowel movement. More on that later. By understanding your own intuitive body rhythms, the organ clock may be just what you need to help restore your gut health naturally.

Meridian System: Everything is Connected

In traditional Chinese Medicine, all your organs, qi and blood are intertwined via meridians, collaterals and channels, like streets and expressways. (1) Take for example a large expressway construction project. Once those orange barrels go up, everything comes to a halt. Sometimes you are backed up for miles or you may be rerouted to another road. Then, it causes problems and hold ups on other roads.

The same concept goes for your body. If your qi or blood flows are blocked it can cause problems with the other organs. Another important aspect that often gets overlooked is how your emotional wellbeing influences your gut health. We will be uncovering how emotions are tied to organs in TCM and what you can do about it. This imbalance may make you sick and most certainly can affect your gastrointestinal system.

Why is this Important?

Understanding what times are tied to which organ and their respective meridians (pathways the Qi flows) is the main objective of the Chinese body clock. It can help you utilize the optimal time to perform bodily functions such as eating, sleeping, exercising, and eliminating to support your gut health. You might be performing all the best practices such as drinking lots of water and eating fiber for preventing constipation. But maybe you are not doing them at the optimal time for the best effect.

24 Hour TCM Organ Clock

Listed below are the Chinese body clock key time frames and functions in the 24-hour cycle. To help uncover the reason behind your gut issues we want to pay particular attention to these time frames; 1 am - 3am, 5 am - 7am, 7 am - 9am, 11 am - 1 pm, 3pm - 5pm and 9 pm - 11pm.

We understand that many of you are shift workers, travel frequently, have 2 jobs and so on. Therefore, we will be sharing some strategies to compensate for this further down the article.

1 AM - 3 AM: Liver Detoxification

In the perfect world, you should be sleeping at this time. This allows the liver to rest and recover so it can ensure smooth flow of qi through the body, provide digestion assistance, detoxify, blood production, and regulate your emotional health. If you are repeatedly waking up during 1am and 3 am you may be dealing with stress, bad diet, or too much alcohol.

If your liver qi is stagnated and/or you are not able to sleep during this optimal time, it can cause many gastrointestinal issues like stomach aches, belching, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, or irritable bowel.(2)

Liver Self Care Tips:

1. Deal with your stress during the day in an effective way that works for you. Try journaling, counseling or talking to a friend in confidence. Don't go to bed angry.
2. If your mind races during the night because of stress of the things you need to do, keep a notepad by your bed and write it down on the list.
3. Don't obsessively watch the news and social media as this negativity can wear down even the most optimistic person. Essentially, ignore the things you cannot change in your life. Instead, concentrate on the things you can change.
4. Keep your eyes set on your long-term goals. Reflect on them daily and take actional steps so you do not feel stuck and frustrated in a situation you do not like.
5. Read our love your liver; self-care and meal plan article for healthy recipe ideas and acupressure points to help you feel balanced and in control.
6. Reduce your alcohol consumption. Try some non-alcoholic fruity drink recipes instead.

3 AM - 5 AM: Lung Health

According to the organ clock, you should be sleeping soundly.  It's the lungs peak time to restore themselves to allow for deep respiration, oxygenation, and water metabolism. (3) According to TCM, the lung also governs the emotion of grief. If you are waking up between 3 am and 5 am, it may because you have unresolved grief or sadness.

Are wondering what your grief or sadness issues has to do with your gut? It has to do with the gut-brain connection. (4) When you are stressed, sad or experiencing grief your body releases chemical and hormonal messengers that communicate your brain and nervous system to your gut.

If you ever felt butterflies before a big presentation or test, this is your sympathetic system that prepares your body for a "fight or flight" situation. Then, once the perceived danger is removed, your body goes into parasympathetic response or sometimes as we refer to as "Rest and Digest".

Unfortunately, if your body is always in the fight or flight response it starts making more hormones like cortisol, serotonin, etc. This chronic stressed-out state is when the problems occur. These excess hormones can cause the entire colon to spasm and cause diarrhea. Sometimes, it can cause one area of your colon to spasm and the waste can't get though and it may cause constipation. (5)

Lung Self Care Tips:

1. Practice deep breathing and relaxation exercises.
2. When you start to feel anxious or feel butterflies in your stomach, count from 5 backwards. 5-4-3-2-1 and refocus on something else.
3. Positive self-talk! Tell yourself it is going to be okay, you can do this, etc.
4. Movement and light exercise to refocus your negative thoughts. Take a minute to stand at your work desk and stretch.  

5 AM - 7 AM: Large Intestine Colon Cleansing

In TCM, the role of the large intestine is of course to absorb fluids and form stool. It is the prime time to do "your business". Have you even been constipated while traveling? It's usually caused by a change in routine (disruption to the Chinese body clock) and eating unfamiliar foods.

Did you also know that because the large intestinal channel is associated with the metal element, it governs the way we handle grief? I bet that is something that you may find quite out of the ordinary.

Think of it this way. When you pass stool, you are letting go of the things you do not need. It is also a way of letting go of the emotional grief. 

Colon Self Care Tips:

1. Wake up every day at the same time, have something warm to drink and POOP!  Yes, wake up at the same time - even on the weekends. This is the way to retrain your bowels to evacuate at around the same time every day.
2. If you sleep in late, you may be missing your body's internal signals to evacuate because you were sleeping. The longer stool sits in the colon, it starts to dry out and it makes it difficult to do your business.
3. Try drinking warm water with lemon, ginger lemon tea, cup of coffee or anything warm that is your choice. As with any habit, it takes time to learn so stick with it. Warm liquids help activate the gastrocolic reflex. This is a natural response by the body where it sends a message telling the digestive system to wake up and go to work digesting. 
4. As we discuss in our ultimate guide to spleen qi deficiency article, it is best not to drink cold or iced drinks as this makes it harder for your body to digest and absorb the liquids and nutrients. Warm liquids are key to success.
5. Stand, don't sit, and let gravity to its work while you drink your warm beverage.
6. Give yourself a few minutes to relax your mind and body while drinking your warm beverage. We know that is hard when you have a family and work. If it means getting up a few minutes earlier before everyone else wakes up each day, do it! Then, you can have a moment to do "your thing".
7. Try giving yourself a belly massage in a clockwise circle for a minute or two.
8. Get moving with some light exercise, walking outdoors, stretching, Tai Chi, or even taking the stairs at work. (In most Traditional Chinese Medicine books, they suggest 9 - 11am to be the best time for exercise. However, we know you are working so do it before.)
9. Eat a warm nutritious breakfast! This can help initiate the normal peristalsis movement of the intestines to move things through.
10. If you have pelvic floor issues, invest in a toilet stool or Squatty Potty. This step stool will help you squat while you poop to help relax the pelvic floor muscles and straightens up the colon making it easier to have a bowel movement.   

7 AM - 9 AM: Stomach Function

Have you ever heard the expression eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a pauper, and dinner like a peasant? In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) this expression refers to the stomach organ having its fullest digestion power in the morning.

Stomach Self Care Tips:

1. Breakfast should be the largest meal of the day and it should be cooked and warm. Easy meals like Italian scrambled eggs, porridge, Instant Pot congee with job's tears and red beans, leftovers from the night before, or even sauteed greens breakfast salad are easier for your body to digest.
2. If you eat cold foods, this slows your digestion down and your body is not able to absorb the nutrients well.
3. Curb Late Night Eating! If you are not hungry in the morning, it may be that you ate dinner late or too many late-night snacks the day before. Try our Mindfulness Eating script if you suffer from overeating.
4. Bulk cook breakfasts for the week and just reheat in the morning to save time. In a rush, put your warmed breakfast in a thermos and bring it to work.
5. Fall in love with your slow cooker!  Pop all the fixings for oatmeal, immune boosting chicken and rice soup and such, and slow cook overnight. No one ever said you had to eat just breakfast foods for breakfast! Wake up to a delicious hot and nutritious breakfast.

9 AM - 11 AM: Spleen Nourishment

You can learn all about the Traditional Chinese Medicine thoughts on the role of the spleen, how to protect the spleen, foods to nourish, and foods to avoid in our ultimate guide on spleen qi deficiency. Essentially, the spleen is responsible for transforming food into nutrients and qi for the body. It's an essential part of the digestion process. If it's not working properly, you may have gastrointestinal issues.

11 AM - 1 PM: Heart Health

The heart meridian is at its peak circulating blood and maintaining emotional balance between 11 am and 1pm. According to the TCM clock, this is the best time to enjoy a nutritious lunch and a moment of rest.

Heart Self Care Tips: 

1. Enjoy a light nutritious cooked lunch if possible. We know it is easy to grab a cold sandwich or pre-made salad, but this is very hard for your body to digest.
2. Bring cooked leftovers to work from the night before and reheat. Make a big batch of low carb turkey veggie burgers or shrimp and chorizo rice and eat off it for a few days.
3. Try to avoid working while you are eating. I know, we all do it. However, it is best for your heart to take a small break during this time, even if it is a 15 minute one.
4. Remember to keep drinking water throughout the day to stay well hydrated.

3 PM - 5 PM: Bladder Function

Hydration throughout the day is important, especially if you suffer from constipation or loose stools. Drinking water can help soften stools and make it easier to pass and/or replenish the fluids lost during the day. (6) According to TCM, the bladder function is at its peak between the hours of 3 pm and 5p.  

If you are having a little slump or feeling more tired, this is a great time to drink more water. No ice! Remember - either at room temperature or warmed. Sometimes a little herbal tea is a perfect way to hydrate and feel ready to tackle the rest of the day.

Bladder Self Care Tips:

• Hydrate throughout the day. If you wait until you are already thirsty to drink, you are probably already dehydrated.
• Listen to your body's clues and drink more fluids when the weather is hot or while exercising. Don't forget! There are also insensible losses of fluids from respiration and more.
• Reduce the amount of fluid intake after dinner because you do not want to be up all night running to the bathroom to urinate.
• Try to avoid caffeine as this can dehydrate you and make you even more constipated. In addition, it may keep you up at night.

5 PM - 7 PM: Kidney

This is kidneys peak time, according to TCM, to filter fluids and chemicals in the blood, preserve life essence, and govern the emotion of fear. Overworking and not supporting your kidney functions can lead to a variety of digestion issues like nausea and more.

Unresolved fear can activate the fight or flight response. (7) The last thing the body worries about during a crisis is activating digestion. Once in a survival mode, your body concentrates on blood flow to the muscles and heart so you can escape danger. This is why getting to the bottom of why you are afraid and overcoming it, is imperative to fix your gut health.

Kidney Self Care Tips:

1. Enjoy a light dinner BEFORE 7 pm. This is best for your digestive health.
2. This should be lightest meal of the day. This gives your body time to rest and digest before going to bed.
3. Eating a light dinner vs big dinner is completely opposite of what is done in the Western world. Just think about this for a minute. If you eat the biggest meal at the beginning of the day, your body has all day to digest and absorb nutrients. However, if you the largest meal is in the evening, the food may sit in your gut all night keeping you awake trying to digest. In addition, your bodily functions slow down at night. This may cause heartburn on indigestion.
4. Make a big pot of ABC soup or chicken tortilla soup with black beans and enjoy it through the week.
5. Enjoy blueberries, grapes, goji berries, apples, etc. as a natural sweet ending your light meal.
6. Black foods like black sesame cereal and black berries are thought to help boost kidney function in TCM.
7. Try a gentle walk, stretch, or meditate to relax the mind, dissipate fear and to facilitate movement of food through the digestive system. High intensity work outs before bed are not recommended as this may interfere with your sleep.

7 PM - 9 PM: Pericardium Protection

The pericardium is a protective layer around the heart. However, in TCM, this concept has a more loosely defined role as protector of the heart and mind. According to the Chinese body clock, 7 pm to 9 pm is the best time to connect with those you love and unwind for the day.

Pericardium Self Care Tips:

1. Unwind with something relaxing or something that brings you joy.
2. Let go of the day's events. Try journaling to resolve your emotions.
3. Make a short and achievable list of the things that you want to accomplish the next day.

9 PM - 11 PM: Triple Burner Balance

The Triple burner is also referred to as San Jiao. It is not a particular organ per se. Instead, it's responsibilities are movement of qi and regulating fluids.

Any sleep you get before 10pm is the best! You may even reduce the chance of cardiovascular disease. (8) It helps to repair and regulate the body's systems that have been working all day for you. This is important because it all ties back to the Chinese medicine clock where the optimal time to defecate is between 5 am and 7am. If you are to bed by 10pm, that is between 7 to 9 hours sleep.

Triple Burner Self Care Tips:

1. Start the nighttime processing routine (relaxing bath, brushing teeth, stretching, getting your pajama's on)
2. Turn off the electronics and head to bed.
3. Make the room dark, cool, quiet, and comfortable.

11 PM - 1 AM: Gallbladder

The gall bladder works along with the liver to store and excrete bile. As bile is needed to help break down fats, any imbalance can cause digestive issues.

The emotion connected to the gall bladder meridian is courage. Lack of courage can cause problems with indecisiveness and difficulty making decisions. This problem can affect your sleep cycle waking you up in the middle of the night.

Gallbladder Self Care Tips:

1. Perform gentle exercises during the day like walking to stimulate digestion and optimize the performance of the gallbladder.  
2. Calm any anger or frustration during the day with yoga, meditation, tai chi or even journaling.
3. Avoid greasy fried foods and junk food. Choose lean proteins and green leafy vegetables.

Managing the Chinese Meridian Clock as a Shift Worker

Working the midnight shift can really upset your biological clock and your gut health. To make it even worse, many of us swap back to the day shift to take care of family and home life.

After doing years of exhausting 12-hour day and night rotations, we know how horrible you feel. You feel like you really might just die between 3 am and 4 am. Let's discuss some options to compensate for this time difference.

1. First, try to get on the day or at least afternoon shift as soon as possible. The sooner you do, the better you will feel.
2. As you already know, taking a nap before your first night shift is a great place to start.
3. Eating can be difficult as your gastrointestinal system is in havoc. Sometimes, eating smaller easier to digest meals is best. Avoid spicy, greasy, sugar laden junk food.  
4. Drink warm water on your way home from the night shift to get things moving. Goal is to defecate before you go to sleep.
5. Create a sleeping room sanctuary. The goal is to sleep as soon as you can after you get home. Any sleep you can get before noon is GOLD!
6. Put your phone in the other room on silent.
7. Room darkening blinds or drapes are a great way to block out the light. Try ear plugs and you may even want to purchase the eye mask to block out all the light. Some people like white noise as that helps block out any house noises.

Balancing Gut Health

In the Western world, we talk about circadian rhythms or patterns where we rise with the sun and sleep when it sets. However, the Chinese Medicine body clock takes this concept several layers deeper to understand how the body has the potential to balance and heal itself if you eat, sleep, exercise, and eliminate at certain times during the day. All these vital bodily functions are imperative for good gut health.

Disclaimer

The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice.  The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

In the event of a medical emergency, call a doctor or 911 immediately. This website does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Site. Reliance on any information provided by this website is solely at your own risk.

Sources

1. Weintraub G. The relationship of Qi and Blood. Am J Trad Chin Vet Med 2009; 4(1):83.
2. Li Jiaqian, Liu Li. Research Progress about Diagnosis and Treatment of TCM to IBS-C of Liver-Qi Stagnation. Academic Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences (2024), Vol. 5, Issue 1: 7-12
3. Meng Yuan, Hongyuan Chen, Wen Rui, The research advance on the theory of Chinese medicine-exterior-interior correlation between the Lung and Large Intestine in the treatment of chronic cough, Journal of Holistic Integrative Pharmacy, Volume 5, Issue 3, 2024, Pages 195-204.
4. Harvard Health. (n.d.). The gut-brain connection. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/the-gut-brain-connection
5. Gora, A. (2023, September 26). What causes a 'nervous stomach'? Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/health/what-causes-a-nervous-stomach
6. Wang, DC., Peng, XF., Chen, WX. et al. The Association of moisture intake and constipation among us adults: evidence from NHANES 2005-2010. BMC Public Health 25, 399 (2025).
7. Kazufumi Yoshihara, Hiroki C. Tanabe, Hiroaki Kawamichi, Takahiko Koike, Mika Yamazaki, Nobuyuki Sudo, Norihiro Sadato, Neural correlates of fear-induced sympathetic response associated with the peripheral temperature change rate, NeuroImage, Volume 134, 2016, Pages 522-53.
8. Shahram Nikbakhtian, Angus B Reed, Bernard Dillon Obika, Davide Morelli, Adam C Cunningham, Mert Aral, David Plans, Accelerometer-derived sleep onset timing and cardiovascular disease incidence: a UK Biobank cohort study, European Heart Journal - Digital Health, Volume 2, Issue 4, December 2021, Pages 658-666.

What Our Readers Say: Spleen Qi Journey

"Okay, wow. This article was so helpful. Never realized how important it was to have a healthy spleen - we ignore it so much in day-to-day life. Surprisingly, I have quite a few of the symptoms mentioned here. Gosh, need to go through all these recipes and try them out as well as follow all the tips here. Bookmarking this for later - definitely going to come back to this post!"

"The two acupuncturists I've seen have told me the same thing, that I have too much dampness, but I just didn't know what that meant, they did tell me I should stay away from cold foods but didn't explain any further, now after reading your article, it all makes sense!!! Wow, it's amazing to see how everything is connected. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge, I will be making adjustments in my daily diet to nourish my spleen."

This spleen qi deficiency diet article was originally created on August 16, 2018. It has been updated in March 2024 to include new infographics, sources and make it easier for you to navigate and jump ahead to the information you need.

How Does Your Spleen Work?

To better understand why a Traditional Chinese Medicine Diet is important for health, we are going to discuss how your spleen holds many important functions in both Western and Eastern Medicine.

Your spleen is located under your ribcage and above the stomach in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. We know you are trying to find that right now on your body but unless your spleen is abnormally enlarged, then you should not be able to palpate it.  If your spleen is so LARGE you can palpate it, close your computer and head to the ER.

In Western Medicine, the spleen is responsible for many supportive functions in the body. Your spleen works to both filter and store your blood and plays a role in the immune response system. (1)

In Eastern Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the spleen holds a very important role of governing and transportation, water metabolism, controlling the blood, dominating the muscles and four limbs, and opening into the mouth and manifestation on the lips. (2) We will discuss how each of these functions is affected by your diet later in the article.

Quick Facts About Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

We know it is very difficult to get your arms around TCM, especially if you are already trained in Western Medicine or are new to alternative therapies. We know exactly how you feel. Our writers were trained and worked in the Western Medical field for 25 years before training in TCM. You need to essentially let go of all your preconceived knowledge of Western Medicine and just let this information sink in. We will go slow and high level, so you are not overwhelmed.

Background of TCM

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been around for over 2000 years and has been preventing and treating ailments successfully. We believe that there is importance in both Eastern and Western Medicine. Each play an integral part in keeping you healthy. There are many occasions when Western Medicine falls short and that is when Eastern Medicine really shines.

TCM plays an important role in prevention of illness and PREVENTION is the KEY!  Traditional Chinese Medicine is built on a foundation of centuries of medical research and uses various forms of Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, tu nai (massage), qi gong (exercise) and dietary therapy. We are going to home in on the dietary therapy.

The Concept of Yin and Yang

TCM is built on the concept that our bodies need to be in balance and extremes in Yin or Yang can cause illness. Yin and Yang are a philosophical conceptualization. It is a means to generalize the two opposite principles which may be observed within the natural world.

Yin, for example, represents cold, downward, damp/moist, female, moon and inside. Whereas yang represents, hot, upward, dry, male, sun and outside. There is an interdependence of both yin and yang. Yin could not exist in isolation without yang and nor can yang exist without yin. An EXCESS of either yin or yang can cause illness. A DEFICIENCY of Yin or Yang can cause illness.

How Raw and Cold Foods Affect the Spleen

An unbalance of yin and yang can occur by eating an abundance of "yin" cooling foods or the Raw Foods Diet. Raw foods are very cooling. The spleen does not like raw foods and nor does it like cold drinks with ice.  

The reason the spleen does not like raw foods is that your body must heat up food to your body temperature for the Spleen to extract the Qi from the food. If your Spleen is already deficient, eating raw food or many cooling foods will take up precious energy that the body can't afford. By the time the food is heated up, there is even less digestive power. This is when you start to feel unwell.

What is Qi?

Qi is a life energy, or life spirit, a vital force that flows through all living things. The meridians and collateral are pathways which the qi and blood flow. (3) The qi also connects to the zang fu organs (one of them happens to be the spleen) networking our body. (4) If there is a disruption in the flow of qi, we can get sick. The spleen is responsible for transforming food and water and converting it into new qi energy and new blood with the help from the heart and kidney.

The Five Elemental Qualities in TCM

Traditional Chinese Medicine states that all phenomena in nature can be broken down into five elemental qualities. These are the five elemental qualities.

1. Wood
2. Fire
3. Earth
4. Metal
5. Water

Each of these five elements has a relationship between the zang- fu organs. The spleen is correlated to middle, sweet, yellow, transformation, dampness, late summer, earth, stomach, mouth, muscle, and worry.

The infographic below explains the "Five Categories of Things According to the Five Elements: Nature and Human Body". The yellow section of the chart represents the SPLEEN. (5)

Copy the code below to embed this infographic on your website:

Holistic Care: TCM's Focus on Body and Mind

TCM framework treats the person holistically. The mind, body and emotions are all intertwined and there are connections that can either keep the body healthy or cause the body harm. In addition, your surroundings, the time of day, geographical location, and the foods you eat can also affect your health. Your body has the potential to keep balance and to heal itself.

TCM believes that prevention is the best cure and keeping your body in harmony can prevent illness.

Common Causes of Spleen Qi Deficiency

• Excessive worrying or overthinking
• Overeating
• Eating too much raw and cold foods
• Congenital issues or spleen removal due to illness or injury.

How Excessive Worry Creates Imbalance

Did you know that "worrying" can stress out your spleen? How many of you are worry warts?  Hands up, if you are a parent, student, teacher, director or have a job - you have worry.

We all have stress in our lives, but we need to process it differently and not obsess about it. The reason being is when you have excessive worry the spleen decides to essentially stop performing it basic function of digestion. An important role in healing the spleen is to keep stress or your reaction to it under control. One simple way to reduce stress, is using acupressure. Please try our easy 4-point acupressure tutorial and video on our Love Your Liver self-care article.

As you can see from the infographic above, each organ is responsible for an emotion. The spleen is directly related to our capacity for thinking.  Excessive worry will damage the Spleen Qi. 

Have you ever had Brain Fog or the inability to think clearly? Then you may have spleen qi deficiency. A deficient Spleen can weaken the mind and our capacity to think clearly and focus. We are then more susceptible to worry. It is a vicious cycle and just think with a slight tweak in your diet we can make you feel better and think clearer.

An Overview of TCM Patient Assessment

TCM uses tongue assessments, pulse assessments, a health physical, emotional health history and a thorough visual assessment of the patient to determine the diagnosis and suggestion for treatment. It is rare for any one patient to have textbook classic signs and symptoms, with only one issue. Most often, patients have a combined deficiency or excess.

Tongue Assessment: Insights into a Patient's Health

How many times has your general practitioner asked you to see your tongue or throat unless you were complaining of a sore throat or upper respiratory issue? Did you know that your tongue assessment (color, form, coatings, and properties) can help determine the cause of health issues? Really! 

Take a quick look at your tongue now. Is your tongue pink and moist or swollen, pale and with teeth marks around the edges? Is it dry and have deep cracks or dark spots? These characteristics along with other findings leave clues on what is going on inside your body.

A classic symptom of spleen qi deficiency with dampness is a pale swollen tongue with teeth marks around the edges. The spleen is responsible for transportation and transformation of water. If your spleen qi is deficient and can't do its job, then there can be excess fluid and this excess fluid can be manifested as a swollen tongue. The teeth marks are there because the tongue is so swollen that your teeth are resting on the sides of your tongue.

Signs Your Spleen is Not Working Properly

As we discussed, the spleen holds a very important role of governing and transportation and transformation of water and food into essential substances. The role of the spleen is important for digestion and absorption of nutrients by your body. The spleen, according to TCM, is the main zang organ manufacturer of blood and qi for the body.

When your spleen qi is normal, your digestion and the absorption of nutrients is normal. If you have spleen qi deficiency, you may have abdominal distension, loose stools, poor appetite, and fatigue. This is because even though you are getting the nutrients orally your body cannot process the nutrients.

The spleen controls water metabolism. The spleen is responsible for transporting the excess fluid out to the meridians and out of the body. If you have spleen qi deficiency, it can lead to internal dampness such as edema, diarrhea, excess phlegm, and a swollen tongue with teeth marks around the edges.

Spleen Qi Deficiency Symptoms

• poor digestion
• low appetite
• gas/bloating
• acid regurgitation
• loose stools
• undigested food in the stools
• weakness in arms and legs
• fatigue
• poor muscle development
• abdominal distension
• blood spots under the skin
• easy bruising
• lack of sensation of taste
• prolapsed organs
• frequent bleeding
• obsession
• worry
• anemia

My Personal Journey with Spleen Qi Deficiency

For years were plagued with these symptoms but could not figure out the root cause in Western medicine or how to fix them. We tried everything under the sun in Western Medicine such as iron supplements, gas pills, changing our diet to a low-fat diet but nothing worked. We felt ill, tired and had stomach issues all the time.

The Western Diet can cause many imbalances in our bodies, not only weaken our spleen but can cause issues with other organs. Today, we are discussing how it affects the spleen but stay tuned as we will also be discussing how our diet affects our liver, kidney, and heart and how we can change our diet to restore balance.

Whilst studying TCM at Hong Kong University, we were studying TCM tongue assessments. The professor walked around the classroom and asked to look at each of our tongues. She stopped, looked at me in horror and instructed me to make an appointment immediately at her TCM clinic. Diagnosis - severe Spleen qi deficiency and blood deficiency. It was at that very moment in time the healing had begun, and it all started with a change in our diet.

Spleen Qi Deficiency Diet: How to Nourish Your Spleen

In our article, Introducing the Five Energies of Food by Cindy Mai (Root and Spring) we discussed that there are cold, hot, warm, cool and neutral types of foods. The spleen is weakened by cold and damp foods.  The best choices for someone with a Spleen Qi Deficiency would include warming and drying foods.

Foods to Avoid on a Spleen Qi Deficiency Diet

• Raw Foods - Cold
• Iced and cold drinks and food - Cold
• Dairy - Dampening
• Gluten - Dampening
• Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates - Dampening
• Greasy and oily foods - Dampening

The Impact of Raw Foods on Spleen Health

Raw foods are very cooling. Your body must heat up food to your body temperature for the Spleen to extract the Qi from the food. If you have spleen qi deficiency, eating raw food will take up your body's energy that it needs to perform other functions. By the time the food is heated up, there is little food that is digested properly, and you are more apt to have digestion problems.

We know that in the summer you crave a good salad and a good ice cream. However, if you want to overcome your digestive health issues, we have some alternative delicious meals just for you to promote spleen healing. Feed Your Spleen with warmed and nourishing foods like soups, stews, stir fries with warming vegetables and spices. Crack out that Instant Pot/slow cooker as we have lots of recipes coming your way.

The Effects of Iced and Cold Foods on Digestion

Avoid iced cold drinks that come straight from the refrigerator or drinks with ice. A better option may be a little warmed ginger tea or hot water (or room temperature beverages) or bone broth. If we can break you of one bad habit, this would be the first step. This one simple easy change can really make a difference on your body's ability to work more efficiently because it does not have to work so hard heating up the food/drink to extract the nutrients.

Have you ever been to a Chinese restaurant and been served a glass of ice water to drink? If you have, you should just get up and leave. An authentic Chinese restaurant would never ever do that. In a traditional Chinese restaurant if you asked for a glass of water, it might even be served to you steaming hot.

Yep, that's right - a cup of hot water. We used to always think they boiled all the water before consumption in Asia because of disease prevention. Well, they do, but the main reason is to protect your spleen qi. We are not saying that all your beverages need to be consumed steamy hot. However, it is much better if served at room temperature vs iced cold, so it is not such a shock to your body.

The Role of Dairy, Gluten, Sugar, and Greasy Foods

Dairy, gluten, sugar, and greasy foods can cause increased dampness. The six exogenous factors are wind, cold, summer heat, damp, dryness, and fire. These are the six climates in nature. These six types of climates will only cause problems if climatic changes are sudden or if the bodies' resistance is low.

Dampness is a predominant qi of late summer or whenever it is hot and rainy. Symptoms of dampness may display as soreness and pain in joints, turbid scanty urine and stools containing mucus. 

Understanding the Spleen's Preference for Dryness

The spleen likes dryness and dislikes dampness.  Dampness can impair the spleen and can cause distention and fullness of the abdomen, poor appetite, and loose stools. Like we have discussed before, most people have a mixed condition so it may also be common to have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) with alternating diarrhea and then constipation.

Meal Planning: Foods That are Good for Your Spleen

This Feed Your Spleen Meal plan is going to fill you up with warm, nourishing, and easy to digest foods. Your spleen is going to love you. In addition, you will feel more energetic, less sluggish, less bloating, less brain fog, stronger and ready to tackle your day. For all those who have spleen qi deficiency and to prevent spleen qi deficiency this meal plan will keep your motor running smoothly.

Cooked and warming or neutral foods are best loved by the spleen.

Best Warming Foods for Spleen Health

• Cooked Vegetables: squash, pumpkin, yams, leeks, onions, chives, mustard greens
• Fruits: Apricot, Cherry, Chinese Red Dates, black dates, Guava, longan, lychee, mandarin orange peel (dried), cooked peaches, raspberries.
• Nuts: Coconut meat, Coconut milk, chestnut, pine nuts, pistachio nuts, walnuts
• Spices: Caraway seed, basil, black pepper, brown sugar (in very small amounts - excess sugar can cause dampness), chili peppers, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fennel seed, garlic, ginger, ginseng, turmeric, nutmeg, and rosemary.
• Grains: glutinous rice, oats
• Proteins: chicken, lamb, ham, venison, shrimp, mussels, butter, and shrimp.

Neutral Foods are safe to consume for all body types as they are neither warm nor cold.

• Examples of neutral foods are figs, goji berries, plums, carrots, turnips, mushrooms, string beans, kidney beans, rice, peas, pork, and fish.

Essential Diet Tips for a Healthy Spleen Qi

• Your food should always be eaten slowly and chewed well.
• It is best to eat like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch and eat dinner like a pauper.
• Aim to eat breakfast when the spleen and stomach are at their peak between 7-9am according to the Chinese Medicine clock.
• Spleen and stomach are at their lowest digestive power after 7pm. Eat dinner before 7 pm.
• Eat at regular intervals and do not snack all day long or graze as your spleen does not like it.
• Don't eat snacks after dinner. This allows time for the stomach and spleen to strengthen while you sleep.
• Soups, stews, curries, congee, and broths are best tolerated by a weak spleen qi (spleen qi deficiency).
• Stop eating when you are 80% full.
• Promote the best sleep hygiene to allow the spleen to heal while you are resting.
• Reduce worry and stress with adequate exercise (Tai Chi, walking, etc.) and meditation.

Spleen-Boosting Breakfast Meal Ideas

Choosing foods that are good for the spleen does not need to be difficult. As a matter of fact, we are all about meal prepping or bulk cooking breakfasts for the week so all you need to do is reheat and eat. Some examples of nourishing breakfast ideas for a spleen qi deficiency diet include…

• Cooked warm oatmeal with dates, cinnamon, walnuts, and a drizzle of coconut cream or dairy free milk.
• Congee topped with favorite toppings. (one cup rice to 8 cups water (chicken broth) cooked in an instant pot for about 15-20 minutes and flavor and top with whatever your heart desires; chives, cooked chicken, cooked vegetables) 
• Glutinous rice prepared on the stove top with fresh ginger, coconut milk and topped with lychee, nectarines, cherries, raspberries, or fruit in season. (Avoid bananas and pears as these are cooling)
• Make a large kettle of your favorite soup to enjoy throughout the week.
• Warmed up leftovers rock!
• Baked sweet potatoes topped with egg, roasted garbanzo beans and green onions.
• Running low on time, slice an apple and sprinkle with cinnamon. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Drizzle with natural peanut butter and top with toasted walnuts.

Herbs for Spleen Qi Deficiency

In TCM, it is widely believed that a great combination of herbs can work wonders. The best-known traditional formula in TCM for benefitting the spleen is Gui Pi Tang. In fact, this formula (or a modification of it) is prominently featured in virtually every text that mentions the herbal treatment of disorders associated with spleen qi deficiency. In some books on formula applications, Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang is also said to be effective in supporting the spleen.

These two formulas have the following herbs in common: astragalus, ginseng (with codonopsis often used in modern China as a substitute), atractylodes, licorice. This basic combination of four herbs tonifies qi. You can get either formula at root + spring, a reputable online Chinese Medicine shop that has a selection of trusted herbal supplements They also specialize in herbal soups and teas.  Please always consult with your primary care physician BEFORE starting any new herbal preparations.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

TCM is a process that works but it a slower and it takes time and patience. You will not eat just one nourishing meal and go back to your naughty ways of eating raw cold foods and iced drinks and feel better. It's a process.

We want you to feel super! Start by making some small changes. Include some of our tips and tricks for foods/drinks to avoid and start incorporating some nourishing foods into your meal plan for the week. Your spleen is going to love you!

The Chinese Medicine framework is holistic, addressing not just the physical aspects but also emotional and lifestyle factors to promote overall well-being. It's essential for you to work closely with your local qualified TCM practitioners who can tailor treatments to your specific conditions.

The Ultimate Guide to Spleen Qi Deficiency: Diet Tips and Nourishing Recipes was written by the Healthy World Cuisine Team with over 25 years' experience working in the medical field. Bachelor of Science of Nursing, Clinical Educational Coordinator, Nursing Supervisor and Diploma in Acupuncture.

Disclaimer

The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice.  The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

In the event of a medical emergency, call a doctor or 911 immediately. This website does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Site. Reliance on any information provided by this website is solely at your own risk.

Sources

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2. Chung, Y., Chen, J. and Ko, K. (2016) Spleen Function and Anxiety in Chinese Medicine: A Western Medicine Perspective. Chinese Medicine, 7, 110-123.

3. Aileen Chan, Chapter 8.5 - Tai chi, Qigong and breathing, Editor(s): Leon Chaitow, Dinah Bradley, Christopher Gilbert, Recognizing and Treating Breathing Disorders (Second Edition), Churchill Livingstone, 2014, Pages 267-274, ISBN 9780702049804.

4. Liao, Weilong, Dang, Cuijiao, Pan, Weidong, 2017/02/08, The Brief Theory of Viscus and Its Manifestations in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Integrative Medicine International

5. Huang Wei Ling. "Constitutional Homeopathy of the Five Elements based on Traditional Chinese Medicine". Acta Scientific Medical Sciences 4.7 (2020): 57-69.