TCM Organs: the Spleen.

The spleen is my favorite TCM organ (probably because I am chronically spleen Qi deficient, so I like learning about my "weak organ"). Also, the spleen is the TCM organ most related to Nutrition, which also happens to be my fav naturopathic modality. I have already talked about the spleen here, so there will be overlap... sorry.

- The main role of the spleen is to transform food into energy (aka digestion!).
- A healthy diet means a healthy spleen.
- All students use overuse their spleen because it is responsible for our intellect. Thinking, thinking, and more thinking requires lots of spleen energy!
- As a result of the spleen's intellect and digestion roles, we think better when we eat better. McDonald's for lunch? Hello brain fog!
- The spleen rebels when we don't eat, causing headaches and nausea.
- The spleen controls our muscles and limbs. Muscle weakness is a spleen sign.
- The spleen's emotion is worrying. Worry-worts are likely spleen deficient.
- The spleen controls the movement of blood throughout the body. Circulatory disorders are thus spleen.
- The spleen controls taste.
- The spleen opens into our lips. A weak spleen means dry or cracked lips.
- The spleen functions best when we eat nutritious and seasonal food. Soups and stews in the colder, salads and smoothies in the warmer months.
- The spleen loves sweetness, but not too much. Too much sugar harms the spleen and all its associated functions (eat a giant piece of cake and pay attention to your lips the day after). A bit of sweet helps the spleen with digestion, so a tiny dessert is ok after dinner. On that note, artificial sweeteners (stevia, aspartame, sucralose, etc) are harmful because they trick the spleen (and in fact the entire digestive tract); the spleen tastes sweet, so it thinks sugar is coming, but it never comes...
- Craving chocolate while studying for exams? That's the spleen talking as all of you intellect is being used-up and it needs more fuel! (However, don't totally give-in to the craving or your future studying will be impaired, just a wee bit to give it a boost).

Image source here.