Nutrition to Tonify Spleen Qi

Consult your TCM practitioner for diagnosis and additional guidance

Spleen Qi Deficiency symptoms: Poor digestion, frequent gas and bloating, loose stool, fatigue, poor appetite, tendency to gain weight, nausea, pale tongue with a thin white coating and teeth marks, food sensitivities, “nervous” indigestion 

Spleen Qi Deficiency causes: Improper diet, excess intake of refined or processed foods, excessive use of antibiotics, genetic constitution 

Foods that Tonify Spleen Qi:

Grains: Rice, sweet rice, oats, spelt, mochi

Legumes, nuts, & seeds: Garbanzo beans, black beans, lentils, miso soup

Vegetables & fungi: Sweet potato, winter squash, pumpkin, onion, leek, rutabaga, parsnip, root vegetables, soups/stews

Fruits/sweeteners (use small amount): Molasses, cherry, date, rice syrup

Animal Products: Mackerel, tuna, halibu, anchovy, beef beef liver or kidney, chicken turkey lamb

Common supplements/spices: Cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, fennel, garlic, nutmeg, onion, leek

Note of Food Preparation: Food that is “cold” in nature, can weaken the digestive fire. It is best to use warming cooking methods and to avoid raw foods. The only recommended dairy product is BUTTER (use in moderation), other forms of dairy cause dampness to form when the Spleen is weak. Food should be chewed well and taken in easily digestible form. Each meal, only consume enough food to be ⅔ full. 

Avoid/Limit: Foods that promote dampness or mucus, such as dairy, excess meat, eggs, tofu, soy products, pineapple, concentrated sweeteners.