🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Depending on different environments, conditions, and needs, using everyday foods’ nutrients to regulate and preserve health can prevent disease, promote longevity, or aid recovery. This approach is also known as dietary therapy or medicinal cuisine.
Dietary therapy has a long tradition in China, with ancient sayings like “food and medicine share the same origin” and “dietary supplementation surpasses medicinal supplementation.”
The *Huangdi Neijing* states: “Grains, meats, fruits, and vegetables—use them fully for nourishment.” Traditional Chinese medicine views life as the transformation of vital energy. The essence of this transformation lies in transforming energy and forming structures. This process occurs through the stomach’s dispersion of food essence and the spleen’s distribution of nutrients, nourishing internal organs and external limbs. Thus, the key to dietary therapy is protecting the spleen and stomach. TCM regards the spleen and stomach as the “foundation of postnatal life.” If one lacks congenital strength, postnatal nourishment via diet can compensate. If the spleen and stomach are weak or dysfunctional, insufficient or excessive nutrient supply affects growth, development, and life activities.
Important measures to protect the spleen and stomach include:
One: Maintain proper meal timing—arrange three meals wisely. Folk wisdom says: “Breakfast should be hearty, lunch good, dinner light.” “Cut dinner by one bite, live to ninety-nine.” Since basal metabolism is stronger during the day than at night, food needs and digestive capacity are greater during daytime. Evening activity is limited, and energy expenditure is low. Diet should be light, especially for the elderly—avoid fatty, fried, or overly salty foods. Limit animal fats and increase intake of legumes, fresh fruits, and vegetables.
Two: Develop good eating habits—not only ensure food hygiene and avoid unsanitary food, but also eat warm, cooked, soft meals. Avoid or minimize raw, cold foods—ideally, “not too hot to burn lips, not too cold to chill teeth.” Avoid sticky, hard-to-digest foods. Eat with a good mood, concentrate on meals, chew thoroughly, and avoid bathing or vigorous exercise immediately after eating.
Three: Adapt to individual, seasonal, and regional differences. Choose suitable foods according to personal constitution, seasonal changes (spring, summer, autumn, winter), and regional climate and soil variations.
Four: Pay attention to the five flavors—pungent, sour, sweet, bitter, salty—during dietary supplementation or therapy. Each flavor has distinct properties; improper use can harm specific constitutions or exacerbate diseases by supporting pathogenic factors and weakening righteous qi.
Many effective dietary methods have been accumulated by ancient people. Here are simple, practical ones:
Teeth Clenching
Teeth play a major role in health—good dental care supports spleen and stomach health. Ancient health practitioners said: “Clenching teeth 300 times in the morning keeps them firm forever.” Practice: Clear the mind, relax the body, close lips gently, and rhythmically tap upper and lower teeth lightly together.
Swallowing Saliva
Saliva, known as “golden dew and jade liquid,” is praised in folk wisdom: “White teeth hold jade springs, flowing to bless a hundred years.” Believed to indicate health and longevity. After morning rinsing, focus, close mouth, clench teeth 36 times, then press teeth tightly and move the tongue around the mouth repeatedly until saliva fills the mouth, then swallow slowly in portions.
Abdominal Massage and Walking After Meals
Great Tang physician Sun Simiao said: “After eating snacks or meals, rub your abdomen with warm hands, then walk 50–60 steps outside.” If practiced long-term, this method greatly benefits spleen and stomach function, aids digestion and absorption, and prevents indigestion and chronic gastrointestinal diseases.
Regular Consumption of Spleen-Strengthening and Stomach-Nourishing Foods
Dried Jujube
According to *Compendium of Materia Medica*: “Dried jujubes have sweet taste, nourish longevity, stabilize the center, nourish spleen qi, regulate stomach qi, open all orifices, assist twelve meridians, supplement deficient qi and body fluids, treat shock, and harmonize all medicines. Long-term use lightens the body and prolongs life.”
Honey
As stated in *Shennong Bencao Jing*: “Honey calms the five zang organs, supplements deficiencies, strengthens qi and nourishes the middle, relieves pain, detoxifies, cures chronic ailments, harmonizes all medicines, and long-term use strengthens memory, builds strength, and prolongs life.”>>>Treasure Book of Dietary Therapy: Spleen and Stomach Section
Lotus Seeds
From Qing Dynasty’s *Compendium of Essential Medicines*: “Lotus seeds left in fields remain intact for centuries; eating them keeps hair black and youth preserved.” The Song Dynasty’s *Taiping Shenghui Fang* recommends lotus seed porridge: take 15–20g lotus seed powder and 100g glutinous or regular rice, cook into porridge, consume twice daily. Effective for frail elders, chronic diarrhea, insomnia, frequent nocturnal urination, and promotes strength.
Coix Seed
From Ming Dynasty’s *Compendium of Materia Medica*: “Coix seed targets the Yangming channel, strengthens the spleen and stomach, nourishes the mother when deficient—thus used for lung atrophy and abscess. Since joint and bone diseases originate from Yangming, coix seed treats stiffness, spasms, and wind-damp arthralgia. Earth controls water and removes dampness—thus used for diarrhea and edema.”
Carrot
TCM believes carrots strengthen the stomach, promote qi movement, and aid digestion. Suitable for spleen deficiency with food stagnation, qi stagnation, symptoms like chest fullness, epigastric distress, poor appetite, and chronic diarrhea.
>>>Learn Easy Recipes for Carrot-Based Health Foods
Appropriate Use of Spleen-Strengthening and Stomach-Nourishing Herbs
Astragalus
As noted in *Commentaries on Materia Medica*: “Astragalus tonifies the central earth, warms and nourishes the spleen and stomach. Ideal for weakened central qi, spleen deficiency, and sinking clear qi.” Typical dosage: 10–15g, honey-fried and decocted.
Codonopsis
Sweet taste, neutral nature. Tonifies the center, strengthens qi, enriches blood, and generates body fluids. A mild tonic for longevity. Typical dosage: 10–30g, decocted in water.
Rehmannia glutinosa (Yellow King)
Sweet taste, neutral nature. Tonifies the spleen, moistens the lungs, nourishes kidney essence, strengthens tendons and bones, darkens hair, and delays aging. Daily dose: 9–15g, decocted in water.
Poria
Light taste. Functions: diuretic, removes dampness, strengthens spleen, nourishes the center, calms the heart, and soothes the spirit. Tang dynasty’s “King of Medicine” Sun Simiao said: “Long-term use of Poria eliminates all diseases.” Typical dosage: 9–12g, decocted in water. Not suitable for those with yin deficiency and dryness.
Editor’s Note:
Ice-Cold Watermelon Harms the Spleen and Stomach
Many people like to store watermelons in the refrigerator before eating in summer, enjoying them chilled. Though pleasant to the taste, this harms the spleen, stomach, and throat.