The mind and the body are more connected than you think!
Ancient Eastern civilizations have long understood the way our mind connects to our body. Recently, with studies proving how the ‘gut’ acts as our second brain and how stress is toxins, western science is only just starting to catch up!
STAGES OF ILLNESS:
1. Wrong Mindset
2. Incorrect interaction with the World
3. Homeostasis disbalance
4. Metabolic disbalance
5. Symptoms & disease
6. Terminal stage
Consider this:
Every organ corresponds to a certain emotion. Every disease stems from disbalance in an organic or its meridians (energy channels). That is why a physical disorder in a certain organ often actually arises from an emotional imbalance in that organ.
The reverse could also be true: an imbalanced organ can heighten a specific emotion. This can then become a vicious cycle.
As humans, emotions are a normal element in life. They do not necessarily cause disease when they arise, but when they are repressed or unconsciously expressed they may become pathological.
Specific herbs and foods can be used to strengthen tone and detoxify the organ to help emotions to pass through easily! Also, the more we become aware of our emotions through activities like meditation can help bring awareness to our emotions. This helps us prevent diseases through maintaining balance in our body and mind.
This is how different organs and emotions are connected and ways to re-balance your system:
GRIEF + DEPRESSION: emotion of the lungs & large intestine
Loss of any kind can trigger a cold, a feeling of being energetically drained, and difficult bowel function. When grief is unresolved, depression and an inability to ‘let go’ of things can arise. This could eventually interfere with lung function and oxygen circulation.
To Balance: pungent flavored and/or white colored foods and herbs. Onion, radish, mustard greens, daikon radish, scallions (white part), almonds, white meat, white rice, white beans, white mushrooms, gingko nut, white mustard seed, angelica root tangerine peel
Reduce: eggs, dairy, rich, processed or fatty foods that cause congestion
FEAR: Emotion of the kidneys & bladder
It is a normal adaptive emotion, but can become chronic when we ignore it. Kidney issues often arise when we are dealing with fear, such as a change in life direction or unstable living conditions.
To Balance: salty flavored and/or black colored foods and herbs. Black beans, walnuts, black sesame, mushrooms, water chestnuts, seaweed, blackberries, black tea, psoralia root, lotus seed, stephania root
Reduce: cheese, salt, heavy meat, sugars, excessively cooling foods
WORRY + NERVOUSNESS: Emotion of the spleen & stomach
Too much pensiveness, worrying and insecurity can weaken our ability to digest. When we are anxious, we find it hard to digest and accept a situation or life event. A weak spleen can also be the cause of stubborn weight problems!
To Balance: sweet flavored and/or yellow, orange, brown colored foods and herbs. Root veggies! Carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, parsnip, squash, chestnuts, fig, taro, liquorice root, ginger root, jujube date, astragalus root
Reduce: meats, cold, raw, and all frozen foods, iced drinks, excess refined sugars
ANGER + FRUSTRATION: Emotion of the liver & gallbladder
Emotions like rage, fury or aggravation can indicate that this energy is in excess, and when we experience these emotions consistently, our liver can get further damaged.
To Balance: sour flavored and/or green colored foods and herbs. Dandelion greens, beetroot, green bell pepper, peas, sprouts, bok choy, string beans, cabbage, zucchini, mung beans, avocado, citrus, barbat skullcap, fo shou, milk thistle, Chinese wolfberry fruit
Reduce: soft dairy, crabmeat, buckwheat, alcohol, fried foods, peanuts, and excess citrus
HAPPINESS + JOY: Emotion of the heart & small intestine
When we experience true joy and happiness, we are nourishing our heart and small intestine energy: we feel mentally clear and able to process experiences. When we are lacking joy in our lives, the heart suffers and we can feel stuck, mentally chaotic, and have difficulty sleeping.
To Balance: bitter flavored and/or red colored foods and herbs. beet, tomato, okra, cherry, watermelon, broccoli rabe, bitter melon, lettuce, arugula, dandelion, berries, chillies (in moderation), green tea, lotus root, sour jujube seed, arbor-vitae seed, mimosa tree bark, ginseng, hawthorn berries
Reduce: excess spicy foods, chocolate, sugar, salt, vinegar, garlic