Eating too much & Acupuncture
By Marianne Kornaat.
Acupuncture is a therapy based on different meridians that run through our body, each meridian has a different function and each meridian has certain acupuncture points. An acupuncturist can activate these points with needles to help certain ailments.
The stomach meridian travels from head to toe and crosses the chest abdomen and pelvic organs.One of the main functions of the stomach is to convert food and water into postnatal qi (food essence). The quality and the ample supply of postnatal qi is the condition for the perseverance and optimal use of yuan qi (original qi) as well as prevention of diseases.
In other words; if the stomach is strong, a person has the ability to transform food into valuable nutrients that the body can use. If the digestive force is weak or blocked, the body will not receive the nutrients it needs or properly eliminate waste. Stimulating the stomach channel to strengthen its function will aid the absorption and assimilation of nutrients into building blocks that constitute the body and its functions.
During the festive season we tend to eat a little bit too much. This stresses our digestion system and therefore weakens it and can cause several problems. For example, a weakened immunity may often be explained by incorrect or lack of nourishment as for example in cases of sinus allergies that are not getting better in patients who eat an abundance of milk products and sugar. We are slowly getting a better understanding that there are links connected between our brain and our food. Western Medicine now recognises that certain foods or certain deficiencies can cause anxiety, brain fog and even anger.
In an old text which was written in the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D), the concept of marrow (brain and spinal cord) was already linked to the stomach and today acupuncturists still use these points to stimulate the stomach meridian to help digestion and neurological functions.We may eat a little too much during this season, so make sure to have a walk after your food, as walking activates the stomach meridian. Rubbing circles clockwise around your umbilicus spiralling outwards also may assist digestion.
A helpful acupuncture point found on the stomach meridian is Stomach 36. If you want to activate this point, you can press and rub this point on both sides of your leg, refer to diagram below on how to find it. By rubbing this point your digestive system gets stimulated and you may feel less exhausted after eating too much food.
STOMACH 36:
To locate: Slightly bend your leg and place four fingers just below the kneecap. Begin with the index finger at the base of the kneecap. The point is where the little finger rests, on the outside aspect of the hard shinbone. Feel around for the tender spot.
