Energetics Flashcards
What is energetics?
Related to the flow of energy in the body.
What is the vital force referred to in Chinese medicine and in India?
TCM - Qi
India - Prana
In Western energetics, what is the role of the digestive system, described as ‘fire’?
Stimulates digestive enzymes and bile flow.
Impurities - clearing out
Liver supporting
Warming up the fire > digestion/absorption optimised > tissues are nourished
What foods are energetically hot?
Ginger, cayenne, garlic.
What foods are energetically cool?
Cucumber, celery, goldenseal, green leafy veg.
Why is ginger unusual?
It is warming, yet also anti-inflammatory.
Which herbs are mucilaginous?
Marshmallow and aloe vera.
Name some drying foods?
Nuts, seeds, whole grains, pulses.
What is ‘Agni’?
In Ayurveda, it is the digestive fire - the power to digest, absorb and transform nutrients from food.
When is Agni at its highest?
In the morning.
What has a key influence on Agni?
The constitution of the person.
What is Ama?
Undigested foods - that which can’t be assimilated or eliminated - Ama forms (ie toxins).
Result of energetic imbalance - excess cold or excess heat. Or bad eating habits.
Why is having ice in your drinks or ice creams with meals, a bad idea?
Extinguishes the digestive fire.
What spices/herbs increase the digestive fire?
Fennel, cumin, cardamom, fenugreek.
How is ‘spleen’ seen differently in TCM?
Doesn’t refer to the organ, but encompasses all aspects of digestion/absorption. Alongside the stomach.
What does Spleen Qi deficiency cause?
Damp, toxins, stagnation.
In TCM, what is the job of the stomach?
To rot and ripen
Name three dampening foods?
Gluten, refined sugars and dairy.
What is the difference between ‘full’ sweet and ‘empty’ sweet in TCM?
‘full’ - naturally sweet foods support and strengthen the digestive system, such as sweet potatoes. ‘empty’ sweet, just gives you the sugar but nothing else.
In TCM what are sugar cravings a symptom of?
Spleen Qi deficiency.
What medical conditions are associated with damp and heat?
Candida, weight gain, diabetes mellitus and CVD.
What is the TCM clock?
Shows the cyclic flow of Qi to different organs at different times of the day. Useful tool to understand when you should eat, for example.
What organ is optimal between 5-7am?
The large intestine. Drink warm water to support elimination.
What organ is optimal between 7-9am
The stomach, hence breakfast being the most important meal of the day. Breakfast should be warm and hydrating.
What organ is optimal between 11am - 1pm?
Heart. Nutritionally balanced but do not over-eat.
What organ is optimal between 3-5pm?
Bladder. Drink warm liquids.
What organ is optimal between 5-7pm?
Kidneys. Eat dinner to restore energy (kidneys derive a lot of energy). Should be nourishing, fresh and light.
What are ‘mu points’ in TCM?
Points located on the chest and abdomen, near related internal organs, used for diagnosis and treatment of visceral organ imbalances. Press on these points - might be tender. Massaging these points can help the organ.
What does a swollen tongue indicate?
Yang deficiency.
What does a thin, flat tongue indicate?
Yin deficiency. Under-nourished, blood deficient.
What do teeth marks on the edges of a tongue indicate?
Weak digestion/malabsorption.
Raised, upturned edges on the tongue?
A sign of high stress - liver is over-active in managing the stress.
What could a red tongue indicate?
Heat/inflammation/B9 or B12 deficiency.
What could a pale tongue indicate?
Yang deficiency.
What would a blue or grey tongue indicate?
Cold/poor circulation.
Tongue coating - Brown?
Chronic excess heat
Tongue coating - greasy yellow?
Damp heat, that also contains some kind of infective material.
Tongue coating - greasy white?
Damp cold
Tongue coating - no coat?
Yin deficiency, or blood deficiency
Tongue - transverse cracks?
Damage to stomach lining.
Tongue - deep centre crack?
Stomach heat. Nervous problems which could be affected all systems if it runs from back to front.
Tongue - red spots?
Mild inflammation in area according to tongue map.
Spoon-shaped nails?
Severe iron or zinc deficiency
Pale nails?
Anaemia
Brittle/easily split nails?
Mineral deficiency, low stomach acid
Vertical lines/ridges - Nails?
Malabsorption of nutrients - deeper the lines, the more severe the deficiency.
Horizontal lines - nails?
Signs of a strong illness or infection
White spots - nails?
Zinc or vit A deficiency. Often occur after a viral infection.
Facial - grey skin?
Constipation - a sign of retaining toxicity
Facial - yellow skin
Liver or gall bladder (or biliary disease)
Butterfly rash
Rosacea (maybe H pylori) or B3 deficiency
Cardboard lines across forehead
Large intestine toxicity
Vertical creases between eyebrows
Liver dysfunction
Dry, red forehead
Possible bladder dysfunction
Swollen eyes?
Liver dysfunction
Dry eyes
Allergy. EFA deficiency. Chronic stress
Floaters
Blood deficiency
Iridology - lymphatic types. Blue/grey eyes
Tendency to allergies, immunity and GALT affectations, poor absorption in small intestine. IBS.
Grey area around the pupil - shortfall of gastric juices, stomach acid.
Iridology - mid-brown/green eyes
Lots of colour pigment around the pupil - sluggish digestion. Enzyme deficiency. Dysbiosis.
Iridology - dark brown eyes
Liver and blood stagnation. Poor nourishment, high cholesterol, diabetes mellitus.
Iridology - spokes ‘spasm furrows’
Stress related digestive disorders. SNS dominance.
What herb helps with hair loss?
Nettle, which also detoxifies the liver and kidneys.
