Digestion; Energetics and Digestion

Question 1

Energetics

Answer 1

Energetics is related to the flow of energy in the human body
* All bodies are animated by a Vital Force (soul, spirit, you)
* In Chinese medicine it is referred to as Qi (pronounce Chi)
* In the Indian tradition it is referred to as Prana
* In the Western/European Naturopathic tradition, it is called the Healing Power of Nature

Question 2

Energetics:
Blockage /
insufficiency of the Vital Force

Answer 2

Illness or pathology can be described as a blockage for insufficiency of the Vital Force.
* The understanding of energetics is directed at finding out where this force is blocked or depleted and working to restore the flow
* Energetics can also be applied to remedies, especially food and herbs
* For example: herbs can be hot, cold, moist or dry. They can match or compliment conditions found in the body and constitutions of people. E.g. a fever is a hot condition; fatigue and pallor are cold

Question 3

Western energetics:
The ‘digestive fire’

Answer 3

In western energetics, the digestive system is hot. It can be described as fire, which governs:
* The digestive enzymes and bile flow
* The liver (associated with anger – ‘livid’ / ‘fiery’)
* All active, muscular heat generating tissues
* Clearing out impurities in the body (i.e. a fever, sweating, activating the liver, etc)
* Foods and herbs that are energetically hot such as ginger, garlic, rosemary, thyme and cayenne ‘warm up’ a ‘cold condition’ such as a weak digestion. By warming up the digestive fire, digestions and hence absorption are optimized (nourishing tissues)

Question 4

Applied energetics

Answer 4

Energetics can be applied to clinical presentations such as those in the digestive system. This includes:
* Inflammation which is associated with excess ‘heat’, so may benefit from cooling foods/herbs such as fruit (e.g. melon, mango, grapes), see vegetables, green leafy vegetables, cucumber, celery and goldenseal. However, there are some exceptions such as ginger, which is warming yet anti-inflammatory.
* Constipation which is ‘dry’, so may benefit from moist/ mucilaginous herbs, such as marshmallow and aloe vera
* Diarrhoea which is ‘moist’, so may benefit from drying foods/herbs such as whole grains, nuts, seeds and pulses