Foods to Move Liver Qi Stagnation & Help Resolve Stress
Photo by Vladimir Gladkov
“Stress” is the most common word I hear when talking to clients about their health concerns.
Most of us feel that chronic stress is in some way connected to the other physical or emotional issues we are working to resolve, an intuition recent studies appear to support.
Acupuncturists will most commonly refer to “Liver Qi Stagnation” when discussing symptoms related to stress and other emotional disorders such as depression or anger, digestive imbalances, or menstrual cycle irregularities.
A few other signs that the Liver Qi just isn’t flowing the way it should:
Pain in or under the ribs
A feeling of fullness in the abdomen
Frequent sighing
PMS
A “lump in the throat” feeling
Bitter taste in the mouth
If this list resonates fear not, I assure you — you are in good company! Liver Qi Stagnation is quite likely the most common diagnosis given among those of us practicing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the West. For as quickly as our culture seems to move, all that motion frequently leaves us feeling… Well, stuck. And that stuck-ness, or stagnation, is exactly what we are trying to move.
(Wait, there is something wrong with my liver?)
No, not necessarily.
Unlike our modern medical understanding of organs as precise, isolated, and measurable physical structures, TCM views the internal organs both physically and in terms of their energetic functions, as well as their interplay with the body’s other organ systems.
From a TCM vantage point, the “Liver” is responsible for the free movement of Qi throughout the body, storing Blood when it is not being used by muscles, and affects the tone of muscles and tendons.
(Of course, if you are experiencing symptoms that you think may be related to liver disease such as jaundice, abdominal pain, or swelling of the lower limbs - call your doc and get it checked out.)
Okay, I’m feeling stressed — what should I eat? (Or avoid eating?)
To help resolve stagnant Liver energy, I typically recommend a combination of acupuncture, physical activity, de-stressing activities such as meditation, and foods known for their “moving” energetic properties. Foods that fall into this category are often pungent, sour and/or sweet by nature. Think about foods that you can feel impact your body in almost a “shake you up” sort of way — such as the bubbles in seltzer water or the pucker feeling you get from eating a lemon. That’s moving Qi!
More examples are listed below:
Recommended Foods to Move Liver Qi
Vegetables: Spinach, kale, watercress, celery, leek, chives, tomato, kelp, dandelion greens, carrot
Fruits: Lemon, grapes, lychee, cherries, plum, raspberry, hawthorn fruit
Herbs & Spices: Cinnamon, peppermint, dandelion, chamomile, ginger, rosemary, horseradish
Seeds & Nuts: Sesame, hemp seeds, chestnuts, pine nuts
Oils & Condiments: Flaxseed oil, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar
Beverages: Small amounts of alcohol & coffee (emphasis on the word small —- as in one glass of wine or a half cup of coffee), seltzer water, jasmine, peppermint, lemon balm, chrysanthemum chamomile tea
Foods to Avoid or Reduce
Greasy or fatty foods
Dairy
Red or processed meat
Fried foods
Processed foods
Excessively cold drinks
Refined sugars
Raw vegetables
