The Best Zhou 粥 (Congee) to Support the Spleen and Fuel your Neigong
One of the most important texts for Chinese Medicine, the Huangdi Neijing 黄帝内经, lists the well-known “evils” or environmental factors which can cause us harm along with the organ system most susceptible to each:
藏所惡：心惡熱，肺惡寒，肝惡風，脾惡濕，腎惡燥，是謂五惡。
The hidden evils are: heat in the heart, cold in the lungs, wind in the liver, dampness in the spleen, and dryness in the kidneys. These are the five evils.
In addition to climatic factors, modern sedentary lifestyle paired with the greasy, fried, sugary and processed foods so prevalent in modern society make so many people susceptible to excess dampness, and this is especially harmful to the spleen system.
A healthy spleen system is foundational to our overall health as well as to our neigong practice. The spleen is responsible for transforming food into the nutrients that are the source of our post-heaven Qi and blood, as well as transporting and transforming the body’s fluids. Without a healthy spleen/stomach system that is free of excess dampness, any efforts to cultivate qi in the body and build a dantian will be greatly impaired.
One of my favorite dietary staples that I regularly use to support my spleen and remove dampness is a congee (zhou 粥) that is well known to Chinese and used for just this purpose.
