dampness, food cravings and Gu pathogens

[Guest guest]

Hi Petra,

 

Here are some reflections, based upon ongoing interactions that I have with a

number of patients who consider themselves to have food cravings and addictions.

First of all, when I did a NADA externship at a local sober living center, here

in LA, Beit Teshuva, I was astonished by the constant snacking and obesity as

well as chain smoking of the residents. This facility required ex-addicts to be

verifiable clean, for a certain period of time, and the residents were subject

to constant urine tests. A fundamental principle of the NADA philosophy is

that all addiction Yin Xu. The addict is starving for Yin, for substance, and

will desperately seek substances that give a sense of instantaneous

gratification. I found it ironic and ignorant that a facility that is trying to

get people off drugs would not recognize that they are simply replacing one drug

with another! So clearly, it seems that all craving is related to an underlying

Yin Xu.

 

Second, remember that damp accumulation transforms into phlegm. Damp and

phlegm are significant impediments to the vitality and performance of the

spleen. Without Spleen Yang vitality, metabolism becomes seriously

challenged. It would seems to me that a lack of metabolism or Yang Qi resulting

in heaviness and accumulation could be considered equivalent or at least similar

to " Gu syndrome " . I refer you to Heiner Fruehauf's wonderful article, " Driving

out Demons and Snakes, Gu Syndrome, a Forgotten Clinical Approach to Chronic

Parasitism " http://www.classicalchinesemedicine.org/downloads/cs/gufinal.pdf

In it he speaks about " Gu worms " conceptually being manifestations of

blockage, heaviness, and though indeed to be taken literally, they need to

viewed in the modern sense figuratively as well. Thus Candida Albicans, the

prevalant fungus resulting from damp accumulation would be clearly a Gu

pathogen. And indeed, the Gu pathogen also drains the body of more Yin, further

exascerbating the already Yin Xu patient. Furthermore, look closely at one the

main manifestations of Gu pathogens: Mental symptoms. Should we not consider

food cravings that seem to often exist coincidentally with Spleen Xu and damp

accumulation a classic example of a mental imbalance resulting from the Gu

pathogen? Fruehauf describes, " A sensation of being posessed " as one of the

mental symptoms. Is that not exactly what craving are: The patient HAS to have

his/her fix and is posessed by that overwhelming need or craving?

 

Respectfully,

 

Yehuda

petrabuchanan <petrabuchanan wrote:

It's me again. So I am wondering if anyone one has wisdom in TCM terms

regarding why certain foods are more addictive than others. In the

past if I ate a tiny bit of sugar or wheat I would immediately want to

eat the whole box, whereas if I at an apple or salad for example I

would be completely satified. I was very spleen deficient in the past.

So strengthening that had a profound effect on my cravings. Was it the

weak spleen/obsessive connection or something else. Any thoughts. And

again why would people be so obsessive about certain foods and not

others.Chinese Medicine , " Par

Scott " <parufus wrote:

>

> Petra

>

> Could you explain that statement?

>

> My understanding is that it supplements heart qi, and because of

it's light nature it also has a relationship with the exterior of the

body, hence the relationship with sweating disorders (sweat is the

fluid of the heart, the exterior is where sweating happens). It's

calming effect is likely related to astringing the shen via

supplementation of heart qi (as it works in the context of spleen

heart dual vacuity, or restless organ syndrome which contains aspects

of spleen heart dual vacuity) It is certainly not a heavy settling

substance, or even a particularly dense nourishing substance like shu

di huang.

>

> Are you proposing that it is addictive because it is sedative?

Because it gives a spike of blood sugar? Because it is supplementing?

>

> This discussion has been mixing paradigms in a problematic way.

Gluten may or may not produce dampness, chances are it does... but it

does so because of its sweet, cloying and nourishing nature. If it is

engendering other issues, like damp heat reactions, then looking more

carefully at the terrain (patient) is in order. Many people eat lots

of wheat and have no difficulty with it, finding it nourishing and

easy to digest, which seems to detract from any idea that the toxicity

is inherent to the grain.

>

> Most food is capable of producing transient or long term dampness in

the context of an under performing spleen, or stagnation in the

digestive function, etc. All of the grains have a tropism for earth

are " sweet " and are supplementing to qi and to some extent blood. They

are, after all, the source of postnatal qi, gu qi means " grain qi " .

Perhaps wheat or gluten is " very sweet " . When you use sweet

supplementation in the context of a damaged spleen there is a good

chance that dampness will be engendered, so all the normal notions of

balancing sweet supplementing medicinals and draining damp at the same

time apply to dietary theory as well as herb theory, as they exist on

a continuum. Even five element dietary theory reflects this, in that

the five flavors must be balanced, and grains are more or less all

sweet with other flavors thrown in. Failure to balance this leads to a

predominance of earth and dampness results, and if there are other

problems in the patient then the dampness can lead to more problematic

symptoms.

>

> Par Scott

>

> -

> Petra Buchanan

> Chinese Medicine

> Wednesday, August 29, 2007 10:23 PM

> Re: wheat and dampness

>

>

> The reason it is calms shen is the same reason that it

> makes others tired and lethargic, and why so many

> people are addicted to it.

> --- Jean <greypal wrote:

>

> > but what about the herb " fu xiao mai " - wheat.

> > found in the section " herbs that stabililze and

> > bind "

> >

> > sweet, salty, cool.

> > stops sweating.

> > nourishes heart.

> > used for bedwetting in children.

> >

> > jean

> >

> >

>

> ________

> oneSearch: Finally, mobile search

> that gives answers, not web links.

> http://mobile./mobileweb/onesearch?refer=1ONXIC

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you for all of your input. I really like what

you had to say Yejuda and agree with you 100% as to

the addicts taking on replacement addictions. Not

treating the root. A big part of my recovering from my

food addiction was getting a dragons treatment every

week for about two months. My life completely changed

after that. That definitely goes with your Gu syndrome

ideas.

--- wrote:

 

> Hi Petra,

>

> Here are some reflections, based upon ongoing

> interactions that I have with a number of patients

> who consider themselves to have food cravings and

> addictions. First of all, when I did a NADA

> externship at a local sober living center, here in

> LA, Beit Teshuva, I was astonished by the constant

> snacking and obesity as well as chain smoking of the

> residents. This facility required ex-addicts to be

> verifiable clean, for a certain period of time, and

> the residents were subject to constant urine tests.

> A fundamental principle of the NADA philosophy is

> that all addiction Yin Xu. The addict is starving

> for Yin, for substance, and will desperately seek

> substances that give a sense of instantaneous

> gratification. I found it ironic and ignorant that

> a facility that is trying to get people off drugs

> would not recognize that they are simply replacing

> one drug with another! So clearly, it seems that

> all craving is related to an underlying Yin Xu.

>

> Second, remember that damp accumulation

> transforms into phlegm. Damp and phlegm are

> significant impediments to the vitality and

> performance of the spleen. Without Spleen Yang

> vitality, metabolism becomes seriously challenged.

> It would seems to me that a lack of metabolism or

> Yang Qi resulting in heaviness and accumulation

> could be considered equivalent or at least similar

> to " Gu syndrome " . I refer you to Heiner Fruehauf's

> wonderful article, " Driving out Demons and Snakes,

> Gu Syndrome, a Forgotten Clinical Approach to

> Chronic Parasitism "

>

http://www.classicalchinesemedicine.org/downloads/cs/gufinal.pdf

> In it he speaks about " Gu worms " conceptually

> being manifestations of blockage, heaviness, and

> though indeed to be taken literally, they need to

> viewed in the modern sense figuratively as well.

> Thus Candida Albicans, the prevalant fungus

> resulting from damp accumulation would be clearly a

> Gu pathogen. And indeed, the Gu pathogen also

> drains the body of more Yin, further exascerbating

> the already Yin Xu patient. Furthermore, look

> closely at one the main manifestations of Gu

> pathogens: Mental symptoms. Should we not

> consider food cravings that seem to often exist

> coincidentally with Spleen Xu and damp accumulation

> a classic example of a mental imbalance resulting

> from the Gu pathogen? Fruehauf describes, " A

> sensation of being posessed " as one of the mental

> symptoms. Is that not exactly what craving are:

> The patient HAS to have his/her fix and is posessed

> by that overwhelming need or craving?

>

> Respectfully,

>

> Yehuda

> petrabuchanan <petrabuchanan wrote:

> It's me again. So I am wondering if anyone

> one has wisdom in TCM terms

> regarding why certain foods are more addictive than

> others. In the

> past if I ate a tiny bit of sugar or wheat I would

> immediately want to

> eat the whole box, whereas if I at an apple or salad

> for example I

> would be completely satified. I was very spleen

> deficient in the past.

> So strengthening that had a profound effect on my

> cravings. Was it the

> weak spleen/obsessive connection or something else.

> Any thoughts. And

> again why would people be so obsessive about certain

> foods and not

> others.--- In

> Chinese Medicine , " Par

> Scott " <parufus wrote:

> >

> > Petra

> >

> > Could you explain that statement?

> >

> > My understanding is that it supplements heart qi,

> and because of

> it's light nature it also has a relationship with

> the exterior of the

> body, hence the relationship with sweating disorders

> (sweat is the

> fluid of the heart, the exterior is where sweating

> happens). It's

> calming effect is likely related to astringing the

> shen via

> supplementation of heart qi (as it works in the

> context of spleen

> heart dual vacuity, or restless organ syndrome which

> contains aspects

> of spleen heart dual vacuity) It is certainly not a

> heavy settling

> substance, or even a particularly dense nourishing

> substance like shu

> di huang.

> >

> > Are you proposing that it is addictive because it

> is sedative?

> Because it gives a spike of blood sugar? Because it

> is supplementing?

> >

> > This discussion has been mixing paradigms in a

> problematic way.

> Gluten may or may not produce dampness, chances are

> it does... but it

> does so because of its sweet, cloying and nourishing

> nature. If it is

> engendering other issues, like damp heat reactions,

> then looking more

> carefully at the terrain (patient) is in order. Many

> people eat lots

> of wheat and have no difficulty with it, finding it

> nourishing and

> easy to digest, which seems to detract from any idea

> that the toxicity

> is inherent to the grain.

> >

> > Most food is capable of producing transient or

> long term dampness in

> the context of an under performing spleen, or

> stagnation in the

> digestive function, etc. All of the grains have a

> tropism for earth

> are " sweet " and are supplementing to qi and to some

> extent blood. They

> are, after all, the source of postnatal qi, gu qi

> means " grain qi " .

> Perhaps wheat or gluten is " very sweet " . When you

> use sweet

> supplementation in the context of a damaged spleen

> there is a good

> chance that dampness will be engendered, so all the

> normal notions of

> balancing sweet supplementing medicinals and

> draining damp at the same

> time apply to dietary theory as well as herb theory,

> as they exist on

> a continuum. Even five element dietary theory

> reflects this, in that

> the five flavors must be balanced, and grains are

> more or less all

> sweet with other flavors thrown in. Failure to

> balance this leads to a

> predominance of earth and dampness results, and if

> there are other

> problems in the patient then the dampness can lead

> to more problematic

> symptoms.

> >

> > Par Scott

> >

> > -

> > Petra Buchanan

> > Chinese Medicine

> > Wednesday, August 29, 2007 10:23 PM

> > Re: wheat and dampness

> >

> >

> > The reason it is calms shen is the same reason

> that it

> > makes others tired and lethargic, and why so many

> > people are addicted to it.

> > --- Jean <greypal wrote:

> >

> > > but what about the herb " fu xiao mai " - wheat.

> > > found in the section " herbs that stabililze and

> > > bind "

> > >

> > > sweet, salty, cool.

> > > stops sweating.

> > > nourishes heart.

> > > used for bedwetting in children.

> > >

> > > jean

> > >

> > >

> >

> >

>

________

> > oneSearch: Finally, mobile search

> > that gives answers, not web links.

> >

>

http://mobile./mobileweb/onesearch?refer=1ONXIC

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

> >

>

>

>

>

>

=== message truncated ===

 

 

 

 

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