Emotional eating is a response to psychological and emotional factors rather than hunger, and stems from either unprocessed emotions or imbalances in the body’s organs. Each organ, the spleen, heart, liver, kidneys, and lungs, are associated with particular emotions, cravings, and other symptoms that can help diagnose an imbalance within the body. Balanced emotions are important in Classical Chinese medicine (CCM) because they are closely linked with organ function, and support vitality and Qi. When emotions are suppressed or unprocessed, stagnation can occur, leading to symptoms that cause emotional eating. The relationship is symbiotic, and can generate a habitual cycle if left unchecked. Understanding what you are craving can be the first step in understanding what you are feeling, and then treating yourself accordingly.
The Spleen
In CCM, the Spleen is the center for digestive health. Its main function is turning food into QI and Blood. Feelings of worry, overthinking, and mental strain are associated with the Spleen. Symptoms include craving sweet, starchy, or comfort foods, bloating, fatigue, and indigestion. To support your Spleen through times of emotional imbalance, eat warm, cooked meals to aid digestion, avoid excess sugar, avoid raw and cold foods which are harder to digest and weaken the Spleen, and incorporate herbs like Astragalus, Turkey Tail, Chaga, and Lion’s Mane mushroom.
The Heart
The Heart is responsible for spirit, or Shen, and overall emotional health. An imbalance in the Heart presents as a deficit in joy, and emotional eating may look like overeating to fill a void or find comfort. Symptoms include insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, depression, or loneliness, heart palpitations, and cravings for sugar and highly processed foods that offer instant gratification. To best support your Heart and heal an imbalance, limit stimulants like caffeine, incorporate tonics that support Shen like Reishi, and eat red foods like jujube and goji berries, which support Blood and nurture a sense of emotional comfort.
The Liver
An imbalance in the Liver, which regulates Qi and Blood flow, waste elimination, and processing emotions, results in Qi stagnation, and feelings of stress, anger, frustration, and irritability. Symptoms include emotional outbursts, cravings of rich and greasy foods, tension headaches or vertigo, and painful menstrual cramps. To tonify the liver and regulate your emotions, incorporate bitter greens like dandelion, which helps cleanse the liver, and arugula to move stagnation, minimize alcohol consumption, avoid fried foods that burden the liver, avoid citrus to relieve dampness, stimulate acupressure point Bladder 47, and incorporate herbs like Schizandra, Chaga, Reighi, Cordyceps, Rose, and He Shou Wu.
The Kidneys
Jing, or essence, which is considered the root of life, is stored in the Kidneys. Emotional eating is linked to feelings of fear, instability, and fatigue. Symptoms include craving salty foods, chronic exhaustion, low motivation, frequent fight or flight freeze response, night sweats, and feelings of insecurity. Support your kidneys by eating foods like seaweed, bone broth, and root vegetables, prioritize mineral intake, and include Jing and Kidney tonics like Chaga, Cordyceps, Reishi, and He Shou Wu.
The Lungs
When the Lungs are in disharmony, dysregulated eating habits like loss of appetite or overindulgence in comfort food may occur. Symptoms include feelings of defenselessness, sadness, and grief, shortness of breath, asthma, cough, frequent colds and flus, allergies, skin issues, excessive crying, or inability to cry despite sadness. To harmonize the lungs, eat truly comforting and nutrient dense foods like soup, stew, or porridge, practice meditation or breath work, incorporate herbs like Astragalus, and eat pears and apples to nourish the lungs and balance Yin.
Looking at emotional eating through the teachings and practices of CCM, the relationship between emotions and our bodies becomes clear. By understanding the body’s organ system’s relationship with emotions, you can begin processing emotions and heal stagnation instead of prolonging the imbalance by satisfying your cravings. Fueling your body with proper nutrients and processing your emotions will lead to a balanced mind, body, and spirit.
Resources
● https://www.rootandbones.com/blogs/news/emotional-eating-a-tcm-perspective
● https://linyanastudio.com/emotional-eating/
● https://drlaurenkeller.com/blog/2019/3/6/traditional-chinese-medicine-and-food-cravings
● https://www.tcmworld.org/body-never-lies-cravings/
● https://www.yinovacenter.com/blog/what-your-cravings-are-telling-you-some-tips-for-healthier-alternatives/
● https://www.michiganacupuncturestudio.com/post/food-cravings-according-to-traditional-chinese-medicine