Earth Element Help Sheet

This patient handout is designed to give you tools to help you progress along the path to wellness. Use this information in order to maximize your healing process. This sheet includes a variety of tips that support the health and vitality of the Earth Element.

While many of the organ functions overlap and are similar, there are significant differences between how Eastern and Western medicine view them. This section gives you an overview of the different functions of each organ according to each of these medical philosophies.

Functions of Spleen and Stomach/ Earth Element:

• Maintains health by producing antibodies (T lymphocytes) to fight external invaders
• Breaks down and recycles worn-out red blood cells
• Filters and removes bacteria and other foreign substances from the blood
• Supports and enhances the immune system
• Stores blood
• Controls digestion
• Keeps blood inside vessels
• Transports and distributes energy for the body
• Transforms food into “Food Energy” (Gu Qi), turning it into usable energy and blood
• Aids mental focus, intention, determination and drive
• “Lifts and holds” internal organs, keeping them in place and from prolapse
• Governs and controls the strength and function of our muscles, flesh and limbs

• Houses the “Yi,” which relates to thinking, studying, memorization and concentration
• Receives food and begins the digestive process, both mechanically and chemically
• Begins to break down food into chyme
• Absorbs water, salts and alcohol
• Protects against the invasion of bacteria that enters through the digestive tract
• Temporarily stores food before it is secreted to the Small Intestine
• Controls the downward movement of Qi
• Receives food & drink and transforms it into cells that aid in the development of tissues and organs
• Separates the clean from the impure parts of ingested food; sends the clean “upwards” to the Spleen, and the impure “downwards” to the Small Intestine

Some Physical Symptoms:

• Abdominal distension
• Appetite imbalance
• Aversion to dampness
• Belching
• Bloating
• Chronic gastritis

• Colic
• Cold feet and/or knees
• Duodenal or gastric ulcers
• Dyspepsia
• Fullness below diaphragm
• Heaviness around head

• Heavy and/or aching limbs
• Hiccoughs
• Improper nourishment
• Loose stools or diarrhea
• Organ prolapse
• Poor or voracious appetite

• Poor Memory
• Swollen knees and thighs
• Water retention
• Yellowish face and body
• Urinary problems
• Vaginal discharge
• Vomiting and/or nausea

Some Emotional Symptoms:

• Confusion
• Craving sympathy
• Feeling ungrounded

• Insecurity/neediness
• Obsessive thoughts
• Over-protective

• Restless sleep
• Selfish behavior
• Worry

• Poor concentration
• Poor Memory
• Scattered feeling

Foods to Add:

Certain foods have specific effects within the body. This section is here to guide you to make food choices that support the health of the Earth Element.

• Adzuki beans
• Apples (Sweet)
• Apricots
• Bean curd
• Bitter gourd
• Congees
• Cooked veggies (Especially beets, leafy greens, carrots)
• Figs

• Dates
• Garlic
• Ginseng
• Grapes
• Grapefruit peel
• Honey
• Kumquats
• Licorice
• Loquat

• Mandarin oranges
• Miso
• Mustard greens
• Oats • Pineapple
• Pumpkin
• Raspberries
• Squash
• Stews
• Sweet potatoes

• Spices to add: cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, fennel, fenugreek, garlic powder, ginger powder, nutmeg, orange peel, pepper, sweet basil
• Warm water or tea with each meal (Cinnamon, black or ginger tea)

Element Associations:

This section lists a specific sound and an emotion associated with this meridian system, as well as the time of day and season when it is most active.

Acupressure Points

This section provides you with the most effective points for the Spleen and Stomach. Rubbing acupressure points 30-60 seconds can stimulate and promote health and well-being.

Meridian Exercises

These are specific exercises for the activation of the body’s own energy systems. Each pose was specifically chosen because it has the greatest impact upon the healthy functioning of the Earth Element.