Q: Is there any information or anything you can recommend for irritable bowel syndrome. I have tried many medicines from doctors but I am still having trouble. Do you know of any alternatives to help with this condition. KJ, Buffalo, NY |
A: I have received many similar questions. Digestive ailments, according to Traditional Tibetan medicine, are caused by poor digestion of foods. All food and drink we consume should be chewed thoroughly and slowly. When food is consumed and sent down to our stomach, the digestive fire, (metabolism) found in the stomach, helps to separate the nutrients from the impurities. Digestive fire is considered one of the most important factors in keeping our body healthy, and the main energy behind it is the decomposing badkan, digestive tripa and fire like rLung of the three biological energies, rLung, Tripa and Badkan. In Tibetan medicine, because we consider the digestive fire so essential to good health, a practitioner who is successful in helping a patient to rejuvenate their digestive heat, is called a ‘Tsojhe sMenpa’ or a perfect healer. The reason why you haven’t been able to obtain a solid diagnosis is because the lack of digestive fire you are suffering from isn’t something that would be recognizable through laboratory type of testing, it is a much more complex issue.
The symptoms of a low digestive fire usually include gas accumulation, irregular bowel movement, belching, acid reflex, heaviness, lack of energy, weight gain, inability to lose weight easily, white coating on the tongue, whitish color urine with accumulation of frothiness, lack of concentration and weak memory. Some people also get patches on their face like blemishes, rashes and scaly skin, dull and pale skin are also seen as symptoms.
The problems can be corrected by rejuvenating the digestive fire with a correct diet, behavioral changes, and, in some cases, by taking Tibetan herbal medicine.
Things to avoid: Do not try a new food in a large amount, do not overeat, do not expose your stomach to cold physically. After strenuous exercise or physical work do not take a cold shower right away, do not take raw, fried, spicy, cold refrigerated food, or food which is left over for more than twenty four hours. Eat less fatty, oily foods, and meat products, and food which you know will aggravate the symptoms should also be avoided.
Some recommendations: Take fresh, warm, and small quantities of food. Drink more boiled water throughout the day, as in Tibetan medicine boiled water is considered to be the first medicine to come to this world for the first disease, Indigestion. Always imagine your stomach divided into four parts where two parts are to be filled by solid food, one part with liquid, and one part is to be left empty. Do not eat before your previous food has been digested, and try to consume light food and take some boiled water after every meal. Pomegranates, rice porridge, baby radishes, fish, and soups are also very beneficial in correcting digestive problems. Do not cook fish and eggs together, beans and yogurt and molasses(or any kind of sugar should not go together), mushrooms should not be cooked in sesame oil, and avoid chicken served with yogurt. These combinations are considered indigestible because of their properties and differences. The negative action will be less if your body has been used to these kinds of food.
There are differents herbs for indigestion according to the dominant energy, for example, Dhangne, Kundhe, Nyikyil, Chongshi 6, Chongshi 21, Ruta 6, Drupril, Shiru, Shichum, Dhashel and Dhenyom. Some of these herbs are usually recommended in winter and not in summer as these herbs are hot in potency.
- Dr. Namgyal