Carbs + TCM
Why cutting carbs could be wrecking your gut from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective.
If you have ever been told that cutting carbs is the key to better health, this one is for you.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Spleen is the central organ of digestion and transformation. It governs healthy digestion, fluid metabolism, and the quality and quantity of blood and fluids in the body, including hormones. A well-nourished Spleen shows up as a sharp mind, strong focus, and digestion that works quietly in the background without bloating or discomfort. When the Spleen is depleted, the signs are hard to miss: fatigue, brain fog, loose stools, bloating, fluid retention, and a general sense of heaviness that no amount of sleep seems to fix.
What depletes the Spleen? Many things. Chronic stress, overwork, eating on the go, consuming too many cold or raw foods, and yes, cutting out carbohydrates entirely.
Grains Come First
Grains are considered the foundational food of human life in TCM. Of all food groups, they hold the deepest relationship with the Spleen, a relationship embedded in classical Chinese dietary philosophy long before modern nutrition existed. The Huangdi Neijing, one of the oldest and most foundational texts in Chinese medicine, identifies the five grains as the primary substances that sustain the body, listing them before meat, fruit, and vegetables in the hierarchy of nourishment.
This is not arbitrary. The sweet flavor of whole grains is directly associated with the Earth element and the Spleen-Stomach axis in TCM. That sweetness gently tonifies and supports the Spleen without overwhelming it. Unlike rich or heavy foods that tax the Spleen's transformative capacity, whole grains in their simplest prepared forms provide steady, reliable nourishment the Spleen can process with ease.
Not all grains are created equal, and variety matters. Some favorites from a Spleen-supportive standpoint:
Rice (all varieties)
Most neutral and Spleen-friendly grain
Easy to digest and gentle on a sensitive system
Best prepared simply; most therapeutic as congee
Millet
Cooling and slightly drying
Well suited when there is digestive dampness or sluggishness
A classical five grain with a long history as a digestive tonic
Barley
Cooling, clears heat and resolves dampness in the middle burner
A go-to for bloating and heaviness
Best for patients who run warm or damp
Amaranth
Cooling and nourishing
Supports the Spleen's need for earthy sustenance
Good variety grain for rotation
Quinoa
Cooling and protein-rich
Supports the Spleen while offering nutritional variety
Pairs well with root vegetables for a complete Spleen-supportive meal
Congee: Your Gut’s BFF
The most Spleen-friendly way to prepare grains is as congee or porridge. The long cooking time and high water content do a significant portion of the digestive work before the food even reaches your stomach, allowing the Spleen to extract maximum nourishment with minimal effort. Most of my patients have their preferred congee recipe down by week three of working together, and the difference in how they feel is noticeable.
Basic Congee Recipe
Congee is less a recipe and more a method. Once you have the base down, the grain, toppings, and add-ins can shift with the season, your constitution, or what is in your fridge.
The Base
1 cup grain of choice (rice, millet, barley, black rice, or a combination)
6 to 8 cups water or broth (more water yields a thinner congee; less yields thicker)
Pinch of sea salt
Rinse and optionally soak your grain for 30 minutes to several hours. Combine with water or broth in a pot, bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest possible simmer. Cook uncovered for 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on the grain, stirring occasionally, until the grain breaks down and the texture is thick and creamy. Add more liquid as needed throughout cooking.
Grain Options
White rice: most neutral, easiest to digest, classic base
Black rice: nourishes Kidney Yin and Blood, supports Jing
Millet: cooling, good for damp or sluggish digestion
Barley: clears heat and dampness, good for bloating
Mixed grains: combine two or three for variety and layered nourishment
Root Vegetable Add-ins
Stir in during the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking so they soften into the congee:
Sweet potato, cubed
Carrot, sliced thin
Kabocha or pumpkin, cubed
Lotus root, sliced thin
Protein Options
Add during the last 10 to 15 minutes or serve alongside:
Soft poached or soft boiled egg
Shredded chicken or pork cooked in broth
Pork kidney, sliced thin (strongly nourishes Kidney Jing)
Silken tofu, cubed
Clams or mussels steamed separately and added at the end
Garnish Options
Add at the table so they stay fresh:
Green onion, thinly sliced
Fresh ginger, grated or julienned
Fried garlic in a small amount of oil
Toasted black sesame seeds
Drizzle of toasted sesame oil
Tamari or a small amount of sea salt to taste
A Note on Broth
Cooking your congee in bone broth rather than water adds a significant layer of nourishment, particularly for patients focused on Jing, post-illness recovery, or postpartum healing. Chicken, pork, or beef bone broth all work well depending on the therapeutic direction.
Don’t Forget Your Roots
Grains are not the only carbohydrate source the Spleen depends on. Root vegetables belong in the same conversation, and they are often overlooked in the rush to label all starchy foods as problematic.
Warm, sweet, and deeply grounding by nature, root vegetables tonify Spleen Qi and provide the same steady nourishment as grains. They grow downward into the earth, and that quality is reflected in what they offer the body: stability, warmth, and a kind of nourishment that settles rather than agitates. Sweet potato, potato, carrot, pumpkin, and squash are among the most Spleen-supportive foods available and are simple enough to incorporate into any meal without much effort.
A bowl of roasted kabocha squash with a little sea salt and olive oil. Sweet potato mashed simply with warm broth. Carrot cooked down into a soup. These are not complicated preparations, and that simplicity is part of the point. The Spleen thrives on warmth, ease, and consistency.
A Simple Roasted Root Vegetable Bowl
Cube two medium sweet potatoes, two large carrots, and a quarter of a small pumpkin or kabocha squash. Toss with olive oil, sea salt, and a light sprinkle of cinnamon. Roast at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until soft and caramelized at the edges. Serve warm over a scoop of cooked millet or brown rice, topped with a soft boiled egg and a drizzle of tahini thinned with lemon juice and water. This bowl hits the Spleen nourishing brief from multiple directions at once.
Traditional Chinese Medicine & AMMA
Diet therapy is a foundational part of the work I do with patients here at AMMA.
The work we do in the studio with acupuncture, bodywork, and herbal medicine are a meaningful part of the process. But being equipped with a foundational knowledge of TCM-based cooking is how we create sustained and lasting healing. It shifts the way you look at your plate and what you understand as nourishment, and that shift goes home with you long after your appointment ends.
Understanding food through the lens of Chinese medicine changes not just what you eat but how you relate to nourishment altogether. When patients begin to see their plate as medicine, the results tend to compound in ways that no single treatment session can replicate on its own. That reframe is one of the most lasting things people take away from our work together, and it starts with something as simple as a bowl of warm congee in the morning.
Happy eating—carbs included!
