Gaining weight

[lacey]

I am 5'3" and must weight about 13 stone. My diet is healthy and I probably eat less than most people. Last year I was around 10 stone but the weight just crept up. I am tired a lot and doze off at the drop of a hat so feel that my metabalism is slow. It's also further slowed down by betablockers and anti-convulsant drugs.

I feel that the solution is probably to get more exercise and I have been making an attempt to do this. Would also help build up my strength and give me more energy.

Any thoughts, tips anyone?

[carla]

Instead of sitting down after a meal Hannah go for a walk around that amazing city you live in. Easier said than done I know but even walking is good excercise.
carla xx

[tcmgpt13]

Hi there Lacey,

Have you checked your medications to see whether they might contribute to weight gain? It is a well kept secret that some of them do cause weight gain, perhaps by slowing metabolism. Also it is good to get the thyroid and adrenal function checked as one gets older. I am pretty sure that Dr. Harvey's observation that morgellons patients have lower body temperatures may have some validity. This would be a part of the metabolic picture and if one has a low body temperature the body of course will not burn the food we eat efficiently.

Another thought, as one of your medications seems to be for hypertension, is that the heart function may not be as good as it once was. The proper functioning of the heart is so important for the body's organs to work properly. If this is not working well, then this may also cause the body to gain weight. This is what I learned from my TCM practitioner.

I am fairly sure we all have a spleen deficiency which may cause weight gain as well. Again this has to do with proper function of the lymph and circulatory system which also relates back to the heart. So there are a few things which could be effecting you. Still some gentle exercise as Carla mentions could help both your circulation and your lymph system to function more efficiently, maybe not lead to weight loss but boost you so you don't slow down even more. There are also TCM formulas to help spleen function and if you have a good practitioner perhaps this person could make some suggestions as well as do some acupuncture to help you lose weight. Summer is the time to eat lighter and in the summertime the body will work better to lose weight naturally (the Chinese say it is the ideal time to shed extra pounds).

tcm xxx

[lacey]

Thanks guys. I'll try to answer all the questions and respond to your suggestions.
Carla, I think the walk after tea is a good idea. I tend to sit down and often fall asleep.
The time seems to fly by with quite a lot spent in front of the computer or doing housework.
I think I need to plan a better routine.

Aleister the only pattern is that I get less execise in the poor weather and tend to feel drowsy.

TCM - I have to go and get my thyroid function checked. I'm sure lots of my medication makes me sleepy like the anticonvulsants and betablockers but I can't stop taking them.
How do you know whether you have problems with your spleen?

I think we must be heavier because we are carrying around a lot of spare stuff such as the debris that exits our skin.

Do other people have weight gain problems?

Hannah

Hannah

[tcmgpt13]

In TCM the spleen is more like a function and encompasses the pancreas as well as the spleen as they function together with the stomach. The stomach is the paired organ to the spleen in TCM.

HowStuffWorks "Traditional Chinese Medicine Internal Organ Syndromes"

Spleen Syndromes

Spleen syndromes range from those that involve digestion to those that affect the circulatory system. The main functions of the spleen are to transform food and fluids, nourish the muscles, and control the blood, keeping it within the blood vessels. For this reason, most patterns of disharmony of the spleen involve poor appetite and digestion, fatigue, and bleeding disorders.

The spleen prefers a dry environment, so it is prone to conditions of dampness from climate and dietary factors. It is especially sensitive to cold, damp weather and cold or raw foods, both of which are fertile ground for the pathogenic factor of dampness.

When the spleen functions properly, the body is strong and well nourished. Blood, fluids, and the organs are also in their proper places; thus there is no deficient-type bleeding (blood), edema (fluids), or prolapse (organs).

Spleen Qi Deficiency: When the qi of the spleen is deficient, the spleen is unable to perform its functions of digestion. In addition to the typical qi deficiency signs of fatigue and pale face and tongue, additional symptoms specific to the spleen include poor appetite, weight loss, fullness and sleepiness after eating, and loose stools. (Other conditions are associated with spleen qi deficiency, such as sagging organs and bleeding, but these are discussed as separate syndromes.) Some corresponding Western conditions are ulcers, gastritis, chronic fatigue, AIDS, chronic indigestion, and hepatitis. Treatment consists of tonifying spleen qi with herbs such as ginseng (ren shen). The classic formula to tonify spleen qi is Four Gentlemen decoction (Si Jun Zi Tang).

Spleen Yang Deficiency:

This more severe version of spleen qi deficiency has the above-mentioned symptoms as well as cold signs such as cold hands and feet, edema, a desire for warm food and drinks, abdominal discomfort after eating cold food, and diarrhea with undigested food in the stools. Western diseases that fit this syndrome are chronic gastroenteritis, infection with Candida, food allergies, and chronic hepatitis. The treatment principle is to tonify spleen qi and yang and warm the interior with herbs such as ginseng (ren shen), Astragalus (huang qi), ginger (gan jiang), and black pepper (hu jiao).

Spleen Qi Collapse or Spleen Qi Sinking: Since spleen qi supports the organs with its uplifting energy, this aspect of deficient qi is associated with a prolapse (sagging) and a sensation of bearing down in the internal organs. Some organs affected are the stomach, transverse colon, uterus, and rectum. Hemorrhoids are also a condition of spleen qi collapse. In some cases, miscarriages can occur from lack of qi to "hold things up," or retain the fetus with "upward" force. Treatment is to "raise the middle qi" with classic formulas such as Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang ("Decoction to Tonify the Middle Burner and Raise the Vital Energy"). This formula contains herbs such as ginseng (ren shen) and Astragalus (huang qi) to build the spleen qi, along with herbs that have an uplifting energy such as Bupleurum (chai hu) and Cimicifuga (sheng ma).

Spleen Not Controlling the Blood: Another function of spleen qi is to keep the blood flowing within the vessels. When this function is disturbed, standard symptoms of spleen qi deficiency occur along with bleeding under the skin (easy bruising), excessive menstrual bleeding, nosebleeds, and blood in the urine or stools. Since this bleeding is due to deficiency, the color of the blood is often lighter than might occur in excess bleeding disorders such as heat in the blood. Some of the Western disease patterns that could fall into this pattern are any chronic bleeding diseases, hemophilia, bleeding hemorrhoids, bruising from vitamin deficiency, and periodontal disease. The treatment is to tonify spleen qi and tonify blood. The classic formula for this purpose, Eight Treasure Decoction (Ba Zhen Tang), combines the standard formulas for qi and blood tonification.

Cold and Damp Surrounding the Spleen: This excess pattern arises when the dampness pernicious influence overwhelms the spleen. Symptoms include abdominal fullness and bloating, nausea, vomiting, watery stool, lack of thirst, sticky sensation and sweet taste in the mouth, dizziness, heavy feelings in the body, and a thick, greasy coat on the tongue. Some corresponding Western conditions are stomach "flu," chronic gastritis, chronic colitis, ulcers, and hepatitis. The treatment involves the use of fragrant herbs that "penetrate the dampness and wake up the spleen," such as patchouli (huo xiang).

Damp Heat in the Spleen: In this excess disharmony condition, the dampness symptoms combine with those of heat. They are: jaundice, yellow eyes, bitter taste in the mouth, nausea, vomiting, dislike of greasy food, burning urine and diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, and mouth sores. Some Western diagnoses are hepatitis, gallbladder disease, and acute gastroenteritis. The treatment principle is to clear damp heat with herbs such as Coptis (huang lian) and Artemisia (yin chen hao).


An article which compares the Western medicine view of spleen vs the TCM view:

spleen in tcm and western medicines

Article which describes how the Chinese eat to control weight gain by feeding the spleen healthy foods:

TCM Take on Fat: Vent Your Spleen -- china.org.cn

A little about food and the spleen:

Addressing GERD, IBS, GI issues with Chinese medicine

"Back to the Chinese perspective: gastrointestinal issues are almost always the result of a weak Spleen. And that's not your Western spleen, by the way. It's your Spleen organ system as defined by Chinese medicine. In TCM, the Spleen is responsible (in concert with the stomach, and other organ systems) for digestion. If you have digestive issues, you need to strengthen your Spleen. If you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, you likely have Liver Invading Spleen (typical symptoms include constipation when Liver is in control, and loose stools when Liver has backed off but Spleen is still weak).

To strengthen Spleen, choose foods like cooked winter squash (acorn, butternut, delicata), clean animal protein (beef, chicken, goose), low-sugar fruits (fig, coconut, grape, cherry, date), sweet potatoes, lentils, oats, rice, and regular potatoes. Oh, and Spleen doesn't like to be chilled, so notice how you feel after eating cold or raw foods. In general, Spleen likes everything to be cooked or at least at room temperature. Experiment to see if eating cold or raw foods increases your gastrointestinal discomfort.

Foods to avoid, at least from a TCM perspective in building Spleen, include empty sweets (alcohol, high-sugar fruits, refined sugars), frozen or iced foods, and some dairy (if you find it hard to digest)."

Here is a little bit more on how to feed the spleen. One of the most important things I learned from hanging around the Chinese at the acupuncture school was that if one does eat something cold like a shake or an ice cream it is very important to take a hot beverage with it, to neutralize the bad effect of the ice on the stomach and spleen and it was also suggested that as one ages this becomes doubly important for health. It should not be indulged in very often as sugar in excess is bad for stomach/spleen function (which makes sense as this is also encompassing pancreatic function). Another thing, too much sugar, from the TCM view can exacerbate hair loss though is not seen as the direct cause (liver and kidney function control the hair):

Four Pillars Zen Shiatsu: About Nutrition Consultation

"In Oriental medicine, the Stomach and Spleen are central in the process of digestion. The Spleen ensures the transportation and transformation of nutrients so that they can be converted to energy that the body can use. If there is a problem/disharmony with the Spleen, then the entire body will be out of balance. In ancient times, there was an entire school of thought that promoted treating the Spleen to cure any illness. The Spleen likes a dry environment that is warm. Therefore eating cold, damp foods like smoothies are not the most appreciated food choices according to the Spleen.

Suggestions for a Happy Spleen:

*

Make the first meal of the day warm. Warm cerial, soups or even a meal that you might have for dinner would be good. The warm meal at the beginning of the day helps jump start the digestive system to have a good start for the rest of the day and will increase metabolism.
*

The Spleen likes the sweet flavor. To support the spleen a small amount of sweet flavor will suffice. However, too much sweet flavor will make the Spleen sluggish and result in an up-set feeling in the Stomach/Spleen system. When the sweet flavor is referred to we mean sweet natural foods- not refined sugary foods. Examples of sweet flavored foods: chicken, rice, carrots, sweet potatoes, corn, certain fruits, butternut squash, etc.
*

The Spleen likes a dry environment. This means avoiding foods that produce "dampness". These foods include: dairy products, refined sugar, and deep fried greasy foods. These foods obstruct the Spleen's ability to transform food into energy for the body to use and can result in sluggish metabolism."

[Kritters]

Hey Hannah,
All our Morg family members above are so right on with questions/suggestions.
I've noticed for the first time in my 60 years of life (who's counting? ;-) that I have a gut. I have gained weight also. I read something about Lymes I think, but not sure about unexplainable weight gain. I agree that the mycotoxin debris adds weight, but I seriously doubt it amounts to that much. I force myself to take long walks or bike rides. I don't know your age, but that certainly can come into play. If you have never worked out to burn calories and you are advancing in age, a balance comes into play and our bodies fighting off this situation. Who can figure about this parasite stuff, you know? So many problems, so little time to figure it out.

My advice is to start walking or biking, at a nice pace, only think good thoughts, breathe in and out as much good air as you can at a soothing pace. Cut out anything white in your food, except cauliflower, if you like it. Eat as much green as you can. Eat only organic if you can. Only use sea salt or any good salt. never table salt. Only drink purified water and begin your day with that and fresh squeezed lemon. Google alkaline food and try to eat/drink only that (trust me you won't overdose or create an imbalance...way too difficult in today's world).

That's about it from me. Hope it helps.

xoxo
Kritts

[jonsi]

"Do other people have weight gain problems?

Hannah"

Yes. It happened when I started taking "Cymbalta" for depression, way before I know what "Morgellons" was. Within one month of taking the drug I couldn't zip my pants and gained 30 pounds. Upon taking Cymbalta I started craving carbs and sugar (Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal was my downfall).

I am having a hard time taking the pounds off. Niecy suggested antiparisiticals and a colon cleanse where she lost 20 pounds in one month. I am following her advice. We will see!

In the white light.
~jonsi

[lacey]

I'm feeling very encouraged and particularly interested in the spleen considerations, tcmp.
I already eat alkaline creating foods but didn't know about the damp creating foods and being sure to eat warm food.

I'm going to give it a go and will try to buy the Chinese barley rice. Quite a lot of ethnic foodstores in the vicinity, mainly Indian, but there is a Chinese Supermarket a few miles away.

I've been getting a bit more exercise as well so will stick with that too. The very wet weather is a drawback, particularly with regard to the cycling so hoping for some sunshine soon.

I think that the infrared sauna also helps reduce weight so I need to start using it again.

On the up side - for the first time I have no tingling anywhere. None atall. Think that must be down to the course of meds prescripted for the Crypto Strongylus.

Thanks again.
Hannah x

[megluth72]

Hannah,

I've been taking an antidepressant for four years now and have gained 30 pounds (don't know what that is in stones, but about 3 pant sizes). I've gotten used to it now, but it was horrible at first. Like you I'm always tired. Funny thing is I saw a new doctor yesterday and she asked when I take my meds. I told her first thing in the morning, assuming the drug would make me "happy" all day. She said it will cause fatigue and she's always recommended her patients take them at night. I'm going to switch to taking at night today so we'll see if there's any remarkable difference. I'm so sick of being tired all the time and having no energy to take a walk. My poor dogs are just jonsing to go for one!

Hope things improve for you. If not, embrace your curves and enjoy your naps! We only live once! (I know, easier said than done). Remember you're not alone. Take care!