My Earth Is Healthy, Abundant and Fertile: A Chinese Medicine Guide to Gut Health

By Dr. Anna Pino (TCM), owner of Natural Harmony Clinic. 

"My Earth is healthy, abundant and fertile." It's a lovely mantra for your wellbeing, but what does it actually mean? Let me explain, because understanding it might change the way you look after your digestion for good.

This is a cool mantra you can use for your wellbeing, but what are we talking about here?

What does "Earth" mean in Chinese Medicine?

In the Five Element school of thought and Chinese Medicine theory, our Earth is our digestive health: our ability to break down the food we eat, filter the waste from the nutrients, and move each to where it needs to go. The waste is directed to our colon, and the nutrients are directed to our blood stream.

This is where our nutritive energy comes from. The quality of our food, and our ability to break it down well, gives us the energy and vitality to be active and happy. It helps us be our awesome selves, bringing our authentic spirit to the surface and sharing it with the world around us in all its abundance.

So how do we keep our Earth healthy? Think of your gut like fertile soil. It needs five things.

Why is water important for digestion?

We need moisture for digestion to be effective. Water helps eliminate waste, and it also supports organs like the Liver, Gallbladder and Kidneys to do their part and filter the toxins that come in through our diet, such as alcohol, fatty foods and processed sugar.

Self-care tip: Drink plenty of clean water through the day. Aim to have a litre under your belt before noon, so you're ahead, and around two litres total. Always listen to your body, and hydrate well after exercise and in the colder months. Try separating water from meal times too, having a glass before and after food rather than during, to support better digestion.

Why does the gut need warmth?

Our gut likes to be warm. It generates warmth through digestion, and that warmth helps break down the food we eat. It's a fine balance: if the metabolism is over-active we can end up with excess heat that creates dryness, while too much cold in the digestive organs can cause cramping, pain and a sluggish metabolism.

Self-care tip: Regulate warmth in the gut through cooking techniques like soaking, pre-digested foods, steaming and slow cooking. Warm, slow-simmered foods like broths are wonderful here. Steam and lightly boil your vegetables as we head into the cooler months, and soak your seeds and grains in the warmer months, thinking activated nuts and Bircher muesli.

How does movement support gut health?

Just as fertile soil needs air and circulation, so does our gut. Imagine sitting on the couch after every big meal, three times a day. Over time we'd likely gain weight, become idle, and slow the metabolism from the inside. Movement and circulation help distribute nutrients around the body and support natural detoxification.

Self-care tip: Keep it moving with brisk morning walks, tai chi, qi gong, yin yoga, swimming, and gentle rehab-style movement like somatics and Feldenkrais.

Why is detoxification part of good digestion?

We need to keep the soil clear of weeds and obstacles. When it comes to gut health, that means keeping waste moving along and out of the body. Waste that stagnates on the inside can become toxic and contribute to poor immunity, poor digestion, mental fogginess and other health concerns. Over a long period, a build-up in the digestive tract can also affect how well we absorb nutrients.

Self-care tip: It's worth seeking guidance from a registered practitioner here. Chinese Medicine and Naturopathy are highly skilled at identifying the type of toxin in the body and the best way to release it, so do yourself a favour and book in. Some gently detoxifying herbs and foods include dandelion root, nettle, golden root, honeysuckle, dark leafy greens, spirulina, lemon, garlic, horseradish, ginger, rosemary, mint, chamomile and coconut oil.

How do you nourish and rebuild gut health?

Once you have the four green lights (good water, warmth, circulation and filtering) the final step is to preserve and nourish your digestive health. This is the fertiliser: re-vitalising and re-building your Earth.

Self-care tip: Consider a two-week elimination diet, and during that time introduce prebiotics like activated seeds and nuts, fermented vegetables, and bone broth. This is where a good gut health bone broth really earns its place. Broth is beautifully warming, easy to digest, and rich in the collagen and amino acids that support the gut lining, your skin, joints and bones. For quality bone broth in Australia, I recommend The Broth Sisters for your health needs.