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Liver Qi Stagnation (Stress) and Infertilty
The Liver System
Stagnated Qi and Stress and Reproduction
The liver is located in the upper part of the right side of the abdomen. Both Allopathic (modern science based medicine) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) agree that the main functions of the liver include storing and filtering the blood along with the metabolism of hormones.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has recognized another function of the liver which involves the ability of the liver to regulate how the energy of the body is distributed for its many activities. There should be sufficient energy or ‘qi” and it should flow smoothly and evenly to wherever it is needed to facilitate the transformational activities taking place throughout the body. TCM recognizes the ‘Liver’s involvement in regulating the distribution of blood in the body because of its ability to regulate the energy needed to move the blood. It is also involved in regulating ovulation at both the energetic transformational level and because of it’s involvement in the movement of blood through the menstrual cycle.
The “Liver Channel” which is like a river of energy running from the inner legs through the external genital region, the uterus, and up to the chest and breasts. This is important because it explains why women have problems along this pathway when there is stagnation of this channel. During the premenstrual part of the cycle the ‘Liver’ directs the blood flow from other body parts to the Uterus and can leave stagnating qi in the channels resulting in breast distention or bloating in the abdomen.
The Traditional Chinese never split the mind or the emotions from the rest of the body and the energy needed to facilitate its flow is also under the control of the ‘Liver qi’. When the menstrual cycle is demanding more Qi and blood in the reproductive organs as it moves toward menstruating, other systems under the control of the ‘Liver’ will feel the pinch. As a result, the emotions no longer flow easily and depression, anger, sadness, weepiness, or any combination is experienced. There may be headaches, breast pain, cramps, and a wide variety of other physical and emotional symptoms that result from Qi stagnating along the ‘Liver’ channel. In other words, blockage in the ‘Liver’ system describes why pre-menstrual tension and its associated symptoms occur. Any Liver obstruction will cause Qi and blood to "back up" or stagnate. When the channels remain blocked, the flow of energy to the uterus will be impeded, and we have associated pain and cramping.
'Liver' imbalances that cause energetic obstructions can cause the energy to be stuck in one area of the body. This confined energy can produce heat just like when you spin the tires of your car with the brake on. Obstructed energy in a woman's body can create a large amount of heat. We know from physics that heat rises. Traditional Chinese Medicine says that this heat will rise up to the head and cause migraine headaches. When we move this obstructed ‘Liver Qi’ the headache resolves. If the ‘Liver’ system is not functioning smoothly, the hormonal system is also affected. The Uterus itself can become a toxic environment, hostile to implantation. Excess estrogen is not metabolized effectively as the liver builds up. This estrogen dominance is implicated in conditions like endometriosis, fibroids, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and cancer. Most women with these diseases are diagnosed with an element of Liver Qi stagnation along with or maybe resulting in blood stagnation. To resolve these conditions we must address the ‘liver qi stagnation’.
There are many classic herbal formulas which regulate the 'liver qi' and are very effective in relieving premenstrual emotional and physical pain. Chinese herbalist will often combine them with herbs which also move blood to address the resulting blood stagnation when needed.
Signs of Liver Qi Stagnation
• Prone to emotional depression
• Prone to anger and/or rage
• Premenstrual irritability
• Irritable around ovulation
• Feel like your ovulation lasts longer than it should
• Breasts sensitive/sore at ovulation
• Nipple pain or discharge from your nipples
• A lot of premenstrual breast distention or pain
• Elevated prolactin levels
• Bloated premenstrually
• Pupils usually dilated and large
• Difficulty falling asleep at night
• Heartburn or wake up with a bitter taste in your mouth
• Painful menses
• Menstrual cramps in the external genitalia
• Menstrual blood thick and dark or purplish in color
• Tongue is dark or purplish in color
Diet/Lifestyle Recommendations
• Do not overeat.
Try to avoid heavy, hard to digest foods like nuts, peanut butter, butter, animal fats, too much meat, and too much bread. Avoid foods with preservatives or chemicals.
• Sit down when you eat.
• Eat frequent, small meals. This keeps the blood sugar levels more stable and inhibits adrenaline release. • Use spices that move the Qi, like peppermint, rosemary, spearmint, turmeric, and thyme.
• Supplement your diet with zinc (especially premenstrually)
• Chew foods adequately.
• Do not drink alcohol or caffeine, do not smoke cigarettes
• Get adequate physical exercise.
• Avoid harboring anger and resentment. Feelings of frustration and internal emotional tension need to be resolved as soon as possible, as any stagnated emotion can inhibit the Qi mechanism.
• Laugh. Go to comedies or funny movies to release any stuck internal feelings.
• Breathe deeply and relax.
• Too much estrogen creates Liver Qi stagnation. To help the liver metabolize the excess estrogen, stop eating animal products that have been treated hormonally.
• Drink detox of milk thistle tea to harmonize internal liver energies and help the Liver process excess hormones, emotions, etc. Alcohol consumption damages the energetic function of the Liver. Therefore women who are diagnosed with an overabundance of stagnant Liver Qi should not consume alcohol when they are trying to get pregnant.
Foods that move the qi and remove stagnation
Basil, caraway, cardamom, carrot, cayenne, chive, clove, coriander, dill seed, garlic, marjoram, mustard leaf, orange peel, peppermint, radish, rosemary, spearmint, star anise, tangerine peel, thyme, turmeric. 'Spleen Qi' tonics improve quality /quantity of available energy in the body Beef, cherries, chicken, coconut, date, eel, fig, flax seed, ginseng, goose, grape, ham, Herring, job’s tears barley (coix), lentil, licorice, mackerel, micro-algae, molasses, oats, octopus, potato, pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, rabbit, rice, royal jelly, sweet potato, shitake mushroom, squash, sturgeon, tofu, yam.
Avoid cold foods, dairy products, refined carbohydrates, sugar, artificial sweeteners
Stagnated Qi and Stress and Reproduction
The liver is located in the upper part of the right side of the abdomen. Both Allopathic (modern science based medicine) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) agree that the main functions of the liver include storing and filtering the blood along with the metabolism of hormones.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has recognized another function of the liver which involves the ability of the liver to regulate how the energy of the body is distributed for its many activities. There should be sufficient energy or ‘qi” and it should flow smoothly and evenly to wherever it is needed to facilitate the transformational activities taking place throughout the body. TCM recognizes the ‘Liver’s involvement in regulating the distribution of blood in the body because of its ability to regulate the energy needed to move the blood. It is also involved in regulating ovulation at both the energetic transformational level and because of it’s involvement in the movement of blood through the menstrual cycle.
The “Liver Channel” which is like a river of energy running from the inner legs through the external genital region, the uterus, and up to the chest and breasts. This is important because it explains why women have problems along this pathway when there is stagnation of this channel. During the premenstrual part of the cycle the ‘Liver’ directs the blood flow from other body parts to the Uterus and can leave stagnating qi in the channels resulting in breast distention or bloating in the abdomen.
The Traditional Chinese never split the mind or the emotions from the rest of the body and the energy needed to facilitate its flow is also under the control of the ‘Liver qi’. When the menstrual cycle is demanding more Qi and blood in the reproductive organs as it moves toward menstruating, other systems under the control of the ‘Liver’ will feel the pinch. As a result, the emotions no longer flow easily and depression, anger, sadness, weepiness, or any combination is experienced. There may be headaches, breast pain, cramps, and a wide variety of other physical and emotional symptoms that result from Qi stagnating along the ‘Liver’ channel. In other words, blockage in the ‘Liver’ system describes why pre-menstrual tension and its associated symptoms occur. Any Liver obstruction will cause Qi and blood to "back up" or stagnate. When the channels remain blocked, the flow of energy to the uterus will be impeded, and we have associated pain and cramping.
'Liver' imbalances that cause energetic obstructions can cause the energy to be stuck in one area of the body. This confined energy can produce heat just like when you spin the tires of your car with the brake on. Obstructed energy in a woman's body can create a large amount of heat. We know from physics that heat rises. Traditional Chinese Medicine says that this heat will rise up to the head and cause migraine headaches. When we move this obstructed ‘Liver Qi’ the headache resolves. If the ‘Liver’ system is not functioning smoothly, the hormonal system is also affected. The Uterus itself can become a toxic environment, hostile to implantation. Excess estrogen is not metabolized effectively as the liver builds up. This estrogen dominance is implicated in conditions like endometriosis, fibroids, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and cancer. Most women with these diseases are diagnosed with an element of Liver Qi stagnation along with or maybe resulting in blood stagnation. To resolve these conditions we must address the ‘liver qi stagnation’.
There are many classic herbal formulas which regulate the 'liver qi' and are very effective in relieving premenstrual emotional and physical pain. Chinese herbalist will often combine them with herbs which also move blood to address the resulting blood stagnation when needed.
Signs of Liver Qi Stagnation
• Prone to emotional depression
• Prone to anger and/or rage
• Premenstrual irritability
• Irritable around ovulation
• Feel like your ovulation lasts longer than it should
• Breasts sensitive/sore at ovulation
• Nipple pain or discharge from your nipples
• A lot of premenstrual breast distention or pain
• Elevated prolactin levels
• Bloated premenstrually
• Pupils usually dilated and large
• Difficulty falling asleep at night
• Heartburn or wake up with a bitter taste in your mouth
• Painful menses
• Menstrual cramps in the external genitalia
• Menstrual blood thick and dark or purplish in color
• Tongue is dark or purplish in color
Diet/Lifestyle Recommendations
• Do not overeat.
Try to avoid heavy, hard to digest foods like nuts, peanut butter, butter, animal fats, too much meat, and too much bread. Avoid foods with preservatives or chemicals.
• Sit down when you eat.
• Eat frequent, small meals. This keeps the blood sugar levels more stable and inhibits adrenaline release. • Use spices that move the Qi, like peppermint, rosemary, spearmint, turmeric, and thyme.
• Supplement your diet with zinc (especially premenstrually)
• Chew foods adequately.
• Do not drink alcohol or caffeine, do not smoke cigarettes
• Get adequate physical exercise.
• Avoid harboring anger and resentment. Feelings of frustration and internal emotional tension need to be resolved as soon as possible, as any stagnated emotion can inhibit the Qi mechanism.
• Laugh. Go to comedies or funny movies to release any stuck internal feelings.
• Breathe deeply and relax.
• Too much estrogen creates Liver Qi stagnation. To help the liver metabolize the excess estrogen, stop eating animal products that have been treated hormonally.
• Drink detox of milk thistle tea to harmonize internal liver energies and help the Liver process excess hormones, emotions, etc. Alcohol consumption damages the energetic function of the Liver. Therefore women who are diagnosed with an overabundance of stagnant Liver Qi should not consume alcohol when they are trying to get pregnant.
Foods that move the qi and remove stagnation
Basil, caraway, cardamom, carrot, cayenne, chive, clove, coriander, dill seed, garlic, marjoram, mustard leaf, orange peel, peppermint, radish, rosemary, spearmint, star anise, tangerine peel, thyme, turmeric. 'Spleen Qi' tonics improve quality /quantity of available energy in the body Beef, cherries, chicken, coconut, date, eel, fig, flax seed, ginseng, goose, grape, ham, Herring, job’s tears barley (coix), lentil, licorice, mackerel, micro-algae, molasses, oats, octopus, potato, pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, rabbit, rice, royal jelly, sweet potato, shitake mushroom, squash, sturgeon, tofu, yam.
Avoid cold foods, dairy products, refined carbohydrates, sugar, artificial sweeteners
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