According to modern Western physiology, normal metabolic activities are governed by the functional activities of the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, pancreas and adrenal glands, as well as those of the Liver, Gallbladder, Stomach, Small Intestine and Large Intestine. Digestion, assimilation, the conservation of nutrients and fluids and the maintenance of stable body mass are regulated by a complex interplay of enzymes, hormones and neuromuscular activities. In Chinese herbology it is the Organ Networks of the Spleen and Kidney that govern primary metabolic processes including maintenance of bodily warmth, respiration, digestion and assimilation, fluid balance and the distribution and density of muscle and fat. The fundamental mechanism underlying the stability and continuity of these functions is the Life Fire (Ming Huo), also known as Original Yang (Yuan Yang) or Kidney Yang (Shen Yang). It is this primordial Yang − like the pilot light in a furnace − that initiates and sustains all of the transformational processes that generate Qi, Moisture and Blood, vivify the Organ Networks and enliven the Mind (Shen). In particular, when the Yang of the Kidney and Spleen becomes constrained or insufficient, the quantity and circulation of Qi and Blood, and therefore healthy metabolic balance, is inconsistent. When Yang increases, the metabolic rate increases, and when Yang decreases, the metabolic activity also diminishes. When Yang declines, the normal products of digestion and assimilation tend to accumulate and are conserved or stored as surplus Moisture which can transform into Dampness and Phlegm. The generation of Phlegm and Dampness in these circumstances is a compensatory mechanism for managing the surplus Moisture that results from taxation of the Spleen Qi. The increased demand upon the Yang − the need to transform, transport and eliminate inordinate quantities of digested food − can also create a pattern of Heat due to congestion and overwork of the Heart, Stomach and Liver: congestion leads to friction, which creates Heat; overwork also generates more Heat. Eventually, too much demand and constant activity weaken the Zheng Qi deplete the body’s reserves, Hou Tian and Xian Tian Qi. Yang can transform into Yin, Heat into Cold, and excess into deficiency. Maintaining healthy, stable body mass (BMI) is a challenge for many individuals who live in a society such as ours where there is often a surplus of food. In most cases, regardless of the precipitating causes, regulating Yang and promoting the function of the Kidney and Spleen will help to support and maintain normal, healthy metabolic processes. Accordingly, Weight Manager supports and regulates Yang, promotes the normal functions of the Kidney and Spleen and aids in the elimination of accumulated and undigested food, surplus fluid, Damp Heat and Phlegm. RATIONALE This formula is an adaptation of two classical prescriptions, Powder Of Five Ingredients with Poria (Wu Ling San) and Pill for Regulating the Center (Li Zhong Wan). Both are creations of the physician Zhang Zhong Jing from the third century. This combination promotes elimination of retained digestate, Heat and Phlegm, while strengthening the Qi and Yang of the Kidney and Spleen. Polyporus sclerotium, Asian water plantain rhizome, Winter melon peel and Ginger rhizome peel mobilize fluids and eliminate Dampness by activating and coordinating the fluid-management function of the Triple Burner with that of the Kidney and Bladder. Poria, dry fried Bitter orange immature fruit, Quisqualis fruit and Gardenia fruit dissipate Phlegm, purge accumulated matter, disperse congested Qi and eliminate Damp Heat. Chinese quince fruit and Job’s tears seed also dispel Dampness and, in alliance with White atractylodes rhizome and Chinese licorice root and rhizome, protect the Spleen and tonify Qi. Evodia fruit invigorates the Yang of both Kidney and Spleen, assisting the Spleen in transforming fluids and the Kidney in eliminating them.
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