Introduction
Yang deficiency constitution refers to a condition where Yang Qi is relatively weak, leading to a significant decline in physiological functions, characterized by reduced ability to withstand cold. The main manifestations include feeling cold, cold limbs, aversion to cold and preference for warmth, low energy, pale complexion, lack of thirst, loose stools, clear and frequent urination, a pale and swollen tongue with tooth marks on the edges, and a deep, thin, and weak pulse.
Dietary Nourishment for Yang Deficiency Constitution
Individuals with Yang deficiency should primarily consume warm and hot foods, complemented by Qi-tonifying foods to support organ function, protect the spleen and stomach, and enhance cold resistance. The dietary principles are as follows:
Dietary Principles
1. Focus on sweet and warm foods. Sweet and warm foods help tonify Yang Qi, such as deer blood, dog meat, and clams.
2. Appropriately add spicy and hot ingredients. Spicy and hot foods disperse cold and promote Yang, such as ginger, cinnamon twig (Gui Zhi), and fennel.
3. Avoid cold and raw foods. Cold and raw foods can easily damage Yang Qi, such as celery, mung beans, ice pops, and raw radishes.
Food Selection
Recommended foods for individuals with Qi deficiency: deer meat, dog meat, pork, pig kidneys, donkey meat, chicken, lamb, lamb kidneys, lamb fat, loach, catfish, river shrimp, sea shrimp, sea cucumber, eel, ribbon fish, clams, straw mushrooms, morel mushrooms, gecko, nine-fragrant insect, silkworm pupae, walnut kernels, chestnuts, sword beans, leeks, pleurotus eryngii, pineapple, lychee, cherries, garlic, scallions, chili peppers, dried ginger, cinnamon, fennel, cloves, Sichuan pepper, black pepper, soybean oil, vegetable oil, brown sugar, etc.
Recipe Compilation
1. Lamb Meatballs
Ingredients: 250g lamb, 50g spinach, cooking wine, fine salt, sesame oil, minced ginger, scallion segments, lamb broth as needed.
Method: Mince the lamb, wash and chop the spinach. Heat a wok, add a little oil, sauté ginger and scallions briefly, add lamb broth, a little fine salt, and cooking wine, and heat until 60% cooked. Form the minced lamb into small meatballs and drop them into the pot, allowing the temperature to rise gradually. When the broth boils, add the spinach, drizzle with sesame oil, and serve.
Effects: Warms the middle, harmonizes the stomach, strengthens the kidneys, and tonifies Yang. Suitable for Yang deficiency constitution, Qi deficiency constitution, and blood deficiency constitution; can be consumed by healthy individuals.
2. Pigeon and Red Date Rice
Ingredients: 500g rice, 400g fat pigeon, 75g red dates, 30g shiitake mushrooms, 10g ginger, 15mL yellow wine, 80g white sugar, vegetable oil as needed.
Method: Clean the pigeon and cut it into pieces, marinate with yellow wine, white sugar, and cooked vegetable oil; wash and pit the red dates; soak the shiitake mushrooms until soft, slice, and mix with ginger in a bowl with the pigeon meat. When the rice is nearly cooked, layer the pigeon meat and red dates on top, cover tightly, and steam until done.
Effects: Tonifies Yang and benefits Qi. Suitable for Yang deficiency constitution, Qi deficiency constitution, and blood deficiency constitution; can be consumed by healthy individuals.
3. Scallion and Morel Mushrooms
Ingredients: 15g dried morel mushrooms, 250g agar jelly, 50g snow peas, 5g ginger slices, 10g scallion segments, 30g chives, 4g chicken essence, 3g fine salt, 200mL fresh broth, 20g wet starch, 100g melted chicken fat.
Method: Soak the morel mushrooms in clean water, remove the stems, wash thoroughly, and steam with fresh broth until cooked. Shape the agar jelly into bamboo shapes, cut the snow peas into branches and leaves, and insert them into the bamboo. Heat the melted chicken fat in a pot until moderately hot, sauté ginger slices and scallion segments until fragrant, add fresh broth to boil, then add morel mushrooms, fine salt, and chicken essence, cooking until the mushrooms are flavorful. Thicken with wet starch, drizzle with melted chicken fat, sprinkle with chives, mix well, and serve.
Effects: Tonifies the kidneys and strengthens Yang. Suitable for Yang deficiency constitution and Qi deficiency constitution; can be consumed by healthy individuals.
4. Red Fermented Chicken
Ingredients: 1000g hen, 400g white radish, 50g red chili, 75g red fermented rice, 1g five-spice powder, 75g white sugar, 125mL yellow wine, 50mL white liquor, 10g salt, 50mL white vinegar.
Method: Clean the hen, remove the feet, and lightly pound the knee joints; place in a pot with 1500mL of water, simmer on low heat for 10 minutes until the broth is nearly hot, then flip the chicken and cook for another 2 minutes until fully cooked; remove and cool. Finely chop the red fermented rice, steam until cooked, mix with chicken broth, and strain through clean gauze to obtain the rice juice. Cut the cooled chicken into four pieces, keeping the feet; split the head into two pieces, cut the wings into two segments, and place in a bowl. Season the chicken cavity with 5g fine salt, 35g white sugar, rice juice, sorghum liquor, five-spice powder, and yellow wine, mix well, and marinate for 1 hour. Cut the chicken into strips about 0.8cm long and 0.4cm wide, arrange on a plate, and decorate with the head, feet, and wings to resemble a whole chicken. Meanwhile, wash the white radish, cut into strips about 0.5cm thick, score one side diagonally and the other side horizontally to create a crisscross pattern, soak in salt water for about 10 minutes to remove bitterness, then rinse and squeeze dry. Mix the marinated radish with chili peppers, add 40g white sugar and white vinegar, mix well, and marinate for 20 minutes, then squeeze out excess juice and place on either side of the chicken.
Effects: Warms Yang, tonifies Qi, and stimulates appetite. Suitable for Yang deficiency constitution and Qi deficiency constitution; can be consumed by healthy individuals.
Featured Book
“Health Strategies – Constitution and Diet”
“Food is the heaven for the people.” The heavens have the manifestations of yin and yang, rain and snow, wind and frost, while food has the four Qi and five flavors. People have distinctions of gender, size, and height. What determines what should or should not be eaten is solely the individual’s constitution. Understanding what one should eat is equally important as knowing what one should avoid. The key of this book is to combine the nature and flavor of food with the constitution.
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