Weinan Central Hospital, TCM Department
Head Nurse: Du Haiyan
With the development of the times, people are increasingly focusing on health and wellness. From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), different constitutions require different nourishment plans. Below, I will share insights on this topic:
1. What are the nine types of TCM constitutions?
These include: Pinghe (Balanced), Yangxu (Yang Deficiency), Yinxu (Yin Deficiency), Qixu (Qi Deficiency), Shire (Damp-Heat), Tan-Shi (Phlegm-Damp), Xueyu (Blood Stasis), Qixu (Qi Deficiency), and Tebing (Special Constitution).
2. Concept of Balanced Constitution
The Pinghe constitution refers to a state characterized by good innate endowment and proper postnatal nourishment, with features such as a rosy complexion, abundant energy, and strong organ function. The Pinghe constitution is considered a healthy type.
Physical characteristics: Moderate body shape, rosy complexion, and thick hair.
Common manifestations: Good sleep, good appetite, normal bowel movements, pale red tongue, thin white coating, and a harmonious, strong pulse.
Psychological characteristics: Easy-going and cheerful personality.
Tendency to illness: Rarely falls ill.
Adaptability to external environments: Strong adaptability to both natural and social environments.
3. Dietary Nourishment
1. It is beneficial to consume more carrots. Carrots are best cooked with oil or stewed with meat to ensure effective absorption of their active components. However, do not consume them in excess, as a large intake of carotene can cause skin pigmentation changes, turning it orange-yellow. Avoid adding vinegar during cooking to prevent loss of carotene.
Precautions: Individuals with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold should not eat raw carrots, and carrots should not be consumed with alcohol or white radish.
2. Those with a balanced constitution can frequently eat red dates in spring. Red dates are sweet in flavor and rich in protein, sugars, organic acids, and vitamins B and C, making them excellent for tonifying the spleen and stomach. In spring, regularly consume jujube tea by frying 4 red dates until both sides are charred, then tearing them apart and steeping with 2 chrysanthemum flowers and some goji berries. This can help strengthen the spleen, generate fluids, and tonify Qi.
Precautions: Diabetic patients should avoid red dates, and they should not be consumed with fish or green onions; individuals with symptoms of stomach discomfort, acid reflux, nausea, or poor appetite should avoid them. The amount of red dates consumed at one time should not be excessive to prevent bloating.
3. Drink yam porridge: Wash and cut 25g of yam into pieces, add 100g of coix seeds and 25g of fox nuts, and cook with an appropriate amount of water to make porridge. This has the effect of tonifying the kidneys, securing essence, and strengthening the spleen and stomach.
4. Yam and Chestnut Soup: Wash 200g of yam, 100g of chestnuts, and 500g of pork bones, then simmer together in a clay pot for about an hour, adding salt to taste. This has the effects of strengthening the spleen, tonifying the kidneys, and benefiting Qi and muscles.
4. Dietary Restrictions
Spring is the beginning of all things growing, a season of rising Yang energy. Individuals with a balanced constitution should limit their intake of spicy and greasy foods, such as chili and fatty meats, to avoid excessive Yang energy that could harm the spleen.