According to the theory of TCM constitution, individuals are classified into nine types based on their physical conditions. This classification is relatively simple and convenient for clinical application.
Today, we invite Dr. Chen Zhiwen, a TCM physician at Yunfu City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, to discuss the Qi deficiency constitution and how to nourish it.
Note: The nine constitutions are: Pinghe constitution (Balanced constitution), Qixu constitution (Qi deficiency constitution), Yangxu constitution (Yang deficiency constitution), Yinxu constitution (Yin deficiency constitution), Phlegm-damp constitution, Damp-heat constitution, Blood stasis constitution, Qi stagnation constitution, and Te Bing constitution (Special constitution). Except for the Pinghe constitution, the other eight are considered imbalanced constitutions, belonging to a sub-healthy state.
What is Qi Deficiency Constitution?
The Qi deficiency constitution is characterized by insufficient vital energy (Yuan Qi), with weak breath and low functional status of the body and organs.Physical characteristics: Muscles are soft, with variations in body weight.Psychological characteristics: Introverted personality, unstable emotions, timid, and averse to risk.Symptom tendencies: Pale or sallow complexion, pale lips, dull hair, weak voice, preference for quietness, frequent fatigue, shortness of breath, lack of energy, spontaneous sweating, dizziness, forgetfulness, and susceptibility to colds.Adaptability to external environments: Poor tolerance to cold, wind, and heat.
Tongue appearance: Pale tongue, with a body that may be swollen or have tooth marks on the edges.
Lifestyle Adjustments
① Maintain a stable and peaceful mindset in daily life, avoiding excessive tension.
② Avoid being in cold and damp environments. When resting or sleeping, avoid drafts and direct wind, especially protecting important “doors and windows” of the body from cold.
③ Develop good sleeping habits, going to bed before 11 PM, and generally sleeping early and rising early, avoiding staying up late. Take appropriate naps.
④ Engage in gentle exercises, avoiding strenuous physical activities and excessive workouts, aiming for a slight sweat, warmth in the body, and a feeling of fullness in Qi and blood without feeling overly tired.
⑤ Keep warm, especially in the back, upper abdomen, lower abdomen, and soles of the feet. Avoid sweating and exposure to wind during labor or intense exercise.
⑥ Correct bad habits: Avoid frequently consuming cold, raw, and overly rich foods; lack of exercise; excessive thinking, which can lead to Qi stagnation and insufficient Qi and blood; emotional disturbances such as joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness that disrupt a peaceful mindset.
Dietary Adjustments
Nourishing the constitution
① The basic principle is to strengthen the spleen and benefit Qi. Choose nutritious and easily digestible foods, avoiding excessive consumption of raw and cold foods (including chilled and cold dishes).
② Maintain regular eating times and amounts, avoid picky eating, consume a variety of foods, and eat until 70% full. Those with Qi deficiency should especially avoid overeating.
③ Nourishment for Qi deficiency should be gradual; avoid abrupt, excessive, or crude supplementation. The best method is to consume congee, whether plain or meat congee, adding red dates (Hong Zao), Chinese yam (Shan Yao), or ginkgo (Bai Guo).
④ Ensure a certain amount of meat, fish, eggs, or dairy at breakfast, and avoid excessive richness or fullness at dinner.
⑤ Increase the intake of whole grains, aiming to include fresh vegetables and fruits in every meal.
⑥ Dietary adjustments can include foods with nourishing properties, such as millet (Xiao Mi), japonica rice (Jing Mi), glutinous rice (Nuomi), sweet potatoes (Hong Shu), beef (Niu Rou), rabbit meat (Tu Rou), chicken (Ji Rou), eggs (Ji Dan), yellow croaker (Huang Yu), lamb heart (Yang Xin), cauliflower (Cai Hua), carrots (Hu Luo Bo), shiitake mushrooms (Xiang Gu), lion’s mane mushrooms (Hua Gu), peanuts (Hua Sheng), lotus seeds (Lian Zi), red dates (Da Zao), and honey (Feng Mi).
Avoid overly rich foods and those that are hard to digest, such as cassava (Mu Yu), radishes (Luobo), taro (Yam), and potatoes (Tu Dou). Be cautious with cold foods, such as field snails (Tian Luo), crabs (Pang Xie), watermelons (Xi Gua), pears (Li), bitter melons (Ku Gua), mung beans (Lv Dou), kelp (Hai Dai), fava beans (Cai Dou), green tea (Lv Cha), sashimi (Sheng Yu), cold drinks, and cold herbal teas (Liang Cha).
Common Qi-tonifying herbs used in medicinal cuisine include Astragalus (Huang Qi), Codonopsis (Dang Shen), Prince ginseng (Tai Zi Shen), Ginseng (Ren Shen), Chinese yam (Shan Yao), Rhodiola (Hong Jing Tian), Atractylodes (Bai Zhu), and Five-fingered peach (Wu Zhi Mao Tao).
The Five-fingered peach, known as “Southern Astragalus,” not only strengthens the spleen and benefits Qi but also promotes Qi circulation and dispels dampness, making it especially suitable for people living in humid southern regions.
Examples of Medicinal Cuisine
01
Ginseng Chicken Soup
[Ingredients] 40g medicinal ginseng, 1 chicken, 5 dried mushrooms, a little wine, and salt.
[Method] Clean the chicken, remove the head, feet, and internal organs, and drain the water from the cavity. Soak the dried mushrooms, remove the stems, and cut them in half. Stuff the chicken with mushrooms and ginseng, add 1 cup of wine, and pour in hot water until the chicken is submerged. Place the chicken in a steaming pot and steam for over 2 hours. You can remove the ginseng halfway, slice it thinly, and return it to the pot. Remove the chicken when it can be pierced through with chopsticks. Alternatively, you can put all the ingredients in a soup pot and cook as usual.
[Usage] Consume 2-3 times a week.
Note that red ginseng and white ginseng, although derived from the same plant and both excellent for Qi replenishment, have different effects due to their processing methods.
According to the “Bencao Zhengyi,” red ginseng is “warming and nourishing,” while white ginseng is “clearing and nourishing.” Red ginseng is a warming tonic, while white ginseng is a cooling tonic. Although both are suitable for Qi deficiency diseases, for Qi deficiency with cold symptoms, such as Yang Qi deficiency, red ginseng should be chosen; for Qi deficiency with heat symptoms, such as Qi and Yin deficiency, white ginseng is needed.
02
Millet Red Date Yam Congee
[Ingredients] 50g rice, 50g millet, 5 red dates, 150g yam.
[Method] Peel the yam and cut it into small pieces. Wash all ingredients. Place them in a pressure cooker with an appropriate amount of water, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, allowing it to naturally release pressure.
[Usage] Consume 2-3 times a week.
03
Astragalus Red Date Longan Stewed Black Chicken
[Ingredients] 20g astragalus, 10g longan meat, 10g red dates, appropriate amount of black chicken meat.
[Method] Wash all ingredients and place them in a pot with an appropriate amount of water, simmer until the black chicken is tender, and season with salt.
[Usage] Consume 2-3 times a week.
04
Rhodiola Sauce Radish
This recipe is from “TCM Health Preservation and Medicinal Cuisine”
[Ingredients] 3g rhodiola, 500g radish.
[Method] Peel and slice the radish thickly, steam in a steamer for 5 minutes. Boil rhodiola in water to extract the juice, thicken and season. Plate the radish and pour the rhodiola sauce over it.
[Usage] Serve as a side dish.
Rhodiola has the effects of strengthening the spleen, benefiting Qi, clearing the lungs, stopping cough, and promoting blood circulation. It is not advisable to brew rhodiola with tea, as its effective components do not dissolve well in water when brewed, so it is recommended to use it in soups or decoctions.
Emotional Regulation
① Cultivate an open and optimistic attitude towards life, avoid excessive mental strain, and maintain a stable and peaceful mindset.
② Excessive thinking and worry can obstruct the flow of Qi, so it is important to arrange work and life rhythms and plans to ensure appropriate relaxation, avoiding situations and environments that trigger emotional fluctuations.
Self-Massage Therapy
Acupoint Massage:Guanyuan (CV4), Yongquan (KD1), Baihui (GV20), Mingmen (GV4), Qihai (CV6), Zusanli (ST36). Use the thumb or middle finger to massage, once in the morning after waking up and once in the evening before sleeping, for 3 minutes each time, with pressure that feels slightly sore yet comfortable.
Guanyuan: Located in the lower abdomen, 3 inches below the navel on the midline.
Yongquan: At the junction of the anterior 1/3 and posterior 2/3 of the sole of the foot.
Baihui: At the intersection of the midline of the head and the line connecting the tips of both ears.
Mingmen: In the lumbar region, at the depression below the spinous process of the second lumbar vertebra on the midline.
Qihai: 1.5 inches below the navel.
Zusanli: 4 fingerbreadths below the outer knee joint, 1 fingerbreadth lateral to the tibia.
You can also perform moxibustion on the above acupoints for 10-15 minutes each time.
Source | Yunfu City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Medical Guidance: Dr. Chen Zhiwen, TCM Physician
Editor | Shanlai Editorial Team