Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) categorizes individuals into nine different constitutions based on their physical conditions. Different constitutions require different health maintenance methods. So, what are the nine constitutions? What constitution do you belong to? How should you maintain your health? Let us listen to what the experts have to say.
Health Guidance: Center for Preventive Medicine, Zhuhai Hospital of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Cheng Jiehui, Luo Cuiwen, Liang Yongzhu
Expert Introduction
According to the standards of “Classification and Identification of TCM Constitutions” issued by the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine on March 26, 2009, the most authoritative classification of TCM constitutions includes one balanced constitution and eight imbalanced constitutions. Director Cheng will teach everyone how to roughly identify their own and their family members’ constitutions and how to conduct simple health maintenance.
Case Study
Li, 23 years old, has inherited her father’s tall and slender physique. Her family used to run a stall selling pancakes and fried dough sticks, and she has always craved these crispy fried snacks. She often feels dry in her mouth and throat, needing to drink a lot of water daily, and prefers it cold to feel comfortable. Although her slim figure may make many women envious, her skin, while fair, is quite dry, and she has many fine lines at a young age. Every winter, when the wind turns cold, her cheeks are always flushed, and the skin on her hands and feet often cracks… Li’s condition is very likely a state of Yin Deficiency Constitution.
Distribution Status
According to epidemiological data, approximately 67.86% of the general population has imbalanced constitutions, among which 8.27% have Yin Deficiency Constitution, ranking fourth among imbalanced constitutions. Research on TCM constitutions in sub-healthy populations found that the proportion of Yin Deficiency Constitution is about 13.4%, second only to Yang Deficiency and Qi Deficiency populations.
What characteristics do individuals with Yin Deficiency Constitution possess?
How is Yin Deficiency Constitution formed?
Health Maintenance Suggestions
1. Dietary Maintenance
Yang Qi is like the sun’s light and heat, while Yin Qi is like the nourishing rain that moistens the earth and promotes growth. When the weather is hot for a long time and there is insufficient rain, riverbeds dry up, and crops die from drought. This is an imbalance caused by insufficient Yin fluids failing to restrain excessive Yang Qi. For the human body, a deficiency of Yin fluids leads to dryness of the skin and mucous membranes, resulting in common symptoms such as dry skin, dry mouth and throat, and constipation.
Individuals with Yin Deficiency should increase the intake of sweet and cool nourishing foods, such as celery, spinach, bean sprouts, loofah, cucumber, winter melon, water chestnut, lotus root, white radish, and tomatoes; or fresh fruits like pears, bananas, grapes, persimmons, sugarcane, loquats, coconuts, and mulberries;
Meat and seafood options include lean pork, pig’s trotters, duck, turtle, soft-shelled turtle, squid, jellyfish, clams, and oysters; or they can be appropriately paired with herbs like Sha Shen (Glehnia Root), Yu Zhu (Polygonatum), Mai Dong (Ophiopogon), Yin Er (Tremella), and Bai He (Lily Bulb) in porridge, soup, or sweet soups. It is important to reduce the intake of warming and drying foods such as lamb, dog meat, chili, Sichuan pepper, leeks, ginger, garlic, durian, and lychee.
Additionally, it is recommended to cook food by steaming, boiling, blanching, or stewing, as these methods better preserve the moisture and nutrients of the ingredients. Try to avoid frying, deep-frying, or roasting, as these methods can increase the drying and heating properties of the food.
“Spring and summer nourish Yang, autumn and winter nourish Yin“. Currently, it is the season for winter storage, and the weather is relatively dry. At this time, consuming nourishing Yin foods can take advantage of the seasonal benefits and further help in the storage of Yin essence.
2. Lifestyle and Daily Routine
Individuals with a Yin Deficiency constitution often experience irritability due to insufficient Yin fluids and relatively excessive Yang Qi, leading to a state of hyperactivity. During sleep, Yang Qi retracts, allowing Yin fluids to nourish the body. It is recommended for those with Yin Deficiency to adjust their daily routine to ensure adequate rest and sleep.
The bedroom should be decorated in soft colors, and it is advisable to avoid strong tea or coffee before bed. Avoid playing or engaging in vigorous exercise before sleep, and create a quiet resting environment. A calm mind leads to peaceful sleep. The balance of Yin and Yang in the kidneys is fundamental to the body’s Yin and Yang. Excessive indulgence can harm Yang and injure Yin. Even healthy individuals need to moderate sexual activity, while those with Yin Deficiency should pay more attention to preserving Yin and essence. Furthermore, tobacco is recorded in the “Compendium of Materia Medica” as “bitter and pungent, hot in nature, and toxic,” and alcohol is described as “bitter, sweet, pungent, very hot, and toxic”. Long-term smoking and drinking can easily generate internal heat, therefore, individuals with Yin Deficiency are advised to quit smoking and drinking.
3. Physical Exercise
High-intensity exercise or prolonged physical activity can lead to excessive sweating and thirst, as movement raises Yang Qi and forces fluids outward, resulting in a certain loss of Yin fluids. Individuals with Yin Deficiency, due to their inherent lack of fluids, should choose moderate-intensity, intermittent exercise, such as Tai Chi, Ba Duan Jin, or fitness routines that combine movement and stillness.
Avoid exercising in direct sunlight or in hot environments, and pay attention to hydration after exercise.
4. Emotional Regulation
Individuals with a Yin Deficiency constitution often have fluctuating emotions and can be easily irritated. They should pay attention to emotional regulation, remain calm in the face of challenges, and learn how to maintain a stable mindset. In daily life, listening to soft and soothing music can be beneficial, as well as cultivating hobbies such as calligraphy, painting, or playing musical instruments. For example, practicing calligraphy requires focus and calmness, and long-term practice can cultivate patience and help eliminate distracting thoughts, leading to a tranquil mind. Spending time in beautiful, serene environments can also enhance mood and promote relaxation.
Recommended Dietary Therapy
Yin-Nourishing and Beauty-Enhancing Tremella Soup
Ingredients:One large Tremella (Silver Ear), 40g lotus seeds, one fresh lily bulb, 10 red dates, 10g goji berries, and an appropriate amount of rock sugar.
Method:Clean the Tremella, remove the yellow part at the base, tear it into small pieces, soak it in cold water overnight, or in warm water for several hours until soft. Remove the core from the lotus seeds and soak them in warm water for 1 hour. Clean the fresh lily bulb and set aside. Add an appropriate amount of water to a pot, combine all ingredients except the fresh lily bulb, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer for about 1 hour. Add the fresh lily bulb and rock sugar, and cook for another 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves, then serve.
Effects:Nourishes Yin and blood, calms the heart and mind.
Honey Lemon Rose Drink
Ingredients:Two fresh lemons, an appropriate amount of honey, and 5 dried rose flowers.
Method:First, prepare the honey lemon: wash the fresh lemons several times with salt, slice them thinly, and prepare a clean glass jar of suitable size. Layer a few lemon slices at the bottom, pour in a layer of honey, then add more lemon slices, continuing to layer until full. Seal the jar, gently shake to mix the honey and lemon, and refrigerate for 5-7 days. When ready to consume, place the rose flowers in a cup, take 2-3 slices of lemon, add a spoonful of honey lemon juice, and pour in 200ml of boiling water to steep for 10 minutes before enjoying.
Effects:Nourishes Yin, moistens dryness, generates fluids, and relieves liver stagnation.
Shashen Yuzhu Lotus Root Duck Soup
Ingredients:Half a duck, 30g Shashen (Glehnia Root), 30g Yuzhu (Polygonatum), 500g lotus root, and 3 slices of ginger.
Method:Clean the slaughtered duck, remove feathers and internal organs, and cut it into pieces. Peel and cut the lotus root into chunks. In a pot of cold water, add the duck meat and blanch to remove blood impurities. In a soup pot, add an appropriate amount of water, combine all ingredients, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer for 2 hours, adding salt to taste.
Long-term insomnia not only affects the normal function of the digestive tract, but also leads to a decline in immune function, causing menstrual irregularities, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, etc. It is also important to be cautious of the dependency that can arise from long-term use of sleeping pills.
Dr. Li Yan suggests quitting bad habits such as staying up late, avoiding excessive consumption of caffeinated beverages, and not eating spicy foods for dinner. Spices like chili, garlic, and onion can cause a burning sensation in the stomach and digestive discomfort, making it difficult to fall asleep. It is advisable to consume foods that promote sleep.
Recommended Practice
Tooth Tapping and Saliva Swallowing Method
Method:Sit quietly, calm your mind, and regulate your breathing. Lightly close your lips and rhythmically tap your upper and lower teeth together, first tapping the molars, then the incisors, and finally the canines, each for 36 times. After finishing the tooth tapping, use your tongue to stir against the upper and lower gums and teeth, clockwise 18 times and counterclockwise 18 times. Ancient health practitioners referred to this as “Red Dragon Churning the Sea.” Then, press the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth to gather saliva. When there is a significant amount of saliva, swish it in your mouth several times, and finally swallow it slowly in three portions. During swallowing, focus on the lower dantian, as if the saliva is sinking into the dantian. This completes one full practice, and it is recommended to do this once before bed and once in the morning, with more repetitions being better.
Effects:TCM believes that “saliva is the fluid of the kidneys”. Historically, saliva has been referred to as nectar, jade spring, and other names. The “Red Furnace Points Snow” states: “Once the saliva is swallowed, it transforms in the heart into blood, clarifies the eyes in the liver, nourishes the spirit in the spleen, aids the qi in the lungs, and generates essence in the kidneys, naturally harmonizing the body and preventing diseases.” Therefore, swallowing one’s own saliva helps in storing Yin essence and nourishing the body.
Zhuhai Hospital of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Doctor’s Business Card from the Center for Preventive Medicine
1. Cheng Jiehui, Chief TCM Physician
Member of the TCM Constitution Committee of the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Standing Committee Member of the Health Management Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Association of Integrative Medicine, Standing Committee Member of the TCM Preventive Medicine Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Health Association
Specializes in:TCM health maintenance for sub-healthy states, tonic prescriptions for autumn and winter, TCM health guidance, especially skilled in TCM constitution identification, guiding daily health maintenance and disease prevention.
Consultation Hours:Monday, Wednesday, Thursday afternoons, Monday night clinic
Consultation Location:Zhuhai Hospital of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
2. Luo Cuiwen, Master of Medicine
Specializes in:Comprehensive use of dietary therapy, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, gua sha, and cupping for the regulation of sub-healthy states and chronic diseases, especially skilled in comprehensive treatment for individuals with weak colds, gastrointestinal discomfort, menstrual irregularities, insomnia, obesity, acne, and TCM constitution identification and personalized health maintenance for the general population.
Consultation Hours:Friday afternoons
Consultation Location:Zhuhai Hospital of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
3. Liang Yongzhu, Master of Medicine
Mainly engaged in preventive medicine and TCM health maintenance.
Specializes in:Combining acupuncture and herbal medicine to regulate various sub-healthy states, such as chronic fatigue, weak colds, insomnia, and acne, proficient in TCM constitution identification and guiding daily health maintenance.
Consultation Hours:Time to be determined
Consultation Location:Zhuhai Hospital of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Consultation Phone: 0756-3325130
(Source: Zhuhai Hospital of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine)
