Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a theory of body constitution that categorizes individuals into nine types. Each constitution requires different nurturing methods. Understanding your body constitution is akin to finding a health shortcut, allowing you to nourish your body through simple dietary therapy. Let’s explore which constitution you belong to and what foods you should consume.
Qi Deficiency Constitution: Tonify Qi and Strengthen the Spleen
Top Food Therapy: Sweet Potato Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins and have the effect of tonifying Qi. The best way to consume them is steamed, and you can add variations like cheese-baked sweet potatoes.
Second Place in Food Therapy: Carrot Carrots are nutritionally complete, can strengthen the spleen and regulate spleen deficiency, and have a significant Qi tonifying effect. It is recommended to drink a bowl of carrot porridge daily.Third Place in Food Therapy: Beef Beef can tonify Qi and blood, nourish the spleen and stomach, and strengthen bones. Those with Qi deficiency can consume beef soup once a week.
Yin Deficiency Constitution: Nourish Kidney Yin
Top Food Therapy: Soft-Shelled Turtle Soft-shelled turtle can tonify Yang Qi and nourish Yin deficiency. It can be made into Goji Berry (Gou Qi Zi) and Soft-Shelled Turtle Soup, consumed twice a month.Second Place in Food Therapy: Pomegranate Pomegranate has a sweet, sour, and astringent taste, generates fluids, quenches thirst, aids digestion, and alleviates fatigue.
Third Place in Food Therapy: Kiwi Kiwi is cooling in nature and can regulate Yin deficiency. It is recommended to drink a cup of kiwi juice after lunch every day.
Yang Deficiency Constitution: Warm and Tonify Qi and Blood
Top Food Therapy: Lamb Lamb is rich in protein and is believed in TCM to tonify the kidneys, strengthen Yang, and warm the body to dispel cold. Those with Yang deficiency can consume lamb and tofu soup once a week.Second Place in Food Therapy: Fennel Fennel is warm and pungent, has the effect of warming Yang and dispelling cold, and can be made into five-spice powder to add to dishes, turning them into medicinal meals.Third Place in Food Therapy: Oyster Oysters have multiple benefits including warming Yang, stopping sweating, and resolving phlegm. They can improve cold hands and feet. If you have a lunch of wheat and oyster risotto, you will feel warm all afternoon.
Qi Stagnation Constitution: Revitalize the Spirit and Relieve Stagnation
Top Food Therapy: Donkey Meat According to the “Ben Cao” (Compendium of Materia Medica), “Donkey meat relieves irritability and stops mania!” It is an excellent choice for improving Qi stagnation and can be consumed once a week in fermented black bean donkey meat.Second Place in Food Therapy: Lotus Root Lotus root has the effect of clearing heat and generating fluids, alleviating irritability. It is recommended to frequently stir-fry lotus root for dinner.Third Place in Food Therapy: Kumquat Kumquat can regulate Qi, relieve stagnation, and resolve phlegm. A classic way to consume it is to make kumquat tea.
Phlegm-Damp Constitution: Balance the Spleen and Stomach
Top Food Therapy: White Radish White radish can clear heat, generate fluids, and cool the blood. Those with phlegm-damp constitution can frequently make radish pancakes as a staple food.Second Place in Food Therapy: Loofah Loofah clears heat, resolves phlegm, and cools the blood, which is beneficial for abnormal spleen and stomach conditions and body edema. It is recommended to braise loofah with raw land for consumption twice a week.Third Place in Food Therapy: Fava Beans Fava beans have excellent astringent properties, benefit the spleen and stomach, and can relieve constipation and reduce swelling. It is recommended to drink winter melon and fava bean soup once a week.
Blood Stasis Constitution: Invigorate Blood and Resolve Stasis
Top Food Therapy: Hawthorn Hawthorn has the effects of aiding digestion, strengthening the stomach, and invigorating blood and resolving stasis. It is beneficial to frequently consume snacks made from hawthorn, such as hawthorn pear shreds.Second Place in Food Therapy: Rapeseed Rapeseed can invigorate blood, strengthen the spleen and stomach, tonify blood and Qi, and detoxify. It is recommended to frequently make rapeseed, fresh lotus root, and bamboo shoot soup.Third Place in Food Therapy: Bitter Tea Bitter tea can generate fluids, aid digestion, and resolve stasis. It is recommended to drink bitter tea with honey daily.
Damp-Heat Constitution: Drain Dampness
Top Food Therapy: Job’s Tears (Yi Yi Ren) According to the “Compendium of Materia Medica”, “Job’s Tears strengthen the spleen, benefit the stomach, clear heat, and eliminate dampness.” Those with damp-heat constitution can make Job’s Tears and sesame soup, to be consumed every night before bed.Second Place in Food Therapy: Mung Bean Mung beans clear heat, detoxify, and promote diuresis and reduce swelling. They can beautify the skin and freshen breath. Drinking mung bean and cassia seed soup daily can help the body drain dampness and relieve heat.Third Place in Food Therapy: Bitter Melon Bitter melon can enhance appetite, aid digestion, and help the body eliminate damp-heat. Those with damp-heat can drink a cup of bitter melon juice every afternoon.
Special Constitution: Tonify Qi and Secure the Exterior
Top Food Therapy: Honey Honey can tonify Qi and secure the exterior, promoting metabolism. It can be made into honey walnut meat as a daily snack.Second Place in Food Therapy: Jujube (Da Zao) Jujube can combat allergies and promote detoxification. It is recommended to frequently drink Dang Shen (Codonopsis) and jujube tea.Third Place in Food Therapy: Enoki Mushroom Enoki mushrooms can regulate the gastrointestinal tract and improve allergic constitution. It is recommended to drink enoki mushroom and fish head soup once a week.
Balanced Constitution: Maintain Balance
Top Food Therapy: Ginger Ginger is a dispersive food that can achieve the effect of harmonizing the exterior and interior. It is recommended to drink a cup of red date ginger tea every morning.Second Place in Food Therapy: Peas Peas benefit the spleen and stomach, generate fluids, quench thirst, and harmonize the exterior and interior. It is recommended to consume shrimp and peas twice a week.Third Place in Food Therapy: Millet Millet enters the spleen, stomach, and kidney meridians, can strengthen the spleen and stomach, nourish Yin and blood. It is best to drink a bowl of millet porridge every morning.
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