Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) categorizes individuals into nine different constitutions based on their physical conditions. Each constitution requires different health maintenance methods. So, what are the nine constitutions? What constitution do you belong to? How should you maintain your health? Let’s listen to what the experts have to say.
Health Guidance: Cheng Jiehui, Luo Cuiwen, Liang Yongzhu, Zhuhai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Province
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 Li’s 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 likely indicative of a Yin Deficiency Constitution.
Distribution Status
According to epidemiological data, approximately 67.86% of the general population has a偏颇体质 (biased constitution), among which the Yin Deficiency Constitution accounts for about 8.27%, ranking fourth among biased 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 constitutions.
What are the characteristics of individuals with Yin Deficiency Constitution?
How is Yin Deficiency Constitution formed?
Health Maintenance Recommendations
1. Dietary Maintenance
Yang Qi is like the sun’s light and heat, while Yin Qi is akin to 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), Bai Mu Er (White fungus), and Bai He (Lily) 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, while minimizing frying or roasting, which can increase the drying nature of the food.
“Spring and summer nourish Yang, autumn and winter nourish Yin,” and currently, it is the season for winter storage. The weather is relatively dry, and consuming nourishing Yin foods at this time can take advantage of the seasonal benefits and further support the storage of Yin essence.
2. Lifestyle and Daily Routine
Individuals with a Yin Deficiency constitution often experience an excess of Yang Qi due to insufficient Yin fluids, leading to a state of irritability and 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 playful activities or intense exercise before sleep, and create a quiet environment for rest. 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; thus, even healthy individuals should practice moderation in sexual activities, and those with Yin Deficiency should pay extra attention to preserving Yin essence. Furthermore, tobacco is recorded in the Ben Cao Hui Yan as “bitter and pungent, hot, and toxic,” while alcohol is described in the Bei Lu 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, who already have insufficient 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 hot environments, and pay attention to sweating, replenishing fluids promptly after exercise.
4. Emotional Regulation
Individuals with a Yin Deficiency constitution often have fluctuating emotions and can be easily irritated. It is important to pay attention to emotional regulation, remaining calm in the face of challenges, and learning how to maintain a stable mindset in both favorable and adverse situations. 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 clear the mind of distractions, leading to a tranquil state of mind. Spending leisure time in beautiful and serene environments can also enhance mood and promote relaxation.
Recommended Dietary Therapies
Yin Nourishing and Beauty Enhancing White Fungus Soup
Ingredients:1 large piece of white fungus, 40g lotus seeds, 1 fresh lily, 10 red dates, 10g goji berries, and appropriate amount of rock sugar.
Method:Wash the white fungus, remove the yellow part at the root, tear it into small pieces, soak in cold water overnight, or in warm water for several hours until soft. Remove the core from the lotus seeds and soak in warm water for 1 hour. Clean the fresh lily. Add an appropriate amount of water to a pot, combine all ingredients except the fresh lily, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer for about 1 hour. Add the fresh lily 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:2 fresh lemons, 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, repeating until full. Seal the jar, gently shake to mix the honey and lemon, and refrigerate for 5-7 days. When consuming, 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 (Glehnia root) and Yuzhu (Polygonatum) Lotus Root Duck Soup
Ingredients:Half a duck, 30g Shashen, 30g Yuzhu, 500g lotus root, and 3 slices of ginger.
Method:Clean the slaughtered duck, remove feathers and entrails, and cut into pieces. Peel and cut the lotus root into chunks. In a pot, add cold water, bring to a boil, and blanch the duck pieces 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.
Recommended Techniques
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 tapping, use your tongue to stir against the upper and lower gums and teeth, clockwise 18 times and counterclockwise 18 times, an ancient health practice known as “Red Dragon Stirs the Sea.” Then, press the tongue against the palate 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 sweet liquid, jade spring, and divine nectar. As noted in Hong Lu Dian Xue: “Once the saliva is swallowed, it transforms into blood in the heart, clarifies vision in the liver, nourishes the spirit in the spleen, aids Qi in the lungs, and generates essence in the kidneys, naturally harmonizing the body and preventing diseases.” Therefore, swallowing one’s own saliva helps to store Yin essence and nourish the body.
Provided by Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
