Dr. Luo believes that Qi forms a circle within the human body. If this circle does not circulate, a person will become ill. Therefore, the highest realm of health preservation is to nourish Qi, allowing it to circulate normally within the body. The simplest method of health preservation is to balance Yin and Yang. Dr. Luo teaches the simplest and most effective methods for balancing Yin and Yang:
The least fiery Qi-boosting method—Sheng Mai Yin (Sheng Mai Decoction);
The simplest method to nourish heart blood—Long Yan Rou (Longan Flesh);
The best medicine for nourishing spleen blood—Gui Pi Wan (Gui Pi Pill);
The most miraculous method to dissolve blood stasis—Earthworms;
My family’s most important secret recipe—Earthworms for treating hemorrhoids;
The food that best eliminates accumulation and dissolves stasis—Ji Nei Jin (Chicken Gizzard Lining).
Chapter One: All Diseases Have One Cause: Imbalance of Yin and Yang
Life is a state of internal stability, which depends on the balance of Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are like the two weights on a balance scale; only when they are equal does the scale remain stable. Once Yin and Yang are imbalanced, the scale tilts to one side, breaking the balance, and a person becomes ill. Therefore, to achieve long-term health, one must constantly maintain the balance of Yin and Yang. What is health preservation? It is the nurturing of Yin and Yang; only when Yin and Yang are harmonized can we live a life free from illness.
Section One
To live a long life, one must rely on balancing Yin and Yang
Over the years, I have been invited by media outlets such as CCTV, Beijing TV, and Shandong TV to host TCM programs. During this time, many people have asked me: What is the most important aspect of health preservation? My answer is four words: Yin and Yang balance.
Everything in the world can ultimately be divided into two categories: Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are two opposing energies; one is positive and the other negative, one is left and the other right, one is up and the other down, one is front and the other back, mutually restraining and interdependent. It is precisely because Yin and Yang are opposing and interdependent that we have heaven and earth, sun and moon, and male and female.
Although the human body is complex, it ultimately consists of only two types of energy: Yin and Yang. The continuous changes of these two energies give rise to human life, aging, illness, and death.
The Huangdi Neijing states: “Yin and Yang are the principles of heaven and earth, the framework of all things, the parents of change, the source of life and death, and the abode of the spirit. To treat illness, one must seek the root.” The Huangdi Neijing, with its tens of thousands of words, essentially speaks of Yin and Yang.
A person’s life is inseparable from birth, aging, illness, and death. What is birth? Birth is the temporary unification of Yin and Yang energies within the body. What is aging? Aging is the continuous change and decline of Yin and Yang within the body. What is illness? Illness is the disorder of Yin and Yang energies within the body. What is death? Death is the disintegration of this unity of Yin and Yang.
What is life? Life is a balanced entity composed of these two contradictory energies of Yin and Yang, where the positive pole is Yang and the negative pole is Yin. Only with the balance of Yin and Yang can a person exist. The Huangdi Neijing states, “The root of life is based on Yin and Yang.” In the world, heaven is above as Yang, earth is below as Yin, and humans in between pursue the balance of Yin and Yang. Therefore, life is a state of neither too high nor too low, a balance of Yin and Yang. If this balance is completely broken, life will end. What happens after life ends? It is the separation of Yin and Yang. At the crematorium, one can observe this phenomenon of Yin and Yang separation: the Yang energy transforms into wisps of smoke drifting into the sky, while the Yin energy becomes ashes buried underground, and a person, with their head under the blue sky and feet on the yellow earth, disappears from the world.
There are thousands of diseases in the human body, some with names and some without; some are common illnesses, while others are difficult to treat. Regardless of how many diseases there are or how difficult they are to treat, their pathology has only one cause: the imbalance of Yin and Yang. The Yin and Yang in the human body are relatively balanced; if Yin is excessive, Yang Qi will be damaged; if Yang is excessive, Yin fluids will be damaged. Therefore, the Huangdi Neijing states, “If Yin prevails, Yang will be ill; if Yang prevails, Yin will be ill.”
Yin and Yang are hidden in every part of the body. The kidneys have kidney Yin and kidney Yang, the liver has liver Yin and liver Yang, the heart has heart Yin and heart Yang, the spleen has spleen Yin and spleen Yang, the stomach has stomach Yin and stomach Yang, the lungs have lung Yin and lung Yang… The Yin and Yang of every part of the body must be kept in balance. Once the Yin and Yang of a certain part become imbalanced, that part will develop a disease.
The Yin and Yang of the liver must be balanced. If liver Yin is insufficient, the Yang Qi of the liver will rise sharply, causing the person to have a flushed face, headaches, irritability, and anger. In TCM, this is called liver Yang rising, and if measured with a blood pressure monitor, it is likely to show elevated blood pressure.
The Yin and Yang of the lungs, stomach, and kidneys must also be balanced. If the Yang Qi of the lungs, stomach, and kidneys is excessive and Yin fluids are insufficient, the person will experience excessive thirst, hunger, and urination, leading to diabetes. Diabetes, also known as the three excesses, occurs when Yang Qi is excessive, causing the body’s fire to increase and the water to evaporate. When the fire in the lungs is high, saliva, sweat, tears, and blood are easily evaporated, leading to dry mouth and thirst, known in TCM as upper excess; when the fire in the stomach is high, the stomach’s function remains in a state of excitement, and food is quickly digested, leading to excessive eating and rapid hunger, known as middle excess; when the fire in the kidneys is high, the kidneys become dry and unable to retain water, leading to excessive urination, known as lower excess. In TCM, the three excesses often correspond to diabetes in Western medicine. Similarly, if the body’s Yang Qi is insufficient, Yin fluids will be excessive, causing the body to resemble a weak stove that cannot vaporize the water in the pot. Since the water vapor cannot rise, the person will feel dry and thirsty, constantly drinking water; conversely, if the fire is insufficient and the water vapor cannot rise, the water consumed will quickly be expelled, which is why some people feel that the water they drink comes out shortly after. In TCM, this is considered a Yang deficiency type of diabetes, which often corresponds to diabetes in Western medical tests.
The Yin and Yang of the heart must be balanced. If heart Yang is insufficient, the body will feel as if it has lost the warmth of sunlight, becoming enveloped in a cold haze, leading to coldness, lack of energy, and water retention. As a result, the heart’s function will inevitably be affected, potentially leading to cardiac edema, which Western medicine may diagnose as heart disease or heart failure. Similarly, if heart Yin is insufficient, it is like a hydraulic machine lacking sufficient lubricating oil for pressure transmission, leading to insufficient power; likewise, if heart Yin is insufficient, the body will experience palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, insomnia, and forgetfulness, which Western medicine often diagnoses as arrhythmia or heart disease.
In summary, from heart disease and hypertension to common colds and fevers, all diseases stem from the imbalance of Yin and Yang. Excessive Yang leads to short life, excessive Yin leads to illness, and the imbalance of Yin and Yang gives rise to all diseases. Why do some people feel unwell frequently, whether it is headaches or chest tightness? It is because the Yin and Yang in their bodies are imbalanced, just like an ecological balance in a region being disrupted, leading to either drought or flooding. How can we avoid these disasters? The national approach is to protect forests and restore ecological balance. Once the ecology is balanced, the earth will have favorable weather. So how can our bodies achieve favorable conditions? There is only one method: to achieve balance between Yin and Yang. A person with balanced Yin and Yang is energetic, has a rosy complexion, and is free from illness. Even if viruses attack occasionally, their righteous Qi can quickly expel the viruses. Therefore, only those with balanced Yin and Yang can enjoy health and longevity.
Section Two
If a woman’s Yin and Yang are imbalanced, she will develop spots on her face
TCM has many health preservation methods, including herbal medicine, massage, acupuncture, and dietary therapy. Regardless of the method used, the goal is to regulate the Yin and Yang within the body. As long as Yin and Yang are balanced, diseases will naturally disappear. Therefore, many TCM practitioners refer to their practice as regulation rather than treatment, which is very reasonable.
Everyone should not think that TCM regulation is an optional matter; in fact, regulation fundamentally addresses the body’s issues. The Huangdi Neijing states, “To treat illness, one must seek the root.” What is the root? The root is Yin and Yang. Let me take the example of a common condition among women: chloasma.
A colleague from Beijing TV introduced a female friend who wanted to consult me for facial issues. She was a very beautiful woman, but unfortunately, she had two large dark spots on the outer sides of her eyes. She said she lived a carefree life, everything was great, her work was easy, and she was very wealthy, but these dark spots troubled her. She had previously spent tens of thousands at a beauty salon, and while it seemed effective at the time, it did not improve afterward.
I made an analogy, saying that local treatment is like treating yellow leaves without addressing the root of the tree, merely applying green paint to the leaves, which cannot yield good results. Chloasma is actually a manifestation of her body’s Yin and Yang imbalance. A woman’s body is like the moon, which experiences waxing and waning every month; similarly, a woman’s Qi and blood fluctuate monthly. Qi is Yang, and blood is Yin; a woman’s Qi and blood fluctuate with the changes of Yin and Yang. If, for some reason (such as emotional distress), a woman’s Qi and blood become disordered and cannot follow the rhythm of Yin and Yang, it will lead to Qi stagnation and blood stasis. Once blood stasis lingers in certain areas of the body, diseases will arise; if it lingers on the face, various spots will form, which is the cause of chloasma.
Western medicine treats chloasma from the surface, generally using methods such as peeling, hormones, and lasers. These methods yield quick results, but once discontinued, the problem recurs, and they have significant side effects. So, what does TCM do? TCM addresses the root cause by regulating the Yin and Yang within the body. As long as Yin and Yang are balanced, chloasma will naturally disappear.
When encountering such situations, I usually divide a woman’s month into three or four stages for treatment. This time, I divided her month into three stages: after menstruation is one stage, for which I prescribed a nourishing Yin herbal formula; before menstruation is another stage, for which I added some Yang-nourishing herbs to the previous formula; and during menstruation, I prescribed a formula to invigorate blood and resolve stasis.
After a month, when I saw her again, her face was very clear, and I was a bit annoyed, thinking, why did you come to me for the spots on your face and cover them with makeup? How can I see the changes in your condition? So, I told her that next time she came, she must remove her makeup; otherwise, I would not be able to see the changes in her chloasma.
She was surprised and said, “I didn’t wear any makeup at all!”
I was also surprised because there were hardly any traces of chloasma left on her face. It turned out that her body had basically recovered, her complexion had improved significantly, and her face, which was previously dull, now had a rosy glow. When I sent her off, she put on sunglasses, looking youthful and vibrant.
She said something interesting to me: “If it weren’t for the introduction from someone at the TV station, I would never have taken your herbal formula because it was too cheap. I spent thousands at the pharmacy for the same treatment, and this time, I only spent a few dozen yuan, and the herbal soup was so delicious.”
So, why did I divide a woman’s month into three stages? Is it related to Yin and Yang?
The changes in Yin and Yang energy within a woman’s body are related to the waxing and waning of the moon. The moon waxes and wanes once a month, and women have their menstrual cycle once a month. Based on the moon’s phases, the menstrual cycle can be divided into new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, and full moon. Similarly, as a woman’s physiological cycle changes, the Yin and Yang energy within her body also presents different conditions. Some people divide the menstrual cycle into many stages based on the moon’s phases. Some divide it into three stages, some into five, and some into seven. I believe that too many divisions are not conducive to regulation; you cannot see a patient every four days, so I prefer the three-stage or four-stage method.
First, during the first week after menstruation, there is a significant loss of Yin blood, so the focus should be on nourishing Yin and blood to promote the accumulation of Yin energy within the body. Once Yin blood is sufficient, it can prepare for the next menstruation. The dietary therapy for this stage is: 9g of Shu Di Huang (Rehmannia Root), 9g of Zhi He Shou Wu (Fleeceflower Root), 3g of Dang Gui (Angelica), 3g of Bai Shao (White Peony), 6g of E Jiao (Donkey-hide Gelatin), 3 pieces of Long Yan Rou (Longan Flesh), and one section of pig spine bone, boiled into soup. As for the cooking time, generally, it is sufficient to cook until the pig spine bone is thoroughly cooked. In this formula, Shu Di Huang nourishes kidney Yin; Zhi He Shou Wu nourishes liver Yin; Dang Gui invigorates and nourishes blood; E Jiao and Bai Shao nourish Yin and blood; pig bones are considered blood-rich in TCM, and since pigs are water animals, they also nourish Yin. When preparing, you can add a little seasoning according to your taste, but not too much; just a little salt will suffice. This soup is quite tasty and can be consumed two to three days a week to help nourish Yin blood.
The second stage, which is the second week after menstruation, is when Yang energy begins to rise, and the woman’s body enters a stage of preparation for ovulation. The focus of nourishment during this time is to promote the harmony of Yin and Yang. The specific dietary therapy is: 9g of Shu Di Huang, 6g of Dang Gui, 6g of Chi Shao (Red Peony), 6g of Nu Zhen Zi (Ligustrum Fruit), 6g of Tu Si Zi (Cuscuta Seed), one section of pig spine bone, and 50g of lamb meat. The method of consumption is still to boil into soup. In this formula, in addition to the herbs that nourish Yin blood, Nu Zhen Zi nourishes kidney Yin, and Tu Si Zi nourishes kidney Yang; lamb is a warming Yang food and is also considered blood-rich, which is beneficial for promoting Yang energy. Using both pork and lamb together symbolizes the balance of Yin and Yang. Women can consume this soup two to three days a week.
The third stage, which is the third week after menstruation, is the week before the next menstruation. At this time, Yang energy is even more abundant, preparing for the next stage of menstruation. The principle of dietary therapy is to supplement Yang energy as much as possible. The formula is: 9g of Shu Di Huang, 6g of Dang Gui, 3g of Chi Shao, 3g of Tu Si Zi, 3g of Ba Ji Tian (Morinda Root), 50g of lamb meat, and a section of yam (two inches long, sliced). The method is still to boil into soup. Yam can be bought fresh at the market to nourish the spleen and kidneys; Ba Ji Tian is a warming herb that supplements kidney Yang; removing pork and using only lamb is to better promote the rise of Yang energy, and this formula can be consumed until menstruation begins.
At this time, it is important to note that some women may experience irritability before menstruation due to liver Qi stagnation. Women with this condition can add 3g of Chai Hu (Bupleurum) and 3g of Zhi Shi (Bitter Orange) to the previous formula to help regulate liver Qi. This dietary therapy can also be consumed two to three days a week. For women with significant irritability before menstruation, there is a very romantic method: drinking water infused with dried rose petals. Roses not only symbolize love but are also a blessing for women with liver Qi stagnation. TCM has the saying, “Aromatic herbs can resolve stagnation”; the fragrant aroma of roses not only refreshes the mind but also helps regulate liver Qi. Friends with liver Qi stagnation and irritability can give this a try.
The fourth stage is during menstruation. During menstruation, women need to expel blood, and the smoothness of menstruation directly affects the body’s recovery afterward. Modern medical researchers have found that during this time, women activate a mechanism to dissolve blood, allowing any blood stasis that may have occurred for various reasons to be expelled during this stage. Therefore, both Yin and Yang within the body need to work together to expel blood stasis.
The dietary therapy for this stage is: 6g of Shu Di Huang, 6g of Dang Gui, 6g of Chi Shao, 6g of Tao Ren (Peach Kernel), 3g of Hong Hua (Safflower), 9g of Yi Mu Cao (Motherwort), 3 slices of ginger, and 100g of lamb meat. This formula is also prepared as soup and can be consumed daily during the first two days of menstruation, and then two times a week afterward. The ingredients in this formula, such as Tao Ren, Hong Hua, and Yi Mu Cao, are all known for invigorating blood and resolving stasis.
The method of preparing this herbal soup can be flexibly adjusted according to individual constitution. The formula is for one day’s consumption, and after preparing the soup, it can be consumed twice a day. It is not advisable to leave it for the next day, as soup can spoil easily in summer. In winter, if you make too much, you can drink it more than once. Since this is a medicinal soup, it can be consumed like food, without strict adherence to daily consumption; generally, consuming it two to three days a week is sufficient.
Based on my experience, after two months of such phased regulation, the Yin and Yang within a woman’s body can achieve balance; once Yin and Yang are balanced, Qi and blood will flow smoothly; when Qi and blood flow smoothly, the complexion will naturally improve, and energy levels will increase.
This set of dietary therapy formulas can be further adjusted by local doctors based on individual constitution for better results. After drinking for a month or two and feeling the body recover, the frequency of consuming the soup can be reduced to once a week, and eventually, it can be discontinued. I would like to remind that pregnant women should not use these dietary therapy formulas, as the fetus relies on the accumulation of Qi and blood, and generally, blood-invigorating medicines should not be taken, including dietary therapy.
Section Four
Once Yin and Yang are adjusted, diseases will immediately disappear
I particularly like a song by Na Ying called “Seeing Flowers in the Mist,” which contains the lyrics: “Lend me a pair of wise eyes, so I can see the chaos clearly and distinctly.” I often wonder how a person can possess wise eyes. How should we view all things in life? After pondering for a long time, I have gained some insight: to see things clearly, one must first understand both sides of things: Yin and Yang. Once we understand the Yin and Yang of things, the chaotic world becomes clear and distinct. The I Ching states: “One Yin and one Yang is called the Dao.” What does this mean? It means that everything, regardless of its state or complexity, ultimately boils down to the changes of Yin and Yang. Grasping the Yin and Yang of things is to grasp their essence.
The heavens have Yin and Yang, thus there is a distinction between day and night;
Humans have Yin and Yang, thus there is a distinction between men and women;
Mountains have Yin and Yang, thus there is a distinction between Yin and Yang mountains.
Yang energy has the following characteristics: warmth, brightness, dryness, excitement, and exuberance. Generally speaking, the upper, outer, left, southern, sky, daytime, spring, summer, and movement all possess Yang characteristics.
Yin energy has the following characteristics: coldness, darkness, moisture, inhibition, and decline. Generally speaking, the lower, inner, right, northern, earth, nighttime, autumn, winter, and stillness all possess Yin characteristics.
Perhaps someone will ask: “Dr. Luo, you have said so much, what does health preservation have to do with Yin and Yang?” Here, I will share a personal story that illustrates how neglecting Yin and Yang in health preservation can lead to serious mistakes.
Recently, I returned to my hometown and encountered a case involving a relative of mine, a man in his sixties. His illness has quite a history. When I was in Beijing, this patient had called me, describing his condition as having heart issues, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing. One day, while walking home, he suddenly turned pale, felt extremely uncomfortable in his chest, and had difficulty breathing. He called for an ambulance and was hospitalized for several days, but the problem remained unresolved, so he returned home. He called me several times, but I felt I did not understand his condition well enough to provide help.
This time, I went to see him in person to understand the severity of his illness.
Upon seeing him, I was shocked. It was already June, yet he was wearing two pairs of pants and a long-sleeved shirt, hugging his shoulders, clearly feeling very cold. I took his pulse, which was slow and weak; I looked at his tongue, which was pale. At this point, I could basically determine that this was a cold syndrome. Why? Because healthy people have balanced Yin and Yang, while sick people have lost that balance. As mentioned earlier, Yang energy has characteristics of warmth, brightness, dryness, and exuberance, while Yin energy has characteristics of coldness, darkness, moisture, inhibition, and decline. Look, it was hot summer, yet this patient was so afraid of the cold, indicating that his body was completely controlled by Yin energy, and Yang energy was severely deficient. The Huangdi Neijing states: “If Yang is deficient, it is cold; if Yin is deficient, it is hot.”
The most obvious sign was his hands, which were blue. When I touched them, they were ice cold. In TCM, “blue hands to the joints” is a serious condition. I asked about his treatment process, and it turned out that after falling ill, he first went to a Western hospital, where he was diagnosed with severe myocardial ischemia and started receiving intravenous treatment with heart medications (I do not know what medications were used), but there was no improvement. He then went to a modernized TCM hospital, where the doctor saw that he had heart issues and immediately began to invigorate blood and resolve stasis, giving him many intravenous infusions. Nowadays, many TCM hospitals adopt this approach, injecting blood-invigorating herbs intravenously. This might be what they call integrated Chinese and Western medicine! However, after several days, not only did his symptoms not improve, but they worsened. The patient experienced insomnia, chest tightness, and a lack of appetite, only able to eat a few bites at each meal.
I remember that my relative called me and recommended a doctor at that hospital whom I thought was good. However, the patient went to see him, and the doctor refused to prescribe any medicine, saying he could not prescribe decoctions and should go find a Western doctor for heart medications. After hearing this, the patient felt hopeless, thinking his life was nearing its end.
He then went back to the Western hospital, where the doctor told him he needed to undergo coronary angiography and prepare for a stent. Upon hearing this, the patient fell silent and quietly returned home.
Just then, I returned home and witnessed the scene: he was wearing layers of clothing and still felt cold. He had not slept for three consecutive days and had hardly eaten anything, feeling extremely weak. He mentioned that he had called 120 for emergency help twice at three in the morning, feeling he could not endure any longer.
After hearing my relative’s account, I felt very uneasy because this is a condition that is easily diagnosed in TCM as Yang deficiency. All the indicators were present. We won’t discuss Western medicine; they do not have the theory of Yin and Yang, cold and heat, so everyone receives the same medications. However, why did our TCM hospital turn a blind eye? The patient was so afraid of the cold, which clearly indicated excessive Yin and deficient Yang. When Yin is excessive, a person becomes depressed and irritable, losing the will to live. This is because Yin energy has an inhibiting characteristic that can lower a person’s mood and desire to survive.
At that moment, seeing the patient’s blue fingers, I felt a sense of urgency. I thought, if I had not come, and they continued to give him intravenous infusions, I could not imagine what the outcome would be. I quickly told the patient’s family to boil a section of scallion white with two tablespoons of white wine and a cup of water, bringing it to a boil and having him drink it immediately. At the same time, I prescribed Wu Zhu Yu Tang (Evodia Decoction), a formula from the Shang Han Lun, consisting only of Wu Zhu Yu (Evodia) and Dang Shen (Codonopsis), along with ginger and jujube, used to treat excess cold syndrome. What is Wu Zhu Yu? It is the Evodia mentioned in a poem by Tang dynasty poet Wang Wei: “Alone in a foreign land as a stranger, I miss my family even more during the festive season; I know my brothers are climbing high places, but one person is missing with the Evodia inserted everywhere.”
From this, you can see that our TCM approach to regulating Yin and Yang is very straightforward. If you are suffering from excessive Yin and cold, we will use some warming Yang herbs. Scallion white is warming, white wine is warming, Wu Zhu Yu is warming, ginger is warming, and jujube is also warming; among all these herbs, only Dang Shen is neutral.
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