Yes, I am a “Qi Deficiency Person”.Qi deficiency people have a hard time:They can’t stand straight, can’t sit straight, and love to lounge on the sofa, feeling deflated like a balloon;They have a vacant look, catch colds easily during seasonal changes, and feel the effects of spring and autumn;My period often arrives early, and I feel it should be called “Little Aunt” instead of “Big Aunt”;After walking a few steps, I break into a sweat; I can’t be like Liu Genghong’s girls, I can only be like Lin Daiyu.Qi deficiency people also get hungry quickly.I have a bit of low blood sugar, but eating too much makes me feel bloated.Qi deficiency people are lazy.They are too lazy to move, their homes are a mess, and they pretend not to see it; they know many nourishing foods but just read about them and consider it as having eaten them; they are too lazy to talk and prefer to reply with their thoughts; when meeting friends, it’s always “February 30th”; they are too lazy to think about things, like how to shop during 618, does it concern me?Qi deficiency people are not easy to deal with, their moods fluctuate greatly.When in a good mood: you are my heart, you are my liver, you are three-quarters of my life.When in a bad mood: don’t disturb me, or I’ll let you know why the flowers are so red.My teammates often say: you are someone who slaps and then gives a date, unpredictable, requiring me to ponder for a lifetime.Why am I a Qi deficiency person? Qi deficiency greatly affects my daily life as a superwoman.Life depends on QiQi is the foundation of life activitiesSo what is “Qi”?In TCM, there are Yuan Qi (Original Qi), Zong Qi (Gathering Qi), Ying Qi (Nutritional Qi), Wei Qi (Defensive Qi)… We don’t need to think about the meanings of these terms, just know that “Qi” is very important for us.The most relatable aspects like burping, farting, inhaling, exhaling, and sighing are all related to Qi.Constipation might be due to “Qi” not pushing the stool out. In terms of mood, “feeling refreshed, harmonious brings wealth, and being furious” is also related to Qi.Qi drives and stimulates the functions of the organs, the circulation of blood and fluids, and the changes in essence and spirit; Qi is the foundation of life activities. The importance of Qi truly resonates with the saying, “Life depends on Qi.”A Soup to Tonify Qi: Five Red SoupInsufficient congenital endowment and lack of nourishment in later life can lead to illness. Not properly nourishing the body after illness or childbirth can also cause Qi deficiency.Since it is deficient, I will replenish it.I started to nourish my body, eating more foods that strengthen the spleen and tonify Qi, such as rice, yam, tofu, pumpkin, and mushrooms;when drinking millet porridge, I add lotus seeds, Poria (Fu Ling), Huai yam, and water chestnut, these four ingredients. These four ingredients are the famous formula for the Four God Soup, which nourishes the spleen and stomach and tonifies Qi.Now let me introduce a nourishing soup recipe, Five Red Soup.30 grams of red-skinned peanuts, which are sweet and neutral, enter the lung, spleen, and liver meridians, nourishing the blood.15 grams of goji berries, which are sweet and neutral, enter the liver, kidney, and lung meridians, nourishing yin, tonifying the kidney, and improving vision and lung health.30 grams of red dates, which are sweet and warm, enter the spleen, lung, heart, and kidney meridians, tonifying the spleen and Qi.30 grams of red beans, which are sweet and neutral, strengthen the spleen, promote urination, and eliminate damp heat.Appropriate amount of brown sugar, which is sweet and warm, enters the spleen, tonifying Qi and nourishing blood, strengthening the spleen and warming the stomach.Soak the ingredients for about an hour, put them in a health pot, and cook on the dessert setting for 40 minutes until the red beans bloom.This soup has many variations; for those with phlegm-dampness, you can omit the brown sugar and add Poria to strengthen the spleen and eliminate dampness.For those with yin deficiency and internal heat, such as having hot palms and soles, night sweats, and dry mouth, you can add mulberries to nourish yin, tonify blood, and generate fluids.In short, you can drink this soup according to your physical condition.Now that it is summer, it is easy to sweat, and since sweat and blood share the same source, this Five Red Soup is perfect for replenishing blood, making your complexion glow better than expensive cosmetics.When tonifying Qi,you also need to pay attention to the smoothness of the bodyMany sisters ask why they want to nourish their bodies, but it easily leads to internal heat; this is actually due to “deficiency not receiving nourishment”.Excess Qi can lead to heat; even the best ingredients must be digested and absorbed by the spleen and stomach to be useful. It is recommended to proceed gradually, feeling the warmth or coolness of the ingredients in your stomach after eating. Do your hands and feet feel warmer? Is there a surge of energy?Another point is that Qi tonifying herbs can easily stagnate Qi; sisters with phlegm-dampness can eliminate phlegm while tonifying Qi. Usually, you can drink some dried tangerine peel tea or corn silk tea to eliminate dampness and phlegm.A simple way to avoid Qi stagnation is to exercise. Exercise can promote the smooth flow of Qi; think about it, sometimes after overeating, a walk can relieve the bloating, which is the smooth flow of Qi and digestion. Exercise should be integrated into daily life, as natural as eating and sleeping.When tonifying Qi, you also need to avoid depleting QiIt is said that “nourishing with medicine is not as good as nourishing with food, and nourishing with food is not as good as nourishing with sleep”. Women need to nourish yin, and sleep is a great nourishment. My current habit of sleeping early is due to my “one-hour sleep coaxing, waking up two or three times at night” sleep-deprived child, as it is too difficult for the child to fall asleep, I often end up falling asleep while coaxing. Gradually, I found that I couldn’t stay up late anymore; I get sleepy around 9 PM.We are like transmitters; our thoughts, emotions, and intentions are all transmitted messages. Many people say they are burdened by worries, and worrying depletes our spirit and Qi. At night, the Qi of heaven and earth is in a state of “closing”; we should also follow the natural flow of Qi to gather the spirit that has been dissipated throughout the day.Quiet sitting and sleeping early help us to “close”.After sleeping early, I noticed the biggest change is that my eyes became clearer; I used to have red veins, but now they are gone. My mind is much clearer, and I can quickly reach conclusions without being so entangled. After a period of early sleep, I became an action-oriented person; I used to know many theories about tonifying Qi and blood but never put them into practice. Now I have started to take action, preparing snacks like fermented rice and red dates to tonify Qi and blood, and making nourishing soups.I used to plan many things in a day, often failing to meet my goals and exhausting myself. Now I have changed my approach; since my Qi and blood can only support one or two tasks, I focus on those one or two tasks.When feeling irritable while taking care of my child, I honestly tell my child that I am not feeling well and might get angry, can you play by yourself for a while to give mommy some rest? The child usually agrees. Learning to say “no”, avoiding insincere words, reducing unnecessary social interactions, and staying away from people and things that deplete our spirit and Qi are all ways to nourish Qi.Finally, I want to say that nourishing Qi and blood is a long-term process; decades of lifestyle have shaped our current constitution, and change is not an overnight matter. It requires patience and courage to take action.There will be pain during this process; the inertia of life will pull you back, but you know that persistence is a cool thing. This world belongs to you, to me, but ultimately belongs to those who are healthy and live long.Wishing all sisters abundant vitality and energy.Author | TaoziEditor | ZhuziProofreader | XuejianIllustration | Mo Li Hong & Alaya ShiAuthor Bio: Taozi, a student of Yang Dad’s ABC course, a happy mother, and a fan of Yang Dad.
