Yang qi is extremely important to the human body, especially for men. When the body’s yang qi is sufficient, the organ functions will be more robust, the body will be healthy, energetic, exuding a masculine charm, and a strong yang energy. Once the yang qi is insufficient, the body’s ability to metabolize substances and maintain physiological functions will weaken, the body will deteriorate, become prone to illness, accelerate aging, and become weak.
When the yang qi is insufficient, the body will show some obvious abnormalities. These abnormalities are the body reminding you: it’s time to replenish yang qi.
How does the insufficient yang qi show in the male body?
Insufficient yang qi can lead to qi deficiency, easily causing feelings of chest tightness and shortness of breath. Even with mild exercise, breathlessness and difficulty breathing may occur, and there could be chest pain.
Male smokers consume yang qi. If you cough frequently, have excessive phlegm, and often feel discomfort in your throat, it indicates the need to quit smoking immediately. These are signs of sub-health and imply insufficient yang qi, making it difficult for the body to expel toxins effectively.
Insufficient yang qi can also affect the digestive system. Poor appetite, nausea, indigestion, frequent diarrhea, loose stools, may suggest insufficient yang qi.
Yang qi deficiency can lead to spleen weakness, evidenced by thicker tongue coating, enlarged tongue, increased saliva, especially drooling during sleep, and bad breath.
Men with insufficient yang qi tend to feel cold, with cold hands and feet. Some may experience a situation of “heat above and cold below”, constantly feeling hot but wanting to consume cold foods and ice water, yet their hands and feet remain cold, and their legs feel weak.
Abdominal obesity is a major issue for men, and it is closely related to insufficient yang qi. Insufficient yang qi reduces the body’s ability to metabolize, causing internal accumulation of dampness, weakening the digestive capacity of the spleen and stomach, leading to abdominal obesity.
Why does yang qi become insufficient? Because you have been engaging excessively in activities that deplete yang qi.
Yang qi does not decrease without reason, but if you do too many depleting activities that excessively consume the body’s yang qi, it will result in insufficiency.
As mentioned earlier, smoking depletes yang qi. Cigarettes contain thousands of harmful substances; regular smoking increases toxins in the body, damaging lung qi, depleting yang qi, leading to insufficient yang qi.
Drinking alcohol also depletes yang qi. Regular alcohol consumption harms liver blood, depleting yang qi, posing health risks.
Sensitivity to cold is a significant cause of insufficient yang qi in men, divided into two types: frequent consumption of cold foods and ice water, and excessive use of air conditioning and fans. Excessive sensitivity to cold aggravates the accumulation of cold-dampness in the body, depletes yang qi, and is detrimental to health.
Exercise can replenish yang qi, but evening exercise depletes yang qi. Nighttime has more yin qi, making the body functions weaker; exercising during this time weakens the body’s functions further, unfavorably impacting health.
Eating radishes in winter and ginger in summer, as raw ginger helps replenish yang qi. Men with insufficient yang qi can consume ginger frequently to promote yang qi. They can soak their feet in ginger or drink ginger tea. Placing sliced ginger on the navel before sleep can stimulate blood circulation in the abdomen, improve sleep quality, and increase yang qi.
Men with insufficient yang qi can also drink wolfberry tea, astragalus tea, poria cocos tea, and eat warm-nourishing foods like mutton, oysters, Chinese yam, and sweet potatoes regularly. They should also get 15–20 minutes of sunlight daily, exercise moderately, preferably in the morning or afternoon, avoid staying up late, ensure adequate sleep, adopt a healthy lifestyle, and the condition of insufficient yang qi will improve.
