Traditional Chinese medicine views the human body as a finely complex ecosystem, with interactions between yin and yang, the five elements, and the organs and meridians, maintaining balance and health. Once the balance is disrupted, signs of “deficiency” appear. Traditional Chinese medicine categorizes “deficiency” into six types: yang deficiency, blood deficiency, liver deficiency, yin deficiency, qi deficiency, and lung deficiency, each corresponding to unique manifestations and methods of supplementation.
In daily life, feeling weak in the morning, tired in the afternoon, easily fatigued with slight exertion, and even experiencing insomnia at night may be signals of bodily “deficiency.” Traditional Chinese medicine treatment emphasizes syndrome differentiation for treatment, restoring the balance of yin and yang and nourishing qi and blood through various strategies.
– Yang deficiency manifests as cold hands and feet, aversion to cold, and calls for warming supplementation. It is recommended to consume lamb, deer antler, ginger, longan, engage in moderate exercise, and get sufficient sunlight. – Blood deficiency resembles a dry riverbed, leading to pale complexion, dizziness, and possibly scanty menstruation in women. This can be addressed by consuming red dates, pig liver, black sesame, and angelica sinensis for nourishment, while maintaining a good mood, as emotional fluctuations affect blood production. – Liver deficiency results in low mood, dry eyes, and fatigue, requiring liver soothing and depression alleviation with rose tea, bupleurum liver soothing powder, ensuring adequate sleep, and reducing staying up late. – Yin deficiency causes dry mouth, irritability, night sweats, and should be treated by nourishing yin and reducing fire with tremella, wolfberry, lily, ophiopogon, while maintaining moisture, avoiding overwork and sun exposure. – Qi deficiency manifests as shortness of breath, weakness, and sweating easily, calling for qi supplementation with ginseng, astragalus, codonopsis pilosula, complemented by aerobic exercises like jogging or swimming. – Lung deficiency presents with shallow breathing and coughing easily, requiring lung moistening and qi supplementation with lily, almond, honey, and practicing diaphragmatic breathing to enhance lung function.
Traditional Chinese medicine regimen involves not only dietary therapy and herbal medicine but also lifestyle adjustments. Maintaining the foundation of health includes regular routines, moderate exercise, a calm mindset, adjusting lifestyle habits according to seasonal changes, aligning with natural rhythms, paying attention to bodily needs in daily life, and nurturing self-health with wisdom and care.
